I’m confused. When you say “animal testing” do you mean something like spraying hairspray into the eyes of bunny rabbits? Or are you talking about animal trials (ie: testing out drugs and surgical procedures on animals)? Because one is absolutely unnecessary and irresponsible and the latter is an absolute necessity. Most, if not all, surgical procedures are perfected through animal trials before they’re ever allowed to be conducted on humans (ie: organ transplanting, re-attachment of limbs, by-pass surgery, skin grafting for burn victims, fertility treatments, etc). It’s ethically immoral to attempt novel procedures on humans without sound evidence that it most likely will work.
The same is true for drug trials. Mammalian (warm-blooded, fuzzy animals including human) physiology and immune responses are remarkably very similar. In fact, humans and pigs are incredibly similar in these respects (perhaps not expected but true). And there are MANY rat/mouse models for human diseases and conditions that mirror humans - some identically (ie: diabetic mice, mice prone to obesity, rats prone to heart diseases, etc.). All the drugs that you hear about on the (more than abundant!) commercials on tv are all run through animal trials first - including birth control!! Sometimes the results are good, sometimes bad. But it’s simply not possible to create these drugs without these animal trials.
My original post was, i guess, a more generalized statement that these extremists (including PETA) who threaten to blow up laboratories and harass research scientists usually neglect to take these ideas in hand first. I wonder how many of them get their birth control in some other form than condoms or counting days, or would refuse a skin grafting technique if horrifically burned.
True. But they can’t avoid immunizations if they go to state-funded colleges and univesities. Those are the ones i feel the most sorry for because your immune system is LESS able to create a life-long immunity if you’re older and the response to the injections are MUCH worse in older children and adults. I know becasue i had to have a second MMRI when i was 22 and it was bloody AWFUL! 
In Britain they’re requiring students to get a meningitis vaccine before entering school because they’ve had numerous epidemics in schools and universities. In fact, one of my friends went out with her friend (17 yrs old) on friday and she was dead from meningitis by sunday. Game over. It was quick and it was horrible and not contracted from school.
Dunno… i’d be too scared to risk NOT immunizing.
I guess i don’t see things in black and white, which is why the extremists bother me. But i do try my best to avoid all types of animal cruelty, and activists are great for raising consciousness. However, to me, their tactics are akin to raising your voice to shouting level in order to be heard by the person in front of you. Not only can they hear you, but now you’ve pissed them off. 
I’ll stop now before i become even more unpopular… 
-hh
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