B got her MMR shot a few days ago.  I’m really hoping she doesn’t have a reaction to the vaccine.  L had a likely vaccine reaction that was rather scary.  Of course, L ran a fever after all her vaccines.  I used to schedule them on Fridays because I knew I’d be pulling an all-nighter afterwards.  B, on the other hand, has had little or no reaction to her vaccines thus far.  Only about 5 to 10% of kids have a reaction to MMR featuring a fever of 103 and sometimes a rash, as L experienced.  So, unless there’s a genetic component, it seems unlikely that B will be in that minority.

I have to say that I disagree with the recent California vaccine law.  Parents are no longer allowed to opt out of vaccines for any non-medical reason if they wish to send their child to day-care or school.  Since most families cannot afford a full-time stay-at-home parent, this is tantamount of requiring children be vaccinated, full stop.  While I think vaccination is an important public health issue, I also support personal freedom, and I think laws should strike a balance between the two.

Here are some facts to contemplate . . .

1.) The MMR vaccination rate has been constant or increasing in the US at 92 to 93% for the last twenty years.

2.) The rate of vaccination required to eradicate the measles eventually is thought to be somewhere in the high 80s.

3.) There has been one measles death in the last decade.  There were something like 20 pertussis deaths in the last major outbreak.  In contrast, consider other preventable deaths.  30,000 deaths annually due to gun violence.  2300 deaths annually due to SIDS.  (And yes, SIDS, while not 100% preventable, can be very much reduced by proper attention to sleep safety.  I would venture a guess than less than 10% of parents follow all sleep safety guidelines.)

4.) Measles outbreaks and pertussis outbreaks are not solely or even primarily driven by unvaccinated children.  Germany, for example, had a much more severe measles outbreak than we did, and they vaccinate 98% of their kids.  Undervaccinated adults (those who were not vaccinated, or received only one dose of the measles vaccine as used to be recommended) are a major driver as well.  Undervaccinated kids and adults (as opposed to unvaccinated) also tend to drive the pertussis outbreaks.  In other words, instead of forcing people who do not wish to vaccinate to do so, we could educate and encourage those who do vaccinate to stay up-to-date on their vaccines, and take measures to get teens and adults to vaccinate themselves against pertussis.

Personally, I think what we are doing now is working.  In order to send your child to school in Washington state, for example, you must provide proof of vaccination, or state that you are opting out.  In the event of an outbreak of a disease that your child is not vaccinated against, you will not be allowed to send your child to school.

If the vaccination rate were to drop, I think it would make sense to impose stricter laws such as the CA law.  But it has not dropped.  Does that surprise you?  It is almost never reported.  You will also almost never see a chart of number of cases of measles or pertussis against vaccination rate, because since the vaccination rate has been more or less constant for a long time, there is no correlation (at least since vaccination has been introduced).

Am I the only one that likes ogling celebrities dressed to the nines?

I just do not find Beyonce as attractive as everyone else seems to.  This outfit is not figure flattering.  It reminds me of something someone might wear in mourning.

I kind of love this, though:

Taylor Swift looks kind of awesome as usual:

Sparkly black is just not doing it for me here either:

Why is Kim Kardashian wearing a bathrobe?

Is she dressed as a dominatrix or what?

I like the purple hair:

So restrained for Gaga.  So boring.

I wouldn’t (couldn’t, more accurately) wear it, but it’s Miley at least looks kind of interesting:

She is beautiful:

Wow, seriously ug!

Points for originality:

Love:

Worst outfit of the night?

Maybe a bit underdressed, but Jennifer Hudson does look very elegant:

Interesting, maybe in a good way:

No, THIS is the worst outfit of the night:

That NBC guy who lied should lose his job.

There has been a minor fuss because a “plus-size” woman was featured in Sports Illustrated.  First, I am mildly annoyed with myself for even bringing attention to SI and their pornographic swimsuits.  But seriously, how is this woman in any way plus-sized?  Her bones are sticking out.  I guess she is “big-boned.”

I really, really wish my preschooler would sleep through the night.  Barring that, I wish she would limit her middle-of-the-night wake-ups to one.

It is pouring buckets here right now which I regard as an excellent excuse not to run.

And a gratuitous baby picture:

I think the different types of skates are so interesting.  They barely resemble each other.

Figure skates:

Speed skates:

Hockey skates:

Like most women, I enjoy figure skating.  I have also been a big fan of speed skating since childhood.  When I was a kid, I like to think of myself as Dutch, since I was born in Holland.  As long as I can remember, Dutch or no, I’ve always cheered for the Dutch in whatever they happen to be competing in – and the Dutch are dominant in no other sport like they are in speed skating.  My Dad always liked speed skating as well.  Anyway, I’m watching the 1500m at the moment.  Duration-wise, it’s rather like the 800m run, which many people say is the hardest distance.  (I tend to think the marathon is the hardest simply based on what it does to the human body, professional or running-to-finish.)  Anyway, people who say the 800m is hardest say this because it is a sprint, but it is a LONG sprint, so basically, it is a pain-fest.  1500m seems to be much the same in speed skating.

Link, if you want to watch online:

http://stream.nbcolympics.com/speed-skating/winter/14170/

I just finished watching the men’s figure skating. Overall, I found it a bit underwhelming. The jumps were good of course, but the choreography was lacking. However, I have to say the last few skaters were exceptional. The Japanese skater who won deserved it in my book. Not only was his jumping excellent, his program was beautiful to watch. Patrick Chan also was an enjoyable skater to watch with decent choreography, though his free performance was far from spectacular. Finally, the American had me in his corner from the moment Riverdance started. What a piece of music, and his skate was fabulous, jumps landed or no. I also thought it was a good story that Ten got the bronze. Overall, a good event to see.