More MMR muppetry

This article in today's Sunday Times about a Muslim doctor who has called on the faithful to shun the MMR vaccine because it is not halal raised my blood pressure. First because it is yet another example of the religious putting the purity of their adherence to a group of medieval rules ahead of the lives of others just because their imaginary friend told them to. Catholic Church and condoms anyone?

Now I know that just as many Catholics ignore the church's teaching on contraceptives, that most Muslims will put the health of their child before strict adherence to their religion. But I also know that somewhere a few parents aren't going to get their children vaccinated because of this (religious objections have been holding up the eradication of the last pockets of polio in Nigeria for instance). So there is a chance that an innocent child will die in agony because of this idiot and those like him.

The other reason it annoyed me was because it reminded me of the storm over MMR and the false links to autism several years ago. Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary some people (Julie Kirkbride you know who you are) continued to whip up a storm about it because it suited their political and monetary agendas.