I would really love....

Specialties School

Published

....to know the thought process behind suddenly not vaccinating your children, after they've received everything except their 7th grade immunizations (one of which is a booster to a vaccine that has already been received). It seems to me to be a little....late in the game (??) for lack of a better phrase.

Got a response to an email I sent to a parent with a hard deadline to present vaccination records: "Hi Ms. Keeper, we no longer believe in vaccinations...."

I'm legitimately curious to know "why now?"...

Just an FYI, I'm not bashing anti-vaxxers. I'm fully capable of accepting others with opposing views on vaccines. Just a little confused on the sudden change....just so ya know :yes:

Specializes in OB.

Not a school nurse, I just lurk here because you guys are awesome. Here is my two cents, which is sort of long-winded.

I'm a CNM who works with a relatively "crunchy" patient population that includes a large number of anti-vaxxers (to be clear, CNMs as a whole support vaccines and don't always take care of anti-vaxxing hippies, I just happen to currently). I'm also a mom and belong to a large Facebook group for moms in my city. Based on my job and my observations from Facebook, I have a hypothesis: just like we can likely blame Facebook for creating a warped, misinformed, easy to deceive, and generally anti-truth society where a lunatic like Donald Trump could actually get elected president of the United States, I hold Facebook largely responsible for the giant uptick in anti-vaxxers in the last decade or so. Pictures of "vaccine injured" children or stories about autism or just straight up lies get posted as memes and go viral and PEOPLE BELIEVE THEM. Mob mentality ensues. Ridiculous debates get started and get more heated and ultimately go nowhere and accomplish nothing but making everyone more stubborn in their beliefs. Groups with people with separate but also crunchy interests (namely, the essential oil craze) become linked---nowadays, I swear every person I meet who is into/sells essential oils (which are also growing like crazy in my area) has become anti-vaccine. Many of these people have children they previously vaccinated, it's just like if you join their club, you have to drink their Kool-Aid and start shunning vaccines. It's almost "hip." There's a real persecution complex that goes along with it too---"Oh, everyone attacks us even though we're the ones who really see the light," and that bonds the group together. Also, the fact that some EO pyramid scheme people are actually making a lot of money makes their friends want to jump on the bandwagon for the money, and so they jump on the ideology bandwagon too.

I can't completely explain it, it still doesn't make sense, but it's my opinion based on personal anecdotes as someone who is around a lot of anti-vaxxers---namely, I blame Facebook and essential oil pyramid schemes for seriously contributing to the problem. As with Trump, I have no idea what the answer is or how to make people see reason. I'm at a loss with humanity lately. My hat is off to all of ya'll who take care of vulnerable kids with crappy parents day in and day out.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Practice educator.

Just an FYI, I'm not bashing anti-vaxxers.

You should though.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Cardiology, School Nursing, General.
Yeah, it's gonna be interesting trying to keep myself together for those sessions. I'm kind of at the point where I just can't deal with it anymore- give me the official paperwork for my files, and if your kid winds up in the hospital, thoughts and prayers for the vaccine-preventable illness.

I have to do this for the Health Fair and It's like... I know someone is going to be a show-off and debate with me. I'm prob going just tell them what you said, just give me the official paperwork, and if your kid ends up in the hospital, thoughts and prayers for the vaccine-preventable illness.

My kid got Meningitis at 3 yrs old, I want him to vaccinated later on for this. It's a scary thing to happen to your child.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in School Nurse. Having conversations with littles..
I have to do this for the Health Fair and It's like... I know someone is going to be a show-off and debate with me. I'm prob going just tell them what you said, just give me the official paperwork, and if your kid ends up in the hospital, thoughts and prayers for the vaccine-preventable illness.

My kid got Meningitis at 3 yrs old, I want him to vaccinated later on for this. It's a scary thing to happen to your child.

I am so sorry to hear about your little one. (I didn't want you to think I "Liked" that part of your message.) I hope all is well.

I do like that answer about ... Just giving me the paperwork.

My additional thoughts to the anti-vax parent. "No, I don't lose sleep over if you choose to vaccinate or not. I just have a job to do. Have a great day!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Cardiology, School Nursing, General.
I am so sorry to hear about your little one. (I didn't want you to think I "Liked" that part of your message.) I hope all is well.

I do like that answer about ... Just giving me the paperwork.

My additional thoughts to the anti-vax parent. "No, I don't lose sleep over if you choose to vaccinate or not. I just have a job to do. Have a great day!

Lol it's okay. He's 7 now and is very active child. It's just a very scary thing that happened and I don't want it to happen to any other child.

Exactly my thoughts!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in kids.
I think THIS is the place to voice your frustration, if anywhere. And, quite simply, they are wrong.

It should be, but then other disciplines stick their nose in, TOTALLY not understanding that this IS our nurses station...

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med/Surg/Infection Control/Geriatrics.
You know, this was my initial thought as well as I know that's a common reason, but I really don't think that applies to this particular situation. I could be totally wrong though! I'm fully aware that the "why" really isn't any of my business :happy:

Make it your business. Your job as a nurse is to educate as well as administer. Some well meaning parents have been given bad information based on studies that were flawed. While it may be "their decision", they need to be able to make a more informed choice. These viruses mutate and gain strength and change every year. The vaccines are necessary because even if they do end up with flu, their case will be far less dangerous than it was had they not been vaccinated. Also, it's a dead virus so it cannot make them sick. If they get sick after the shot, they had it in them beforehand and just didn't know it.

Even if their child has never been sick, they can be carriers. Frankly, so can their parents.

There's no such thing as "herd immunity," I have said this before, and what about the kids that are immuno-suppressed?

Read up on some of the diseases such as Measles, Mumps and Rubella, the flu and oh yes, for fun, read about "Typhoid Mary" if the possibility of being just a "carrier" is not clear.

My job? Infection Control Dept Head.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I have two of these. Exactly one shot left for k-5. I am certain in both instances that it is because they got a letter that said their student would not be allowed to attend past XX date without it, so now they are religiously opposed in order to prove that "YOU'RE not the boss of ME!"

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in IMC, school nursing.

The part of the anti-vaxxers argument that is lost is that somehow a living child with Autism is worse than a dead child from a preventable deadly disease. Let that sink in.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Not a school nurse, I just lurk here because you guys are awesome. Here is my two cents, which is sort of long-winded.

I'm a CNM who works with a relatively "crunchy" patient population that includes a large number of anti-vaxxers (to be clear, CNMs as a whole support vaccines and don't always take care of anti-vaxxing hippies, I just happen to currently). I'm also a mom and belong to a large Facebook group for moms in my city. Based on my job and my observations from Facebook, I have a hypothesis: just like we can likely blame Facebook for creating a warped, misinformed, easy to deceive, and generally anti-truth society where a lunatic like Donald Trump could actually get elected president of the United States, I hold Facebook largely responsible for the giant uptick in anti-vaxxers in the last decade or so. Pictures of "vaccine injured" children or stories about autism or just straight up lies get posted as memes and go viral and PEOPLE BELIEVE THEM. Mob mentality ensues. Ridiculous debates get started and get more heated and ultimately go nowhere and accomplish nothing but making everyone more stubborn in their beliefs. Groups with people with separate but also crunchy interests (namely, the essential oil craze) become linked---nowadays, I swear every person I meet who is into/sells essential oils (which are also growing like crazy in my area) has become anti-vaccine. Many of these people have children they previously vaccinated, it's just like if you join their club, you have to drink their Kool-Aid and start shunning vaccines. It's almost "hip." There's a real persecution complex that goes along with it too---"Oh, everyone attacks us even though we're the ones who really see the light," and that bonds the group together. Also, the fact that some EO pyramid scheme people are actually making a lot of money makes their friends want to jump on the bandwagon for the money, and so they jump on the ideology bandwagon too.

I can't completely explain it, it still doesn't make sense, but it's my opinion based on personal anecdotes as someone who is around a lot of anti-vaxxers---namely, I blame Facebook and essential oil pyramid schemes for seriously contributing to the problem. As with Trump, I have no idea what the answer is or how to make people see reason. I'm at a loss with humanity lately. My hat is off to all of ya'll who take care of vulnerable kids with crappy parents day in and day out.

If you parent your child based on information from Facebook posts, you should be stripped of your parental rights and be denied the ability to bear more offspring.

We need to stop the stupid people from breeding and raising more just like themselves!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in OB.
If you parent your child based on information from Facebook posts, you should be stripped of your parental rights and be denied the ability to bear more offspring.

We need to stop the stupid people from breeding and raising more just like themselves!

LOL good luck with that!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in kids.
Not a school nurse, I just lurk here because you guys are awesome. Here is my two cents, which is sort of long-winded.

I'm a CNM who works with a relatively "crunchy" patient population that includes a large number of anti-vaxxers (to be clear, CNMs as a whole support vaccines and don't always take care of anti-vaxxing hippies, I just happen to currently). I'm also a mom and belong to a large Facebook group for moms in my city. Based on my job and my observations from Facebook, I have a hypothesis: just like we can likely blame Facebook for creating a warped, misinformed, easy to deceive, and generally anti-truth society where a lunatic like Donald Trump could actually get elected president of the United States, I hold Facebook largely responsible for the giant uptick in anti-vaxxers in the last decade or so. Pictures of "vaccine injured" children or stories about autism or just straight up lies get posted as memes and go viral and PEOPLE BELIEVE THEM. Mob mentality ensues. Ridiculous debates get started and get more heated and ultimately go nowhere and accomplish nothing but making everyone more stubborn in their beliefs. Groups with people with separate but also crunchy interests (namely, the essential oil craze) become linked---nowadays, I swear every person I meet who is into/sells essential oils (which are also growing like crazy in my area) has become anti-vaccine. Many of these people have children they previously vaccinated, it's just like if you join their club, you have to drink their Kool-Aid and start shunning vaccines. It's almost "hip." There's a real persecution complex that goes along with it too---"Oh, everyone attacks us even though we're the ones who really see the light," and that bonds the group together. Also, the fact that some EO pyramid scheme people are actually making a lot of money makes their friends want to jump on the bandwagon for the money, and so they jump on the ideology bandwagon too.

I can't completely explain it, it still doesn't make sense, but it's my opinion based on personal anecdotes as someone who is around a lot of anti-vaxxers---namely, I blame Facebook and essential oil pyramid schemes for seriously contributing to the problem. As with Trump, I have no idea what the answer is or how to make people see reason. I'm at a loss with humanity lately. My hat is off to all of ya'll who take care of vulnerable kids with crappy parents day in and day out.

You are my people!!!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment