Jeannie will be getting this shot. I wish it had been offered back in my day. I made plenty of stupid choices, just because I had no idea of the consequences at the time.
While I agree with your POV - Some places are NOT giving parents options while their children are in PS. The PS just "do it" and leave you to deal with it. For example, based on the above qoute. I stopped making lunches because *I* kept getting charged for lunches that the school *Felt* they sould give my children even WHEN I sent the kids to school with a packed lunch. I would recieve a note stating your child does not like the lunch you made, so we gave him a hot lunch, you owe $1.75. PLUS they would throw the lunch *I* made away! I can't tell you HOW many times I called the school arguing over that matter. Yes, many kids that age would say they didn't like PB& Jelly, chips, fruit and juice in order to get Pizza or Macaroni & Cheese and Chocolate milk they were serving. They would withhold report cards until you paid the balance. It got to the point that it was easier to pay for the school lunch than to pay double for the lunch *I* made a well as pay for the lunch that the lunchroom moniters felt that my children needed. It is so aggravating!
Jackie, you and I agree... I think we just say it differently. I think the government steps into a default mode of "Covering everyone" in reaction to lax parenting. I don't think it is the other way around where the government takes over and THEN people begin then to be lax parents. Except in the case of those who live off the government. They tend (Not all) to expect the government to do everything for them. (I know because I used to think that way, I was raised on public asistance only because of being born to some very loose character people) And you are right, it doesn't not solve anything, just like doing a kids homework solves nothing. My DH and I agree we were born too late. We wish we could go back in time. Or we wish we knew how to fix everything to make things generally nice again. But I do not have the answer. I do know that as with any shot requirement in the public schools, if you do not have them on your shot record, you are not allowed to register for school. Unless you have the paperwork showing exemption by choice or otherwise. Of course, eventually your kid would be considered truant. But since in Texas, you have a choice to opt out. It just doesn't seem like it would get to a point of arrest, because they would simply say, "Either get it done, or opt out." So you make the choice.
But "what if" a parent refuses to sign, and won't get the shot? I think it started with lax people, but then the government stepping in made even more people lax, and it became a cycle. Jenlyn, I hear what you're saying!!! But what would happen if you simply refused to send the money? Told them that YOU are the parent, and sent in a nutritional lunch. If the child refuses to eat it, then he can go hungry. If THEY chose to give him a school lunch, then THEY can pay for it. Yes, I know all about keeping report cards. We went through that with "fees" for my DSS. DH refused to pay them. They threatened to hold his report card. DH told them fine. But they had to tell him the grades anyway! And guess what? They finally wrote off our "fees" (which they were only allowed to charge those not on welfare, btw, which was DH's objection in the first place!)
Jumping in here way late but my dd10 will not be getting the shot. At least not until it has been out there a while and they know more about the effects. I will reconsider when she gets a little older. I kind of feel like it's just another big drug company trying to make the big bucks an easy way.
That doesn't make sense to me. Apply it somewhere else. Say a guest speaker will be in the library. You are informed and given a choice to allow your child to listen in or to go to say Study Hall. Because most parents will let their kids participate, it makes sense (Even if we are just talking about paper printing costs) to ask the smaller minority to sign a piece of paper stating they do NOT want their child to participate. You have a choice, why is signing the paper a problem?
I really do hear you, Jen. But depending on the subject, maybe they need to have permission to attend the speaker, rather than permission NOT to attend.... I don't like the idea of "we know best, but will let you have your way if you make a big enough fuss" (ie: sign a waiver). Why can't they have the attitude of "We really think this is a good idea and would really like for you to do it." They have NO RIGHT to ASSUME permission!!!
When we have our After School Bible Clubs, the parents must sign a permission slip or the child is not allow to attend. Some are held at the Y and they too need permission slips. I guess it's about who is in control of the issue and what the subject is.
AMEN, AMEN and AMEN! I also want to know what the schools are going to do if I don't opt out and then don't take my kid to the doc? Will they administer a shot in school? Can you imagine what the future of that will be? The ability to administer shots in school will lead to what...annual physicals in school? I just hate giving up any rights when it comes to my kids. The government is not raising my kids. Everyone wants to allow the government to take over for fear of a child getting lost through the cracks. That may be a noble intent but the result will cause more harm than good. Besides, I don't even buy they are doing it for the minority of kids that are falling through the cracks anyway. LOL...ok, this is where I am anti-state again...I think they just want control. They want to tell EVERY PARENT they know best not just save a few kids.
I think when a child is mandated to get a shot they are not permited into school until they have a copy of the shot records, in a case like this where its not manditory they shouldn't, but probably would send a reminder that you need to sign something that you opt out.
That's a good point. So if it becomes mandatory, your child may not be permitted back to school if you neglect to get the shot. I still think it really should be an "opt in" and not an "opt out". I guess some would say that at least you can opt out and still go to school. I don't think any other shot is optional for school..??? Yet, that is just another concession in the governments favor. Yep, I am that anti-government when it comes to my rights. Drives my dh crazy also! lol.
I don't know where it is everywhere else, but as far as I know it's a federal law that states even with "required" vaccines, parents can opt out to have them, sign a waiver, and a school can not do anything about it or anyone else for that matter. EVen though they say "required", it doesn't mean anything. There are ways around it. I've known several people who have waived all vaccines.
You can waive vaccinations here, too. I assume that can be done everywhere. I'm really not sure what I think of the HPV shot. My first thought was "no way, teach abstinence!" but after thinking about it, I realize that although we can give our kids a good foundation, we can't always make the right choices for them. I am still not sold on it, but am thinking more about it. I still think there is some degree of a moral issue along with it. Regardless, I do agree that it needs to be around for a while, before I'd let my dd's get it. As parents, I think it's very important to pray not only for our children, but for their future spouses. I pray that God will help my children and their future spouses stay pure until marriage.
I learned to pray for my kids' future spouses from a Stormie Omartian book. I have been doing it ever since. It is a good point!
Back when my grandmother was pregnant with my mother, she started to miscarry and was given some medication to save my mothers life. When my mother was 31, she had a complete hystromecty (spelling?) because of this medication. When she was 41, she had breast cancer because of this medication. The thing is, they didn't know way back when what would happen. It took 30 years for the side effects to show up. They now don't know what will happen to me or my children because we are the first generation of children "saved" by this medication. Here's my point. We don't know the side effects, and we may not know for YEARS. I don't know how I feel about the shot, but it does make me weary.
