Here’s an absurd an idea. A family from Cincinnati wants to let their kids decide whether or not they want vaccine shots.
But wait… there’s more!!! They’ve come to the decision to hand over their parental responsibilities after 2/3 of their unvaccinated children have contracted whooping cough.
And why have they chosen not to vaccinate? I’m sure they’re one of many families who are skipping the absolute benefits of vaccines in deference to their fears of the perceived dangers of vaccines causing autism. They worried so much about the microscopic non-existent “toxins” in vaccines that they ignored the very real dangers of actual diseases such as the unpleasant nasty one their children must now endure. This family is now being quarantined by the DOH, and they must warn every business in which their children have come into contact and let them know that they have potentially infected other innocent children and the elderly.
Are some parents so feckless these days that they can’t muster the courage to give their kids life-saving vaccines, even after witnessing them contract a preventable disease??? And is their any kid in the world who would purposefully choose a quiver-full of painful shots to catch up on their parents’ irresponsibility? And how about these parents who waited until their children had a horrible disease such as whooping cough… and THEN decided to ask them whether they want vaccines. That’s probably the most absurd and saddest parenting anecdote I’ve ever come across.
How does vaccine misinformation like this spread? Well, let’s put it this way. A Family Center here in Cincinnati is hosting a presentation on the “Vaccine Debate” by a Doctor of Chiropractic. I will most certainly be there to make sure that this chiropractor doesn’t spew forth nonsense; many chiropractors don’t believe in vaccines because germ theory contradicts their idea that health problems arise from spinal subluxations.
Before the vaccine, Pertussis killed 5,000-10,000 people every year. We’ve become a spoiled society that parents are now letting their kids decide whether they want to risk future disease.
July 10, 2009 at 3:53 pm |
That reminds me of an Onion video — Study: Most Children Strongly Opposed to Childrens Healthcare
http://www.theonion.com/content/video/study_most_children_strongly
July 10, 2009 at 5:57 pm |
Good for you for attending the presentation and challenging the speaker! Chances are the speaker will be preaching to the converted and your views will be confronted with hostility. But you already know that . . . Make sure to write a blog about it and good luck. Svetlana
July 10, 2009 at 8:16 pm |
Can we say “irresponsible”!? Parents like the ones you mention in your article should be put in jail for child abuse. Do we wait until a kid drowns before we decide it may be good to cover the well? NO! Vaccines will save lives, it is proven. What kind of parent is that who doesn’t think of protecting the life of his/her kids before anything?
July 11, 2009 at 3:00 am |
While I don’t condone blindly avoiding vaccinations for fear of one possible side effect, I do support those parents who have done the research and decided against certain vaccinations because they have come to understand they may have more risks than benefits. On the same note, I also don’t condone parents who blindly trust the big pharmaceutical companies to have their child’s best interests in mind. Especially when each vaccine is produced without considering the cumulative effects of the high number of vaccines now administered in a short span of time. We need to take responsibility for our families’ health. These are not choices to be taken lightly and certainly not for children to decide for themselves – they simply can’t make an informed choice. I say, be a responsible parent, do your homework, and make an educated decision.
July 11, 2009 at 7:21 am |
During the last vaccine flare up on my local mommy mailing list, I sent a thank you, off list, to the woman who posted a good article about Offit in the NY Times. She wrote back to tell me that she was actually a doctor and during her residency, she helped save the life a child with tetanus, which is *everywhere*. Neither he nor his sister were vaccinated and even after a near-death experience and a talking to from medical staff the mother still refused to vaccinate them. I imagine these stories are legion among medical professionals.
July 11, 2009 at 11:32 am |
I agree not having a child vaccinated is neglect in most cases. I have an acquaintance, who’s niece nearly died of whooping cough. The child contracted whooping cough while she was to young for the vaccination. The family is furious that this child was endangered because of someone else’s lack of understanding of science.
That said how can we structure laws that require those who can and need to be immunized to be immunized, while protecting those that have a genuine scientifically proven reason to not be vaccinated.
I have atopic and contact dermatitis which somehow makes me more likely to have a bad reaction to smallpox vaccinations. When I entered Kindergarten the smallpox vaccination was still required. My parents were given paperwork and 2 of my doctors (Pediatrician and dermatologist) and a third Doctor had to sign off on that it was potentially life threatening to give me the vaccination. I had every other vaccination on time. My parents thought the procedure was very fair.
July 20, 2009 at 1:49 pm |
The people who for medical reasons can not have vaccinations should be protected by herd immunity. People who don’t vaccinate because of fear of autism are hurting said herd immunity..I am now part of a facebook group that counters the ridiculous notion that vaccines cause autism..http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=91368243169&ref=mf
July 20, 2009 at 3:43 pm |
I am one of those people who depends on herd immunity. I am currently on some strong immunosuppresants.
I have no problems with parents wanting to be sure they are doing the right thing for their kids. You should research what goes into your kids bodies. The problem is when people tend toward the emotional side of the issue instead of the scientifically proven side. This is when bad decisions get made. When someone decides not to get vaccines for their children they are selfishly asking the child to incur risks and they are expecting the rest of us to take the risk.