Most Americans Support Mandatory Childhood Vaccinations
Despite pseudoscience suggesting vaccines are unsafe, parents and people in both political parties appreciate their value
Welcome back to your weekly dose of wisdom and wellness, written by Wise & Well’s editor, Robert Roy Britt. Below you’ll find several informative and actionable stories by our team of journalists, topical experts and practicing professionals. First, this week’s news brief:
When we humans agree to live in a society, rather than sequester ourselves and our immediate family in some remote mountain retreat and never see another human, we have an obligation to agree to reasonable, widely accepted “rules” of society. Among them: pay taxes to support important things like building of roads and help for the needy; avoid killing others unless really necessary; and have our children vaccinated against deadly childhood diseases—not just for the protection of our own kids but to protect others who we might inadvertently kill by infecting them (see previous rule).
Sure, you can opt out of any of these principles. But if you do, do you belong in a society that values them? Are you a responsible member of society if you refuse to participate by a handful of basic best practices that protect life, limb and sanity? I’m sure some people will argue that yes, you can ignore these rules, screw everyone else, it’s nobody’s business. I’m not of that mind, so as our current administration skewers well-established science and raises questions about the efficacy and safety of vaccines, questions that have been firmly answered by decades of scientific research, I found this new survey of 2,509 US adults interesting:
Most U.S. adults (79%) say parents should be required to have children vaccinated against preventable diseases like measles, mumps, and rubella to attend school. This includes a majority of adults across party lines — 90% among Democrats and 68% among Republicans — as well as 66% of those who support the “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) movement. It also includes 72% of all parents.
The survey, supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the de Beaumont Foundation, involved a nationally representative sample of participants. It was conducted in March and published this week.
“Childhood vaccine requirements are less controversial than many people may think,” said Brian Castrucci, president and CEO of the de Beaumont Foundation. “This poll shows that they’re widely supported across political groups — and it’s heartening to see that so many Americans understand the importance of vaccination, which remains a fundamental pillar of public health and disease prevention.”
If you favor childhood vaccinations, know that you’re in the majority (and among scientists who study vaccine safety by doing actual science, the majority is as close to 100% as you can get). Just don’t let pseudoscience emanating from the office of our new US Secretary of Health and Human Services fool you into thinking that established vaccine science needs a rethink.
And now, here are this week’s feature stories:
Deprivation Defeats Diets: Here’s a Better Way to Manage Your Weight
You might’ve heard most diet’s don’t work for weight loss. That’s partly because many of them are ill-designed (hint hint: they’re designed to make money). But our own psychology plays an important role. When we eliminate food that we love, in order to lose weight, we’re apt to fall into a “restrained eating” trap, which confounds our efforts. Research shows it, and this psychologist knows it. By Gail Post, Ph.D.
Why Your Skin Still Amazes This Dermatologist
We worry about wrinkles and discolorations, bandage and salve the cuts and scrapes, and spend a fortune on lotions and potions in a vain attempt to keep it looking young and healthy. But beyond appearances, how much do you know about your skin? Me, not much! So I asked this dermatologist to inform and entertain us all with a story about the most surprising properties of the body’s largest organ. By Annie Foley
How to Heal from Caregiver Burnout
I’ve always wondered how they do it: doctors, nurses and anyone who cares 24/7 for a loved one who is ill. The personal toll must be tremendous. This nurse reveals the reality of constant caregiving, the price for pretending one can endlessly pour out energy and compassion to others. And she’s found balance, by actively filling her own cup first — something all caregivers can learn from. By Andrea Romeo RN, BN
Are Weight Loss Drugs Like Wegovy and Zepbound Miraculous?
Count me among the skeptics regarding the long-term benefits of the new class of weight-loss drugs (Ozempic/Wegovy and Mounjaro/Zepbound). Yes, they can be very effective. I don’t doubt that. But now they’re being touted for everything from cancer to cognitive decline, even sleep apnea (see story below). It may all turn out to be as touted. But what we don’t yet have is decades of data on things like whether people stick with the meds, if efficacy declines over time, and whether any complications develop through many years of use. But meantime, wow, the promise is amazing, as this physician explains. By Stephen Schimpff MD, MACP
Exciting New Sleep Apnea Treatment May Lead to Remission
A sleep clinic doc once told me that only about 10% of people who he treats for sleep apnea commit to the behavioral changes he recommends as the best solution for symptom relief. Chief among the fixes: Lose weight. Instead, noisy CPAP machines have replaced cacophonous snoring for millions of sleep apnea sufferers. Ironically, they can contribute to the problem. This doctor tells of a better way. By Jennifer Brown, MD
Light Naps Fuel Eureka Moments
Science has yet to put to bed the biggest question about naps: Are they, overall, healthy or unhealthy for most of us? But new research adds to a growing list of apparent cognitive benefits. Experiments showed people who took short power naps were more likely to discover a simple but hidden solution to a problem they’d been working on. By Robert Roy Britt
When Food Poisoning Made My Friend Fear Food
My wife is super careful about washing veggies thoroughly. I’ll eat them with nary a rinse. Not suggesting my way is wise, but our different approaches are rooted in two realities: She’s been traumatized by multiple episodes of food poisoning; I don’t recall ever being stricken. So: I’m going to ask her to read this story, from our newest Wise & Well writer, who’s a food safety expert. By Dr. Hatem El-Nagar
The New and Hopeful Science of Hope
Am thinking that this might be a good time to talk about hope, a concept that’s been defined and discussed in different ways. Psychologists have traditionally described hope as a cognitive process we employ to achieve goals. Philosophers and poets describe it much more eloquently. In these trying times, it’s helpful to know what hope can do for us. Along comes a new analysis that builds on a wonderful idea gaining momentum among researchers: Hope is a strong emotion that brings meaning to life and cultivates happiness. If yours seems lost, learn how you can find some. By Robert Roy Britt
And finally this week, circling back to the notion of pseudoscience in the White House…
Does RFK Jr. Want Us All to Dye?
When we evaluate meds that purport to cure disease or relieve symptoms, there are two approaches: science or speculation. Science takes time. It’s imperfect and sometimes involves frustrating flip-flops and delays. But eventually, consensus emerges. The new leader of our nation’s health agencies thinks he knows better, so he latches on to speculation and promotes unhealthy choices. To wit: methylene blue dye. By John Kruse MD, PhD
I hope we’ve helped make your tomorrow a little better than today. Feel free to forward this newsletter to friends who might be interested.
Cheers,
Rob