Did you know that the Mayo Clinic has come out with a scripted method to convince parents to vaccinate their children? The method is designed to shut down arguments about the safety of vaccines and manipulate parents into complying immediately in the office.
Pediatricians are told to memorize this “script” and use it to respond to hesitant parents, convincing them that their concerns are unwarranted and based on ignorance.
This sort of manipulation is unfair for many reasons. First of all, the chances are very good that the parent sitting in the office has actually done more research into the effects of vaccines than the doctor and that their information is more up to date. It’s wrong to assume that just because a parent does not hold a medical degree, they are not intelligent or able to read a scientific study. The information that doctors receive is biased, often outdated, and surprisingly sparse.
Second, doctors have long been seen as holding a sort of position of authority—even though they do not, in fact, have the right to make decisions for you. Holding a medical degree is an important achievement that deserves recognition, but it does not elevate an individual to a position above that of the parent.
The doctor is not responsible for making decisions about your child’s future—as the parent, you are. Strong-arming parents into making decisions on the spot, based solely on a doctor’s opinion, is unethical and an abuse of their position.
Understanding and Defending Yourself Against the “Script”
The CASE script, which is distributed through the Mayo Clinic, can be found online here. You can read it in full to prepare yourself, and knowing how it works in advance will prevent you from being caught off guard once you are in the office. (UPDATED NOTE: the link has been taken down, but you can read most of the script here).
Remember, even an office visit for an illness or injury can result in pressure to vaccinate, despite the fact that your child’s immune system might already be overloaded with fighting the infection that prompted the office visit. It pays to be prepared!
Below is an overview of the CASE script, and ways to defend yourself for each point:
C-Corroborate: During this part of the discussion, the doctor will ask you what your main concern is, and will demand specifics. Then, he or she will agree that they have also heard of your concern, reassure you that they have done the research on that concern, and tell you that you both want the same thing—for your child to be healthy.
To defend yourself in this part of the script, be prepared with specifics about your concerns. For example, print out a list of studies that back your concern (a quick online search will bring up plenty) and ask the doctor if he or she has read those particular studies. You might also bring one or two complete printouts of relevant studies with you, and ask the doctor if they will consider reading them and letting you know what they think—and why.
Acknowledge that you understand that your doctor wants to act in your child’s best interest, and let them know that you appreciate that and you trust their motives—but that you disagree in this case about what will best protect your child.
A-About Me: This is an area where the doctor will share that he or she personally has made the decision to vaccinate their own families.
You can defend yourself by repeating that you respect and care for your doctor, but that you are responsible for making the choices for your child. While you are happy to hear the doctor’s personal opinion and will take it into consideration, you will be the one making the decisions that affect your child’s body and health.
Expect to hear phrases like “If your daughter were my daughter, and I was sitting in your shoes, holding her in my lap, I would be getting her vaccinated today.” To this, you can simply repeat “I understand what you are saying and I respect your right to make decisions for your family—but it’s my job to make decisions for my own children.”
S-Science: When your doctor brings up the science topic, acknowledge that science is important to you and that you are interested in the scientific facts about vaccine safety. Ask your doctor if he or she has honestly read the complete vaccine inserts to each of the vaccinations they are recommending. Whether they say yes or no, ask them if they currently have complete vaccine insert information in the office, and if so would they be willing to read through it with you now?
The chances are slim that your doctor will be willing or able to spend that kind of time with you, but if they do you can ask about details for each listed adverse reaction. If they are not able to spend the time going through the inserts, ask them if they would consider reading through each of the inserts at home before your next visit, so you can discuss your concerns in better detail.
E-Explain/Advise: This part of the script will likely be where you are pressured to comply with their recommendations. First of all, it’s notable that nowhere in the script is any information about the toxic additives found in vaccines. This is clearly something that they would rather avoid altogether, so bringing up the other ingredients in inoculations is important.
Be ready to repeat “I understand that the virus in the vaccine is not dangerous to my child, but I do not want my child exposed to the other ingredients it contains.” Ask your doctor to list each ingredient in the vial, and read about where the ingredients came from. Ask for specifics—“if my child receives all of the vaccines you are recommending before they are 12, how much mercury will they be exposed to? How much aluminum? How much is recommended as safe? Why is it OK to exceed this recommendation?”
Be prepared to politely acknowledge your doctor’s point of view and thank them for caring about your child, while standing your ground. Repeat that you value their opinion but in this case, you disagree—and you will be the one making choices for your child.
The hope is that by being prepared with a defense for the CASE method, you will be able to defend your position in a way that helps your doctor have a better understanding of where you are coming from—and, perhaps, they will even be compelled to do a little extra research, reading, and investigating themselves.
Worst-case scenario, you might find yourself having to look for a different doctor. While this is unfortunate, there are doctors who are more flexible on the issue of vaccines, and in the long run, it’s important to find someone who is willing to work with you.