OPINION: Don't let politics get in the way of medical care

Jan. 31--There are at least two topics that shouldn't be swayed by politics: one is vaccines, and the other is global warming.

Unfortunately, it has become clear -- from studies, letters to the editor and Facebook comments -- that politics plays a role in both those subjects.

On Saturday, the Daily News reported a University of Idaho study found political ideology has an effect on whether or not an individual will get a vaccine. Conservative respondents were less likely to trust agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention than more liberal respondents.

Skepticism and distrust of the government isn't wholly a bad thing -- Watergate and the Pentagon Papers are classic examples of why we should think critically about what we're told.

And it's not just conservatives who are distrustful of vaccines -- many wealthy, liberal parents have refused to vaccinate their children, proving there more factors than party politics influencing anti-vaccine sentiment, even if politics is a strong indicator.

But when that skeptical mindset gets in the way of listening to advice from the CDC, a government agency whose No. 1 mission is to protect the health of Americans, it could be deadly -- and not just for the person who doesn't get vaccinated.

The UI study also found that despite the distrust of the CDC and other agencies, conservative respondents were just as likely as liberals to trust their primary health care providers.

Since these providers receive guidelines from the CDC, it's possible that using them as a mouthpiece to reach populations that are typically skeptical of vaccines could be the key to solving the issue. After all, the people who decline these vaccines for themselves or their children believe they are making the right decision.

Not everyone is a scientist. And not everything on the internet is true. There are times where we have to trust others to give us the correct information, because we don't know ourselves. It's never been more important than now for Americans of all ideologies to be intelligently skeptical and trust the experts that actually do know what they're talking about.

Our health as a nation and a globe depends on it.

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