[Waterluvian]

As a parent I've come up with a mechanism to help when things like this worry me.

I have basically no power to protect against things like this. But I have tremendous power to protect against far more likely causes of harm like diabetes and heart disease and obesity.

So any time I'm having a moment of worry about their well being I find an extra hour to carve out of my day and take them to the park. It's therapeutic and makes me feel less helpless and feels like I'm gradually equipping them with the life trait of being an active person.

[mlrtime]

This is the stoic mindset, worry about only things you have control over.

[burfog]

You have a lot of power over this. Simply act as if we live in a world without vaccines. For most diseases, we do in fact live in that world.

By the way, we've found viruses that cause heart disease and obesity. There are no vaccines for these. Many viruses also cause cancer, not just the ones we have vaccines for.

Protecting against this is all about your day-by-day personal choices. Do you choose the restaurant with reusable metal forks, or the one that provides plastic ones in individual plastic bags? Do you choose the fruit salad and the veggie sandwich, or do you choose the applesauce and the hot soup? Do you touch your chair and then eat pizza with your hands, or do you push the chair with your foot and then still avoid eating any food that has been touched? Do you ride a crowded subway or drive your own car? Do you go to a movie theater or watch something at home?

[krageon]

Living your life as if you have crippling germaphobia is not healthy for you mentally (as the parent) and is also not doing your children any favours. There is plenty of evidence that having your kids grow up in very sterile environments will negatively impact their immune system as time goes on, both in terms of strength and allergies.

[couchand]

> But I have tremendous power to protect against far more likely causes of harm like diabetes and heart disease and obesity.

Not to mention cars, guns, and drowning.

[dhxjsbd]

Guns? Cars? Small stuff ;)

I’m worried about medical malpractice. Quality stats are hard to come by, but it’s estimated to be up a top 3 killer after cancer and heart disease in the US!

[adrianN]

Probably not a top killer of children and young adults though.

[barry-cotter]

Could be. Children and young adults go to hospital too and if medical errors are third only to the two biggest killers, which children will not generally suffer from, medical error could plausibly be the biggest killer. More likely it’s trauma from doing stupid things but if medical error is that prevalent it certainly kills plenty of children.