chicken pox parties in OMaha? (health insurance, pharmacy, income)
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This is funny because I have an actual song on my kids' cassette that is called "we're having a chicken pox party". I just remember when I gave my older sister chicken pox and it was no party for her.
The vaccine is actually turning out to be a bad thing - at least in the opinion of many doctors. It sort of bypasses the normal immune system (by going directly into the bloodstream) and apparently there are a lot of people questioning whether it will actually keep people from getting Chicken Pox as adults, when it is MUCH more severe.
My wife & I let all 3 of our kids be exposed to Chicken Pox at school - which is pretty much inevitable anyway. They were young, the virus ran its course, and they were on their way.
I've not previously heard of Chicken Pox Parties, but I think that if I had young children now, I might take them. I'd feel horrible knowing that I was basically exposing them to what would make them sick, but I'd also know that the long-term benefits outweigh the temporary discomfort.
Your understanding of how this vaccine works is incorrect. The weakend virus is introduced to the blood stream by injection, which is where it ends up when you become infected with natural chickenpox. As camping! later stated, some kids who have been vaccinated get the disease anyway. Now, two doses are recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics and other medical groups. It is also possible to get a second, mild case of chickenpox after natural disease. If someone who is immunized gets chickepox as an adult, s/he will get the milder case b/c s/he has some immunity. This vaccine was licensed in Japan years before it was licensed in the US; the original toddler immunizees there are in their 30s (at least) and there have been no reports of immunized adults getting a severe case that I know of. Unimmunized adults can become very ill from chickenpox.
Last edited by Katarina Witt; 01-09-2009 at 09:41 PM..
Your understanding of how this vaccine works is incorrect. The weakend virus is introduced to the blood stream by injection, which is where it ends up when you become infected with natural chickenpox. As camping! later stated, some kids who have been vaccinated get the disease anyway. Now, two doses are recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics and other medical groups. It is also possible to get a second, mild case of chickenpox after natural disease. If someone who is immunized gets chickepox as an adult, s/he will get the milder case b/c s/he has some immunity. This vaccine was licensed in Japan years before it was licensed in the US; the original toddler immunizees there are in their 30s (at least) and there have been no reports of immunized adults getting a severe case that I know of. Unimmunized adults can become very ill from chickenpox.
I disagree. Having raised 3 kids, I'm really not ignorant of the way most of this stuff works. Studies show that the chicken pox virus is contacted via the air - so the vaccine bypasses the whole nasal system. Does that compromise the body's natural immune system, or only work half of it? I don't know, but I suspect it might.
Also, the chicken pox vaccine has only been licensed for use in the United States since 1995, so I'm not too sure there are people in their 30s that got it - unless they were 20+ years old when they were vaccinated.
The bottom line is that doctors themselves are divided as to whether or not the vaccine is any better than simply exposing your small children to chicken pox. That is all I'm saying, really.
Last edited by Filet Mignon; 01-09-2009 at 10:13 PM..
I disagree. Having raised 3 kids, I'm really not ignorant of the way most of this stuff works. Studies show that the chicken pox virus is contacted via the air - so the vaccine bypasses the whole nasal system. Does that compromise the body's natural immune system, or only work half of it? I don't know, but I suspect it might.
Also, the chicken pox vaccine has only been licensed for use in the United States since 1995, so I'm not too sure there are people in their 30s that got it - unless they were 20+ years old when they were vaccinated.
The bottom line is that doctors themselves are divided as to whether or not the vaccine is any better than simply exposing your small children to chicken pox. That is all I'm saying, really.
Raising children does not make one an expert in vaccines. You do not seem to have a background in health care or immunology. In natural infection, yes, the virus is inhaled; it is then spread to the blood stream by the respiratory system. In immunization, it is injected into the subcutaneous tissue where it is picked up by the bloodstream. No, it does not compromise the body's natural immune system. That is a myth the anti-vaccine advocates like to perpetuate.
I said the vaccine was licensed in Japan years before it was licensed in the US. That is where the older vaccinees are.
Doctors are not "divided" about this vaccine. All the professional medical groups that work with children endorse the vaccine. There may be some "mavericks" who do not agree with it, but they are few and far between.
Both of my kids had natural chickenpox and both were quite sick with it. A child died at Children's Hospital in Denver shortly after the vaccine was licensed. Most pediatricians and family practitioners in the area embraced the vaccine after that death.
Raising children does not make one an expert in vaccines. You do not seem to have a background in health care or immunology. In natural infection, yes, the virus is inhaled; it is then spread to the blood stream by the respiratory system. In immunization, it is injected into the subcutaneous tissue where it is picked up by the bloodstream. No, it does not compromise the body's natural immune system. That is a myth the anti-vaccine advocates like to perpetuate.
I said the vaccine was licensed in Japan years before it was licensed in the US. That is where the older vaccinees are.
Doctors are not "divided" about this vaccine. All the professional medical groups that work with children endorse the vaccine. There may be some "mavericks" who do not agree with it, but they are few and far between.
Both of my kids had natural chickenpox and both were quite sick with it. A child died at Children's Hospital in Denver shortly after the vaccine was licensed. Most pediatricians and family practitioners in the area embraced the vaccine after that death.
Of course your rank and file doctors are in favor of the vaccine! There's no money in it for them, if kids just stay home and let nature run its course. No $125 doctor visits for those kids! And there are pharmaceutical company kick-backs to doctors who prescribe their vaccines.
Even so, if you Google it, you'll find that there are a number of doctors who are far from convinced that it is good or even necessary.
For the record, all 3 of my kids had chicken pox at a fairly young age. They came sailing through it perfectly fine. We've never been the paranoid parents who run our kids to the clinic at the first sign of a sniffle. We've let their immune systems develops and fight off the minor illnesses as they've come. As a result, our kids (2 of the 3 are now grown) end up at the doctor MAYBE once every 2-3 years. And it's not because we're belligerent. It's because our kids just aren't sick much.
Of course your rank and file doctors are in favor of the vaccine! There's no money in it for them, if kids just stay home and let nature run its course. No $125 doctor visits for those kids! And there are pharmaceutical company kick-backs to doctors who prescribe their vaccines.
Even so, if you Google it, you'll find that there are a number of doctors who are far from convinced that it is good or even necessary.
For the record, all 3 of my kids had chicken pox at a fairly young age. They came sailing through it perfectly fine. We've never been the paranoid parents who run our kids to the clinic at the first sign of a sniffle. We've let their immune systems develops and fight off the minor illnesses as they've come. As a result, our kids (2 of the 3 are now grown) end up at the doctor MAYBE once every 2-3 years. And it's not because we're belligerent. It's because our kids just aren't sick much.
That's all.
You can always find a doctor who will agree with you. Always. The mainstream docs all support chickenpox vaccine. It's not a money-making thing, either. The kids get the shots when they are at the office for their well visits, which they should get regardless of whether they are getting immunizations. Plus, we make very little money from the vaccines. They are expensive, and the insurance contracts don't pay much more than cost. We refer people w/o insurance to the health dept. to save them money.
Your kids' experience with chickenpox disease was much different than mine. There's no way to tell, either, who will have a mild case and who will have a severe case. Funny thing is, parents who don't immunize frequently call our office when their kids are exposed to a vaccine-preventable disease in a panic. I think you should look at the link I posted. There is a section about "Unprotected People". Not everyone gets off with a mild case of anything. Your kids were just lucky. That's not a bad thing, it just is.
You can always find a doctor who will agree with you. Always. The mainstream docs all support chickenpox vaccine. It's not a money-making thing, either. The kids get the shots when they are at the office for their well visits, which they should get regardless of whether they are getting immunizations. Plus, we make very little money from the vaccines. They are expensive, and the insurance contracts don't pay much more than cost. We refer people w/o insurance to the health dept. to save them money.
Your kids' experience with chickenpox disease was much different than mine. There's no way to tell, either, who will have a mild case and who will have a severe case. Funny thing is, parents who don't immunize frequently call our office when their kids are exposed to a vaccine-preventable disease in a panic. I think you should look at the link I posted. There is a section about "Unprotected People". Not everyone gets off with a mild case of anything. Your kids were just lucky. That's not a bad thing, it just is.
Yes, there really IS good money in prescribing pharmaceutical companies' products. We both know that.
And yes, the medical profession is a BUSINESS. They are in it to (among other possible things) make money. And the medical profession is BIG money - as evidenced by the opulent offices, hospitals, etc. It's all big money, including the insurance and pharmaceutical companies.
Of COURSE doctors, and especially pharmaceutical companies, are going to - in the majority - recommend the Chicken Pox Vaccine. They gain nothing financially if they don't scare people into getting it. And yes, there are benefits to the vaccine. But isn't it interesting how much they play UP the benefits, yet play DOWN the dangers?
We're raising a whole generation (maybe two) of kids who have compromised immune systems, that have never developed, never had to fight off any illness, and will very possibly end up being a horrible problem as these people grow older. We're relying on artificial means to do what our bodies are built to do naturally. We may very well be preparing ourselves for a pandemic of catastrophic proportions.
The bottom line is that I am perfectly comfortable with what people have done for thousands of years: Expose your children to Chicken Pox when they're very young. Let it run its course and build their immune system. Save the $200-$300 in medical expense.
Last edited by Filet Mignon; 01-10-2009 at 10:05 AM..
Yes, there really IS good money in prescribing pharmaceutical companies' products. We both know that.
And yes, the medical profession is a BUSINESS. They are in it to (among other possible things) make money. And the medical profession is BIG money - as evidenced by the opulent offices, hospitals, etc. It's all big money, including the insurance and pharmaceutical companies.
Of COURSE doctors, and especially pharmaceutical companies, are going to - in the majority - recommend the Chicken Pox Vaccine. They gain nothing financially if they don't scare people into getting it. And yes, there are benefits to the vaccine. But isn't it interesting how much they play UP the benefits, yet play DOWN the dangers?
We're raising a whole generation (maybe two) of kids who have compromised immune systems, that have never developed, never had to fight off any illness, and will very possibly end up being a horrible problem as these people grow older. We're relying on artificial means to do what our bodies are built to do naturally.
The bottom line is that I am perfectly comfortable with what people have done for thousands of years: Expose your children to Chicken Pox when they're very young. Let it run its course and build their immune system. Save the $200-$300 in medical expense.
That's probably what the parents of the child who died in Denver thought. Immunizations are NOT a conspiracy. The price you pay for letting nature take its course is an increase in deaths, from the disease.
That's probably what the parents of the child who died in Denver thought. Immunizations are NOT a conspiracy. The price you pay for letting nature take its course is an increase in deaths, from the disease.
So one child dies - with extenuating circumstances - and now all vaccines are mandatory? Even for a virus that quickly and easily runs its course?
I'm not saying immunizations are a conspiracy. But I AM saying that our "medical community" is a BUSINESS that is far more interested in making money than in people's health. After all, if people were well, we wouldn't be running to doctors twice per week - and that would mean less income for doctors, clinics, hospitals, insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies.
If the medical community is so darned concerned about people's health, why is nothing done without an exorbitant price tag attached?
It is PRIMARILY about money, not people's health. That is why hospitals are always building multi-million dollar additions, why doctors are always driving ultra-high end expensive vehicles and living in mansions, why pharmaceutical companies can spend hundreds of millions of dollars per year lobbying Congress, and why even local clinics have marble floors and opulent adornments. The medical industry does not want diseases cured, because their income would dry up. They don't want cancer cured, or there would already be a cure. It's about money.
So one child dies - with extenuating circumstances - and now all vaccines are mandatory? Even for a virus that quickly and easily runs its course?
Wow, just wow!
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