Political Science
Health is arguably the most universal human values. Consult any parent and the health and of their child(ren) will consistently draw top rank. Consult the Global Burden of Disease project's infant mortality data and the contributors to children's health are evident - food, safe water and immunization. Absent these fundamentals dysentery and infectious disease run rampant and deadly. If you are reading this, chances are you live in a corner of the world where food is abundant, sanitation systems are established and vaccination has created heard immunity. The conditions of affluence, especially the absence of rampant infectious disease, have given rise to a modern anti-vaccination movement.
While deeply held religious and political beliefs cause some to abstain, a modern wave of opposition has arisen from those claiming that thimerosal-containing vaccines contribute to autism and development disorders.
The controversy is based on the observation that reports of autism coincide with the number of thiomersal-containing vaccines. This observation is based on ecological assessments which must be interpreted with extreme caution. Deeper analysis reveals that litigation-related autism reports bias the data contributing to a perceived association. Two recent, and methodologically rigorous, studies in the New England Journal of Medicine and Pediatrics do not support an association. In fact the data show that developmental disorders in thimerosal free kids were significantly higher than the exposed group. Applying the same ecologic logic one might conclude thimerosal exposure prevents autism!
The vaccine story is a tragic case of politicizing science. It is natural to seek explanations for disease. Name any disease and in all likelihood a theory exists that some type of chemical exposure might be a cause - thimerosal contains mercury. At the end of the day, if the result is a few additional research studies, then no harm is done. Unfortunately, the vaccine story is tragic because as a recent editorial documents, physical and economic harms have resulted.
Subversion of science for political or economic gain has become a disturbingly normal part of politics. Conversely, science does not represent a form of moral authority above other social considerations. Science is a tool for organizing and interpreting information enabling us to act on our values. The ozone layer was saved because the compilation of evidence inspired a survival value. At a time when we face complex ecological challenges and remarkable technological opportunity, we must resist the temptation to select science to fit preconceived positions. Science can direct the application of technology towards specific goals, but goal selection will lie firmly in the domain of values.