School urges tolerance for antivax, is hit with outbreak

[ttt]

Whoops. 


time.com/4144252/australian-school-chickenpox-outbreak-vaccine/


80 children may have been infected

Eighty students at Brunswick North West Primary in Australia—which has called for tolerance over opposing vaccination views—have contracted chickenpox.

The Age reports that at least 80 children out of the 320 students at the school may have contracted the disease. A Department of Health spokesman told the paper the agency does not have firm figures on how many students have been infected, “but we’ve been advised that over the period there has been an absentee rate of about 25 per cent on any given day.”

According to the paper, the school has a lower immunization rate than other local and national averages, citing a May newsletter from the school’s principal that put the school’s rate at 73.2% immunized. The local rate outside the school is 94%.

In one newsletter the school wrote, “Staff respect the rights of every family to make choices about immunisation and we will definitely not exclude children who are not fully immunised from our service,” according to The Age. “We expect all community members to act respectfully and with tolerance when interacting with other parents and carers who may have a differing opinion to their own. This includes an opposing understanding about child immunisation.”

Chickenpox is a highly contagious infection and the vaccine is 98% effective.

[wambam]

SHOCKING

[miniroller]

Where's your newsletter now?!?
Dicks.

[laurack]

what a bizarre and unexpected outcome! if only there had been SOME hint, any hint, that this might happen

[atlas]

Who would have guessed?!?

[CrazyLucky]

Amazing - 26.8% not immunized, 25% get chicken pox. I wonder if there's any causation there?

[leeba25]

"Tolerance" for those who don't vaccinate. Dumbasses. "How dare that Chickenpox virus be intolerant of my choice to not vaccinate!!"

[atlas]

Dec 10, 2015 13:26:51 GMT -5 CrazyLucky said:

Amazing - 26.8% not immunized, 25% get chicken pox. I wonder if there's any causation there?

Probably just correlation. You can't be sure these days. But most things seem to be simply correlation.

[leeba25]

I just heard on the radio today (CNN's HLN) that Trump believes that vaccines cause autism. I am sure that I knew this at some point, but all his foolishness in the past couple months have pushed that foolishness out of my consciousness.

[msmerymac]

Honestly, the non-vaxxing parents won't care. In my experience, a lot stay at home (especially if they have younger children), so finding alternate care for a week or two isn't an issue. Also, they think it's better to "naturally" develop immunity to chicken pox and don't think it's a big deal. I really hope none of the kids have complications.

Of course, there's a fallacy in their logic. I just found out I'm not immune to chicken pox (through titers, not from catching it again!). I had it when I was 6, but it was a mild case, so I guess I didn't develop immunity. Glad I never got it again. Of course, everything I've been vaccinated against (like measles, mumps, rubella, polio) I'm still immune to. Guess vaccines really are superior to actually catching the disease!

[ttt]

Dec 10, 2015 15:14:10 GMT -5 msmerymac said:

Honestly, the non-vaxxing parents won't care. In my experience, a lot stay at home (especially if they have younger children), so finding alternate care for a week or two isn't an issue. Also, they think it's better to "naturally" develop immunity to chicken pox and don't think it's a big deal. I really hope none of the kids have complications.

Of course, there's a fallacy in their logic. I just found out I'm not immune to chicken pox (through titers, not from catching it again!). I had it when I was 6, but it was a mild case, so I guess I didn't develop immunity. Glad I never got it again. Of course, everything I've been vaccinated against (like measles, mumps, rubella, polio) I'm still immune to. Guess vaccines really are superior to actually catching the disease!

The parents won't, but I wonder if the school will look at that 25% absentee rate and reevaluate their tolerant opinion. 

[sam19]

All these anti vac parents want their kids to build up the natural immunity by acquiring chicken pox since to them it's not that bad of a disease. You know what is though? The fucking shingles that happen later in life. Worst experience of my life was shingles on my face and I have the scars they left behind.

[Nonny]

[Nonny]

Dumb question about titers, but how long does it take to get results? Is it something they know right away, or is it something that takes multiple doctor visits? I'm pretty diligent about keeping up-to-date with my boosters, but having titers done is nothing any doctor has ever brought up (and that up until now I'd never really thought to bring up myself).

[aMrsin09]

They're working on fixing the problem.
I know this applies to daycares, but I'm not sure about schools.

www.liberal.org.au/no-jab-no-play-no-pay

[msmerymac]

Dec 10, 2015 20:21:40 GMT -5 Nonny said:

Dumb question about titers, but how long does it take to get results? Is it something they know right away, or is it something that takes multiple doctor visits? I'm pretty diligent about keeping up-to-date with my boosters, but having titers done is nothing any doctor has ever brought up (and that up until now I'd never really thought to bring up myself).

They did mine because I'm having some reproductive testing done and the doctor wanted to know if I was immune to rubella and anything that might cause complications or birth defects. It was done during a whole big panel of other things for which they needed like 9 vials of blood. I had it done at an outside lab and my doctor got the results of everything in about 10 days. It has been recommended to me to get the varicella vaccine, now.

I'm sure you could bring it up, but without medical cause, you might have to pay out of pocket for the test, depending on your insurance. 

[ECB]

I've had shingles too. About 3 years ago. It was just a few spots on the back of my neck and one on my shoulder and one on my cheek - but OMG!!!! My jaw was in constant pain for about 3 weeks. I was trying to balance Advil, Tylenol, etc to be able to take them at safe intervals. Advil usually works great for me, but after 3 hours, the intense throbbing would start up again and I had to take SOMETHING.

Hell. Pure hell. I would say that it's truly worse than childbirth. 1) there is almost NOTHING to really do away with the pain (unlike an epidural) and 2) it's lasts for WEEKS. At least childbirth is over in a few hours....

[atlas]

Dec 10, 2015 20:21:40 GMT -5 Nonny said:

Dumb question about titers, but how long does it take to get results? Is it something they know right away, or is it something that takes multiple doctor visits? I'm pretty diligent about keeping up-to-date with my boosters, but having titers done is nothing any doctor has ever brought up (and that up until now I'd never really thought to bring up myself).

I had to have titers done for my last job. The business had a close relationship with the local locations of Any Lab Test Now so we had them done at work. Results came back in maybe 5-7 days. Looks like there are ALTNs in Seattleish area. I really like the franchises around here; they were nice, professional, and super easy to deal with. If your doctor doesn't want to/can't do them. www.anylabtestnow.com/locations/