New back-to-school worry: Unvaccinated classmates

[wtbcrna]

"A growing number of children aren't getting required vaccinations for non-medical reasons. What will this new reality bring this school year?

As parents send their children back to school, some are grappling with a new worry: whether their children's classmates have received all their vaccinations.

An outbreak of measles in Texas this week shows why their concern is not without reason. Twenty-one people linked to a megachurch and its congregation have contracted the highly contagious disease, and the case has put a spotlight on falling vaccination rates in the U.S.

Measles was eradicated in the U.S. as of 2000, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but outbreaks like the one in Texas are increasing, as is the percentage of parents choosing not to immunize their children, which has seen an uptick in recent years. Usually, the CDC expects to see 60 cases of measles per year, but there have been 135 cases of measles so far in 2013, and in 2011, more than 220 people were diagnosed with the disease.

This latest outbreak follows a rash of recent measles cases among New York's Orthodox Jewish population and an outbreak in San Diego in 2008."

http://news.msn.com/science-technology/new-back-to-school-worry-unvaccinated-classmates

[wtbcrna, MSN, DNP, CRNA]

Discussions like this just make me cringe! I'm all for vaccinations, but I too, have one child who has airway compromise with the flu vaccine. Makes me feel like she's a sitting duck around flu season. I wish they would make a True allergy friendly flu vaccine.

Broadly neutralizing antibodies suggest new prospects to counter highly antigenically diverse viruses

[PalmHarborMom]

The question about whether to vaccinate one's children is one I hear often because my son has autism. It gives me an opportunity to tell people that vaccinations did NOT cause his autism. (I am just a nursing student but having a child with autism people ask) The harm that was done by the doctor that falsified the study linking vaccines and autism amounts to a criminal act. I have seen kids with diseases that could have been prevented. I had the German Measles before I was old enough to get the second MMR. The most heartbreaking case that I remember was a child dying from chicken pox. One issue that I do not see people talking about is whether adults are fully vaccinated. We are a multi-cultural society and some kids may have adults in their lives that need booster vaccines. This summer I did a Community Health rotation in clinicals. The nurse that I worked with was only achieving around a 20% vaccination rate for the adults that needed DTaP. Once we started talking to the patients about how it can also reduce the chance that they will pass on Pertussis to the children in their lives, the vaccination rate went to 100%. Appealing to a person's desire to protect their family seemed to make a huge difference.

[mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN]

I didn't know there was a vax for Hep C as an earlier poster posted. I had one of my college professors tell me that tetorifice was bogus. I saw a horse go through getting tetorifice-horrifying.

I vaccinate my children, my youngest had one dose of chicken pox as a baby and we think he had a very mild case. I asked whether we should give second vax or do a titer. She told me the vax would be cheaper.

I always ask people about the mercury thing: I have a friend, a cousin, and my brother's best friend-all have triplets and all have ONE of the three dx with autism. Why did only one of three get it?? I do believe that one set was not vaccinated and the other two were.

My youngest is also Type 1 and there was a movement that was trying to blame vaccinations on the higher dx rate of T1 (and younger dx).

Personally, I think the processed foods are what getting us.

[NutmeggeRN, BSN]

I didn't know there was a vax for Hep C as an earlier poster posted. I had one of my college professors tell me that tetorifice was bogus. I saw a horse go through getting tetorifice-horrifying.

I bet the poster meant Hep B

[LoveNeverDies]

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but not vaccinating and advocating non-vaccinations especially when working in healthcare is a danger to yourself and every patient. The old and young are extremely vulnerable and just because someone does not become symptomatic that does not mean they are not a carrier especially if they are around a large segment of close contacts that are unvaccinated.

I encourage you to post any scientific peer-reviewed research stating that some or any vaccine is not necessary that is routinely used in the United States.

I would like to say that I have never told anyone that they should not vaccinate. I always suggest routine vaccinations to family, or people that ask me. When asked about the Austism issue, I explain that the study they are likely refering to was biased and encourage them to find more reputable sources. I view it as a personal choice and I do not try to put my thinking onto others. I understand that I will likely be a carrier in flu season. I would do what I can to protect everyone I come in contact with, if I am not vaccinated. But considering even when vaccinated I can still get the flu and pass it on, I do not feel obligated to receive it as a safety measure. I believe I am less likely to infect someone while wearing a mask and gloves compared to the nurses I see that do not bother to wash their hands when changing rooms, use ppe in an infection room, and come sick to work and cough all over their patients. Yes, I have seen this all while working in the hospital setting. I again would like to say that I am not pushing for people to be unvaccinated, I was at a serious risk when I was younger when a friend developed meningitis. I am just offering a view point as to why some people choose not to vaccinate their children.

To the other poster I most certainly meant Hep B, thats what I get for not rereading my post.

[HikingEDRN, BSN, RN]

I don't think it will change my husbands mind, I do fear he has been indoctrinated in some things when it comes to medical care (however he does believe in acute emergency care, as his father broke his bone and tore his brachial artery last week and was life flighted and it saved his life).

I find it ironic that those who scorn the traditional medical establishment quickly change their mind when they need it. Roxalot, I mean no offense to you or your husband. It's just something I have observed.

[wtbcrna, MSN, DNP, CRNA]

I would like to say that I have never told anyone that they should not vaccinate. I always suggest routine vaccinations to family, or people that ask me. When asked about the Austism issue, I explain that the study they are likely refering to was biased and encourage them to find more reputable sources. I view it as a personal choice and I do not try to put my thinking onto others. I understand that I will likely be a carrier in flu season. I would do what I can to protect everyone I come in contact with, if I am not vaccinated. But considering even when vaccinated I can still get the flu and pass it on, I do not feel obligated to receive it as a safety measure. I believe I am less likely to infect someone while wearing a mask and gloves compared to the nurses I see that do not bother to wash their hands when changing rooms, use ppe in an infection room, and come sick to work and cough all over their patients. Yes, I have seen this all while working in the hospital setting. I again would like to say that I am not pushing for people to be unvaccinated, I was at a serious risk when I was younger when a friend developed meningitis. I am just offering a view point as to why some people choose not to vaccinate their children.

To the other poster I most certainly meant Hep B, thats what I get for not rereading my post.

The WHO and CDC disagree that healthcare workers should not be vaccinated against the flu seasonally. The simple fact is every health care worker who does not get the flu vaccine is a danger to their patients and co workers.

[NBMom1225]

My daughter was born with Stage 4 Neuroblastoma 13 years ago, and she was not able to have ANY vaccinations until her immune system was strong enough, around age 4. She participated in Head Start at age 3 (very delayed speech) and I met with the teachers before school started to discuss her medical issues and stress that she was still unable to received any vaccinations but that she had not been neutropenic in years, and asked them to notify me immediately if any classmates had a rash or were diagnosed with any serious communicable illness. My daughter could handle basic illnesses like the common cold (though they always lasted longer than other peoples colds), but measles, chicken pox etc could be fatal.

Thank god for their vigilance...one week into the school year I got a call right after school started that morning to come pick her up. The teachers had gotten a call from a parent just before the kids bus arrived that of my daughters classmates was diagnosed with the measles, and sure enough, that child's parents were anti-vaccine and they had just returned from a vacation out of the country right before school started...that little boy had never gotten an MMR vax. The teachers didn't even let my daughter go into the school, an aide stayed outside playing with her on the playground. The school had a special cleaning company come in after school to disinfect the building (a two-room schoolhouse) including every single toy. I am very grateful to those teachers, we were very fortunate that my daughter did not contract the disease. Every school year after that, through elementary, I asked my daughter not be placed in a classroom with any unvaccinated children and they were always happy to arrange it.

This is what upsets me about the anti-vaccine parents, no thought is given to the fact that some of their classmates may have actual medical issues that prevent them from being vaccinated on time, leaving them especially vulnerable. Even children who are vaccinated could potentially transmit a disease they picked up from an unvaccinated child at school to an immunosuppressed family member at home. If parents feel so strongly against vaccinations for their children, my opinion is that they should be prepared to home school their children rather that place other children and their family members at risk for potentially fatal illnesses.

[trinitymaster]

Everyone has a right to decide what vaccinations their child should/should not receive. My children only get immunizations for the "major" diseases such as TDAP, MMR, polio, Hepatitis, etc...

(Flu vaccines, in my opinion, are useless). There should be no mandatory vaccinations when all of the vaccines are generally tainted. If you read the CDC report on vaccines, it warns that there are still many inherent risks with vaccines.

The world of research, especially with vaccines, is controlled by those who only care about the money that can be made. Nurses should not be brainwashed into believing that all vaccines are good.

[trinitymaster]

The WHO and CDC disagree that healthcare workers should not be vaccinated against the flu seasonally. The simple fact is every health care worker who does not get the flu vaccine is a danger to their patients and co workers.

That is perhaps one of the most uneducated statements that I have ever heard. Using your logic, those not vaccinated against small-pox are also a danger to their patients and co-workers (I have been vaccinated twice against small-pox. Once as a child and once in Basic Training).

[wtbcrna, MSN, DNP, CRNA]

That is perhaps one of the most uneducated statements that I have ever heard. Using your logic, those not vaccinated against small-pox are also a danger to their patients and co-workers (I have been vaccinated twice against small-pox. Once as a child and once in Basic Training).

Actually, smallpox is a great example of how effective vaccines can be. There has not been a case of smallpox in the general population since the 1970s. The only reason that people are still being inoculated against small pox is if they are directly working with it or more likely d/t possible terrorist organizations obtaining a sample and using small pox as a biological weapon.

By the way my uneducated statement is shared by the CDC, WHO, the US military, and pretty much every government health organization in the world..

[wtbcrna, MSN, DNP, CRNA]

Everyone has a right to decide what vaccinations their child should/should not receive. My children only get immunizations for the "major" diseases such as TDAP, MMR, polio, Hepatitis, etc...

(Flu vaccines, in my opinion, are useless). There should be no mandatory vaccinations when all of the vaccines are generally tainted. If you read the CDC report on vaccines, it warns that there are still many inherent risks with vaccines.

The world of research, especially with vaccines, is controlled by those who only care about the money that can be made. Nurses should not be brainwashed into believing that all vaccines are good.

The right to decide ends when a person's decision jeopardizes the public safety of others. Not being vaccinated has been shown time and again to be a huge public health concern.

I would like to see any scientific proof that vaccines are "tainted", flu vaccines are useless, and/or that research is controlled by people who only care about money that can be made from vaccines.

By the way most post-marketing research done on vaccines is done by the government and/or through government grants.

[h=2]Here is the wonderful salary for PhD researchers. This is after approximately 9-12 years of college education.[/h]

• "The future prospects for an employee with a Ph.D. are good. Most workers with doctorates tend to work for stable institutions, like universities, and thus are guaranteed some level of job security. Between the first and fourth year after completing the doctorate, Ph.D.s can expect to make an average of $65,427. Similarly, from their fifth to ninth year post-graduation, they earn an average of $73,852. Ten to nineteen19 years after graduation, Ph.D.s earn an average of $86,792, which jumps to $102,553 more than 20 years after the completion of their degree."
  
  
  

Read more: The Average Starting Salary for a Ph.D. | eHow