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Comment by kazinator | Hacker News Reader

In the years 1331-1351, half the population of China, and one third of that of Europe, died in the Black Death pandemic. That is preventable by a vaccine.

> forcing people to do things to their body.

Ah, but, firstly, your child's body isn't your body; that's a separate human being who has a right not to have idiot parents interfere with their survival.

Secondly, one person's immunization status affects others around them. It's not just a personal choice. Choosing not to be immunized and being around people is somewhat like smoking.

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Actually, the Black Death was caused by a bacteria, not a virus. It could have been cured with antibiotics, not vaccines.

I checked my facts before posting: vaccination does exist for Yersinia pestis. Though that particular pathogen is not commonly targeted by vaccination, it is not true that vaccines are just for viruses, whereas we just let people contract bacterial diseases and then fight them with antibiotics.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaccine#Effectiveness

"Vaccines also help prevent the development of antibiotic resistance. For example, by greatly reducing the incidence of pneumonia caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, vaccine programs have greatly reduced the prevalence of infections resistant to penicillin or other first-line antibiotics."

Sourced from Nature Journal: https://web.archive.org/web/20170722121157/http://www.nature...

> I checked my facts before posting

You're right, and I've never thought about the pneumonia vaccine being against bacteria as well, even though I've taken it myself.

> a right not to have idiot parents interfere

The only reasonable default assumption is that even "idiot" parents have more interest in the survival and well-being of their own children than the vaccination industry equivalent of the Sackler family.

Who is the "vaccination industry equivalent" of the Sackler family and what's wrong with them?

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