Microscopic Killers
Nathan had me tape a show on PBS for him last night. It was the first part of a three part series on Health issues. As he teaches health he thought it would be a great show.
Because I was taping it I ended up watching most of the show. It was interesting...I learned new things...and it scared the crap out of me! For those of you who worry about EVERYTHING never watch this PBS show. You are better off living in ignorance.
The show did change my mind about some things though. Before last night I was really conflicted about all the shots they give new born babies. I just didn't feel it was necessary to risk their health. However the doctors on the show made some very good points that I had NEVER thought about before. They pointed out that the majority of people today have no experience with the kinds of diseases that babies are immunized for. If all babies are immunized then these diseases have no opportunity to reappear. While it isn't a big deal here in the US yet...it only takes one baby not immunized to catch something and spread it rapidly to other babies who aren't immunized. The doctors made the point that to keep diseases like polio and small pox and other things at bay we must immunize our children. While they do admit there could be the rare side effect they said the risk is worth it...because the diseases are HORRIBLE. After watching this show I agree and now my babies will get all of their shots!
The show also explained why it is so important to take all of your antibiotics. While I have never been one to not finish mine I will always make sure that me and anyone I know takes the whole course of drugs. The risks of not doing so are not a pretty thing.
So tonight...I will be taping part 2 of this health series. I am sure that it will be as dramtic as last night's episode. I told Nathan that he is going to scare the crap out of his high school kids. He said...we have to be educated about what is out there. And while I agree...I still wonder if I really needed to know ALL the possibilites out there. I mean...do I really need to know that there are strains of viruses out there right now that cannot be killed by any known drug? I guess it doesn't really matter if I know or not because if you get one of these bacterial infections it will probably kill you within a few days...
1 Comments:
I watched most of that episode you were describing, and naturally it just makes me that much more adamant that my sons should not play football! (assuming we have boys in the future) As if I weren't freaked out enough about the "superbug," now I'm really scared of the possibility that just playing in the dirt could give Ava some dread illness that literally cannot be stopped. Britt's response was, "One of us is far more likely to be in a car crash than to get one of those infections." Maybe so, but I'd still rest easier if the drug companies would stop pulling out of the antibiotic research market just b/c it's not as fast or profitable. What happens when we don't have any new antibiotics in the works to fight these resistent infections? My UTIs are already of some fairly resistent strain; what if the Bactrim quits working? It's frightening to think of what our children's generation might face in their adulthood & parenthood.
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