I know that I’ve already written a post related to childhood immunizations and my choice to follow an alternative vaccination schedule with Laurel. However, I just read an article from the Washington Post about a school board in Maryland that is threatening jail time for parents of over 2300 children who have chosen not to vaccinate against Chicken Pox and Hepatitis B. They are demanding that the parents immunize their children on the spot or face legal action.
I can’t believe they are going to strong arm these parents into immunizing their children, especially against two diseases that in my opinion are not critical. Chicken Pox can be deadly if it gets in your lungs, but I had Chicken Pox as a child, along with most of my friends and family, and recovered just fine. As far as Hepatitis B, this disease is spread through blood, so high risk involves sexual activity, needle sharing, blood transfusions, etc… Since I don’t foresee any of these activities for Laurel in the near future (she’s 3 months old!), I’m waiting until her pre-teen years to vaccinate. It seems to me that by threatening legal action the state is crossing the line and in violation of the parents’ & children’s constitutional rights. What do you think? I’d love to hear other perspectives, please share!
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