Childhood Vaccines: Anti-vax V Science?

[Medusa]

Curious as to people's thoughts on the whole anti-vax movement?

I saw an article this morning where Dr. Sanjay Gupta talked about how measles and all but been eliminated a few years ago and now hundreds of cases of measles are popping up all over the place.

I know there have been multiple articles about anti-vaxers believing that vaccines cause autism and such but I'm curious if we have any folks here who struggled with whether or not to vaccinate their kids?

Thoughts, ideas welcome!

[Allison W]

It's bollocks. It threatens the health of children who are not vaccinated; it threatens societal herd immunity at large; and with the right wing in the US already being as aggressively anti-science as it is, we certainly don't need a left-wing anti-science movement like the anti-vax movement.

Moreover, the entire thing is based upon a study that got pulled for using bad methodology. A study getting pulled for bad methodology is not a conspiracy, and no one should be endangering the health of their children and everyone around them over a single bad study in the face of all of the perfectly good ones that have found vaccines safe and effective.

A heads-up for those who would actually consider not having their children vaccinated: we don't have to deal with horrible diseases like smallpox and polio anymore because vaccines work. Vaccines are the reason you don't have to worry about your children getting smallpox or polio. Consider that by not getting your children vaccinated, you're exposing them to the risk of new outbreaks of dangerous, already-defeated diseases because a study that got pulled for its bad methodology told you to. Please protect your children from easily prevented diseases.

[JDeere]

I do not have children but do have lots of nieces and nephews, though. I have spoken with my siblings on this issue and we all agree, that vaccines do work and that people need to vaccinate their children so others do not suffer. Especially children and some adults with compromised immune systems.

I will be damned, as an adult with a compromised immune system, that some anti vaxer and their children get me sick or damn near kill me, that is why I stay away from children in the neighborhood, etc.

Vaccinate your kids so the rest of us don't have to suffer!

[TruTexan]

I'm for vaccinations for ALL children. I think it's horrible that there are those parents that choose not to vaccinate their children and then they get ill and some have died from getting measles and other diseases. It's bad enough we have 3rd world countries that don't vaccinate and keep these diseases around, we don't need them here in the US. Measles is on the rise in the US in just about every state due to people choosing to follow that study that was pulled and found to have bad methodology. Autism isn't caused by vaccinations and there is NO valid proof it is.

As far as the measles outbreak, the US DEPT of HEALTH is asking even older adults and seniors to get revaccinated because the vacccines don't last your lifetime. It only lasts several years. To avoid a widespread epidemic worse than what already is, please go get re-vaccinated for measles, mumps, and rubella...MMR vaccine shot. I'm going to talk to my doctor about it for myself on my next appointment. I don't want to come into contact with any child that hasn't been vaccinated and there are a lot of kids where I live.
Personally, I would NEVER take the risk of not vaccinating my child VS them getting sick with a disease that is harmful or deadly. I've been vaccinated and I didn't get autism from it, and several million others in the US didn't either.

[cricket26]

this gives a great summary of the laws regulating vaccines state by state:

http://www.nvic.org/vaccine-laws/sta...uirements.aspx


the debate is to take away the religious and philosophical exemptions to protect those with low immune systems from being exposed to potentially deadly viruses

dont get a vaccination if you dont need it, lots of vaccinations are by choice (flu, pneumonia, shingles) but mandatory vaccinations for school children protect everyone...

this is a summary of who needs a measles vaccine:

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/...c-in-short.htm

[Gráinne]

Allison is right. The autism-vaccination "study" was flawed; autism is far more complicated than that, and we don't have a great understanding of "it" (there are many degrees of autism and its behaviors).

I was born just as vaccines for polio and measles came in. Polio left its victims paralyzed and/or in breathing tubes-if it didn't kill them. Measles, mumps, diptheria, and rubella were all fatal in the first half of the 20th century. Smallpox was of course a killer for centuries, and its more mild cousin, the chicken pox, can leave you vulnerable to shingles later in life and is just miserable. There's a shot for that nowadays, but I have immunity the old-fashioned way. You name it, my kids and myself got the vaccine. My daughter also had a shot against cervical cancer, even though that is much newer.

I know parents have the right to not vaccinate, but I have the right to keep them away (when they were younger).

[Amulette]

I think that it depends on the severity of the illness whether vaccinations are warranted or not. It is big business and there is a lot of money to be made on the sale of the vaccines world wide. Anytime there are large amounts of money to be made on human suffering, the money seems to become more important than the humans. So when I see an over kill of vaccines for minor illnesses I have to question that.

It goes against all my motherly instincts to bombard the immune system of an infant with vaccines, yet I want to protect them from life threatening illnesses or those that mame or cripple...........

My older children were vaccinated, my youngest was not. They all got the same basic childhood illnesses anyway......

I think it may be more important if you have substandard living conditions, like in third world countries. But then again, if all that money was poured into clean water and and sanitary living conditions and good food would they be needed?

[TruTexan]

Originally Posted by Amulette

I think that it depends on the severity of the illness whether vaccinations are warranted or not. It is big business and there is a lot of money to be made on the sale of the vaccines world wide. Anytime there are large amounts of money to be made on human suffering, the money seems to become more important than the humans. So when I see an over kill of vaccines for minor illnesses I have to question that.

It goes against all my motherly instincts to bombard the immune system of an infant with vaccines, yet I want to protect them from life threatening illnesses or those that mame or cripple...........

My older children were vaccinated, my youngest was not. They all got the same basic childhood illnesses anyway......

I think it may be more important if you have substandard living conditions, like in third world countries. But then again, if all that money was poured into clean water and and sanitary living conditions and good food would they be needed?

I have to say that the US is NOT a 3rd world country, our water supplies are mostly sanitary and so are our living conditions for the most part. HOW do you EXPLAIN the outbreak of Measles (which is a deadly) disease here in the US, that was eradicated back in my childhood in the 60's and 70's ?????? smh

[Amulette]

Hey Tex, Do you really know anyone who died from measles? I have not in my life met someone who lost a child from measles. I had them at least 3 times and was fully vaccinated, and live to tell the story.... Now Hep B, that is a different story. I vaccinated for that as as adult.... I do believe keeping your immune system healthy is the best preventative medicine, with help in extreme circumstances. MHO