Moms Talk Q & A: School Immunization

Moms Talk is a feature on Bayport-Blue Point Patch that is part of a new initiative on our Patch sites to reach out to moms and families.

Bayport-Blue Point Patch invites you and your circle of friends to help build a community of support for mothers and their families right here in Bayport-Blue Point.

Each week in Moms Talk, our Moms Council of experts and smart moms take your questions, give advice and share solutions. 

So grab a cup of coffee and settle in as we start the conversation.

Should Public Schools Allow Non-Immunized Children in the Classroom?

In recent years, the number of families choosing not to have their children vaccinated against some or all childhood diseases has continued to increase. In New York State, families can apply for an exemption that allows their un-or-partially-vaccinated child to enter public school.  News reports of measles and whooping cough outbreaks across the country have fueled a nationwide debate over the ethics of vaccination choices and public health risks. 

Do you believe unvaccinated children put babies too young to be vaccinated and immunocompomised children at risk by allowing almost-eradicated childhood scourges to return? Or do you think this is an issue of individual choice and personal freedom that schools and government should not legislate? What changes, if any, would you like to see happen surrounding this issue? How have your own personal choices been affected by the larger debate around this topic?

If you have any thoughts on this subject, please answer in the comments section below. 

Moms Council member --Ginee O'Hara--

This is an interesting question, and those of us with kids in the elementary school in Bayport should have a definite opinion about this topic. I feel very strongly that if a parent is against immunization of their children while the rest of us are doing our part to keep our children  healthy then they should keep them out of the public school. They should be home schooled in order to not expose our children to illness that they ordinarily wouldn’t be exposed to.

I am not a person who solely believes in modern medicine and medication either because I studied massage, reflexology, shiatsu and various Eastern techniques or medicine and I am not going to judge a person who makes the decision to not immunize their child, but don’t subject the other children who do get immunized to things that have not been dealt with in a long time. I am not even sure if at this point, it would be brought to our attention that a child was in our school who is not immunized, but at the very least, the parents should be notified in order to make their own decision about who they want their child to be around.

Moms Council member --Danielle Golden Giglio--

The subject of vaccinating children can make for a heated debate. I am on the fence with this issue. My children have their required shots, but I often wonder if they really need all those vaccinations in their bodies. The experts claim that shots do not cause Autism, but it seems like so much of the evidence points in that direction. And who is to say that 10 years from now, with advances in science, they find out vaccinations caused Autism?

On the other hand, it was not so long ago that children in the United States would have suddenly become paralyzed or die from diseases that have just about disappeared because of vaccinations. 

There are definitely vaccinations that are necessary, and I think there are some that are unnecessary - like chicken pox. My children got this one, but then I found out if a different strand of chicken pox is going around they are not immune to it.  So I will not do that shot again. I do not get flu shot for my children.  There are so many different strands of the flu and I feel I do not want to expose them to that shot every year.

 I also know of children with medical issues that cannot get vaccinations, so I understand parents concern when other children do not get their vaccinations.

 It is a tough issue all around, but I think ultimately it should be the choice of the parents whether to vaccinate or not.