Answers: Vaccination

Are too many parents choosing not to follow recommended vaccination schedules? What is or has been your approach to childhood vaccinations and why?

FROM OUR INBOX

Unvaccinated students should not be allowed in public schools with the exception of allergies. Unvaccinated put all at increased risk and parents should be liable to civil damages.

Palmer H.

Iowa City

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FROM FACEBOOK

' Joe S.: My kid can't bring peanut butter to school. Why should your kid be allowed to bring preventable diseases to school?

' Michelle G.: I think the parent should have the choice. Period.

' Kimberly M.: A baby can't get measles vaccination until one years old. That's why you should get your kids vaccinated. You will give it to babies who can't get the shot yet.

' Jennifer K.: Vaccinate your kiddos unless a medical problems stands in the way! Although vaccines do not guarantee the prevention of a disease, in most cases if one gets the disease, the symptoms will be much less severe than if not vaccinated!

' Danny E.: If one child isn't vaccinated and the others are, its no big deal. Its when that mentality gets into more people is when the word 'resurgence” comes back. Vaccinate your kids.

' Ken C.: If the vaccine works and your child is vaccinated why should it matter if another child isn't?

' Monica R.: My son had a heart transplant because he was born with a Congenital heart defect. He will never be able to be fully vaccinated. Those that choose to not vaccinate are risking not only their children's lives, but my son's.

' Casey D.: Individuals are entitled to make their own choices regarding their kids. How they are raised, morals/values, food choices, religion, on and on.

' Vicki B.: do we need to go back to no shots, no school?

' Becky L.: The benefits of being vaccinated outweigh the risks by far! Vaccinate your children for their sake and everyone else's!

' Cera W.: Prove to me that vaccines are 100% safe and effective. Prove to me that this is the best thing for my children.

' Necia C.: There are people who cannot be vaccinated due to immune issues, age and more. These people rely on the herd immunity of others to protect them. I would understand if vaccines caused more harm than good. But choosing not to vaccinate is putting people at risk.

' Alecia D.: When your decision affects my children than I have a dog in this fight.

' Jane W.: Too MANY parents are following the recommended guidelines in my opinion.

' Cryssi H.: There are many immuno-compromised children who cannot get vaccines. And children who've had a severe reaction or injury due to a vaccine, whose parents have chosen to not continue the vaccines. Children under 1 year old cannot get the MMR vaccine.

' Amanda S.: One parent that chooses not to vaccinate their child is too many parents.

' Billie L.: Vaccinate your children please. You are putting others at risk.

' Colby K.: My child was born perfectly healthy, but there are many other's I know who were not and are unable to vaccinate their children. For the safety of my son and for the sake of children everywhere, I choose to fully vaccinate. No man is an island.

' Babs G.: I vaccinated my kid at a children's hospital and she practically died in the doctors arms. Never been the same since. All her doctors and specialists have said not to vaccinate any of our children ever. It could be genetic. So we don't.

' Heather B.: My son in order to go to preschool and Kindergarten had to get all of his vaccinations! He has hardly ever been sick. I believe that no matter what u should get your children vaccinated!

' Steve S.: My first child was born with a rare and complex congenital heart defect. The doctors said vaccinating her was a must and not to get off schedule. I believe that vaccinating our children is important not only to keep them safe but to keep other safe as well.

' Patricia H.: I do Not understand why parents would choose to not vaccinate their babies from deadly diseases.

' Matthew B.: Yes. It will help if more pediatricians refuse care to morbidly unvaccinated children and their proudly ignorant parents.

' Rayan C.: There are some of us who cannot get a vaccination due to medical reasons. Don't lump us all together and say everyone needs a vaccine.

' Richard B.: Yes too many parents are neglecting or refusing to have their children vaccinated. It should be that before a child is brought home from the hospital the child has all vaccinations that the child can have at that age. There should be no waivers from the schools or any other institution for not getting children vaccinated.

' Barb F.: A disease that was irradiated is coming back due to non-vaccinated people. I was a child before the vaccine and I remember homes being quarantined when someone who lived there had measles. It was an awful disease that is totally preventable now. Why take a chance of getting it and spreading it to others?

' Lindsay B.: More kids die every year from choking than vaccinations.

' Andy C.: If something is a good idea, it doesn't need to be forced. If it does need to be forced, it must not be a good idea. My family and I got our vaccines because we thought they were a good idea, but if people are going to try to force them on others against their will will be less convinced and more alarmed.

' Melody L.: Had these parents had to go those any of these diseases, they would vaccinate their kids. They have no idea how devastating losing someone, after a vaccine is available, can be.

' Jessi W.: Iowa's kindergarten vaccination rate is between 98 and 99 percent. I think we're doing OK.

' Jennifer C.: Please vaccinate - not just for your child, but for those they will come in contact with that have poor immune systems, on chemotherapy, pregnant, elderly.

' Mary H.: I had measles as a child (at the same time as my sister) and we were deathly ill. Ten days later my little brother and sister got them and they were even sicker. I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy. Six months later we all got the mumps.

' Brenda G.: I'm not so sure I would get my child vaccinated anymore. Why can't they make vaccines that don't cause side affects?

' Nicholas P.: Parents need to be given all information and a choice, if they don't want to vaccinate I am sure they can home school or find another school that other kids are also not vaccinated.

' Jennifer K.: Vaccinate your kiddos unless a medical problems stands in the way! Although vaccines do not guarantee the prevention of a disease, in most cases if one gets the disease, the symptoms will be much less severe than if not vaccinated!

' Jacob F.: Whether they work or not, parents have freedom of choice as to what goes in they're kids bodies.

' Craig W.: If vaccines are so effective and you took it, it should protect you from people who are not vaccinated.

' Carol W.: I thought vaccinations were mandatory for children starting school. When did that change?

' Amanda T.: I wouldn't ever push that stuff on my children. If they want when they're older so be it but its their choice. Gotta remember we all die and we all get sick ... not like we're getting out of either.

' Jo P.: It needs to be a requirement and if personal or religious beliefs are playing a factor these parents need to take their kids to a religious school then. There is only so far others should suffer or risk.

' Kristen S.: You can't trust why these doctors are putting in you nowadays.

' Elizabeth M.: Yes I think too many people forgo vaccinations. I do not believe that doctors would continue to give us vaccinations if they thought that they did more harm than good. It goes against everything that they stand for in their Hippocratic oath.

' Kristen E.: I think the latest outbreak of measles here in the US answers this question.

' Joy L.: I would like to get back to the required vaccines that my kids had when they were little. I think that now there is a vaccine for everything and that makes me a little uncomfortable.

' Jenny H.: We have vaccines for a reason! My kids are vaccinated! I couldn't live with myself if they got something that could be prevented and died from it! Plus I was vaccinated as well and nothing happened to me!

' Karen R.: Now that it seems to be a political issue on the republican side (Christie, for one) will we have a huge group of republicans who won't vaccinate their children? Scary!

' Kate S.: My children are vaccinated and will remain vaccinated unless we run into a health problem that would prevent us from getting protection from a national epidemic.

' Nell L.: What did we do back in the days when we got measles. .chickenpox etc ... and still lived?

' Savannah B.: I am a stay-at-home mom who will home-school. I don't vaccinate on schedule. If my kids went to day care, school or Disney Land for that matter, I would.