Should other parents be responsible

[Note]

I was watching one of those.. Law and Order, CSI shows the other day. It was about a woman who's child died.. and was trying to blame her child's death on another parent.

Molly is a teenage parent with a little girl under 1 year old. Since she is so young she is not able to get her vaccinations.

Nikki is a mother of a 4 year old boy who is able to get vaccinations.. but Nikki chooses not to vaccinate her child because of the side affects that could happen from the vaccination.

There parents do not know each other.

Now Molly and Nikki both take their children to the same park on the same day to play. At the time Nikki's son has Measles but does not show any symptoms of having them. While at the park the boy infects Molly's little girl and a older boy who is about 15 who is Amish (according to the tv show.. the Amish do not vaccinate either). The older boy goes to the hospital and ends up being ok. Now a few days after this happens Molly's little girl will not stop crying. Molly dosent know what to do so she just spanks her little girl and goes back to sleep. When she wakes up.. her little girl is dead.

Now all sorts of stuff happens during the show and they find out that Molly's little girl died from Measles.. not from being spanked. The cops track down Nikki who's son just got over having the Measles.. and the cops take Nikki to court because of her not vaccinating her child.. Molly's child died. Now they are trying to send Nikki to jail for "killing" Molly's child but the Jury find Nikki Not Guilty.

While watching this show.. me and DH was thinking that its not Nikki's fault the little girl died. It could of been prevented by having her child vaccinated but Nikki felt like she was protecting her child from what COULD happen if she vaccinated her child and that its not her responsibility/fault what happens to other people children.

So i guess what im asking is... if this happened to you or someone you know.. would you try to blame it on the other parent or try to move on. The parent who dosent vaccinate.. if it their fault? According to the show you dont have to vaccinate your child unless they are going to school. Which means if you home schooled your children.. they would never be vaccinated.

[Truegrits81]

So one child died (that wasn't vaccinated) because someone else's child wasn't vaccinated?

Why is one too young for vaccinations? Most come before the age of one.

I really don't have an answer other than yes, a big requirement for most schools is that you have to be vaccinated. I wouldn't have a need to blame anyone for anything because my children ARE vaccinated.

Sorry I suck at what ifs lol.

[Note]

Originally Posted by Rell So one child died (that wasn't vaccinated) because someone else's child wasn't vaccinated? Why is one too young for vaccinations? Most come before the age of one. I really don't have an answer other than yes, a big requirement for most schools is that you have to be vaccinated. I wouldn't have a need to blame anyone for anything because my children ARE vaccinated. Sorry I suck at what ifs lol.

Lol its ok. Yes both the children.. the little girl who was under 1.. and the boy who was 4 was not vaccinated. And the little girl died because she got measles from the boy which could of been prevented if the boy would of been vaccinated. Its kinda hard to understand..lol.

I dont have children.. so i have no idea how old a child has to be to get vaccinations.. its just on the show the little girl who was under 1 was to young to get them.

[felifreshh]

I think it would be the other parents fault..

But they shouldn't be charged.. It's like saying OMG I'm suing you for giving me the flu!

[sapphiremommy]

no, another parent shouldn't be held liable in that case. the only exception I'd make is if they knew their child was infected and took them somewhere with kids who are highly vulnerable. I was tryign to think of an example but my brain isn't processing it right, it's still to early.


also adding that just because a kid gets the vaccine doesn't gurantee he won't get the illness.

[goldfish]

I would blame it on the other parents, but I don't see how you could legally charge them with anything.

[devilwhiterose]

If Nikki was fully aware that her child had the measles yet still took her 4 year old to the park, SHE should be charged for...something. Not because she didn't vaccinate her kid.

She's knowingly endangering other people/kids. Isn't measles highly contagious?

[sapphiremommy]

Originally Posted by devilwhiterose If Nikki was fully aware that her child had the measles yet still took her 4 year old to the park, SHE should be charged for...something. Not because she didn't vaccinate her kid. She's knowingly endangering other people/kids. Isn't measles highly contagious?

it is but its similar to chicken pox. you have an incubation period prior to teh outbreak so your kid can be infected and you don't even know it. i had measles when I was a kid.

[dollface]

As a parent, you take on the assumed risk of either vacinating or not vaccinating. DISEASE IS EVERYWHERE and you are ALWAYS AT RISK. Its part of life and blaming another parent for exposure is not logical to me...it just doesn't make sense....to me. It is your job to weigh the benefits and risk of both. Nikki felt that the risks outweighed the benefits and that was well within her right. She made a medical decision to protect her child from the harmful and potentially fatal side effects of vaccinating. She made an informed decision about the health and welfare of her child. Molly's child was the unfortunate victim of the side effects of NOT vaccinating. If Molly's child had gotten a vaccination and then died of the side effects...no-one would blame anyone. Molly's case is the same....her child did die from the side effects of her choice not to vaccinate (or her unfortunate inability to vaccinate). Its a terrible situation but in most cases and certainly this one...another parent is not to blame. When people are in pain, they like to place blame on whoever or whatever they can in effort to find comfort for their loss. I would never have even thought to blame the other parent. If anything I would feel guilty for not taking my dd down to the free clinic to get those immunizations or finding a way to raise the money to get the vaccinations. That is my perspective.
ETA: If your child is exposed to the flu virus because a parent knowingly brought their child out to the park, then your child later dies because of complications of the flu...you don't blame the other parent because they "knowingly" brought their kid out to play. The flu is HIGHLY contageous as well. There is NO WAY of knowing whether or not an exposure to any virus will be the death of your child. Its a risk you take when you are a part of this world. YOU do what YOU can to protect YOUR child. Don't blame another parent for nature. If that's the case then we should quarantine every single person that has a communicable disease/infection....which not practical since MOST will not die from it.

[devilwhiterose]

Originally Posted by dollface As a parent, you take on the assumed risk of either vacinating or not vaccinating. DISEASE IS EVERYWHERE and you are ALWAYS AT RISK. Its part of life and blaming another parent for exposure is not logical to me...it just doesn't make sense....to me. It is your job to weigh the benefits and risk of both. Nikki felt that the risks outweighed the benefits and that was well within her right. She made a medical decision to protect her child from the harmful and potentially fatal side effects of vaccinating. She made an informed decision about the health and welfare of her child. Molly's child was the unfortunate victim of the side effects of NOT vaccinating. If Molly's child had gotten a vaccination and then died of the side effects...no-one would blame anyone. Molly's case is the same....her child did die from the side effects of her choice not to vaccinate (or her unfortunate inability to vaccinate). Its a terrible situation but in most cases and certainly this one...another parent is not to blame. When people are in pain, they like to place blame on whoever or whatever they can in effort to find comfort for their loss. I would never have even thought to blame the other parent. If anything I would feel guilty for not taking my dd down to the free clinic to get those immunizations or finding a way to raise the money to get the vaccinations. That is my perspective. ETA: If your child is exposed to the flu virus because a parent knowingly brought their child out to the park, then your child later dies because of complications of the flu...you don't blame the other parent because they "knowingly" brought their kid out to play. The flu is HIGHLY contageous as well. There is NO WAY of knowing whether or not an exposure to any virus will be the death of your child. Its a risk you take when you are a part of this world. YOU do what YOU can to protect YOUR child. Don't blame another parent for nature. If that's the case then we should quarantine every single person that has a communicable disease/infection....which not practical since MOST will not die from it.

I suppose. But I guess I'm the person that if I knew my kid had an illness, I wouldn't want to endanger others. I mean, you can't prevent EVERYTHING (people sneeze at the store)...but I'd limit my kids contact with others if he had something contagious.

I'm going to put my kid in a bubble.