16 April 2009

Free whooping cough vaccine to combat negligent parents

| johnboy
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Katy Gallagher has announced that in an effort to stem Canberra’s reversion to the dark ages she’s going to pick up the bills of oxygen thieving parents who have failed to vaccinate their children against whooping cough.

    ACT Health Minister, Katy Gallagher MLA, today announced that parents of babies under 12 months of age and grandparents who have regular contact with them will be able to access a free pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine.

    Ms Gallagher said the move followed an increase in pertussis notifications in the ACT since December.

It’s just a shame the state won’t be taking these abused children from these people and giving them to someone, anyone, who gives a damn.

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“Dr Julie Leask, a social scientist in the medical faculty at the University of Sydney,….
..writes…

A few media reports lately have suggested we are having a drop in rates. This is a blow-up. There is no sign of this from national rates which remain stable at about 94% for two year olds. I am not aware of a fall in the northern rivers rates. It’s always been poor with about two thirds fully vaccinated.”

Seeing that the vaccination rate continues to remain at 94% for two year olds, and seeing that this rate would apply for previous years implying that we have a well vaccinated populace, why do we have an outbreak. Is it only among the 6% who are not vaccinated or is something more complex going on here?

Feathergirl said :

I just had my whooping cough booster yesterday, it has tetinus (sp?) in it also so arm is a bit numb, but okay. Thought I’d write and remind mums and dads (of babies) to get out there and get it done soon as it is still free, but won’t be after end of July.

My cousin was only last week diagnosed with whooping cough so it is out there and I’m guessing you’d rather have the afternoon off work to get a jab than a month off work coughing your guts out. And you definately don’t want bubs getting it so protect yourselves friends.

Hope people are reading the recent comments today 🙂

thanks feathergirl, we were all immunised, prior to my mum visiting from SA. she picked up whooping cough at age 67 in moss vale of all places. we were (naturally) blamed for her illness till it was pointed out we had been immunised…

I just had my whooping cough booster yesterday, it has tetinus (sp?) in it also so arm is a bit numb, but okay. Thought I’d write and remind mums and dads (of babies) to get out there and get it done soon as it is still free, but won’t be after end of July.

My cousin was only last week diagnosed with whooping cough so it is out there and I’m guessing you’d rather have the afternoon off work to get a jab than a month off work coughing your guts out. And you definately don’t want bubs getting it so protect yourselves friends.

Hope people are reading the recent comments today 🙂

I’ll have another dose of it, especially as I work with children and have 3 at home.

I don’t mind paying for it either.

Children with allergies to things used to make vaccines may have to delay or completely skip some of the schedule immunisations. Or the child might miss a scheduled vaccination due to being unwell at the time, and catch the disease before they can catch up on the schedule.

Children who are not yet fully vaccinated are also at some risk of picking it up if their parents catch the virus (which they might do if they had their last vaccination a decade or more ago). These are most likely the main reasons why this vax program is being offered.

As for parents who make an informed choice not to vaccinate, none of the ones I have met expect their child to remain illness-free through vaccination of the rest of the population.

I personally think this program should be extended to include people who regularly work with or look after babies under a year old – babysitters, childcare workers etc. Not that they should all be told to get jabbed, just that if they want to get their vaccinations updated for free then it should be available to them. At the moment, I think it’s just parents and grandparents of babies under one year old.

monomania said :

I believe in vaccination as well. It would be nice if we all were able to make rational decisions based on evidence.

It was easier in the past to accept the importance of vaccination. When I grew up there were polio victims in the same class at school. Whooping cough was still common when my children were young. The medical profession had a high level of respect and people were willing to listen to what they had to say.

The level of respect might be higher if there wasn’t a denial of adverse reactions to vaccines.

My daughter had the triple at the age of … (can’t recall .. older than 1, younger than 3), spiked a massive fever, went limp and unresponsive and had a red rash from the site of the vaccination up to her neck. We took her to Emergency when her breathing seem to become affected by the swelling associated with the rash. The Doctor’s opinion? Nothing to do with the vaccine! Complete coincidence!

BULLSH*T!

It was pretty obvious that her symptoms were a reaction to the vaccine. The evidence with regards to vaccination might be tainted if my experience is widespread and Doctor’s are routinely not diagnosing adverse reactions to vaccines.

I now have less trust of Doctor’s when it comes to the issue of vaccinations as a result of this experience.

Sepi is right, the 100 week cough that has been doing the rounds for the last few years is (to my understanding) actually whooping cough. This free vac. has been released for this reason. Parents who like myself were vaccinated (but effect has worn off) are being encouraged to get this shot so they don’t give the infection to there young children, I for one will be taking them up on this offer.

I believe in vaccination as well. It would be nice if we all were able to make rational decisions based on evidence.

It was easier in the past to accept the importance of vaccination. When I grew up there were polio victims in the same class at school. Whooping cough was still common when my children were young. The medical profession had a high level of respect and people were willing to listen to what they had to say.

When vaccination levels were very high the risk not vaccinating your individual child began to get much closer or excede risk of vaccinating even for those not identified as high risk.

In general, people put the interests of their own kids ahead of some concept of societal benefit. Combined with a lot of mumbo jumbo new age nonsense and no direct experience of the diseases being vaccinated against and a distrust of the medical fraternity I don’t find the current situation surprising.

The freebie vaccines are for parents of babies and toddlers. Or anyone who works with kids.

The parents who won’t vaccinate their kids will be unlikely to vaccinate themselves either.

But whooping cough vaccine wears off after 10 years, so parents who last had one in year 8 should get a free booster now, to avoid bringing home whooping cough.

And many of these diseases we now vaccinate for are fatal. Not worth the risk.

I actually agree with JB on this one. there is no reason to prevent your child from being vaccinated. none. it is an act of abuse, to put children at risk through the parent’s personal views.

what happened to providing the best chance for the children to grow up? not to mention the distress that these diseases cause the sufferer, and the fatal nature for many weaker children.

I’m not referring to parents who are on the schedule.

It’s the wasters who’ve been free riding that have blown the herd immunity and doomed the children with genuine medical reasons not to get the vaccine, and those too young.

Little strong, Johnboy. The schedule for whooping cough vaccinations is something like 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, then a booster at 4.

So there is a window when babies aren’t fully protected, regardless of how diligent the parents are about getting their offspring vaccinated.

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