Italy bans unvaccinated children from school • Hacker News Board

Re: Italy bans unvaccinated children from school

#31

Post by AckSyn » Mon, Mar 18, 2019, 6:14 PM UTC

thfuran wrote: post #8

droithomme wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> if only we could make this happen here in the US Good point. Also essential to ban adults from various public areas who are not up to date on all their boosters.

First we need to make sure everyone has reasonable access to the medical care that would provide those boosters.

They do. These boosters aren't very expensive, and doctors appointments for them aren't either. Dare I suggest that almost everyone is in reach of a medical office or free clinic that can provide them.

Re: Italy bans unvaccinated children from school

#32

Post by everdev » Mon, Mar 18, 2019, 6:14 PM UTC

frostburg wrote: post #24

Udik wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not even sure you can home school children in Italy. I don't think so, schooling is mandatory up to a certain age. Anyway, I've never heard of anyone doing it.

You can, but only terrible people do it. EDIT: keep in mind that the public school system will bend over backwards to integrate and accomodate even the most problematic special needs children. It's among the few things that it does really well.

I don't think HN is the place for judging people you've probably never met.

Re: Italy bans unvaccinated children from school

#33

Post by celeritascelery » Mon, Mar 18, 2019, 6:14 PM UTC

droithomme wrote: post #7

CodeCube wrote: post #2

Fantastic (note that the article mentions (or at least hints at) medical exemptions, which of course makes sense)! Now ... if only we could make this happen here in the US!

> if only we could make this happen here in the US Good point. Also essential to ban adults from various public areas who are not up to date on all their boosters.

And how would you enforce that? Have everyone walk around with their immunization records and stop people randomly?

Re: Italy bans unvaccinated children from school

#34

Post by [deleted] » Mon, Mar 18, 2019, 6:15 PM UTC

celeritascelery wrote: post #28

mac01021 wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If that's what you want, don't wait for the institution of a national policy. Talk to your local Board of Education.

I don’t think they have the power.

[deleted]

Re: Italy bans unvaccinated children from school

#35

Post by gubbrora » Mon, Mar 18, 2019, 6:15 PM UTC

onetimemanytime wrote: post #12

propter_hoc wrote: post #6

The problem with this law is that there are children (like the child with leukemia mentioned in the article) who are unvaccinated for good medical reasons. Hopefully this law recognizes that and does not penalize children who are unvaccinated for reasons beyond their (or their parents') control.

I doubt anyone will force a kid that risks losing his life because of vaccination, to vaccinate. Let's not spread FUD

Maybe they will out of incompetence. "I wish I could give you an exemption, but the computer doesn't let me fill it in like that".

Re: Italy bans unvaccinated children from school

#36

Post by kalleboo » Mon, Mar 18, 2019, 6:15 PM UTC

jarmitage wrote: post #13

I would be interested to know if any Italians (or otherwise knowledgable people) are here who can comment on this anecdote: I once stayed with some Italians near Pisa, who were home schooling their children. They said that corrupt and ignorant politicians have added unnecessary vaccines to the list of requirements, due to lobbying/collusion with pharma companies and as a way to influence elections. As a result, some…

> They said that corrupt and ignorant politicians have added unnecessary vaccines to the list of requirements, due to lobbying/collusion with pharma companies

FWIW, This is standard anti-vaxxer rhetoric in any country. You see stuff like this anywhere: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DeS7VhVWsAABZOJ.jpg

Re: Italy bans unvaccinated children from school

#37

Post by [deleted] » Mon, Mar 18, 2019, 6:16 PM UTC

celeritascelery wrote: post #33

droithomme wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> if only we could make this happen here in the US Good point. Also essential to ban adults from various public areas who are not up to date on all their boosters.

And how would you enforce that? Have everyone walk around with their immunization records and stop people randomly?

[deleted]

Re: Italy bans unvaccinated children from school

#38

Post by gatherhunterer » Mon, Mar 18, 2019, 6:16 PM UTC

CodeCube wrote: post #2

Fantastic (note that the article mentions (or at least hints at) medical exemptions, which of course makes sense)! Now ... if only we could make this happen here in the US!

Some states that refused (i.e. failed) to set up their own health care exchanges because they did not want to comply with the ACA have Medicaid programs that do not cover low-income adults. If you were deprived of vaccines as a child then you should be allowed to visit the doctor and schedule a series of vaccinations to catch up without paying a copay. It seems wrong to federally ban something without a federal solution.

There may be ways to get vaccines without coverage that of which I am not aware. How would you even get someone to review your record without being in a network, though? OK, KS, MO, MS, TN, AL, GA, SC, NC, FL, VA, UT, ID, WY, ME, WI, NE and SD have no medicaid coverage for low-income adults [1]. That is probably not a complete list.

1. https://www.medicaid.gov/state-overviews/index.html

Re: Italy bans unvaccinated children from school

#39

Post by sehugg » Mon, Mar 18, 2019, 6:16 PM UTC

frostburg wrote: post #30

jarmitage wrote: post #13

I would be interested to know if any Italians (or otherwise knowledgable people) are here who can comment on this anecdote: I once stayed with some Italians near Pisa, who were home schooling their children. They said that corrupt and ignorant politicians have added unnecessary vaccines to the list of requirements, due to lobbying/collusion with pharma companies and as a way to influence elections. As a result, some…

I am Italian. Those people were anti-vaxers. That's a typical conspiracy theory among them. Just so that you know, vaccines are the most cost effective form of public health intervention and the profit margins on them are thin, it would not make any sense to do what they told you. The election part is obviously insane.

For more detail, look up the Five Star movement and comedian/populist hero Beppe Grillo: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jul/11/rise-of-italia...

Re: Italy bans unvaccinated children from school

#40

Post by purpleidea » Mon, Mar 18, 2019, 6:16 PM UTC

I'm a physiologist, and definitely NOT an anti-vaxxer.

Two points:

1) What is the specific list of immunizations that are being mandated?

2) If immunizations are to be mandated, great, however the companies that produce them must also be mandated to be transparent in their research and development.

For example, they must be required by law to publish all studies on drug safety-- both positive, and negative results. That's currently not required, they're allowed to cherry-pick results!