Jonas:Hi, Jenny. Are you getting your kids ready for school, too?
Jenny:Yes, as you can see, we're buying lots of school supplies.
Jonas:Did you get the school letter reminding parents to submit proof of immunization before the first day of school? I know that your youngest is starting school this year.
Jenny:Yes, she is, but I'm thinking of getting an exemption. I'm not sure vaccines are safe and I don't want to take a chance with her health.
Jonas:The immunizations required by the school are standard-measles, mumps, chicken pox, polio-all vaccines your other children have had.
Jenny:But when I looked at the list, there were a few I didn't recognize-diphtheria, hepatitis, and rubella.Who knows what our kids are getting!
Jonas:The ones you mentioned are standard, too. Don't you remember the outbreak of whooping cough last year? If our kids had been immunized, they wouldn't have gotten sick.
Jenny:I've read somewhere that vaccines might be dangerous. I just don't want to jeopardize their future.
Jonas:That's precisely what you'd be doing if you opted out of immunizations.
Jenny:Why's that?
Jonas:Because your children won't be getting an education. The school is barring any children who don't get immunized from attending school.
Jenny:I call that irresponsible!
Jonas:That's exactly the word that came to my mind.
