Green Our Vaccines?
Two well-publicized events caught my attention last week. Each is terribly sad in its own way, but each offers insight into what remains a contentious issue: the safety of vaccines for children
Story #1: On May 28, 2008, a thunderstorm knocked out the electrical power in Memphis. Unfortunately for 61-year-old Dianne Odell, the emergency generator in her house also failed. Tragically, her family was unable to keep the iron lung - in which she had lived for the past 58 years - working, and the last polio victim in America still using an iron lung to breathe, died.
Story #2: Exactly one week later, on June 4, 2008, celebrities Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey sponsored a "Green Our Vaccines" (GOV) Rally in Washington (attended by either 1,000 or 8,000 people, depending on whom you believe). Its goal, they insisted, was simply to make vaccines safer by taking the 'toxins' out of them and by delaying some immunizations.
For me, these events offer an instructive point-counterpoint.
Ms. Odell's death reminded me of how lucky we are to be free from the diseases that have been eliminated by childhood vaccinations. I'll bet you have never known anyone who had polio or smallpox or diphtheria or tetanus or whooping cough or... When I was in pediatric training, H Flu bacteria frequently caused meningitis and other fatal infections. I well remember a two-year-old patient in my private practice who went stone cold deaf after such an infection. Now our pediatric residents may never see a single case.
In addition to the millions of children who owe their lives to vaccines, UNICEF estimates that more than one third of the 10,000,000 children who die world-wide every year would live if they were properly vaccinated. Let me repeat that: 3,000,000 kids a year wouldn't die if they were given the immunizations that the GOVs decry.
There is zero doubt: childhood immunizations are one of the great inventions of the 20th century (really in the history of mankind). Their stunning success, however, has spoiled us and, especially if you lack imagination and a historical sense, you might not grasp what a blessing they are. You might even argue that children would be safer without them because of their rare (real or imagined) side effects and because you have never seen a child suffering with measles. It's a profound miscalculation, with potentially devastating consequences.
Enter the "Green Our Vaccines" campaign.
First: a brilliant name! After all, who is against 'greener' (i.e., safer) vaccines? Who does not want to make our already very safe vaccines even safer? Sign me up on that one. But if you object to their movement (as I do, for reasons I'll explain), their clever name makes you appear to be anti-green (would that be 'brown' or 'puce'?) and a heartless advocate of loading kids up with nasty toxins.
Their name, however, is the only brilliant thing about this 'movement'. The rest is sadly misguided. I take no pleasure in saying this, as these parents (mostly of autistic children) are just being admirably she-bearish about their kids. But in doing so, they have taken a wrong turn, with the potential to cause great collateral harm to their naive followers. Here's why.
I can't help but wonder what Ms Odell might have said to the Green Our Vaccine parents and to all parents who are reluctant to immunize their kids. Of the many gifts you give your children, being a fully immunized human is right up there at the top.
Related Topics: Technorati Tags: vaccines, immunizations, autism, Green Our vaccines, Jenny McCarthy, Jim Carrey, pediatrics, healthy children
Story #1: On May 28, 2008, a thunderstorm knocked out the electrical power in Memphis. Unfortunately for 61-year-old Dianne Odell, the emergency generator in her house also failed. Tragically, her family was unable to keep the iron lung - in which she had lived for the past 58 years - working, and the last polio victim in America still using an iron lung to breathe, died.
Story #2: Exactly one week later, on June 4, 2008, celebrities Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey sponsored a "Green Our Vaccines" (GOV) Rally in Washington (attended by either 1,000 or 8,000 people, depending on whom you believe). Its goal, they insisted, was simply to make vaccines safer by taking the 'toxins' out of them and by delaying some immunizations.**********
For me, these events offer an instructive point-counterpoint.
Ms. Odell's death reminded me of how lucky we are to be free from the diseases that have been eliminated by childhood vaccinations. I'll bet you have never known anyone who had polio or smallpox or diphtheria or tetanus or whooping cough or... When I was in pediatric training, H Flu bacteria frequently caused meningitis and other fatal infections. I well remember a two-year-old patient in my private practice who went stone cold deaf after such an infection. Now our pediatric residents may never see a single case.
In addition to the millions of children who owe their lives to vaccines, UNICEF estimates that more than one third of the 10,000,000 children who die world-wide every year would live if they were properly vaccinated. Let me repeat that: 3,000,000 kids a year wouldn't die if they were given the immunizations that the GOVs decry.
There is zero doubt: childhood immunizations are one of the great inventions of the 20th century (really in the history of mankind). Their stunning success, however, has spoiled us and, especially if you lack imagination and a historical sense, you might not grasp what a blessing they are. You might even argue that children would be safer without them because of their rare (real or imagined) side effects and because you have never seen a child suffering with measles. It's a profound miscalculation, with potentially devastating consequences.
**********
Enter the "Green Our Vaccines" campaign.
First: a brilliant name! After all, who is against 'greener' (i.e., safer) vaccines? Who does not want to make our already very safe vaccines even safer? Sign me up on that one. But if you object to their movement (as I do, for reasons I'll explain), their clever name makes you appear to be anti-green (would that be 'brown' or 'puce'?) and a heartless advocate of loading kids up with nasty toxins.
Their name, however, is the only brilliant thing about this 'movement'. The rest is sadly misguided. I take no pleasure in saying this, as these parents (mostly of autistic children) are just being admirably she-bearish about their kids. But in doing so, they have taken a wrong turn, with the potential to cause great collateral harm to their naive followers. Here's why.
- Their agenda is more than anti-preservatives, it is anti-immunizations. Here's what Jenny McCarthy had to say in an unguarded moment: "I am surely not going to ask anyone to vaccinate. But if I had another child, there's no way in hell...for my next kid - which I'm never going to have - there's no way." I suspect some of the sponsors of GOV see the elimination of 'toxins' as a first, more acceptable step in eliminating vaccines altogether via scare tactics.
- They rally for "100% safe immunizations." While the rate of side effects (mostly minor) is not zero, there is no such thing (nor will there ever be) a 100% safe vaccine (nor a 100% safe car, nor a 100% safe medicine, nor a 100% safe life). Of course we can and should seek - as we have - to make them safer. However, if one objectively weighs the benefit/cost ratio of current vaccines, they (along with clean water) remain the greatest health boon for children in the proud history of medicine.
- The GOVs continue to argue that vaccines and/or the preservatives in them cause autism. There's not enough space here to refute this argument (see my blog + see the reports from the FDA + Institute of Medicine on this). Suffice it to say that, given how much damage would be visited upon unimmunized kids, you would think they would muster very strong evidence to support their hypotheses. In fact, the preponderance of studies show them to be mistaken (for example, the incidence of autism has not declined with the withdrawal of thimerosal from most vaccines). But scientific evidence does not dissuade the GOVs from their absolute certitude. I find their apparent indifference to the potential consequences of their anti-vaccine screeds to be irresponsible and, in the end, unconscionable.
- They promote distrust and paranoia about the "establishment." If you do not accept their view, you are the bad guy. Perhaps you are part of the vast profit-over-well-being pharma industries. Perhaps you are part of the FDA, which has vested interest in not being proved wrong after all these years. Perhaps you like making money off autistic kids. Any way you slice it, you're just another conspiratorial evil-doer.
- They claim that the sheer number of immunizations (which I view as a blessing) somehow overwhelms the immune system, so immunizations should be spread out or postponed. Sounds reasonable. Could be true. The problem with this interesting hypothesis is that there is no evidence that it is true and accumulating evidence that it is not. Therefore, why postpone and thereby increase the potential risks for our children?
**********
I can't help but wonder what Ms Odell might have said to the Green Our Vaccine parents and to all parents who are reluctant to immunize their kids. Of the many gifts you give your children, being a fully immunized human is right up there at the top.
Related Topics: Technorati Tags: vaccines, immunizations, autism, Green Our vaccines, Jenny McCarthy, Jim Carrey, pediatrics, healthy children
104 Comments:
Regarding your "point-counterpoint": polio was on a swift decline before the vaccine was introduced. When they started vaccinating, the decline slowed.
I suggest doing further research before writing another article.
Thanks for the great article. I never really put it in perspective how much risk is there when we don't vaccinnate. The numbers really make you realize how important they are to our safety.
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Thank you for a well written article. No medicine is 100% completely safe...that's common sense.
We are truly such a privledged society to be able to have these vaccines, unlike many other nations whose children die everyday from preventable diseases.
Absolutely more research should be done on autism and ongoing strict standards should continue and be improved to measure the safety of our vaccines.
Nothing is perfect...but these diseases which DO happen and kids die from them everyday around the world. I wonder what would happen then if that happened in the US...
I have to agree with some of the other people who posted comments.
You should really do some more research on the subject of vaccines.
Although I do believe everyone should make the choice that they believe is right for them and their family, people that they trust with their health care should be more knowledgeable, not to mention more supportive and respectful of parents and their decisions.
I will never believe that injecting a small child with that many vaccines that contain mercury, aluminum, and a ton of other nasty ingredients will or could bring health.
Vaccines do not guarantee immunity and they do not equal health.
Do any of you who are suggesting more research have some specific sources for the rest of us to look into? Personally, this is a topic I'm interested in, and since there's a lot of anecdotal stuff floating around on the Internet I find it confusing. I'd like to see some citations to articles in peer-reviewed medical journals and results of objective studies from authoritative sources.
Thanks!
For the last poster--this is the best site I have seen to look at studies involving vaccine safety because it links to the actual studies rather than anecdotal stories.
http://www.vaccinesafety.edu/
In my experience, as the mother of a child with an autism spectrum disorder, I just can't put the blame on vaccines. There were signs that he was a little different from the day he was born.
Even Jenny McCarthy admits in her book that her son was slow to reach milestones such as developing a social smile long before he received his MMR vaccine which she claims is responsible for her son's autism. I think the two are linked a lot because autism is usually diagnosed after a language delay is apparent which usually happens around the same time the MMR vaccine is given.
Also, I think that the argument of doctors promoting vaccines as a way to make money is absurd. They barely make enough to cover the cost of the vaccine. It seems like they would stand to make a lot more if they didn't immunize kids and treated them for all the diseases and complications that vaccines are meant to prevent.
Sorry this got a little more rambling than I intended. The bottom line for me is that I agree with Dr. P.--I just can't find any evidence that the risk of vaccinating outweighs the risk of the diseases they prevent.
I'd like to thank Dr. P for continuing to be a voice of reason on these issues.
When my twin girls were up for vaccination my wife and I did extensive research on this issue. We read many anti-vaccine arguments that referenced a lot of studies. The problem was that when we went and looked up the actual studies the anti-vaccine arguments inevitably were bad readings of the research.
Our girls were vaccinated and now, at 5 1/2 years old are excelling. We could just as easily attribute their gifts to the vaccines as they didn't start to truly manifest until after they were vaccinated.
Or we could recognize that vaccines are administered at the same time as most children are undergoing major development changes. The results of those changes occur whether the child is vaccinated or not.
The decline of disease in this country is largely due to proper sanitation, clean water supply, etc.--not vaccination. The rise in the number of autism cases certainly doesn't make me want to celebrate the 'miracle' of vaccines.
Kudos to those who are working to make vaccines safe for our children--especially since vaccines are being pushed for relatively harmless diseases such as chicken pox these days. Years later, when those vaccines have worn off, adults will be likely be stricken with much worse cases of such diseases.
Bodies that are given a chance to develop natural immunity will be stronger and healthier than those pumped full of toxins now.
robyn stone,
Ask the people dealing with the floods in Iowa, Indiana and Missouri whether or not they're glad to be vaccinated against the inevitable disease that will rise with the floodwaters.
You shouldn't be so confident that sanitation and health measures make such a big difference when the infrastructure under them falls away.
I am appalled that you were allowed to post this on WebMD. I am disgusted at the biased slant and the picture you painted of families that do not vaccinate.
I do not vacinate. I have 2 children, one being a micro preemies with special needs.
I personally know too many families that are affected by vaccine injuries.
I argued with my own Ped to show me the studies that have been done showing the safety of this outrageous schedule. He couldn't. There are no safety studies done on thevaccines schedule. Just on the effectivness of the indivual vaccines.
If I gave you a vaccine to prevent the common cold and it gave you a side effect of cancer, and you never had another cold. Well, the vaccine was effective, just not safe.
There is a boom in children afflicted with Type 1 diabetes, ADD, ADHD, Autism, ect.. there is something wrong.
Read the inserts..
http://www.vaclib.org/chapter/inserts.htm
Read the ingredients.. The side effects are horrid. Type 1 diabetes, arthritis, bowel obstruction, breathing difficulty, ect.. the lists are quite long..
Do you homework, then come and argue with a parent who apparently in your book who didn'tmake an informed decision.
Per the vaccine insert my child’s chances of a serious adverse reaction to the Dtap vaccine are 1 in 1750, while his chances of dying from pertussis (whooping cough) are 1 in several million.
Why would I chance that?
You may want to do a rewrite on this.
The CDC's flagship study, that has been used for the last 5 years to show parents that vaccines don't cause autism, was just yanked by Julie Gerberding herself.
She admitted in a report to Congress that it was "useless" and the methods used should never have been implemented to answer the question, do vaccines cause autism.
The "preponderance of the evidence" claim that you use to prop up vaccine uptake is crumbling. It seems every week there is a new study linking vaccines and autism. The media is starting to report it.
Time to stop the charade and admit that, just like Jenny says, vaccines are not a one size fits all proposition.
My son's vaccines caused his autism.
I think "green Vaccines" are a great idea. The only reason I do not like vaccines are the toxins in them such as aluminum, formaldehyde, antifreeze, coal tar and other ingredients. If there is a way to make them without chemicals, why the heck not?
While I respect your opinion, please allow this "naive follower", as you so eloquently put it, tell you why I choose not to vaccinate.
Numerous studies indicate that vaccines cannot be relied upon to boost the immune system and protect an individual from contracting the disease the vaccines were designed to offset. For example, the Minnesota Department of Health reported 769 cases of mumps in school children. But 632 of these cases (82 percent) occurred in children who were previously vaccinated against this disease.(119) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that 89 percent of all school-age children who recently contracted measles had been vaccinated against the disease.(120-122) And the New England Journal of Medicine published a study revealing that the pertussis vaccine "failed to give...protection against the disease." In fact, more than 80 percent of cases in a recent epidemic occurred in children who had received regular doses of the shot.(123,124)
Vaccines contain dangerous toxins, to name a few, Ammonium sulfate, Formaldehyde, Sodium chloride, Diphtheria toxoid, chick egg embryo, monkey liver and the list goes on and on.
Thimerisol is the second most lethal toxin in the world (only second to mercury). While they claim Thimerisol has been extracted from vaccinations, trace amounts still exist.
The agenda has never been anti-immunization, but rather, anti-toxin. Toxins used in vaccinations are just a cheap way to preserve them. This country works so hard to protect the earth, the animals, the dolphins...why not our children?
"robyn stone,
Ask the people dealing with the floods in Iowa, Indiana and Missouri whether or not they're glad to be vaccinated against the inevitable disease that will rise with the floodwaters.
You shouldn't be so confident that sanitation and health measures make such a big difference when the infrastructure under them falls away."
You've obviously got no idea what vaccines are given in the childhood schedule. There certainly isn't a west nile virus vaccine, which is going to be the biggest risk to those people in Iowa!
And comparing the campaign to the dead lady with the iron lung? Umm, how silly can you get? Polio was officially eradicated from the western hemisphere! Also, the chance of becoming paralyzed from it, are .08%.
Really, its just plain ignorance. Read something besides the information the pharmaceutical companies are feeding you and get educated.
What a hornet's nest of anger this has stirred up! I wonder why most comments are anti-immunizations when the vast majority of parents chose to immunize??
For this "naive follower", as you so describe me, did months of research after my nephew was vaccine injured at 10 months, before he recieved the MMR vaccine. Our family was told to take him home and plan his funeral, that is not an "imagined" reaction. He is now recovering from the toxic waste (if you exaggerate your pro-vaccine propoganda, I will do so also)that it is in his body.
We that made an educated decision not to vaccinate our children are not naive, it is the rest that follow blindly by what their government and doctors tell them that are naive. People must realize that the health industry is all about the almighty dollar, not the health and future of our children. Please tell me why a newborn baby needs a vaccine for a sexually transmitted disease (Hep B) IMMEDIATELY after birth, if the mother does not have it? Your beloved CDC and FDA admit that immunity is only for 7 years. I am confident that my son will not be having sex or dealing with dirty needles in that time frame.
One simple fact that aluminum amounts in the vaccines would be toxic doses for full sized adults, is given to less than 20 pound babies is absurd.
I am all for the green our vaccines campaign and regret not being able to join them on the lawn of congress.
It is the mentality that we won't use caution until the ice breaks, but I would rather stay off the ice until it is proved to be safe first!
Out of curiousity what formal information do you have on vaccines as an MD? What are you taught in school, not Merck or any other company that makes the vaccines.
I am not saying I am for or aqainst what you have said, just curious what the education you recieve. How often are CE's based on vaccines and new research? While researching whether to or not to this question has crossed my mind.
For parents those who want to see the evidence and decide this for themselves, click on the Institute of Medicine link in the article above and read the 2004 report on immunizations and autism. It's long but, in this mom's view, pretty convincing that Dr. P's view is the responsible one.
The government has conceded that their is a link to autism & vaccines in a federal court case.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-kirby/government-concedes-vacci_b_88323.html
This is how it works, there is a advisory group to the CDC that decides which vaccines are given when & how many. The majority of these people are stockholders in the companies that produce these vaccines. The more vaccines that are given, the more money they make.
Vaccines have produced a nation of chronically ill people with weakened immune systems.
The bible tells us to keep our blood pure from impurities. Vaccines are the number one impurity right now.
It is a very valid point to delay vaccinating. The first 3 years of a child's life their central nervous system is developing and can easily be harmed by vaccinations. They have really done their research in recommending a delay. Kudos to this recommendation. There are fabulous recommendations on the following site regarding when and how to vaccinate http://generationrescue.org/vaccines.html. I find it shocking that we were "healthy" 15 years ago with only 10 vaccinations and now we receive 36.
Actually, what the government conceded was this, posted in their own words without David Kirby's framing:
In sum, DVIC has concluded that the facts of this case meet the statutory criteria for demonstrating that the vaccinations CHILD received on July 19, 2000, significantly aggravated an underlying mitochondrial disorder, which predisposed her to deficits in cellular energy metabolism, and manifested as a regressive encephalopathy with features of autism spectrum disorder.
In English, the vaccines aggravated an existing disorder.
As for Jenny McCarthy, when she demonstrates that she's gone to medical school, or even a college-level understanding of biology, maybe she'll be credible. For now she's just a movie star on an insulting tear, as are many of you.
Oh MY GOSH!!!!!!!!!! I don't care if the majority of the kids that are vaccinate end up fine or not, there is a small percentage that is harmed by them! Harmed for the rest of their lives!!!! And this is not ok! My child should not have to be harmed forever just to save anyone elses, she's not just a casuality, she's a child. I saw her change after all her vaxes. It was so sad and heartbreaking and just b/c some studies ( not all ) say shots had nothing to do w/ her Autism, I will never believe them. Those shots triggered her Autism, I lived it, I saw her change, she was fine!!! But shooting 19 shots, most w/ up to 3 or 4 shots in one, ( I'll do the math about 40 shots roughly) is absolutely crazy! European countries have taken some toxins cmopletely away and have stretched out their scheduling and the rate of Autism has dropped. If you look at the Amish community, the rate of Autism is nearly nonexistent and they don't vax! So by reading your article I believe you are all for medical teachings and not for your actual patient, b/c if you were you wouldn't be so closed minded and ignorant. People like you talked me into hurting my child, for life!
Personally I'm glad Jenny McCarthy is bringing light to this subject, someone needs to. The rate of Autism is still rising, currently at 1 in 150, what has also increased in the last decade or more, vaxes ( yes there are other things to) I think this needs to be studied farther. By independent researchers, not by the gov., CDC, or pharmicutical companies. Of course they are going to say the vaxes are fine! I mean if they don't they are going to cause panick and lose soooo much money from lawsuits and people not vaxing!
"As for Jenny McCarthy, when she demonstrates that she's gone to medical school, or even a college-level understanding of biology, maybe she'll be credible. For now she's just a movie star on an insulting tear, as are many of you."
When the majority of doctors demonstrate that they have a BASIC understanding of the ingredients in the vaccines maybe they will be credible. Randomly ask any doctor what the ingredients are and I'd be willing to bet most do NOT know.
I am not at all surprised at this article. It is just another example of how the medical "experts" mislead the community.
Vaccines are NOT a 1 size fits all solution. I suggest ALL parents do their own research on this subject and make a decision that best suits YOUR family.
Just what in the article is 'misleading'? The silent majority of parents like me have done their research and come to the conclusion that full immunizations are the way to go. You are trying to create demons of angels and I really don't understand why. As far as I can see, your anger is misplaced.
None of the anti-vaccination commenters have called you a "Big Pharma shill" yet, Dr. P., so you have not yet reached the level of blogging physician irritating them that Orac of Respectful Insolence has attained.
I like to refer to him and Epi Wonk when people try to convince me that vaccinations are terrible, etc. and VAERS is proof. (There's a bias caused by self-reporting. Dr. James Laidler was able to get a report that the flu vaccine turned him into the Incredible Hulk into the VAERS system before he requested that it be removed.)
To erl5285, who listed toxins in vaccines: sodium chloride is table salt.
To oddharmonic concerning your comment regarding sodium chloride.
"Unfortunately, table salt contains ingredients other than sodium and chlorine—aluminum, for one. Two of the most common anticaking agents used in salt production are sodium alumino-silicate and alumino-calcium silicate. Aluminum is a toxic metal that has been linked to Alzheimer's disease and in any case has no place in a healthy diet.
The sodium and chloride in table salt are physically bonded in such a way that our digestive system and our liver cannot break them down. Thus our bodies cannot access the sodium or the chlorine. The body’s only option is to attempt to eliminate the unusable substance. The portion that is excreted exits the body as sodium chloride, which is evidence that the body does not break down and use this compound.
When we take in more of any substance than the body can eliminate, it has to store the substance. When salt can’t be excreted, it is deposited in the body, causing the cells to contract and discharge their vital fluids. With the fluids goes all the vital components that the cell needs, including other minerals. This results in dehydration of the cells, hardening of the tissues, degeneration of the organs, and even cancer."
Would you still want to inject your child with this?
Sorry, I don't think they actually ladle in table salt from the dining room table into the vaccines. Are you serious? Don't you know the difference between pure sodium chloride and table salt for our food?
To all of you anti-imms folks, I am curious: do you advise against immunizations for ALL children, world-wide?
It would just be nice if there was some real thought, as in expression based on fact, placed into the article and comments. There is not a definitive answer, based on ones view, and, outlining a series of arguments, without exploring the reasoning behind them, does not debase them. Learn to think for yourself, you are responsible for your child. Study, gain different persepctives. With a more complete cache of information, you can make better choices about medicine, healthy, education and more. This is how we evolve our cutlure and humanity. (rather than reactive finger pointing any direction). Slow down, learn, choose wisely. I did my homework on this and many other child centered topics for many years. You may contact me at pirateofdestiny@hotmail.com if you wish to share on these topics. Good luck to us.
Amen!!! Well put...though unfortunately sifting through the comments above this one...it may not have won-over many. Wouldn't it be nice to live in a world where you didn't have to refute anecdotal evidence?
Vaccines, as they are presently formulated and administered, can cause autism.
I have watched children receive (or not receive) vaccines for nearly thirty years. Dr. Parker's dismissive tone does not well serve either the medical community or the pediatric community.
We can create safer vaccines and a safer, saner schedule for giving them.
Jay Gordon, MD, Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics
I have done my own research on vaccines. I have read both sides of the argument. There is one point on vaccines that really bothers me. Every drug out there has different dosing depending on weight/age except vaccines. Why is it that an 18 year old male and a 2 day old infant should receive the same dose of Hepatitis B vaccine? Doesn't that bother anyone else? Why are we putting the same dosage of vaccine infants as we do in adults? There is still so much we don't know about a child's body. Would it hurt to do some real research that is not funded by the Drug companies or the FDA? Something truly unbiased? I still vaccinate my kids but on a delayed schedule. My lesson came to late though. My eldest has ADHD and my second has autism. My third has a speech delay that began after his MMR. I love what vaccines do for immune health but chronic issues are just as important as preventing acute disease. I think more research and a delayed schedule are needed now. They still get their shots in time for school, but at least they are spread out.
I’m not a parent, but I have spent time with children who are dying of preventable illnesses. Only in America would we take for granted something that can save your life. Sure the chances of an American contracting one of these illnesses is fairly small, but we would see widespread death of a generation if an entire generation decided not to vaccinate. Spend some time in an orphanage in central or south America, Africa, India or China (or a number of other places). When you ask where the child you had bonded with on a previous trip is now and you are told that they have died from a preventable disease, it is heartbreaking and you can’t help but wonder if that child would still be alive if they had access to the things that many of you are speaking out against. Most of us were vaccinated and we turned out fine.
How can u sit there and deny that vaccines play a significant part in the rise of autism? Tell everyone on here the truth. Show them the package inserts for the vaccines, not the box that says they are safe. Tell them that their children are being injected with mercury, aborted fetal tissue, formaldehyde (don't they preserve dead bodies with that?), antifreeze, animal tissues: pig blood, horse blood, rabbit brain, dog kidney, monkey kidney, chick embryo, chicken egg, duck egg, calf (bovine) serum. Do I need to tell more? Take these out of our vaccines and no one will have a problem giving their children the shots!! What does it take for Dr.'s like you to face facts? Afraid that you may not reap the benefits of treating autistic children? Jenny is not the reason parents are doing this. Their children are. May God Bless you and save you from the pain of having a vaccine injured child...but then would you even care?
I am outraged too - outraged that some of the commenters can't express themselves without attacking Dr. Parker. Come on people - he's not making big bucks selling vaccines. And Jacqueline Kelly - how dare you accuse Dr. Parker of being "Afraid that you may not reap the benefits of treating autistic children?" You obviously don't know the good doctor. He cares deeply for children and their families. He's devoted his life to them.
Adults should be able to disagree without resorting to personal attacks. Some have done that in this forum. Some are apparently not able to do so. If you insist on attacking Dr. Parker personally, you have zero credibility.
Think of it this way, would you rather have your child with you alive and slightly impaired or would you rather visit the gravestone of a child you could have saved by getting their vaccines?
Yes there are some that were injured BUT are alive, where as those not vaccinated can die from even simple diseases AND these children put others in their schools and day cares in danger as well. You're not endangering one child but hundreds or thousands buy not getting the shots done.
You all say 'MY CHILD' one child, how would you feel if your one child spread something deadly to a whole class then they died?
I'd rather have my child slightly impaired and alive with me, then to risk losing so much.
As a relative outsider to this debate, I have to say, Jacqueline, your overwrought, self-righteous tone, your dismissal of scientific evidence, and ad hominem attacks on the doctor do your cause no favors.
When I tell members of my family who still live in Bangla Desh about this debate, they just shake their heads and find it one more example of spoiled Americans who don't realize what they have compared to the rest of the world.
Excellent article. As a 'baby boomer' I was "subjected" to those "hurtful" vaccinations. But obviously the generations X and Millinel did not remember their history. They seem to be only concerned about not hurting their child. Unless Jenny has taken the necessary surgical steps, I predict that she will have more children and unless she interviews the victims who encountered the children who were not vaccinated, she will never understand the future problems she will create. I am very glad for the vaccinations. I survived chicken pox, 7-day measles, German measles, scarlet fever, 7-day measles all between the ages of 6 and 9 years old. It is no fun being in a darkened room to avoid further weakening of my eyes because of the measles, it is so boring not being able to go outdoors because of the chicken pox and the measles. So unless Jenny is willing to admit that no vaccinations means death for at least 1/2 of the future population, she really should read all the history before suggesting that something is bad.
Is she and the others against cancer research? If so, now is the time to admit it. A vaccination against any type of cancer would be considered a miracle. (Oh, yes, there is now gardisel isn't there? If she had a daughter would she have agreed to this?)
I can remember one year where I was off school so often due to measles, mumps, etc. that I lost nearly 6 months teaching ... I can also vividly remember the hallucinations I had with measles. Scary. Thank goodness doctors still made house visits in those days ... What woud we do these days if a child got measles? You can't take him to the doc's office in that state and the doc won't come to you.
At the beginning of Dr. P's blog, he states that he doubts many of us have seen a child suffer from the diseases that the vaccines prevent. Well as he should know, we are finding out that the whooping cough vaccine wears off. I found this out the hardway.
When your child is 16, you think you are past getting awakened in the middle of the night. Not so when he has whooping cough. He was sick for 2 months and lost 15 pounds. He would cough so hard he would vomit. He had a pass from his doctor to leave class whenever necessary to get a drink or go to the bathroom.
When my daughter went for her high school physical that next summer, I was asked if I wanted to give her a pertussis booster. I immediately said yes. There was no way I wanted to live throug another bout of whooping cough.
I just thought I would add this as more fuel to this debate. However, I really don't understand why so many think that Dr. P hasn't done his research. He has just reach a different conclusion. Obviously you know nothing about data, it can always be manipulated to say what you want it to say.
I think most people are missing something here. Green Our Vaccines was about clearing chemicals and slowing the schedule, not eliminating it. The children are still getting their shots just spread out. Vaccines do amazing things in preventing illness but they should also not help bring on chronic illness that takes years, if not a lifetime of therapy to overcome. It is the way that developmental pediatricians have been doing it for years.
Interesting article, although I can't blame the MD for being biased, after all, this is what he paid thousands of dollars to be taught. I don't vaccinate my 3 children either. I'm also an RN. I've known people who had children with a bad reaction to a vaccine, including one mom whose newborn went into cardiac arrest twice following the vaccine (for the record, it was a normal birth, no drugs given to mom, baby 6 lbs, ect). I just don't trust the pharm companies one bit! Obviously, they aren't out for the good of the people as evidence by a number of drugs that are now recalled, in which they knew...THEY KNEW! that the drug could cause death.
Also many pro-lifers such as myself may be interested to know that the MMR was made from aborted fetal tissue. I have a REAL problem with that, I did not know this until about 2.5 years ago. God gave us immune systems for a reason. Get the kids off of sugar, give them lots of fresh fruits and veggies and it will boost their immune systems. My kids were breastfed for the first 2.5 years of their lives, have always been vegetarian and are extremely healthy, we aren't lucky, we work hard at it!
NuttySecretary,
I understand that you are glad that vaccinations are now available, but it's interesting because you state that you had all of the 'diseases' that they now innoculate against, and yet you SURVIVED! What about the child who is killed from the vaccine? What about the child who becomes autistic from the vaccine? I would MUCH rather my child get the so called disease and survive than be autistic, that would be so heartbreaking for me to watch my child suffer!
Also for people who state that there is no evidence that vaccines cause autism...do you really think the pharm companies are going to research it? They don't want the responsibility! I've spoken with many moms whose child was normal, walking, talking, ect. After the vaccines, the child no longer talked. In some cases no longer walked. Often the child became distant, the parent never heard their child say mommy or daddy again. So incredibly sad.....
I completely disagree about those who chose not to immunize being the heroes. Give me a break!! Have you ever seen the look on a doctor's face when you say that you're not going to immunize your child, or you're going to space them out? I for one am thankful for vaccines but I also believe that drug companies etc.. are all about money. And that they'll create as many immunizations and as much hype as they possibly can. With all the dangerous preservatives etc.. that they put in the immunizations, I think the drug companies are as greedy and guilty as the tobacco companies.
This article is full of ignorance. After my baby and I were injured by vaccines last year, I spent months researching both sides of the debate. I am actually anti-vaccines for many reasons now. Doctors do not "accept" adverse reactions. In fact, they still believe it is one in a million (even if your child died within minutes of the vaccine, parents are told that it certainly wasn't the vaccine). There have been no long-term studies, no studies on combination vaccinations, and no studies on the vaccinated/unvaccinated. I've also viewed the CDC's reported statistics over the years (before/after each vaccine came on the market) and was quite shocked to learn that our society is lied to. These so-called deadly diseases were nearly eradicated just before each vaccine came out. In fact, the rate of disease sharply rose with each vaccine that was introduced. I also do not know what the FDA's job is either. They don't test anything. Who does? The drug companies. Yes, LIKE THEY CAN BE TRUSTED after killing many with Vioxx, Heparin, and Paxil?? Then of course there are the recent admissions by Bernadine Healy and Julie Gerberding. Apparently, our powers that be FORGOT to study the regressive autism!! Totally sick when you think about it. When someone claims "herd immunity". I scoff and tell them to ask their doctor when was their last booster (they are only good for roughly 10 yrs). If there was such a thing as herd immunity - the medical professionals would be vaccinated for everything they give our children! Vaccines cause Autism and so much more. Just take a look at the number of learning disabled, chronically ill children around you. Vaccines are about nothing more than politics and money (aka greed and power). If your doctor doesn't see anything wrong with the ingredients or .5 ml dose for every age, height, and weight, I would strongly suggest finding another doctor because yours should have his head examined by a real "professional". In the meantime, take the list of vaccine ingredients to an independent chemist for some real answers (one who doesn't work for the medical community or drug companies).
Whichever side you want to argue, look at what is in vaccines.
Every polio outbreak in Africa over the last decade has a direct link to the polio vaccine program.
Some africans are starting to question if they would even have a polio problem if it were not for the vaccine program.
I don't blame them.
In the Western world, cervical cancer has been on a dramatic decline for the last two decades. But now, just as the new vaccine has been introduced, watch them claim it as a vaccine victory in about 2 years time.
Vaccine = $$$
That is the primary motivation.
I dare the person who said that they would rather have a child who's "a little impaired" than one who got the disease to spend a week taking care of one of these walking casualties. My son is 20 years old. He nearly died after his DTaP-an experimantal vaccine that was removed from the market.
The list of symptoms he has endured is long, autism, Crohn's disease, immune deficiency, life threatening infections, auto-immune disease, to name a few. For the wrong child, the wrong vaccine is either a death sentence, or possibly worse-a life sentence of suffering. While you muse about abstract hypothetical risk, hundreds of thousands of families are suffering. For the person who said you have no idea what it's like to lose a child who died from a preventable disease, I live with the walking wounded of a preventable epidemic every day. Our vaccine policy is a failure, and it will all be brought to light. I never want another living soul to go through this.
vaccination is a medical procedure just as much as surgery A foreign substance which contains toxins previously listed so I wont do it again. Parents should be given this information and be allowed to abstain from vaccination if they feel like they do not want to take that risk with their children's health. I have a 12 yr old vaccine injured son who is not an acceptable loss in the war on communicable disease. He is a child whose life was changed forever because of misinformation and lack of informed consent on the part of our EX pediatrician. I have a completely unvaxed 2 yr old child who is happy healthy and smarter than other kids in our neighborhood of the same age. He has visited the pediatrician less than them too. And for those of u who claim vaccines are not the pedi's "bread and butter" think about how many well visits a infant has in the first 2 yrs SPECIFICALLY for vaccination and think about the profit from the office visit fee and vaccine.
The increase in the number and frequency of vaccines coincides with the rise in autism.
My son was vaccinated for DTap, got Whooping Cough 3 times since. Vaccinated against chicken pox and got the chicken pox from it. Vaccinated against the flu and got the flu 2 weeks later. The One-size-fits-all approach doesn't work for clothes, why in the world would it work for vaccines?
The doctors don't follow the warnings by the pharma companies about vaccinating when sick. Why not?
Why put toxic ingredients in the vaccines to be injected into the bodies of our babies?
Surely we can do better for our future than the current vaccination policy.
Hey, look at the meeting transcripts of the house app committee with julie! She now concurs that the data was flawed and new study's are being introduced. Pay Attention! I was at that rally and I take offense to the opinions of people who are not even affected by autism. Do your homework!
I am a Pedi Nurse for over 25 years. I have seen too much and I would NEVER vaccinate a child of mine today.
Parents are way too trusting and believe what a doctor says to be true, just because he/she is "THE" doctor. Not so.
What is going on with Vaccinations is like a global Holocaust... and amazingly, there are still people who believe that that never happened.
Wake up peeps and parents... if you even think for one second that something is not right in your gut about a medication or a vaccination in your child ALWAYS go with your gut because it is the only thing that will ALWAYS be true to you.
It wasn't too many years ago that we had to PROVE that Cigarette smoking caused Cancer and yet people still smoke. How many parents would still have their child vaccinated if tomorrow a report came out that said Vaccinations are not safe? Do you actually need to see a report like that because you are so trusting of people who only have $$$ interest in vaccinating your child?
Will you stop then or still vaccinate?
What more proof of Vaccine death and injury do people need than that of a dead or disabled child?
Do you need more proof because it wasn't your child? I would not need a medical professional of any kind to tell me what just happend in front of my own two eyes. Parents know their child best.
Stop being sheeple. Stop playing Roulette with your childs life. The healthiest kids I know are those that are not vaccinated. The sickest ones are vaccinated, have immune problems, allergies, asthma, GI disorders and a host of other problems from early on in life.
Somewhere along the line young parents are now taught that taking a healthy child to the doctors office is "Normal." It isn't. Take your healthy child and go enjoy life with him/her and save the doctors office for a sick child. Never in all my years of nursing have I seen so many kids pumped full of prescription meds, anti-biotics, steroid creams, lotions, pills, etc. and these are indeed the Vaccinated kids.
Parents spend more time researching a new vehicle or household appliance than they do asking questions and doing research about Vaccinations.
And the LAST person I would be listening to is someone who had a financial interest in Vaccinating my child. Follow the $ it will lead to the truth here.
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"vaccine side effects real or imagined"
I'm not quite sure I can really dignify a response to this. It's an extremely crass remark with obvious ignorance to personal experience to vaccine injury. I feel terrible that this woman died and was tortured by the effects from polio during her life but that in no way discounts the tremendous daily digestive pain, constant illnesses and loss of the ability to communicate my son suffered with his regression into autism post vaccination. Green our Vaccines, is a brilliant campaign, because it's smart and more than necessary. Even if you don't believe there is a connection can you not think that taking some procautions is what our children deserve? I am not antivaccine but I am for choice and reform. I used to be completely pro, no questions asked. But I knew that was my choice, and my children continued to have reactions that were ignored until the point at which my son lost his healthy status and then all of his skills. Kinda changes your perspective......My sweet loving boy cannot have a conversation with me, does not understand the meaning of danger, cannot tell me where he is hurt, doesn't sleep, etc. Take it from me, it's not all about quirky personality, there are extreme difficulties and physical illnesses with the diagnosis of autism. I hope you never have to gain the experience that I have.
I would have agreed with you before I had my son and found out he had autism and actually researched vaccines, chemicals in foods (MSG for one), flouride and all the other unnecessary neurotoxins were all given or are ingesting. I urge you to do some research on your own. Check out http://www.informedchoice.info/cocktail.html to see what you're actually injecting into your beautiful, newborn baby. Read the book "What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Children's Vaccinations". Google and read both sides before you make a decision. Don't just trust your doctor. They're all taught to think the same way.
As far as Jenny have an "unguarded" moment and making her comment, I saw that interview and you seem to have left off the reason that she gave for not ever wanting to vaccinate her next child if she had one. It was because her son, Evan, could not get rid of the mercury and other chemicals in the vaccines on his own. His genetic makeup (as is with most kids with autism) makes him predisposed to this and her next child might be the same way. She doesn't want to take that chance. Thanks for only giving us half the facts!
My youngest was severely injured by the hepatitis b vaccine. He had zero risk factors for this disease because he wasn't sexualy active and didn't use IV drugs. Why would this vaccine be mandated for an infant then???? Check out the CDC's on study - 5 years is the average that immunity lasts from this vaccine. So the argument that he will be protected when he becomes a teenager is bull. And why wouldn't a parent have the RIGHT to choose WHEN this vaccine is given? Can anyone really defend giving a vaccine for this disease to newborns? It makes no sense. And parents are coming around to this fact. The days of selling ice cubes to Eskimos are over.
So keep working on your spin. You got your work cut out for you.
Thank you for writing such a great article. The more good information that gets out there to combat people like Jenny McCarthy the better.
A lot of autistic parents who believe in science thank you.
As a parent whose son developed Autism within 24 hours of his vaccines, I agree with Jenny. For my family, I would not vaccinate again. I am not anti-vaccines, the ingredients in vaccines are not safe. Also, the number of shots (and viruses) given at one time can cause damage to children. We need safer vaccines and a safer schedule in which to vaccinate our children. Why do they need Hep B at birth? How many newborns do you know who are sexually active or IV drug users? This is just one example of how the current schedule is not safe.
We need more voices like Jay Gordon, MD of AAP, the RN with years of experience, and Mom- Jacqueline Kelly.
We know they are right because we see most of the kids on our block affected if not all.
Those of us who choose to be informed know there are still heavy metals preserving our vaccines and enhancing the manufacturing process. Medication some take by pill form daily have heavy metal in them (listed as food coloring).
We must use common sense and break down ingredients and realize yes that mercury does in fact cause mercury poisoning which is similar to autism. There really isn't that much research to be done.
Another great book about all the childhood epidemics is by Boch. The CDC also recommends breaking up the MMR into single dose form. Why they haven't acted on this I don't know. One thing I know is it reduces incidence of seizures by half.
Oh and WOW!!! A sign of a weak immune system is yeast overgrowth (AKA thrush). Unseen in kids of my generation, but it feels like a majority of the children now get it.
I agree that Mom and Dad need to do the research before vaccinating. I also agree with many that one just needs to look around (ie. cigarette smoke causes lung cancer, non-vaccinated don't get autism). Good Luck!!!
I believe the misunderstanding of the vaccines "giving" autism is the problem here. In the recent case won by the Poling family, where their daughter had an immune system dysfunction that could not handle the vaccines which gave her the mitochondrial dysfunction and the diagnosis autism, it clearly shows that there can be preventative measures taken to eliminate the MAJOR side effects caused by vaccines. As a Doctor all measures should be taken to make sure a child is safe. This would include vaccines but most importantly pre-testing to these vaccines. There is no logical reason why this shouldn't be mandated for all. What person can assume a "minor" side effect is ok when preventative measures were overlooked or simply denied? Those children are not acceptable loses. The global good vaccines do come with caution and warning. For us to not yield to those cautions and warnings and listen to them as much as we can, well then we shouldn't be allowed to treat children.
The original "recipe" for a vaccine cocktail did NOT consist of human fetus cells, aluminum, mercury, anti-freeze, and formaldehyde. Maybe along the addition of ingredients path is when families lost trust in there TRUE benefits.
Be sure to wear your Green our Vaccines T-shirts out in public. We are reaching many my friends and articles like this tell me that it is working!!
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The former Health Canada scientist, Shiv Chopra (former vaccine and drug regulator for health Canada for 40 yrs.), exposes truth
-exposes that in the populations that are actually vaccinated -the very diseases vaccinated against are increasing in frequency
-exposes that for 20 yrs. the CDC reports the same figure yearly of 36,000 deaths per year from flu when the current statistic is less than 100 per year die from the flu (mostly occuring in elderly or immune compromised)
- exposes the Comprehensive Child Immunization Act of 1993 provides $100 to vaccine clinics per child immunized
Two of my three kids had pertussis, it was the equivalent of a bad cold. My uncle had smallpox, he's now nearing retirement from semi-executive position at a fortune 500 company. My neighbhor had polio, has has a full, independent life with lots of family and friends.
My grandmother, a retired LPN, has shared seeing lockjaw cases. Yeah I didn't witness it, but I have through my granny's memories.
I also know a child who is permanently disabled from her polio vaccine, essentially what we hear as "permanent vegetative state." I also know my own daughter who has autism from a hep B (when she was 9 mos old, thankfully it kept her safe from engaging in IV drug use & sex), and I know probably 200 local families who have sick kids from immunizations.
As I say, it's not the vaccines I'm against, it's the reactions. Seems to me you would stop missing the point, which is the reactions from vaccines. Not everyone has them, but for those of us who do, it's horrid.
Between dealing with my daughter's chronic sickness for the last 7 yrs from the hep B or trusting in her to have made good choices in her sexual/drug habits at 9 mos old, I would rather trust in her infantile choices.
To all of you anti-imms folks, I am curious: do you advise against immunizations for ALL children, world-wide?
I don't know if I could answer this, since I'm not anti-immunization; I am pro-choice. Also, I'm just a mom, I don't advise anyone to/not to immunize. I advise all my friends to research each disease for which there is an immunization, prevalence rates, research each vaccine, ingredients, potential side effects, and then choose which you feel you can live with. I do preface in that two important factors: questioning the data of prevalence rates, questioning how many of the disease cases were actually immunized, and questioning the data of side effects. I've seen first-hand refusal to document culture-confirmed diseases in fully-immunized children, and I've seen first-hand the refusal to document vaccine reactions.
In other words, I encourage any of my friends to use science, not emotion or scare-tactics, and understanding the consequences one way or another and the realization that the parents will be the one who have to live with it, only second to the child him/her self.
Agree or disagree - but please do so without personal attacks or your post will be removed, regardless of your viewpoint.
first of all, some of us who no longer vaccinate went in firm believers in vaccines, not knowing the toxins in them, because that is what we heard for decades. have your child turn autistic and symptoms develop within 30 minutes, have your doctors office tell you it's normal and not write the vaers report, tell you not to come in, and then see how it feels. thermisol smirmisol. its a bad bad thing. but its still in some vaccines, especially flu. if mercury (thermisol or otherwise) wasn't an issue why the fda warning post on mercury fillings? and you're leaving out the thoughts of some of us. i want my child to be immunized, i dont want my child getting a disease, or someone he knows getting it from him. unfortunately, vaccines harm, kill, and maim some people. it is what it is! and as for talks about the future tense; well imagine our world staying the same for the next 50 years. if autism has come from 1 in 5000 to 1 in 150 so quickly, what do you think will become of the world when a child WITHOUT a spectrum disorder is 1 in 150? Who will make the decisions then and what do you think they will be? If that day comes well thank goodness for those you only have ADHD or Aspergers, they will be the saving grace (that coupled with computers i suppose.) . there are people who worked for 'the man' and 'big pharma' speaking out that will tell you how the governments are purposely working toward depopulization. why do you think they sent all of our thermisol laden toxic vaccines that were outlawed to use in these countries that are also teaming with autism disorders. and understand; aluminum is the new thermisol. and funny thing about aluminum, it only needs a miniscule amount of thermisol to do harm. harm; familiar word. how does that oath go? FIRST DO NO HARM! kudos to all you comment makers
I love the information age. If they had internet 30 years ago my mom swears i would have never suffered 20 years from mercury poisoning which has now been confirmed from my fillings. The internet has truly made it impossible to not get 'credible' information.
~the poetress, md