Help me convince a paranoid mother that vaccination is much better than the alternative

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Piotyr

Piotyr

A friend of mine gave birth two months ago, and freaked out this week when her baby got 5 shots at her 2 month checkup, and is now paranoid that the vaccinations are some government conspiracy to make people sick or do drug testing or whatever.

Are there reputable resources online debunking any of these stupid fears/concerns, because she's pretty off the wall about this.
 
Piotyr

Piotyr

I don't begrudge her paranoia on the situation, since her first child was stillborn at the hospital after nothing was wrong the entire pregnancy/labor, so she's very distrusting of medical professionals right now. I'm looking for official medical studies, or at least reports that reference official medical studies, in hopes that facts will sway her and that she won't get defensive/argumentative about it anymore.
 
M

makare

Just point to a calendar that it is 2011.


Hey lady it is 2011 LIVE LIKE IT!!
 
North_Ranger

North_Ranger

Staff member
Piotyr said:
I don't begrudge her paranoia on the situation, since her first child was stillborn at the hospital after nothing was wrong the entire pregnancy/labor, so she's very distrusting of medical professionals right now. I'm looking for official medical studies, or at least reports that reference official medical studies, in hopes that facts will sway her and that she won't get defensive/argumentative about it anymore.
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Perhaps you should mention that the original article about this vaccination scare has recently been debunked due to the researcher basically making up his own facts and using unsound methodology to support his pre-conceived results. Just google "Lancet vaccination" and you should find at least one article about that.
 
W

Wasabi Poptart

The first thing I would tell her is to talk to her pediatrician about her fears. Speak with her ob/gyn or family doctor as well. If her problem is that her child is getting a lot of shots at once (and believe me, as a mother I absolutely hate it when my kids go for immunizations because 4 and 5 needles at one time is terrible), see if the pediatrician will work with her on an alternate schedule. Most are willing to at least consider it.
Added at: 13:15
http://kidshealth.org/teen/school_jobs/college/immunizations.html

http://www.immunizationinfo.org/parents/why-immunize
 
MindDetective

MindDetective

Measles:


Mumps:


Pertussis (whooping cough):



The pattern here is that there has been an increases in reported incidents of very preventable diseases. The vaccinations have been around for decades and the reason these diseases are coming back is because people are refusing vaccinations. If she is worried about a lot of vaccinations at once, have them spread out over several visits. Otherwise she is setting her child up to be a statistic.
 
Mathias

Mathias

I personally love living in a society where the average Joe will believe celebrities over medical doctors regarding medicine.

Don't do anything. That's my advice. Let her kid catch Polio if she's really that stupid.
 
W

Wasabi Poptart

You should be able to find plenty of info about mumps and pertussis considering the outbreaks in recent years due to people not getting vaccines. In the case of pertussis (whooping cough) there have been babies who died because they were too young to be immunized and caught it from someone in the community that also was not immunized. The vaccines do not just protect the child getting it, but it ensures a certain level of herd immunity within the community for those who cannot be immunized for medical reasons.
 
Piotyr

Piotyr

I can't help it, I want to try to help, even if she's being naive.

I linked her to the CDC website on the autism myth and answers to parents' FAQs, along with saying that the diseases the immunizations prevent are far worse than the side effects of any immunization, even if you occasionally see a story about one person permanently disabled from a vaccine.
 
W

Wasabi Poptart

^ This. All you had to do in CA is sign on the back of the child's record saying that you oppose vaccination for religious or other (moral/ethical maybe?) reasons.
 
Piotyr

Piotyr

And...her whole family is telling her to not get vaccinations, because "the government can't be trusted".

I give up, some people are just ignorant.
Added at: 10:38
And now she's looking and asking around for pediatricians that won't give immunizations.

I hate people.
 
C

Chibibar

Piotyr said:
And...her whole family is telling her to not get vaccinations, because "the government can't be trusted".

I give up, some people are just ignorant.
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I am sadden by this.
I WANT to be a parent. We are trying to have a child. I know that I will love and protect that child with everything I got. why in the world I would let my child get diseases that can EASILY be prevented by vaccination. It baffles me.
I can understand that people fear the government (especially with all the mess they are doing lately) but when it comes to my kids (future kids) I rather them to be safe and healthy than having to worry if my kid might die from whooping cough or measles.
 
Piotyr

Piotyr

"Nobody knows what's best for their kids more than their parents."

My response: "That is total crap. I'm a parent, and I think there are TONS of people that know more than I do about things, especially medicine. Those people are called doctors, and they studied medicine for 10 years specifically to help people that don't have the time or knowledge to do just that."
 
Piotyr

Piotyr

Apparently she deleted the conversation now and blocked me from Facebook. Guess that means she won't talk to me on the phone now, either.
 
SpecialKO

SpecialKO

Piotyr said:
"Nobody knows what's best for their kids more than their parents."

My response: "That is total crap. I'm a parent, and I think there are TONS of people that know more than I do about things, especially medicine. Those people are called doctors, and they studied medicine for 10 years specifically to help people that don't have the time or knowledge to do just that."
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Alternatively, show them all the fat kids at McDonald's with their parents.
 
SpecialKO

SpecialKO

Honestly, dude, I think you're better off. I don't mean to be a complete asshole, but if/when I have kids, I would not want them to play with someone else's kids who haven't been vaccinated.
 
C

Chibibar

SpecialKO said:
Honestly, dude, I think you're better off. I don't mean to be a complete asshole, but if/when I have kids, I would not want them to play with someone else's kids who haven't been vaccinated.
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here here!
 
Piotyr

Piotyr

I'm just pissed and saddened right now that a person I consider a friend actually thinks like this and won't listen to me and thinks I've somehow succumbed to herd mentality.
 
C

Chibibar

Piotyr said:
I'm just pissed and saddened right now that a person I consider a friend actually thinks like this and won't listen to me and thinks I've somehow succumbed to herd mentality.
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Well. I don't know what to say on that tho :( I am sorry that her kids will be expose to all EXTRA crap in this world that could be easily prevented. It is hard enough as it is without having to worry about diseases that you could prevent via vaccination.
 
W

Wasabi Poptart

SpecialKO said:
Honestly, dude, I think you're better off. I don't mean to be a complete asshole, but if/when I have kids, I would not want them to play with someone else's kids who haven't been vaccinated.
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I had an acquaintance when we were living in CA with a son the same age as mine. They would play together quite often for a while. The other little boy had some behavior issues that made me start turning down play dates more often. Then I found out that she didn't believe in vaccinating. I all but quit going to her house. I felt like it was protecting myself and my child to stay away from them.
 
Mathias

Mathias

SpecialKO said:
Honestly, dude, I think you're better off. I don't mean to be a complete asshole, but if/when I have kids, I would not want them to play with someone else's kids who haven't been vaccinated.
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Why not? It's not like your kids will be at risk for polio or mumps. Don't be like that.
 
Ravenpoe

Ravenpoe

Mathias said:
Why not? It's not like your kids will be at risk for polio or mumps. Don't be like that.
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I think there would be plenty of reasons to avoid them that don't involve infectious disease.

Although not the kids, they shouldn't suffer just because their parents are morons.
 
Jay

Jay

If a parent is too fucked up not to give their child the proper care of 21st century medicine I wouldn't want to be involved with them neither. How many parents LOST their children when this medicine wasn't available in the past?

This is retarded.
 
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