Rick is correct as alway, Know your Risks!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Rick
Actually, that's not quite true. The first dose is between 12-15 months on MMR. Hopefully, children younger than 12 months still have immunity from the mother if she was vaccinated. But then again, maybe not. So your decision can have a dramatic affect on others. Consider this. If your child does come down with measles, mumps, rubella or any of the other illnesses vaccines are available for and you take that child to a doctor's office you have just shut down the office. Everyone that is in the office must be monitored for signs of the disease.
You may not trust the government but they are responsible for the eradication of small pox and measles in this country as well as polio and a host of other diseases through vaccinations. That's simply a fact that can't be disputed.
Whether you choose to vaccinate your kids or not is entirely up to you but don't assume your decision won't or can't affect others.
Excellent points Rick, the US Government is far from perfect but they and others have been highly successful at virus eradication, some say too successful this is why there is such low compliance today.
"The importance of herd immunity was first recognized with smallpox, where the initial goal was to immunize 80% of the population in order to achieve such a herd effect. Although the ultimate eradication in 1977 was achieved with higher vaccine uptake rates, the herd effect contributed to the reduction of smallpox by a mass vaccination programme that focused on endemic countries"
Read More: http://informahealthcare.com/doi/ful...48.2011.582247
Measles is spread airborne by tiny droplets than can infect people after the sick person has left the room so a higher immunization rate of about 90% for the "herd effect" to work is recommended in the USA. Personally if I knew that my doctor's office was seeing measles patients I would NOT go there even though I have been vaccinated. Like most people I would protest very loudly.
small pox eradication details:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1...?dopt=Abstract
BTW measles was effectively eradicated in the USA, but then brought back from the Philippines, Polio could also be brought back to the USA from Pakistan and other places where it still exists today. You are free to not VAX if you don't wish to, but know the risks, the elderly and very young are at the highest risk as are those with other health issues.
Yvette Guinevere podcast is good
@wilderness medic listened to Yvette Guinevere interview. Actually better science content than I expected. She explains "herd effect" fairly well. It is NOT necessary to risk the health of those who have health issues with vaccines and especially MMR. Also only 95% or whatever the protection rate of the vaccine provides is not an issue as long as approximately 90% of the general population IS vaccinated. This so called "Science Babe" explains it quite well, I was prepared to be offended by her but was not. A great podcast! Thanks for posting.
I don't want to get political but I am not a registered Libertarian like her and but I disagree with her and do not believe that vaccines should be forced on people. They are in Mississippi.
YES Smallpox has been eradicated (except in vial in labs) allegedly under tight controls. Surprised she did not know this. Effectively eradicated in 1977 and then declared eradicated in 1980 following a global immunization campaign led by the World Health Organization.