The harm is that undervaccinated children are at risk for preventable diseases while their parents are pretending to be experts in immunology. The harm is children dying of measles.

The other harm is that kids who are vaccinated do not automatically skip the disease. So if Bethany doesn't have her vaccines and gets mumps, Noah can still get them from her, even though he has had his vaccines. (Though the likelihood is dramatically decreased and in instances where a vaccinated child does get the disease, it's often less virulent).

Spreading them out also leaves windows, and rather large gaps, for when your kid has no vaccination for a particular disease. Sears has shown no proof that his vaccine schedule is better. It's all feel-good nonsense.

In our district, starting the fall, all kids from 4th grade on need to prove that they have an updated Tdap. It's one of the only times after a kid is already enrolled that I've ever seen our district deal with whether or not a kid's vax's are up-to-date. Good on them, I say.

The alternate schedule involves more shots and more doctor's visits than the CDC-approved schedule. It's not less stressful for the kid

This is the part I've never been able to understand -- if you think there's a medical reason, I just think you're wrong, but if you think there's a trauma reason, I can't see how spreading them isn't out MORE traumatic?

I just had a successful shopping trip -- picking over the carcass of an about-to-close Border's, and getting a new office sweater at Lord & Taylor that was marked down to $30 on the tag, but I ended up getting for $12. And then I resisted buying expensive makeup just to get the gift-with-purchase, but I'm still considering it.

Does LA Unified require vaccines, Kat?

Yes. Or a waiver stating no vaccines due to religious stuff. A school in Mar Vista (which is between Culver City-ish and Venice) has a waiver rate that's over 60% in K-1.

Fucking people.

ION, I love the internet -- I just learned that the bronzer in the gift with purchase I saw is actually "leg bronzer," which I don't so much want. So I am saved from expensive habits.

I spent waaaaaay too much on makeup while shopping bored on Thursday. Sephra an Bare Essentials. However, right noe I don't want to buy clothes in my size, so makeup it is.

I'm unsure that doctors/medical professionals/communicable disease researchers say there is any harm in spreading out vaccinations. I think it's mostly done in combination for convenience (one trip versus several trips where they will be stressed out and feel shitty each time).

what everyone else said. Plus, as I've been working in infant vaccine research for the past two years, lots of parents who DON'T spread it out cancel appointments, cOne in months late, say "oh he's getting sick today let's not" etc...so trying to arrange that over even MORE visits is extra hard and more likely they'll miss something or not get it in time, Etc.

If I walk into Sephora, would someone tell me what's right for me? I kind of hate having to start by picking a brand, and am not convinced my current routine is the right one.

Also, I walked across the finish line of the Boston Marathon, so that's fun.

Holy butt, Kat re: Mar Vista.

One of my scientists, a climatologist, just too some classes on communicating science better to the public. He told me that they showed a video of a bunch of Harvard grads, and an interviewer asked them, "what causes the seasons?" Few of them could answer correctly. He was appalled. I was, as well. And then I Strega'd the sitch and said, "wait, were they wearing caps and gowns? Like at an actually graduation?"

He said, "yeah, they were all graduating and DIDN'T KNOW!"

And I said, "let me punch one of your children in the face and ask you what the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics is."

I thought it was a total bitch move to ask anyone to explain anything, up to and including whether the earth is bigger than the sun, in those sorts of circumstances and then behave like you've proved people are dumb, or haven't learned something. Now sit all those people in a classroom on just an ordinary Wednesday, tell them you're going to ask them some questions about science, give them paper and a pen, and ask your questions. I'm less likely to call bullshit on those results, and my guess is that you'd end up with more correct explanations.

When folks trot out the "it can't hurt to space the schedule of vaccinations" line, I think the best way to combat it is to ask, "why do you think that?" They're probably not thinking about it in the same critical way they would think about it in the pediatrician's office during a calm discussion. I think.

I know that getting vaccinations wasn't jolly fun times, but there were lots of things I had to do as a kid that weren't fun. Oddly, that's continued into adulthood, but never mind. Spacing them out to avoid trauma for the kid is a real thing?