Okay first let’s get this out of the way. I was watching TV last night… yes I often do in the late hours of the night after the kids go to bed. On Wednesday I like to watch Lie to Me and Criminal Minds… awesome shows both of them. I state this because the last time I mentioned a specific TV show episode on my blog…which I am about to do… I got bashed in the comments for watching the evils of TV. So there it is… I watch TV… avert your eyes now if that bothers you. ;)
As I was watching last night, I was flipping around between channels to avoid watching any commercials. I watched a few minutes of Law and Order Special Victims Unit and saw that it was a seemingly uninteresting episode where they suspected a mom (Hillary Duff) had killed her 11 month old daughter. Not something that really interested me so I turned back to my regular show.
About 20 minutes later I checked back in and I see the show has done a 180 degree turn. The little girl has apparently died from measles. She was exposed to them in a park by an unvaccinated boy who got the illness from an Amish teenager. The mother of the unvaccinated child is then charged and goes on trial for negligent homicide and on the show they continually scream at her saying that she murdered a child.
Yes, that got my attention and I stayed tuned in for the rest of the show. I was so freaking angry by what I saw. And yes it is just a TV show but have you noticed just how many TV shows now have done this exact same thing? They make up bogus stories about how terrifying these diseases are and how non-vaccinating parents are no better than murderers. It is alarming to me as a non-vaccinating parent that this propaganda is getting spread around and stirring up hate towards a group of parents who are only attempting to do what is right by their children.
In the shows defense they did give the defense attorney some good lines where he made the expert witness, a doctor, admit that the MMR vaccine can have side effects that include seizures and death and that the side effects are not so rare. But mostly they allowed this doctor to really bash non-vaccinating parents and make them sound stupid.
In the end the jury did not convict the non-vaccinating parent of wrong doing but according to the prosecutor this was only because the mother of the dead child was a party girl parent who had neglected her child. Supposedly the jury did not want to punish the woman who had at least tried to be a good parent. A bunch of nonsense it what it is. The grandfather of the baby ends up killing himself in front of the non-vaccinating mom, telling her she murdered not one, but two people.
They also spread an outright lie by saying that children who attend public school are required to be vaccinated or their parents are breaking the law. ALL states have exemptions so this is a flat out lie. The state in question, New York, has two… a medical and a religious exemption.
One thing they failed to really highlight in this fictional story was that the unvaccinated child who got measles was absolutely fine. This only supports the widely held belief that most vaccinations are not meant to protect our own kids from these diseases but to protect other portions of the population… infants, immune suppressed, and the elderly come to mind. So when you take a risk vaccinating your child, and you are taking a risk, you are doing so not for them… but for other people. I for one did not make the conscious decision to bring 3 children into this world only to put other people’s interests before theirs.
On the show they basically said non-vaccinating parents are uneducated and foolish. But I have met hundreds of non-vaccinating parents and they are some of the smartest most compassionate people you could ever come across. They have poured over books (written by doctors) that highlight the dangers of vaccines, they read the studies that have been done about vaccine safety, and they make the best decision they can. In my experience it is USUALLY (not aways) the parents who DO vaccinate that are uneducated about the issue. Now of course some research and decide that they think the risks do not outweigh the protective benefits and they vaccinate but in general most parents just do what their doctor tells them and what they are pressured by society to do.
That is what I did with my first child and he almost died as a result. I now buck the system and call my own shots for the health of my kids. I won’t sacrifice them on the alter of public good. We choose not to vaccinate and we choose to only live in a state that allows for philosophical exemptions.
But the point is that through mediums like TV the public is being influenced to “hate” parents who buck the system and choose not to vaccinate. It doesn’t matter that many thousands of kids are injured by vaccines every year and it doesn’t matter that I witnessed my son go into respiratory arrest due to vaccines … the public is being informed that I/we are negligent parents.
I heard that an episode of Private Practice a couple weeks back also had a “bad mom” who didn’t vaccinate and her child dies of measles.
It makes me weary of what the future has in store. But then I remember that this is the same public that tells me pharmaceuticals, genetically modified foods, and irradiated foods are safe and that herbs and natural foods are suspect. I consider the source and then I can exhale and know that this propaganda is only out there because they are running scared. More parents are waking up to their lies and they are running scared and trying to gain ground with scare tactics. I for one will stand my ground and get even louder in my defense of parental CHOICE.
What about you? Did you see the show?
See also this important book review: He’s Not Autistic, but…
VeggieMomma I said in the post that the unvaccinated child was fine. That was kind of my point. Most kids can get measles and be totally fine so they are in fact being vaccinated to protect OTHER people. Just like kids get vaccinated for Rubella to protect pregnant women…not themselves.
I am not breaking any of society’s rules or laws so I am not sure why I need to go live in the woods. It should be my responsibility as a parent to weight the risks and benefits of ANY medical procedure and make a choice accordingly. You and other parents have no rights to weigh those things for me. If you have a small child you can CHOOSE to keep them out of public situations until their immune system can handle illness. That makes more sense to me then making all older kids stay out of public to appease you.
Maybe the fear mongering parents who want to control other people should go live in the woods.
Ok, a couple of things; First of all this is obviously a hot button issue that brings up strong feelings. The funny thing is that both sides only want what is best for their children! So, as with most issues like this maybe we just need to take a step back, stop digging in our heels and find the middle ground. I like the idea of waiting a bit longer to immunize. VeggieMomma, which vaccines did you wait on, how long and what information lead you to that decission? Tiffany; honestly if I was in your shoes I probably wouldnt vaccinate my children either. I don’t know if it was a bad batch of vaccine, or if it was just too much for his little body. Sometimes people have a predisposition that causes them to not be able to handle it and I if that was the case I wouldnt risk it with my other children either. Although it’s not relating to vaccines, here is a case in point: my dad contracted a very rare disease as a kid. It’s caused by a rare strain of bacteria in raw milk. Most people can drink it (like his sister and parents) and have no problem, but a few have a genetic predisposition that when met with this bacteria results in a horrible, lifelong illness that is terminal more often than not, as it was for him. Now does that mean that no one should ever drink raw milk? Lots of people do and have done for centuries, but in my family we wont. There’s a genetic predisposition in there somewhere and it’s not worth the risk. That’s what it seems like the vaccine debate is to me. For the vast majority of people the benefits outweigh the risks definitely. However the fact of the matter is that most parents who choose not to vaccinate their children are occupying an ideal but unsustainable little nitch. They don’t have any of the risks associated with vaccines, and since almost everyone else is vaccinated they don’t really have to worry about contracting these horrible diseases either. It’s unsustainable because if everyone chose to do this we’d be back in the 1800’s with all the horrible ramifications that I don’t need to recap here. I am curious, if one of your children, as a newborn, was given polio and lost use of their legs or got the measels and became sterile or died, would you blame the person who wasnt immunized? If that happened to me I don’t think that I would persue criminal charges against the parents, but I would sure as heck take them for everything they’ve got. They are knowingly risking other’s lives. period. It’s like saying that driving drunk is ok as long as your family isnt in the car. Vaccines can have horrible side effects, but you can’t tell me in this day and age with all the technology that we have that they couldnt screen and detect contaminated batches, make low dose versions and test children to make sure they can handle it. There is a better way, and I feel that fighting back and forth among ourselves just distracts moms like us from applying pressure where it’s needed; on the manufacturers, researchers and drs.
Andrea, getting an illness is a natural thing. It cannot be compared by any stretch of the imagination to driving drunk. Our bodies were designed to get ill temporarily and then build immunity to ward off further illness. Mothers can pass this immunity on to their babies through breastmilk but because moms are not “permitted” to fend off these illnesses they cannot pass on immunity as they should. So it is just as logical to conclude that vaccines are actually what PUT babies at risk. A healthy mom who has been exposed to these illnesses can provide the protection her babes need until they can protect themselves. Vaccines are cheating them out of this opportunity.
If my child did get sick and die I would not blame another person or sue them. This seems silly to me. Humans should be able to get sick and choose NOT to have elective medical procedures. That is their right and it should be protected. It is not reckless, it is personal choice and that should be honored and respected… otherwise how can we possibly expect our personal choices to be honored and respected? Requiring vaccines and suing parents who choose not to vax sounds like some sort of totalitarian empire that I want no part of. As a friend once said to me: “the only way for me to remain FREE is to protect my neighbor’s right to choose to live as he or she wants as the law abiding taxpaying adults they are.” If we don’t want our neighbors making our medical decisions for us then we best keep our noses out of theirs.
If more people decided not to vaccinate we would not be back in the 1800s as is the common argument. But maybe we might be closer to the early 1900s when illnesses were declining on their own.. before vaccines even came on the scene. Many illnesses were eradicated without any vaccine at all. Medical care, hygiene, clean food and water, and a healthy diet will cover most people regardless of what they are exposed to. I just do not believe in the scary, scary, omega death plague scenarios that we are told will occur.
I want comparing getting an illness to driving drunk. I was comparing choosing not to vaccinate kids, and not considering the safety of other children to driving drunk. I also never said that we should force anyone to vaccinate their kids. I said that we should stop bickering about it amongst ourselves and focus on making vaccinations safer for everyone. As far as thinking that modern medicine would make us safer I do agree to a certain extent, but lets think it through. In 1952 there were almost 60,000 cases of polio with 3000 deaths, not to mention other long term health effects. Then after the introduction of VACCINES it dropped to ZERO. Now we are seeing it pop up here and there in people who have chosen not to be vaccinated.
I agree there Andrea. Fighting amongst ourselves won’t help. But I worry that shows like this will eventually lead people to vote away a parents right to choose. The scarier they make it, the more likely that at some point in the future people will turn against non-vax parents and force shots on them.
Choosing not to take a medical risk for our kids is protecting them. It is not willfully putting another person at risk the way drunk driving is. Agreeing not to drive drunk is part of the “contract” you enter when you get a license to drive. Humans have no obligation to prevent illness or inject themselves with potentially toxic substances for the betterment of themselves or anyone else. Taking the stance that not vaccinating is negligent is very dangerous ground…it is just one tactic that will be used to take away our right to not inject ourselves.
It is our body and should be our choice…period. Giving government or the courts a foot in the door to force their will on us is a big mistake.
Where are these polio outbreaks though? I not sure how reliable this site is but according to it there have been over 400 cases of polio worldwide so far this year and none are in the US or other well developed countries.
http://www.polioeradication.org/casecount.asp
I am doubtful the outbreaks are any more linked to non-vax status than they are unsanitary living conditions and inadequate diet and medical care.
We had several measles outbreaks in 2008 (one in Ohio where I live) and yet none of them that I saw were linked to non-vaccinated kids. It was vaccinated kids/adults passing it around to each other. None resulted in any deaths either.
Polio was in fact on the decline BEFORE innoculation was widely introduced.
Thanks for your blog. Always fun to read. My husband and I actually did watch that episode of SVU. I felt it was very biased, and that the scene where they had the doctor admit there were risk with vaccines was just an obligitory thing thrown in there to keep there from being a horrible backlash.
What frustrates me with “media” like that is that the people watching it are unwittingly being influence. It was so STUPID she got put on trial in the first place. Refusing vaccinations aren’t against the law- therefore there was no law for her to have broken, and as a result, no reason to take her to court. Am I going to risk going to court if my child eats PB&J in the park and someone with an allergy dies? Shows like this slowly influence the mass population without them realizing it. They start forming opinion and strong ones often, without giving thought or doing any research to become educated. It’s like the proverbial boiling of the frog. Turn the water hot slowly enough- and the frog won’t jump out. They aren’t going to remember “either option runs risk” they’re gonna remember “not vacinating hurts other kids, and us me in legal risk”
I choose not to vacinate my children. I’ve done, like many parents hours and hours of research. There is no one perfect answer. Thats what has made the decision so difficult. You have to weight the “potential” side effects of the vaccination against the “potential” side effects of the disease. For me it boiled down to a couple of things- 1. Vaccinations don’t always work. I was fully vaccinated, and yet still got the chicken poxs at 17 (not fun when you are that old) 2. Despite what the governmen decided- there is a strong link between autism and vaccinations 3. Our bodies have natural defense systems that are by passed with vaccinations. Create a vaccination that works WITH not against our immune systems. We have a warning system that allows our body to “gear” up so to speak – when something is introduced through normal means- not shot directly into us.
Andrea- just as a thought. I don’t believe even if every person on earth stopped taking vaccinations we would be back where we were in the 1800’s. Modern medicine has progressed to a point where we are better able to handle illness. We also have a great (or the pontial to – if we choose to educate ourselvs) knowledge and understanding of health. Just because it was the way it “used” to be done, doesn’t mean it was wrong. By the same token, just because it’s modern doesn’t mean it’s better, or safer, or right. Look at margarine :-D
Nicole, excellent points. Your story about chicken pox is comparable to mine. I got chicken pox at 23 years old…sooooo not fun. I was pregnant too. I did not sue or press charges against the person who exposed me to it… even though I know who it was. ;)
Neither of my grown-up children have been inoculated, nor I. My husband was inoculated as a child. None of us has been critically ill. I have worked in the Far East and Africa, taking my children with me, we have all had the odd dose of mild malaria, dysentery, and other illness’. These are just rather frightening words for ‘flu, tummy bugs etc. The important part to remember is the care of the sick, hygiene, clean drinking water, bringing fevers down by warm sponging, noting symptoms quickly, all this takes time and effort.
Therefore I was shocked on returning to the West to see the general low health in children; permanent streaming noses, loose stools, little energy and being stuck indoors all day or worse, running around outside and going to school when clearly ill This is the level of health that I saw daily in very deprived areas in underdeveloped countries.
All I got to say is that I hope you are right.
What are the sources of your information?
Thanks Tiffany for a great post! My hubby and I have also researched A TON and decided to not vaccinate. I don’t think people realize that many of the vaccines that kids get are for illnesses that are not fatal. And getting the illness actually helps the body built up natural immunity instead of a fake one that either doesn’t last or doesn’t work part of the time. I think lots of parents just don’t want the inconvenience of their child being sick. I mean who has the time to take care of the kids if they all come down with the chicken pox?
As for the idea that we would head straight back to the 1800s should everybody stop vaccinating — that is just ridiculous! The technology and medicine we have today — not to mention sanitary improvements — will not allow that to happen.
This next thing I am going to say is just my own observation — I haven’t really looked into it. But I have worked with kids for a long time and the kids that are breastfed/not vaccinated or delayed vaccinated tend to be healthier than the others. Like I said, that is just my own observation but its something to think about!
If parents are just starting to research vaccines a great place to start is reading the Vaccine Book by Dr. Sears. It breaks down each vaccine and each disease that we are vaccinating for. Tons of great information! For me it just solidified not vaccinating. So many of the diseases are not fatal and/or treatable. There are very few I would actually consider giving my child and those are the truly terrible ones such as polio.
firs of all in respone to Momma your observation “the kids that are breastfed/not vaccinated or delayed vaccinated tend to be healthier than the others. Like I said, that is just my own observation but its something to think about!” is very true atleast from what i have read and researched kids who are breastfed to tend to be healthier becuase their bodies have been given the stuff that is made for them, formula as hard as it tries will never be the same as breastmilk and our bodies are not made to take it in therefor it leaves on several levels deffensless against illness with which we could fight off if we had the antibodies in breastmilk.
Second i am with you all my husband and i have choosen not to vaccinate we have done our research like most non vaccinating parents and we just don’t see why we would should or would expose our child to the very common side effects such as siezures (which are often brought on by the common fever which most parents think is just a part of vaccinating when in reality means that they baby is trying to fight the vaccine instead of absorb and utilize it). i agree that some of the vaccinations do make sense and eventually my son will get vaccinated for some things but not with out much thought and a well developed immune system. in the meantime he will get breastmilk to keep him healthy.
and thirdly i want to reiterate what Tiffany said and that is that most nonvacinating parents are more educated than the vaccinating ones and i believe that is becuase the ones that choose to vaccinate are the ones who are just going along with society and doing as what everyone else is doing, its a lot harder to go against the grain and not vacinate and those parents have to be equipped with the knowledge in order to explain their side. So props to those of you who made an educated decision either way. whatever you choose be knowledgable about it. i am sure non of you picked your spose out of a hat or started a career without some knowledge of the job. and i am sure that non of you had a kid without some planning of their name, their room, their future, your birth, so why not do the research on their health to and make the best decision for your child.
Great Topic Tiffany!
The Government knows that vaccinations are dangerous, or why else would there be a vaccination injury compensation program. A great book to read on this topic, and many other great topic is Health Wars, if you haven’t already read this book, I am sure you will enjoy it. Here is a quote from the book on vaccinations:
” This criminal practice will end as soon as parents develop sufficient interest in the welfare of their children. At present parents offer up their children on the alters of the smallpox goddess, because commercial ghouls demand it and hope that the children will not be greatly injured.
If a child is invalided for life or is killed, the parents meekly accept the lying alibis of the scoundrels who maim and murder children for money, cry a little, and return to their movies and joy rides.
Reader do you know how Judas felt after he had sold his master for a few pieces of silver? If you have surrendered your child to be vaccinated and inoculated, after you learned the truth, you know how he felt. There is one great difference between you and him–Judas had decency enough to go out and hang himself.” -Shelton Herbert
This is a very harsh quote in my opinion, I am interested to see how others view it.
I remember about six months ago I read about a similar show, that was not able to air because of a similar topic. It was also about vaccinations, but the family sued, due to their child’s injury from vaccinating, and they won. It was not allowed to air for fear of an increase in non vaccinating parents.
The Government is very clever, if they provide people with enough fear they will demand things like mandatory vaccination on their own.
I will try to find the article that I read.
I didn’t see L&O last night (I meant to tape it, but accidentally deleted it, so now I’m bummed) but I did see the Private Practice episode and it totally irritated me. I choose to vac but on a slow sched and don’t intend to do MMR at all. Anyway, the show had no one supporting the non-vac mom at all and one of the doctors vaxed her third child (first was autistic, second had measles and the third was likely to get it due to the second) forcibly after the mother had said no several times. Now really, that seems ridiculous and unlikely to ever happen, but the point was that she was so negligent and the doctor was so overly concerned for her child he couldn’t not do it.
The only big difference with this situation was that the family had been overseas and had gotten measles there. Frankly, if I were to be taking my family overseas, I would be getting them most any vax they could encounter there.
I don’t know. It just isn’t portrayed well in the media. One of the doctors in the practice we go to was rather rude to me about my schedule and commented, “oh, so you want to leave your child open to harm longer then?” I just ignored him. And we won’t see him again. My doctor is great with it which is all that matters!
Keep making the noise. :)
Andrea, what information specifically? The immunity stuff is just immunity 101, you can find the basics in medical books and breastfeeding books. As for the info about diseases being on the decline before vaccine you can get books on vaccines, check out CDC stats, and there is lots of helpful info online like this chart:
http://www.vaccinationdebate.com/web1.html
There are MANY medical doctors who think vaccines should be used sparingly and several have written books. I am not so much anti-vaccine as I am PRO choice.
I am wondering what your main sources of information were for deciding vaccines weren’t right for you. I hear a lot about the potential risks but everything I’ve read shows those risks being 1 in 50,000-million. Even then I haven’t seen any really solid evidence from a reputable source that links them. I saw a book once, but it seems like the dr that wrote it was just trying to make a buck. There must be a solid source of info to lead so many to question vaccinating and I was wondering what it was?
Andrea most of my decision was based on my son almost dying after being vaccinated. After that I joined many online groups for parents who also had experienced vaccine injuries and MOST of those parents (hundreds) claimed that doctors refused to site vaccines as the source of injury. My son’s doctors admitted it to me face to face but also refused to put it on paper. How can statistics even be collected when doctors are too scared to admit that vaccines caused the injury??? They are afraid of being sued by these mega billion $ companies that make vaccines. When I began to see the extent of the coverup I knew I was making the right decision.
You’re also dealing with an atmosphere in which the majority view – in favor of vaccinations – holds the keys to all of the “reputable sources”. They’re unlikely to allow a dissident article or study to be published in their journals because of the intensity of the debate.
It’s not unlike climate change study, where a skeptical researcher’s only options for funding are energy companies and opposition lobbyists. Once they release their findings everyone points out who funded it, and says that makes it suspect. But the “reputable” groups won’t fund opposition research.
If the position is so certain, they should support opposition researchers, and then confront the medical findings. Whether or not the doctor was just out to make a few dollars doesn’t matter.
And there have been several good sources mentioned here in the comments. Look it up.
Momma,
ITA! My first child was vaccinated and not breastfed very much and he was horribly sick all the time. My second two were breastfed long term and not vaccinated. They never had a single earache and never even got sick until after breastfeeding stopped if I recall. They have no allergies. They are super healthy. In general most non vaccinated kids I know seem healthier than other kids.
I missed a chunk of the episode, sort of at the beginning, but did the party mom know her daughter was sick? Did she try to get her medical attention? Or did it all happen that one night, so fast there was nothing party mom could have done?
Also no one said Boo to the Amish boy’s family who started the whole thing, and his family “chooses” to not vax, why is it okay to refuse to vax because of a religious reason but not based on our own personal research and experiences??
Spooky, the party mom never even sought medical care from what I saw. It may have happened fast but that is unlikely.
And yes, the Amish family should have also been prosecuted if this story is to measure up. But suing for practicing religion treads on the basic consitutional rights for freedom of religion. Makes me want to convert to whatever religion doesn’t allow it!
I’ve seen the episode a couple of times and it was always my impression that the Amish boy got it from hanging out at the park where the non-vax kid hung out, after the girl who died was exposed.
I’m actually pretty easy-going regarding this – it’s your kid, you know what’s best for them. For what it’s worth, I vaccinated my son on ‘schedule’ and formula fed after two months, he’s in day care. At almost 4 yrs old, this week was his first time having to go to the Dr because he was sick. The next one, I think I might delay and spread out the vaccines, we’ll see I’m not even pregnant yet :)
I also would not seek criminal charges or sue if my kid got sick from another person. The little girl really died because her mom didn’t take her to the Dr, even though she had a fever and a rash…
As an historian surely you would take into account, not just the vaccination/inoculation story, but the general level of hygiene that has been greatly improved. This, coupled with the cylical nature of infectious disease, has had more of an impact on health than any innoculation.
If you are looking at a disease, say measles, like in the TV show
your child is not vax’d until they are one year of age so are at
risk, not from unvax’d kids, but from vax’d children as it is a live
virus and is shed for up to six weeks after injection. You pay
attention to the media and these epidemics of five kids who get
sick and usually about half of them have been vax’d. Who’s
protecting who and from what? We don’t live in the Middle Ages
we don’t even live 100 yrs ago. Public health has been advanced
not from a vax or pill bottle but from sanitation, food, and better
living conditions. Do not kid yourself that it’s for any other reason.
Why don’t people vaccinate? Is it because they’re backwoods, uneducated hicks? Uh, that would be a no. People who choose not to vaccinate are usually very well educated and have read all about the dangers. Read books, ask people. I’ve read so many books and read so many parent’s personal accounts that I’ve decided to stop vaccinating my son as well (he just has his last boosters but he’s not getting them.) My doctor is not opposed (even though he vaccinates his own children – yes, I asked.) As a mom I’ve got to trust my instincts. I’m certain my son has symptoms of Asperger’s, and I’m scared witless that the next shot will push him over the edge into a true Autism spectrum disorder.
I’m not sure if everyone knows this – but the people in government who okay all the new and existing shots – guess what? Some of them have shares in the companies that make vaccines. Is that ethical and right?
What’s in the shots themselves? Do you honestly want to give your child a shot of mercury, aluminum, animal biproducts? Yuck! Mercury and aluminum are heavy metals that are extremely hard to get out of your body and accumulate very readily and cause severe neurological problems. We’re already getting enough mercury from breathing polluted air and eating polluted food. The amounts of heavy metals in shots are way higher than what’s safe for an adult, much less a baby.
And the diseases themselves? They were on a severe decline even before the shots existed – why? Because people were becoming more sanitary and households were becoming less crowded. So anyone who says that the shots cured the disease, uh uh, read the reports.
I wish I had known your story before I vaccinated my oldest seven years ago (then again, I don’t know how old your son is) and some to my youngest. I’ve held back on the Hep B. I didn’t even know there were exemptions allowable, and I just looked them up in my state of Kentucky. I have rights, could have fooled me.
I know of a horrible story of a baby who died from a series of Hep B shots, but since the government was in control ” medial card” the mother stated they didn’t give her a choice or she would foriet the benefits. This was proven in a court of law along with other parents of the medical card system.
It’s very sad, but I’m feeling better now that researching every single thing I can for my childrens, because the government isn’t going to just “offer it up”.
I’m considering homeschooling, and not vaccinating my youngest because of what I know now.
Thank you Tiffany for sharing your story here.
Gabreial, the medical card thing happens all the time. It is one reasons why some are scared of universal healthcare.
Terri, that quote… ouch! I think it is way too harsh just because parents who consciously choose to vax are doing it with their kids best interests in mind. They aren’t thinking that they might be playing roulette.
Eli Stone did a show that was similar to what you describe. They sue the vaccine companies and win. I wrote about it here:
http://www.naturemoms.com/blog/2008/02/05/eli-stone-vaccination-autism-connection/
One more thing. Do I think parents who DO vaccinate are wrong? No way. As mothers (and fathers) we know what’s best for our kids. I just wish the people who like to “beat up” the anti-vaccinators would get out of our business. Everyone should be open-minded enough to respect other’s decisions.
Okay ONE more thing :). Now that I’ve had a chance to read everyone’s posts more thoroughly.
Was it Tiffany that said she’s for PRO choice? That is my sentiment exactly. I’m not going to try to convince everyone I know not to vaccinate, so don’t try to convince me to.
I think the government was on a very scary rollercoaster ride where it ran roughshod over people’s rights. So may states now require vaccinations. Is it in New Jersey that they were going to take parents to jail over it? I think that is absolutely disgusting. No one should have to be forced in the “land of the free” to inject foreign and dangerous substances into their body. What will be our next freedom to go? That’s a slippery slope that I don’t want to go down. Just take a moment and think about all our personal freedoms, and then think of all the scary governments in other parts of the world. What differentiates us? Well, we get to choose who is elected, we get to choose what schools our kids go to, we get to choose how many children we have, we get to choose a heck of a lot of things. Do you want those choices to be taken away from you?
Two, my unvaccinated (well, partly vaccinated) child is not going to get your vaccinated child sick. If my child is sick, he stays home. I’m not “that mom” who always takes her kid to school even though they should be recouperating from an illness. The vaccinated children are probably more likely to get the unvaccinated children sick. How come? Because some vaccines have live viruses in them and for a time they can pass that virus on.
A book that my husband recommends to his patients is Childhood Vaccinations: Questions All Parents Should Ask by Tedd Koren. He also recommends Vaccines: Are They Really Safe and Effective By Neil Z. Miller
My children are not vaccinated. First of all my 1st son ended up with whooping cough, from the vacination, since changed to a no longer live virus. My 2nd son at 3 months fought for his life when he endured seisures from the same vaccination, but no longer a living virus. His doctor said not to vaccinate him at all until he was in school. I then did an ample amount of research, 2 years worth and I will never vaccinate any of my kids again. I have been told over and over again by health care professionals, that MY child is at risk because they are not vaccinated. If a parent is concerned her child will become ill from a sick child, then they seem to not have faith in the system either. I understand it is a hot topic, but I know that I have extremly healthy children and I will not vaccinate. My eldest just received all his vaccinations at 18 as he is an EMT now and he will be exposed to alot. He is strong and healthy, not developing and young.
In saying all that, if I were going to a different country, I would vaccinate depending on the issues of that country.
As I’m still deciding on vaccinations for my 7 week old daughter I just wanted to put out some further reading on the topic The Parents’ Concise Guide to Childhood Vaccinations by Lauren Feder who I am very blessed to have as my daughter’s pediatrician! It’s a rather unbiased view of vaccinations as she has not vaccinated her children but respects the decisions of those who wish to delay and select vaccinations that can be though of as necessary and less risky.
Hello,
I’m very touched by your article and it does make sense to me to make decisions very carefully for your child. I also believe (for the most part) that a mother instinctively and intuitively knows what’s best. On the other side of the argument, I have a friend that has fought to not immunize her children and has refused vitamins recommended by doctors, etc. Her son has Asperger’s (on the spectrum) and has regressed nonetheless. At 12 now, he has more trouble with each passing month it seems. He has tourette’s, ADHD and is of course OCD as these conditions often are a part of Asperger’s. Last night she was taking him to have his energy chanelled among other things. My main point is this…I wonder if maybe her son would have been okay being vaccinated and in fact, maybe he would have been better off not being made even more different than having Asperger’s does, by having his focus on trying to chanel other children’s energy and attempt to “heal” his peers by using crystals and his own psychic powers. What does his future hold when his focus is on being afraid of the very system that maybe could have helped him? Maybe some medication isn’t a bad thing if it helps you to calm and not feel like your jumping out of your own skin like he so often is. He says that he wishes he could just not feel like jumping and screaming. Very difficult situation.
“You’re also dealing with an atmosphere in which the majority view – in favor of vaccinations – holds the keys to all of the “reputable sources”. They’re unlikely to allow a dissident article or study to be published in their journals because of the intensity of the debate.”
Charles makes an important part here, and that is one of information dissemination and the public’s ability to fully understand the importance of the peer review system and how statistical data works.
Yes, almost all of the ‘research’ that the media throws out in support of vaccinations has been done by the pharm companies, or in conjunction with someone from their Board of Directors, who manufacture these little money makers. Vaccines are an incredibly large part of their profit. Not everyone gets sick & needs their other products, but if something is mandated by the government, they have a permanent demand which gives them a permanent income. This is, in part, why vaccs that were once available in singular doses are now ‘bundled’, such as the MMR. There is more money to be made. It reminds me of the studies initially funded by the networks to research the impact of violence in TV…when the results started to trickle in against them, they pulled funding for the project and sued the researchers.
As an undergrad I learned that basics of understanding and producing statistical research, and as a graduate student in psychology I furthered that knowledge. It amazed me at how uniformed the general public is, even when given “findings” by the media…snippets taken out of context and statistics twisted or so incomplete as to be useless…but cited as proof nonetheless. Coupled with access to truly independent medical research articles, I was able to make my own decisions on what would be right for our daughter & her soon to be born sibling.
As kaomt indicated, their family was exposed to several diseases and have developed stronger immune systems without the use of vaccs. This is very much in line with the Hygiene Hypothesis, which looks at the over-sterilization of industrialized nations as a contributor, if not cause, for several autoimmune diseases since many of them don’t exist in underdeveloped countries. But the reason you won’t hear of these treatments, or see them approved by the FDA anytime soon, is that there isn’t any money to be made in using a relatively cheap approach to potentially cure a disease.
This is part of why I have been incredibly annoyed with the media and the general public over the lack of outrage over MERCK’S PUBLISHED RESEARCH FINDINGS lN A FAKE MEDICAL JOURNAL THAT THEY SET UP AND PAID FOR. (http://www.newsinferno.com/archives/5973)
Why is there no outrage? This isn’t all that different from the disaster that the financial system has created…lying to the public in order to continuously push their product. But people understand more about their bank account balances than they do their own health. If more individuals were informed about these issues and understood how critical the peer review system is and how to understand statistics (which aren’t that intimidating, trust me!) then we could avoid the direction that this is taking us in. The pharm companies have the money and the lobbyists to watch out for their interests, not ours. The general population should have the knowledge and information to watch out for ours.
Interesting article, thank you. The Media is all powerful, scaremongering is rife and the unfortunate public bear the brunt. The mere fact that a huge sum of money is involved surely should make people question the whole inoculation affair. Today we are faced with “swine ‘flu” not to worry, we have stockpiled the antivirals, this was started in 2005, billions were spent. The shelf life is approx 3 years. Call me cynical, but how very convenient…..
oh mama, I am so with you. I am a very selective vaccinator with my second child. I know so much more now. Lucky for me I have a very informed dr who treats me like an intelligent adult, capable of making good decisions for my family. My mom saw that particular SVU and freaked. All of the slander and misinformation out there makes me a bit crazy at times.
I so agree with you that the masses blindly following their drs orders are the ones at risk!
keep up the good work. we walk a challenging path:)
There’s no hypocrisy in trusting your doctor for one thing and not another. Just like there’s no hypocrisy in trusting the guys at BestBuy to install your car stereo…that doesn’t mean you have to trust them to change your oil, too. Doctors aren’t trained in everything.
I understand your current frustration with the system. This issue is just one of the symptoms of an underlying cause that dates back many, many years. The issue being, the dichotomy of beliefs that either we are wonderfully made and designed to be healthy OR we are completely random, flawed, a poorly built bunch of machines that is in need of constant improvement.
I choose the former and this relates to your choice to vaccinate or not vaccinate. The choice, whether you admit it or not, is between fear or hope. Do we live in constant fear of what disease or foreign germs might be thrust upon us? (what is the purpose of germ? surely they serve some purpose!) Or Do we live in the loving knowledge that our bodies are self-healing,and self-regulating?
Everyone has cut their finger, right? Yes. And you do notice that after a week or two the cut is no longer there? Right. So, how does it heal? Do you tell it to? Do you concentrate really hard? And, while we’re on the subject, what is your spleen doing right now? OR your heart? or liver? or Pituitary? Point being, our bodies function without our help and sometimes in spite of it.
Vaccines are an attempt to improve a body which is already perfectly made. If you take a good look at the truth and research about vaccines you will find that the claim of protecting against disease is false. They do much more harm than good. I have some books written by doctors with a multitude of references if anyone is interested. Another question: what is disease? There is no such thing. Disease is not an entity in and of itself. It exists only as a lack or decrease in health. It makes more sense to work with our bodies to rebuild our health and wellness naturally than to fight something (like disease) that doesn’t exist in the first place. I mean, has anyone ever seen cancer? I haven’t. Those cells are yours and have become dysfunctional and lost their ability to be well for some Reason. Doesn’t it make more sense to help restore function to them than to irradiate or kill them with toxic chemicals? I could go on…and on…but I won’t.
Vaccines or no vaccines (and I don’t vaccinate my children) we have to begin to change our perspective as a whole. There is no doubt we have trusted the media for too long. I appreciate your blog and thoughts and look forward to continuing the conversation.
Brilliant!
“There is no doubt we have trusted the media for too long” I couldn’t agree more and there are so many other topics as well such letting society mold our children, our school systems and endless other topics. The media affect is here and it has taken over.
“The choice, whether you admit it or not, is between fear or hope.” Exactly, Fear can overtake anyone on any subject great or small. It is that decision alone to Not let fear take over your live. If you are believing of Christ, then we have faith that he is doing what he said he would, some call it hope, either way it is a decision to not let fear run your life.
I agree. Thanks for your reply. Have a great day.
And if you do not believe in Christ? Personally I prefer to make my own decisions
Whether you believe in Christ or not, know that you are loved.
Dr. Fancher, perfectly stated. I agree with your view of the human body as well. This is a huge part of why I love the raw foods diet… it is one of the only diets that addresses the need to give your body everything it needs to heal from just about anything. Our bodies can do it but not when we don’t take care of them and most of the Western world abuses their bodies horribly. Vaccines and pharma meds are bandaids not fixes.
If your child is inoculated, why are you worried that he/she could catch said disease. If, as stated previously, inoculation works then the child is safe. Or, do I detect doubt that this cover is complete.
i was gonna ask the same question!!! seriously if u vaccinated should that take your wory away i mean it is suupose to protect uand give immunity so it shouldnt concern u if someone decides not to.
Doctors are awesome for emergency medicine. If my child breaks his arm I will go to them and have them set it before I keep him home and rub herbs on the broken limb. Other things though….don’t need them so much.
VeggieMomma,
1. I never stated that I trust doctors at all. I stated that our modern technology/medicine/sanitation all help improve the quality of our lives. Vaccines are only a TINY part of that technology. Most of the diseases/illness that could be vaccinated for are very easily treatable because of modern medicine. Of course there are a few that are not, but most of the vaccines are not necessary for saving lives. There is medicine for that. I for one would rather my son build a natural immunity to those diseases than a fake one. And to address the other part of that comment, no I do not trust doctors. I trust myself and my hubby to study and research what is best for our kids. I have been put in to many situations where the doctor’s hands are tied because of company policy or malpractice insurance. I had a c-section with my son and my ob actually told me that even though vbacs are safer she wasn’t allowed to preform them because insurance reasons. I have talked to many pediatricians who can not really tell me their opinion on vaccines because they work for a medical company that has a blanket statement for them to read. The only docs I have come into contact with that will tell me the truth are ones in private practice. So needless to say I research before going to the doctor and basically tell them what I want for my son.
2. I very clearly stated that it was my own observations. And I do think not vaxing is a big part of it. The combination of the antibodies in the breast milk and not pumping chemicals into the kids body is very powerful.
3. And nowhere did I say that Dr. Sears recommends not vaccinating. I was suggesting a wonderful book for parents to read if they want to know more about each vaccine/disease. I’m really not sure where you got that from.
Also Dr. Sear does state that it is important for the parents to be well informed about vaccinations before going to the doc. He talks in the beginning of his book about how pediatricians are NOT trained to know what is in vaccines and how it affects children. They are trained to know the schedule and give shots. He said he had a really hard time tracking down a lot of information about each shot, which is why it took him so long to write the book.
If you choose not to vaccinate your children, fine. But tell the other mothers. I have the right to do what I feel is best for my children, too! And I don’t let my children play with unvaccinated children.
When I was a child, one of my friends, who was vaccinated, got the measles from a child who wasn’t. There was a bad batch of vaccines. I had also gotten a bad vaccine and it hadn’t taken. I was isolated from other children and given another vaccine. I didn’t get measles, but I remember my mother crying because she was so frightened for me–she had known children who had died from the measles when she was a kid and there was no vaccine.
There is a reason that some people are angry at parents who don’t vaccinate.
I agree.
If an inoculated child then contracts the disease, this is from a bad batch? You are imposing a foreign substance onto your childs system, how the child responds is dictated by his/her genetic history. I still maintain that the general level of health in the “educated and developed” West is appallingly low. Asthma and eczaema are commonplace and nobody questions the reason why.
People get sick it happens even with those who have been vaccinated, regardless if a batch is bad or not. Also some even get the illness from the vaccine! Your children, being vaccinated, are supposed to be protected from those unvaccinated children which means you should not have to worry if someone elses child is vaccinated or not.
Also no parent has to disclose that information as everyone’s medical histories are private! Are you going around asking everyone surrounding your child if they have HIV or AIDS? In all honesty what makes you think it’s alright to ostracise a child who doesn’t know any better?
I’m not saying you shouldn’t be concerned for your children but the unjustified anger (the illness is to blame not the parents because you experienced yourself that vaccines don’t always work) and intent to segregate your child or the child of another shows ignorance.
Out of interest, how do you approach the subject concerning inoculation. Do you telephone the parents and blatantly ask? I imagine that it would prove somewhat difficult for your children to make new friends. In effect you are creating an apartheid situation, is this the way forward? I certainly hope not
I was VERY angry when I watched that very same episode. How very careless of SVU to do a show like that!
ditto, ditto, amen. Thank heavens for exemptions. My brother’s autism is most likely due to vaccines. My kids are not vaccinated, as I believe my family’s genes predispose us to more serious reactions. This spring, there has been a chicken pox “outbreak” (do we call 30 children having the common cold an “outbreak?”) in my state. ALL of the children were vaccinated. They even mentioned on the news that it’s not unexpected for 10 year olds to be more susceptible to chicken pox, since the vaccine wears off after about 10 years. Do we want a bunch of adults getting chicken pox, when it’s much safer to contract as a child? There are too many inconsistencies touted by the CDC and AAP for me to trust the industry on this score.
Lisa Rice-
Your comment “despite what the gov’t says there is a strong link between vax and autism.”
That’s a powerful statement and not supprorted by the literature. Can you back up your comment with published research?
To all-
We live in America because we have freedoms and we as parents should have the choice whether to vax our kids or not. The CDC’s one size fits all approach to vaccination is not right for every child and we as parents know our kids and should be able to make individual decisions for them without outside pressure from the community/gov’t/dr.s. I believe in choice and feel we as parents should not be judged on the choices we make. We should ony hope that more parents do their research when it comes to their medical needs rather than blindly trusting the ped.
I am surpised that no one has mentioned the following vaccination debate information:
http://fourteenstudies.org/index.html
http://drtenpenny.com/default.aspx
http://www.generationrescue.org/index.html
We decided not to vaccinate our childen any more after our son had a severe reaction. I feel so stuipid, because I just trusted the doctors, and then when something bad happened, I actually started digging for more info and now I realize how dangerous vaccines are and they are not even proven to work.
Vaccinating is and should always be a CHOICE!! This is a topic that every parent will argue about until the end of time. Every parent has different views of what they feel is RIGHT for their child. I am a parent who after research and my ultimate desicion on what was right for my child. I choose to vaccinate BUT i have not done EVERY vaccination and i also only gave ONE at a time and waited months in between. For my family that is what was RIGHT and my child has been fine with no reactions. As for television shows making these false allegations against parents for not vaccinating that is what disgust me. I saw the Private Practice episode and was outraged by the “facts” that were given and how they portrayed the mom. It is not illegal nor is it neglect not to vaccinate and its concerning to think this is what tv shows are telling people. I feel bad for the people who believe what they see on television. Mom’s want what is best for their children and no one can ever love like a mother can and I’m so tired of seeing things against that on television.
Hi Tiffany, I just wanted to ask your opinion on what I should do… My 29 month old daughter has gotten all her vaccinations up to this point, because I am one of those parents you stated are sort of just following doctors’ orders. I admit that I have heard of the dangers of vaccinating, but was more afraid not to… because I was uneducated about it. Now my little son (9 months) is due for some vaccines and I am seriously considering AT LEAST holding off, if not throwing the whole thing out the window. My question to you is, if you know this or not, what do they do if I just don’t show up with him? I live in PA… I do not know the law about it, don’t know if I will be questioned on it or if they will “come after me”. My plan would be to take him to a holistic medicine clinic for his checkup, just to make sure he is healthy and to avoid the whole vaccination thing altogether. You know, they don’t even give you a choice at the doctor’s office… they just tell you what the child is due for and come in with those big nasty needles. I have always hated the way my babies cry when they get vaccines. And I am deathly afraid of autism. I just think I am on the fence about it and I just need a tiny little push to give me the courage I am lacking.
Hi elley, i’m a non-vaccinated mom of three non-vaccinated kids in california. i always knew that i wouldn’t vax, so when i interviewed my ped before my first child’s birth, i told him. he politely disagreed, but didn’t push me. now whenever i call to schedule an appt, i make sure to tell the person i speak to that there will be no vax. they always hem and haw, but say ok.
we go to a chiropractor for regular care, but choose to see our ped for well-baby/child checkups because i want to have a relationship with a doctor in case the need ever arises. it works well for us.
Elley – greetings my fellow PA resident:) I live in Southeastern PA and while pregnant did a lot of reading and research about vaccines. My son is now 12 months old and i have decided to do Dr. Sears Selective Vaccine Schedule (listed in his book, The Vaccine Book) which gives my son what Dr. Sears viewed as the most critical vaccines. Later, when its time for him to enter kindergarden, we may decide to do a couple more vaccines that aren’t listed on the selective list but maybe not. I just have to go with my gut, and who knows what the status of things will be regarding this issue by the time my son is at that point (in 4 years).
Before reading the book, i was against ALL vaccines. My husband, before reading the book, WANTED all vaccines. The selective schedule is our compromise. If i was a stay at home mom, i would have really pushed to do none or at least postpone longer on the few we will do but i’m not a stay at home mom. So at 12 months the only shots he’s received thus far are DTAP, HIB, Pc, and Rotavirus. He’s handled them fairly well (at least in reference to short term side effects). Long Term side effects are much harder (if almost impossible) to accurately document – which to me, is a big concern. Example – if my son later develops psorasis (a skin condition), how difficult could that be to pinpoint back to a vaccine he got a few years ago? next to impossible… and no, i’m not saying all psorasis is linked to vaccines just an example… anyway – moving on:)
About living in PA – we have two excepts. Medical and Religious. With our doctors office, from day one i told them we were setting our own vaccine schedule and i gave them a copy (for our sons chart) of the selective vaccine schedule. and said that when our son was around age 4 1/2 we would revisit some of the other vaccines, and make a final decision then. So i still go there for well baby visits, illnesses that pop up, etc… its obvious they don’t like that we aren’t doing the norm and just going with the usual schedule but – hey, its not their kid and i know they have to give me their little speech about the importance of it, etc. but i nod, and say no thanks. the more educated you are about the issue, the easier it will be to stand your ground and say No Thanks. If i hadn’t done all the research and reading i’ve done, i would have been questioning myself while at the appointments and may have given in – who knows!
I think the biggest thing was – i had that schedule printed up from the book so i knew what he needed and when. i imagine if you go in and tell them you want to change the vaccine schedule or delay or whatnot, but don’t know how, they will just start a big speech trying to talk you into the norm! but if you have what you want down printed on paper for his chart and tell them this is what you’re doing – then so be it!
So, i say go on to your baby’s checkup at the dr. Firmly state that you’ve decided to make some changes to how you will vaccinate your children. and then tell them what you want. Worst case senario – they won’t treat your children anymore and you go find a new flexible doctor who will. From my experience, and from what my friends have experienced, many doctors won’t agree with what you’re doing and will let you know why – but they respect your wishes and continue to provide you medical services. No one is going to “come after” you at all ! you will probably be questioned about it but thats to be expected…
Best of Luck !!! I hope you now have the courage you need to go with your gut, whatever that may be telling you.
Plus I wanted to point out that I am very prone to believe that just like with everything else, drumming up fear over not vaccinating our kids is just another scare tactic the government uses to control our society. Look at healthcare insurance companies… it’s all to make big bucks $$$$ !!! Let’s not pretend our government REALLY cares about our well-being. Let’s face it, if that were true, we would have universal health care like France or Canada do… where the governments fear the people, not the other way around. But let’s not open another can of worms… my point is that it is all related.
Hey Elley, there have been several books mentioned in the posts on this subject one by Dr.Sears a few others, and the one I brought up by Lauren Feder “The Parents’ Concise Guide to Childhood Vaccinations: From Newborns to Teens, Practical Medical and Natural Ways to Protect Your Child” which you can buy on amazon http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/1578262518/ref=olp_page_1?ie=UTF8&shipPromoFilter=0&startIndex=0&sort=sip&me=&condition=new
I would say check these out and see what works best for you doing the research yourself will greatly empower you in your choice against Doctors who may try to force these vaccines on your child if you don’t want them. Also there are no laws against not vaccinating so don’t let the Docs push you around just because they are creatures of habit. ;)
In the UK, when MMR was introduced there was a backlash against childhood inoculation. Some parents and schools asked the Dr or practice concerned to sign a form guarenteeing that the child will suffer no side effects from the vaccine and if he/she does the Dr/practise would take full responsibility. It is simple and suprisingly effective. Sadly there is no evidence that inoculation actually work, it would be impossible to judge as the present level of hygiene and sanitation have improved a hundred fold. “The dangers of childhood disease is grossly exaggerated in order to ensure mass compliance”
I saw the episode too and was very angry with how they scripted everything. But I shrugged it off because it’s not my usual kind of show and I know the writers were just trying to do something to be sensational. You wrote everything I was thinking.
I have vaccinated my little girl for almost everything so far, though we’ve spread out the shots quite a bit. We’re still holding off on the MMR because it is no longer offered in individual shots.
Anyway, thanks for voicing your thoughts. I appreciate your point of view.
I agree with you 100% Tiffany. I would have been so angry if I saw the show. It’s great when celebs and media support our ideals, and pretty sucky when a script writer or producer lash back with their unfavorable views. You presented great info here! Thanks!
Amen, sister!
i don’t know the fear vaccinated people have. they believe in vaccination and are vacccinated (secure in their opinion), so where is the point? why are non-vaccinated people suche a threat to them?
do you know how many people would die from measles if non-vaccinated, and how many people die from vaccination? second you will never know, because the pharmas don’t want you to know!
Tiffany, I completely agree with you. If people choose to vaccinate, then so be it. I will NOT, however, be a part of a society that lets our government rule our decisions, especially when it comes to our health! I just hope that this movement of non-vaccinating parents continues to grow. I will do everything in my power to keep the government out of my health decisions, and beyond. The government needs to fear us, not the other way around.
I also heard about this show, but I didn’t watch it myself. My mother said it has aired several times. How crazy. Total brainwashing. Vaccines are not good. They are twisting things and making people who don’t vaccinate look like idiots, but yet they kill thousands with their vaccines that are not even proven to work.
I just found your blog and I love it! I flipped through and seen this post on vaccinations and had to read it. I agree with your statements. I for one did not vaccinate my youngest for the chicken pox. I’m a college educated women, I research everything, I’m no fool. I’ve noticed the more educated are the ones refusing to vaccinate and not the other way around. The uneducated are the ones listening to the bull crap that the system feeds us on a daily basis. I have a friend whose son has autism, I’ve also done research on this. There isn’t any concrete proof that vaccines cause autism but there isn’t any concrete proof that it doesn’t either. There is evidence that MMR and Vericella being given together can cause serious health problems (Autism is questioned in this studied).
In our state we have a choice. My kids are in public school and we need waivers for those who don’t have vaccinations.
I appreciate you pointing out how pathetic the media can be when trying to convey a message. I avoid television for this very reason. Keep up the great posts!
So, your “research” concluded that there is no proof either way? what? Why even post that? And, what “research” did you do? looking up sites on the internet? I understand your educated, as am I, I went to college too. But that makes no sense, your just skewing your statements to agree with your point. Thats not research, thats an opinion.
you said” There isn’t any concrete proof that vaccines cause autism but there isn’t any concrete proof that it doesn’t either. ”
I say: Ok….Your point?
Lets just run away from everything we think MAY OR MIGHT be harmful. How do you think progress in medicine happens? Until we know, you cant say either way. Maybe I am wrong, and maybe they will determine that those vaccines have a cause of Autism. But they also thought the World was Flat….so, maybe just wait till you have actual evidence…maybe…
FBRP your response is the nonsensical one. No one here is saying that autism may or may not be due to say… allergens released by common vacuum cleaning practices. If I were to avoid vacuum cleaners because I suspected them of causing autism then that would be running away from everything we think MAY OR MIGHT be harmful.
The fact is thjat THOUSANDS of parents have been eyewitnesses to an autism regression that occurrred directly after a vaccination. They aren’t pulling a culprit out of thin air here and if they were…how likely is it that so many would ALL conclude vaccines harmed their children. Doctors cannot disprove their accounts…they can only say they think it must be some other common denominator and they can’t tell us what that is.
Here is what science tells us: 14 studies have been done that supposedly offer evidence that autism is not caused by vaccines. Only one vaccine of MANY — the MMR — has ever been studied for its relationship to autism. None of those studies compare vaccinated children to unvaccinated children. The scientists performing the research are paid for or are on the boards of the vaccine manufacting companies…can you say conflict of interest??? And all 14 studies have NOT proven that autism ins’t caused by vaccines…they only PROVE that they don’t know what does.
http://fourteenstudies.org/index.html
THIS is the science that I should rely to tell me my child will be safe???? Not in this lifetime.
I understand your point about it being YOUR choice to vaccinate your kids. But if you send them into public, ANY PUBLIC SETTING, you are endangering the lives of kids who do have their vaccines. You dont have to, but you dont get the benefits of society as well. You cant have everything you want. I do not want my kids are kids that have not been vaccinated for SIMPLE DISEASES. Our culture, yes, you live in it too, deems that these are necessary. So, do what you want, its a free land, but dont expect me to feel sympathetic towards you for letting your kids not get near my kids. My children shouldnt have to suffer because you are against medicine. And to the people who say the are smarter than doctors and dont trust them, how long did you go to school for that? oh wait, you didnt. So, doctors dont second guess mechanics. Why do you second guess them? You would trust a doctor if you child was in a car accident, wouldnt you? Just seems ridiculous that you want medicine when you want it, but not when THE SOCIETY WE LIVE IN DEEMS IT APPROPRIATE. Just seems silly to harm other children because of your beliefs.
FBRP, no vaccine is safe for people. Our government knows this and admits it. They require companies to disclose warnings of seizures and death but of course parents never see the vaccine packaging so it does us no good. They have a treasury set up just to pay off victims who get hurt following their public mandates. I submit that YOU and no other member of society has a right to require that I offer up my child as a sacrifice on the alter of public good. There ARE risks therefore it is NEVER for you to decide for me if I accept vaccination. Anything else would be a totalitarian society… a dictatorship. YOU are responsible for your children and I am responsible for mine. Neither of us can rely on the other to do what is OUR job. You need to stay out of my business and I need to stay out of yours. That is how a free society works…unless you like the Nazi idea of domination.
Also the idea that a doctor knows everything medical is nuts. A regular mechanic would never touch a hybrid car. Why? It isn’t their specialty and they have no idea what they are dealing with. You need a certified hybrid mechanic if you have a hybrid. I have never once met a vaccine doctor. I have certainly never spoken to one. A pediatrician who has 1-2 weeks training with vaccines does not make them an expert on vaccines. I have met pediatricians and other doctors who claimed to have almost NO knowledge of vaccines beyond administration techniques. I think that is more common than not. I liken talking to them about this issue to taking my hybrid to a regular mechanic. It would not be wise.
I have a problem with the people that keep saying they won’t let their vaccinated kids around unvaccinated ones because their vaccinated kids might get sick from them. I thought that the whole purpose of getting vaccinated was to keep from getting the disease you are vaccinating for. So, if my child is vaccinated from say chicken pox then, my child should not get chicken pox from an unvaccinated child. I mean that’s the whole reason you get the vaccination for your child. So, why would you need to separate your child from an unvaccinated one? If your theory on vaccines is correct, then you are getting your child vaccinated to keep your child from getting illnesses. So, unless you really don’t believe that the vaccines protect your child, it shouldn’t be a problem for them to play with an unvaccinated kid. Unless you doubt the vaccines.
THANK YOU Ashley !!! I’m so glad you posted this – because i’m reading comments above thinking and feeling puzzled about that statement… like well why ?? AHHH you speak my mind girl !! Glad you posted it here. Take Care!
I don’t consider myself very well educated in the vaccine area – both of my kids had vaccinations when they were babies but didn’t get their boosters or whatever they are called when they got older. Now I am putting them in public school this coming fall and have been told their shots need to be current. I feel like vaccine problems occur when given to babies – that’s just me, I am going to do research on this soon (before any dr appt).
Hello, great discussion. I am also one of those parents who has done a lot of research into vaccines and has chosen to delay them until my son is older (I do breastfeed him still and he is now 16 months old) and also not to do ones that I consider unnecessary (such as chicken pox, flu). We have just moved to Park Slope, Brooklyn and I am looking for some recommendation on a doctor who would be ok with an alternative vaccination schedule. If any of the non-vaccinating parents who posted here are from Brooklyn, I would very much love to hear your recommendations. Such info is hard to come by, because I do not usually share my vaccination choices with people I meet (for obvious reasons, as proved by this discussion). Thanks in advance. I will come back and check the comments. Also, just a note on the initial post and the show that it discussed, I just checked the American Academy of Pediatrics 2007 schedule (as per Sears’ book and MMR vaccine does not come recommended before a year of age anyways, so anybody’s 11 months old baby is unprotected!!!! So what was this show all about?????)
Karina,
i don’t know if it lists any in your area but i went on to the dr.sears site and on one of the pages where it talked about vaccines it listed vaccine friendly pediatricians that’s how i found mine. Also you could try contacting a local childrens chiropractor or midwife and see if they have any reccomendations (if they are able to)
good luck!
Thanks Sherrie. I have checked that website, and there is only one doctor in the whole of NYC listed there and kind of far from us. ): But thanks for thinking of us
Those who have never had a negative experience can balk all they want but you can’t argue w/ experience!! i have 4 children on the spectrum.. the older 2 are worse because of vacc. them. the younger 2 are far better. we use therapeutic grad essential oils from Young Living and we NEVER have any issues. America needs to wake up!!!