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

 maybe i just dont trust the man!!!

I suspect that can't be the entire reason behind your decision. Is there more to it than not trusting the man? The man says to wear a seatbelt, too. Do you wear a seatbelt? Why or why not?

deleted.

We live in a world where people travel all over the place, all the time.  Even if a person stays in the US, it certainly doesn't mean they won't come into contact with people from other countries. 

I know this next comment is going to seem snarky, and maybe it kind of is.  I wonder how many people who are afraid of exposing their children to the chemicals in vaccines are sanguine about giving them chicken nuggets, artificial sweeteners, pesticides, etc.  If we want to avoid introducing "chemicals" in our children, there seem to be easier and more obvious places to start.

We took my daughter to South Africa and Botswana when she was 9 months old.  We angsted about whether to give her malaria medicine.  I actually can't remember what we chose to do. 

why kill the thread?

 

purdey and dakota are having an interesting, civil discussion. sure, a message board isn't a Great Fount Of Knowledge, but that doesn't mean reasonable people can't discuss reasonably. these two guys live hundreds (thousands?) of miles apart, and i live hundreds (thousands?) of miles from either of them - how else can they discuss and i listen?

 

sometimes we're too quick on the trigger finger. discussion and debate are not innately evil.

You have a point. It's been mostly civil.

I don't really have the power to kill a thread, but it just seems like this has been discussed ad nauseum here - a few times.  Not many people change their minds based on a debate they read on a message board. 

I'll hop back in (even though this is a runer's forum) 

Facts:

If my child is vaccinated, the odds that my child will be infected are greatly reduced.

The more children that are vaccinated against a disease, the likelihood of infection decreases for both the vaccinated and non-vaccinated child. The reason that the non-vaccinated child's odds of contracting the disease are lessened is because the child is less likely to come into contact with someone that is infected. The vaccinated child also benefits from less exposure.

In any case, the non-vaccinated child is far less likely to contract a disease for which they have been vaccinated against than a non-vaccinated child that is exposed to a disease.

Do you disagree with any of the above statements that I am presenting as facts? If not there is really no good argument against vaccinations. It really is cut and dry.

The only reason I can think that a parent wouldnt want their child vaccinated is if they truly believe that the vaccination itself is more likely to make the child sick or that it will make them sicker than the disease it is meant to prevent. Unless there is any evidence that this is the case--there really is no valid argument against vaccinations.

Why mention "sterile environments"? It kind of does have a relevance to vaccinations actually. I mention it because coming into contact with bacteria and diseases can strengthen the immune system.

Isnt that kind of what a vaccination does?

My pediatrician is an advocate of day care--exposing children to other children at a young age. They will be exposed to plenty of colds, pink eye, etc. etc..and build up an immunity at the early age instead of when they enter pre-school or kindergarten 4-5 years later. This is great for non life-threatening or dehabilitating illnesses.

Modified to remove a bit of snarkiness

 

 You feel comfortable traveling to foreign countries that have lower vaccination rates than the US, but get angry about the small percentage of parents who don't vaccinate against chicken pox (for example) whilst in the USA? If you ever visit the UK you should be aware that we don't vaccinate for half the diseases that you do - you will come into contact with someone who has a disease.

Never mind chicken pox. If he visits Europe he might catch Socialism. We hear it's really bad over there.

 She is too young to have had most vaccinations, thus, she should be protected by 'herd immunity' if people would just be sensible and vaccinate. When they don't, she is at risk.

 

"coming into contact with bacteria and diseases can strengthen the immune system"  I admit that I still don't understand why you mentioned this.

Firstly R2E is right.  I heart her.

This thread has actually educated me (to a small degree).  That is a good thing. 

Dakota - your point about children under the age for vaccination is very fair and well made.  I concur.

I have wondered about why I made that comment about "sterile environments".  I thought about deleting it - but that would just be weak.  Then I wondered about it some more.  I think it actually stems from when my parents lived in the US.  My mother once made a comment to me about everything seeming so sterile in the US (ie bacteria free - not a comment on your vibrant culture) in contrast to the environment in which she brought up me and my two brothers.  We lived amongst large flocks of free range poultry and spent our whole days running around the farm covered in crap and chicken poo.  She was a health professional and, if I recall correctly (she has passed away, so I can't check), believed that children's immune systems should be allowed to develop and strengthen naturally.  She also was not a fan of vaccinations.  Perhaps that is why I made the connection.  Don't think I'm explaining this very well - and still not sure why I posted it.  Let's leave it there... as a mistake.  I know that many of you will find this very hard to believe : I sometimes make mistakes.  Not very often, granted.  But sometimes I do.  I feel like I'm at an AA meeting.

Mr H - when John Major came to power I took the opportunity to get a Socialism vaccination.  Free.  On the NHS.  OK - I don't need it now that the Tories are back in the chair (sort of... they've got some whipping boys to make the tea for them), but boy was I glad of that shot when Bliar and Brown were "leading" us.  If you have not had your Socialism shot - please do not come to visit England.  You will putting us all at risk.  Stay away.

Oh and this:  somebody above (can't be bothered to find it - this thread has sucked the will to live out of my weak and debilitated body) said that if you choose not to be vaccinated then that is fine by her, as long as you live on an island.  I live on an island.  Am I ok?

MTA: this may very well be my longest ever post.

 

Anyone who's interested - the British Medical Journal 

Nope.