Health forms and vaccinations questions

In your other thread you said you’re on a gap year. It sounds like you haven’t applied anywhere yet. I don’t really get your point about just attending the nearby college. It doesn’t matter if you live on campus or not. The likelihood is that colleges will want to see an immunization record. I’ve been taking classes through our local community college – online – and they wouldn’t let me register until I provided an up-to-date immunization form.

You could take classes online.

If you get the diseases, you have immunity. People used to intentionally expose their children to chickenpox and measles. The older you get, the worse those diseases will be if you do get them. Did your parents have these diseases? Would you be bringing home the virus to them and siblings?

OP seems to think the vaccination requirements are about protecting him, when actually they are about protecting the population in general. OP: it’s not all about you, it’s about public health. This is why there is no law requiring people to vaccinate their children (freedom of choice to expose your child to deadly disease if you so choose) but many schools and colleges choose to implement such requirements to protect the majority of their students from an outbreak. If OP is indeed on a gap year, I’m sure he can find some colleges that don’t require vaccinations (at least not yet) to apply to. With the way outbreaks have been going I suspect those will dwindle in number. As had been suggested, online is also an option. Safer for other kids.

By the way, OP, when you have some time, go find a cemetery that has graves dating back to the 19th/early 20th centuries. Look at the ages on the tombstones, and see how young many of them are. Then see how dramatically young deaths fall once vaccinations start reaching a level that affords herd immunity, generally sometime between the 1940s and the 1960s. Have you ever heard of something called smallpox? Do you know what an iron lung is?

It seems like you are uninterested in educating yourself about vaccinations and herd immunity. So, let’s disconnect vaccines from seeing the doctor. Please see a doctor, as they do provide important healthcare, healthcare that everyone needs, that has nothing to do with vaccines.

OK, this made no sense to me so I did a little digging.

It turns out that you’re homeschooled http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/act-preparation/2109664-i-will-be-taking-the-act-soon-hopefully-next-year-any-tips.html#latest

That may explain why you’re so very healthy; you probably haven’t been exposed to a lot of the germs that the general population is exposed to every day. Regardless of what else you learn, expect for your first year at college to be one where you’re suddenly not so healthy. That’s true for any kid attending a new school, probably moreso for someone whose immunity system hasn’t had the workout of a kid in a typical school setting. As someone mentioned upthread, it used to be common to expose kids to the typical “childhood” diseases so they could get sick and get the accompanying immunities. The first year in a new population tends to be a “sick” one for most kids, that that’s kids who have had the common school experience that you haven’t. . This is something any first year teacher experiences; the same is true with any college freshman.

Of course, with any luck I’m only talking about the day to day issues; you can expect more colds and stomach issues. And, of course, very possibly the flu. With any luck at all you won’t come into contact with someone else who has chosen not to be vaccinated but who lost the roll of the dice and got ill with a serious disease that could have been prevented. Because then you could be in real trouble.

That probably also explains why no one has demanded you see a doctor in 10/ 7or 8 years. Please make an appointment to see one soon, and a dentist as well if that has also been neglected. Those well visits to the doctor are not just about vaccinations; that’s only a teeny tiny part of what they accomplish. The doctor will check for things like scoliosis, for your general height and weight, your heart rate and blood pressure, he’ll ask about your mental and emotional health. That’s why schools have the rules about mandatory physicals, because they’re important.

But to reiterate the point that others are making: vaccinations rules are not about keeping you well. They’re for the protection of the general population. Do some research. Learn about the effects that polio, smallpox, the measles can have on a population. And know that your decision not to be vaccinated puts not only your health, but the health of the general population at risk. Read here about the current measles outbreak in NYC, apparently caused by one child who was not vaccinated when he traveled abroad. https://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/health/health-topics/measles.page And now an entire community is at risk, including some who, because of their own medical frailities, cannot be vaccinated. But also including some who chose not to be vaccinated, piggybacking on the general population and just not being lucky enough for that strategy to work.

If a college allows you to enroll and attend classes and a disease outbreak occurs that is traced back to you, the college, and you, will probably be sued. Can you afford that?

Your choices have consequences on others:

There is a flight attendent who got the measles from a passenger, and got encephalitis and is in a coma
https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/17/health/measles-israel-flight-attendant/index.html

Presumably many people on that flight were vaccinated. (It appears the flight attendant had been as well, but must have fallen in the couple of percent where it is not effective…ie one of those who rely on herd immunity) The thought of someone with a contagious disease in the confines of a long haul airplane are truly terrifying, were it not for the responsible actions of most in getting vaccinated. Very easy analogy to a college lecture hall or dining hall.

To everyone attacking the OP:

I completely agree with the majority here, but you need to realize the biggest influences on most kids are their parents. Your kids probably have similar views to you on must things. I have no problem attacking an adult as ignorant for this view, but cut the kid a break. He doesn’t know better. Especially if homeschooled the parents are the main influence. That’s probably who they homeschool. All you are doing is backing him into a corner and making it more likely he never opens his mind to the possibility that his parents are mistaken.

To the OP:

First, apply to schools and don’t worry about this yet. If/when you get acceptances, they will let you know what is required. Deal with it then. There is absolutely no reason to start an issue with your parents about this while you are still in HS, especially if your are home schooled.

But educate yourself. And trust the scientists, not someone who had an anecdotal experience. Learn the difference between causation and correlation and just random coincidence. Good luck.

Also apologies if I used he instead of she. I didn’t parse thorough to check.

@dadof4kids makes a good point, of course we have no idea of what this kid was taught at home. There is however a large section of home schoolers* who follow what most of us would consider to be an anti-science curriculum so telling the kid to “listen to scientists” if he has been taught not to, is probably not going to achieve much. I would note that people started out by politely inviting OP to examine other points of view (well, mostly - calling OP a loony wasn’t helpful), and the sterner responses started after knee jerk reactions against that. Of course - we should take into account that OP is likely only in his late teens, has much to learn, and as @dadof4kids has said he may have been schooled in such a way as to not even know what there is to learn. Hopefully college will open his eyes.

  • I know there are some great home schoolers out there too, but there is a scary anti science segment that seems to be quite large.

This was done with smallpox also, a procedure called variolation, when a less severe strain of smallpox entered the community (but even less severe strains were quite dangerous). Vaccination was developed when it was noticed that those infected with cowpox (e.g. those with jobs working with cows) never got smallpox. Cowpox and later smallpox vaccine viruses are not risk-free, but far less dangerous than smallpox. The word “vaccination” is derived from the Latin word for cow “vacca”.

@celloplayer99, I’m sure you’re feeling attacked over the vaccination issue so I won’t pile on. At the same time I will encourage you to get a checkup.

Many schools, regardless of whether they allow vaccination exemptions, will require a negative TB test. You won’t be able to get that without visiting a doctor. Some states require students to have an up to date physical. The state in which my kid will be attending school next year requires students to have a discussion with a physician before they’ll grant a vaccination exemption.

If you visit a doctor for a checkup you can still refuse any vaccinations. They can’t make you have the shots. Another option is to have some vaccinations and not others.

I would advise getting your medical records from whatever doctor you saw when you were younger. You may find that you received some vaccinations when you were very young or that you’ve had diseases people are commonly vaccinated for such as chicken pox. If the latter case is true you won’t need a vaccination for those particular diseases, just a titer showing immunity.

Exactly. Vaccination is more of a public health solution than an individual solution. It’s the power of numbers that makes vaccines work. Kind of like sanitation. Everyone has to have indoor plumbing and participate in the public sanitation system to thwart typhoid and cholera.

In fact, the two biggest contributors to the world’s increase in life expectancy are vaccines and public sanitation.

@celloplayer99 you seem bound and determined that you will not be vaccinated no matter what end of story. As a parent of a college student the amount of sickness on a college campus is high. The reason that they can’t let unvaccinated students attend school is because it is too much of a risk to all of the other students. The amount of colds, strep throat, flu etc is tremendous. The close living quarters, everyone touching the same door handles, sharing bathrooms. I understand that some have been judgmental on this thread but you asked the question and it is clear that many people feel strongly including myself that vaccination is essential and you don’t seem to be open to learning about it at all. I wouldn’t want unvaccinated students at my sons college. College is about opening your mind and being open to new things. So do the research, is it worth not attending college to you? There is so much information about this subject and many have put great links on here to get you started. I wish you luck on your journey.

And look what’s just happened at UCLA and CSLA, hundreds of students have been placed under quarantine until immunity can be confirmed, because they’ve been exposed by someone who spent 3 days in classes and around campus while being contagious with measles. This is on top of the time and effort taken to screen hundreds more to confirm their immunization status

This is exactly why colleges want people to be vaccinated - look at all this disruption because of one student who didn’t get his or her vaccination.
https://abcnews.go.com/US/hundreds-quarantine-ucla-cal-state-university-measles-scare/story?id=62640448

Look. It’s very simple. Yes, vaccines can have side effects, some of which can be serious, even lethal. But vaccines get approved because they are effective and they are LESS DANGEROUS than the disease. Let me say that again. LESS DANGEROUS THAN THE DISEASE. Let’s take chicken pox. I’m old enough to have had the chicken pox. For me, as for most people, it was unpleasant, but ultimately a routine (at the time) childhood disease. No side effects, no serious problems. But, back before the vaccine, every year there were children who got seriously ill and children who died FROM THE CHICKEN POX. My son got the vaccine. Why? Because his pediatrician told me that the rates of serious complications and death, while very low for the chicken pox ARE SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER FOR THE VACCINE. And I certainly hope you’re not so selfish and immoral as to be relying on the fact that it’s unlikely you’ll get any of these diseases because of herd immunity.

If you’re a boy, please go read up on mumps in adult men.
If you’re a girl, please go read up on rubella during pregnancy.

I just want to bring this to your attention:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.teenvogue.com/story/gardasil-hpv-vaccine-safety/amp

https://www-m.cnn.com/2018/07/10/health/samoa-mmr-baby-deaths-intl/index.html?r=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F

https://www.medicinekillsmillions.com/articles/doctors-scientists-warn-dangers-of-vaccination-immunisation.html

I am also going to get a VACCINATION EXEMPTION and not receive any more vaccines in my life.

At my daughter’s university, students are not even able to register for classes until their health documents are received and cleared by the health center. That is true for ALL students, even those living off campus.

Many states are moving towards not allowing any vaccine exemptions except for medical reasons.

I would also suggest you look at scientific studies and journals, not mass media or anti-vaccine sites that propagate misinformation.

What do you think a site called “medicine kills millions” is going to tell you? The great thing about college is you learn critical thinking skills. Learning how to analyze bias is really important. Right now you are closed to learning things that challenge your world view. College may not be right for you, but if you do decide to go you will need to deal with the vaccine issue, so start trying to educate yourself without being too defensive – it is ok! It is also ok to listen to other’s opinions – you will do a lot of that at college! Good luck and I hope can stretch yourself and learn from reliable sources. All the best to you.

Oh boy another brainwashed student. Let us know which school you attend so that none of us go there.