Barely Literate? How Christian Fundamentalist Homeschooling Hurts Kids

[dramaturge]

(06-27-2012 06:23 PM)tiarali Wrote:  In Australia, the first time they added the swine flu vaccine in with the seasonal flu vaccine, forty children in Western Australia were hospitalised with febrile convulsions and one previously healthy child in Queensland died before the vaccine was stopped. This isn't hearsay or gossip, it was headline news. They cancelled the vaccine over it (or blocked it for under fives, can't remember which).

So, 'good' parents make their perfectly healthy children risk death in order to prevent them from getting a disease they may never get and which modern medicine can now treat well in most cases?

The issues aren't always black and white. There are pros and cons to both sides of the situation. In the middle are good parents trying to make hard decisions for their kids without the benefit of hindsight. Stop demonising those who disagree with you.

It's not that hard of a decision, though. This year, in the 21st century, infants are being hospitalized with whooping cough because clusters of parents have chosen no to vaccinate their children at all. That's a completely preventable travesty. I can understand being thoughtful about immediately running out for a vaccine the first year it's in production, but the situation you mentioned seems to be, as LB noticed, a manufacturing mistake that could have happened to any medication and not a result of what the vaccine would be like if manufactured properly. It could just a likely have occurred during the manufacture of the treatment for swine flu. 115 children died of the flu in the US last season, nearly half of which had no exacerbating conditions to make it dangerous for them. Almost all of those death occurred in the hospital, under treatment. Just because it's the flu doesn't mean it should be take lightly. That vaccine situation was unfortunate and sad, but it wasn't because vaccinations in general are dangerous--it was because a pharma company made a mistake, something that could happen when making aspirin, or anything else. It's not a reason to avoid vaccinations. Vaccines are overwhelmingly safe. I know I sound rather blunt on this, but regressing to the days when people were in iron lungs and dying of diseases we can prevent with a round of shots is a very disturbing idea to me. I think people really underestimate these diseases because they've never seen them, but they're dangerous, and we need to keep them at bay. Vaccinations are the way to do that. And I do think there are significant reasons why not vaccinating children is bad. I don't really mean to sound demonizing, but I probably do. FWIW, I don't typically spout off about it or discuss it in real life unless the situation is relaxed debate. But SF's blatant statements brought out my passionate response. It's bad.

Edit: I am feeling badly about contributing to thread hijack. Yeesh. I'm done now. :-P

[lucrezaborgia]

Swine flu almost killed me in 2009 and the complications from it have left me with a lifetime of medical issues. I will probably have COPD by the time I'm 40 and as of now I am on the verge of it. I definitely have cognitive issues and other brain injuries that I will probably never know the extent of. My psych is considering partial seizures for some of my more recent problems but without insurance it's hard to tell and neuro testing is $$$. Every flu season since I'm first in line for that vac!

[Zadig]

(06-27-2012 05:56 PM)SomethingFundy Wrote:  Then I guess parents who don't vaccinate or send their kids to government re-education centers are bad then

Yes.

[lucrezaborgia]

Come on SF, please explain to us how the eugenicists and government are out to destroy the family via the schools and vaccinations. I'm simply dying to hear this...

[Grandma2012]

(06-27-2012 05:56 PM)SomethingFundy Wrote:  Then I guess parents who don't vaccinate or send their kids to government re-education centers are bad then

By definition, "re-education" has a prerequisite of "education".

Not sure you are for real, anyway.

[leaving]

We were a non-vaxing family...then we left fundamentalism. I'm now getting my kids caught up and working with a doctor who is happy to take it at t pace that is good for us.

On the other hand, my sisters and I had all our vaccinations and all managed to get whooping cough anyway. It was the most horrible thing I wouldn't wish it on anyone. For THREE months we had it.

[boymom]

For some reason I'm in the mood to watch 'Balto'.

[DaisyDeadhead]

(06-27-2012 07:32 PM)Sharon Wrote:  I'm not immune to rubella (German measles) despite getting the vaccine a half dozen times over my life. It's just not going to take.

I very much appreciate the herd immunity.

Interesting, since I was tested once and discovered I was already immune without ever being vaccinated! I was told I must have contracted a mild case and never knew.

I was pregnant when they tested me, so I was relieved. They won't give you the vaccine if you are.

[elfdream]

I was vaccinated and my kids had all the shots but I admit I don't do the flu vaccines. Every time I've had the flu shot I've gotten the flu. I haven't had one in years and I haven't had the flu in years. I have no idea if there is any connection and I admit my hesitation is probably purely physiological.

[lucrezaborgia]

The strains that you are being vacced against might not be the strains you pick up.