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Everyone in epidemiology acknowledges that there were about 4 million cases of measles per year in the decade pre-vaccine in the US. What we don't know is the number of deaths from measles in those years. The reported number is 400-500 per year. We know that's not any more accurate than the number or reported cases. So it is dishonest in the extreme to say 4 million cases and 400 deaths, about 1 in every 10,000 cases. In big outbreaks, it generally works out to about 1 in 1000 cases, as in Europe last year.
The reported deaths are certainly much more accurate then the reported cases. If someone dies and has the measles it will be reported as a measles death. It would be extremely rare for someone to die from measles without anyone knowing that they had measles. It could happen, but again, very rare. The reported death number has to be very close to the actual number while the same can not be said for the actual number of cases vs reported since the vast majority of people will ride measles out at home without ever seeing a doctor.
If people want to use their religion as their shield to not be forced to do things they don't want to do to their own body, don't use your religion as your sword to prevent women from doing what they want to do to their own body.
The government really should not have a say in forcing anyone to do anything with their own body that they do not want to do. That goes for vaccines and for abortions.
Jehovah's historically had a very, very firm objection to vaccines. It's tempered, although the tempering was more for financial reason than religious ones, to "no official stance, wink wink but not something a good Jehovah would do" to being more neutral in the '90s. You could probably make an argument though that Jehovah's do still have an objection to vaccines.
Legitimate religious exception, fine. But I think the onus is on the individual to pove that it's an actual religious exception and not I don't feel like it personal belief exception. The official stance of Jehovah's might make that difficult to do as they do maintain a more up to the personal beliefs of the individual stance today than root of all evil or wink wink don't do it if you don't want to burn in hell stances they used to have.
There is no such thing. Religion is complete fantasy. Vaccines are science. There is no "legitimate" reason that religion should be a consideration in whether or not we require children to be vaccinated.
Public school, public school rules. Which call for vaccinations. That includes everyone the attends, teaches, works, or visits the schools.
Any public places like schools, hospitals, nursing homes, day care vaccinations should be mandatory by law.
If you want to have a school for unvaccinated children you could also build a charter school.
OK, currently rules about faculty and staff vary a lot. Most do not require anything of said people. Visitors? That would be very hard to enforce. In the event of an outbreak, visitors could be limited.
Vaccine mandates apply to private schools as well, and charter schools are part of the public school system. So your plan is a no-go from the start.
There is no such thing. Religion is complete fantasy. Vaccines are science. There is no "legitimate" reason that religion should be a consideration in whether or not we require children to be vaccinated.
Let's bring back parental choice, where there is no need for any exemptions. Parents decide what medical treatment is best for their own children and can send them to ANY school regardless of the decision.
The government really should not have a say in forcing anyone to do anything with their own body that they do not want to do. That goes for vaccines and for abortions.
Right... Let's end one of the most successful public health initiatives in the history of mankind. Let's go back to the days of polio, leprosy, measles, mumps, flu pandemics, and other fun historical health high points in order to keep the big, bad government from interfering with people's ability to make really stupid selfish decisions.
The government really should not have a say in forcing anyone to do anything with their own body that they do not want to do. That goes for vaccines and for abortions.
I feel like if our government (state and federal) actually compromised, we'd have more common sense legislation on many issues.
Why would these cases be reported? It was considered no big deal back then. I had measles at 6 months old in 1949, and chicken pox a month later. First of all, Pediatricians came to the homes of sick kids, including in NYC. Mom never told me anything about the doctor coming to our home. Both my Grandma and Great-Grandma lived with us. Between the two of them, they raised 8 children who had all those diseases, and knew what to expect with each. Statistics will never show how many kids had measles back in those days because who was going to report it? Parents? Why?
Miss Terri, it was a far different world then. People are so terrified of being sick, with anything, today. Actually, even statistics on the flu would not be accurate. Everyone runs to a doctor to get tested for the flu? A lot of people don't just stay home, or even go to work, and let it ride out? That is how it used to be with these childhood diseases.
Edit: Please don't tell me it was only MY parents. The parents of my friends and classmates felt the same. I visited all of them when they were sick with these diseases. Cheer up your friends.
Yes, that's how it was. Measles, mumps, chicken pox=normal childhood illnesses and not a big deal. Now smallpox=YIKES! There is no comparison. But no one worried about the usual childhood diseases. It was not a much bigger deal than having a bad cold. Yes. you had to stay in bed and someone had to take care of you. For measles the room was darkened and you had to be careful even when you started feeling better. But it wasn't smallpox or some other serious disease.
However I can understand a male getting vaccinated for mumps because if he gets it when he's older it can make him sterile. Other than that, I think people just don't ever want to accept the fact that sometimes we get sick. I think maybe Big Pharm just wants to make more money off us. And researchers should use their time more wisely to study serious diseases.
Let's bring back parental choice, where there is no need for any exemptions. Parents decide what medical treatment is best for their own children and can send them to ANY school regardless of the decision.
Exemption problem solved.
Would these be the same parents who smoke meth while pregnant? The same parents who trade their children's food stamps in order to get a dime bag? The same parents who, according to most studies, might be lucky if they can read at a 7th grade level?
Yeah... Great idea... Let's put people like that in charge of deciding the public health consequences of whether or not to vaccinate their children. What could possibly go wrong?
Would these be the same parents who smoke meth while pregnant? The same parents who trade their children's food stamps in order to get a dime bag? The same parents who, according to most studies, might be lucky if they can read at a 7th grade level?
Yeah... Great idea... Let's put people like that in charge of deciding the public health consequences of whether or not to vaccinate their children. What could possibly go wrong?
There will always be people who make poor choices. You cannot legislate that. It has nothing to do with the discussion of this thread.
[Example of '"your logic": Ban all cars because some people choose to drive drunk.]
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Why would these cases be reported? It was considered no big deal back then. I had measles at 6 months old in 1949, and chicken pox a month later. First of all, Pediatricians came to the homes of sick kids, including in NYC. Mom never told me anything about the doctor coming to our home. Both my Grandma and Great-Grandma lived with us. Between the two of them, they raised 8 children who had all those diseases, and knew what to expect with each. Statistics will never show how many kids had measles back in those days because who was going to report it? Parents? Why? 
