Vaccinations
On the day we all had our BCG's done at school, a friend on mine had a note from his mum excusing him from said innoculation because his parents 'did not believe in it'. Did not believe in vaccinations. Yes.

I mean, really? It's not like it's even a debatable subject, like believing in God or whatever. We're talking about something that is scientifically proven.

Some people.
(TheManWithThePlan cussed your mum on, Thu 18 Mar 2010, 21:39, 10 replies)

Bloody hell.
That's even worse than people who think the MMR vaccine causes autism, because of one shaky study that got thoroughly debunked but not before being blown out of all proportion by the media.
( Bob Todd whee, Thu 18 Mar 2010, 21:41, closed)

Well if it was in the papers...

(The Boy Monders I have ginger bits in my beard., Thu 18 Mar 2010, 21:46, closed)

Sadly, people will believe anything.
A friend of mine was considering not vaccinating her daughter because she'd read some bullshit about how vaccines 'kill babies' on some crunchy-power-mommie site. Her husband grew up in Africa, where he got to see first-hand what happened to babies that didn't get vaccines against common illnesses. A few horror stories later, and she was making the appointment. Now she says she can't believe she fell for that scaremongering crap, but some people remain absolutely convinced that vaccines are some kind of government/Big Medicine plot against them. I wonder if they'd feel the same way if their kid contracted polio like my mother did when she was little.
(louveciennes , Volvospotter, Thu 18 Mar 2010, 22:52, closed)

exactly
if you hear the stories, the real stories, of kids dying or being sick for months or permanently disabled, it's a no brainer. Anyone who was a kid before the mid 50s would know of kids with polio. There's lots of examples of middle class families in the 19th century losing 3 children in one outbreak.
The problem is vaccination has been so successful, people don't have experience of what can happen when measles, chicken pox, or whooping cough goes bad.
And the unvaccinated coast along on the background protection given by the majority of the population that do get vaccinated.
( Sextant goes to him is emotionally erect, on this day, Sat 20 Mar 2010, 17:23, closed)

I agree
but would point out that there are risks associated with vaccines (though obviously not autism) which is why my doctor recommended I not be vaccinated at all
( Amberl was stripey and dominated Europe, Thu 18 Mar 2010, 23:09, closed)

But that's on the advice of a doctor,
not because you 'don't believe in it'.
( Bob Todd whee, Fri 19 Mar 2010, 0:21, closed)

Seriously?!

(satanstolemyteddybear Mu hõljuk on angerjaid täis, Fri 19 Mar 2010, 11:34, closed)

I never had my TB
because my Mum was going through a weird phase at the time.

Not actually sure what the reason was, but having seen other people's arm swell up like (very small) balloons, I was quite glad of it at the time.

My youngest 2 having not that long ago had the Swine Flu jab, there's been quite a bit of 'should we, shouldn't we' going about the school playground on that one as well.
(Spidge New sig needed, donations gratefully accepted., Fri 19 Mar 2010, 13:27, closed)

I've never been vaccinated. My mother has a lot of out-there beliefs (not all of which I share) but I can't say its absence has done me any harm, and I can at least see where she was coming from on the issue. Just because lots of people believe something is okay doesn't necessarily mean there aren't any potential long-term consequences. Look at pesticides and DDT and so forth. I've got no moral objection to vaccination in particular, but I think everyone should have a healthy think about things before they pump themselves full of whatever their doctor or whoever else is recommending.
(Legion, Wed 24 Mar 2010, 0:44, closed)

vaccines
I can see both sides I was given a vaccine for something or other once which caused me to fit within 30 mins of injection. However this is rare side effect its still good idea to vaccinate your kids
(Nahla, Wed 24 Mar 2010, 8:41, closed)