Home-schooling to avoid vaccinations
Categories: Newborns, Babies, Toddlers, Preschoolers, Kids 5-7, Safety, Medical Conditions, In The News, Education
In 2003, the U.S. Department of Education estimated that more than 1 million children in the United States were home-schooled. Today, the National Home Education Research Institute estimates that number to have doubled, with about 2 million children receiving their education at home. Parents who choose to home-school their children do so for many reasons, but I would imagine most do so because they feel that their children will get a better education at home as opposed to a traditional school setting.But a growing number of parents are choosing to teach their kids at home not just because they feel they can provide them a better education, but as a way to avoid being forced to immunize their kids against disease.
While many states allow children who attend public or private schools to obtain medical or religious exemptions from the immunizations, most states don't require home-schooled children to be vaccinated at all. But with recent outbreaks of measles being tied predominantly to unvaccinated, home-schooled children, health officials say it is time to change the rules.
Dr. Lance Rodewald, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Immunization Services Division, believes that exemptions from immunizations should be harder to get and that home-schooled children should be required to get them as well. "Somebody who has taken an exemption from school laws, like a philosophical or religious exemption, is 35 times more likely to get measles ... and 22 times more likely to get whooping cough," he says.
Arthur Caplan, chair of the Department of Medical Ethics at the University of Pennsylvania, says that parents who argue that they are not putting anyone else at risk by not immunizing their children are wrong. "Unvaccinated children pose not only a risk to themselves but to their families, other children they come in contact with, and especially older people they might visit or encounter in a movie theater or mall," he said.
I am certainly no expert on the subject of vaccinations and the possible link to autism. My child has received her shots with no ill effects and for that I am thankful. But it is clear to me that if we are to avoid a resurgence of some scary childhood diseases, we need to figure this out fast.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
SKL 10-23-2008 @ 4:40PM
They should focus on a cure or treatment for serious cases of measles and such, and immunize only target groups (e.g., old people who haven't had measles) for the illnesses that usually aren't that serious in children. Unlike childhood vaccinations, this will result in lifelong immunity for most teen and adult Americans. In the long term, this seems to be the more logical approach.
Parents should be educated and given a choice among vaccines. Most parents will choose to vaccinate for the diseases that are most dangerous to young children, and many will choose to go further. Those who choose not to should be entitled to that option, provided they document that they are fully aware of the risks.
There should also be a lot more research on making all vaccines safer and/or making them effective for life.
It is my understanding that the recent outbreaks of measles and mumps in the US were brought here from countries that don't require vaccines. In addition, at least half of those affected were either adults or children who had been vaccinated. Unless we close all the US borders, childhood vaccines (which wear off) will never completely prevent outbreaks. Since we'll always be vulnerable to outbreaks, it makes more sense for people to develop natural and/or lifelong immunity as children to the extent practical.
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Uly 10-24-2008 @ 12:45AM
"In addition, at least half of those affected were either adults or children who had been vaccinated."
Given that absolutely no vaccine is 100% perfect, this is just what I would expect! The majority of the population in the US has been vaccinated, correct? So, out of that majority, there's got to be a substantial number of people who were vaccinated but whose vaccination simply didn't take.
Don 10-24-2008 @ 7:51AM
Quoted From: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5733a1.htm
The second sentence should be of interest to you,
"The number of measles cases reported during January 1--July 31, 2008, is the highest year-to-date since 1996. This increase was not the result of a greater number of imported cases, but was the result of greater viral transmission after importation into the United States, leading to a greater number of importation-associated cases. These importation-associated cases have occurred largely among school-aged children who were eligible for vaccination but whose parents chose not to have them vaccinated. One study has suggested an increasing number of vaccine exemptions among children who attend school in states that allow philosophical exemptions (6). In addition, home-schooled children are not covered by school-entry vaccination requirements in many states. The increase in importation-associated cases this year is a concern and might herald a larger increase in measles morbidity, especially in communities with many unvaccinated residents".
I'll also link to another article that discusses the antivax moment and it's benefits to measles.
http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=194
Sabrina 10-23-2008 @ 4:56PM
Find a way to make shots that don't scare people (I can't speak to whether or not shots cause Autism or any other problems as my kids seem to be turning out fine), and more kids will be vaccinated. If the risk of getting the shots is less frightening to parents than the risk of getting these diseases, parents will change their tune. The main reason my kids get shots? My grandfather is permanently disabled from childhood polio. Scary Scary stuff, I'm telling you.
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Pennylayne 10-23-2008 @ 9:59PM
How do you think these children develop immunities? They develop them through getting the shot. Each child is given a "dead" version of the disease and then our bodies start to attack the invader and make the antibody to the disease. That way when our body sees this invader again it can recall the antibody and fight the "bug" Everyday we come in contact with bugs and our body fights them off and we never know about it. As far as the dangers of shots, it is more dangerous to not get them. Sure there are some that you can consider unnecessary, say HPV or even the Chicken Pox shot but as far as the the rest there is no excuse.
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SKL 10-24-2008 @ 2:13AM
No, the normal way to get immunity is to get the disease when you're young. My parents have lifelong immunity because they had measles and mumps. I wish I could say the same.
Paul Cyopick 10-24-2008 @ 8:54AM
People think that getting mumps and measles is only as serious as getting a cold. Far from it. People die from these diseases, which is why everyone should be immunized.
As for parents who choose not to immunize their children, they should look past the celebrity hype and actually study the facts. Although there are risks from any medication or medical procedure, they are small compared to the benefits of vaccination. Immunizations and autism have no scientific link whatsoever, the link only exists in the minds of a few celebrity parents and their followers with no factual data.
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Michelle 10-24-2008 @ 11:38AM
I am one of "those" parents who make choices regarding the vaccinations my children receive. I have done the research and tons of it. I actually work in research and probably have better access and understanding of studies than the average joe. I am a parent that balances the risk of getting the disease against the actual risks of the shots and at what ages. As much as some may call me anti-vaccine I have seen the research, determined the bias (based upon who did and funded the research), and have come to my best conclusions as a concerned parent. Yes I vaccinate my children, but heck no am I going to do it on the government's schedule. And you had better ask your pediatrician for the insert to whatever it is you choose to get your child vaccinated for because they may not be making new vaccines with Mercury, but they sure as heck aren't throwing all the ones in existence in the trash either. I asked for the insert and refused a vaccine because it was an older version and contained mercury. I delayed my children's vaccines and in case you're interested for a lot of vaccines when you delay until at least 1 year, oddly enough the immunity gained from the vaccines tend to be better than if they were given as infants. Their bodies are more mature and better able to create the antibodies that create immunity. Also several need fewer shots due to the child's bodies better capabilities in creating the immunities as well (instead of 4 shots for Hib, we only needed to give 2).
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Sandyone 10-24-2008 @ 1:29PM
Michelle, did you get your kids' titers before proceeding with the 3rd shot in the series? Did you do it as separate bloodwork or in conjunction with some other bloodwork that was being done?
Thanks!
Anita 10-24-2008 @ 2:11PM
The problem with delaying some of the shots until the child is older is that babies are at risk for the diseases. Diptheria is not going to wait until your baby is one years old to hit. Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib) which caused menengitis and epiglotitis for years in babies also does not wait until your child is older and you are ready for them to be vaccinated. Yes, their immunity is not great so the vaccines do not hold as infants but that is why they get so many boosters.
Michelle 10-24-2008 @ 2:18PM
For the youngest I have not had his titers done yet, but even our pediatrician told us that once they are over a year with certain immunizations (Hib and Pc are examples) they do not need as many shots in a series (Pc was 2 and Hib was actually only 1) due to the more mature immune system response to vaccines. All of my children tend to be very healthy and strong on this schedule. I do still vaccinate I just wait later to start, slow it down, and consider more carefully when and which series to do. I really believe in vaccines, but I think there is a combination of factors around now that were not around or at least not as strongly influential in the past (environmental, chemical, etc.) that may make the current make up of vaccines more risky side effect-wise than they were in the past.
Now the HPV vaccine is still going to be a no go for any girls until they can prove it is actually safe for the age group they are vaccinating (the study never tested the age group, only those over 18). Chicken pox vaccine I wait to see if they get it naturally before age 10 if not then I go with the vaccine since that gets riskier the older they get.
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michelle 10-24-2008 @ 2:23PM
Anita,
I understand the concern, but to reiterate I have done my homework and mass amounts of it. Between my family and our pediatrician this was what worked best. Our pediatrician fully supported us waiting the first year, especially because I breastfed that entire time. I'm not going on a BF kick, but the research in regards to immunities and vaccinations show that BF babies gain better immunities from Mom and are usually not as exposed as nonBF babies.
I am in a high Pertussus state, and yet my Ped still said okay to delay. Work with your pediatricians (find supportive ones) and be as informed as possible. Parents (almost always) know what's best for their children. Just stating what works for us and that I do so in an informed and medically supported fashion.
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Don 10-24-2008 @ 3:27PM
Could you possibly link to said research? It would make your argument more valid if one has something to check against other than just you posting your thoughts.
michelle 10-24-2008 @ 4:01PM
Well, considering I said for my situation I had discussions with my pediatrician, did my own research, and being clear that this is what I do I didn't think I needed to prove myself. I also figured a parent that wanted to be informed my actually inform themselves or request instead of telling me to prove myself and my choices for my own family. Along with the fact that I made my own decisions on bias yours may be different-basically do your own research come up with your own conclusions. My concern stems from removing parental rights to make these choices for our own families.
A good resource would be the Dr. Sears Vaccine book and his website which contains updates as they become available.
Here are a few links to websites to start from:
http://www.vaccination.inoz.com/ingredie.html
http://www.lewrockwell.com/miller/miller15.html
http://www.righthealth.com/Health/Vaccine%20Ingredients-s?lid=goog-ads-sb-8536643334
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,219538,00.html
http://www.thinktwice.com/studies.htm
http://www.who.int/topics/vaccines/en/
George Lithco 10-26-2008 @ 10:38PM
There is a certain amount of magical thinking above...
>>My parents have lifelong immunity because they had measles and mumps. I wish I could say the same....
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