Refusing Shots Puts Kids at Higher Risk for Whooping Cough

Vaccine "hype"

Vaccines can be effective, but everyone (including the vaccine manufactures) also know there are risks to each and every vaccine. One cannot call another person uneducated for refusing to vaccinate, their are experts on both sides of the debate that disagree on benefits outweighing the risks. I understand how scary it could be for the elderly or a young baby to contract some diseases. Keep in mind that we have no idea how long immunities from vaccinations last, that could mean that a large majority of our population is not protected, mostly adults. I worry about the thousands of adults much more than the smaller amount of unvaccinated children.

wow!

I agree, i think if you do your research you will find, that while the vacccine does not prevent whooping cough, it does lessen the severity of it! I am outraged that people would put my nephew, who just had open heart surgery, at 6 mths old, at risk because they think that vaccines should be a choice! He didn't have a choice but to fight for his life, and it would be a shame for something like this to come along and KILL him because some parent didn't wnat to vaccinate their child! That is FINE, but if you don't vaccinate, try living your life in a BUBBLE, like my nephew has had to do!!! He has not been out of the house like normal kids b/c of junk like this! Please if for no other reason, think about the other kids that your decisions affect!!!

RE: Don't endanger society

Medical treatment for children that get Whooping Cough in the US certainly prevents many of the deaths that would otherwise occur had the children lived in Africa, where the people likely can't afford the medical treatments (which includes antibiotics). Also, much higher numbers of people in Africa likely get Whooping Cough and other diseases due to simple differences in hygeine. Much of the US has running water, refrigeration, electricty to power vacuum cleaners. In Africa, what you have access to depends on where you live and how wealthy you are. Large African populations are not wealthy and have little access to medical treatments. So, while vaccination might prevent some cases of the Whooping Cough in the US, it likely has a much smaller impact on the number of deaths. See http://www.healthsentinel.com/graphs.php?id=14&event=graphs_print_list_item. In most cases, vaccines are simply a convenience to families with 2 working parents.

Don't endanger society

Here are the facts: In 1999 in the U.S., there were 7 infant deaths from whooping cough according to the National Vital Statistics Report. In 2002 in Africa, there were, according to the World Health Organization, 131,000 deaths from whooping cough. 7 in the U.S. vs. 131,000 in Africa. We vaccinate. They don't. Look it up; these are the facts. This isn't to say that correlation implies causality. Certainly there are more differences between the two societies than just vaccination. But the numbers are significant. I have yet to see similar numbers from a peer reviewed study that show a link between vaccination and autism.

Whooping cough

Funny, I actually know a fair number of kids who have been diagnosed with whooping cough. All of them have been fully vaccinated. I also know quite a few kids who have never been vaccinated, right in the same community, and have never had whooping cough. I know that doesn't prove anything to anyone, but it is curious.

Not Hype????

It is 'nice' that talk of scientific studies, though you have not conducted much research on vaccinations. Secondly, I would not rush to the description of 'coincidence', in the scientific community this would be an outcome to further investigate.

I am glad you are not a detective, Captain Coincidence.

think it through

You might not think it's a big deal but your unvaccinated child can infect a baby too young for the vaccine who could die as a result.We get vaccinations just like we don't pee on the sidewalk--not just for our own benefit but for the benefit of society as a whole. Boulder Colorado has one of the highest rates of whooping cough. Why? Because people there consider the vaccination "a lifestyle choice." Tell that to the elderly, the very young, or those with compromised immune systems. Your "lifestyle choice" can be a life or death choice to them only they don't have any choice at all.

Whooping cough

years ago as an LPN before I went back to school and got my RN I worked for six months in Respiratory Therapy. At that time I took care of a few children that had whooping cough, they were at ages between two and three, I still remember the sound and sight of them struggleing to breath and the high pitched racking cough that exhausted them, we had them oxygen tents at the time with mists. If they had been my children and I'd chosen not to given them a vaccine that could have prevented them from going through that, I'd not have been able to forgive myself. They were suffering, crying reaching out to be held but they couldn't they had to stay in the tent for days.

Think carefully before you take the risks that could potentially cost you seperation from the ability to comfort your children when they are hurting.

It wounds your soul, atleast it has in the past when I've watched my own children suffer and not been able to do anything about fixing it. I imagine it would be all that much worse if I had only myself to blame.

This isn't hype

This is not "hype". These are the findings of a scientific study. Your anecdotal evidence is a coincidence and proves absolutely nothing, other than you being yet another uneducated parent who is endangering their child by refusing to get vaccinations for no good reason. Maybe you should try learning about the proven effectiveness of vaccines before you run your mouth about them.

Not so true

My Child is in a 3 kid day care and the 2 that were given the shots both caught whooping cough and my child who has not didn't......Don't believe the hype.