[NVIC] The Center Will Not Hold As Parents & Docs Question Vaccine Policy

[Guest guest]

The Center Will Not Hold As Parents & Docs Question Vaccine

Policy

by Barbara Loe

Fisher

It was only a matter of time. For 26 years parents of vaccine injured

children and a few brave doctors have challenged the one-size-fits-all

approach to mandated use of multiple vaccines in the absence of sound

scientific evidence that policy is safe for all children. Now, when 1 in

6 child in America is learning disabled and 1 in 150 develops autism,

more rank and file

pediatricians are speaking out about the need to provide pediatric

care for unvaccinated children and respect parental choices to use fewer

vaccines.

Last week in a

CBS-TV interview, HPV vaccine researcher Dr. Diane Harper supported

more scientific research as well as the ethical principle of informed

consent to vaccination when asked whether HPV vaccine should be mandated.

She said " We don't know yet what's going to happen when millions of

doses of the vaccine have been given and to put in process a place that

says you must have this vaccine, it means you must be part of a big

public experiment....... There isn't enough information to have a mandate

that you can't go to school until you have this vaccine. It does not make

any sense. "

This week in another

CBS-TV interview, former NIH Director Bernadine Healy, M.D., stood up

and spoke out about the need to scientifically investigate the causal

association between vaccines and autism, especially the potential for

certain individuals to be genetically susceptible to being harmed by

vaccines. She said " I think that the public health officials have

been too quick to dismiss the hypothesis as irrational.... there may be

this susceptible group. The fact that there is concern, that you don't

want to know that susceptible group is a real disappointment to me. If

you know that susceptible group, you can save those children. If you turn

your back on the notion that there is a susceptible group.....what can I

say? "

At the same time that enlightened pediatricians, researchers, and former

health officials are calling for a re-examination of scientifically

questionable vaccine policies that have failed to identify and screen out

high risk children and respect parental rights to make informed,

voluntary vaccine choices, some British health authorities and

politicians are calling for

MMR vaccine mandates for British children. The leading proponent for

mandates in Britain said " The MMR vaccination rate is at 85% and the

target figure is 95%, so it's about catching children who may have moved

or lost contact with their health visitor but also saying to parents your

child has a right to live free from vaccine preventable diseases. "

The head of Britain's Medical Association called the proposal

" morally and ethically dubious " and added " A Stalinist

approach like this would be likely to backfire on an unprecedented scale

and increase opposition to vaccinations. "

After 26 years, U.S. health officials are also wrestling with how to

prove to parents and doctors that current vaccine policies have

adequately addressed evidence that more and more children are regressing

after vaccination and suffering brain and immune dysfunction. A

transcript of the April 11, 2008 National Vaccine Advisory Committee

workshop at which parents and doctors expressed their concerns about

vaccine safety is now available at

http://www.hhs.gov/nvpo/nvac/transcript_apr08.ht ml

In the meantime, 19 parent organizations are

endorsing a call for Presidential candidates to pledge to issue two

executive orders within 100 days of taking office which would (1) remove

mercury from all vaccines by Jan 1. 2010 and (2) require a moratorium on

the addition of new vaccines to the recommended list for children until

the current vaccine schedule can be proven safe. Supporting organizations

include A- CHAMP, Autism One, Autism Research Institute, Autism United,

Deirdre Imus Environmental Center for Pediatric Oncology, Environment of

Harm Yahoo Group, Generation Rescue, HEAL Foundation, Moms Against

Mercury, National Autism Association, National Vaccine Information

Center, No Mercury, Safeminds, Schafer Autism Report, Spectrum Magazine,

TACA -- Talk About Curing Autism, Treating Autism (UK), Unlocking Autism,

and World Mercury Project.

On Wednesday, June 4, 2008 a

"

Green Our Vaccines " rally will be held in Washington, D.C.

questioning the safety of vaccine components and the government's current

vaccine schedule.

***********************************************************

" There is

a growing controversy over the number of vaccines that children receive

and when they receive them. According to the National Vaccine Information

Center, in the 1970s, children received 23 doses of vaccine by the time

they were 6 years old. Now, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends

more than twice as many. For some doctors and parents, that number is

disturbing......Hamilton thought that she found a doctor who would

respect her decision, but the office told her to put it in writing. Then,

according to Hamilton, the office told her, " Whenever you come back

in two months, you're going to have to vaccinate. And if you don't

vaccinate, don't come back. " Hamilton found a pediatrician who will

care for their son after checking with about 25 doctors. " He agrees

with me in my thinking, in saying that it's perfectly fine in what I'm

doing, not making me feel horrible for doing it, " she said. Dr.

Anuradha Agrawal is a pediatrician in Dallas. She said that she is

willing to delay vaccines and spread others out, and does have a small

number of patients who have opted not to innoculate their kids. " I

cannot say you get this shot now otherwise I cannot see you any

further, " she said. Dr. Seshagiri Rao believes kids are given too

many vaccines. He and a growing number of pediatricians say that

Hepatitis B does not need to be given at birth if the mother does not

have Hepatitis B......Pediatricians like Dr. Deborah Bains believe that

MMR, a triple vaccine that prevents measles, mumps and rubella, puts

unnecessary stress on a child's immune system. She explained, " We

saw before our eyes this reaction to the vaccination. That was the last

time I gave the MMR as a single vaccine. " " Being a mom, I

believe there are too many, " Dr. Agrawal said of the vaccinations.

" Being a pediatrician, I believe there are too many, and I don't

know what can be done about it. And as the research evolves, as the

science evolves, I think there will be more and more. " Dr. Rao takes

the debate even one more step further, saying, " I think it would be

a good idea to revamp the whole vaccination program. " -

CBS11-TV (Dallas), Lucero Reporting (May 9, 2008)

http://cbs11tv.com/health/Childre

n.Vaccine.Schedule.2.720610.html

" Mead was a Pottery Barn baby model and met all the

typical milestones. Then, also at age 2, after a set of vaccinations,

became very ill and he, too, changed forever. At first, both sets

of parents suspected hearing problems. " The reason we had him tested

for a hearing deficit was 'cause he wouldn't respond to us, " Mead

said. " He no longer used any of his language. " " We had him

tested for deafness, it was that bad, " King said. " I mean, you

could slam a book on the floor and he wouldn't turn around to see what

the sound was. It was like he was in this bubble of somewhere else, like

he'd left the planet or something.....Dr. Bernadine Healy is the former

head of the National Institutes of Health, and the most well-known

medical voice yet to break with her colleagues on the vaccine-autism

question. In an exclusive interview with CBS News, Healy said the

question is still open....... " But public health officials have been

saying they know, they've been implying to the public there's enough

evidence and they know it's not causal, " Attkisson said. " I

think you can't say that, " Healy said. " You can't say

that. " Healy goes on to say public health officials have

intentionally avoided researching whether subsets of children are

" susceptible " to vaccine side effects - afraid the answer will

scare the public......There is a completely expressed concern that they

don't want to pursue a hypothesis because that hypothesis could be

damaging to the public health community at large by scaring people.

" First of all, " Healy said, " I think the public's smarter

than that. The public values vaccines. But more importantly, I don't

think you should ever turn your back on any scientific hypothesis because

you're afraid of what it might show. " - CBS-TV News, Sharyl

Attkisson Reporting (May 12, 2008)

http://www.c bsnews.com/stories/2008/05/12/cbsnews_investigate

s/main4086809.shtml

" Children who have not received all their vaccinations should

not be allowed to start school, a Labour MP has suggested. Speaking in

the left-wing Fabian Society magazine, Creagh said the move would

increase the uptake of the controversial MMR vaccine. In the same

article, public health expert Sir Sandy Macara suggests linking child

benefits to vaccinations.....Ms Creagh said primary schools should be

compelled to demand proof that children had been given the full range of

routine jabs - including MMR - before they could register. The MP for

Wakefield, who is also in charge of drawing up the Labour party's public

health manifesto for the next election, said the sanction had been used

in the US. " - BBC-UK (May 11, 2008)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7392510.stm

==========================================

Some Parents Refusing

Vaccines For Their Kids

CBS11-TV (Dallas)

May 9, 2008

Lucero Reporting

http://cbs11tv.com/health/Childre n.Vaccine.Schedule.2.720610.html

DALLAS (CBS 11 News) ¯ There is a growing

controversy over the number of vaccines that children receive and when

they receive them. According to the National Vaccine Information Center,

in the 1970s, children received 23 doses of vaccine by the time they were

6 years old. Now, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends more than

twice as many. For some doctors and parents, that number is

disturbing.

Some parents are choosing some vaccines and refusing others. Many parents

start making these important medical decisions before their baby is born.

However, a recent study found that one-in-four pediatricians would no

longer treat families who chose their own vaccine schedule.

The first vaccine, Hepatitis B, is routinely given shortly after the day

of birth. Judy Juarez decided to wait. " I didn't want to not

vaccinate at all, " she explained. " I wanted to do vaccines, I

just wanted to do them a little differently. "

Hamilton said that she did the research, weighed the risks and

considered her son's overall health before deciding not to vaccinate at

all. " For nine months, " she began, " I watched what I put

in my body to protect him. "

Hamilton had a tough time finding a pediatrician who will work with her.

" Many of them said we're not the one for you, " she said.

" Don't come to this office because we're adamant about vaccinations

and we don't want any unvaccinated children in our office. "

Hamilton thought that she found a doctor who would respect her decision,

but the office told her to put it in writing. Then, according to

Hamilton, the office told her, " Whenever you come back in two

months, you're going to have to vaccinate. And if you don't vaccinate,

don't come back. "

Hamilton found a pediatrician who will care for their son after checking

with about 25 doctors. " He agrees with me in my thinking, in saying

that it's perfectly fine in what I'm doing, not making me feel horrible

for doing it, " she said.

Dr. Anuradha Agrawal is a pediatrician in Dallas. She said that she is

willing to delay vaccines and spread others out, and does have a small

number of patients who have opted not to innoculate their kids. " I

cannot say you get this shot now otherwise I cannot see you any

further, " she said.

Dr. Seshagiri Rao believes kids are given too many vaccines. He and a

growing number of pediatricians say that Hepatitis B does not need to be

given at bith if the mother does not have Hepatitis B. Rao also said that

there is no need to vaccinate children for Diptheria.

Pediatricians like Dr. Deborah Bains believe that MMR, a triple vaccine

that prevents measles, mumps and rubella, puts unnecessary stress on a

child's immune system. She explained, " We saw before our eyes this

reaction to the vaccination. That was the last time I gave the MMR as a

single vaccine. "

" Being a mom, I believe there are too many, " Dr. Agrawal said

of the vaccinations. " Being a pediatrician, I believe there are too

many, and I don't know what can be done about it. And as the research

evolves, as the science evolves, I think there will be more and

more. "

Dr. Rao takes the debate even one more step further, saying, " I

think it would be a good idea to revamp the whole vaccination

program. "

Most doctors, however, do urge parents to follow the schedule recommended

by the American Academic of Pediatrics. " I'm very supportive, "

said Dr. Amy from Presbyterian Hosptial Dallas. " Reviewing the

evidence, it's a good system. It works, and I feel it's

important. "

The State of Texas does allow parents to request an vaccination exemption

that is necessary for children to enroll in school. The first step in

making a decision about vaccines is discussing your concerns with your

pediatrician.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Leading Dr.:

Vaccines-Autism Worth Study

CBS News Exclusive:

Dr. Bernadine Healy, Former Head Of NIH Says Government Too Quick To

Dismiss Possible Link

CBS-TV

May 12, 2008

Sharyl Attkisson Reporting

http://www.c bsnews.com/stories/2008/05/12/cbsnews_investigate

s/main4086809.shtml

Jordan King was a typical baby. His parents called him vocal and

vivacious.

Then just before age 2, after a large battery of vaccinations, he simply

withdrew from the world.

" The real scary thing was when I noticed he wasn't looking at us any

more in the eyes, " Mylinda King, Jordan's mother, said.

Mead was a Pottery Barn baby model and met all the typical

milestones. Then, also at age 2, after a set of vaccinations,

became very ill and he, too, changed forever.

At first, both sets of parents suspected hearing problems.

" The reason we had him tested for a hearing deficit was 'cause he

wouldn't respond to us, " Mead said. " He no longer used any of

his language. "

" We had him tested for deafness, it was that bad, " King said.

" I mean, you could slam a book on the floor and he wouldn't turn

around to see what the sound was. It was like he was in this bubble of

somewhere else, like he'd left the planet or something. "

Doctors said it wasn't a hearing problem...... it was the brain disorder

autism.

In both children, batteries of tests revealed dangerous levels of the

brain toxin mercury in their systems. Their only known exposure: the

mercury preservative once widely used in childhood shots.

" Our doctor, Dr. Green, said 'you can stop looking for

sources', " King said. " I know where it came from and it

was.....when he told us it was the vaccines, you just can't believe

it. "

Now, and Jordan are two test cases among nearly 5,000 autism

claims filed in federal vaccine court. Most claim that mercury, or MMR

shots, or both, resulted in their children's autism.

Government officials and many scientists insist there's nothing about

vaccines that can lead to autism.

" I think it's important for the average parent to know that the

government hasn't made a link between vaccines and autism, " said Dr.

Anne Schuchat of the Centers for Disease Control.

Dr. Bernadine Healy is the former head of the National Institutes of

Health, and the most well-known medical voice yet to break with her

colleagues on the vaccine-autism question.

In an exclusive interview with CBS News, Healy said the question is still

open.

" I think that the public health officials have been too quick to

dismiss the hypothesis as irrational, " Healy said.

" But public health officials have been saying they know, they've

been implying to the public there's enough evidence and they know it's

not causal, " Attkisson said.

" I think you can't say that, " Healy said. " You can't say

that. " Healy goes on to say public health officials have

intentionally avoided researching whether subsets of children are

" susceptible " to vaccine side effects - afraid the answer will

scare the public.

" You're saying that public health officials have turned their back

on a viable area of research largely because they're afraid of what might

be found? " Attkisson asked.

Healy said: " There is a completely expressed concern that they don't

want to pursue a hypothesis because that hypothesis could be damaging to

the public health community at large by scaring people. " First of

all, " Healy said, " I think the public's smarter than that. The

public values vaccines. But more importantly, I don't think you should

ever turn your back on any scientific hypothesis because you're afraid of

what it might show. "

As an example, Healy points to the existing vaccine court claims.

CBS News has learned the government has paid more than 13,000 brain

injury claims in vaccine court since 1988, but is not studying those

cases or tracking how many of them resulted in autism.

The branch of the government that handles vaccine court told CBS News:

" Some children who have been compensated for vaccine

injuries.....may ultimately end up with autism or autistic symptoms, but

we do not track cases on this basis. "

" What we're seeing in the bulk of the population: vaccines are

safe, " said Healy. " But there may be this susceptible group.

The fact that there is concern, that you don't want to know that

susceptible group is a real disappointment to me. If you know that

susceptible group, you can save those children. If you turn your back on

the notion that there is a susceptible group..... what can I say? "

Government officials would not respond directly to Healy's views.... but

reiterated, vaccines are safe.

Like Healy, the Kings and the Meads support vaccination, but say it can

be made safer.

At age 10, 's life is full of intensive therapy.

" Horrifying is a good word, " his father said. " It

was horrendous to watch your own child become, in effect, a zombie. It's

something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. It was awful. "

Jordan, also 10, can't even communicate as well as he did as a toddler.

" Oh yeah, he doesn't talk at all anymore " said Jordan's father,

Fred.

Public health officials insist there's no connection to their shots.

Thousands of families are hoping for a different answer in vaccine court.

For a list of more than 60 supporting studies,

click here

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

No jabs, no school

says Labour MP

British Broadcasting (BBC) - UK

May 11, 2008

Click here for the

URL

:

Children who have not received all their vaccinations should not be

allowed to start school, a Labour MP has suggested.

Speaking in the left-wing Fabian Society magazine, Creagh said

the move would increase the uptake of the controversial MMR vaccine.

In the same article, public health expert Sir Sandy Macara suggests

linking child benefits to vaccinations.

The government says it has no plans to introduce compulsory vaccinations.

Fears over MMR

Public confidence in vaccination, and in MMR particularly, fell after

research raised the possibility that the jab may be linked to an

increased risk of autism.

The research has since been debunked, and a string of studies have

concluded that the triple vaccine - which protects against rubella and

mumps as well as measles - is perfectly safe.

But immunisation rates are still well below the 95% needed for so-called

" herd immunity " and are particularly low in London.

As a result there have been several outbreaks of measles.

Ms. Creagh said primary schools should be compelled to demand proof that

children had been given the full range of routine jabs - including MMR -

before they could register.

The MP for Wakefield, who is also in charge of drawing up the Labour

party's public health manifesto for the next election, said the sanction

had been used in the US.

She said: " The MMR vaccination rate is at 85% and the target figure

is 95%, so it's about catching children who may have moved or lost

contact with their health visitor but also saying to parents your child

has a right to live free from vaccine preventable diseases. "

She also said there would be exceptions where children could not be

vaccinated for medical or religious reasons.

" In lots of cities now they are offering catch-up MMR for five-year

olds and there's a high take-up - a lot of anxiety has gone away and it

offers parents another opportunity, " she said.

'Morally dubious'

Sir Sandy Macara, ex-chairman of the British Medical Association,

said in many developing countries immunisation rates were higher than in

the UK even though they had poorer access to healthcare.

" People here have become a bit blase and they worry more about rare

possible risks of vaccination rather than the diseases they

prevent, " he said.

" One ought to recognise that mothers have a responsibility for

ensuring their children are protected. "

He said linking vaccination to child benefit would ensure full vaccine

coverage and make the argument that it was being done for the public good

rather than for the benefit of individuals.

" Politicians are much more anxious than they would admit about

'nanny state' accusations but they should be more worried about being

accused of negligence, " he said.

British Medical Association Chairman Dr Hamish Meldrum described the

proposals as " Stalinist " and said forcing parents to have their

children inoculated was " morally and ethically dubious " .

" A Stalinist approach like this would be likely to backfire on an

unprecedented scale and increase opposition to vaccinations, " he

told the Sunday Telegraph.

Jackie Fletcher of pressure group Jabs was against both proposals.

" It's only six months since a big public consultation by the

Nuffield Council on Bioethics which we contributed to and they concluded

there was no reason to change the voluntary system, " she

said.

" At the same time as this was published in the UK there was a huge

furore in the US as parents were threatened with hefty fines and jail

unless they vaccinated their children before entry into school.

" Is this really the direction we want to go in? "

Joff McGill, of Sense, the national rubella charity said: " Sense

believes that in the current environment compulsory vaccination would

lead to more people challenging immunisation and so less children being

vaccinated. "

A spokesperson for the Department of Health said they wanted to see a

continued improvement in the uptake of the MMR vaccine, adding that

" vaccination in this country is voluntary " .

National Vaccine

Information Center

NVIC E-News is a free service

of the National Vaccine Information Center and is supported through

donations.

NVIC is funded through the financial support of its members and does not

receive any government subsidies. Barbara Loe Fisher, President and Co-

founder.

Learn more about vaccines, diseases and how to protect your informed

consent rights

www.nvic.org

email:

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--------------------------------------------------------

Sheri Nakken, former R.N., MA, Hahnemannian

Homeopath

Vaccination Information & Choice Network, Nevada City CA & Wales

UK

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