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A simple question about immunisation

I might be missing something here, but the news out of New South Wales that unimmunised children could soon be excluded from childcare centres because apparently they’re a threat to the safety of us all, has me wondering one thing.

Who is actually at risk here? Surely if immunisation protects us from diseases, then unimmunised people potentially spreading diseases is only a concern for the unimmunised people, as the immunised ones should be immune. So if unimmunised people are the only ones at risk, and the parents of unimmunised children have made the decision to not immunise their children for one reason or another, surely it is their choice and excluding these kids from childcare centres provides no societal benefit as unimmunised kids should provide no risk to immunised kids.

This would seem logical if immunisation provides, as the name implies, immunity from certain diseases…but then again, maybe I’m missing something.

Would anyone like to explain this to me?

Samuel

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#1 Comment By frank83 On May 22, 2013 @ 11:42 am

<iWould anyone like to explain this to me?

Some children cannot be immunised for medical reasons e.g. they are allergic to components of the vaccine.

By banning children of conscientious objectors there is a reduction in the number of non-immunised children therefore a reduction in the likelihood of exposure to these deadly illnesses.

#2 Comment By Samuel On May 22, 2013 @ 6:12 pm

Interesting Frank, thanks.

I wasn’t aware that some people are allergic to the vaccines…I wonder how the parents of those kids feel about their kids being excluded from childcare/school/etc because of an allergy?

If it was up to me, research in to other ways of making vaccines which don’t trigger the allergies would be a higher priority than banning kids. That way the parents of the kids who are currently allergic would have a choice about the vaccinations.

#3 Comment By nbrettoner On May 23, 2013 @ 8:56 am

Thanks Samuel, there’s some interesting questions & thought=provoking discussion points here. It would be nice to know if in fact some appropriate people are appropriately provoked into appropriate action!.
From what you & Frank have shared, the action so far is once again inappropriate.