Anti-vaxxers are neglecting their children?

[sallycinnamonn]

Having a conversation with a friend about this whole anti-vaxxers malarkey.

She made an interesting point saying when a parent chooses not to vaccinate their child, it should be seen as neglect, as they are failing to protect them and their wellbeing and are putting them at risk of disease/death. It should be considered neglect just as it would be if the parent was putting them at risk of disease/death through placing them in a inadequate, unsafe environment etc.

I don't agree with anti-vaxxers but have never thought about it this way before. What are your opinions on it being considered as neglect? I'm interested to see what others have to say about her opinion.

I would say it is, yes.
At the very least it shows poor judgement, and I would be worried about what other poor judgemental calls they are making regarding their children's upbringing.

It's neglect. It's failing to provide their child with necessary medical interventions.

I think that parents who don't engage with healthcare professionals at all, or don't take their children for check-ups, to a GP when ill, don't visit the dentist etc. are neglectful.

But those who do engage with health care professionals, have looked into it, and decided against it are not neglectful, they care for their child but for whatever reason see it either as harmful or just unnecessary.

For as long as Vaccination is voluntary, it can't be a definition of neglect not to do it. The law should be changed - it should be Mandatory for all children.

Absolutely it's neglect of their own children and antisocial behaviour towards others.

For those of you who have agreed it is neglect - should they be charged? Or what action should be taken against them?

I have very strong pro vaccine views and think that schools should vaccinate with an opt out system, or keep records and exclude unvaccinated children if there is a local outbreak, or even go so far as making vaccination a mandatory requirement of starting school (other than for medical exemptions).

But I dont think not vaccinating can be classed as neglect. So many kids are overweight, have to have 10 fillings in their teeth before they're 5, are given unlimited access to tablets and social media etc when they're too young to understand it...all of this is shit parenting that can have long term consequences for their health and none of it is considered neglect. Neglect is not fulfilling their basic needs like food and heat and supervision

I think not vaccinating (medical reasons aside) is stupid and selfish but not necessarily neglectful

I like the idea of vaccine requirements on school admissions.

Does anyone know if a school/ nursery can currently legitimately have vaccines as a requirement on admission currently?

No more so than those who aren't immunised for any other reason.
It's up to the parents what they decide to do, definitely not neglect or any other daft notion people may come up with.
Don't want to catch diseases then immunise, it's the survival of the fittest, and I have one who was unable to have MMR until aged 6.

I wonder if the anti vaxxers themselves take medicine.Flu jab,malaria tablets.Or is it only the kids that suffer.

I think they should be charged with child endangerment.Its not only their kids that suffer but ill children.Immunity repressed people.Its just a stupid stance,

the only thing that works is exclusion. other countries and their stances have proven this beyond doubt. if your child isnt vaccinated then they cant take up their school place, nursery place or anything else
I wonder if falsified vaccine records are in demand in those countries?

Its very certainly neglect.

My once best friend unfortunately has an autistic child and blames it totally on the MMR and has therefore chosen not to allow her children any more vaccines at all. She is also making someone very rich by paying a lot for some homeopathic detox nonsense. Of course i would never try and crush her desperate hope, but the way she talked about people who vaccinate (myself included) as evil and killing their babies etc made me have to end our friendship there and then.

(There's a lot more to our friendship ending besides this, obvs, but this is one of the many points).

I wonder if the anti vaxxers themselves take medicine.Flu jab,malaria tablets.Or is it only the kids that suffer.

Not an anti-vaxxer. But not taking flu jab. And I don't travel to tropics, so no need for malaria tablets.

I agree it's neglectful and well just plain fucking stupid. But as another poster said, so long as it's voluntary I don't know how they would possibly enforce it. The only way to do so would be to make vaccines mandatory (other than for medical reasons).

I like the school exclusion thing though. It makes sense. It's very very selfish!

I agree. Vaccine refusal should trigger a child protection enquiry. I’m completely serious.

And how would you compensate the 1 in how ever many thousand, like my friends son, after the whooping cough jab that was left cerebrally damaged? Or was he just collateral damage, sacrifice of the few for the many?

Im just putting the question out there.

My son is hearing impaired and lost several toes as he contracted an illness that he should have been vaccinated against. His BPs had failed to take him for any vaccines beyond those at eight weeks, he was incredibly lucky to only suffer hearing loss and digit amputation.

If a parent chooses to neglect their childs health they shouldn’t be able to take advantage of childminders, nurseries and schools for the sake of other children who attend them, especially those who genuinely cannot have certain vaccines.

Does anyone know if a school/ nursery can currently legitimately have vaccines as a requirement on admission currently?

This wouldn't be allowed because then those who can't be immunised wouldn't be allowed. The end result of spreading disease is the same whether anti vax or medically not vaccinated.

It is 100% neglect to choose to not vaccinate your children on non-medical grounds. Obviously not neglect if there are medical reasons a child can't be vaccinated.

My very first biscuit for you & the other numpties who thinks this is good thinking 🙄

I am really unsure here because if this becomes neglect then it opens the door to many other things, there is a line but this falls just (and only just) on the non-neglect side.

It could lead to a situation where parents could be prosecuted for a wide variety of borderline behaviours.

Should parents drink when in charge of a child? Should parents set limits for TV and other devices?

We all know the answers and the potential risks but should people be prosecuted for having a couple of beers after a child has gone to bed?

As an ex scientist with a degree in biology I would suggest immunisation is very important. I was knocking down the doctors door to get my child immunised. Why wouldn’t I?

We moved the line with smacking, for a very good reason and possibly some conditions could be mandated, I could certainly support a couple!

We must still consider where we draw the line and what impact that line has in society and what we deem acceptable or not.

@RockinHippy if you read the post it's the opinion of a friend 🤔 you can have your biscuit back lol

@Drabarni I dont agree the end result is the same. Those who cant have vaccine have historically been protected by the majority having it.

Its the shift, increase in antivaxers, that's again allowing the spread of previously surpressed disease.

If its feasible for schools/ nurserys to exclude, I'm sure they would accept a doctor's note in lieu of a vaccine if there is a medical reason.

Having worked with children who are the victims of neglect I think that not vaccinating a happy well cared for child cannot be compared

Yes it’s piss poor parenting. But not neglect.

My goodness, none of my 4 children are vaccinated, the oldest of which is 23. I witnessed the brain damage of my nephew age 2, from the measles vaccine in 1995, and looked for a different approach.
Surely the same people who are shouting neglect would be up in arms if there child was injured through mandatory vaccines.

Biscuit is for for your friend & those agreeing with her

Sorry, I wasn't clear

& Thanks, it'll go nice with my coffee 😆

I grew up in a country where I wasn't vaccinated. I caught measles when a baby and as a consequence have suffered from profound hearing loss and ear infections ever since. This has had a massive impact on my confidence in social situations and meant I've had to have a number of operations. This is just one small consequence of not being vaccinated. Why people willfully risk their children like this baffles me.