WASHINGTON (CBSDC) — Vaccinations have become the topic du jour for potential presidential candidates after the latest measles outbreak has sickened more than 100 people in six states.
The vaccination debate exploded this week following comments from New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., which were roundly criticized and caused the two political figures to backtrack.
Speaking to reporters during his trip to England, Christie said that parents should have a choice on whether or not their children get vaccinated.
“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,” Christie said, adding that he and his wife have vaccinated their children. His office later came out with a statement saying that Christie believes “with a disease like measles there is no question kids should be vaccinated.”
Paul appeared to take the brunt of the criticism after telling CNBC during an interview that he’s heard of cases where children suffered from mental disorders after their vaccinations.
“I have heard of many tragic cases of walking, talking, normal children who wound up with profound mental disorders after vaccines,” Paul, and ophthalmologist, said. ”But I think the parents should have some input. The state doesn’t own your children.”
Following his comments, Paul issued a statement saying that he “did not allege causation” that vaccinations cause mental disorders and even posted a photo of himself on Twitter getting a booster vaccination.
“Ironic: Today I am getting my booster vaccine. Wonder how the liberal media will misreport this?” Paul tweeted.
Ironic: Today I am getting my booster vaccine. Wonder how the liberal media will misreport this? http://t.co/1vSqwfBp5u
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Senator Rand Paul (@SenRandPaul) February 03, 2015Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, told CBSDC that the two politicians have paid a price for their comments.
“[T]he vaccination issue is deadly serious. The measles outbreak is the news peg. It’s perfectly legitimate to ask candidates for president about it,” Sabato said. “Over the years, politicians in both parties have foolishly pandered to the anti-vaccine crowd, thereby helping to endanger public health. I doubt any more (politicians) make that mistake, because both Rand Paul and Chris Christie have paid a price.”
The vaccination debate was also a topic on the Democratic side in 2008 when then Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton were asked about it on the campaign trail.
According to the New York Daily News, Clinton said she was “committed to make investments to find the causes of autism, including possible environmental causes like vaccines” in response to an Autism Action Network questionnaire.
Obama said at the time “the science right now is inconclusive.”
“We’ve seen just a skyrocketing autism rate. Some people are suspicious that it’s connected to the vaccines. This person included,” Obama said during a campaign stop in Pennsylvania while pointing to an audience member. “The science right now is inconclusive, but we have to research it.”
Obama added that “vaccines are also preventing huge numbers of deaths among children, and preventing debilitating illnesses like polio. And so we can’t afford to junk our vaccine system.”
This week both President Obama and Clinton said that all children should be vaccinated.
The science is clear: The earth is round, the sky is blue, and #vaccineswork. Let's protect all our kids. #GrandmothersKnowBest
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Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) February 03, 2015“There are plenty of liberals who have been snookered by the anti-vaccine side. It isn’t just conservatives. That’s one thing politicians of both parties have in common: They’ll pander to any small slice of the electorate if they think they can get some votes out of it,” Sabato said.
Political strategist Chris Akins, founder of Akins Campaign Strategy, believes that some presidential contenders were caught “flat-footed” when broached of vaccinations.
“The more noisy extreme wings of both parties voiced concern of government overreach or concerns that they cause autism or other developmental issues. Hearing that, some of the candidates I believe started speaking that language but were caught flat-footed when the medical community and the rational heads in both parties – and even society at large – spoke loudly and clearly and said, ‘You’re wrong on this issue.’ And then the clarifications came,” Akins told CBSDC.
Akins added that he doesn’t see vaccinations still being an issue for candidates come 2016.
“I think this will go away, but it is being used to weed out those who have views that our of the mainstream of American society. The more rational candidates will say, ‘We’re not discussing this – this is settled science,’” Akins said. “The rational heads of both parties and the medical community are coming out and saying, “Vaccines save lives – there’s no question.” And there is no question. Mexico has a higher vaccination rate of 99 percent than ours of 92 percent. It’s appalling.”
Peggy Noonan, a CBS News contributor and Wall Street Journal columnist, told “CBS This Morning” Wednesday that the vaccination debate is just “absurd” with all the science behind it.
“Am I surprised? Yes, this is absurd and bizarre. Next are we going to be saying nobody should have a polio vaccine? This is crazy,” Noonan said. “This is crazy. It’s a bubble of hurt right now. If everybody gets serious and says, ‘Look, stop this. Vaccinate your kids,’ I think it will go away. But what an odd little argument it is.”
The latest outbreak started when a person infected with measles went to Disneyland in Anaheim, California, in December. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that the measles vaccine is 97 percent effective at preventing the virus.
