I just want to thank the posters in this tread, escpecially DoctorWhyBother and WhyNot, for their discussion of this topic. Anti-vaxxing was one of those topics that I felt I had to have an opinion about, having both kids and anti-vaxx parents of classmates of my kid, and I didn’t know what to think.
Especially since anti-vaxxing seemed to be one of the dogma’s of the social group I consider myself part of. Like, if you’re into the whole green&granola ethic, that comes with an attitude to be wary of vaccinations, or something. Maybe I should leave the granola group and sign up for the Pro-Tech Granola Group. At least then I can be pro windmills and pro animal-friendly industrial farming and such.
Anyway, this thread is like a one-stop-shop for all the info and considerations I was looking for.
1 - I appreciate your input about parents right when it comes to critical medical care.
2 - There is some flexability in the question that vaccinations fall under this bypassing the parents rights expecially if a: if the risk is reasonably high enough to enact such a action , and B: if we are already over the known herd immunity threshold (as stated by Czarcasm by giving hard percentages)
3 I totally agree with your first 2 paragraphs (negating your first one liner)
Since I chose to challenge this on a emotional level instead of a factual one, I have noticed a change in the tone of the debate. It does seem more logical and sensible, at least to me without such emotional involvement.
I think you noticed I started posting more in the throes of early morning insomnia. I starting trying to answer people’s questions, including yours, with calm respect, because I saw an opportunity to spread information. That’s a hijack from the OP, but one I wanted to pursue. My choice in teaching is to start where people are and take them by the metaphoric hand and lead them to what I’d like them to see. And I like you. You’re a wonderful odd duck, but I like you, and I’m totally there with you even in your wonderful oddness. You say Jesus, I say Spirit, but we’re kindred souls. I think mother’s chicken soup is full of healing Love, too, and that can’t be tested for. Vaccines, however, *can *be tested for, and have, and they work.
Basically what this link is saying is 'I do not trust you and due to my life’s experiences (and how I interpret them) and you can only trusted under certain known to be harmless OK circumstances.
What you cite is clearly a emotional response due to past hurts and disappointments and disillusions.
Oh how I was haunted by my chicken soup post, thankfully someone appreciated it. It didn’t matter as I will not be deterred and I still stand behind it, but it did suck.
Only if we were all odd ducks, or more to the point outspoken odd ducks, but anyway thank you. Call it Jesus, Spirit or Love, different words, same meaning.
Yes I agree that vaccines are proven to be effective but with some causalities, though the question remains what is the most effective way of distribution given the human condition and the expected return of the vaccine?
I’m not sure mandatory vaccination in a free society with access to the internet is the best method under all circumstances as I feel it may be counter productive. But admittedly and very strangely, I do feel like the anti-STD vaccine should be at the least available to teens/preteens upon request as a basic human right.
What road do you think you already are on now? You already entered the debate of emotions trumping logic, you have chosen such road that is emotionally created and God willing hopefully will not find madness down your path.
Correction. I let my logic lead my emotions. You seem to lack both. That you can go from a simple analogy of popular anti-vaccine positions to “I do not trust you and due to my life’s experiences (and how I interpret them) and you can only trusted under certain known to be harmless OK circumstances”, which isn’t even a coherent thought or correct sentence…
You speak of love, Kanicbird – it seems to me, if a parent loves their child, they wouldn’t want to expose them to deadly disease, and would do whatever it takes to protect them. Which means – hello! – getting them vaccinated. To do otherwise is downright neglectful.
Vaccination allowed us to wipe out smallpox, one of the deadliest diseases in history. My father’s just went through his second bout of shingles. (I didn’t even know you could get it twice!) Modern medicine in a marvelous thing – do you think these doctors aren’t motivated by caring about others? Many of them are parents as well.
There is some evidence that the chicken pox vaccine being so widely used has caused a new problem - that older people are now more likely to get shingles (see: Archived Article Notice). The same pharma group makes both vaccines now… but, I know of people who have had horrible reactions to both. I also know that I am one of the few that cannot take certain vaccinations due to hereditary problems that can cause guillian-barre syndrome (which did happen to my aunt). So, while I think the majority of vaccines have been generally safe for most people, I would not want to be fighting with some government agency to not take something that could be very dangerous to me or my children. And, I am not sure we always know the effect of mass vaccinations until we do it. I think there are certain boundaries and our skin/bodies are one that should not be crossed.
