People really have very little recollection of the suffering and death of childhood illnesses that mass immunizations and vaccinations can avoid. Too many people spend too much time watching celebrities fearmonger about immunizations — talking about unproven side effects that are, even were they true, a fraction of the toll of an unimmunized or even partially immunized population.
It's just dumb. And it's tragic. And it doesn't just threaten the kids of those who let themselves be scared about it. Because of herd immunity effects, it threatens everyone. #ddtb
Reshared post from +Emily Finke
"And I know how happy she would be if only she could know that her death had helped to save a good deal of illness and death among other children."
Embedded Link
MEASLES: A dangerous illness by ROALD DAHL
I found this on my hard drive and thought it wasn't doing much good there. This was written in 1986, before measles cases had been reduced by MMR vaccine, and is a useful reminder of the risks that w…
There was no way Arthur would not have been immunized–especially from polio, which one of his grandmothers had contracted in her early teens. I had been miserable with measles, but my sister got them thrice; likewise with chicken pox, which was worse, and she got them twice. Lucky girl, my sister.
If I contract whopping cough, there is a chance I won’t be able to tell, given my usual coughing, and the latest development, but I can be sure the anti-vacs in Santa Cruz are to blame. Drives me nuts. Arthur had mild to no reactions–we were prepared for the worst ones on his first set, but he just fell asleep.
My usual comment is: I barely survived whooping cough as a 9 month old infant. I survived measles, but with eye problems that have plagued me all my life. Last year I got a shingles vaccine, so I can reduce my chances of getting shingles, which is a danger for anyone who had chicken pox. Fortunately, I was lucky enough to be born when the polio vaccine was available. I was very upset (until my doctor took the time to carefully explain why) when my youngest child couldn’t be vaccinated against smallpox. I think all rabid anti-vaxxers (and I’m looking at you, Jenny McCarthy and Bill Maher) should spend 24 hours in an iron lung — with a case of shingles. Sorry if I’m repeating myself…again…
@Ellie – Sing it, sister!
***Dave stole my thunder–but the first time we met, we were wearing different editions of the same shirt, so I’ve come to expect this.
Yes, sing it, Ellie! There’s the post-polio syndrome which complicates my MiL’s arthritis, too. I’ll have to ask if insurance covers a shingles shot for me. We have a friend who had her shingles on the inside of her eyelid…
I believe I had both kinds of polio vaccines, the first in 1961, the second in 1962, or thereabouts. I remember which school I was in for the latter, and we were getting overseas shots (going to Okinawa) with the former.
Ellie, why couldn’t your youngest be innoculated for smallpox?
@A. Marina Fournier
My youngest child was born in 1972, the year that routine vaccination was suspended. Because smallpox (in the United States) had been eradicated, it was thought by medical and research experts, that there was more danger of side effects from the vaccine than there was from the disease — in this country, at that time.
Not all insurance companies cover the shingles shot, and it’s very expensive. I was lucky enough (depending on how you look at it) to have State subsidized coverage for a short time before going on Medicare, and was able to get the vaccine free. It’s also covered by Medicare Part D.