Your parents giving you a lolipop? Time to send them to jail

[Smeghead]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15647434
USA

So, the center of evil and ignorance of the modern area strikes again; concerned parents.

Parents sending their kids to spend time with other kids who have diseases like chickenpox is hardly something new. It’s the alternative to having the kids risk getting the disease later on when it might cause more harm, and it eliminates the risks of vaccination problems.

But a story going around (and apparently isn’t something new) is that parents acquire lollipops and other things from other parents who’ve had their own kids who were sick; use said items. Then the parents give them to their kids in the hope of infecting them.

…of course that would work had the disease not been airborne. You know unlike all other much more serious diseases that spread though saliva. So not only are the parents not giving the children the disease they want, but they risk giving them something much worse instead. Oh and they are breaking the law.

Since said items are contaminated it is actually a federal offence to send biologically contaminated material.

So kids, time to call the police and have your parents sent off to the bighouse

[Rikadyn]

wasn't this a south park episode...

[Smeghead]

yes, I think so. But I don't think it really went as far to explain the core problems. Besides these are Concerned Parents, do you think they would watch South Park?

[Matt]

Aside from the whole federal offence thing, the real idiocy of this is (as usual) that the health risks associated with getting chicken pox are DRAMATICALLY higher than the risks associated with vaccinating.

Idiots.

-m

[Smeghead]

Yeah, besides. Kids go to school right? Thats where they pick up all the diseases. They don't need any help with that.

But I'm afraid that it all just part of why I despice Concerned Parents, because the moment that word is uttered, all logic, reason and sanity walks out the door.

[Master Gunner]

*hangs head in shame at this portion of humanity*

[Fezzul]

I was vaccinated for all this junk when I was a kid. Never got sick from any of the usual childhood stuff. I mean, my parents aren't perfect, but they got that bit just about as right it can go.

Then again, I was born in the country of the NHS... so I have a certain amount of sympathy for underprivileged people in the States and other countries without nationalized healthcare who can't afford to get the shots and so on.

[Vigafre]

Yeah, I consider myself lucky on the vaccination regard. My parents got all that stuff done early, too, and have also never suffered from any major disease or sickness (even the flu).

This, though? Yeah, no, it's way too simple-minded.

[taza]

They are entirely idiots.

The vaccination has lower risks in every regard.

[Avistew]

I have no clue why people have such problems with vaccination. The one year I didn't get vaccinated against the flu, I caught it, reached 42 degrees Celsius and would be dead if my parents had not been doctors.

This being said, I did get chicken pox or measles, I can't remember which. I didn't die from it, but I also didn't need anyone contaminating me on purpose.

Seriously. Vaccination is like contaminating the kid, but only a little so they don't get the full on disease. Who in their right mind would think contaminating them the whole way is less risky than doing it a little bit? That's pretty ridiculous. If you're worried about vaccination, I don't understand why you wouldn't be even more worried about the disease itself.

[Master Gunner]

Because vaccinations contain government mind control drugs and dangerous chemicals that will give our kids autism. Obviously.

[Duckay]

The only reason I can think of not to vaccinate is if you happen to have a kid who has really bad reactions to vaccines for some reason - which usually, you would be aware of beforehand, it's not a random risk.

[Vigafre]

Or, you know, you don't have money.

[Metcarfre]

Oh America.

[Matt]

Or, you know, you don't have money.

Which is really only an issue in one western nation.

Though I'm reasonably certain there are free vaccination programs for kids in the US, because lack of vaccination is a public health risk.

-m

[Metcarfre]

Yeah, Rick Perry got in trouble (from Tea Partiers, natch), because he wanted to have girls get the HPV vaccine.

[Matt]

I'm aware of that, but that's sex related, and we all know that sex is icky, and the advancement of sexual heath causes makes young girls into whores.

That's not the case for all vaccinations - I'm reasonably certain that public schools do require vaccination of children for several diseases (barring religious or heath exemptions) prior to enrollment.

-m

[Duckay]

Or, you know, you don't have money.

I grant that didn't even occur to me, because I was thinking of all the free vaccines I've had over the years.

Yeah, Rick Perry got in trouble (from Tea Partiers, natch), because he wanted to have girls get the HPV vaccine.

That was all ridiculous. Of course, a couple of years ago, I would have complained about it because I thought the HPV vaccine was hell when I got it. Worst. Vaccine. Ever.

[Avistew]

Yeah, I didn't realise you had to pay for vaccinations. That's ridiculous. It's costing the government more if you get sick.

[gcninja]

Yeah, I didn't realise you had to pay for vaccinations. That's ridiculous. It's costing the government more if you get sick.

but don't vaccines come from pharmaceutical companies? We all know they're the most evil thing ever

[TheRocket]

Yeah, I didn't realise you had to pay for vaccinations. That's ridiculous. It's costing the government more if you get sick.

... no it's not. The government does not pay for your medical. They aren't paying if you get sick and they aren't vaccinating you either.

"Tough shit kid, it's your fault you're poor. You should be rich like me" is pretty much the mentality. Hence Occupy Wallstreet being so nice good smoochy in theory but fail in action.

[King Kool]

Unrelated: Rocket, your avatar has been busted for a while, and it's messing with me. I've been staring at it so long to see if it actually said photoRocket to mess with me.

[Avistew]

Yeah, I didn't realise you had to pay for vaccinations. That's ridiculous. It's costing the government more if you get sick.

... no it's not. The government does not pay for your medical. They aren't paying if you get sick and they aren't vaccinating you either.

The government gets money from your taxes. Therefore it's in their interest for you to work. Therefore it's in their interest for you to stay healthy. I'm not quite sure about invalidity pensions and the like, but I'm pretty sure welfare is also an expense that comes from the government. Just because they don't pay directly for you to get better doesn't mean they don't lose money when you get sick.

[TheRocket]

Unrelated: Rocket, your avatar has been busted for a while, and it's messing with me. I've been staring at it so long to see if it actually said photoRocket to mess with me.

[TheRocket]

Yeah, I didn't realise you had to pay for vaccinations. That's ridiculous. It's costing the government more if you get sick.

... no it's not. The government does not pay for your medical. They aren't paying if you get sick and they aren't vaccinating you either.

The government gets money from your taxes. Therefore it's in their interest for you to work. Therefore it's in their interest for you to stay healthy. I'm not quite sure about invalidity pensions and the like, but I'm pretty sure welfare is also an expense that comes from the government. Just because they don't pay directly for you to get better doesn't mean they don't lose money when you get sick.

They would lose far more money paying medical bills for people who aren't severely ill vs welfare for people who get severely ill. Truth is most people that get sick still go into work. Also, I highly doubt your kid getting chicken pox is going to throw you out of a job and into the arms of the government.