Response to this statement about vaccination...

[danalyn]

A "friend" of mine recently commented that people who travel to other countries could become a "carrier" of a diesease and bring it back to the US. I find myself frequently "flustered" on a variety of topics with this "friend", so this isn't the only time. The correct response to this might seem like a no-brainer to some "pro vaccine safety experts" & "anti-vax experts". I'm just hoping that some of you all might be willing to share with me how you would respond to this. Thanks! btw, she was specifically referring to a friend of hers who supposedly told her, "T, tell your friend that I could come back from my missions trip as a carrier of _______ , and not actually be sick with it."

[ema-adama]

IMO, it is not worht getting into discussions like these.

I would start by asking myself why I want to get into the discussion. If I want to change someone elses mind, I probably won't, so no reason to try.

If I am not sure of my choice, and I feel the other person has made a valid point that I might not have considered in my decision making process, then I need to find out how accurate/true their point is, and see if it is relevant to my situation. And then decide if this changes how I view my current choice.

If someone told me that they might carry a disease from overseas and bring it into my home, I would ask which disease. And go from there.

General talking points are rarely helpful, as each disease and each vaccine need to be considered seperately if you want to understand the risk/benefit analysis for both.

Good luck, and try to avoid discussions with people who are pushing you to make a choice either way. You need to make the choice you feel comfortable with.

[OdinsMommy0409]

I know specifically that one can come back from malaria ridden countries with malaria but without being sick. However, malaria is not a VPD nor would anyone be able to catch it from you as it is mosquito-borne. It can be "prevented" with anti-malarials prior to, during, and post trip, but one could still have acquired it and become symptomatic within a year. Additonally, one can be a carrier of tuberculosis without suffering its symptoms, but again no vaccine exists for it.

Now, how would I respond if I felt a need to go there? Honestly, it would depend upon where I travel if I even addressed it. Second, it would depend upon the disease the other person fears. However, my tendency is to play devil's advocate so I often turn the question back. Such as, "would you mind telling where you got your information as I want to be as well-informed as possible?"

In the end, I'm comfortable with our ability to treat most VPDs once I returned to my home country. I would/am most concerned about my care in the country to which I travel.

[xmasbaby7]

Agreed.

The best method for dealing with this with friends is not to discuss it. There is very little to gain, and in the end, your decisions for your family whether you vaccinate or not, should be more important to you than what people think.

[MyBoysBlue]

It definatly happens. There was a measles outbreak in Vancouver after the Olympics, belived to be sparked by an international traveler. So what? Vaccinations don't always stop outbreaks. Just look at the mumps outbreak in New York. It should only worry you if you think your kids will never be exposed to VPD's. I personally expect them to pick up a few of them. We've had a few already. CP and Mumps.

[VillageMom6]

My response would be, "That sounds like a reasonable likelihood... so why don't we hear about it happening more often?".

Our country is sooo mobile. People enter and leave for all ports of call all of the time... missionaries, business travelers, adventurers, leisure seekers, etc...

I'm sure some folks do return with an illness but when was the last time you heard of a local epidemic of typhoid fever?

[danalyn]

I don't WANT to get into this discussion with her. I don't bring up the topic, she does. I'm not trying to convince my "friend" to not vaccinate, or change her mind. I don't believe I've ever really been in a discussion with anyone who is pro-vaccine. I am comfortable w/ my choice(s). At the risk of sounding like an idiot here on mdc, i guess i should just ask if she does have a valid point. I know it's a case by case situation, (dif. diseases/immunizations) .


ETA: my stance is that it's not that I think my kid are NOT going to ever get an illness, but one of my (many) goals concerning my family is to do all that i can ton keep our immune systems strong and healthy. And I fully realize that it isn't necessary to vaccinate against diseases that are treatable/manageable.

eta: thanks for the replies, so far.