Court Sides With Father: Vaccination in Best Interests of Child

[Ian David]

Re-posted with modified graphic, per mod's request.

Court Sides With Father: Vaccination in Best Interests of Child

If you’re a fan of rational, science-based medicine, here’s some good news: a family court in Florida has ruled that, all other things being equal, it’s in a child’s best interests to be in the custody of a parent who would vaccinate the child, as opposed to one who would not.

If you’ve read this blog before, you probably know that, when making custody decisions, a court will base its decision entirely on what’s in the best interests of the child. Obviously, there’s a practically infinite number of factors that can be considered when making this determination. One of the big ones, however, is which parent can be expected to make sound decisions regarding the child’s physical health.

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However, over the last decade or so, there has been a movement (mostly in the developed world, where most people currently alive don’t have any direct experience with the diseases that vaccines prevent) against the vaccination of children, largely based on the notion that vaccines might cause autism. The main study that is used to back this claim up was discredited long ago, and the doctor who conducted the study has even been accused of deliberate fraud. And several subsequent studies have found absolutely no correlation between vaccines and autism.

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Remember, when a court is making a decision about custody, its main consideration is the well-being of the child. This takes precedence over the preference or convenience of either parent. When there is overwhelming scientific evidence that one course of action is far more beneficial to a child’s physical health (a major factor in well-being) than another, the court should go with the course of action backed by the evidence.

More:
http://lawblog.legalmatch.com/2011/02/01/court-sides-with-father-vaccination-in-best-interests-of-child

Hat-tip to: http://twitter.com/derekcbart/status/33310429212049408

See also:

The Panic Virus: A True Story of Medicine, Science, and Fear
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=222x99192

Salon retracts Robert Kennedy’s “Deadly Immunity”
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=222x98602

[MineralMan]

1. Good Job, Your Honor!

[HuckleB]

2. K & R.