You're changing the subject. You read that whole rant up there about the actual, rational objections of the anti-vax movement and your answer is "denial is a powerful force." THERE IS NO DENIAL HERE. There are legitimate concerns that are not easily answered. It's all about risk management - most of the anti-vax crowd at this point is choosing a different method of risk management than the one you choose. Their way is hell on herd immunity and, from a statistical standpoint, puts their kids at much higher risk for several diseases that are largely unfamiliar to their peers. Their way, however, sure as hell isn't "denial." Meanwhile, your "data" is STRAIGHT UP FUCKING WRONG. Thimerosal was removed from vaccines as a preventative measure at the urging of the American Academy of Pediatrics. This isn't a bunch of entitled parents whining, this is the industry group that bloody well better know what's up urging a change based on safety. This change was based on studies done by the FDA that demonstrated that, yes indeed, with clumsy formulation you could push mercury levels above what was theoretically a good idea for small children. Yeah, you could likely do the same thing by feeding them too much tunafish... but then, we aren't insisting all babies eat tunafish. "The public" didn't really get going until Jenny McCarthy, who didn't even have a son until 2002, whose son didn't even get diagnosed until 2005, and whose life didn't hit the books until September 2007. Yet you choose to see this as a "facts vs opinions" debate. Here's a fact: The Lancet, a widely-respected (if not THE most widely respected) medical journal, published a paper theoretically linking vaccines and autism. Here's an opinion: That was a terrible fucking thing for The Lancet to do. However, if you're going to hold something up to the standard of a peer-reviewed medical journal, the "autism scare" passed muster from 1999 until 2010. The fact that vaccine skepticism still exists even now should indicate to you that it's about more than autism. (and always has been: http://www.dollkind.com/raggedy-ann-doll.shtml )