Should children who avoid vaccinations due to "religious beliefs" be allowed to attend public school?

Question

Do these children endanger others by this refusal?

Answer 1

These children represent extreme health risks to the other children and should either have access to religious schooling with other non-vaccinated children or they should be kept home.

Answer 2

Come on people read the question! It isn't whether or not they "can" go to public schools. Everyone on these boards should know that the Supreme Court stated they can. The question is "should" they be allowed to go. The answer is no!!! It costs way over $10,000 per kid per year to go to public schools. The cost for an illegal child is probably closer to $20,000 per year as they get free breakfast, free lunch, school sponsored medical, special english classes, etc. Even though illegals pay some taxes, like through their rent they pay a little, they pay so little that it would take about 500 illegals to pay for the cost to educate a single child. Very few people pay enough in taxes to pay for the education of even one child, yet many people, especially illegals, have lots of kids. The cost of their education is picked up by childless people, businesses and the wealthy. The real problem is that by educating these kids, our children get the shaft. The money spent on illegals is way more then they pay into that system so our children end up with a lower quality education.

Answer 3

No. Diseases mutate, especially in children. Vaccinations greatly decrease the chances of becoming infected, they don't keep you from ever getting sick at all. There is no definitive proof that vaccinations cause autism or any other problems in children. However, there is proof that diseases that we thought were wiped out, such as polio and small pox, are starting to make a comeback due to people no longer being vaccinated. Bottom line is that people do NOT have the right to endanger other people's children due to some unproven philosophical debate.

Answer 4

Great question! Ironically, in my neck of the woods, there were up to 50 kids not up to date with vaccines, and were denied access to attending schools (I doubt due to parents' religious beliefs). So...here in VA, no vaccines, no attendance! But....if all the other children are vaccinated, then they are no longer at risk, seems as though the children lacking vaccination are endangering themselves? I wonder how other states are handling this issue....

Answer 5

To me they should not be allowed in school especially now with so many different strains of the diseases we have vaccinations for. They not only endanger others by not getting vaccinated but are harming themselves also. How? By not getting vaccinated they have more of a chance of dying from the measles or chicken pox then those who have been vaccinated.

Answer 6

Has any one noticed the rise of polio in third world countries?

How long does it take to fly from here to there after exposure?

How many people could 1 person come in contact with?


In the fall of 1980?, my 3 daughter's an I were doing something around the house...a neighbor kid just walked in the door as kids do...took one look at her and chased her out the door and told her to go home, NOW!! and I called her mother and chewed her out.....the child was full blown chicken pox and wandering around the neighborhood....

2 weeks later at age 28 I have a hard case of chicken pox...remember having it as a kid but that didn't matter...had it again...

2 weeks later Cathy, 2 weeks later jenny, 2weeks later Carrie...

OCT-NOV-DEC just was a blur.... a few churches left food boxes on the door step...(Midwest and winter snow) thank GOD....

I have been told by many health people "that you can only get chicken pox ONCE"...

the next time...check stand at a grocery store....woman comes thru my check stand covered in chicken pox and states she just got out of the hospital because of it....I back away and call the manager....I will not wait on her..."the DR says I am not contagious"

I am spotted again at age 34 and off work...3X's

A year later or so at the same store a mother has her chicken poxed child with her...the DR says he is not contagious....

Same song and dance 4X's now!!

It is 1 week before, 1week during , and 1 week after...maybe...

I avoid such contact at all costs...accidental exposure I will have a couple pox show up in 1 week...the DR can not figure it out....

This is just my story...how many other people out there have the same bugology? and these kids who do not get their shots are putting my life and the lives of others in danger!!!

do these parents have the same story when the whole school gets sent home with head lice?? Last fall the middle school had a terrible problem.....

Answer 7

Not more than any other child endangers another. Most vaccinations these days aren't what they are cracked up to be and we are in America and should keep some of our freedoms.

Answer 8

Yes and no.

The vast majority of children have been vaccinated, so the unvaccinated child actually has some measure of protection because his peers have been vaccinated.

However, if this trend continues, then disease will become more prevalent, and not only children, but parents and teachers will be at risk for diseases that should no longer be an issue.

Answer 9

There was an interesting article that NON religious people are claiming the religious belief thing to not give their children vaccinations. I would think that you have nothing to worry about as long as your child is vaccinated. If most members of any group are vaccinated there isn't much worry of massive outbreaks.

Answer 10

Usually its not the children who refuse but their parents. The answer to should they be allowed to attend public schools is much harder to answer. The children are entitled to education so unless we create a special "non-vaccinated" school I don't think we have a choice in the matter.

If the other children are vaccinated then there should be no additional risk to them.

I would like to hear if you have a solution, as it is a interesting question.