Vaccination - 5 Things to Consider Before Vaccinating Your Children

One of the most important decisions you willheavy metals.
makeFor the most part, mercury (Thimerosol) has
One of the most important decisions you willbeen removed from vaccines. This doesn't mean
make that will affect the health of your children isthat there are not other ingredients in vaccines
whether or not to vaccinate them. Since manythat cause concern. One of these ingredients is
medical authorities say vaccination is safe, mostaluminum which is added to vaccinations to
parents go ahead with vaccination, completelyincrease their efficacy (help them work better).
unaware of the potential dangers and unable toWhy is aluminum a concern? Well, aluminum is
recognize serious reactions when they occur. I ameliminated primarily through the kidneys, when
a huge believer in parenting without regrets and Ibabies can't eliminate it effectively it accumulates
am writing this article to spur you to do someand causes impaired neurologic and mental
research on your own, especially since thedevelopment that doesn't show up until around 18
information that you will be presented with (ifmonths of age. Infant kidney function is low at
any) by your pediatrician is not sufficient for youbirth and doesn't reach full capacity until 1-2 years
to make a truly informed choice. Regardless ofof age. (Reference 5) As a result, the cumulative
whether you decide to vaccinate your children orexposure babies have to aluminum (in the process
not, you should at least be making a consciousof receiving up to 37 doses of vaccination
and fully informed choice. The following is criticaldelivered in 27 shots during their first two years
for you to consider before vaccinatingof life) can cause numerous problems. For
Vaccinations are not necessarily safe - YOU needexample, children typically receive eight
to be the judge for your familyvaccinations (Hepatitis B, Rotavirus, Diphtheria,
The majority of pediatricians will tell you thatTetanus, Pertussis, Haemophilus Influenza Type B,
vaccines are safe and that the number of childrenPneumococcal and Inactivated Poliovirus) on the
that experience adverse reactions is very low. Insame day when they are 2 months old.
addition, they will lead you believe that the fewThe total amount of aluminum they are injected
negative reactions are carefully tracked andwith is between 295 and 1225 micrograms,
monitored. However, if you take the time to digdepending on which brands of vaccination are
deeper you will find that these assertions are notused. Meanwhile, the FDA requires that all
evidence based and lack solid scientific backing.injectable solutions have a 25 microgram limit.
For example, there has never been a long term(Reference 6) Not only is the maximum aluminum
study that compares the health and welfare ofexceeded at two months, but they are injected
vaccinated children to unvaccinated children. Seeingwith nearly the same amount of aluminum at 4
as cancer is the leading cause of death by diseasemonths and again at 6 months, long before their
for children under 15 years of age, wouldn't it bekidneys are fully functioning and can eliminate the
interesting to know if the cancer rate foraluminum effectively. The combined amount of
vaccinated kids was much higher than foraluminum that builds up in their system will be
unvaccinated kids?dependent on their health and genetics, and is
Might that change our view on the safety andlikely many, many times the recommended limit.
wisdom of vaccination? There has been someMore to the point, nobody knows what the
analysis into the issue, but both of the studiesrepercussions are for the millions of children that
have been discounted by the Centers for Diseaseare being vaccinated as part of the
Control (CDC). One study was of therecommended schedule.
Pennsylvania Amish, who don't vaccinate theirParents, not the government or pharmaceutical
children for religious reasons. When it was foundcompanies, take full responsibility for vaccine
that they have virtually no incidence of autismdamage
(nor of asthma, allergies or ADHD) the CDCIf your child is injured by vaccination, you cannot
responded by saying that the Amish have asue the pharmaceutical company(s) that produced
"genetic connectivity" that protects them.the vaccine(s). They have been protected from
(Reference 1) A second study, this one of alawsuits by the US government. Instead, you
home-schooling organization of 35,000 children inmust submit your case to the Vaccine Injury
the Chicago area, found that in this unvaccinatedCompensation Program (VICP). To date,
group there were no recorded cases of autismapproximately 60 percent of the claims have
and that the incidence of asthma, allergies andbeen rejected. The problem with winning
ADHD was extremely low as well. (Reference 2)compensation is proving that the vaccine, not an
This was also discounted.unknown genetic problem or coincidence, caused
Vaccines are not thoroughly tested before, northe injury. Because your baby's immune system is
adequately tracked after, being releasedcomplex, it is easy for them to say that it was
Vaccinations are not rigorously tested beforesomething other than the vaccine that caused the
being released to the public. Typically, a newproblem. The whole process takes a long time,
vaccine is tested by comparing short term sidemeaning that if your child is injured, you will likely
effects of a new vaccine against an alreadywait years before you are awarded any money
existing vaccine. The definition of what constitutesto defray the costs of raising a child with serious
a side effect is narrowly defined so that manymedical and caretaking needs. It is estimated that
side effects are determined to be coincidence -the lifetime cost of caring for one autistic child is
not related to the vaccination. It is also importantmore than $4.5M. VICP has awarded more than
to know that the pharmaceutical companies have$1.1 billion for vaccine injuries since 1988. If your
been absolved of liability for vaccine injuries sincechild is injured, no amount of money can truly
congress enacted the National Childhood Vaccinecompensate you for losing the bright, happy,
Injury Act of 1986. This leaves them with veryhealthy child you once had.
little incentive to do thorough testing. For example,In Summary
when a manufacturer's representative was askedVaccination is not mandatory. Exemptions are
in a 1997 Illinois Board of Health hearing to showallowed in all states for medical, religious and/or
evidence that the hepatitis B vaccine is safe forphilosophical reasons. As parents, you are the one
newborns, the representative stated, "We havewho is ultimately responsible for making decisions
none, our studies were done on 5 and 10for your children. You are also the one who has
year-olds." (Reference 3) This is concerningto live with the repercussions of these decisions,
because your children are scheduled to receivenot your family pediatrician, nor the government.
three doses of Hep B before they are a year old,Fortunately, there are many choices when it
with the first dose being administered before youcomes to vaccination. First, there is the choice to
and your baby leave the hospital.vaccinate or not. If you do choose to vaccinate,
Since there is so little testing prior to release, oneyou should carefully consider how many
would hope that there would be careful trackingvaccinations you want your child to be given and
and follow-up after the vaccine has been releasedat what ages.
to the public so that if there were issues, theyRecommended Books and DVD's:
could be evaluated and the vaccine would be"Vaccines: Are they Really Safe &
pulled from the market if necessary. Not so! It isEffective?", by Neil Z. Miller, 2002.
true that when a vaccine is released into the"The Vaccine Guide", by Randall Neustaedter,
market, post-marketing surveillance is supposed2002.
to track any negative reactions. However the"What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About
adverse reporting system is entirely voluntaryChildren's Vaccines ", By Stephanie Cave M.D., with
and according to David Kessler, (the head of theDeborah Mitchell, 2001.
FDA for most of the 1990s), 90 to 99 percent of"Vaccines - What CDC Documents and Science
all adverse reactions are never reported.Reveal", DVD, by Dr. Sherri J. Tenpenny
(Reference 4)"Vaccines: The Risks, The Benefits, The Choices",
The combination of vaccinations currently requiredDVD, by Dr. Sherri J. Tenpenny
as part of the Recommended ImmunizationReferences:
Schedule are overwhelming for the immune(1) Healing the new Childhood Epidemics: Autism,
systems of many childrenADHD, Asthma and Allergies by Kenneth Bock,
Not only are individual vaccines not rigorouslyM.D., and Cameron Stauth, 2007, Ballantine Books,
tested, but the combination of vaccinesNew York.
prescribed in the Centers for Disease Control(2) Healing the new Childhood Epidemics: Autism,
"Recommended Immunization Schedule 2009" areADHD, Asthma and Allergies by Kenneth Bock,
not studied in combination to prove that givingM.D., and Cameron Stauth, 2007, Ballantine Books,
multiple viral and bacterial vaccinations at one timeNew York.
is safe. Over the past twenty years, the number(3) The Congressional Quarterly, August 25, 2000,
of vaccinations children are given has almostpg. 647
quadrupled. In 1983 children were given 5 shots(4) David Kessler, Introducing MedWatch: A new
during their first 6 months of life and 8 shots byapproach to reporting medication and device
the age of two. By 2007 that number increasedadverse effect and product problems,Journal of
74% to 19 shots by the age of 6 months and aAmerican Medical Association, July 2, 1993,
whooping 27 by the time they are two years old.269(21): 2765-68.
This is especially concerning when you realize that(5) Zatta PF, Alfrey AC. (Eds) Aluminum Toxicity
children are born with immature immune systemsin Infants' Health and Disease. 1997, World
as well as an inability to effectively metabolizeScientific Publishing.