I bet you freaked out just a little bit when you read the title right? Megan? Leaving the anti-vaccination movement? Sorry to disappoint you. Someone would have to prove to me that God does not exist, I would have to switch religions, and someone would have to conduct a study showing vaccines are safe, effective, and do not have adverse reactions. To be perfectly honest though, I really don’t like these labels. I don’t vaccinate, but I respect your right to do otherwise. Is there a pro-parental rights movement? If so, sign me up for that one.
Needless to say there’s a new blogger on the scene who’s written a fairly popular post about why she left the anti-vaccination movement. Surprisingly, I found her tone of voice refreshing. She seems nice and she’s super cute too. She’s wearing a red dress on her home page and it made me want to go out and get a hot picture of myself in a red dress too. Alas’ I am a mom and the last time I wore a red dress was a Christmas nightgown I got from my Grandma when I was seven. She’s dead and so is that nightgown.
Regardless, I’d really like to be her friend (I wonder if she has friends who don’t vaccinate). However, I think all friendships should start off on the right foot, which is why I feel like we need to talk about this post.
As a mother, I haven’t given vaccinations to thousands of children, let alone my own. My mom is a nurse. My sister is an educator who is rocking the “stay at home mama movement” like me. My other sister is a chiropractor with a degree in biology. My husband is a physician with a degree in biology and a minor in chemistry. I just have a law degree. Nothing special. Just a little something I picked up to help me read, write, research, and think critically. Although my mom vaccinated us on what was a much smaller schedule when I was younger, she regrets that decision and refuses to give vaccinations now. To be perfectly honest, no one in our family vaccinates. We can’t…now that we know what we know.
I have no idea what pediatric nurse practitioners learn in school. What I do know is that physicians (although highly educated) learn next to nothing about vaccines. They are told to give them and shown a picture of a child in an iron lung or a kid with measles in a third-world country. They take immunology of course, but that is not the same as vaccinology. Despite their training, doctors (and scientists) know very little about the immune system which is why there is no medical cure for any chronic autoimmune disease. This should comfort us all.
Pediatricians of course, learn how to give vaccinations. They have to order these expensive vaccines with expiration dates and if you don’t vaccinate, they’re out money…lots and lots of money. They’re also out state excise taxes and insurance reimbursements. They are not trained to acknowledge or recognize vaccine injuries nor could they give you any drug to cure your child should they experience an adverse reaction. They didn’t learn any of this in their immunology class nor did they learn how any of the ingredients vaccines contain affect the immune system. To your surprise, they didn’t pour through the clinical trials or post-licensure studies. Very few have even read the package inserts because vaccines are presumed safe right?
Nurses are excellent at giving vaccinations. Seriously, they have a great technique (minus that one nurse who accidentally permanently injured my mom’s shoulder with a flu shot jab). They know how to store, prepare, and administer them. Most of the time this is done correctly, but I have never met a nurse who has had more training on vaccinations than a physician. Have you?
In Kid Nurse’s post she basically states that she took a pro-vaccine stance because there was no evidence to support that vaccines cause autism or shattered immune systems, because the small pox vaccine eradicated small pox, because a measles outbreak occurred in her area, she has a great uncle who is in a wheelchair because of polio, and she watched a 1-month old baby fight for its life from pertussis.
All of these are perfectly valid emotional reasons to vaccinate. However, I think if you’re going to get on your camel and make a journey to the “other side, “of the desert, you should probably do so on accurate assumption. And, since I miss taking tests, let’s do this true/false style:
Small pox was eradicated by the vaccine. False.
Small pox had greatly declined before the vaccine, increased after the vaccine in westernized countries, and was effectively eradicated in third-world countries due to the surveillance and containment quarantine program. The small pox vaccine was actually flawed, deadly, and ineffective, killing many and inflicting even more with serious adverse reactions. Small pox eventually exterminated itself when people had access to clean water, good food, clean living conditions, and proper hygiene. (For a very well-referenced book on the history of small pox, read this. Check out the package insert for the small pox vaccine here.)
Immunizations and vaccinations are interchangeable terms. False.
Guys, we have got to stop throwing around the terms “immunization” and vaccination as if they’re synonymous. Immunization is the process by which a person becomes immune to a disease. Vaccination does not guarantee immunity and any immunity given is temporary.
There is supposedly no “causal” connection between vaccines and autism. True.
There’s just a whole bunch of studies where children who were vaccinated got autism; a vaccine package insert that listed autism as a potential adverse reaction; court cases won by children who developed autism post-vaccination; studies that link seizures, brain encephalopathy, and gut disorders to vaccines and studies that link seizures, gut disorders, and brain encephalopathy to autism; a vaccine removed from the market because it caused brain damage in children (i.e. autism & DPT), studies on the ingredients in vaccines that cause autism, and a whole bunch of empirical data that is super important unless…it pertains to autism.
The best way to protect a baby from pertussis is to vaccinate. False.
Many people decide to vaccinate after they see a child injured from pertussis. Many people decide not to vaccinate because they have seen a child injured from the pertussis vaccine. These are both emotional arguments. The truth of the matter is that babies would be protected from many diseases if mothers acquired lifetime immunity via natural exposure and subsequently passed protective antibodies to their babies. Vaccines destroy this passive immunity and put our infants at risk. However, since neither the vaccine nor pertussis give lifetime immunity we now give ineffective, untested, dangerous, “Category C” Tdap vaccines to pregnant women.
That aside, as reported in 2012 by every major news outlet and confirmed by the CDC, the Dtap vaccine is ineffective and wanes over time which is why we see pertussis outbreaks occurring in almost exclusively vaccinated populations, why those vaccinated are becoming asymptomatic carriers for the disease, and why “the number of reported pertussis cases have been steadily increasing since the 1980s.” Other news sources have reported that the pertussis bacteria is becoming resistant to the vaccine and that B. parapertussis might actually be to blame for some of the outbreaks. According to the New England Journal of Medicine, even after five doses of Dtap a person’s chance of acquiring pertussis increases by 42% each year.
So, a vaccine gives us temporary (if any) immunity, with junk ingredients, and a chance of adverse reactions like eczema, bronchitis, respiratory infections, encephalopathy, cough (which I find ironic), and SIDS. No thanks. There are better way to protect ourselves and our children from pertussis.
Polio is scary. False…
Unless you actually had polio. Believe it or not, polio is asymptomatic in 95% of people who actually get it; and prior to polio vaccine licensure, anything with paralysis lasting longer than 24 hours would have yielded a polio diagnosis. Aseptic and viral meningitis, Coxsackie virus, hand foot mouth, transverse myelitis, Guillain-Barré Syndrome, Syphilis, DDT, arsenic, and lead poisoning etc. were all diagnosed as polio prior to the vaccine. Seriously, you could play dead and get a polio diagnosis.
After vaccine licensure, diagnostic criteria changed to make the vaccine look more effective. The 220, 365 cases of non-paralytic polio that occurred between 1960 and 1992 were now labeled “aseptic meningitis.” This is just one of many examples. Not to mention that the only cases of polio recorded between 1973 and 2000 were caused by the vaccine. So we should all ask ourselves, did our dear friend, neighbor, or relative with polio actually have polio? If they did have polio, was it caused by the vaccine? Are they in a wheel-chair? If so, was it due to the barbaric methods used by the medical profession to treat polio? While we’re at it, does our dear friend, neighbor, or relative have cancer? If so, was it caused by the polio vaccine?
True/false aside, here are some really good reasons to leave the “anti-vaccination movement:”
Double-blind, inert/saline placebo-controlled clinical trials show vaccines are safe. None have been done to date.
Studies show that vaccinated children are healthier than unvaccinated children. No large-scale study in the United States has been done to date.
Studies show vaccines do not have adverse reactions. Currently, all vaccines have possible adverse reactions.
Studies show vaccines do not cause any health conditions, including the ones they’re designed to prevent. All vaccines can and have caused the very diseases they’re designed to prevent.
Studies show that herd immunity applies to vaccinations. It has been presumed that herd immunity applies to vaccines.
Studies show vaccines actually prevent disease. Currently, not a single study to date has proven this. This hypothesis is dependent upon the assumption that every single person would have gotten the disease if they weren’t vaccinated and that vaccinations are the only way to prevent disease.
Vaccines gives lifetime immunity. Currently, not a single vaccine offers lifetime immunity.
And my favorite…science proves vaccines do a better job at preventing disease than my God-given immune system. If you don’t believe in God, “studies show biology missed something when it gave every man and animal on the planet an immune system.”
Clearly, I’m not taking a journey any time soon. Vaccines or not, I hope we can be friends. I’ve found this red dress I’m just dying to try on.
Our son is almost 13 months, and we just transferred to a new pediatrician. All the pediatric clinics around us scare people to take vaccines. Since this was our 3rd clinic transfer (our last doctor just retired and he was the only flexible doctor who respected our decision to not vaccinate – and by respect, I mean he never asked us about it since our first visit LOL), I just caved today. My husband and I are afraid of whooping cough or having our son contract mumps (there is an outbreak around us); and so I agreed to have our son vaccinated with the MMR, HepA, Varicella, and Pedirax shots today. I really wish I didn’t get him vaccinated though….it sucks not having doctors around that truly listen to the patients concerns. 😥 #allworriednow #ifeelwimpy
So, so sorry. Yes, I know they put tremendous pressure on you and it is SO hard. You don’t have to do anymore and pray no harm was done. Don’t beat yourself up. Just pray for your child, help him detox and go on with life. Many people vax their first and then quit. You can be one of them!
So, I pretty much love you! Can we be friends 😍
Of course. 🙂
Dear Megan,
I am a mom of 3 boys, the first 2 boys are vaccinated according to my own schedule in order to prevent multiple shots per one visit. When I gave birth to a 3rd boy I started to do my own research and have realized I made a mistake. While I’m thankful for all the articles you’ve wrote or posted, I have to tell you that you should really be more gentle and compassionate while writing them. After reading some of your posts I started to panic and think that I’m a bad mother and I have done such a bad decision. I see same comments from other parents. The feeling of guilt was never leaving me for several weeks. My 2 years old has eczema, it did not start right away after the vaccine he received. And usually dairy products were causing eczema condition getting worse. But in my mind I have already pictured myself being a monster mom who let this happen to my precious boy. In order to find other way to treat his eczema i contacted a very knowledgeable naturopath. Yes, she confirmed that I made a good decision not to vaccinate a 3rd boy, but she said to stop feeling guilty as there is no 100% answer if vaccine has caused his eczema, since my mom has asthma and my husband was allergic to eggs when small. Yes, vaccines are not good, but not ALL the health problems are the results of vaccination. Radiation, GMO, polluted air and water, luck of exercise……You cannot blame only vaccines for every little thing. I’m not going to live my life in fear, that my kids will have autism, cancer, asthma, all possible disorders because of the wrong decision I made. I’m sure you and me and many other moms want only the best for our kids. Yes what’s done is done. Praise God my boys are healthy and eczema is improving and almost gone. Please be more sensitive!
Hi Maria- my three children have eczema, and none of them were vaccinated. So don’t stress yourself out on what is out of your control, but keep congratulating yourself on waking up to the consequences of a pharmaceutical lifestyle, when most prefer to bury their heads in the sand 🙂
Thank you so much! You made my day! That’s exactly what I wanted to hear. I have changed a lot the lifestyle of our family. Thanks to people like Megan I have learned a lot. But the process of “waking up to the consequences of a pharmaceutical lifestyle” was painful, that’s why the words of support make a huge difference!
AMEN!!!-“I’m not going to live my life in fear.” I JUST LOVED THIS! YOU Go Maria! Plus our babies were born for such times as this. and God is always always good! and he gives us mamas authority to do what is best for our babies <3 I pray many blessing and wisdom for all of us mamas!
Loved this post as a nursing student entering the hospital in just a month and a half as a registered nurse we as nurses never are taught what is in vaccines and the problems they can cause all we hear is what good they do. But from the view of someone in the hospital I can guarantee you that we don’t all agree on vaccinating our kids but we are required by our facility to encourage patients to get vaccinated and we can’t do otherwise.
I agree, vaccines are scary, but so is not doing them. I do wish we could cut them back to a few essential ones and not the 50+ that get pumped in with 2 needles (I’m exaggerating a little). I have three children spanning 18 years so I have seen a LOT of changes over the years. My oldest actually got a live polio vaccine, then had to get the other kind a few years later. My middle son use to get fevers over 104 degrees with all of his baby shots. The whole thing scares me. But, how do you all get around the state laws for daycares and schools? We can’t all stay home. We can’t all homeschool. We want women to succeed in business, medicine, education, etc. how do we do it all? If we could push for less vaccines instead of none I think there would be more support and possibly regulation changes. But pushing for no vaccines is just too extreme, and too scary for this mother. I do worry about measles, mumps and rubella. I don’t want my babies to suffer from something we can essentially prevent. And if it’s not permanent, then we get boosters.
Katrina, as of right now, April 2017, every state (besides CA) offers waivers that are not for medical reasons. Some states offer religious waivers, some personal, some both. Kids can go to school and not be vaccinated. They just want you to think that they can’t attend unless they don’t have shots. If you prefer a delayed schedule I encourage you to look into your states laws on vaccine exemption 🙂
Mississippi and West Virginia have only a medical vaccine waiver thus making it 3 states.
MS only has a medical waiver. There is no religious or philosophical waiver here.
While it may seem like children get more vaccinations now than in the past, children today actually receive far fewer antigens in the shots, and they are even less taxing on the immune system than in the past (which is obviously minimal). The number of needle sticks is irrelevant.
Here:
“For one thing, slow vaxxing is not actually old-fashioned. The old-fashioned way to vaccinate was quite the opposite: We used to wallop a child with an enormous dose of antigens all at once. The smallpox vaccine that Trump likely received as an infant required his immune system to respond to 200 different proteins. Today the entire compliment of child vaccines contains just 160 proteins. Children do receive 10 times more shots today than they did a century ago, but the number of needle sticks is irrelevant—it’s the size of the immune challenge that matters. Of course, you need some scientific literacy to understand this difference.
Furthermore, Trump’s claim that we “pump children with so much at a very young age” reflects a widely held concern that the current vaccine schedule can overwhelm a child’s immune system. This is nonsense. Yes, a vaccine exposes a child to a very small amount of a virus. Conservative estimates suggest that the infant immune system could likely respond to more than 10,000 vaccines in a single doctor’s visit. Put differently, vaccines occupy about 0.1 percent of an infant’s immune capacity. A baby encounters more microbes on its trip through the birth canal than from vaccines.”
Hey, Sabrina, when words like “nonsense” are used, the writer is usually a Big Pharma astroturfer. But you might be interested to learn something anyway:
The antigens aren’t the main problem; it’s the adjuvants like aluminum (neurotoxin), glyphosate (yes, same as on GMO foods), and polysorbate, to name a few.
Each dose of antigen – and there are 49 now before age 6 – brings with it 150-200mcg of aluminum, for example, in each dose – even when several antigens are combined in one shot. OK… and the US FDA states clearly that anything over 5 mcg of aluminum per kg of body weight is dangerous.
So you do the math. And I’ll use your phrase to close: “Of course, you’d need some type of scientific literacy for that.”
Not to mention the DNA fragments that are now suspected of harming Neuro development.
Just a little reading for you about Aluminium I think you will find its fine
https://vaxplanations.wordpress.com/2014/04/11/is-the-aluminium-in-vaccines-a-dangerous-amount-is-it-toxic/
And it has links as well to back up its points.
Science, its good
No, nope and no way.
1. You are omitting that vaccines bypass the gut and go directly into the bloodstream, bypassing innate means of immune system protection. Arguing that a newborn has greater exposure to pathogens in the birth canal is not the same
2. You seem to think that arguing adverse affects via vaccines is directly proportional to the amount of virus (attenuated or otherwise) is the issue. It is the other ingredients in the cocktail, like preservatives, stabilizers, carriers, that aggravate the immune response in a newborn or infant, creating health problems.
I am 68 and was never vaxxed and am still alive anyone one my age or older was never vaxxed. My 6 siblings were never vaxxed. We all had the childhood diseases and they actually build a strong immune system and this is one way to prevent cancer as the immune system is there major killer. 70% of the immune system is in the gut so gut problems are serious. A baby’s immune system develops slowly for a reason. Before age 3 it’s detox systems are not up and running, like the liver, kidneys. When I was pregnant you were not supposed to take anything that could harm the fetus. I never even took an asprin and now they are forcing pregnant nurses to take a flu shot loaded w mercury which goes straight to the ftus. You canot convince me that giving a vaccine loaded w toxins helps improved health. Polysorbate 80 allows these neurotoxins to enter the blood brain barrier, hence all the neuro diseases. These so call antibodies they generate are manufactured and you will never encounter these in nature. I fear for the coming generation. As for home schooling, I went to a parents daycare. Why can’t we do that w groups of mothers, retired teachers, grandparents, student volunteers, thereby by passing the school system. I breast fed my son for 20 months, had a 20 hour home birth ro a 9 lb 14 baby boy. OUCHHe I think he may have had the chicken pox but it was so mild I couldn’t tell. Vaxs have almost quadrupled since he was born. OUCH. We don’t need to give DayOne infants toxic vaccines and have the highest DAY ONE Infant mortality rate in the developed world COMBINED. Infectious disease we cleared up by the late 1940’s due to sanitation, clean water, nutrition. If there could be a study done of all the untaxed children vs vaxxed children it would prove a great dealt that takes money. I would not van against non legal diseases.
Well said Laura. I am an unvaxxed 38 yr old and I had measels and a case of mild chicken pox. I’ve never had mumps, rubella or pertussis, however I know people who have been vaccinated and had pertussis twice, both my friend and her daughter, and the 1st thing she did was rant “you unvaccinated people are spreading it.” I interjected and just let her know that simply was irrational and untrue, how can someone spread a disease they don’t even have?
My mum didn’t vaccinate my sister or me. I have never been sick seriously and nursed three of my kids through chicken pox but never had it, my doctor say’s I’m one of 5% who are naturally immune. I remember rubbing against my sister Willow Sunshine when she had them to get out of school but no it didn’t work
Mu son is 10. He hasn’t been vaccinated. I know lots of people who don’t vaccinate.
Thank you so much for sharing ❤️Keep sharing facts xx
My 6 month old daughter was partially vaccinated for pertussis. She was hospitalized with pertussis at 6 months. So scary. She contracted pertussis from her fully vaccinated 17 year old sister. The head dr at children’s could not give me an answer to the reason my baby contracted pertussis from her FULLY vaccinated sister. ..he just said, we are still in the research stage and are cAoming to a conclusion that boosters are needed. I did not vaccinate my last two children because of how many vaccines they want to administer. So many more than when my 17 year old was born. I decided to get my 6 month old vaccinated for pertussis because there was an outbreak in an Amish community near us. I wish I had never decided to vaccinate. Dr’s want me to trust them that what they are injecting in my baby is safe….while they are still in the research stage. No thanks.
Just stop it! You couldn’t be more wrong with your “facts” and endangering lives of children with your message of anti-vaccination. I’m a scientist who has studied this subject for 30 years and can conclusively tell you that vaccines are essential. All the readers on this website, please listen to doctors and scientists rather than stay at home moms and idiot celebrities that know nothing about the facts.
It’s ok to admit you do not know everything. It might hurt a bit but it’s ok. We already know you do not. Get over it.
This stay at home mom has given real facts and true logic. You just sound like a bully – dogma much!?
Vaccines are essential for what? Not for good health. I have two unvaccinated daughters who enjoy sensational health as proof of that. Sadly, their brother was vaccinated and he had a serious reaction with each round of shots. His sisters will remain unmedicated. I’m not about to give them prophylactic drugs that have known negative side effects. They also decline vaccinations for themselves. As teenagers just as they are able to consent to vaccines independently of their parents they are equally able to decline vaccines.
Boris, I can tell by the way you talk that your not an educated scientist! You teach with compassion not anger.
More fear mongering, doctors and scientist knows best craps! Obviously you are poor at studying things. You don’t debate well either. Where are all your facts? But this is normal coming from doctors and scientists. We are just supposed to believe whatever you say and not use our brain cells. I am sorry but you are not the only person that can make an educated decision. Just because you are a doctor or scientist doesn’t make you smarter.
We listen to the doctors that do their own research. There is no true scientific evidence that vaccines work and are safe , so I don’t know what you have been studying for 30 years ?
Thank you for being a voice of reason, Boris! I wonder if antivax parents would be able to look into other parent’s eyes if their unvaccinated child was the reason their newborn died. The person who understands value of vaccines is a doctor who worked in remote places of Africa where parents would do anything to protect their children with vaccines. Blaming companies that they make money on vaccines is like blaming yourself for getting paid for work you do.
An unvaccinated child, or anyone else who is ill, should not be around a newborn.
An unvaccinated child who is not I’ll poses no threat, unlike recently vaccinated people who can shed
So glad you don’t have to worry when I look into eyes of my autistic child.
I’m confused about the statement…
“vaccine removed from the market because it caused brain damage in children (i.e. autism & DPT),”. Can you please clarify which vaccine was removed from the market? Thank you.
Tripedia – The DPT vaccine was replaced with DTaP. Autism (and SIDS) are listed on page 11 of the insert.
I really enjoyed this blog! I am a registered nurse with a masters in nursing and a masters in healthcare administration ( MSN / MHA). I have to agree that nurses do not receive much education on vaccines besides how to administer them and tactics to get everyone to want them. It made me feel like a car salesperson promoting the most expensive car in order to increase sales an left an awful taste in my mouth. I also have a personal interest in this as I am a survivor of Guillian Barre Syndrome which I contracted from a Tetanus vaccination when I was 18. I was paralyzed from my neck down with some facial impairment. It took almost 2 months in a nursing home and over a year to recover. I now have Ankylosing Spondylitis which my doctors believes occurred at an earlier age due to my past medical History with GBS. I work in a nursing home that thankfully does not force me to be vaccinated (because any vaccine can cause a relapse) but I run the risk of being mandated to receive vaccines if certain organizations have their way. As the supervisor I am “encouraged” to vaccinate as many residents in my building as I can…. I can see both sides of The issue. I know what damage vaccines can do, but I also have seen the flu wreck havoc on a unit causing multiple deaths for those with weakened immune systems. When I discuss vaccines with residents I always discuss the positives and the negatives of vaccination, I believe that people should have the whole story to be well informed to make a desicion on whether to vaccinate or not, not just the “party line”. What we need is a hard look at the current vaccines and to develop safer vaccines with less side effects. As of right now I will remain a supporter of the anti vaccine movement.
The flu vaccine does not statistically work. It also still has thimerisol in it to boot! Older people especially, are prone to damage & accelerated dementia from that vaccine. If they [and all of us] all got blood tests for Vit/Mineral deficiencies & replenished accordingly, MANY wouldn’t sick, or at least not detrimentally sick. Elevating Vit-D levels alone Probably work better then any damn flu shot, add high dose liposomal Vit-C, (watch on YouTube, Dr. Suzanne Humphries lecture on Vit-C) or preferably intravenous Vit-C, a good multi-strain pro-biotic, eating fermented foods, selenium, magnesium, & N-Acytyl-L-Cysteine to raise levels of Glutathione. Most people would probably never even get a cold or flu. If they did, it would be minimal, short-lived & certainly non-life-threatening.
Of course, you’d probably get fired for recommending any of this! Use it for yourself though, to protect your health & wellness. ☮️ Peace
I couldn’t agree more, Cheryl.
Excellent advise Cheryl!lynne
Thiomersal was removed from UK vaccines between 2003 and 2005, and is no longer found in any of the childhood or adult vaccines routinely used in the UK. Before 2005, thiomersal was present in diphtheria- and tetanus-containing vaccines, as well as hepatitis B vaccine and some flu vaccines. It was not used in the MMR vaccine, the Hib vaccine, the MenC vaccine, the oral polio vaccine or the BCG vaccine. Since 2005, thiomersal has only been present in non-routine vaccines such as hepatitis B, and occasionally in some of the annual inactivated flu vaccines. Thiomersal was present in the Swine Flu (H1N1) vaccine Pandemrix, used in the 2009-10 and 2010-11 flu seasons in the UK. However, it is not present in any of the annual flu vaccines currently in use in the UK.
Yes- there is a parental rights organization http://www.parentalrights.org/ 🙂
Also, how do you deal with the required vaccines to enter some countries? An what is a good resource on how to naturally protect yourself from pertussis.
while this does not deal with prevention, it does deal with treatment of pertussis. you will also find many other great uses for vitamin c in the article.
http://drsuzanne.net/dr-suzanne-humphries-oral-intravenous-vitamin-c/
4 of my unvaccinated children had pertusses last year.
Treatment consisted of high dosesses of Vit C every two hours, a good pro-biotic every alternating hour, and good old hourly steaming. My then two week old breastfed son did not get it.
I only discovered this vit C treatment after two weeks of illness, and when we started this treatment, recovery was rapid. Coughing stopped almost immediately, but if we left off the steaming, the coughing came back. It was not a walk in the park, but also not that terrible.
No country requires you to vaccinate to enter, they may suggest, but that’s it.
Some countries do require vaccines.
i love this! excellent post! i have 4 kids and been mom for over 10 years now…i wavered greatly with vaccines. my husband was so for them…so it was quite a tense subject for us. though over 10 years ago i feel it was a little harder to “find” all the info we have such access to now with social media and the documentaries being created….so i followed dr. sears and did pick and choose some vaccines (though i look back now and still feel it was a fear based decision that “what if they get that”…) i delayed; spread them out; chose not to get certain ones….thankfully our doctor is very parental choice so he never pushed them one bit. now by my 4th child she also has had some but really just handful and not the full doses of any. no boosters at 2 or 4 yrs….and i intend to not give them anymore from here on out! i’ve grown for sure in my confidence that this is what is best….and i would do it differently if i could start over for sure! i’m thankful we had no horrific reactions or any serious damage from my decisions back then. we do have few allergies and work hard on gut health now to restore immunity that may be weaker and more susceptible to illnesses in winter months for sure! but the more reactions from these vaccines the more my heart breaks wanting everyone to stop doing this to our children! eventually we are going to have so many within our population that need chronic care and unable to function in society independently…and this is sad when this is avoidable! thank you for this!
Oh good god. You really think doctors are so stupid they can’t tell the difference between polio and syphilis?
Apparently, doctors have forgotten how to diagnose common childhood illnesses. I’ve had to inform two mothers that their doctor was wrong and their children had measles. One doctor had put a baby on thrush medication – he didn’t recognise the tell tale koplic spots and failed to recognise that fever indicated a virus. One doctor felt as the child was vaccinated the illness couldn’t be measles. So, if they are missing other diseases I”m not surprised.
Really appreciated your blog, both the information and the tone. My son sent it to me, as he knows my background and interest in this topic. I have added it as a link on my Healthy Living blog (written in 2012) I hope this is OK with you.
http://cogwebcast.com/healthy-living/vaccination-what-does-the-bible-say/
Hi Carolanne,
So glad you liked my post! 😉
Totally okay to link.
~Megan
I just came across your blog & find many of your posts interesting. However, about vaccines, you only stated “studies show”. Can you possibly post what studies or where to find them. Like you, I like researching before jumping on any bandwagon. Like you, I DID NOT throw out my hyland’s because there was no basis. So if you can kindly state your sources of study cases, I’d really appreciate it. Thank you 😊
Hi Jewels, I can’t hyperlink “studies” to one word. I have written extensively about vaccines and included citations there however. If you use the search bar at the top, you can type in “vaccines” and the list will come up. 😉 Thanks for reading!
Ok so I tried dong the search thing and I’ve read 4 of your articles (all great btw) and I’m still not seeing where u list any of the sources. If you say studies show or studies say or research shows or even state something as a fact can u please just list your source so the rest of us can know where the info comes from and refer to the actual studies when we need to? I get u said u can’t link a study to a word but u can list your sources at the end of your articles and cite them via superscript throughout. Thank you. And again, great articles. I love all your points. Just want to be able to prove they are valid like I know they are.
All of my sources are hyperlinked in the posts in coral font. If something says “studies show” I can’t link more than one article to a word, nor can I or should I be expected to do everyone’s research for them, nor would my post be readable or original if it were one big giant hyperlink. I do not list the sources at the end of my articles because they are very long already, would mess up the functionality of my site, would take far too much time, and this is a blog … not a research paper. 😉 Someday when I have more time and a few virtual assistants, I can assign them these tasks but in the meantime, I write opinion pieces and I include as many sources as is feasible for me to do within the hyperlinks of my posts.
Bests Megan 🙂
Do you not like to research for yourself??
Since it seems like it is Megan’s desire to inform and arm people with solid arguments and information it’s reasonable to ask for all of the information. Having the sources actually makes it possible for people to fact check and do research for themselves. If someone has already found the information why would they want everyone else to go and reinvent the wheel so to speak by doing all the same legwork all over again? It doesn’t help for us all to be doing all the same research all the time. The movement for truth will progress further if we can all continually move forward and that, in part, is made possible by having the sources to our facts.
Sources are listed. Hyperlinked. Coral font. Click on it … it takes you to the article. Statements that I don’t feel need sources but that you think do, can be researched by you. You shouldn’t expect someone to write or source the way you want them to so that you don’t have to do the work. Everybody needs to do their own research just like in school when you would ask your teacher for the meaning of a word and she made you go to the dictionary and look it up. There’s value in that. However, I do see the value in references too. That’s why I include as many as I can. I’ve been studying this subject for 9 years so when I write a post, a lot of what I write is synthesized from lectures, books, classroom hours, studies, and experience etc. I can’t always cite that.
I appreciate your viewpoint though.
Respectfully,
Megan
You, with these comment responses, are transferring the burden of proof to someone other than the person who printed an article with true and false “fact” statements. You said you are a lawyer but I am forced to wonder about your training after you presented “facts” in your article that you are declining to support with documentation. You know that would never stand up in court and any case you presented with this kind of evidence (along with the refusal to present sources) would be immediately dismissed. And dismissing your case is what I’m going to do, as a result of your defensive nature and quick transfer of responsibility to your reader.
Unless you actually had polio. Believe it or not, polio is asymptomatic in 95% of people who actually get it; and prior to polio vaccine licensure, anything with paralysis lasting longer than 24 hours would have yielded a polio diagnosis. Aseptic and viral meningitis, Coxsackie virus, hand foot mouth, transverse myelitis, Guillain-Barré Syndrome, Syphilis, DDT, arsenic, and lead poisoning etc. were all diagnosed as polio prior to the vaccine. Seriously, you could play dead and get a polio diagnosis.
Seriously? My grandmother told stories of at least 1/4 of the children in having polio in the early 50’s in her town, if those, 1/2 died. People who lived through the Polio scare remember the schools smelling like bleach. There was no mistaking the symptoms, and the outcome.
That being said, answer this one question.
How do vaccines work?
My mother and her 3 siblings were school aged in the 50’s and not one of them knew anyone who had polio let alone died from it.
To answer your question….they don’t.
As Megan pointed out, many things can mimic a polio diagnosis, and without specimen testing to determine whether or not it was a poliovirus, we will never know. It seems unlikely that testing for the presence of the poliovirus would have been widespread in the 1950’s. For example, there is a flavivirus which causes tick borne encephalitis and louping ill and this can cause paralysis and symptoms similar to polio. Currently there is an enterovirus which is causing paralysis around the world.
What town was this?
I don’t normally comment but I will say this – It’s laughable how our medical systems ( and I’m including Canada in this ) is always reactive vs. proactive EXCEPT in the case of pharmaceuticals, in particular vaccinations. In any other case, whether you take your child to a doctor with a rash, a fever, you have lower back pain, extreme sinus infections etc – you will most likely be told to go home and rest, and come back if the symptoms worsen or be prescribed antibiotics (just in case its bacterial). In those cases, symptoms are treated, and again, reactive medicine.
Hi Megan. Below is the comment i left on Dani´s blog. It’s very appropiate that she wears a sexy red dress: It’s exactly how the Devil would look if he wanted to seduce us as a female.
Let’s keep speaking up, folks. We need to start shouting from the rooftops.
“Very skilfull, subtle, articulated and carefully elaborated piece of VACCINE PROPAGANDA, MENTAL AND SPIRITUAL MANIPULATION and FEARMONGERING. You have no shame or conscience. You are truly despicable. But surely Big Pharma owes you big time. You’ve done for them the best job i’ve seen until now.”
You are amazing. Thank you for everything you do!
Thanks for reading, for the comment, and encouragement! <3
Thank-you for taking a stand. My healthy 5-month old died hours after a DPT vaccine. All other reasons pale beside that…
I am so very sorry for your loss. <3
Miranda definitely has an agenda … no sense in engaging. Just my opinion.
I just left this comment on her blog. Since reading yours prompted me to write it I thought I would share.
————-
You are leaving at exactly the wrong time. The scientific evidence is coming so fast now linking vaccines to chronic injury it’s hard to keep up with it all. Let’s look at autism.
A collegue put it best:
“Science has proven that autism is caused by immune activation during brain development. Vaccines are specifically designed to cause immune activation.
Immune activation has also been proven to cause the physiological damage observed in autism: mitochondrial dysfunction and damaged/missing Purkinje cells.
The problem comes from the aluminum adjuvant, which has been shown to cause the specific type of immune activation (Th2 and IL-6 expression) proven to cause autism. None of the aluminum-containing vaccines have been studied in relation to autism. It is proven that aluminum adjuvant causes brain and immune system damage at dosages infants receive from vaccines. These results have been replicated several times. Most vaccines contain aluminum.
Only the MMR vaccine has been studied in relation to autism, and these studies are junk because of selection bias. Every single one of them is junk. They are not randomized or properly controlled. Consequently, children with pre-existing neuro- or immune disorders (from prior Al-containing vaccines) are concentrated in the “control” group of these studies thus hiding the signal. Further, the MMR vaccine does not contain aluminum so it may be less dangerous than other vaccines.
See http://www.vaccinepapers.org for the scientific facts.”
On that site you will find:
– the discovery that autopsied autistic children had elevated IL-6 (the Vargas paper from 2005)
– the Patterson experiments at Caltech that showed that elevating IL-6 purposefully produced autistic-like behavior in mice (2012)
– subsequent monkey experiments that showed that elevating IL-6 in their brains produced autistic behavior (2014)
The mammalian immune system is well-preserved across species…so this is how we are producing autistics. The poorly designed retrospective studies won’t show this signal. However, contrary to popular belief, some well-designed studies do show the link. People who say there are no studies or that all the studies show no link are simply incorrect.
And now we have the biological mechanism figured out.
Repeated vaccination of an infant’s brain causes autism in susceptible children.
You are beyond awesome!!! Keep preaching it!
Thanks Tracy!
This article is great!! Thanks you so much for writing it. It was great reading your replies to people who just want to argue with you, instead of actually doing the research that you left for them to do. It just goes to show how lazy they are it’s really annoying and actually laughable. 😉 I’m making a conscious choice this year (New Years Resolution) LOL not to engage with people like that anymore because they take energy from you a dark sullen demonic vortex. Those people are basically on a road to nowhere, and I’ve figured it’s better to let them be because no article, or peer-reviewed study or lecture is ever going to be good enough for them. Because they think that “nobody is smarter” than them which we all know is exactly the opposite. I’m going to put my focus and energy into supporting my fellow Anti-Vaxxers, ’cause all you do such hard work and research, and a lot of you have suffered your self or have injured family members or dead family members to come to this conclusion about vaccines.
I am from California, and I keep thinking about how they’ve basically mandated vaccination there and in Australia. They are doing this because people are starting to figure out the truth. I have a strong feeling that even more people are opting out of vaccination than what we are being told and it’s starting to freak the establishment out. Think about this, they are spending billions of dollars trying to get people to vaccinate, and it is failing. They have to “mandate vaccines” because they are loosing. If it was such a great idea then they wouldn’t have to mandate it. I also want to say it’s so cool to see so many anti-vaccination blogs and videos popping up and that’s how we are going to win this war. Keep up the good work sister we have science and morality our side. 😉
From my experience, I went along with mainstream long ago with the first child. Luckily he never reacted( to a permenent extent ) from his vaccines….. my next two children were greatly effected. They developed a type of apnea that is caused neurological and not any obstructive type. They are thin girls and there was found no known cause for their apnea. My oldest daughter started developing autism characteristics, my mother who worked with learning and behavior disorder children for nearly 2 decades started to worry. Miracles and education and revelations occurred and praise God, today my girls have been detoxed and are getting better. I have now had six wonderful children. The last 3 were not poisoned up at all, one even caught a very contagious and “severe” Illness from his vaxed cousin. My child’s body jumped in as God designed… he had a good sweat, a fever and by the next day was 100% back to health, his cousin who was vaxed heavily on schedule and weakened by all of those strands of viruses mixed with mercury, aluminum,formeldehyde and other toxins was in the hospital fighting for her life. Mind you my child CAUGHT the infection from the vaxed one. That was one moment that gave me the confidence that what I had learned and what I knew versus scare tactics and ignorance was right. Over and over I see vaxed kids. You can tell most of them, some look “off” , they are usually broke out with many skin irritations, sick as a dog 90% of the year with constant ear infections, strep and other afflictions. It’s no coincidence their bodies are worn down from trying to fight off what is not natural nor contracted in a normal way. It’s common sense. I wish I could go back with my other kids, but I learned important lessons and pray others won’t have to see their children fight for their lives while strapped to machines after a shot or two..when before the vaccines, they were well. People need to stop name calling and thinking they know it all. In a court of law there is something called a conflict of interest…. if a company who sells a product that is their highest profit maker and their livelihood, decides to prove to you its safe by using their own workers to conduct studies and actually pays them to tell you” don’t worry its safe” we would call that a ” conflict of interest”.
Thank you for providing both perspectives. What a great resource you are for people who are looking for someone who has experienced both angles.
https://www2.aap.org/immunization/families/faq/vaccinestudies.pdf
Before I waste time looking through this citation from pharmaceutical company sponsored AAP, can you provide context?
It had a ton of context and I think my comment didn’t post properly.
You’re contradicting yourself when you define vaccine and immunization as not being synonymous.
“Immunization is the process whereby a person is made immune or resistant to an infectious disease, typically by the administration of a vaccine. (i.e. it’s what is conferred post vaccination, if it works.)
Vaccination is the administration of antigenic material to stimulate an individual’s immune system to develop adaptive immunity to a pathogen.”
Adaptive immunity is when the body forms antibodies in response to an antigen (the vaccine) and it remembers it. Regardless if the antigen comes from the wild or from the vaccine you develop the same immunity. It is repeated exposure to the antigen that allows long term immunity, thus the importance of boosters. No not every vaccine produces 100% immunity for life but it lowers the risk considerably in a general sense and it sure is better than getting the actual disease. Getting the actual disease does not guarantee life long immunity, same as vaccinations. I only minimally vaccinate my kids but I find this article inflammatory and not supportive. You are disrespecting multiple professions and people by your gross over generalizations based on what you think we don’t learn in school. Immunology is extremely important when understanding the functions of vaccines. You simply cannot understand vaccines without an understanding of the immune system.
Your comment about vaccines not being safe because of a lack of double blind trials is unethical. What you are asking is for people to be exposed to potentially deadly or debilitating diseases just to see if vaccines work. We understand immunology and therefore understand the science behind why vaccines work and how they are effective. We know they work because of the lack of people getting the diseases. Would you like my child that is vaccinated against MMR and your child that is probably not to be in a room with measles all up in it just to *test* if the vaccines work? Because that is essentially what you are demanding be done in order to make you feel better. And it wouldn’t even be an objective piece of science to use considering we know vaccines aren’t 100% effective and everyone responds differently.
The AAP link is what I shared. I think this is essentially what I wrote before the internet ate my comment.
Miranda,
Regarding a vaccinated/unvaccinated study being “unethical:” What is unethical is know that vaccines are linked to chronic diseases but continuing to assert they are safe and effective. And its not about if the vaccines work. It’s to show if unvaccinated people are inherently more healthy throughout a long period of time vs. vaccinated. Other countries have performed these studies and the outcome is what I expected. Unvaccinated people have significantly less allergies and chronic health problems.
Your whole text is such a truckload of pharmaceutical propaganda, denial of reality and simple BS that is not even worth commenting. Vaccines were never necessary, they erradicated nothing except natural immunity in all its victims, they were never safe, and they were never effective, and never will be. The very act of injecting foreign and toxic substances directly into the bloodstream is wrong, even perverse, and only ignorant and deluded people can believe in it. I was partially deluded in the past, i’m not anymore, and we are more and more people everyday waking up and exposing this criminal hoax for everyone else to see. The truth shall prevail sooner than later, and all of you Rockefeller’s Big Pharma minions will be exposed for what you are.
SO THEN YOU ARE SAYING THAT THOSE PEOPLE WITH CANCER WHO ARE FIGHTING FOR THEIR LIVES SHOULD JUST DIE RATHER THAN HAVE ANY HOPE IN INJECTING POISONOUS CHEMICALS INTO THEIR BODIES FOR THE SAKE OF STAYING ALIVE, as that is truly what chemotherapy is. THERE IS A REASON THESE CHEMICALS ARE MADE. PEOPLE WILL ALWAYS WANT TO FIND A REASON FOR THEIR CHILD’S ILLNESS, DEATH, OR PROBLEM BUT SOMETIMES THERE IS JUST NO ANSWER. SO TO EVERYONE TRYING TO BLAME IT ON VACCINATIONS IS NOT FAIR. THERE ARE A LOT OF LINKED CAUSES TO AUTISM INCLUDING BEING PREGNANT AND LIVING CLOSE TO THE FREEWAY OR WORKING IN A FACILITY WITH CHEMICALS. YOU CAN NOT GENERALIZE THAT VACCINES CAUSE AUTISM AND OTHER PROBLEMS. I have 2 children who were both vaccinated and one who is immunocompromised and in and out of the hospital since he was a baby and is also autistic and speech delayed. I am a medical professional raised with parents who were ob-gyns and I would never blame vaccines on his problems. because of all the “toxins” you say he has been injected with and all the hospitalization meds he was given he is now a very healthy 9 year old. Life is not fair and some kids get sick and we just don’t know why. The brain is a mystery. Science has done far more good over the years than bad and I will always continue to put my faith in medicine for I have truly seen its healing power. I do tons of research all the time because I love medicine and I truly believe that our lives are predestined by God. He has developed human beings from the beginning of time and given them the intelligence to create new things and help others in any way possible. I am not against a parents right to choose whether or not to vaccinate but they can not turn around and complain when they are denied access to public schools. Maybe starting a school for unvaccinated children is warranted but you can not take away the rights of the majority who believe they are protecting their children just as you feel you are protecting yours. Everybody is entitled to raise their children the way they feel best. There is so much science on both sides of this issue that neither can be determined to be correct at this point. there is too many other variables.
Ronda, there are ways of determining if the problems stemmed from vaccines besides looking to laboratories and the research of pharmaceutical companies. You don’t need a laboratory. You don’t need a textbook. You don’t need a truckload of files to read through.
You do need a mind that is open to explore outside the box. You need to be willing to suffer through the pain of a new idea. Or ideas.
There are ways. Some are empirical. Some are not.
” I have no idea what pediatric nurse practitioners learn in school. What I do know is that physicians (although highly educated) learn next to nothing about vaccines. They are told to give them and shown a picture of a child in an iron lung or a kid with measles in a third-world country. They take immunology of course, but that is not the same as vaccinology. Despite their training, doctors (and scientists) know very little about the immune system which is why there is no medical cure for any chronic autoimmune disease. This should comfort us all. ” I had to stop reading after this. She has a LAW degree. Who the hell is she to tell us what we do and do not learn? Immunology is HUGE. Vaccinology…. is that even a word? Is that even a class? No! In my first 4 weeks of nursing school we indeed have learned about the effect of vaccines. Can she tell me what a type 1 hypersensitivity reaction is? What about the other 3? Can she tell me how antibodies are made? The function of plasma cells or dendritic cells? No? Then she needs to stop preaching like she is some know it all God about how the human body works and some judge about what we learn in school. /rant.
Miranda,
With all due respect. My husband is a physician and most of our friends are physicians. My mom has been a nurse probably longer than you’ve been alive. I’m quite aware of what physicians learn in medical school and how many lectures my husband had on vaccines. I’m also quite aware of the legalities that riddle this issue – none of which they teach in nursing school. But thanks for giving me an idea for another post! I should probably address this in detail so people can see what little physicians actually know on this subject.
This blog consists of my highly educated opinion on this topic. You are welcome to disagree and move on to a blog that fits with your belief system. Though, I recommend refraining from discounting someone’s opinion because you think they aren’t as smart as you, and read the research and citations listed throughout my posts.
With respect,
Megan
lets dissect your terminology. “Vaccine” also known as “immunization” there is no “vaccinology” but there is “immunology” gee looky there! Looks like it exists! How about you take several immunology courses or become a medical professional yourself I you think you’re so highly educated. Your husband is the physician. Not you.
Your “dissection” is incorrect.
Vaccination and immunization are NOT synonymous terms. It doesn’t take any type of medical degree to know this.
Immunization is the process whereby a person is made immune or resistant to an infectious disease, typically by the administration of a vaccine. (i.e. immunity – albiet temporary – is conferred post vaccination, if the vaccine actually works.)
Vaccination is the administration of antigenic material to stimulate an individual’s immune system to develop adaptive immunity to a pathogen.
Vaccinology is a term that is in ANY medical dictionary:
And I quote, it is “the branch of medicine concerned with the development of vaccines.”
In Dr. Paul Offit’s own bio he says he is a Professor of Vaccinology.
In addition, Dr. Offit is the Maurice R. Hilleman Professor of Vaccinology and a Professor of Pediatrics at the Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania.
https://www.coursera.org/instructor/~353
Try again?
P.S – Thank you for proving my point for me. It could possibly be this prevailing attitude and condescension towards parents that turns them off on vaccines and makes them less likely to trust those in the medical profession. Keep that in mind as you move forward in your career.
Regards,
Megan
You’re contradicting yourself when you define vaccine and immunization as not being synonymous.
“Immunization is the process whereby a person is made immune or resistant to an infectious disease, typically by the administration of a vaccine. (i.e. it’s what is conferred post vaccination, if it works.)
Vaccination is the administration of antigenic material to stimulate an individual’s immune system to develop adaptive immunity to a pathogen.”
Adaptive immunity is when the body forms antibodies in response to an antigen (the vaccine) and it remembers it. Regardless if the antigen comes from the wild or from the vaccine you develop the same immunity. It is repeated exposure to the antigen that allows long term immunity, thus the importance of boosters. No not every vaccine produces 100% immunity for life but it lowers the risk considerably in a general sense and it sure is better than getting the actual disease. Getting the actual disease does not guarantee life long immunity, same as vaccinations. I only minimally vaccinate my kids but I find this article inflammatory and not supportive. You are disrespecting multiple professions and people by your gross over generalizations based on what you think we don’t learn in school. Immunology is extremely important when understanding the functions of vaccines. You simply cannot understand vaccines without an understanding of the immune system.
Here is my refutation to your belief that vaccines are ineffective and have never been tested for safety. When you complain that there hasn’t been a double blind study about vaccines do you even *know* what you’re asking for? You’re asking for people to expose other people to potentially dangerous pathogens to see if vaccines work. That means you want healthy people to experience horrible illnesses to suit your definition of something safe. Because that hasn’t happened means vaccines don’t work, when the fact that they do is overwhelmingly extremely obvious. It is simply unethical to do double blind studies when it comes to vaccines. Would *you* like to be the one to be exposed to lets say… measles, in the name of science? What about this? My kid vaccinated for MMR, lets expose my kid to measles, and maybe your unvaccinated kid to measles and see what happens. I’m not trying to be rude, but that is EXACTLY what you are asking for! Do you see the issue? Vaccines don’t work all of the time, I know, which is another reason a double blind study wouldn’t work.
https://www2.aap.org/immunization/families/faq/vaccinestudies.pdf
Miranda, I gave you the explicit definitions from a medical dictionary. Those are not my personal definitions. Although the media, AAP or CDC (and clearly yourself) may use these terms interchangeably, they are not synonymous! Even physicians who are adamantly pro-vaccine know this (though they themselves may fall into the trap of using them interchangably.) A vaccine is the mode by which “immunity” is conferred. But one CAN be vaccinated and not obtain any immunity at all.
Here is the CDC’s definition of these terms. Although some people mistakenly use these terms interchangeably, they’re not the same.
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/imz-basics.htm
The rest of your comment isn’t relevant. I’m not discussing the safety or efficacy of vaccines with you. (I’ve discussed this at length -cited- in multiple posts.) Though I noticed you said nothing about “vaccinology,” the so-called term I made up. Why is that?
As for my “inflammatory” post that insults your pride more than anything, there are 458 comments on this forum and thousands of shares so I’m going to have to disagree with you on that one – though you are more than entitled to your personal opinion.
Regards,
Megan
Consider me educated, the term for vaccinology exists. Even though currently it is underlined in red because my computer doesn’t even think it’s a word. 😉
There.
I’m concerned now that you won’t discuss the rest of my comment. It can’t be because of what you say, that’ you’ve already discussed it. The amount of comments and shares of this post do not matter, not at all, because if you want to get technical I can go to pro-vaccine blogs to where their posts have been shared in the hundreds of thousands of times.
Don’t you agree that a double blind trial of vaccines would be unethical?
I think it’s entirely unethical to subject a child to a vaccine that has not been properly tested for safety using proper double blind inert placebo-controlled studies and carries a risk of death or severe adverse reaction.
Even if it weren’t double-blind – plenty of people would be willing to sign up for the unvaccinated cohort getting the placebo. This would be a step up from what they do now.
Double blind means that neither the subject nor the administrator of the vaccine would know whether they were giving/receiving the vaccine or the placebo. In a true double blinded trial you can’t choose your cohort – there is no volunteering for one or the other.
Of course there is the issue of ethics as well. When we know something works to prevent illness (eg. Vaccines) it is unethical to risk exposing someone to the chance of potentially fatal illness or risk the known potential long term effects of contracting those diseases.
Megan and Miranda,
I am grateful and relieved to read your dialog, as you have both remained civil and stuck to your views on the issues. The more we can have discussions like this, the more informed and discerning we can be as parents and neighbors.
Yes I would most definitely prefer measles and I did get them . Better to get them as children than as adults which is now a huge risk since people don’t get measles as kids anymore. Routine childhood illnesses, treated appropriately(veryimpotant) build the immune system and make for better defense against serious illnesses as an adult. Two hundred people are diagnosed with ms every day according to solicitors who call me regularly. Measles last for a few days. Bring them on!!!!!!
But why would you want to get ill in the first place? Measles is not always just some easy peasy illness. There are secondary illnesses that you can get. Why go through that when you can get a shot and not get sick at all? The immunity you get is NOT different. And before you spout that the ingredients are toxic read this, http://www.skepticalraptor.com/skepticalraptorblog.php/study-rule-all-the-vaccine-deniers-dream/ and understand that any treatment you get in the hospital to cure you will probably be just as much, if not more toxic than the vaccine itself!
Miranda, childhood illnesses do not require hospitals. Generally they do not require doctor visits or even Tylenol! I have five children. I read Dr. Mendelsohns writings when they were small and I took his words to heart. He was a well respected M.D. who exposed what was happening in the medical world. Thus I never took my kids to a doctor except for stitches and school physicals. The normal experience of raising kids should entail freedom from being trapped in rounds of sickness, doctor visits, fear of being around others who are sick, freedom from inhalers, insulin, antibiotics, daily meds. It can be done. I did it and I have helped many break free from this bondage.
Minor illnesses such as measles etc can be easily treated with natural remedies, baths, rest, and time. Fevers are a good thing. It was the information I got from medical doctors which turned me to seeking understanding about how the body heals itself and needs to be assisted rather than attacked. Dr. Henry Bieler was another one.
Don’t limit yourself to one point of view. There are others and if you are truly a seeker you will find that the truth about healing resonates with common sense, human experience and historical evidence. The current medical model is very young. It is a big experiment. I, for one, don’t want to be a part of it if at all possible.
I don’t think most people realize that the studies compare a given vaccine to an injection without the ‘dead virus’ or ‘toxoid’ (and possibly the growth medium, though I’m not certain – it’s been a long time since I’ve read about this) portion included. So, it’s not a true placebo.
Give up, Miranda. You made a fool of yourself. Go shill for toxic vaccines somewhere else. Nobody is buying your nonsense.
I’m sure you get tired of debating with people like Miranda. I’m tired just reading her posts! But I do enjoy reading what you have to say to people like her. Because I am a registered nurse myself for more than 15 years and I know everything that you have said in this blog is on point in so many ways. My eyes were opened before I came upon your blog. It was when I had my first child, that I began to question, what is it we are doing? Looking at the state of health this country is in, we are doing things WRONG. And why was I not told in nursing school that there were aborted fetal cells in vaccines? I had no idea!
I was angry that I was made to be blind. I was made to believe in sort of a one way thinking, as if there was no other way, as if it was THE only way. I imagine doctors are trained in a sense the same way, since big Pharma has contaminated all of the medical schools, except naturopathic medical schools or post training for drs in functional or integrative medicine. But now I am happy to speak the truth to as many people as I can. And your blog will help me do that Megan. You have done all the research and work for me! I cannot thank you enough.
For every hater, there may be one person whose eyes you may open, and that cascade of knowledge will lead to lives saved whether its partially vaccinating or not vaccinating at all. It will at the very least create a curiosity that will cause a person to question, instead of accepting that everything being told to you is truth, when at times it is not. Especially in todays times, when greed has lined our policy makers backpockets in the name of science. A personal choice that should always be that, personal. An educated decision. And that is worth every bit of hate and scorn from repetitive and smoke screen filled minds who choose to debate with no REAL basis for debating.
Megan, you rock my friend!
Oh Sophia, I love your words “For every hater, there may be one person whose eyes you may open.” There is a lot of hate out there – unreal hate. But thank you – we press on because eyes are being opened. Thanks, Megan for your post, and your responses. As one who has spent countless hours reading research papers through the NIH, there is plenty of evidence of supporting the harm vaccines can bring. One must simply take the time to study, and not simply listen to what is blindly taught as fact.
With all due respect,Miranda, stop. Four weeks of nursing school prepares you little for the critical thinking and the discernment required to comprehend all of the processes that influence health. What it does do is educate you on following procedures and guidelines, of which you are well suited for. Currently working on my Doctorate in Nursing Practice, I am now fully grasping the depth of some of these specific guidelines and potential detrimental effects. I appreciate this blog and the authors’ comments as they should be fully grasped and further explored, for if we are truly serving others we must look into all aspects of an argumentation and not blindly follow handed down traditions and guidelines or other fallacies. Someone who holds a law degree, would be especially well suited for critical thinking just as any other open minded scholarly student. Have I vaccinated my children, yes. Do I regret it, yes. Don’t you think it is weird that you have been educated on pharmacology but little regarding the science of vaccination other than ‘potential’ side effects. There must be greater transparency, not just to rebuild trust but to get to the truth of the matter if in fact there are any truths. Thank you Megan for you blog, I appreciate your site and what you are doing. The DNP-S will be following your critical and forward thinking topics, we are all in this together.
I love this! Thank you for this well written article!
You are welcome Kelly. 🙂
Oops!! I meant to say in the below comment…I am anti-vaccination and have chosen NOT to vaccinate my son. My other thought is, if people are so trusting in these vaccines, why are they worried about us unvaccinated ones? They should be “safe” right??
https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSDdf6zyy1ofoHJi4P-sqtkvVOJPoCkwmTlqqFoKMmAUL94Pf9oJklEWA
Yah it kind of varies…. a lot… For Everything
Hi Megan!
Thanks for this. I am a registered nurse with my Masters degree in nursing..not throwing that around, just saying, I’ve done my research. THANK YOU for posting this! I am also vaccination and have chosen to vaccinate my son. My only regret is all the vaccinations I had, and this can’t pass any natural immunity to my son. I get a lot of flack from my nursing friends, but they respect my decision, as I respect theirs. Ultimately, we all want what’s safe for our children.
please delete my last post, didn’t mean to duplicate, had wrong email.
“Studies show vaccines do not cause any health conditions, including the ones they’re designed to prevent. All vaccines can and have caused the very diseases they’re designed to prevent.”
All vaccines can and have CAUSED the very deseases they’re designed to prevent? What source are you using for this? I think you mentioned specifically that the Polio vaccine caused the only polio case in decades (should be easy enough to find) but all vaccines cause the desease?
“The truth of the matter is that babies would be protected from many diseases if mothers acquired lifetime immunity via natural exposure and subsequently passed protective antibodies to their babies.”
If this were true, then vaccines would never have had to be developed in the first place. Centuries of disease refute this assumption. And before you tell me living more cleanly is the answer, may I refer you to the hygiene hypothesis? Improving standards of living in the early 20th century occasioned the polio epidemic in developed countries.
Hygiene has been taken to an unhealthy level. Especially in regards to antibacterial hand sanitizer. There is a BIG middle ground you’re missing. Also, many women (including my grandmother) were convinced that formula was far superior to breast milk. Of course this was “scientificly proven”, if you can imagine. Unfortunately, even though these women could have passed on their antibodies to their children had they breast fed them, they chose the “scientifically superior formula”, and therefor their babies were not protected.
So sad how “science” is used to mislead us time and time again. Vaccines are inferior to natural immunity just as formula is inferior to breast milk. When will people wise up and stop making industries rich at the expense of our health?
Some level of inferred immunity must be carried through the genes amd from the mother, otherwise white man diseases would not have had such a devastating result to indigenous cultures when exposed. So therefore I assume historically that some levelof immunity / resistance is passed down.
I love your post and couldn’t agree more. I see that a majority of your comments are negative and shaming your for writing this, but I applaud you! Not only did you not ignore these negative posts, you addressed the people and basically put them in their place. Some doctors, nurses and pediatricians are so butt hurt when you begin to not “praise them as gods” like so many people do. I am completely disturbed by the fact that so many people trust in a person they barely know with their child’s life, simply because they don’t want to do the research themselves. In the end it is all a money/government game. While I applaud the people that do go to school to become doctors and nurses, they have to understand their education alone does not make them superior to their patients. Sadly the physicians I have spoken to in the past, I feel that I am more educated on vaccines than they are….all they know how to do is push them (with good reason too….like I said its all a money game). At the end of the day “haters gonna hate” 😉 Keep preaching sista, your doing a good job! 🙂
Thanks for taking the time to leave an encouraging comment Rose. 🙂
Megan,
You are a very good representation of the type of individual that moves the anti-vaccination movement: a mother, stay-at-home parent, college degree, no medical degree, and blog/social media centered. If your opinion was ground breaking and you had the credentials, it would be published in a scientific or medical journal, but it instead is posted on a blog in which you sponsor yourself. Learning about vaccinations through blogs and social media is exactly the source of why so much misinformation is being spread. Your pretentious well-to-do stay-at-home mother attitude does not make your argument any more plausible or better sold. It suggests that you have an incredible amount of time on your hands in which to criticize the many healthcare professionals who unlike you, are informed on the subject matter.
I respectfully disagree and I am so sorry you feel that way. The wonderful thing about this country is that anyone can speak their mind in any forum of their choosing. I chose this one and I believe one of the reasons my posts are successful is because they not only speak truth and advocate parental rights (a subject most parents are passionate about), they are heavily referenced. Unlike you, I do not believe anyone needs a medical degree to know how to read or understand research (though my husband has one, which is certainly a plus when analyzing information) and I think it pretentious to assume that people without medical degrees are stupid or incapable of reading.
If you’re upset that people use the internet as a resource, it’s only because it gives one the power and ability to read the information for themselves and could cause one to question their position – which would be okay, unless they opt for a position you’re opposed to. I would venture to guess that you have researched houses, cars, banks, mechanics, products, and any number of things on the internet and found valid information that helped you form a decision. Vaccines are not exempt, especially because they carry risk and involve our children.
As for how I spend my time, that is none of your concern and I would personally refrain from making inaccurate and judgmental assumptions of any individual. As you’ll notice, not once in your comment did you attack my content…just me. I have come to take comments like yours as a complement for this very reason.
Feel free to read my other vaccine posts and read the hyperlinks in blue/green font. I trust that with or without a medical degree, you are capable of reading and interpreting (a credit of which you did not give me).
Excellent response Megan. Too often we are led astray by “experts” who are trained to be efficient and profitable. Many of who would treat their family different than they would treat the masses. I think reasonable people can disagree on this topic, but unfortunately reason and logic are not the tools that are often used when vaccines are debated. I enjoyed your post, and believe there is a strong argument to be made for rethinking the vaccination schedule and how that can be reimagined going forward.
This attitude reminds me of the history of the Catholic church (vaccine support and religions have a lot in common as their basis), where the “lofty” religious leaders did not want their congregants to understand what truly was being read in the services, so kept it in Latin, a language most did not know, and between keeping themselves alive and raising families, had little time to learn. Keeping their congregants/believers from knowing things for themselves kept them more compliant and submissive.
Ready to burn us at the stakes, too?
Thank you, Megan, for researching the CDC information, vaccine inserts, scientific literature, and more. I’m so glad there are people out there who want light to be shining in all areas of life, all religious areas!
I find it amusing that you say doctors know next to nothing about vaccines, and nurses know even less. As if lawyers generally know more? The arrogance of so many people who have no scientific background, but assume they know more than people who have actually studied the subject (and perhaps more importantly understand how to interpret scientific studies) is astounding. What about the people who make it their lives’ work to study immunology and vaccines? What reason do you have for why they are uneducated and on the wrong position of this debate?
Kristen, I did not say anyone was uneducated. I simply stated the FACT that the training physicians and nurses recieve on vaccines is very limited (and what is taught is emotionally charged and historically and scientifically without merit).
Luckily, my husband is a physician with a degree in biology and minor in chemistry and background in research, so I have had a front row seat at witnessing the lack of training he and his peers recieved in their field; though it’s quite easy to look up any medical school course curriculum for verification. I still have the recording of the lecture (or lack thereof) my husband recieved on vaccines. I thought about putting a copy in a post but thought that might be a bit disrespectful (and embarressing). There are however, many books on the subject by both physicians and PhD immunologists that support my perspective, if you care to educate yourself further on this topic.
I think it arrogance to assume that it takes a scientific background to be able to read a scientific study or at the very least…read a package insert…something that is also not done in nursing or medical school. I hope that you take the time to read this information for yourself instead of (wrongfully) assuming someone else has done it for you.
P.S – I also question the babysitter, dentist, teacher, lawyer, mechanic, and anyone else that provides a good or service to my family. That’s not arrogant or offensive, that’s smart parenting.
Respectfully.
Kristen, Here is an article which refers to the field of immunology and vaccinations.
http://www.vaccinationcouncil.org/2012/06/13/interview-with-phd-immunologist-dr-tetyana-obukhanych-by-catherine-frompovich/
Great reference. Dr. Obukhanych is wonderful!
Megan, you are doing a great job and all one needs to do is employ common sense and get the facts and this debate is easy. I exploded a bit yesterday when a friend admitted she went to get the pertussis vac since it was mandatory so she could see and care for her grandchild–newly born and promptly vaccinated.
You are correct to note there is no proof at all that the vaccine actually works. None and the damage is certified. The grandma has a ton of “liver” spots on her face and I fear for her.
The arrogance of the crazed vaccine lobby is a sight to be hold and I did take a look at your opposing voice here–the kid nurse in the sexy red dress.
Perhaps the proof here is how sick she is–always with one virus or another and then she has the gall to tell us, after praising evil antibiotics which almost killed me–that her crowd can always identify the difference between a viral and bacterial infection. This would be a huge joke if it was not so sad. Perhaps this is the biggest reason why antibiotics have been so overused and perhaps the single biggest reason why this vaccine pushing nurse has viral infections all the time. Overcoming antibiotics takes at least one year with intense work and no doubt this nurse–like so many Americans, live in with such a compromised immune systems they are so vulnerable and they are quick for a “fix” in the guise of a pharmaceutical.
This is such a clear example of the problem I discovered many years ago. Those who stick to the path of natural immunity can lead happier and disease free lives and use homeopathy, and supplements to treat themselves when some illness comes our way. But those who go for the poisons, are always vulnerable and they are forced to go the route of medications and surgery and chemicals to keep themselves vertical and vulnerable their whole lives.
This is why we must do better to take the vocabulary away from the poison pushers and not simply say we are into “wellness.” Poisoned people are not healthy and the absence of disease in one’s 30’s is no big miracle–only to die tragically in one’s 50.s as so many of my associates are doing.
Natural health is real health. The gal in the red dress is really serving her patients poorly.
Wow! Great post, David. I couldn’t say it so well. 🙂
Thank you, David. I agree with your thoughts.
Hi.
Decided to give your article a read and have to say it’s well written but I do not agree with your premise. I do not want to come across as uncaring as my dad works with children who have autism and I know the heartache it can cause
Things to possibly ponder about some of the studies you have for evidence:
What about confounding variables in these studies?
What about interference from other forms of treatment?
What about over-diagnosing autism currently and under-diagnosing in the past?
What about how some of these studies can’t be generalized to the entire population?
Were the articles from a respected peer-reviewed journal?
Were they a small sample or large sample of the population?
Were different ethnicity represented?
Was the study a meta-analysis?
What type of study was it?
Does anyone ever think of this when they read an article. Most likely the lay person does not the article in its’ entirety; they only read up until they find that blank causes blank.
What about this study (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24814559)
This study is a meta-analysis of five cohort studies involving 1,256,407 children, and five case-control studies involving 9920 children.
1. No relationship between vaccination and autism (OR: 0.99; 95% CI: 0.92 to 1.06). In short the odds that a person has autism and being vaccinated is equal to the odds that a person has autism and not being vaccinated.
2. No relationship between vaccination and ASD (OR: 0.91; 95% CI: 0.68 to 1.20).
3. Similarly the case-control data found no evidence for increased risk of developing autism or ASD following MMR, Hg, or thimerosal exposure when grouped by condition (OR: 0.90, 95% CI: 0.83 to 0.98; p=0.02) or grouped by exposure type (OR: 0.85, 95% CI: 0.76 to 0.95; p=0.01).
There summary: Findings of this meta-analysis suggest that vaccinations are not associated with the development of autism or autism spectrum disorder. Furthermore, the components of the vaccines (thimerosal or mercury) or multiple vaccines (MMR) are not associated with the development of autism or autism spectrum disorder.
A meta-analysis is looking at a large number of studies collected to interpret and integrate all the findings.
Try to refute this evidence please.
Kathryn,
I find it interesting that the author of this blog chose not to reply to your request for further information. She has responded to people both before and after your post. This tells me what I need to know without having to read all of her links. The internet can be a great place for information, but it can also be a great place for finding any type of propaganda one is looking for to back up one’s claims. The eugenics movement was very popular in this country at one point (and a basis for Hitler’s ideas of ethnic cleansing) and was supposedly based on “fact”. This is one of that many reasons why a meta-analysis is so important in research.
Thank you for your post, Kathryn!!
Lisa
Kathryn and Lisa,
I have no idea why the author of the blog has not responded to this post but I will speculate. She didn’t try to refute this “evidence” simply because an abstract of a study with no sources and details is not evidence.
– “Eligible studies assessed the relationship between vaccine administration and the subsequent development of autism or autism spectrum disorders (ASD).”
One needs to know what studies exactly were taken into account before they can speak to their eligibility.
– “Five cohort studies involving 1,256,407 children, and five case-control studies involving 9,920 children were included in this analysis.”
Were those double-blind, inert/saline placebo-controlled studies? I would really LOVE TO see the studies that compared the vaccinated to the unvaccinated, as I have yet to come across one.
Again, you can’t refute an abstract. Give me the article, and we will talk.
Alina
As an immunologist and graduate in clinical research, thank you for asking those questions, and for linking that paper. Not that it will make any difference to the clientele around here, from the looks of it, but ah well…one has to hold onto hope.
I
I wasn’t vaccinated growing up and haven’t ever had any health issues; I think the worst that’s ever happened is I broke my wrist. Anyways, my only concern about not being vaccinated is the inability to travel as freely. I guess you can cross that bridge when you get there though. I never went to doctors growing up, the only time I actually remember going was when I broke my wrist and obviously recently when I was pregnant, how do you go about NOT vaccinating?
My father had polio as an 18 year old…your assumption that polio is not scary is utterly wrong. He was one of the lucky ones who did not have lung complications. He just had to walk with braces and a cane for the rest of his life. I am SOOO very thankful my children are protected.
Hi Amy, I’m so sorry to hear about your dad. The CDC says that polio is asymptomatic in 95% of people who get it. Secondly, countless diseases like meningitis, enteroviruses, coxsackie, hand food mouth, syphillus, GBS, etc. were all called “polio” before vaccine licensure but were differentiated post polio vaccine to make the vaccine look more effective. Most people who were diagnosed with polio didn’t actually have polio. However, thanks to the barbaric methods we used to treat polio and polio-like conditions back in the day, people were crippled for life as a result. If we would have used physical therapy (which was considered competitive woo back in the day) or vitamin C therapy we would not see people in casts, braces, and deformities. Finally, the OPV vaccine also caused polio.
I am not trying to downplay your father’s experience, just shedding light on the fact that what we’re all told to believe about polio (it’s history, cause, and treatment) is a misleading at best. – Respectfully, Megan
I have a son who is now 9 with Autism and Epilepsy. He was a happy and content baby. At 15 months he received his regularly scheduled vaccines which included the MMR. I noticed a big change in him. His eye contact, communication, and overall response to another person stopped. He stopped smiling, laughing responding to his name and speaking. By age 2 he was diagnosed with Autism. By age 3 he was diagnosed with epilepsy. We had many sleepless nights filled with seizures and crying episodes until we were able to find a medication that could control the epileptic activity. We pushed him to be all that he could with therapy and intervention which included a gluten and dairy free diet. Everyday I watch my child struggle to get others to understand him. He is full of life and love and has changed my husband and I so much. He is at a point in life where he is beginning to realize there is something different about him. He says to my husband and I “I have Autism I am broken can you fix me? I need to be fixed. Take me to the hospital. ” That is so hard to hear. We just hug him tight and tell him he is perfect and we love him. We do not vaccinate. I love all the information you have put out there to share. Thank you
Megan I would like to try to help Jennifer . I have had some success with autistic kids. Can you give her my info if she would like to contact me? Connie
I hope this post is factually accurate. Do you have references to back up these facts? What are the true and false statements based on? Or were they taken from the other blog post you talked about?
Vinny, my citations are hyperlinked in blue/green font. This particular post was a response to another post – one of which had zero citations. You’ll find the other posts I’ve written under the “vaccines” tab above.
why are people still taking health advice from bloggers, seriously this is the most retarded symptom of the internet age
Hi Nate, I’m not offering health advice. I’m offering common sense. And please refrain from using the word “retarded.” It is insulting and deragatory. It’s 2014…let’s have a little class and respect for each other.
Kindly,
Megan
I want to know whar you say to the fact that the anti vaccination movement is directly or indirectly responsible for over 100000 diseases and 6000 deaths that are directly atributed to lack of vaccination. I will answer what ur going to ask which is what do i say to 1 out of 101 children being diagnosed with autism? I think its very very good. Doctors have increased the number of diseases that exibit autism disorder symtoms. This is amazing that we can now understand and address this disorders on theyre actual terms instead of just throwing all the kids on the shortbus, u know all the kids that didnt die from diseases which we haddnt yet had vaccines for . Above all else vaccines keep people from getting sick or dying
James, pretty strong statement. Where do those figures come from? To me that would be impossible to prove because it requires the assumption that all people would get the disease but for the vaccination and that all of them would have died (or gotten the disease) had they not been vaccinated. It also assumes vaccines give lifetime immunity. They don’t. It’s actually 1 in 68 and 1 in 42 boys with autism now. Just a SN. 😉
Also, how many people are truly unvaccinated? I am 64. I am sure I had the small pox shot and some other vaccines. My children all had a very few. What kind of immune deficiencies have the vaccinated parents passed on to their unvaccinated children? I don’t have “science” for this…only experience and I would say IT MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE!!. The children born today are the third and fourth generation of vaccinated people in this country. (Obviously there are other factors such as poorer nutrition with each generation as we have moved from rural settings to increased junk food diets even for children. )
Who is studying the effects of distorted immune systems passed on to our children and grandchildren? Among my clientele who are health conscious, try to eat well and, have given a few or no vaccines, there are quite a number of health issues which do not resolve easily. The parents were not able to conceive truly healthy children! When you pass on sub-optimal health to the next generation resolution of these “genetic” issues can be problematic, though not impossible as many can testify. You have to persevere. You need to understand basic principles about healing.
Vaccination or not, there will be sickness and disease. If you are a Christian you know why. This blog has been a great avenue for discussion and asking probing questions. I, for one, fear vaccines far more than the illnesses. As a practitioner I have walked many people through their “scary” times. God made the body in an amazing way so that it can recover if you only work with it instead of against it.
Keep up the good work on this blog.
Amen!
It’s only safe to stop vaccinations for a particular disease when that disease has been eradicated worldwide, as in the case of smallpox.
How long does immunity last after getting a vaccine?
A few vaccines, like the two for measles or the series for hepatitis B, may make you immune for your entire life. Others, like tetanus, last for many years but require periodic shots (boosters) for continued protection against the disease.
The whooping cough (pertussis) vaccine also does not give lifelong immunity, and that may be one reason why there are still outbreaks of the disease. And although pertussis isn’t a serious problem for older kids and adults, it can be for infants and young children. Because of this, adolescents and adults now receive a pertussis booster along with the tetanus and diphtheria booster (Tdap) — an important step in controlling this infection.
It’s important to keep a record of vaccinations so the doctor knows when your child is due for a booster. Also make sure your kids get the flu vaccine each year, if it isn’t in short supply. Having been immunized last year won’t protect someone from getting the flu this year because flu viruses constantly change. That’s why the vaccine is updated each year to include the most current strains of the virus.
The flu vaccine reduces the average person’s chances of catching the flu by up to 80% during the season. But because the flu vaccine doesn’t prevent infection by all of the viruses that can cause flu-like symptoms, getting the vaccine isn’t a guarantee that someone won’t get sick during the season. But even if someone who’s gotten the shot gets the flu, symptoms will usually be fewer and milder.
Are vaccines continuously studied and improved because they’re unsafe?
The FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research is the government agency responsible for regulating vaccines in the United States. Working in conjunction with the CDC and the NIH, they continuously research and monitor vaccine safety and effectiveness.
New vaccines are licensed only after thorough laboratory studies and clinical trials, and safety monitoring continues even after a vaccine has been approved. There have been — and will continue to be — improvements (such as those that have already been made to the DTaP and polio vaccines, for example) that will minimize potential side effects and ensure the best possible safety standards.
And to the gentleman who said NPs do NOTHING. You are so wrong. The majority of the time they are more educated, much nicer and will spend way more time in your care. Sorry for your experience if you had one.
Rhonda,
Thanks for your comment. Small pox was eradicated by quarentine…not vaccinations. That disease would have eradicated itself and did so in third-world countries. The last known case of small pox was actually caused by the vaccine. You can check the NIH database for this information (on both eradication and case incidence).
Next, not a single vaccine offers lifetime immunity. In fact, the CDC doesn’t even guarentee that a vaccine will give you immunity…and even if it did give you immunity, that does not mean it wouldn’t cause the disease it is designed to prevent or protect you in the case of an outbreak (i.e. low titers).
Dtap/Tdap are ineffective vaccines even for adults, makes one an asymptomatic resevoir for the disease and is increasing the incidence of B. parapertussis. Germs only live in environments conducive to growth so there are better ways to keep our children safe.
Getting a flu shot won’t protect you from the flu period. It is not effective…at all…in any population or age group. But it will increase your risk of alzheimer’s.
Next, please Google #CDCwhistleblower to see just how reliable the CDC’s interpretation of data and/or their studies are.
Please read the package inserts to see the inadequate “trials” and “safety data” regarding these vaccinations.
http://www.immunize.org/packageinserts/
DTaP and OPV were removed from our schedule because DPT caused severe neurological damage in children and the OPV vaccine caused polio. It took several decades of paralysis and several law suits regarding brain damaged children for that to take place.
Finally, I must have missed the comment about NPs knowing nothing. I don’t discount anyone who has a degree and they probably do spend more time with their patients. It certainly sounds like you have a good NP. However, they do not have more training and education than a physician. They do not go to medical school and like physicians, they did not recieve adequate training on the history, science, additives, and adverse reactions of vaccines nor do most adequately recognize and address vaccine-injured children.
My son was developing at a regular pace…until he had his 6month vaccination (He had this two months late, at 8 months). The day of his vaccination, he started acting odd. That night, he started having Myoclonic Jerks, and then his first seizure. First of many. My son has severe Myoclonic epilepsy, or, Dravet Syndrome. I’m not saying that it was caused by vaccination, but I’m certainly saying it triggered it. He is almost 5 now, and has had one further vaccination, under the recommendation of a physician. That vaccination set him off On a string of seizures. Needless to say, we choose not to continue to vaccinate, because who knows that will be triggered by the next one. My son also has a significant 2.5 year developmental delay.
I’m not judging those who immunize. But I would really appreciate it it pro-vaccination individuals would get off their high horses and stop looking down on people who choose not to vaccinate. UNTIL YOU EXPERIENCE the negative effects, and see your child struggle with them every day, you have NO right to judge a person’s decision to do what IS best for their child.
According to http://www.dravetfoundation.org, you are simply describing the disease to a T. Nothing to do with vaccinations. I’m sorry your child has this *genetic* disorder, but to blame it on vaccines is ignorant and misguided (don’t take my word for it, but the very description and definition of the disorder).
To discount a parent’s observations of their own child is irresponsible at best! I can absolutely tell you that genetic predispositions can be triggered and exacerbated by environmental and in vivo factors. People who have vaccine-injured children tire of trying to catch others up on these basics. Ask someone with a chronic, *genetic* illness if he or she knows certain things that set off or worsen symptoms. This is common knowledge, even in the medical community, and not wanting to think vaccines can cause or worsen a condition is just ridiculous. Do you really think that something people describe as so benign and benevolent on one hand, with extremely rare complications or side effects and overwhelmingly beneficial outcomes, could really do anything more or less than placebo? I am so tired of people believing that vaccines can be these all-powerful immune-system modulators and disease-preventive panaceas yet think they are harmless at the same time. Only good effects; nothing bad from this powerful medicine. You can’t have it both ways, and the moment we can admit that and roll up our sleeves and get to work fixing what’s broken, is the time we can actually make progress in this area and save lives.
@ Shannon…Kristen never stated that the vaccines CAUSED the condition but rather pointed out that her child did not start having seizures until after receiving vaccines, not on just one but BOTH occassions. I hardly think that is ignorant or misguided. I do not think there is anything ignorant about a mother noticing physical or psychological changes immediately after inserting any chemical into a individual’s system, nor do I believe in coincidences. However your comment is very much misguided and completely overlooks the whole, “not being judgemental of others decision” point she was asking for.
My 4 1/2 year old has epilepsy as well and per my neurologists recommendation I do not vaccinate her or her siblings because vaccinations can trigger epilepsy in those who are genetically prone to it. Every neurologist that I have spoken to agrees with this.
@cheri
Thank you for your feedback. Other than shingles, I have not heard of a single case of actual chicken pox in at least 4 years. And that case was near my parents (2hrs away); I had a three-week-old baby; and Christmas was 3 weeks away!
I’m wondering how likely it will be at this point for my children to be exposed to chicken pox. Should I actively seek to expose them? Where would I find it?
Our family has followed a WAPF diet for 7 1/2 years. We avoid gluten (bc my husband is allergic/asthma). I soak oats & rice when I use them, buy poultry/eggs, meat & dairy from a WAPF farmer, and use mostly organic produce. My big compromise lately has been UDI’s GF bread. The children spend lots of time outdoors with (vaccinated) neighbor children, but I do not supplement with Vit D or cod liver oil, nor have I been able to muster up feeding my family organ meats yet. We do drink Kombucha and love yogurt.
Beyond those things – do you (or anyone else?) have recommendations for shoring up immune systems and being prepared to hunker down and ride out the storm, should we get something? I’d love direction on books/articles to read. Thank you very much.
I, too, have learned that nutrition is the answer. Getting on board with Nourishing Traditions has made all the difference, and I believe fills in the gaps that make us vulnerable to the negative effects of vaccinations.
My son and I both have Celiac, but it is my “healthy as a horse” daughter who had a negative reaction to a vaccination. But when we started Keifer, Kombucha, whole milk and butter, and organ meats–there has never been a negative reaction since and we continue to vaccinate.
I don’t think we can argue about vaccinations until real nutrition is addressed as a society. Vaccinations are a symptom, not the problem.
And if we had real nutrition, perhaps we would need to vaccinate less!
Its all about balance. Hard-core pro-vaccinators are just as obnoxious as extremists on the other side. THERE IS A MIDDLE GROUND.
Risk from Disease versus Risk from Vaccines
Measles and Rubella vs. MMR Vaccine
Even one serious adverse event in a million doses of vaccine cannot be justified if there is no benefit from the vaccination. If there were no vaccines, there would be many more cases of disease, and along with the more disease, there would be serious sequelae and more deaths. But looking at risk alone is not enough – you must always look at both risks and benefits. Comparing the risk from disease with the risk from the vaccines can give us an idea of the benefits we get from vaccinating our children.
DISEASE
Measles
Pneumonia: 6 in 100
Encephalitis: 1 in 1,000
Death: 2 in 1,000
Rubella
Congenital Rubella Syndrome: 1 in 4 (if woman becomes infected early in pregnancy)
VACCINES
MMR
Encephalitis or severe allergic reaction:
1 in 1,000,000
Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis vs. DTap Vaccine
DISEASE
Diphtheria
Death: 1 in 20
Tetanus
Death: 2 in 10
Pertussis
Pneumonia: 1 in 8
Encephalitis: 1 in 20
Death: 1 in 1,500
VACCINES
DTaP
Continuous crying, then full recovery: 1 in 1000
Convulsions or shock, then full recovery: 1 in 14,000
Acute encephalopathy: 0-10.5 in 1,000,000
Death: None proven
-from the cdc http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/6mishome.htm#risk
I personally do an alternative schedule because I do think there are too many shots given at once and I don’t feel it is necessary to do them all at the same time, but I still choose to vaccinate.
My sister suffered an adverse reaction from the MMR @ 15 months old in 2007. It breaks my heart. I was bullied into getting 2 vaccinations for my now 2 year old (who has major behavioral issues).. But I found a new pediatrician and he is getting no more vaccinations and neither is my 5 month old daughter.
Have you written posts on how to prevent these diseases if we choose not to vaccinate? I find myself in a quandary. My 7-yr-old son has not had chicken pox, nor the vaccine, but I don’t want him to get it at 16 and risk sterilization… My friend’s husband is in day 2 of shingles – in extreme pain and it is spreading to his left eye… This past spring there was a measles outbreak in our area (within 20 miles of me, although much closer to where my husband works)… Pertussis is on the rise, and my friend had it the year after I had my first child… We plan to travel to Europe with our unvaccinated children in the next few years…
I’m not keen on my children getting these diseases, but how do I prevent that? If they did and something terrible were to happen, our extended families would be livid (to put it lightly). I’m needing some help with how to face these diseases head on and how to ensure we don’t hurt others by our decisions. It seems that childhood diseases are, for the most part, more severe and have greater consequences when contracted as adults. How do I mitigate that risk?
I am not trying to be difficult in any way. I’m seeking to be wise in a fallen world and looking for help from those who know better than I.
Grateful for feedback! Thanks!
about the sterility and chicken pox…i did tons of research on this as we went to chicken pox parties to try to catch them…if you do not vaccinate and specifically not do the chicken pox vax you should actively try to expose your children…from what i found out is that you have to be “just starting puberty just going through it” and have the fever at just the right time for him to become sterile…the reason it is best to get it while young is the effects will not be as harsh on the person…it is harder to deal with in adults because our immune systems are compromised
you cannot live in fear..but you have to be WISE as well…almost every dis-ease that a vaccine is for can be managed very well now a days…you have to build your childrens immune systems…codliver oil…vit d (almost one in the same) immune boosting herbs…lessened refined sugar intake…eat whole foods play outside a lot stay away from all processed foods…plenty of water and lots of laughter and hugs…among many many other things…we cannot “just not vaccinate” and then do nothing else…i hope this helps you in some way <3
Homeoprophylaxis is an alternative to vaccinations that came out around the same time as vaccines and have been shown to be effective without the possible side effects that vaccines have.
From what I have gone through, you may not be able to travel into Europe if you are not vaccinated. When my husband was stationed in Germany we had to prove our vaccines before my son and I were allowed to follow him. I am not an expert on this topic at all, it’s just my personal experience. I’ve also seen posts related to this topic that stated you needed to prove vaccines before traveling to some countries in Europe. Just make sure you do your homework.
BTW, if you get to Italy, go to a town near Pisa called Lucca. It’s a town that hasn’t changed since medieval times, just gorgeous.
Sterilization and other issues caused from NOT vaccinating is just as real getting Autism from a vaccination. But I rarely hear anyone talk about that.
Most people with behavioral disorders can still have careers, have children, live good lives.
I don’t know anyone with twisted bodies from polio, or sterilization from pox who would say that.
I wonder what those with the disease would say had they been given a choice to avoid these diseases?
To get their legs back? To be able to have children?
Rebekah, do you have statistics for those statements? The MMWR on measles for example shows zero deaths and a handful of hospitalizations for dehydration. That’s pretty consistent year to year and for all of the common childhood ailments.
A greatly encouraging post. Sometimes you feel all alone going against the flow & your government made decisions. That’s why after 10 years I gave in and vaccinated 4 of my children. But every time I’ve read something like this article & many others, I thought : I can’t play a yo-yo any longer. So I made a decision and stuck by it. So glad. I wrote a letter to our GP and thankfully they left all my 5 children alone. For now. I think vaccinations are most dangerous in young age & the quantity of them. Will see what happens when they are ready for Uni. God willing they will never have to be vaccinated !!! Thank you!
What has eradicated polio in India between 1988 and now? Not cleaner water and sewage systems – they don’t have that in over 1/2 their populated areas. Not education – they don’t have it either. It is vaccinations.
You must be kidding? India has the worst record of what they now call non-polio acute flaccid paralysis, which is in reality vaccine induced polio. Researchers reported in the Indian Journal of Medical Ethics “…while India has been ‘polio-free’ for a year, there has been a huge increase in non-polio acute flaccid paralysis (NPAFP). In 2011, there were an extra 47,500 new cases of NPAFP. Clinically indistinguishable from polio paralysis but twice as deadly, the incidence of NPAFP was directly proportional to doses of oral polio received. Though this data was collected within the polio surveillance system, it was not investigated. The principle of primum-non-nocere [First, do no harm] was violated.” Did you catch that: ‘clinically indistinguishable from polio’ but ‘twice as deadly’ – doesn’t that sound like a rousing success of a vaccination campaign? It is the same way that they ‘eliminated’ polio in the U.S. – call it by another name. The incidence of ‘meningitis’ in the U.S. has risen proportionally with the fall of ‘polio’ – same symptoms. Do your own research, and you will see how non credible the official stories of vaccination truly are. I honestly do not know what the agenda is – profit, eugenics, RFID chips, population control? – but I have read enough to believe that it is not about disease prevention.
actually not altogether true..there are polio conditions that they are calling polio-like..but not polio..it is because we the US are vaccinating the heck out of them there. We are again causing outbreaks,, not preventing.
Since when did being a Mom mean you can’t wear a hot red dress?
I never said a mom couldn’t wear a red hot dress but most days, I’m doing good if I manage to get out of my sweat pants; nor do I think a red hot dress is practical in my “line of work.” I would venture to guess many stay at home mamas with toddlers and babies would agree with me.
Hi, I live in the Caribbean. I am now 30.when i was around 6 my mother decided that the medical clinics here could not prove to her that vaccinations were absolutely necessary for her children and so she refused to allow us to receive any more from that point forward. This is all well and good until i got to University level and was told i could not attend because I was missing most of my vaccinations. I was 18 and given the choice of taking them all or not going to school, so i stuck out my arm.
I now am a mother of a glorious 6 (going on 17) year old. I decided from early i didnt want her to get vaccinated. This is a very difficult task. In this island children generally get vaccinated on a day they are at school. For instance i recieved a letter informing me the children would go on a field trip to the clinic for a regular check up. I was fine with this. Upon getting my child home her arm bumped into me lightly but it started a wave of tears i could not understand. I asked what was wrong she told me it hurts where the nurse stuck her. Upon inspection i realized the area was red and swollen. (we are dark skinned for my childs arm to literally look red is a scary and painful vision) not only did this enrage me because i was not told she would recieve anything (she was one of 3 in a class of 24 to get it; those 3 had charts showing it had not been giving to them) i was also heart broken because my child is deathly afraid of needles and not only was i not there to calm her but was told by her she was basically pinned down by adults to recieve this unwanted shot.
So this is what i face in my stance against vaccinations. A school system adamant that all children must be vaccinated. And also knowing that when she does reach Uni she will be faced with the decision i was. but my thoughts and hopes are by then i have a 18 yr old who can decide for herself if she wants to be put at risk by these vaccinations
Could you please send me the references used for the polio section of your article? I have several relatives who. “Lived through the polio scare” and that’s enough for them to shoot up anyone with ANY vaccine. I need some hard evidence to show them and others who won’t listen to anything I have to say that doesn’t have a doctors credentials at the end of it.
Thanks!
Casey, check out Dr. Suzanne Humphries book “Dissolving Illusions.” It will provide you with a good foundation and some good citations.
Polio ‘scare’ is right, and it was funded by none other than John D. Rockefeller, bringing into homes (by that newfangled television) frightening visions of iron lungs and the propagandized March of Dimes campaigns. Many researchers suggest that the polio epidemic during the fifties was due to rampant pesticide use of DDT, but the ‘scare’ of some lethal virus floating through the air was generated and fanned by Rockefeller funded ‘scientists’, politicians and the media. Sound familiar?
A report by Health Research, California Published in 1957 declared:
“The cases of polio increased, in some cases to more than 600% after the introduction of the Polio
vaccine. Doctors and scientists on the staff of the National Institutes of Health during the 1950s were
well aware that the Salk vaccine was causing polio. Some frankly stated that it was “worthless as a preventive and dangerous to take.” They refused to vaccinate their own children. Health departments banned the drops. ” But the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, and drug companies with large investments in the vaccine coerced the U.S. Public Health Service into falsely proclaiming the vaccine was safe and effective.
In 1976, Dr. Jonas Salk, creator of the killed-virus vaccine used in the 1950s, testified that the live-virus vaccine (used almost exclusively in the U.S. from the early 1960s to 2000) was the “principal if not sole cause” of all reported polio cases in the U.S. since 1961.
In 1992, the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published an admission that the live-virus vaccine had become the dominant cause of polio in the United States. In fact, according to CDC figures, every case of polio in the U.S. since 1979 was caused by the oral polio vaccine.
Do yourself a big favor – do your own research, and don’t begin or end with the ‘official’ disease control centers.
Kid Nurse’s oh-so-perky post was completely devoid of science and absent any vaccine adverse event information. Nothing to indicate that vaccination is a huge health care gamble. Yes, diseases can cause death — but that doesn’t mean they somehow erase lifetime injuries or deaths caused by vaccines,
Style over substance yet again in vaccine promotion. Corporate media really knows how to package sugar and air.
I disagree completely. Being a person that has traveled to 6 out of 7 continents of the world, I have been vaccinated with most of the vaccines, I have never had any problem with it. All the times I traveled abroad, I traveled with a big group of people. Only one person got sick from the injection. The is about 1:50. But the person was of course treated within a great healthcare system and was well after it.
I have received every vaccine that I should get except one, through my lifetime. My family did so as well, and every close friend I have. Nothing has happened. What freaks me out is that there are people out there like you that live in their own little bubble, believing that vaccinations are going to do you or your children harm, are the ones that are going to do my ancestors harm. With you not vaccinated, you are giving the viruses a chance to live, and if you get sick, and the next person gets sick, it is going to transform itself and become different so that my vaccinations don´t work. This is the most global-selfishness I can think of.
The odds of this and that are so small against the odds of outbreaks. Why do you think these symptoms have been cleared in the western world? Because of vaccination, hygiene and health system. Most of these viruses are well and dandy in the third world countries and a lot of the people there would give a lot to get the shots that you have been offered.
Megan, you come up with a lot of facts that support that vaccination is harmful, but you never tell us how to prevent these viruses to live if you do not vaccinate. So is it no vaccination because you might possibly maybe get a little sick (very few get really sick, relatively)?
I am sorry ladies, but I completely disagree and I feel so sorry for you to have this view on vaccinations, sorry for the future and sorry for all the people that are dying this very moment but could have lived if they had afforded the shot.
Liljab, I hope that you one day come to acknowledge the vast amount of data that shows vaccinations are neither research of clinically effective. I am glad you’ve never had adverse reactions to vaccinations but that doesn’t mean they are safe. In fact, many of these adverse events do not manifest until years down the road. 550,000+ people each year report an adverse event from vaccinations and that’s 1-10% of the actual number and that’s limited to the United States. I too travel but I’m not sure what that has to do with vaccines.
I assure you, I will not do your ancestors harm as they are currently dead. But I do hope to ensure that future generations have access to the clean living conditions, nutrition, and hygiene that prevents disease and that they are not forced to be assaulted by harmful, ineffective, vaccinations.
Where did you get this 550,000 number from? “VAERS
The CDC and FDA established The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System in 1990. The goal of VAERS, according to the CDC, is “to detect possible signals of adverse events associated with vaccines.” (A signal in this case is evidence of a possible adverse event that emerges in the data collected.) About 30,000 events are reported each year to VAERS. Between 10% and 15% of these reports describe serious medical events that result in hospitalization, life-threatening illness, disability, or death.”-http://www.historyofvaccines.org/content/articles/vaccine-side-effects-and-adverse-events
You are throwing out numbers without stating where you got them from.
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/6mishome.htm
your comments are so wrong, I dont even no where to begin except to say that I get a vaccine that I wont get attacked by pink elephants and it must have worked as I have never been attacked..
to assume that a vaccine is the reason for your lack of sickness or illness is beyond silly.
Ahhhh.. this post. LOVE!
Love this story. By the way, your sister the chiropractor (DC) is more educated than your MD husband (U.S. Dept. of Edu., HHS, Grisanti, Culture, PhD, etc.), and received more classroom hours in immunology etc. In other words, DC’s receive 5200 classroom hours in the same curricula as the 4400 classroom hour MD. Follow the DC to REAL Health.
I love hearing everyone argue their side with all their satistics that they have found and researched. I can find anything on the Internet to back up what I believe!!
Move to a third world country and maybe you would have a different opinion. Not what you have read on line but actually move here and see it first hand then you can talk about it. Millions of kids die here every second from preventable diseases and when they come in and vaccinate the kids in the village numbers go down drastically!!
Nicole, I just got back from Africa. Millions of kids die every second from poor hygiene, poor living conditions, and starvation. These children have no business being vaccinated as they are sick, immunocompromised, malnourished, and can’t initiate an antibody response. Do you have statistics that show that these vaccine preventable diseases go down durastically after the WHO comes in and vaccinates? See, my son got vaccinated in a third-world country for MMR at 5 months. Thankfully he had two parents who whisked him away to a hospital to be treated when he suffered an adverse reaction. Most children aren’t this lucky. In my posts, I use the same documents those who support vaccinations use, the only difference is that I actually read the studies and see the inconsistencies. You think we should vaccinate for emotional reasons. I think we should vaccinate only if they are proven safe, effective, and are without adverse reaction. Fortunately, as it pertains to third-world countries, there are better ways to prevent disease that puts no child at risk.
– Respectfully, Megan
I hear you, Nicole. I lived overseas in several different continents. It can be a totally different scene than what we see here in the United States. As well, I am sure there may be areas in the US that are a different scene than what I know.
But we have to look at context. I encourage patients to become educated…to reason through it and to take responsibility for their decisions. Sometimes, as parents, we take the easy way – the way we think will have least resistance. “If everyone else is doing it this way or if the doctor says to do this, then how can we go wrong.” Education (informally) is powerful.
The paradigm shift has happened! We must stop blaming our doctors and use them as “teachers” from which we will gain information, expert opinions while we continue to do our own research before making our decisions.
I am “Pro Parental Responsibility!” No need to be disrespectful to anyone….let’s just be wise.
Do you know, our pediatrician would not even tell me whether his children received any vaccinations. He wanted me to gather my own information and to make an informed decision.
What a great teacher!
Hi,
I loved reading your post. Do you have any resources or advice on choosing not to vaccinate a child born with a congenital cardiac defect that was fixed soon after birth? I am afraid of being labeled as a negligent parent. Pediatricians HIGHLY recommend that he get flu all other vaccines and the RSV shot!!
Thanks,
ketylina
I love your posts!!! I do not vaccinate my children but I am a foster parent and it KILLS me to have to vaccinate them!!! 🙁 I have no choice! I took my 4 month old foster son yesterday to get the Dtap, uuuugh!!! I only let them give him that one and the rotovirus so I have to go back in a few weeks for the others. Honestly, it doesn’t even make me feel better that I am atleast aloud to space them out, I HATE IT!!!! My sister had a reaction to the Tdap booster at 15, She got Guillian Barre, lost all control of her body and had to learn how to walk again.
There IS a pro parental-rights movement! 🙂 When I read your first paragraph, this is the first thing that came to mind: http://www.parentalrights.org/ Have you signed yet?
Megan, I think it’s interesting that you mention the damage done to your mother’s shoulder due to the flu vaccine. My father had a similar incident happen to him years ago due to have a swine flu vaccine. This was when that first wave happened back in the 70’s or 80’s I don’t remember exactly.
Life expectancy in the Western world is now higher than ever, despite, or rather because of, these “dangerous” vaccines that you campaign against. That means more children than ever are living to adulthood, and also that the adults who were born into the age of vaccines are also living longer than ever.
If you are a young mother now, you have no personal memory of the times when so many families lost one or more children to the childhood illnesses that you now minimize. Take a walk through an old cemetery sometime, and you will see the evidence in so many graves of the children lost. Their mothers did not have the luxury of spending hours worrying about the possible bad side effects of vaccines. Nowadays, we feel confident enough about our children surviving, that we can stop at having two.
The only reason you can fool around and leave your children unvaccinated with some degree of safety, is that THE REST OF US ARE VACCINATED!! Hence, you can live in your airy-fairy world of alternative medicine, healthy living and chiropractic, and congratulate yourself on your “enlightened” child-rearing. But if everybody else decides to jump on your bandwagon in the future, all those viruses and bacteria will still be available to start an epidemic– maybe even in your town, soon. You say you wouldn’t even vaccinate against Ebola? You are a true genius, I WISH you were my mother!
You say people have been stricken with polio as a result of taking the polio vaccine. Oddly enough, we have seen no giant hospital wards jammed with iron lung machines, as we did in the fifties. I’m truly sorry for any individual’s illness– but public health professionals have seen these mass catastrophes, and so have little patience to argue with you about your phobias.
Yes, feel free to whine about how imperfect modern vaccines are. But remember, the modern life you know, would never have arrived for so many of us, without mass universal vaccination.
No Lauren, our life expectancy is higher because we have clean water, clean living conditions, access to good nutrition, and medical care. I am a young mother but I also have a 100-year-old grandmother. You’ll find her testimony regarding vaccinations under the “vaccines” tab on this blog. No, I absolutey would not vaccinate against ebola. I wouldn’t vaccinate with anything that is not proven safe, effective, or contains toxic additives and harmful ingredients. Ebola has been around for decades and is prevalent only in third-world countries for a reason.
We do have iron lungs today…they are called ventilators and many of the diseases that were classified as “polio” back in the day are now called…coxsackie, syphillis, aseptic meningitis (formerly known as non-paralytic polio), GB, hand foot and mouth, etc. Actually, anything with paralysis lasting longer than 24 hours was called “polio.” And…in case you were wondering, actual polio is asymptomatic in 95% of those who contract it and that’s per the CDC.
For future reference, if you intend to submit a comment I suggest you read the comment policy and be respectful towards the informed parents and professionals on this forum. And I would also suggest looking into herd immunity…which only applies to those diseases which are derived naturally that confer lifetime immunity.
I read all of these comments and wonder if anyone has made the connection or thought about this: If we are to irradicate these diseases through vaccinations and everyone was to get their shots, would that not spur the disease to mutate to get through the defenses? After all that is what germs and viruses do. They mutate to infect and do not discriminate who they do it to, vaccinated or not. So my question is; Are those choosing not to vaccinate saving the population from an even worse strain of the diseases for which there is NO vaccine?
I may be wrong but I had been told that is what’s happened with the Chicken Pox virus that’s now mutated to Shingles….
I had shingles a few years ago, so much better than the Chinckenpox. I’m okay with that mutation. 🙂
I have to comment regarding the Chicken Pox post. Those who get the vaccine get shingles and spread it. My niece got the pox vaccine and then her brother immediately got shingles.
When it comes to herd immunity abd vaccinations for some reason the fact that the majority of the population are NOT up to date on any vaccines. After children leave school people rarely continue to vaccinate and nobody is up to date. Why they scare us into getting vaccines for only children when the rest of the world is not up to date.
No, that’s actually false. Getting the chicken pox actually causes Shingles. And, just saying, Chicken Pox cannot spread as Shingles since its completely different strains.
Jess, I’m curious what your source is for this?
Not so. A good friend just got shingles (most likely from a vaccinated child’s shedding), then all of her kids came down with chicken pox. Pretty clearly, it was the same ‘virus’. A disease is just a name slapped on a group of symptoms, which remain the same, whatever they are called.
I’m in an ongoing verbal battle with a nurse friend about vaccines. I also brought up to her there not being any double-blinded placebo tests and she sent me this:
Li, R., Li, Y., Mo, Z., Luo, D., Huang, T., Kong, J., & … Han, H. (2013). Reactogenicity and safety of a liquid human rotavirus vaccine (RIX4414) in healthy adults, children and infants in China: randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase I studies. Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics, 9(8), 1638-1642. doi:10.4161/hv.25076
And this:
Iwata, S., Nakata, S., Ukae, S., Koizumi, Y., Morita, Y., Kuroki, H., & … Lawrence, J. (2013). Efficacy and safety of pentavalent rotavirus vaccine in Japan: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial. Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics, 9(8), 1626-1633. doi:10.4161/hv.24846
Wondering your thoughts??
Hi Ali, I would refer your nurse friend to the vaccination package inserts so she can see the lack of double blind (inert) placebo controlled studies that are not done prior to approval. If we believe in evidenced-based medicine, it seems proper studies (using an inert or saline placebo) should be a requirement. Your friend also needs to actually read the studies. Just because a study says “double blind placebo-controlled” does not mean it used an inert/saline placebo. Vaccines are not research effective if they were not subjected to double blind placebo controlled studies using an inert/saline placebo. Most (if not all) of these studies use other vaccines or adjuvants.
Following on what Megan says, you can look for the words “physiological saline solution” as that would be an example of an inert/saline placebo. For example, that is what this study did:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7966893
Chris, this study was done in the Netherlands and was not a pre-licensure study. We should conduct double blind placebo controlled studies with intert substances prior to licensure to ensure these substances are “safe” to inject into our bodies and “effective” at actually preventing the flu. This is what “evidence-based medicine” requires. Currently, flu vaccines (notice the type of flu vaccine tested in this study) are neither safe or effective.
Please check out the vaccination package inserts hyperlinked in my post to see the lack of proper pre-licensure studies and trials.
I enjoyed the article and feel many missed the point– make decisions about your health and that of your family and loved ones based on FACT, KNOWLEGE and INFORMATION. She is not attempting to write a scholarly article but rather broach a topic that is a) extremely polarizing and b) oftentimes misunderstood.
Correlation does not equal causation, people… She never said “vaccines ALWAYS cause x, y, z.”
I’m a chiropractor, a tree hugger, a log cabin dweller and I CHOOSE to avoid vaccines based on the hours I have spent researching the topic. As she said, “I will not inject [myself] with vaccines that are not proven to be research or clinically effective, contain neurotoxins, carcinogens, and hazardous wastes, can cause severe adverse reactions, can cause the diseases they are designed to prevent, and are not subjected to double blind inert/saline placebo controlled clinical trials.”
Is that so cray-cray? Not. At. All. Health isn’t a pill, exercise program or anything even tangible. It is a lifestyle, a mission, a proactive choice to treat the body– our vehicle in life– like something we plan to live in for 100+ years.
I never felt like I had the “right” to vaccinate my child. I always felt that when she got older, that if she decided she wanted to get vaccines then she could make the decision for herself. Probably sounds ridiculous to some. Of course, if my child is sick it is my job to make sure she gets what she needs, even if drugs are indicated. However, vaccines don’t fall into this category.
Very nice blog and writing. Thanks. What gets me, whatever opionon one might have, that i see the same behaviour on the pro sides, where is seems to be no failure, all perfect, all safe and a divinding part to it creating the anti movemet wherar its not anti, is pro health and life from a other view point.those indicaters of perfect and the rest are anties for me gets up red flags. Nothing is 100% save, to vaccine to not vaccine… And i see the same wording, the attacking of the messanger instead of gping into the messaoge and talk about this…. I see that with vaccines, fracking, gmo-farming and food… I am always happy to find open discussions with respect and ability to agee to disagree and be open to view the own from diffrent views… Mahalo for this nice blog.
I found this very interesting and informative. The only issue I have with this article is that you called your reference a “nurse”. She is a nurse practitioner. There is a huge difference. Nurse practitioners are much more educated well beyond a bachelor’s degree. They can act on behalf of doctors giving diagnosis and writing scripts. So to say that she gives vaccinations, is a gross understatement. She is also highly educated; much like you and the people you name in your article.
Thanks for your comment. I referred to her a “nurse practitioner” or referred to her blog itself which is called “Kid Nurse.”
“I have no idea what pediatric nurse practitioners learn in school.”
Secondly, I never said she wasn’t highly educated. I refrain from attacking individuals and their experience, or lack thereof, in my posts. 😉
Really? You may want to rethink your writing style then because the comments about her in your post read like a passive aggressive personal attack. Or is the winky face in your reply there because you knew you were attacking her?
I was being serious in my post. She seems nice and I like her dress. I’m sorry if you interpreted it in some other manner.
let me be very clear a nurse practitioner is simply a pill pusher and offers nothing to people – NOTHING
Megan, in response to a previous comment: your baby IS at risk to develop HIV, Ebola, Shingles, HPV, and other communicable diseases because eventually he or she will grow up and make his or her own adult life decisions. Also, for the most part, we as a culture immunize not only to protect ourselves BUT to protect those who are not able to protect themselves. There is a concept called “herd immunity”. Basically, those people who have a depressed immune response (pregnant mothers, those with HIV, etc.) rely on the rest of the population for protection. Here is a good explanation of “herd immunity”. http://www.vaccines.gov/basics/protection/
Also, I am a nurse and we absolutely learn more than just “how to adminster an injection”. I’ve heard very convincing lectures from immunologists (those are people that study vaccines, disease, and the immune system) about vaccinating our population. I understand that you have the right to disagree, and I understand that people search out information that supports what they already believe. Just adding my two cents.
Liz, Thanks for your comment. Herd immnunity only applies to diseases derived naturally that confer lifetime immunity. Herd immunity was coined by A.W Hedrich and does not apply to vaccines…not a single one of which offers lifetime immunity. Even if 95% of the population were vaccinated tomorrow, how would you know whose body developed an antibody response and how would you know when their immunity wore off? Unless you’ve been vaccinated in the last 4 years with every single vaccine, chances are you don’t have the “protection” you think you have against these diseases. I am aware of the propaganda nurses get regarding vaccinations. It’s one-sided and biased at best. For an alternative viewpoint I would read Dr. Tetayana’s book “Vaccine Illusion.” She’s also an immunologist and explains just how little immunologists actually know about this subject.
I hate the labels we put on our selves and others. I completely agree with you beginning statement, I want to join the Parental Rights movement. Its not my place to tell others how to raise their kidsand say they’re doing it wrong when I don’t want the same being put on me. I love this post!!! Thank you so much.
FYI: parentalrights.org
I always find it interesting when someone comments about ‘ preventable diseases ravaging young bodies’ in the hospital (3rd world or state side)…. And all I can think of is the ingredient list of the food substitutes that they feed these patients in hospitals, leaving very little nutritional value for promoting immunity… It’s no wonder their body cannot fight off the disease!? And lack of pure sunshine, as well. I would love to see otherwise in a standard medical setting.
My questions are why do doctors vaccinate at such a young age? i feel like they do this in case there is a reaction. its more difficult to say my baby is different now than saying my young child is different now. Or why does everyone need to be vaccinated for a vaccine to work? none of it makes sense.
And to the question, “how do i keep from getting diseases?” you can’t completely stop yourself from getting sick but to limit your risk I suggest the following: soap and water is your friend. use it. not antibacterial soap. just soap and water. get plenty of sleep. workout. and eat a variety of healthy foods.
They vaccinate at a young age to “train” the parents to vaccinate. Newborns have immature immune systems that are not designed to produce antibodies, (that is why they are present in breast milk). Why is it that parents are told infants are not protected until they finish “the whole series” of the DTaP shots. Think about it. I think it is criminal, considering that infants have died from the shots.
I loved your written and perspective before this article. I love you, your writing, and perspective even more after reading this. Go get that red dress!
Haha thanks Stacey!
I really wish people (on both sides) would stop bringing up the Autism link. It gets brought up and that is ALL anyone focuses on! I have several reasons why I don’t vaccinate and Autism isn’t even one of them. It’s really irritating when someone just assumes that’s my reason for not vaccinating when that couldn’t be farther from the truth.
As the wife of a scientist, who worked for many large pharmaceutical companies I must correct an item that keeps appearing in this blog. The pharmaceutical companies do not make millions on vaccines. As a matter of fact they would like to get out of the business because it is not profitable. It is done for the “common good” of our communities. Yes, there is profit in making pharmaceuticals, such as cancer drugs. It takes as long as twenty years of research to bring a new drug to market and receive approval from the FDA.
It also disturbs me that people think that chicken pox is a benign disease. I had chicken pox as a child before the vaccine was available. As an adult I have had Shingles in my eye. Two and half years later I am still being treated for this by specialists and will probably be under their care for many more. If I had not received drug therapy for this I would have lost my eye sight in that eye. Any one who gets chicken pox is at risk for Shingles. It can strike at any age after you have had chicken pox.
I felt the need to share in light of all this mis-information.
You’re right. It’s not a million dollar industry. It’s a billion dollar industry. You can find the pharmaceutical company financial fact sheets online. As for chicken pox, I am sorry if you experienced complications. This is not the norm. People also experience complications from the chicken pox vaccine, including shingles which manifests later in life as an adult due to stress, nutritional defiencies, or poor lifestyle choices. I think it’s always best to use the clinical definition of these diseases and chicken pox is a mild childhood illness in both the U.S and the UK.
You are crazy thinking chicken pox is a mild childhood illness. It is not. I have seen several severe cases in kids who have needed hospitalized and almost died. Far more than any who have had any reaction to vaccine. As for shingles I had it as a teenager and I had a great childhood and was a healthy active child. It was absolutely miserable and highly contagious with long term effects. Vaccines have been proven time and time again to be more effective and safe then not vaccinating your child. Though I respect your right as a parent to do what you want with your children, I just hope and pray nothing bad ever happens to them. But please don’t be so naive and continue to look at better research out there and I hope all reading this blog who feel the same will continue to do research from more reliable sources. And for the record pharmaceutical companies will show they make billions but that doesn’t mean they are just trying to profit it means they are doing the research and constantly testing new drugs the way you seem to think they don’t. Proof is in the majority of the welfare of our society today versus the past.
Rhonda, I use the clinical definitions for diseases in my posts. If you think they should be changed I would recommend contacting the CDC and those in charge of disease classification in the UK. Secondly, vaccines have never been proven to be research or clinically effective nor does any vaccine provide lifetime immunity.
The pharmaceutical companies are profitable businesses, eating a nice little chunk of healthcare costs, I agree. But, vaccines are only a portion of that market, many being sold to the states for free distribution – your taxes pay for those vaccines. Your taxes then, in turn, pay for the herd immunity protecting your children. Phew, I’m glad you paid something for that.
And about 1 in 3 American adults develop shingles at some point in their life time. Have you cared for a person with shingles? You’re a lawyer, so probably not. But I am guessing your husband, the physician, or your mom, the nurse, has – ask them what those patients seem to be feeling. Post-herpetic neuralgia occurs in 10-20% of shingles cases, so it’s not “the norm” but also hardly considered rare. And yes, chickenpox in childhood, like many viral diseases, is less serious in childhood than adulthood.
You are allowed to parent how you wish, I am allowed to parent how I wish. Your children will have wonderful immunity if they contract and fight off vaccine-preventable diseases – or they might have detrimental consequences. Likewise, my children may have absolutely no reaction from the vaccines they have had and will receive, or they may have detrimental consequences. Let’s just hope they ALL turn out alright.
you’re welcome for the herd immunity.
The herpes virus is not necessarily destroyed ‘burned out’ by our immune system even when the chicken pox symptoms abate. It can go deeper and hide until later in our lives when our vitality is lower.
So two things:
First is that shingles are a sign that bigger issues are going on in our energy/immunity (yes vaccines can depress) overall,
Second, that the virus is still active in the nerve pathways.
Vaccines may or may not be a factor. It would be fair to say that I am suspicious of the experiment, which is all that you can call it – really.
In my experience, fungus infections are also present (another sign that the immune system is not functioning as nature designed.
I really enjoyed this article. It was informative and kind. It avoided all the emotionalism and rhetoric that drives me crazy when vaccines are the topic. Well done.
I agree Megan!
Annie Dixson, Let’s look at all the research that is pointing to varicella vaccination causing shingles. How can someone get shingles if they have never had chicken pox but have been immunized with the varicella vaccine? Pretty easy logically answer.
UK is going to wait and see who other developed countries respond to the vaccine before implementing the vaccine. Sure the US will be the guinea pigs.
” In the UK vaccination is not done because introduction of a routine childhood vaccination might drive up the age at which those who are non‐immune get the illness (chickenpox tends to be more severe the older you are), and the incidence of shingles may increase. The United Kingdom is waiting to see what happens in countries where vaccination is routine.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2563790/
“Chicken pox vaccine associated with shingles epidemic” http://www.news-medical.net/news/2005/09/01/12896.aspx
“vaccine varicella zoster virus can occasionally reactivate in healthy children and present as herpes zoster. Virus characterisation is necessary to identify the strain and provide information on the incidence of occurrence.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12172829
“Genetic profile of an Oka varicella vaccine virus variant isolated from an infant with zoster.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15583288
“Because varicella vaccine is a live attenuated virus, herpes zoster can develop in a vaccine recipient” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/16962434/
My father in law recently had shingles in his eye. The cause head trauma, ei stress. There is always something that is going to trigger shingles.
It is amusing to me that you are thinking in terms of sheer numbers and not percentage of profits. In 2013, Big Pharma made 1.82% of their total expected revenues from vaccines. In terms of selling a product, I would be looking elsewhere if I were them. So it’s silly to think that they do it solely to turn a profit.
Isn’t anyone who has had the varicella vaccine also at risk for shingles. Isn’t that why they push the shingles vaccine?
No they push the shingles vaccine for those who have had chicken pox itself not the vaccine.
The shingles vaccine was created in response to the increase in shingles incidence in a varicella vaccinated population.
I dunno about shingles. Somehow I learned that it was “good” to get chicken pox as a youngster because the “adult” chicken pox, shingles, was bad news. Now, 50+ years later, we’re told getting chicken pox provided no immunity and shingles was lurking. Huh?
The problem has occurred that because of the mass cp vaccine programs there is no longer a booster among the adult and elderly population that typically occurred in the past. When one’s child came down with cp, the caretaker(s) immune system would kick in because of their own past experience of having cp. Now because this rarely exists anymore more and more adults and elderly are experiencing shingles. They are not receiving the benefits of boosting their immune systems.
I commend you on your calm response to the various comments. As I see it, the issue is far past facts or evidence. Each side can cite and counter-cite till the cows come home. And obviously there are intelligent people on both sides of the issue. But people believe whatever facts support their world view. I am generally pro- mainstream medicine and science and don’t believe in conspiracies (Big Pharma is killing us for profit.) Anti vax moms that I know generally share other beliefs – that organic food and certain oils are beneficial, for example, and that they know better than any expert (or ‘expert’) what is best for their child.
Question. When, yes when, vaccines are developed for diseases like HIV and Ebola will you use them? Because, other than a handful of prostitutes that are immune to HIV, these are viruses always infect no matter your health status. No matter how clean living you are. These are, without question, deadly.
No…I will not. My baby isn’t at risk of contracting HIV and ebola is an opportunistic virus. And…I will not inject my child with vaccines that are not proven to be research or clinically effective, contain neurotoxins, carcinogens, and hazardous wastes, can cause severe adverse reactions, can cause the diseases they are designed to prevent, and are not subjected to double blind inert/saline placebo controlled clinical trials.
I don’t understand what you mean by “Ebola is an opportunistic virus”. How does that exempt you from risk at all? It is so highly contagious, people attending a deceased person’s funeral who died from the virus have gotten infected. The virus will infect when it can. It doesn’t matter who you are, it will infect you.
I’m assuming that you don’t keep your kids under a rock, so if you go out in public there is a risk of exposure to anything. Your husband is at risk of being exposed at the very least to HIV, being a doctor and all, therefore, your family is at risk. Accidents happen all the time. The Ebola outbreak in Africa could spread all over the world, symptoms can take up to three weeks to show themselves and we live in a very mobile society.
Your logic escapes me.
Do you realize there have been ebola outbreaks in Africa for decades? This isn’t a new phenomena and there’s a reason why this virus…like all other viruses, are more prevalent in third-world countries. I know that living a life not based on fear seems illogical to most in this society but I tend to base my lifestyle decisions on something more substantial. Your belief that a virus doesn’t discriminate who it will infect contradicts science and biology. Bechamp and the history of the germ theory would be a great place to start if you’re looking to understand the “opportunistic” nature of these viruses.
I loved your article and insight! I am curious what shots you would recommend to give to your infant/child and why?
My children are completely vaccine free. I am not aware of any vaccination that is research and clinically effective, is without adverse reaction, or gives lifetime immunity. 😉
I used to nanny for a family – they had two children with autism. They worked the DAN! Program and practiced a lot of whole body healing and holistic medicine. I learned a great deal from watching the improvements their children made via chelation therapy and strict whole foods dieting, etc. I vowed that I would never vaccinate. So I didn’t. However, my son is five years old – and he is severely autistic. It shattered my world view a bit. We have chosen to vaccinate our other two children – but on our own schedule. They have no observable disabilities.
It doesn’t hurt to be educated. But as many other commenters have pointed out- there are too many environmental, genetic, and chemical factors to blame vaccines for all these ailments (which I didn’t see you do in your article- but I read amongst the comments).
Also, as a constructive critism- I understand that your blog is “just a blog and not a scientific study.” But you are taking a stand on a very serious issue. I liked your style and tone of writing but as other people have pointed out – the comment about the dress and how you think the previous poster is super cute – tears down your credibility a bit.
Also, just because the person you’re responding to didn’t post any citations or links doesn’t mean you don’t have to. Imagine using that argument with your professor in law school ; )
I do appreciate that you are informed and have obviously worked hard and spent a lot of time lending to this cause. You haven’t changed my mind but hey- live and let live : )
You should look up herd immunity, which is one of the principles vaccination relies on. Basically, if a high enough percentage of the population doesn’t get vaccinated it increases the risk of infection even among the vaccinated.
Herd immunity only applies to those diseases which are derived naturally and confer lifetime immunity.
I think that an important item that you may not even know about is that simply because you did not vaccinate your child and he has autism does not mean that there isn’t some other underlying reason why he got it and perhaps even still vaccine related. There are a lot of things that point to the destruction of our genes via immunizations. Were you immunized as a child? Were your parents? Right there are at least 2 generations of damaged dna. Damaged how you might ask? Well by the destruction of vaccinations. If you read those inserts carefully you can see that they don’t test for mutations, they don’t test them on pregnant women either. We don’t know how far back these things go. We don’t know how much damage has been done to people’s dna either.
I agree with @vixie. Please offer suggestions! Although my younger two children are unvaccinated, I’d prefer to avoid any of my children contracting the plethora of diseases against which most people vaccinate just so that they can have lifetime immunity! Unfortunately, we do live in a mobile society, so my children’s risk of exposure to multiple diseases during their lifetime is undoubtedly greater than those who lived 150 years ago. And since the “childhood diseases” are worse if contracted as adults, I don’t want to put my children at risk in the future, either! I would be grateful for a post (or several) addressing these types of concerns.
I have 5 children. My two oldest have been vaccinated, the other 3 have not. With my older two (the oldest is almost 12) I went back and forth on if I should vaccinate or not.
Since then, I have learned that there are other options. Our family has cut out a lot of processed food. We drink green smoothies. My kids even eat their vegetables (most of the time). I am also very much into alternative health care. I use essential oils, herbs and homeopathic medicine. All of these can keep ourselves and our families healthy. I also work for an online company that sells non-toxic products. Getting the toxins out of our homes helps a great deal with keeping us healthy. My kids were exposed to chicken pox a few days ago. I have been putting essential oils on them since finding out and we’ll see how it turns out. 🙂
Every time I see a post on why everyone should vaccinate their kids, I think, “Oh dear. Maybe I should.” But then it is like an invisible hand in my face saying, NO! That is what I go by, is the feeling I get when I question.
There is a lot of icky diseases out there. But there are a lot of ways to keep healthy. These are a few websites I found when looking for info on chicken pox. They may be of some help.
http://www.nvic.org/Vaccine-Memorial.aspx
articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/11/02/dchicken-pox-vaccine-creates-shingles-epidemic.aspx
So, now that you’ve answered the 5 W’s and have a very good argument to the post of the mom who decided to leave the anti-vaccination movement for emotiobal reasons, please provide us answers on HOW to avoid/prevent/be immune from these diseases. Thank you. (No, I don’t like getting vaccines. I’m afraid of the needles.)
Taking care of the body in all ways will allow for a healthy immune system. I believe what you’re asking is HOW to ‘take care of the body’. While there are many aspects to this (nutrition, activity, mental health, etc.) many overlook the role of the nervous system in controlling everything the body does. The brain and spinal cord send messages via nerves, and that is what allows the body to function at 100%. For this reason it is essential to see someone who has specifically trained to remove interference from the nervous system, a chiropractor. Getting adjusted will allow your nervous system to function at it’s maximum, which is a huge factor in maximizing your health!
Check out parentalrights.org. for an organization fighting for parents!
Are there any articles or studies on testimonies of parents who actually witnessed a clear and drastic change in their children the day they received a vaccination? I have a good friend who says the day one of her children (who is autistic) was given some of her vaccinations as a baby she changed drastically in her behavior. In other words, she became a completely different child that day. It was a night and day change. I have spoken to two other people with second hand stories of the child showing an obvious, undeniable change the day of their vax, only to be diagnosed with autism later on. Nothing has influenced or confirmed my decision not to vaccinate more than these testimonies.
Rachel, I completely agree with you. Hearing real people and their experience deserves a lot of weight. I’ll take it any day over what a pharmaceutical company spews. I’ll never vaccinate another child or pet again.
Terry–good for you. The decision to vaccinate my son was the worst mistake of my life. I was able to change the life of my wonderful little dog–makes for a good comparison. Her very expensive and state of the art vet condemned my dog to a short lifespan and in need of heavy medical interventions. When my wife brought this dog back to me after a “required” shot and could not make it up the stairs for about one week–I knew I had to fire the vet–permanently. No more shots for the dig I loved.. Also sickened by the doctors with needless antibiotics, I fired my own doctors and I began a new life and brought my dog along for the ride. Refusing those shots clearly had a positive impact in her life although I could never board her at Petsmart–the people their told me I was hurting her but I knew better. The breed is frequently dead by age 10 but under my care–she had the best years between 10 and her death at almost 14. Many thought she was a five year old when she was 13–incredible strength and energy. By contrast, I like this breed of small dog–I see others aged 8 or 9–very sluggish–obviously–too many injections.
It takes strength to be a caring parent or pet owner to fight the system. Great to be an advocate for the child and not an advocate for the system which brings such bad results overall.
A good friend of my husband has a vaccine injured child. He said he changed within 24hrs after receiving his chickenpox shot. He has asbergers I believe.
Good article Megan.
I would like to point out, there is a pro-parental rights movement,
parentalrights.org and they are gaining ground against the United Nations Rights on the Child, which if adopted by the U.S., will essentially strip our rights as parents.
https://nationalparentsorganization.org/?gclid=CjwKEAjwgMieBRCB3bqB94e9lD4SJABW3sTN4q6ScJW-R_tjd770fxP0X95A1TNshD6e8tLNMZLWmRoCw-Lw_wcB
There actually IS a parent’s rights movement! 😀 It does give me a little comfort getting to be involved with it in a very small way 🙂 http://www.parentalrights.org/
One of the biggest problems I have with people when it comes to science/medicine is that they become a parent and suddenly they’re an authority equal to that of a doctor. The overuse of antibiotics and other medications is absolutely ridiculous, but rejecting vaccines is even worse.
“How can an unvaccinated child infect yours?” There are more than just the vaccinated and unvaccinated children. Are we forgetting there are children and adults unable to receive vaccines at all because they are immunosuppressed or have an autoimmune disease. Those people don’t have a choice and should not be put at risk because of a “vague philosophy,” as another poster proudly pronounced.
My philosophy is that I actually feel a moral and ethical responsibility to protect other people and not just myself with a vaccine.
AJ, Nobody…is in more authority when it comes to my child than ME. Nobody has authority over my child’s health, except for me. Nobody may usurp my role as a parent…ever. A doctor doesn’t make my child’s healthcare decisions. A teacher doesn’t make my child’s education decisions. A dietician does not make my child’s nutrition decisions. A pastor does not determine my child’s religious affiliation. I do. Even if my husband were not a physician, no one does or will ever have authority equal to ours when it comes to our children. I have a moral and ethical responsibility to protect others as well, which is why I write these posts. Even then I would never presume that any parent’s role be usurped whether they vaccinate or not.
Secondly, the immunocompromised CAN be vaccinated and those who can’t cannot be around vaccinated children either. I wrote about this (with reference) in the Hate Debate.
It’s funny to read these comments because autism has been around forever but has only for the last few decades become more studied and diagnosed. Same with diseases. There is no proven link between vaccines and autism. Is there reactions yes but the benefits far outweigh the risk of the diseases. should our bodies be able to fight these diseases, well yes hopefully, but no one can say that for sure. i know personally I would not want to get sick or have my child get sick and the doctor say if only you had been vaccinated. These vaccines are not intended to completely prevent you from getting the disease but to help minimize the reactions to the diseases. Some do prevent lifelong help. If you don’t believe this then ask your doctor for a blood titer on them if you have been vaccinated. I have a child with an immunocompromised system who had intussusception most likely from a vaccine! And needed emergency surgery. He also has high functioning autism. Despite all this I would vaccinate time and time again because god created us, he created our brains, and gave us the knowledge to challenge ourselves to defeat the evil that is brought upon us. Nothing is perfect but god gave us the knowledge to invent new things and the CDC to help control them. I get frustrated because parents choose to send their kids to school sick with no respect for other kids, so I am glad to see states coming down on unvaccinated kids and not allowing them to go to school. I hope more states will follow. for the sake of my child as well as others. There is way more beneficial research out there then negative so people please do your homework and if you need to just spread them out but vaccinate. The world will thank you and so will your kids.
https://www.livingwhole.org/god-does-not-support-vaccines/
You do not know what god supports or doesnt. No one does. If a person believes god created these diseases then you have to believe he created a way for us to combat them and/or prevent them. You have a right to choose your medical care for your child but everyone else has the right to keep your children away from ours. You can not say with out a doubt that your child will not get sick and with viruses they are contracted before people even know they have them. they lay dormant for 7-10 days before symptoms come out and this is when they are most contagious. most people are not aware of this. so yes you have a right not to vaccinate but the schools have a right to not allow your children in for the protection of the majority.
Just a thought. if god forbid your child got cancer are you saying you would deny chemotherapy? do you know the side effects of those drugs versus the benefits. would you not do everything possible to save your child even if the drugs were experimental?
Rhonda,
As Christians we do know what God supports. We follow a book called the Bible and we do not believe disease was created by God. There are no guarentees when it comes to our children getting sick. There’s no guarentee that your child will get vaccinated and have immunity, that the immunity will be effective enough to prevent disease, and you have no idea when it wears off…as NO vaccine offers lifetime immunity. There is no guarentee that your child won’t experience an adverse reaction either, or that the virus shed from a recently vaccinated child won’t infect another. There’s no guarentee that your child won’t become an asymptomatic resevoir for disease post-pertussis vaccination.
And no, I would never give my child chemo but that’s beyond the scope of this post as are “experimental” drugs.
God did give us ways to prevent and combat diseases…it’s called the immune system and the hundreds of references to medicine and principles for health found throughout scripture.
Great article! My kids are 15 and 17 and we chose not to vaccinate them as young children. We did, once I felt their immune systems were stronger, decide to vaccinate. The key word however is ‘chose’. It is a choice and I was made to feel like a lazy, uncaring parent for not vaccinating them as babies. I felt, what I believed was a very informed decision after doing research of my own and seeing how it affected other children who were vaccinated. I was neither lazy, nor uncaring. You are so right that this topic can bring up many emotions for people. Vaccines or not, either choice remains a choice and one parents on both sides of the discussion do not take lightly. Let’s respect each other’s decisions and choices knowing we do so with the ultimate love for our children. Vaccines or not, I hope we can be friends.
I agree! Thank you for sharing. Yes! We can be friends. 🙂
Poor choice. Your body presumes your skin will protect you from infectious diseases. Your chemical body runs by organized chemical processes. Evolution has provided no chemical processes for vaccine ingredients injected through the skin.
The presence of unassigned chemicals in your body is a wild card. Vaccines are drugs. Lawyers on TV seem overjoyed by FDA approved drugs.
http://www.drugwatch.com/risperdal/gynecomastia/
“One of the serious side effects of two atypical antipsychotic medications, Risperdal and Invega, is the development of abnormally large breasts in boys and young males. The condition, known as gynecomastia, leaves men with breasts that resemble those of women.”
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/technologies-for-hacking-brain/?WT.mc_id=SA_SA_20140218
“Despite a century of sustained research, brain scientists remain ignorant of the workings of the three-pound organ that is the seat of all conscious human activity. “
Hi megan – So when I was doing research on vaccinations, I interviewed a good friend of mine who is a doctor and had gone to multiple conferences on the matters (pro and con). He mentioned something as fact and I’m curious if you have come across this. Basically the statement was that Polio is said to have been eradicated by the vaccine, but he said that at the same time the vaccine was introduced, the criteria for diagnosing Polio was changed (I believe he said the symptoms had to be for more days and a few other things, otherwise what was before diagnosed as Polio, they were now diagnosing as Menangitis *I THINK* – have to find my buried notes). So it looked like Polio went down drastically, when that wasn’t the case. Also, we had started chlorinating water around the same time….anyway, I was curious if you have any of this data as I’ve never heard anyone else mention it and I think it’s important!
We didn’t vaccinate in the end, and our girl is extremely healthy!
Right you are. Dr. Suzanne Humphries talks about this in her book “Dissolving Illusions” (VERY well referenced) and she has a lecture you can access below that focuses a lot on DDT and polio. I have written a post on this subject in detail but have not posted it yet. 😉
I have a sincere question. I have a 7-yr-old son who has received all his vaccinations except the varicella. My 3-yr-old daughter and 17-month-old son have not had any. I’ve been told that a male contracting chicken pox during puberty or beyond risks sterilization. So I’ve seriously considered getting him the vaccine. But I am concerned about the unknown risks that vaccine poses since it is relatively new on the scene. Can anyone speak to this issue? As absurd as this might sound, I’d be okay with all of my children just getting chicken pox, but I haven’t heard of anyone breaking out in years. I’d be grateful for any feedback on this.
Mumps is the one that can (very rarely) cause sterility if caught after puberty. I don’t think it is a problem with chickenpox, but all of these childhood illnesses are somewhat more severe in teens and adults and that is a consideration when making vaccine decisions.
Sterility is one of many possible adverse reactions of the MMR vaccine.
http://www.merck.com/product/usa/pi_circulars/m/mmr_ii/mmr_ii_pi.pdf
Before the vaccine mumps was a mild childhood illness that most kids had prior to puberty. Because we now vaccinate and any immunity given by the MMR vaccine wears off, people are now at a higher risk of contracting these diseases as adults when side-effects are more serious.
I am a boomer, vaccinations became available after I had contracted most of the disease you are all referring to as no big deal. I went to school with and know several people who contracted polio and were crippled. One is now in her 50’s, has spent a good portion of her life in a wheelchair and resides in an assisted living. Because of polio, she did not live the life she could have had if vaccinations had been available. In my family all 4 of us contracted mumps, a few days into it I developed meningitis ,a not all that uncommon happening with mumps. Babies die from whooping cough and it is becoming all to common. In countries where there are no vaccinations the number of children who contract and develop serious complications or death is one more child that didn’t have to.
You do have the right to choose whether or not you want to vaccinate your child. But what about the rights of other parents, if I choose not to vaccinate and my child contracts whooping cough and I take him/her out and expose someones infant and said infant dies.
I couldn’t live with myself.
Vaccinations work and by the by, my husband is a physician and actually takes classes and spends the time to learn all he can about immune deficiency, natural remedies, etc. He prefers acupuncture and herbs to medications but would never recommend skipping your immunizations. I don’t do flu shots because I am healthy and don’t need them, he does because he spends a lot of time around sick people.
Diane, what if you vaccinated your child against whooping cough, they still got whooping cough, they infected another child, and they died? The Dtap vaccine is not only ineffective, it makes one an asymptomatic resevoir for the disease. What if you got your child vaccinated and they died or experienced a life-long damaging chronic disease that far surpasses the temporary symptoms of whooping cough? Can we even compare autism (pg. 11 under adverse reactions in Tripedia insert, a vaccine we used to give) and whooping cough?
Vaccinations have never been proven to be safe or effective and if your definition of “work” is lifelong immunity to a disease, then not a single vaccine offers that. If your definition of “work” is that a vaccine gives immunity, this isn’t guarenteed either. The CDC promises that a vaccine introduces an antigen that may or may not initiate an antibody response that may or may not give immunity, but if it does, is only temporary. (This is also why the terms vaccination and immunization are not synonymous or interchangeable).
The diseases you had as a child…are much more serious to contract as adults. Adults who didn’t experience these diseases naturally as children are now at risk because their temporary (if any) immunity given by vaccine has long worn off. I agree with you on your last sentence. If you’re healthy you don’t need a flu shot…or a vaccine. Germs only live in environments conducive to growth. I’m glad your husband is open-minded to other forms of natural medicne. This is needed. I think regardless of our differing views on vaccinations, we both want whats best for our children. 😉
I’ll go ahead and say it…I’m not well-versed when it comes to the risks/benefits of vaccinating/not vaccinating. Maybe you could give me your thoughts on this, if you happen to have a moment: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-one-unvaccinated-child-sparked-minnesota-measles-outbreak/#postComments
https://www.livingwhole.org/this-mama-isnt-scared-of-the-shmeasle-measles/
🙂
Thank you ! Great article. I have four grown daughters who were not vaccinated, and 7 grandkids. The two of my daughters that are moms now have chosen not to vaccinate but also two of my grandkids were adopted from Ethiopia at 3 and 5 years of age. The request was made for them not to be given any vaccines before they picked them up, but sadly they were. Within a couple of weeks of returning to the US, the older boy came down with Mumps and was hospitalized. The other siblings were “quarantined” and not allowed to start school. There was a mild case in the other adopted child and they kept waiting for the older sisters to get the mumps but they did not. Finally they were allowed to go to school and the health department left them alone. Not a fun ordeal at all. I love seeing the next generation thrive in their no- vaccine, and real food lifestyle. Healthy happy kids.
Your response is great, but you have chosen a very young author who has written a very poor article as your challenger. I would like to see you take on a more intellectually-challenging author to battle with! And also, there’s nothing wrong with great clothing–don’t knock a gal with great clothing taste, just go rock yr own red dress!
I didn’t challenge her, just her article. I was serious about her dress though. The complements were not part of my sarcasm. Maybe I should have written a disclaimer? I have written many posts that challenged other articles. You’ll find them here. 🙂
https://www.livingwhole.org/category/vaccinations/
Hope you find a great red dress !
Thanks Sonii! <3
I understand both sides of this argument. I have seen the absolutely terrible results of diseases and autism. I have vaccinated all of my children, with a certain trepidation, but confident in my choice. I believe that far too many people make the decision either way based on clearly personal opinions of others, with little or no sound scientific evidence to support the position they take. The American CDC, and the World Health Organization, are probably the best funded and staffed organizations of their kind in the world. I use these entities in making a final decision, and that was to vaccinate. I will not be the cause for someone else’s illness, nor will my children. The risks are minimal, and while I understand the horrors of the negative outcomes that might be possible, I also feel I have a responsibility to my community as well. Only two things should be considered. First, efficacy. If the vaccines are proving to be less than effective, why risk anything? Second, possible side affects. If your family has problems with certain illnesses, and they are even minimally linked to a certain vaccine, don’t use them. It is still a personal choice, but some rejection of vaccines is completely unjustified, by the data, and rumor.
It’s likely a billion or more to one that a vaccine of today, intended to interfere with your metabolism by overstimulating its immune system, will not harm you in any way. Just the presence of foreign matter, foreign chemicals, in a body controlled and given life by billions of chemical interactions SCREAMS insanity.
Think of an automobile. Your body is much more complex. A billion times more? Many billions? Add a few drops of water to the engine or to the oil supply. The car would run just fine but the water would make its performance imperceptibly less than an identical car without the water. More water, less gas or oil and the performance may become discernibly less. Now the reason vaccines are so dangerous. Let the water, just a drop or so, somehow reach the car’s computer and the car’s performance can/may become erratic or just stop.
Other than virus matter vaccines are chemicals that travel through your circulatory system without purpose.
Round and round they go interfering with bodily processes that are the result of evolution. When they “arrive” bodily processes may go haywire trying to cope with their presence.
LOVE LOVE LOVE!! Best article I have read so far! 🙂 I hate when doctors/other parents try to make you make emotional decisions and pressure you to do what the CDC calls for! Although I am a follower in Christ so I put my trust other places. I do understand when people choose to vaccine for traveling outside the US etc. Or just because they feel peace with doing that. I do hope that everyone can get along and respect each other and each others families. THank you so much for this blog and your heart!!!! I am so happy to know that their are other moms in the world like me! <3 <3 <3
Thank you so much for posting this. Stupid people actually think that if we stop vaccinating somehow there kid or someone else’s kid who can’t be vaccinated will have a greater risk of getting a disease. Here’s the thing, if my kid gets pertussis and goes to school and your kid is all up to date on vaccines, your kid may or may not get sick. My kid could have contracted it even if they were vaccinated. It doesn’t matter. They are vaccines. They don’t make you immune. I started vaccines on my first son and noticed by his second birthday he was mentally changing. I prayed and God gave me the feeling to stop. He has autism but it is mild. I know it would have been worse if I hadn’t listened to the prompting and gave into fear. My second son has not been vaccinated for other than Hep. He is well. The fact is, people make millions from vaccines, and they make more money as you age and acquire all these other issues caused by vaccines. The DEC and pharmaceutical companies don’t care. You are nothing but a church to them.
In regards to causing autism, that was one study, that is not backed up at all. Correlation does not equal causation. Keep that in mind when giving out your opinion.
As a Pediatric nurse practitioner with 20 years of experience in med clinics here in the US as well as in overseas medical mission work with children on almost every continent I see first hand the devastation that completely treatable disease causes in children and then for their families and it’s not from lack of clean water or being “dirty.” The diseases we can vaccinate against will return if we stop vaccination programmes. While better hygiene, hand washing and clean water help protect people from infectious diseases, many infections can spread regardless of how clean we are. If people are not vaccinated, diseases that have become uncommon, such as polio and measles, will quickly reappear Although vaccine preventable diseases have become uncommon in many countries, the infectious agents that cause them continue to circulate in some parts of the world. In a highly inter-connected world, these agents can cross geographical borders and infect anyone who is not protected. In western Europe, for example, measles outbreaks have occurred in unvaccinated populations in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom since 2005. So two key reasons to get vaccinated are to protect ourselves and to protect those around us. Successful vaccination programmes, like successful societies, depend on the cooperation of every individual to ensure the good of all. We should not rely on people around us to stop the spread of disease; we, too, must do what we can. In Ohio just recently there has been an outbreak of Measles.
Every year, an estimated 9.7 million children under the age of five die from preventable diseases. (this means prevented by vaccines) People all over the world are literally DYING to have the vaccines that we take for granted. I treat unvaccinated kids all the time coming in from all over the world who are bringing in measles, TB, and other preventable diseases. TB requires follow ups at 6 months and most of the time we never see these kids again. Its’ only a matter of time before the growing “unvaccinated by choice crowd” here in the U.S. comes into contact with them. We are only protected by the “herd” if the herd is completely vaccinated.
HJones, are those global statistics or U.S statistics? It makes a difference.
Here are my thoughts on measles.
Please also research A.W. Hedrich and herd immunity, Bechamp and the Germ Theory, read “Dissolving Illusions” by Dr. Suzanne Humphries. But don’t take her word for it, follow the references. Read the U.S MMWR data to see how deadly measles isn’t and for the stats that show measles occuring in the vaccinated population as well.
I do agree that parents should have the right to decide whether to vaccinate or not, and I appreciate you expressing this opinion. However, you make several claims to intelligence and scientific data here that are unfounded and uncited. It would be more helpful to write a meta-analysis with publishable date and not heresay. I am a physician assistant and a mother who has been very concerned about vaccinations, not just for my own children but because I am responsible for administering them. I actually do know the ingredients, including preservatives, that are in each vaccine I order. We (doctors and physician assistants who read a physiology textbook) do understand how vaccines or exposure to antigens affect the immune system. We can explain, in detail, using biochemical receptors pathways how viruses or the partial antigens that are in vaccines cause immunity. I do appreciate your concerns that not all practitioners possess this knowledge. I support my patients who question me on this topic because if I cannot answer their questions, they should go to a practitioner who can.
I will not comment on your argument that vaccines may cause autism. There have been very well done studies (although not double-blinded because this would be unethical considering how beneficial we know vaccines to be) that disproved this theory.
One thing you said bothered me in particular. You stated that if mothers were immune with “natural immunity” they would pass this immunity on to their children. This is actually false. The immunity mothers pass to their children is through IgM antibodies that cross the placenta during gestation. These antibodies are different from self-acquired immunity which is through IgG antibodies. IgM antibodies do not stimulate B-cells to reproduce and save immunological “memory”. That is why infants are only protected by their mother’s immunity for about 4-6 months after birth, when the IgM antibodies are all broken down. IgM antibodies are secreted in breastmilk, but they are destroyed by gastric juices before they can be absorbed by the child’s body. While breastfeeding may be beneficial for the health and nutrition of the child, it unfortunately does not confer immunity to communicable diseases.
Also, Tdap is not recommended to be given to pregnant women. It is administered post-partum.
I’m sure if you travel with me on my next medical trip to West Africa or Haiti, you will agree that polio is in fact “scary”, and measles does in fact kill children routinely. Or, if you prefer, you may visit the ICU where I work any time and enjoy the view of my patients dying from Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome after influenza, or my patients awaiting liver transplants after acquiring Hepatitis B. There are side effects to vaccines and risks involved, yes, just as there are side effects and risk from antibiotics and other medications. The question is do the risks outweigh the benefits. While I have treated many patients who died from vaccine-preventable diseases, I have never, in my years of practice, treated someone who died from a vaccine. I have recognized vaccine reactions and I have treated patients with Guillain-Barre – the most terrifying and rare side effect of vaccines. But no one died.
Please refer your friends and family who are questioning the efficacy and safety of vaccinations to the CDC or the WHO, both of whom have well documented references to the studies they use to determine safety.
I’m sorry but I respectfully disagree. I wish I could go through this comment in detail but because of time restraints I can only touch on a few (though you are welcome to read any of my posts under the “vaccines” tabs for referenced articles I’d already written on these subjects). After birth, maternal antibodies wane in the first 6 to 12 months of human life. The neonate and infant can receive additional maternal protection from breast milk. Mothers who pass antibodies to diseases acquired naturally afford their baby longer disease protection (approx 1 year) than vaccinated mothers who pass antibodies to diseases not acqured naturally (approx. 3-4 months, if any). As vaccination coverage among mothers increases, the level of maternal antibodies at birth among infants and the duration of the protection afforded by maternal antibodies among newborns decrease. As in the case of MMR – “the most likely explanation for this is that MMR vaccine induces lower antibody levels than natural infection with measles, mumps, and rubella and that antibody levels of vaccinated cohorts are no longer boosted by exposure to wild-type infection.”
Antibodies passed via breastmilk do protect infants from all sorts of infections. That’s why breastfeeding is so important. I would be really interested to see a study that says otherwise.
Tdap IS recommended and pushed on pregnant women during pregnancy. Though most patients don’t realize they have a choice to opt out.
http://www.acog.org/Resources-And-Publications/Committee-Opinions/Committee-on-Obstetric-Practice/Update-on-Immunization-and-Pregnancy-Tetanus-Diphtheria-and-Pertussis-Vaccination
ACIP Recommendations for Pregnant Women
“ACIP recommends that providers of prenatal care implement a Tdap immunization program for all pregnant women. Health-care personnel should administer a dose of Tdap during each pregnancy, irrespective of the patient’s prior history of receiving Tdap.”
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6207a4.htm
CDC – “Pregnant women should get a whooping cough vaccine since vaccines are the best way to prevent this disease.” http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/adults/rec-vac/pregnant/whooping-cough/get-vaccinated.html
Finally, children in third world countries die from all sorts of diseases but this is not because they do not have vaccinations. I myself have seen the devestations of malnourished, starving children, who were vaccinated by the WHO but I venture to guess our perceptions differ. As far as “Guillain-Barre” being the most terrifying and rare side effect of vaccines…I think you should read the package inserts here and check the VAERS database as as well as the studies that link not only the ingredients in these vaccines to adverse reactions but the vaccines themselves (I’ve referenced these in other posts but this data is available on PubMed). You might also be interested in VAPP (vaccine associated paralytic polio) and the OPV vaccine and SV40, cancer, and the polio vaccine. For an accurate (referenced) synopsis of the history of the polio movement.
Regardless, I think we need to be careful in downplaying the adverse reactions of vaccines, the millions of vaccine injured children in this country, and the families who have lost children as a result of being vaccinated. Just because you haven’t personally treated them or acknowledged the association between various diseases and vaccinations does not mean they do not exist. In fact, many of these parents have shared their stories. Here is just one: http://www.iansvoice.org (A little boy who would not have died but for the Hep b vaccine). I would also look into the Hannah Poling Case. Please look into other successful claims from the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. Although empirical, you can also look at the testimonies here: http://www.nvic.org/Vaccine-Memorial/Search-Memorial.aspx You’ll also find studies on adverse reactions and vaccines on PubMed.
The CDC is the first place I recommend people go when they want to see the inconsistencies and lack of research and safety data on this topic, which is why I cite to te CDC (and others you mentioned) in my posts.
Well written and articulate. Thank you Megan.
It kills me how selfish and silly this is. I know people that don’t vaccinate don’t _mean_ harm, and some do believe that their children have been harmed through vaccines, but the research is not based on facts, or the facts your links represent have been skewed.
I live in Geneva, Switzerland. Actually a surprising number of people don’t vaccinate here either. There are outbreaks. People travel to Africa and Asia a lot, so you know, it’s a bit more dangerous than the bible belt of America for things like this, albeit not as dangerous as the places that are DESPERATE to have these vaccines you eschew.
I can assure you that the real experts – those that work at the World Health Organization – the ones that have poured over the data, that know of the risks in and out, that work to ensure that children around the world are safe and healthy. They would never, ever dream of not vaccinating their children.
Please think about that for a minute. That and your dead grandmother and some of her friends that died of Polio or other preventable disease as my grandfather did, leaving three babies under five for my grandmother to raise on her own.
It wasn’t that long ago, and yes vaccines are the reason it has *almost* been eradicated – the more people that listen to the likes of you, however, the more likely those that can’t be protected by vaccines will contract it because of people like you.
I’m sorry that your law degree apparently didn’t give you the sense to decipher between good and bad research.
Thank you for a thought provoking article. While we may not carry the same opinion about vaccinations, I’ve always believed that ultimately a parent has the final say in their child’s care. I did chose to vaccinate my child, and while I did ponder the decision multiple times, I stand by what I did, just as I’m sure you feel about your decisions.
I’m a pharmacist at a cancer institute and work closely with leukemia patients. In my 7+ years of experience at this hospital, I’ve seen some devastating things happen to patients from simple illnesses. I’ve lost several patients from the flu each year, because they can’t receive a flu vaccine due to their bodies inability to develop an immune response to the vaccine. Each year, I’m required to get a flu vaccine to work in the hospital. While, I’m excited about getting a flu vaccine, I get mine each year. I realize it won’t prevent ALL strains of the flu and may not be effective completely, however I’m not sure how I would live with myself if by some chance I were to give the flu to one of my patients, who I’m supposed to be here protecting, especially if cause life-threatening complications. It’s a very difficult position to be in. As a pharmacist, I’m supposed to be someone who loves medications and promotes them for the treatment of various ailments, however I’m probably one of a handful who actually try to limit the use of medications. Sure, every single medication has a potential to have an adverse effect, but I have to weigh the benefits vs the risks for each medication I prescribe to someone.
While I know many people who choose not to vaccinate do so because of the potential of adverse effects from vaccines, I am curious how your husband views other medications (i.e. not vaccines) that he may prescribe to his patients? If you read the package insert on any medication, it will list many side-effects that are *possible*. If you followed that principle of not using vaccines due to potential side effects with any medication that may be prescribed, does he have the same hesitation or resistance? I’m only asking because I’m just curious and it’s not meant to be inflammatory at all.
I’m sorry, any article that makes these claims better back them up with proof and you provided none. I’m also sure you’ll delete or prevent this comment from being posted because you, like all other anti-vaccine, pro-disease bloggers, LOVE a one sided argument,
Nila,
My references are hyperlinked in blue/green font. Curious though, how many references were used in the post this article is written in response too? I only refuse comments that violate the comment policy.
Great point, Nila. I’d love to see an anti-vax article that is actually well-supported. I took out one passage on causality and noted what would be required in a peer-reviewed journal so that the reader can verify the assertions of the author:
“There’s just a whole bunch of studies where children who were vaccinated got autism [multiple citation needed – because it is written “studies” in the plural]; a vaccine package insert that listed autism as a potential adverse reaction; court cases won by children who developed autism post-vaccination [citations needed]; studies that link seizures [citation needed], brain encephalopathy [citation needed], and gut disorders [citation needed] to vaccines and studies that link seizures [citation needed], gut disorders [citation needed], and brain encephalopathy [citation needed] to autism; a vaccine removed from the market because it caused brain damage in children (i.e. autism & DPT) [citation needed], studies on the ingredients in vaccines that cause autism [multiple citations needed], and a whole bunch of empirical data that is super important [citations needed] unless…it pertains to autism.”
Then there are so many misinterpretations of epidemiological concepts and statistical findings that I don’t know where to begin. My recommendation to the author would be to study causality, effect modification, confounding, design of clinical trials, specificity and sensitivity, and positive/negative predictive value before publishing more posts like this one. It will make your case much stronger and give you a fighting chance to convince a scientist like me.
Aimee, You’ll find other articles I’ve written in the subject of vaccines here. All of them well-referenced. I am curious though, how many references did the article have that this post was written in response to?
Here’s the thing, there are multiple studies that support seizures, encephalopathy, etc. and vaccines (many of which I’ve referenced in prior posts). I can’t pick and choose which of the many studies to link nor can I cite all of the information I have read over the last 8 years in a blog post. For example, there are numerous ingredients in our vaccines and they vary by vaccine. Which vaccine do I choose? Which ingredient do I cite for autism? And which of the many studies by ingredient do I then cite? And if I cite a link to just one study someone will attempt to discredit my entire premise based on a single study. Nor as a blogger do I think it’s smart to hyperlink my entire post.
My audience is very intelligent. All they have to do is type “vaccines and seizures” or “aluminum and autism” or “DPT and autism” into PubMed and it will pull up a whole host of information. As a scientist, I am sure you are used to researching these concepts for yourself on a daily basis. However, if you’re looking for a good place to begin I would suggest reading the package inserts (cited in my post) and if you’re particularly interested in the vaccine that listed autism as a possible adverse reaction try page 11 of Tripedia. Then research why we stopped using DPT in the United States. Most of the people reading my blog already know these things because they did their research before they chose not to vaccinate.
I write to empower and encouarge those of us who have chosen not to vaccinate. I write for those questioning vaccines. I write for those parents who are both for and against vaccines who value their parental rights. There are many scientists and medical doctors who write on the subject of vaccinations that I think would do a much better job at convincing scientists.
I hope you don’t take offense. It is certainly not my intention.
Megan, all those “problems” you list on your comment are the kind of things scientists have to deal with when they intend to publish a study. It is only fair that, if you want to discredit them, you do the same. Otherwise, you very intelligent audience will notice this and realize that this is an unreliable source of information. Unfortunately, your not so intelligent audience (sorry, but not everyone who has a computer and internet connection is very intelligent or educated) might believe you, though. And that is dangerous.
Monica, I am not a scientist intending to publish a study. I wrote a post in response to another article by someone who is also not a scientist. If you intend to submit another comment please abide by the comment policy and respect others. Just because someone does not agree with you does not mean they are not intelligent or educated.
I am a medical professional and have had patients on both sides of this subject. I don’t get very involved with discussions, except to point out aspects that perhaps haven’t been thought of yet. The anti-vaccine movement and lifestyle has had the opportunity to thrive in the United States, as previously mentioned by another commenter, because of the cleanly conditions here. Choosing not to vaccinate your kids can work here. But what if your kids want to travel one day? What if you want to take a family vacation abroad or go on a mission trip to a third world country? There are many countries around the world that will not let you enter through customs without documentation of certain vaccines. Just an example, I assisted in leading a group of students on one of my mission trips to Kenya. There were a handful of students who were not able to go on the trip, due to their lack of certain vaccinations. For some, it was the lack of vaccines that are given at specific time intervals apart and it wouldn’t be completed in time for our departure, and for a couple others, it was because their parents denied their request to get certain vaccines required to go. Personally, I think that the experiences gained from international travel are so valuable and I hope my future children have the desire, as I have, to be well traveled and gain unique experiences and appreciations for other cultures. And to do so, there are numerous vaccines they will have to have. The depth that a life can have from being vaccinated and seeing the world, certainly seems to outweigh an unvaccinated, and sheltered life here in the U.S. But that’s just me.
Not being vaccinated may/may not affect third world country travel. Rwanda does not require vaccines. I have been to Haiti numerous times and never took a medication or vaccine. I got sick at first but recovered and since then have returned with no problems. Other countries do have their own remedies which if you do some research you can find out about. Vaccines can be a stickler, though, for some countries. Agreed. Exposure to third world countries is a good thing. Agreed. If you must, absolutely must, get a vaccine, you can neutralize the toxic effects immediately before it affects the brain. Dr. Sherry Tenpenny has a book on traveling and vaccines. It is called “Saying No to Vaccines.”
I know a guy who had to have new pages added to his passport several times because he travels so much, mostly to so-called “third world” countries, in search of new medicinal plants. He’s even named one that wasn’t previously in the books. He’s never been vaccinated and refuses to vax his two boys who often accompany him on these adventures. It’s usually easy to get around these travel restrictions. Worst case scenario is to fly into a country next door that doesn’t have the restrictions and then continue to the destination country. Talk about fostering bright kids that have the ability to do critical/creative thinking! Then, as with circumcision or baptism, these kids have MORE options as adults…they will have the CHOICE to get themselves vaxed or not after educating themselves.
Very informative article! Thank you.
BTW, there IS a movement to protect your parental rights. A greatly needed movement, at that. We have no recognized rights to protect us as parents. There is some support for this amendment now, but we need lots more.
http://www.parentalrights.org
Thank you!
Thanks Michelle! Thanks for linking this website!
Great post. I really enjoy reading your posts. Thanks for another great read.
Great article. I will be sharing it with my clients. Many of my clients are married to Docs. I hope that they are able to entertain the possibilities. It’s a topic I try and stay away from, but, I have worked with so many that are having babies and vaccinating and acting so much out of the fear that is instilled in them, I just want to share with them the possibilities from someone else’s perspective. Thank you!
Loved this article!!
This is such a wonderful article, and I love that you went into the polio fiasco. As a child, I was fully vaccinated…twice, because my records were lost. I remember how my body felt after having been given multiple vaccinations, and I just can’t imagine what a little baby’s body must go through. This brings me to my point.
I was hoping you could help me out with a situation. My husband and I are so excited to have our first baby together, but we are at opposite ends of the scale as far as vaccination beliefs. We are really great at compromising, but I honestly don’t want to compromise at all. Are there any vaccinations worth having? If we waited until the child was older would there be fewer risks involved? Is there somewhere I can find natural, proven remedies for some of the major afflictions, such as pertussis? Also, can you cite all of the information you used? I would love to sit down with my hubby and review the studies and facts.
Thank you!
Are there people who do not vaccinate and still send there kids to pubic school? Are there private schools that take kids who are not vaccinated? Or do home schooling and anti-vaccination just go hand in hand? I have always wondered these things every time I see and article about it.
Oh yes! Each state offers vaccine exemptions. Check out the website below.
http://www.nvic.org/Vaccine-Laws/state-vaccine-requirements.aspx
Great Post Megan,
Vaccinations are governed by state law. In Ohio, we can object to vaccinations on philosophical grounds and be as vague as we want to be about our philosophy.
Why did you feel the need to objectify the other author in your introduction? I presume you knew you were doing it and did so intentionally.
“She seems nice and she’s super cute too. She’s wearing a red dress on her home page and it made me want to go out and get a hot picture of myself in a red dress too.”
What is the point in this characterization of her? Is there a relationship between presentation of self and merit of argument?
I didn’t objectify her (unlike those who write posts about me). I complemented her and I was setting up the stage for my post. I’m sorry you feel that way but I respectfully disagree. Maybe we have different definitions of “objectify.”
Interesting! Any chance you can share your references? I would love to read them!
References are linked in blue/green font in this post. 😉
I saw those, but they are so few…is there any more?
Your article would be much better if more of your information had sources cited.
Eric,
Curious, how many references were used in the post this article was in reference to? Although I always reference my articles I have an intelligent audience and I presume they can take the information I write and further research these issues. I cannot be expected to write one big hyperlinked post and list 8 years worth of information or choose which of the many studies to include on each topic. I have however, written about many of these things in prior posts. You’ll find them under the “vaccines” tab at the top of this blog. 🙂
Enjoyed this post. And I got a kick out of the fact that our family background is similar, husband is the lawyer and I’m the biologist/chemist, and we came to similar conclusions.
Yep, there is a pro-parental rights movement and they need our support! http://www.parentalrights.org
Thanks for this article – my husband and I are researching each individual vaccine before making any final decisions on vaccination and this will help us greatly!
While I have nlt been gifted with offspring of my own, I am responding in thr same manner as Caleb.
I am 24 years old and have been given vaccinations. I was born two months early and was in and out of the hospital a lot for the first two yeats. My immune system was weaker, but after I was two, I rarely got sick. In fact, even now, I have not been “down and out in bed all day” sick considering I have always worked 2-3 jobs and was going to school full time.
I get seasonal allergies, but nothing more than the occassional sneezing. I guess the point I am trying to make is vaccinating or not, they are both paths to helping children build up their immune system. There are risks to both. Period.
I hate to be picky about such an excellent article, but I found a misspelling. “To your surprise, they didn’t pour through the clinical trials or post-licensure studies.” Pour should be pore. 🙂
Thank you for writing this response!
Megan, I only have a history degree, but I have to agree that money and politics have had as much to do with medicine as science. If anyone has any doubts just consider how long it took to get the tobacco companies to acknowledge that their product caused lung cancer. The Germans had research proving the link in the ’40’s. Just the same my science background (I was a biology major for two years before switching to history) has not entirely convinced me that all vaccines are evil all the time. Part of the reason is because the type of tests you mentioned at the end of your article HAVEN’T been done. And the reason for that is money and politics. Someone once mentioned that all drugs that have ever been recalled by the FDA were once approved by the FDA. Good reason for scepticism. We should be allowed the freedom to choose. I would like to address your comments about Polio, however. I have personally known three people who were crippled because of Polio, all having contracted it before there was a vaccine. It is a shame that the vaccine was flawed, containing a monkey virus since shown to cause cancer. It did save lives and prevent disabilities. I know of no one who contracted the disease after being vaccinated or even after the vaccine was introduced. The problem is not necessarily the vaccines, but flaws in them (such as questionable preservatives) and the ever increasing number of them that are being given to babies with undeveloped systems unable to adequately detoxify them. It is a battle worth fighting, but I believe the truth is somewhere in the middle.
Good article. Love the responses.
“Hey! I believe in Science and what you said contradicts it. Oh wait… They updated my favorite journal. I don’t remember this being classified as a neurotoxin… Oh well, go Science!”
Hello! Thanks for your article. You mentioned “if there is a pro-parental rights movement, sign me up” in your article. Well, there is and more than ever before they need big support to keep our government from taking our parental rights away. Please read up on the website and get the word out. If the proposed laws are passed, it will affect us all! Parentalrights.org
Must see TV!
I vaccinate and don’t believe in God… I have yet been proven that he did or does exist… smh…
I do have a question… if you’re child were to die from a vaccine preventable disease…. you wouldn’t feel guilty? I guess we can only hope your children don’t suffer.
Samantha,
No, I would not feel guilty because something happening to my child wouldn’t change the fact that vaccines aren’t safe or effective. Just like if a mother did her research and decided to vaccinate and her child died from an adverse reaction from the vaccine. We all make the best decisions we can for our children with the information we have, whether we vaccinate or not. I simply encourage everyone to become informed on this topic, present the other viewpoint, and regardless, support a parent’s right to choose whether or not vaccines are best for them and their family.
You scare me. You talk about not vaccinating as if that is a decision you can make in your own personal bubble, without affecting anyone else outside of you and your children. But your unvaccinated children will play with other children, and they will pass germs to each other. Both sets of children can serious infect each other. Please, if you choose to not vaccinate your children, keep them at home, don’t take them to the grocery store, school, church, any pool but what may be in your own back yard, or any other public place. Unvaccinated children are at a much higher risk of getting a contagious illness, and of developing serious complications. If I didn’t get a flu shot, I would almost certainly get the flu (because my body seems to love to get viruses!), and I would then get bronchitis because I invariably go for secondary infections when I get the flu. I rarely get the flu now, because I always get a flu shot, but say I didn’t. While someone who had the flu shot would probably not get the flu from me, they could very well catch the secondary infection from me because the flu shot doesn’t protect against non-flu organisms one might inhale, that I am aware of. And children who are not vaccinated get sick more and get secondary infections, and thus endanger the children exposed to them. Think about other peoples’ children–you are living in a community and your actions DO affect others, whether you intend for them to or not. (And I know that is not eloquently expressed, but it is 3 a.m. and I am really tired but am up with an ailing, elderly parent.)
This is America. You have the right to make decisions that I think are wrong, unwise, and pseudo-scientific, and I will defend your right to do that. But you do not have the right to endanger the families of your local school and community, and that is what unvaccinated children do. I know you are going to trot out articles you think prove this and that, but just look at the attendance records of your local elementary school and talk to local doctors. Look at what figures are there and draw conclusions from them, instead of trying to make them fit what you want to believe. (Truth is not objective. One of us must be wrong.)
As a matter of fact, ALL of the unvaxed children I personally know are very healthy and the vaxed children I know are much less healthy. That is the truth! Also, if vaccines worked so well, why would you worry about my un-vaccinated child being near your vaccinated child? One last point: I had never ever had the flu in my first 50 years of life until a friend of my son got a flu shot (unbeknownst to me at the time) and hung out at our house. Sure enough, I came down with it. So I happen to believe that your vaccinated children are a much more serious risk to my un-vaccinated child than the other way around.
If your children were vaccinated and the vaccines are effective, why would they be at risk from unvaccinated children?
I think you don’t really understand the nature of infections. A secondary infection is very unlikely to be passed on to another person because, A it is likely a bacteria that is very common on your skin and basically everywhere and, B it has only been able to proliferate do to the your compromised immune system (due to the initial infection) and or the physical damage done by the initial infection.
A secondary infection is not considered a transmissible disease, unless it is by coincidence a transmissible disease, in which case it would likely be contracted irrespective of a primary illness.
The idea of herd immunity is flawed when arguing that an un-immunised person puts an immunised person at risk. If the immunised person is at risk, they are as prone to be a risk as an un-immunised person.
This is an excellent article. In my own experience, my brother who was born in 1958 came down with whooping cough as a baby, AFTER his third DTP shot (diptheria, tetanus, pertussis). To my knowledge, he was the only one in the family, of 9 children, who received the pertussis vaccine, and was the only one who ever had whooping cough. My brother who was born in 1961 had no vaccines as a child, and he was always very healthy–and extremely intelligent, also.
When I was a child, (born in 1944) there were very few vaccines available, if any. It was considered normal for children to come down with measles, mumps, and chicken pox. You had the disease and then were immune for life. The number of deaths from infectious diseases had greatly decreased when vaccines were introduced. My grandmother and two of her brothers had tuberculosis as children, and my mother had scarlet fever. We do not have vaccines for those diseases, yet we are not seeing epidemics of TB and scarlet fever.
Exellent post, Marie. Excellent.
Rather than get tangled up arguing the validity of one study or another why not just look at the population? We live in a sanitary, well fed society…at least people are not starving..(they may be malnourished but that is their choice). Are people generally healthier for not having measles, mumps, chicken pox etc. due to vaccines? Are we having fewer childhood/adult cancer cases, fewer seizures, fewer behavior disorders, fewer immune disorders, hardly a need for school nurses or special ed teachers or doctor visits? Are hospitals closing down because everyone is so healthy?
Go to your local Walmart and just people watch. Do the kids look/act robustly healthy? Is what we are doing working?
Another idea: Listen to the mothers! Yes, LISTEN! HEAR them! They KNOW! What difference does it make if a study says something but you hear over and over again…my vaccinated child is ill, dead or damaged; my unvaccinated children are healthy. Doesn’t that speak volumes? I mean VOLUMES? You can talk all day long about causation, science, studies, but this is real life. These families have to live with this day after day. I met some of them at the Autism One conference in Chicago…a real life conference that is mocked and railed as a quack conference. I sat and watched them weep over their damaged children. They didn’t know, but they know now and the suffering is enormous, the expense is huge, and the guilt is hard to overcome.
And what is wrong with an emotional response? If my child was vaccine damaged I should be emotional. I would be emotional. I am emotional for them and I don’t even have a damaged child.
I awakened early this morning grieving for all the mothers who wrote on this blog that their children were damaged by vaccines and then people are still defending the vaccines. It is so sad to me that these mothers are not believed. To have to endure the pain of knowing you made a bad choice your child has to live with and then to endure the arrogance of people who refuse to believe you..that is hearbreaking.
Those who oppose vaccines are ridiculed, demonized, vilified. They have NOTHING to gain to go against the grain.
But those who oppose vaccines can also ridicule. We need to guard against anything that is mean spirited.
A healthy discussion and argument is a good thing. Keep it that way. The early statesmen of our country had healthy discussions about states vs. federal rights. Disagreements appropriately handled should enlarge the perspective of both sides.
My interest in this topic goes back 30 years. I have written several articles on vaccines including letters to editors, but I have learned quite a bit following this blog and the comments. We never know it all.
Amen.
I read your comment and it made me cry.
I have a vaccine injured son and I feel horrible everyday when I see the consequences for believing his doctor and going 180 degrees against my gut. I stood up to her for a full hour and then, after hearing her belittle me and my questions, telling me she was on the vaccination board of this and that, that vaccines were safe and effective, I caved. He had a seizure and hasn’t slept a solid night since, in 4.5 years.
I’m feel like no one believes me about the vaccine being the cause. I’ve lost friends over this issue, because it seems no one understands what it’s like to raise a child who has a brain injury… It’s not the same as you might anticipate when you decide to have children. I love my son to the ends of the earth but I was expecting a tantrum or two here and there, not what we experience daily.
The reason your comment made me cry was because you said you felt heartache for the parents who are experiencing what I am, and for that understanding, I am so grateful.
I’m 21, and I got scarlet fever as a child(around 10 years old). Penicillin reduces the length of it. I was fine. No harm done =)
Wow – very interesting. A friend of mine had a baby 2 years ago and she, the baby, contracted whopping cough at a few days old.
While in the hospital, Children’s Hospital of Atlanta, she said 6 families came in with whooping cough (with her child being one of the six). 4 of them were vaccinated. Her child and one other were the only ones not vaccinated.
I had a client whose entire family (minus the dad) was up to date on vaccinations. They all got whooping cough (mom & 3 kids)…except for the dad who wasn’t vaccinated. They decided the risks of the Dtap vaccine outweighed any perceived “benefit” after that.
So, maybe the issue in the beginning wasn’t about the vaccines. Maybe because their food and beverage source wasn’t tainted with so many chemicals….but now it is an issue because on top of being vaccinated we are pumping so many adverse chemicals on a daily basis through food consumption that it’s effects are quite different than years and years ago when the only “poison” our bodies had to worry about was to prevent debilitating and deadly illnesses. It’s not the vaccines, it’s our daily food source. Or, more importantly, what they are being injected with.
Hi Megan. This is my first visit to your blog. I have been incredibly tossed as to what is best for my baby. Could you post some good and knowledgable articles that are for and also against vaccinating? Also, I’m curious, could you get your husband to type an entry on his views and feelings on vaccines? And why does your mother (or was it your MIL sorry I can’t remember) say she will never vaccinate anyone ever again and wish she never would have? I am truly searching for the right answer as to what I am supposed to do as far as vaccines go for me children. Please and thank you!!! I really appreciate your time!
Lynette, my heart goes out to you. Please read my reply to Marie.
Very interesting read. I value and respect any and all parents views concerning vaccines. That being said, as a parent that does vaccinate my children, I’m offended at someone’s “abuse” remark. I do not believe because I choose to vaccinate my children that I nor any other parent that does is an abuser. It was very crude and very unnecessary to be so ugly hearted because your beliefs differ from mine and many others. I love my children more than air as most parents do. That was extreme and maybe you should rethink your choice of words.
I am not going to waste my time agreeing or disagreeing with you. I just find it interesting that your mother felt the need to “protect” herself by getting a flu shot….
This was before she changed her stance.
I would like to hear more of your thoughts. Do you think the WHO attempt and claim to eradicate Small Pox, which was a vaccine to include disseminated and contaminated primate, led to the transmission of HIV to humans? And if so, do you think the WHO would stake claim to it? Or do people still think it was a monkey having sex with a monkey?
I love your post. One thing as a nation that we are finding out is that herd immunity is failing. The science behind it is attributed from watching and learning about cattle and chicken farms. We have been pushing herd immunity on our food and it has created a numerous amounts of super bugs and they are becoming more prevalent. Our science to fight these super bugs are also behind and more people are dying from them. If we just watch and learn what we are doing to animals we see it all unfold in an actual quicker pace than what we are seeing in the human populace due to the fact we are far more strict on making sure we have herd immunity with them than us.
Bravo!
There is a tremendous difference between the intent of one’s words and how those words are actually interpreted by others. Despite your repeated insistence that you are being completely respectful, your words communicate a very different story. Sure, this is the internet and all we have to go on is your written text; we’re missing tone and body language, which account for 93% of our communication of feelings, according to Albert Mehrabian. Perhaps you should have accounted for that and modified some of your statements. As it stands, this blog post comes across as sarcastic, critical, bitter, and extremely judgmental of anyone who chooses to vaccinate their children.
If your purpose, in part or in whole, was to convince other parents that they should not vaccinate their children, you have failed miserably. This blog post does not present you as a good spokesperson for that cause. I am offended on behalf of whoever wrote the original blog to which you are responding, and I don’t even know her, nor have I read her blog, nor do I necessarily agree with what she wrote. No one deserves to be treated the way you have treated her. “Do to others as you would have them do to you.”
By the way, as a Christian I’m sure you’re familiar with this proverb: “Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing” (Prov. 12:18).
I’m sorry you feel that way Matthew. I did not personally attack the author of the other article (I complemented her) or parents who don’t vaccinate. You’re welcome to not read my future posts if you don’t approve of my writing style. Thanks for your thoughts.
Respectfully.
Seriously, I am so over all the “you’re just spouting out junk science” comments it’s not even funny. Would the pro-vaxing crowd like some science? Here you go: http://www.educate4theinjured.org/#!the-factsscience/cc2d
I just spent a long time reading through the comments and they gave me quite a few chuckles!! I can’t believe how agitated some of these people are getting. I want to see the case studies these people are talking about regarding the benefits of vaccines, or that they hold long time immunity. The risks outweighed the benefits for me. Also, seeing my sister have a reaction to a vaccine really got me into researching it when I had my son (my sister is 11 years younger than me)…
You go girl. I did not see your post come across as rude to the other woman, or hating on anything she stated in her post. Haters gonna hate 😉
Thanks for your article. Most of my friends are non-vaccinators but we have chosen to vaccinate our kids. I feel like I have to do it in secret because of how strong of a case you present. I don’t disagree with your statements but I just don’t see our situation ever addressed.
We are doing vacs (albeit not on the recommended schedule) because we plan to travel as a family outside the US to some very poor countries. I can’t protect them from everything and a food-born illness is more likely to occor than contracting some form of hepatitis but my kids are overly curious. It is a very possible reality seeing one of them licking or touching or stepping on something that contains a virus that I could have protected them from.
If we were staying stateside it wouldn’t be an issue. But I just don’t hear about not vaccinating and traveling. If there are articles, research, stats… Anything pertaining to this topic I would love to read it.
I am also concerned, maybe it is just me not being very well educated on this, but what if one of us carries a virus back to the states and it happens to spread to family and friends who do not have a resistance built up or vaccinated against whatever it is? Is there some sort or quarantine period that we should take?
Please understand these questions are not intended to be argumentative or offensive. I am curious what your thoughts are on this and it’s easier to ask you than risk embarrassing myself with confessing to my friends that my kids are vaccinated. 🙂
I simply wanted to shed light on the fact that you stated: “Double-blind, inert/saline placebo-controlled clinical trials show vaccines are safe. None have been done to date.” However, there are countless examples that I have listed below. Where did you say you got your degree again?
Beasley, R. P., Hwang, L. Y., Stevens, C. E., Lin, C. C., Hsieh, F. J., Wang, K. Y., … & Szmuness, W. (1983). Efficacy of Hepatitis B Immune Globulin for Prevention of Perinatal Transmission of the Hepatitis B Virus Carrier State: Final Report of a Randomized Double‐Blind, Placebo‐Controlled Trial. Hepatology, 3(2), 135-141.
Blennow, M., Granström, M., Jäätmaa, E., & Olin, P. (1988). Primary immunization of infants with an acellular pertussis vaccine in a double-blind randomized clinical trial. Pediatrics, 82(3), 293-299.
Cohen, D., Ashkenazi, S., Green, M. S., Gdalevich, M., Robin, G., Slepon, R., … & Robbins, J. B. (1997). Double-blind vaccine-controlled randomised efficacy trial of an investigational Shigella sonnei conjugate vaccine in young adults. The Lancet, 349(9046), 155-159.
Glesby, M. J., Hoover, D. R., Farzadegan, H., Margolick, J. B., & Saah, A. J. (1996). The effect of influenza vaccination on human immunodeficiency virus type 1 load: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Journal of Infectious Diseases, 174(6), 1332-1336.
Lucero, M. G., Nohynek, H., Williams, G., Tallo, V., Simões, E. A., Lupisan, S., … & Mäkelä, H. P. (2009). Efficacy of an 11-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine against radiologically confirmed pneumonia among children less than 2 years of age in the Philippines: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. The Pediatric infectious disease journal, 28(6), 455-462.
About 13,000 more scholarly articles located here:
http://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Double-blind+saline+placebo+vaccine+child+&btnG=&hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5
My main question: The physicians and researchers developing these vaccines work closely with small children. Many have small children of their own. Most researchers and graduate students are not paid very much to perform their research, and many would jump at the chance to publish an article disproving a common vaccine as unsafe. If they did prove significant harm, and ended up preventing cases of harm, they most certainly would be granted tenure or distinguished honors at any university of their choice. So, what is the incentive for the wide-range of academics from Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Johns Hopkins, UCLA, UCSD, UCSB, U of Washington, and all other notable medical/research programs to deceive people?
Check with Dr. Rashid Buttar, a medical doctor. He has successfully treated thousands of kids successfully for autism. The report I hear is that 20% of them are doctor’s children.
Andrew,
A true double-blind placebo controlled study that constitutes the basis of evidence medicine uses a saline or inert placebo…not a vaccine with a known safety profile, another vaccine, or an adjuvant contained in the vaccine and should be done prior to vaccine licensure. Just because a study says it is a double blind placebo controlled study does not mean that is uses an inert substance as the placebo. Please read the package inserts to see the “clinical trials” that were used for the approval of these vaccines.
http://www.immunize.org/packageinserts/
1. Hep B immunune globulin is not the same as the Hep B vaccine and this study did not state what “placebo” was used. A study that uses another vaccine “with a known safety profile” or an adjuvant from the vaccine is not an adequate safety study.
2. Couldn’t find a link to this study (only the abstract). Ebsco required a log in.
3. Shigella sonnei conjugate vaccine? Where’s that on the U.S vaccine schedule? Anyway, “the EcSf2a-2 and meningococcal vaccines were the control group.”
4. This one used a saline placebo but it was testing influenza vaccine in those with HIV… What I would like is a double blind saline placebo controlled study that determines the safety and efficacy of the influenza vaccine in the healthy population (which is who we’re supposed to give this vaccine to) prior to licensure.
5. I couldn’t find a link to the full article but this study was conducted in the phillipines with sanofi pasteur 11-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. We currently use Prevnar 13 by Pfizer Pneumovax 23 by Merck.
I don’t have time to read the 13,000 other articles but I have read the package inserts which lists the clinical trials that form the basis for licensure.
I think I love you.
Actually, I know I do:)
I have a vaccine injured son, (he had 1 dtap at 2 months old against my better judgement, then a second dtap and first polio at 5 months old, also against my better judgement, then had a seizure and has never slept a solid night since in 4.5 years, and gas serious rage and aggression issues), and I have been called a murderer and worse for not vaccinating him further and not vaccinating my second child.
I’ve done so much research on this topic but you have clearly a very clear understanding of the studies and science. I’m wondering if you have any advice for me in trying to help my son heal from this injury. I know it’s possible, I just am overwhelmed with info and need help.
Many thanks in advance if you can help, and just for writing this post!!!! I’ll be signing up for your news letter:)
Hi Sara,
Thanks for the comment! I am so sorry you’ve had that experience. Nobody should be called a murderer for making an informed decision – no matter what that parent ultimately decides to do. As for your son, I’m not sure I have the answers but you are welcome to email me at [email protected] and we can talk further.
Yay for subscribing! Talk soon, Megan
Megan, I want to be Your friend! This was such a breath of fresh air. I never once felt you were putting anyone else down or in any way bragging about yourself. ThIs was a great read, thank you!
Personally, I loved your post. Yes, I was a little confused by the title and honestly, I know it was a marketing strategy to gain traffic stemming from the original blogger. (Which I’m not offended by because that’s what the blogosphere has been doing forEVER and what you see elsewhere in marketing (TV, magazines, internet, etc) is way worse!) Nor did I think you attacked the original blogger at all. Yes, you were sarcastic at some points but it’s ridiculous to assume that we’re all going to tippy-toe nicely and not use any level of humor that we’re graced with in life, dare it be on OUR OWN blog!
I’m so glad you spearheaded this “argument” based on a scientific standpoint and not from the typical emotional one. Time and time again I see the “for” audience throwing out insults and anger, which tells me more about them than their opinion on the subject. I, too, am not a fan of labels. I’m not anti-anything, unless we’re talking about brussell sprouts, because that’s just downright offensive.
I had to sit at Dr office today and listen to this little 4 year old get vaccines..it was horrible..To me people that put that poison in their kids are child abusers…
Parents that vaccinate their children are NOT child abusers any more than people that send their children to public school or atheists or fill in the blank. If you want someone to blame, how about the pharmaceutical companies, or the universities (that aren’t educating the MDs and RNs), or a government that forces its will on its citizens? Call it “ignorance”, but to call it “abuse” is to become like those that will soon be taking your children from you for not vaccinating. Education with compassion, that’s what I love about this blog post.
I would love to know where you and family were educated and your age…..it would be indicative of your responses in toto. In none of your commentary did you mentions research by geneticists. The research that is showing the relationship of epigenetics with autism. Even more research was released this weak.
Geneticists which in playing cards trumps an attorney or nurse or a mere doctor with a biology and chemistry degree. A practicing medical researcher has more exposure than your team if they are studying genetics and epigenetics.
There is discussion as to how much in autism is inherited. For the past several years the epigenetic reports are stating that it is not the vaccines or injections received from medical care and by the way most of the reports will not back up your statements. It is in fact what you ate and your parents ate or were exposed to BEFORE your birthed your children that have developed disorders. It is like the Purdue chicken advertisement of it is what you eat eats….
In stead of just reading the liberal reports about vaccines and writing this blog….take time to do the medical research regarding epigenetics and your children. Sadly the current 20 to 30 generation has been taught that they all get blue ribbons and all are equal. An no one is accountable for anything they did. So there is absolutely no way you are accountable for your child’s autism or other illnesses.
Your Genes tell another story. I am working with a family right now doing a six generation medical study. Their current genetic disorder may be the cause of what happened between 4 people who were related in the sixth and fifth generation back. And the current children are paying the price. And the current adults are shocked.
In addition start to research the group of mothers that are curing their children’s autism using the knowledge that if they technically caused it through epigenetics —they can reverse it through epigenetics and are doing so and sharing the secrets of how they are doing it. I have been witness to cases of children and males up into their 20’s. It is not a miracle….it is a mother learning about epigenetics. Working with specialists that design treatments and watching reversals. In fact it was one of those mothers that sent out one of the new reports about epigenetics and autism today –inheritance is the largest cause NOT the vaccine.
If you come from a scientific family then you have to respect a group of geneticists whom have spent more time studying the body at a deeper level conducting actual laboratory research rather than opeds as scientific evidence. Too bad you just missed one of the top geneticists in the world discuss new findings of what was once unrelated syndromes now found linked at the molecular level. It was great to sit in the audience last week as this announcement was made and new papers are forth coming and so will be new genetic research that hopefully will be saving lives and maybe even touch on some autistic issues at the mitochondrial level.
I apologize for misspellings but that is part of my genetic disability of hand, brain, eye coordination after my genetic disorder has advanced.
So if we’re going to blame it all on genes–and what previous generations exposed their genes to–why gloss over the fact that, by now, several of those generations have been working hard to pollute and tear down their genetics with injections of monkey viruses, mercury, egg yolks, and much more. If the epigeneticists want to seriously contribute to this subject, they’d better be cataloging which of those genetic lineages have been exposed to vaccines and which ones have remained pure.
I am sorry, but I have to disagree with you. I respect a person’s decision not to vaccinate, but for me, there is too much evidence to support that vaccines do help prevent disease, do provide a form of immunity, and do contribute to the overall health and wellbeing of the population.
I think it is awful that you are stating that nurse practitioners/pediatricians do not learn the effects, flaws, advantages, etc. about vaccines, only how to administer them.
Although I believe that no one knows a child better than its mother, you cannot seriously be stating that Pediatric Nurse Practitioners don’t know their stuff. You may not personally know Kid Nurse, but I do. You don’t know her passion, drive, love, and motivation to help kids become healthy and happy. She has spent years going to school and learning about the best ways to promote and make healthy kids. It is very astonishing, rude, and one side minded to claim that she only vaccinates kids because she was taught how to. And for you to say that the only reason they vaccinate is because of money or just because they were taught to is very small minded.
I believe everyone is entitled to their own opinions, and I recognize that there is research that shows some downsides to vaccines, but every child is different and reacts differently to them. Honestly, a rash, fever, etc. side effect doesn’t sound as bad as Measles to me. But I am not here to press upon you my opinion about vaccines. I am here to say that the fact that you mocked her red dress, stole her title and discredited and belittled her education, her research, her experiences, her training, etc. is very rude. She is amazing at what she does and I can assure you that kids are her passion, so.. No, she does not just give vaccines just because she was taught how to.
Amber, I never said pediatric nurse practitioners don’t know anything. I’m sure they’re educated on a great many things as are physicians but I know the training physicians get and I know the training nurses get and they are not properly educated on vaccinations. This post was not about Kid Nurse, it was about the post she wrote – though I did complement her several times including the tone in which she wrote her post. And I did not steal her title, this is how we do things in the blogging world when we’re writing a response to a particular post. If you Google my post “Dear Parents, Are you being lied to?” You’ll find 15+ posts with the same title all addressing the same thing. You’ll also notice that nothing in my post even remotely resembles her post. Since I want people to be aware of the alternate perspective it would be important that my post come up if someoene is searching for hers in a search engine yes? I could have changed it to “leaving the anti vaccination movement” but then I would have been copying 500 other posts with the same title.
Anyone who writes on the topic of vaccines whether for or against them will have to get used to people responding to their posts. I however, always attempt to do so with respect. I have no doubt that kids are her passion and I have no doubt she is amazing at what she does. Although I don’t know her I’d venture to guess she really believes vaccines are safe and effective. I do not and this is what my post was about. I’m sorry if you took offense. A few of her other patients have commented and they did not so I guess everyone’s perception is different. And I wasn’t mocking her red dress. I seriously want one.
Amber, you do know that a rash is generally how measles presents, right….?
This was SUCH a great response to a truly ridiculous article from a very naive young lady (who ironically isn’t even a mother). Her article was laughable. Of course young adults, barely out of childhood, should have a voice, although this arena isn’t one she should have any say in. Maybe we’d listen to her if she had a tad more experience behind her instead of acting like a know-it-all straight off the bat, with a pharma education at that.
Thank you for spreading your wisdom and truth Megan, and using your smarts to help those see the light. Perfect rebuttal! 🙂
Thank you for continuing to be an intelligent voice for the non-vax’ing community, Megan. Kid Nurse is, understandably, where she is regarding her vaccination beliefs because she’s surrounded by ill children in her work. I’d venture to say that if she was a nurse at a VAERS facility, if one should ever exist, that her stance would change yet again.
Most pro-vax’ers, in my experience, jut don’t seem to get the bigger picture: the increase in pediatric cancers and chronic illnesses and allergies and autoimmune issues…and the same in the adult populations…where/why/how is this occurring? ===>>> Our bodies are becoming completely overrun with chemicals, more than they can process out, from our water to our foods to our air and products and medications and injected vaccinations, which amount to a huge portion that is DIRECTLY INJECTED into the bloodstream, which means much faster traveling straight to the brain.
Keep up your writing, Megan!
And wake up, world…
ParentalRights.org
I agree Kim. I think the big picture is obvious, people just don’t want to acknowledge it. Eventually they will have no choice. The sad thing is that many of kids seen in a pediatric practice are there because they experienced an adverse reaction to a vaccine whether it’s a chronic disease, an ear infection, a cough, rash, or fever.
Yes, I was going to add that in…that I’m sure Kid Nurse is seeing many ill children who are there BECAUSE of a vaccine reaction, and she doesn’t even know it.
But, alas, the world is where it is for a greater purpose…more and more ARE waking up each day – it’s awesome to witness.
Normally I enjoy reading opposing arguments. But this one kind of bothers me.
Megan, you spend a lot of time explaining about “studies”, but provide no sources.
And in regards to the content of your argument, Google Scholar and its database of vaccination related studies begs to differ.
http://www.bmj.com/content/321/7274/1435?linkType=FULL…
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/…/121/5/898.abstract
http://archneur.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx…
http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx…
http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/23/7/969.short
Rather than summarizing what you think the argument against vaccinations is. Can you provide links to studies supporting your argument?
And without trying to sound too condescending, the remark that someone needs to disprove something to you is a little inane. In the same way vaccines had to PROVE their efficacy before being used in practice, the “burden of proof” for existential matters is on the person making the claim. Not on the skeptics.
My links didn’t work… Let me try again:
http://www.bmj.com/content/321/7274/1435?linkType=FULL&resid=321%2F7274%2F1435&journalCode=bmj
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/121/5/898.abstract
http://archneur.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=784047
http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=752327
http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/23/7/969.short
Isaac,
Curious, how many sources did the article this post was written in response to contain? This is a blog post. Although all of my posts are quite well-referenced, I try to avoid hyperlinking my entire article. My audience is intelligent and I presume they can seek out further information should they choose to.
Respectfully.
You, miss, are a danger to your family, and those around you. You claim scientific reasoning, yet show the exact opposite.
You state
Well, “prove that God does not exist” is an unprovable concept – so you’ve got your guaranteed out there.
And “someone would have to conduct a study showing vaccines are safe, effective, and do not have adverse reactions.” has been done time and time again – you simply refuse to accept those studies, preferring to base your opinion on disproven studies and fallacious arguments.
As for “do not have adverse reactions”… EVERYTHING has an adverse reaction to SOMEONE. Do you avoid feeding your children every single food item that causes an adverse reaction in someone? Zero nuts, zero soy, zero dairy, zero gluten, zero fruit, zero meat? Because someone, somewhere, has adverse reactions to all those broad categories. If you’re going to base “I’m not going to subject my children to x” because of the possibility of an adverse reaction, then your children will be the most sheltered children ever. You’ll never let them ride a bike, or ride in a car or airplane. You’ll super-filter the air in your house, and not let them go outside without SPF-100. Oh, and you’ll have to move somewhere that NEVER has smog or pollen.
The simple fact is: vaccines *ARE* proven safe and effective. And unlike your spurious claim, Small pox and Polio *WERE* eradicated by vaccination programs. Without vaccination, the “containment and quarantine” program wouldn’t have been effective. Just look at HIV – we have programs to eradicate it, and without a vaccine, they’re not working. We can REDUCE it, sure. But not eradicate it.
And Polio was way *WAY* WAY worse than you call it. You do realize that many of these diseases were often *FATAL*, right? And while it’s true that not everyone who contracted the Polio virus became symptomatic, those that did were generally disabled for life. If someone with a predisposition to being disabled gets in contact with an asymptomatic carrier, that person can still catch it. THAT is what vaccines do – they protect those who WOULD be injured by it.
Or are you willing to sacrifice tens of thousands of people to live a horrible life, simply because “you don’t like vaccines”?
“All vaccines can and have caused the very diseases they’re designed to prevent.”
I do not believe the rabies vaccine has EVER caused a case of rabies. Can you point me to a case?
“Studies show vaccines actually prevent disease. Currently, not a single study to date has proven this. This hypothesis is dependent upon the assumption that every single person would have gotten the disease if they weren’t vaccinated and that vaccinations are the only way to prevent disease.”
Once again, the rabies vaccine is tested by exposing the vaccinated and unvaccinated animals to the rabies virus, therefore showing that the vaccine actually prevent disease. There is no assumption that they would have gotten the disease if not vaccinated. They are GIVEN the disease to prove the vaccinated ones do not get sick.
Sorry, I haven’t researched rabies. Is it on the childhood vaccination schedule?
Actually, nsg and Megan, I don’t know too much about rabies, but the feline leukemia vaccine gave our feral kitty leukemia, which caused a long, expensive, agonizing death. Our vet later said that all cats should be tested to determine if they are carriers because the vaccine will induce the virus in carriers and it is irresponsible to vaccinate them. (I have since read that the vaccine can induce it in other cats as well.) She was a healthy feral cat, and we were trying to do the right thing in having her spayed in a kind way (versus cut and released to fend for herself), and we were convinced by the vet to go that extra step and give her the added protection of vaccines. We are not cat people, as my husband and daughter are highly allergic, so I am not well versed in this area. At the time, I remember thinking, “Why do we have to be the victims of all the vaccine reactions?” It really brought back all the memories of watching my daughter suffer from her vaccine reaction, and I felt horrible guilt that I had not used my instincts and saved that poor cat.
nsg and Megan: There is a book written by Jennifer Hutchinson, called “Unlocking Jake: The Story of a Rabies Vaccine, Autism, and Recovery,” about a 3 1/2 year old boy (her grandson, I believe) who became autistic after being vaccinated against rabies, and how he recovered.
I thought this is an excellent resourceful blog post. Thanks for reassuring! gna save it to show to friends when they continue to ask me y i decided to join the “dark” (informed) side. 😉
“Vaccines or not, I hope we can be friends. I’ve found this red dress I’m just dying to try on.”
I found your article to be rude. Not only are you mocking this girl’s article but you are using her title in a way to draw attention to your own blog.
I believe that you have a right to choose the path that you want for your kids and you even have the right to tell people about it, but don’t mock other individuals because they are doing the same.
I did not mock her. I actually believe I complemented her in several places and other than her red dress (which I seriously want), I never personally attacked her. Not…once. I titled this post because it is a response to her post, drives traffic to my blog, and comes up when anyone searches for her post in Google. It’s common in the blogging community. In fact, if you search “Dear Parents, are you being lied to?” You’ll find about 20 posts on the same subject all titled the same and in response to one another (and probably at least five of them in response to mine). If you’ll notice though, I also linked to her post at the top of this article.
I just want to say thank you and I agree with everything that you have said here.
I don’t want you to only get feedback from people who speed read your post and comment ill-informed criticism. Great job, and there are more of us cheering you on!
Thanks Kristen! 🙂
Pretty sure you’re not promoting free and open discussion when you only approve people’s posts criticizing you once so you can pretend to one-up them by linking them to some anti-vaccine bull crap and then don’t let them reply again to tell you why you’re an idiot. Betcha you won’t even let this post through to this page, and if you do you’ll just pretend to one-up me too and not even let me reply to you.
To my knowledge all comments are either in moderation or have been approved. I typically approve all comments that abide by the comment policy but lately I’ve been approving all of them (unless they’re identified trolls) so people can see the level of hatred and immaturity that surrounds this topic. Do you have a name that the comment you speak of is under?
For future reference, please refrain from name-calling. I think we can have a fair and open discussion that is also respectful yes?
There is a pro parental rights movement. It’s called ParentalRights.org
Thank you so much for your insights. I so appreciate your time and energy and passion to share what you’ve learned. I wish I had been as interested and aware of disease prevention/nutrition and the why behind all western medical approaches before I had my children. They are grown and beginning families of their own. I’m so thankful they are able to tap in to such accessible resources you and blogs like yours offer!
I really encourage you to stress the foundation of prevention of all disease and health concerns through wide varieties of plant nutrition, aka alkaline food. In addition to eating more fruits and veggies, I have found JuicePlus to be a very powerful whole food immune system booster and so much more – and it is backed by many gold standard search studies. And, they give it to kids for free with a sponsoring adult!
Essential oils, which are plant oils, are very helpful as well. Young living & doterra are some of the purest I have found.
I am sharing your blog with all my clients and of course my daughters. Thank you again!
It would be helpful, if you sited the sources where you get your information; to back your claims up.
Justin, hyperlinks are in blue/green font. Curious though, exactly how many sources were referenced in the article that this post was written in response to?
Dr. Kenner had great success treating and reversing polio symptoms during the mid-century polio epidemic. Dr. Jungleblut, a well received physician and professor, has some wonderful research in the area of vitamin c as well. Here are some links for good info on the topic of vitamin c treating both viral and bacterial infection.
http://orthomolecular.org/resources/omns/v02n02.shtml
http://www.vitamincfoundation.org/mega_1_1.html
Thanks jasmine! These are great!
Megan, this was fantastic! My 16 year old is fully vaccinated, but thank the Lord, with no adverse reactions. My 8 and 7 year olds are partially vaccinated. Then I started doing my research, and my younger 3 have had no vax whatsoever. They are all very healthy! We don’t do medications, much less doctors, unless it is an absolute emergency. (Broken bone, etc). That being said, have you ever looked into essential oils? Doterra oils are medicinal, therapeutic, and wonderful! If you are interested, check out
http://WWW.mydoterra.com/lyonessentials
And yes, this is a shameful attempt to promote my oils, but it is also a fabulous way to stay away from prescription drugs. Which in my opinion, are just as bad as vaccinations.
Funny how everyone opposed to vaccines and prescription meds and doctors in general also happens to have the next great thing for sale. Be it homeopathy, essential oils, supplements, and all other maner of snake oils. Don’t forget to drop ten grand over at Mercola for a vibration machine. You can stop exercising and vibrate your fat away!
Todd, exactly how many people die each year from homeopathy, essential oils, or even supplements? And how much do these natural supplements cost in comparison to medical treatment? I will tell you. For my Crohn’s natural supplements were $100 a month for 1 year. My meds were $1600 a month at the time…minimum…for life. The big guns (like remicade) are well over $2,000 a month. Let’s not forget how much surgeries, specialist doctor appointments, colonoscopies, and barium tests cost. If snake oil even has a chance of curing a medically incurable chronic disease I’ll try it. If it doesn’t work I’m out a couple dollars and I’m no worse off than when I started.
How many die from those things? Quite a few. The Poison control center has been keeping tabs on the reports that they get, and it’s in the hundreds. Homeopathic, herbal, essential oil, and other supplements and remedies are effectively unregulated and untested. The result is misuse, misdosing, unsafe quantities, and a general lack of education or responsibility when manufacturing or selling such things. Congress passed a bill a few years back further deregulating supplements and the like, sponsored by lawmakers who received large campaign contributions from the supplement lobbies. Remember ephedra? That “supplement”, which was essentially an amphetamine sold for everything from asthma, to weight loss, to athletic performance, killed enough people, including teenagers, to warrant its eventual ban.
Also, the “what harm can it do” mentality creates an overall societal acceptance of what is essentially anti-scientific quackery. If we applied that same logic across the board, why not also consult a psychic? Get your palm read or have your planets charted, perhaps a palm reading will help you out.
Ironically, that type of mentality is what has lead to the blind acceptance of the vaccines you purport to hate. Most of the shouting that occurs on here against you are from people that wouldn’t know a clinical drug trial if it snuck up and bit them. They simply go off of the fact that their own children seem unaffected, they heard they are necessary, and what harm can it do?
Trying things without exercising our critical thinking skills to judge their efficacy and safety is high risk behaviour that should never be condoned. Please see the link below for cited statistics on the many hundreds of thousands who have been harmed by unregulated supplements, essential oils, and homeopathy.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/16/health/16diet.html?pagewanted=all
Everyone: When considering info put forth by essential oil marketers, be sure to do some research about who really owns the farms and distillers and the ultimate destination of most of the farm’s essential oil (perfume industry). Just because a company labels their products as an essential oil rather than a perfume doesn’t mean there’s any difference.
Also, if you see a medical study where essential oils are referenced, be sure to dig deeper and find out which company’s essential oils were used. Don’t just assume that any bottle labelled, say, lavender, will have the same results as the lavender in the study.
I don’t understand your reasons why you left the anti vaccine movement. This just seems to be a blog about why you don’t vaccinate. I’m confused. Or did I miss something.
Lynnea, it is a post addressing another post (linked in my article) called “My journey leaving the anti-vaccination movement.”
Its a common marketing strategy to increase traffic to your page. Its called negative concentration; its the same reason why studies that show the negative effects of a medicine, vaccine, experiment, etc will always be much more popular or published than ones that show the positive effects. And anyone who does blogs or hires a company to increase traffic to their site knows that the best way is to grab people’s attention by stating something that is contrary to what one believes the site is about to make them come to the site, even if, like in this case, its incorrect.
What possible basis could you have for the assertion ”physicians (although highly educated) learn next to nothing about vaccines”? That is nonsense. Medical education includes huge detail on the complexities of the immune system and infectious diseases, on which vaccine science is based. Basic biologocal sciences teach them about bacterial and viral particles and their structures – and so much more. Your legal education may make you very familiar with the English language, but clearly not with the clinical sciences.
Then, your list of alleged myths repeats all the anti-vaccination tropes. Yes, smallpox was diminishing in mortality before the vaccine, due to improved lifestyles and medical standards – but vaccination eradicated it. On the other hand, measles, german measles and HiB infections have been virtually eliminated in recent decades – with no changes in hygiene, santitation or nutrition in our societies – just through vaccination. You can choose not to vaccinate, but please don’t distort the facts.
Sue, please read my post. Also, please read “Dissolving Illussions” by Dr. Suzanne Humphries.
Megan,
Would you please post a link to the post “Dissolving Illusions”?
Thanks!
It’s a book. You can get it on kindle too. It’s worth the read.
http://www.amazon.com/Dissolving-Illusions-Disease-Vaccines-Forgotten/dp/1480216895
Your blog post is not an invitation to an open discussion. It’s a reaction to someone else’s post that irritated you. It is an attempt to justify your position and prove it is the right one. God gave us science and medicine, let’s not waste it by using it to argue, but use it for the benefit of our neighbours.
P.S. “Vaccines or not, I hope we can be friends. I’ve found this red dress I’m just dying to try on.” If you truly want to befriend someone, or create an environment for an open discussion, you show love and grace, you do not mock and belittle.
I’m not sure “irritation” is the right word. I think I was pretty calm, cool, and collected in this post. I also think to have an open discussion we need to have accounts from both sides of the issue right? I linked to the opposing article and wrote mine. Also, please read this post on God and Vaccines. https://www.livingwhole.org/god-does-not-support-vaccines/
I thought you sounded a tad irritated too, definitely sarcastic at times. I wouldn’t have described you as “calm, cool, and collected” from reading this post. “I wonder if she has friends who don’t vaccinate” was a cheap shot. You downplay the other author’s credentials, and then trot out your own like it’s a competition, listing not only yours but your whole family’s as well. (“I just have a law degree. Nothing special. Just a little something I picked up to help me read, write, research, and think critically.”) It must be surprising and irritating when people with advanced degrees, who can read, write, research, and think critically reach conclusions different from yours. Of course, your response will always be to go back and read your post (which they have), or to go and read such-and-such article, which repeats the same opinions you just finished repeating.
Julie, I did not take any cheap shots at her. I was serious about being her friend (if she is friends with people who don’t vaccinate…many are not). I didn’t make fun of her age or that she doesn’t have kids either. I actually complemented her personally.
Secondly, if anything, I downplayed my own credentials. My response is only to go back and read the post if it is obvious that the person did not read my post or if the answer to their question is in it. And finally, I do refer people to other articles because I do not have time to do everyone’s research for them (in addition to spending hours writing posts and taking care of my family) and my posts are already well-referenced. I find though that many people are only interested in arguing and I do not have time for that.
Respectfully.
I’ll give my response to statements in both of your posts in one response for the sake of containment.
“God is pro-life. This is an un-contested issue. There is zero scriptural support to the contrary.” -from your God and Vaccines post.
I’m paraphrasing in the descriptions of the references.
Numbers 5:27 – abort the baby of infidelity
Deuteronomy
20:16-18 – kill them all, “do not leave alive anything that breathes.”
21:18-21 -kill your disobedient and stubborn son
1 Samuel 15:2-3 – kill men and women, infants and children…
Ezekiel 9:6 – slaughter old men, young men and maidens, women and children…
God may not fit into the box you’ve constructed for Him.
Studies have been conducted with vaccines. A lot of studies. Here’s a link to some research done on vaccination studies.
http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP51857.html
Follow the links for more information on the studies and conclusions.
The next link has vaccine safety study articles that have been published. Some of them may require purchase or a subscription to read.
http://scholar.google.ca/scholar?q=vaccine+safety+studies&hl=en&as_sdt=0&as_vis=1&oi=scholart&sa=X&ei=PxDQU7GONNShyATv0YKQDw&ved=0CBsQgQMwAA
In the end, from what I gather having read some of your posts, that it’s not about the science and it probably never will be. It’s about your belief system, your religion. So instead of posting things all the time and to have the biggest impact on your life from afar, I’ll do what works the best. I’ll pray for you every day, that’s a promise. It’ll change us both.
Elisabeth,
Those verses deal with God’s judgment on a sinful people and here’s a good commentary on the 2nd verse you listed. Christians believe in Christ which means the Old Testament has to be viewed in light of the New Testament.
Secondly, I never said there were no studies on vaccinations. There are. My issue is that the studies conducted in clinical trials required for licensure approval are not double blind placebo controlled studies using inert substances. I also have issues with biased research and studies whose conclusions do not match the data.
My religious belief is just one of the many reasons our family doesn’t vaccinate (which is why it is mentioned in only one of the many posts I’ve written on vaccines).
Thank you for your blog! I’m one of those moms who made her informed decision not to vaccinate only to have my 18 month child, youngest of four, test positive for pertussis. The coughing is heartbreaking. Because I did not vaccinate any of my children, and couple that with how contagious the bacteria is, I’m waiting for the coughing to start in my other three! This is not to mention all the extended family members that have come into close contact with my daughter, includingy 72 and 84 year old father and grandmother! I’ve been called irresponsible (to my face!) by some and tsk’ed by others. I feel horribly that my child is suffering and worry about the next “vaccine preventable” disease that might lead to devastating effects. I’m so conflicted, anxious and overwhelmed. Any thoughts from any of you mamas out there would be greatly appreciated!!
Sherianne, whether you vaccinate or not pertussis is a possibility. Per the links in my post the pertussis vaccine not only has serious risks but is an ineffective vaccine. According to the Pediactric Journal of Infectious Disease immunity derived via natural exposure to pertussis lasts around 20 years. If the vaccine gives immunity, it is 4-12. Germs only live in environments conducive to growth so if your family is healthy then they’ll be fine (though we should quarentine our sick children regardless of their vaccination status yes?). What devestating effects has your child with pertussis experienced?
As parents we make the best decisions we can with the information we have. You’re not a failure because you didn’t vaccinate and your child got pertussis and you wouldn’t be a failure if you vaccinated and your child got pertussis. I hope your baby feels better soon.
Sherianne: I’m 47 and have never been vaxed. Yet I thrive. But I did miss 6 weeks of the 6th grade due to pertussis. Nobody else in my school got it. Nor did my two younger sisters. But, undoubtedly, they developed a true immunity to it because of their exposure to me. That immunity may well have been passed down to their unvaxed kids. And I’m positive my immune system became much stronger because it was allowed flourish on it’s own, as well as strengthen itself through this specific situation. I went on to perfect attendance for most of my junior and high school years.
I hope that encourages you that there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Your blog is always a pleasure to read! Very informative and funny 🙂
Thanks Alex!
As a parent of sons that are 35 and 24, I must say I did enjoy your article. The reason I am writing is to say: after my 35 yr old received a DPT at about 9 months old, he developed seizures diagnosed as Epilepsy. In the first 20 yrs he would ( if tired) have up to a hundred Peti-mal seizures a day. It interrupted his learning school, and well the rest of his life. Several years ago, he developed grand-mal seizures. And now he has both. These vaccinations adverse reactions don’t just damage children, they leave a life long disruption of their entire life ! People need to know these can ruin your child no matter how old’s life.
My son has not had any type of vaccinations since. My 24 yr old has also never been vaccinated. He is chef, co-owns a gym and is an MMA fighter, he has not been sick, and or recovers quickly. Where as his brother has a much different health issues, such as severe allergies and much more. Please do your research way before you vaccinate. People research how to buy a car, and not much thought to where and how their children are born and if and when to vaccinate. Pay attention. I don;t as much care what others do, we do what’s right for us.
I really enjoyed this article, Megan! 🙂 Thank you for sharing this information!!
I read the study in the New England Journal of Medicine to which you referred. The point the authors were making is not that children ought not to be vaccinated, but that the TDap could be improved. According to the authors, the older version was probably more effective. Your time in law school should have taught you that the bias of a reader who is determined to only find evidence to support a previously held opinion can hinder accurate analysis and interpretation of sound research. I still have not seen scientifically rigorous, peer reviewed research that supports an anti-vaccine stance.
Mary, no study or news media will EVER tell you not to get your child vaccinated no matter how ineffective the vaccine is or how many adverse reactions it causes. Natural immunity to pertussis is 20 years. The vaccine offers 4-12 (if it gives any immunity at all) per the Pediatric Journal of Infectious Disease. The DPT was more effective but it also caused brain damage in many children which was why it was taken off the market. Check out tripedia insert page 11. I have nothing to gain financially or politically by speaking out against vaccinations and at one time I had fully intended to vaccinate my children.
Just a quick FYI there is a parental rights movement!! It’s an offshoot of HSLDA. They are trying to get legislature passed both nationally and locally.
There is an organization that watchdogs parental rights: ParentalRights.org.
This gave me butterflies! I loved reading your article and relating to every single bit 100%! I couldn’t have said it better.
Thank you Ashley! 🙂
No vaccines ever? Rabies exposure?
She also does not believe in medications/antibiotics. I pray to god her children never become septic with pneumonia and die while she is trying dandelion extract as a cure.
I’m confused, where does it say I do not believe in medications? I believe it says our family does not medicate and we advocate natural medicine in most situations. Am I missing something?
as with any information available , we all form our own opinions based on our beliefs . i believe that if you lost the sarcasm , opened your heart and mind to ALL possibilities , and allow others to do the same . you would find your journey much more peaceful and enjoyable. what you might hope to gain by persuading some people to do with an anti vaccine campaign , will not show concrete results for many years to come . let’s hope and pray that the results are positive , and that whatever influence that you have had here and elsewhere turns out to be accurate . for your sake , and the sake of their children .
as you stated here , you have a law degree 😉
I’m a pharmacist and podiatrist and have taken the immunizing pharmacist coursework. I am also permanently disabled from multiple sclerosis triggered within 19 days of the hepatitis b vaccine. Thank you for this very well written article. I’d like to add that vaccines do contain contaminants. Vaccine manufacturers have no incentive to prepare better product; they cannot be sued for damages sustained by those injured. Apparently I should suffer the rest of my life from vaccine triggered multiple sclerosis because somehow it’s for the greater good. I’d also like to point out a study where the flu vaccine established a respiratory distress situation when the baby pig was rechallenged with a different flu strain. http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2013/08/swine-study-suggests-flu-vaccination-may-sometimes-backfire Whatever people decide to do, vaccinate or not, they should be well informed of the possible injuries that they can sustain before giving consent!
http://www.fda.gov/downloads/AdvisoryCommittees/CommitteesMeetingMaterials/BloodVaccinesandOtherBiologics/VaccinesandRelatedBiologicalProductsAdvisoryCommittee/UCM319573.pdf
Worthwhile reading the above if you are considering a vaccine. The following is an extract:
“Several types of cells can form tumors when inoculated into immune-compromised rodents; however, not all of these tumors can metastasize. The steps involved in metastasis are: the invasion of the basement membrane (invasion), entry of the blood or lymphatic systems (intravasation), survival in these tissues and migration to distant sites through the blood vessels or, more commonly, the lymphatics, traversal of the vessel walls (extravasation), and colonization of distant tissues (89). The mechanisms whereby cells become metastatic are unknown, and it is not clear how the fact that a cell forms metastases in an immune-compromised rodent influences the degree of risk for a vaccine manufactured in such a cell.
summary: Although the possibility of unknown oncogenic factors remains as a theoretical concern with cells derived from human tissues, current knowledge related to the mechanisms of oncogenesis supports the notion that it is highly improbable that any whole cell or complex of cellular factors from a tumor-derived cell will be present in sufficient quantities and lead to the development of tumors in the vaccine recipient. Thus, cellular DNA and adventitious agents are considered the major safety concerns for vaccines manufactured in tumorigenic cell lines or cell lines derived from human tumors. Therefore, extensive characterization for adventitious agents in the cell substrate and validation of DNA removal through the manufacturing process are required. The current recommendations for cell-substrate and vaccine testing with respect to adventitious agents and residual cellular DNA are discussed in Section 4.”
We know that many vaccines use “immortal cell lines” which are actually cancerous types of cells with no limit on how many times they can divide. The most commonly known type of tissue used is of the human diploid variety extracted from aborted fetal tissue. It is possible that these cells could actually hybridize with our own. In fact, it is likely in light of what we know about human-rodent somatic cells.
Each vaccine dose is allowed 100,000,000 alllowable pieces of DNA, not including the DNA in the viral and viral-contaminated portions. I believe that any allowable piece of DNA is a risk.
Very good blog with a catchy title 🙂 Keep up the great work!
Thanks. I like to be strategic. It will appear whenever someone googles any blog about leaving the anti-vaccine movement, addresses the title of her post, and will entice all your pro-vax friends to click on the link so they can be enlightened. 😉
The evidence was pretty clear ‘back in the day’ that ‘polio’ was due to DDT toxicity – they sprayed it everywhere and even the toxicologists were advising that’s what was causing so much paralysis. They still have ‘polio’ in countries that still use DDT – and its called AFP (acute flaccid paralysis) now anyway No polio ‘virus’ to worry about, just good old fashioned poisons – good old Big Agriculture and Big Chemical killing children – seems that not much changes, just the way we kill the kids – inject it directly into the system now….If you can manage the book – “Fear of the Invisible” its definitely worth a read if you want more info about the polio illness and vaccine. nice blog btw 🙂
I am so glad I found your blog to follow! You are obviously intelligent and have done your research. Plus you have inside info since your husband is a physician. I am a respiratory therapist in Ohio. Most of my respiratory coworkers are Pro-vaccines. One of college friends works at children’s hospital and she pretty much thinks I’m nuts for not vaccinating my 1 year old daughter. I explained to her how I have researched it extensively and based on what I have researched there is no way I am giving her any type of vaccination. She tells me that if I had seen what she has seen on the job that I would run to vaccinate. I am assuming she is probably talking about pertussis but I didn’t ask. It seems like a lot of people in the medical field seem to think that they are so clued in, but if I were guessing I would say that most of them have done very little if any research concerning vaccines. Physicians are the worst. When I was pregnant with my daughter last summer, all my OBGYN did was try to convince me that I HAD to take the Rhogam shot at 28 weeks or it would jeopardize my fetus and any future children I may have. Long story short, he tried to get me to take it right up until I gave birth but I adamantly refused. I have also researched this subject extensively to and most of what they tell you is BS and scare tactics. But anyhoo, thank you so much for your insight and informative contributions, it is greatly needed and appreciated.
LRogers, Thank you so much for your comment! It sounds like you have some experience and have done your research. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with me. 🙂
You were very smart to not take the Rhogam shot. I’ve had 5 pregnancies and 5 rhogam shots. I never questioned it until my last birth, even with midwives, birthing center natural births and the last one a home birth. I really should have said no as well, but I let her give it to me. 2 months post-pardem I almost died from ITP, which is an auto-immune problem where my body attacked my platelets and I almost had NONE left once we figured it out. I was bleeding through my skin. I already had other auto immune issues (probably from my childhood and military vaccinations, I am an Army Veteran), but this really scared me. After 6 months of seeing an Oncologist and having blood test done weekly, one day I read a blog post about someone else who got ITP after her Rhogam shot. I asked my Oncologist if this could be the culprit after getting FIVE of them. He said, “oh yes, that is probably what triggered it”. Not once did he ask me if I had a rhogam shot, wouldn’t that be the FIRST question for a mother with a 2 month old and 4 other kids? Not once did he say to avoid the rhogam shot in future pregnancies. The whole medical community is so confused and completely NOT trustworthy. Needless to say, I am a bit disgruntled and almost embarrassed that I got the shot so many times, especially with my anti-vaccine stance. Say NO to vaccines and especially to RHOGAM…which messes with your immune system too!!!
Tough times call for tough measures like a misnomer for a blog title in a vain attempt to draw people in to read all about the woo. Vaccines save lives, and do more good than harm, and vaccines DO NOT and will never cause autism.
Get over it and get educated.
That’s a solid argument Ashley. It’s clear that you not only did you read, but you thoroughly researched the topic as well. Well done, now please, stop being ridiculous.
Did you even read her article? “Get educated?” Really? She provides excellent, educated arguments to back-up her stance, which I found particularly convincing. You provide nothing but assumptions. Am I missing something?
Ashley,
You are perfectly within your rights to believe what you want. Obviously, there are – and always will be- people who practice that very right to believe what they want. I am very happy that you or your loved ones have not had proven injuries from vaccines. However, that is NOT the case with everyone. Perhaps you should take your own advise. Get educated. Get some manners. Oh, and please feel free to do what you want. People have that right. You should remember this the next time you try to step on other peoples rights.
She is Educated…but you would only know if you read the article!
Ashley, I’m just so weary of people like you! I really honor and respect your decision to vaccinate and to believe in their good for society. However, as the parent of a child who survived a major vaccine reaction, who lives with multiple allergies, who was dismissed from the pediatric practice who administered the shots within 24 hours of reaction with not so much as a “good luck,” who nearly died from 2 febrile seizures after the age of 6 (which are very atypical), and whom we had to take to alternative practitioners when no mainstream doctors would even help us (when we mentioned “vaccine reaction”), I respectfully say “stuff it.” Yeah, I also have a degree in biomedical engineering, and I truly wanted to believe vaccines were awesome and safe and necessary, even when my son had reaction after reaction, which was dismissed due to a bowel condition or just coincidence, even when he was diagnosed with autism at the age of 2. (By the way, I can’t definitively say my son developed autism due to vaccines; we didn’t have the sudden regression. He just got sicker and sicker until we stopped.) Now, due to all the folks up in arms about herd immunity, my children are the scum of society. A nurse even recently questioned my daughter’s ability to receive vaccinations at this point in her life, despite surviving a reaction and us having to spend $1000s on special treatments and foods etc. as well as having a medical exemption on record, saying “she looks healthy enough now.”
The fact is there are kids who react, some very severely and others probably long-term and less noticeably. There is virtually no study of risk factors for reaction, treatments for reactions, or even proper documentation of reactions. There is no one taking information on families who’ve had reactions in a big, formalized study to protect future children from doing so. All there is is blame, hate, lies, and shaming placed on the “anti-vaccinating, Jenny-McCarthy-indoctrinated, nut jobs” who put the rest of the herd at unconscionable risk because we don’t believe in science. It is that mentality, that crazy mob mentality, that makes those of us who have vaccine-surviving children (or who are vaccine survivors ourselves) have to fear the day that jabs will be forced upon us. Remember that the next time you want to talk about vaccines doing much more good than harm or asking us to be educated. Some of us have more “education” than we would ever care to have been given!
THANK YOU! I LOVED this! I read that other post going around and was slightly annoyed. My solution…It would cost far less for people and Docs if they did blood work at birth and throughout childhood to test for antibodies that are already in children. Many Doctors do that in this country. Then Those people take that to their pediatrician and if they want the Vaccinate for what their child doesn’t have immunity to…then get a shot. They are over vaccinating our children far more than when I was a child (70’s & 80’s) the rise in health issues has been mainly in the last 10-15 years. Do research people…the amount of vaccinations given has increased drastically the past 15 years…and so have many illnesses in children. My boys were victim vaccination one year. After research was brought to my attention…there was a record level of seizures that year…and the reports came out that a certain vax was to blame for all those children reported with seizures that year! No coincidence!
“do more good than harm” This is a great argument unless your child is the one harmed and then it is too much. While their may be no direct causal relationship between vaccines and autism, we still have no answer to why we are seeing such an increase in not only autism but other autoimmune disorders in children. If you want to have a discussion you should at least do as you say and “get educated.”
So in other words, Ashley; you can not in any honesty even begin to actually debate the issues of vaccine safety and effectiveness, or in this case the issues of vaccine harm and ineffectiveness? And do you ever attempt to do any unbiased independent research? And to do so is just to accept a pile of woo, right? Why do you remain and choose to remain so selectively ignorant of the vaccine facts, Ashley???
The real independent science shows that vaccines do cause autism, and in light of that, there is no way left in any honesty to claim that they do not. In light of the very common incidence of vaccine injury, there is no way as well to claim that vaccines do more good than harm. Historically as well the real record shows that vaccines have never been effective against polio nor small pox. The only card you have left to play is one of false fear mongering. Once you know the real facts regarding vaccine ineffectiveness, and as well when you understand how unnaturally and against the human bodies natural immune system vaccines actually work, you can no longer support vaccination. When you realize how filled with toxic ingredients vaccines really are, you can no longer claim to that the amounts are small and do not matter. You are injecting vaccines, and that is far different than environmental and or dietary exposure of any vaccine ingredients such as for example aluminum in vaccines. Far different in regard to the pathways of elimination as well. The real science does as well shows us the mechanism of harm caused by aluminum adjuvants.
The majority of todays vaccines are as well produced with the use of aborted fetal cells, and any harmful contamination left from that process has been denied as existing in vaccines. The truth is that that contamination has been identified and as well linked to autism. Why is not the CDC taking note of that and doing further studies? I will tell you why. They already know of the harm that vaccines continue to do, and to ever admit to that, would open them up for a case of liability that would destroy them and the FDA, and as well as any credibility they have remaining as well.
Why is Gardasil still marketed, even after finding recombinant HPV DNA contamination also known as being firmly attached the aluminum adjuvant? Thousands of young women have been adversely affected with unrecovered from neurologically based outcomes, and many as well have simply died from undetermined causes. What if I told you the studies already exist to show how that happened, and they are as well being ignored by the CDC? They do exist.
VacFacts
http://www.vacfacts.info
Ashley,
From the response you’ve received, it looks like the main audience here has no interested in what empirical and testable evidence tells us; it looks like they’re here mainly to defend their faith in anti-science. I fear that no amount of evidence or reason can persuade those who agree with this article, constructed almost entirely of vaguely-worded assertions and long discredited claims.
Roger, just curious. What citations were used in the article this post was written in response to?
Ashley,
Your terminology and sentence structure sounds like the trolls I’ve encountered on other sites but I’ll play along. Please be specific.
-Please provide Independent data or a study that confirms that vaccine have saved lives at any time or point in history?
“Vaccines save lives, and do more good than harm, and vaccines DO NOT and will never cause autism”
-Can you please provided an independent study that confirms that vaccines do more good than harm?
“DO NOT and will never cause autism”
Please review the following:
-CDC Chief Admits that Vaccines Trigger Autism: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dh-nkD5LSIg
– Eli Lilly, the maker of thimerosal states on it’s safety data sheet: thimerosal: toxic, mutagen, allergen, hypersensitivity, alters genetic materials, may cause mild to severe mental retardation, may cause mild to severe motor coordination. (all sounds a lot like autism)
-Methodological Issues and Evidence of Malfeasance in Research Purporting to Show Thimerosal in Vaccines Is Safe: Brian Hooker, Janet Kern, David Geier, Boyd Haley, Lisa Sykes, Paul King, and Mark Geier. http://www.hindawi.com/journals/bmri/2014/247218/
-Thimerosal Exposure and the Role of Sulfation Chemistry and Thiol Availability in Autism. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2013, 10, 3771-3800: Kern, J.K.; Haley, B.E.; Geier, D.A.; Sykes, L.K.; King, P.G.; Geier, M.R.
-B-Lymphocytes from a Population of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Their Unaffected Siblings Exhibit Hypersensitivity to Thimerosal: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3697751/
-Research supporting Vaccine/Autism Causation: 84 papers demonstrating a link between thimerosal in vaccines and Autism. http://adventuresinautism.blogspot.com/2007/06/no-evidence-of-any-link.html
-The Children’s Medical Safety Research Institute: Studies on Thimerosal and Aluminum and their impact on cognitive function. http://www.cmsri.org/published-research/
– List of peer reviewed vaccine research: http://therefurbishedrogue.wordpress.com/2013/05/03/my-list-of-peer-reviewed-vaccine-research/
In addition to the near two hundred studies these vaccine package inserts state AUTISM as an adverse reaction
-Dtap Tripedia: Adverse events reported during post-approval use of Tripedia vaccine include idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, SIDS, anaphylactic reaction, cellulitis, autism, convulsion/grand mal convulsion, encephalopathy, hypotonia, neuropathy, somnolence and apnea.
-MMRII: Encephalitis; encephalopathy; measles inclusion body encephalitis
-Flulaval (flu) Nervous System Disorders: Dizziness, paresthesia, hypoesthesia, hypokinesia, tremor,
somnolence, syncope, Guillain-Barré syndrome, convulsions/seizures, facial or cranial nerve
paralysis, encephalopathy, limb paralysis.
-Chicken Pox: Nervous System Disorders: Dizziness, paresthesia, hypoesthesia, hypokinesia, tremor,
somnolence, syncope, Guillain-Barré syndrome, convulsions/seizures, facial or cranial nerve
paralysis, encephalopathy, limb paralysis.
Encephalopathy is brain swelling and brain swelling causes Autism.
YOU need to do more research or check out the pics of my brain damaged , permanently disabled granddaughter who almost died after her MMR vaccination at 15 months. Yes, it has been PROVEN that was the cause of the massive seizures, liver , heart and white matter (brain) damage that will forever cause her and our family grief, pain and suffering. Feds said ” yes this happens” sorry.
We chose not to vax our child… And he’s on the autism spectrum anyway. What I have discovered is that very few anti-vax people will say “vaccines CAUSE autism!”–that’s what the pro-vax crowd tells everyone we are crazy for saying. No, what our side of the argument says is that vax are a major piece in the puzzle that causes autism. The fact that so many warning labels on them warns against it tells me they the manufacturers aren’t as confident as some people, those who only read FB links and random articles by people who are passing off speculation as fact.
And typically, those who make fun of, are downright mean to those who choose not to vaccinate don’t have any connection to autism in their family, so they just don’t get it.
May I ask a personal question? Did you wife have vaccines growing up? Did she have any while pregnant? I have been reading up on thimerosal and aluminum and their impact on the neurological system and it’s confirmed that both metals can cause damage to the unborn if Mom gets vaccines while pregnant because heavy metals cross the blood/brain barrier and the placenta and gets into the child’s brain. Some researchers imply that mercury has been in vaccines for decades and since mercury never leaves the body unless one has done many heavy metals detox, that mercury which was injected decades ago can gravitate to the unborn child and cause harm.
“I hope you are correct in your assumptions, because over 54,000 unvaccinated children from South and Central America are now in our country, with more entering every day. And these children are being put into neighborhoods, just like yours, with minimal health screening being done.”
To the poster who posted the above comment; Having served as a missionary in those very countries and most recently for three years in Mexico, I can tell you that the children there receive MORE vaccinations, not less, than their American counterparts. They have a widespread vaccination campaign; the gmnt agencies even camp out in airports and give free vaccinations to anyone who hasn’t been vaccinated for ( fill in the blank) and I have yet to hear of a Latin American family refusing to vaccinate their children, so successful has been their vaccine campaign. These are socialist countries and vaccination is required for school admission.
I should also note that I am the mother of a 4 year old cancer patient. We have four children; the oldest two fully vaccinated as per CDC schedule, now ages 12 and 10, the younger 2 ages 6 and 4 not vaccinated with the exception of a single TDaP. My 3 oldest contracted Whooping Cough and my (then neutropenic-meaning 0 immune system in effect) daughter did NOT contract it. Go figure. I am a pediatric cancer Mom who no longer vaccinates based on an autoimmune disorder that my (now 12 yo) son developed from vaccines at age 4 and because I still suspect that one TDaP vaccination I gave my daughter has something to do with the formation of the baseball size brain tumor in my daughter’s head. Studies on Pertussis vaccine in lab rats have shown fast growing brain lesions and caused DNA anomalies. My daughter is no longer with us and for parents like me, the risk/benefit just doesn’t add up. Herd immunity is all fine and good until it’s your child that is adversely affected.
I am so sorry to hear about your daughter. I have had my suspicions about vaccines for a long time regarding cancer.
The FDA admits it has concerns regarding the residual dog kidney (MDCK) Vero (monkey kidney)cells in vaccines and also aborted fetal cells – all are immortal. However it is considered unethical to test on humans. No long term or placebo studies have ever been done to assess carcinogenicity in humans. It is stated on the package insert not tested for carcinogenicity. Cancer can take 20 – 50 years to form. We know that recently GSK has been warned over safety concerns in its plant in Canada. We know drug companies have been fined billions for corrupt practices and yet we can lose our jobs, lose our entitlements if we don’t vaccinate. We are also treated as social pariahs. The FDA also admits testing
on animal cells is not effective
The following is from the FDA gov dockets.
“Early passage Vero cells are not tumorigenic when assessed in immune incompetent rodents, such as the nude mouse or newborn
rats treated with anti-thymocyte globulin. However, later passage Vero cells can
become tumorigenic, and thus only low passage, non-tumorigenic Vero cells are
used for vaccine production. The recommendations from the Committee were: 1.
2That the removal of whole cells be assured; and 2. That the level of residual Vero
DNA be kept to 10 ng per dose or below. In addition, the Committee concluded
there was more of a concern with the use of Vero cells for parenteral vaccines
than for vaccines administered by the oral or nasal routes. The Committee also
expressed some concern that Vero cells have the capacity to become
tumorigenic and asked OVRR to establish a research program to investigate the
mechanism by which this occurs to determine if there could be a safety concern.”
http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/ac/05/briefing/5-4188B1_3.pdf
“Vaccines and other biological products manufactured in cells contain
contaminating residual DNA derived from that production cell substrate, with the
amount and form of this DNA depending mainly on the type of vaccine. The
potential risk of this cellular DNA has been debated for over 40 years without
resolution. Opinions on residual DNA have varied from it being considered an
inert contaminant, and thus its presence should not be deemed to be a risk to
vaccine recipients, to it being considered an important risk factor, particularly for
vaccines manufactured in tumorigenic cell substrates. y, OVRR considers that DNA should not be considered an inert contaminant. The activities that DNA can transfer are
oncogenic activity and an infectivity activity. DNA oncogenicity is the capacity of
DNA to induce a tumor in an animal, “
I am so sorry about your daughter.
Amey – I am sorry for the loss of your daughter. Your story here is compelling. I am a health promotion specialist and researcher. I did not vax my kids. No problems with either relating to “side effects”. Your cancer story is interesting, and I would like to learn more. I researched the coxackie B virus in the diabetes literature in the mid 1990s, and (shockingly) found many studies on the association between T1D and viruses from vaccines. I assume that as I search for brain lesions and Pertussis I will be equally shocked (although not much the medical community does surprises me anymore). Thanks for sharing your insight.
Hmm, for immigrants entering legally, they are now required to have the full vaccine schedule for anything contagious diseases, unless they can prove they’ve already had them.
Hello. I found your blog through a post on Facebook. While I worry about the risks in GETTING my kids vaccinated, I was concerned because I was unable to breast feed when they were born therefore unable to give them natural antibodies from myself. I also thought about getting breast milk from a milk bank, but there are none in my area and I couldn’t afford shipping. My babies were also premature causing long lasting lung deficiencies which result in numerous cases of bronchitis, pneumonia, etc every winter. My oldest is also diabetic, resulting in hospitalizations from getting sick, then having his blood sugars go out of whack. In addition, I am a school teacher at a VERY low income school. It is a given that several of my students come to school not having been bathed, with lice and bedbugs, wearing dirty clothes, etc. I thought giving them SOME immunity through vaccinations would be better than none. After all, they are all starting out with weakened lungs, continue to have issues, and the diabetes thing throws everyone for a loop. As I look into more medicinal herbs and alternative medicines, however, I am less inclined to vaccinate. Thoughts? I thought vaccinations were a way of giving you a jump start of sorts to getting better faster by providing you with some initial antibodies from the ‘dead’ virus they injected you with. Thanks in advance.
According to various doctors including Dr. Rashid Buttar and Dr. Russell Blaylock vaccines are neurotoxic and immunosuppressive. That can hardly be called building the immune system! Give your kids raw milk, real butter, and real food as much as possible to build them up. Eggs from a farm are also excellent. Stay away from processed food. Many children born today are already compromised due to overuse of antibiotics, meds, poor diets, environmental factors and the vaccines of their parents. Both parents contribute to the health of a newborn.
Christina, If you are looking for natural ways to boost your children’s immune system, have you considered essential oils? I use them to boost my child’s immunity and prevent illness. Young Living Thieves essential oil kills 99% of airborne bacteria in 12 minutes. Also, in addition to oils, I firmly believe in an organic apple a day keeping the doctor away, my kids are pretty healthy when they abide by this and eat lots of other fresh fruits and veggies. Anyway, if you have questions about essential oils, let me know, i can hook you up with a discount.
From what I’ve read, children who are most at risk from the diseases we vaccinate against are those who have low natural immunity due to malnutrition and dirty environments, which sounds like it may apply to some of those kids. However, I would wonder how much that would make them more susceptible to vaccine injury. I don’t know if any comparisons on that have been done.
I have an immune-compromised child, and that is exactly why we do not vaccinate him. Vaccines were designed to work in healthy immune systems (though even in healthy immune systems they carry those weighty and horrific risks); but in broken immune systems, it is a bit counter-intuitive to think that introducing a pathogen will trigger the immune system to work properly. I cannot site any studies, but I can say that Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride (The neurologist and nutritionist who developed the GAPS diet) asserts that even if vaccines work in healthy immune systems, in immune-compromised children they are far more likely to trigger vaccine injuries than actual immunity.
Christina, homeopathic immunizations or homeopathic prophylaxis are an excellent and effective way to support immunity and they are inexpensive. I would suggest finding a good homeopath and talking about your children’s conditions to determine if they would be appropriate for your children. Also the importance of nutrition in regards to immunity CANNOT be understated. Research what foods we should be eating and remove those from your family’s diet that harm the immune system.
Thanks for this great article on such a touchy subject and thank you for your kindness toward those who make other choices than you do. The choice to not vaccinate has been a recent one for me and though I believe in it firmly, I’m saddened by all the hate coming from both sides. I came to this conviction because of my husband. He was injured by his DTAP shot as a baby. Since taking on a more healthy way of living and treating illness through natural means, I fully believe that any “vaccine-preventable” illnesses can be treated effectively by natural means. It would be scary to not vaccinate and have to rely on doctors, who offer so little hope, if one of those illnesses was acquired. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Megan,
Thank you for this very well done piece. As a parent of a vaccine injured child, I tire at those who chose to marginalize those of us who choose to no longer take the chance our children may incur more injuries.
I only wish I knew them what I do now and chose to not listen to what minimal information was provided. I feel bad as a parent know knowing of I had done more research, my informed decision would be not to risk our child ‘s health.
We’ve not vaccinated our family now for over fifteen years. Neither of our sons have allergies or any chronic illnesses. The injury our son incurred, in one day from receiving six vaccinations, one being the MMR, we lost our healthy son. Diagnosed with severe autism, he now is doing well and is on his way to recovery via complementary medical intervention.
I only hope that new parents will listen and let their decisions be guided by facts and the examples of many sharing their children’s stories of vaccine injuries.
With much appreciation for all you are doing to educate others!
Yeah! I’m so glad your son is doing better! I know it’s a long, expensive haul.
Hi. I was looking for information. You say there are a “whole bunch” of studies that say kids who got vaccinnated got autism. Could you point us to those studies that show there is a direct link between the two?
Thanks
Direct link between what… vaccines and autism or the ingredients and autism or seizures and autism, etc.?
I’m asking in response to your statement which says “Whole bunch of studies where children who were vacinnated got autism.” This statement made it seem like there is a direct link between the two. I’m not sure if it is ingredients or the vaccine. I’m just trying to understand your point and am looking for information that backs the statement up. I’m just trying to have an understanding of it all so it would be great to read these studies so I can read for myself.
Also if you could provide links to thethe won court cases by children who got autism post-vaccinations that would be helpful.
I’m just a concerned mom that wants to have all the facts so having these studies and court cases would allow me to do my own research.
Thanks in advance,
Tracey, that’s sarcasm. There are many studies on autism and vaccines and no matter how many children get autism or have autism as a result of vaccinations there will never be a causal link…which is why I posted all of the stuff that came after. Part of researching is locating this data. If there were only 2 or 3 studies I would be happy to list all of those for you but there are far too many and it’s asking a lot of me to list all of these citations I have read over the course of 7 years. However I will point you in the right direction. National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC.org), VacTruth, and Vaccine Information Network (VINE) are all great Facebook pages that have and would provide you with studies. I would also pull up Pub Med and type in the vaccine ingredients and autism or the vaccine and autism, or an associated adverse reaction and autism. READ the studies, not just the abstracts or conclusions (which rarily match the actual data). I would also read the package inserts (linked in post).
For court cases Hannah Polling is a great place to start but you could also look up claims with the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program or research court cases with autism (or brain encephalitis / encephalopahty) and vaccines both in the United States and Europe.
Tracey, you should just look up the cases settled by The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. They are available online at the US Court of Federal Claims website. I hope you have a few days or weeks to read them all.
Thanks, I will take a look. . Is this where I will find the “whole bunch of studies” as well? I like to read information first-hand.
The article would be more credible with the link and/or footnotes so we can go to the direct source.
Thanks,
Tracey
Tracey, how many references did the article this post was written in response to list? If I linked every single piece of data my post would be one giant link and how could I possibly chose which of the many studies to site? I reference a great deal in my posts and I leave it to the reader to take this information and research further.
Respectfully.
As a parent who does vaccinate, it is scary to think about what my 2mo may be exposed to because of some of these things that are on the rise like pertussis. This is my 4th child, we do a modified home school program (university model), we use EOs, I’ve breastfed all my kids, so we are leaning more toward the crunchy side of life. However, with family members immediate and extended family who travel and live in third world countries, we know the seriousness of some of these topics and the risks involved. We don’t sleep under a mosquito net here in Texas like my husband does when he’s in Uganda, because we don’t have the threat of malaria amongst other things they carry. My point being, if your family isn’t at risk, it probably makes sense not to vaccinate. I’m just not sure that everyone approaches it from a risk/benefit stance in their OWN home, rather than basing it on studies and research that may be more generalized for the US or UK and not to their specific city/region.
We don’t do all the vaccines, but if I were traveling to a country where malaria is a high danger, I would get the vaccine for it.
YES! Exactly. That’s what drives me mad about extremist on both sides! Weigh the risk and benefits. Our dr put this into us early on as parents.
He said most deaths reported by vaccine preventable diseases take a global count which means third world countries up the overall death rate because of their lack of access to medical care and clean water. He gave the example of the rotavirus. He said those that die don’t die from the virus itself but from complications like dehydration. He said rarely do first world children die from such complications because they have access to medical facilities. He went on to say those first world that die after contracting the rotavirsus is usually from bringing the child to the dr too late or the dr misdiagnosing it.
I am research nurse working with immunocompromised cancer patients. I am also a mom. I have been curiously following these types of blogs to try to find the “anti-vax” answer to explaining the reasons why a baby who is unvaccinated should be allowed to transmit the varicella virus unknowingly to an immunocompromised cancer patient who then develops a life-threatening shingles infection leaving them hospitalized. It was my understanding that vaccinations the health of the community as a whole, not just an individual. I am respectfully asking if you know of any research studies or answers to how to address this issue?
My husband’s father had leukemia when he was growing up which was why my husband (and his brothers) was not allowed to be vaccinated. That was the recommendation back in the day before vaccinations were above reproach since live vaccines (including varicella) shed and could put a cancer patient at risk. I address the question you asked in more detail in the post linked below. Suffice it to say that most immunocompromised individuals can be vaccinated according to the CDC, and those who can’t cannot be around vaccinated children either.
https://www.livingwhole.org/the-hate-debate/
I appreciate your thoughtful reply and your studies in the second article. To be honest, I agree with you that there is a lot of information out there, and frankly, thinking about it all makes me cringe at times, feeling torn between vaccinating vs. not vaccinating and the enormity of the decisions. I just pray that God protects our children, no matter what our decisions.
It’s true! It is a terribly frightening thing to vaccinate our children, which we have done. We live in developing country in sub-Saharan Africa, and immunization records are required upon entering the country. It was a huge debate whether or not to get the children vaccinated, an enormously difficult question. I prayed a lot. The children are six and three and doing fine. But I did not realize the connections that are being made with cancer and the ingredients of vaccinations. I am recovering from breast cancer, and the thought makes me tremble. As parents, we do not always know the best decisions to make in every situation, but we try our best and pray a lot!
I’m sorry, but I just had to mention that one does not contract shingles from someone who has the chicken pox infection; In order to have shingles you must already have had the varicella infection in the past. When a person then becomes immunocompromised, the dormant virus becomes active again, but this time as a shingles outbreak. I’m pretty sure this is how it works. Now, if a patient has never had varicella or the vaccination, then they may develop a chicken pox infection, from someone who has varicella. Also if a person has shingles they can infect another person with varicella. Shingles are therefore most often seen in person whose immunities are low, for whatever reason. Immunocompromised people should also stay away from recently vaccinated children, because the chance that they may shed the virus and infect them. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/shingles/expert-answers/shingles-vaccine/faq-20058137 And that would be to avoid a chickenpox infection (not shingles).
Exactly Chandi. In fact the UK has never vaccinated for Chicken pox. If you check the NHS website (at least it did say this a couple months ago) it will explain that they opted not to, for fears that an epidemic of Shingles would occur.(As is happening in places the Chickenpox vaccine is part of the program) Natural boosting occurs when people are exposed to people with chickenpox to lessen the chances of Shingles developing (in people who have had wild chicken pox). What used to be a disease of older adults is now occurring often in children, as well as those who have been vaccinated with Chicken pox vaccine. (Enter in Shingles vaccine sales!!) And those who comment this is rare should work a few days doing my job, and hear the flow of complaints of patients with Shingles, young and old, vaccinated or not!
If you are a research nurse working with cancer patients, then you should know that cancer patients do not “catch” shingles from an unvaccinated person carrying varicella virus. You only get shingles if you have already either had chicken pox–or have been vaccinated for chicken pox. Shingles is the REACTIVATION of the varicella virus that caused chicken pox before going dormant into one of the spinal nerves.
NOBODY “catches” shingles from exposure to an unvaccinated person with chicken pox. In fact, intermittent re-exposure to chicken pox helps prevent shingles.
Please note that fully vaccinated subjects are known to carry the measles virus as well as the non-vaccinated.
The irony of a research nurse not knowing that shingles comes from within a person’s own immune system is laughable. Either you are a terrible nurse or you’re lying about your profession. Either way it’s an embarrassment to you and to the medical community.
I can appreciate your mindset. Your research certainly seems to validate your point of view. I hope you are correct in your assumptions, because over 54,000 unvaccinated children from South and Central America are now in our country, with more entering every day. And these children are being put into neighborhoods, just like yours, with minimal health screening being done. No one really knows if these kids have dormant or even active forms of diseases that are controlled in our population by vaccinations. If these diseases do crop up in your neighborhoods in pandemic forms, it will no doubt be because your vaccinated neighbors’ immunities did not kick in.
Megami,
I’m not fearful because germs only live in environments conducive to growth. My family is healthy and our living conditions are clean, and I have things on hand to battle any sickness that might come our way. Despite the over-sensationalism of the media, you assume vaccines are effective. Please read the last section of this post. Respectfully.
“So we should all ask ourselves, did our dear friend, neighbor, or relative with polio actually have polio? If they did have polio, was it caused by the vaccine? Are they in a wheel-chair? If so, was it due to the barbaric methods used by the medical profession to treat polio? While we’re at it, does our dear friend, neighbor, or relative have cancer? If so, was it caused by the polio vaccine?”
Made me laugh – with you, of course. 🙂 Again, another great post! I love how you write and *that* you write.
Jennifer
GrowingUpTriplets.com
You are seriously my hero! Excellently written! Loved it!
Hi Megan,
New reader! I found your blog from your post on the Kid Nurse Facebook Page. Anyway…just wanted to comment on what you wrote at the beginning of your post. Danielle is our children’s nurse practitioner and she is just as sweet and cute in person as she appears to be on her blog. We do vaccinate our children, and even though we differ on our parenting styles, I wanted to say I love your blog and you gained a reader. What I really found interesting was what you wrote on polio. I had Guillian- Barre Syndrome several years ago and could see how this and several other of the diseases you mentioned could have been misdiagnosed as polio. It took me a couple of months to get my diagnoses of GBS.
New follower, Tamara
Wow. Thank you so much for your comment Tamara. That must have been so tough to deal with! Do you talk about this experience on your blog? I hope you are fully recovered. I am glad that despite our differing stances on some issues that you have decided to follow. If you find out where your NP got her red dress let me know. 😉
Yes, I have a 6 part series on my blog about GBS. You can find it here http://theworkoutmama.com/best-of/ , the series is called The Girl Behind The Blog. Haha I will ask her the next time I see her about the dress. Have a great day!
Thanks, I will check it out! 🙂
What do u do Whn they dnt let Ur child start school because she hadn’t had her shots?
Hi Renee, you just need to get a vaccine exemption. You can find out which exemptions are allowed in your state by clicking the link below:
http://www.nvic.org/Vaccine-Laws/state-vaccine-requirements.aspx
Homeschool 🙂 That is not without it’s issues in some states but as Megan correctly pointed out there are exemptions.
Liked the section that begins with the test. Good info.
For the record, there IS a pro parental rights movement. Several good friends of mine from back in VA are working for this cause. It’s called the parental rights amendment. For info go to http://www.parentalrights.org/
Please check this out, there is a site about protecting Parental Rights!!!
http://www.parentalrights.org/
Thanks for posting this. It’s rare in my family to have any kind of non vax support considering most of our members are in cahoots with the medical industry. Aside from my “hippie” sister (who gets enough criticism for her own lifestyle choices) no one understands why I am willing and often times seem comfortable “putting many child at risk” from “life threatening” diseases. Honestly the whole thing makes me super uncomfortable. I do my best to focus on love and being healthy so my fears are forgotten and ignored, but with all these debates constantly on going its quite challenging. My son has only experienced the vitamin k shot. I tried to avoid any and all off the postpartum treatments by having a home birth experience. My son was safely delivered at home in a pool in my family room under the supervision of my midwife. The pediatrician I chose before he was born said they would need to see him within 24 hours after birth. Durring his first appt we were referred to the local hospital for a state mandatory hearing test. Upon our arrival the staff (with the help of my mother) emotionally harassed me until I allowed them to do the vit k shot and eye goop. I whole heartedly refused the hep b vaccine and so grateful that I did. The night after the hospital was the worst! My son screamed and cried with no way to comfort him, even my mother tried to help me, acting as though she knew best because she raised two kids before. Since then we’ve never had another jab, nor any crying fits like I described. We have had chronic ear infections though since four months of age (he’s now ten months.) I am beside myself. I know genetically he is predisposed to them from my side and his father’s. Antibiotics don’t help and I often wonder if I should expose him to them as well. We’ve tried garlic oil, chamomile, over the counter drugs, heating pads, you name it to try to heal and comfort him. I know what I don’t want to do but I am not sure what I should do. It might not even be related, but because of our experience I am almost more afraid of the medical industry than I am of the naturally unsafe world. No wonder my family thinks I am crazy, after all its the hospitals they work for that have put food on the table :/ thanks for reading my rant. I bet you look great in the red dress!
Try homeopathy for the ear infections. Find a good homeopath with experience. Don’t do it yourself.
Homeopathy is plain water. It’s not supported by any doctor or the scientific community. If it worked, don’t you think Big Pharma, the great evil we all love to hate, would be happily making billions selling vials of water? For all you research happy anti-vaxxers on here, do your research on homeopathy! It’s not real. It’s water. Stop spreading the lies.
Big Pharma can’t patent water…its a naturally occurring substance. In the future, please abide by the comment policy and be respectful.
As a vaccinating mother who works hard to be open minded and continue to do research, the one thing that I see consistently that really bothers me is when non-vaccinating parents say things like ‘measels, shmeasels’ or what you said, polio is not scary. I understand where you’re coming from, absolutely. Not likely you’ll encounter the worst case scenario with these diseases. But there are mothers around the globe who indeed have had children DIE from measles and become deformed by polio. And yes, I understand the description of polio is complicated and there is problems with vaccinations. but at the heart of it, diseases do exist and also have serious outcomes. I shutter to think i lost a child to a disease, others would go around saying it was nothing.
I take all disease seriously but I take the conditions that create diseases even more seriously. I derived at my perception of measles based on the CDC’s clinical definition and I think that calling it a deadly disease is a gross misrepresentation. Children around the globe die from all sorts of things because of their lack of food, clean water, hygiene, and proper living conditions. More kids in third world countries die in car accidents than they do from measles but we don’t view cars as horrible death containers. Thousands of people die each year falling down their stairs but our perception of stairs remain the same. If polio is asympomatic in 95% of people who get it, why would we call it a deadly disease? If no one in the U.S has died from measles in the last 6 (or more) years…why would we call it a deadly disease when the clinical definition is a rash and fever and that’s how it presents the majority of the time? Of course the