An infant recently arrived at Maine Medical Center in Portland coughing and vomiting uncontrollably. The diagnosis was whooping cough, a highly contagious respiratory disease that’s breaking out in pockets across Maine.
Most of the 80 cases reported in a surge of whooping cough, or pertussis, in the state this year have struck middle school-aged children. In four cases, children under 6 months old were sickened.
The baby at MMC was treated with antibiotics and recovered, said Leah Mallory, a pediatric hospitalist at MMC.
For other babies, the unrelenting cough can prove life-threatening, according to Dr. Lawrence Losey, a pediatrician at Parkview Adventist Medical Center in Brunswick.
“They are coughing so hard and so long that they run out of oxygen and it can cause brain damage and seizures,” he said.
Babies — who don’t typically exhibit the characteristic “whooping” sound as they gasp for air — are vaccinated against pertussis with a series of shots starting at 2 months of age. Children too young for the shots or who haven’t built up enough immunity often catch the disease from a loved one who was never vaccinated or failed to stay current with booster shots, Losey said.
“Just over 60 percent of infant pertussis is gotten from a family member; half of those are from mom,” said Losey, who was recognized last month by the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention for his work in childhood immunization.
The danger pertussis poses to babies is one reason public health officials are pushing for better vaccination rates in Maine.
Cases of whooping cough are up significantly from last year. So far this year, there have been 80 cases reported statewide, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. During the same period last year, 49 cases were reported.
The spike in pertussis first cropped up in northern Maine, followed by outbreaks at schools in Skowhegan and Scarborough. Most cases this year have been reported in Somerset, Cumberland, York and Penobscot counties.
The rise mirrors a nationwide trend. Washington state has declared an epidemic of pertussis with more than 1,000 cases this year, the most in at least three decades.
Washington also has one of the highest rates in the country of parents choosing not to vaccinate their kids. Washington and Maine are among 20 states that allow parents to exempt their children from school-required immunizations based on philosophical objections.
Without an exemption, kindergarten students in Maine must be vaccinated against pertussis, diphtheria, tetanus, measles, mumps, rubella, polio and chickenpox. About 3.5 percent of Maine students attended school in 2009-10 without a vaccination, with the majority of parents citing religious and philosophical objections. Some cited medical reasons.
The exemption rate inched up from 3.33 percent the previous year, but remained lower than a peak rate of more than 4 percent in 2007-08.
Parents who skip vaccines say they object to the number of shots and fear a link between immunization and autism, according to a 2008 report by the Muskie School of Public Service.
The pertussis outbreaks are fueling debate about allowing parents to opt out of vaccinating their children, even as health officials say several factors are responsible.
In Vermont, lawmakers recently struck down an effort to get rid of philosophical exemptions, but upheld a requirement that parents sign a document acknowledging the risk their decision not to vaccinate poses to the community.
Last year, Washington passed a bill requiring parents to prove they had consulted a doctor about the benefits and risks of immunization before claiming an exemption.
Maine is one of seven states that imposes no restrictions on claiming philosophical exemptions for vaccinations.
“People with common beliefs about immunization can cluster and that causes a public health concern,” said Caroline Zimmerman, staff coordinator for the Maine Immunization Coalition, a collection of health care providers, consumers, drug companies and others working to reduce vaccine-preventable disease.
“Maine used to be a leader when it came to [childhood] immunizations,” she said. “We were fifth in the nation at one point; now we’re 31st.”
Worries about the cost of immunizations prompted Maine lawmakers in 2010 to pursue free vaccines for children. A new statewide program that took effect in January purchases vaccines at a bulk rate with funds collected through an assessment on health insurers and other entities.
Nationally, about 90 percent of children aged 19 to 35 months in the United States are vaccinated against bacteria and viruses that once routinely sickened or killed many Americans. In some ways, the public vaccination effort has become a victim of its own success, Losey said.
“The young people growing up, and even many of their families, do not understand what these diseases are that we’re immunizing people for,” he said. “They don’t realize how serious and severe they can be.”
Parents shielding their kids from vaccinations is just one driver behind this year’s pertussis outbreak, according to Dr. Stephen Sears, state epidemiologist. Some children may get the initial shot but never go back to complete the series, he said. Plus, only about 60 percent of kids get the required booster shot at age 11.
Still other children catch whooping cough despite being vaccinated, he said. The pertussis vaccine wears off over time but still slashes the risk of catching and spreading the disease and generally leads to a milder case, Sears said.
“Although we’re seeing pertussis, there are a lot of people who are not getting it,” he said.
Pertussis is treated with antibiotics, which do little to alleviate coughing fits that can last up to three months, but do greatly reduce the likelihood of spreading the disease to others.
Older kids and adults also are advised to get pertussis booster shots along with their tetanus immunization.
86’d
Most likely the children moved to Maine and were unvaccinated.
I doubt it.
There were two children in my town who had been giving the whooping cough vaccine and still got whooping cough. So it’s not always a “preventable” illness.
If enough of the population is vaccinated, outbreaks are suppressed. Once vaccination levels drop below a certain level, outbreaks occur.
Even if there is 100% vaccination rate, which has never
happened and never will, there will still be outbreaks as immunity wanes,
people become immune deficient, and no vaccine is 100% effective.
Vaccines do not need to be 100% effective, nor do you need 100% vaccination rate to prevent outbreaks. Vaccination above a certain rate in the population provides “herd immunity”, which essentially means there are too few susceptible hosts for the pathogen to spread effectively. The level of vaccination required to provide herd immunity is specific to the pathogen, and is directly related to the communicability. Pertussis requires a higher rate than most, which is why you’re seeing outbreaks of this long-forgotten disease first.
“Pertussis requires a higher rate than most, which is why
you’re seeing outbreaks of this long-forgotten disease first.”
Pertussis is not a forgotten disease. The lowest number of
cases in CDC records occurred 36 years ago and it has been increasing at an
expected rate ever since.
Herd immunity has never been achieved for pertussis. The epidemiological
studies that I have seen put the immunity at 10% of those vaccinated after 3 -5
years. The percent of the population that contribute to “herd immunity, those
with natural immunity and those with vaccine induced immunity (which is always
below the vaccination rate), is around 30% being generous. For pertussis the discussion
of “herd immunity” is mute. It is a fictional statement not based on reality.
Outbreaks of pertussis in CDC records show larger jumps
every 3 to 4 years like clockwork. The current vaccine is reported to not be a
good match so the number of cases will increase every year which has been happening
since 2007.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herd_immunity
It’s wikipedia, but they cite a source. Herd immunity for pertussis requires 92-94%. Whether it is complete, I can’t say, but I suspect that if we stopped immunizing kids tomorrow, outbreaks would become more frequent.
Outbreaks have become more frequent since 1976. It isn’t a matter of maybe.
I just looked at your link and as expected, WIKI got it
wrong. The concept of “herd immunity” was created prior to large scale
vaccination programs and referred to the percent of the population that had natural,
(not vaccine induced) immunity.
Hmmm, the title of the table (taken directly from the CDC) is “Herd immunity thresholds for Selected vaccine-preventable diseases”. If you look at the source, it doesn’t state whether this immunity needs to be natural, or acquired via vaccine.
But I don’t think it matters. Even imperfect vaccines (and pertussis may be one of them) increase herd immunity and that’s a good thing. And similarly, reduced vaccination rates reduce herd immunity. Thus: get your vaccines!
And contracting any illness strengthens herd immunity more
than vaccine due to the fact that those individuals are immune to the prevalent
strain in circulation and are naturally immune for a longer period of time.
They may offer more to “herd immunity” than the vaccinated.
====
Babies that are still developing at such an early stage of life should not be vaccinated!
6 months old and you get injected with chemicals and viruses? how does that even make sense!
Think for yourselves ffs!
Do you deny that since the widespread use of vaccinations in children that the autism rate has jumped through the roof?
1 in 88 children will have autism, yet they say there is no correlation between that and the vaccines.
the only constant in those cases of 1 in 88 is the vaccines.
what is the harm in waiting until the child is more developed to give him/her a vaccination?
There is no link between autism and vaccinations.
The only published study to suggest a link was revealed to be an “elaborate fraud”.
http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/01/05/autism.vaccines/index.html
Superstition lives.
But unvaccinated kids may not.
Yessah
The rate of autism ha increased 70% in TEN years ! It is woth considering a connection to vaccinations.
Vaccinations have been routine for Maine school children for over 50 years.
There is no medical evidence linking vaccinations with autism.
None
But if you wish to believe in fraudulent discredited nonsense and superstition – you are free to do so.
Yessah
There are other factors linked to Autism. Vitamin D deficiency in the mother, fever during pregnancy, processed foods, obesity in Mom. There’s probably more. Get off the anti-vaccine bandwagon. Correlation doesn’t necessarily mean causation.
Please do the world a favor and don’t have children. Vaccinate your children! Don’t be stupid! A completely preventable disease is spreading again because of imbeciles like yourself. There is NO correlation between vaccinating your children and autism–do a little research and you see that the former accusation was inaccurate and unjustified. You know why 1 in 88 children are now diagnosed with autism? Because we now know more than we did 25+ years ago and instead of just shoving the kid into some special ed class or flunking them out of school, we now know what the problem is and are more aware of their needs. Wake up and do a little research–and vaccinate your children.
….
Well the harm obviously is disease and death to the unvaccinated child and others.
Last fall when there was quite a bit of news about pertussis, I called and scheduled my then 10 yr. old for his booster shot. Glad I did!
Let’s not forget that adults can get it too as the vaccines we were given as children have worn off. I would strongly suggest any one with small children in there household get vaccinated too.
Vaccines are way overdone these days. Polio is probably the only one worth getting. Vaccines are full of toxins, and can lead to decreased quality of life in minor to serious ways. Most diseases that vaccines are supposed to prevent originate with, and spread among kids who were vaccinated in the first place.
name one?
My sister’s kids have not been vaccinated. Last year, there was an outbreak of chicken pox at their school in southern Maine. All kids who had not been vaccinated were forced to stay at home while the outbreak ran its course. My sister had to homeschool her kids for 7 weeks as the chicken pox went from child to child in the school. Remember, the only kids allowed to go to school were the ones who had been vaccinated.
You probably heard about the whooping cough outbreak in California a couple of years ago. It made national news, as a number of kids died from it. My wife read that a follow-up study of the outbreak showed that every one of the kids who died had been vaccinated for whooping cough.
You asked for one, I gave you two. I am sure there are many more examples.
Their parents did not vaccinate the children by choice. The law in Maine says if one child in the school has the chicken pox then all unvaccinated children will be sent home for 16 days and that time period can be extended if other children become infected. These parents know this because they have opted out of the vaccination for what ever reason.
Can you give me the source for the California pertussis outbreak study that your wife read…I’m very interested in that study
That did not answer the question of what toxins are in vaccines! Get educated, vaccines saves lives and help prevent horrible and sometimes deadly diseases!
Here is an article on the California outbreak…. ALL OF THE DECEASED babies were NOT vaccinated.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/10/20/california.whooping.cough/index.html Your example only proves the dangers of not vaccinating children. After this article one more infant died. This child was not vaccinated.
Your wife really needed to do a little bit more research before she concluded that vaccines don’t help prevent disease. It was not school aged children who died. Eleven un-vaccinated infants died during the California outbreak. During that outbreak vaccinated school aged children contracted the illness… this is true. However, one step more in the research process shows that it was determined that most, if not all, of these children were either at the limit or near the limit of the protection period for their vaccine and were due for a booster. The problem was it was believed that the vaccination protection lasted longer than it actually did. In no way does this mean that children should not be vaccinated. http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/09/vaccine-response-pertussis/
“ALL OF THE DECEASED babies were NOT vaccinated. “
It would be safe to assume that all deceased babies are not
vaccinated since CDC guidelines say it isn’t safe TO VACCINATE them in the
first place.
Exactly Correct… I’m not the one who said the 11 babies who died were vaccinated, a poster above did and I responded to them.
I know it isn’t safe to vaccinate babies but apparently other people don’t know this…
Gotta love misinformation…
The truth of the matter is that infants don’t get the pertussis vaccine until they’re a few months old. Thus, if we as a society allow our vaccination rate to drop to the level where herd immunity is lost and outbreaks occur, we put our youngest and newest members at risk. The fact is, few adults and even children die of pertussis, but we vaccinate so other babies won’t die. Not vaccinating is selfish and wrong.
Well said… I hope you realize that I was responding to a poster who claimed that 11 children died from receiving the vaccine in the California outbreak. That was totally false – the deceased were 11 infants and, like you and I both agree, infants are not vaccinated at birth.
Tetanus and diphtheria are over-rated.
Yawn
Vaccine death stories – http://www.thinktwice.com/stor…
Searchable Vaccine Death Memorial and Injury Database – shows victims, ages, vaccines and details of injuries/deathshttp://www.nvic.org/Vaccine-Me…
We are waiting for you to name one …..
That is a total MYTH and is responsible for the problem of so many children getting very ill and in some cases dying and spreading disease to other children!!!!
Even children who are vaccinated can get it but not with the same intensity as those who have not received a vaccination. The risks by far outweigh the consequences of not vaccinating a child. The proof is in the fact that most of these life threatening childhood illnesses have become rare as a result of vaccinations. Parents need to do a lot more research before they just buy into the nonsense touted by the one “doctor” who began these nightmarish rumors about vaccinations. Even if a parent believed there was a link between Autism and vaccination it’s sure better than their child getting so ill that he/she dies as a result of an illness they could have taken precautions against.
Parents – Please do your homework thoroughly and research the entire topic. Do not just buy into unproven rumors started by a single physician who is considered by the medical community to be an eccentric. http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/01/06/autism.vaccines/index.html
Say that to the Indian Telegraph and the cases of wild polio vs polio induced by vaccines.
Read the entire article – You must have missed the part that describes that this type of vaccine is NOT used in the USA or Brittain…
“Both VDPV infections and VAPP are long-recognised problems linked with the OPV, which is made from weakened but live viruses. Many countries, including America and Britain, have switched to an alternative, inactivated and injectible polio vaccine (IPV) made from killed viruses with no risk of vaccine-linked polio.”
It also says “Wild poliovirus circulation persists in Pakistan, Nigeria and Afghanistan. Health officials are wary that the movement of people, which had once carried polio from India into Angola, might now bring polio back into India from these countries.”
Here in the USA we don’t have the same level of this problem as they have in India, Pakistan, Nigeria and Afghanistan. That’s most likely due to the fact that we don’t use this type of primitive vaccine…
Oh, and in case you’re wondering… this came from an article in the Indian Telegraph just as you suggested… FYI – It’s always wise to read the entire article and not just a bit here and a bit there and then draw a conclusion based upon bits and pieces of unrelated tidbits. It’s much more useful and informative to read the entire article… if you had you would realize that the problem isn’t related to the vaccines our kids receive. We probably haven’t used this type of vaccine for decades… so your information is seriously outdated.
Here’s your article from the Indian Telegraph: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120116/jsp/frontpage/story_15011108.jsp#.T89Wd7A3TEU
To those opposed to the preventive care offered by vaccinations, it might be fine with the rest of us if they go unprotected, but the issue is not whether they think it wise or unwise. The issue is public health, which means it isn’t about them. To me, one thing is for sure: whenever the health of the population is threatened by communicable disease, their right to refuse participation ends where our right to be protected begins.
Well said!!!
“The issue is public health, which means it isn’t about
them.”
It is only a public health concern if herd immunity has been
achieved or can be achieved. For pertussis herd immunity does not exist and
cannot be achieved with the currently used vaccine. The very young and most
over the age of 25 are not immune and there is no mandatory or mitigating
reason for them to get the vaccine except if they plan to have children in the
next 3 years.
If herd immunity doesn’t exist, like every flu season, it
isn’t a public health choice, it is an individual choice.
“Even children who are vaccinated can get it but not with
the same intensity as those who have not received a vaccination.” Myth
Tell that to all the vaccinated children who were
hospitalized or died.
“The proof is in the fact that most of these life
threatening childhood illnesses have become rare as a result of vaccinations.”
Myth
The proof that most of these life threatening illnesses are
no longer life threatening is due to advances in medical treatments and not
vaccinations (Scarlett fever as example). CDC has records of cases for every
vaccine preventable illness in the last 15 years.
What’s a myth? That children who are vaccinated will die? Most don’t die. Those documented cases of those who have died often were due for a booster. I never said that vaccinations are harmless to all… read, re-read and read again what I’ve said… MOST people do well with vaccinations…. SOME people may not. All of the proof of harm is presented as may be or could be… THAT is not proof that vaccinations kill children. Kudos to medical advances as well… where would we be if there had been a big scare that penicillin kills… I know it does because I’m highly allergic to it but… MOST PEOPLE can tolerate it. Therefore the benefits outweigh the risks for MOST people.
“Most don’t die. ”
Most are never exposed to the viruses that the vaccine is designed to prevent and have an unknow immunity status.
You probably are not going to like this reply but here goes… The reason why there are so few outbreaks of these deadly viruses in recent years is because most people in this country are now vaccinated. Vaccinations have dramatically reduced the number of outbreaks and I like it that way. History has already verified the reduction in the number of outbreaks and resulting deaths. You can challenge stats and documentation but you can’t really change history.
“You can challenge stats and documentation but you can’t
really change history.”
This is a true statement that you also need to take to
heart. On average the number of pertussis cases has increased by 15% every year
since the lowest number of reported cases (not actual as pertussis is routinely
under reported and diagnosed) in 1976. This percentage increase cannot be
solved by forcing individuals to use an ineffective vaccine.
No one can change history and the CDC, medical associations,
and politicians are vigorously pushing the same medical procedure and expecting
different results. That is the definition of insanity that is well documented
by the CDC.
As long as we are talking history the number of CDC reported
cases in 2009 is about the same as the number of CDC reported cases in 1963.
Reported Deaths in 2009=0, reported deaths in 1963=115
An infinite decrease in the mortality rate for pertussis.
Absolutely!
In spite of the vaccine, not because of it.
I had whooping cough as a child. I wonder if that gives me permanent protection.
Having the disease naturally will give you a lot better immunity than the vaccination.
Nope. I found this information on immunity from the disease after a natural infection: “On average, whooping cough immunity lasts at least 30 years and perhaps as long as 70 years after natural infection.”
Don’t be so quick to blame un-vaccinated children. As stated by another commenter, in the recent California outbreak, many of the children *were* vaccinated. One possible reason for these outbreaks is that
pertussis has mutated, rendering the current vaccine useless against it. (Google it…there are numerous studies out there discussing the mutation.)
There is also evidence that the immunity provided by the vaccination lasts far less than five years, meaning that some people that think they are protected are not. Requiring boosters at age 11 is a fairly recent
change in the vaccination schedule and might not be adequate. In last fall’s outbreak in New Hampshire, many of the kids that got sick were 9 or 10 years old and, therefore, not technically due for the booster. Also, most adults have not received
boosters because the recommendation to do so is fairly recent (it used
to be that adults received a tetanus booster every decade, now that
booster typically also contains the pertussis component).
The sky is falling! The sky is falling!! Give me a break! Before you allow someone to inject your child with altered DNA, fetal cells and an endless list of dangerous chemicals, read the vaccine package inserts. Don’t skip the side effects pages. Pertussis vaccines, as well as many others, have permanently maimed and killed children. http://www.vaccinesafety.edu/package_inserts.htm
Altered DNA? Where do you get this science fiction garbage? No one is injecting altered DNA… educate yourself on the topic of DNA before you make such silly and outrageous claims.
Thanks for the link … your link proves that these vaccines may have some mild side effects but so does Tylenol and heck almost anything in existence has some side effects. The real question is do the side effects outweigh the protections?
Your link did not verify your claims that Pertussis vaccines have maimed or killed ANY children. You need to read these things before you post them… some of us will actually click the link to verify your claims.
The FDA did find evidence of pig DNA in Rotarix (for rotavirus) back in 2010 –
http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm205625.htm
The FDA did NOT find any evidence of pig DNA. I can’t believe that you thought Porcine circovirus meant pigs. This is actually a single-stranded DNA virus (class II). PCV is a member of the virus family Circoviridae..
PCV-1 was first identified in 1974 and readily infects, but is not known to cause disease in swine; the type 2 has caused problems in recent years with the increasing occurrence of postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome of (PMWS), (diarrhea) which over time results in significant depletion of lymphocytes in the animals. Postmortem examination of diseased animals reveals enlarged lymph nodes and abnormal lung tissue.
There has since been an FDA update on Rotavirus Vaccines: In March 2010, FDA became aware of the presence PCV1 in Rotarix and DNA from PCV1 and PCV2 in RotaTeq. These viruses are not known to cause any infection or illness in people. Based on a careful review of a variety of scientific information, FDA has determined it is appropriate for clinicians and public health professionals in the United States
to use these vaccines. All available evidence supports the safety and effectiveness of Rotarix and RotaTeq, which have been extensively studied, both before and after approval.
It doesn’t seem to me that you actually know what Rotavirus is so here goes:
Rotavirus is the most common cause of severe diarrhea among infants and young children. It is a genus of double-stranded RNA virus. By the age of five, nearly every child in the world has been infected with rotavirus at least once. However, with each infection, immunity develops, and subsequent infections are less severe; adults are rarely affected. There are five species of this virus, referred to as A, B, C, D, and E. Rotavirus A, the most common, causes more than 90% of infections in humans.
The virus is transmitted orally. It infects and damages the cells that line the small intestine and causes gastroenteritis (which is often called “stomach flu” despite having no relation to influenza). Although rotavirus was discovered in 1973 and accounts for up to 50% of hospitalizations for severe diarrhea in infants and children. In addition to its impact on human health, rotavirus also infects livestock.
Rotavirus is usually an easily managed disease of childhood, but worldwide more than 450,000 children under five years of age still die from rotavirus infection each year, most of whom live in developing countries (NOT THE USA), and almost two million more become severely ill. In the United States, before initiation of the rotavirus vaccination program, rotavirus caused about 2.7 million cases of severe
gastroenteritis in children, almost 60,000 hospitalizations, and around 37 deaths each year. By providing oral rehydration therapy for infected children and vaccination to prevent the disease the incidence and severity of rotavirus infections
has declined significantly in countries that have added rotavirus vaccine to their routine childhood immunization policies. This includes the United States of America.
Pig DNA… thanks for the laugh! That was really funny!
OK, so then could you clarify what type of DNA *is* in the circovirus if it’s not from a pig and they’ve called it porcine? – ah, nevermind – got it; the virus itself.
Why of course I will. Thank you for asking!
Porcine means “Of, affecting, or resembling a pig or pigs”.
When they reference Porcine circovirus (PCV) this is a single-stranded DNA virus (class II), that is non-enveloped with an unsegmented circular genome. (It’s a VIRUS affecting a pig, it’s not pig DNA transference to humans through a vaccine.) I know it sounds similar but it’s not as simple as inject pig DNA into people thus altering the DNA of a human – this has not been determined to have that effect on humans at this time. It is in the research stages – it’s not our current vaccines.
PCVs are the smallest viruses replicating animal cells. They replicate in the nucleus of infected cells, using the host polymerase – an enzyme whose central function is associated with polymers of nucleic acids. There are 2 strains: type 1 and type 2.PCV-1 (first identified in 1974) readily infects, but is not known to cause disease in swine; the type 2 has caused problems in recent years with the increasing occurrence of post-weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS)*, which over time results in significant depletion of lymphocytes; postmortem examination of diseased animals reveals enlarged lymph nodes and abnormal lung tissue.
* PMWS is a disease seen in domestic pigs (not people). This disease causes illness in piglets, with clinical signs including progressive loss of body condition, visibly enlarged lymph nodes, difficulty in breathing, and sometimes diarrhea, pale skin, and jaundice. PMWS has been reported from most pig-producing countries of the world.
Personally I think how something is said and not just what is said can invoke significant fear in people unnecessarily and/or prematurely. No one is turning into a pig because of a vaccine.. (I hope you know I’m joking with you in this sentence)
Always happy to provide proof.
The U.S. government has paid out more than $2 BILLION to families of those maimed and killed by vaccines. That’s just the U.S. Other countries have similar “compensation programs.”
http://www.hrsa.gov/vaccinecompensation/data.html
In 2000, 17 infants died from Whooping Cough but 57 infants died after receiving the DTaP vaccine –
http://www.vaccinationnews.com/scandals/July_26_02/Scandal26.htm
Vaccine injuries and deaths are known to be underreported so the number of vaccine deaths is likely higher.
DTP vaccines (those include Pertussis) linked to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1647245/
The story of Elias Tembenis, dead from Pertussis vaccine
http://www.ageofautism.com/2011/01/cbs-covers-court-award-for-dtap-whooping-cough-vaccine-death.html
ALTERED DNA caused by vaccines –
http://vonhapsburg.homestead.com/vaccinesalterdna.html
DNA In New Vaccines To Help Alter The Genetic Makeup Of Parents And Children
http://forum.prisonplanet.com/index.php?action=printpage;topic=205373.0
New Vaccine Technology Alters our DNA
http://drcate.com/humans-as-gmos-new-vaccine-technology-alters-our-dna/
Vaccine Contamination: Pig Virus DNA Found in Rotarix
http://vaccineawakening.blogspot.com/2010/04/vaccine-contamination-pig-virus-dna.html
“In addition to pig viral DNA found in Rotarix vaccine, low levels of DNA fragments from avian (bird) leukosis virus (a retrovirus) was found in measles vaccine and DNA fragments of a virus similar to simian (monkey) retrovirus was found in RotaTeq vaccine.”
Killer Measles Vaccine Is Withdrawn And Other Vaccine Death Cases
http://www.vaccineriskawareness.com/Killer-Measles-Vaccine-Is-Withdrawn-And-Other-Vaccine-Death-Cases
Vaccine death stories –
http://www.thinktwice.com/stories.htm
Searchable Vaccine Death Memorial and Injury Database – shows victims, ages, vaccines and details of injuries/deaths
http://www.nvic.org/Vaccine-Memorial/Search-Memorial.aspx
In 2000, 17 infants died from Whooping Cough but 57 infants died after being vaccinated.
http://www.vaccinationnews.com/scandals/July_26_02/Scandal26.htm
Experts suspect most vaccine injuries and deaths go unreported so the number may be much higher.
Elias Tembenis DIED
http://www.ageofautism.com/2011/01/cbs-covers-court-award-for-dtap-whooping-cough-vaccine-death.html
DTP (includes Pertussis) vaccine associated with SIDS
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1647245/
DTP recalled after babies died in Alaska
http://www.epi.hss.state.ak.us/bulletins/docs/b1979_06.htm
The list goes on and on and on…
I’ll check them all out but the bottom line is that vaccines do more good than harm… if it is a Religious or other preference to choose not to vaccinate so be it. But there is no evidence… EVIDENCE… or proof, just suppositions that these vaccines CAUSE anything.
On your first claim, the final conclusion of the study says:
1 The number of claims filed by vaccine as reported by petitioners in claims since the VICP began on October 1, 1988, which have been compensated or dismissed by the U.S. Court of Federal Claims (Court). Claims can be compensated by a settlement between parties or a decision by the Court.
2 Claims filed for vaccines which are not covered under the VICP.
3 Insufficient information submitted to make a determination. The majority of these claims are part of the Omnibus Autism Proceedings.
Please note that the majority of the claims stem from the fraudulent findings of the one doctor who was found guilty of falsifying data linking autism to vaccines because he was paid millions by attorneys. These people were most likely compensated prior to this. This is a fact that has to be incorporated into the “whole picture”.
Before I go on let me tell you that it is illogical to think that at present anyone can alter their DNA simply by having a vaccine… this is only in the research stage. If it were true that it was that easy to alter DNA don’t you think rapists or murders on trial where DNA evidence is present would certainly get vaccinated to get ruled out as a suspect? That’s not happening yet, not as far as I know and I doubt it ever will. DNA has many purposes and one of those is identification. Give the experts a little credit – they aren’t going to trade off their ability to positively identify a suspect for a vaccine. Science however is about trial and error, learning, experimenting, failing and trying again.
On to the next…Oops… you forgot to include this statement in the article you referenced. “The mortality rate of non-immunized infants was 6.5 times that of immunized infants of the same age. Vaccine safety is NOT anti-vaccine.”
As for the article on “New Vaccine Technology Alters our DNA”… this is merely a study. I’m certain there are plenty of studies to the contrary. In this study it says “could be” and “may cause” not IS or causes. Dr. Robert Simpson of Rutgers University in 1976, when he addressed science writers at an American Cancer Society seminar, said “these proviruses (the slow process of DNA alterations over an unspecified period of time) could be molecules in search of a disease.” Dr. Wendell Winters, a virologist at the University of California noted, “immunizations may cause changes in slow viruses and changes in the DNA mechanism.”
Okay… on to the next! Your link to “Prison Planet” referencing a post by a person with a screenname of “Catalina” he/she references “Ratajczak’s article” Do you know who this guy is? He’s a quack!!! Dariusz Ratajczak died in 2010. He was a Polish historian, publicist and right-wing activist. In 1999 he was convicted of Holocaust denial in Poland. I’m not inclined to take his word for anything, but you’re welcome to if you like.
Do you really want me to continue to check out your “proof”. This is CRAZY… So far all of your “proof” isn’t any kind of proof of anything.
Okay… continuing on. Your next article references DNA Vaccines again… you must have missed that part that said “DNA-vaccines are nothing like the vaccines that have been used for the past 150 years” DNA Vaccines are in the research stage… they are not the vaccines presently used. IN fact, they may never evolve into anything.
Your next link to “ Vaccine Contamination: Pig Virus DNA Found in Rotarix” displays Page Not Found.
Next – This did not happen in this country – it happened in India. I already established that India uses very different vaccines than we do here in the USA. Add to that this article stating that this was caused a bad batch of immunization that was recalled i.e., “Ninety lakh measles vaccines procured from Indian Immunological Ltd in Hyderabad have been withdrawn by the Health Ministry. ”The batch is being recalled,” said Anbumani Ramadoss, Union Health Minister.”
I can’t believe you offered the next link as proof. All this link takes you to is average people telling their personal stories demonstrating that they believe the vaccine harmed their child. We know some people (such as yourself) are convinced that it’s better to contract the disease and see how it goes than it is to get vaccinated. This isn’t news. However, there are twice as many people who believe vaccines save lives. None of these stories in this link offers one iota of proof or medical expertise indicating any of their stories to be valid or true.
Next link. Of course there are SOME people harmed by vaccines. One would be a fool to think that anything is impossible. There are also SOME people harmed by bees, and SOME people harmed by peanut butter or shellfish. However, most people are not harmed or killed. I notice that you didn’t include a comparison list of those who were vaccinated and survived. Why is that? Could it be because according to the vast majority of the scientific community, the FDA and the medical experts have already established that the good that vaccines do significantly outweigh the risks. FYI – All medications, herbs, foods, grasses… you name it has the potential to harm SOME people.
I’ll continue on reading your links but seriously… did you read any of them before you posted?
One of your links is about the recall of the vaccine. This is not news – it was recalled so that the FDA could re-evaluate it. Several of the articles reference this but they go on to provide the “update” which was that the FDA found no merit to the claims or reason to continue to recall the vaccine so they provided a public update and the vaccine was reinstated.
The rest seem to be duplicates that I’ve already responded to. So you have provided ZERO proof of anything… that was the conclusion of the FDA too. So the vaccine stands at present and I’m sure they will continue to conduct research on other vaccines including the one that supposedly could or may alter DNA.
You wrote, “…the bottom line is that vaccines do more good than harm…”
Every parents of a child permanently injured or killed by a vaccine will vehemently disagree with you.
Courts have already agreed that some children have become autistic after being vaccinated and have compensated those individuals. Many more will undoubtedly be compensated in the years to come, too.
Family to Receive $1.5M+ in First-Ever Vaccine-Autism Court Award
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-31727_162-20015982-10391695.html
Italian Court Links MMR Vaccine to Autism
http://www.autismkey.com/italian-court-links-mmr-vaccine-to-autism/
And, you clearly don’t understand the scientific evidence of the altered DNA.
I do understand the altered DNA science more than you may realize. I also understand that this is NOT the vaccines we currently use and that these vaccines have not caused anything – at least not yet and they may never. Additionally the types of vaccines used in India, Nigeria, Afghanistan and Pakistan and other third world countries are live viruses – this is not the type of vaccines used in the USA. Data about deaths in third world countries related to vaccines is irrelevant to this topic and yet I see people referencing that data. In all the scientific research the words used in each article are “could” and “may.” This is not proof or a statement of fact by anyone. Actually it is very non-committal and essentially makes the author right regardless of how the the science and research progresses. As for scientific advances – I fully expect trial and error. That’s the price we pay for acquiring new knowledge. Since we as humans do not have all the answers I don’t see how it’s possible for us to move forward without failing some of the time.
I don’t disagree that parents whose children were harmed by a vaccine would disagree. And, I do acknowledge that there are certainly SOME, but that does not mean MOST children. Likewise, there are just as many parents and other people who agree with me that vaccines do more good than harm- including the vast majority of the medical community, most of the scientific community and the FDA already has already stated their position twice now.
I have no doubt that courts have determined that in SOME cases children were harmed by a vaccine. Obviously there are risks ranging from a rash to death and everything in between for SOME people who come in contact with almost anything, i.e., from eating peanuts, to exposure to both natural and unnatural things in their environment and yes, to vaccines. I personally am highly allergic to Penicillin and I know others who are as well… but that doesn’t mean I think it should be recalled. In my opinion, despite my extreme allergy to this mold, it does more good than it does harm. Just as we don’t conclude that peanuts need to be labeled “poison” or “not for consumption” there is no reason to ban vaccines or penicillin or any other medication when more studies show that these things do more good than harm.
And finally, before you say it… like so many other things every vaccine comes with a label or insert warning about the potential for a reaction. People can opt out of vaccines if it goes against their belief system. Therefore, I see no reason to remove the option for people to be vaccinated if they believe it does good.
You wrote: “I see no reason to remove the option for people to be vaccinated if they believe it does good.”
Please don’t put words in my mouth. I never said parents should not be permitted to vaccinate their children. What I am concerned about is “the-sky-is-falling” articles like this one that spread fear to increase vaccination rates while failing to fully disclose the dangers of vaccines to readers. Parents of vaccine-injured and -killed children have fallen for these types of scare tactics in the past with devastating results. Every parent of a vaccine-injured or -killed child wishes they’d investigated the vaccines fully before allowing medical professionals to inject toxins into their child’s body.
It seems to me that “the sky is falling” concept is coming from the “anti-vaccinate group. They are the group that is spreading the doom and gloom messages desperately trying to incite fear in people that vaccinations will kill their children… not the other way around. The people who are pro-vaccinate haven’t said anything more than they believe it’s necessary to vaccinate children.
Incorrect. Articles like the one above are what spread the sky-is-falling fear tactics with quotes like this (taken directly from this article):
a highly contagious respiratory disease that’s breaking out in pockets
Most of the 80 cases reported
the unrelenting cough can prove life-threatening
run out of oxygen and it can cause brain damage and seizures
often catch the disease from a loved one
The danger pertussis poses to babies
declared an epidemic of pertussis
and on and on.
Nowhere in the article do they stress the number of people or percentage who SURVIVE Pertussis with no lasting effects (the vast majority do) and nowhere in the article do they post the facts about vaccine dangers.
The article is meant to frighten parents into running out and getting their children vaccinated and some of those children may then be permanently maimed or even killed by the vaccine.
Are you saying that you believe medical personnel are overstating the number of cases of whooping cough in order to scare people? Or are you saying that you believe medical personnel are overstating the dangers of whooping cough just to scare people? What exactly do you think medical personnel are saying that is intended just to scare people?
The medical community has been clear on their position about vaccines. They have stated that they base their beliefs on their own first hand knowledge and on the conclusions arrived by the FDA. Both are saying that the benefits outweigh the risks. I don’t think they are saying this just to scare people.
No one disputes that there are some people who are harmed by vaccines – not the FDA nor medical personnel. The same is said of penicillin, peanut butter, shell fish and any other thing that can harm some people. What they are saying is that the benefits of the vaccine by far outweigh the risks. Does that scare you? It doesn’t scare me.
The proof the medical community and the FDA offer that vaccines work can be found in medical history where plagues and epidemics were ended by the use of vaccinations. This is not scary either…
On the other hand those who speak out against vaccines always use the words “could cause” or “may cause” which I consider non-committal and not even disputed. People who speak out against vaccines never say that the benefit of not vaccinating outweighs the risks. They simply offer up a few cases in India and even cases in the USA but that’s not disputed. What they don’t actually say is that it’s better to forgo vaccinations – that the benefit of not vaccinating outweighs the risks. Instead they tell you the worst that may or may not happen… I’ll bet the insert for the vaccine tells you that too!
What I clearly already stated was this article provided only one side of the story – the side that benefits big pharma (which profits from scare-tactic articles like this). This article failed to mention the counter-argument – that vaccines can also maim and kill and that the majority of people recover from Pertussis with no lasting effects. Please re-read my post above.
You are dead wrong that vaccines are the sole reason diseases started to disappear. That began before vaccines were introduced simply due to improved nutrition and hygiene.
‘According to the British Association for the Advancement of Science,
childhood diseases decreased 90% between 1850 and 1940, paralleling improved sanitation
and hygienic practices, well before mandatory vaccination programs. The Medical Sentinel
recently reported, “from 1911 to 1935, the four leading causes of childhood deaths
from infectious diseases in the U.S. were diphtheria, pertussis, scarlet fever, and
measles. However, by 1945 the combined death rates from these causes had declined by 95
percent, before the implementation of mass immunization programs.”(34)’
Ref: http://www.whale.to/v/phillips.html#VACCINATION%20MYTH%20#3:
It looks like you’re another one of those sheeple that believes everything Big Pharma is feeding to the masses in their never-ending attempt to fill their own pockets.
Sheep… haaa! Not hardly. Just because you and I have a difference of opinion that does not make me “sheep”. I would think you would have figured out that I speak MY mind… just as you do yours. But the name calling and accusations demonstrates that you obviously have some difficulty accepting differences of opinion.
Here’s the way I see it. You have your opinion and I have mine. I accept that your’s is different from mine but I’m not going to accuse you of supporting any particular group – not even the pharmaceutical industry – and I’m not going to try to insult you by dubbing you “sheep”. I don’t have to do these things because I can accept that people are not one-minded clones and I’m really glad about that. So, that said… neither one of us are sheep. Have a good day!
Pertussis has killed people too. A lot more people than have been killed by the vaccine.
Don’t be so sure.
In 2000, 17 infants died from Whooping Cough but 57 infants died after being vaccinated.
http://www.vaccinationnews.com…
A great amount of helpful info is online at National Vaccine Information Center.
For those that wish to learn more about the california outbreak … over half of the reported cases were in fact vaccinated:
http://www.kpbs.org/news/envision/whoopingcough/
I don’t agree with Big Medical pushing vaccines with media articles seemingly written to cause hysteria.
There were “80” cases reported. Apparently no one died. There are no statistics provided about permanent debilitation from this infection, indicating, in Maine, there were none observed.
So get a grip. There are a million Mainers. “80” minor illnesses is -nothing- in such a vast population.
The increased risk of catastrophic harm due to a bad batch of vaccine product, seems to say, mass vaccination, against this infection, is going way overboard, and is entirely unwarranted.
I think some big medical firm is likely just trying to sell Maine politicians on the idea that everyone should pay for their unnecessary product.
Medicine is not so much about health care as it is about profits for the health care industry.
This sort of medical propaganda is what make DHHS and MaineCare so unnecessarily expensive.
What’s going to happen when some of these unvaccinated kids get permanently disabled or die because their parent believes some Hollywood Dumb Blonde over common sense? You guys did catch the followup on that right? Not only did her son NOT get autism from his vaccines but it turns out he’s not even autistic. The ‘study’ she based her claims on was faked. (She didn’t fake it.. it was faked by some researchers and picked by her doctor because it was the only one that backed her claims.)
People seem to forget that the whole reason for vaccines to begin with is that people die from these ‘childhood illnesses’. Hey if you are ok with it being your kid, more power to ya. But my kids are vaccinated. My brother and I nearly died from chickenpox 40 years ago. We made it through.. scars and all. .. only to have a lifetime with a compromised immune system. I would never want to put my kids through that because of some pop culture bs.
Brilliant post.The fact that ANYONE would take medical advice from a Playmate and a Dr. who license is now suspended is proof enough.We write tickets for child endangerment for kids not being in car seats,adults smoking near kids,etc.Those actions don’t harm other kids the way a careless or ignorant parent does by skipping or ignoring vaccinations.The penalty for willingly putting your kids and mine at risk needs to be far greater.How about the ins cos. refuse payment if the kid isn’t vaccinated?No difference from them not paying for a fire caused by smoking.
Please be more informed. You should delve more deeply into the matter before you cast stones at other people (i.e. Dumb Blonde remark). An informed populace can make better decisions for their own families.
The CDC report does not say if the cases of Whooping Cough were from vaccinated children or not, but I would bank that all these children had been vaccinated, at the very least 70%.
According to the Indian Telegraph (http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120116/jsp/frontpage/story_15011108.jsp), there are more Indian children in 2011 that became paralyzed by the polio vaccine (180 cases) than those that contracted wild polio (63).
This Bangor Daily article admits that vaccinations do not equal immunizations, “Nationally, about 90 percent of children aged 19 to 35 months in the United States are vaccinated… Still other children catch whooping cough despite being vaccinated.”
These kids that contracted whooping cough were vaccinated, the common trend says so, and CDC conveniently omitted the numbers in this 2012 whooping cough dilemma.
I think its so funny when parents say that my child endangers their vaccinated child, because mine hasnt been vaccinated… All I can think is, if you believe in the science of vaccines, than how could my child endanger yours, if yours has been vaccinated?
I don’t understand this debate at all. I choose not to vaccinate my children, and yes, I’m EDUCATED. Probably more educated then most doctors about it. The difference, I don’t have a money interest in all this. It’s all about the dollar, not about ‘saving lives’. My children are NEVER sick. No one in my family has ever gotten the flu shot, or the flu. We watch year after year as people get these shots, then are sick for a week. It’s craziness to me. Besides, if you are vaccinating your children, they are safe from my kids anyway right?
What you don’t seem to realize is that there are children with compromised immune systems who cannot receive childhood immunizations. Your children (well, you) are putting them at grave risk. If you wish to forego vaccinations for your children, keep them home and out of doctors’ waiting rooms and all other public places. Ignorance and selfishness are a deadly combination.
These same children are well informed by medical
professionals on how to minimize any potential danger due to exposure and more
often than not they would be exposed by an immediate family member.
If you want to protect your immune compromised child, stay
away from your child.
Do you and your children ever leave your house? Are you constantly in a filtered bubble breathing clean room air? Do you bathe in anti-bacterial soap? While I agree with you and avoid flu shots, I hardly believe that you or your children have never had the flu. If you go out in public, its nearly impossible to avoid as the animals that live among us don’t bother to cover their mouths when they sneeze or wash their hands–at all. I usually get the flu at least once in the winter, maybe its because I work in an environment where there are a lot of people around me, but if you venture outside the walls of your house, I call BS that your family has never gotten the flu.
I have never had the flu and my children have never had the flu, so I don’t think it’s that crazy or impossible, my spouse has had it though.
and I should add that I worked in a school for 10 years, can’t get any germier than that:)
The last time anyone in my family contracted the flu was
1999. Oh wait, we were all vaccinated at the time. Haven’t had the vaccines or
the flu since because we learned from our mistakes.
Thirteen years flu free and we are very active in the
community and 2 members of my family are considered “high risk”. Of course one
family member has lifelong complications because of multiple year flu vaccine
failures. Once off the shot, nothing but improvement.
You can call it whatever you want although I have to no reason to lie on a blog. My children are almost 13 years old and go to the doctor once a year for sport physicals. They suffer from the occassional cold, but other then that, they don’t really get sick. We take care of our bodies nutritionally and do herbal remedies when neccessary. It works for us..obviously better then the vaccines since people are still getting sick with the diseases they are being told they’re being ‘protected’ from. You can disagree with me all you want, it’s your right as an American, but you don’t know me, or my family. 95% of disease is caused by the foods and meds the government feeds you, period. I’m sorry that you suffer from the flu once a year, that’s awful, perhaps you should look into a cleaner diet and a better multi-vitamin? P.s. Anti-bacterial soap DOESN’T WORK!!
What meds does the government give me, or anyone for that matter? Last time I knew my doctor would be the one to prescribe me medication who would most likely get pressure from the drug companies, not the government. Though I will say that doctors and hospitals are all too quick to hand out meds. My wife dislocated her finger a few weeks ago and the ER doctor was ready to give her very strong pain meds without any question–we both asked him why as she was not in so much pain that she required something so strong and he said it was just procedure. No wonder people get addicted to pain meds–go to the ER for something simple and they hand out pain meds like candy.
Anyway, I am on no medications at all. I do eat meat, but I buy from a local butcher shop over the grocery stores as its just significantly better quality. In the summer, I have my own vegetable garden and buy fresh from local farm stands when I can. I rarely eat junk food and usually cook meals from scratch as prepared meals and boxed stuff from the stores is nothing but preservatives and chemicals. Multi-vitamins are a waste of money and a joke. If you eat a balanced died of meat, vegetables, and fruits-you should get enough vitamins to be healthy.
I do not believe that the flu shot helps at all, when I took it back when I was in college, it seemed to always make me sick, so now I just avoid them completely. I do work in an environment though where I am around a lot of people, including many international people, and it seems the flu is just sometimes unavoidable–or maybe my immune system isn’t as solid as some. I’d love to know where your figure that 95% of disease is caused by foods and meds the government feeds us though–that doesn’t seem logical or right to me–it just sounds like the rantings of someone trying to use statistics to strengthen their argument. Vaccinations do help, you can dislike that or not, but there are some diseases that have been basically eradicated in this country thanks to vaccinations. You can deny that all you want, but herbal remedies don’t always fix the problem.
Lol no proof vaccines are unhealthy. What about monkes who are vaccinated getting autism. What about the fact that infectious diseases declined before vaccinations due to improved sanitation methods.
Vaccinated children are getting whooping cough too they just call it croup. To read peer reviewed literature about monkeys who received vaccines according to children vaccine schedule and then developed autism google monkeys develop autism. You ignorant peons can’t see a cover up. Risk your own kid not mine. If vaccines are so effective why is it a risk to your child if mine is not vaccinated. Because its bull. Gods will Faith in GOD NOT pharmacueticsls who regulate themselves just as tobacco companies did in the past. Wake up stop vaccinating your children.
“Risk your own kid not mine” — that’s an excellent way to put it!
Before I begin, let me be clear: I personally do NOT believe there is a link between vaccines and autism. I’m calling on readers to be informed, rather than defer their brains to popular thought.
1. Before pumping your young child with vaccines, GET INFORMED. Just read about what is in them. Understand that (a) the most common vaccines contain pure crap that is harmful to children and (b) there ARE alternative vaccines that don’t have said crap.
2. Most young children can hold off on vaccines for a few years, once their immune systems have undergone critical development. My son is four and we may begin his vaccines within the next few years. Prior to this our daughter, now a teenager, was fully vaccinated. She did have a few “mild adverse events” (e.g. fevers after shots, knots at the point of injection) but she seems to be developing into a healthy child. Anyway, their risk of contracting measles, mumps or rubella is very low and, even if they do, the risk of permanent damage or death is very unlikely as they can be treated.
3a. The US is addicted to vaccines: By age two, most kids “should” have as many as 40 vaccines. Compare that to 25 in the UK and 21 in Denmark (http://www.renewamerica.com/columns/janak/080605). Again: Is the immune system of an infant/toddler ready for all this?
3b. An adult, with a developed immune system, is VERY RARELY exposed to two serious viral infections, let alone three, at the same time. When an infant is exposed to the MMR shot, its young immune system is reacting to three pathogens – plus, in most cases, the additional chemicals in the vaccine — all at once. Can we say this is really safe? The ONLY reason for the MMR shot is to spare the child two additional shots — read: Convenience (and perhaps cost). There is arguably less risk to the child when he or she is exposed to one pathogen at a time, and at a later age when their immune system is more mature.
4. Chicken Pox vaccine = corporate welfare. This is a scam. CP is not a major life-threatening disease, and deaths associated to it are uncommon (and likely linked to other health factors). Prior to the vaccine less than 150 deaths were directly or “indirectly associated with” CP. Roughly 2,000 kids die each year in auto accidents, for which there is no vaccine. Here’s more on chicken pox: http://www.mothering.com/community/t/209443/chicken-pox-why-do-children-die
There are some great posts below that echo these sentiments. I’m not outright opposed to vaccines, but I am opposed to people being willfully ignorant on both sides of the issue. Your kids are worth the time spent reading up on this and getting informed.
Parents who don’t vaccinate their children should have their kids taken away for negligence.
It’s simple, free and DOES prevent early painful deaths.
Parents or family members who infect the young due to a
false belief that they are immune should also have their kids taken away for
negligence. The vast majority of children under a year old are infected by
their parents or family members.
“Just over 60 percent of infant pertussis is gotten from a
family member; half of those are from mom,”
We could say the same about parents who DO vaccinate their children because most parents just take the word of the ‘medical community’ and don’t bother to do the research themselves. There are more dangers to vaccines then most people know, or want to know. Same with the foods on the shelves at the grocery stores. The truth is, Amercians like simple. They don’t WANT to know the truth, they just want to believe they’re doing the right thing and be able to trust the doctor that told them so. Ever wonder why there are new commercials everyday for lawyers seeking out clients that were harmed by drugs? Why there are so many recalls on meds and foods? Ever wonder why natural, safe and healthy rememdies aren’t approved by the FDA? Because it’s all a scam. The harsh fact is this…sick people bring in more money, period. Don’t hate people for making what they feel is the right choice for their family just because you disagree. I’m not a negligent parent for not getting my kids vaccinated. It’s not like I’m just to lazy to drive them to the doctor, I’ve done A LOT of research and reading and made an informed decision, just as I’m sure you did. Like I said before, if you’re children are vaccinated, it shouldn’t be an issue. What would you say to the thousands (probably unrecorded millions) of parents who lost their young daughters to the HPV vaccine? Or to people who have had complications due to shots, meds, etc.? There are more then you think! More and more ‘symptoms’ are being linked to vaccines everyday. I’m not going to expose my kids now just because some medical community voted on it and find out 10 years down the road…oops, maybe it wasn’t such a good idea after all!
It’s not difficult to understand. The more parents opt out of getting their children fully immunized the more we will see rises in these once eradicated diseases. Parents who are opting out of getting their kids immunized are counting on something called “herd immunity” to protect their kids, but there is a limit to herd immunity, and we’re starting to see that now.
The
discussion concerning “herd immunity” is completely worthless when it comes to
pertussis. The number of cases has been increasing for over 30 years now. The
vast majority of diagnosed cases are in the vaccinated population because the predominate
strain isn’t covered in the vaccine. Epidemiological studies put the
effectiveness of the vaccine at 3 to 4 years so the vast majority of adults are
not immune right now and they are the ones that endanger their own children.
Since adults will not get vaccinated every 3 to 4 years, herd immunity will
never happen for pertussis.
Rubella seems to be a fairly harmless disease by itself…unless a pregnant woman who is unvaccinated or has decreased immunity is exposed to the virus while pregnant. Congenital rubella syndrome affects and condemns a child to lifelong physical and intellectual handicaps before they even enter the world.
Our son has autism, and receives his vaccines. Rubella probably wouldn’t slow him down, but he would be contagious before we knew he had it, and could potentially alter another family’s life forever by a brief exposure in passing (like through the grocery store). Knowing what it is like to have a developmentally disabled child, how could we make a choice like that which could have a similar effect on another family? Ladies, if you are considering expanding your family, please also consider checking your rubella titre to protect your future newest addition to the family.
Whether or not you are for or against, consider this: my BCBS won’t cover an adult booster that I am willing to get, and for some reason they won’t cover the cost of a flu shot either. For that matter, I don’t think our policy covers much of anything at all, except possibly someone’s vacation time or bonuses…
People need to think for themselves and not just spout what the talking heads are instructing us to do. Here are a couple of interesting links I’ve encountered over the last couple days regarding the vaccination topic.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXX9rOqtqsw&feature=share
http://digitalcommons.pace.edu/pelr/vol28/iss2/6/
The great thing about the internet is that anyone can be published. The bad thing about the internet is that anyone can be published.
I’m not saying I agree or disagree – get shots for your kids or don’t, I’m ok either way with your decision as well as your right to make that decision. Using a “Youtube Blog” as a reference though? Totally sketchy.
Do you only believe the mainstream media? I learned in college 15 years ago that they were owned by the big corps.
Whatever happened to independent thought? The blogger did a nice job showing his sources and presenting his hypothesis. I’m on the fence regarding the topic – get really suspicious when docs try to stick five or six needles in my kids in one visit. They get all high and mighty and I just counter with the argument that my veterinarian would never give that many shots to my horses, why on EARTH do it to someone much smaller….sigh.
Think outside the box is all I’m sayin’.
Independent thought shouldn’t be thought of as choosing a different media outlet or source, that’s like saying the information presented in the Boston Globe is better than the information presented in the Boston Herald or Bangor Daily News. I’m more concerned with the information presented and science behind it like were they double blind studies? were they replicated with the same results? What was the size of the study population? Control variables? Who funded the study? etc. If I have that kind of info then it isn’t important who reports it.
Thinking can lead to a hypothesis, but thinking something is a certain way isn’t enough to make it true.
We need to draw our own conclusions, not swallow what we’re spoon fed. A fellow human giving a shoutout on a blog is absolutely valid. I’ve taken what he said and placed it under my thinking cap – didn’t snort it up my nose and get high on it. I’ve just made note of it for further reference instead of saying “Oh, he is just a blogger, there’s no way he could blah blah blah.”
THAT is what I mean byindependent thought. Your tangent about studies really had nothing to do with what I was trying to get at. We are all capable of studying on our own by astute observation.
lol! if only astute observation was enough to get me an MD license or at least hired in a biological research lab…. No hard feelings. The beauty of living here is that everyone can believe and say whatever they want, and whether or not there is any validity to it is irrelevant ;)
Maine is unlike other states that make vaccinations mandatory. Just think of the selfishness of one parent not vaccinating their child only to bring this child to the dr’s after being sick and some women with a new born that is not old enough to be vaccinated is in the same waiting room being exposed to a child hood disease that could be prevented and that unprotected newborn dies as a result.I know that if I was a pediatrician I would not except any children not vaccinated as patients as they could put others in harms way.
This sentence is also as factually possible as yours:
“Just think of the selfishness of one parent vaccinating
their child only to bring this child to the dr’s after being sick and some
women with a new born that is not old enough to be vaccinated is in the same
waiting room being exposed to a child hood disease that wasn’t prevented and
that unprotected newborn dies as a result.
This is the factually most correct statement you could make:
I know that if I was a pediatrician I would not except any patients
as they could put others in harms way.