Vaccinations & Opinions on Them.....

Flare, ASN, BSN · Jan 8, 2009

Not all states have exemptions based on personal beliefs. In my state it is only documented medical exemptions which must come from a doctor with reasons for exemption or a religious statement.

I have had students that have never received a vaccine in their lives that were autistic. I have had students that have had religious exeptions claimed until Little Johnny steps on a rusty nail - then somehow a tetorifice shot becomes okay...I have had to battle parents to get complete immunization records and yes, i have had to exclude students until that child is brought into compliance. I am not doing this to be mean. I am not doing this because I have nothing better to do than to audit my own files - because trust me - i know on the first day of school who owes me what - it's only after i have made multiple attampts at getting the records, have made calls, sent letters, i'd send a danged carrier pigeon if i thought it'd get results. Bottom line is that we're just trying to do our job.

GooeyRN, ADN, BSN, CNA, LPN, RN · Jan 8, 2009

I think every parent should read the ingredients and possible side effects of EACH vaccine. Then take each of their children's personal medical history into consideration, and go from there. I do know people who have had serious vax reactions. Vaccines do scare me, but I am not a "vaccines are not natural therefore evil" type, either. I think a kids lifestyle should be taken into consideration, too. A kid that is in a large daycare 50 hours a week is a different scenerio than a kid who rarely leaves the house.

I am a selective/delayed vaxer when it comes to my kids. I think the current schedule is a bit overboard.

Magsulfate, BSN, RN · Jan 10, 2009

Try not to hate on the school nurse too much, we are usually bound by federal or state law. As far as exemptions, at my school we allow 30 days for shot records if the child came from another in-state school, or if the child is homeless. We also have medical exemptions for kids who have conditions that would make immunizations dangerous. There are also exemptions that can be filed through the state for religious or personal reasons.
I agree that having unvaccinated children is dangerous for those who cannot be vaccinated. In fact, I saw something on the news not long ago about how doctors are now seeing more are more cases of diseases that were almost erradicated because of vaccines. The doctor that was interviewed was attributing the increase to the autism scare and the resulting decrease in immunizations. It is a very dangerous and worrysome trend.
I can't believe the nurse at your son's school couldn't work with you a little more. I send notices giving one week to anyone who I need records for. Even if there is no response to that I usually call before I sent them home. The nurse should have at least called the doctor's office to try and get them to fax the records. Sorry you had to go through that.

And the thing that got me is they will be 15 on February 22nd. Why the big rush that day? I couldn't believe it was unexcused!! Thanks for replying and giving me the school nurse perspective. The doctor's office also said that I was like the 20th person that came in there that day for the same reason... from different school districts too.

rph3664 · Jan 10, 2009

I live in an area with a sizable Amish population, and many of them are not vaccinated against this or that. We've seen some very tragic and totally preventable things as a result of this.

WalkieTalkie, RN · Jan 10, 2009

I can't even believe this person is saying this. There have been numerous studies on vaccinations showing that in general, they are safe and effective at preventing disease. This kind of backwards thinking makes me :banghead:

I'm on staff for the only public Biocontainment Unit in the US, and we get lots of education on this type of thing. It's the people who don't get vaccinations who will likely doom all of us when some kind of major outbreak happens.

Here's a good article called "What Would Happen If We Stopped Vaccinations?"

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/whatifstop.htm

BabyLady, BSN, RN · Jan 10, 2009

....and this same guy probably wants to know why the vast majority of the public still thinks chiropractors are quacks.

To me, he has held up, single-handedly, that stereotype.

Vaccinations have never been risk-free. However, there are millions upon millions of lives saved worldwide from them, along with children that are also saved from permanent disabilities.

I firmly believe that there is a link between some vaccinations and autism, but I think this rests more with a predisposition in the child, rather than the vaccine independently causing it...it sure as heck doesn't warrant doing away with them.

Shame on him.

FooFooBear · Jul 16, 2009

Actually all vaccines come with "side-effects". No vaccines are 100% safe...just read the inserts that come with the vaccines, they all warn that although unlikely, there may be serious side effects up to and including, death.

RheatherN, ASN, RN, EMT-P · Jul 16, 2009

i believe that the school is trying to expose you to everything there is out there. possibly that he is out there pushing them a little to be there too, you never know. but either way, take it as face- that it was a learning experience of one person's opinion- actually a group's opinion, becauce i know that the chiro world as a whole belives that. but you know, you will be exposed to a lot, so just take it as is, and be it a learning experience.

-H-RN

mittta · Aug 16, 2009

There are many reported cases of side effects to vaccinations.

Commanderzoom · Aug 21, 2009

I think that overall, vaccinations have been a Godsend. They've helped get rid of dangerous diseases.

However, people need to realize that serious, adverse reactions can happen. I had an almost fatal reaction to the DTP as an infant. My twins had reactions from the DTaP--one was was nearly fatal and the other was fatal. They had more minor reactions to the other vaccines they received. I don't vaccinate my children because of that and yes, I can get medical exemptions.

ShannonRN2010, BSN, RN · Aug 23, 2009

Its the metality that MY kids will make another one sick that I don't get...um...isn't that why your kid is vaccinated in the first place?

My job is to ensure that MY kids are healthy and safe. IMHO, vaccinations for MY FAMILY, due to family history, is not safe for my kids.

Funny that there was an outbreak of whooping cough at my sons school and he, the only unvaccinated child there, didn't get it.

Also funny that ppl will point their fingers at parents who don't vaccinate and say "Your kid will give mine the whooping cough!" yet they haven't kept up their boosters and could be the ones carrying the virus themselves since whooping cough presents as a URI in adults. Think about that one for a bit...

I dunno how to take the Autism/MMR link because my unvaccinated son was dx'ed with PDD-NOS this summer...however I know for a living fact that vaccinations can cause brain damage so its not too far off the think that there may be some kind of link there. I mean, the vax took my healthy normal brother and ruined him, so I don't doubt he's not the only one.

island40 · Aug 30, 2009

I always encourage people to get informed before they make a choice. Not just take the opinion of one person- no matter what their credentials. I shocked my daughter's office nurse by asked her why she was not warning me about the dangers of the polio vaccine (back in the day when it was a live vaccine and too many grandparents got Polio from poor handwashing after caring for their grandchild). Now they are talking about making H1N1 mandatory for health care workers- I am not convinced that it is safe or effective.