Concerned About Vaccinations

D.,
Here is one of the best researched books i have found. Everything in this book is sited and referenced. It really opened my eyes to the whole topic.
go to: WWW.THEDOCTORWITHIN.COM
go to: books
go to: The Sanctity of Human Blood
you can read some excerpts from the book before buying.
Good for you for wanting to be informed.
peace & blessings,
A.

Hi D....

I have a 9 year old daughter who had a severe reaction to her Hepatitis B vaccine at 2 months of age. You can read more about her story on her website at www.supportmakena.com

We have been doing holistic/homeopathic since she was 4 months old! She suffered from the mercury in the shots, which created brain damage and then seizures as a result. You're instinct is good to listen to! Good for you to listen to your gut!

You can still protect your kiddos through "nosodes" which are the homeopathic remedies for the same childhood diseases without the risks of the vaccines! Feel free to email me directly if you want to chat more!
____@____.com

Best wishes..

T.

Just took my son to the doctor for a cough. We go to Dr. Sears in Capo Beach, and there was a book in his office about vaccines. I think it was called "The Vaccine Book" (pretty original)by Dr. Robert Sears. Anyway I looked though a few pages and it seemed very in depth about the whole vaccine debate. I don't think the book is available until sometime in October, but you may want to check it out. You can try his website at askdrsears.com to see when the book will be available. We have had both of our sons vaccinated (last 2 vaccines also without insurance, call around we were living in MO at the time and there was a pediatric urgent care clinic that offered discounts to people who wanted vaccines for their kids without insurance). I worry that my kids will get sick with something I could have prevented . . . and I would feel just terrible. One of my husbands co-workers daughter caught whooping cough, not only was it an awful experience for them, but the hospital costs and treatment expenses were huge. The company has taken donations for the family and some of the workers were working shifts for him, and that was just the part that the insurance didn't cover (deductibles/copays etc . . .).

hi
check out this web site.
i found it very helpful in making my decisions not to vaccinate my children.
www.drjaygordon.com
J.

Hi D.,

I was actually up most of the night thinking of this very same thing. It has been on my mind allot since I saw a show on Oprah last week on autism by shots. I was going to go online and look at what I could find out so I can weigh both sides and make a decision as to what I was gonna do as well. I have 2 boys also. One 19 months old and the other 14 weeks old. My 19 month old has gotten 1 of his mmr shots already, (I think you get 3 right?) he got it around a month ago I think, I want to pull my shot records and look at that as well. I did not know anything about possible autistic complications other wise I would have looked into it prior to his shots. But I need to now before he gets any more and before my littlest son starts getting his shots, since it is "rumored" to affect boys more then girls.

So I would really like to find out what kind of informaiton you get from people as well. Here is a little I found on Oprah.com web site about the show I mentioned. Interesting, it will help you have more knowledge as well as you get responses. I have put it in this message so you dont have to go look it up.

Hope this helps, and again, I would also love to hear the responses you get since this is a very important matter so if you would not mind forwarding the responses to me also other wise I will see if I can keep going back to this and read the responses you get posted to you :)

From oprah.com and her show last week :)

What Is Autism?

Autism isn't a disease, it's a symptom. It ranges in severity from a handicap that limits an otherwise normal life to a devastating disability requiring institutional care.

Autism is one of the most common developmental disabilities. Including the milder form of autism known as pervasive developmental disorder or PDD, autism affects more than six out of every 1,000 children.

Children with autism have trouble communicating. They have trouble understanding what other people think and feel. This makes it very hard for them to express themselves either with words or through gestures, facial expressions and touch.

An autistic child who is very sensitive may be greatly troubled—sometimes even pained—by sounds, touches, smells or sights that seem normal to others.

Autistic children may have repeated body movements such as rocking or hand flapping. They may have unusual responses to people, attachments to objects, resistance to change in their routines and/or aggressive or self-injurious behavior. At times they may seem not to notice people, objects or activities in their surroundings. Some children with autism also develop seizures, in some cases not until adolescence.

Many autistic people are mentally retarded, although most people with PDD have normal or even above-average intelligence. In contrast to mental retardation alone, which is characterized by relatively even skill development, people with autism show uneven skill development. They may have problems in certain areas, especially the ability to communicate and relate to others. But they may have unusually developed skills in other areas, such as drawing, creating music, solving math problems or memorizing facts. For this reason, they may test higher—perhaps even in the average or above-average range—on nonverbal intelligence tests.

Autism typically appears during the first three years of life. Some children show signs from birth. Others seem to develop normally at first, only to slip suddenly into symptoms when they are 18 to 36 months old. Autism is four times more common in boys than in girls. It knows no racial, ethnic or social boundaries. Family income, lifestyle or educational levels do not affect a child's chance of having autism.

Some of the different types of autism include:

Autistic disorder. This is what most people think of when they hear the word "autism." It refers to problems with social interactions, communication and imaginative play in children younger than 3 years.
Asperger's syndrome. These children don't have a problem with language—in fact, they tend to score in the average or above-average range on intelligence tests. But they have the same social problems and limited scope of interests as children with autistic disorder.
Pervasive developmental disorder or PDD—also known as atypical autism. This is a kind of catchall category for children who have some autistic problems but who don't fit into other categories.
Rett's disorder. Known to occur only in girls, Rett's children begin to develop normally. Then they begin to lose their communication and social skills. Beginning at the age of 1 to 4 years, repetitive hand movements replace purposeful use of the hands.
Childhood disintegrative disorder. These children develop normally for at least two years, and then lose some or most of their communication and social skills.

What Causes It?

Autism has more than one cause. Because autism runs in families, most researchers think that certain combinations of genes may predispose a person to autism. It's currently thought that there may be several different causes of autism. This suggests that there may be several different subtypes of autism.

When a pregnant woman is exposed to certain drugs or chemicals during pregnancy, her child is more likely to be autistic. These risk factors include the use of alcohol and the use of antiseizure drugs during pregnancy. In some cases, autism has been linked to untreated phenylketonuria (called PKU, an inborn metabolic disorder caused by the absence of an enzyme), rubella (German measles) and celiac disease (an inability to tolerate gluten in grains).

Exactly why autism happens isn't clear. Research suggests that it may arise from physical problems in parts of the brain that interpret sensory input and process language. Imbalances in brain chemicals also appear to play a role.

Researchers have no evidence that a child's psychological environment—such as how caregivers treat the child—causes autism.

This book might be very helpfull, I think I will look into it since it talks about all sorts of epidemics: autism, ADHD, Asthma, and allergies:

Toxins, Immunizations and Autism
Original Air Date: A. 24, 2007
With cases of autism on the rise in the United States, the cause of the disorder is being investigated and debated—sometimes with controversial results. Dr. Oz talks to Dr. Ken Bock, physician and author of Healing the New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, ADHD, Asthma, and Allergies, about the effect of toxins in the environment, immunization schedules and how to make your home safer for your kids.

While Dr. Bock says that there is a genetic predisposition to autism, toxins in the environment can also cause it. Children who can't naturally detoxify their systems are more susceptible to disorders like autism and allergies, he says. "The whole area is something people never think about—we're [detoxifying] 24-7, but it's only when it doesn't go well that we start talking about it," Dr. Bock says. "We're living in a world where we're paying a price for more toxicity."

Dr. Bock says there are a few simple ways to lower the levels of toxicity in your home and make it a safer, healthier place for your kids.

Wash your hands—they can transmit many toxins.
Take off your shoes when you come into the house to avoid bringing in dirt and other pollutants.
Check for mold, especially in basements and areas where kids play.

Aside from toxins, some believe that immunizations could be to blame for the rise in autism. Dr. Bock says he is pro immunization, but he offers the following guidelines for safe vaccination:

If you are concerned about your child getting more than one vaccination during a trip to the doctor, Dr. Bock says to ask to have them spread out.
You can have live virus vaccines (the measles-mumps-rubella, or MMR) spread out into consecutive, monthly office visits.
As for vaccinations at birth, Dr. Bock says it's not necessary unless the mother is hepatitis B positive.
Be aware of your family's history of autoimmune disorders or heavy allergies and inform your child's doctor.
Don't bring your child in for immunizations while they're ill or on antibiotics.

Related Resources

Healing the New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, ADHD, Asthma, and Allergies by Dr. Kenneth Bock

A.

I forgot to attach this part which I thought was interesting as well: This was from the same oprah show where you could ask questions and get answers from Jenny Mccarthy.

Q: Have the makeup of vaccinations changed since the parents' generation received them as children?
JM: I'm not a vaccine expert, but there are many more vaccines in the pediatric schedule today than when our parents were growing up. When I look at the actual ingredients of the vaccines it scares me. Aluminum, ether, chicken embryo, human aborted fetal tissue, mercury, formaldehyde and more. Take a peek at Unlocking Autism's website: unlockingautism.org/vaccines/ingredients.asp.

Q: Thank you so much for being on the show and sharing your stories. I have an 18 month old son, and I have declined his MMR vaccine due to the autism link. My question is did your son play with their toys in the intended fashion (moving cars and making vroom noise!) before their vaccinations? Were they talking before? My son doesn't have any detectable words yet, but he does love playing with his toys. His pediatrician had me worried about his lack of speech, but other moms have told me this is normal.
JM: Evan lined up his toys a lot. He liked spinning objects and flapped his hands a lot. I'm so proud you followed your mommy instinct and held off on MMR. I would still get an evaluation done if any autism characteristics sound familiar. Speech delay alone is not a huge red flag but speech delay with loss of eye contact and other characteristics I've just mentioned are. Keep up with the great mommy instinct!

Q: Do you know of any ongoing campaigns to encourage the CDC or other organizations to take a closer look at the link between autism and vaccinations? Where can I get involved?
JM:There are several camps of organizations concerned about vaccines. Some are concerned about mercury like www.nonmercury.org and generationrescue.org and other that are concerned about the vaccines themselves like www.nvic.org, to name a few.

A.

This is a hugely controversial topic and it's really difficult to know what's best. Though the links to autism have not been proven concretely, they have also not been disproven and many parents who have children with autism (like Jenny McCarthy and Holly Robinson Peet who were just on Oprah talking about this) feel the link is strong. The Dr. Sears book that someone else mentioned is something I'm going to get. There is also a very detailed and long but informative video by Dr. Tenpenny called "Vaccines: The Risks, The Benefits, The Choices". I borrowed it from a doula friend - it might be hard to get a hold of but I'd try if you want well researched info. She's an MD who has spent years looking at all the research (from the CDC etc). Good luck - it's causing stress in my life right now trying to figure it all out!

I am not an expert, but my son has Asperger's which is more commonly known as Highly Functioning Autism, so of course when my sister-in-law was vaccinating my nephew she requested vaccinations that did not contain Mercury and she was commended by her nurse for having done her homework. I am currently pregnant and I intend to do the same thing. So you may want to check if the pediatrician offers mercury free vaccinations.

I would never not vaccinate my children from known life-threatening diseases that there is a "cure" for. I'm even having my teens vaccinated for HPV. I think the benefits far outweigh any risks associated with vaccinations. Babies don't have much of an immune system, so I just think there's too much of a risk of the baby dying from catching a known disease than a "maybe" getting autism. If it was a FACT that it caused autism, then I could understand more. They also say autism is being caused by young children under age 2 watching TV. With that being said, if you're willing to have your children stop watching TV too, then it would make sense you're very serious about preventing autism, based on what other people think cause it. Basically, are you willing to cut out everything that potentially causes autism? I hope you find the answers you're looking for. Either way, you'll be making an informed decision, because you're researching. It's a very personal decision with a lot of controversy surrounding it.

Well, you are right to be worried. I was wrried too. BUt then I thought, okay, I got all of these shots when I was a kids and so did my husband and we turned out fine. The studies haven't shown (from what I know of) that the vaccines actually "cause" Autism. They are just linked, so far. I know that all the vaccines do help with illnesses out there that can be stopped from being spread. Yes, we do get flu's of all sorts, but we are saved form others that can be life threatening. My husband and I figured that it helped us stay healthy and safe so we are going to give it a try for us. I do have a friend who does not give there children vaccines as well, but I see that her kids are a lot more sick (so are they) than we are. That is the difference that I see. This is a choice for you and your husband. If you don't feel comfortable, then do not do it. Trust your gut feelings. Good Luck.

Hi D.,

I am so proud of you for choosing not to vaccinate your baby anymore! I have two kids, one three year old and a 15 month old and I have never vaccinated either one. Vaccines are dangerous and can cause death, not to mention about a million other side-effects. I am staunchly against them and I am providing you with some links that will you help you get more informed on the dangers of vaccines. They're basically out there so that huge pharmaceutical companies can make even more money, even if it means putting children at risk. Now you can get informed and spread the word too! Just copy and paste the link into the address box on your browser and you should get the page. Be sure to check out www.mercola.com too because that site has some really great info. Just put "vaccines" in the search box and lots of articles will come up. Let me know what you think.

http://www.mercola.com/article/vaccines/neurological_dama...

http://www.westonaprice.org/children/vaccinations.html

http://www.westonaprice.org/children/autism.html

~M.

I wouldn't be too concerned with the core vaccines as they stopped using mercury in them in 1999.
The one vaccine I would avoid is the Flu Shot as it still has mercury in it.
My son has Autism. He was born in 1998 and went through a full year of mercury preserved vaccines. I stopped his vaccines for a while but HAD to get them so he could start school. Also every pediatrician I spoke to said they would refuse to treat my son unless he had his shots. He needed a physical so he could start school I do not find this fair. But the damage was already done and they had removed the mercury by then....

I don't think the new vaccines are a problem, but if you do decided to vaccinate I would spread it out more.

There is a great book on immunizations that I read a few years back.
It's called The Sanctity of Human Blood: Vaccination is NOT immunization. I found it to be a very interesting read.

http://astore.amazon.com/everythinab0b-20/detail/19294870...#

Dear D.,
I am so proud of you for doing your homework.
You are a young mommy, but VERY SMART!
:)
I am also a mom of 2, and am in the same vote. So many people just go with the flow and think that doctors know best, but sadly, they come from a medical background and do not always have up to date training..........especially in this area. And it's so hard to trust someone who is essentially being paid off by drug companies, so i too am moving away from traditional medicine and opting to research what is best for my babies, and EVERYTHING that i have found thus far supports staying as far away from vaccinations as possible.
As i continue my quest for knowledge it is very scary, and having grown up with the mindset that we "should" vaccinate, it can be an uncomfortable place to be in, but we ARE doing the right thing, so good for you!
There is a doctor by the name of Dr. Tenpenny and if you go to www.drtenpenny.com it'll forward you on to her site and i just bought her book and dvd to watch about the dangers and what you can do if you are in the military and are forced to have poison shot into your blood...........anyhow, don't do anything you feel uncomfortable with, and if you go to a doctor that says you "HAVE" to do anything, leave immediately and find a new one. I had a horrid experience recently and am in search of a new pediatrician.
I wish you well.
S.
www.MomsOnAMission.US

I have a friend who believes her son, now 12, got autism from his vaccinations. What she told me was that it is the mercury or preservative of the vaccine that may cause it. She told me when my child gets vaccinated to make sure it is a fresh bottle and not one that has been sitting on the shelf. Apparently they have started changing the way they preserve them and many healthcare providers are still using the older batches. I hope that helps!

First, I'd like to commend you for wanting to educate yourself further in this very serious decision. I have two children that have never been vaccinated because I did not want to play Russian roulette with their health. My youngest has severe food allergies and I hate to think what if any reactions he would have had had he been vaccinated.

I just went to hear Dr. Laura Feder speak at a mom's club meeting. She is an MD but takes a holistic approach in treating her patients. She is coming out with a new book next month on vaccinations. Her current book gives an overview and her only personal experience. I was happy to hear of an MD that did not vaccinate her own children. You can get more info at www.drfeder.com

Please be aware it isn't only Mercury/thimerosal you need to be worried about. There are harmful chemicals in the vaccine that some children might be sensitive to. The following is a partial list:
Aluminum- it has been implicated in alzeimer's disease, dementia and seizures
Formaldehye- is known to cause cancer
Mercury -has been a topic of wide discussion.
Monkey Tissue - is used to prepare the polio vaccine. There have been lots of polio vaccines over the years that have been contaminated by Simian Virus 40 (SV40). Some people have linked simian virus to childhood tumors, as the tumors have been known to contain the simian virus in it.

I take my kids to a naturopath that accepts my decision not to vaccinate. The only problem is he doesn't take insurance but we only see him once a year.

good for you!!
so many people just do it without doing their homework..
check out www.nvic.org and www.mercola.com (search vaccinations, and I'm sure the DVD by Sherri Tenpenny will pop up..great stuff!!
all the best
V.
mother of two, unvaccinated children

The link between Autism and vaccinations is not concretely proven. There was a study on this matter and one finding that I feel debunks this thought is that in Japan every man, woman and child is vaccinated, no questions asked. However, their rate of Autism is much lower than that of ours, which says that there are other factors contributing to our high rate.

That being said, I am starting to think that the vaccination schedule that most pediatricians follows is just too intense for our babies' little bodies. You may want to consider spreading the shots out. It may mean a few more trips to the doctor's office, but it may less painful for your son. Looking back, had I not been a naive, first-time mom with baby brain, I would have gone this route with my daughter.

glad to meet someone else with the same concerns as me. Nadia is almost 4 and has had all the current vacs. but I am planning to selectively vaccine from here on out. I have one friend (online) whose child developed autism due to mercury poisoning in a vaccine. I met her from cafemom.com i highly recommend the forum, lots of different groups to join there and i'm sure you'll get all the info you need there.

Check out a book called "Evidence of Harm" - it is an eye opener