Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!netnews.upenn.edu!vax1.cc.lehigh.edu!cert.sei.cmu.edu!krvw From: peter@ficc.ferranti.com (Peter da Silva) Newsgroups: comp.virus Subject: Re: virus analogy Message-ID: <0008.9008301334.AA25774@ubu.cert.sei.cmu.edu> Date: 26 Aug 90 03:42:40 GMT Sender: Virus Discussion List Lines: 17 Approved: krvw@sei.cmu.edu SYSBXR@SUVM.ACS.SYR.EDU (Bridget Rutty) writes: > This is NOT a precedent, or even a good analogy. Physicians do not > administer any medication, vaccine or otherwise, without understanding > the risks and benefits. Patients do not get vaccines without consenting. > Granted, some patients may not understand all the risks of a vaccine > but that probably is because they do not ask. Actually, that's not entirely true. One of the reasons for using the attentuated virus vaccine instead of the killed virus vaccine, other than the improved protection, is that people who have not been vaccinated but come in contact with recently vaccinated individuals (generally other kids at schools or day-cares) will be infected by the attenuated virus and get the same immunity. - -- Peter da Silva. `-_-' +1 713 274 5180. 'U` peter@ferranti.com