Saturday, February 25

Opinion Saturday

On Saturdays I tend to linger longer over the news, which I usually read online at the BBC News Online and The New York Times. Both of these are free services you can register for. They'll send you headlines via email each morning that you can read in more depth at the website if you're interested.

Anyway, I was thinking about the weekly 'things' a lot of people have at their sites: Crib Ceiling: What's for Dinner Wednesday, From Her Majesty's Throne: Tuesday "Guess It"!---and wondering what might be fun and interactive to do here.

I think I'm going to try 'Opinion Saturday'. I'll share a couple of the days headlines, and ask your opinion on an aspect of it. You can read the article online (remember, you'll need to register) or you can just give your opinion after reading my synopsis.

Maybe I'll even give a Golden Keyboard Award (thinking as I type here) to one person each week who best states the reasoning behind their opinion-- pick a winner on Sunday evening and put them up on my sidebar all week. I know that we won't all agree-- that's fine. The idea is to state your own opinion eloquently.

So let's give it a whirl here, OK?

Headline #1: Influenza Vaccine for Children - New York Times
Folks in charge of the US immunization program are recommending that kids in the 2 to 5 year old age group get immunized against influenza. Assuming this is a recommendation, not a requirement, would you get your child immunized? Why or why not?


Headline #2: BBC NEWS Jail for Chinese baby traffickers
If you knew that some of the babies available for adoption in China had been trafficked-- ie, stolen from their parents and sold to orphanages-- would you still adopt from China? Why or why not? I am not talking about folks who are already deeply financially invested with paperwork already in China. Rather, imagine you were just in the beginning stages of trying to decide what country to adopt from. (Oh, and just so you know, China takes this problem extremely seriously and are doing their best to end it: China executes baby smuggler )

So-- give me your opinion on one or both of these issues. Civil discourse, of course! We'll try the news slant this week, but if that's not fun I'll pick a lighter opinion topic next week.

8 Comments:

At 10:47 AM, Blogger Renee said...

Flu Shot~

It is my understanding that the flu shot contains Thimeresol (a mercury based preservative). There has been a lot of debate whether or not this ingredient is contributing to Autism in children. I would be very uncomfortable injecting young children year after year with this ingredient.

Our Pediatrician told us that all of the vaccines they use now are Thimeresol free except the Flu vaccine.
Blessings,
Renee

 
At 8:27 PM, Blogger MrsDoF said...

Flu Shot is a No for me.
For one thing, I never went dragging my babies all over the place when they were little bitty babies. All the germs all over town didn't need to get on us. There was a week during one winter when we went to Sunday Service, then Mother's Prayer Group on Wednesday morning and were home every other minute.

The other reason I have is personal in that I had to get a flu shot as recommended by a job and yet I still came down with the worse case of flu ever in my life. Getting vaccinated might have stopped some germ, but its ugly cousin moved in.

Also what Renee above said. The ingredients of vaccines are questionable for some people. I already have a little card with a list of my drug allergies, so I am wary of many others.
My oldest son seems to have fallen into allergies as well.
In fact, it worries me that some required vaccinations are doubled up, as in immunizations for 2 or 3 viruses in one shot. Who can tell a worried parent what exactly it might be if there is an allergic reaction?

I believe medical subjects should be between the doctor and patient. And parents need to tone down their lifestyle whenever possible.

Homeschool done for now.
It IS Saturday night.....

 
At 9:54 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have carefully chosen a pediatrician for my children, one whom I trust by virtue of his experience and education. When I have questions, he answers them, and he takes my concerns seriously. He knows our lifestyle, our family history, our decision-making process. Because of all this, when he gives me medical advice regarding my children, I have no reservations following it. He is a strong advocate of vaccinations and has carefully explained to me why. I'm not a medical professional, so I wouldn't even try to relay all that here. But if I've chosen my kids' doctor well, I feel like I can go with what he says--not out of blind, uninformed trust, but because he simply knows more than I do.

Great idea for the opinion deal!

 
At 11:06 PM, Blogger Jenny said...

Flu shot? Nope, not for us. I'm a stay at home mom with a stay at home kid. We're pretty low risk. When people were worried about the shortage last year - we skipped it on the advice of our Doc.

Baby from China: My husband and I have planned since we were married to adopt a child. We originally thought of a Chinese girl and are aware of these recent reports. It has swayed our thinking, along with cost. Unfortunately it’s all such a can of worms that we are afraid to even think of China anymore. More than likely we will adopt an older child from right here in my own state. It kills me that thousands of eight year olds are deemed too difficult and too old and are bounced from foster home to foster home. My first baby is two now, and I plan to birth another (biology willing), when my first couple of kids are older than eight and can comprehend what we are doing, we will find my next couple of kids. Perhaps it will all be clearer then.

 
At 9:57 AM, Blogger Melzie said...

Since we are starting the whole "learn more about adoption" and getting to that point I wouldn't look at China-- only because I want to help a child here first.. I think. Nothing against China at all! BTW- love the look!

 
At 10:12 AM, Blogger kel said...

My son is one of the rare that had a very bad reaction to Thimersol based immunizations. He is doing better now but it has been 4 years since his reaction. I am not antivacination but I am anti protocol I think they push them too fast and too often and I would not do the flu vacine.

 
At 1:09 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yes to flu shot! (and I'm allergic to thimerosal! but pediatric thimersol-free flu vaccines are available.

The best reason to vaccinate the 2-5 age group is to keep the grandparents alive! Yes, that's right! Its a community benefit thing. Research has shown that preschool aged children tend to get influenza first and that vaccinating this age group significantly slows the spread of flu in the whole community. In fact, long-term studies in Japan where flu shots for this age group were required, showed that vaccinating preschoolers is a more effective way to reduce deaths from flu among the elderly than actually giving the flu shots to elderly people themselves!! Its also key for health care professionals and nursing home workers to get shots too!

So, I DO it right now! Flu shots for my babies and preschoolers. Not so much to protect my kids but to protect my dad who has leukemia, diabetes and heart disease.

We're all in this together!

 
At 6:25 PM, Blogger Jenny said...

That's an interesting point. protect Grandma... hmmm, seems worthy of following through on. Learn something new every day.

 

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