Fox 8 Cleveland -A Kentucky student is suing his local health department after it barred students who aren’t immunized against the chickenpox from attending school and canceled extracurricular activities during an outbreak that has affected 32 people.
Jerome Kunkel, a senior at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart/Assumption Academy in Walton, Kentucky, refuses to get the chickenpox vaccine, citing his Christian faith, reported CNN affiliate WLWT. He and his father allege that he’s being discriminated against because of religious beliefs.
Last week, the Northern Kentucky Health Department announced that all students at the school who don’t have “proof of vaccination or proof of immunity against chickenpox will not be allowed to attend school until 21 days after the onset of rash for the last ill student or staff member.”
This also affects the school’s sports and extracurricular activities, which have been canceled to avoid spreading the illness to other schools and places.
Jerome Kunkel told the station that he’s upset over the health department’s decision, especially because it affects his basketball season.
“The fact that I can’t finish my senior year of basketball, like our last couple games is pretty devastating. I mean you go through four years of high school, playing basketball, but you look forward to your senior year,” he said.
When I first saw this story I assumed it was a little kid whose parents decided to not vaccinate their kid who was now dealing with the consequences of their idiocy. But no. This is some high school kid who just decided to not get vaccinated.
Don’t you get vaccinated when you’re like 5? Has this kid gone his entire life without being vaccinated and it’s just getting brought up now? I know I’ve never been re-vaccinated since I was a kid. I don’t think it’s like a yearly subscription where you have to re-up every year or two. How did he skate through the first 10 years of his education without being given his shots?
Again, this comes back to the parents if that’s the case. But these ones are ahead of their time. He’s a senior in high school so they were anti immunization back in 2000. Kudos for them for being trail blazers. Without them thousands of kids would be vaccinated and outbreaks of diseases that have were cured when the lightbulb was invented would not be widespread amongst the United States.
I love how in the article the kid randomly throws out that since their Christians they’re against abortion, too. Like, gee thanks for letting me know. I would never guess that a hardcore Christian who refuses to prevent curable diseases would be against abortion. Birth control and condoms are strong forms of vaccines so makes sense that this kid thinks his classmates should have kids at 16.
The school should double down and not allow him in the school at all. Make it so he can’t graduate unless he gets vaccinated.
“You want to spread disease amongst a thousand kids? OK see ya!”
Seriously, these parents that brainwash their kids who subsequently shout their unwanted opinions from their pedestal are the worst. Stop hiding behind excuses like religion or a 1 in a million case of a vaccine causing issues with a child. Guess what? There’s a better chance you get hit by a car while protesting outside your school than developing a disability from a shot. Join the 21st century with the rest of the country and get your god damn vaccines people.
Bowles' Blog 