Anti-vaxx mom abandons the movement after all three of her kids nearly die from rotavirus

[workinclasszero]

Anti-vaxx mom abandons the movement after all three of her kids nearly die from rotavirus
Travis Gettys 20 SEP 2016 AT 10:14 ET

An anti-vaccine mother explained how she changed her mind on inoculation after her own children became seriously ill from an easily prevented virus.

Kristen O’Meara told the New York Post how she sought out anti-vax books and websites to support her belief that vaccines were linked to autism, allergies and ADHD, and she found a pediatrician who was willing to let her skip vaccinations for her three children.

“I got absorbed in the anti-vax culture and secretly thought of myself as being superior to others,” O’Meara said. “Parents who vaccinated didn’t have my special investigative skills. As far as I was concerned, they didn’t stop to question and were just sheep following the herd.”

http://www.rawstory.com/2016/09/anti-vaxx-mom-abandons-the-movement-after-all-three-of-her-kids-nearly-die-from-rotavirus/

[malaise]

1. The price of ignorance can be way too high

[workinclasszero]

2. If your parents are anti vax loons

Your young life is in serious danger.

[Dorian Gray]

7. I'm glad

both that her children didn't die AND that she is publicly stating how her position was mistaken. This is a fantastic way to convince people that vaccines are necessary.

[Xipe Totec]

10. Misinformed yes, but not ignorant. Clearly, she read up on the subject.

She read the wrong crap, but she did read.

She's intelligent but irrational. She fell victim to confirmation bias, where a person seeks out sources that confirm their beliefs and avoid any sources that contradict those beliefs.

[Skittles]

3. typical

they only care when it happens to them

[Warren DeMontague]

4. ...at least she got a clue.

I respect her for acknowledging her error and speaking out.

[vinny9698]

5. A lot of people have bad behavior through ignorance or won't happen to me attitude

And sometimes it takes a "2 x 4 across the forehead to wake them up"
You can see that with smokers, once they get that first heart attack, bam they quit smoking.

[HockeyMom]

6. There are virus and then there are virus

Rotovirus vaccine doesn't protect against Norovirus, commonly called "Stomach Flu". My then almost 2 year old Grandson (had all his vaccinations) caught that right before his newborn brother (too young for Rotovirus vaccine) came home from the hospital. There is no vaccine for Norovirus.

He gave it to everyone who came into contact with him including his Mom who was nursing his baby brother. The baby was the only person in the household, and not, who did not get sick. If a newborn's sick mother didn't pass it on to him, I guess nothing would.

The symptoms for both are exactly the same.

[Dorian Gray]

8. If his mother was breast feeding him

she may have passed on immunity to him. Which is very lucky for the little baby.

[Ilsa]

11. More than likely, if the newborn was only a few days old,

the baby was protected by an immunoglobulin, IgG, which is small enough to pass through the placental barrier. It tends to protect against specific viruses. But colostrum is a biggie, too, in helping establish protection (and other immunoglobulins) very early, earlier than formula fed newborns.

I have a personal theory about colostrum and breastmilk helping kick off better function of major organs, like the liver, for long term benefit, but it's just a musing on my part after reading longitudinal studies on the effects of breastfeeding.

[HockeyMom]

15. That is what I think too

My daughter's mature milk had not come down yet and the baby was still getting colostrum which super protected him.

[Thinkingabout]

9. A question to ask is who their children may be exposed whose parents were also anti-vaxx

And as a result how many did her children expose.

[HockeyMom]

16. Was an autopsy done

to determine which virus it was? That is the only way to determine whether a Rotovirus or Norovirus was the cause. Just assume Rotovirus because they weren't vaccinated? Her oldest child looks about 2 or 3. She could have caught "Stomach Flu" from other children, brought it to her siblings.

As I said in my previous post, my Grandson HAD his Rotovirus shots, but still brought home a Norovirus to everyone. Fortunately, he was still nursing, and keeping that down, so he was being hydrated. It spreads around schools a lot with children. You cannot say that if these kids were vaccinated, they wouldn't be catching it because that vaccine does not exist. Keep your child home when they are sick and have the other children wash their hands a lot.


Extreme vomiting and diarrhea, can kill an older child and adult too. Dehydration. Doctors recommend Pedialyte for children with that. Adults can drink Gatorade. Those work for dehydration. If children and adults can keep down bananas, that works for diarrhea and puts back potassium.

This is what is recommended for Stomach Flu. Not fun, but it does go away on it's own. I am sure many people on here must have experienced that at some point in their adult lives.

BTW, it is RARE for an older child or adult to catch a Rotovirus. It's usually that Stomach Flu.

[Thinkingabout]

17. Don't think an autopsy was done, the children did not die.

[Javaman]

12. and she still has her kids?

I would think Child Services would be all over her.

[Mariana]

13. When an anti-vaxxer's kid dies or is permanently disabled

due to one of these diseases, I wonder what is going to happen to the parent(s). Will they be prosecuted like the wackos who kill their kids by refusing treatment for diabetes and such? And will they be held responsible for anyone outside the family they've caused to get sick?

I'm glad this woman has come to her senses, but it's a shame her children had to suffer so much to make it happen.

[Archae]

14. If you encounter an anti-vaxxer...

Like this loony tune:

http://americanloons.blogspot.ca/2016/09/1720-laura-hayes.html

Take them into a cemetery, that has stones dating back to the 1930's, or older.
Notice how many family graves have kids, 1,2, or 3 years old or less in them.

While child deaths still do occur, the number of deaths by disease has dropped considerably.

Find someone who is about 80, to describe the polio outbreaks.

Ask the anti-vaxxer to show them where smallpox victims are, nowadays.

[awoke_in_2003]

18. If I encounter anti-vaxxers

I try to get the hell away from them in case they are carrying. I need to ask my doctor whether, as a 48 year old person in this anti-science country, I need to get any shots updated. I had all mine growing up. It use to be that was sufficient, but with things the way they are now, I don't know. I did get a tetnus shot about 10 or 12 years ago do to a work injury, but that's it.

[REP]

21. Get your measles, mumps, rubella titres checked

I'm 2 years older than you and had one of the older MMR vaccines. I had only retained my rubella immunity when I had my titres checked a year or so ago, so I got the adult booster MMR. I get a TDap (tetanus, pertussis) on schedule every few years; I live in a place with low immunization rates due to idiots so lots of whooping cough plus I seem to get seriously injured every few years so it all works out.

[awoke_in_2003]

23. Cool, thanks...

I will talk to the doc about getting both of these.

[otohara]

20. As A Polio Survivor

I get furious

Got into a tiff with a friend of my son about HPV vaccine - posted an article featuring a Dr. who later said her worry about the vaccine was that it didn't last a lifetime - PERIOD! Too late tho, it was liked by all in spite of my efforts to debunk.

HPV related cancers/wart are a problem - not in our mostly white state but in the South and other states it is. Misinformation passed around to those who need it the most.

[alcibiades_mystery]

19. Some idiots only learn the hard way

[Blue_Tires]

22. I wonder if she was once a certain DUer...