Flu shots

[Ridryder 911]

Good posts and well taken. I do believe actually it is the parents right not to immunize, as long as they do not present those children in a public setting. It is not as much as the illness (which can be dangerous and lethal) as much as it is they are the carriers and transmitters of illnesses. They are not educated and closely monitored of hygiene, covering mouth and proper hand washing. Hence the prohibition of children in many hospital settings. Albeit, many adults as well do not take precautions, this is being of stupidity not ignorance.

The problem is as well it is a "free society" to not have your children vaccinated, it is as well a free society not to have to be exposed and receive exposure of viral and bacterial illnesses. The immuno suppressed chemo patient, pregnant females, and elderly has as much right not to be exposed common acquired community diseases such as the flu, chicken pox, RSV, measles, and mumps. These illnesses have been proven to cause illnesses, blindness, disfigurement, and yes even death. Scientifically proven vaccinations are proven to be safer than the disease. Yes, vaccinations are not "perfect", or 100% effective, just like any other part of medicine there are risks. However; rolling the dice for others should not be allowed.. and if harm comes to children, when there is medical treatment is available is inexcusable, since the children cannot rationally determine for themselves.

Most medical personnel would be upset if parents would refuse blood or surgical intervention for a child with trauma. I have the same feeling, when I see a child that has infected his/her siblings with contagious disease and who knows how many others?

I do wish EMT's could spend some more time in pediatric clinics and ER's and I do believe many attitudes would change. Most EMS personnel are very ignorant on such disease processes. Again, education is the key... for all! If organic medications work so be it (which many med.'s are), but until they are proven as effective, we need to rely upon what we have.

Sorry, for the rant.. but this area is close to me as spending many nights on rotation at PICU, and at long term facilities for children with severe disabilities due to "concern parents" that did not take precautions for their children...

R/r 911

[paramedicmike]

For those who say vaccines are dangerous etc... go read the book The Great Influenza by John Barry. It's a bit of a dry read. But I think you'll be amazed.

Then, after reading that, try and argue that vaccines are a bad thing.

Just a thought.

-be safe.

[Relish]

Good posts and well taken. I do believe actually it is the parents right not to immunize, as long as they do not present those children in a public setting. It is not as much as the illness (which can be dangerous and lethal) as much as it is they are the carriers and transmitters of illnesses. R/r 911

If your child is one that has a supressed immune system, then they would have had the shot, and my infectious children should have no bearing on your childs health. The flu vaccine is nothing more than an educated guess on what strain will hit your area and when. So if my child infects your child who has HAD the vaccine, then obviously your vaccine is useless anyhow and even if my child had the vaccine as well, they'd still be sick because a seperate undetected strain appeared.

The problem is as well it is a "free society" to not have your children vaccinated, it is as well a free society not to have to be exposed and receive exposure of viral and bacterial illnesses. The immuno suppressed chemo patient, pregnant females, and elderly has as much right not to be exposed common acquired community diseases such as the flu, chicken pox, RSV, measles, and mumps. These illnesses have been proven to cause illnesses, blindness, disfigurement, and yes even death. R/r 911

I'm sorry where do you live? In Kansas with Dorothy perhaps? This is life in our world, it's full of disease, illness and bacteria; the ill should not have to be exposed to viral and bacterial illnesses? Again, if you are one who is already susceptible to these illnesses and can not effectively protect yourself, then YOU go get the flu shot....if it protects you, then why does it matter what I do? Perhaps this sounds harsh as well, but we have become a world that plays god with every aspect that we possibly can, if you are already in a position of vulnerability and have gotten the vaccine, and catch the flu (because that particular strain was not expected to arrive and rendered your vaccine against it useless) and you end up dying from the infection, perhaps it was your time to go. Technically you've done everything in your power to protect yourself, which you should in that instance, but sometimes it's just your time.

Most medical personnel would be upset if parents would refuse blood or surgical intervention for a child with trauma. I have the same feeling, when I see a child that has infected his/her siblings with contagious disease and who knows how many others? R/r 911

We're talking about vaccines, not blood/surgical intervention for a child suffering trauma, of course that would be upsetting, but that is a case where you have to act or they will die, missing a yearly vaccine will not gaurantee your child will die. If my choice to not obtain a vaccine infects you, then if you were concerned about catching that bug, why did you not get the vaccine, and if you did, again, sorry that it didn't work-again. I could care less personally if I catch the flu or whatever else comes with it, i do what I can to protect myself with what I feel comfortable with. I ate dirt as a child and was told to "suck it up" when I got sick, and i know that my immune system is better for it. If we coddle our immune systems and never expose them to disease and make them fight it out for itself, then we get a spoiled brat who won't work against anything.

I do wish EMT's could spend some more time in pediatric clinics and ER's and I do believe many attitudes would change. Most EMS personnel are very ignorant on such disease processes. Again, education is the key... for all! If organic medications work so be it (which many med.'s are), but until they are proven as effective, we need to rely upon what we have.R/r 911

I in fact have worked in the ER, and my attitude is still the same, and just because our views may be different from yours, does not make us ignorant. I also believe that education is the key...but again, our views on that education will likely still differ. My point with that organic story was that this product is PROVEN and EFFECTIVE, but due to the money grubbing pharmaceutical companies and how they have a grasp on our entire world, they have made it impossible for these companies to get these wonderful working products to the public. The FDA is refusing to test this product because it is organic, they don't test organic, but to get this product to the public, it must be FDA approved....how convenient for them that no new company is going to come in and take over their HUGE profit margin and yes, dry their pockets. So to not see that the pharmaceuticals don't give a squat about your well-being and care only about purchasing the newest Mercedes that has hit the market, I say is education that we all need. So, to take their word for it that these vaccines are so wonderful scares me, if you had Hep C and knew there was a product out there that could give you a life once again, would you not want to be entitled to it? FDA says no, you have to take the drugs - yes- chemicals that we tell you you can take, even though they have done nothing for the patient other then keep you breathing. Sure there are studies about all of meds, who initiates and follows through with these studies, mmm the drug companies themselves perhaps? It's business, they do what they need to to make money.

Sorry, for the rant.. but this area is close to me as spending many nights on rotation at PICU, and at long term facilities for children with severe disabilities due to "concern parents" that did not take precautions for their children...

R/r 911

I also feel that this is an area close to me, as I said before, we are all different and have experienced different life events that create who we are, how we feel and the choices we make are based on these events. I have lived a life that centered around chemicals and hormones and the effects they had, I've had family members die from complications of mixed drugs, drugs they never should have prescribed, but the doctor was treating side effects, causing more side effects and so on, now he's dead.

Had relatives who've reacted and become ill from the vaccines themselves, situations that could have been avoided.

Life is full of uncertainty, and that includes illness, everything in moderation. Medications/certain vaccines in moderation are helpful, it's a dirty world out there! But load your body up with enough of these and who knows...

I just want those of you with such strong opinions to be open minded, just because this is not how you feel, it's how alot of us do (public, maybe not this board) and just because our views are different does not make us ignorant, neglectful or evil disease spreaders. Life spreads those diseases on it's own, don't look for someone to blame because you got sick,that's part of this game called life.