Why don't you vaccinate your kids? (Read 1573 times)

I am not vested in this thread, but

 

I do find it a interesting logical point - That if everyone made the choice not to vaccinate that they horrible diseases that we vaccinate against would eventually make large scale comebacks and kill many of our kids.  The fact that only a minority choose not to vaccinate will likely not produce this horrible occurence.

 

But it leads to the question:  What is the tipping point? 

 

Many of these diseases still exist internationally and with all the internation travel eventually some one at risk will be infected and the risk will be transfered back to "The States".

 

At what point does the population need to be not vaccinated to produce a large scale outbreak?

 

I have not read the thread, but how do parents of unvaccinated childeren get them into schools.  Around here proof of vaccination is required before entering the school system?

It is a good question, and the answer varies based on the disease.  For example, some diseases (think smallpox) have been eradicated internationally and will not likely ever come back.  Others (think influenza) will always be out there because they exist in other animals and/or because they change over time, rendering existing immunity useless.

 

The related question is this: if only a portion of the population needs to be vaccinated to create a public health benefit, who decides which children get the vaccines and which do not.  This of course, leads to the question being asked right now: why does one parent get to choose to put my child at risk when they don't vaccinate.

 

What is the concern about the coctail?  Three antigens in one vaccine is thousands of times fewer antigens than kids encounter on a daily basis just from living in the real world.  These antigens just happen to be ones that may do some good.

Just had to repeat this.  Every child is exposed to a far, far, FAR bigger cocktail of immune-triggering agents every time she picks her binky back up off the floor, every time he sucks on the handle of a shovel in the sandbox, every time she sticks her finger in her mouth, and every time he gnaws on a teether that's been sitting on the exersaucer tray.   Probably my kids did all of those things in the space of ten minutes almost every day before they were 18 months old. 

 

It's interesting to me how people evaluate risk.

while I obviously believe vaccinations are hugely important - I really don't think berating those parents who choose not to is productive. 99.99% of the time, these parents are not evil people who are trying to kill off your children by not vaccinating theirs. They are simply trying to do what they think is best (based on information they have been given or exposed to) for their children.

 

We recently did a case analysis on this exact situation, we were taught that the best way to approach a parent is to sit down with them and try to provide the most logical, science-based, clear evidence about vaccines, and let them make the decision. From what I have learned, this has a much higher success rate than calling someone a "bad parent" for choosing not to vaccinate.

 

but then again, I'm just a childless first-year, so what do I know... 

I have not read the thread, but how do parents of unvaccinated childeren get them into schools.  Around here proof of vaccination is required before entering the school system?

 

Religious Belief exemptions.

 

My kids are vaccinated but we spent a lot of time looking into them and the risk v, cost/benefit.  Some are no brainers - get them.

But 'big pharma" is there to make money.  Don't be fooled.  The number of mandatory vaccines have increased 300-500% from when I was a child .  I don't think there were many outbreaks of deadly diseases in the 1970s-80s.

 

The pharma lobby petitions to get these mandated and states stand to lose federal funds if they don't mandate them.  And before someone slaps me about playing the "evil" big pharma please keep in mind that I have been in the industry for >12 years.  While there is much benefit there is a reason so many more vaccines are mandatory.

I wish I could have given my kids MORE vaccinations!  My 9-week-old baby got RSV and had a breathing tube for 5 days.  I couldn't nurse him.  I just sat next to his hospital bed, seeing how miserable he was. There is an RSV vaccination these days, but it's usually given to kids who are at risk.  If I could have avoided that nightmare, I would GLADLY have done it.

 

I really wish parents were required to watch footage of kids suffering from some of the terrible diseases from the past, such as polio.

 

This of course, leads to the question being asked right now: why does one parent get to choose to put my child at risk when they don't vaccinate.

 

I am being pretty thick here. How does the parent of the unvaccinated child put your vaccinated child at risk?

I am being pretty thick here. How does the parent of the unvaccinated child put your vaccinated child at risk?

 

For real?