[IdontRememberIt]

My wife has a "light" autoimmune condition. She is very sensitive to this topic. She was strongly recommended by several doctors to not be vaccinated. Not because of the short term possible effects but because of the unknown possible undocumented side effect which could be "triggered" in a distant future.

[th0ma5]

That doesn't sound grounded in science?

[IdontRememberIt]

If she were 70, it would not be a conversation topic (she would have been vaccinated as the benefits would considerably outweigh the probability of risks short, medium and long term). But as she is young, there is a big question mark. And as it is not an exact science and nobody knows...

[stevetodd]

How is saying there is insufficient data to make a conclusion not grounded in science?

[candiodari]

Public expectations of science:

1) resolves every question

2) in a socially acceptable way (in other words, says what society "knows" is right, and we know from history how "right" society was historically. We consider ourselves, of course, as uniquely right. Just like every other society did, except they were wrong about it)

3) in a simple enough way for idiots to understand, without nuance

4) without criticizing the people involved in making or executing the decision

And people will happily publish, support and even base legislation on bullshit if it upholds the above requirements.

Needless to say, actual science does not follow any such principles. Plenty of questions aren't resolved, or can only be resolved when oversimplified. There is plenty of "antisocial" science. E.g. average racial and sexual differences in intelligence are real, and known to be at least in part biological. Stating that while there are more intelligent women than men in a random group of 100 of each, but that the smartest and dumbest individuals in the group are still almost always men is not accepted. Or stating that an abused child (whether it's bad parents, bad schools, bad environment or kidnapping) will very likely become an abuser themselves and helping this child will likely make it worse is not accepted. And we all know what happens when one points out that a politician has made a 180 without the science changing.