Call me ignorant or an alarmist, but I'm terrified of childhood vaccines. My children have received all of theirs, but it doesn't mean that each one hasn't caused me sleepless nights and heart palpitations.
After countless hours of reading and research, I came to my shaky conclusion that the risks of vaccinating are less than those of not vaccinating, but I'm far from staunch in my beliefs about this. The fact is that each one feels like a terrifying leap of faith. Countless other parents, however, aren't willing to make such a leap, and they choose not to vaccinate their children. Good for them; I absolutely understand and support their decisions. They're their children, their choice.
With that choice, however, come potential consequences, one of which may be their non-vaccinated children being banned from school. And as difficult and frustrating as it may be for anti-vaxxers, that's a legitimate part of the choice they make -- and it should be.
It happens regularly across the country when diseases like whooping cough or Measles break out. And every time it does, tempers flare and studies are thrown about showing that non-vaccinated children are and are not a risk in schools.
The fact that there is a potential risk to vaccinated students is enough in my book to support such bans. And really the parents of the unvaccinated children should understand this better than anyone.
More from The Stir: The Decision to Vaccinate Is for Parents Not Government to Make
They don't want anyone to force what they consider a risky health situation on them and their family via vaccinations, and they shouldn't force other families to be put in what they consider a risk situation either -- sitting next to an non-vaccinated child in an enclosed classroom. The rest of the world aside, we all know how quickly germs and the like travel through schools, and the risk is there. There are children and adults who for numerous reasons, such as allergies, can't get immunizations; and sometimes vaccinations aren't as effective as they should be. Those people shouldn't be put at risk because others just don't want to vaccinate.
The decision to vaccinate or not vaccinate a child is one of the toughest many parents make, and it's one I believe each parent should be allowed to make. But if schools determine a ban of non-vaccinated students is the best way to ensure the safety and well being of the majority of students, then the parents of non-vaccinated children must accept that as part of their decision as tough as it may be.
What are your thoughts on schools banning non-vaccnated children? Take our poll, here.
Image via Army Medicine/Flickr
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Comments 240
I completely and totally agree with you. Freedom comes with responsibility and consequences. It's not about forcing parents to vaccinate their kids, but your right not to vaccinate doesn't mean that other people's kids should have to be subjected to increased danger of illness.
If kids with allergies that require special treatment are allowed to attend and have whole new school policies implemented, then non-vax kids should too.
Allergies= kid didn't choose to have them, and can't help it, but even tho they're a danger to themselves and an inconvenience to others, their parents chose to send them to public school
Un-vax= kid didn't choose what shots to get or not get, and can't help what the parent chose, but even though they're a MUCH SLIGHTER risk to themselves, and a very small risk to others, their parents chose to send them to public school.
If your kids get their shots, then even if the kid next to them has chicken pox, they'll be fine. Unless of course, you don't have faith in your precious shots. In which case, put your kid in a bubble and keep them home
Your vaccinated child is more of a risk to my non-vaccinated child. So I think your child should be banned from school for the duration of the shedding period after each vaccine they get. I don't want my child getting the engineered version of what ever you are shooting into your child's body.
the4mutts, are you rediculous or what? Your analogy doesn't make ANY sense at all, I'll have you know.
What you just said was that "something I do that effects everyone around me" is the same thing as "something everyone else around me does effects me"...........doesn't quite work that way.
You send your unvaccinated children to school and lets say that he catches chickenpox or and even more deadly disease. Did you know that these diseases are DANGEROUS in certain communities? Kids with asthma and excema get severely ill from chicken pox.....even if they get the vaccine, they are still vulnerable because of how badly the virus reacts with them! Also, pregnant women. Sure your kid may not have an effect at school, but for the pregnant woman who is unknowingly succeptible. Chickenpox causes miscarriage and stillbirth. Bet you didn't know that either. Its dangerous to certain populations.
Kids with food allergies, on the other hand, aren't going to spread thier allergies to your kids :/. The only thing that they do is eat different foods and sometimes require your child to wash thier hands. Sometimes they have to ban certain foods.
Its totally NOT the same thing :/.