Anti-Science Christie Tries To Backtrack On Anti-Vaccine Comments

As it turns out, Chris Christie wasn’t just politically pandering when he offered support to the anti-vaxxers – his record makes clear he’s anti-science.

After visiting a vaccine manufacturing plant in Cambridge, England this morning, Governor Chris Christie told reporters he thinks parents should have a “choice, Christie said,” and he called for “balance” in allowing parents to make decisions about vaccinations.

Media outlets, including NCRM, exploded, and rightly so. Thanks to a growing anti-science, anti-vaccine movement known as “anti-vaxxers,” over 100 children in 14 states now are afflicted with the measles, a disease believed to have been eradicated from this nation decades ago. 

So Gov. Christie tried to back pedal, his office issuing a clarification.

“To be clear,” the statement, also posted to Facebook, reads, “The Governor believes vaccines are an important public health protection and with a disease like measles there is no question kids should be vaccinated. At the same time different states require different degrees of vaccination which is why he was calling for balance in which ones government should mandate.”

Note the “with a disease like measles” qualifier. Which diseases common to the U.S., that we have vaccines for, does Gov. Christie not believe we should vaccinate for? Cancer-causing HPV, perhaps, like Michele Bachmann?

But his backtracking, albeit limited, cannot erase his anti-vaxx, anti-science record, including his ponying-up to the anti-vaccine mob in years past.

In 2009, during his run for governor, Christie actively courted the anti-vaccine vote.

After meeting with parents of children with autism who believe vaccines are to blame, the Republican gubernatorial candidate issued a closely-worded letter offering them support of their anti-science beliefs – beliefs which have been debunked thoroughly.

“I have met with families affected by autism from across the state and have been struck by their incredible grace and courage,” Christie’s letter said. “Many of these families have expressed their concern over New Jersey’s highest-in-the nation vaccine mandates. I stand with them now, and will stand with them as their governor in their fight for greater parental involvement in vaccination decisions that affect their children.”

MSNBC reports that anti-vaccination activist Louise Kuo Habakus provided the letter to them today. “She shared a photo showing Christie meeting with her and what she said were other anti-vaccination activists with her organization, the NJ Vaccination Choice Coalition, as well as other autism groups at a meeting they organized with the then-candidate in August 2009.”

“I spent a lot of time with Governor Christie working on this,” Habakus told MSNBC. “He’s been absolutely constant on this issue since I first met with him in 2008.”

That was 2009. Over five years later, he’s still peddling that anti-science, anti-vaccine support that gives lip service to conspiracy theorists.

The Atlantic agrees, writing that this “isn’t really a new position for Christie,” and noting that also in “2009, before he was elected, he told Don Imus he would give parents with concerns ‘a seat at the table.'”

Meanwhile, let’s remember Christie ordered the quarantine of a nurse just months ago who tested negative for Ebola and had no symptoms, directly against medical protocols.

Then there’s his increasingly anti-science position on climate change, his position on a woman’s right to choose (he’s against,) his position on medical marijuana (he’s fought against it,) his position on gun control (he’s against it to a degree), his position on Obamacare (he’s wholly against it,) his position on increasing the minimum wage (he’s against it,) his position on same-sex marriage (he’s against it).

Science? Chris Christie just isn’t really into you.

 

Image via Facebook