Way to go vaccineophobe parents: Measles Outbreak

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by psicodude

There is nothing in Mormon doctrine that bans or frowns upon vaccinations. In fact, it promotes them.

Can you provide an example?

[psicodude]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

Can you provide an example?

http://www.lds.org/church/news/churc...l-mobilization

Disclaimer: I am not a practicing Mormon and am not here to defend them. I just know a few of them (my brother) and they all have their children immunized.

[fundmark19]

If you don't want to vaccinate your kids that is totally ok. However your kids should not be allowed to go to school/day care and should not be able to participate in organized activities with other children.

If you want to be irresponsible and cause preventable outbreaks then go ahead and home school your kids and isolate them from society. One stupid parent puts everyone else at risk and like others have said there are no rational reasons for not vaccinating and that includes religious beliefs.

Unless someone can provide a scientific research argument from their respective god stating the exact reason they can't accept a vaccination which has nearly eliminated a disease then they can pound sand and live in isolation from modern society.

[fundmark19]

Originally Posted by psicodude

There is nothing in Mormon doctrine that bans or frowns upon vaccinations. In fact, it promotes them.

Isn't it hardcore Jehova Witnesses that are against all medical intervention? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikiped...%27s_Witnesses

I know they don't accept blood transfusions so I would assume they would be against vaccinations even though this wiki article says it is up to each individual

[return to the red]

It's not the Mormons I was referring to, or the JW's

[Jimmy Stang]

Originally Posted by return to the red

It's not the Mormons I was referring to, or the JW's

Sorry - I made the initial assumption. I always think Lethbridge = windy and Mormons, and I admit that it is a sweeping generalization.

So what religious group are you referring to? I'm genuinely interested as I don't know.

[psicodude]

Me too. It's Lethbridge...what other religions exist there?

[Bertuzzied]

Originally Posted by MarchHare

Except it's the children, who had no choice in the matter, that are paying the price for their parents' stupidity.

Yeah. if this was a Darwin award then this lady would not be charged.

[automaton 3]

The current outbreak is tied to the Dutch community:

http://lethbridgeherald.com/news/loc...s-recommended/

Residents in and around Lethbridge may be particularly vulnerable to the illness because of low immunization rates and close connections to the Dutch community, warned Dr. Vivien Suttorp, medical officer of health for Alberta Health Services’ south zone.

“There’s a strong linkage between the communities in Canada and the Netherlands,” she said. “History dictates that these communities share vaccine-preventable illnesses through travel.”

[psicodude]

So, Hutterites then I assume?

[Jimmy Stang]

Originally Posted by automaton 3

The current outbreak is tied to the Dutch community:

[V]

Not surprised. There are a lot of mothers in the Dutch Reformed circles that are against vaccinations. It's not a religious thing, though.

[automaton 3]

Originally Posted by psicodude

So, Hutterites then I assume?

Hutterites are of German origin - they bounced around a bit before settling in Western Canada/US.

Doesn't appear to be any one reason for the low immunization rates:

Dr. Lavoie acknowledged there are many reasons for the poor immunization rates. “Some choose to ignore it; it’s not important enough a disease to do anything about. Some believe vaccines are not safe, which isn’t true,” Dr. Lavoie said. “Or there are some beliefs in the family, community or the people around them. It could be part of their culture or their religious beliefs that vaccines should not be used. But the message needs to get out: If you don’t get immunized, everyone pays the price.”

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...ticle15071242/

[V]

I'm definitely not educated on the subject, but if my kids get vaccinated, why are they at risk if some of the knuckle-draggers don't? Is the vaccine just not able to handle exposure?

[Ashartus]

Originally Posted by V

I'm definitely not educated on the subject, but if my kids get vaccinated, why are they at risk if some of the knuckle-draggers don't? Is the vaccine just not able to handle exposure?

Because vaccines aren't 100% effective and they rely at least partly on herd immunity. Depending on the vaccine it might give you around 80% or so protection and would probably reduce the severity if you do get the disease.

[MarchHare]

Originally Posted by V

I'm definitely not educated on the subject, but if my kids get vaccinated, why are they at risk if some of the knuckle-draggers don't? Is the vaccine just not able to handle exposure?

Children cannot be vaccinated until they reach a certain age. The danger to your kids is if they're exposed to a preventable disease by the child of an idiot anti-vaxxer prior to being vaccinated themselves.

See this story from earlier this year:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/britis...warn-1.1314245

Thirty newborn babies and their mothers might have been exposed to measles after someone with a measles rash walked onto the maternity ward of Abbotsford hospital on Thursday, officials with the Fraser Health Authority say.

Newborns are too young to be vaccinated against the disease, which is airborne and highly contagious, said Fraser Health’s chief medical health officer Paul Van Buynder.

The illness is extremely dangerous, and in one in 3,000 cases, it can be fatal.

Fraser Health is warning people in Abbotsford to get vaccinated against measles, adding that in some areas nearby, vaccination rates are close to zero.

"There are groups in Fraser East who don't believe in immunization and that they are likely to share this disease, given the likelihood that they will get measles at this moment," Van Buynder said.

[Knut]

Originally Posted by V

I'm definitely not educated on the subject, but if my kids get vaccinated, why are they at risk if some of the knuckle-draggers don't? Is the vaccine just not able to handle exposure?

Vaccines are rarely 100% effective. The other issue is that some people can not get vaccinated for various reasons.

Take the Measles Vaccine for instance..

How effective is MMR vaccine?
More than 95% of the people who receive a single dose of MMR will develop immunity to all 3 viruses. A second vaccine dose gives immunity to almost all of those who did not respond to the first dose.

From: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/...-vac-risks.htm

Edit : + what March-hare said.

[V]

Just got confirmation that this was at the Canadian Reformed school in Coaldale, which was almost shut down because of the outbreak.

Which freaks me out a little because I send my kids to the same school but up here in Edmonton and we have just as many anti-vaxxers. Although I will re-iterate that while this is centred around religious people, the motivation for not vaccinating has nothing to do with religion.

[PsYcNeT]

Yeah there's a really weird overlap in the modern resurgence of "natural" remedies, crystal healing, and anti-Western medicine, of hippies and religious folk.

You know they vote differently but believe the same wacky #### about medicine.

[fundmark19]

Originally Posted by V

Just got confirmation that this was at the Canadian Reformed school in Coaldale, which was almost shut down because of the outbreak.

You should probably start telling the idiot parents that Jesus didn't die for your sins so you could harm your fellow man with ignorance and stupidity. Maybe putting it into a religious context will make them make better life choices