How to grow a neurotic wuss

[NAKID]

Vaccines don't make people more vulnerable to a disease, obviously. However, children have to be of a certain age to receive certain vaccines...the vaccines themselves aren't 100% effective immediately (actually ever...nothing really is)...and some gradually wear off over time. These are unaviodable vulnerabilities in the vaccine process. If everyone is vaccinated, the risks of these vulnerabilities is minimized. When you introduce unvaccinated children the risk increases. That is the point.

The shots are a scam.  Really?  You know anyone (born in the US in the last 40-50 years) that has ever had measles, mumps, polio, etc.?

The flu shot is a different issue. Different strains for different years and it's a guess what it will be in a given year. Sometimes they guess right...sometimes not. That's my understanding anyway...and the reason I don't get flu shots. The flu isn't that big of a deal anyway...unless you're old, when a lot of things are a big deal.

I think someone was trying to get at the point that overkill is what makes us vulnerable. Constant use of disinfectants and hand sanitizer is good in hospitals, but not for everyday use. Normal germ exposure makes your body create antibodies to fight them off. Without those, things that normally would be no big deal to a normal person could make someone who uses hand sanitizer too much ill.

As far as the "flu" is concerned, no, it's not a big deal. However, "Influenza" is. That's what you are being immunized against. When you get a slight fever and the sniffles, that isn't influenza. It's likely Noro virus or something similar. The influenza vaccine is made from the three most common strains found in the southern hemisphere which gets their "flu" season before we do. Triple J is right, sometimes we pick the right ones, sometimes we don't. Influenza itself is deady.
When you get sick after you get your shot, you are likely succombing to something that was already in your body but were fighting off. The shot causes an immune response that makes your body more succeptible to other germs.

Now, when I was a kid, I had chicken pox (Varicella Zoster). Now they have an immunization for it and it's rarely seen...

[Triple J]

I wasn't being serious 

I wondered...

[B.Rock]

Coincidentally, google news gave me this:
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2008/08/21/measles-cases-highest-since-1996.html

[ducatiz]

Coincidentally, google news gave me this:
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2008/08/21/measles-cases-highest-since-1996.html

Of the 131 people throughout the United States who contracted measles this year, 112 were unvaccinated or their vaccination status was unknown. Sixteen were under 1 year of age and too young to be vaccinated.

Ninety-five patients were eligible for the vaccination, but 63 were not vaccinated because of their parents' beliefs, officials said.

131 infected with Measles
112 unvaccinated but could have been
16 too young to be vaccinated
---
128 ppl

meaning only 3 were vaccinated and got measles.

[VisceralReaction]

As a father I think it's irresponsible to not vaccinate your kids.
I have two daughters that are healthy and cute as buttons, I would much rather them have a chance
of a disfiguring or crippling or even deadly disease, how is that a rational thought process?
There is a reason we don't see polio or measles or rhubela etc etc etc.
100 years ago the childhood mortality rate was higher, why is that?

[krolik]

100 years ago the childhood mortality rate was higher, why is that?

No turkey bacon?

[NAKID]

Turkey bacon was eradicated. Now that it's back, it's a sign of the apocalypse...

[He Man]

Turkey bacon was eradicated. Now that it's back, it's a sign of the apocalypse...

Thats becasue people slipped on giving the vaccine.

(its liquid pig fat by the way, injected through the oral cavity by the pounds)

[il d00d]

The "anti vaccination" crowd claims it is mercury (thimerisol) causing the problems, but here is what the FDA says about it:

http://www.fda.gov/CBER/vaccine/thimerosal.htm#t1

There is no sane reason to avoid vaccines for a child.  if it's your religion to avoid needles or whatever, fine.  but those people are a tiny minority and will probably die off from diptheria or hepatitis anyhow.

Thank you

I spoke with my pediatrician about this before we got the shots done on my seven-month-old (at three and six months, that is).  He very patiently explained the science.  He also assured me that they did not use multi-dose vials (why thimerosol was needed in the first place), which is basically all I needed to hear.  He's a great guy.  He managed to make the standard spiel to the paranoid parent sound like a very reasoned, cogent discussion about the possible risks involved in vaccination.
But, there was still some lingering -and I knew, irrational- doubt.  Well, worry.  What if the science was wrong?  I always kept a really close eye on her for a the couple days following the shots.  She's fine.  And vaccinated.
My point is that I understand the paranoia that can come with being a parent.  But the choice was to act on my worry and run an outside chance that she won't "develop" autism, or act on my rationality and run a 100% chance of her not catching a bunch deadly diseases.  Rationality won.  Rationality did a flying one-handed dunk over worry and broke the backboard.  Guh GOOOOSH.

People may still come up with reasons to not vaccinate their children.  To me, they are not good reasons.  But for anyone considering this, please, PLEASE do better than "I heard that..." or "my friend said..."  This does not meet the basic criteria for making a good decision as a parent.  I'm not trying to be a d1ck here, but set your bar higher.

[Nitewaif]

I am a pediatric ICU nurse and respiratory therapist.  Over the years (and increasingly often) I have seen unvaccinated kids come in with whooping cough, measles, etc.  The parents are always shocked and angry and surprised at the severity of the disease process.  "  The kids are the ones who suffer, and most parents tell me that they will go and get their kids vaccinated for everything once/if they get well.  Some don't get well.

[ducatiz]

I am a pediatric ICU nurse and respiratory therapist.  Over the years (and increasingly often) I have seen unvaccinated kids come in with whooping cough, measles, etc.  The parents are always shocked and angry and surprised at the severity of the disease process.  "  The kids are the ones who suffer, and most parents tell me that they will go and get their kids vaccinated for everything once/if they get well.  Some don't get well.

i cannot imagine.  when i forget to make my boy's lunch on time i feel guilty!

[Grampa]

i cannot imagine.  when i forget to make my boy's lunch on time i feel guilty!

lm and I send the boys to school w/o lunches.

a boys got'a learn how to hunt and survive. 

some kids consider them to be bullies..... I call it survival of the fittest.

[ducatiz]

lm and I send the boys to school w/o lunches.

a boys got'a learn how to hunt and survive. 

some kids consider them to be bullies..... I call it survival of the fittest.

i agree but my boy is just shy of 12 months old.

[VisceralReaction]

I think too, alot of parents might be thinking of these diseases as common colds that the kids
will get over with aspirin and fluids, not realizing that the vaccines are there to prevent so many kids
and adults from dying from these diseases.

[NAKID]

I think too, alot of parents might be thinking of these diseases as common colds that the kids
will get over with aspirin and fluids,

PSA:

Don't give kids (children under 12) aspirin. It can lead to Rye Syndrome