Kicked out of school for not getting the Chicken Pox Vaccine?

Question

My 3 year old is in preschool and he never had the chicken pox vaccine because I don't think it's neccesary. The school said he's putting other children at risk and they require ALL children to have the vaccine. He has to get it or he cannot continue school there. He loves his school and I'd hate to remove him from there.

I've read alot about the vaccine and how it can cause problems for him later in life. I really don't think it's necessary for him to have it.

What I really don't understand is this. If all the other children in the school are vaccinated and my son gets the chicken pox. And possibly exposes them to it. If the vaccine really works then the other children shouldn't get it from him. Right? So why does he need it? I want him to get the chicken pox. My other children are older and they got the chicken pox when the were 3 and 4 and had no problems after.

Answer 1

just go down to the local CDC, and depending on your state, get the religious or philisophical exemption. Argument over, if you have this expemtion, no school public or private, or any daycare can deny you entery to the school when you have an exemption. All of this depends on the state that you live. Google the vaccine laws for your state and you'll find the info about the options your state offers. If you feel that you do not want your child to have this vaccine, then don't do it. You have a right to make these decisions for your child and no amount of bullying should make you change your mind. Vaccines are under state control at the moment, not federal. So don't buy the lies that your being told that you cannot have you child in school without this vaccine. Only 2 states do not allow religious or philisophical exemption, all the rest do. Most don't know this or don't want you to know this and so they perpetuate the lies that you have no option and try to force you to do something to your child you don't want to.
good luck...prepare yourself for a fight, but if you feel that strongly about it, you wont have a problem enforcing your beliefs.

Answer 2

My youngest daughter is 10. I also have 3 older children, now ages 28, 26, and almost 23. Our 10 year old was a surprise baby (conceived unexpectedly after 11 years on the Pill!). There was no such thing as a Chicken Pox vaccine when my older kids were young and all 3 got the Chicken Pox with no problems. I discussed the vaccine for Chicken Pox with our family doctor. She concurred there was no real reason to get the vaccine if I didn't want my daughter to have it. The Chicken Pox vaccine was fairly new at that time and I couldn't really see the point of it for 2 reasons. First, Chicken Pox isn't that serious of an illness although, admittedly, there can be complications. Second, several children I knew who got the vaccine, still got the chicken pox anyway. So, after talking it over with the doctor, we agreed not to give the vaccine to my daughter. She was able to go to kindergarten without it since it wasn't mandatory in our state, yet. But, in first grade, it became mandatory, so I simply went to the school office and asked for an exclusion form for vaccines. While public schools and preschools/daycares do say they require updated vaccines, there are circumstances legally allowing your child to attend school with out the required vaccinations. There is a form to be filled out and signed by either a medical person or a clergy person as exclusions are permissable for reasons of medical or religious reasons. I suggest you contact your physician for guidance on this issue as he/she will know the legal rules in your state. I really wanted my child to just get the Chicken Pox on her own before 1st grade so I exposed her whenever I found someone who had Chicken Pox or Shingles. She ended up not getting the Chicken Pox until late in 2nd grade when we didn't even know anyone who had them. It is becomming harder to find anyone with the Chicken Pox, but a person with Shingles can transmit the virus as well. While I generally am on the side of the school, in this instance I felt very strongly so did some research. You can keep your child in the preschool he loves with the proper legal forms filled out. If your preschool does not have the forms, I believe you can get them at your public school office or your doctor's office may have some as well. My children got all the other vaccines, so I am not anti-vaccinations, just simply was uncomfortable with the newness and failure rate of the Chicken Pox vaccine.

Answer 3

Where I live, it's required by the state that all children have the varicella (chicken pox) vaccination to attend school, or even daycare! Even though you have been vaccinated for chicken pox, you can still get a milder case from someone that does actually have chicken pox. So if your son did continue to attend, and then contract chicken pox, he could effectively cause every child to possibly have it. At the same time, how is this different than a parent sending their child to school with a cough, or pink eye? Its just government junk. Lots of people are now selectively vaccinating their infants and children because of the alleged vaccination=autism scare, though I don't think it's completely proven yet. I'd guess that they are going to have to do some re-legislation pretty soon! Because lots of kids are not going to be vaccinated per law soon enough. Best of luck to you!

Answer 4

Well since your child is now 3 yrs old, go ahead and get the vaccine. I think that most of the issues arrive because too many vaccines are given at the same time. If you can talk your doctor into spacing the vaccines farther apart and can put up with the evil looks from other parents and caregivers, I don't see a problem with it.
Like someone else said though, if you do not get the vaccine you will have to home school your child. There are many other mommies that have taken this route and their children have turned out just fine.

But it's not for everyone. Are you a stay at home Mom? Do you feel that you can provide the best education for your children?

Their are so many issues that are completely unresearched relating to vaccines. Look at what vaccines have done to our armed forces. Pretty scary really.

But I have, like many other Moms, given into the pressure and vaccinated my son. Only time will tell who is right and who is wrong in this situation.

Best of Luck with whatever choice you make.
:o)

Answer 5

Do some research.

When we were kids, it was understood that chicken pox was, in a lot of ways, a necessary evil, and once you had it, you were fine.

However, there have been some changes in how the medical community views it now. Chicken pox has been linked to conditions that show up later in life, as an adult, like shingles.

When my mother was a child, the medical community had the same opinion that measles and mumps were diseases that were common and acceptable for small children to have. That, of course, has not been the case for decades.

No vaccine is 100% foolproof. To be most effective, every child possible needs to have the vaccine, because the minute chance they could get the disease in spite of the vaccine drops drastically if they don't personally know someone who HAS the disease.

In your son's preschool class, you have, what, 15 children, 14 of whom are vaccinated? Each of those children has a small chance that they could get chicken pox, in spite of the vaccination. If they don't come into contact with anyone who has it, that chance is still there, but is barely even worth acknowledging, but if one of their classmates has it, each of their chances raises considerably.

Not to mention, there are people who, for medical reasons, cannot have the vaccine, mainly due to allergies or to problems with the immune system. Say your son gets the chicken pox because you just didn't want to keep him from getting sick, and comes into contact with one of those children who are unable to get the vaccine for valid medical reasons? They would get it. Your determination to not protect your child has now cause another person's child to get sick.

Why would you not want to protect your son from ANY illness? I mean, you say you WANT him to get chicken pox, and I'm wondering, if you came in contact with someone with the flu, would you tell your son to go give that person a kiss on the mouth? Why would any parent PREFER that their son get an illness that will cause fever, severe discomfort, possible infection, and scars?

That's great, your other two children turned out fine. But I cannot understand why you would prefer that your child get sick, rather than just give him the shot.

Whatever.

You know, it doesn't really matter what you think about it. The school has the right to enforce their vaccination policy. You could find yourself in a pickle, because MOST preschools, and many public or private elementary schools, require that he have the vaccine before enrolling.

If you intend to have him in school, you might have to give up your preference that he get chicken pox.


EDIT: By the way, the general population believes that if they have had the chicken pox before, they will be immune from that point on. This is not entirely true. I had chicken pox twice as a child, and the second time was MUCH worse than the first. I was five (in kindergarten) the first time around, and eight (in third grade) the second, and I ended up hospitalized the second time around.

Answer 6

Well, I'm not a doctor and I can't argue pros and cons of the vaccines, but I do know that although chicken pox is usually not a big deal in kids, there were always some people who did end up being hospitalized or dying from it, and studies have shown a drastic decrease in hospitalizations and deaths from chickenpox after the vaccine was introduced. http://www.webmd.com/news/20050816/cdc-chickenpox-vaccine-cuts-hospitalizations

But in answer to your specific question, no vaccine is 100% effective. That means that a small percentage of kids who get vaccinated will end up getting the disease if exposed to it. if everyone's vaccinated, nobody gets exposed ... so no problem. if some people decide not to get vaccinated, they are more likely to harm the small percentage of kids who got vaccinated for whom the vaccination didn't work.

(also, the vaccine is relatively new, so adults didn't have it. even if the kids aren't at risk, your pregnant preschool teacher presumably doesn't want to be exposed to chicken pox.....)

Answer 7

Really, what does it matter? You say you want him to get the chicken pox because the vaccine can cause shingles...well shingles can be caused by getting chicken pox. Either way, he'll still have the dead virus in his system no matter which way he gets it. Go ahead and get him the vaccine. There is no difference in him having the vaccine now and him getting the CP later. And yes....since it is a preschool or daycare, they CAN kick him out. Now when he goes to school, you have to sign a waiver stating that you didn't want him to have the vaccine and they'll let him go. But until then, either you get him the vaccine or he's probably out.

Answer 8

you have to have the vaccine in boosters usually like other vaccines, and what if a child has only been able to recieve one vaccine so far? then that child is still at risk to get it. i never had the chicken pox as a child so when i was a teenager they had just come out with the vaccine, so i got it.

i understand your logic, and i trust the vaccines to work for my children, but there's still that chance that maybe they didnt get the right amount or whatever, and it doesnt work. i'd personally feel safer knowing my children were around other children who are also less likely to get the illness....but thats in general with all vaccines.

but since this is just chicken pox we're talking about and not polio or something. i don't know. If it's the law/rule then short of fighting it in court or something i don't know what options you have...just like its my right to vaccinate my sons, its your right to chose not to have whichever ones you feel he doesnt need.

Answer 9

Ok, forget the debate on whether to vaccinate or not, for this purpose it doesn't matter. You really only have two choices -- either vaccinate your child for chicken pox and leave him in his school or don't vaccinate him and move him to a school that does allow unvaccinated children. If you live in CA, however, all public schools require the vaccination, so you would either need to move him to private school (if they allow it) or home school him.

Answer 10

Indeed, most cases of chicken pox are mild. But, if you sat in my chair, you would have seen the few that become severely ill with it. That's a lot of children over a career. That group also includes children who are immune depressed from cancer chemo, HIV, or hereditary influences. Furthermore, the vaccine is not totally effective. A small percentage of recipients fail to produce protective antibodies.

I can't speak for the law, as it varies from state to state (and I am not an attorney), but your preschool's trustees probably consulted lawyers who recommended rigid adherence to the law.