1. According to a study in Pediatrics trying to educate people who are against vaccinating their children about the dangers of NOT vaccinating their children made them double-down on not wanting to vaccinate their children. That is, if they were already against vaccinations, giving them facts was unlikely to change their minds.
So, what’s the next solution? I would vote for more stringent laws to make parents vaccinate their children before they can go to day care or school. If they don’t want to vaccinate, then they stay at home and homeschool (many parents who don’t want to vaccinate will take this option). No exemptions, not even religious (what religious groups take exception to vaccination, out of curiosity?).
What about discovering a positive message around vaccines? Such as, “Vaccinating your children *helps* other people who can’t receive vaccines or may have weak immune systems — like your children’s grandparents or a classmate who was treated for cancer.”
Do you think that would work?
Here’s the analysis in Mother Jones.
Vaccines are hot news. Because there have been several recent outbreaks of the measles — a vaccine-preventable disease. So far in 2014, there have been 54 cases of the measles in the United States.
2. And then there’s the article about Fox News and my FIL’s generation. I could identify way too much with this one.
Because of a recent change in my SIL’s schedule, I am spending more evenings at my in-laws’ this month. I’m thinking of asking my FIL to keep the TV off while the children are doing homework. I’m going to do it without saying “Fox News”. Wish me luck! (It’s as much about the noise level and the fact that the kids are very easily distracted from the work they should be doing. Dan and I are forbidding the girls from having their DS’es at Bella’s, too. It’s too hard trying to corral five children and their electronics!)
Interestingly, my parents, who are younger than my ILs (my parents are 69, my FIL is 74), are not Fox News hawks — to my knowledge. They certainly don’t quote Krauthammer or O’Reilly around me. I wonder why my FIL embraces Fox, but my parents don’t. Hm.
Ok, it’s Fat Tuesday. Go out, drink up, eat up, and prepare for Lent (if you’re into that). I hope this post didn’t bring you down too much.
Red Pen Mama 