Children should not be allowed to attend Public school, if they are not vaccinated. If it's their parent's choice to not vaccinate them, then they can keep them home and school them and not put the Public at risk.
What scares me about topics like these is how quickly people consider themselves to be so-called experts and/or well informed. It baffles me how simple scare and bully tactics overwhelm legit research. Wakefield was barred from practice 5 years ago over lying about his results and it's still a common opinion that vaccines are some sort of public health danger. There's a huge amount of research available that debunks this; autism speaks.org even states there is no connection, yet it still prevails.
I guess, to some degree, this conversation exists because vaccines have worked so well as to cause the public to forget the terribleness of the diseases they work to prevent. I am all for being skeptical, but once the research starts pouring in, people should be making informed opinions from that and not from the loudest person in the room.
Jeff - 9 years ago
Sadly, the vast majority of people who will comment here and to similar stories are the ones that do not do any proper research on the topic, but instead are swayed by hyperbole and fear-mongering. If an adult has made a reasoned and informed decision, then so be it, I respect that even if I believe they are wrong in their thinking. But to expose children to risks for little to no reason is unconscionable.
Aside from the many times over debunked "study" by that British "researcher", too many times people will make vague statements, as Brandy did above (with all due respect to you and your opinions). For example, "Big pharma and our government put all kinds of things in those shots." What kinds of things? Be specific. And the language used - put all kinds of things in those shots - is inflammatory and smacks of conspiracy. What purpose would there be, what is the government (that evil, monolithic entity) trying to gain by putting these "all kinds of things" into vaccines?
The same is true for the autism-vaccine link. There is NO evidence whatsoever linking them, and there are literally hundreds of studies and experts who will tell you that (try looking up CARD - Center for Autism and Related Disorders for example). Yes, the number of cases has risen, but that is because of both better recognition of the disorder as well as changes to the criteria for diagnosis. Putting aside the whole correlation doesn't equal causation issue, the same logic used (increasing vaccinations linked with increasing autism numbers) can be used to show that airbags in cars cause autism, since the number of airbags has continued to rise over the past decade-plus, which links perfectly with the number of autism cases. I agree with Diana that making tough choices for one's children is incredibly important and difficult, but those decisions should primarily be based on logic and solid research, which is not the case for many who make the choice not to vaccinate. Also, just FYI Diana, less than 20% of the diagnoses occur by age 2, with more than 50% of the diagnoses happening age 5+, so it's not really right after the age 3 shot.
Look, are drug companies in it for money? Absolutely. Do they push drugs to market with less than complete testing, only to sometimes have to roll things back and/or later get hit with class-action lawsuits? No question. Are corners sometimes cut in the name of profit now? Yes. However, when it comes to the topic of vaccination, the evidence is clear - while not perfect, and not for everyone (the contraindications are clearly spelled out for anyone who takes the time to read them), they are safe and effective, and help to not only save lives but also to minimize outbreaks. Vaccinations were mandatory when I went to school, and they should be now.
Brandy - 9 years ago
If your child has a compromised immune system then it is up to that child's parent to take the proper precaution. I would not vaccinate myself or kids. Big pharma and our government put all kinds of things in those shots. If you would like to lie to yourself ans say the government has nothing to do with the meds we take, then have at it! Sometimes the vaccine is pointless you still get sick. So if your child has an immune issue keep them where you know they are safe. That is your job as a parent. Everyone needs to also realise that antibiotics are going to go out of style. They are not being studied and developed for new illnesses. Then what? Time to educate yourself on natural cures and stop being so scared of a germ. Wash your hands a little less you need to build up your immune system. Drugs are not the answer. The FDA, AMA and our government are not your friend. They are here to make money and if you are sick or not does not matter. They will blow it up and push the issue for that dollar.
Diana - 9 years ago
It is hard to trust pharmaceutical companies as to the safety of ANYTHING they or the FDA claims to be safe. Just need to watch the endless commercials on TV every single day. First the drugs are pushed and then that same drug is on a commercial by a legal firm for a class action suit as a BAD DRUG. If there could be something left in this country that was driven by profits and rather the well being of its citizens it would be easier to believe. In my opinion, autism has been on the rise over the past ten years. Seems to occur right after a child has had whatever immunization around the 3 year mark. Perhaps there are too many issues addressed in one vaccination. Too much for a young child's immune system to deal with. Perhaps if the immunizations were broken down into separate doses. Whatever the case, it is a two edged sword and a hard decision to make as a parent.
Susan wagner - 9 years ago
Immunization is a scientific matter not a government trusting issue. With out immunization, harmful results will occur to others. Lets think about our communities helth as a whole and educate ouselves on the deseases . We need to have a clear focus!
Eric - 9 years ago
There's a very small percentage of children with compromised immune systems, who are counting on herd immunity to protect them. To protect those children, keep your unvaccinated children at home to keep the contagion and superstition from spreading.
Children should not be allowed to attend Public school, if they are not vaccinated. If it's their parent's choice to not vaccinate them, then they can keep them home and school them and not put the Public at risk.
What scares me about topics like these is how quickly people consider themselves to be so-called experts and/or well informed. It baffles me how simple scare and bully tactics overwhelm legit research. Wakefield was barred from practice 5 years ago over lying about his results and it's still a common opinion that vaccines are some sort of public health danger. There's a huge amount of research available that debunks this; autism speaks.org even states there is no connection, yet it still prevails.
I guess, to some degree, this conversation exists because vaccines have worked so well as to cause the public to forget the terribleness of the diseases they work to prevent. I am all for being skeptical, but once the research starts pouring in, people should be making informed opinions from that and not from the loudest person in the room.
Sadly, the vast majority of people who will comment here and to similar stories are the ones that do not do any proper research on the topic, but instead are swayed by hyperbole and fear-mongering. If an adult has made a reasoned and informed decision, then so be it, I respect that even if I believe they are wrong in their thinking. But to expose children to risks for little to no reason is unconscionable.
Aside from the many times over debunked "study" by that British "researcher", too many times people will make vague statements, as Brandy did above (with all due respect to you and your opinions). For example, "Big pharma and our government put all kinds of things in those shots." What kinds of things? Be specific. And the language used - put all kinds of things in those shots - is inflammatory and smacks of conspiracy. What purpose would there be, what is the government (that evil, monolithic entity) trying to gain by putting these "all kinds of things" into vaccines?
The same is true for the autism-vaccine link. There is NO evidence whatsoever linking them, and there are literally hundreds of studies and experts who will tell you that (try looking up CARD - Center for Autism and Related Disorders for example). Yes, the number of cases has risen, but that is because of both better recognition of the disorder as well as changes to the criteria for diagnosis. Putting aside the whole correlation doesn't equal causation issue, the same logic used (increasing vaccinations linked with increasing autism numbers) can be used to show that airbags in cars cause autism, since the number of airbags has continued to rise over the past decade-plus, which links perfectly with the number of autism cases. I agree with Diana that making tough choices for one's children is incredibly important and difficult, but those decisions should primarily be based on logic and solid research, which is not the case for many who make the choice not to vaccinate. Also, just FYI Diana, less than 20% of the diagnoses occur by age 2, with more than 50% of the diagnoses happening age 5+, so it's not really right after the age 3 shot.
Look, are drug companies in it for money? Absolutely. Do they push drugs to market with less than complete testing, only to sometimes have to roll things back and/or later get hit with class-action lawsuits? No question. Are corners sometimes cut in the name of profit now? Yes. However, when it comes to the topic of vaccination, the evidence is clear - while not perfect, and not for everyone (the contraindications are clearly spelled out for anyone who takes the time to read them), they are safe and effective, and help to not only save lives but also to minimize outbreaks. Vaccinations were mandatory when I went to school, and they should be now.
If your child has a compromised immune system then it is up to that child's parent to take the proper precaution. I would not vaccinate myself or kids. Big pharma and our government put all kinds of things in those shots. If you would like to lie to yourself ans say the government has nothing to do with the meds we take, then have at it! Sometimes the vaccine is pointless you still get sick. So if your child has an immune issue keep them where you know they are safe. That is your job as a parent. Everyone needs to also realise that antibiotics are going to go out of style. They are not being studied and developed for new illnesses. Then what? Time to educate yourself on natural cures and stop being so scared of a germ. Wash your hands a little less you need to build up your immune system. Drugs are not the answer. The FDA, AMA and our government are not your friend. They are here to make money and if you are sick or not does not matter. They will blow it up and push the issue for that dollar.
It is hard to trust pharmaceutical companies as to the safety of ANYTHING they or the FDA claims to be safe. Just need to watch the endless commercials on TV every single day. First the drugs are pushed and then that same drug is on a commercial by a legal firm for a class action suit as a BAD DRUG. If there could be something left in this country that was driven by profits and rather the well being of its citizens it would be easier to believe. In my opinion, autism has been on the rise over the past ten years. Seems to occur right after a child has had whatever immunization around the 3 year mark. Perhaps there are too many issues addressed in one vaccination. Too much for a young child's immune system to deal with. Perhaps if the immunizations were broken down into separate doses. Whatever the case, it is a two edged sword and a hard decision to make as a parent.
Immunization is a scientific matter not a government trusting issue. With out immunization, harmful results will occur to others. Lets think about our communities helth as a whole and educate ouselves on the deseases . We need to have a clear focus!
There's a very small percentage of children with compromised immune systems, who are counting on herd immunity to protect them. To protect those children, keep your unvaccinated children at home to keep the contagion and superstition from spreading.