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I have trouble with this one, but I'm afraid I'm falling on the statist side of this one. I think maybe the best analogy is to state mandated car insurance. Immunizations don't just protect your child, they protect others as well. The bad decisions of a few can end up hurting many more. I believe that in my state (NC), you can claim a religious exemption by jumping through right hoops (though I think even that's ridiculous), but even homeschoolers are required to keep immunization records. Not being in school is no excuse, as far as I can tell. This isn't a matter of liberty to me, it's a matter of public health. There are some reasonable restrictions on liberty when there is a public health aspect to it, I think. I could be wrong, but that's my gut feeling on it.
Spoodles |
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08.22.08 - 2:07 pm | #
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I do have trouble with the state forcing anything.
However, I think people who don't immunize are selfish. Very selfish.
While vaccines are great, they are not perfect. They do fail sometimes. So you are putting some immunized children at risk when you do not immunize.
But really, what really, really gets me is that the kids you are *really* putting in danger, are the ones who cannot be immunized. Kids who are very sick, and have been their whole lives. And now they're going to have measles (or whatever) and they probably won't be able to handle it.
silvermine |
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08.22.08 - 2:08 pm | #
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Oh, just to add, it just shows that people these days are so isolated from real risk, they can't see the forest for the trees.
They won't let kids cook, or use a tool, or play outside... but they leave them vulnerable to truly awful diseases.
It boggles my mind. :P
silvermine |
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08.22.08 - 2:10 pm | #
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Because there are as many risks to immunizing as there are to withholding or delaying, I don't think immunizations should be mandated.
We also stagger/delay immunizations, but our kids get them all eventually.
Sunniemom |
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08.22.08 - 2:26 pm | #
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I have always been bothered by the fact that I am forced at the Dr's office to sign a waiver for a shot I am required to get. We delayed shots and finally gave in to most of them but the politicization of most shots make this a difficult subject to delve into.
It is my belief that shots such as the hepatitis vaccine are massed produced and required to make them affordable to the lifestyle groups that need them.
What is more interesting is that measles outbreaks are occurring among the already vaccinated.
I would not say that I am anti-vaccination but I am rather skeptical of the motivation behind some of these reports.
Cindy |
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08.22.08 - 2:39 pm | #
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My mother in law and I have argued this one over quite a few times. I opt for less controls from the government. She opts in favor of more controls.
Here's what I would like someone to explain to me. If a bunch of people get vaccinated and two do not. Yet those two who do not somehow come down with the illness. How then are they a risk to the vaccinated community as a whole? See I thought that's why those that got vaccinated were doing, protecting themselves from that disease. So then how does it put them at risk if they are vaccinated? Wouldn't it only put those at risk that weren't vaccinated? And then wouldn't those folks who chose not to be vaccinated be the ones responsible for their own risk, be it death or whatever? And if it, because it should, be a right of the parents to choose what's best for their child, then shouldn't we just butt out? Why and what are we, the vaccinated ones, so worried about?
justanothermom |
08.22.08 - 3:26 pm | #
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The article I linked to explains it this way,
"When more than 10 percent of a community opts out of vaccinations, it leaves the entire community at risk because germs have a greater chance of causing an epidemic,” said Dr. Ari Brown, an Austin, Texas, pediatrician who represents the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Scientists worry that vaccine resisters increasingly are breaching "herd immunity," the necessary level of protection that keeps disease from spreading. When enough people in a community are immune to a disease, they provide a buffer that keeps germs from infecting those too vulnerable for vaccination, or those for whom a vaccine doesn't work or wears off.
Some diseases, such as mumps, can tolerate a herd immunity threshold as low as 75 percent. But other, more virulent diseases, such as measles or pertussis, also known as whooping cough, require collective immunity of up to 94 percent to avoid infection, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."
So part of the concern is those who are unable or resistant to the vaccine from contracting the disease. If enough people immunize that risk remains low because spreading the disease is minimized.
Spunky |
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08.22.08 - 3:37 pm | #
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I have a really hard time forcing vaccinations on kids that in many cases are not needed, and I do NOT trust the government to be wise in what they require.
Eg, children whose mothers do not have Hepatitis B and who are not in daycare, at at virtually no risk of contracting Hep B. Forcing this vaccine on young children does not make sense.
Another eg: when the chicken pox vaccine came out, my dr asked the head of immunology at our local, top-ranked children's hospital what he thought. He said, "this vaccine is primarily for mothers who work, so they don't have to take several weeks off. That is a big hardship for them." From an adult perspective, it would also be recommended for adult men, I presume, but he was a pediatrician. Since I have the ability to stay home with my kids, I don't think it's a huge deal.
A third example: what on earth were state governments thinking when they demanded that 9-12yo's be vaccinated for an STD??? That will have no public health impact, unless the child is s-xually active, and heavens! They are 9yo!!! And it's mandated for school--what exactly are they going to be doing in school??? Thankfully, that was struck down in the states that tried it, but it left me very much lacking confidence about the wisdom of our legislators. (I'm not naive about what kids are doing, but I just don't see that legislatures should be mandating this type of vaccine.)
Some other vaccines, from what I've heard, are often given for other people: mumps for the sake of adult men, German measles for the sake of pregnant women, flu for the sake of elderly Grandma. I think it is UNCONSCIONABLE that we ask our children to take the risks associated with huge numbers of vaccines for the sake of adults who refuse to be vaccinated themselves.
I do see the point of concern for those who cannot be vaccinated. However, I think that is a small minority, and I just don't think it's worth the risk to all children from the hyper-vaccination we are currently doing.
Melinda S. |
08.22.08 - 11:56 pm | #
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>>>There are some reasonable restrictions on liberty when there is a public health aspect to it, I think.
Urchins3... |
08.23.08 - 5:39 am | #
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I think my message got cut off, I'm not sure what I could have done wrong.
In order to avoid having to retype my long tirade, I'll just post a link to an article that articulates my viewpoint.
http://www.naturalnews.com/022384.html
Urchins3... |
08.23.08 - 5:45 am | #
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I'll ditto that. I just read that link and it expresses perfectly why we have made the decision we have. I also wrote a long response last night and lost it, so i'll just say, "yeah!! what she said."
Kelly |
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08.23.08 - 7:42 am | #
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I live in an area of the U.S. where tourists visit from all over the world. Not just from the wealthy industrialized countries, but from all countries. They come here in the thousands every single day to experience our city, our theme parks, our beaches, our launch pads, etc. Are all these folks immunized? Who knows? Can any of them bring diseases here to the US with them? Maybe. You see, we can't just consider American kids as a closed pool of people with whom our children may come in contact. We have immigration, and we have foreign tourists who come here all the time. Nobody considers this. I think it is naive to refrain from immunizing, because you are assuming the diseases just aren't out there anymore. You are assuming that everybody else is immunizing leaving you free not to. But you are not considering all the risks and possibilities.
Violin Mom |
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08.23.08 - 8:21 am | #
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justanothermom said exactly what I have been thinking for years.
Robin in New Jersey |
08.23.08 - 8:22 am | #
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As a response to Melinda S. above, there is another reason not to get chicken pox as a kid, besides inconvenience to working moms. People who have had chicken pox as kids can develop shingles (herpes zoster) as adults. This can be a terribly painful and debilitating disease. I have experienced a touch of this, and I see how terrible it can be. I am glad to have my kids never have to deal with that!
Violin Mom |
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08.23.08 - 8:28 am | #
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Not too long ago, a newborn baby in our town died of whooping cough. She was too young to be immunized, and someone who wasn't immunized spread it to her.
When the "vaccine discussion" came up in our homeschool group, several women suggested the fault lay in bad nutrition or some other environmental problem (a disturbingly large number of anti-immunizers among homeschoolers, I've found, don't even buy germ theory). It was disgusting, blaming that poor baby's death on her parents. Frankly, it scares me sometimes to think of all the unvaccinated homeschool kids my children run around with; so I'm always prompt with the shots. They're not just putting their own kids at risk; they're putting my baby, and those whose immunizations don't turn out to protect, at risk.
o.h. |
08.23.08 - 9:32 am | #
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"For the children" is a time honored reason to steal liberty from citizens.
Shall we examine what the phrase "herd immunity" really means? It's pure sophistry meant to distract from the fact that these vaccines only seem to "work" when one never or only rarely comes into contact with the disease against which the vaccine is supposed to protect.
The chicken pox vaccine does not protect against shingles. They advertised in the beginning that it did, but that was before so many young people came down with shingles after having the chicken pox vaccine. Now there's a new shingles vaccine out.
While speaking of the risks of vaccination, it must be acknowledged that children die from the vaccines themselves. When I was younger and less informed, the argument that our pediatrician presented to me for my boys to have the chicken pox vaccine was that fewer children died from the vaccine than from the disease. No, my younger boys will not be receiving this vaccine. There are only four that we have decided are worth the risk, a decision made after doing our research and talking to a trusted doctor.
This is our decision to make, and should remain so. In Maryland, state law insists upon every child being immunized against chicken pox and hep B. This, in and of itself, should remind everyone of exactly how stupid the government will behave if we allow the state to mandate this decision.
KathyJo |
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08.23.08 - 11:28 am | #
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I immunize my kids, but there are some risks with vaccinations. The government should not force the shots on people.
Raani |
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08.23.08 - 12:22 pm | #
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>You are assuming that everybody else is immunizing leaving you free not to. But you are not considering all the risks and possibilities.<
Actually, Violin Mom, I am wishing that other parents would not be injecting their children with harmful poisons (and animal DNA, aborted fetal tissue, mercury, aluminum) that don't work and cause harm.
http://www.naturalnews.com/022617.html
Urchins3... |
08.23.08 - 2:17 pm | #
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When my 19-year-old was a baby, he didn't have to take half of the shots that are required today. And that bugs me. It bugs me that there are really no long-term studies on what injecting all of this stuff into our babies is going to do to them in 20 years or so. It might be that nothing will happen - or we might find some weirdo cancer popping up and then folks will start to wonder.
Also... I have a BIG problem with the fact that a lot of these immunizations come from cells that came from aborted babies. I think that's unethical.
I wait on immunizations too and I don't give all of them. I heard on NPR of all places that the reasons the Hepatitis vaccine was given to babies was because they were having a hard time getting the college crowd to get it. That's not a good enough reason for me to expose my baby - especially since the kid isn't sharing needles or having promiscuous sex. Now my 19-year-old going into EMT training is getting the series, because at this time of his life it makes sense to.
I don't trust the mainstream on this. I think parents have to do their own research and make their own choices on this and the government needs to butt out.
Elena |
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08.23.08 - 4:43 pm | #
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Possibly picking nits here but "There is a national requirement to immunize all children attending school; however, there are exemptions. One of the groups that is not required to immunize to enter school are homeschoolers" is incorrect. Each state may require vaccinations in order to enter school, but there is no "national" (i.e., federal) requirement. And, since homeschooling and vaccines are both regulated at the state level, the homeschool exemption is not universal. As was pointed out above, NC homeschoolers are required to maintain "disease immunization records for each student," although the law doesn't specify what we're supposed to do with the records, which vaccines are required, or if the Division of Non-Public Education is even allowed to inspect the records.
We really must have some of the most poorly-written homeschooling laws in the country.
Daryl Cobranchi |
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08.23.08 - 5:23 pm | #
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Thanks for the clarification Daryl, I was told that at one point there was a national requirement to immunize but it was up to each state to determine exactly which vaccines were required and this article supported that thought. I'll have to check that out.
As far as NC, what is the penalty for not immunizing. It seems odd to have a requirement and no way of checking to see if it is being followed.
Spunky |
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08.23.08 - 7:44 pm | #
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You're correct Daryl I appreciate the new information. I corrected the post, gave you the credit for the update.
Spunky |
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08.23.08 - 7:58 pm | #
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I would prefer to err on the side of parental rights to determine for their own children. But there are risks that need to be considered.
Those at greatest risk are those like my daughter and the many children on medications like hers (or with other illnesses) that mean they cannot be vaccinated or be around unvaccinated children. Her meds suppress her immune system so that the normal childhood illnesses would be more likely to cause problems and perhaps even be fatal.
Oh, and here in NE, if you file a religious exemption, they don't even ask about vaccines. If you file Rule 12 (philosophical objection), you are required to submit your vaccine records. How is that for assumptions!
Dana |
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08.23.08 - 8:32 pm | #
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And Violin Mom, you can get shingles from the chicken pox vaccine. My daughter did.
Dana |
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08.23.08 - 8:36 pm | #
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oh boy... this is one of my favorite topics (not really).
i have two children (3 yr old and a 1 yr old). aside fromt eh RSV shot that my preemie had, my boys have not had any immunizations. maybe i'm selfish, but maybe i'm just concerned about my children and about being a good steward of that which i've been given.
i cannot logically conclude that it is good stewardship to inject my children with toxins that are in vaccines.
and what about the risk associated with vaccines. i'm not even talking about autism. what about seizure disorders or even death? preemies are supposed to get shots on schedule, IN SPITE of the fact that DTaP has caused several preemies to stop breathing. that's just stupid, in my not-so-humble-opinion.
perhaps i'd be more aggreable to the govt. forcing vaccines on us if there was a strong support system that included financial and therapuetic support for those families of vaccine-injured children. parents are going bankrupt trying to treat their vaccine-injured children. they did what they were supposed to have done and they got the short end of the deal.
perhaps i'd be more agreeable if vaccines were more effective.
perhaps i'd be more agreeable if the govt. was not asking me to potentially sacrifice my son's life for the greater good.
the herd immunity argument hits a brick wall when i consider that my children could be permanently damaged froma vaccine.
bev |
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08.23.08 - 9:46 pm | #
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I think some vaccines should be taken, when it is something that can cause serious harm. I was not thinking much of these issues when my kids got immunized and luckily so far there have not been any side-effects. My eldest got chicken-pox when she was in K(school), my younger one was immunized against it. At first I was glad she was immunized until I found out that the vaccine was not a safe-guard. I know my eldest will not get it as an adult, but with my youngest I can just hope. As kids our parents tried to expose us to the disease to make sure we got immunized the natural way. I don't think the over immunization of a country will protect it in the long run. In the end it just makes you more susceptible to the disease. When you have had the disease as a child you ARE immune, if you have been immunized you might be immune.
Jen |
08.24.08 - 2:02 am | #
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Vaccines should NEVER be mandated. It is not the right of government or any other citizen to tell me I have no right to get sick or that my children have no right to get sick. Will we have vaccines for tummy aches and running nose next? Sickness is part of life and helps us build immunity. In regards to that baby that died of whooping cough...it is unfortunate but as I see it vaccines are actually to BLAME for that. If the baby's mother had been able to get whooping cough naturally she would have had a life long immunity that she would have then passed on to her baby via breastmilk. Vaccines prevent this very natural process...we are screwing with nature's design or God's design in that sense.
My oldest child had his first vaccine and reaction at 2 days old. Docs made me think I was nuts for seeing a link. After each shot he would get horribly sick and then at 11 months he got a series of shots that sent him into a 30 minute seizure, he stopped breathing, and had to be recucitated and put on a respirator in ICU for several days. He ended up with mild brain damage from lack of O2. He could have easily died. Should the government have the right to tell me or anyone that they have to risk that for the greater good? Hell NO!!! It boggles my mind that anyone here thinks they should have that right. I am flabbergasted by some of these comments.
We are a non vaccinating all the way now and PROUD of it! This month our pediatrician ejected my kids as patients because of this measles scaree and our continued refusal to vaccinate.
There have been 131 measels cases this year NO deaths. No deaths and here we are debating if these shots should be forced on everyone so we can prevent some people from getting a bit sick. Can anyone else see how ridiculous this sounds???
Tiffany |
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08.24.08 - 3:04 pm | #
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Oh and I forgot to mention that my son was an epileptic after that episode.
Tiffany |
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08.24.08 - 3:09 pm | #
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chicken pox vaccine vs shingles: It used to be that shingles was an old person's disease. Now, the dr told my sister-in-law, "It's hard to diagnose shingles in adults, it's so different from the way it usually looks, when I see it in children all the time"
Many, many kids who got the chicken pox vaccine are getting shingles, and they can get it numerous times. Fortunately, it does not seem at this point that it is as bad a case as older people used to get, and is not as painful.
Melinda S. |
08.24.08 - 3:28 pm | #
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Here's an interesting article that gives the political angle to vaccinations. According to the article, immunizations and autism may peek into the election a bit.
"No matter who wins in Pennsylvania today, the next President of the United States will support research into the growing evidence of some link between vaccines and autism."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
da...ci_b_97969.html
Spunky |
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08.24.08 - 5:12 pm | #
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"There have been 131 measels cases this year NO deaths. No deaths and here we are debating if these shots should be forced on everyone so we can prevent some people from getting a bit sick. Can anyone else see how ridiculous this sounds???"
Yes, my 14 year old daughter read the article this morning and made the exact same comment. She saw the deaths as tragic, but couldn't understand that the government would try to mandate a vaccine for such a small number.
You're not unique for getting released from your doctors care. My pediatrician is supportive of whatever approach we take to immunization. That's one of the reasons we selected him.
Spunky |
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08.24.08 - 7:10 pm | #
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Vaccinating is a personal decision that should be made my the parents only. It needs to be decided on a case by case basis. It's just ludicrous to mass vax a population without taking into account individual medical circumstances, family health, etc. What are we--poultry? Many people do not seem to realize that there were no long term studies done on these vax--WE are the long-term study. Certain people like to make us non-vax types sound like we are acting out of fear--that the only reason we don't vax is b/c of a possible autism link. So the medical community sets up the straw man argument based on autism link alone, works hard to manipulate the studies to dispel that then tells everyone--"see, there is no need to not get vax!" There is much, much more to it than that. (BTW, listen carefully. They will never say "there is no link between vax and autism." they will only say, "there is no *evidence* of a link between autism and vax.")
Do you know what goes into the vax cocktail? Have you read the pharmaceutical package insert that accompanies these vax? Do you understand why you are signing a consent form? If you have done these things, have educated yourself on the various childhood diseases, the risks of vax and are willing to accept those risks, it is your right to choose to vax your child. But, IME the people who are most informed are those who have declined vax. Many are just going along with vax b/c they are obedient to their doctor's advice and b/c "everyone else does it"(sheep mentality). As for our family, we have made an informed decision.
Cindi |
08.24.08 - 7:36 pm | #
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My daughter, born in 1985, had far fewer vaccinations required than my son, born 1993. They wanted to start the Hep B vaccinations right after he was born.
Although I am not opposed to vaccinations per se, I was concerned about what it would do to an immature immune system.
The problem we have now is that those of us vaccinated in the '60's were told that the immunity would be lifelong, but it was not. It cannot be expected to be. So for some vaccinations--like Hep B, unless the child is going home with parents who have it, to immunize at birth does not mean the child will be immune in the teen years. It seems very reasonable to question timing and stagger vaccinations given these kinds of issues and questions.
Finally, my son has an autism spectrum disorder. We have been very careful with vaccinations for him--paying extra to get the kind without ethyl mercury (thimerosol) preservative.
From the point of view of common sense, we've thought it prudent to get certain vaccinations for him--polio, measles, whooping cough--but we waited until he was older and going out in public more--since he was not a daycare baby, and since we--his parents--were vaccinated, he was at very little risk. We have been more careful about tetnus--not having one for him until he started going to camp, because I had observed temporary neurological symptoms in my daughter after such a vaccination when she was young.
What is interesting is that our son, for whom we staggered certain vaccinations and waited until his teens for others, was a much healthier baby, toddler and child, than his sister. I can count the number of illnesses he has had on one hand, and he is 14. Again, I wonder about the effect of so many vaccinations on the development of the immature immune system.
From the standpoint of individual rights and the concept of herd immunity--my response is this. It is immoral to ask my child to sacrifice his health and well being for 'the herd.' It is our right as his parents to determine what vaccinations will be best for him and when they will provide the greatest protection with the least amount of risk.
I am not anti-vaccination. I recognize that they have benefits. But, as a scientist, I also know that they have risks that we know about and risks that we have yet to discover. I think we need to make sure that we do not let the "herd immunity' cause us to develop herd mentality.
Elisheva Levin |
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08.24.08 - 7:43 pm | #
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"But, IME the people who are most informed are those who have declined vax. Many are just going along with vax b/c they are obedient to their doctor's advice and b/c "everyone else does it"(sheep mentality). As for our family, we have made an informed decision."
I think there are informed people on both sides of this issue and those that follow the "herd" on each side as well. To make the debate between the informed and uninformed is too simplistic and not accurate.
Spunky |
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08.24.08 - 8:05 pm | #
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Here is a link with the vaccine package inserts.
http://www.whale.to/vaccines/pack.html
Urchins3... |
08.24.08 - 8:49 pm | #
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The IL measles coverage has been interesting. A July Daily Herald article lists the following kids as homeschoolers: All 11 Cook cases involved home-schooled children age 18 months to 14 years old whose parents chose not to have them vaccinated, said Sean McDermott, spokesman for the department.
In the past 10 years, there have been at least 3 different attempts to register IL homeschoolers with the public health dept for vacc purposes. I think the intent was two fold; one for vacc/health exams and the second to track homeschoolers.
I have appreciated this Courtland Malloy editorial written about the HPV vaccine and the fact that NH (Live Free or Die)does not mandate vaccinations: Force Is Not the Only Way to Administer a Vaccine
So are New Hampshire residents somehow smarter and better able to develop effective public health programs? Are they more concerned about their children than the rest of us? Hardly. What they have that we do not is the right attitude. They take their state motto seriously: "Live Free or Die," while too many of us are content to live and die as slaves.
What a notion! No oversight for what is injected into our children's bodies. I don't believe NH has a standing quarantine in their state.
Susan Ryan |
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08.25.08 - 8:36 am | #
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Hi. I haven't read all of the comments, but here's my 2 cents. I do NOT want government telling any parent that they HAVE to vaccinate. Each parent knows his/her child and what is best for the child. My son was vaccinated, but at a very slow pace. He had some medical issues as a baby. Our doctor advised us to wait 6 months then to vaccinate on the schedule. I declined their offer. Thankfully my doctor trusted me, as the parent, and didn't make a big deal of it.
I'm tired of this fight and how parents judge each other based on the decision to vaccinate. We need to trust that each of us is doing what we believe is right for our children. Let's continue to educate ourselves on the issue and try to get along as adults. Thanks, Spunky, for giving us a chance to weigh in on this issue.
Pam |
08.25.08 - 2:43 pm | #
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Hi Spunky,
Glad you are back. 
I don't think anyone has mentioned that blood tests are available to titer(sp?) for the various immunities. Perhaps, no one has mentioned the blood test option, because it is rarely offered by medical offices and rarely mentioned by the media. I don't know why it isn't a common option??
I will say that the blood tests were an option for my daughter during her pre-Nursing School physical for vaccination confirmation & required booster shots. And my husband(a volunteer EMT) had a blood test in the last couple of years to see if he needed a booster for the Hepititus B vaccine, because it had been over 10 yrs. The results showed he still had immunity.
Just seems like a simple blood test could eliminate a lot of hassle and possibly unnecessary shots.
Which makes me wonder, if anyone has done a lab study of blood tests of people who are fully immunized but still get measles or whooping cough in particular? Maybe it would show something... maybe we would learn from it? Or blood tests of people who were exposed to chicken pox many times and never got it- were they naturally immune?... did they gain immunity from their nursing mom?
Susan T |
08.25.08 - 4:44 pm | #
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Spunky, I think you have misunderstood the comment I made:
"But, IME the people who are most informed are those who have declined vax. Many are just going along with vax b/c they are obedient to their doctor's advice and b/c "everyone else does it"(sheep mentality). As for our family, we have made an informed decision."
What I am saying is that, in my experience (IME), the people who are most informed about vaccinations, the diseases and what goes into the vaccines are the people who are opting out of some or all of the vax. They have to do research because they are going against the tide. It has been my personal experience in meeting people who vax and people who don't, that many (please note I did not say *all* or *most*) people who do vax are doing so because they are following their pediatrician's orders or aren't even aware there are any risks to vax (or that they can decline them). I have not personally met one family who declined vax and has not done research on the childhood diseases and risks of vax vs not vax. But I have met many people who do vax and have not done any research. Certainly there are people who research on both sides of the fence. I am only talking about my experience, hence, the way I began my sentence: IME (in my experience). I also have never met any family who declines vax b/c they are going along with the herd. They are definitely a group who does not go along with the herd--they are a minority. (There are families who don't vax b/c they can't afford the shots, forget, etc. but that is a different population.)
Cindi |
08.25.08 - 8:45 pm | #
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Am I the only one who thinks it's weird that they are saying "they are all homeschoolers between 18 months and ..." Really? How many 18mo are "homeschooled"???
Re. the titers--I had my oldest checked for measles titers, and she did not need her 12yo booster. What I have not seen is how often, after 12yo, she might need such a titer.
Melinda S. |
08.25.08 - 11:11 pm | #
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Cindi said,
"What I am saying is that, in my experience (IME), the people who are most informed about vaccinations, the diseases and what goes into the vaccines are the people who are opting out of some or all of the vax. They have to do research because they are going against the tide."
That's the part I'm not quite sure about. There are many people who have looked into the research and what goes into them and decided to vaccinate. They are totally informed and made a decision accordingly.
I have met people who do not vaccinate and say they didn't because "Mr. Smith (or some other friend) said it was bad" and on the credibility of Mr. Smith they don't vaccinate, never doing a bit of research on their own.
All I'm saying is that there are followers on both sides who are not informed and don't do their research.
Spunky |
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08.26.08 - 7:29 pm | #
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Melinda S. I agree that is a bit strange. It might have something to do with the fact that to some "education begins at age zero" and we are no longer parents but educators preparing children for the global economy.
Spunky |
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08.26.08 - 7:33 pm | #
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I was fully vaccinated plus extra (overseas travel) and I STILL got a documented case of measles (quarantine and everything!) in college. It's interesting in reporting that it's always stressed that vaccines protect people... and we know that... how?
Not to be snide and nasty, but reporters really need to think about what they're doing before they disparge an entire community based on the sicknesses that seem to show up there. Remember Haitians and HIV 20-odd years ago? Everybody seemed to be reporting that *they* were the ones with the dreaded cooties. Irresponsible.
Ok, off soapbox. Thanks for listening.
PS. Also for what it's worth, I was never homeschooled as a child and attended public schools from k through 12. No, it doesn't matter. But I thought I'd mention it anyway in case anyone was trolling your blog for "homeschool = measles." It doesn't any more than sending my child to public school would give him measles... there would be just that many more people to catch it from, is the *only* difference.
Bless you and your blog.
Mrs. C |
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08.27.08 - 2:27 pm | #
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Heard a great, low-heat and high-light interview this afternoon on this controversy, on NPR's Science Friday. A mom named "Chantal" exemplified those who won't believe anything from the government, CDCs, independent scientists or pharmaceutical companies.
JJ |
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08.29.08 - 5:51 pm | #
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When I was in college, I remember a warning going out that those between certain ages had received an immunization that was known to essentially failed and we were encouraged to consult a physician to see if we needed to be revaccinated.
Vaccines do not work all the time, but they do work most of the time. That is what the "herd immunity" is about. It protects in those cases where the vaccine didn't work for whatever reason, or where people cannot have vaccines for whatever reason.
Dana |
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08.30.08 - 12:31 am | #
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LOL Dana, they knew the vaccine "failed" when people like me came down with the measles! You're welcome. :]
JJ, I am not quite at that point yet, but I think a healthy dose of skepticism may be warranted when an authority figure is earning lots of money from a procedure. Just seems to me when my story and others like mine are told, they're brushed off as "unusual circumstances," but when an unvaccinated child gets a disease like measles, that makes the front page even though that also is an unusual circumstance in our nation. You know? Just a little skeptical here.
Mrs. C |
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08.30.08 - 9:26 am | #
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Lineage 2 gold
Lineage gold
elsie |
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12.06.08 - 2:29 am | #
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here you just need to spend 100-200 dollars to buy a replica rolex watches.
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Rolex Submariner replica watch |
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12.15.08 - 8:06 pm | #
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