Vaccinate or Go To Jail.

"UPPER MARLBORO, Md. — Hundreds of grumbling parents facing a threat of jail lined up at a courthouse Saturday to either prove that their school-age kids already had their required vaccinations or see that the youngsters submitted to the needle."

I'm sorry, but this makes me so mad. First off, I realize the need for vaccinations- they work (for the most part). But I also respect the right of parents to make the decision whether or not their children get vaccinated- be it for religious or for medical reasons. Medically speaking, how many of these parents being threatened with jail time, have children with Autism (or other issues), and are convinced that vaccines have played a key role?

Being a cousin to someone with Autism who seemed to shut down completely after his 2-yr shots, it gave me pause.. what to do when I became a parent? Now I have my own child with Autism. My daughter did get immunized, with no lasting side affects (that I know of). My son was also immunized, but his outcome was different. Do I contribute his diagnosis to the vaccines? No, not exactly. (Although I think his immune system was more vulnerable to such exposure). But can I say for sure either way? No. However, I think it would be well within reason if one were to skip all future shots, based on that outcome. Should I be penalized for that? Should I go to jail? Merely because of (what I might feel is a reasonable) concern for my child?

I have since sent my kids in for additional shots. I did have some concerns with my son, if only because (like I said) you just really never know how one's system is going to react. And if shots do have anything to do with it (although the CDC claims they don't), wouldn't I just be asking for more damage? Or even some kind of relapse in his development? That scares me, because he's come so far. But in his case, I did not see any correlation between any of his vaccinations and any dramatic change/decline in his behaviors. Thankfully, so far so good.

Another thing.. A mom being interviewed point out that if her child has already had Chicken Pox, why the hell should she be forced to get her child the Varicella vaccine? I mean it makes no sense! Just like getting Chicken Pox doesn't 100% guarantee you'll never get it again, the same can be said for the vaccine. (And I believe most school forms ask if a child has had one or the other).

Again, I see how schools are interested in keeping children healthy and in attendance. But this seems so not the way to go about it.