SVU

Hey did anyone watch SVU tonight? Seems the vaccination debate goes on everywhere even makes for a storyline (albeit a very extreme storyline) on tv!

Just found it quite interesting, lol hopefully this wont turn into an 11 page debate about the subject

I was amazed at their extreme viewpoints. I know I know...its TV....but wow, so different in USA to here.

School immunization laws

Each state has immunization requirements, sometimes called "school laws," that must be met before a child may enter school. These may include vaccination against diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), tetanus (lockjaw), Haemophilus influenzae type b, measles, mumps, rubella, polio, and hepatitis B. Some states have added varicella (chicken pox) vaccination to the list of required vaccines. Smallpox vaccination was once required, but the disease has been so successfully eradicated that this vaccination is no longer needed.

In most states, a parent must bring written proof of a child's immunizations from the health provider or clinic at the time of school registration. If a required vaccination has not been obtained, and there is no health condition or religious objection preventing immunization, the child must receive the vaccinations before school entry. You can find out what the requirements are in your state through a link provided at the end of this section.

These required vaccinations don't just protect the children in a classroom. They protect the teachers, parent volunteers, visiting grandparents, and everyone else who enters the classroom or provides services to the school. The blanket of protection provided by rubella ("German measles") vaccination is especially important for women who are pregnant. Rubella can cause serious effects on the developing fetus, including deafness, blindness, heart disease, brain damage, or other serious problems, including miscarriage.(9) Today's middle-aged adults may remember how common this disease was before the rubella vaccine became available. Rubella was feared for its effects, including ear infection, pneumonia, diarrhea, seizures, brain damage, and death.(10)

Just found this, so I guess it is pretty much true. I agree they do have some extreme views on it huh!

haha, I had a feeling that there would be a thread on this today

I agree MrsG. Its her choice not to vaccinate, but she shouldn't have taken the kid to the park if he was sick. Only I think she didn't know at the time that he was sick? Cos he was infectious before he had symptoms. I don't think that made it murder though! The viewpoints were a bit extreme I think.

As an aside, cuppatea, apparently medical shows mostly have medical advisors on them, so that the medical stuff is fairly accurate. Apparently they have to because lots of people use shows like that to self-diagnose and I guess in America they could get sued for giving the wrong 'advice' (This was according to some doctor friends of mine).

Oh and mrsg1 I dont think she took while he was symptomatic, rather before that when he was contagious but not "sick" as such.

I agree with Paws why didnt the mother take the little girl to the hospital?????

i dont normally get worked up by tv shows but that one really got me.

One of the main differences in the States is that they don't vacinate babies under 12 months for measles (as I understand - could be wrong!). So in NZ you have the 'herd protection' (that's not the right term, but you know what I mean, as almost all babies are vacinated it means diseases won't spread far as most are protected against them) - but in the States all babies under 1 are unprotected, so there is a huge greater risk of catching measles and an outbreak in the under 1s would be catastrophic in comparison to NZ where most under 1s are vacinated. I think that's why they are a lot more pro-vacination, and it's seen as irresponsible/morally wrong not to vaccinate, as the risk is so much higher for infecting young babies who can't be protected.

Edited by Febgirl

The american debate regarding vaccinations is to do with the unproven association with the increase in autism after having vaccinations.
In the states kids get up 30 different vaccines before they are 5, that seems a bit excessive even for me, and I'm pro-vac

JD wrote: If you are anti vaccinating...would you vaccinate your family members if say one of your kids got the measles? Just curious...

No I wouldn't

I don't believe in vaccinating for many reasons. I don't want to start another debate though, but there is loads of info at www.ias.org.nz about why people don't immunise. Side effects is just one of many reasons.

If one of my boys was to get measles then by the time we knew the likelihood is that the other would already have been infected as the disease is contagious before the rash appears, so giving the vaccine at that time would be like trying to shut the gate after the horse has bolted. I also believe that the vaccines take some time to come into effect as the body has to create antibodies, so even if we did some how know as soon as one was infectious then again giving the vaccine probably would be ineffective. Also being vaccinated doesn't actually make you immune.

If the boys were to get it, then they would get a great natural immunity to it, which in the long term will give them far better protection than a vaccine, which may or may not stop them from getting it as it is not always effective and doesn't last a lifetime.