My mother had bulbar polio as a child. She was in a hospital room with another child with the same type. An iron lung sat between them, since either could need it for survival at virtually a moment’s notice.
People are idiots.
@CountingDown I’m reading A Disability History of the United States by Kim Nielsen and she had a very graphic description of children’s polio wards. I knew they existed but honestly never thought about daily life in the hospitals for kids.
It’s truly heartbreaking.
To be, the anti vaxx movement proves why we need very good science and history courses in our schools. (I’m pretty sure I’ve said this before so sorry for being a broken record.)
Also- good book, very readable. Highly recommend.
Having lived through mumps, chicken pox, and a bad case of strep throat at the age of 13, all happening within a short time period, I will not wish that experience to an enemy! People are truly idiots.
My niece is totally convinced that vaccines or a vaccine caused her son’s Autism. She posts FB anti-vax zingers every once in awhile and I just hide them; the latest was that perfectly normal happy triplets received a vaccine at their nine month visit and by bedtime, all three were lethargic and non-smiling and would not look at the parents. It breaks my heart because I love her dearly but I just will not argue this with her. She homeschooled her kids this year but the one with Autism has been in public schools on and off. I have no idea if he’s fully vaccinated or if she got an exemption of some sort.
We had a pertussis outbreak in some schools here recently. School is out now so I hope it will play itself out. I guess it was kids who had exemptions of some sort from getting vaccines.
This is crazy:
Wow. That is totally batty!!! So the dog slobbering over my shoes on the bus can be rabid?
We took our dog in for her annual check up and vaccines a few weeks ago and the thought really did run through my head of how many idiots weren’t vaccinated their pets because of it.
Guess it is a thing. Sigh
What is really scary to me is the potential that anti vaxxer types might end up being appointed to places like the NIH and the like, that supposedly there are powerful people in both the white house and congress who support the anti vaxx line, that would be really scary if true. Bad enough people who are being stupid, but having someone like that in a position to make rules and the like?
We’re already there. Anti-science is firmly entrenched in the highest positions. We’re just waiting on others to be confirmed.
It’s horrifying.
Yikes! I just discovered through a facebook comment that a family friend is an anti-vaxxer! And she is a nurse.
@romanigypsyeyes Many anti-vaxxers are quite liberal and otherwise progressive. They feel they are more knowledgeable than the scientists.
A lot of anti-vaxxers are libertarians.
@TomSrOfBoston I’ve never claimed otherwise. in fact, the exact opposite. I’ve stated many times that Mr R works in a crunchy hippie neighborhood and that’s why vaxx rates are low in his preschool.
Anti-vaccine sentiments seem to be all over the political spectrum, enough that political candidates from all over the spectrum often feel that they have to hedge any pro-vaccine comments or make anti-vaccine comments.
So does she put her life and health where her mouth is and refuse vaccines, taking the risk of getting sick from a patient with a vaccine-preventable infection? (Of course, then the problem would be the increased likelihood of spreading it to other patients while doing her work, so it is not just her own life and health at stake.)
It’s some people on the poles. I honestly don’t understand the far liberal logic other than “pharma bad.” The Green Party’s candidate was incomprehensible about her skepticism of vaccines- and she was a freaking doctor.
I can definitely see the far right’s side though with their distrust of government and overall rejection of science. (I’m not saying everyone on the right- I’m saying those who are far right AND reject vaccines.) On the whole, red states have it right when it comes to vaccines which is why their rates are higher on average.
Each is just as guilty and unconscionable as the other.
ETA: You shouldn’t be allowed to work in a hospital if you voluntarily reject vaccines. (Of course, not applicable if you’re allergic or can’t receive for other reasons.) The clinic I used to volunteer at required a flu shot after a certain date and if you hadn’t gotten one, your activities were restricted to non-client work and you had to wear a mask. When my dad used to work at a hospital in the maintenance department, they were required to keep up on vaccines or risk losing their jobs. As it should be.
http://www.pewinternet.org/2017/02/02/vast-majority-of-americans-say-benefits-of-childhood-vaccines-outweigh-risks/ describes a recent poll on vaccines.
82% favor mandatory vaccines for children entering school, but 17% oppose that. The report notes differences in support and opposition among various demographic groups. Opposition to mandatory vaccination was higher among younger (18-29 and 30-49, versus older) people, politically conservative (versus moderate or liberal) people, white evangelical Protestant and unaffiliated people (versus other religions), those who do not use over-the-counter medication when sick, and those who use alternative medicine.
But the anti-vaccine people seem to be much noisier and therefore command politicians’ attention more.
@ucbalumnus I have no idea. I just saw it an hour or so ago on facebook in a comment on another post.
Current state of state laws regarding non-medical exemptions to vaccinations to enter school:
http://www.ncsl.org/research/health/school-immunization-exemption-state-laws.aspx
Sigh. . . and then a FB friend posts this article. Which of course she believes because it’s “printed” in a “news source” and uses the words “Johns Hopkins.”
If people would only consider their sources. When the newspaper or journal was the only choice, things didn’t make it into wide consumption until the paper vetted them. Now with the internet, anyone with WIFI can post ridiculous articles and many people think they are just as legit as established news sources.
http://ewao.com/2017/08/16/johns-hopkins-researcher-releases-shocking-report-on-flu-vaccines/
Lots of people consider their sources and choose to trust news mainly from partisan sources that show them only news which conforms to a given viewpoint (e.g. anti-vaccine), while rejecting all other sources as “fake news”.
It is likely that the only thing that will sway opinions in this case is anecdotal personal experience – i.e. seeing themselves or loved ones getting seriously sick from vaccine-preventable diseases. It is probably why older people, who are more likely to have personally had or seen others get measles, polio, etc. are less prone to anti-vaccine viewpoints. Currently, vaccines have been effective enough in preventing those diseases that coincident autism diagnoses may be getting more attention in anecdotal personal experiences.