10-01-08

Adventures in Florida Immunization Religious Exemptions

Polio outbreak campaign, originally uploaded by coda.

So today was David’s appointment at the Health Department to file for the girl’s Religious Exemptions for their Immunizations. Before you FREAK OUT and tell me what a terrible mom I am for not protecting my children, allow me to enlighten you with our beliefs.

1. We are immunizing our kiddos, just not on schedule. We waited until they were older for MMR and the like

2. They aren’t getting the Varicella vaccine. Let them itch and eat cake.

3. And if HPV becomes manditory, they aren’t getting that either. Too many girls have lost their lives to that vaccine, not going to happen.

So off we went to the Health Department. Hmmm. It was…interesting to say the least. Don’t get me wrong. I am very happy with the program, it’s a wonderful program and helps many people who need it.

It’s the “health” part of it more than the “department” part that got to me. I can’t stand hospitals, waiting rooms…even the dentist skeeves me out. (Don’t get me started on places like malls and amusement parks, bleh). And the more stressed I get, the more germophobic I become. So going to “health” places when you’re already healthy…not a happy camper. Even worse when the place wreaks of urine.

So I stand in the hallway waiting to get called in, my nose buried in D’s arm pit, 30 minutes. Five minutes, we go in, sign the papers, get a few trees worth of literature and a talking to make sure understand our decision.

Because, you know, “religious exemptions” are the new ughs boots for babies. Most people don’t really know what they are or how they are made, all they know is they want them!!!! (Sarcasm.)

I’m under the assumption that most people applying for a religious exemption have done more research than those parents who blindly trust what is being shoot into their kiddos arm is for the best interest of said spawn and not the company that created it. Not all are bad, but we have our standards on the “put it in ‘em” category. Small pox, not something we want to take our chances with. Chicken pox? No Immune issues here, so we’ll take our chances.

The irony of it is two fold:

1. The paper they have you sign is more permission slip for them to pull your kid out of public schools in the event of an outbreak (and point many, many fingers) thanth a legal form of the grave necessity it is made out to be. A signature, a date, that’s about it. No address, no telly, no SS#.

2. They have you come into the clinic to do it, where all the creepy crawlies you are trying to keep away from your kids jump a ride back to your house on your shoes. Why not an administration office?

David laughs at me as we pull up to the house, I jump out of the car still moving, open the front door with my wrists, bolt up the stairs and bathed myself in purrell and lysol. The kiddos stayed at the MILs “just in case”.

~ Ga Ga in the Tropics,
Freak Show Shell

P.S. I was half expecting a battle, an evil, terrible hassle with all the horror stories floating around the internet, but the Health Department here is AWESOME! And “supported” our decision but reminded us if we changed our minds we could come back. I even discussed the HPV vaccine with the Dr. who was following the decision to make it mandatory (in TX, apparently). We didn’t go into detail about what religion (but I had my “Amish” answer all ready to go) or the fact we aren’t NOT vacinating completely.