Chris Christie’s Terrible Vaccine Advice

Last I checked, Chris Christie isn’t a licensed commercial pilot, which is one reason he probably doesn’t phone the cockpit with instructions when his flight encounters turbulence. Chances are, he doesn’t tell his plow operators how to clear a road when New Jersey gets hit by a snow storm either. But when it comes to medicine, the current Governor, former prosecutor and never doctor evidently feels pretty free to dispense advice. And doncha’ know it? That advice turns out to be terrible. Asked about the ongoing 14-state outbreak of measles that has been linked to falling vaccination rates, Christie—the man who prides himself on chin-jutting certainty—went all squishy. “Mary Pat and I have had our children vaccinated and we think that it’s an important part of being sure we protect their health and the public health,” he said. “I also understand that parents need to have some measure of choice in things as well, so that’s the balance that the government has to decide.” The Governor then went further, taking off his family doctor hat and putting on his epidemiologist hat. “Not every vaccine is created equal,” he said, “and not every disease type is as great a public health threat as others.” MORE: Christie Says Parents Should Have Choice on Measles Vaccine He was not specific about which diseases fall below his public-health threat threshold, but New Jerseyans are free to guess. Woul...
Source: TIME: Top Science and Health Stories - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Uncategorized antivaxxers Christie Health Care Jenny McCarthy measles vaccines Source Type: news