One of the things that's always puzzled me about the anti-vax movement is why people are motivated to rail against something with so much supportive evidence. Sure, there are legions of misinformed parents who think they're helping society by decrying the vaccination conspiracy, and there are certainly those that have experienced personal loss due to the very very rare negative side effects of vaccination. But Chiropractor Dr. Chad Rohlfsen illustrates in abundance what I think might be the primary motive for anti-vaccine rhetoric, and that is pure, simple, banal greed.

At the top of his vaccine911.com web site, Dr. Rohlfsen has the phrase "Because the right choice is the well informed choice." And I realize I'm Godwinning this article, but that phrase found on that site calls to mind the words Arbeit macht frei, which ironically graced the Nazi concentration camps. The fact that that statement is correct does not imply that reading Dr. Koren's material will lead to being well informed.

Take a look at the video linked above. If you visit it on YouTube, you'll notice that comments and ratings have been disabled. This is not the default on YouTube, and it means that Rohlfsen specifically doesn't want comments or ratings. Notice something else as well... the first thing in the video is a price tag: $14.99.

In the video, Rohlfsen claims that his three kids are never sick. They've never been vaccinated, have never received any medications, and his wife, who is a cardiac intensive care nurse, doesn't understand why everyone else's kids are sick. Rohlfsen implies that because he's a chiropractor and gives his kids weekly check ups and adjustments (including one an hour after his kids were born), his kids are healthy. He does admit to one ear infection, which he cured in four hours, presumably with chiropractic manipulation. If so, he has knowledge that will CHANGE THE WORLD FOREVER.

Consider this - if Rohlfsen is correct and the knowledge he has can prevent sickness in children, he could singlehandedly save millions of lives every year. But rather than publish a peer-reviewed paper in a professional medical journal and share his knowledge with the world, he'd rather sell it directly to you for the low low price of $14.99.

He also claims that there are no studies proving that vaccinated kids are healthier than non-vaccinated kids. Oh really? Two things, first: Google is your friend. Second: herd immunity is keeping your kids safe from diseases like small pox and polio. That's right Dr. Rohlfsen: the fact that other people do the responsible thing and vaccinate their kids is keeping your kids safe.

Ironically, Rohlfsen tosses out a bit about the use of ear tubes in children not being recommended by the "American Pediatric guidelines." Perhaps his referring to this article about the overuse of ear tubes in kids. Do you know what else "American Pediatric guidleines" say? VACCINATE YOUR KIDS.

Here's some more text from the site:

Why Spend Multiple Hours Searching For Research? When You Can Order A Common Sense DVD & Reference Book With Many Answers To Your Questions! This Information Will Help Solidify Your Concerns About Vaccination With Main Stream Peer Reviewed Medical Research & Government Studies The Media Sees Fit To Ignore

Indeed! Why spend all that time getting facts when you can just take what these grammatically-challenged chiropractors have to say? I should have typed that in intial caps, but I coudn't bear it.

I know we talk a lot about vaccination on Swift, and maybe some of you are getting tired of it. But this is an enormous issue that's having a real impact. Kids are dying today from diseases they were protected against years ago when vaccination was more common. And it irks me to no end that the "greedy medical" establishment is blamed for promoting vaccines simply to make a profit. These kind of statements are emotional appeals, and once the feeling of outrage takes over, reason needs careful and constant attention to have an effect.

However, let me try one of my own: there are anti-vaxxers out there who want to profit at the expense of your child's health. They would take money from you in exchange for information that if believed, will put your children and other children at increased risk for childhood diseases. In short, kids may die if you pay for and follow the advice of people like Dr. Rohlfsen. Emotional? Yes. Backed by evidence? You're damn right it is.

I should mention here that Rohlfsen's presentation was prepared by a Dr. Tedd Koren. Sadly, there are a lot of greedy individuals out there. The final cherry on the greed sundae that is vaccine911.com? They're asking for donations in addition to $14.99 for the video.

In my opinion, Dr. Rohlfsen is a threat to the health of your child. You don't have to pay anyone to be well-informed on the issue. Trust the medical doctors. Though there are crooks in any profession, the VAST majority of doctors are simply trying to do what's best for you and your kids.