Anchorage Daily News letter to the editor

[Guest guest]

Here's a letter which appeared in the Anchorage Daily News

(http://www.adn.com/letters/) today:

The Daily News criticizes parents but ignores tragic vaccine injuries

The Daily News recently termed as irresponsible parents who do not vaccinate

their children ( " Kids with no shots, " Aug. 21). Almost concurrently, it ran

an extensive story covering a rally against discrimination. While I applaud

the coverage of this important topic, which happily did not result in

physical harm to anyone, I am disappointed in the paper's apparent lack of

interest in other important stories documenting such harm.

It is public information that more than 100,000 vaccine-related injuries

have been reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System database,

with even a vaccine manufacturer admitting this to be only the tip of the

iceberg, perhaps as low as 2 percent. This is not being reported by the

Daily News.

When 50 Anchorage residents rallied downtown on a cold April evening to

discuss and protest forced injection, even bringing their damaged children,

the newspaper provided no coverage. Actual vaccine damage, happening to

actual Alaska children who have been compensated by the U.S. Government, is

being ignored. Discrimination is reprehensible. So is vaccine damage.

Ignoring the truth will only lead to more preventable tragedies.

Unless born to an infected mother, a child's only risks of acquiring

hepatitis B are sex and/or IV drugs or blood. I have yet to see an infant,

or even a 5-year-old, frequent a bordello or mainline a drug. Have you? If

so, I will consider joining your bandwagon.

-- Jay Rowen, M.D.

Anchorage

ALL INFORMATION, DATA, AND MATERIAL CONTAINED, PRESENTED, OR PROVIDED HERE

IS FOR GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS

REFLECTING THE KNOWLEDGE OR OPINIONS OF THE PUBLISHER, AND IS NOT TO BE

CONSTRUED OR INTENDED AS PROVIDING MEDICAL OR LEGAL ADVICE. THE DECISION

WHETHER OR NOT TO VACCINATE IS AN IMPORTANT AND COMPLEX ISSUE AND SHOULD BE

MADE BY YOU, AND YOU ALONE, IN CONSULTATION WITH YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.