Comments on: Low vaccination rates at some schools raise concerns

By: Darcie

Darcie — Fri, 11 Oct 2013 18:29:19 +0000

Dental caries actually is a communicable disease, although more likely to be spread at home from parent to child than in schools.

By: Anne Ternus-Bellamy

Anne Ternus-Bellamy — Fri, 11 Oct 2013 14:46:18 +0000

Michelle, 10 percent of Birch Lane kindergartners had signed personal belief exemptions last year, according to the state. The other 3 percent did not have exemptions on file but were not up-to-date on vaccinations either.

By: Grant Acosta

Grant Acosta — Fri, 11 Oct 2013 03:42:13 +0000

Rich, you sound like a conspiracy theorist yourself! You have all these theories about the anti-fluoride crowd being science-bashers with no real evidence. So a few people quoted a controversial website. Does that mean all of us subscribe to that opinion?

By: Michelle Millet

Michelle Millet — Fri, 11 Oct 2013 03:22:15 +0000

Using Birch Lane as an example, of the 13% of kids that are not up to date, do we know what percentage of these kids are not “up to date” because parents are opting out vs kids who are up to date but school records don’t reflect it, because parents keep forgetting to send in shot record, or just haven’t gotten latest shots yet but they mean too and are busy and just keep forgetting but plan too….

By: Rich Rifkin

Rich Rifkin — Fri, 11 Oct 2013 00:49:16 +0000

“Rich, you implied that people against community fluoridation are anti-science.” ……. Actually, I think there were four types in Davis (with cross over into other categories by some) that opposed fluoridation: The anti-science conspiratorialists; the libertarians; the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix-it” folks; and the anti-overkill people. …….. The last group makes a compelling argument against fluoridation: That treating 100% of the public for a health issue which harms only 30% of the public is overkill, and that we generally never approach public health questions in such a broad, unfocused manner. …….. Personally, I am fine with not having fluoridated water. It’s not an issue I am passionate about. What I get worked up over is the passionate, and quite quack-laced arguments, which were made time and again by the Alan Pryors and his followers. I am not sure how large this group is. But it was evident to me that the most outspoken opponents of fluoridation were sold by the anti-science of quack groups like the Fluoride Action Network, etc. But again, I have never said that everyone who opposes fluoridation is an anti-science conspiratorialist. Yet those who are on fluoride, probably are on many other questions taken up by the quacks.