New Jersey is the first state to make it mandatory for kids to get flu shots. This has just lit up the parents of these children and they may have a point. They are having rallies opposing this new policy and trying to get a bill passed in order to let their kids opt out if they so choose. I think what you are seeing here is a tipping point of parents being pushed too far. Their rallying cry is that they are not "anti-vaccine" but instead just want more of a say in the matter. There are many issues in play here:- Are we getting to the point where there are just too many vaccines?
- Is the flu virus that dangerous for school aged children?
- Should parents have a say in what vaccines their kids get?
- Won't it suck being a NJ doctor who will be stuck in the middle as parents ask for medical exemptions?
I think there are some valid points but these are weakened when you see statements like the following:
"many of the parents mobilizing against the state policy believe various types of vaccine are being overused, resulting in more cases of autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and other neurological problems in children."
The science does not bear this above statement out. A better argument is that federal figures show, as the article points out, that only 86 kids in the whole country died from the flu last year. My gut tells me that this whole issue was bull rushed through the NJ legislature without enough thought. At what number will there be just too many vaccines? I am not sure but I think we are getting close. If we all start to do mandatory vaccines to eliminate 86 deaths (which is not guaranteed anyway with an imperfect flu vaccine) then I guess we have decided cost effective therapies are really not needed anymore? What the hell. It's not like we have a bankrupt healthcare system or anything.
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