5% of students in 8 states unvaccinated

[Fate]

Meh, being surrounded by 95% vaccinated people should keep them safe from whatever virus right? Or can the vaccinated still carry?

If you don't have an immune system then that one jackass who didn't get his vaccines is enough to kill you... but hey, as long as the Meri and other luddites get to choose to turn their children into murder weapons, then it's all cool.

[The Brain]

How To Win Friends And Influenza People changed my life. Now I listen to my body.

[HVC]

That article isn't very informative. I mean, that increase could be entirely made up of people refusing to vaccine against Chickenpox (a reasonable refusal since it's a convenience vaccine), the 'flu (another convenience vaccine), and HPV (a fairly controversial vaccine). All of these have become required vaccines in a number of states in the last five to ten years, and could be the cause of most of the increase.

I take it you've never had shingles... VZV is hardly a convenience vaccine.

infertility and death kind of sucks too

[Richard Hakluyt]

I don't see how children can give meaningful consent to being injected 

[dps]

So, from an individual point of view, it doesn't make sense to get it.  Of course, from a society point of view, it is best for everybody to get vaccinated. 

It's the problem of the commons in another form.  It's why extreme libertarianism is a bad idea, even from my POV.  As far as I'm concerned, parents ought not be allowed to opt out of having their children vaccinated (though I'd make required vaccines available throught the school nurse--assuming we still have those).

[Josephus]

Put them in a quarantine zone.  They're lost causes.

Especially these:

as well as government-fearing libertarians.

[merithyn]

The issue of informed consent for medical procedures is pretty marginal even in decisions involving an individual only.  After all, there is a reason doctors spend many years in order to be able to make informed decisions themselves.  When it comes to matters concerning the whole public, that philosophy is downright disastrous.

When even doctors question the convenience vaccine requirements, the state has no business requiring them. After all, I'm much more likely to trust my doctor than the state in just about every possible way.

[merithyn]

That article isn't very informative. I mean, that increase could be entirely made up of people refusing to vaccine against Chickenpox (a reasonable refusal since it's a convenience vaccine), the 'flu (another convenience vaccine), and HPV (a fairly controversial vaccine). All of these have become required vaccines in a number of states in the last five to ten years, and could be the cause of most of the increase.

I take it you've never had shingles... VZV is hardly a convenience vaccine.

Studies to date show that kids who are vaccinated for varicella young are more likely to get shingles as an adult since they forget to get the boosters.

[Razgovory]

There lots of crazy doctors.  I remember a local doc who kept stitching his name in people during surgery.

[HVC]

Did you choose (stay with) your doctor because he/she shares your beliefs?

[merithyn]

infertility and death kind of sucks too

Varicella doesn't cause infertility, and rarely causes death. In fact, if you do the research you'll find that varicella is one of the less dangerous viruses out there. It does, however, require two weeks of time, something that isn't easily (or happily) given in this day and age.

[HVC]

infertility and death kind of sucks too

Varicella doesn't cause infertility, and rarely causes death. In fact, if you do the research you'll find that varicella is one of the less dangerous viruses out there. It does, however, require two weeks of time, something that isn't easily (or happily) given in this day and age.

chicken pox can cause orchitis (swelling of the testicles) in teenage and adult men which can and often does lead to sterility and hormon deficiency.

[Razgovory]

That article isn't very informative. I mean, that increase could be entirely made up of people refusing to vaccine against Chickenpox (a reasonable refusal since it's a convenience vaccine), the 'flu (another convenience vaccine), and HPV (a fairly controversial vaccine). All of these have become required vaccines in a number of states in the last five to ten years, and could be the cause of most of the increase.

I take it you've never had shingles... VZV is hardly a convenience vaccine.

Studies to date show that kids who are vaccinated for varicella young are more likely to get shingles as an adult since they forget to get the boosters.

Can't be that many studies.  You could only really the vaccine by the mid 1990's.  Not that many people had time to get it and grow to adulthood.

[HVC]

my point, if any, is that the chances of complications from the chicken pox vaccine is smaller then the chances of complications from the disease itself, so why not vaccinate if your main concern is health related?

[DGuller]

When even doctors question the convenience vaccine requirements, the state has no business requiring them. After all, I'm much more likely to trust my doctor than the state in just about every possible way.

Define "even doctors".  Is that every doctor, majority of doctors, or some kook somewhere?