Those Anti-Vaxxers make me Sick! (actually DL related)

[Goofyernmost]

Proof that people are getting dumber every day.

Yes, but, in all fairness, dumbness can be linked directly to being vaccinated.

[felinefan]

I was looking at my Cal-Optima health schedule, and it says that people my age should get, among other things, measles/mumps/rubella vaccinations, as well as chickenpox and shingles vaccinations. My questions are these:
1.) If I had measles and mumps when I was a toddler, do I still have to get the MMR vaccination, or can I just get the rubella vaccination? What if I had chickenpox as a kid as well? Doesn't having the disease confer lifelong immunity?
2.) I had an attack of shingles about 8 years ago; do I still need to get the shot, since it's very rare to get shingles more than once (though I once met a man who'd had shingles three times, and I know a lady on another forum who if she's not careful, can get a shingles outbreak at the drop of a hat.)?
3.) I don't work around kids; do I really still need these vaccinations for "childhood diseases"?

[hobie16]

Pediatricians urge states to get tough on parents who don’t want to vaccinate their kids.

[Goofyernmost]

Say, can I ask a question? If the parents that do not want to get their kids vaccinated, who would be affected other then the kids that aren't vaccinated? As long as the massive majority continue to get the vaccinations, those that have been will not be getting whatever it is and only those not vaccinated will get it. Polio can be back, but, only for those that are to stupid to protect themselves from it. As much as I hate to see kids suffer because of stupid parents, I don't think it will take long for all the rest to fall back in line once the hammer hits home and it will be tough to force the issue ahead of time since it will only affect those without. Those that have been smart enough to make sure they have protected their children will not have to worry about it.

[hobie16]

If the parents that do not want to get their kids vaccinated, who would be affected other then the kids that aren't vaccinated?

There are some people that have a medical issue with some vaccinations. There are also younger kids that have not yet received them. Both groups are at a high risk if exposed.

I'll ask Main Streeter to jump in here. As I remember, there were Disney employees that were forced to stay home because of the outbreak. She can provide details.

[Zazu]

Say, can I ask a question? If the parents that do not want to get their kids vaccinated, who would be affected other then the kids that aren't vaccinated?

Well... me.

I grew up before most of these childhood disease vaccines were developed. As I result, I endured chicken pox, measels, rubella, and who knows what else.

I didn't catch whooping cough though (and perhaps others now vaccinated for), so don't have any natural immunity. At sixty-mumble and diabetic, it's not recommended that I get these vaccines today. With my attenuated immune system, I am at risk for such diseases whenever I go out in public -- such as Disney Parks.

Herd immunity works, but it requires a certain minimum level of immunity, IIRC, about 85% for most diseases. But even this only prevents an outbreak from becoming an epidemic. It does not protect immune-compromised individuals from falling ill or dying.

So yes, failure to vaccinate otherwise healthy kids does put others at risk -- perhaps many others -- even if herd immunity is still present. If we fail to obtain herd immunity for some disease, we risk widespread epidemic among the unvaccinated and old.

This is a stark demonstration of the difference between "personal health" and "public health". Your own health (and that of your children) is largely your affair, and your decision. The health of society at large is a concern of us all, and as a society, we have agreed that vaccinations and safe and effective treatments for the body public, despite a few who disagree with the science.

But as has been famously stated, "The good thing about facts is that they remain true even if you don't believe in them."

Please, don't make me

[hobie16]

Word.

[Goofyernmost]

Say, can I ask a question? If the parents that do not want to get their kids vaccinated, who would be affected other then the kids that aren't vaccinated?

Well... me.

I grew up before most of these childhood disease vaccines were developed. As I result, I endured chicken pox, measels, rubella, and who knows what else.

I didn't catch whooping cough though (and perhaps others now vaccinated for), so don't have any natural immunity. At sixty-mumble and diabetic, it's not recommended that I get these vaccines today. With my attenuated immune system, I am at risk for such diseases whenever I go out in public -- such as Disney Parks.

Herd immunity works, but it requires a certain minimum level of immunity, IIRC, about 85% for most diseases. But even this only prevents an outbreak from becoming an epidemic. It does not protect immune-compromised individuals from falling ill or dying.

So yes, failure to vaccinate otherwise healthy kids does put others at risk -- perhaps many others -- even if herd immunity is still present. If we fail to obtain herd immunity for some disease, we risk widespread epidemic among the unvaccinated and old.

This is a stark demonstration of the difference between "personal health" and "public health". Your own health (and that of your children) is largely your affair, and your decision. The health of society at large is a concern of us all, and as a society, we have agreed that vaccinations and safe and effective treatments for the body public, despite a few who disagree with the science.

But as has been famously stated, "The good thing about facts is that they remain true even if you don't believe in them."

Please, don't make me

If the parents that do not want to get their kids vaccinated, who would be affected other then the kids that aren't vaccinated?

There are some people that have a medical issue with some vaccinations. There are also younger kids that have not yet received them. Both groups are at a high risk if exposed.

I'll ask Main Streeter to jump in here. As I remember, there were Disney employees that were forced to stay home because of the outbreak. She can provide details.

Thanks for the responses... I had a brain cramp there for a short while and for the life of me couldn't think of who would be harmed if someone else didn't get the vaccination. What you both are saying makes good sense. Seems to me that when my kids went to school we had to prove that they had been immunized before they would let them attend. It's been years since I sent any kids to school.. I guess I have to assume that rule no longer exists.

I can understand the "rights" issue about a parent having the right to not have their kid vaccinated, however, in this case it endangers the lives of many others that also have the right to not get deathly ill. So to me it is, if you want to attend this or that then you must be immunized. You don't have to be immunized but we reserve the right to not expose our children to your misguided conceptions. You are on your own... good luck!

[WEDFan]

Zazu summed up the herd immunity issue very well, but I think there is another one, as well. The children whose parents don't get the immunization are too young to make their own decision. It can also be looked at as child welfare. Many of those diseases are uncomfortable or even painful, but the can also be very dangerous to a small percentage of children. By withholding the vaccines from these kids, you can make the argument that the parents are placing them at risk for no scientifically supported reason.

[ktulu]

We had to show immunization records for our children prior to completing their enrollment for this school year.