Dispelling Myths About Vaccinations

Nearly everyone has had a vaccination at some point in their life. Odds are, you probably cringed at the thought of the needle, stayed tough during the shot, and felt a little under the weather for a bit afterwards. Then it was just a memory, yesterday's news. As an adult, we're used to getting shots, and we don't have to get them too often. We also get to consent to the procedure. However, from ages one to two, children get shots every 3-6 months. They often do not handle it as well as adults do, and moreover, they don't get to give their consent. Of course not, they are children; their safety is in the hands of their parents. But given the following myths that parents believe, perhaps we should wait until children can consent to give them these injections.

Vaccinations are responsible for the eradication of many diseases. If you look up the year each vaccination was invented, then look up the numbers of cases and fatalities from those diseases in the years just prior to the vaccination's invention, you'll find that they were decreasing before the vaccinations were being invented. With better sanitation, technology, and awareness of germs, we were eradicating these diseases before the vaccinations came along. We became more careful about washing our hands, covering our mouths, and avoiding those who were ill. We learned to protect ourselves from disease and lower our risk of passing illnesses on to others. Life was getting better, and people were becoming healthier and better nourished. Thus, the number of cases of those diseases and the number of fatalities dropped significantly. Vaccinations may have helped things along, but the bulk of the work was done by better sanitation practices.

Vaccinations are safe. Tens of thousands of adverse reactions to vaccinations are reported every year, and there are many fatalities. It is estimated that only 10% of adverse reactions are reported, because many people don't make the connection between the problem and the vaccination or assume it was a normal reaction. Hundreds of thousands of dollars are paid out to the families of the victims who prove their cases. Doctors will tell you that the risk of an allergic reaction is minimal, but it's not. Children die and have severe injuries related to getting vaccinated every day. (Source: http://vaers.hhs.gov/)

My child is more likely to catch and dye from one of these illnesses than to have an adverse reaction to or dye from the vaccine. This is true for some, but not all. You need to research before vaccinating to find out which vaccinations this applies to. Look up the number of people who caught and died from the illness versus the number of reactions to and deaths from the vaccine. Let's look at the most dangerous and reactive vaccine and the illnesses it supposedly prevents.

In 2006, no cases of Diptheria were reported to the CDC. There were 32 cases of Tetanus, no deaths. (Source) Your risk of catching, much less dying, from either of these is nearly zero. In 2004, there were 25,827 cases of pertussis and 13 deaths--all in infants under 6 months of age. (Source) The risk of catching it is significant, but the risk of death is--again--nearly zero. In 2006, the number of claims resulting in compensation from the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program related to the DT, DTP, DTaP, Tetanus, Pertussis, & Td vaccinations altogether was 1365. That number pales in comparison to the total number of adverse reactions to those vaccinations that were reported altogether. There were 920 claims filed about deaths related to those vaccines; again, even more deaths were reported but no claims were filed. More people died from the vaccines than the illnesses. That's not even counting reactions to and deaths from the DTaP-HIB, DTaP-Hep B-IPV, and DTP-HiB vaccinations. (Source)

They took thimerosal out of vaccines in 1999. Thimerosal can still be found in Tetanus and flu shots. Trace amounts may be found in DTaP, DT, Td, Tdap, Hepatitis B, & Hep A-B. Whether or not Thimerosal is used depends on the manufacturer. (You can find out which ones here) Thimerosal contains mercury, which is a toxin. Exposure to it may be linked to autism.

The ingredients are perfectly innocent. Not only do some still contain Thimerosal, other questionable ingredients may be found in vaccinations. Aluminum, formaldehyde, aborted animal and human fetal cells, ammonium, and various other chemicals are used to produce vaccines. (You can find out which vaccines contain which ingredients here.) Many vaccines do contain live viruses. Why would you want to inject those substances into yourself or your baby?

Unvaccinated kids put vaccinated children at risk. If vaccinations prevent the illness, then why should it matter if a vaccinated child comes into contact with an unvaccinated child or with a child who has the illness? Every state has exemptions that allow children to go to school unvaccinated. If this were true, do you think that would be allowed? The truth is that we're all at risk. Many vaccinated children get the illnesses from the vaccination or go onto contract those illnesses anyway, and many unvaccinated children will get the illness, too. Vaccinated kids may actually be more likely to contract the illness, as unvaccinated kids often have healthier immune systems. It may indeed be the other way around.

Unvaccinated kids are mooching off of the herd immunity of vaccinated kids. There is no herd immunity. Vaccinated children can contract those illnesses for which they are vaccinated. Some even get the illness from the vaccine. Immunity can wear off over time, and sometimes the vaccination isn't effective at all. Since the MMR was introduced, less children get those illnesses--and more teenagers get them. You must continually get booster shots throughout your life to update your 'immunity.' However, once a child catches these usually mild childhood illnesses, they are immune for life in nearly all cases. The immunity from catching an illness is much stronger than the immunity from a vaccination.

They don't cause autism. Actually, claims are made to and paid out by the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program every year that are related to vaccine-induced autism. Many people notice symptoms of autism directly after vaccinating their children. Many parents notice differences between their vaccinated and unvaccinated children. Metals are related to the development of autism, and they can be found in vaccinations. The link hasn't been officially proven, but it definitely exists.

If they were dangerous, my doctor wouldn't recommend them. The truth is that your doctor values preventative medicine, mainly so you cannot sue him. He probably believes that vaccinated children never catch the illnesses, when many cases each year are reported in vaccinated children. He likely hasn't read the yearly numbers about the cases of these illnesses reported in comparison to the number of adverse reactions to the vaccine. He could also be admonished for not recommending what the FDA & CDC want him to recommend. The vaccine manufacturers profit from every vaccination given, and so do the hospitals and clinics and the doctors in them. The drug market is a big part of our economy. Doctors don't know everything, and they haven't always read all of the latest information available. Most can't rail off the ingredients of each individual vaccine. If you want to trust your doctor, go ahead, but it is wise to do your own research and reading as well.

As you can see, vaccinations are not completely safe. Some are safer than others, but nearly all can cause adverse reactions. The chance of your child catching or dying from the illness may be smaller than the risk of your child having a bad reaction to or dying from the vaccine. Vaccines contain toxins such as thimerosal, formaldehyde, and ammonium, and some even have aborted fetal cells from humans. Vaccinated children can catch these illnesses, as the immunity isn't 100% and can wear off. Both the safety and effectiveness of vaccines are questionable. Most of the illnesses which they supposedly prevent are mild or extremely rare. Is the risk of vaccinating higher than the risk of not vaccinating? Should we inject aborted fetal tissue into infants who cannot voice their opinions on it? The choice is yours, parent. Educate yourself. Decide for yourself which risk is higher, but do the research. Get the numbers and the facts before you give the injection.