This argument...how do you handle???

[lovbeingamommy]

Generally, I can hold my own when it comes to vax issues. However, when people say everyone's entitled to make their own decisions and they respect it...but in the next breath say that parents who don't vax are taking advantage of those that do and depending on society to continue vaxxing...this infuriates me :

How would you respond to such comments?

[carriebft]

I think it is possible to feel both things: that everyone has a choice AND that one choice may put others at risk. It might not be what I think or what you think, but I see it as a logical and sound opinion.

They might feel that, despite it being dangerous to other children/despite herd immunity protecting unvaccinated, that those things are not reason to force vaccination on anyone. They may feel that choice is more important and must be upheld over the other considerations.

[claddaghmom]

Originally Posted by lovbeingamommy

Generally, I can hold my own when it comes to vax issues. However, when people say everyone's entitled to make their own decisions and they respect it...but in the next breath say that parents who don't vax are taking advantage of those that do and depending on society to continue vaxxing...this infuriates me :

How would you respond to such comments?

Depends...are you talking about a long term discussion with the potential for audience?

Or is it just someone making a snippy comment?

I typically just start posting journal links and insert links with small quotations.

http://pediatrics.aappublications.or...act/104/6/1381

"The first is that a substantial number of B pertussis infections in unvaccinated children are mild and would not meet the case definition. The second is that all pertussis vaccines tend to modify duration and severity of disease rather than completely preventing illness"

If it's a snippy comment, I ask the person to verify that he or she is up to date on all vaccines and boosters and I post the recommended adult vaccination schedule.

[artgoddess]

sounds like something that annoys me in any argument. "Lets agree to disagree." and you say fine and then they just have to try and get in the last word or make another dig. Doesn't have to be about vaccines, just something that some people do and instead of focusing on the argument itself I point out what they just did. "Okay, you said you wanted to agree to disagree, then you made a crack. Is that your way of trying to get in the last word? Do you want to continue to discussion? Because that's not what you said, you said you were done." and if they then continue to argument i say, "Okay so this means you don't want to agree to disagree? Am I understanding you correctly?"

[ema-adama]

Okay, you said you wanted to agree to disagree, then you made a crack. Is that your way of trying to get in the last word? Do you want to continue to discussion?

I like this.

[MyLilPwny]

Originally Posted by lovbeingamommy

Generally, I can hold my own when it comes to vax issues. However, when people say everyone's entitled to make their own decisions and they respect it...but in the next breath say that parents who don't vax are taking advantage of those that do and depending on society to continue vaxxing...this infuriates me :

How would you respond to such comments?

In response to that, I say that vaccines don't work at all, so they had nothing to do with the decline in diseases and therefore everyone else that is vaccinated has nothing to do with protecting unvaccinated people, and I wish that everyone was unvaccinated because everyone would be healthier that way.

[laohaire]

"Not all vaxes even reduce carrier/transmission rates - it's well known that someone fully vaxed for pertussis will still carry and transmit it to others even if he or she doesn't feel ill. Other vaxes are responsible for further complications since they all do wear off - for example, I'd rather have chicken pox as a child and be exposed again naturally as a parent than deal with the more serious effects of varicella when I'm older and my vaccines have worn off."

or maybe just:

"When it comes to childhood illnesses, I'm not depending on herd immunity. I'm hoping my child WILL come down with the illness and get the true immunological benefits."

[pampered_mom]

Originally Posted by laohaire

"When it comes to childhood illnesses, I'm not depending on herd immunity. I'm hoping my child WILL come down with the illness and get the true immunological benefits."

I typically go with something like this.

[yarngoddess]

Last time I was having a "discussion" and this came out of some one's mouth (they screamed and yelled and I talked quietly oy!) I said this. "I get what you are saying. However, where is the "herd" and their parents when my kid get's damaged by those vaccines?" and also "If the vaccines are so great and work so well, why are you terrified by my kids that aren't vaccinated? Do you really think that my kids are the only unvaccinated people you encounter in a day? Really?"

I usually just end the conversation, like artgoddess (love the name btw) said and agree to disagree. Hang in there with these conversations- this year, I fear, is going to be particularly rough for "non-compliance or selective-compliance" (lol) children/people.