Religious nutters and vaccines- AGAIN!

[FireIsCatching89]

http://jezebel.com/5884442/some-parents ... n-children

We got any Jezzies in the house here on Free Jinger?

In news that will most likely desiccate the last little puddle of faith you have in human rationality, some enthusiastically religious parents in Queens are asking a judge to nullify a law that would keep their children out of school if classmates are carrying communicable diseases such as measles, mumps, and chicken pox (which, to my daily mounting terror, I've never contracted). Lawsuits filed last week in Queens Supreme Court by parents Fabian Mendoza-Vaca and Nicole Phillips have been transferred to Brooklyn Federal Court and could be resolved as early as next week in an emergency hearing where some secular-minded necromancer will hopefully raise Clarence Darrow from his grave so he can give everyone involved a proper finger-wagging.

Mendoza-Vaca, who kicked off the litigation last week after his two children were sent home by the principal of P.S. 107, has said, "It is my opinion that resorting to vaccinations demonstrates a lack of faith in God, which would anger God and therefore be sacrilegious." Oh, well, that makes complete, empirical sense and, since God's will is like mysterious or whatever, there's really no arguing with Mendoza-Vaca's logic. Phillips added, "We don't want anything being into our bodies at all. We'd rather rely on our natural immune system and our faith in God. This is about my children's rights."

According to Patricia Finn, the attorney representing both Queens parents, plenty of unvaccinated children attend school in New York daily, as New York state law offers vaccination exemptions for religious reasons. Some principals, however, have invoked a Chancellor's regulation that gives them the power to exclude unvaccinated children when their peers have contracted communicable diseases. While this ongoing legal battle may remind some of you that people can interpret religious doctrine in really wackadoo ways or that Jenny McCarthy irresponsibly used her celebrity pulpit to decry a medical practice that has all but eradicated previously life-threatening diseases in developed countries, the real tragedy here is that not only are these kids being denied vaccinations because their parents believe that God's an unreasonable asshole, they're also being denied all the days off that their super religious upbringing should entitle them to.

Since the Catholic Church has been in the news recently as being particularly opposed to certain forms of preventative health care, it'd be unfair not to note that a Catholic preschool booted a kid last year because she wasn't vaccinated and, for its efforts at keeping her safe from her disease-riddled classmates, the New York Archdiocese was sued by the girl's parents.

People like this scare me, not just as a public health student, but because I rely on herd immunity. My body can't tolerate the whooping cough (pertussis) componet of the DPT vaccine; the last time I did receive the pertussis part, I missed a week of school because I was running a low-grade fever and had a migraine that lasted for 96 consecutive hours, had to be treated with Vicodin, and made it so I couldn't be in lit rooms or eat because the pain made me so sick to my stomach. I was told after I recovered I could probably only receive DT boosters the rest of my life. I also have allergies and asthma that make me very vulnerable to respitory infections; to give you some idea, I get combination bronchitis/sinus infections three or four times a year. Because of all this, whooping cough could land me in the ICU, cause permanent damage, or God forbid, kill me. This is why I care so much. Not only are these kids', who aren't getting their shots, lives on the line, SO IS MINE. A lot of the anti-vax people are so far removed from seeing the results of what illnesses like polio and measles can do, so they think vaccines aren't necessary anymore. When will we wake up? How many children, seniors, or immuno-compromised patients have to end up on death's door before the public wakes up and realizes that vaccines aren't poison, they're live-saving medical tools?

Ughhh....I feel like my rant is a little Taryn-esque, but I tend to get a little...scatterbrained, shall we say, when I write about emotional topics. I'm all for believing what you want to believe, but the minute it can cause damage to someone other than yourself, NO DICE. Besides, I feel like no one should be able to reject vaccines until the age of majority, just like in the case of parents who try to block a child getting treatment for something like diabetes or pneumonia, citing religious objections. Not okay in my book. A six year old cannot consent to being a medical martyr.

[clibbyjo]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! And so it begins....Stepping away slowly now....

[fluttershies]

Sadly, it's really not just a religious thing. I know several avowedly atheist parents who won't vaccinate their kids (even here in the UK where it's free!).

Apparently one of the reasons stopping Jocelyn Dixon going to Brazil to marry Leandro is that she would have to be vaccinated.

[Wolfie]

Yeah, it's not just the religious nuts. I know plenty of non-Christians who refuse to vaccinate. It's one of the areas where fundies and hippies overlap.

Unfortunately I live in a county that has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the state- you bet that I got and will get all my adult boosters to protect myself and hopefully protect those who can't be vaccinated. (not just those who choose not to get vaccinated.)

And since I know that those people are going to come and post since there are a few here with medical exemptions- we're not upset that you don't vaccinate. In fact, we want all those who can to vaccinate to do so, in order to protect families like yours.

[Boogalou]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! And so it begins....Stepping away slowly now....

*Sprints past clibbyjo*

[candycanehead]

you wouldn't believe how many of these people have told me that my little Frankie's disabilities were due to vaccines..nice try assholes, he got them at 1 year.

I have read the reasoning behind it and it still makes no sense to me. I think it is just some way to be contrary.

[FireIsCatching89]

Oh sheeeeeet....I forgot the vax/peanut butter wars. They were before my time. I'm actually sorry, I don't want to start shit. I was just pissed when I read this, and anger comes before thinking sometimes... Whoops. I'll go clean up my mess on the rug now...

[ksuheather]

I'm with you on the vax issue. There are peopl who physically cannot get the vaccine and they rely on herd immunity. I've read reports where the heard immunity is going down and we are seeing some of those diseases pop back up again. All three of my hellions are up to date on their vaccinnes and I'm in the process of getting back up to date so I can start nursing school.

[Boogalou]

Oh sheeeeeet....I forgot the vax/peanut butter wars. They were before my time. I'm actually sorry, I don't want to start shit. I was just pissed when I read this, and anger comes before thinking sometimes... Whoops. I'll go clean up my mess on the rug now...

Lol, it's ok. I would love to snark on the stupid religious claims made in the article, namely this one:

It is my opinion that resorting to vaccinations demonstrates a lack of faith in God

That is just stupid. Using that logic you can say wearing a winter coat, using a seatbelt, looking both ways before crossing the street, eating food, and turning off the faucet before you leave the house in the morning also deomnstrate a lack of faith in God. After all, if he didn't want you to die he would prtoect you from hypothermia, all car crashes, getting hit by cars, malnutrition and high water bills/flooding. People really need to take responsibility for their own actions and decisions and stop blaming everything on God. If you vaccinate or not don't hide behind God and absolve yourself of all responsibility.

[Guest Anonymous]

Ok, so why don't they just home school like all the other fundies? Why the need for legal action?

[demgirl]

I read this article today too and I thought about coming over here to post about it. But then, ironically give FireisCatching's avatar, I got distracted by reading the Hunger Games trilogy. (I capitulated after hearing for 6 months from various people how I HAD to read them and now I"m almost done with #3 only 24 hours after starting #1. I hate it when people are right.) Anyway, topic -- sorry, I don't think reading for 24 hours straight does good things to my brain. What strikes me about this lawsuit is that it's not that the kids aren't being allowed to go to school, it's simply that they are sent home if there is a serious outbreak of one of the diseases they aren't vaccinated against in their school. They probably don't miss any more school than they would if they caught the disease itself, which is more likely for them. I don't get what the big deal is and it seems like they were looking for a reason to sue.

[ItISjustme]

I'm confused (I know this is a touchy subject so apologies for prolonging it), these parents won't vaccinate their children but they are protesting at their children being sent home from school when the school's object was to protect said unvaccinated children and prevent them catching a communicable disease from a classmate? Have I got that right? WTF?

My (unvaccinated) aunt went deaf and suffered brain damage from measles. Nuff said.

[JemimaPuddle-Duck]

I don't really get this lawsuit at all. As someone who doesn't vax anymore I don't see what these parents are all bent out of shape about. It sounds like the school is just trying to protect the kids, and I would assume it will be counted as an excused absence so what gives? Is there more to it or something?

[Wolfie]

I don't really get this lawsuit at all. As someone who doesn't vax anymore I don't see what these parents are all bent out of shape about. It sounds like the school is just trying to protect the kids, and I would assume it will be counted as an excused absence so what gives? Is there more to it or something?

Because they don't want to pay for daycare when their kids can't go to school. I would bet that at least some of these parents are JWs.

[ladypuglover]

*Sprints past clibbyjo*

Hangs on Boogalou's shirt tails and grabs clibbyjo while we all go flying out of the room. :shock:

[JemimaPuddle-Duck]

Because they don't want to pay for daycare when their kids can't go to school. I would bet that at least some of these parents are JWs.

Duh, I didn't even think of that. Are a lot of JW moms working? Not like other fundies, then? I also got the impression from talking to a neighbor (JW) that they're not really big on having kids.

[tropaka]

oh no, not again....well, maybe not ... these people are talking about not vaccinating because it's against God somehow, as opposed to the belief that vaccines might be harmful physically. We can argue about reactions to vaccines or associations with disabilities, or allergies, or intolerances......but against God? The school is protecting their kids by sending them home. Are these people having Godly lollipop licking parties?

[Wolfie]

Duh, I didn't even think of that. Are a lot of JW moms working? Not like other fundies, then? I also got the impression from talking to a neighbor (JW) that they're not really big on having kids.

The ones I know usually have a couple kids and usually aren't high enough economically for one parent to stay home, so both adults work. I unfortunately don't have a high opinion of them from my experiences (including an aunt by marriage, one cousin is so mentally messed up that he can't even hold down a job or live independently at 40, the other cousin rarely talks to his mom. I also worked with a couple while I was still working in a part time job.)

JW's have a verse about not injecting other substances into their bloodstream. Which is why it is against God to vaccinate or get a blood transfusion. They also believe that they know who the chosen are, and the rest all have to wait on the chosen ones at meetings.

[SealFan1963]

My brother and his wife are Jehovah's Witness. I am not Jehovah's Witness, but I have spent a lot of time around them in the last 20 years.

Yes, they do vaccinate their children, no they do not do blood transfusions (and Jehovah's Witness doctors have been integral in helping to create blood less surgery).

The majority of Jehovah's Witnesses send their children to school and yes, it is okay for the women to work, in fact my SIL owns her own business. They wear normal clothes, dye their hair, wear makeup, cut their hair, go to rock concerts, etc. etc. etc.

The celebrate weddings, babies, and anniversary's. They do not celebrate any other holiday, birthday's nor do they salute the flag. The can vote on issues (such as a school levy) but they cannot vote for a person.

My nephew's favorite band has been Led Zeppelin since he was 5 years old and my niece is a full-blown emo. To see them walking down the street they look just like any other family.

[Elle]

We don't vaccinate (I've got a family and personal history of extremely negative reactions to vaccines), and when something contagious is going around, our daughter and I DON'T GO OUT. I think it's a mistake to rely on vaccines since they do NOT always result in any immunity at all, not by a long shot, yet many people take comfort in the false knowledge of sure protection, and I think everyone should just stay home when something is going around. I don't understand why these people would fight to force their kids to be around sick kids. In their case, it seems like they're just being lazy and don't want to do anything for or with their kids.

(I am not anti-vax. I am pro-vax choice. If you're so sure vaccines will protect your kids, fine, get them and don't worry about other people's kids, but still be courteous and stay home when someone's sick. If you don't want to vaccinate, fine. There are laid arguments on both sides and both sides come with risks. Decide for yourself what you are mores comfortable with.)

[bubbabearzle]

These people are assholes. Seriously, they are suing because the schools are trying to protect their kids? I'd bet good money that these are the same kinds of ass-nuggests who would sue the schools if their kids did catch a deadly disease when there is an outbreak at schools.

I am VERY pro-vaccine. Unless you have a family history of really severe adverse reactions, it's my opinion that you should get them. Not getting them because of a stupid reason (and I'm sorry, but I include religious reasons in this category) could be the kiss of death for someone else, you aren't just taking chances with your own health.

I have a son who is on immune-suppressing medications for Crohn's disease - now, he is fully vaccinated, but because his immune system is lowered the vaccines may be less effective in protecting him. If he ever catches a severe disease from the child of some nimrod who didn't vaccinate because she thinks Jenny Mccarthy (for example) know what the heck she is talking about, I'd be likely to go postal.

I research infectious diseases for a living and can see what these diseases can do - if you can get vaccinated, you should. those who absolutely cannot, and those with lowered immune systems, can rely on herd immunity.

[dairyfreelife]

I normally stay away from this for the most part, buy I absolutely disagree with the idea that vaccines don't protect. They have and do. Herd Immunity does protect. Yes, people can still get illnesses even with vaccines, but there is a reason you don't hear about diptheria or polio or measles. Heck, even chicken pox now seems to be disappearing. Diseases are coming back that people almost never had when I was a child and I am talking about the 90s here. No one had whooping cough when I was young that I am aware of.

It is impossible to shield your children from all communicable illness, especially in schools. Most people do stay home when sick though unless they just can't. Yes, it's lazy of these parents to not comply, but lots of people are contagious before they have symptoms so I don't know what theses parents expect from the school really. The God thing and the body-would they refuse any life saving procedures too? What about taking ibuprofen? Cold meds? Just suffer instead of taking a pill and feeling better? ;)

As for the use of vaccines being optional and a choice-fine, but imho unless you have a serious reason not to vaccinate, like allergies, then why wouldn't you? I guess I am defensive about this after what happened to my grandparents. My grandmother contracted a mumps like virus while pregnant. Her baby ended up with endocardial fibroelastosis. She died suddenly at 4m from CHF as a result. The condition is basically non-existent today thanks to vaccines. A neighbour of my grandmother's has been a cripple since he was child from contracting polio (in his 90s now). I just don't and never will understand people like these parents. I really think these parents are clueless as to the danger of some of the illnesses vaccines work to protect. It's not a 24 stomach bug or a week long head cold. It's crippling and deadly ailments.

Off my :angry-soapbox:

[nataraja]

I don't know if vaccines cause health issues but I doubt that the society would become healthier if there were no vaccines. Some of the illnesses prevented by vaccines are very serious and used to cause a lot of deaths in the past.

People who don't let their kids vaccinate are probably these kind of people who are scared of technological progress and they think they are on the safe side by doing it like people did it 100 years ago. But you don't gain anything out of it. You gain something by improving vaccination.