Last evening when Little Buddy called, I asked her what she had done yesterday. She told me that she had to go to the eye doctor for kindergarten.

Later, when I spoke to DD2, she stated that in order for Little Buddy to be accepted in kindergarten in Illinois, she has to have an eye exam, a dental exam, a comprehensive physical, and four booster shots. In addition, her family will have to pay an "administration" fee to the school of $25.

This seems an expensive and exorbitant amount of pre-requisites just so a child can go to public school. DD2 got out her shot record, and we discussed what boosters the school was requiring. Now, keep in mind that she already has had three or four of all of these: Polio, DPT, Chicken Pox, and MMR(Measles, Mumps and Rubella). But no auditory test?

Just the office and exam charges for all this--not to mention the costs of the immunization fees--could easily cost $300 to $500. What about single mothers and people who just don't have that kind of money lying around?
(This all must be in the school's possession by April 22, which is the pre-enrollment day for kindergarten students starting this fall.)

By contrast, Big Sissy, who started to school in Texas, only had to have a polio booster and a cursory exam by her doctor to check height, weight, vision, hearing and chest. It was the same for my children when they started school. And where did this $25 dollar fee come from? She still must buy her own school supplies. Whatever happened to "free education"?

So today, Little Buddy goes to the pediatrician for her physical and four immunizations. Which brings me to the second part of my rant!! When she was one month old, she had her first immunizations, at which time she received FOUR shots all on the same day. At two months, four months, six months, eight months, and one year, she received from three to five immunizations simultaneously.

I am so against this policy of giving children four and five immunizations at one time---particularly babies under one year of age. It is not only cruel; it is dangerous. We see all kinds of information on the news and in the press about the dangers of giving infants cold medicines or other over-the-counter drugs. Where is the monitoring of this practice of giving infants four or five immunizations simultaneously?

Many people believe this may be the contributing factor in so many children now being diagnosed with autism. What is it going to take to get this inhumane and dangerous practice stopped?