14 replies to this topic

[bordercolliefan]

Did anyone see the articles on the opinion page about parents who refuse to vaccinate their kids? In a rare moment of unity, BOTH the conservative and the liberal columnists support a new bill introduced by Dr. Richard Pan to require non-vaccinating parents to sign a Warning of Risks provided by their doctor.

3 facts stood out in the articles:

1. Because California has a loosey-goosey standard for opting out of vaccines (any reason will do), we are the nation's "epicenter" of unvaccinated kids.

2. Recently, an unvaccinated kid came back from Switzerland with the measles and exposed 800+ people in California.

3. Waldorf schools often have unvaccinated rates of 50%+ of kids. Hmm, I wonder if that fact is advertised to new parents. Think of how many baby siblings are at risk (kids are not fully vaccinated until one year of age, at least).

If we continue on this path, we may soon go back to the days of having diptheria, smallpox, and polio (which is re-emerging in Africa).

[MikeinFolsom]

Did anyone see the articles on the opinion page about parents who refuse to vaccinate their kids? In a rare moment of unity, BOTH the conservative and the liberal columnists support a new bill introduced by Dr. Richard Pan to require non-vaccinating parents to sign a Warning of Risks provided by their doctor.

3 facts stood out in the articles:

1. Because California has a loosey-goosey standard for opting out of vaccines (any reason will do), we are the nation's "epicenter" of unvaccinated kids.

2. Recently, an unvaccinated kid came back from Switzerland with the measles and exposed 800+ people in California.

3. Waldorf schools often have unvaccinated rates of 50%+ of kids. Hmm, I wonder if that fact is advertised to new parents. Think of how many baby siblings are at risk (kids are not fully vaccinated until one year of age, at least).

If we continue on this path, we may soon go back to the days of having diptheria, smallpox, and polio (which is re-emerging in Africa).

Yep. Pretty much

[Thinkingoutloud]

Totally agree. The biggest problem? Parents who don't vaccinate because they are convinced vaccines are linked to autisim. Study after study has proven there is no link but they continue to believe what their minds tell them, not what science has proven.
There was a huge shooping cough epidemic last year and a few children died - absolutely needlessly. Whooping cough is someting we haven't seen in years! So stupid.

[bordercolliefan]

The Bee articles addressed the one study that seemed to show a link between autism and vaccines. The researcher's results were found to be fraudulent; he was stripped of his academic post.

There is no question that vaccines will have a negative impact on a few children who have pre-existing sensitivities or genetic susceptibilities or other unknown factors. That's why the government has a vaccine compensation program to help the *rare* cases of complications from vaccines.

But far greater harm will be caused if we let the infectious killers of years past take hold again. I didn't realize this, but measles is still a major killer in areas that don't have widespread measles vaccination.

This is an interesting article that tears apart some of the dubious "studies" the anti-vaccine people rely on:

http://www.scienceba...ccine-movement/

[2kids4me]

I think a big part of it is that parents of children with autism desperately want a reason for their child's challenges, and the vaccine excuse is an easy one to latch onto. I think the only way that will change is if researchers actually find the cause of autism.

[Thinkingoutloud]

I think a big part of it is that parents of children with autism desperately want a reason for their child's challenges, and the vaccine excuse is an easy one to latch onto. I think the only way that will change is if researchers actually find the cause of autism.

Yep, good point. In the meantime, we need some time of awareness program. Those that don't vaccinate their kids are free to risk their own kids' health, but I draw the line when they risk the health of mine.

[asbestoshills]

Well, when my sister worked in a Rancho Cordova school, they would let immigrants come in from the Ukraine and enroll them as students while they waited for their vaccine records. They were allowed to enroll even though they weren't suppose to b/c the school got money for each body and they also automatically signed them up for free lunch and language programs were available for their parents and if their parents attended they got a small stipend.
You would be surprised how loosey goosey schools are when it comes to some things.
They say the rules are the rules, but for many they don't apply. Also, parents who aren't vaccinating are idiots. I do believe in separating shots so too many aren't given at a time, but to not vaccinate is just stupidity on their part.

[tessieca]

Wait a second. How do you spread measles to 800 children who have been vaccinated? Wouldn't it just spread to those who had not done so? If my child vaccinates, I do not believe they are at risk to get those diseases just because an unvaccinated child has them.

[asbestoshills]

WEll, vaccinations are not 100 percent and some children will get measles who are vaccinated. Also, vaccines wear off. An example of this is Whoopping cough coming back and now middle school students need to get a booster b/c third world children who weren't vaccinated brought the disease back and children that were vaccinated were not protected from the disease. Vaccines effectiveness decrease each year. Look for more vaccines in the future as these once thought eradicated diseases are brought back by stupid parents who don't vaccinate and immigrants who get through the system w/o full vaccinations.

[supermom]

isnt whooping cough only dangerous to kids under 2?

We have absolutely no one in our family under 5. I opted out of the whooping cough for my kids. They are teens. Middle school kids do not need to get whooping cough shot because the booster wore off. Middle school kids families are being advised to get it because many hospitals did not vacinate that age group when they were younger because they thought it was not a necesary shot. The government is forcing a blanket coverage to protect families with younger siblings.

The doctor told me, that it is only necessary for medical people, day care/teachers/ and families with young children. You have to have very close contact with a child to pass whooping cough to them. The doctor told me you have to breathe on the child to give them whooping cough.

[supermom]

Well, when my sister worked in a Rancho Cordova school, they would let immigrants come in from the Ukraine and enroll them as students while they waited for their vaccine records. They were allowed to enroll even though they weren't suppose to b/c the school got money for each body and they also automatically signed them up for free lunch and language programs were available for their parents and if their parents attended they got a small stipend.
You would be surprised how loosey goosey schools are when it comes to some things.
They say the rules are the rules, but for many they don't apply. Also, parents who aren't vaccinating are idiots. I do believe in separating shots so too many aren't given at a time, but to not vaccinate is just stupidity on their part.

I think this is not a thing about "they were allowed to enroll them even though they are not supposed to...This is more about the schools tell incoming families that they must not enroll their children into schools without vaccination records to protect that student and also the student body. They can opt out of that rule by signing a statement that says it is against their belief to vaccinate their children. No conspiracy here. Families just want their kids in school and not running the streets while they wait on international shot records to arrive and then be transcribed into Sacramento county shot records by a state licensed physician.

I know because I had to go through this process. After waiting six weeks for the county to approve my children's shot records and transcribe them I finally said screw it and signed the belief statement. My kids were missing too much school.

[AMETHYST PRODUCTIVITY]

isnt whooping cough only dangerous to kids under 2?

We have absolutely no one in our family under 5. I opted out of the whooping cough for my kids. They are teens. Middle school kids do not need to get whooping cough shot because the booster wore off. Middle school kids families are being advised to get it because many hospitals did not vacinate that age group when they were younger because they thought it was not a necesary shot. The government is forcing a blanket coverage to protect families with younger siblings.

The doctor told me, that it is only necessary for medical people, day care/teachers/ and families with young children. You have to have very close contact with a child to pass whooping cough to them. The doctor told me you have to breathe on the child to give them whooping cough.

Whooping cough can be FATAL for people of any age. Just because you don't have contact with small children doesn't mean you can't get it. How about that person hacking away behind you in line at Target? Even adults need booster shots these days since our protection from childhood has worn off. They're giving Pertussis boosters when you get your every ten year tetnus now.

[bordercolliefan]

I had a 45 year-old co-worker who got whooping cough. She had to take a 3 month leave of absence from work. When she came back, she said the dr. had told her that her lungs would never be the same again. It can be a very serious disease at any age, though babies are most at risk.

One of the kids' classmates also had it this past winter. She recovered fully, but had a horrible hacking cough for about 4 weeks. It is certainly not fun.

I think it is myopic to say, "we don't have any babies in our family." What if your child goes to others' houses on playdates, or babysits?

In any case, the point isn't whether your particular child needs to be vaccinated; the point is that if we get "herd immunity" by vaccinating almost everyone, the disease will disappear, just like smallpox did. That's why my generation got vaccinated against smallpox, but kids today don't have to.

Young people today travel quite a bit in college and beyond. If you are a parent who chooses not to vaccinate, are you going to remember that your child should not go to many African countries, where polio has made a comeback? Nor should he/she go to any less developed countries, in many of which measles is still prevalent. A quote from a medical journal: "Measles are a very serious disease - the leading childhood killer worldwide."

I understand there are concerns about the effects of vaccines, and it is well-established that in rare cases, kids suffer serious side effects from them. But I can't help wondering if these non-vaccinating parents are unwittingly handing their kids a much more serious set of problems later on.

[mac_convert]

As a teacher I was given the whooping cough vaccine last year when I was sick with some sort of virus. I was literally sick for almost two months.

isnt whooping cough only dangerous to kids under 2?

We have absolutely no one in our family under 5. I opted out of the whooping cough for my kids. They are teens. Middle school kids do not need to get whooping cough shot because the booster wore off. Middle school kids families are being advised to get it because many hospitals did not vacinate that age group when they were younger because they thought it was not a necesary shot. The government is forcing a blanket coverage to protect families with younger siblings.

The doctor told me, that it is only necessary for medical people, day care/teachers/ and families with young children. You have to have very close contact with a child to pass whooping cough to them. The doctor told me you have to breathe on the child to give them whooping cough.

[bordercolliefan]

As a teacher I was given the whooping cough vaccine last year when I was sick with some sort of virus. I was literally sick for almost two months.

I'm not sure what you are saying... Are you saying the vaccine made you sick for 2 months? Or that you already had whooping cough and that made you sick for 2 months?

It sounds like you already had a virus that just happened to last a long time. Most drs. advise against getting any vaccines when you are already sick. Too much extra work for the immune system.