Wednesday, June 19, 2013
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No Shots, No School: ASD Immunization PolicyReligious and medical exemptions are available, but students who aren’t vaccinated can’t come to school during some illness outbreaks which can last for months.Related Content
Nationwide cases of measles are on the rise and health officials are calling it the first measles outbreak in 15 years. That’s why they're stressing that your children are up to date on their immunizations.
Health officials know of at least 156 cases of measles throughout the country, more than two-thirds of which were contracted overseas and brought back stateside.
State health officials say that since more people are traveling, the risk of spreading diseases perceived as “illnesses of the past” is increasing.
But a growing number of parents are choosing not to vaccinate their kids because they say vaccines can sometimes cause more harm than good.
Religious and medical exemptions are available within the Anchorage School District, but students who aren’t vaccinated must stay home during outbreaks of whatever illnesses may be at school –sometimes for months— until the risk of infection has passed.
“A few years ago we started seeing an outbreak of chickenpox in children that were immunized. That's when state requirements started including having a second chickenpox immunization,” said Wendy Parsons, a nurse at Campbell Elementary School.
If you'd like to vaccinate your children for school, those immunizations are free, but health care providers urge parents not to procrastinate. The backlog could mean that your child will miss school.
“If it helps my kids and protects my kids, why not? If some other kids are not doing it at least my kids are protected,” said pro-vaccination parent Isapela Mavaega.
The school district's policy is: no shots, no school.
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mamaduck said on Wednesday, Aug 10 at 3:50 AM
what about the ones that do get vaccinated and still get the virus, or the ones that are apart of the population that has an amunity to the disease and gets it either way what then.
72112959brainfan said on Thursday, Aug 4 at 11:17 AM
"The only reason kids are still getting chickenpox is because of irresponsible parents like you who do not vaccinate their children. You cannot rely on the "herd immunity" to protect children." If a vaccinated kid gets the illness that he is vaccinated against, then the vaccine does not work. Not very difficult to understand. This meme about "herd immunity" is just the newest ploy to sell as much product as possible. Illnesses, such as polio, that people used to die from were on the wane long before vaccines came on the scene. The reason is simple: the socialization of sanitation and food supply. Cleanliness and a healthy diet infer immunity while vaccinations assault the immune system.
71816333Well seasoned Alaska Nurse said on Thursday, Aug 4 at 10:28 AM
Some of the HEALTHIEST kids I know are NOT vaccinated, eat a healthy diet, get plenty of fresh air and do not suffer from any vaccine "side effects."
71813219OlypoppersPop said on Thursday, Aug 4 at 4:44 AM
There is always the queston to be asked of people who don't want their children vaccinated. What is there about stupid and ignorant do you not understand?? Some of you need to visit old cemeteries and look at the childrens graves created during the times of all past outbreaks of diseases. It might enlighten some of you ignoramuses. Oh but the ignorant would argue that they died of some other reason. Irresponsible parents that don't want vaccinations for their children often find out that their ignorance causes a big heartbreak when their child gets a disease.
71792118niccappon said on Wednesday, Aug 3 at 3:55 PM
I find it unfortunate that adults would write a rebuttal about an obviously controversial topic and find it necessary to add personal insults. I appreciate that people have different opinions and exercise their freedom of speech. I'm sad that alternative medicine is not respected or recognized like it should be. It seems naive to believe everything that the medical field and CDC feed to us. Appropriate cliche, "don't put all your eggs in one basket". Is the pharmaceutical industry not the least bit influenced by money? I'm not saying immunizations are a huge conspiracy, I'm saying keep an open mind to other possibilities. Consider the fact that viruses mutate into different strands to form an immunity against current antibiotics. How many immunizations can we require? Consider the alternative: An all-natural defense system that not one virus or bacteria has been found to build an immunity against. How amazing to be protected without injecting communicable diseases into our systems!
71772582niccap said on Wednesday, Aug 3 at 3:21 PM
It is interesting that grown adults feel the need to add personal insults when writing a rebuttal to an obviously controversial topic. I appreciate that people have different opinions and excercise their freedom of speech. The medical field and the CDC are not and should not be the "say-all" when it comes to health care. Some seem to act as if they don't make mistakes, poor choices, or that the pharmaceutical industry isn't motivated by money. Consider multiple sources and "experts". I do believe that it is important that children be protected from communicable diseases. However, there are many "issues" that need to be addressed about immunizations and the side effects. Children need an abundant amount of immunizations these days, yet viruses and bacterias continue to mutate and form different strands which are immune to the immunizations. How many immunizations are we going to require?
71771176alaskanau1 said on Wednesday, Aug 3 at 3:07 PM
Cooljulie, the ones of us who are awake, and know the truth are with you!
71770496noname said on Wednesday, Aug 3 at 2:41 PM
Wow, Cooljulie you obviously have no medical experience what so ever. The only reason kids are still getting chickenpox is because of irresponsible parents like you who do not vaccinate their children. You cannot rely on the "herd immunity" to protect children. Have you ever heard of Polio? Do you think that was a silly vaccine that has a "dark side"? Vaccine companies are not trying to hurt the public - H1N1 or Swine Flu was not a hoax. I was at the forefront of the epidemic in terms of vaccinating, and many people got very, very ill with lab-confirmed cases of H1N1. Pregnant women were recommended to get vaccinated because they were the ones ending up in the hospital with life threatening fevers and complications. Please stop spreading this anti-vaccine nonsense, and take a biology class for your sake. Geeeeezz
71769446cooljulie said on Wednesday, Aug 3 at 2:22 PM
This is ridiculuous on so many levels! There was an outbreak of chicken pox in kids that were ALREADY IMMUNIZED?!? In other words- it doesn't even work! Getting pox, measels, etc, is THE BEST form of immunization there is. People in Europe (light years ahead of the US, as usual) actually put sick kids together so they will all get the same thing and be done with it. And no, kids who aren't vaccinated do NOT have to stay home during outbreaks, that is illegal to enforce. Isapela Mavaega needs to do some serious research, because vaccinations do NOT automatically help or protect your kids. There is a dark side to vaccines that the medical/phamaceutical industry doesn't want us to look at too closely. Be a concerned parent and spend some time educating yourself instead of just blindly trusting the government. Start with Mercola.com. Swine flu was a complete scam, and the drug companies pushed to sell vaccines. Babies couldn't get the shot, but pregnant women could. Need I say more?
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