(Season 2, Episode 11 – “Contamination”) 
Wow, talk about conking us over the head with the Medical Dilemma of the Week! To vaccinate or not to vaccinate: that is the question.
Most of this episode revolved around the kid who came in with an illness that ended up being measles. The mom was against vaccinations because one of her three sons became autistic after a vaccination. So now she faces the dilemma of whether to vaccinate her other two sons and risk autism, or not vaccinate and risk more measles?
Much debate between the docs over this, with Sam saying not vaccinating is akin to child abuse, because you’re knowingly putting the child at risk, to Addison saying you have to respect the rights of the parents.
OK, I think Cooper was completely wrong with what he did. Even though the kid ended up dying of the measles, that still didn’t give Cooper the right to storm out to the waiting area and jab a vaccination needle into the other son’s arm. It’s the right of the parents to make this choice, not a desperate doctor who just lost a patient to measles. I hope the mom sues their asses!
In more lighthearted news, Violet and Pete seem to make a good couple, and Addison is right when she says that contrary to what they believe (“it’s just sex”), Violet and Pete actually DO have a relationship. It’s not just sex, it’s talking and laughing and enjoying each others’ company. That’s a relationship. And those docs sure are busybodies, aren’t they? What business is it of theirs if Pete and Violet want to have sex and/or a relationship? It’s none of their business!
The storyline about Addison telling Naomi she’ll operate on Wyatt’s patient -– but only if Naomi doesn’t work with him on any more cases … that’s kind of bold! Sure, Wyatt is kind of an ass and maybe doesn’t have the greatest bedside manner, but I’m not really getting why Addison hates him so much. They have different ways of treating patients. Can’t they all just get along?
Gee, Heather sure doesn’t look like a drug addict. I expected an Amy Winehouse type to come waltzing in there stoned out of her mind. She’s clean and has a job now. I’m glad Del is giving her a chance and willing to work out custody between them. And wait, what? … He and his friends were the ones who got her addicted in the first place? I understand he’s looking after the best interests of their daughter, but you’d think he would be a little more understanding of Heather’s plight, since he had a hand in getting her there.
I’m still holding out hope for an Addison-Swat Guy pairing. I think they can make it. I really do.
Your thoughts on this episode? Was Cooper right to vaccinate a kid without the mom’s consent, especially when she was so adamantly against it?
Clacked by Jane Boursaw 
on Jan 09, 2009 @ 14:05 EST5EDT
Well, I have to say, as a mom, I would much rather have an autistic child than a dead child. But maybe that’s just me. It was definitely wrong of Cooper to vaccinate the boy, and in the real world he’d probably have his ass handed to him for it, but nonetheless, the mother clearly wasn’t thinking straight.
I would rather have a child with measles with a 2000-1 chance of dying, then risking the 1-150 chance of getting a child with autism, especially when the mother stated that her other child IMMEDIATEL reacted after getting immunized. the show was an attack on parents that choose not to get their kids vaccinated. so the brainwashed, govt educated public laps ups new govt regulations forcing everyone to receive shots.
I am certainly a believer in giving vaccinations to my own children – but I cringe at the notion of anyone thinking they should interfere with the rights of parents.
People have forgotten why vaccinations of diseases such as measles were created in the first place. Their mortality rate was such that it became necessary to eradicate the disease. Once it was “gone” people forgot how grizzly it (and other diseases) could turn. Infectious diseases are much easier to predict with lack of vaccine than it is to predict the probability of autism, which began a steady incline in case numbers prior to the introduction of the MMR vaccine. Just sayin.
I think the reason Addison dislikes Wyatt is because they are a future couple and are being written this way to generate oggly googlies in the meantime, and I think Violet will stick by her decision not to date Pete for quite some time. Perhaps forever, which would surprise everyone.
I’m glad Jane addressed this in the review, b/c I was going to write a post on it if she didn’t! I was pretty offended at the way this episode played out. Whether or not you choose to vaccinate your children, believe in the link between vaccines and autism, etc., what they did with this storyline was sensationalist and preachy, and it was just wrong. It was not done from an educational standpoint (although I haven’t watched the end of the episode yet, so maybe they did address it better), or even one with entertainment value. Someone on the writing / production staff decided it was their duty to try to scare parents into vaccinating their children by having that boy die of the measles.
Modwild, you should do some self education on when vaccinations were introduced and their effect on infectious disease.
In fact; when immunizations were introduced the rate of infectious disease had already dropped over 75%. Way back when we had no idea we needed to wash our hands before visiting different patients in different rooms with different illnesses. Before we knew that swapping body fluids could in turn lead to being infected. When the medical industry realized that there needed to be a standard set for personal hygiene, the infectious disease rate started to decline. That was well before vaccinations were introduced; of course it was still on the decline at that point. The pharmaceutical companies used it to their advantage though didn’t they?
I mean how much do you truly know about vaccinations? Have you studied the subject? Chances are no; you know what you have been told by the medical industry and what you have been scared to believe. Maybe you should focus some of your energy used for debunking the autism and MMR link and try to search for the truth.
https://www.nvic.org, you can start there and read about all the unfortunate cases due to vaccinations.
I was finally able to watch this episode, and I was pleasantly surprised that ABC aired an episode on this side of the vaccination debate, in contrast with Eli Stone’s series premiere which fell hard on the other side of the line. While I think that Cooper was certainly wrong to vaccinate the youngest son without parental consent (and the mother should have threatened to sue in any event, not only “if something happened”), it was a nice change to see something on TV which seemed to actually accurately reflect science. While I agree that it was preachy, I don’t think it was any more so than any of PP’s other episodes; it’s just that parents seem to have a strong opinions on the vaccination issue.
And Allicia, while this is not the forum to discuss the subject so I don’t want to get into an argument with you, as someone who has studied the subject of vaccines in depth (and not over the internet, but in a classroom setting with experts in the field), I do take issue with your implication that people have “been scared to believe” that vaccinations are important, and that unfortunate cases of autism are neccessarily “due to vaccinations”. As Modwild said, and this episode shows, albeit sensationally, a big problem with the success of the vaccination program is that parents are no longer aware of the severity of the diseases they are preventing. (As the mother on PP said, she thought measles was just a cold). Either way, I don’t think TV shows like these ones should try to preach to the audience, but again, if one side of an issue is presented in one show (ie, Eli Stone), and no show will present both sides, I’m glad to see another show pick up the other side.
Ok you sheeple that believe everything the media tells, you, just feed your kids mercury. Do your research on mercury in the vaccines. It is proven that mercury can cause autisum and measles does not kill in this day and age. Vaccines are not law! Wake up, this show is trying to dumb you down. Flu shots have mercury in them also. If you believe everything you see on TV it is sad, think for your self, do research. You agree with letting someone doing something to your child without your permission, yeah that is a good parent.
I agree with Stephanie. Not only is this episode pharmaceutical propaganda. But vaccinations HARM your child. And I really feel sorry for some of these people. I really hope some of you aren’t parents, because you are un-knowingly injecting toxic cocktails into your sons and daughters. The evidence is written everywhere. Google it for yourself. You will find HUNDREDS of independent studies that back up what i am saying. Now I know, some of this is hard to believe, and most of you have been brainwashed to think that people that think independently are ‘kooky conspiracy theorists’, or whatever, but the facts stand. And yes Stephanie is right, mainstream-media psychologically attacks people like myself. So look beyond the propaganda people.