I have a friend who used to work for a major national home school association. I once talked with some of their attorneys, and the anti-vacination movement is big among some homeschool families. I could tell these guys had mixed emotions about it, but they explained to me that many of their members have strong opinions against some, or even all vaccines for their kids...
I really believe that there should practically be prison time for people who refuse to vaccinate, IF they spread a major disease (like measles) on to others.
As I understand it, while measles is usually not life-threatening to children, it is very life threatening to adults.
HPV is one thing...no one’s life is threatened, and its usually an STD. However, unvaccinated kids in major diseases should be forced to stay out of the public.
I know a lot of great people homeschool (and if I had kids I might myself) however, there are a few homeschool folks that are definitely of the luner-airborne-rodent type.
How exactly are the un- vaccinated a threat to anyone but other un-vaccinated?
” . . . there are a few homeschool folks that are definitely of the luner-airborne-rodent type.”
There are MANY public school TEACHERS that meet that description.
Personally, I would choose to give my kids the polio, MMR (in individual shots), tetanus and whooping cough vaccines. I don't believe that hepatitis, chicken pox and the HPV vaccines are not necessary. Two of those diseases are sexually transmitted. I'd only give the chicken pox vaccine to kids who reached their teen years and had still not contracted the disease. (This was my dr's recommendation when the kids were young.) If the kids want the shots, they can choose to get them when they're adults.
As an adult, I got the pneumonia vaccine and get the flu shot every fall as do my kids. (My son's a type 1 diabetic and can't afford to get ill.)
This way diseases which are true threats to the public health are kept in check and the rest is up to individual responsibility and one bad one which usually doesn't threaten life and limb.
But I'm talking about parental choice. The gov't is far over reaching on this subject. (As indicated by Texas Governor Perry's attempt to force Gardasil on every school-age female in the state.)