I understand that there can be complications from chicken pox, but my point is that there are also complications with getting any vaccine (and not just sore arms; paralysis, death, etc). You have to weigh the somewhat known risk of catching the disease and potential complications, with the usually unknown risk of getting vaccinated. The problem is, each disease and associated vaccination is different, and there is very little organized data collection on reactions to vaccines. I.e., severe acute reactions are usually reported, but what appear to be minor reactions usually are not reported, nor are chronic effects that most people would never even think are associated with vaccines. Many of these newer vaccines amount to performing an experiment on the greater population.

As a side note, I think shingles is a different disease than chicken pox, but that those who have had chicken pox can be more suseptible to catching shingles. I don't have time to look it up though.

Quam6535: The virus used in the injectable flu vaccine is a DEAD virus. You cannot get the flu from it. The worst side-effect reported is a sore arm (usually for 24 hours at most) at the injection site.

Ha!!! Now I've heard it all. Why would I intentionally inject myself with a herpes virus? Just like when you get a flu shot, (which I have never, and will never do) some people experience flu like symptoms, I wouldn't take the risk of that happening. My father had shingles, and he said it was one of the worst things he had ever experienced. This coming from a guy who has a stroke and a heart attack. But shingles was worse!!

Quam6535: They now have a shingles vaccine that is being recommended for older adults.

So, since children that started receiving the chicken pox vaccine aren't adults yet, this is all "what if"

It's been said that you only get chicken pox once, and then you never get it again. Unless, you get a very "weak" case of it, then you can get it as an adult, but this time they call it shingles.

So, since the children that get a vaccine get a dead disease, what happens if their immune system never becomes strong enough to fight off a strong case of the chicken pox and all we are doing is raising a generation of kids that are going to be very susceptible to the much, much, more painful shingles.

Will it be worth it?

Obviously in the cases you listed below, it's better if they get vaccinated, but Dr.'s today make it seem like you don't love your child if you don't vaccinate them against everything they suggest.

The article that I cited below, which I'm assumeing the AP used for this particular story, notes that 91% of confirmed measles cases come from unvaccinated or those with unknown vaccination status. So I assume that 50% of them are known to be unvaccinated and another 41% are "vaccination status unknown." This article poorly reflects the actual numbers because you can probably safely assume that a good portion of the vaccination status unknown cases are actually unvaccinated.

re: chicken pox vaccine...while many do experience nothing more than an itchy inconvenience, chicken pox is not so benign for others. Children with 'hidden' issues can be devastated by chicken pox- I'm talking a hospital stays or even a funeral. Two examples are children with who suffer with asthma or are being treated for cancer.

Also, there are often potential complications with chicken pox, which no one can predict for each child. I know of a 9 month old child with no compromising health issues, who ended up in UW hospital for weeks due to chicken pox.

moe is right, spread the vaccines out. For example, it is better to get separate shots of measles, mumps, and rubella. The only reason they give you all 3 at once now is because they are afraid of lazy parents not bringing their children in for followup visits, but if you ask you can request the shots separately. I only started researching vaccines after my daughter was over a year, and was upset to discover that the hepatitis B vaccine she received while still in the hospital was unnecessary. I agree with vaccines like polio, where the risk of the disease far outweighs the risk of the vaccine, but we don't need vaccines for chicken pox or flu (unless you are elderly or have some immune disorder). As for measles, I thought it was a pretty serious disease and worth vaccinating, but I never researched it in detail since my daughter had already received the shot anyway.

Baymom: Reread the story and then reread my two previous posts. I think the story is referring to immunized children vs. adults also contracting measles. For many of the baby boomers, the original vaccine was not enough coverage and a second dose was recommended about 20 years ago. Also, my post re: home schooling was in reference to those children not receiving state-mandated vaccines. The law is that if the student is not vaccinated, then the student cannot attend school. I found out from another person posting here (after my comment) that this requirement can be waived. I hope after you read this comment that you have a better understanding of what I was asking and why.

"Nearly half of the 131 cases so far this year involved unvaccinated children" -- So, in other words, the majority who caught the disease had been vaccinated. They'd risked the immunological damage from the metals and other preservatives in the vaccine and still had to experience the disease.

That happened to my sister. She was fully immunized as a child, yet still caught the measles, and, when ready to have a baby, was tested and found not to be immune to the "German measles" either, and was therefore vaccinated yet again.

Measles can be harmful, but most people survive. Vaccines can be harmful, but most people survive. After a friend had her five children vaccinated at one doctor appointment, and *all five* previously normal children, ranging from early school age to infancy, suddenly developed autism, my guess is now that the vaccinations may cause more harm than the diseases.

As to whether some of the children were home-schooled or not -- Who cares? Presumably the rest went to public schools. Shall we ask how many were blonds and how many brunettes and try to imply that that's a reason for the illness, too?

about the immunizations...one thing to keep in mind is that securing the borders is not only an anti-terrorism issue. Does anyone seriously believe all those illegals have had immunizations? Securing the borders is a public health issue, too!!

It's not autism that these children have, it's heavy metal poisoning. If these parents could get the doctors/insurance companies to perform a heavy metal cleanse on them, it might help their children. The symptoms of Autism and mercury poisoning are pretty similar.

But then, the Doctors would have to admit that something they gave the children might have been the cause, which would open them up to lawsuit.

My sister and I had the measles when we were kids and it is the sickest I have ever been in my life. We were in bed for at least 2 weeks, in a darkened room, with an adult with us at all times. It took us a long time to completely recover-and the dr. said we were lucky ones who didn't have serious after effects. So those of you who think the measles are just something kids should have think again! I am a firm believer in vaccines, but I think they give them out too many at a time, and too early.

no, wisconsin does not require immunizations. You can get a waiver for various reasons. Religious or personal conviction are a couple examples.

I agree that some vaccines should be given. I just don't think that they should be given so many and such a young age. And babies certainly don't need a hep b or a chicken pox vaccine. Come on!! We live in a society where we want protect our precious little angels from ALL of the bad things in life, including disease. The thing is, if they never get sick, their immune system will never become strong.

Best advice, be smart, know what's in them, and spread them out

Are all these children without immunizations being schooled at home?

An "adverse" reaction covers all types of events after one receives an immunization. It could be feeling lightheaded, developing redness, itching, etc. Some of these symptoms could be signs of allergic reaction and that is why a patient or child's parent is always asked a series of questions before immunizations are given. An "adverse" reaction does not have to be serious to fit the reporting protocol.

Thanks, moe, for the link. Very informative. Another thing to consider - to whomever claims "no evidence of harm", please then explain to me why the VAERS (Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System) exists.

I'm with you quam - the rest of you, do your homework. Read the labels and the informational handouts. Figure out what the ingredients are. "No evidence of harm has been shown"......that's an outright lie. For those of you who educate yourselves and realize that there are both PROS AND CONS, and choose to vaccinate your children anyhow, that is your choice. But don't go into it blindly - ask questions. Google "vaccine ingredients", "vaccine reactions", and the like. I'm not saying that nobody should vaccinate - I'm just saying that parents should first educate themselves regarding both sides of the issue, and then make an informed decision of their choice. Take a look at www.909shot.com before you make a decision.

The headline for this story is terrible (and it's an AP story). Measles is more than just a rash. Prior to the implementation of measles vaccines in 1963, three to four million people were newly infected each year, 400-500 died, 48,000 were hospitalized, and 1,000 developed chronic disability from measles encephalitis. This info is from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/200....
Not to mention the fact that their 50% number is wrong. From January 1 through July 2008 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention received 131 reports of confirmed measles virus infection in the U.S., the highest number for the same time period since 1996. Of these 131 cases, 91% occurred in individuals who had not been vaccinated or had unknown vaccination status.
If parents continue to refuse vaccination, the number of children infected with Measles is going to grow exponentially, more kids are going to suffer, all based on minimal scientific evidence of a connection between vaccinations and autism.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned that whole 2012 end of the world thing... oh crap, I just did. Wow, I'm lame.

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/sto...

Nearly half? So more than half come from vaccinated children. Thanks but no thanks, I'll take a funny rash over heavy metal poisining that masks as autism