+Re: +Re:Getting out of vaccinating in Miami Dade County

[Guest guest]

,

I, too, agree with you..........there are far too many vaccinations being

given at one time, they do need to be spaced out.......the problem is trying

to get the insurance companies to pay.

I get so upset when I hear of people, PARENTS, actually looking for ways to

avoid vaccinations citing any regulation that they think will " fit " . As I

stated, IF your child has had a significant medical issue as a TRUE result

of a vaccination, then by all means, do what you have to do........but to

just avoid them BECAUSE **insert cause** is irresponsible. This doesn't

just affect YOUR child.

While I agree, children don't typically die from chicken pox, measles, or

the flu..........there are some potentially fatal diseases that have been

effectively erradicated through vaccinations. Pertussis is one of them.

No, you don't have to be malnourished to die from Pertussis...........

http://www.pertussis.com/psa60.html

From http://www.cispimmunize.org/ill/dtp/pert/pertill.html

The Disease

If you've ever seen a child with pertussis you, won't forget it. The child

coughs violently and rapidly, over and over, until the air is gone from her

lungs and she is forced to inhale with the loud " whooping " sound that gives

the disease its nickname, Whooping Cough. Then the coughing begins again.

These severe coughing spells can go on for weeks. The child might turn blue

from lack of air, or vomit after a coughing spell. A child with Whooping

Cough can have difficulty eating, drinking, or even breathing.

Pertussis is a very contagious disease, and one that is fairly common in the

United States, even today. It is caused by bacteria called Bordetella

pertussis that live in the mouth, nose, and throat. Pertussis is spread by

personal contact, coughing and sneezing.

It usually takes a week to 10 days from the time a child is exposed until

symptoms appear. At first pertussis looks like a common cold, with sneezing,

runny nose, fever, and a mild cough. But after 1 or 2 weeks the severe

coughing spells begin. This stage of the disease usually lasts 1 to 6 weeks,

but can last longer.

After the coughing stage has passed the child usually recovers gradually

over 2 to 3 weeks. A child with pertussis can give the disease to another

child from about a week after exposure till about 3 weeks after the severe

coughing starts.

Pertussis is most severe in infants under 1 year old. More than half of

these infants who get the disease must be hospitalized. Older children and

adults can get pertussis too, but it is much less severe and might not even

be recognized as pertussis. Many infants who get pertussis catch it from

their older brothers and sisters or from their parents.

Pertussis can cause serious complications. About 1 child in 10 with

pertussis also gets pneumonia, and about 1 in every 50 will have

convulsions. In 1 out of every 250 people who get pertussis, the brain is

affected. This is called encephalopathy. Pertussis causes about 10-15 deaths

a year in the United States.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases