Jab the kids

Y’all remember how Bob Barker used to admonish the viewers to spay and neuter their pets at the close of every Price is Right? Man, I wish somebody would update that message for the noughties.

And remember, please vaccinate your children.

For pete’s sake people, pleeeease, vaccinate your children.

I participate in these online forums for babies born in May 07. Yes, my baby wasn’t born in May, but he was supposed to have been. Anyway, on both the US and British equivalents, there are a number of parents who have chosen not to vaccinate their children. Generally, the discussion forum etiquette is to not criticize. I skirt the line already and I knew that I couldn’t reply and be civil. These are threads I’ve seen today:

American scenario in which I paraphrase:

I want to give up pumping breast milk. It’s a pain. It takes a good part of my day and I only get 8 oz a day for my 7 month old son. But the thing is, I haven’t vaccinated my child so my husband is on my case saying that what’s a little bit of time when it’s our son’s health on the line? What should I do (support only please)?

OK, sweetie. I’m a big breastfeeding advocate, and I would gently (hopefully) encourage anyone with a baby under one to stick it out a little longer. But I gotta admit the pumping thing is a pain in the ass and frankly I probably would have given that up ages ago. But kudos to all the pumping moms who are able to do it. And for sure, your hubby probably doesn’t understand what it’s like to have a machine slurping at your bosom, so I’d discount his opinion slightly.

Yes, I also believe that breastfeeding helps with immunities and it’s part of the reason I continue to breastfeed Buddy.

But breastfeeding is not a magic bullet. It does NOT GUARANTEE against your child catching infectious diseases. If it did, do you think infant mortality pre-vaccines and pre-formula when babies breastfed would have been quite so high? If it did, do you think we’d have epidemics and stuff? We’d all be drinking little bottles of breastmilk daily.

If you don’t want to pump anymore, fine. But please, vaccinate your child.

British scenario:

I think my 4 year old son has measles, he’s been (a run down of measle like symptoms). I asked the doctor what I should do? He said not to worry, but to keep my son away from old people and those who haven’t been inoculated. Now my baby has a fever, too.

I feel bad for this woman. I do. I hope it’s not measles. I hope it’s just a little snuffles that goes away tomorrow. But she’d be a lot more sure it wasn’t something serious if she had vaccinated her child.

And you know, I’d be a lot more sure that Buddy wouldn’t be exposed to measles before he was old enough to get the shots if she and a lot of other people had vaccinated their children.

The Vol Abroad reviews some stuff

Sometimes I wish I was good at film or book review. Maybe it’s years of built up resentment from the school book report, but what I really want to do is say “I read it. I thought it was boring/ok/pretty good/great. I would (not) recommend it.” Strike out as appropriate.

Film:
We saw Borat. Rubbish. Can’t believe I spent money on the DVD. He should be slapped for rudeness. The character on his old show was pretty well conceived – but in the movie it was executed lazily. Only the bear head and the line “We support your war of terror,” were any good. And continuity…did anyone notice he went to DC and then to a local tv station in Jackson, Mississippi (without naming it – but they did show the weather chart – and everybody knows that Yazoo City is in Mississippi) and to Virginia and then to Jackson.

He’s goin’ to Jackson and people gonna stoop and bow.

We saw Magicians. Written by the writers of a British tv series Peep Show – one of those Brit specialties in cringe humor – so funny sometimes I couldn’t breathe while watching it – and co-starring Robert Webb and David Mitchell – the stars of same Peep Show – it plays off some of the same riffs. Not quite as uncomfortably funny, it was still pretty good, enjoyable. Watch it.

Last night on broadcast tv, we watched The Queen. It was watchable. Interesting reliving the time after Diana’s death. Helen Mirren was soo much better than all the rest of them, why did they get that James Cromwell guy to play Prince Phillip. I normally like him, but he just couldn’t wear the part.

Books:
I’m reading pretty slowly these days. Buddy has started to take an interest in the things we take an interest in. Like the tv remote control or books. Buddy likes to grab books. Buddy likes to tear pages. Buddy likes to eat books. But I have fairly recently completed Wicked. I thought it was pretty good. If you kinda like the whole Oz thing and maybe have read one or more of the original books and you’re over the age of 14 – like a mature 14 – then I would recommend it.