Vaccines

[Jesus' Princess]

So I've been wanting to make a topic about this subject for a while, but I've chickened out because I've gotten into some pretty awkward situations with people I've talked about this with in real life. It's kind of a hot topic right now in our circles.

Are you vaccinated? (is this tmi? ) What's your/your parents view on them? Personally, I'm vaccinated because of my sister. She can't be vaccinated (she got one shot, and it almost killed her...) so the rest of us got them to try to keep her healthy. What do you think about the whole vaccines cause autism thing that's been going around? I'm really curious as to what people in other parts of america and the world think about this, because where I live, over half of the poplation is very anti-vaccine. I honestly don't know where I stand yet, (it sure doesn't help any that I'm absolutely terrified of needles... )

[EK]

Yeah of course I'm vaccinated. I don't get all the craziness over not getting vaccinated. They save lives. Period.

[Knight Fisher]

My stance is it really doesn't hurt that much, but I'm completely Needle phobic. And that has probably developed do to the fact that I am much more sensitive to pain than the average person, doctors ignoring me and just doing it anyway, and some run-ins with some... less than acceptable doctors. The one time in the past 8 years I didn't fight it was the time I nearly passed out from my blood pressure spiking then dropping. But, as EK said they save lives. I'm going to get Measles shots and definitely Tetanus and all those. But I absolutely refuse to get flu shots, and even more after I started getting it less the years I didn't take it. To deny and refuse to see the obvious health benefits to vaccines is just plain wrong. It's like refusing to use the internet or a microwave. But, don't blindly do what the doctor tells you to do. Research.

[Laurie]

I'm vaccinated, even had a flu shot during my last doctor's visit. I don't go for the craziness either.

[Termite]

I'm fully vaccinated... I think, anyway. Got em regularly growing up like most people. No flu shots for me, though. I don't get sick.

[The Top Crusader]

I don't get the flu shot but I think child vaccinations stuff are important... I don't get the big anti-vaccination movement.

[Woody]

I only get a tetanus shot every couple of years. My mom's a tetanusaphobiac because she had a sheep that died from tetanus.

[Anemone]

I never get shots because I've never had a need to......

Plus I hardly ever get sick so...yeah.

[Kait]

I haven't had any vaccines since I was like... 3 or 4. I don't vaccinate my kiddo, either.

THEY ARE EVIL.

[DanP740]

I've been vaccinated my whole life, except against the flu, which I've never gotten. I've also never gotten chicken pox, probably because of the vaccine more than never being around other people who've had it.

And that whole "vaccines cause autism" was a total ridiculous fake that has cost lots of lives...

[Danielle Abigail Maxwell]

Kait knows they aren't evil. Every parent has a choice. I respect the choices parent's make. We had a long discussion in one of our Community lectures about vaccines. How a nurse with a Master's degree and her husband didn't vaccinate their children, even with knowing their benefits, and with having been vaccinated themselves. Strange, but respected.

I have always been vaccinated. Which was good, because when applying for a nursing assistant class and then nursing school, I didn't need 101 (;)) vaccinations. I needed my Tdap booster, a flu shot, and a few TB tests. Being in healthcare, many hospitals require the flu shot or a mask be worn when it comes to their employees. Of course, does the flu shot always work? Eh, maybe, maybe not. I'd rather be safe. For myself AND my patients. *plus it was a requirement this school year... and my insurance pays for the flu shot* The one thing I haven't been vaccinated for is the... cervical cancer one. *shrug* I'm not active, so I'm not worried?
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I did a flu round-up with the local hospital one Saturday afternoon, and it was fun! The flu and Tdap were free of charge and we gave the injections like it was a real epidemic - you don't aspirate like you normally would and you get it in and get them OUT. Good practice for the community, a free opportunity for anyone over age 19 who needed their Tdap and flu shot, and fun times with nurses and students alike. Plus, they even RAN out of both vaccines. *good or bad sign.... eh.... could go both ways*

I do believe in being vaccinated, and probably will with my kids whenever I have them. Vaccines have eradicated certain diseases that were very common back in the day. They creep up now and then in people who aren't vaccinated, so the diseases aren't totally gone from the country. But we have less instances of them, which creates a healthier country and a healthier us.

Seeing as I was vaccinated my whole life, my parents certainly agreed with it. My sister hates needles. I get a little anxious, but I'm okay with them. I sincerely wanted SOMEONE to poke me with an IV when we had skills practice starting IVs at the beginning of October. *the perks of being a nursing student? lol* Sadly, no veins could be found... but I have gotten to poke people with IV's, and IM injections, and subcutaneous injections, so I'm comfortable sticking other people Plus, the more I stick others, the more I don't mind being stuck because it's fair. I get back what I do to them.

[Kait]

Kait knows they aren't evil.

Not evil, but I do think the risks far outweigh any debatable "benefits" of them. At least in the way they are done in our country.

[Jonathan]

I get a flu shot every year free through work (and since we give them, and I manage, I don't have a whole lot of choice). I also got a tetanus shot almost two years ago, and I don't know if I'll ever get one of those again thanks to the nasty reaction I had (it isn't normal to have a pulse of 96 bpm while snoozing on the couch).

[darcie]

I don't believe in flu shots, because I think there's no way to target the correct mutation accurately enough. I think it's funny that kids get chicken pox vaccines now instead of just getting it. But I do vaccinate my kids. My littlest one isn't caught up just due to moving and switching doctors and me being lazy. I think some people are more prone to problems with reactions and for these kids, vaccinations could be a big problem. But for the majority of people, I think vaccinations are a fair solution to prevent many former health crises. And for the people not able to get vaccinated, the greater numbers of the population that ARE able to be vaccinated holds the key to providing the herd immunity that will protect them.

[Sherlock]

Ohh, wow. No one is going to visit me now.

My mom was one of those "crazy" types that didn't believe in vaccinations of any kind whatsoever. Somehow I made it through childhood by filling some kind of conscientious objection form for every single activity that required your kid to be vaccinated.

FWIW, I'm pretty healthy. When I was a kid, parents just intentionally let kids catch chickenpox since it can apparently be much worse in adulthood and apparently potentially fatal for pregnant women or babies or something(?). Chickenpox as a kid wasn't too bad, but when the virus resurfaced again at 25 as shingles, that was horrific pain. Supposedly for some people (especially the elderly), it can result in permanent nerve damage and chronic pain issues, so I definitely can see why avoiding the chickenpox virus with a vaccine could be a good idea, moreso for down the road.

Recently, I was one visiting my sister, and one of my niece's little friends had Polio. I thought we had eradicated it, but apparently the virus is still out there, but since the majority of kids are vaccinated against it, we don't see it very often.

Something to think about anyway.

[Baragon]

I think the flu shot is... the government's way of killing various citizens.

Not really. But I do believe it is very dangerous. My father nearly died after getting the flu shot and I know numerous people who've had the flu shot and have fallen seriously ill. So, I'll never get one. As for other vaccines.... I haven't overly researched them but a friend (who is a doctor, and not just courtesy of Dr. Pepper) says there's reason to be wary of some of them when you look at what is being put into your body. So, I'm not overly educated on vaccines but that's how I feel about 'em. So, there.

[The Top Crusader]

My grandpa got pneumonia and died from a flu shot lol.

[Jesus' Princess]

Yeah, well the flu shots a different story, but stuff like Polio or pertussis (whooping cough) is totally different I think. If people aren't vaccinated against them, then the people who can't have the vaccine (elderly people, disabled people, young babies, etc..) are at high risk to get it, and they're often in the highest risk group of dying of something like that.

[American Eagle]

A family in our church all got the whooping cough last year; they (at least the children) had all been vaccinated at a young age. My family didn't catch it and we haven't been vaccinated.

Food for thought.

[Kait]

A family in our church all got the whooping cough last year; they (at least the children) had all been vaccinated at a young age. My family didn't catch it and we haven't been vaccinated.

Food for thought.

Yeah the whooping cough epidemic in our state this year was mainly among the vaccinated population.