Social Obligations & Immunization

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by vivant

Smallpox has been successfully treated homeopathically for centuries.

Might you have a source for such a claim? Any studies of areas that had massive outbreaks of smallpox that stopped the spread through the use of such "homeopathic" treatments? Basically there is no treatment of the disease, only prevention. If 3 out of 10 people die from the most serious forms of the disease I would say those are odds I would not want to bet against. Would you take the chance if your kids were going to get it and die?

http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/smallpox...ease-facts.asp

[vivant]

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

Might you have a source for such a claim? Any studies of areas that had massive outbreaks of smallpox that stopped the spread through the use of such "homeopathic" treatments? Basically there is no treatment of the disease, only prevention. If 3 out of 10 people die from the most serious forms of the disease I would say those are odds I would not want to bet against. Would you take the chance if your kids were going to get it and die?

http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/smallpox...ease-facts.asp

Thuja occidentalis. I may have spelled that incorrectly, it's been awhile. And I stand corrected; in reviewing the quoted box I see that I mistyped - it has been used successfully to treat EXPOSURE to smallpox and reactions from the live vaccine.

My ex-husband has been vaccinated for the same diseases. It's been a few years, though, but at the time the recommendation was NOT to immunize the entire population for smallpox. Is smallpox now a recommended immunization for civilians?

If 3 out of 10 people become infected with smallpox, the recommendation at the time of my ex-husband's last shot was to isolate the outbreak. Vaccinate those who came into contact with the infected; then vaccinate those who came into contact with those who came into contact with the infected. There was a 3-5 day window from the point of exposure, where the smallpox vaccine was believed effective. Maybe that has changed in the few years since we were married, I don't know. I don't lose sleep over smallpox. Or my ex-husband

As Aliantha points out, we take chances with our kids every day. Preventable chances, be they car rides or immunizations or exposure to disease. 3:10 seems a safe gamble to me, even if the stakes are higher I still feel comfortable with the numbers.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by vivant

Is smallpox now a recommended immunization for civilians?

If 3 out of 10 people become infected with smallpox, the recommendation at the time of my ex-husband's last shot was to isolate the outbreak. Vaccinate those who came into contact with the infected; then vaccinate those who came into contact with those who came into contact with the infected. There was a 3-5 day window from the point of exposure, where the smallpox vaccine was believed effective. Maybe that has changed in the few years since we were married, I don't know. I don't lose sleep over smallpox. Or my ex-husband

As Aliantha points out, we take chances with our kids every day. Preventable chances, be they car rides or immunizations or exposure to disease. 3:10 seems a safe gamble to me, even if the stakes are higher I still feel comfortable with the numbers.

No it has not changed. We take our chances with our kids every day but that does not give you the right to take chances with other people by risking that your kid may get a communicable disease and pass it on to others.