Vaccinate or Go to Jail- Another Effect of “it takes a villiage” Mentality

NatureMom on Thu, 15th Nov 2007 11:10 am 



I have a HUGE problem with it…because I do not vaccinate.

My son was badly injured by a vaccine…seizure and then respiratory arrest and brain damage…all after a DPT shot. It is not right that government can force us to take that risk.

Neil on Thu, 15th Nov 2007 11:17 am 



How sad that we’ve let the government have so much control over our lives. Science is not always right, and neither are gov’t officials. Parents need to know that they are responsible for their children’s health and well-being and not the gov’t.

missy on Thu, 15th Nov 2007 11:46 am 



I actually blogged about this same thing yesterday. It makes me crazy when this kind of thing happens! It is a slippery slope, I tell you. If the gov’t. had their way, they’d make all of the parenting decisions for us poor, idiot peasants. Makes me even happier my kid is somewhat off their grid, but then again, if they get their way, she’ll eventually be forced back in.

Wow…paranoid much?? Sorry, I know I sound like a conspiracy theorist or something, but this gets my panties in a bunch and makes me feel like they are just all out to get us. Well, if nothing else this is an example of why it is important for us to pay attention to politics. What these guys do effects us!! We need to ALL get informed and vote.

Dearest Jessica on Thu, 15th Nov 2007 5:28 pm 



We should know that it would come to this. I am one of those parents that choose not to vaccinate, this will be an interesting story to follow. I may just have to blog about it too!

Lara on Thu, 15th Nov 2007 7:31 pm 



I think it is insane! Well…it is Hilary’s philosophy! LOL…OK…sorry…

Seriously, I DO vacinate…however, I too know several parents that do not and that is THEIR perogative.

I think we have forgotten the WHOLE reason the United States was founded…FREEDOM of choice. The goverment is unbeleivable today…I mean they get involved with this and stay out of that…Geesh!

Great topic

holly on Fri, 16th Nov 2007 12:00 am 



Amen Zabs! I agree on all points!
I do vacinate my children. Having said that,we pay taxes; the government should be listening to us, not vis-versa. We should have the freedom to choose when or if we vacinate our children. Vaccines aren’t perfect and they don’t last forever. I have read about MMR and the whooping cough vaccine only lasting for a certain amount of years. Whooping cough is on the rise and it is infecting vaccinated children! Vaccines have limits and might even help to cause autism. I think these few things alone are reasons to give parents pause before they vaccinate. Why is the government being so pushy? Is there too much money at steak? Maybe they should listen to the parents, we might just know what we are doing.

LayGuy on Fri, 16th Nov 2007 9:21 am 



Hi Zabs,

Thought you may find this interesting:

http://www.informationliberation.com/?id=24281

michelle on Fri, 16th Nov 2007 10:48 am 



this is so alarming! i do not vaccinate. if it came to threats like that where i lived, i would move. i cannot believe that would happen anywhere, especially america. and for the chicken pox and hep b!? ridiculous.

michelle on Fri, 16th Nov 2007 10:49 am 



this is so alarming! i do not vaccinate. if it came to threats like that where i lived, i would move. i cannot believe that would happen anywhere, especially america. and for the chicken pox and hep b!? ridiculous. it’s important to apply for exemption.

Heidi Jo on Fri, 16th Nov 2007 4:32 pm 



i echo everyone else.

the part that infuriates me as a SAHM more than all of it though is that these stupid vaccinations for ‘ear infections’, ‘chicken pox’, ‘flu’…and lord know’s what else they are brewing in labs as we speak…were created because no one is staying home with their own dang kids anymore! a sick kid is a huge inconvience, when it means missing work, or infecting 12 others at daycare.

now we have vaccinate our children so that other women can be liberated.

misi on Sat, 17th Nov 2007 9:03 am 



Well now HJ,
I don’t agree at all with the whole
“now we have vaccinate our children so that other women can be liberated” comment.

I have to work and I will admit, its a very sore subject for me. I would love,love,love to be SAHM. That is my heart’s desire. Alas, that’s not how my life turned out. At all. I don’t think the whole mandatory vaccinations is because of liberating women and preventing them from missing extra work due to illness. In fact most daycare’s in my area anyway, will keep a sick kid. Just away from the other kids. I think that you can just as easily get all that crap from a playdate or a stay in the church nursery as you can from going to daycare. I know it’s five days a week vs. 2 or 3 playdates but still. A risk is a risk right?
That’s my 2 cents:() Hope I didn’t offend you.

Jenn on Mon, 19th Nov 2007 10:34 am 



It’s ridiculous. A number of those children had been vaccinated but the school system did not update their files, but the parents were still forced to appear before a judge and prove the vaccinations had occurred.

Personally we do not vaccinate. We did with serious reservations on my part until our daughter was 6 months old. Within 24 hours of her DTaP she began experiencing myoclonic seizures. Turns out a rare side effect of the DTaP is myoclonic seizures. Now at 18 months she takes a daily seizure medication 3 times a day that has delayed her speech and gross motor development and routinely shocks people with her quiet ability to take her meds without fighting it–to her its a way of life, to me its devastating to know that I allowed this to happen because I wasn’t strong enough.

Needless to say she will never recieve certain vaccines due to her seizure disorder and all future children will be selectively vaccinated, but not before age 2, when it is proven that children who are susceptible to vaccine damage can handle the vaccines better. There will be no chicken pox or hep B vaccine given in my house and, and my daughter will always be at risk for pertussis, measles, mumps, and rubella. Our doctors agree with us and only ask that we sign waivers stating that we refused to give the vaccines.

Bottom line….trust your gut instinct. If you think something might happen, then you’re probably right. I’ve not been wrong yet…

Jana on Mon, 19th Nov 2007 12:08 pm 



If I offend anyone, please forgive me. I am just putting out another point-of-view. I don’t care if you vaccinate your child or not. HOWEVER, do you drive a car? Put your child in a car seat? Put bike helmets on your children? The last two are also laws. Do you choose NOT to follow those regulations? The fact is, more children are hurt in car and bike accidents than have reactions to shots. Vaccinations were not made to “liberate” women. They were made so countless children were not lost to childhood illnesses such as polio, small pox, etc.
Again, just another point of view. If I offended anyone, my deepest appologies.

MamaToo on Mon, 19th Nov 2007 6:30 pm 



It is really frustrating to think that there would be a threat of JAIL to a parent who doesn’t vaccinate her child, especially considering how difficult it is to keep real criminal offenders in jail! How could we think that choosing to not give an infant the MMR vaccine is paramount to abusing a child or making meth in the kitchen?

Vaccinations’ benefits and risks are an interesting topic, but remember that the debate is almost always found between loving, purposeful, well-educated parents. More often than not, parents who make non-mainstream vaccination choices do so with a confident, informed, health-concious mindset. Those who do vaccinate also choose to do so with confidence and love for their child. Many of your commentors have provent this!

The bottom line is that the parents in this debate are not abusive or neglectful for their vaccination choices. Consider the effects of separating a family, jailing a parent, or putting children in foster systems over this issue. It’s frightening and would be a gross overstep of government. We are all right to be outraged at the possibility and wary of anyone who defends the idea.

Thanks for bringing it up!

Christine on Mon, 19th Nov 2007 8:14 pm 



Jana,

You did not offend me, because you simply do not have proper information. Trust me - if you will spend a significant amount of time really researching the history of childhood illnesses and the history of vaccines … you will be surprised - STARTLED!

Also, learn about the increase of general illnesses in children as vaccines have increased (not just autism - but MANY illnesses, from asthma to ear infections).

So, in reality (not just assumptions based on what the pharmaceutical companies tell us), it could be that many more children are harmed by vaccines than anything else on the planet. It is a very real possibility. That is when I get extremely frustrated that the government would try to force something that - YES - can cause a great deal of harm.

I just posted about this recently. I used to feel the exact same way that you do. So, please, understand my passion. It is out of frustration that this information is not in front of us, and that money is pumped into promoting MORE vaccines, instead of studying the harm that they could be causing.

Here is my post, which includes an excellent documentary on the subject:
Is It Worth Getting Sick to Not Get Sick?

My apologies if the link doesn’t work. It’s my post on 11/08/07: christinemoers.blogspot.com

Lady Why on Mon, 19th Nov 2007 9:31 pm 



I saw that article and I was appalled… as I am anytime the government tells me how to parent my children. Parents should have the right and the freedom to vaccinate or not based on their own research and conscience. I have been on the fence about this for some time and I have decided to vaccinate my children after MUCH research. But, I have many friends that do not and I know and understand their reasons quite well. The government has no place in mandating vaccinations… and jailing parents? Well, that’s just criminal!

Adena on Mon, 19th Nov 2007 9:44 pm 



This makes me furious!! I have a friend who’s two year old, otherwise very healthy and active, became autistic after a vaccination. Although I do vaccinate, we do NOT do all the vaccination and do NOT do them according to their “recommended schedule”. Now you’ve got my mommy feathers all ruffled…I’m off to sound off on my blog about this! Thanks for the heads-up.

Friendship Alley » Blog Archive » To Vaccinate or Not Vaccinate That Is the Question...and one you might not get a choice in answering! on Mon, 19th Nov 2007 10:38 pm 



[...] I read the following post on Mommy Zabs website: [...]

Sunflower Desert on Tue, 20th Nov 2007 12:59 am 



Count me in with the less socialized our government is, the better crowd.

MZ, have a great Thanksgiving!

sprittibee on Tue, 20th Nov 2007 11:48 am 



I wrote an article about this as well. Texas almost made the HPV thing mandatory and it has cost Gov. Perry quite a bit in approval ratings here.

Heidi Jo on Tue, 20th Nov 2007 3:29 pm 



i am not implying that all vaccinations are a result of women working out of the home. or that all vaccinations are bad. but just because SOME vaccinations are good, it is not a safe assumption to deduce then that none are dangerous or unnecessary.

the few i mentioned in my inital comment are the ones that i consider unnecessary.

and yes, you can get those same sickness from playdates and church nurseries…my point was not that the illnesses are out there, but that if the threat of missing work/school was gone, so would be the need for these silly vaccinations.

i am NOT bashing women who work. it is not the few who need to that dictate the whole.

just as in any case, there are exceptions. the facts are that there are MANY working moms who do so for reasons other than TRUE necessicity. although they’ve convinced themselves that two new vehicles, yearly vacations, designer clothing, and 3000+ sq. foot homes are indeed necessities.

my point was simply that more and more vaccinations are being introduced in an effort to eliminate the need to miss work/school.

and indeed, no offense taken on my side. i love an intelligent discussion.

SummerM on Fri, 23rd Nov 2007 12:20 am 



I wrote about this a bit back on my blog too. We do not vaccinate, but even parents that do should be alarmed.

I do have to disagree with one thing though, I believe in the traditional “it takes a village”. This isn’t it, this is “we’re going to control you and your family”. They like to use the “it takes a village” line to sound more appealing, but forced control is not the village.

annNEE on Sat, 24th Nov 2007 10:59 pm 



I know people are shocked and appalled by this, but quite honestly, I am amazed that so many of us are surprised by this news.

Since my first born was an infant I was told that I had to keep his shot card up to date if I wanted him to be in daycare or public school. From the very beginning I knew this was the case.(He has never been in either, so it wasn’t necessary for me to keep him up to date if I did not wish to.)

I know headlines are reading “Parents may face jail time for failure to vaccinate”, but the headlines are misleading. If parents do not vaccinate their children, the unvaccinated students will not be allowed to attend school, and if they do not show up for the school they are enrolled in for a certain amount of days (I think I read it’s 10, I need to double check), then parents can be brought in for truancy.

So really, we are not talking about a scary new threat here. The threat has been here for years. If you do not vaccinate your kids and take them in for that checkup they cannot be enrolled in public school.

Kristin on Sun, 25th Nov 2007 4:19 pm 






theobromophile on Tue, 27th Nov 2007 2:49 pm 



This freaked me out, too, but I didn’t have time to blog on it.

There are concerns about autism, allergies, proper development of immune systems, and cost. All of those are legitimate parental interests, not to be subordinated by the State upon threat of jail or denial of educational benefits to the child. (Consider: the Supreme Court mandates that states provide K-12 education to illegal aliens, as education is fundamental, but a state may refuse education for lack of vaccination. How does that make sense?)

A state has an interest in preventing the spread of infectious diseases within the school, which, a break-out were to happen, would shut down the school. It is the functional equivalent of ensuring that the heating system is in good order; while not directly related to education, a failure in that area would effectively inhibit the state’s ability to instruct children. There is no such interest in relation to the vast, vast majority of required vaccines. We all got chicken pox and managed to graduate elementary school. Hep B? Beyond ridiculous to presume that a school could not operate if a bunch of 8-year-olds suddenly contracted Hep B… because they aren’t going to get it.

More Pharmaceutical Fun « Helvidius, a Pachyderm on Wed, 28th Nov 2007 11:00 pm 



[...] refuse to have their children vaccinated, in accordance with state law, will be sent to jail.  (Zabs has more.)  Hereis the list of vaccines required by Maryland law.  Inter alia, the law requires parents to [...]

michaelhill on Tue, 4th Dec 2007 3:13 pm 



MZ,
I am a baby boomer just recently turned 50. I was vaccinated against polio and TB as a kid and went through all of the childhood diseases such as chicken pox, measles and mumps along with my younger siblings. None of us were adversely affected by this “rite of passage” that was the norm in the 60s-70s.
I am a military brat and my family did undergo several vaccines for exotic diseases before we moved overseas - my mother claims this made us ill to a point and the 4 of us tried her nerve during that time.
I am not 100% convinced that vaccines are the way the body will develop antibodies to ward off the diseases completely. Flu vaccines are a good case in point. You may get a flu vaccine for different strain of the disease that sweeps the nation and it served little purpose.

Jen on Thu, 24th Jan 2008 12:45 am 



What’s Next.
I don’t think measles and chicken pox are nearly as frightening as the kind of control and presure the government it able to put on the family. I read an article by presidential candidate Ron Paul that the government is actully talking about requiring that school aged children have mental screenings starting at preschool. You see that is the result of parents not standing up to make decisions as parents. The pharmecutical companies get to shoot our kids up with vacines even if we don’t want them and the maybe one day put them all on phsycotropic drugs for mental disorders they don’t have because sedated kids are easier to handle. It’s a shame, a Godless shame.

kids first on Wed, 20th Aug 2008 10:42 am 



I think too many policies are written and enforced without thinking out ALL children, its frightening the vaccines that our kids are subjected too.

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