
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, May 4, 1993                   TAG: 9305040474
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

PUBLIC HEARS ONLY ONE SIDE OF ISSUE

UNLIKE Dr. Freeman W. Jenrette (April 19 letter to the editor, "Vaccines have worked medical wonders"), I was encouraged to see the recent space allotted in the Roanoke Times & World-News to the question of immunization reliability and safety. The public is constantly exposed to the doctors' and pharmaceutical companies' party line regarding immunization and rarely to the hazards of them.

Pharmaceutical companies spend billions on advertising, pro-immunization campaigns and on lobbying doctors, making it difficult to get a balanced dialogue going. Many medical treatments have later proved to be disastrous - DES hormones, thalidomide (deformed babies) and certain IUDs, to name a few. It's healthy to question and take personal responsibility for one's health. Blindly following doctor's orders (or anyone's, for that matter) can be dangerous.

Immunization and other medical practices should not be beyond question and not be forced on everyone.

CHRIS FARRELL\ FLOYD

by CNB