Comments on: Why one parent decided to vaccinate

By: Teach your kids about the hard places | Parenting Help in Michigan

Teach your kids about the hard places | Parenting Help in Michigan — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 05:43:13 +0000

[...] Why one parent decided to vaccinate | Bad Astronomy | Discover … [...]

By: Serge

Serge — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 18:55:29 +0000

Parents, of course have been coming to this realization for 300 years:

“In 1736 I lost one of my sons, a fine boy of four years old, by the small-pox, taken in the common way. I long regretted bitterly and still regret that I had not given it to him by inoculation. This I mention for the sake of parents who omit that operation on the supposition that they should never forgive themselves if a child died under it, by example showing that the regret may be the same either way and that, therefore, the safer should be chosen. ”

-Benjamin Franklin

http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Benjamin_Franklin

By: Anne J

Anne J — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 14:30:22 +0000

One of the items I like to discuss when I speak to a person who is unwilling to vaccinate themselves, is to think about the immunosupressed people the come into contact with. At this point in time almost all of us come into contact with someone who has HIV, who is undergoing treatment for cancer or other illnesses that affect their ability to fight illness. These people have a high probability they will die if they get the flu, and cannot receive the vaccination themselves. If you remain un-vaccinated you risk passing it on to one of these people. That in my mind makes you the cause of their death. Involuntary manslaughter at best. The same thing with masses of people with respiratory disease. How many asthmatics do you know? Are you willing to be the cause of their death?

By: jdw242b

jdw242b — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 14:05:00 +0000

I’m not a new parent, but even when I was, we decided that doing the right thing meant having our children vaccinated. It is the right thing to do for the whole. To quote Spock “the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one.” I’m no island, and to subject others to the dangers of some sickness because I’m being too short sighted to educate myself means I’m the outlaw; not everyone else.

I’m glad to see that evidence is taking it’s rightful place in the world.

By: davem

davem — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 09:27:59 +0000

@JP:
I was in hospital recently, and, on one occasion, had my blood pressure taken in both arms. The results were different…

By: M. Brown

M. Brown — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 06:04:25 +0000

—–and the jury is still out on the links between vaccines and severe cases of ME, highlighted in the UK by the recent decision by Lynn Gilderda—–
This is a story that I was not aware of. What an aweful position for a parent to be in.
The comment caught my attention because I have ME—most definately not anywhere as severely as this child. Although I do not know why I developed it, I do know exactly when it reared its ugly head and changed my life. Vaccinations had nothing to do with it in my case.

By: M. Brown

M. Brown — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 05:00:33 +0000

Phil, thank you sooo much for posting this article. My grandchildren are, fortunately, vaccinated. However, it is my daughter’s age group that has been influenced by the anti vax proponents. Some precious little ones have not been vaccinated because their loving, well meaning parents have believed what the anti vax people have said. We know that these people can present their views in such a way that it sounds convincing. The article was well written, intelligent, and has a very human touch. This can be more influential for some young parents than purely scientific articles.
BTW luv your Blog and its variety of topics. I have to refrain from reading it until later in the day because I can spend so much time reading your Blog and the comments and following your links to other pages. It can take a very long time, but it is always enjoyable and thought provoking,

By: Kathy Orlinsky

Kathy Orlinsky — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 01:38:58 +0000

Carl,
Researchers are working on all kinds of alternatives to using eggs. There are studies on vaccines made from virus-like particles (VLPs), and vaccines genetically incorporated into plants. So stay tuned!

By: John Paradox

John Paradox — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 00:08:09 +0000

7. Ed Says:

My wife and I came up with a vaccination compromise, we only vaccinated the kids in one arm.

Ha! Ever see the Marx Brothers, I think it was Day At The Races, where Groucho tells Margaret Dumont that she has ‘double blood pressure*’, differing from one arm to the other?

J/P=?
*Haven’t watched it for a while, so not sure how it was phrased.

By: The EGE

The EGE — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 23:23:35 +0000

I just got the H1N1 vaccine, the nasal type. Painless and quick. I wish all my shots could be that nice.