In a message dated 98-09-24 22:49:44 EDT, Rob C. writes:

<< As to the chicken pox I cant see any reason to get the
 disease. Along with approx 900 children hospitalized a year in
 the US there are 50 deaths, thats one a week from chicken
 pox. >>


Moreover, I had heard from my pedi that in her practice -- in a neighborhood
where a lot of kids are getting varivax -- the cases of chicken pox she has
seen in the last year have been more severe than before there was so much
vaccination; and this month she told me that she has lately seen that
intuition confirmed in the literature.  (I didn't ask her for a cite but could
if anyone wanted one.)    So we have changed our minds and decided to
vaccinate our kids after all.   Just fyi --  (are others seeing this as well,
or have read this?)

Elisheva Urbas
NYC