Thoughts on Measles outbreak?

[Turn the Page]

DS1 and DSD9 have their annual check ups this afternoon and both are getting some vaccines. I know DS1 is getting the MMR as well as a few others, I want to say chicken pox and pertussis but I can't remember for sure. Given the measles outbreak in our state (hours away from us but still) I'm happy he is getting the MMR today.

 

[Magical2017]

Our pediatrician tells parents she will flat out drop them as patients if they don't vaccinate.

DS1 and DSD9 have their annual check ups this afternoon and both are getting some vaccines. I know DS1 is getting the MMR as well as a few others, I want to say chicken pox and pertussis but I can't remember for sure. Given the measles outbreak in our state (hours away from us but still) I'm happy he is getting the MMR today.

Yeah, the outbreaks are scary. Our pediatrician tells parents she will flat out drop them as patients if they don't vaccinate, but she has had that policy in place for years.

 

[NJlauren]

Sci Show is produced by Complexly, the educational YouTube company founded by authors and vloggers John "The Fault in our Stars" and Hank "John's Brother" Green. It also produces Crash Course, The Art Assignment, Healthcare Triage, and some other stuff. I know Crash Course is shown in a lot of school classrooms.

https://complexly.com/

Totally off topic but I love them, I feel they have done so much good via their videos and platform.

 

[mom2rtk]

Our pediatrician tells parents she will flat out drop them as patients if they don't vaccinate.

Yeah, the outbreaks are scary. Our pediatrician tells parents she will flat out drop them as patients if they don't vaccinate, but she has had that policy in place for years.

I love that. I wouldn't want the unvaccinated patients even in the waiting room. You choose a doctor for their medical expertise. If you don't agree on a fundamental basic like immunization, then you should probably find a new doctor anyway.

 

[mnrose]

Our pediatrician tells parents she will flat out drop them as patients if they don't vaccinate.

Yeah, the outbreaks are scary. Our pediatrician tells parents she will flat out drop them as patients if they don't vaccinate, but she has had that policy in place for years.

My pediatrician had that policy when my kids were babies. His thought process was that if you didn't trust his recommendations on vaccinations, then he was not the pediatrician for you. There's absolutely got to be trust between patient and doctor for that relationship to work. You were free to find someone else whose opinion you respected, because clearly you did not respect his. In his view, the science on vaccinations is crystal clear, not reasonably subject to debate.

 

[NotUrsula]

As to the question of why we all believe that vaccines are 100% safe ... we don't. We recognize that in rare situations a child might have an adverse reaction, but we weigh the odds of serious health problems arising from that against the odds of serious health problems arising from getting the contagious disease that the vaccine is meant to protect against, and we choose to go with the better odds. EVERYTHING in life is a game of odds; learning to realistically assess risk factors is a huge part of becoming an adult. I'm a grownup, and I've learned to properly assess risk. I hate needles with the white-hot heat of a thousand suns, but I'm vaccinated against what I can be (I happen to be allergic to measles vaccine), and my kids are also fully vaccinated. And I'll add another little anecdote: I got most of my vaccines at my public elementary school, along with EVERY OTHER CHILD IN MY CLASS. The County Health Department brought in a doctor and five nurses, each armed with a jet injector gun, and they lined us up at age 6 and had us march right into the line of fire. Took about an hour to vaccinate over 100 of us. Our parents were not charged for the service, but neither were they informed until after the fact; they sent us home with a note describing what to watch for in terms of complications. The World Didn't End, and the commies didn't win, either.

 

[DisneyOma]

Since we're on the topic, most of us here are of an age prior to the availability of chicken pox vaccine and had the disease at some point in our childhoods. That means we are at risk for shingles and although I don't know if it being life-threatening, the suffering it can cause is epic. There's a new two-stage vaccine available for older adults that is apparently safer and much more effective than the previous one. I've got an appointment to be vaccinated later this month.

I've got it scheduled in my next physical. Of course, I didn't get the chicken pox until I was in my early 20's, so I'm a late bloomer. (I know it doesn't mean I won't get shingles, I just think it's funny I got chicken pox so late!)

When will people learn that there's no link to the MMR jab and autism? As someone who has HFASD/Asperger's himself, it saddens me that there are people out there who still believe that leaving their children unvaccinated over fears they'd become high-maintenance due to autism is morally right, when it fact, it isn't, and to make matters worse, autisitiphobia is still rife among the anti-vaxxers.

Asperger's and more severe autism are really different. That's one thing to think about. No, I don't believe there's a correlation between the vaccine and autism, but I also believe children with the more severe form of autism is a lot more to deal with than "high maintenance" and that it's not an autism phobia, it's a really realistic view of what it is like to live that way. I can't share that much because of FERPA, but I've been privy to some very horrible details.

Measles can be spread by airborne transmission, so good hygiene is not enough to keep children safe. Just wanted to point that out so anyone reading your post won’t mistakenly believe that “baby will be fine” if they just practice good hygiene.

Yes, I was talking about the more commonplace "germs" but if someone is inoculated against measles, can they bring it home hours later from school?

I agree, I dont understand the belief that autism is to be avoided at all costs, it's like they are saying "I would rather my child was dead than autistic"

Have you experienced what it is like to live with a child trapped in the most severe form of autism? Where they don't sleep, only eat one food, rip things apart, attack pets and younger siblings, hit, bite, kick, bang against the wall until bleeding, break out of the house in the middle of the night and run into the street? I don't think those parents want their children to be dead, but they would gladly accept a cure.

 

[Disneychick75]

Wish I had known about vaccine dangers before we had our kids vaccinated. Both my husband and I discourage our children from having our grandchildren vaccinated.

How many of those with measles were unvaccinated? In California, there was an outbreak of whooping cough and 100% of the children who caught it had been vaccinated. Makes you wonder how effective or, in this case ineffective, the vaccines are. If the vaccines worked, why are children who have been vaccinated getting the diseases?

 

[mnrose]

Wish I had known about vaccine dangers before we had our kids vaccinated. Both my husband and I discourage our children from having our grandchildren vaccinated.

How many of those with measles were unvaccinated? In California, there was an outbreak of whooping cough and 100% of the children who caught it had been vaccinated. Makes you wonder how effective or, in this case ineffective, the vaccines are. If the vaccines worked, why are children who have been vaccinated getting the diseases?

In the current measles outbreak, nearly 100% of those who've caught it and spread it were unvaccinated. As for the whooping cough vaccine, it is KNOWN to lose effectiveness over time. You have to be re-vaccinated. That DOES NOT mean the vaccine is "ineffective," rather that it is a KNOWN fact that the effectiveness wanes. VERY different.


Vaccine side effects are WAY less than the illnesses they are designed to prevent. Fact. It's not even open for debate.

 

[Disneychick75]

In the current measles outbreak, nearly 100% of those who've caught it and spread it were unvaccinated. As for the whooping cough vaccine, it is KNOWN to lose effectiveness over time. You have to be re-vaccinated. That DOES NOT mean the vaccine is "ineffective," rather that it is a KNOWN fact that the effectiveness wanes. VERY different.


Vaccine side effects are WAY less than the illnesses they are designed to prevent. Fact. It's not even open for debate.

Actually, anything here is open for debate. The vaccine court has paid out over 119 million dollars this year to those injured by vaccines.

 

[PollyannaMom]

...And I'll add another little anecdote: I got most of my vaccines at my public elementary school, along with EVERY OTHER CHILD IN MY CLASS. The County Health Department brought in a doctor and five nurses, each armed with a jet injector gun, and they lined us up at age 6 and had us march right into the line of fire. Took about an hour to vaccinate over 100 of us. Our parents were not charged for the service, but neither were they informed until after the fact; they sent us home with a note describing what to watch for in terms of complications. The World Didn't End, and the commies didn't win, either.

Wow - we got them in school (for polio, I think) but our parents were definitely told ahead of time! (Of course, I only remember that because I was mad at mine for signing me up for the shot instead of the sugar cube. - As an adult, I do agree with them, but as a kid, I was pretty confused.)

 

[DopeyDame]

Wish I had known about vaccine dangers before we had our kids vaccinated. Both my husband and I discourage our children from having our grandchildren vaccinated.

How many of those with measles were unvaccinated? In California, there was an outbreak of whooping cough and 100% of the children who caught it had been vaccinated. Makes you wonder how effective or, in this case ineffective, the vaccines are. If the vaccines worked, why are children who have been vaccinated getting the diseases?

Sigh.
This is *exactly* why it's so important that nearly everyone get vaccinated. It's the concept of herd immunity. Vaccines are not 100% effective. There are a very small percentage of people who will get the vaccine, but not have the expected response and won't become immune. Most of the time they won't even know that, since people don't routinely test for titres. If nearly everyone is vaccinated, then the disease can't make it's way into a given community, so people who can't get vaccinated, or those who didn't have the expected immune response, are also protected.

I pray that your grandchildren live in an area where their voluntary decision to risk the lives of others is overcome by nearly all of their neighbors making the safe and healthy decision.

 

[wenrob]

As to the question of why we all believe that vaccines are 100% safe ... we don't. We recognize that in rare situations a child might have an adverse reaction, but we weigh the odds of serious health problems arising from that against the odds of serious health problems arising from getting the contagious disease that the vaccine is meant to protect against, and we choose to go with the better odds. EVERYTHING in life is a game of odds; learning to realistically assess risk factors is a huge part of becoming an adult. I'm a grownup, and I've learned to properly assess risk. I hate needles with the white-hot heat of a thousand suns, but I'm vaccinated against what I can be (I happen to be allergic to measles vaccine), and my kids are also fully vaccinated. And I'll add another little anecdote: I got most of my vaccines at my public elementary school, along with EVERY OTHER CHILD IN MY CLASS. The County Health Department brought in a doctor and five nurses, each armed with a jet injector gun, and they lined us up at age 6 and had us march right into the line of fire. Took about an hour to vaccinate over 100 of us. Our parents were not charged for the service, but neither were they informed until after the fact; they sent us home with a note describing what to watch for in terms of complications. The World Didn't End, and the commies didn't win, either.

I remember that line very clearly but I also remember my (ex)stepmother bringing me into the cafeteria and putting me in the line. Didn’t really have time to be scared, it was BAM, next. They had no time for soothing a couple hundred grade schoolers. My DH remembers it being the same. He has a scar from his, I don’t.

 

[cabanafrau]

Wish I had known about vaccine dangers before we had our kids vaccinated. Both my husband and I discourage our children from having our grandchildren vaccinated.

How many of those with measles were unvaccinated? In California, there was an outbreak of whooping cough and 100% of the children who caught it had been vaccinated. Makes you wonder how effective or, in this case ineffective, the vaccines are. If the vaccines worked, why are children who have been vaccinated getting the diseases?

Why do you suppose measles had been eradicated for so many years? What is it you think that has eliminated polio if not vaccines?

 

[wvjules]

 

[wenrob]

Actually, anything here is open for debate. The vaccine court has paid out over 119 million dollars this year to those injured by vaccines.

Some facts for ya:
https://www.hrsa.gov/vaccine-compensation/data/index.html

 

[Katie Dawn]

Some facts for ya:
https://www.hrsa.gov/vaccine-compensation/data/index.html

Facts!?! Who cares about actual facts?!?

 

[msjprincess]

Wish I had known about vaccine dangers before we had our kids vaccinated. Both my husband and I discourage our children from having our grandchildren vaccinated.

How many of those with measles were unvaccinated? In California, there was an outbreak of whooping cough and 100% of the children who caught it had been vaccinated. Makes you wonder how effective or, in this case ineffective, the vaccines are. If the vaccines worked, why are children who have been vaccinated getting the diseases?

No it doesn't make me wonder. I looked up the actual scientific statistics, no need to wonder. No vaccine is 100% effective. Two doses of MMR is 97% effective. 97% vs 0%. Your unvaccinated grandchchildren may be putting my vaccinated child at risk.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Actually, anything here is open for debate. The vaccine court has paid out over 119 million dollars this year to those injured by vaccines.

No. There is no legit debate. The question is scientifically settled. And no. You don't want debate. You don't want a genuine give and take discussion because if you were open to that, you'd understand the question is scientifically settled. What you want is a pseudo debate where your anti vax propaganda is not subjected to any real scrutiny.

Some facts for ya:
https://www.hrsa.gov/vaccine-compensation/data/index.html

There you go again with totally meaningless and unimportant facts.

Some highlights for those that don't want to link.

Almost 80% of all compensation awarded by the VICP comes as result of a negotiated settlement between the parties in which HHS has not concluded, based upon review of the evidence, that the alleged vaccine(s) caused the alleged injury
Attorneys are eligible for reasonable attorneys’ fees, whether or not the petitioner is awarded compensation by the Court
This means for every 1 million doses of vaccine that were distributed, 1 individual was compensated.

 

[Eeyore2142]

Facts!?! Who cares about actual facts?!?

And if you dig deeper into this data, it isn't the vaccine itself most of the time that is an issue. It is bad administration, or an allergic reaction to an ingredient in the vaccine.