Vaccinations

[The Question]

The anti-vaccination movement, which started as a few people sitting on the fringe, has swelled in numbers, and we're starting to see the effects. Earlier this month, we saw an outbreak of measles. You may remember measles as that disease that you heard about in movies from the 60s but never heard about anyone having because it was all but extinct in the modern era. Yeah, it's back in a big way, and the anti-vaccination movement is entirely to thank for it. Measles, by the by, can in some cases cause encephalitis, a deadly disease that causes your brain to overheat and cook itself to death.

Here are my thoughts on the issue:

1) Vaccinations save lives.

2) Not vaccinating your kids is child endangerment in the worst way.

3) Vaccinations do not cause autism. If you think they do, you're a sap who's been sold a big ol' bottle of snake oil.

4) If you'd rather have a dead child than an autistic child, you're kind of an *******.



It's getting to the point that if people aren't going to do the common sense thing of vaccinating their kids out of willful ignorance, we're going to have to make vaccinations legally mandatory. This is too important not to.

Thoughts?

 

[KevanG]

Legally mandating vaccinations is kind of pushing it but I feel that if you don't get your kids vaccinated then schools, amusement parks, stores and other places should reserve the right to deny you access on the grounds of health. If you or your kids are carrying around an infectious disease that can be transmitted airborne or by touch then it could infect other customers and that is a risk they probably don't want to take. Maybe if they start getting shunned by companies who don't want them impacting their bottom line then they'll decide to think.

If you want to potentially kill your kids then that is your fault when they start getting horribly sick. Magic cures using placebos sold at a 10,000% mark-up will not save them.

 

[Victarion]

I agree with Kevan. I'm not for forcing someone into doing something, but setting up a quarantine, more or less, by having places of business refuse services, or places of learning refusing admission, would work just fine.

 

[The Question]

Legally mandating vaccinations is kind of pushing it but I feel that if you don't get your kids vaccinated then schools, amusement parks, stores and other places should reserve the right to deny you access on the grounds of health. If you or your kids are carrying around an infectious disease that can be transmitted airborne or by touch then it could infect other customers and that is a risk they probably don't want to take. Maybe if they start getting shunned by companies who don't want them impacting their bottom line then they'll decide to think.

If you want to potentially kill your kids then that is your fault when they start getting horribly sick. Magic cures using placebos sold at a 10,000% mark-up will not save them.

I have two problems with your statements:

1) How would the schools, amusement parks, stores, and other places be able to determine that the children in question are not vaccinated? How do you screen that without a legal mandate?

2) I don't think parents have the right to let their children die. Children aren't a person's property, they're human beings who should have legal rights.

 

[The Question]

I agree with Kevan. I'm not for forcing someone into doing something, but setting up a quarantine, more or less, by having places of business refuse services, or places of learning refusing admission, would work just fine.

Do you think that people should pay their taxes? Do you think that people should serve on jury duty? If so, you already believe in forcing someone into doing something for the common good.

 

[Feenix]

I agree with The Question wholeheartedly on this one. Parents who don't vaccinate their kids are using their children as a way to make their own personal statement and that's wrong. Children have the right to be protected from their parents. Not vaccinating your children is grossly negligent and either you vaccinate them or the government will do it for you.

Parents do not have a right to put their children (and other children) at risk because of their personal beliefs.

 

[Victarion]

Do you think that people should pay their taxes? Do you think that people should serve on jury duty? If so, you already believe in forcing someone into doing something for the common good.

Fair point on the taxes. There's loopholes for jury duty.

 

[THUNDERSTRIKE]

there was an episode on Law and Order Special Victims Unit that dealt with this exact same subject...

 

[KevanG]

No clue how it would be setup in stores but for amusement parks if there's a huge amount of children in the city who are sick they could request people bring in their vaccination proof, for public safeties sake. Most people would find it a minor nuisance but I'm sure they'd appreciate the idea, especially when they see people getting turned away because they refuse. It's a public safety thing. There may be some issues and some losses at first but I know a lot of parents would prefer to take their kids to someplace they know would be safer than just somewhere else they might get sick from other idiots.

I think that people need to start getting arrested for willful child endangerment for this crap and that places all over should start cracking down on people who refuse to take even basic safety measures to protect children.

 

[The Question]

No clue how it would be setup in stores but for amusement parks if there's a huge amount of children in the city who are sick they could request people bring in their vaccination proof, for public safeties sake. Most people would find it a minor nuisance but I'm sure they'd appreciate the idea, especially when they see people getting turned away because they refuse. It's a public safety thing. There may be some issues and some losses at first but I know a lot of parents would prefer to take their kids to someplace they know would be safer than just somewhere else they might get sick from other idiots.

I don't see how amusements parks have the capability of screening that. Especially since in most parks, people can just walk in without buying a ticket and hang out.

I just don't see how that's preferable to passing a law that mandate vaccinations for children.

I think that people need to start getting arrested for willful child endangerment for this crap and that places all over should start cracking down on people who refuse to take even basic safety measures to protect children.

So, what's the difference between that and legally mandated vaccinations?

 

[Rowsdower!]

I saw that Chris Christie is taking the "vaccinate your kids if you feel like it" approach, simply because President Obama believes in all that FANCY LIBRUL SCIENCEY STUFF and advised parents to vaccinate their children.

 

[KevanG]

Because I said so.

 

[Lencho01]

As someone who's working on his MPH, I find it baffling that parents would knowingly withhold vaccinations from their children. So, I straight up went "WTF?" after the recent news of what went down in Disneyland.

Just read this yesterday...

Read Roald Dahl's Powerful Pro-Vaccination Letter (From 1988)

 

[Greens]

I'm weary when it comes to legally mandating people to do things, but vaccinating your child is common sense. You endanger your child, yourself and everyone around you by not doing it. I'm not up-to-date on the issue in 2015, but if the situation spires out of control something needs to be done.

 

[warhorse78]

I don't know how I feel about the Government telling people how to raise their kids especially since more than half the time, it doesn't end up well. We got parents getting warnings in their kid's lunchboxes at school for not supplying a proper, nutricious diet for their children and threaten to take the kids from them, when the school provided lunch itself is full of fatty, sugary foods. We had a school that banned any kind of peanuts or peanut butter from children's lunches because one child was coming to school with a severe allergy to peanuts.

I am at odds with vaccinations, but agree that they should be used, but I don't agree about the government forcing people to do it, it might make things worse instead of better, because in hindsight, people simply do not like being told what to do.

 

[Greens]

I don't know how I feel about the Government telling people how to raise their kids especially since more than half the time, it doesn't end up well.

I fully agree with this statement, but telling parents to vaccinate their children is like telling parents to feed their children and give them shelter. It's one of the basic obligations you have as a parent.

 

[The Question]

I don't know how I feel about the Government telling people how to raise their kids especially since more than half the time, it doesn't end up well. We got parents getting warnings in their kid's lunchboxes at school for not supplying a proper, nutricious diet for their children and threaten to take the kids from them, when the school provided lunch itself is full of fatty, sugary foods. We had a school that banned any kind of peanuts or peanut butter from children's lunches because one child was coming to school with a severe allergy to peanuts.

That may be the case, but vaccines are a clear cut issue. You have to vaccinate your kids. Nothing is gained y not vaccinating your kids, and nothing is lost by making it a requirement.

I am at odds with vaccinations, but agree that they should be used, but I don't agree about the government forcing people to do it, it might make things worse instead of better, because in hindsight, people simply do not like being told what to do.

How would it make things worse?

 

[Feenix]

I don't know how I feel about the Government telling people how to raise their kids especially since more than half the time, it doesn't end up well. We got parents getting warnings in their kid's lunchboxes at school for not supplying a proper, nutricious diet for their children and threaten to take the kids from them, when the school provided lunch itself is full of fatty, sugary foods. We had a school that banned any kind of peanuts or peanut butter from children's lunches because one child was coming to school with a severe allergy to peanuts.

I am at odds with vaccinations, but agree that they should be used, but I don't agree about the government forcing people to do it, it might make things worse instead of better, because in hindsight, people simply do not like being told what to do.

Are you really arguing that a child's right to eat peanuts overrides another child's right to life? Peanut allergies can kill. You seem to not be aware of that.

Also, providing proper nutrition to your child should be a no brainer. My niece and nephew go to a school where they have specific guidelines for the foods that need to be included in a lunch. Packing burgers and fries for your kid's lunch is negligent parenting. The problem with expecting schools to feed your child is that it's much more expensive to buy healthy foods (and they also expire quicker). Also, a lot of these schools get funding from certain companies (not healthy ones) to feed their product to children. Would you be willing to pay more taxes so that the schools can afford to provide more nutritional lunches? Are you willing to pay more than Pepsi to get healthy drinks in vending machines?

 

[C. Lee]

1) How would the schools, amusement parks, stores, and other places be able to determine that the children in question are not vaccinated? How do you screen that without a legal mandate?

I live in Kentucky, and the schools here require doctor verification that kids are vaccinated or they are not allowed to enroll.

 

[Cosmic]

I'm weary when it comes to legally mandating people to do things, but vaccinating your child is common sense. You endanger your child, yourself and everyone around you by not doing it. I'm not up-to-date on the issue in 2015, but if the situation spires out of control something needs to be done.

This is a good point. Some patients have legitimate, documented medical reasons that prevent them from getting certain vaccinations. Also, infants under 12 months old are still too young for the first measles shot, and will be extremely vulnerable. The anti-vaxxers are not only endangering their own kids' lives, but also and especially these vulnerable populations.

...

It's getting to the point that if people aren't going to do the common sense thing of vaccinating their kids out of willful ignorance, we're going to have to make vaccinations legally mandatory. This is too important not to.

Thoughts?

I agree 100%. Mandatory measles vaccinations are justified by the responsibility of the government to preserve and protect public health.

The anti-vax trend and this measles outbreak are clear examples of what happens when people dismiss scientific facts in favor of their personal opinions, philosophy or religious beliefs.

 

[Thundercrack85]

I always assumed vaccinations were required. I couldn't get into college without having them, or showing I was immune.

 

[The Question]

I always assumed vaccinations were required. I couldn't get into college without having them, or showing I was immune.

That was for insurance reasons, not legal reasons.

 

[KevanG]

C Lee has my back.

 

[Lily Adler]

I smell Mandatory Vaccination Act. Screw Civil Liberties, this is about Saving Lives. I wonder if we will have life imitating art moment with parents getting charged with attempted murder or some trumped up charge to make an example of how dangerous this movement truly is.

 

[KevanG]

I'd imagine it wouldn't be attempted murder but more willful child endangerment than anything. They give evidence how the parents chose to ignore the vaccine information, demonstrate the willful ignorance by forcing the children not to get vaccinated despite repeated doctor warnings to the contrary and when they do get sick, they brought them out into public places knowing they carried infectious diseases (of course the same could be said for getting a cold).