Finally! Something parents on both sides of the heated vaccine debate can agree on. Shots are adult business. So what's with Melanie's Marvelous Measles, a new book pushing the dangerous anti-vaccine agenda on -- you guessed it -- little kids?
Do we really want our kids weighing in on whether or not they want a shot in the arm?
I'm going to give that one a big fat negative!
I am all for using books and movies to explain important issues to our kids. But there's a fine line between resource and propaganda, and Australian natural health activist Stephanie Messenger crossed it big time. She's feeding kids dangerous information -- the likes of "measles don't run and catch you or hurt you ... for most children it is a good thing to get measles" -- to get the kids to fight their parents on a decision that really isn't theirs to make in the first place!
My kid is 7. If I tell her she's going to get her flu shot this week, I expect her to whine and try to bargain her way out of it because that's what kids do. But I'm her mother; it's my job to make the tough decisions that she can't yet make.
Obviously I'm a pro-vaccine parent. This book infuriates me because it's spreading untruths about a disease that kills kids!
But let's say I wasn't. I still would expect my 7-year-old to fall in line because she's 7. She simply doesn't have the ability to read all the literature on vaccines, anticipate future issues, think beyond the pain of a needle jab in the arm. Just another reminder that just because a book is written "for kids" doesn't mean it really is!
Is there any place for this "children's" book? Or is this a topic that should be left to adults?
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Comments 14
my children don't make the parenting decisions in our household - and whether to vaccine or not is exactly that. our decision as parents is what we decide is best for our children, not decisions made by them.
Obviously anyone with a brain knows that this book is NOT being pushed on kids whose parents vax in order to encourage them to rebel against their parents' vaccine decisions.
The kids being given this book are the ones whose parents already agree with it and have decided not to vax their kids. It's a way for those parents to help their child understand why they made the decision they did at a level a young child can understand.
Again, this is not about the kids making vaccine decisions. This is about explaining the parents' decision to the child. Frankly, pro-vax parents should be more upset that they don't have a book explaining what vaccines do and why they chose to vaccinate their child.
jpk-buff, you took the words out of my mouth. Though I still don't think a book is gonna be enough to make ANY child look forward to getting sick, lol.
Sid the Science kid pushes vaccinces. It's a kid show. Directed at and for kids.
Yet, where was the outrage over that?
Right.
I'm simply suggesting that Jeanne is a bit of a hypocrite with her outrage over adults pushing their agenda on children, when in fact- there was no outcry from her over the fact that Sid the Science kid does the same exact thing, only for the other side.
Personally, I am "reality-based" (but I love the large and generalaization of a different group of people.) but I still don't think that tactic is okay. Even if it's pushing your side.
The book itself is not bad per say. Measles is a very mild illness with recover rate of over 99%. The rate of side effectes is like 1 in 2000 or so last data I saw on the WHO's website. Honestly before you go spouting off about a deadly disease, you might wanna check your facts.
@ courtastic
Not the one page "fact sheet", the actual data section under diseases and instances of death and side effects.
@ Nonmember
Measles was considered a right of passage as a child until the 1960's/1970's. It was believed that by challenging the immune system with this mild illness that it would strengthen the immune system against future illnesses. Also those who are vaxed are much more likely to get measles as the measles vaccine (MMR, MMR-II, MMRV) are live vaccines and therefore carry a risk of making the vaccinated person ill. Also since the MMR's failure rate is relatively high (most children vaccinated at 18 months are not immune at 4 years). This would account for the nearly 98 or so cases a year of measles in the US.
Thank you CM for more fearmongering and spreading of stupidity since people can't read or think for themselves.