Vaccinations - What You Don't Know Could Hurt Your Children

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http://www.healthychild.com/vaccinations-hurt-children.htm

By Joan Batista

Most parents take vaccinating their children for

granted. It is assumed that you will bring your

children in for " well baby " visits to receive

childhood vaccinations. It is also assumed that

vaccinations are safe, effective, and mandatory.

Vaccine safety, however, is questionable at best.

Vaccine effectiveness varies and vaccination is not

mandatory. After three years of research, I'm dismayed

by the lack of comprehensive, unbiased information

about vaccination. I am appalled that parents do not

have to consent to this medical procedure and that we

do not have the right in all states to make a truly

informed decision concerning what is injected into and

ingested by our children. Whether or not to vaccinate

is a complicated question, and few people make these

decisions easily. Parents deserve the right to make

informed decisions, for we are the ones who will have

to live with the consequences.

Reactions

Public health officials and some medical professionals

generally dismiss reactions to vaccines. Children do

react to vaccinations, sustaining brain damage, other

irreversible injuries, seizures, allergic reactions,

and even death. Officials say these reactions are rare

and a small price to pay for the protection vaccines

offer the general public. As the National Vaccine

Information Center (NVIC) explains, " When it happens

to you or your child, the risks are 100%. "

Mainstream medicine tells us that children who were

hurt and killed were " predisposed " to having these

types of problems, and the vaccines just manifested

the conditions earlier. However, doctors rarely take a

thorough medical history to determine if the child has

any contraindications that are spelled out on the

vaccine's own product insert.

The Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS)

receives 11,000 reports of vaccine reactions each

year, and the FDA acknowledges that this number

represents approximately ten percent of actual vaccine

reactions. Little, if any, research is being done to

find out why some children are injured and killed by

vaccines. In fact, out of the current CDC vaccine

budget of nearly one billion dollars, less than

one-half of one percent of the money is directed

toward vaccine research. The other 99.5+ percent will

be spent on vaccine purchase and promotion.

Short and Long-term Side Effects

Reports of these effects are numerous. They include

several central nervous system diseases and autoimmune

diseases such as arthritis, Guillain-Barre syndrome,

and thrombocytopenia. There is also evidence linking

the so-called " mild " reactions of fever, crying, and

excessive sleepiness to encephalitis, which can lead

to learning disabilities and other neurological

complications. These links (and other side effects)

have not been definitively proven, due to lack of

funding for research and the will to conduct such

research. Yet $724 million (as of January 1997) in

compensation has been paid under the National

Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 since its

inception.

" Long-term " studies of vaccines usually only last

months or sometimes a few years and concentrate on

efficacy, not safety. Instead of researching the

possible side effects before injecting our children,

our children are subjects of post-marketing

surveillance of licensed vaccines. There are no

double-blind placebo-controlled studies to be found

involving childhood vaccines. Doctors are required by

law to report possible adverse effects from vaccines,

but, according to an NVIC survey, less than 10 percent

of doctors do so. Editor's Note: Anyone can report a

vaccine reaction, whether or not they are a medical

professional. The National Vaccine Information Center

(www.nvic.org) can be contacted for information on how

to do this.

Contamination

Most vaccines are cultured on animal tissue or use

other animal cells-most often from monkeys, pigs,

cows, and chickens. One simian (monkey) virus, SV40,

was discovered in the polio vaccine used in the late

50's and early 60's. It has recently been found in

some human cancers. Cross-species transfer of viruses

also transfers animal RNA and DNA which may alter our

genetic makeup. At least two vaccines now in general

use are cultured on embryonic lung cells or on human

diploid cells originally taken from aborted fetal

tissue. These vaccines carry the contamination risks

present in any human tissue or blood product transfer.

In light of all the other types of pollution our

bodies are assaulted with in our everyday lives, some

of us have to ask ourselves if it is wise to inject

vaccines containing known carcinogens and toxins

(including mercury, formaldehyde and aluminum) into

our children's bodies when so little is known about

the possible side effects. It appears that we may be

trading one set of diseases for another that is

chronic and debilitating.

Efficacy

Vaccine effectiveness varies depending on the product

and how it is stored, as well as the recipient's

immune system. Some vaccines have high efficacy rates

initially, but the effectiveness wanes greatly over

time requiring " boosters " . Significantly, there have

been outbreaks of diseases such as measles in highly

or fully vaccinated populations.

Not Enough Information Given to Parents

Most parents are given a one-or two-page handout that

does not mention legitimate safety and efficacy

concerns. There are more comprehensive information

booklets available, but they are not routinely

distributed. Official literature frequently contains

misinformation and half-truths, along with scare

tactics. Not surprisingly, alternative treatments are

not mentioned.

We should be able to read about the safety issues

involved with vaccination and review the studies,

product inserts, and reports on vaccine effectiveness

in order to determine what vaccines we want our

children to have and when to get them. We also need to

be informed about the diseases from which these

vaccines are designed to protect us. This means wading

through all of the misinformation and myths about

disease and the emotional manipulations from all

directions. It also means investigating alternative

treatments such as herbs and homeopathy. Another thing

to consider is how important and protective a diet of

breastmilk and then whole, organic foods is to

building a strong immune system, heightening

resistance and decreasing susceptibility to disease.

The human immune system is strong and purposeful.

Parents who wish to respect this should also have

their beliefs accepted and honored.

Options

You do have options when it comes to vaccination. You

can:

· Vaccinate following the recommended schedule

· Delay vaccinations in order to allow your

child's immune system to mature

· Choose to get only the vaccines that you feel

carry a greater benefit than risk

· Choose to stagger vaccines and refuse

combination vaccines (because the vaccines suppress

immune function, increasing the likelihood of

reactions and illness, many parents and healthcare

professionals prefer not to administer multiple

vaccines at one office visit)

· Obtain an exemption from vaccination for your

child

Many people assume that vaccination is mandatory for

admission to school, day care, and other programs.

This is not the case. There are medical, religious,

and philosophical exemptions. A medical exemption is

obtained from a doctor, usually applies to just one

vaccine, and is generally given only following a

previous adverse effect. There are religious

exemptions in 48 states (not MS or WV). You must get a

copy of your state's law regarding vaccination

(available at libraries and from your state

representative). In many states, all that is required

is a written affidavit that includes the child's name,

parents' names, a statement using the exact wording of

the state law pertaining to vaccination conflicting

with ones religious beliefs, and the legal basis for

the exemption (the state law, chapter and section).

Notarization is recommended. A personal or

philosophical exemption usually requires writing an

affidavit as described above, substituting

philosophical beliefs for religious ones, or simply

checking the appropriate box on the state's

vaccination record form.

Educate Yourself Before Vaccinating

This is just an introduction to some of the issues

involved in routine childhood vaccination. Specific

vaccines, diseases and other concerns will be

addressed in great detail in future issues of Healthy

Child newsletter. I strongly encourage parents to

educate themselves as much as possible in order to

make informed decisions that fit their belief system

and family situation. Read books from the recommended

reading list. Ask questions and get them answered to

your satisfaction. Be comfortable with your

decisions--you are the ones who have to live with

them. I am not anti-vaccination. My personal hope is

that by insisting on making informed vaccination

decisions, we parents can provide motivation for and

exert pressure on the government and vaccine

manufacturers to develop safer vaccines, not just more

vaccines. Our children deserve it.

Much of this article was taken from an article that

first appeared in " Co-Options " a monthly publication

of Sevananda Natural Foods ative, 1111 Euclid

Avenue, NE, Atlanta, GA 30307.

Sources:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Parents

Guide to Childhood Immunization. U.S. Department of

Health and Human Services, revised 1994.

Coulter, . Vaccination: Social Violence &

Criminality. North Atlantic Books, 1990.

Institute of Medicine. Adverse Events Associated with

Childhood Vaccines: Evidence Bearing on Causality.

Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press, 1994.

Mendelsohn, . Immunizations: The Terrible Risks

Your Children Face.... Second Opinion, 1993.

National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) see

additional resources.

Neustaedter, Randall. The Vaccine Guide: Making an

Informed Choice. North Atlantic Books, 1996.

Severyn, e, Director, Ohio Parents for Vaccine

Safety (OPVS), personal communication, April 1997.

Recommended Reading List

The Vaccine Guide: Making an Informed Choice, By

Randall Neustaedter

Vaccines: Are They Really Safe and Effective? A

Parent’s Guide to Childhood Shots, by Neil Z.

Immunization Theory Vs. Reality: Expose on

Vaccinations, by Neil Z.

Immunizations: The People Speak! Questions, Comments,

and Concerns About Vaccinations, by Neil Z.

A Shot in the Dark: Why the P in the DPT Vaccination

May Be Hazardous to Your Child’s Health, by L.

Coulter, Barbara Loe Fisher

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