Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Innoculate This- Amanda Peet vs Jenny McCarthy

Innoculate this: Amanda Peet, Jenny McCarthy's verbal vaccine war

Whose side are you on, dear reader? Team Amanda Peet or Team Jenny McCarthy?
Amanda Peet, a spokeswoman for vaccine advocacy group Every Child by Two, recently referred to parents who choose not to vaccinate their children as “parasites” in an interview.
She has now apologized, saying, “I believe in my heart that my use of the word 'parasites' was mean and divisive; I completely understand why it offended some parents, and, in particular, parents of children with autism who feel that vaccines caused their illness. For this I am truly sorry."
But Jenny McCarthy, whose 6-year-old son has autism and who is fighting to educate parents about what she contends is a connection between vaccines and autism, is still really, really angry.
"She has a lot of [nerve] to come forward and be on that side, because there is an angry mob on my side, and I like the fact that I can say she's completely wrong,'' McCarthy tells the upcoming issue of Spectrum.
Autism United, a national advocacy group, is also angry and calling for a boycott of the actress’ movies.
"We want to send a clear message to her," the organization’s executive director, John Gilmore, told Fox News Pop Tarts. “Ms. Peet's comments are deplorable and an apology will not suffice. We applaud Jenny McCarthy's continued efforts and for speaking up for our community."
How did new mom Peet get involved with the Every Child by Two group?
Word is that the American Academy of Pediatrics put out a casting call for a star representative to combat McCarthy's anti-vaccine campaigning. Peet, in a word, auditioned for the role.
What do you think? Should children be vaccinated?

2 comments:

Bec said...

Team Jenny . . . it's just plain silly to argue against safer vaccines and a safer schedule. No one ever considered telling us that because I have an auto-immune disorder that perhaps the vaccine schedule should have been adjusted and some vaccines avoided. I wonder where Thane would be if he was fully vaccinated. Honestly, I don't really want to think about it much!

Bec said...

Team Jenny . . . it's just plain silly to argue against safer vaccines and a safer schedule. No one ever considered telling us that because I have an auto-immune disorder that perhaps the vaccine schedule should have been adjusted and some vaccines avoided. I wonder where Thane would be if he was fully vaccinated. Honestly, I don't really want to think about it much!