#2 2011-11-05 09:31:21

Some parents also feel that there are now too many vaccines and that children’s immune systems are weakening because they’re no longer fighting off viruses such as the chicken pox. Their thinking is that getting a virus gives the system a workout and builds strength.

And we shake our heads at the abysmal ignorance of medieval peasants, and snicker at third-worlders for believing in witchcraft.

Offline

 

#3 2011-11-05 19:27:30

It's not such a bad idea. For example, mumps are not fun but can cause severe damage if caught after puberty. Exposing an older child in order to gain an immunity might well be the wisest course of action for a responsible parent to take.

Offline

 

#4 2011-11-05 21:58:05

There are vaccines for all of the common childhood diseases.  Any of them can potentially have serious consequences; it isn't always just an unpleasant part of growing up.  Being an ancient fossil, I had all of common childhood diseases by age seven thanks to older siblings, and I can tell you it wasn't fun.   Also, anybody who had chickenpox as a child is at risk for developing shingles when they're older. Shingles can result in pain which lasts for a very long time after the active phase of the disease is over.  My mother developed this in her lungs, and until the source of of her excruciating pain was diagnosed she was certain she had metastatic cancer and didn't have long to live.  Yes, there is a vaccine for shingles.

There was a girl in my elementary school who wore leg braces because her parents didn't have her vaccinated for polio because vaccines were against God's will.  Shortly before I was spawned, polio had become a thing of the past and everybody thought this girl's parents were idiots for not protecting her against polio.  Frankly, any parent in a developed country who doesn't protect their child from preventable and potentially life ruining illnesses is guilty of negligence.

Offline

 

#5 2011-11-05 23:40:31

In my kidhood there were vaccines for most of the old childhood illnesses, except for chicken pox (which I caught, and it was miserable) and mumps (which I was spared).  But I do remember that in those days when a child came down with chicken pox, the other children's mothers would bring their kids round to the house for a visit in the hopes that their kid would catch it, so it could be "gotten over with."  But that was because there was no protection from it--those moms would've killed for the vaccines we have now.

The rubella vaccine was still relatively new in those days, and the adults around me were almost pathetically grateful for it.  For those of you who are too young to be aware, rubella causes miscarriages, stillbirths and horrendous birth defects if a woman is exposed during pregnancy.  The article mentions that one of the "poxes" these idiots are swapping around is rubella.  The whole fad is appalling, but deliberately messing with rubella ought to be classed as criminal.

Offline

 

#6 2011-11-06 23:53:56

Fid

Oh my. You are an old fart - like me...

Offline

 

#7 2011-11-07 12:12:55

George Orr wrote:

But I do remember that in those days when a child came down with chicken pox, the other children's mothers would bring their kids round to the house for a visit in the hopes that their kid would catch it, so it could be "gotten over with."  But that was because there was no protection from it--those moms would've killed for the vaccines we have now.

I grew up in a small town and they closed the whole school a couple of times for "chicken pox parties" so the kids could just get it and get it over with. Moms did shifts and when it was all over and done with I remember burning the clothes we wore, but I'm guessing that probably wasn't necessary. I think we did it for Mumps too.

My daughter came home from school on Friday with a health notice that some kid somewhere in the school was diagnosed with lice and they were making all girls wear their hair up off of their collars for a week, having "health officers" (whatever that is) checking all of the kids, sending ALL of the clothes home to be washed (mandatory locker checks) and generally treating it like an epidemic.

Offline

 

Board footer

cruelery.com