using religion to avoid vaccination?

Question

what is up with the growing number of parents who are claiming it's against their religion to vaccinate their children? you can't spank your kids anymore, but it's ok to put them at risk for diseases likes measles and polio? now THAT sounds like child abuse. anyone else have thoughts?

Answer 1

A hot topic indeed! Unfortuneately, there is a widespread panic about vaccines causing autism. Its bordering on hysteria. There is no proof of this. Just think about it - kids have been receiving these vaccinations for years..... why all of a sudden are they causing autism?? Doesn't make sense. Also, I have three kids, all vaccinated - and only one is autistic. So why would only one be affected?

In the meantime, I agree with many of the posters here. People are not vaccinating their kids, figuring the chances of their kids contracting these diseases are slim. Yes, that may be so, but because of all of us parents that DO vaccinate our kids! And because of all these unvaccinated kids, many of these diseases are making a comeback. Why would you risk your child getting a potentially fatal or dibilitating illness that can be prevented? At the very least, if you're that nervous about autism, delay the vaccinations - don't not do them at all. Just my two cents.

Answer 2

I don't think it's because they're bad parents ... I think it's because they're concerned parents who have done a little research and focused on the (rare, and in the case of autism, unproven) possibility of side effects more than they've focused on the very real, monumental benefits of vaccines. Unfortunately a lot of people who "research" this issue extensively somehow seem to miss a lot of information about what vaccines really do, how they work, etc. I'm always amazed by the parents who claim that "not that many people" died from diseases like measles, but somehow think that all kinds of people are dying from the vaccinations. Maybe we should all be required to take a statistics class before having kids. :-) Some other parents do understand the benefits, but unfortunately decide to "free ride" off the vaccines that other kids have (any one kid is pretty safe without being vaccinated as long as all the other kids around them have the vaccines).

I agree it's a scary trend. The more people who choose not to vaccinate, the more at risk all our kids are (even the ones who are vaccinated, since vaccines aren't 100% effective).

Answer 3

This is a controversial topic. The sad fact is that autism is on the rise and nobody is sure why. In 1992 15,580 children were diagnosed, that number rose to 141,022 in 2003 and continues to rise today. Something is happening and until the medical community can come up with answers I think everything, including vaccines should be questioned. I have vaccinated all four of my children but as more and more negative information came out (and watching my own children's health) I made the decision to vaccinate later than usual. I'm convinced that my older child was not as healthy as my younger children in part because of vaccines. There was no other variable. I went with my gut as doctors looked at me like I was insane. If I had an infant now I'm not sure I'd vaccinate at all. One interesting fact that I've learned is that most of the diseases we vaccinate for were already on the decline before the vaccine started...hmmm. I'd like to see a comprehensive study with children that have and have not had vaccines and all of the health statistics. I've yet to find a study like that. If one exists I would love to know about it. It seems like a no brainer to me......

Answer 4

Actually, I believe no one should be forced to vaccinate. Vaccines carry risks themselves, and lately, some are being pushed on patients who are in more danger of complications from the vaccination than the disease itself. The pharmaceutical industry keeps developing more products which consumers are forced by law to buy, and concerns about mercury and other toxins are swept under the rug. Did you know who conducts investigations into a new vaccine's safety? The same people who manufacture and sell it. Not exactly disinterested, are they?

Oh, and in answer to Mom - no, they haven't been recieving most of them for years. I can think of four new ones that have been added to the schedule just since my seven-year-old daughter was born.

Answer 5

heck no, they're only listening to too greater than a number of "Coast to Coast". On that coach they have diverse people who talk on diverse subjects and then have a Q&A era. those travelers say that vaccinations, particular vaccinations, or too many vaccinations are risky, and that they have additionally observed autism. i don't be attentive to if the travelers are truly an expert, yet human beings do have self assurance them. i'm no longer out and approximately adequate to be attentive to that folk of diverse religions reject vaccinations, yet while they're like say from different countries newly right here in the U. S. then they're only skeptical and fearing. human beings in another countries specifically situations do no longer have confidence diverse new issues that are dropped at their usa. case in point some small India villages think of that vaccinations are given to make the guy or new child no longer waiting to undergo little ones. it truly is fake, of path, even though it relatively is believed. a guy from Pakistan as quickly as advised me he had to marry an American white female because of the fact they have been advised in his usa that if he did that then each and every of the illnesses Pakistan has could be wiped out in time. Who is acquainted with what's in peoples minds. yet they are able to't be compelled to be vaccinated (i don't have self assurance). My question could be that in the event that they do no longer take the vaccinations and then they get ill from the disease, then who is going to pay for them getting ill. i do no longer think of strangers indexed right here are egocentric, they only don't be attentive to from now on beneficial. for people who stay right here and reject, they rejecting out of revolt against the device.

Answer 6

Some religions such as Jehovah's Witness don't believe in vaccinations and surgery, etc. So those people who strongly believe in their faith such as strong JW's would say that it is against their rights that medics are making them have the vaccinations. They would probably sue the Medics and Government for violating their rights. So you can't really win either way, whether you think its 'abuse' or not.

Answer 7

All I can say is that I'm relieved to know that my children aren't at risk if they are around the ones who aren't vaccinated. I also feel good know that my kids wouldn't give those kids any of the diseases that can come with serious complications.

Religion will never get in my way of my children's medical care. I love and care for them too much and I am glad that they have been getting their shots to protect them from those illnesses.

Answer 8

It is scary! And there is no evidence that it is linked to autism.
Yeah Autism is on the rise, but so is ADHD.
I think it's just the drug componies taking advatage of people. Schools get ALOT of $ for having one kid that has either of those...why do you think it's on the rise? A women I know had to have her kid tested. the school said he had autism, but when she took him for a 2nd look at another dr., he said he was fine, and joked that the school just needed $. The school came out about 3 weeks later saying that they were in trouble with finances.

So let's look at other stupid things like that instead of blaming shots.Over diagnosing is a large issue that needs solved.
I would never withhold those from my child.

Answer 9

I believe parents are over reacting to the threat of autism from vaccinations. It is true that autism has increased in the population of infants, but medical experts try to assure parents that mercury cannot be found in vaccination serums as some critics have claimed.

Truly, the absence of vaccinations increase the infants risk of childhood diseases, but the unproven theory of this being the culprit is simply amateurish medical folly !

Answer 10

Parents don't refuse vaccinations thinking "Hmm, I think I would like to put my child at risk for polio!" What an idiotic thought. Many parents choose not to vaccinate because they have researched them and come to the decision that they believe that vaccines can do more harm than good.
I do not vaccinate my children and I do not think that I am putting them at such a great risk. I believe that the chances of them having severe complications to the vaccinations are much greater than having complications to the diseases themselves. Many of the diseases that are being vaccinated against have been greatly hyped up by the media and medical community to be more of a threat than they really are. Measles were once a common childhood disease that was contracted by the majority of people before puberty and is generally mild in a healthy person. Polio is 90% asymptomatic, complications arise in a slim 2% of cases(only 1% of that being paralytic), and the rest simply suffer flu like symptoms.
Autism does not even enter my head when I think of the reasons why I don't vaccinate. I worry more about the toxic ingredients (formaldehyde, aluminum, anti-freeze, polysorbate 80, the list goes on) and the fact that they are not tested for carcinogenic or teratogenic properties, or effects on fertility.
It is not child abuse. I would find it more abusive for parents to blindly follow the Dr without doing any research themselves.