Poll: Mandatory childhood vaccination.

[Liberal Veteran]

This topic is always hot at the beginning of the school year so I thought I would see what people here thought.

Personally, I am for it. There are dangers to inherent in ANY medical treatment, but I think the benefits when looking at how devestating childhood illnesses were prior to most vaccines outweigh the potential risks.

So here are your choices. Should schools require children to be vaccinated to be enrolled (talking the usual vaccines...not anthrax or smallpox)?

[molly]

1. Since my son had many allergies, they held off on some of

his. When it came time for kindergarten, he had to have them or they would not let him enroll.

[zoidberg]

2. Yep

It's a very common sense procedure that does more good for public health than just about anything else out there.

[bryant69]

3. And it has side benefits as well

As I learned from a guy I sat next to on the bus, it allows the government to control peoples minds. How else do you explain the popularity of Pokeman? Or the continuing popularity of Mountain Dew?

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[sendero]

4. a lot of seriously uninformed folks here....

... go do some research. It is all but proven that the reason autism has increased orders of magnitute over the last decades is from sensitivity to mercury (one wonders what kind of idiot came up with that idea) used as preservatives in the vaccines.

Vaccine makers have quietly moved away from themeresol, and have been given immunity from any kind of recourse, even though it took them well over a decade of denials to get there.

Sure - getting rid of polio and smallpox is great, as long as your kid doesn't become a vegetable as a result.

[Kolesar]

6. wow, I did not know that.

I knew that I did not know the length of this subject, so I decided to have a look at the thread.

[zoidberg]

7. Cost/benefit

I bet anything that the benefit of vaccines by far outweighs the cost. If there is a way to make vaccines safer, then they should be made safer. But they are still a risk worth taking.

[Iris]

10. Well, a person with an autistic child as a result of a mercury based

vaccine might disagree with you on this one.

[kutastha]

15. Can you please...

...cite the scientific studies showing that the mercury contained in vaccines causes autism? Thanks.

[Iris]

16. here's a place to start

http://factsformedia.com/

As I said, I favor vaccination, but when board members of organizations that are supposed to protect our children are also shareholders in pharmaceutical companies, I have to wonder.

[sugarcookie]

13. I know someone who that happened to.

about 20 years ago. Back then we didn't know a lot about the side effects. They went to specialists all over the US and had all kinds of testing done. They came to the conclusion it was related to the immunizations. She was a happy healty baby until the day she had her shots...then it started. She is autisic, has seizures and has been in a wheelchair her whole life.

This is one of those tough issues. You know vaccination is neccessary, but when you see what could happen you step back and think about it.

[noonwitch]

14. Autism and being a vegetative state are two very different situations

Autistics can be treated and there are many different manners in which it affects each person who has it. It's not the same as brain damage, which is permanent.

The manufacturers of the vaccines do need to look at ways to minimize the risk, because autism is totally frustrating for parents to deal with. But it's not a life-ending condition that always means the institutional.

[qb]

5. Before Bush I was in favor of mandatory vaccinations

Now I don't trust the FDA or drug manufacturers to ensure safe vaccines. It should be up to the parent to opt out of vaccines they consider risky.

[kimchi]

8. My baby had a bad reaction to the pertussis vaccine

so she isn't getting any more of that kind. I am very wary about continuing the schedule. I think I will wait until she is at least 2 before continuing. We will see how it is by the time she goes to school. I have heard horror stories about brain damage to children. Personally, I think their little systems are not able to handle the antibodies at that age. They tell you to give them tylenol for the fever, but the fever is helping the body produce defenses for the disease!

So I voted let the parents decide.

[slackmaster]

11. My mom had pertussis when she was 7 years old

It may have permamently damaged her respiratory system. She's been asthmatic ever since. It's a horrible disease that used to kill thousands of children every year.

[Iris]

9. I'm uncomfortable with the gov't. requiring someone to put something

in his/her body. I do think immunizations are important, though.

but I am also aware of the problems addressed in Post #4.

[pw]

12. Freeloaders

is the right term for people who don't get their kids vaccinated. They're relying on everyone else's children to take the risks of vaccination so that their own kids are less likely to be exposed to diseases that will sicken or kill them.

Yes, there's a risk. Does that mean people should opt out knowing that if everyone else did the same, tens of thousands of children (quite possibly including their own) would die?