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#1: Teresa K (fasstar) on Aug 3, 2009 [SPOILER]

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Ditto #2. Great puzzle.

Thanks, Adam.

Very fun challenging puzzle. I would certainly to try this poison! Thanks

Thanks, Beth. (Did you want to edit your comment?)

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Found to be logically solvable by jan.

(A note for those who haven't read a lot of other puzzle comments: Teresa is a bit of an expert on this subject. Google "fasstar".)

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your puzzles are always easy

Warning: Vaccination is the number one hot-button flame-war topic in all parenting discussion forums. I have no great objection if people are inclined to take up the subject in the webpbn forums, but anyone considering chiming in on the subject should be aware that any expression of any opinion on the subject is likely to make some people hate you.

OK, point taken, Jan. My soapbox has been put away. And if anyone tries to bait me back into it, I'll ignore. Apologies to anyone upset by my off-topic ranting!

Re #14... if it calls for someone to say something about a controversial topic, in which anything said may lead to people hating that person, then let me do it. People hate me anyway, so it is nothing new. Vaccinations are indeed beneficial and should be given. Regardless of what ideas are going around about possibly leading to autism or whatever, they are completely unfounded and not true.

I work in the medical field, and deal with this on a daily basis, and have seen this area studied over many years.

I am very curious to know all of the reasons why parents (any of you on this site, anyway) choose to NOT vaccinate their children. Let the hate mail start rolling in....

When I had my first kid I was working inan alternative health place. I did think and research a long time before I had my kids vaccinated (born 1991-96). I did it because I felt it was the socially responsible thing to do-along with energy conservation and recycling (but I do love red meat!). I spaced the vaccinations out and do not do the one (HIB?) that they are not at risk for as small children, until teen years.

Adam, I am curious about what you do in the medical field. I've never had a medical career, but I am a freelance science writer, mainly of medical articles. My output (which I get paid for) has suffered since I found this site (which I do not get paid for).

Personally, I have gotten ALL the vaccinations available for my children, including seasonal flu, Rotateq, hepatitis, Varivax, etc. I think the success of vaccinations has bitten them in the foot. People no longer remember the horror—and deaths—of some of the diseases they prevent. Another reason I support vaccination is that, when I was pregnant, I had a blood test that showed I no longer had immunity to rubella. I couldn't get a booster until the baby was born, so I was at risk of this birth-defect-causing disease. Children whose parents refused MMR could have spread rubella to me and harmed my baby. Luckily all went well and I got a booster after he was born (one for pertussis as well—TDaP, the adult version of DTaP).

However, if a swine flu vaccine is rushed to market, I will not get it for myself or my children until I am convinced that it has been adequately tested for safety. In 1976, after a localized swine flu outbreak on a military base that fizzled out before spreading to the general population, a swine flu vaccine was rushed to market that killed more people than the virus did. And, while I don't have any daughters, I would have to carefully consider the risks and benefits before getting the Gardasil vaccine for them.

My sister (the one who spaces out vaccinations) claims that her children have had bad reactions when they have received the standard four shots at once. While I think it's a myth in general that so any vaccines is "too much" (most people's immune systems don't even sneeze, so to speak, at such a vaccine load), I tend to believe my sister, who has a good head on her shoulders and is an observant mom. Certain individuals *can* have odd reactions to vaccines. It's just that I think that, unless you *know* you are one of those people, the risk of a vaccine reaction is far less than the risk of the diseases they prevent.

Okay, I said I'd get off my soapbox, but I tried to keep it to my personal decisions without moralizing to others. Besides, Adam's not a troll, so I'm not feeding any trolls!

Beth, HIB was the leading cause of epiglottitis in children, but has significantly decreased since the HIB vaccine was made available.

Robyn, LOL at the troll comment. I am actually a PA (Physician Assistant). The reactions people have are usually minor at worst. Like you said, people often don't "remember the horror—and deaths—of some of the diseases they prevent." Very true.

The number of cases of previously dormant or near-extinct illnesses has started to rise here in the US in recent years, due to the fact that so many people have not gotten vaccinated. Many of them are foreigners who have come here, yet many others are US natives who choose to not become vaccinated.

It's very sad.

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Thanks for the good info, Wombat.

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Was a really cute puzzle. I enjoyed it!

Thanks, Tom.

ah, the green fairy...excellent image.

Excellent puzzle Teresa, had lots of fun solving this one, thanks :)

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Interesting. Nice illustration.

Thank you, BlackCat.

And I was going to make the snarky (but true) comment that too much water can kill you....maybe I better not....

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