Why not vaccinate?

[Lulu]

OK, so my children caught mumps from playgroup, more than likely imported from o/s. As far I was told the other children at playgroup are vacced.

So because I am responsible, and very alert because of my non vacc status I quarantined the children for the required amount of time..and then a little bit more.
Now - I know my children and how they react. The minute I detect a fever we stay at home, because that's an indication they are fighting something off. Fever, runny nose (which they NEVER get usually) and we are all home. That's my responsibility to the community covered AFAIC.

So how am I spreading it? How am I placing anyone else in danger? I don't mind if my children get sick now and again - what's considered a normal childhood illness? I am happy they caught mumps and measles when they were young, I wouldn't want them to catch either when they are older.

As Mel mentioned before - the amount of people that drag themselves and their kids out all whilst coughing up a lung or whatnot is far more dangerous to other (and immunosuppressed) that me not vaccing. I'm not relying on herd immunity, I'm relying on their own bodies and the natural ability to fight it off.
If I was afraid of them catching these things, I'd probably have to vax, but I'm not.

MY decision for my kids - and I also do my utmost best to protect yours, and half that is just plain old manners. It's bloody gross to spread disease.

*making a point I'm not shirty

[Dedicated Doula Gillian]

Wooo - what's going on?
Sent a message a little while back and now it looks like a heated debate?

It's a personal choice.
Google the info and way up the pro's and con's

Think everyone needs a good night sleep and agree to disagree

[Lulu]

Opps, on that note I'd like to say my repeated question marks are coming across like I'm standing here demanding answers like an old school marm. Gonna go add some smileys!

[Lolli]

Point duly noted Lulu.

[Bumperstump Cummerbund]

I don't understand the point being made about unvaccinated children posing a threat to vaccinated children. Surely, if vaccinations are the be all and end all, the vaccinated children shouldn't have a problem?! And what about people like my sister, who has had both the chicken pox AND the vaccine, yet continues to get chicken pox - is it their fault if they pass on the disease?

I agree with Lulu and Melbel 500% that children are far more in danger from parents who insist on taking their children to public places when they are clearly sick than they are from children who's parents have made the informed, reasoned choice to vaccinate homeopathically. Honestly, I am offended by the implication that I have not researched and thought out my decision to not vaccinate my future children as per government guidelines.

*Trying desperately to be unemotional and not 'shirty', but possibly failing miserably, in which case PM me

[Winter]

Lulu, you're the exception, not the rule.

The ultimate aim of vaccinations is to elimate a disease from a population like polio & smallpox have been in Australia. If enough people in a population are vaccinated against a disease then the disease may pop up occasionally but cannot get a foothold in that group because there will be herd immunity. When more people are not vaccinated, the disease can get into a population and stay around, infecting people who don't have any resistance to the disease with devistating effect. While vaccinations cannot make a person totally impervious to a disease, it can lesson the ramifications which for some diseases - worst case scenario is death.

While you may do the right thing in quaranting your child when sick, wouldn't you rather your child didn't catch that disease in the first place? I know I would. What about when your child grows up? The diseases can be much more severe when caught in adulthood. Mumps can cause infertility, chicken pox laid my husband sick & off work for 5 weeks, rubella can cause birth defects when non-immune pregnant women are exposed to it.

Sunflowa_Girlie, do your beliefs play a part in this decision? *Honestly interested, not being shirty, just wanting to understand more where you are coming from.*

[Bumperstump Cummerbund]

TBH, I only recently learned that they do, when I started looking into the ingredients in some of the vaccines. Obviously it doesn't say in the Bible to or not vaccinate, so my decision is based on my own research, both into the Bible and into scientific matters.

Having said that, I was already uncomfortable with the idea of vaccinations as per the government schedule BEFORE I learned about some of the ingredients, such as animal placenta, some being cultured in animal blood etc - finding that out was pretty much the clincher. Again, this is a conscience matter for those following my beliefs - my parents got myself and all my sisters fully vaccinated, as was their right.

For myself, this also means that I will not accept certain anti-venoms and the tetanus shot. This is because they are cultured in animal blood, and therefore, given the Bible's stance on blood, I feel they are unacceptable for me.

No offence taken Winter, definitely a relevant question, and one I am happy to answer

[suse]

I agree with Lulu and Melbel 500% that children are far more in danger from parents who insist on taking their children to public places when they are clearly sick than they are from children who's parents have made the informed, reasoned choice to vaccinate homeopathically. Honestly, I am offended by the implication that I have not researched and thought out my decision to not vaccinate my future children as per government guidelines.

Sunflowa - do you (or does anyone who has utilised homeopathic vaccination) know of what research has been done on their efficacy? I found that when I was researching the decision to vaccinate I was not able to find any clinical research on the immunological effectiveness of homeopathy (as in, the take up rate of the vaccine compared to conventional vaccines).

I would be interested to see any available research .

On the subject of quarantining - this should be one of the tools we use to help control infection, and I believe that given the 'if you can stand, you can work' attitude of many employers, it should be mandated that (paid) leave be taken for the duration of an infectious disease. I also believe that there should be penalties for those who go to public places unnecessarily or do not take proper precautions when in public whilst infectious.

But given that the infectious stage of many diseases starts before symptoms, I don't think that quarantine alone can replace vaccination.

[Lolli]

SG hun, I think everyone posting in this thread has made their informed desicion, and we'll all put a lot of thought into it. Making an informed desicion doesn't always mean the road less travelled. Thankyou for postin the info about the bible and blood products- honestly, that had nver occured to me as a reason for not vaccinating, but I completeley see your point.

Vaccinations are definitley not the be all and end all. They don't guarentee total immunity. They do, in most cases, reduce the risk of catching the disease and limit the severity of it, because the body's immune system has already been exposed to the disease, and has (in theory) built up it's own immunity. Doesn't guarentee anything- my brother was (I think) vaccinated against varicella (chicken pox) and still manged to catch it three times

Lulu, I get your point about normal childhood illnesses, espcially in relation to the measles and chicken pox. that was one point that made me think twice about vaccinating. But I think diseases like polio also need to be taken into consideration- they can be much nastier than measles or CP. There have been next to no cases of polio in Australia in thelast 40 years (in faqct, from memory, the only cases have been where people who are immuno suppressed have come into contact with people who have recently been vaccinated). But that is because of vaccinating, not in spite of it.

[entreat]

OK, so my children caught mumps from playgroup, more than likely imported from o/s. As far I was told the other children at playgroup are vacced.

So because I am responsible, and very alert because of my non vacc status I quarantined the children for the required amount of time..and then a little bit more.

Did you quarantine them two days before they showed any sign of illness? Mumps, & most viruses, are infectious before any symptoms are displayed. For mumps, depending on the source of the info, the contagious period starts anywhere from 2 to 6 days before obvious symptoms.