Mandatory flu shot. NJ

[java]

I am getting sick of the government taking over my parental rights. To continue going to preschool my youngest has to have a flu shot. We are not flu shot people. The only 2 times I got the flu were within one week of getting the shot- so we opt out. And have not had the flu since. knock on wood.
But now the state is telling me I have to get one for my 4 year old. I don't want to. I believe this is the result of the major drug companies being in my state. UGH!

 

[clgwli]

Can you ask if there is a waiver you can sign? Most places have it. Are you sure it is a government thing? Around here pre-schools are all private and have their own rules not mandated by government.

That said FWIW if you got the flu a week after the flu shot you were exposed to the flu prior to the period it takes for the flu shot to be effective. It takes around 2 weeks or so for the flu shot to become so.

 

[TennisGirl80]

Can you ask if there is a waiver you can sign? Most places have it. Are you sure it is a government thing? Around here pre-schools are all private and have their own rules not mandated by government.

That said FWIW if you got the flu a week after the flu shot you were exposed to the flu prior to the period it takes for the flu shot to be effective. It takes around 2 weeks or so for the flu shot to become so.

You can write a letter or sign a waiver (I can't remember which) if the flu shot is against your religious believes, or you just don't want it. My oldest is in her first year of pre-k to, and we were told the same thing, but ours had to be done before Christmas break. I wasn't happy about it - I'd never gotten it for her before, but I figure its better than the whole family coming down with the flu.

 

[MM27]

State law allows exemptions from the mandated vaccines for religious or medical reasons

 

[minniebeth]

I don't blame you for being unhappy about it. I would be too.

 

[teacups]

I don't blame you for being unhappy about it. I would be too.

I wouldnt do it.
My kids and I get dangerously sick from those shots so I can not get them for my kids.

Good luck.

 

[tedhowe]

I may be on the unpopular side of this issue, but this is NOT a case of the state taking away your parental rights.

You are not being forced to have your child get a flu shot. You are being required to get the flu shot IF you want your child to attend a preschool.

This is not a "big brother" government forcing you to do something issue.

It is a public health issue, plain and simple.

Flu shots reduce the incidence of flu. It is for the benefit both of the other children and your child for every child in a public preschool to have the flu shot because they are all in such close contact that any infection tends to spread like wildfire.

People tend to forget that influenza KILLs some of the people who get it each year. Because so many people do agree to get their children vaccinated, some people feel that they don't have to get their own children vaccinated, but they still get the benefits of widespread vaccination.

If enough people decide to opt out of vaccination, then communicable diseases will start to rise again.

Laws like the one in New Jersey are designed to keep this situation from getting too rampant. I'm not sur eof the New Jersey law, but as others have already said, most of these laws do provide for some sort of waiver if the parents feel strongly enough to pursue it.

Fortunately for the public health, most parents who are just annoyed by vaccines aren't interested enough to exercise that right to opt out.

 

[GeorgeG]

Mandatory flu shots is way over the limits. You are losing a personal freedom of choice. It's one thing to make such things a recommendation and available, but it sounds like more and more of a police state.

 

[Green Tea]

I am getting sick of the government taking over my parental rights. To continue going to preschool my youngest has to have a flu shot. We are not flu shot people. The only 2 times I got the flu were within one week of getting the shot- so we opt out. And have not had the flu since. knock on wood.
But now the state is telling me I have to get one for my 4 year old. I don't want to. I believe this is the result of the major drug companies being in my state. UGH!

What kind of illness did you have after the shot?

 

[JustcallmeHappy]

Mandatory flu shots is way over the limits. You are losing a personal freedom of choice. It's one thing to make such things a recommendation and available, but it sounds like more and more of a police state.

totally agree

 

[rparmfamily]

Mandatory flu shots is way over the limits. You are losing a personal freedom of choice. It's one thing to make such things a recommendation and available, but it sounds like more and more of a police state.

I have to agree.

 

[LisaNJ25]

Yep, my toddlers had to have them in the fall. Than again they have been getting them since they were 6 months old so it didnt bother me.

 

[JVL1018]

My children are in public school in NJ, and they do not have to get the flu shot(though they do).
The state of NJ does not make you get the flu shot, so it seems like this is a issue with the preschool, not with the government.
ETA:I didnt realize it was a new law..

 

[RitaE]

it isn't going to stop until parents start putting as much pressure on the Legislatures as the Pharmaceutical Companies do.

 

[Pigeon]

I think it is ridiculous as well, and yes, it's the big brother mentality.

Do some people die from the flu? Well, yes. Some people die from all sorts of things. I've been immunocompromised for a time, but I certainly didn't think everyone should be subjected to flu shots because of it.

 

[ticktock]

Well since I don't think the government should be providing free daycare, Uhm I mean pre-k I don't have a problem with it. Your kid doesn't need to go to government funded pre-k. Send them somewhere else or stay home with them yourself.

This reminds me of that thread about fat people having to pay extra for their insurance. Insurance is NOT an inalienable right (neither is tax payer funded daycare) . So if you have to pay more because you COST more, tough. That's not a violation of your rights. It's your CHOICE to be fat and it's the OPs choice to send her kid to government daycare. If you want the benefits of these societal perks you have to follow the rules.

Personally being a Classical Libertarian (as opposed to a civil Libertarian) I pay my own way. That way I can do what I please. I just worry that the government will take away my right to pay my own way, to not send my kids to their brainwashing schools, to listen to what I want to on the radio etc. THAT will be losing the freedom of choice. You can't have your cake and eat it too. Sorry.

 

[mefordis]

Yes. You are exactly right. The only thing we, as NJ parents, can do is call our state legislators and urge them to pass the Conscientous Exemption bill (A260/S107) as soon as possible.

For support from like minded NJ parents, I urge you to join our Yahoo Group that focuses on promoting parent's to make health decisons for their children.

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/nonjvaccmandates/

I am getting sick of the government taking over my parental rights. To continue going to preschool my youngest has to have a flu shot. We are not flu shot people. The only 2 times I got the flu were within one week of getting the shot- so we opt out. And have not had the flu since. knock on wood.
But now the state is telling me I have to get one for my 4 year old. I don't want to. I believe this is the result of the major drug companies being in my state. UGH!

 

[mefordis]

Ticktock, shots are mandated for private and public preschool. The state health dept looks at all records from all schools, public and private. I pay for my child's private education and they look at her health records, too, to make sure she is compliant.

Well since I don't think the government should be providing free daycare, Uhm I mean pre-k I don't have a problem with it. Your kid doesn't need to go to government funded pre-k. Send them somewhere else or stay home with them yourself.

This reminds me of that thread about fat people having to pay extra for their insurance. Insurance is NOT an inalienable right (neither is tax payer funded daycare) . So if you have to pay more because you COST more, tough. That's not a violation of your rights. It's your CHOICE to be fat and it's the OPs choice to send her kid to government daycare. If you want the benefits of these societal perks you have to follow the rules.

Personally being a Classical Libertarian (as opposed to a civil Libertarian) I pay my own way. That way I can do what I please. I just worry that the government will take away my right to pay my own way, to not send my kids to their brainwashing schools, to listen to what I want to on the radio etc. THAT will be losing the freedom of choice. You can't have your cake and eat it too. Sorry.

 

[mefordis]

GeorgeG, this is what we are becoming. A police state. I can see a day when employers will require all employees to be fully vaccinated or else they will not be able to have a job. That is where the government can make it mandatory for ADULTS to have their vaccinations. And why not? If we are to fully protect everyone, we should get adults immunized as well, since you do not get life long immunity from these diseases from these shots. The immunity wears off. The only way to guarantee lifelong immunity is to have exposure to the real virus.

The question is, what are we going to do about it before it gets to this point? As I type this the pharmeceutical companies are cooking up a plethora of potential vaccinations for so called life threatening diseases. They will be rolled out to our children as soon as the Pharm company can get to the right person to lobby (research Gardisil for a prime example, now mandatory in Virginia and Texas for 11 year old girls).

Are our rights worth fighting for, or are we going to be a bunch of sheep until it affects us, as adults? Then it will be too late.

Mandatory flu shots is way over the limits. You are losing a personal freedom of choice. It's one thing to make such things a recommendation and available, but it sounds like more and more of a police state.

 

[mjkacmom]

My children are in public school in NJ, and they do not have to get the flu shot(though they do).
The state of NJ does not make you get the flu shot, so it seems like this is a issue with the preschool, not with the government.

They've changed the law. Doesn't bother me, because my kids get a flu shot every year - a friend of mine lost her 8 month old baby because of the flu.