Definitely not the father of the year

[Bob78164]

Gov. Matt Bevin of Kentucky deliberately had all nine of his children infected with chickenpox so that they wouldn't get it later in life. Of course, now they're at lifetime risk for shingles.

I wondered if he took this approach because the alternative was risking their infection as adults, when the virus is significantly more dangerous. That's not the case. The chickenpox vaccine was released in 1995. Bevin married his wife in 1996. --Bob

[BackInTex]

Gov. Matt Bevin of Kentucky deliberately had all nine of his children infected with chickenpox so that they wouldn't get it later in life. Of course, now they're at lifetime risk for shingles.

I wondered if he took this approach because the alternative was risking their infection as adults, when the virus is significantly more dangerous. That's not the case. The chickenpox vaccine was released in 1995. Bevin married his wife in 1996. --Bob

This used to be common practice. Even recommended by many doctors. Is there a better way now? Sure, maybe. But the vaccine was relatively new back then. Keep looking though. I'm sure you'll find something on him.

[flockofseagulls104]

Gov. Matt Bevin of Kentucky deliberately had all nine of his children infected with chickenpox so that they wouldn't get it later in life. Of course, now they're at lifetime risk for shingles.

I wondered if he took this approach because the alternative was risking their infection as adults, when the virus is significantly more dangerous. That's not the case. The chickenpox vaccine was released in 1995. Bevin married his wife in 1996. --Bob

Is that all the batphone had today? What has Bevin done to earn a batphone call?

[earendel]

Gov. Matt Bevin of Kentucky deliberately had all nine of his children infected with chickenpox so that they wouldn't get it later in life. Of course, now they're at lifetime risk for shingles.

I wondered if he took this approach because the alternative was risking their infection as adults, when the virus is significantly more dangerous. That's not the case. The chickenpox vaccine was released in 1995. Bevin married his wife in 1996. --Bob

This used to be common practice. Even recommended by many doctors. Is there a better way now? Sure, maybe. But the vaccine was relatively new back then. Keep looking though. I'm sure you'll find something on him.

As a citizen of the commonwealth of Kentucky I can tell you that this is only one of the idiocies practiced by our Dear Leader.

[Bob78164]

Gov. Matt Bevin of Kentucky deliberately had all nine of his children infected with chickenpox so that they wouldn't get it later in life. Of course, now they're at lifetime risk for shingles.

I wondered if he took this approach because the alternative was risking their infection as adults, when the virus is significantly more dangerous. That's not the case. The chickenpox vaccine was released in 1995. Bevin married his wife in 1996. --Bob

This used to be common practice. Even recommended by many doctors. Is there a better way now? Sure, maybe. But the vaccine was relatively new back then. Keep looking though. I'm sure you'll find something on him.

Nice try, but if you read the story, you'll discover that he did this to his nine children. By the time he had nine kids, the vaccine wasn't "relatively new." --Bob

[Appa23]

Gov. Matt Bevin of Kentucky deliberately had all nine of his children infected with chickenpox so that they wouldn't get it later in life. Of course, now they're at lifetime risk for shingles.

I wondered if he took this approach because the alternative was risking their infection as adults, when the virus is significantly more dangerous. That's not the case. The chickenpox vaccine was released in 1995. Bevin married his wife in 1996. --Bob

This used to be common practice. Even recommended by many doctors. Is there a better way now? Sure, maybe. But the vaccine was relatively new back then. Keep looking though. I'm sure you'll find something on him.

His oldest child was born in 2002/2003. The vaccine was not new by that time. It was a well-established part of the newborn regime, having had children born in 2000 and 2002. I can't cut the Governor any slack here. Not anywhere close to the worst thing that a parent can do, but not all that defensible either.

[littlebeast13]

I had no idea there was a chicken pox vaccine now. There's another childhood rite of passage out the window...

lb13

[earendel]

I had no idea there was a chicken pox vaccine now. There's another childhood rite of passage out the window...

lb13

Not only does it protect against chicken pox but it helps prevent shingles later in life.

[Beebs52]

My kids got chickenpox before the vaccine happened, 1991. Greg, our oldest, got it, I thought. Then, he REALLY got it. Picked a pock, arm blew up overnite, with fever and delirium. A week in the hospital ensued with full body strep rash infection. It.was.a.fucking.nightmare. Pat, youngest, got a normal version of it.
Why anyone, now, wouldn't vaccinate is insane.

[BackInTex]

My kids got chickenpox before the vaccine happened, 1991. Greg, our oldest, got it, I thought. Then, he REALLY got it. Picked a pock, arm blew up overnite, with fever and delirium. A week in the hospital ensued with full body strep rash infection. It.was.a.fucking.nightmare. Pat, youngest, got a normal version of it.
Why anyone, now, wouldn't vaccinate is insane.

I remember getting chicken pox. I was in 2nd grade. I got sick. It snowed 6-8 inches, in Austin, TX. Mom let me go out and play a whole 10 minutes. I was bummed. But she balanced my welfare and happiness well.

Today is her birthday. She would be 85.

[Beebs52]

My kids got chickenpox before the vaccine happened, 1991. Greg, our oldest, got it, I thought. Then, he REALLY got it. Picked a pock, arm blew up overnite, with fever and delirium. A week in the hospital ensued with full body strep rash infection. It.was.a.fucking.nightmare. Pat, youngest, got a normal version of it.
Why anyone, now, wouldn't vaccinate is insane.

I remember getting chicken pox. I was in 2nd grade. I got sick. It snowed 6-8 inches, in Austin, TX. Mom let me go out and play a whole 10 minutes. I was bummed. But she balanced my welfare and happiness well.

Today is her birthday. She would be 85.

I also had chickenpox. And measles. I vaguely remember sleeping on the couch with hurty eyes for many days.

No reason to have measles or polio parties...let alone chickenpox. Nowadays.

[SportsFan68]

My kids got chickenpox before the vaccine happened, 1991. Greg, our oldest, got it, I thought. Then, he REALLY got it. Picked a pock, arm blew up overnite, with fever and delirium. A week in the hospital ensued with full body strep rash infection. It.was.a.fucking.nightmare. Pat, youngest, got a normal version of it.
Why anyone, now, wouldn't vaccinate is insane.

I remember getting chicken pox. I was in 2nd grade. I got sick. It snowed 6-8 inches, in Austin, TX. Mom let me go out and play a whole 10 minutes. I was bummed. But she balanced my welfare and happiness well.

Today is her birthday. She would be 85.

I got pneumonia in the summer when I was five. I got to play outside zero minutes until the doc cleared me. I still remember my siblings running through the sprinkler . . .

[BackInTex]

My kids got chickenpox before the vaccine happened, 1991. Greg, our oldest, got it, I thought. Then, he REALLY got it. Picked a pock, arm blew up overnite, with fever and delirium. A week in the hospital ensued with full body strep rash infection. It.was.a.fucking.nightmare. Pat, youngest, got a normal version of it.
Why anyone, now, wouldn't vaccinate is insane.

I remember getting chicken pox. I was in 2nd grade. I got sick. It snowed 6-8 inches, in Austin, TX. Mom let me go out and play a whole 10 minutes. I was bummed. But she balanced my welfare and happiness well.

Today is her birthday. She would be 85.

I got pneumonia in the summer when I was five. I got to play outside zero minutes until the doc cleared me. I still remember my siblings running through the sprinkler . . .

You only had summer one day every 3 or 4 years? In my case, I was 7 years old, hadn't seen or played in snow in about 3 years, and maybe wouldn't see it again until I was 10-12. It was possibly a once in a childhood (phase) opportunity.

There was another situation when I was about 11 or 12, not related to illness so I did not mention it before, where it had once again snowed significantly (in Austin), maybe 3 inches on the ground, that my mother grounded me because I did not make my bed, as she specifically asked me. I did not get to go out that day, at all. I made it the next day. There was still some snow, but not with the freshness as the previous day.

[silverscreenselect]

You only had summer one day every 3 or 4 years? In my case, I was 7 years old, hadn't seen or played in snow in about 3 years, and maybe wouldn't see it again until I was 10-12. It was possibly a once in a childhood (phase) opportunity.

There was another situation when I was about 11 or 12, not related to illness so I did not mention it before, where it had once again snowed significantly (in Austin), maybe 3 inches on the ground, that my mother grounded me because I did not make my bed, as she specifically asked me. I did not get to go out that day, at all. I made it the next day. There was still some snow, but not with the freshness as the previous day.

The only memory I have of kindergarten in Orlando, FL, was one day that it started snowing after we arrived. I'm guessing that in Orlando, even in the worst winter conditions, they probably only had a few snowflakes. Anyway, the younger kids in the nursery school got to go outside for recess first and then it would be our turn. We kept talking about how we were going to build a snowman and have snowball fights. As you might guess, by the time we got outside, it had stopped snowing and there was nary a snowflake to be found on the ground. Big disappointment. It would be years before I got to see snow again.

[BackInTex]

You only had summer one day every 3 or 4 years? In my case, I was 7 years old, hadn't seen or played in snow in about 3 years, and maybe wouldn't see it again until I was 10-12. It was possibly a once in a childhood (phase) opportunity.

There was another situation when I was about 11 or 12, not related to illness so I did not mention it before, where it had once again snowed significantly (in Austin), maybe 3 inches on the ground, that my mother grounded me because I did not make my bed, as she specifically asked me. I did not get to go out that day, at all. I made it the next day. There was still some snow, but not with the freshness as the previous day.

The only memory I have of kindergarten in Orlando, FL, was one day that it started snowing after we arrived. I'm guessing that in Orlando, even in the worst winter conditions, they probably only had a few snowflakes. Anyway, the younger kids in the nursery school got to go outside for recess first and then it would be our turn. We kept talking about how we were going to build a snowman and have snowball fights. As you might guess, by the time we got outside, it had stopped snowing and there was nary a snowflake to be found on the ground. Big disappointment. It would be years before I got to see snow again.

This reminds me of a time, I think I was 13 or 14, we had a Ouija Board. We had of course asked it many things over the year (one of the things was who I would marry. It said Pat Pearson. I never met a Pat Pearson, but there was a Pat Pearson at A&M while I was there. HE ran for student body president. I intentionally never tried to reach out to him, but I digress), but the weather forecast was for a big cold front to come in. We asked the board if and when it would snow. This was a couple of days before the front was to arrive. It said "Yes" and then picked the day and time (Thursday at 10:30 AM - probably not the exact thing is said but for example purposes). It began snowing within 10 minutes of that time. It did not snow enough to stick, but it was snowing. To this day it still freaks me out a little.