To tell, or not to tell? - Page 2

[Emmeline II]

Originally Posted by mamajama

I would be furious if my friend didn't tell me her child had a potentially very harmful contagious disease. I think that you should respect your friend's choices as you expect them to respect yours. And be responsible.

Do you report your child's cold to your every acquaintance? The rhino virus could turn into pneumonia and kill. The mumps is typically a mild illness that is vaccinated against to prevent the rare complication (not unique to the mumps virus) of orchitis and sterility in males, not because a child is likely to die from it.

[mamajama]

Originally Posted by Emmeline II

This thread has taken a turn. The OP isn't saying she would or wants to expose someone's children; she has already stated she is keeping her sick child home.

That this is even a question someone has to ask is a result of the ignorance of disease and hostility towards non-vaxers that is promoted by the mainstream.

I disagree. I think it's important to let people know about this stuff. I see it as acting socially responsible. I tell my social circle if my kids have lice etc. I still wouldn't let my kids go play there until I treat it or they're better or whatever. But there is a contagious period before signs and symptoms develop. I would want them to be aware in case their kids or someone else in their friends' circle has a compromised immune system. For example, I would need to know if my kids had been exposed to a contagious (and for many people really dangerous) disease before taking them to visit at the senior's facility I work at. I'd keep them away until I knew they were in the clear. That sort of thing ya know? I don't really feel brainwashed by the mainstream for thinking that way.

[mamajama]

Originally Posted by Emmeline II

That this is even a question someone has to ask is a result of the ignorance of disease and hostility towards non-vaxers that is promoted by the mainstream.

How is this in any way a new idea? People were under quarantine for lesser ailments for many generations before the word "mainstream" was even used.

I don't feel even a pin-prick of hostility toward non-vaxers.

[Emmeline II]

Originally Posted by mamajama

I disagree. I think it's important to let people know about this stuff. I see it as acting socially responsible. I tell my social circle if my kids have lice etc. I still wouldn't let my kids go play there until I treat it or they're better or whatever. But there is a contagious period before signs and symptoms develop. I would want them to be aware in case their kids or someone else in their friends' circle has a compromised immune system.

For example, I would need to know if my kids had been exposed to a contagious (and for many people really dangerous) disease before taking them to visit at the senior's facility I work at. I'd keep them away until I knew they were in the clear. That sort of thing ya know? I don't really feel brainwashed by the mainstream for thinking that way.

You should do that for any illness, not just ones for which there is a vaccine available. If one is immunocompromised then any disease can be "really dangerous". If you would only do this for VADs then I would say you were.

Though my quote doesn't really apply to the OP anyway since she isn't considering keeping quiet out of fear of ostracism but due to fear of causing harm.

[artgoddess]

Originally Posted by Emmeline II

Do you report your child's cold to your every acquaintance? The rhino virus could turn into pneumonia and kill. The mumps is typically a mild illness that is vaccinated against to prevent the rare complication (not unique to the mumps virus) of orchitis and sterility in males, not because a child is likely to die from it.

Not who you asked, but yes I do tell friends and keep my kid home from playdates if they have a cold. Why? Because if my friends 6 months old gets congested, I'm not the one up with her all night trying to clear her out so the family can get some sleep. I'm not the one who has to take a vacation day from work because the preschool would not let her kid in school with a cold. Not my kid, not my place to decide if it's a no big deal situation for other people's kids to get sick. And we do have one little friend in our play group with severe asthma. He gets a cold and it's a good bet he'll wind up in the ER on a nebulizer.

[ammiga]

I guess I should clarify, I'm sorry if I wasn't clear in my OP.

My dd has not been around any of the children that I was talking about for quite some time. Long before she contracted mumps. They are at zero risk of catching mumps from her. I don't think that puts me under any obligation to share my dd's medical situation with them. If there were even the slightest chance they had been around dd when she was contagious, I wouldn't even question telling them.

Maybe the word "crusade" was wrong to use. From what I see, there is such a fear of not vaxing kids that people are rushing out to vax them at the first sign of a VPD. I would like to think that there is a movement towards people questioning vaccines, but when they are acting out of fear, there seems to be very little research that goes into decision and more of a blanket trust of vaccine pushing pediatricians.

I wanted to share with my friends that dd had the mumps in hopes of alleviating some of their fears. But I was afraid that I might have the opposite effect and scare them even more. I was curious to hear what others thought on this subject and if they had experienced anything that might apply.

[caro113]

Do vaxing parents realize that the vax are not 100%? I was fully vaxed as a child (until I stopped getting the shots on my own accord) and I still developed mumps as an adult! It wasn't terribly bad but it was painful. I think it's much worse for adults anyway and I'm still not vaxing my daughter or any other children I have. But if these parents are worried about it and run to get their children vaxed, I do wonder if they truly believe it WILL prevent it instead of MIGHT prevent it ... just some food for thought

[mamajama]

Originally Posted by ammiga

I guess I should clarify, I'm sorry if I wasn't clear in my OP.

My dd has not been around any of the children that I was talking about for quite some time. Long before she contracted mumps. They are at zero risk of catching mumps from her. I don't think that puts me under any obligation to share my dd's medical situation with them. If there were even the slightest chance they had been around dd when she was contagious, I wouldn't even question telling them.

Maybe the word "crusade" was wrong to use. From what I see, there is such a fear of not vaxing kids that people are rushing out to vax them at the first sign of a VPD. I would like to think that there is a movement towards people questioning vaccines, but when they are acting out of fear, there seems to be very little research that goes into decision and more of a blanket trust of vaccine pushing pediatricians.

I wanted to share with my friends that dd had the mumps in hopes of alleviating some of their fears. But I was afraid that I might have the opposite effect and scare them even more. I was curious to hear what others thought on this subject and if they had experienced anything that might apply.

That's so much more clear
In this case I would tell them cause it could totally help alleviate their fears.