Poll: School Outbreaks

[SilverMoon010]

Another poster's comment got me thinking.  This is such a gray area for me and I honestly don't know how I'd feel about it until I am put into that situation.  I wanted to see what other non-vaccinating mamas' opinions are when it comes to school and outbreaks. 

I am not afraid of my son catching any one particular VPD schools require vaccines for. I have researched them all plenty. If he were to catch one of them while we're out and about I would not be afraid and would nurse him back to health; however, on the other hand, if there was a known outbreak, part of me feels he is still my baby and as a mom I would like to try to keep him from getting sick of any kind and avoid throwing him into the midst of an outbreak if I could.  Just like if your child neighbor has the flu or is sick of some kind, you really don't want your kids playing with that child.  BUT, he would then have possibly lifetime immunity depending on the disease.  Still not sure how I would feel if I were in that situation....Would I try to avoid the outbreak if I can, or would I just go along with it? Take the poll and let me know what you would do.

Edited by SilverMoon010 - 6/30/11 at 12:13pm

[Marnica]

I would have voted for it depends if that was an option - but since it wasn't i went with I don't know - even though i do!

It depends on what it is an outbreak of. If it was chicken pox - no I wouldn't keep him out. Id actually hope he got it. If it was measles - yes id keep him out. Mumps or Rubella - no I wouldn't keep him out. meningitis outbreaks - yes Id keep him out. So it really depends I guess.

[SilverMoon010]

Thanks Marnica! I actually thought of that option after I had already submitted the poll and now I can't edit it.  Just PM'd a mod so hopefully they can add the 'it depends" option as that makes a ton of sense

[ammiga]

Yep, I'm another "it depends", so I didn't vote.

[kathymuggle]

Originally Posted by Marnica 

I would have voted for it depends if that was an option - but since it wasn't i went with I don't know - even though i do!

It depends on what it is an outbreak of. If it was chicken pox - no I wouldn't keep him out. Id actually hope he got it. If it was measles - yes id keep him out. Mumps or Rubella - no I wouldn't keep him out. meningitis outbreaks - yes Id keep him out. So it really depends I guess.

Edited to add:  If I knew someone was immune compromised and non vaxxed at  school I might be willing to keep a child home to keep the immune compromised safe, even if I did not care if my child came down with rubella/mumps/chicken pox.  

I would expect that anyone who was immune compromised would stay home during an outbreak, but my child staying home as well may help to contain things.

I would have to weigh thing - so not only is the answer "it depends"  but also I do not know at this point. 

All moot though - we know how likely outbreaks are, lol

Edited by kathymuggle - 6/30/11 at 5:11pm

[Chloebelle]

I voted for leaving them in school. I figure that by the time we were notified, my kids would already have been exposed anyways. Tough call though, because like the others said, it would depend on the illness. I'm not afraid of the flu, measles, mumps, rubella, and they already had CP. Meningitis is scary, but from what I've read, we can be exposed to it at any time, and our immune systems repress it in most cases. Hard to say unless you're in the situation, but like I said in the other thread, I tend to get to work on strengthening the immune system if I fear being exposed to illness.

[ILoveMyBabyBird]

i voted to leave him in, but it policy in our district ds would have to miss school if there is an outbreak...

[Bokonon]

Originally Posted by Marnica 

I would have voted for it depends if that was an option - but since it wasn't i went with I don't know - even though i do!

It depends on what it is an outbreak of. If it was chicken pox - no I wouldn't keep him out. Id actually hope he got it. If it was measles - yes id keep him out. Mumps or Rubella - no I wouldn't keep him out. meningitis outbreaks - yes Id keep him out. So it really depends I guess.

I agree with this.  For me, it would definitely depend on what the outbreak was.

In CA, that doesn't seem to be an option - if there is an outbreak, those who have exemptions have to stay home (which seems silly to me, because once an outbreak starts, everyone has presumably been exposed, and it should be a parent's right to decide if they want their child to be exposed further; not to mention if vaccines work so well, the unvaxed shouldn't be a threat to those who are vaxed, so who exactly are they trying to protect?).

I do agree that during an outbreak, immune-compromised students should not go to school.  I do wonder what comprises an "outbreak" though, as pertussis was considered rampant in SoCal last year and I never heard of a single case at my son's elementary school.  A child in his class had cystic fibrosis, so I was extra cautious not to send my son to school even when he had respiratory illnesses, but I couldn't keep him home for every sniffle and cough.

[LisaSedai]

I voted leave him in. There was an outbreak of Chicken Pox in his class last year but he didn't catch it. However, if it were an outbreak of Meningitis I would probably keep him out and or get him vaxed (if it was a strain that was covered by vaccination)

[japonica]

We've already had reported cases of VADs--chicken pox and pertussis--at the two schools DD has attended. I was never asked to remove her from school. And for those illnesses, I didn't feel it was necessary to keep her home. 

[emmy526]

Back in the old days, school was canceled to contain whatever was going around. Suppose the schools went back to that? Do you think the amount of cases in an outbreak would be less or more?  Back in the day, all it took was for one child/family to have something and school closed for usually 2weeks. 

[kittywitty]

We homeschool, but if they were in school, it would depend on the disease. My dd got pertussis (she was fully vax'ed, too) from public school when she went. No big deal. Chicken pox I'd be happy to see. It would really depend on my children/the disease/our current state of health & ages.

[SoCaliMommy]

 I voted keep child out of school since I'm pretty sure it's mandatory for  them to be kept out of school during a outbreak.

[mattemma04]

As required by law my kids would be staying home during an outbreak of a VPD. They would enjoy the vacation.

[ma2two]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SoCaliMommy 

 I voted keep child out of school since I'm pretty sure it's mandatory for  them to be kept out of school during a outbreak.

The question was, what would you do if you weren't required to keep them out of school.

[Amy M]

I said I Don't Know because I would be in the it depends camp as well.  Chicken Pox, Pertussis obviously stay in school and usually by the time parents are informed the kids may have already caught whatever it is.  If it was an issue like the flu outbreaks where schools were down by 50% I would leave it up to the kids, if they were having a nice time with the teachers (probably watching movies or doing the fun stuff they normally can't) I would let them go.  If they wanted to stay home then fine.  We would review handwashing, not sharing food etc.  My children don't have any health disorders, if I had a child with health concerns I would pull them out.

[Arduinna]

It would depend on the disease I guess, I don't know I'm a homeschooler.