I... have achieved internet infamy.
I was interviewed by our local TV station as part of our big push this year to get our high school kids' immunizations updated. We have 3 new requirements this year: Tdap, Menactra and 2 Varicella shots rather than 1. All the reporter wanted to talk about was religious objections. Apparently someone had called the station wanting to know why they never did any newscasts about them, then decided that they didn't want to be interviewed after all.
So yesterday I got an e-mail from someone with the International Medical Council on Vaccination (sounds impressive, doesn't it?). Apparently they decided that we (Tippecanoe School Corporation and, specifically, I) were breaking the law, and informed me (more in sorrow than in anger) that due to Indiana Code 20-34-4-3 we needed to immediately inform everyone of their right to object, with unspecified consequences implied should I not see the error of my ways.
After getting this I wondered who else might have somehow heard of this interview and have gotten ticked off at me... so I googled myself and immunization.
I've hit the big time!!! Ron Paul's faithful flock have decided that I'm an evil lawbreaking child-injecting autism-causing fiend whose only goal is to violate their civil rights! I'm so honored!
Actually, I'm a little ticked off myself. We do provide the information required by the above code to parents whose kids are not up to date on their immunizations. Said information is that they can:
- get their kids shots updated
- provide us with laboratory proof of immunity (a titer)
- write a letter stating that due to their religious beliefs their child will not be receiving the therein-enumerated vaccinations, or
- in the case of chicken pox, write us a letter giving the month and year their child had the disease.
Since the code is written in legalese, multiple interpretations are possible. I obviously interpret it differently from those guys. I do wish the newscast hadn't focused on objections to the exclusion of everything else we discussed about immunizations. Thanks, TV18...