94 replies to this topic

[HappyDaisy]

I think the school should have to pay for the lice shampoo for everyone because more than likely the carriers of the lice aren't using the remedy at all or not treating enough. Not to mention, $200 is a heck of a lot of dough to pay for someone else's dirty children. It disgusts me to think that the children would be allowed to stay the entire day of class....What's wrong with this country???? Mandatory lice checks should be done by the school nurse once one child gets it.....As the economy gets worse, there probably will be more cases of lice...Maybe the family of the infected aren't washing their kids clothes etc........Most of the miniorities in FOlsom are East Indian and Asian who have extended families that don't necessarily have their shots...Also, last time I checked ALL students have to be vaccinated to attend school.....However, what about all of the family from out of this country that visit their relatives...Who knows what they bring in.......I think there should be a law that all people visiting this country show their vaccines, have a lice check and TB xray at their own cost done at the airport so we know they aren't forged records....Just don't allow anyone here without their shots and that will cut down a lot of the TB cases especially....Also, there are a lot of Ukraines in the Rancho Cordova schools that have been allowed to attend classes before they had their shot record verified....I have a friend that was a teacher and she caught some disease from one of the students..Can't remember if it was whooping cough, but something like that.....GROSS!

WOW! I don't post here very often, but this post seems wrong on many levels. I'm a bit taken aback by the tone that's coming across.

I'm not even going to touch on the race stuff, but I do have a question and a clarification on the vaccine issue.

First, to clarify...ALL students do NOT have to be vaccinated to attend school. If a child isn't vaccinated, I believe a parent signs a waiver stating they choose not to vaccinate due to either religious or philosophical reasons. This isn't an FCUSD "rule." I believe it's statewide. Also - if I'm not mistaken - if there's an outbreak of any kind (maybe tessieca can clarify), the unvaccinated child must be pulled from school immediately only to return at a later time that is deemed "safe."

And now my question, and I really am curious...if you and your child(ren) are completely up-to-date on your vaccinations why would an outbreak worry you? You're all safe from catching anything because you're all immune. My kids are now all up-to-date on their vaccines, but I know a few kids who aren't. I'm not worried about it at all, and I'm wondering if I'm missing something...

[asbestoshills]

WOW! I don't post here very often, but this post seems wrong on many levels. I'm a bit taken aback by the tone that's coming across.

I'm not even going to touch on the race stuff, but I do have a question and a clarification on the vaccine issue.

First, to clarify...ALL students do NOT have to be vaccinated to attend school. If a child isn't vaccinated, I believe a parent signs a waiver stating they choose not to vaccinate due to either religious or philosophical reasons. This isn't an FCUSD "rule." I believe it's statewide. Also - if I'm not mistaken - if there's an outbreak of any kind (maybe tessieca can clarify), the unvaccinated child must be pulled from school immediately only to return at a later time that is deemed "safe."

And now my question, and I really am curious...if you and your child(ren) are completely up-to-date on your vaccinations why would an outbreak worry you? You're all safe from catching anything because you're all immune. My kids are now all up-to-date on their vaccines, but I know a few kids who aren't. I'm not worried about it at all, and I'm wondering if I'm missing something...

This is not a race issue; it's a NATIONAL health issue...Unless you want to bring back third world diseases that AMERICA has irradicated and see the deaths and disfigurements from polio and the like you better make sure your school district doesn't allow children without their vaccines to be in school......The race is mentioned because in our area this is the main entry for children that aren't vaccinated and a small portion of under vaccinated children are from parents worried that autism is caused by vaccines...HOWEVER, I myself was scared to get multiple vaccines for my children and I had at my own cost the shots separated...I still had my children vaccinated...ONLY a fool who doesn't know their history would disagree that childhood vaccines aren't the most effective way of preventing disease in all countries...SO, don't try to say I'm racist because I pointed out the facts....THE reason parents should be worried even though their children are vaccinated is because it is not a 100 percent guarantee that your child or parent won't catch a disease...ALSO, many of the vaccines are only good for so many years, such as the whooping cough vaccine....This puts educators at risk.....I hope you educate yourself on the subject...ALSO, while lice infestations are mostly from hot area climates, the socio-economic issue of paying for delouse medication is real...IF your family has lice and you can't really afford the medication, what makes you think the parents are going to tell the school that their child has lice???? Maybe the parents are too ashamed....It is up to the schools to check the children if there is an outbreak and they should pay for the medication or have a doctor note saying the child is lice free......Lice is becoming a huge health issue in the public schools...Google it...

[HappyDaisy]

My intent was not to call you a racist or to imply vaccinations were evil. I was simply clarifying your statement that children could not go to school without vaccinations. They can if the waiver is signed. I was also curious to know your worries about the unvaccinated children if you and yours are vaccinated. Really, it was an innocent question...

I'm not sure why you appear to be so upset in your response to me, but I'm not going to argue with you or anyone over an internet forum. For me, this place is purely informational and sometimes humorous...that's it. I've got more important things to worry about.

Sorry dancinmomof3 to get involved...back to the head lice discussion!

[stacycam]

HappyDaisy - don't let asbestsohills get to you. She's just that way. I rarely even read her posts anymore. They are usually very long, so they are easily skipped.

[Parizienne]

It is up to the schools to check the children if there is an outbreak and they should pay for the medication or have a doctor note saying the child is lice free......Lice is becoming a huge health issue in the public schools...Google it...

How would the schools pay for it? There's a budget crunch at the moment. Doesn't the county health department have resources for delousing for poor families?


Pari

[wrabbit]

When I went to school there was never this big of a problem with head lice.....what has changed?

I've heard that spraying one's hair with hair spray will help prevent head lice. Anyone know if that is true?

Now I worry about the movies and how one places their head on the back of the seat, when they attend a theater.

Could a person get lice that way? It sounds like they could, it the person before them had been infected and just left that seat 10 or 15 minutes earlier.

Ohhh, now my head is beginning to itch!

[awood]

My intent was not to call you a racist or to imply vaccinations were evil. I was simply clarifying your statement that children could not go to school without vaccinations. They can if the waiver is signed. I was also curious to know your worries about the unvaccinated children if you and yours are vaccinated. Really, it was an innocent question...

I'm not sure why you appear to be so upset in your response to me, but I'm not going to argue with you or anyone over an internet forum. For me, this place is purely informational and sometimes humorous...that's it. I've got more important things to worry about.

Sorry dancinmomof3 to get involved...back to the head lice discussion!

Oh what the heck...I will. Asbestohills is speaking like a racist...a paranoid racist! I have seldom seen such a uncontrollable raving rant that was presented in such a condesending way. Statements like "you better make sure", "ONLY a fool", and "I hope you educate yourself" all leave the impression that somehow we are all idiots for not recognizing Asbestohills superior intellect and all powerful knowledge. And to suggest that broad and general stereotyping could be misinterpeted as racism! Well shame on us idiots!

Suffice to say, I will send my kids to school, with all their vaccines and they will get dirty and catch the occasional colds. Chances are they aren't equipped with the superior genetic DNA to ever get out of the shadow of intellectual giants such as Asbestohills anyway. Poor unfortunate souls, doomed to whatever broad stereotype applies to our race. Of course assuming that isn't a racist issue?

[Darthvader]

This is not a race issue; it's a NATIONAL health issue...Unless you want to bring back third world diseases that AMERICA has irradicated and see the deaths and disfigurements from polio and the like you better make sure your school district doesn't allow children without their vaccines to be in school......The race is mentioned because in our area this is the main entry for children that aren't vaccinated and a small portion of under vaccinated children are from parents worried that autism is caused by vaccines...HOWEVER, I myself was scared to get multiple vaccines for my children and I had at my own cost the shots separated...I still had my children vaccinated...ONLY a fool who doesn't know their history would disagree that childhood vaccines aren't the most effective way of preventing disease in all countries...SO, don't try to say I'm racist because I pointed out the facts....THE reason parents should be worried even though their children are vaccinated is because it is not a 100 percent guarantee that your child or parent won't catch a disease...ALSO, many of the vaccines are only good for so many years, such as the whooping cough vaccine....This puts educators at risk.....I hope you educate yourself on the subject...ALSO, while lice infestations are mostly from hot area climates, the socio-economic issue of paying for delouse medication is real...IF your family has lice and you can't really afford the medication, what makes you think the parents are going to tell the school that their child has lice???? Maybe the parents are too ashamed....It is up to the schools to check the children if there is an outbreak and they should pay for the medication or have a doctor note saying the child is lice free......Lice is becoming a huge health issue in the public schools...Google it...

Is Mexico a 3rd world country? I see India is along with most of Asia, just curious.

[supermom]

Well, this question may seem a bit odd; and I hope it is not taken as racist.

I was told a while ago the African Americans can't get lice because their hair has a strong oil that drowns or suffocates lice.

Or maybe it is the hair products they use?

Is this true?

I wonder because demographically that alters the idea of one of the other posters saying in "poorer communities" Lice has become a big concern.

I would think that what the poster really meant was fair skinned people in poorer communities. Other than that--I'm n ot too sure one could blame lice issues on certain ethnicities.

Didn't the bubonic plague get carried to Europe by lice on rats?

And I think I did hear that that disease did not get wiped out and still unveils itself in Europe--now and then.

I've never heard of it in Asia, though. Which would make me think Asia prolly has traditional, socioeconomic or environmental reasons for the masses of peoples not being affected by a disease that decimaed the european community ----uhhh--what, 2 or 3 centuries ago?

Also, whoever was the person that said lice must be on hair or will die---ughhhh--no, sorry not true.

They just need to find a nice warm spot to lay their little eggs, before their life cycle is complete and they die off.

And lets not forget that lice are jumpers.

[stangage70]

Didn't the bubonic plague get carried to Europe by lice on rats?

NO!
Sounds like you are confusing lice and fleas again...
http://en.wikipedia..../Bubonic_plague

And I think I did hear that that disease did not get wiped out and still unveils itself in Europe--now and then. I've never heard of it in Asia, though.

Appearently you have not been exposed to the "Third Pandemic."
http://en.wikipedia..../Third_Pandemic

Research not your thing???

[chris v]

The bubonic plague can be found in the Sierras on some ground squirrels and rodents.

[supermom]

NO!
Sounds like you are confusing lice and fleas again...
http://en.wikipedia..../Bubonic_plague
Appearently you have not been exposed to the "Third Pandemic."
http://en.wikipedia..../Third_Pandemic

Research not your thing???

hmm--no--for some reason I had forgotten about the plague of justinian or I would have realized. Thanks for bringing that up.

am still wondering though; In what way does lice affect ethnicity?

rather, is this not predominantly a socioeconomic health issue?

[cw68]

Well, this question may seem a bit odd; and I hope it is not taken as racist.

I was told a while ago the African Americans can't get lice because their hair has a strong oil that drowns or suffocates lice.

Or maybe it is the hair products they use?

Is this true?

I wonder because demographically that alters the idea of one of the other posters saying in "poorer communities" Lice has become a big concern.

I would think that what the poster really meant was fair skinned people in poorer communities. Other than that--I'm n ot too sure one could blame lice issues on certain ethnicities.

Didn't the bubonic plague get carried to Europe by lice on rats?

And I think I did hear that that disease did not get wiped out and still unveils itself in Europe--now and then.

I've never heard of it in Asia, though. Which would make me think Asia prolly has traditional, socioeconomic or environmental reasons for the masses of peoples not being affected by a disease that decimaed the european community ----uhhh--what, 2 or 3 centuries ago?

Also, whoever was the person that said lice must be on hair or will die---ughhhh--no, sorry not true.

They just need to find a nice warm spot to lay their little eggs, before their life cycle is complete and they die off.

And lets not forget that lice are jumpers.

Supermom, lice are NOT jumpers, their legs are adapted to grasp hair. They don't hop, fly or levitate.

There is so much hysteria and misinformation regarding lice. I know because before December I was clueless. Then after my daughter getting it four times and me getting it twice, I'm uber-informed. Lice is not a hygiene issue, it's a treatment issue.

They can only be passed by close personal contact, sharing belongings or surfaces like pillows. They can live for two days off of the body, but that's it, it's usually more like 24 hours. The eggs can be left behind on sofas and other things and incubate for 10 days. When they hatch, they must attach themselves to a human's head immediately or they die. Vacuuming surfaces removes the eggs. Washing fabrics and drying on high for 20 minutes kills them.

African Americans are less likely to get lice probably because of hair texture, but they may still get it. People in ALL socio-economic levels get lice.

Abestoshills, your posts seem very racists against any non-natives peoples except Mexicans and I was personally offended by them. My daughter was probably one of the carriers since she battled it for two months. I washed her clothes, I checked her hair, I shelled out the money for treatment, but it wouldn't go away. I'm not stupid enough to think that she only got lice but never gave it. She was a six-year girl. Even though I told her not to, she'd hug her friends, get close while reading, etc. I can afford delouse medication, and used it, but still got it repeatedly. Lastly, lice isn't a public health issue. It doesn't spread diseases, it doesn't show poor hygiene, it's just a major pain in the arse. Posts like your that make it seem like those you get it are either poor, idiots or something else to be pitied are the reason why people don't just talk about it and keep it from spreading. Instead, many people (not me) are ashamed and don't do what they should be doing to keep it from spreading. Get off your high horse.

[dancinmomof3]

Well said CW.

Supermom,

Lice can be a socio economic issue in some cases but I don't think that was a big factor at NSE last year. Anyone can get lice, but there are some people who have it chronically because they don't have the money and energy or the know how to take care of it.

At NSE, I think there were many parents who were unaware that it could be and then was a problem at our school. Add to that a new more relaxed policy on head lice that was poorly implemented and enforced and things spiralled out of control. From what I can tell, while the money it costs for the treatment certainly was felt everyone who needed to was able to spend the money for treatment.

I really don't know why some people had it so much worse than others but it was not because they didn't spend the money for treatment products. It could have been that the kid got reinfested by another kid who had it Or it's possible that some of the lice were resistent to the treatment or some eggs that were viable were left in the hair or there were other lice in the environment that were missed and reinfested the child. None of the treatment products available are 100% effective especially against the eggs.

It seems that the larger the infestation the harder and more time consuming to eliminate which is why improved education and notification and a stricter policy overall at school will make a difference imo.