Posted on 11/14/2007 8:32:37 AM PST by my3centseuro
The parents of more than 2,300 Prince George's County students who failed to get needed vaccinations could face fines of $50 a day and up to 10 days in jail if their children do not meet the state's immunization requirements, county officials said yesterday.
The threat of legal action is a last resort after months in which Prince George's has struggled to get its 131,000 students immunized for chicken pox and hepatitis B, as mandated by the state.
More than 2,300 students have not been immunized and have been barred from attending schools, almost two months after a Sept. 20 deadline for meeting the requirement.
"We can do this the easy way or the hard way, but it's got to get done," Prince George's State's Attorney Glenn F. Ivey (D) said at a news conference in Upper Marlboro.
"I'm willing to move forward with legal action." School officials have made calls, sent letters and conducted home visits to make arrangements for free appointments for the needed shots.
But often the students' addresses and phone numbers have been outdated, making contacting them difficult. Other students have received the vaccines but failed to get the necessary booster shots.
The school system turned to the justice system as a final option and received the backing of Circuit Judge William D. Missouri, the county's administrative judge, and Circuit Judge C. Philip Nichols Jr., who handles juvenile matters.
"This is an educational crisis," said R. Owen Johnson Jr., chairman of the school board. "This is a public health and a children's rights issue."
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Must me some reasons....
Personally I think it would be great...if they just told the school system to stick it.
I get Science News magazine and one of the first issues I received had an article called *Germs of Endearment* From Aug 14, 1999.
It addressed the theory of hygiene and still seems applicable today.
http://www.sciencenews.org/pages/sn_arc99/8_14_99/bob2.htm
A good friend of mine and her husband are avid outdoors people...camping, hunting, fishing. She gave birth to her first daughter less than a month before a planned camping trip. She and her husband packed up the newborn (along with all the camping gear and baby stuff) and off to the wilderness they went. Her mother was mortified — how are you going to keep things sterlized on a camping trip, etc. etc. The infant not only survived the trip, but thrived in the outdoors.
All that cleanliness is just not healthy. Even if it may to some extent ward off diseases, you can cause your kids some serious psychological damage. My mother was a cleanliness freak. Washed and cleaned everything to the point of obsession. As kids, we couldn’t touch anything — because you might pick up (or leave) germs. My brother was the one — as a typical boy, he liked to play with other kids in the mud and what not. My mother would have a hissy fit. Thank goodness for my Dad — he wasn’t that fanatical about cleanliness. He once said, “you know the old saying, ‘cleanliness is next to godliness?’ Well, with your mother, godliness comes in second.”
“This is an educational crisis,” said R. Owen Johnson Jr., chairman of the school board”
no you moron, the educational crisis is you let kids graduate that can’t; read, write or add/subtract worth a damn.
When we moved and got a new doctor, we were told that unless we could prove that our children had chickenpox, they would have to get the shot. Their definition of proof was having it diagnosed by a medical professional or having a blood test to check for anti-bodies. My simply recognizing and treating the disease wasn’t good enough. Never mind that doctors don’t want you bringing in a child with active chickenpox into their offices anyway.
I asked if showing them the scars was enough proof. The answer was, (you guessed it) No.
Fortunately, we did have on their medical records that they had them.
I think you meant HepA for the one that is from contaminated food. My father contracted HepC before the doctors were calling it that, from contaminated blood transfusions. His brother got the same thing from recreational drug use in the 60’s.
What legitimate reason could there be for threatening legal action, fines, jail terms for parents who don't want this choice for their kids?
So the parents are offered the opportunity to have their kids vaccinated at the courthouse????
And what if they refuse there? What are the consequences? Immediate prosecution? Removal of the kids? Is this the United States?
Of course, mine could also be due to a lot of loud rock music too. :)
Why would you want to?
Just move out of PA. The state is becoming a totalitarian h-llhole anyway. It’s a wholly lost cause.
PG County is still a cesspool. Most of the crime stories on the local news each night originate there.
And are they pushing this to illegals aliens’ children too?
Easy. The government owns our children and is renting them out to us on good behavior and payment of proper rental fees (read taxes).
I use headphones now...I figure I can’t get any more “deef.” LOL
Just move out of PA. The state is becoming a totalitarian h-llhole anyway. Its a wholly lost cause.
***
I’ll be following you when I retire in about 7 years.
I would imagine the people in the cities. Is that a problem for you? Do you live in that city? I don’t which is why I don’t care so much.
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