Unvaccinated children shouldn't be allowed in mainstream childcare or school

[ApronSprings]

To think children shouldn't be allowed in nurseries or schools if their parents refuse to vaccinate them..

I'm excluding children who medically can't have them for some reason, and this will be too rare to cause a problem, and they deserve the benefit of herd immunity.

But I'm growing tired of the nutcase conspiracy theorists who failed GCSE science but think they've somehow found something missed by experts.

The only argument against this is that it keeps them home with their quack parents and reduces the opportunity for them to be exposed to normal people. But I don't think we should risk other people's lives for it if their parents aren't willing to do the same.

So punish children for their parents choices.. nice one.

Some countries do this

I can see the sentiment but that would be parental choice rather than child's choice. You cant punish a child for their parents stupid choices

First reply nails it.

I think that's punishing children.

But I do think parents should be given the actual statistics and be made to sign something to say they fully know and understand thr risks.

1 in x many children who catch measles will die
1 in x many will stuff permanent disability

Same will all of the illnesses they are refusing vaccinations for.

Same with homebirths 1 in 2 will end up with transfer to hospital.

The alternative is that we punish children (with their lives) for other people's parent's choices.

I think they already do this but conspiracy theorists think they know better.

They can still be home schooled etc. Just not be allowed to mix in schools and nurseries without having basic childhood immunizations.

Wouldn't the vaccinated children be protected?

Or make it a finable offence?

This really isn’t something to fuck about with tbh.

And I don’t really think parents have the right to deny their children vaccination.

Well no, not all kids can be homeschooled.

I’m sure you’re aware that parents will have work commitments and some are simply not cut out to teach.

So it very much would be punishing children for their parents choices.

You can't stop children mixing, in out of school clubs.
The risk of measles etc doesn't end at 18, you can't isolate children forever.
There are some sick individuals who'd use it as a method of control and isolation, those are the children who absolutely need schools to support their health and welfare

The children who have medical reasons why they can’t be vaccinated wouldn’t.

And those too young to have had the particular vaccine yet.

I agree.
As a teacher I became very ill with mumps as it whipped around the school due to falling vaccine rates.
I'm an adult so I suppose I have to suck it up.
But I don't see why other people's kids should have to be exposed to potentially serious viruses because of decisions made by crackpot parents.

Isn’t that what they do in USA? I agree. I have no time for anti vaxxers

I got mumps from an unvaccinated child whilst working in a school too, it was rough!!

Don't they already ban children who go to private schools from accessing certain care (see TES/London Evening Standard etc)?
And my kids don't go to private schools, and I'm not saying it's stupid to send your kid to one-just making the point that parental choice already determines access to state provided facilities.

OP, I think it would make it easier for parents if vaccination was compulsory. My mum said she was very worried about vaccinations due to news stories (Wakefield-since discredited), and agonised over what to do (though she did go ahead and got them done!). If the government made it mandatory, and let's face it, doctors can override you if you refuse hospital treatment for a sick child, then it's easier.

So the parents would sacrifice their kids education as well as their health? Rather than just getting them vaccinated?

Presumably you were also unvaccinated, which as an adult was your choice?

You presume wrong, I was vaccinated as a child, but they can get less effective as you age, especially the mumps vaccine

The parents who make the “choice” not to have their children vaccinated only have the luxury of doing so as most parents behave responsibly and get their kids vaccinated, creating a herd immunity. This is being slowly eroded (you can see this with the re-emergence of diseases like measles that have really serious consequences for a lot of children) by parents who “research” on YouTube and social media rather than looking at the science. This type of “research” is just another way of saying looking for something to back up what you believe, which as everyone knows, is not very hard these days. The parents who don’t vaccinate kids need to be educated.

People are allowed differing views on vaccinations, some choose to reject certain vaccines for good reasons. We are allowed to choose.

Yes the vaccinated children would be mostly protected, but the ones who hadn't yet had them won't be, such as babies in nursery. Likewise, children with immune deficiencies who can't have the jabs or are vulnerable regardless, plus teachers etc.

Yes. There are exceptions for medical reasons, and some states allow exceptions for religious reasons, but not all.

Also some pediatricians refuse to accept children into the medical practice if the parents aren’t going to vaccinate.

How do you know you caught it from non-vaccinated child? And where did that child get it from?? Isn't it more likely to come from a recently vaccinated child. And why aren't your vaccines up to date if you are an adult who can catch mumps aren't you a risk to the immunocompromosed children??