Vaccination and Democracy
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Walking - Some is Good!!
Accruing about 10,000 steps per day was associated with the lowest mortality risk independent of sedentary time, but any amount above 2,200 steps a day showed mortality and cardiovascular risk benefit. (British Journal of Sports Medicine). That’s about a mile for most of us. I’m walking.
Parents Are Delaying Vaccinating Children
We have discussed that measles is spreading in the US. It is doing so because so many parents have refused to vaccinate their children. I also read today the mumps has shown up in New Jersey as the result of international travel. These are all preventable with safe and effective readily available vaccines, but parents have heard disinformation and so take a crapshoot with their children’s lives. This is a really big gamble.
In Marin County California, parents’ requests to delay vaccinations have become so frequent that Dr. Nelson Branco said last month his practice decided to tighten vaccine requirements as cases of both measles and pertussis have spread. Babies seen by doctors in the practice will need to have their first set of vaccines completed by 4 months of age. The primary series of vaccines against the most serious and common diseases, including measles, must be completed by 24 months.
If parents don’t agree, they must leave the practice. That’s a fair response. There should be consequences.
However, Republicans are again fostering a “don’t vaccinate” campaign. Here is a reference to Trump’s criticism of vaccines. While it is worth noting that a new survey conducted by the Pew Research Center found that 82% of Americans support requiring public school students to be vaccinated for measles, mumps and rubella (MMR). Most Americans’ perception of the benefits of those three vaccinations are overwhelmingly positive, with about 88% saying the purported benefits outweigh any potential risk. About 73% of Americans see high preventive health benefits, and 66% say there is a low risk of side effects, according to the survey.
Discourse on the vaccination risk goes back to 1998, when a now-retracted and false study published in The Lancet linked increasing rates of autism to childhood vaccines. The author of the study, Andrew Wakefield, has been banned from practicing medicine in the U.K., and universally dubbed a fraud by the medical community.
The statistics above sound nice but herd immunity is required to protect public health and that is 95% vaccinated for measles. About 93% of kindergarteners in the U.S. were vaccinated against measles during the 2021-2022 school year, down from 95% just a few years prior. Ok, nationwide we are below herd immunity and we can expect this to spread.
I present this data for two reasons. First make sure little ones around you get vaccinated.
Second, it is a window into the spread of disinformation for political gain. The false narrative appeals to fear and generates mistrust based on that fear. It is a technique authoritarians use to claim overreach by the government and so the government should be replaced.
Summary
Get vaccines - you, your kids, your friends. Let’s make sure we can all stay as healthy as possible. Remember over one million Americans died in the COVID-19 pandemic and over 400,000 of those were preventable except that they listened to the disinformation.
It would be so much better if healthcare were apolitical. Just the system to heal and cure.
Remember that authoritarians want us to be scared so they can claim to remove the fear and fix whatever made up problem du jour they are screaming about.
The risk of authoritarians is far greater than their made up disinformation. Women will be relegated to 2nd class citizenship in the entire US, we will lose any right to privacy, and we run the risk of losing all rights not specifically called out in the constitution, that includes the right to have an attorney (Miranda).
If we have a democracy where we all have a voice then we can reason together and find solutions. If we lose the democracy, there is no reason.
RESOURCES
Healthcare Advocacy (Us)
Website
Our Newsletter resources including reproductive healthcare
Healthcare Advocacy Reading List
Find My Elected Officials
Contact the White House https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/
Contact State and Federal Representatives
By phone: (202) 224-3121
By email: democracy.io
Important Healthcare Resources
League of Women Voters Healthcare Reform Toolkit
Organizations to Contact
National Nurses United Medicare4All
Physicians for a National Health Program
One Payer States
Healthcare Now
Reproductive Health
NARAL - Pro Choice America
Charley. chatbot abortion resource - make sure to use a secure incognito browser if you live in a state that has banned abortion
Planned Parenthood
Miscarriage and Abortion Hotline has references about where to procure abortion medications. They also assist women in the process of self managed abortion or miscarriage by phone or text and will respond in an hour. Details and hours of operation at their website.
United State of Women Reproductive health page (bottom of the page) has important resources such as medical support, access to Telehealth, prescriptions by mail, and legal support references.
Practice careful communications - The Digital Defense Fund has a number of tips to keep texts, calls, and internet use private. Here is their site.
If you need financial help with an abortion try abortionfunds.org
Claims Denials and Appeals & What to Do
Appeal a Healthcare Decision
Appeal/Negotiate a Hospital Bill
Disinformation Management
Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency
Save Democracy
Chop Wood, Carry Water by Jessica Cravens
RESISTBOT
Link to the RESISTBOT site to learn more
Link to Chop Wood, Carry Water RESISTBOT write up
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