School Vaccine Exemptions

justme1972 · Mar 31, 2007

I think this article is a "sign-of-the-times"...the parents making those decisions are obviously too young to remember how children died of polio, died of chicken pox or had horrible-disfiguring scarring, or gave birth to a deaf child when they contracted the measles during pregnancy.

If this practice is allowed to continue, society will be right back where it was 75 years ago in terms of infant mortality and childhood diseases affecting the overall life-span.

It's so sad that these children will have to suffer the consequences of these decisions.

HM2VikingRN, RN · Mar 31, 2007

better to be a little bit sick than a whole lot dead.......

Count me as pro vaccination.....

lsyorke, RN · Mar 31, 2007

The "anti" vaccine era has been brought on by a mistrust in the pharmaceutical industry. If we had honesty and openness in clinical trials, true long term studies for adverse effects and an FDA that actually monitored the safety of new drug , I don't think the resistance towards vaccines would be as great.

But when a brand new vaccines with minimal risk/efficacy information are being thrown in peoples faces by a commercial and marketing by the pharmaceutical company trying to get them made mandatory, something is wrong.

This "new" way of medicine is NOT making the public more trusting, it's having the opposite effect, and potentially creating more harm by refusal of the time tested vaccines. My son was vaccinated years ago, but I would think long and hard if I had a infant today with the sheer numbers of vaccines that we are giving.

Lynnmabel · Mar 31, 2007

But when a brand new vaccines with minimal risk/efficacy information are being thrown in peoples faces by a commercial and marketing by the pharmaceutical company trying to get them made mandatory, something is wrong. >>

This is exactly what happened to me. My daughter was on track with her vaccines and then had a reaction to the rotovirus vaccine. I didn't want the second dose for her and the pediatrician dismissed us from the practice. I did a lot of research and found out how harmful some of the vaccines can be. I also learned that pediatricians get HUGE perks from the drug companies for keeping all of their patients fully immunized (hence us getting thrown out of the office.) The rotovirus vaccine was later recalled. We've been more careful about vaccines since then and while she has had some, there are some which we have opted out of and I think that's a parents right to do so.

justme1972 · Mar 31, 2007

The "anti" vaccine era has been brought on by a mistrust in the pharmaceutical industry. If we had honesty and openness in clinical trials, true long term studies for adverse effects and an FDA that actually monitored the safety of new drug , I don't think the resistance towards vaccines would be as great.
But when a brand new vaccines with minimal risk/efficacy information are being thrown in peoples faces by a commercial and marketing by the pharmaceutical company trying to get them made mandatory, something is wrong.
This "new" way of medicine is NOT making the public more trusting, it's having the opposite effect, and potentially creating more harm by refusal of the time tested vaccines. My son was vaccinated years ago, but I would think long and hard if I had a infant today with the sheer numbers of vaccines that we are giving.

I TOTALLY agree that new vaccines...we should be concerned. There is no way I would be the first in line to take a new vaccine...like the one against HPV...I think I would rather wait to see more research on that.

But the vaccines that have been around for God only knows how many years...I just don't understand people being that paranoid. I mean, any child can have a sensitivity to anything...a child can die the first time they try peanut butter....but what are the chances?

bagladyrn, RN · Apr 1, 2007

I think the point here is that you are not only risking your own health, but others as well. I know someone right now who has an infant son, just postop from open heart surgery,who now has chicken pox. He was too young for immunization, but was exposed by someone else who may have parents who thought immunizations were a bad idea.

Lynnmabel · Apr 1, 2007

but was exposed by someone else who may have parents who thought immunizations were a bad idea.>>

Actually, I bet money he was exposed by someone who had just been vaccinated. Vaccinated children often develop a mild case of chicken pox that they can spread to unvaccinated children. The worry I have with chicken pox is the HUGE influx of adults with the disease once the shot has worn off. The side effects are much worse an adult and I imagine we'll start seeing these cases in the next 5-10 years.

marilynmom, LPN, NP · Apr 1, 2007

I think the point here is that you are not only risking your own health, but others as well. I know someone right now who has an infant son, just postop from open heart surgery,who now has chicken pox. He was too young for immunization, but was exposed by someone else who may have parents who thought immunizations were a bad idea.

You do realize he was more likely exposed from a child who had just been vaccinated for chickenpox?? Chickenpox vax is a live vaccine and does shed and most kids get it. That is why they tell you when you have had a live vaccine to stay away from immunocompromised people...you could make them very very sick.

marilynmom, LPN, NP · Apr 1, 2007

Yes, I am very very leary of all the new vaccines. Roto vax has now been pulled off the marked TWICE after having been told how safe it was.

Something was just in the NYT the other day about the chickenpox vax and how uneffective it has turned out to be:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/15/health/15pox.html?ex=1331611200&en=c10e69a6fed737fe&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss

"And when vaccinated children were infected, they tended to be sicker, probably because they were older. "

lsyorke, RN · Apr 1, 2007

The side effects are much worse an adult and I imagine we'll start seeing these cases in the next 5-10 years.

This is my fear. We just don't know how the vaccinated children are going to do as adults in an exposure situation. The unknown nature of the "protection" time line is a big problem.

justme1972 · Apr 1, 2007

but was exposed by someone else who may have parents who thought immunizations were a bad idea.>>
Actually, I bet money he was exposed by someone who had just been vaccinated. Vaccinated children often develop a mild case of chicken pox that they can spread to unvaccinated children. The worry I have with chicken pox is the HUGE influx of adults with the disease once the shot has worn off. The side effects are much worse an adult and I imagine we'll start seeing these cases in the next 5-10 years.

The local schools here about a year ago had a case of over 480 cases of chicken pox countywide in the SAME month. When the school went to review immunization records...over 87% of the children that got chicken pox were NOT vaccinated for chicken pox. The only children that had to be hospitalized were the non-immunized children, and one came very, very close to dying.