Mumps Outbreak

[Henry]

When I was in the doctor's office the other day, there was a woman there with a little boy and she was checking under his jaw and asked him if it was still sore.  I strongly suspect the kid had the Mumps - Back in the old days, I don't think they would have brought a kid in a public place if they thought he had the Mumps - He would have been home and the village health officer would have a red quarantine card on the door. 

Plattsburg State University has an outbreak of Mumps with 3 students testing positive for it.  Maybe we should make sure parents are keeping their kids at home if they suspect they have the Mumps, since I don't think kids get shots for that anymore.

Teenage Boys - You might want to read the following:  Mumps will cause a painful swelling of the testicles in around 40% of teenage boys and men

http://www.mumps.ie/

[cronsteel]

We just had our son in for his 2nd year check-up, and the Dr. and I went over his immunization history. They still give out immunizations for Mumps- it's all lumped in with the Measles and Rubella. They have a MMRV shot now, which also protects against chicken pox.

The big thing now, according to the Dr, is families who are deciding against having their child vaccinated. From what the Dr. says, the argument is that the diseases are more or less eradicated, and that there are some suspicions about possible long term side-effects from vaccinations. What it boils down to for me is making sure that my boy is vaccinated, especially if there is going to be a section of the population that is not.

[Henry]

A large number of students are banned from SUNY Campus.  SUNY is really taking this seriously, contrary to what I thought when I first posted this.  I wonder if we have any cases of Mumps here locally??  Full details by clicking on the following link:

http://www.wptz.com/news/22843265/detail.html

[mirjo]

Since Autism has sprung out as the "fashionable" disease for kids to have people have decided this illusive disease is caused by immunizations and it's become popular to not immunize your children. (10 or so years ago ADHD was all the rage) Celebrities are speaking out against immunizations and more children are not getting vaccinated against diseases that were considered deadly...

I am not trying to be flip about Autism or ADHD, but as far as I understand Autism doesn't appear to be clearly defined and part of me wonders if it has become an easy 'catch-all' category like ADHD was for several years--every kid who exhibited any kind of difficult behavior was labeled 'Attention Deficit' and given Ritalin. This I believe made it difficult for those kids who really do have ADHD, which is very tough on parents, as I'm sure an autistic child's care is.

There is no conclusive  evidence that immunizations cause Autism, but there is indisputable proof that MMR/polio/diptheria and Tetanus are lethal and will return if the door is left open.

[Kathleen]

Children are not allowed into public school without proof of immunizations; so that leaves pre-school age and home-schooled children who could be without MMR.  I also thought my daughter had to show immunization record before she attended college but maybe that was just a requirement of her college (Castleton State College).

If you've had your immunizations, doesn't that protect you from getting the disease?

[Terri Santee]

We also had to show our sons record  in order for him to attend college. He goes to JSC.

[mirjo]

There are home-schooled children who haven't been vaccinated and are integrated into the general school population through sports, scouts, driver ed classes and other extracurricular activities, so  the potential is there.

[Kathleen]

Again ... If you have had your immunizations, doesn't that protect you from getting the disease when you're exposed?

[cedarman]

The point of vaccinations is to expose your system to the antigen (infectious agent) and for your system to build antibodies/immunity to it.  It works for MOST people.  Some vaccines need occassional boosters.

VT allows parents to NOT vaccinate.  I forget what the section of law is, but children CAN attend public school without vaccination.  The parents need to sign a form stating they are opposed to vaccination for XYZ reason(s).  Based on classic modern medical rational, children who are vaccinated are not at risk of being infected, even if they are around an unvaccinated child who becomes infected.

I think there are a lot of parents who would take great offense at autism being called "fashionable".   I do agree that it may be used as a "catch all" for any kid demonstrating the slightest symptom of autims, even if the symptom may not be debilitating.
Modern Medicine, business, government and the judicial system have all said there is no definative evidence that a mercury based preservative used in many MMR vaccines CAUSES Autism.

"Absence of Evidence is NOT Evidence of Absence"

[slpott]

I have no personal opinion on this but I can tell you one thing. I have met a lot of autistic children and after chatting with their parents, it makes you wonder. How can you be fine, get your immunizations and soon there after change behavior. This example has been told to me a few times. I would tend to agree with the parents that observe this transition. It is a shame regardless of the cause.

[al brodeur]

and you can them (mumps) more than once

[mirjo]

I think there are a lot of parents who would take great offense at autism being called "fashionable".

Why is the negative so easy to latch onto? Like digging a hole, the dirt being the (+) and the hole being the (-), I suppose it's easier to fall in the hole than on top of the dirt, thus making the negative easier to attract?

While I also said the following, it should have been clear that I didn't mean "fashionable" in the literal sense, but in a descriptive one. It has become the childhood disease of the century thus far.

Autism doesn't appear to be clearly defined and part of me wonders if it has become an easy 'catchall' category like ADHD was for several years--every kid who exhibited any kind of difficult behavior was labeled 'Attention Deficit' and given Ritalin. This I believe made it difficult for those kids who really do have ADHD, which is very tough on parents, as I'm sure an autistic child's care is.

I know there are families out there with with Autistic children and really difficult circumstances. I'm not as callous as it might appear, I just think the press and celebrities blow things out-of-proportion on many many things and we all follow it like lemmings. I don't believe that every child labeled autistic is actually suffering from autism. It's illusive and ill-defined, so I don't see how it's possible.

As for the vaccinations, the disease outbreak  would be  in those not having had the immunizations. Those who have had them should be protected, but the only way to know for sure is to check for the antibodies, which I don't think is done on routine vaccinations.