Photographers explore darkness and light not just in terms of contrast for their images, but even more so in regards to the light and the dark side of life. Richard Avedon is one of the best and most famous. Here a wonderful nine part documentary - each video is about 9 to 10 minutes long.
If you don't have time for the documentary skip down to the tenth video which is a sampling of his photographs over the last several decades.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Here You Are...Wondering...About Neckties (not an actual line in Here You Are)
Meet Mat
Matt looks like a happy guy. He is a college student who writes a blog about...neckties! Every post is about neckties - one way or another. It's pretty funny and entertaining. He asked me to let my readers know about his blog, so, here you are! Father's Day is just around the corner - you may need a necktie and can buy one from him, too.
I liked the post showing the many ways one can alternatively make a necktie cake for those Dads who don't need any more ties for Father's Day, or the post about what your necktie color choice may communicate about you - whether you planned it or not. Check it out. There may be a few colors missing in your rainbow!
And, Matt - don't forget to tell all your readers about Here You Are :-). If you wrote: "Thanks for being my Dad. I wouldn't be here without you" in the front of the book, it, too, would make a great Father's Day Present. Maybe Amazon can still get it delivered by Sunday.
Matt looks like a happy guy. He is a college student who writes a blog about...neckties! Every post is about neckties - one way or another. It's pretty funny and entertaining. He asked me to let my readers know about his blog, so, here you are! Father's Day is just around the corner - you may need a necktie and can buy one from him, too.
I liked the post showing the many ways one can alternatively make a necktie cake for those Dads who don't need any more ties for Father's Day, or the post about what your necktie color choice may communicate about you - whether you planned it or not. Check it out. There may be a few colors missing in your rainbow!
And, Matt - don't forget to tell all your readers about Here You Are :-). If you wrote: "Thanks for being my Dad. I wouldn't be here without you" in the front of the book, it, too, would make a great Father's Day Present. Maybe Amazon can still get it delivered by Sunday.
Here You Are...Wondering...About Day And Night...Bill Cosby
...or Night and Day.
The better version of the video below that includes Bill Cosby, had the embedding code disabled so you have to go directly to YouTube for this classic treat.
Mrs Huxtable...hmmm...sexy, fun, smart, fiercely loving mother and wife, lawyer...Michelle Obama comes to mind. Couple that with our first black president...no, not Bill Clinton, but Fox's David Palmer ( Dennis Haysbert)...and you know why even Republicans voted for Barack Obama.
The Cosby Show contributed greatly to breaking down racial stereotypes in this country... and so did Fox. We live in interesting times. Day and Night keeps turning into Night and Day. Newsmax, for example, another part of the Fox empire, is outright revolutionary when it comes to Alternative Medicine information, taking on the medical and pharmaceutical industry and their many scams, even exposing the harm done to our health by meat consumption, vaccines and antibiotics. Something old hippies could only dream of, thirty years ago. It takes the powerful to challenge the ones in power.
Or, just a great sense of humor.
The better version of the video below that includes Bill Cosby, had the embedding code disabled so you have to go directly to YouTube for this classic treat.
Mrs Huxtable...hmmm...sexy, fun, smart, fiercely loving mother and wife, lawyer...Michelle Obama comes to mind. Couple that with our first black president...no, not Bill Clinton, but Fox's David Palmer ( Dennis Haysbert)...and you know why even Republicans voted for Barack Obama.
The Cosby Show contributed greatly to breaking down racial stereotypes in this country... and so did Fox. We live in interesting times. Day and Night keeps turning into Night and Day. Newsmax, for example, another part of the Fox empire, is outright revolutionary when it comes to Alternative Medicine information, taking on the medical and pharmaceutical industry and their many scams, even exposing the harm done to our health by meat consumption, vaccines and antibiotics. Something old hippies could only dream of, thirty years ago. It takes the powerful to challenge the ones in power.
Or, just a great sense of humor.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Here You Are...Wondering...Why Am I Here?
"To love, of course."
This was the answer from a little five year old girl in the middle of the night at 2am when she couldn't sleep and had picked Here You Are off her bookshelf for her mother to read to her.
Her mother, who was going through a violent divorce, reconciliation, and second divorce with the father of the girl, had never taught this to her daughter - except in the way she lived her life. Both mother and daughter were loving people. They loved the father who was violent and a drug user, but needed to get him out of their lives. The mother feeling badly about the constant fights was surprised that her daughter knew that life was about love in spite of all the fighting she had had to witness since babyhood.
Here You Are doesn't really teach children anything as so many children's books try to do. It simply puts out the fundamental human questions, and confirms in children what they already know - and so often to the utter surprise of their parents. My own son - in spite of declaring by third grade that he was too old for Here You Are - kept asking sheepishly for it until the end of fourth grade whenever he woke up from nightmares.
Then there are the tattooed, Oxycontin popping teenagers who love Here You Are - but that's another story - for the next "Why Am I Here?" post.
This was the answer from a little five year old girl in the middle of the night at 2am when she couldn't sleep and had picked Here You Are off her bookshelf for her mother to read to her.
Her mother, who was going through a violent divorce, reconciliation, and second divorce with the father of the girl, had never taught this to her daughter - except in the way she lived her life. Both mother and daughter were loving people. They loved the father who was violent and a drug user, but needed to get him out of their lives. The mother feeling badly about the constant fights was surprised that her daughter knew that life was about love in spite of all the fighting she had had to witness since babyhood.
Here You Are doesn't really teach children anything as so many children's books try to do. It simply puts out the fundamental human questions, and confirms in children what they already know - and so often to the utter surprise of their parents. My own son - in spite of declaring by third grade that he was too old for Here You Are - kept asking sheepishly for it until the end of fourth grade whenever he woke up from nightmares.
Then there are the tattooed, Oxycontin popping teenagers who love Here You Are - but that's another story - for the next "Why Am I Here?" post.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Here You Are...Wondering...Who Made Everything?...Show Me God...Papaji
"God, of course!"
This is the response of many children to this page in Here You Are ... and with glee at knowing this, and even sometimes with a hint of exasperation that one could ask such a question - even if their parents never taught them about God. I cannot count the many raised eyebrows and astonished expressions of parents I have seen, when they hear this from their children. This keeps surprising me, too.
God needs no description or definition in a child's mind. It/he/she is just the explanation for everything. With this answer they simply return to the peace of their hearts before the questions arose in the first place. Not even the faithful gain such peace from their beliefs of God as such and such, nor Physicist from their idea of a singularity, nor atheists from their idea of no-God-at-all, as a child does from just the idea of "God". It is the first question in Here You Are because it is the first question almost every child asks when they are very, very young. By five they have forgotten that they once asked the question and feel wise and grown up "knowing" the answer :-)
Trouble starts when adults talk too much about who or what God is. "God" is a good answer - in and of itself - to everything as long as we don't add endlessly to this answer, but instead remain in "not knowing", or as Buddhists call it "Beginner's Mind", a child's mind. It is OK to remain with the mystery and wonder of it all, and our inner knowing of what Papaji used to call "that", or what Jesus called the kingdom of God within. Children are so close to the kingdom of heaven, because they are aware of what is beyond words, thinking, believing, denying, etc. and their love and trust is still perfect in its innocence.
It is better to simply see God than to believe or know or say anything about God. All we have to do is wake up. Suddenly all we see is God, while before the world was full of good and evil and everything in-between.
This video shows how hard and how easy it is to drop one's mind, and to stop lying (re-lying on logic), so God can come into plain sight. To be fair, I have seen Physicists laugh like that when trying to explain quantum physics. All religion, and all science, is logical only to a point. It is a good sign when we find ourselves suddenly laughing again like children!
This is the response of many children to this page in Here You Are ... and with glee at knowing this, and even sometimes with a hint of exasperation that one could ask such a question - even if their parents never taught them about God. I cannot count the many raised eyebrows and astonished expressions of parents I have seen, when they hear this from their children. This keeps surprising me, too.
God needs no description or definition in a child's mind. It/he/she is just the explanation for everything. With this answer they simply return to the peace of their hearts before the questions arose in the first place. Not even the faithful gain such peace from their beliefs of God as such and such, nor Physicist from their idea of a singularity, nor atheists from their idea of no-God-at-all, as a child does from just the idea of "God". It is the first question in Here You Are because it is the first question almost every child asks when they are very, very young. By five they have forgotten that they once asked the question and feel wise and grown up "knowing" the answer :-)
Trouble starts when adults talk too much about who or what God is. "God" is a good answer - in and of itself - to everything as long as we don't add endlessly to this answer, but instead remain in "not knowing", or as Buddhists call it "Beginner's Mind", a child's mind. It is OK to remain with the mystery and wonder of it all, and our inner knowing of what Papaji used to call "that", or what Jesus called the kingdom of God within. Children are so close to the kingdom of heaven, because they are aware of what is beyond words, thinking, believing, denying, etc. and their love and trust is still perfect in its innocence.
It is better to simply see God than to believe or know or say anything about God. All we have to do is wake up. Suddenly all we see is God, while before the world was full of good and evil and everything in-between.
This video shows how hard and how easy it is to drop one's mind, and to stop lying (re-lying on logic), so God can come into plain sight. To be fair, I have seen Physicists laugh like that when trying to explain quantum physics. All religion, and all science, is logical only to a point. It is a good sign when we find ourselves suddenly laughing again like children!
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Here You Are...And Everything Is So Great, And So Beautiful...IO
This line of Here You Are took me to an Iroquois word definition. It is interesting to me because in the original text of Here You Are it only said "beautiful", to which my then five year old son objected, saying that girls are beautiful, but boys are great. So I added "great" after a failed attempt to find a word that meant both "great" and "beautiful". Seems like I am not the only one who has tried to figure this out. Turns out... everything is so io!
"Io", derived from the word wiyo, means good to the Seneca and great to the Tuscarora. Now, the word tends to be translated as beautiful (as in Ohio - beautiful river) but originally it meant great. There are various spellings of the word such as wiio and yiio.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Here You Are...With The Air Smelling Sweet...
This line of Here You Are took me to the blog, "First Nerve", written by Avery Gilbert, a sensory psychologist whose specialty is olfaction. He is the author of "What The Nose Knows".
The post was about mysterious sweet smells appearing over Manhattan and other urban areas. Hmmm....not exactly what I meant in Here You Are.
The post was about mysterious sweet smells appearing over Manhattan and other urban areas. Hmmm....not exactly what I meant in Here You Are.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Here You Are...With The Sun Warming Your Face... Irish Blessing
Ahh...this line in Here You Are brought me to this old Irish Blessing I love so much.
May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face.
And rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.
May you live as long as you want,
And never want as long as you live.
Always remember to forget
The things that made you sad.
But never forget to remember
The things that made you glad.
Always remember to forget
The friends that proved untrue.
But never forget to remember
Those that have stuck by you.
Always remember to forget
The troubles that passed away.
But never forget to remember
The blessings that come each day.
May the saddest day of your future be no worse
Than the happiest day of your past.
May the roof above us never fall in.
And may the friends gathered below it never fall out.
May you have warm words on a cold evening,
A full moon on a dark night,
And the road downhill all the way to your door.
May there be a generation of children
On the children of your children.
May you live to be a hundred years,
With one extra year to repent!
May the Lord keep you in His hand
And never close His fist too tight.
May your neighbors respect you,
Trouble neglect you,
The angels protect you,
And heaven accept you.
May the Irish hills caress you.
May her lakes and rivers bless you.
May the luck of the Irish enfold you.
May the blessings of Saint Patrick behold you.
May your pockets be heavy and your heart be light,
May good luck pursue you each morning and night.
Walls for the wind,
And a roof for the rain,
And drinks beside the fire -
Laughter to cheer you
And those you love near you,
And all that your heart may desire!
May God be with you and bless you,
May you see your children's children,
May you be poor in misfortune, rich in blessings.
May you know nothing but happiness
From this day forward.
May God grant you many years to live,
For sure He must be knowing
The earth has angels all too few
And heaven is overflowing.
May peace and plenty be the first
To lift the latch to your door,
And happiness be guided to your home
By the candle of Christmas.
May you always have work for your hands to do.
May your pockets hold always a coin or two.
May the sun shine bright on your windowpane.
May the rainbow be certain to follow each rain.
May the hand of a friend always be near you.
And may God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.
May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face.
And rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.
May you live as long as you want,
And never want as long as you live.
Always remember to forget
The things that made you sad.
But never forget to remember
The things that made you glad.
Always remember to forget
The friends that proved untrue.
But never forget to remember
Those that have stuck by you.
Always remember to forget
The troubles that passed away.
But never forget to remember
The blessings that come each day.
May the saddest day of your future be no worse
Than the happiest day of your past.
May the roof above us never fall in.
And may the friends gathered below it never fall out.
May you have warm words on a cold evening,
A full moon on a dark night,
And the road downhill all the way to your door.
May there be a generation of children
On the children of your children.
May you live to be a hundred years,
With one extra year to repent!
May the Lord keep you in His hand
And never close His fist too tight.
May your neighbors respect you,
Trouble neglect you,
The angels protect you,
And heaven accept you.
May the Irish hills caress you.
May her lakes and rivers bless you.
May the luck of the Irish enfold you.
May the blessings of Saint Patrick behold you.
May your pockets be heavy and your heart be light,
May good luck pursue you each morning and night.
Walls for the wind,
And a roof for the rain,
And drinks beside the fire -
Laughter to cheer you
And those you love near you,
And all that your heart may desire!
May God be with you and bless you,
May you see your children's children,
May you be poor in misfortune, rich in blessings.
May you know nothing but happiness
From this day forward.
May God grant you many years to live,
For sure He must be knowing
The earth has angels all too few
And heaven is overflowing.
May peace and plenty be the first
To lift the latch to your door,
And happiness be guided to your home
By the candle of Christmas.
May you always have work for your hands to do.
May your pockets hold always a coin or two.
May the sun shine bright on your windowpane.
May the rainbow be certain to follow each rain.
May the hand of a friend always be near you.
And may God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Here You Are...With The Wind Blowing In Your Hair...William Kamkwamba And His Windmill
Easily the best story I have come across in a long time!!! Sure makes it seem silly we can't solve the energy problem in the US. All we need are some smart and crazy boys and girls.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Here You Are... Among the Butterflies... Photograph
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Siproeta_epaphus_Galawebdesign.jpg
Friday, June 4, 2010
Here You Are... Among The Flowers (Marlene Dietrich...Where Have The Flowers Gone)
Many people have sung this song, but it is hard to beat this old version. It is the way my mother sang it. Peter, Paul and Mary managed with beautiful harmonies, but everyone else I have clicked on on YouTube seems to have too much ego, vanity, or political agenda in their performances. It seems to me that in spite of all the advances we have made since our parents generation, the one thing we have lost, is our humility. Humility is such a relaxed and deep vibe. I miss it in most of today's and my generation's music. Humility is so adult, so mature. Our present culture seems mostly to be full of opinionated teenagers, even if they are in their fifties and sixties.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Here You Are...Among The Trees...Photography By Sean Kernan
One reviewer on Amazon doesn't like that the author didn't say anything about the trees or the location of the trees in his book. The next reviewer says - well - you didn't get the intention of the book, clearly stated in it, which says:
"Because this book is not simply about seeing pictures of interesting trees, it is about shifting our minds and awareness to experience the world and ourselves differently. For all the variety of trees, the book is really about the experience of being in among them."
This experience of being among them - without thoughts or lables - is what a child experiences, and the same experience I try to take the reader to in Here You Are.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Here You Are...Under The Big Blue Sky...(Frances Drost Music Video 2000)
Did you figure out my new project, yet? I am googling every line in my children's book Here You Are and let it take me all over the Internet. I am all excited where it will lead. Here is a woman with a beautiful voice singing about the union we often feel, just noticing that we all live under the same beautiful, big, blue sky.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Here You Are... Standing On The Ground
A new idea popped into my head...about how to write this Here You Are blog. If you have read the book you will get it right away, otherwise, well, you'll figure it out pretty quickly.
If the video doesn't play through go here to YouTube where it plays through. Cool piece of electric guitar music. And don't forget to send Nick some love in the comment box on YouTube if you like this piece!
If the video doesn't play through go here to YouTube where it plays through. Cool piece of electric guitar music. And don't forget to send Nick some love in the comment box on YouTube if you like this piece!
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Then Again, Maybe Be A 24/7 Vegetarian
Find out more at Meat.org.
How much would we suffer - really - becoming vegetarian? How much longer can we stick our heads in the sand about the way millions of animals are treated. When will we realize the simple connection between our happiness and health - and theirs?
The truth is hard to stomach and even harder to act on - except for children. It is a question of whether selfishness is stronger than compassion - as in all things.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Doctors And Attorneys In Court
We received this email from a friend today...
These are from a book called Disorder in the American Courts,
and are things people actually said in court, word for word,
taken down and now published by court reporters who had the
torment of staying calm and straight-faced while these
exchanges were actually taking place.
ATTORNEY: What was the first thing your husband said to you that morning?
WITNESS: He said, 'Where am I, Cathy?'
ATTORNEY: And why did that upset you?
WITNESS: My name is Susan!
______________________________
ATTORNEY: What gear were you in at the moment of the impact?
WITNESS: Gucci sweats and Reeboks.
______________________________
ATTORNEY: Are you sexually active?
WITNESS: No, I just lie there.
______________________________
ATTORNEY: This myasthenia gravis, does it affect your memory at all?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: And in what ways does it affect your memory?
WITNESS: I forget.
ATTORNEY: You forget? Can you give us an example of something you forgot?
______________________________
ATTORNEY: Do you know if your daughter has ever been involved in voodoo?
WITNESS: We both do.
ATTORNEY: Voodoo?
WITNESS: We do.
ATTORNEY: You do?
WITNESS: Yes, voodoo.
_____ ______________________________
ATTORNEY: Now doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in his
sleep, he doesn't know about it until the next morning?
WITNESS: Did you actually pass the bar exam?
______________________________
ATTORNEY: The youngest son, the twenty-year-old, how old is he?
WITNESS: He's twenty, much like your IQ.
_______________ ____________________________
ATTORNEY: Were you present when your picture was taken?
WITNESS: Are you shitting me?
______________________________
ATTORNEY: So the date of conception (of the baby) was August 8th?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: And what were you doing at that time?
WITNESS: getting laid
______________________________
ATTORNEY: She had three children, right?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: How many were boys?
WITNESS: None.
ATTORNEY: Were there any girls?
WITNESS: Your Honor, I think I need a different attorney.
Can I get a new attorney?
______________________________
ATTORNEY: How was your first marriage terminated?
WITNESS: By death.
ATTORNEY: And by whose death was it terminated?
WITNESS: Take a guess.
______________________________
ATTORNEY: Can you describe the individual?
WITNESS: He was about medium height and had a beard.
ATTORNEY: Was this a male or a female?
WITNESS: Unless the Circus was in town I'm going with male.
______________________________
ATTORNEY: Is your appearance here this morning pursuant to a
deposition notice which I sent to your attorney?
WITNESS: No, this is how I dress when I go to work.
______________________________
ATTORNEY: Doctor, how many of your autopsies have you performed on dead people?
and are things people actually said in court, word for word,
taken down and now published by court reporters who had the
torment of staying calm and straight-faced while these
exchanges were actually taking place.
ATTORNEY: What was the first thing your husband said to you that morning?
WITNESS: He said, 'Where am I, Cathy?'
ATTORNEY: And why did that upset you?
WITNESS: My name is Susan!
______________________________
ATTORNEY: What gear were you in at the moment of the impact?
WITNESS: Gucci sweats and Reeboks.
______________________________
ATTORNEY: Are you sexually active?
WITNESS: No, I just lie there.
______________________________
ATTORNEY: This myasthenia gravis, does it affect your memory at all?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: And in what ways does it affect your memory?
WITNESS: I forget.
ATTORNEY: You forget? Can you give us an example of something you forgot?
______________________________
ATTORNEY: Do you know if your daughter has ever been involved in voodoo?
WITNESS: We both do.
ATTORNEY: Voodoo?
WITNESS: We do.
ATTORNEY: You do?
WITNESS: Yes, voodoo.
_____ ______________________________
ATTORNEY: Now doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in his
sleep, he doesn't know about it until the next morning?
WITNESS: Did you actually pass the bar exam?
______________________________
ATTORNEY: The youngest son, the twenty-year-old, how old is he?
WITNESS: He's twenty, much like your IQ.
_______________ ____________________________
ATTORNEY: Were you present when your picture was taken?
WITNESS: Are you shitting me?
______________________________
ATTORNEY: So the date of conception (of the baby) was August 8th?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: And what were you doing at that time?
WITNESS: getting laid
______________________________
ATTORNEY: She had three children, right?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: How many were boys?
WITNESS: None.
ATTORNEY: Were there any girls?
WITNESS: Your Honor, I think I need a different attorney.
Can I get a new attorney?
______________________________
ATTORNEY: How was your first marriage terminated?
WITNESS: By death.
ATTORNEY: And by whose death was it terminated?
WITNESS: Take a guess.
______________________________
ATTORNEY: Can you describe the individual?
WITNESS: He was about medium height and had a beard.
ATTORNEY: Was this a male or a female?
WITNESS: Unless the Circus was in town I'm going with male.
______________________________
ATTORNEY: Is your appearance here this morning pursuant to a
deposition notice which I sent to your attorney?
WITNESS: No, this is how I dress when I go to work.
______________________________
ATTORNEY: Doctor, how many of your autopsies have you performed on dead people?
WITNESS: All of them. The live ones put up too much of a fight.
______________________________
ATTORNEY: ALL your responses MUST be oral, OK? What school did you go to?
WITNESS: Oral.
______________________________
ATTORNEY: Do you recall the time that you examined the body?
WITNESS: The autopsy started around 8:30 p.m.
ATTORNEY: And Mr. Denton was dead at the time?
WITNESS: If not, he was by the time I finished.
______________________________
ATTORNEY: Are you qualified to give a urine sample?
WITNESS: Are you qualified to ask that question?
______________________________
...and the best for last:
ATTORNEY: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for blood pressure?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for breathing?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you
began the autopsy?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: How can you be so sure, Doctor?
WITNESS: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.
ATTORNEY: I see, but could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless?
WITNESS: Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law.
______________________________
ATTORNEY: ALL your responses MUST be oral, OK? What school did you go to?
WITNESS: Oral.
______________________________
ATTORNEY: Do you recall the time that you examined the body?
WITNESS: The autopsy started around 8:30 p.m.
ATTORNEY: And Mr. Denton was dead at the time?
WITNESS: If not, he was by the time I finished.
______________________________
ATTORNEY: Are you qualified to give a urine sample?
WITNESS: Are you qualified to ask that question?
______________________________
...and the best for last:
ATTORNEY: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for blood pressure?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for breathing?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you
began the autopsy?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: How can you be so sure, Doctor?
WITNESS: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.
ATTORNEY: I see, but could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless?
WITNESS: Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law.
Friday, May 14, 2010
My Daugher-In-Law And The First Lady
When I see the First Lady digging in the dirt, and vegetables growing green and lush, right there in the middle of Washington D.C. known more for its ugly political infighting and powerful careers than peaceful vegetable plots - and then see hoards of children planting, and suddenly chopping vegetables in the White House kitchen - I feel the world - even Washington D. C. - is still a wonderful place. And I think of my daughter-in-law at home with her toddlers, weeding the vegetable garden with her two helpers before it's time to make dinner for such hungry little gardeners - who turn into enthusiastic cooks once you trade them their shovels for their cooking spoons. Simple things like this make life rich, and a great joy.
GoodGuide
Finally...here it is!!! TADAAAA....the company I have often dreamt of starting in my wildest fantasies, while folding the laundry.
A Berkeley Professor beat me to it! Those PhDs have the edge. He and his team did an amazing job - while I was sorting underwear and cooking brown rice... hey, I could'a been a contender!
Well, having written a children's book isn't so bad either. The laundry definitely did NOT get done that year.
Well, having written a children's book isn't so bad either. The laundry definitely did NOT get done that year.
But now, we can go to the "GoodGuide" and be a highly knowledgeable consumer - with PhD powers, really - rather than the "gullible moron", preferred by the big corporations, who believes everything he or she sees advertised (or omitted) on a box.
No doubt, the consumer product corporations must be getting a little nervous by now, and may just hop to it in a great big hurry, if they haven't already started in that direction. I have been quite impressed recently with, for example, Target's selection of certified organic food items in spite of that label's watered down meaning. Now, pleasing the consumer will mean passing - not the FDA - but the GoodGuide ratings and whatever else one reads about on other such sites and clever blogs. Corporations - if they are smart - will increasingly need companies like BuzzLogic just to figure out who is saying what about them in order to manage all this enlightened consumer chatter. The buzzword of today is accountability. Everyone can still run, but can no longer hide.
While big battles are being fought at the government level about HOW to properly and legally lie to consumers about the ingredients in our products - we can now be our own FDA - by just checking our GoodGuide and similar sites. What makes the GoodGuide so outstanding is its logical and easy to understand rating system. To get even more involved, read the GoodGuide Blog for up to date topics in this field, affecting all of us every day. The Internet is flushing everybody out.
We used to have to rely on word of mouth - "snail mouth" - to spread the truth about what was going on regarding food production, animal abuse and carcinogenic chemicals in our direct surroundings. Usually there was one of us "odd" canaries in a family, sounding the alarm, yet easily brushed of as an impractical dreamer who would grow out of it. Now, defenders of monkeys, bunnies, farm animals, the earth, and babies, jump for joy when all that information lives in colorful images and researchable facts on the Internet, and "word of mouth" means having your own blog read by thousands. The Internet deserves the Nobel Prize! You thought I was kidding :-)
What is presently happening to the Catholic Church - to name another massive entity - is going to happen to ALL large organizations that have benefited from, and have abusively exploited trusting souls - be that animals, children or unsuspecting adult populations. The food industry will be no exception, and the pharmaceutical industry is right in line. "You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free" - no doubt Jesus meant higher truths than this, yet the truth in general in all areas has a way to set us free - us from deceitful organizations, and them from having to live with such shameful secrets, that cannot even be talked about for decades, or listed on a box. Most of us today are in a fierce mood to throw out the good with the bad - since the bad has gotten way too bad. It's high time to reboot.
Destroying the planet, its animals, children and each other is easy when all our interactions are based on lies, not so easy when everyone knows what is going on. And - to be fair to the "evil" corporations - consumers need to own their part in all of this, as well. Constantly screaming for "more" and "cheaper", feeds this insane frenzy of lies, over-consumption and waste.
The GoodGuide promises to become very powerful and may be in danger of getting corrupted over the next thirty years just like the FDA or the "organic" food label, but for now it seems independent and trustworthy.
In this jungle of questionable consumer items and the information gathering it requires, I am finding that, just like Michael Pollan in the Omnivore's Dilemma is encouraging us to have a relationship with the local farmer who is growing our food, I want to "know" the corporation I am buying from. I find myself "loyal" to "Bronner's Soap", for example, "Burt's Bee" products, and "Dr. Hauschka's" cosmetics, because they pass my test and I don't feel lied to. I am starting to question "my thirty year relationship with Whole Foods" for all the less than ideal products showing up in their stores, but still love them for carrying Macrobiotic foods and many other high quality products that pass the toughest green tests. It is all about relationships, be it people, farmers, corporations or grocery stores. GoodGuide has a lot of information about all the various corporations and businesses who make our products, so consumers can get to know the corporations they want to patronize.
In this jungle of questionable consumer items and the information gathering it requires, I am finding that, just like Michael Pollan in the Omnivore's Dilemma is encouraging us to have a relationship with the local farmer who is growing our food, I want to "know" the corporation I am buying from. I find myself "loyal" to "Bronner's Soap", for example, "Burt's Bee" products, and "Dr. Hauschka's" cosmetics, because they pass my test and I don't feel lied to. I am starting to question "my thirty year relationship with Whole Foods" for all the less than ideal products showing up in their stores, but still love them for carrying Macrobiotic foods and many other high quality products that pass the toughest green tests. It is all about relationships, be it people, farmers, corporations or grocery stores. GoodGuide has a lot of information about all the various corporations and businesses who make our products, so consumers can get to know the corporations they want to patronize.
As regular stores are adding the good stuff, and Whole Foods is adding some not so good - shopping is once again a lot of work in both places and the GoodGuide is a huge help. It used to be that you could relax and buy everything at Whole Foods, but that is no longer the case. Even though it is still my favorite store, the Super Target down the road with all its high quality products like Eden Foods and certified organic produce, is getting a good part of my Whole Foods dollars these days. Who would have thought? And - I am always on the lookout for the little guys - today's versions of Erewhon and Bread and Circus.
I could go on and on - for now let me just say - "Thank You" Dr. O'Rourke! I look forward to watching the GoodGuide grow ever more helpful and valuable. It's a powerful tool we have needed for a long time.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Perspective By The Power Of Ten
Here is a little perspective...fly a million light years away from the earth, and return to dive 0.00001 angstroms under your skin...
Monday, April 26, 2010
Carlos Santana and 7-Year-Old Lucciano Pizzichini
After all that serious medicine talk - something fun and amazing...in the music and kids department...
Immunizations- Make Up Your Own Mind!
Frontline is airing a documentary on our present battle regrading childhood immunizations tomorrow, April 27, a subject dear to many parents and grandparents. A close friend of mine lost her vibrant baby girl to a high fever the day after she had been immunized. For most parents it will boil down to what they are more afraid of - possible immunization side effects versus possible infections with life threatening diseases - and how they do their own research on the subject.
To me the problem is quite simple. If you are working for the government or medicine, you have to make a recommendation that will be best for millions of people. In that case you may want everyone to be immunized and cut your losses as far as side effects are concerned. This will only change if it truly looks like more people are being harmed than helped by immunizations. Something I am sure the insurance companies are trying very hard to figure out, and they will. Anything that makes us sick, diseases OR immunizations, costs them a lot of money. It will cost the insurance companies far less if children die of measles, rather than treat them for autism over a lifetime.
Pharmaceutical companies on the other hand, and indirectly governments that collect taxes, benefit financially from mass immunizations AND treating the side effects. Still, I do believe mostly, they are in business to help people. Doctors, mostly, are much like parents. They will make up their mind on as much information as they can get their hands on, and then have a very strong opinion, one way or the other and naturally determine it superior to the opinion of their patients - but it mostly will be based on wanting the best for their patients, not to make money. Although they may have some motivation to protect themselves from lawsuits.
All organizations - governments, industry, medicine - are made up of good AND bad people, as well as smart and stupid people, who will push things in the right or wrong direction. Paranoia about grand conspiracies, though, overestimates intelligence and the power of evil. There are many good people trying to get to the bottom of this and they end up on different sides, very seldom for profit motives from what I have seen. Nonetheless, there is strange conflict of interest when pharmaceutical executives sit on government oversight committees, or doctors get most of their information from studies of pharmaceutical companies to begin with.
If you are "only working for your child", make a decision for your child only, on as much information as you can get, and own your responsibility for that decision if your child gets sick from disease, or immunization. Use your intuition to pick the lesser evil. Pray for insight for your child, regardless of what anyone says one way or the other. Keep an open mind over the years. What is bad for a baby may be good for an older child or teenager venturing out into the world. Don't let anyone bully you into "if you don't immunize your child you endanger others". If anyone lived by that rule they would not allow our children's food to be as harmful as it is, including schools who keep soda and candy machines in their hallways "to raise money" for the PTA.
My conclusion to the whole issue is that immunizations and the toxic bath they are delivered with, have always been a great risk, but fifty years ago, children were much healthier to begin with and their immune systems could handle them. Also they were only given the most important ones - not the super cocktails of today. The other issue is the use of antibiotics that few children were on in the past. In my opinion immunizations are not a direct, but the "direct indirect" cause and catalyst, injected into the weaker and overmedicated children of today. When I asked my teacher Michio Kushi about it twenty-five years ago he said these injections of foreign proteins were the cause of the various autoimmune diseases (also on the rise) and the chronic inflammation of organs.
Following is a long string of posts between parents, doctors and others, from all sides of the debate. Some unavoidable vitriol, but mostly a very good discussion. I found it on Web MD several years ago. It is full of amazing facts and good links for further research on the issue. It is long, so I highlighted the most interesting comments.
AAARGH! Childhood Vaccines Do NOT Cause Autism! (An article posted on WebMD by a Physician. The long list of comments by parents and other doctors is quite enlightening on this controversial subject)
The Internet can educate and inform. The Internet can also confuse and complicate many controversial health issues. Once an article or comment enters the Internet, regardless of its accuracy, it develops a life of its own. Just the way bad rumors used to spread in a community, bad information on the Internet travels at the speed of light.
While I realize that this topic is going to get a lot of comments, both pro and con, I think it is important to discuss. I do not shy away from controversy, especially when I do not feel the subject is controversial in the first place.
When I was a child, the Public Health Department apparently had the right to give us vaccines at school without our parent's permission. I think the parents had to send in a note if they did NOT want their child to get vaccinated; otherwise they lined us up like cattle and just did it. Of course, that was when we had polio, measles, whooping cough, chicken pox, German measles, and other kid-killers in our communities. It only takes one child with polio in a small town to get people lining up for their sugar cubes (the oral vaccine used to be given on a sugar cube). Not any more.
Perhaps, this is because this new generation of parents has never experienced these terrible childhood diseases, or perhaps because the Internet is just scaring people. Nothing in life is 100% safe; but vaccines are pretty darn close, and in my opinion, they are the best defense we have to keep these diseases from making a comeback.
Some of my patients decided that it was the "combination" of vaccines that caused autism, so they wanted the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines given separately. While they are available separately, our group does not have them, nor do we have any intention of buying them just to appease this unsubstantiated belief. Some parents were so convinced that they bought their OWN separate vaccines. Separate measles vaccine comes in ten dose packages and costs about $1500. The child needs just one dose; the other nine will go to waste. The vaccine can deactivate unless it is kept at very precise temperatures. Unfortunately, medical offices have no idea how this vaccine was stored after the parents obtained it. If stored improperly, the vaccine may be ineffective. Legally, medical offices would be a risk to administer any vaccine to a child if we did not have knowledge of its validity. A few years ago, one of our storage refrigerators went on the blink and was actually too cold. The result? Our medical group had to scrap about $20,000 worth of immunizations; and spend ump-teen more bucks re-vaccinating children that may have received improperly stored vaccine. We now have some higher-tech, computer monitored refrigerators so this never happens again. Basically, if parents choose to buy their own vaccine, they are going to have to administer it themselves. Not a good idea, folks.
Now, a comment about the mercury preservative: Mercury can be deadly and cause brain damage. Of course, when I was a kid, we played with it. Maybe this is why I had problems with math or memory? We used mercury to our pennies and we rolled it around like some mysterious silver liquid. We used mercury thermometers. If the broke, we just salvaged the mercury to play with it. There was mercury in our medicines, and there was mercury in the creek we swam in. Did I tell you that I had problems with math?
In vaccines, thimerosal - a mercury derivative - was used in very trace amounts as a preservative. Currently, the vast majority of vaccines (just the flu vaccine) do NOT have thimerosal, but there is a public perception that they do, and that thimerosal and the MMR vaccine (measles, mumps, and rubella) is directly linked to autism. Even though there is ABSOLUTELY NO EVIDENCE that thimerosal or the MMR causes autism, there are thousands of Internet sites that dispute it. The Institute of Medicine published a review of data on autism and vaccines, and no casual relationship was found. Another study by theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention showed that thimerosal had NO EFFECT on development. The study also found that there was no evidence of the measles virus in the blood of children with autism. The rates of autism are even increasing in countries that do not use thimerosal.
So, what gives? Are we just getting better at diagnosing autism, or is there another cause yet to be discovered. Personally, I think there are other factors, but as of today, no one has been able to find them. This week, I had about six children in my office that had autism. If there is a discoverable cause, I hope someone finds it...soon. My heart goes out to those families caring for a challenging child with various degrees of autism. If parental love could cure this disease, there would be no autism.
People do not trust their government to tell them the truth. Maybe it is because we keep catching our government in lies. People do not trust their doctors as much anymore, either. But, is it a good idea to trust the people at the health food stores or your chiropractor's office on this important public health issue? People should trust our educational institutions, however. When you research information on the Internet, make sure of the quality of the information. Who actually is "Concerned Doctors Against Immunizations" or "Autism and Measles Vaccine Conclusively Linked"? (Incidentally, I made those up. Hopefully, they aren't real sites.) Some anti-immunization sites can certainly appear to be legitimate; quoting scientific studies, etc. Try looking up those studies and try digging deeper into who is sponsoring those sites and you will get an eye-opener.
In the end, people believe what they are going to believe. Even in the face of overwhelming evidence that the trace mercury preservative, the vaccine, or even the measles virus itself is NOT the smoking gun for autism, people still have the right to choose what diseases they would like to risk in their children. Did I vaccinate my own children and grandchildren? You bet. Do I recommend vaccines for my patients? Definitely.
Related Topics:
While I realize that this topic is going to get a lot of comments, both pro and con, I think it is important to discuss. I do not shy away from controversy, especially when I do not feel the subject is controversial in the first place.
When I was a child, the Public Health Department apparently had the right to give us vaccines at school without our parent's permission. I think the parents had to send in a note if they did NOT want their child to get vaccinated; otherwise they lined us up like cattle and just did it. Of course, that was when we had polio, measles, whooping cough, chicken pox, German measles, and other kid-killers in our communities. It only takes one child with polio in a small town to get people lining up for their sugar cubes (the oral vaccine used to be given on a sugar cube). Not any more.
Perhaps, this is because this new generation of parents has never experienced these terrible childhood diseases, or perhaps because the Internet is just scaring people. Nothing in life is 100% safe; but vaccines are pretty darn close, and in my opinion, they are the best defense we have to keep these diseases from making a comeback.
Some of my patients decided that it was the "combination" of vaccines that caused autism, so they wanted the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines given separately. While they are available separately, our group does not have them, nor do we have any intention of buying them just to appease this unsubstantiated belief. Some parents were so convinced that they bought their OWN separate vaccines. Separate measles vaccine comes in ten dose packages and costs about $1500. The child needs just one dose; the other nine will go to waste. The vaccine can deactivate unless it is kept at very precise temperatures. Unfortunately, medical offices have no idea how this vaccine was stored after the parents obtained it. If stored improperly, the vaccine may be ineffective. Legally, medical offices would be a risk to administer any vaccine to a child if we did not have knowledge of its validity. A few years ago, one of our storage refrigerators went on the blink and was actually too cold. The result? Our medical group had to scrap about $20,000 worth of immunizations; and spend ump-teen more bucks re-vaccinating children that may have received improperly stored vaccine. We now have some higher-tech, computer monitored refrigerators so this never happens again. Basically, if parents choose to buy their own vaccine, they are going to have to administer it themselves. Not a good idea, folks.
Now, a comment about the mercury preservative: Mercury can be deadly and cause brain damage. Of course, when I was a kid, we played with it. Maybe this is why I had problems with math or memory? We used mercury to our pennies and we rolled it around like some mysterious silver liquid. We used mercury thermometers. If the broke, we just salvaged the mercury to play with it. There was mercury in our medicines, and there was mercury in the creek we swam in. Did I tell you that I had problems with math?
In vaccines, thimerosal - a mercury derivative - was used in very trace amounts as a preservative. Currently, the vast majority of vaccines (just the flu vaccine) do NOT have thimerosal, but there is a public perception that they do, and that thimerosal and the MMR vaccine (measles, mumps, and rubella) is directly linked to autism. Even though there is ABSOLUTELY NO EVIDENCE that thimerosal or the MMR causes autism, there are thousands of Internet sites that dispute it. The Institute of Medicine published a review of data on autism and vaccines, and no casual relationship was found. Another study by theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention showed that thimerosal had NO EFFECT on development. The study also found that there was no evidence of the measles virus in the blood of children with autism. The rates of autism are even increasing in countries that do not use thimerosal.
So, what gives? Are we just getting better at diagnosing autism, or is there another cause yet to be discovered. Personally, I think there are other factors, but as of today, no one has been able to find them. This week, I had about six children in my office that had autism. If there is a discoverable cause, I hope someone finds it...soon. My heart goes out to those families caring for a challenging child with various degrees of autism. If parental love could cure this disease, there would be no autism.
People do not trust their government to tell them the truth. Maybe it is because we keep catching our government in lies. People do not trust their doctors as much anymore, either. But, is it a good idea to trust the people at the health food stores or your chiropractor's office on this important public health issue? People should trust our educational institutions, however. When you research information on the Internet, make sure of the quality of the information. Who actually is "Concerned Doctors Against Immunizations" or "Autism and Measles Vaccine Conclusively Linked"? (Incidentally, I made those up. Hopefully, they aren't real sites.) Some anti-immunization sites can certainly appear to be legitimate; quoting scientific studies, etc. Try looking up those studies and try digging deeper into who is sponsoring those sites and you will get an eye-opener.
In the end, people believe what they are going to believe. Even in the face of overwhelming evidence that the trace mercury preservative, the vaccine, or even the measles virus itself is NOT the smoking gun for autism, people still have the right to choose what diseases they would like to risk in their children. Did I vaccinate my own children and grandchildren? You bet. Do I recommend vaccines for my patients? Definitely.
Related Topics:
Technorati Tags: autism, vaccines, thimerosal, health and wellness
Posted by: Rod Moser_PA_PhD at 12:14 PM
144 Comments - Show Original Post Collapse comments
I really liked this post. I am studying to be a teacher in Autistic classrooms. I do not believe the vaccines cause it. I believe we have better ways to diagnose it and once a child is given the diagnosis of autism people believe that it is the most severe case. A child could have a mild form of it like Aspergers, but no one would know because they say my child is autistic. There is a difference. Thanks for a great post!
9/19/2007 9:13 AM
Anonymous said...
You are crazy! Why is it that children become autistic after vaccinations. It has been proven that mercury causes autism. It is much more prevalent downwind of coal-fired plants, which have mercury in the coal.
In Australia about 30 years ago, one out two died aboriginal kids after getting vaccinations. A doctor decided that was unacceptable, and injected vitamin C in the butt 24 hours before the vaccine was injected. Not a one died. He wrote an article about it, and his medical license was revoked for 20 years. He wrote a book about it. I think the book was titled One Out of Two.
In Australia about 30 years ago, one out two died aboriginal kids after getting vaccinations. A doctor decided that was unacceptable, and injected vitamin C in the butt 24 hours before the vaccine was injected. Not a one died. He wrote an article about it, and his medical license was revoked for 20 years. He wrote a book about it. I think the book was titled One Out of Two.
9/19/2007 5:52 PM
Anonymous said...
I look at it this way. I am going to vacinate my children. I can deal with an autistic child IF it does cause autism, but I can't live with myself if my child dies from a disease that could have been prevented from a vaccine!
9/19/2007 8:55 PM
Rod Moser_PA_PhD said...
No, I am not crazy....although, I feel I have the right to act that way from time to time.
There is absolutely no scientific evidence that autism is caused by the vaccine or vaccine preservatives. I wish we did know the cause of autism.....
Again, you can believe what you want to believe. I have to rely on evidence-based, scientific studies.
There is absolutely no scientific evidence that autism is caused by the vaccine or vaccine preservatives. I wish we did know the cause of autism.....
Again, you can believe what you want to believe. I have to rely on evidence-based, scientific studies.
9/20/2007 4:46 PM
Anonymous said...
Diseases are scary and, as such, we spend countless hours and dollars fighting them...and rightly so. So how about taking a look at health; that is, how the body is designed to work. If we want to get stronger we stress our muscles. If we want thicker bones we need to stress them. If we want better cardiovascular health we must stress the heart. Every system in the body responds to stresses with improved function. In fact when we don't use a system the way it was designed it lets us down. Take steroid abuse. Those who inject fake testosterone risk shrinkage of the testes because they no longer have to do their job. Astronauts of old would come down from orbit with diminished bone density from not stressing them in their anti-gravity environment. The examples are endless. Why then do we believe that kids will be healthier when we give them so many shots end up preventing their immune system from working as it was designed? Following the CDC's recommended vaccination schedule the average child will receive 74 vaccinations by the time they enter kindergarten. MMR and DPT for example are one-needle shots with 3 different antigens (germs). The prevnar vaccine contains 7 different antigens, the influenza shot has 3 antigens, etc. Some kids get 3 needles (9 vaccines) in one "well child" visit. The doc says trust our educational institutions. Every medical book I have ever seen has said that immunity from a naturally occurring disease is better and longer lasting than immunity from an artificially injected disease. That is why we keep running back for boosters. We can't just pick and choose which chapters of the books we like and discard the rest. As the good doctor mentioned there was a lot of money lost when his refrigerator was on the fritz. There is a lot more money to be lost if we make immunizations optional. I can buy stock in Merck, Sonofi, or any of the other drug makers. If I buy stock in their company they better make me money! I am not convinced of the MMR-autism link. However in 1970 an estimated 1 in 10,000 kids were diagnosed with the disorder and at last count the number was increased from 1 in 166 to 1 in 150. We are doing something different to our kids now than we were 30 years ago. At last check the US ranked 34th in the world in infant mortality (surviving past the age of one year). Isn't it amazing that with our cash and modern medicine that 33 other countries have a better chance of their kids reaching their first birthday. I vote to treat kids as individuals and give the shots to the ones that need them. Leave the healthy kids to develop as they were designed. If you were a hospital patient you sure as heck wouldn't want the same treatment as the guy next to you although when it comes to the kids that can't stand up for themselves we give them all the same thing. A focus on health and how a healthy body responds to disease may be more fruitful than trying to kill the dreaded germ. The more germs we kill the stronger they come back. If you don't stand up for your kids who will? The doctors? Remember you are not getting their opinion for free! This message was NOT brought to you by the same people who bought your doctor's lunch, supplied them with free literature and office supplies, and paid for their continuing education in Cancun.
9/20/2007 6:12 PM
Ms.Samaria said...
Lets just say that vaccines do not cause autism, you still can't convince me that injecting all those different toxins into your body has no adverse reactions on children and it trips me out that as DR's you all want to tell people that vaccines are 100% safe and that they save lives..100%? Yeah I highly doubt that.
One of the ingredients the FDA spoke on was formaldehyde and if I am not mistaken when I took my son to get his vaccinations and I saw the inserts that was in his vaccines. The FDA talks about all the things that this can cause just by inhaling this into your lungs(because this is something that is used in alot of house cleaning products) what about injecting this into your blood? Wouldn't you think that's even worse?
So for doctors to tell me that vaccines are 100% safe for EVERYONE is complete horsecrap to me considering nobody is the same.
And DR's you can say what you want about the parents who notice slight changes after that MMR you can't convince me that EVERY PARENT is a idiot that notices changes after that shot. It's just that you guys don't want to tell the truth. I also find a hard time believing even if there is a proven link between autism and vaccines that you guys will tell the public because you all will lose out on millions of dollars plus there will be so many lawsuits(whether they pay them or not).
I TRULY do NOT see you guys telling the truth vs. losing millions of dollars.
One of the ingredients the FDA spoke on was formaldehyde and if I am not mistaken when I took my son to get his vaccinations and I saw the inserts that was in his vaccines. The FDA talks about all the things that this can cause just by inhaling this into your lungs(because this is something that is used in alot of house cleaning products) what about injecting this into your blood? Wouldn't you think that's even worse?
So for doctors to tell me that vaccines are 100% safe for EVERYONE is complete horsecrap to me considering nobody is the same.
And DR's you can say what you want about the parents who notice slight changes after that MMR you can't convince me that EVERY PARENT is a idiot that notices changes after that shot. It's just that you guys don't want to tell the truth. I also find a hard time believing even if there is a proven link between autism and vaccines that you guys will tell the public because you all will lose out on millions of dollars plus there will be so many lawsuits(whether they pay them or not).
I TRULY do NOT see you guys telling the truth vs. losing millions of dollars.
9/20/2007 11:16 PM
Anonymous said...
"When a well-packaged web of lies has been sold gradually to the masses over generations, the truth will seem utterly preposterous and its speaker a raving lunatic."
9/20/2007 11:23 PM
Anonymous said...
I was just wondering what you meant with "killer diseases" when you mentioned diseases like measels, rubella, polio etc.?? I had measels, mumps and a friend of mine had rubella as a child, back than they were commom childhood diseases in germany, almost everybody I know had them. About the polio, you as a doctor should really know better or maybe you should do some more real research. Well let me save you some time to educate you about polio. OK if you were to catch polio you had a 90% chance of just getting flu symptoms which passed in 24-72 hrs. a 5% chance of light flu symptoms which passed 24-72 hrs. 3% chance to get stiff neck, prosthesis in arms and legs which last 2-10 days, and complete recovery. And you get life long immunity to the illness...
2% got paralytic polio and out of that 2% (so .04%) got iron lung effect. 50% of those people totally recovered.So if we compare that to the numbers of death that vaccines cost each year wouldn't it be more honest to rather call it "killer vaccine". Oh yeah and to answer your question why people don't trust their doctors no more, because of money hunger idiots like you who try to tell people that mercury is absolutly harmless just to make another buck of an vaccine. Shame on you...
2% got paralytic polio and out of that 2% (so .04%) got iron lung effect. 50% of those people totally recovered.So if we compare that to the numbers of death that vaccines cost each year wouldn't it be more honest to rather call it "killer vaccine". Oh yeah and to answer your question why people don't trust their doctors no more, because of money hunger idiots like you who try to tell people that mercury is absolutly harmless just to make another buck of an vaccine. Shame on you...
9/21/2007 12:18 AM
Anonymous said...
well my son was diagnosed w/ autism at 13 months old and had already been showing signs for 2 months..he hadn't received the MMR yet. Regardless, these diseases are not around because of vaccines and if people continue not to vaccinate their children they will return w/ all the traveling people are doing. And if the vaccines do cause autism, then why is it only this generation bombarded w/ it, it would be effecting more people in their 20's and older. Even though nothing has been scientifically proven, so what if it can cause autism..its better than the diseases that the vaccines prevent.
9/21/2007 12:22 AM
Anonymous said...
You may be right that there is no link between the MMR vaccine and autism but who do you think you are trying to push the standard vaccine onto parents by refusing to use the alternate seperated vaccine..It is the parents job to do what THEY feel is best for their child and if a parent is willing to pay for the more expensive seperated vaccine then who the hell are you to refuse to give it!!
9/21/2007 12:34 AM
Rachel said...
You can find each of these ingredients on the cdc's website for vaccine ingredients. Tell me they arent toxic. You must be joking.
Ammonium Sulfate
Suspected gastrointestinal, liver, nerve and respiratory system poison.
Beta-propilactone
Known to cause cancer, suspected gastrointestinal, liver, respiratory, skin and sense organ poison
Genetically modified yeast, animal, bacterial and viral DNA
Can be incorporated into the recipient's DNA and cause genetic mutations.
Latex Rubber
Can cause life-threatening allergic reactions
Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
Being studdied for mutagenic, teratogenic (developmental malformation and monstrosities) and reproductive effects. A neurotoxinAllergic reactions range from mild to severe.
Aluminum
Implicated as a cause of brain damage, suspected factor in alzeheimers, dementia, seizures and comas. Allergic reactions can occur on skin.
Formaldehyde
Major constituent of embalming fluid; poisonous if ingested. Probable carcinogen; suspected gastrointestinal, liver, immune system, nerve, reproductive system and respiratory poison. Linked to lukemia, brain, colon and lymphatic cancers. (So toxic that when working with it, you must have your face covered so you dont breathe in too many of the fumes... and we're injecting ourselves with it.)
Micro-Organisms
Live and killed viri and bacteria or their toxins. The polio vaccine was contaminated with a monkey virus now turning up in human bone, lung lining, brain tumors and lymphomas.
Polysorbate 80
Known to cause cancer in animals
Tri(n)butylphosphate
Suspected nerve and kidney poison
Glutaraldehyde
Poisonous if injected. Causes birth defects in experimental animals
Gelatin
Produced from pieces of calf and cattle skins, de-minerialized cattle bones and pork skin. Allergic reactions have been reported.
Gentamicin sulfate and polymyxin B
Allergic reactions can range from mild to life threatening.
Mercury (Thimerosal)
One of the most poisonous substances known. Has an affinity for the brain, gut, liver, bone-marrow and kidneys. Minute amounts can cause nerve damage. Symptoms of mercury toxocity are similar to those of autism.
Neomycin Sulfate
Interferes with Vitamin B6 absorption. An error in the update of B6 can cause a form of epilepsy and mental retardation. Allergic reactions can be mild to life-threatening.
Phenol / phenoxyethanol (2-pe)
Used as an antifreeze. Toxic to all cells and cabable of disabling the immune system's primary response mechanism.
Human and animal cells
Human cells from aborted fetal tissue and human albumin. Pig blood, horse blood, rabbit brain, guinea pig, dog kidney, cow heart, monkey kidney, chick embryo, chicken egg, duck egg, calf serum, sheep blood and others.
" A major cause of the roman empire's decline after 6 centuries of world dominance was its replacement of stone aqueducts by lead pipes for the transport and supply of drinking water. Roman engineers, the best in the world, turned their fellow citizens into neurological cripples. Today, our own "best and brightest" with the best of intentions, achieve the same end through childhood vaccination programs yeilding the modern scourges of hyperactivity, learning disabilities, autism, appetite disorders, and impulsive violence."
-Harris L. Coulter, Ph. D
Ammonium Sulfate
Suspected gastrointestinal, liver, nerve and respiratory system poison.
Beta-propilactone
Known to cause cancer, suspected gastrointestinal, liver, respiratory, skin and sense organ poison
Genetically modified yeast, animal, bacterial and viral DNA
Can be incorporated into the recipient's DNA and cause genetic mutations.
Latex Rubber
Can cause life-threatening allergic reactions
Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
Being studdied for mutagenic, teratogenic (developmental malformation and monstrosities) and reproductive effects. A neurotoxinAllergic reactions range from mild to severe.
Aluminum
Implicated as a cause of brain damage, suspected factor in alzeheimers, dementia, seizures and comas. Allergic reactions can occur on skin.
Formaldehyde
Major constituent of embalming fluid; poisonous if ingested. Probable carcinogen; suspected gastrointestinal, liver, immune system, nerve, reproductive system and respiratory poison. Linked to lukemia, brain, colon and lymphatic cancers. (So toxic that when working with it, you must have your face covered so you dont breathe in too many of the fumes... and we're injecting ourselves with it.)
Micro-Organisms
Live and killed viri and bacteria or their toxins. The polio vaccine was contaminated with a monkey virus now turning up in human bone, lung lining, brain tumors and lymphomas.
Polysorbate 80
Known to cause cancer in animals
Tri(n)butylphosphate
Suspected nerve and kidney poison
Glutaraldehyde
Poisonous if injected. Causes birth defects in experimental animals
Gelatin
Produced from pieces of calf and cattle skins, de-minerialized cattle bones and pork skin. Allergic reactions have been reported.
Gentamicin sulfate and polymyxin B
Allergic reactions can range from mild to life threatening.
Mercury (Thimerosal)
One of the most poisonous substances known. Has an affinity for the brain, gut, liver, bone-marrow and kidneys. Minute amounts can cause nerve damage. Symptoms of mercury toxocity are similar to those of autism.
Neomycin Sulfate
Interferes with Vitamin B6 absorption. An error in the update of B6 can cause a form of epilepsy and mental retardation. Allergic reactions can be mild to life-threatening.
Phenol / phenoxyethanol (2-pe)
Used as an antifreeze. Toxic to all cells and cabable of disabling the immune system's primary response mechanism.
Human and animal cells
Human cells from aborted fetal tissue and human albumin. Pig blood, horse blood, rabbit brain, guinea pig, dog kidney, cow heart, monkey kidney, chick embryo, chicken egg, duck egg, calf serum, sheep blood and others.
" A major cause of the roman empire's decline after 6 centuries of world dominance was its replacement of stone aqueducts by lead pipes for the transport and supply of drinking water. Roman engineers, the best in the world, turned their fellow citizens into neurological cripples. Today, our own "best and brightest" with the best of intentions, achieve the same end through childhood vaccination programs yeilding the modern scourges of hyperactivity, learning disabilities, autism, appetite disorders, and impulsive violence."
-Harris L. Coulter, Ph. D
9/21/2007 12:40 AM
Anonymous said...
If you take a ten-pound baby in, and it gets four shots on that one day, which is a common practice - that's equivalent to giving a 100-pound person forty shots in one day," said mercury expert Dr. Boyd Haley.
Using the Calculator to see how much murcury your baby is geting
This mercury calculator will help you determine how much mercury a child received at previous vaccination visits or could receive in an upcoming visit. The products are listed by brand name and manufacturer. Some vaccines have two company names because over the past several decades there have been many company mergers.
Just enter the weight of the child and click on the brand name /manufacturer of the vaccine. A number will show at the top and tell you if it is over the EPA standard of 0.1 mcg per kilogram of bodyweight.
If you want to calculate your child's overall exposure to mercury containing vaccines on multiple visits, you will have to enter each visit individually, using the weight of your child at the time of the visit and then add them all together.
The dose thought to be safely allowed on a daily basis by EPA is 0.1mcg per kilogram of body weight per day. At 2 months of age a baby will have received 62.5 mcg of mercury from 3 infant vaccines. According to EPA criteria, his allowable dose was only 0.5mcg based on his weight. Thats 125 times the babies allowable exposure on that one day. These large injected bolus exposures continued at 4, 6, 12 and 18 months to a total mercury exposure of 237.5 mcg. I also discovered that the injections that I received during the first and third trimesters of my pregnancy and hours after the delivery of my son to prevent RH blood incompatibility also contained mercury.
A single broken feaver thermometer contains 0.05 to 1.5 grams of mercury which is enough to create a healh hazard in a small room
SO anyone that feels that all vaccines are safe is high
Autism and Mercury....I feel strongly about those 2 having a connection because until they started adding those ingredients we didn't have such a high amount of children getting autism. Since 1982 25 yrs there has been about 30 other vax's made for our children
For those of u who do Vax and think its safe stop being lazy asses and read more about them, they're not proven to work or for their safty and most times they cause more harm then good, beides you dont have life long immunity to them anyways
So if you look at it this way
U and most adults out there basically are not immuinized, vaccines last 10 yrs not alife time!!!!!
Using the Calculator to see how much murcury your baby is geting
This mercury calculator will help you determine how much mercury a child received at previous vaccination visits or could receive in an upcoming visit. The products are listed by brand name and manufacturer. Some vaccines have two company names because over the past several decades there have been many company mergers.
Just enter the weight of the child and click on the brand name /manufacturer of the vaccine. A number will show at the top and tell you if it is over the EPA standard of 0.1 mcg per kilogram of bodyweight.
If you want to calculate your child's overall exposure to mercury containing vaccines on multiple visits, you will have to enter each visit individually, using the weight of your child at the time of the visit and then add them all together.
The dose thought to be safely allowed on a daily basis by EPA is 0.1mcg per kilogram of body weight per day. At 2 months of age a baby will have received 62.5 mcg of mercury from 3 infant vaccines. According to EPA criteria, his allowable dose was only 0.5mcg based on his weight. Thats 125 times the babies allowable exposure on that one day. These large injected bolus exposures continued at 4, 6, 12 and 18 months to a total mercury exposure of 237.5 mcg. I also discovered that the injections that I received during the first and third trimesters of my pregnancy and hours after the delivery of my son to prevent RH blood incompatibility also contained mercury.
A single broken feaver thermometer contains 0.05 to 1.5 grams of mercury which is enough to create a healh hazard in a small room
SO anyone that feels that all vaccines are safe is high
Autism and Mercury....I feel strongly about those 2 having a connection because until they started adding those ingredients we didn't have such a high amount of children getting autism. Since 1982 25 yrs there has been about 30 other vax's made for our children
For those of u who do Vax and think its safe stop being lazy asses and read more about them, they're not proven to work or for their safty and most times they cause more harm then good, beides you dont have life long immunity to them anyways
So if you look at it this way
U and most adults out there basically are not immuinized, vaccines last 10 yrs not alife time!!!!!
9/21/2007 12:43 AM
Rachel said...
Last time I checked, Chicken Pox was NOT a deadly disease. Neither is Measels, mumps or rubella. Polio hasnt even EXISTED in the US in over 12 years. how about we start focusing on promoting health rather than running away from sickness. Illness is NOT BAD... it's your body functioning properly and you get over it.
One more thing. OF COURSE THEY AREN'T GOING TO FIND ANYTHING IN THEIR JUNK RESEARCH LINKING AUTISM AND VACCINES!!!! Do you realize how much money they'd lose? Not just in sales of vaccines but also in compensating the hundreds of thousands of families living with an autistic child?
Did you know that the CDC defines a "long-term study" as 14 days? 14 DAYS, PEOPLE! THe flu incubates for 14 days before any symptoms show up. Come on here. If you dont want to get burned, dont stick your arm in a furnace. If you dont want to get sick, dont shoot up with diseases laced with deadly toxicity.
Common sense is seriously lacking in this country.
One more thing. OF COURSE THEY AREN'T GOING TO FIND ANYTHING IN THEIR JUNK RESEARCH LINKING AUTISM AND VACCINES!!!! Do you realize how much money they'd lose? Not just in sales of vaccines but also in compensating the hundreds of thousands of families living with an autistic child?
Did you know that the CDC defines a "long-term study" as 14 days? 14 DAYS, PEOPLE! THe flu incubates for 14 days before any symptoms show up. Come on here. If you dont want to get burned, dont stick your arm in a furnace. If you dont want to get sick, dont shoot up with diseases laced with deadly toxicity.
Common sense is seriously lacking in this country.
9/21/2007 12:47 AM
Anonymous said...
to the person above me who said common sense is lacking in this country:
Please see this page which is a historical timeline of outbreaks of infectious diseases such as measles, polio, influenza, smallpox and cholera. Please note how often the term "kill" is used.
Measles is absolutely deadly and absolutely preventable. If you walk through graveyards in the midwest you will see entire families who died of it during the outbreak in the 19th century. Civil War soldiers, particularly those who were held in Union prison camps were particularly hard hit.
Yet you say it is not deadly. You are sadly mistaken.
And if you're lucky enough to survive, you might be blind as a result.
Mumps can kill and it can leave men infertile. Rubella was one of the number one killers of unborn children before the vaccine.
And then laughably, you say "Polio hasn't even EXISTED in the US...".
Why do you suppose that is? Right. Vaccinations.
Here's the problem, of course. Measles, mumps, rubella and polio all exist in other countries. Japan, for example, is the number one importer of measles. Despite having instituted a vaccination program, there have been measles outbreaks as recently as April of this year at Japanese universities.
Polio still exists, too, though it is mostly eradicated as a result of a world-wide initiative to vaccinate.
You say: "...start focusing on promoting health rather than running away from sickness. "
There is no better or more effective way to promote health than to PREVENT infectious, deadly disease. None. Zero, zip, nada.
You want wellness education, start by protecting your kids from blindness, sterility, disability and death.
There are a lot of things you can accuse pharmas of, but not making big bucks on basic vaccines. That's just a whacko conspiracy theory that's untested, unproven, and borne out of ignorance.
You'd think that if the anti-vaxxers were so concerned about this, they'd fund their own study, but I've not seen one to date that credibly links the two.
When you say common sense lacks, we agree. It is an utter lack of common sense for any parent to risk their child's eyesight, health and life on a whack-brained theory that vaccines are evil causes of autism.
Please see this page which is a historical timeline of outbreaks of infectious diseases such as measles, polio, influenza, smallpox and cholera. Please note how often the term "kill" is used.
Measles is absolutely deadly and absolutely preventable. If you walk through graveyards in the midwest you will see entire families who died of it during the outbreak in the 19th century. Civil War soldiers, particularly those who were held in Union prison camps were particularly hard hit.
Yet you say it is not deadly. You are sadly mistaken.
And if you're lucky enough to survive, you might be blind as a result.
Mumps can kill and it can leave men infertile. Rubella was one of the number one killers of unborn children before the vaccine.
And then laughably, you say "Polio hasn't even EXISTED in the US...".
Why do you suppose that is? Right. Vaccinations.
Here's the problem, of course. Measles, mumps, rubella and polio all exist in other countries. Japan, for example, is the number one importer of measles. Despite having instituted a vaccination program, there have been measles outbreaks as recently as April of this year at Japanese universities.
Polio still exists, too, though it is mostly eradicated as a result of a world-wide initiative to vaccinate.
You say: "...start focusing on promoting health rather than running away from sickness. "
There is no better or more effective way to promote health than to PREVENT infectious, deadly disease. None. Zero, zip, nada.
You want wellness education, start by protecting your kids from blindness, sterility, disability and death.
There are a lot of things you can accuse pharmas of, but not making big bucks on basic vaccines. That's just a whacko conspiracy theory that's untested, unproven, and borne out of ignorance.
You'd think that if the anti-vaxxers were so concerned about this, they'd fund their own study, but I've not seen one to date that credibly links the two.
When you say common sense lacks, we agree. It is an utter lack of common sense for any parent to risk their child's eyesight, health and life on a whack-brained theory that vaccines are evil causes of autism.
9/21/2007 2:25 AM
Anonymous said...
As the mother of a son with autism, I have done a great deal of research on the subject. Although I do believe that the vaccination was a catalyst, I do NOT believe that the vaccination alone caused this condition in my son.
After the one year MMR shot, my son's temperature rose to 105 and shortly afterwards, his regression began. The research that I have done suggested the possibility of a connection between long term antibiotic (Augmentin) use in the first year and its effect on the body's ability to eliminate the mercury.
Let's think about it- vaccinations with Thimerisol have been around since the 1930s. Why is autism on the rise? Why now? What is different than in the 1930s? 1940s? 1960s? Extended antibiotic use.
My son was on Augmentin from the time he was 5 months until shortly after his first birthday (chronic ear infections). I think that more research needs to be done on a variety of combinations so we can stop blaming everybody for the epidemic and start focusing our attention where it belongs- curing our children.
Thank you for listening.
After the one year MMR shot, my son's temperature rose to 105 and shortly afterwards, his regression began. The research that I have done suggested the possibility of a connection between long term antibiotic (Augmentin) use in the first year and its effect on the body's ability to eliminate the mercury.
Let's think about it- vaccinations with Thimerisol have been around since the 1930s. Why is autism on the rise? Why now? What is different than in the 1930s? 1940s? 1960s? Extended antibiotic use.
My son was on Augmentin from the time he was 5 months until shortly after his first birthday (chronic ear infections). I think that more research needs to be done on a variety of combinations so we can stop blaming everybody for the epidemic and start focusing our attention where it belongs- curing our children.
Thank you for listening.
9/21/2007 5:22 AM
Ms. Samaria said...
Dr. Moser, check out this link
http://www.campaignfortruth.
Will you tell me if you would do this? I would love to know why or why not. Thank you
To the above poster.. Good post. I agree with you, my son was antibiotics for the first 3 days of his life(maybe 5 cant remember). But what if you spoke to the Dr. about that, I wonder if they would have taken that into consideration or just brushed it off.
http://www.campaignfortruth.
Will you tell me if you would do this? I would love to know why or why not. Thank you
To the above poster.. Good post. I agree with you, my son was antibiotics for the first 3 days of his life(maybe 5 cant remember). But what if you spoke to the Dr. about that, I wonder if they would have taken that into consideration or just brushed it off.
9/21/2007 6:23 AM
Anonymous said...
As a concerned mother to an unvaccinated child, I can see where your concerns are legitimate. The internet brings a plethora of information, both true and false, to a person's fingertips in seconds. And the average short attention span will likely skim what is read without absorping the true meaning of the words. That, I can agree with.
However, the majority of concerned unvaccinating parents that I speak with (Seattle houses a large community of non-vaccinated families) didn't rely solely on the internet for their information. Nor did they rely on chiropractors, or grocers in their local health food stores. Most of us studied this issue from early in our pregnanies, reading books, speaking with doctors directly, and researching the ingredients of the vaccinations individually.
I'll use myself as one example. I began my quest for knowledge of vaccinations before I was 20 weeks pregnant. With both of my brothers on the autism spectrum, and the floating "link" between mercury, vaccination, and autism, I felt compelled to make informed decisions as my child's well-being seemed at stake.
As a former history major, I understand the finer points of how to properly research an issue. I pulled census records from the last century, researched the diseases and their likelihood in our areas, and finally, researched the ingredients themselves, one by one independent of the term "vaccination". It took me over a year to form a solid opinion.
I fielded accusations of child abuse from concerned relatives, doctors that made condescending remarks (but gave no real reasons for vaccinating), and lots of personal doubt that the decision I made was the right one. But a concoction of dead (or live) virus, formaldehyde, ether, detergent, and hard metals, none of which should be placed in the adult bloodstream outside of vaccination, hardly seemed healthy or appropriate to place in my infant's immature body.
Yes, you don't agree with my decision. But when I made every effort to come to a decision and the best I could get out of any doctor was "we vaccinate because those diseases are deadly" without a single thought being given to 1)continuing efficacy in adulthood, 2)longterm studies of direct and indirect effects of the vaccinations on the human body, 3)discussing the outbreaks of vaccinated diseases and whether vaccinated children/adults came down with them as well, etc. There was considerable difficulty obtaining the vaccination insert from the doctor (which, legally, should be OFFERED, not requested)and I was all but threatened about my decision. You can understand my absolute shock that someone that should be the most trusted professional in my child's life offered nothing but threats and sidestepping statements.
Sir, truly, the nonvaccinating community isn't as stupid as you'd think at first glance. We are, for the most part, well-educated and caring parents. We are making decisions that are best for our children, considering the information and discussion being offered to us.
If you truly want to make a case for vaccination to us, don't brush off the mothers that say "my child shut down literally within the week of recieving XY vaccination", encourage discussion, explain the effects (or lack thereof)of heavy metals on the infantile immune system, encourage us to truly research, offer us every resource you know of. In short, care as much as we do about the life we're protecting.
I'm sure you're a wonderful doctor, a kind and caring soul. But others in your profession would be wise to step off the high horse and come down to the level of the mere mortals. We need information, respect, and a listening ear. Doctors that brush mothers off and deny us the simple answers we request are partially responsible for the rise in non-vaccinated children. If you truly believe that not vaccinating leads down a dark path, help educate your community to be more inviting to parents.
Thank you for your time.
A concerned mother
sweet.pea.passion@gmail.com
However, the majority of concerned unvaccinating parents that I speak with (Seattle houses a large community of non-vaccinated families) didn't rely solely on the internet for their information. Nor did they rely on chiropractors, or grocers in their local health food stores. Most of us studied this issue from early in our pregnanies, reading books, speaking with doctors directly, and researching the ingredients of the vaccinations individually.
I'll use myself as one example. I began my quest for knowledge of vaccinations before I was 20 weeks pregnant. With both of my brothers on the autism spectrum, and the floating "link" between mercury, vaccination, and autism, I felt compelled to make informed decisions as my child's well-being seemed at stake.
As a former history major, I understand the finer points of how to properly research an issue. I pulled census records from the last century, researched the diseases and their likelihood in our areas, and finally, researched the ingredients themselves, one by one independent of the term "vaccination". It took me over a year to form a solid opinion.
I fielded accusations of child abuse from concerned relatives, doctors that made condescending remarks (but gave no real reasons for vaccinating), and lots of personal doubt that the decision I made was the right one. But a concoction of dead (or live) virus, formaldehyde, ether, detergent, and hard metals, none of which should be placed in the adult bloodstream outside of vaccination, hardly seemed healthy or appropriate to place in my infant's immature body.
Yes, you don't agree with my decision. But when I made every effort to come to a decision and the best I could get out of any doctor was "we vaccinate because those diseases are deadly" without a single thought being given to 1)continuing efficacy in adulthood, 2)longterm studies of direct and indirect effects of the vaccinations on the human body, 3)discussing the outbreaks of vaccinated diseases and whether vaccinated children/adults came down with them as well, etc. There was considerable difficulty obtaining the vaccination insert from the doctor (which, legally, should be OFFERED, not requested)and I was all but threatened about my decision. You can understand my absolute shock that someone that should be the most trusted professional in my child's life offered nothing but threats and sidestepping statements.
Sir, truly, the nonvaccinating community isn't as stupid as you'd think at first glance. We are, for the most part, well-educated and caring parents. We are making decisions that are best for our children, considering the information and discussion being offered to us.
If you truly want to make a case for vaccination to us, don't brush off the mothers that say "my child shut down literally within the week of recieving XY vaccination", encourage discussion, explain the effects (or lack thereof)of heavy metals on the infantile immune system, encourage us to truly research, offer us every resource you know of. In short, care as much as we do about the life we're protecting.
I'm sure you're a wonderful doctor, a kind and caring soul. But others in your profession would be wise to step off the high horse and come down to the level of the mere mortals. We need information, respect, and a listening ear. Doctors that brush mothers off and deny us the simple answers we request are partially responsible for the rise in non-vaccinated children. If you truly believe that not vaccinating leads down a dark path, help educate your community to be more inviting to parents.
Thank you for your time.
A concerned mother
sweet.pea.passion@gmail.com
9/21/2007 6:27 AM
Jenn said...
I love that all of you have the guts to go against the norm and challenge what this doc has said. All of you who have are perfectly right. Having these diseases that they innoculate for is SO much safer than getting a vaccine - for A TON of reasons. Please log on to my "Choosing not to Vaccinate" group at CafeMom! I would LOVE to have you all there to share your insight and wisdom and to learn a whole lot more about vaccine dangers. We have almost 1000 members in just a few months and we also have tons of links and information!!
http://www.cafemom.com/group/
http://www.cafemom.com/group/
9/21/2007 8:37 AM
Rachel said...
So, why is it that every other country in the world calls it "vaccination death" rather than SIDS?
Polio was NOT erradicated because of vaccines. It was almost erradicated naturally before we started vaccinating. In fact, we are KEEPING THE VIRUS ALIVE by culturing it artificially with a vaccine. AND, less than 1% of polio cases actually cause paralysis. The majority of the time, polio feels like a bad flu. Polio vaccines were originally made with SV-40 which is now showing up as a cause for countless kinds of cancer. And they are predicting that its going to take 5 GENERATIONS to get SV40 out of the human race. Really safe. 100% of the cases of polio now WORLDWIDE are in the vaccinated community. 100% is a pretty significant amount.
And the measels does NOT equate with sterility. That occurs in less than 2% of the population that get the measels. Most of my family had the measels as children and they are just fine. My chiropractor actually went out of his way to make sure his kids got rubella so they wuold have lifelong immunity to it. They survived just fine.
And you will NEVER convince me that the chicken pox is deadly. I am not that stupid.
I believe this: the truth will come out eventually. The truth is that vaccines are harming children and adults alike. When it does, the vaccine makers will say, "We told you they had adverse side effects." ANd they'll say that they told you this all along.
You know that the CDC and the FDA have members that vote on the vaccine schedule that OWN PATENTS FOR THE VACCINE! That is a conflict of interest, my friends but it is alowed. I personally am not going to shoot up my baby with a bunch of diseases that have NO PROOF OF ACTUALY IMMUNITY, and are FULL of chemicals that are PROVEN to be hazardous to your health because some corporate mucky muck with junk research and a financial stake at hand says it's "best for my baby." Common sense again...
Polio was NOT erradicated because of vaccines. It was almost erradicated naturally before we started vaccinating. In fact, we are KEEPING THE VIRUS ALIVE by culturing it artificially with a vaccine. AND, less than 1% of polio cases actually cause paralysis. The majority of the time, polio feels like a bad flu. Polio vaccines were originally made with SV-40 which is now showing up as a cause for countless kinds of cancer. And they are predicting that its going to take 5 GENERATIONS to get SV40 out of the human race. Really safe. 100% of the cases of polio now WORLDWIDE are in the vaccinated community. 100% is a pretty significant amount.
And the measels does NOT equate with sterility. That occurs in less than 2% of the population that get the measels. Most of my family had the measels as children and they are just fine. My chiropractor actually went out of his way to make sure his kids got rubella so they wuold have lifelong immunity to it. They survived just fine.
And you will NEVER convince me that the chicken pox is deadly. I am not that stupid.
I believe this: the truth will come out eventually. The truth is that vaccines are harming children and adults alike. When it does, the vaccine makers will say, "We told you they had adverse side effects." ANd they'll say that they told you this all along.
You know that the CDC and the FDA have members that vote on the vaccine schedule that OWN PATENTS FOR THE VACCINE! That is a conflict of interest, my friends but it is alowed. I personally am not going to shoot up my baby with a bunch of diseases that have NO PROOF OF ACTUALY IMMUNITY, and are FULL of chemicals that are PROVEN to be hazardous to your health because some corporate mucky muck with junk research and a financial stake at hand says it's "best for my baby." Common sense again...
9/22/2007 12:59 AM
Rachel said...
Cal-Oregon Unvaccinated Survey
Background
"We surveyed over 9,000 boys in California and Oregon and found that vaccinated boys had a 155% greater chance of having a neurological disorder like ADHD or autism than unvaccinated boys." - Generation Rescue
- Read our press release discussing the survey here.
- Read an article from UPI Investigative reporter Dan Olmsted Discussing the survey: Study Sees Vaccine Risk.
If you are interested in learning about alternative vaccine schedules, please read our section titled On Vaccines.
Methodology
Generation Rescue commissioned an independent opinion research firm, SurveyUSA of Verona NJ, to conduct a telephone survey in nine counties in California and Oregon. Counties were selected by Generation Rescue. Interviews were successfully completed in 11,817 households with one or more children age 4 to 17. From those 11,817 households, data on 17,674 children was gathered. Of the 17,674 children inventoried, 991 were described as being completely unvaccinated. For each unvaccinated child, a health battery was administered.
Generation Rescue chose to use telephone interviews with parents to gather data on children, so as to closely mirror the methodology the CDC uses to establish national prevalence for NDs such as ADHD and autism through their national phone survey of parent responses. Generation Rescue chose to focus on children ages 4-17 to match the age range used by CDC.
Are parent responses a reliable indicator of a child's diagnostic status? According to Dr. Laura Schieve, co-author of the CDC's national phone survey study, in discussing the CDC's two phone surveys on autism prevalence, "the consistency of prevalence estimates across the two surveys supports high reliability or reproducibility of parental report of autism and reliability is one important component of validity."
SurveyUSA is a well-known national opinion research firm with unique expertise in canvassing local communities. SurveyUSA has no vested interest in any outcome this or any survey might produce. You can see a copy of the questionnaire used in the survey here. The data the survey intended to capture included:
- Households with a child or children aged 4-17
- Whether or not that child had been vaccinated
- Whether or not that child had any one (or more) of the following diagnosis: ADD, ADHD, Asperger's, PDD-NOS, Autism, Asthma, or Juvenile Diabetes (the final two of which were added to consider other health outcomes).
The results of the survey allowed us to compare the prevalence (what percentage of children have a particular diagnosis) to see if there was any meaningful difference between unvaccinated and vaccinated children.
The most common way to measure prevalence differences is through a calculation known as relative risk or the Risk Ratio, where we compared prevalence amongst unvaccinated children to prevalence amongst vaccinated children. So, if 5% of unvaccinated children have asthma, and 10% of vaccinated children have asthma, that represents an "RR" of 2.0 (10%/5%), or a difference of 100%. We were also able to look at the data by gender, age, and county.
Results
SurveyUSA gathered data on 9,175 boys and 8,499 girls. Counties surveyed in California included:
San Diego
Sonoma
Orange
Sacramento
Marin
Counties surveyed in Oregon included:
Multnomah
Marion
Jackson
Lane
The results of the survey can be accessed as a pdf file here. This is the primary data we received from SurveyUSA and it can be used for anyone to independently analyze our results.
Generation Rescue analyzed the data provided by SurveyUSA, and a copy of our analysis can be found here. The most notable results of our survey are with the boys, which is not surprising considering boys represent approximately 80% of total cases of NDs. Namely:
All vaccinated boys, compared to unvaccinated boys:
- Vaccinated boys were 155% more likely to have a neurological disorder (RR 2.55)
- Vaccinated boys were 224% more likely to have ADHD (RR 3.24)
- Vaccinated boys were 61% more likely to have autism (RR 1.61)
Older vaccinated boys, ages 11-17 (about half the boys surveyed), compared to older unvaccinated boys:
- Vaccinated boys were 158% more likely to have a neurological disorder (RR 2.58)
- Vaccinated boys were 317% more likely to have ADHD (RR 4.17)
- Vaccinated boys were 112% more likely to have autism (RR 2.12)
(Note: older children may be a more reliable indicator because many children are not diagnosed until they are 6-8 years old, and we captured data beginning at age 4.)
All vaccinated boys, removing one county with unusual results (Multnomah, OR), compared to unvaccinated boys:
- Vaccinated boys were 185% more likely to have a neurological disorder (RR 2.85)
- Vaccinated boys were 279% more likely to have ADHD (RR 3.79)
- Vaccinated boys were 146% more likely to have autism (RR 2.46)
All vaccinated boys and girls, compared to unvaccinated boys and girls:
- Vaccinated boys and girls were 120% more likely to have asthma (RR 2.20)
- No correlation established for juvenile diabetes
All vaccinated girls, compared to unvaccinated girls:
- No meaningful differences in prevalence were noted for NDs (which may be due to the smaller sample size of the study because girls represent about 20% of cases.)
Commentary
Generation Rescue is not representing that our study proves that the U.S. vaccine schedule has caused an epidemic in neurological disorders amongst our children. We are a small non-profit organization. For less than $200,000, we were able to complete a study that the CDC, with an $8 billion a year budget, has been unable or unwilling to do. We think the results of our survey lend credibility to the urgent need to do a larger scale study to compare vaccinated and unvaccinated children for neurodevelopmental outcomes.
It is also the opinion of Generation Rescue that we are over-vaccinating our children, and we encourage parents to use caution in how they choose to vaccinate their children, particularly boys. In the vaccine section of our website, we provide additional detail on vaccines and vaccinating safely and provide three alternative vaccine schedules parents may want to consider for their children.
Background:
In 1983, the Centers for Disease Control ("CDC") recommended a total of 10 vaccines for our children up to the age of 5. In 2007, the CDC recommends 36, an increase of 260%, or 3.6x. (See a comparison here).
During this time period, we have witnessed an epidemic of childhood neurological disorders ("NDs"). Today, the CDC estimates that 1 in 13 U.S. children has been diagnosed with ADHD and 1 in 150 has been diagnosed with autism. In the 1980s, ADHD was almost unheard of and autism was estimated to affect 1 in 10,000 children. Boys are significantly more affected by NDs, accounting for approximately 80% of all cases.
Unfortunately, the mainstream media still misreports that the explosive growth in NDs is the results of "better diagnosis" despite the considerable published scientific research to refute this position. As one example, Department of Developmental Services in California, known for keeping the best autism data in the country, issued this report regarding the growth of autism rates in California where they stated:
"There is no evidence that a loosening in the diagnostic criteria has contributed to increased number of autism clients...we conclude that some, if not all, of the observed increase represents a true increase in cases of autism in California...a purely genetic basis for autism does not fully explain the increasing autism prevalence. Other theories that attempt to better explain the observed increase in autism cases include environmental exposures to substances such as mercury; viral exposures; autoimmune disorders; and childhood vaccinations."
Many parents blame vaccines for their children's ND, and many published biological studies seem to support this position, because vaccines contain ingredients capable of causing neurological damage. Yet, no studies have ever been done to compare ND rates of unvaccinated children to vaccinated children. Until now.
(Note: Neurolological disorders include ADD, ADHD, Asperger's, PDD-NOS, and Autism.)
Brief commentary:
There is a lot of misreporting that would lead parents to believe that vaccines have already been scientifically proven to be unrelated to the epidemic of NDs. This is simply not true.
- U.S. children have been analyzed to compare those who received some mercury in their vaccines with those who received more mercury in their vaccines for the outcome of autism (not ADHD). The conclusion of the study was neutral, meaning a link could neither be confirmed nor denied. This study, conducted by the CDC, is the only study ever done using data of U.S. Children.
- Children in several European countries have been analyzed to compare those who received mercury in their shots with those who received no mercury in their shots for the outcome of autism. The conclusions of these studies was that no association was found, although these studies have been disputed. See www.putchildrenfirst.org for more details.
- Further, in 2006 the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, at the request of Senator Joseph Lieberman, issued this report which effectively conceded that both the CDC study of U.S. children and the "Danish Studies" were of poor study design and not reliable in determining whether or not Thimerosal causes autism. As this article from UPI reporter Dan Olmsted noted following the report's release: "For three years, the CDC has used a study conducted on its own Vaccine Safety Datalink to reassure parents that mercury in vaccines does not cause autism. Now a panel of government-appointed experts says there are "serious problems" with exactly the approach the CDC took." Olmsted interviewed the Chairperson of the NIEHS Committee who was quoted as saying:
"It's an 'open question' whether anything about vaccines -- timing, dose, preservative -- is related to the rise in diagnoses [of autism]. Some studies are stronger than others. The Verstraeten [Pediatrics] study was an improvement on other studies including the two in Denmark, both of which had serious weaknesses in their designs that limit what we can learn from them."
- No studies have ever been done to compare ND rates of children who received vaccines with those who received no vaccines, which is what our survey accomplished. Moreover, no studies have ever explored a link between vaccines and ADHD, despite the fact that 1 in 13 U.S. children have this diagnosis (versus 1 in 150 for autism).
- Even the Institute of Medicine, which is often cited in the media for issuing a 2004 report refuting the relationship between mercury and autism, held a 2007 workshop on "autism and the environment" that featured "presentations and discussions on strategies for research focusing on the potential relationship between autism and an array of environmental exposures."
The glaring absence of a study to compare vaccinated and unvaccinated children for ND rates caused Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) to introduce this bill to compel the National Institutes of Health to do such a study.
Potential Criticisms
The question of whether or not vaccines have played and role in the epidemic of neurological disorders is an explosive topic with many passionate voices on both sides of the debate. Our survey results will most assuredly be challenged and criticized. Some of the more likely challenges (and our responses) include:
Criticism: Parents who do not vaccinate their children are less likely to seek an ND diagnosis, which explains the difference in prevalence you found.
Response: We think the data disproves this, because we found no meaningful difference in prevalence for NDs between vaccinated and unvaccinated girls. If this was simply an issue of parent behavior, the girls would have shown wide discrepancies in prevalence, too, and they did not.
It's also interesting to consider a study completed by the CDC and published in Pediatrics, Children Who Have Received No Vaccines: Who Are They and Where Do They Live? The study noted:
"Unvaccinated children tended to be white, to have a mother who was married and had a college degree, to live in a household with an annual income exceeding $75,000, and to have parents who expressed concerns regarding the safety of vaccines and indicated that medical doctors have little influence over vaccination decisions for their children."
And, it continues:
"Why do some parents avoid vaccinating their children? Our results indicate that parents of unvaccinated children are much more concerned about vaccine safety than are parents whose children receive Your browser may not support display of this image.1 vaccine dose. In a survey of parent's beliefs and practices regarding vaccinations and autism, siblings in families in which there was an autistic child were 3 times more likely to be unvaccinated, compared with siblings in families in which there was a child with attention-deficit/
Criticism: The ratio of diagnosed to undiagnosed children in this survey may be too high, indicating a potential response bias.
Response: The survey does not attempt to newly establish the prevalence of autism in the general population. The survey attempts only to shed preliminary light on any relationship between vaccination status and diagnosis. It is not surprising and not unexpected that parents with children who have received a diagnosis may have been more willing to complete the health battery included in this survey than parents of children who have not been diagnosed. However, that does not make the parents who did participate in this study likely to lie about, or forget about, the vaccination status of their children. The only way a possible "response bias" in favor of those households with a diagnosed child would invalidate the results of this research is if asking about vaccination status of a child independently produced a bias and that bias interacted with the bias caused by asking about NDs. For the concern to be valid: somehow, the main group of vaccinated families would have to be more likely to respond if there was an ND in the family, without also affecting the response of unvaccinated families in the same way. While such an interaction is possible, this criticism can be addressed by further, more elaborate research. Such a potential interaction does not invalidate this research.
It's also worth considering that if there was response bias, we should have received a disproportionate share of our responses from parents of boys, who represent 80% of NDs, and we did not. Boys were 51.9% of responses and girls were 48.1%. (We hope there was some response bias, because our numbers show a prevalence of autism of 1 in 43, far higher than the CDC's reported number of 1 in 150.)
Criticism: Parent responses is not a reliable way to gauge either a child's diagnosis or whether or not a child has been vaccinated.
Response: We would point to our "Methodology" section above and cite the CDC, who also uses a parent phone survey to gauge prevalence of NDs in children. We generally mimicked their approach.
Final Thought
Why hasn't a larger scale study comparing ND rates of vaccinated and unvaccinated children already taken place? We don't know. We credit Dan Olmsted, a reporter for United Press International, with giving us the idea to do this study. At a press conference in the summer of 2005, Mr. Olmsted had a chance to ask Julie Gerberding, the Director of the CDC, a simple question. Mr. Olmsted asked:
"Has the government ever looked at the autism rate in an unvaccinated U.S. population, and if not, why not?"
Ms. Gerberding's answer:
"In this country, we have very high levels of vaccination as you probably know, and I think this year we have record immunization levels among all of our children, so to (select an unvaccinated group) that on a population basis would be representative to look at incidence in that population compared to the other population would be something that could be done.
But as we're learning, just trying to look at autism in a community the size of Atlanta, it's very, very difficult to get an effective numerator and denominator to get a reliable diagnosis.
I think those kind of studies could be done and should be done. You'd have to adjust for the strong genetic component that also distinguishes, for example, people in Amish communities who may elect not to be immunized (and) also have genetic connectivity that would make them different from populations that are in other sectors of the United States. So drawing some conclusions from them would be very difficult.
I think with reference to the timing of all of this, good science does take time, and it's part of one of the messages I feel like I've learned from the feedback that we've gotten from parents groups this summer (in) struggling with developing a more robust and a faster research agenda, is let's speed this up. Let's look for the early studies that could give us at least some hypotheses to test and evaluate and get information flowing through the research pipeline as quickly as we can.
So we are committed to doing that, and as I mentioned, in terms of just measuring the frequency of autism in the population some pretty big steps have been taken. We're careful not to jump ahead of our data, but we think we will be able to provide more accurate information in the next year or so than we've been able to do up to this point. And I know that is our responsibility.
We've also benefited from some increased investments in these areas that have allowed us to do this, and so we thank Congress and we thank the administration for supporting those investments, not just at CDC but also at NIH and FDA."
Is Ms. Gerberding genuinely interested in getting an answer? We will let the reader decide.
Generation Rescue
June 26, 2007
Background
"We surveyed over 9,000 boys in California and Oregon and found that vaccinated boys had a 155% greater chance of having a neurological disorder like ADHD or autism than unvaccinated boys." - Generation Rescue
- Read our press release discussing the survey here.
- Read an article from UPI Investigative reporter Dan Olmsted Discussing the survey: Study Sees Vaccine Risk.
If you are interested in learning about alternative vaccine schedules, please read our section titled On Vaccines.
Methodology
Generation Rescue commissioned an independent opinion research firm, SurveyUSA of Verona NJ, to conduct a telephone survey in nine counties in California and Oregon. Counties were selected by Generation Rescue. Interviews were successfully completed in 11,817 households with one or more children age 4 to 17. From those 11,817 households, data on 17,674 children was gathered. Of the 17,674 children inventoried, 991 were described as being completely unvaccinated. For each unvaccinated child, a health battery was administered.
Generation Rescue chose to use telephone interviews with parents to gather data on children, so as to closely mirror the methodology the CDC uses to establish national prevalence for NDs such as ADHD and autism through their national phone survey of parent responses. Generation Rescue chose to focus on children ages 4-17 to match the age range used by CDC.
Are parent responses a reliable indicator of a child's diagnostic status? According to Dr. Laura Schieve, co-author of the CDC's national phone survey study, in discussing the CDC's two phone surveys on autism prevalence, "the consistency of prevalence estimates across the two surveys supports high reliability or reproducibility of parental report of autism and reliability is one important component of validity."
SurveyUSA is a well-known national opinion research firm with unique expertise in canvassing local communities. SurveyUSA has no vested interest in any outcome this or any survey might produce. You can see a copy of the questionnaire used in the survey here. The data the survey intended to capture included:
- Households with a child or children aged 4-17
- Whether or not that child had been vaccinated
- Whether or not that child had any one (or more) of the following diagnosis: ADD, ADHD, Asperger's, PDD-NOS, Autism, Asthma, or Juvenile Diabetes (the final two of which were added to consider other health outcomes).
The results of the survey allowed us to compare the prevalence (what percentage of children have a particular diagnosis) to see if there was any meaningful difference between unvaccinated and vaccinated children.
The most common way to measure prevalence differences is through a calculation known as relative risk or the Risk Ratio, where we compared prevalence amongst unvaccinated children to prevalence amongst vaccinated children. So, if 5% of unvaccinated children have asthma, and 10% of vaccinated children have asthma, that represents an "RR" of 2.0 (10%/5%), or a difference of 100%. We were also able to look at the data by gender, age, and county.
Results
SurveyUSA gathered data on 9,175 boys and 8,499 girls. Counties surveyed in California included:
San Diego
Sonoma
Orange
Sacramento
Marin
Counties surveyed in Oregon included:
Multnomah
Marion
Jackson
Lane
The results of the survey can be accessed as a pdf file here. This is the primary data we received from SurveyUSA and it can be used for anyone to independently analyze our results.
Generation Rescue analyzed the data provided by SurveyUSA, and a copy of our analysis can be found here. The most notable results of our survey are with the boys, which is not surprising considering boys represent approximately 80% of total cases of NDs. Namely:
All vaccinated boys, compared to unvaccinated boys:
- Vaccinated boys were 155% more likely to have a neurological disorder (RR 2.55)
- Vaccinated boys were 224% more likely to have ADHD (RR 3.24)
- Vaccinated boys were 61% more likely to have autism (RR 1.61)
Older vaccinated boys, ages 11-17 (about half the boys surveyed), compared to older unvaccinated boys:
- Vaccinated boys were 158% more likely to have a neurological disorder (RR 2.58)
- Vaccinated boys were 317% more likely to have ADHD (RR 4.17)
- Vaccinated boys were 112% more likely to have autism (RR 2.12)
(Note: older children may be a more reliable indicator because many children are not diagnosed until they are 6-8 years old, and we captured data beginning at age 4.)
All vaccinated boys, removing one county with unusual results (Multnomah, OR), compared to unvaccinated boys:
- Vaccinated boys were 185% more likely to have a neurological disorder (RR 2.85)
- Vaccinated boys were 279% more likely to have ADHD (RR 3.79)
- Vaccinated boys were 146% more likely to have autism (RR 2.46)
All vaccinated boys and girls, compared to unvaccinated boys and girls:
- Vaccinated boys and girls were 120% more likely to have asthma (RR 2.20)
- No correlation established for juvenile diabetes
All vaccinated girls, compared to unvaccinated girls:
- No meaningful differences in prevalence were noted for NDs (which may be due to the smaller sample size of the study because girls represent about 20% of cases.)
Commentary
Generation Rescue is not representing that our study proves that the U.S. vaccine schedule has caused an epidemic in neurological disorders amongst our children. We are a small non-profit organization. For less than $200,000, we were able to complete a study that the CDC, with an $8 billion a year budget, has been unable or unwilling to do. We think the results of our survey lend credibility to the urgent need to do a larger scale study to compare vaccinated and unvaccinated children for neurodevelopmental outcomes.
It is also the opinion of Generation Rescue that we are over-vaccinating our children, and we encourage parents to use caution in how they choose to vaccinate their children, particularly boys. In the vaccine section of our website, we provide additional detail on vaccines and vaccinating safely and provide three alternative vaccine schedules parents may want to consider for their children.
Background:
In 1983, the Centers for Disease Control ("CDC") recommended a total of 10 vaccines for our children up to the age of 5. In 2007, the CDC recommends 36, an increase of 260%, or 3.6x. (See a comparison here).
During this time period, we have witnessed an epidemic of childhood neurological disorders ("NDs"). Today, the CDC estimates that 1 in 13 U.S. children has been diagnosed with ADHD and 1 in 150 has been diagnosed with autism. In the 1980s, ADHD was almost unheard of and autism was estimated to affect 1 in 10,000 children. Boys are significantly more affected by NDs, accounting for approximately 80% of all cases.
Unfortunately, the mainstream media still misreports that the explosive growth in NDs is the results of "better diagnosis" despite the considerable published scientific research to refute this position. As one example, Department of Developmental Services in California, known for keeping the best autism data in the country, issued this report regarding the growth of autism rates in California where they stated:
"There is no evidence that a loosening in the diagnostic criteria has contributed to increased number of autism clients...we conclude that some, if not all, of the observed increase represents a true increase in cases of autism in California...a purely genetic basis for autism does not fully explain the increasing autism prevalence. Other theories that attempt to better explain the observed increase in autism cases include environmental exposures to substances such as mercury; viral exposures; autoimmune disorders; and childhood vaccinations."
Many parents blame vaccines for their children's ND, and many published biological studies seem to support this position, because vaccines contain ingredients capable of causing neurological damage. Yet, no studies have ever been done to compare ND rates of unvaccinated children to vaccinated children. Until now.
(Note: Neurolological disorders include ADD, ADHD, Asperger's, PDD-NOS, and Autism.)
Brief commentary:
There is a lot of misreporting that would lead parents to believe that vaccines have already been scientifically proven to be unrelated to the epidemic of NDs. This is simply not true.
- U.S. children have been analyzed to compare those who received some mercury in their vaccines with those who received more mercury in their vaccines for the outcome of autism (not ADHD). The conclusion of the study was neutral, meaning a link could neither be confirmed nor denied. This study, conducted by the CDC, is the only study ever done using data of U.S. Children.
- Children in several European countries have been analyzed to compare those who received mercury in their shots with those who received no mercury in their shots for the outcome of autism. The conclusions of these studies was that no association was found, although these studies have been disputed. See www.putchildrenfirst.org for more details.
- Further, in 2006 the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, at the request of Senator Joseph Lieberman, issued this report which effectively conceded that both the CDC study of U.S. children and the "Danish Studies" were of poor study design and not reliable in determining whether or not Thimerosal causes autism. As this article from UPI reporter Dan Olmsted noted following the report's release: "For three years, the CDC has used a study conducted on its own Vaccine Safety Datalink to reassure parents that mercury in vaccines does not cause autism. Now a panel of government-appointed experts says there are "serious problems" with exactly the approach the CDC took." Olmsted interviewed the Chairperson of the NIEHS Committee who was quoted as saying:
"It's an 'open question' whether anything about vaccines -- timing, dose, preservative -- is related to the rise in diagnoses [of autism]. Some studies are stronger than others. The Verstraeten [Pediatrics] study was an improvement on other studies including the two in Denmark, both of which had serious weaknesses in their designs that limit what we can learn from them."
- No studies have ever been done to compare ND rates of children who received vaccines with those who received no vaccines, which is what our survey accomplished. Moreover, no studies have ever explored a link between vaccines and ADHD, despite the fact that 1 in 13 U.S. children have this diagnosis (versus 1 in 150 for autism).
- Even the Institute of Medicine, which is often cited in the media for issuing a 2004 report refuting the relationship between mercury and autism, held a 2007 workshop on "autism and the environment" that featured "presentations and discussions on strategies for research focusing on the potential relationship between autism and an array of environmental exposures."
The glaring absence of a study to compare vaccinated and unvaccinated children for ND rates caused Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) to introduce this bill to compel the National Institutes of Health to do such a study.
Potential Criticisms
The question of whether or not vaccines have played and role in the epidemic of neurological disorders is an explosive topic with many passionate voices on both sides of the debate. Our survey results will most assuredly be challenged and criticized. Some of the more likely challenges (and our responses) include:
Criticism: Parents who do not vaccinate their children are less likely to seek an ND diagnosis, which explains the difference in prevalence you found.
Response: We think the data disproves this, because we found no meaningful difference in prevalence for NDs between vaccinated and unvaccinated girls. If this was simply an issue of parent behavior, the girls would have shown wide discrepancies in prevalence, too, and they did not.
It's also interesting to consider a study completed by the CDC and published in Pediatrics, Children Who Have Received No Vaccines: Who Are They and Where Do They Live? The study noted:
"Unvaccinated children tended to be white, to have a mother who was married and had a college degree, to live in a household with an annual income exceeding $75,000, and to have parents who expressed concerns regarding the safety of vaccines and indicated that medical doctors have little influence over vaccination decisions for their children."
And, it continues:
"Why do some parents avoid vaccinating their children? Our results indicate that parents of unvaccinated children are much more concerned about vaccine safety than are parents whose children receive Your browser may not support display of this image.1 vaccine dose. In a survey of parent's beliefs and practices regarding vaccinations and autism, siblings in families in which there was an autistic child were 3 times more likely to be unvaccinated, compared with siblings in families in which there was a child with attention-deficit/
Criticism: The ratio of diagnosed to undiagnosed children in this survey may be too high, indicating a potential response bias.
Response: The survey does not attempt to newly establish the prevalence of autism in the general population. The survey attempts only to shed preliminary light on any relationship between vaccination status and diagnosis. It is not surprising and not unexpected that parents with children who have received a diagnosis may have been more willing to complete the health battery included in this survey than parents of children who have not been diagnosed. However, that does not make the parents who did participate in this study likely to lie about, or forget about, the vaccination status of their children. The only way a possible "response bias" in favor of those households with a diagnosed child would invalidate the results of this research is if asking about vaccination status of a child independently produced a bias and that bias interacted with the bias caused by asking about NDs. For the concern to be valid: somehow, the main group of vaccinated families would have to be more likely to respond if there was an ND in the family, without also affecting the response of unvaccinated families in the same way. While such an interaction is possible, this criticism can be addressed by further, more elaborate research. Such a potential interaction does not invalidate this research.
It's also worth considering that if there was response bias, we should have received a disproportionate share of our responses from parents of boys, who represent 80% of NDs, and we did not. Boys were 51.9% of responses and girls were 48.1%. (We hope there was some response bias, because our numbers show a prevalence of autism of 1 in 43, far higher than the CDC's reported number of 1 in 150.)
Criticism: Parent responses is not a reliable way to gauge either a child's diagnosis or whether or not a child has been vaccinated.
Response: We would point to our "Methodology" section above and cite the CDC, who also uses a parent phone survey to gauge prevalence of NDs in children. We generally mimicked their approach.
Final Thought
Why hasn't a larger scale study comparing ND rates of vaccinated and unvaccinated children already taken place? We don't know. We credit Dan Olmsted, a reporter for United Press International, with giving us the idea to do this study. At a press conference in the summer of 2005, Mr. Olmsted had a chance to ask Julie Gerberding, the Director of the CDC, a simple question. Mr. Olmsted asked:
"Has the government ever looked at the autism rate in an unvaccinated U.S. population, and if not, why not?"
Ms. Gerberding's answer:
"In this country, we have very high levels of vaccination as you probably know, and I think this year we have record immunization levels among all of our children, so to (select an unvaccinated group) that on a population basis would be representative to look at incidence in that population compared to the other population would be something that could be done.
But as we're learning, just trying to look at autism in a community the size of Atlanta, it's very, very difficult to get an effective numerator and denominator to get a reliable diagnosis.
I think those kind of studies could be done and should be done. You'd have to adjust for the strong genetic component that also distinguishes, for example, people in Amish communities who may elect not to be immunized (and) also have genetic connectivity that would make them different from populations that are in other sectors of the United States. So drawing some conclusions from them would be very difficult.
I think with reference to the timing of all of this, good science does take time, and it's part of one of the messages I feel like I've learned from the feedback that we've gotten from parents groups this summer (in) struggling with developing a more robust and a faster research agenda, is let's speed this up. Let's look for the early studies that could give us at least some hypotheses to test and evaluate and get information flowing through the research pipeline as quickly as we can.
So we are committed to doing that, and as I mentioned, in terms of just measuring the frequency of autism in the population some pretty big steps have been taken. We're careful not to jump ahead of our data, but we think we will be able to provide more accurate information in the next year or so than we've been able to do up to this point. And I know that is our responsibility.
We've also benefited from some increased investments in these areas that have allowed us to do this, and so we thank Congress and we thank the administration for supporting those investments, not just at CDC but also at NIH and FDA."
Is Ms. Gerberding genuinely interested in getting an answer? We will let the reader decide.
Generation Rescue
June 26, 2007
9/22/2007 1:28 AM
Anonymous said...
Rachel,
Since you offer absolutely no empirical proof for your claim that vaccines for polio caused its eradication, let me offer you proof that your claim is incorrect and baseless.
Columbia University Polio Timeline
N.B. the following quote:
Once the Sabin and Salk vaccines were proven effective, the disease was rapidly eradicated throughout most of the industrialized world. The economic effect has been enormous; it has been calculated that the polio vaccine pays for the costs of its development approximately every three weeks. The benefit to the United States alone for this single breakthrough runs into the trillions of dollars. The social impact has been incalculable. The crutches, wheelchairs, and iron lungs of polio victims have at last been banished from children's and parents' nightmares, at least in the developed world.
Recently, the World Health Organization embarked on a campaign for the worldwide eradication of polio. If this plan is completed successfully, it will conclude the second deliberate destruction of a virus by humans, and stand as the final victory in Roosevelt's other war.
It really annoys me when people shout out things as "fact" that are unsubstantiated and trumpeted as continuing rumors around the Internet.
Since you offer absolutely no empirical proof for your claim that vaccines for polio caused its eradication, let me offer you proof that your claim is incorrect and baseless.
Columbia University Polio Timeline
N.B. the following quote:
Once the Sabin and Salk vaccines were proven effective, the disease was rapidly eradicated throughout most of the industrialized world. The economic effect has been enormous; it has been calculated that the polio vaccine pays for the costs of its development approximately every three weeks. The benefit to the United States alone for this single breakthrough runs into the trillions of dollars. The social impact has been incalculable. The crutches, wheelchairs, and iron lungs of polio victims have at last been banished from children's and parents' nightmares, at least in the developed world.
Recently, the World Health Organization embarked on a campaign for the worldwide eradication of polio. If this plan is completed successfully, it will conclude the second deliberate destruction of a virus by humans, and stand as the final victory in Roosevelt's other war.
It really annoys me when people shout out things as "fact" that are unsubstantiated and trumpeted as continuing rumors around the Internet.
9/22/2007 5:43 AM
Anonymous said...
Question: Isn't it true that the reason parents can get by not vaccinating their children against diseases that can be deadly or very disabling is that they count on most other parents vacinating their children? I we all stoppped like they have, what would be the ultimate outcome? Their unvaccinated children are safe and they are reasonably sure that countries will not change their policies anytime soon.
9/22/2007 9:25 AM
nikkilenz06 said...
http://www.generationrescue.
Please check out this web site! Also I am 30 with no vaccines how on earth have I survived?????
Please check out this web site! Also I am 30 with no vaccines how on earth have I survived?????
9/22/2007 9:05 PM
Anonymous said...
Boy are you iggnorant! I have actually WATCHED little childern become autistic because of their immunizations. That is what I do for a living. I do respite care for these autistic children, many of which also develop seizure disorders as well. You can't tell me that one day your two year old is just fine, and then right after his immunizations he becomes autistic? I've even seen people wait until their children are much older to immunize them because older sibling became autistic after immunizations. Guess what happened. This seven year old became autistic. I've seen it multiple times. Parents know their children. You can try to convince a mother otherwise, but if she knows what happened to her baby, SHE KNOWS, and how dare you try to tell her that she doesn't know her children better than YOU do.
9/22/2007 11:57 PM
Anonymous said...
to nikkilenz06: You survived these past 30 years because others around you were vaccinated against these diseases. An aggressive campaign to eradicate these diseases has successfully insulated you from them. That's wonderful. Just don't travel.
To anonymous above:
You watched them become autistic? Before your very eyes? You saw the doctor insert the needle and Poof! They transformed?
I somehow doubt it.
If what you say is true with regard to the older children, how do you explain that in light of the modification to the immunization to eliminate thimerosol? And how do you explain autism that emerges in families before these vaccinations were even available?
To anonymous above:
You watched them become autistic? Before your very eyes? You saw the doctor insert the needle and Poof! They transformed?
I somehow doubt it.
If what you say is true with regard to the older children, how do you explain that in light of the modification to the immunization to eliminate thimerosol? And how do you explain autism that emerges in families before these vaccinations were even available?
9/23/2007 4:36 AM
Anonymous said...
Question: Isn't it true that the reason parents can get by not vaccinating their children against diseases that can be deadly or very disabling is that they count on most other parents vacinating their children?
I don't count on my daughter avoiding the diseases due to herd immunity. I count on my daughter having a strong, effective immune system due to a healthy diet full of vitamin-rich fruits and vegetables, lean meats, and lots of fiber. I also make sure she only drinks water. I also make sure she is well-rested. I also make sure she's not exposed to too much stress in her life. I make sure she washes her hands frequently and doesn't put dirty things in her mouth. She doesn't share water bottles or food with other people. And when sickness is rumored, we supplement her diet with vitamin C, echinacea, and zinc, all of which naturally boost the immune system.
All in all, my daughter has been sick a small handful of times in her life, and none of her illnesses were any worse than a mild flu. I'm interested to have a RAST test done when she hits puberty to see what illnesses she's been exposed to and received natural life-long immunity to. It's not as cut-and-dry as herd immunity. If it were, there wouldn't be measles or mumps outbreaks.
I don't count on my daughter avoiding the diseases due to herd immunity. I count on my daughter having a strong, effective immune system due to a healthy diet full of vitamin-rich fruits and vegetables, lean meats, and lots of fiber. I also make sure she only drinks water. I also make sure she is well-rested. I also make sure she's not exposed to too much stress in her life. I make sure she washes her hands frequently and doesn't put dirty things in her mouth. She doesn't share water bottles or food with other people. And when sickness is rumored, we supplement her diet with vitamin C, echinacea, and zinc, all of which naturally boost the immune system.
All in all, my daughter has been sick a small handful of times in her life, and none of her illnesses were any worse than a mild flu. I'm interested to have a RAST test done when she hits puberty to see what illnesses she's been exposed to and received natural life-long immunity to. It's not as cut-and-dry as herd immunity. If it were, there wouldn't be measles or mumps outbreaks.
9/23/2007 5:47 AM
nikkilenz06 said...
ROFL I have lived in 8 states and 13 cities, traveled all throughout the United States. I have had chickenpox ( a useless vaccination causing shingles in older recipients) and nothing else, except a cold here and there. I do not travel out of the country to third world countries or where these diseases are prevalent because of lack of need for me to go there! Luckily I live in WI where anyone can choose to not be vaccinated for pretty much any reason. I could care less if your children are vaccinated, my kids will not be and in the long term my children will be better off! Do some researches instead of yelling at people you know nothing about you might find out something and have intelligent points to argue! Most of these diseases have been eradicated due to our parents not us or our kids, a lot of them were on their way to eradicating themselves before we introduced the vaccines. Most of the diseases we vaccinate for can be treated if myself or my children were to get them and the treatment side effects or far less dangerous than the vaccines. But if you want formaldehyde, fetal tissue and the hundreds of other random chemicals found in vaccines in your child's blood stream more power to you!
9/23/2007 3:36 PM
Rod Moser_PA_PhD said...
Is this a HOT TOPIC or what? I would love to have all of skeptics in a room with some renowned immunologists from the CDC, and a few infectious disease experts from the World Health Organizations. Bring your studies for critical analysis...bring your anecdotal stories...and bring your unimmunized children, and open mind. Let's hold this seminar in sub-Sahara Africa where measles is still the #2 Killer of Children worldwide. Not many, just a million or so per year die. While we are in the seminar, the kids can play outside.
During my childhood, families were being devasted by polio, and children were dying (yes, dying) of measles. In the 1950's, the US Public Health Department didn't give you a choice...you were vaccinated. Now, you do have a choice, so please make it wisely.
In the end, people will believe what they are going to believe. All of the scientific proof in the world will not change the path of stubborn people. May your life's journey be safe, your exposures cursory, and your luck, good.
During my childhood, families were being devasted by polio, and children were dying (yes, dying) of measles. In the 1950's, the US Public Health Department didn't give you a choice...you were vaccinated. Now, you do have a choice, so please make it wisely.
In the end, people will believe what they are going to believe. All of the scientific proof in the world will not change the path of stubborn people. May your life's journey be safe, your exposures cursory, and your luck, good.
9/23/2007 3:55 PM
Comment deleted
This post has been removed by the blog administrator.
9/23/2007 4:33 PM
WebMD Blog Admin said...
This is an emotional topic. However, please limit your comments to the topic at hand. Personal attacks will be deleted according to our terms and conditions.
9/23/2007 6:20 PM
Anonymous said...
Dr. Moser, did you seriously thumb your nose at "anecdotal stories" and then proceed to tell us about the families devestated & dying during your childhood from polio & measles? Does the suffering of those families count for more than the suffering of the families of children who have been permanently damaged or who have died (yes, died) as a result of vaccines? Well, like you said, people will believe what they are going to believe...yourself included, I guess. I wonder if it ever occurred to you, and those like-minded, that most parents who choose not to vaccinate or vaccinate according to their own schedule never considered NOT vaccinating until they started doing the math based on studies from sources like the CDC and WHO. I guess since most of those parents aren't MD's, they can't possibly be intelligent enough to come to the "right" conclusions.
9/24/2007 12:00 AM
Anonymous said...
I believe that Africa is still the only place that is affected by these illnesses because of their lack of water, food and sanitation.
Illness and death have developed throught history because of human "Progress" and unclean unhealthy conditions.
I don't see how sheeps blood cells, ether, mercury,antifreeze and aluminum could possibly be healthy....
Illness and death have developed throught history because of human "Progress" and unclean unhealthy conditions.
I don't see how sheeps blood cells, ether, mercury,antifreeze and aluminum could possibly be healthy....
9/24/2007 2:13 AM
Anonymous said...
RE: I would love to have all of skeptics in a room with some renowned immunologists from the CDC, and a few infectious disease experts from the World Health Organizations...
I think that is a fantastic idea! We can talk about the vast difference in nutrition, sanitary water supplies, and available medical knowledge in subSaharan Africa, as well as the much lower Autism rate. I'll even let my child kiss *gasp* one of the little African children.
The medical community is so quick to dismiss natural as lesser and ignorant, but in so many areas, Western medicinal knowledge seems to be taking a brutal beating (obstetrical care, infant nutritional knowledge, etc). Why is it so hard to believe that the vast majority of non-vaccinating parents boast of extremely healthy children, nary a runny nose. Why isn't anyone even taking the time to explore the *remote* possibility that these mothers aren't lying when they say they saw overnight changes in their children after a vaccination?
Good luck to you, in your life, as well, Doc. For when the other shoe drops, and something is conclusively proven to support a more natural approach, I hope you can live with your conscience.
I think that is a fantastic idea! We can talk about the vast difference in nutrition, sanitary water supplies, and available medical knowledge in subSaharan Africa, as well as the much lower Autism rate. I'll even let my child kiss *gasp* one of the little African children.
The medical community is so quick to dismiss natural as lesser and ignorant, but in so many areas, Western medicinal knowledge seems to be taking a brutal beating (obstetrical care, infant nutritional knowledge, etc). Why is it so hard to believe that the vast majority of non-vaccinating parents boast of extremely healthy children, nary a runny nose. Why isn't anyone even taking the time to explore the *remote* possibility that these mothers aren't lying when they say they saw overnight changes in their children after a vaccination?
Good luck to you, in your life, as well, Doc. For when the other shoe drops, and something is conclusively proven to support a more natural approach, I hope you can live with your conscience.
9/24/2007 5:30 AM
Anonymous said...
The reason there is so many cases of autism in this country and still on the rise is because of the to brain altering ingredients in our children's vaccines.......Mercury and alunmum.
FOr a long time Immunizations have been a natural factor......U have a baby you rise them you get their shots, believing they're safe efficient ect.
Yet now days its because a very big debate. Why because most ppl are starting to find out hey are all these vaccines needed; they are also starting to find out that they are truley not proven to work and that they are not proven effective in any means.
If so many ppl out there still vaccinate anyways then why are so many children still dieing, still becoming autistic and mentally retarded and still getting these diseases they are suppose to be protected against.
Most of the disease they vax for are from very long ago and we in the USA dont have a problem with.
YOU dont have to be an MD to know whats best for your child, and for those mothers out there who think that a doc knows everything that is best for your child expecally when they tell you Vaccines are safe and effective then that mother really needs to get her head out of her A$$ and view reality!!
FOr a long time Immunizations have been a natural factor......U have a baby you rise them you get their shots, believing they're safe efficient ect.
Yet now days its because a very big debate. Why because most ppl are starting to find out hey are all these vaccines needed; they are also starting to find out that they are truley not proven to work and that they are not proven effective in any means.
If so many ppl out there still vaccinate anyways then why are so many children still dieing, still becoming autistic and mentally retarded and still getting these diseases they are suppose to be protected against.
Most of the disease they vax for are from very long ago and we in the USA dont have a problem with.
YOU dont have to be an MD to know whats best for your child, and for those mothers out there who think that a doc knows everything that is best for your child expecally when they tell you Vaccines are safe and effective then that mother really needs to get her head out of her A$$ and view reality!!
9/24/2007 11:48 AM
Anonymous said...
It really cracks me up about ppl who vax and eat organic healthy food. Ppl who eat organic is because of no pesticides right? RIGHT!!! BUt yet they inject their new babies with Mercury like whats in a thermometer, formaldehyde....what they put in dead bodies, Aborted baby tissue....UMMMM EWWWW. Antifreeze.....ummmm yummy.... some even have horse urine tasty......LOL I don't know about you but that really sounds harmful epically when a baby-toddler gets excessive amounts.
Vaccines go straight to your blood stream where as Pesticides you can wash off with soap and water just like u clean your dishes.
Vaccines go straight to your blood stream where as Pesticides you can wash off with soap and water just like u clean your dishes.
9/24/2007 12:00 PM
Anonymous said...
As we live in a "free" country with the power of personal choice, I have trouble with this issue being a mandated thing. This is a very personal issue and I believe there are key points to both sides of it.
What we should be pushing is education for parents to make an EDUCATED and UN-BIASED decision for their own children's health. If no one can mandate what a woman can do with her body, then how can it be mandated what parents must do with their children's bodies? No one but the parents are ultimately going to be left with the consequenses and responsibility of either choice--they alone should have the right to make it.
Yes, there are plenty of vaccinated children that have had no adverse or long term reactions or damage. But the same is true on the other side. I have done years of research for myself concerning my own children and because of that, have chosen not to vaccinate them (3). I don't regret or question my decision at all. My kids haven't had more than the 24 hour flu in the 10 1/2 years i've had them. No ear infections, asthma, allergies of any kind, nothing. I do strongly believe in the new evidence and studies saying that vaccines could be, and in some cases, likely are, at fault for health problems in kids. I will not say vaccines are evil, but I think it's irresponsible to label them as 100% safe and to not encourage parents to be as active as possible in the decisions regarding their children's healthcare.
What we should be pushing is education for parents to make an EDUCATED and UN-BIASED decision for their own children's health. If no one can mandate what a woman can do with her body, then how can it be mandated what parents must do with their children's bodies? No one but the parents are ultimately going to be left with the consequenses and responsibility of either choice--they alone should have the right to make it.
Yes, there are plenty of vaccinated children that have had no adverse or long term reactions or damage. But the same is true on the other side. I have done years of research for myself concerning my own children and because of that, have chosen not to vaccinate them (3). I don't regret or question my decision at all. My kids haven't had more than the 24 hour flu in the 10 1/2 years i've had them. No ear infections, asthma, allergies of any kind, nothing. I do strongly believe in the new evidence and studies saying that vaccines could be, and in some cases, likely are, at fault for health problems in kids. I will not say vaccines are evil, but I think it's irresponsible to label them as 100% safe and to not encourage parents to be as active as possible in the decisions regarding their children's healthcare.
9/24/2007 12:41 PM
Anonymous said...
I hope you all don't feed your kids salmon or tuna, which has a far higher mercury content than any vaccine.
What scares me the most about these comments is the belief on the part of some of you that because these diseases don't have outbreaks as frequently, there's no need to vaccinate against them.
There IS a cause and effect in place, but it's not autism/vaccines; it's vaccines/less disease. You're arrogant if you think otherwise.
What scares me the most about these comments is the belief on the part of some of you that because these diseases don't have outbreaks as frequently, there's no need to vaccinate against them.
There IS a cause and effect in place, but it's not autism/vaccines; it's vaccines/less disease. You're arrogant if you think otherwise.
9/24/2007 12:45 PM
Anonymous said...
I have to comment on this. My uncle is severely autistic he now lives in an institution, because my Grandma is too old to take care of him. He was not immunized as a child he was just born that way. My grandma cannot blame the government, the school, or the health dept. for his autism. Fortunately she never tried to find the cause...SHE JUST LOVED HIM. Now saying that I was never immunized as a child and I am not thankful for it. I spent my childhood sick all the time, measels, mumps, chickenpox, and probably a whole lot more that I am unaware of. no It didnt kill me but it stalled my education drastically, both socially and academically, I missed between 24 to 80 days of school a year until 8th grade, by then friendships were made and I was so far behind in my subjects. Did I vaccinated my children? heck yeah, And they have been healthy throughout the school years missing 0-2 days of school a year. I honestly don't know about the connection to autism I know that before the 1940s families hid disabilities things like retardation, invalids, and autism either at home or in an institution. that was my grandmas fears that the state would take him and put him in an institution. so maybe its just that people are more accepting of disabilities and the true fact is that autism has always been present, in the same amount back then as it is now.
9/24/2007 12:53 PM
Anonymous said...
I am autistic, and my vaccines did not cause it- no one really knows what the cause of it is.
Autism isn't a death sentance! I have lead a very good life, and am very high functioning. You wouldn't guess that I am autistic- if you saw me. But I am!
kayte
Autism isn't a death sentance! I have lead a very good life, and am very high functioning. You wouldn't guess that I am autistic- if you saw me. But I am!
kayte
9/24/2007 9:34 PM
Anonymous said...
To the person who said something about tuna.......U r far wrong! It all depends on how much you eat.
Just like salt if u eat to much it can kill you like at one sitting anyways.
Its not just the Mercury in the vaccines its all the other crap. Besides i don't see a baby eating tuna anyway
Just like salt if u eat to much it can kill you like at one sitting anyways.
Its not just the Mercury in the vaccines its all the other crap. Besides i don't see a baby eating tuna anyway
9/25/2007 12:27 AM
Anonymous said...
I don't count on my daughter avoiding the diseases due to herd immunity. I count on my daughter having a strong, effective immune system due to a healthy diet full of vitamin-rich fruits and vegetables, lean meats, and lots of fiber. I also make sure she only drinks water. I also make sure she is well-rested. I also make sure she's not exposed to too much stress in her life. I make sure she washes her hands frequently and doesn't put dirty things in her mouth. She doesn't share water bottles or food with other people. And when sickness is rumored, we supplement her diet with vitamin C, echinacea, and zinc, all of which naturally boost the immune system.
How nice it must be for you not to have to worry about your child coming down with something that needs to be treated quickly? What about all of the kids that don't have access to good or prompt care and vaccinations are the only preventative medicine they get? Vaccines are 100% effective so what if the vaccine is not effective in these less well off, unable to afford organic, vitamin rich food kids, and your carrier kid comes along and infects them? Then they don't get care until it is too late and they are left dead or permanently impaired? Oh well, at least your kid had his grass smoothie and is going to make it. Maybe this isn't realistic because your kid never interacts with somebody that doesn't have the resources to get good care promptly.
How nice it must be for you not to have to worry about your child coming down with something that needs to be treated quickly? What about all of the kids that don't have access to good or prompt care and vaccinations are the only preventative medicine they get? Vaccines are 100% effective so what if the vaccine is not effective in these less well off, unable to afford organic, vitamin rich food kids, and your carrier kid comes along and infects them? Then they don't get care until it is too late and they are left dead or permanently impaired? Oh well, at least your kid had his grass smoothie and is going to make it. Maybe this isn't realistic because your kid never interacts with somebody that doesn't have the resources to get good care promptly.
9/26/2007 12:40 AM
Anonymous said...
From post above, supposed to be a "vaccines are NOT 100% effective"
9/26/2007 12:42 AM
Anonymous said...
UMMM LOL to the person who said Vaccines are 1000% effective.....Are u a doctor? Nurse? Pedi? WHere the hell did you get that information??
LOL you dont even know how wrong you are.
Vaccines are not good care. If they were so effective then why the autism, why so many crib deaths that docs just write off as SIDS to save there asses!!!
LOL you dont even know how wrong you are.
Vaccines are not good care. If they were so effective then why the autism, why so many crib deaths that docs just write off as SIDS to save there asses!!!
9/26/2007 1:08 AM
Anonymous said...
LOL - read the comment 2 minutes after with the correction of the vaccinations being 100% effective. LOL you would think from the context of the sentence that you understood the meaning that vaccines are not 100% effective. LOL are you a literature professor / english teacher.
9/26/2007 9:28 AM
Anonymous said...
It's really funny how almost all the comments are from people who disagree with Mr. Moser's statements about vaccines. I know there are pros and cons to both sides of the issue, but until the states stop requiring vaccinations for admittance to public schools and state universities; we will have to vaccinate our children. I know how hard it is to get into school without all my vaccinations. I am missing my measles vaccine. I had the 1st one when I was an infant and it made me very ill. My doctor told my mom that I was probably allergic to something in the vaccine. I then had to get a note from him to finish high school and to enter college.
My kids have had all vaccines except for chicken pox. It wasn't available until after they had had chicken pox. I have two very intelligent, honor student children and both have learning disabilities. My son is dyslexic and my daughter has a very mild form of autism and hyper-activity. I don't blame any of this on the vaccines. I feel it is genetic. ADHD is prevelant in my family and the form of autism my daughter has is seen on my husband's side.
I have also seen what happens when a vaccine loses its efficacy. My son contracted whooping cough when he was 17. No, this wasn't a killer disease in a teenager, but; the coughing and vomitting were awful and it lasted for 6 weeks. So when my daughter's doctor suggested giving her a booster vaccine for whooping cough, I was all for it. I did not want her to go through what her brother did.
I know that I will not sway anyone's opinion, but I thought I would give you my experience with vaccines.
My kids have had all vaccines except for chicken pox. It wasn't available until after they had had chicken pox. I have two very intelligent, honor student children and both have learning disabilities. My son is dyslexic and my daughter has a very mild form of autism and hyper-activity. I don't blame any of this on the vaccines. I feel it is genetic. ADHD is prevelant in my family and the form of autism my daughter has is seen on my husband's side.
I have also seen what happens when a vaccine loses its efficacy. My son contracted whooping cough when he was 17. No, this wasn't a killer disease in a teenager, but; the coughing and vomitting were awful and it lasted for 6 weeks. So when my daughter's doctor suggested giving her a booster vaccine for whooping cough, I was all for it. I did not want her to go through what her brother did.
I know that I will not sway anyone's opinion, but I thought I would give you my experience with vaccines.
9/26/2007 2:16 PM
Anonymous said...
How about the invitro effect or the fact that women are having children so much older? Has anyone studied any of these issues? Im just asking as a curios bystander. You people are so angry? Why? Why do the non-vacs seem so vicious about proving there point? Maybe if everyone stopped attacking each other than someone would listen to you?
9/26/2007 9:24 PM
Anonymous said...
Vaccines are a big issue, so many people out there vaccinate thinking its great its wonderful, their effective, they don't cause autism and other neurological problems. They believe what doctors tell them no matter what specifically when it has to do with the health of their child, some of them so much that I wonder if a doctor told them to give their child crack and it would make them immune to everything bad in this world, if they'd do it!!
Where as us parents who don't vaccinate such as myself, have done plenty of research to back up an argument. But people,some anyways are to hard headed and don't even take into consideration that maybe us non vaxers are not wrong. I've been doing research for over 2 yrs now about them. I'm still debating on weather to give my daughter the polio shot and tetanus shot. As of this moment probably not. Ik now my brother couldn't walk for 2 yrs after his MMR shot and i got extremely sick after i had mine after my daughter was born. A doc i see has 5 kids all older teens and adults are not at all vaccinated!! She never had a problem with them being sick either.
A friend of a friends baby died at 4 months 2 hrs after her shots, do u know how devastating that would be. IF you catch a disease of some sort there is always ways to take care of it!! U have to use common sence!
Doctors think that Drugs and Vaccines are the solution to every thing, when really most times it causes more harm then good
I think Vaccine your child expecially so early in life is just laziness so u don't have to take care of your child when they get sick.
Where as us parents who don't vaccinate such as myself, have done plenty of research to back up an argument. But people,some anyways are to hard headed and don't even take into consideration that maybe us non vaxers are not wrong. I've been doing research for over 2 yrs now about them. I'm still debating on weather to give my daughter the polio shot and tetanus shot. As of this moment probably not. Ik now my brother couldn't walk for 2 yrs after his MMR shot and i got extremely sick after i had mine after my daughter was born. A doc i see has 5 kids all older teens and adults are not at all vaccinated!! She never had a problem with them being sick either.
A friend of a friends baby died at 4 months 2 hrs after her shots, do u know how devastating that would be. IF you catch a disease of some sort there is always ways to take care of it!! U have to use common sence!
Doctors think that Drugs and Vaccines are the solution to every thing, when really most times it causes more harm then good
I think Vaccine your child expecially so early in life is just laziness so u don't have to take care of your child when they get sick.
9/27/2007 12:51 AM
Anonymous said...
Vaccine Injury Compensation Trust Fund
The Vaccine Injury Compensation Trust Fund (Trust Fund) provides funding for the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) to compensate vaccine-related injury or death claims for covered vaccines administered on or after October 1, 1988. The Trust Fund is funded by a $0.75 excise tax on each dose of vaccine purchased (i.e., each disease prevented in a dose of vaccine). For example, the excise tax imposed on a dose of trivalent influenza vaccine is $0.75 because it prevents one disease, whereas the excise tax imposed on a dose of the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine is $2.25 because prevents three diseases. The taxable vaccines have also been recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for routine administration to children.
The Department of Treasury collects the excise taxes, and oversees and manages the investing activities for the Trust Fund. As of January 31, 2007, the Trust Fund balance was nearly $2.5 billion. The Trust Fund monthly reports are available on the Treasury's Bureau of Public Debt Website.
WEB SITES!!!
www.thinktwice.com
www.vaccinetruth.com
www.mercola.com
www.909shot.com
http://www.rense.com/health/
http://allnaturalhealth.us/
http://www.ghchealth.com/
http://www.vaclib.org/legal/
http://www.vaccinetruth.org/
http://www.fotf.ca/tfn/life/
http://www.naturodoc.com/
http://www.catholiceducation.
http://www.immunizationinfo.
http://www.deepdownwellness.
http://www.newswithviews.com/
http://www.vaccinationnews.com
www.mercola.com/forms/vaccine_
www.mercola.com/2004/oct/30/
www.mercola.com/article/
www.mercola.com/article/
www.mercola.com/2004/sep/22/
http://www.juiceguy.com/
http://www.hrsa.gov/
Books:
Immunization Theory vs Reality by Niel z. Miller
The Truth About Vaccines by Dr Richard Halvorsen [(pub Gibson Square Publishing) order a copy for just £9.99, post free, contact the YOU Bookshop, tel: 0870 162 5006, you-bookshop.co.uk]
Vaccination The Hidden Facts by Ian Sinclair
Raising A Vaccine Free Child-Wendy Lydall
A Shot In The Dark-Harris L. Coulter & Barbara Loe Fisher
(Why the P in the DPT vaccination may be hazardous to your child's health)
The Sanctity Of Human Blood: Vaccination Is Not Immunization-Tim O'Shea
"Vaccination: A Thoughtful Parent's Guide to Childhood Immunizations" by Aviva Romm
"How to Raise a Healthy Child, In Spite of your Doctor" by Dr. Robert Mendelsohn
"Evidence of Harm" by David Kirby
"What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Childhood Immunizations" by Stephanie Cave
"Vaccinations: A Thoughtful Parent's Guide: How to Make Safe, Sensible Decisions about the Risks, Benefits, and Alternatives"
Natural Baby and Childcare by Lauren Feder, M.D.
Lots Of Links:
http://www.tetrahedron.org/
http://www.909shot.com/state-
Here's a link (youtube) to a series of lectures on the Polio vaccine by Dr.Sherri Tenpenny. Admin. highly recommends them:
http://youtube.com/results?
National Vaccine Injury Compensation Fund
http://www.hrsa.gov/
Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System
http://vaers.hhs.gov/
HRSA - National Vaccine Injury Compensation Stats
http://www.hrsa.gov/
This one is all abut making an informed choice
http://www.geocities.com/
This one's pretty good and written by a Dr.;
http://www.whale.to/vaccines/
Alternative Health info
http://www.deepdownwellness.
Vaccine Ingredients
http://www.informedchoice.
http://www.tetrahedron.org/
and a number u can call to
1888-249-1421
The Vaccine Injury Compensation Trust Fund (Trust Fund) provides funding for the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) to compensate vaccine-related injury or death claims for covered vaccines administered on or after October 1, 1988. The Trust Fund is funded by a $0.75 excise tax on each dose of vaccine purchased (i.e., each disease prevented in a dose of vaccine). For example, the excise tax imposed on a dose of trivalent influenza vaccine is $0.75 because it prevents one disease, whereas the excise tax imposed on a dose of the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine is $2.25 because prevents three diseases. The taxable vaccines have also been recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for routine administration to children.
The Department of Treasury collects the excise taxes, and oversees and manages the investing activities for the Trust Fund. As of January 31, 2007, the Trust Fund balance was nearly $2.5 billion. The Trust Fund monthly reports are available on the Treasury's Bureau of Public Debt Website.
WEB SITES!!!
www.thinktwice.com
www.vaccinetruth.com
www.mercola.com
www.909shot.com
http://www.rense.com/health/
http://allnaturalhealth.us/
http://www.ghchealth.com/
http://www.vaclib.org/legal/
http://www.vaccinetruth.org/
http://www.fotf.ca/tfn/life/
http://www.naturodoc.com/
http://www.catholiceducation.
http://www.immunizationinfo.
http://www.deepdownwellness.
http://www.newswithviews.com/
http://www.vaccinationnews.com
www.mercola.com/forms/vaccine_
www.mercola.com/2004/oct/30/
www.mercola.com/article/
www.mercola.com/article/
www.mercola.com/2004/sep/22/
http://www.juiceguy.com/
http://www.hrsa.gov/
Books:
Immunization Theory vs Reality by Niel z. Miller
The Truth About Vaccines by Dr Richard Halvorsen [(pub Gibson Square Publishing) order a copy for just £9.99, post free, contact the YOU Bookshop, tel: 0870 162 5006, you-bookshop.co.uk]
Vaccination The Hidden Facts by Ian Sinclair
Raising A Vaccine Free Child-Wendy Lydall
A Shot In The Dark-Harris L. Coulter & Barbara Loe Fisher
(Why the P in the DPT vaccination may be hazardous to your child's health)
The Sanctity Of Human Blood: Vaccination Is Not Immunization-Tim O'Shea
"Vaccination: A Thoughtful Parent's Guide to Childhood Immunizations" by Aviva Romm
"How to Raise a Healthy Child, In Spite of your Doctor" by Dr. Robert Mendelsohn
"Evidence of Harm" by David Kirby
"What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Childhood Immunizations" by Stephanie Cave
"Vaccinations: A Thoughtful Parent's Guide: How to Make Safe, Sensible Decisions about the Risks, Benefits, and Alternatives"
Natural Baby and Childcare by Lauren Feder, M.D.
Lots Of Links:
http://www.tetrahedron.org/
http://www.909shot.com/state-
Here's a link (youtube) to a series of lectures on the Polio vaccine by Dr.Sherri Tenpenny. Admin. highly recommends them:
http://youtube.com/results?
National Vaccine Injury Compensation Fund
http://www.hrsa.gov/
Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System
http://vaers.hhs.gov/
HRSA - National Vaccine Injury Compensation Stats
http://www.hrsa.gov/
This one is all abut making an informed choice
http://www.geocities.com/
This one's pretty good and written by a Dr.;
http://www.whale.to/vaccines/
Alternative Health info
http://www.deepdownwellness.
Vaccine Ingredients
http://www.informedchoice.
http://www.tetrahedron.org/
and a number u can call to
1888-249-1421
9/27/2007 1:04 AM
Anonymous said...
I think it is important to note that although I haven't come across any scientific findings that link autism to vaccinations, there is a greater occurance of auto-immune diseases than there ever were in past generations. I don' t have children, but if I do, I'm unsure of whether I will vaccinate them. Our systems need infections and diseases to make itself stronger; perhaps a little infection isn't so bad.
9/27/2007 2:21 AM
Anonymous said...
This is so interesting to me. I can think of a ton of external factors which are not vaccinations which could just as easily be blamed:
1) More artificial colors/flavorings/chemicals in processed foods
2) Nuclear fallout from the bombs dropped in WWII and subsequent testing
3) Pollution of our natural resources; particularly the air;
4) Drug and alcohol use by one parent or the other in their youth, even if they didn't touch the stuff in adulthood
Yet the one to blame is the vaccine for some reason.
And to person who hypothesized that the reason parents want to vaccinate their kids is because they're too lazy to take care of them when they're sick, just know that you will never win anyone over to your way of thinking with that kind of invitation for them to even consider it. In fact, you really undid whatever shreds of credibility some of the others had built by being more polite.
1) More artificial colors/flavorings/chemicals in processed foods
2) Nuclear fallout from the bombs dropped in WWII and subsequent testing
3) Pollution of our natural resources; particularly the air;
4) Drug and alcohol use by one parent or the other in their youth, even if they didn't touch the stuff in adulthood
Yet the one to blame is the vaccine for some reason.
And to person who hypothesized that the reason parents want to vaccinate their kids is because they're too lazy to take care of them when they're sick, just know that you will never win anyone over to your way of thinking with that kind of invitation for them to even consider it. In fact, you really undid whatever shreds of credibility some of the others had built by being more polite.
9/27/2007 3:08 AM
Anonymous said...
Every bit of information left on here by no vax ppl the vaxers have to basically criticize that factor. People can get diseases weather they are vaccinated or not. The vax only lasts 10 years not a life time ( so they say) there's a lot of children who get the vax for a disease and get it anyways then die or have a horrible reaction to the vax and die.
Children dieing after vaccinations is inexcusable! No person shold die from something that is suppose to protect them. Therefore being they are not safe in most cases.
The reason i said parents are just lazy by vaxing is because look at it this way.....
People vax so their child dosn't get a disease, in which most of them are curable if you care for that child properly, just like a cold if you don't take care of your child right it can change into ammonia and if still not cared for properly die from it!!
Therefore....by vaxing and knowing the outcome it might have....its lazy to vax, because it just shows that a child who gets somthing, the mothers dose not want to spend the time to fully take care of them, they figure that by vaxing will make everything easyier.
Its hard to say in words what especially I mean, so i hope this came out better
Children dieing after vaccinations is inexcusable! No person shold die from something that is suppose to protect them. Therefore being they are not safe in most cases.
The reason i said parents are just lazy by vaxing is because look at it this way.....
People vax so their child dosn't get a disease, in which most of them are curable if you care for that child properly, just like a cold if you don't take care of your child right it can change into ammonia and if still not cared for properly die from it!!
Therefore....by vaxing and knowing the outcome it might have....its lazy to vax, because it just shows that a child who gets somthing, the mothers dose not want to spend the time to fully take care of them, they figure that by vaxing will make everything easyier.
Its hard to say in words what especially I mean, so i hope this came out better
9/27/2007 11:07 AM
Anonymous said...
As the aunt of a autistic child and a best friend who is a teacher of these beautiful children I think the best thing we can do as a society is to continue research as to what causes autism and confirm if there is a link. Autism is growing in numbers as our enviroment changes and all of these changes need to be examined. Many parents do note the changes in their child directly following immunizations and that is something that should be investigated. No-one knows a child like a mother and those changes are clear to a parent. There are wonderfuly vaccines that protect our children but some may be harmful. I am fortunate to have a two year old son who has been vaccinated and thankfully he is healthy. There are many medications that are found to be dangerous years after use. This may or not be the case.
9/27/2007 2:03 PM
Anonymous said...
Of course the CDC and doctors are not going to come out with the truth that vaccines cause autism....I mean like DUH.....they're there a business, they want to keep making money. If they came out with the truth to the public they would most likely be getting sued by thousands of ppl out there with vaccine damaged children with autism!!
Thats not including all the ppl who have already sued because of their child being damaged or dieing
Thats not including all the ppl who have already sued because of their child being damaged or dieing
9/27/2007 5:46 PM
Ray, CMA said...
This is a subject that people feel strongly about, pro and con. I do not know if we have all the answers yet. I do agree that you have to be careful where you get your internet news from regarding medicines, vaccines etc and see who is behind the research. I do think many vaccines are important. The medical industry is mostly run by the pharmacutical companies, and doctors will say whatever, to continue to get their kick-backs....I think as more time goes by we are going to find out more and more that many things that we thought are helping us may indeed be poisoning our bodies
9/27/2007 7:03 PM
Anonymous said...
There is scientific research for AND against in all areas of medicine. Do your own research, make the best decision for your family. Period. It is no one's place to judge others for their decisions when not even the scientifc and medical community have come to a concensus. We are exposed to so many toxins in our environment that it will be virtually impossible to find all of the things that could be contributing to the rise in autism. There are too many factors to definitively say that immunizations cause autism.
9/27/2007 9:00 PM
Anonymous said...
Look at it this way say you own a business ok and the USA population are your customers say the population is,well as of 2006 it was 300,150,750 ok so you tell your self hey the whole US were you customers and you charge 1000.00 a month or whatever for your product you'd be making approximately 30,015,075,000 U would be the richest person in the universe!!
So if you knew that by telling that lie with one thing that u could make that much,so wouldn't you, of course because Money =greed and most ppl would not care what they had to do to get it!
Being so if the CDC or whatever dose their calculations about thier product, Vaccines, don't you think that they will tell any amount of lies to get your child vaccinated! Hell ya! And the more of those products they make the more money the feel they will be making no matter what they have to do to make it they will sure dam try!
Especially all of these new Vaccines like Gardilsil for instance its suppose to keep young age girls from getting cervical cancer.....IT HAS NEVER BEEN TESTED PERIOD!!! killed alot of girls to! its also 300.00 a shot and u get 3 of them thats 900.00 for that vaccine. There is no cure for cancer, so if they cant find a cure for cancer why all of sudden they come up with something they say will stop a girl/woman from getting it!! Because its expensive and they know if they say it will work then people will believe them, at least alot of people anyways
So if you knew that by telling that lie with one thing that u could make that much,so wouldn't you, of course because Money =greed and most ppl would not care what they had to do to get it!
Being so if the CDC or whatever dose their calculations about thier product, Vaccines, don't you think that they will tell any amount of lies to get your child vaccinated! Hell ya! And the more of those products they make the more money the feel they will be making no matter what they have to do to make it they will sure dam try!
Especially all of these new Vaccines like Gardilsil for instance its suppose to keep young age girls from getting cervical cancer.....IT HAS NEVER BEEN TESTED PERIOD!!! killed alot of girls to! its also 300.00 a shot and u get 3 of them thats 900.00 for that vaccine. There is no cure for cancer, so if they cant find a cure for cancer why all of sudden they come up with something they say will stop a girl/woman from getting it!! Because its expensive and they know if they say it will work then people will believe them, at least alot of people anyways
9/28/2007 10:57 AM
Anonymous said...
To all of you that say the doctors don't want to admit the truth because of money are way off base. Doctors do not profit all that much from vaccinations after you account for the overhead of running the practice. The doctors are thinking of the best interest of your child. And just because some doctors have items from drug companies, does not mean they go on golf trips with these companies. Often times doctors get these items when they are attending CME courses.
Before you think that I am a doctor, the answer is no. But I have a very good friend that is. Doctors think like scientist and until they are shown evidence of a link in a respected medical journal, most will not believe there is a link. I think it's time we stop blaming doctors.
I would also like to say that I am not a lazy parent. I vaccinated my children because I felt it was best for them. I have always worked full-time and they were always in daycare. I wanted to protect them from these diseases and I felt vaccinations were the best way. However, when they were sick; I was always there for them. I saw my daughter through countless ear infections and was up at night with my 17 year old son when he had whooping cough. I was also arguing with his doctors that he had whooping cough. They wouldn't believe me because they never heard the whoop in the cough. He lost 10 lbs during that illness and it took him 2 years to gain it back. I understand why people choose not to vaccinate, but to call us that choose to vaccinate lazy is just plain rude.
Before you think that I am a doctor, the answer is no. But I have a very good friend that is. Doctors think like scientist and until they are shown evidence of a link in a respected medical journal, most will not believe there is a link. I think it's time we stop blaming doctors.
I would also like to say that I am not a lazy parent. I vaccinated my children because I felt it was best for them. I have always worked full-time and they were always in daycare. I wanted to protect them from these diseases and I felt vaccinations were the best way. However, when they were sick; I was always there for them. I saw my daughter through countless ear infections and was up at night with my 17 year old son when he had whooping cough. I was also arguing with his doctors that he had whooping cough. They wouldn't believe me because they never heard the whoop in the cough. He lost 10 lbs during that illness and it took him 2 years to gain it back. I understand why people choose not to vaccinate, but to call us that choose to vaccinate lazy is just plain rude.
9/28/2007 12:34 PM
Anonymous said...
Is it the actual number of kids diagnosed with autism that is increasing or the percentage of kids diagnosed with autism? There is a big difference in these two numbers.
If the actual number is growing but the percentage is staying about the same, then is there really a problem? Of course the actual number would be growing, the population is growing.
However, if both the actual number and the percentage are growing then there is a problem and it is worthwhile to find the cause.
If the actual number is growing but the percentage is staying about the same, then is there really a problem? Of course the actual number would be growing, the population is growing.
However, if both the actual number and the percentage are growing then there is a problem and it is worthwhile to find the cause.
9/28/2007 12:41 PM
Anonymous said...
I have a six year old son who regressed into autism after he had to be reimmunized because of inproper storage of the vaccines. The drug companies may have lost alot of money but I lost a child, Kristopher is not talking and not potty trained. i know that those extra vaccines caused my son to develop autism and noone can tell me otherwise, so unless if youve been there, and youve seen it you cannot say that vaccines are safe. My baby is 2, after what happened with his older brother I opted to not vaccinate him. He has been the happiest, healthiest, smartest kid that I have ever seen. So what do you have to say about that? All I know is that I would rather take my chances with a contagious disease than a chronic one. alot of diseases that we vaccinate for can be cure but autism can not.
9/28/2007 2:53 PM
Anonymous said...
I have seen the damage that can be done when a child gets a disease that can be prevented with a vaccine. My cousin's daughter lost her hearing when she was treated for bacterial menengitis. The very strong drugs that were used were audio toxic. Now it recommended that all college students be vaccinated for this disease or illness. We don't vaccinate young children for this, but if we did maybe my cousin's daughter would still have her hearing.
My son just started college this year and he decided on his own to get the menengitis vaccination. He read up on it and decided it was an illness that he did not want to get.
My son just started college this year and he decided on his own to get the menengitis vaccination. He read up on it and decided it was an illness that he did not want to get.
9/28/2007 3:37 PM
Anonymous said...
People keep saying oh i vaccinated to protect my child, from what? diseases that most of them are not around anymore.....and not it IS NOT BECAUSE PPL VAX either.
IF your child gets a disease u can take care of them just like if they were to get the flu or cold! And after they get better then all is well their bodies were able to fight off the infection and build a NATURAL IMMUNITY TO IT
IF your child gets a disease u can take care of them just like if they were to get the flu or cold! And after they get better then all is well their bodies were able to fight off the infection and build a NATURAL IMMUNITY TO IT
9/28/2007 6:30 PM
Anonymous said...
Until we all become more informed about autism and its causes, I feel that we must approach everything as well informed as we can, to the best of our abilities. It is really easy for people to say that they can live with autism - my response is try it before you make that statement. I also have a child that has been diagnosed as having autism, but I consider myself lucky because of the progress that he has made. Don't offer something that you know nothing about, such as the ease of living with a neurological disorder. There is no cookie cutter solution, but we all need to be doing our homework and quit taking the advice of everyone else.
9/29/2007 5:24 PM
Anonymous said...
1. Children in 3rd world nations are not vaccinated. They are diagnosed with Autism.
2. Two or more children in one family are diagnosed with Autism. Only the oldest was vaccinated. Thus familiar.
3. Autopsy results. Children have increased/rapid brain growth after 18 mos. The nerves (brain) are quite "tangled" in children diagnosed with Autism.
2. Two or more children in one family are diagnosed with Autism. Only the oldest was vaccinated. Thus familiar.
3. Autopsy results. Children have increased/rapid brain growth after 18 mos. The nerves (brain) are quite "tangled" in children diagnosed with Autism.
9/29/2007 5:33 PM
Anonymous said...
Let's clarify a few points.
1. The CDC is not a business. They do not profit from children getting vaccinated.
2. Many doctors prescribe generic drugs whenever possible to save their patients money. There is no way they could get kick backs from the drug companies. People that believe this watch too much television.
3. The only people that profit from the dispensing of vaccines is the manufacturer.
Let's stop thinking there is some terrible conspiracy between doctors and drug makers to get our children vaccinated. It just doesn't work that way.
1. The CDC is not a business. They do not profit from children getting vaccinated.
2. Many doctors prescribe generic drugs whenever possible to save their patients money. There is no way they could get kick backs from the drug companies. People that believe this watch too much television.
3. The only people that profit from the dispensing of vaccines is the manufacturer.
Let's stop thinking there is some terrible conspiracy between doctors and drug makers to get our children vaccinated. It just doesn't work that way.
9/29/2007 11:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Of course children have increased brain growth by 18 months and nerves are tangled....Huh duh cause the Mercury and the alunimum in the vaccines alters brain function
9/30/2007 12:13 AM
Anonymous said...
Anonymous (aka "duh") above me,
Every time you post a comment with the word 'duh' in it I lose any interest in what you have to say. If you want me to hear you, stop being so incredibly sanctimonious and start talking TO me and others instead of AT us.
I mean, like...duh!
Every time you post a comment with the word 'duh' in it I lose any interest in what you have to say. If you want me to hear you, stop being so incredibly sanctimonious and start talking TO me and others instead of AT us.
I mean, like...duh!
9/30/2007 12:39 AM
Anonymous said...
Do you guys really think that doctors are trying to fool you? Don't you think they are on YOUR side? Vaccines have been around forever, antibiotics have been around forever, and the only thing that is changing at the same speed as autistic kids is the lowering of doctor's paychecks!
The doctor I work for works his BUTT of to get kids healthy and he drives a 10 yr old car because he can't afford anything nicer...
My doctor barely breaks even with every shot he gives-he doesn't make ANY money off of giving shots...
My doctor helps people, so give them more respect!
The doctor I work for works his BUTT of to get kids healthy and he drives a 10 yr old car because he can't afford anything nicer...
My doctor barely breaks even with every shot he gives-he doesn't make ANY money off of giving shots...
My doctor helps people, so give them more respect!
9/30/2007 4:50 AM
Anonymous said...
I have two newphews who are autistic. My sisiter decided not to have them vaccinated because she believed it caused autisim. So as an aunt of two autistic children who have been vaccinated I have to agree that the vaccines don't cause autisim. On a side note my brother in law has a brother who is autistic. We believe it is genetic in some way and it just has not been figured out. I love my nephews and don't care if they are autistic or not. They go to school and are in an autistic classroom and have learned a lot. They have devices that help them communicate with others.
9/30/2007 9:53 AM
Anonymous said...
My son had vaccines at 4 and 3 days later he had a seizure. When taken to the emergency room they suspexted febrile seizures. Three months later another seizure. Also, believed to be febrile. Neurologists ordered sleep deprived eeg. Results were seizure activity in the brain. My son starts school and is now believed to have autism.
I dont know what causes autism.....but, I can't help to wonder!
I dont know what causes autism.....but, I can't help to wonder!
9/30/2007 10:17 AM
Anonymous said...
I was just watching the news the other day and they finally came out and said......MERCURY IN VACCINES IS NOT GOOD FOR CHILDREN.
The only reason i use DUH in some of my comments on this page is because a lot of people are just so frickin ignorant it irritates the hell out of me.
It doesn't matter if vaccines aren't the cause of autism(more then likely yes they are) But if the dam things were safe then babies who get them, die, get very sick, autism, learning disorders,ect.
I'm a photographer, and i see so many children whom are vaccinated, who don't talk, walk, who are autistic, and very mentally slow.
I choose not to vaccinate my daughter, not because of autism since it strikes boys more often then girls, but because there are to many brain altering ingredients as well as poisons in the vaccines.
Maybe that doctor is broke cause he doesn't sell enough vaccines to his patients!!!
IF vaccines weren't profit, then why are doctors writting off everything that has to do with a child dieing after a vaccination, as SIDS, also why are doctors hiding the fact that children are dieing or becoming damaged in some way, away from the public?......Cause they don't want to scare us with the truth, they rather keep us calm with their lies, by to keep vaccinating our children, not telling us whats really going on. IF this all had nothing to do with money, why all the lies why all the secrets.
Because they want people to still keep vaccinating anyways no matter who they hurt, they move to the next.
Not only are they making money off of vaccines(the vaccine makers that is) but also off of the care needed for autistic children who need special doctors and their care. Which is about $5,000.00 a month depending on where u live.
And I'm sorry but i don't respect doctors at all, i don't like them and i stay away from there as much as possible!! I especially don't like the doctors whom you tell them whats going on and they look at you sand say oh u have this now go take this and u will feel better when in all reality, the medication was for something else, they never did any blood work or tests, they just write you a prescription and let u go
The only reason i use DUH in some of my comments on this page is because a lot of people are just so frickin ignorant it irritates the hell out of me.
It doesn't matter if vaccines aren't the cause of autism(more then likely yes they are) But if the dam things were safe then babies who get them, die, get very sick, autism, learning disorders,ect.
I'm a photographer, and i see so many children whom are vaccinated, who don't talk, walk, who are autistic, and very mentally slow.
I choose not to vaccinate my daughter, not because of autism since it strikes boys more often then girls, but because there are to many brain altering ingredients as well as poisons in the vaccines.
Maybe that doctor is broke cause he doesn't sell enough vaccines to his patients!!!
IF vaccines weren't profit, then why are doctors writting off everything that has to do with a child dieing after a vaccination, as SIDS, also why are doctors hiding the fact that children are dieing or becoming damaged in some way, away from the public?......Cause they don't want to scare us with the truth, they rather keep us calm with their lies, by to keep vaccinating our children, not telling us whats really going on. IF this all had nothing to do with money, why all the lies why all the secrets.
Because they want people to still keep vaccinating anyways no matter who they hurt, they move to the next.
Not only are they making money off of vaccines(the vaccine makers that is) but also off of the care needed for autistic children who need special doctors and their care. Which is about $5,000.00 a month depending on where u live.
And I'm sorry but i don't respect doctors at all, i don't like them and i stay away from there as much as possible!! I especially don't like the doctors whom you tell them whats going on and they look at you sand say oh u have this now go take this and u will feel better when in all reality, the medication was for something else, they never did any blood work or tests, they just write you a prescription and let u go
9/30/2007 10:45 AM
Anonymous said...
What I really worry/wonder about is whether all these vaccines (especially in combination) are in any way correlated with the rise in food allergies. My older son has multiple allergies and was vaccinated on schedule. I now have a 2 month old who just got 4 shots in one day plus rotavirus. It killed me to do that to such a small child, but as a parent, it's hard to know what to do. The medical community tells you that this is what is good for your child... but have they really studied what the vaccines do to the immune system in combination with each other?? Nobody knows why food allergies are on the rise, but I really wonder if all these vaccines don't have something to do with it. In the meantime, I have the heart-wrenching decision of what to do with my youngest, and I just don't know what to do or believe.
10/01/2007 5:50 AM
Anonymous said...
A babies immune system is not built well enough for so many vaccinations especially in one setting. Thats why so many babies have problems or die or become autistic or some other kind of neurological problem. There is really no reason for a baby to get pumped with so many shots thats BS. People just tend to believe that they are good for babies, cause thats what doctors tell them, and of course they're going to tell you oh well Vaccines are so dam safe and they're so good for your child; when in all reality they are not.
MAM if u r going to get your newb shots wait untill he/she is 2 or older and get single doseage not the 3 in one that way if the baby as a raction u know which one was the cause of it for sure.
Doctors tell you that cant do single ones (cause it cost alot) bud demand it!!! As of now probably not but if i do decide to give shots to child it will be selectively and singly.
I see a doctor, well talk to this doctor that has 5 kids and never vaxed they are all in their teens, and older they are all smart and have never been sick with something besides maybe a flu and cold.
Did you know that an incredibly amount of 600,000 children a YEAR yes a year!!! Die or become damaged from vaccines.
I swear some of the ppl on here the way they talk on how good vaccines and what they dont cause, i wonder if a doctor were to tell them Crack cocaine was good for their child then they would give it to them!!!
MAM if u r going to get your newb shots wait untill he/she is 2 or older and get single doseage not the 3 in one that way if the baby as a raction u know which one was the cause of it for sure.
Doctors tell you that cant do single ones (cause it cost alot) bud demand it!!! As of now probably not but if i do decide to give shots to child it will be selectively and singly.
I see a doctor, well talk to this doctor that has 5 kids and never vaxed they are all in their teens, and older they are all smart and have never been sick with something besides maybe a flu and cold.
Did you know that an incredibly amount of 600,000 children a YEAR yes a year!!! Die or become damaged from vaccines.
I swear some of the ppl on here the way they talk on how good vaccines and what they dont cause, i wonder if a doctor were to tell them Crack cocaine was good for their child then they would give it to them!!!
10/01/2007 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
ush administration moves to suppress documents on vaccines
By Joanne Laurier
10 December 2002
Use this version to print | Send this link by email | Email the author
The Bush administration asked a federal claims court on November 26 to seal documents relating to hundreds of cases of autism allegedly caused by a mercury-based preservative, thimerosal, used in childhood vaccines.
The government's legal action comes on the heels of an insertion into the Homeland Security bill that protects Eli Lilly, the drug company giant that developed thimerosal, from lawsuits involving the additive. The bill removes all liability from the pharmaceutical industry and health officials for the injuries and death resulting from the preservative.
The connections between the Bush administration and the pharmaceutical company are extensive. Eli Lilly's chairman and CEO, Sidney Taurel, was recently given a seat on the president's Advisory Council on Homeland Security and Mitch Daniels, former president of Lilly's North American operations, is currently the White House budget director. Former president George Bush sat on Eli Lilly's board of directors.
In asking for the documents to be sealed November 26, Department of Justice (DOJ) lawyers asked a special master in the US Court of Federal Claims for a protective order on behalf of Tommy G. Thompson, the secretary of Health and Human Services, whose department administers a government fund to compensate people injured by vaccines. DOJ lawyers claim that the law creating the fund gives the secretary jurisdiction over which information is released and they argue that automatic disclosure of the documents would take away that right. The claims are being heard by Special Master George Hastings in a 'vaccine court'—part of the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (NVIC)—that was created in 1986, when the government fund was established.
The vaccine court was set up to speed compensation claims and help protect vaccine makers from having to pay large punitive awards decided by juries in state civil courts. Claims must be filed within three years of a child's first symptoms (autism, however, is typically not diagnosed until 18 months after the first symptoms appear) and the program grants a maximum of $250,000 for proof of injury—a sum considerably lower than the typical award for autism in a state court. It also takes four to five years to reach a decision under NVIC, according to Portland lawyer Mike Williams, who represents hundreds of families in suits against the pharmaceutical companies.
The court is currently hearing approximately 1,100 claims brought by the families of autistic children, who claim that thimerosal has caused autism and other neurological disorders in children.
The request by the Bush administration would prevent plaintiffs who later go to civil court from using evidence gathered during the required vaccine court proceedings.
"There is no secret here. What the petitioners are arguing for are enhanced rights in a subsequent civil action," complained Justice Department attorney Vincent Matanoski to Reuters Health.
The order, which amounts to punishing of the families of injured children, will require that plaintiffs incur the time and expense of regenerating evidence in a civil suit.
"The vaccine program is a public health program—every child has to get inoculated," Sallie Bernard of the parental advocacy group Safe Minds told the WSWS. "Therefore the public has the right to know every aspect of the program."
Mercury-based thimerosal was added to vaccines to safeguard against production-related contamination. The Federal Drug Administration began urging vaccine makers to eliminate the substance in mid-1999, as did the Public Health Service and the American Academy of Pediatrics. The World Health Organization still defends thimerosal, which is currently being manufactured in vaccines sent to the underdeveloped countries. Thimerosal helps vaccines survive dirty storage conditions and allows for cheaper packaging in multi-dose bottles, as opposed to single-dose vials.
In 1999 the Institute of Medicine, an associated organization of the National Academy of Sciences, concluded that the evidence was "inadequate to accept or reject a causal relationship between thimerosal exposures from childhood vaccines and the neurodevelopmental disorders of autism" and other problems, but added, "However, data on mercury toxicity more generally suggests that the hypothesis is biologically plausible."
In the midst of the heated response by advocacy groups and law firms involved with the thimerosal controversy to the DOJ's attempt to seal documents, a study was published November 30 in the British medical journal The Lancet. Its findings claimed that infants who received vaccines containing thimerosal had levels of mercury in their blood that were within the federal safety limits. The study examined 33 infants from two to six months who were injected with thimerosal-laced vaccines and 15 infants that were administered mercury-free vaccines.
Sallie Bernard of Safe Minds commented on the report: "Thirty-three blood draws cannot do justice to a known neurotoxin. One major shortcoming of a small sample size is the low chance of including infants who are especially sensitive to mercury's effects, or who may have detoxification difficulties. The blood was not drawn at peak levels, and the samples were not randomly drawn, but were convenience samples and therefore not representative of all infants in terms of health status, socioeconomic status, ethnicity and other potentially important factors. Also the amount of the dosage used in the study was considerably less that the typical dosage administered throughout the 1990s."
"This study is an example of the fact that as yet there has not been enough time or resources allocated to complete much-needed, genuine investigations," stated Bernard, who expressed alarm at the prominence The Lancet had given to the finding.
She further questioned the objectivity of the study's author, Dr. Michael E. Pichichero of the University of Rochester, who has extensive ties to the vaccine manufacturers. In a disclosure statement for an article in the American Academy of Family Physicians newsletter of April 2000, Pichichero admits to receiving research grants and/or honoraria from Abbot Laboratories, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, Merck, Pfizer Labs, Roche, among a host of others. Pichichero's work has been cited in 21 vaccine patent applications. Bernard pointed out that the University of Rochester web site describes Dr. Pichichero as an immunologist, not a toxicologist.
Thimerosal came under scrutiny due to the dramatic rise in autism throughout the 1990s. Early on in the decade several new thimerosal-based vaccines were added to the standard childhood schedule, leading to an augmentation of two to three times the doses of multiple vaccines. According to the Federal Drug Administration's (FDA) web site, prior to the recent initiatives by the agency to reduce or eliminate thimerosal from vaccines, the maximum cumulative exposure to mercury via routine childhood vaccinations during the first six months of life was 187.5 micrograms. The FDA states that "an exposure to more than 62.5 micrograms within the first three months of life significantly increases a child's risk of developing autism." An FDA review conducted in 1998 revealed that children who had received the full complement of childhood vaccines were potentially exposed to mercury levels 30 to 50 times the acceptable levels established by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The number of children who have been affected by autism leaped from 1 in 2,000 in 1970 to 1 in 250 in 2000. (The National Vaccine Information Center reports clusters in areas of New Jersey and California of 1 in 150). Concurrently, the number of children diagnosed with learning disabilities has now reached 1 in 5.
Another Safe Minds advocate, Lyn Redwood, a nurse practitioner whose husband is a physician, told the WSWS the story of her son Will. "He was normal until his second year of life. He then began to regress—he lost speech, eye contact and became withdrawn and despondent." When Will was diagnosed with autism she began investigating her son's quantity of mercury exposure and discovered it was 125 times the allowed level. It is her belief that Will suffered from delayed neurotoxicity which led to the onset of autism.
"In the early 1990s, two new vaccines were added to the vaccine protocol for the first six months of life. I believe that caused what we see now as an epidemic of autism in children. You can see that most clearly in California, the state with the best tracking records," said Ms. Redwood. California recorded an increase of 273 percent between 1987 and 1998 in the number of children entering the California development services system with a professional diagnosis of autism, according to the California Department of Developmental Services.
She continued: "The Homeland Security Bill has now moved all cases to the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Act, which has a three year limitation. My case was in the batch of 1,000 cases, but the statute of limitation has closed the door on us and also the majority of parents who remain unaware of the statute."
The Houston-based law firm of Waters & Kraus filed the first known lawsuit alleging thimerosal's connection to autism. The firm is leading a consortium of 10 firms nationwide that are actively prosecuting cases of this nature.
The lead attorney for the consortium, Andy Waters, obtained through Safe Minds an unreleased confidential report by scientists of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) which states: "As for the exposure evaluated at 3 months of age, we found increasing risks of 'neurological developmental disorders' with the increasing cumulative exposure to thimerosal ... within the group of 'developmental disorders' ... for the subgroup called 'specific delays,' and within this subgroup for the specific disorder 'developmental speech disorder,' and for 'autism' 'stuttering' and 'attention deficit disorder.'"
Mr. Waters told the WSWS: "It defies coincidence between double the vaccines and the dramatic upsurge in autism. But this should come as no surprise, given that the government and its allies are in control of public policy. Eli Lilly gave more money to the Republican campaign than any other pharmaceutical company in an industry that gave $20-40 million. The DOJ and the administration are owned by the pharmaceutical companies. They want to seal the files to prevent proving the case against these companies. [Attorney General John] Ashcroft is owned by the industry and the Democrats are waffling all over the place, so the administration's move comes as no real surprise."
"With the cases sealed, Eli Lilly will move for a dismissal and all my cases are filed against Eli Lilly," Waters continued. "This will be a long battle against people who have all the resources and motivation. They control the pier-reviewed medical and scientific journals and all the research money. It will be a long and difficult fight."
Waters added that "no amount of money can give these children back the potential that they were born with, and no amount of money will comfort the parents that watched helplessly as their children literally just slipped away."
By Joanne Laurier
10 December 2002
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The Bush administration asked a federal claims court on November 26 to seal documents relating to hundreds of cases of autism allegedly caused by a mercury-based preservative, thimerosal, used in childhood vaccines.
The government's legal action comes on the heels of an insertion into the Homeland Security bill that protects Eli Lilly, the drug company giant that developed thimerosal, from lawsuits involving the additive. The bill removes all liability from the pharmaceutical industry and health officials for the injuries and death resulting from the preservative.
The connections between the Bush administration and the pharmaceutical company are extensive. Eli Lilly's chairman and CEO, Sidney Taurel, was recently given a seat on the president's Advisory Council on Homeland Security and Mitch Daniels, former president of Lilly's North American operations, is currently the White House budget director. Former president George Bush sat on Eli Lilly's board of directors.
In asking for the documents to be sealed November 26, Department of Justice (DOJ) lawyers asked a special master in the US Court of Federal Claims for a protective order on behalf of Tommy G. Thompson, the secretary of Health and Human Services, whose department administers a government fund to compensate people injured by vaccines. DOJ lawyers claim that the law creating the fund gives the secretary jurisdiction over which information is released and they argue that automatic disclosure of the documents would take away that right. The claims are being heard by Special Master George Hastings in a 'vaccine court'—part of the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (NVIC)—that was created in 1986, when the government fund was established.
The vaccine court was set up to speed compensation claims and help protect vaccine makers from having to pay large punitive awards decided by juries in state civil courts. Claims must be filed within three years of a child's first symptoms (autism, however, is typically not diagnosed until 18 months after the first symptoms appear) and the program grants a maximum of $250,000 for proof of injury—a sum considerably lower than the typical award for autism in a state court. It also takes four to five years to reach a decision under NVIC, according to Portland lawyer Mike Williams, who represents hundreds of families in suits against the pharmaceutical companies.
The court is currently hearing approximately 1,100 claims brought by the families of autistic children, who claim that thimerosal has caused autism and other neurological disorders in children.
The request by the Bush administration would prevent plaintiffs who later go to civil court from using evidence gathered during the required vaccine court proceedings.
"There is no secret here. What the petitioners are arguing for are enhanced rights in a subsequent civil action," complained Justice Department attorney Vincent Matanoski to Reuters Health.
The order, which amounts to punishing of the families of injured children, will require that plaintiffs incur the time and expense of regenerating evidence in a civil suit.
"The vaccine program is a public health program—every child has to get inoculated," Sallie Bernard of the parental advocacy group Safe Minds told the WSWS. "Therefore the public has the right to know every aspect of the program."
Mercury-based thimerosal was added to vaccines to safeguard against production-related contamination. The Federal Drug Administration began urging vaccine makers to eliminate the substance in mid-1999, as did the Public Health Service and the American Academy of Pediatrics. The World Health Organization still defends thimerosal, which is currently being manufactured in vaccines sent to the underdeveloped countries. Thimerosal helps vaccines survive dirty storage conditions and allows for cheaper packaging in multi-dose bottles, as opposed to single-dose vials.
In 1999 the Institute of Medicine, an associated organization of the National Academy of Sciences, concluded that the evidence was "inadequate to accept or reject a causal relationship between thimerosal exposures from childhood vaccines and the neurodevelopmental disorders of autism" and other problems, but added, "However, data on mercury toxicity more generally suggests that the hypothesis is biologically plausible."
In the midst of the heated response by advocacy groups and law firms involved with the thimerosal controversy to the DOJ's attempt to seal documents, a study was published November 30 in the British medical journal The Lancet. Its findings claimed that infants who received vaccines containing thimerosal had levels of mercury in their blood that were within the federal safety limits. The study examined 33 infants from two to six months who were injected with thimerosal-laced vaccines and 15 infants that were administered mercury-free vaccines.
Sallie Bernard of Safe Minds commented on the report: "Thirty-three blood draws cannot do justice to a known neurotoxin. One major shortcoming of a small sample size is the low chance of including infants who are especially sensitive to mercury's effects, or who may have detoxification difficulties. The blood was not drawn at peak levels, and the samples were not randomly drawn, but were convenience samples and therefore not representative of all infants in terms of health status, socioeconomic status, ethnicity and other potentially important factors. Also the amount of the dosage used in the study was considerably less that the typical dosage administered throughout the 1990s."
"This study is an example of the fact that as yet there has not been enough time or resources allocated to complete much-needed, genuine investigations," stated Bernard, who expressed alarm at the prominence The Lancet had given to the finding.
She further questioned the objectivity of the study's author, Dr. Michael E. Pichichero of the University of Rochester, who has extensive ties to the vaccine manufacturers. In a disclosure statement for an article in the American Academy of Family Physicians newsletter of April 2000, Pichichero admits to receiving research grants and/or honoraria from Abbot Laboratories, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, Merck, Pfizer Labs, Roche, among a host of others. Pichichero's work has been cited in 21 vaccine patent applications. Bernard pointed out that the University of Rochester web site describes Dr. Pichichero as an immunologist, not a toxicologist.
Thimerosal came under scrutiny due to the dramatic rise in autism throughout the 1990s. Early on in the decade several new thimerosal-based vaccines were added to the standard childhood schedule, leading to an augmentation of two to three times the doses of multiple vaccines. According to the Federal Drug Administration's (FDA) web site, prior to the recent initiatives by the agency to reduce or eliminate thimerosal from vaccines, the maximum cumulative exposure to mercury via routine childhood vaccinations during the first six months of life was 187.5 micrograms. The FDA states that "an exposure to more than 62.5 micrograms within the first three months of life significantly increases a child's risk of developing autism." An FDA review conducted in 1998 revealed that children who had received the full complement of childhood vaccines were potentially exposed to mercury levels 30 to 50 times the acceptable levels established by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The number of children who have been affected by autism leaped from 1 in 2,000 in 1970 to 1 in 250 in 2000. (The National Vaccine Information Center reports clusters in areas of New Jersey and California of 1 in 150). Concurrently, the number of children diagnosed with learning disabilities has now reached 1 in 5.
Another Safe Minds advocate, Lyn Redwood, a nurse practitioner whose husband is a physician, told the WSWS the story of her son Will. "He was normal until his second year of life. He then began to regress—he lost speech, eye contact and became withdrawn and despondent." When Will was diagnosed with autism she began investigating her son's quantity of mercury exposure and discovered it was 125 times the allowed level. It is her belief that Will suffered from delayed neurotoxicity which led to the onset of autism.
"In the early 1990s, two new vaccines were added to the vaccine protocol for the first six months of life. I believe that caused what we see now as an epidemic of autism in children. You can see that most clearly in California, the state with the best tracking records," said Ms. Redwood. California recorded an increase of 273 percent between 1987 and 1998 in the number of children entering the California development services system with a professional diagnosis of autism, according to the California Department of Developmental Services.
She continued: "The Homeland Security Bill has now moved all cases to the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Act, which has a three year limitation. My case was in the batch of 1,000 cases, but the statute of limitation has closed the door on us and also the majority of parents who remain unaware of the statute."
The Houston-based law firm of Waters & Kraus filed the first known lawsuit alleging thimerosal's connection to autism. The firm is leading a consortium of 10 firms nationwide that are actively prosecuting cases of this nature.
The lead attorney for the consortium, Andy Waters, obtained through Safe Minds an unreleased confidential report by scientists of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) which states: "As for the exposure evaluated at 3 months of age, we found increasing risks of 'neurological developmental disorders' with the increasing cumulative exposure to thimerosal ... within the group of 'developmental disorders' ... for the subgroup called 'specific delays,' and within this subgroup for the specific disorder 'developmental speech disorder,' and for 'autism' 'stuttering' and 'attention deficit disorder.'"
Mr. Waters told the WSWS: "It defies coincidence between double the vaccines and the dramatic upsurge in autism. But this should come as no surprise, given that the government and its allies are in control of public policy. Eli Lilly gave more money to the Republican campaign than any other pharmaceutical company in an industry that gave $20-40 million. The DOJ and the administration are owned by the pharmaceutical companies. They want to seal the files to prevent proving the case against these companies. [Attorney General John] Ashcroft is owned by the industry and the Democrats are waffling all over the place, so the administration's move comes as no real surprise."
"With the cases sealed, Eli Lilly will move for a dismissal and all my cases are filed against Eli Lilly," Waters continued. "This will be a long battle against people who have all the resources and motivation. They control the pier-reviewed medical and scientific journals and all the research money. It will be a long and difficult fight."
Waters added that "no amount of money can give these children back the potential that they were born with, and no amount of money will comfort the parents that watched helplessly as their children literally just slipped away."
10/01/2007 10:03 AM
Anonymous said...
To the DUH person who thinks because others don't have her same beliefs must be idiotic, have you read the post just above this one about ELI LILLY. In that post, it says that the federal government is protecting the vaccine manufacturer from lawsuits regarding thimerisol. I hope you noticed that it is the manufacturer that is being protected and not the doctors. The reason is the manufacturer is the only one that profits from the use of the vaccinations. DOCTORS DO NOT PROFIT FROM GIVING YOUR CHILDREN SHOTS!!!
It's time you learned how little doctors actually make from giving vaccinations.
It's time you learned how little doctors actually make from giving vaccinations.
10/01/2007 2:26 PM
Anonymous said...
Opinions are like aholes everyones got one. SO believe what u want.
doctor's may not profit that much but they sure help out the manufacturer to profit. There all in it together!
The doctors just bring in the ginnipigs(no children are not ginninpigs) doctors just use children like ginnipigs! to test unproven to work vaccines!!!
DUH.......LOL
doctor's may not profit that much but they sure help out the manufacturer to profit. There all in it together!
The doctors just bring in the ginnipigs(no children are not ginninpigs) doctors just use children like ginnipigs! to test unproven to work vaccines!!!
DUH.......LOL
10/01/2007 6:34 PM
Anonymous said...
Oddest thing...
There also seems to be direct coloration between the "believers" and the inability to spell, use correct grammar, and/or create individual thoughts. ...Nearly every post in favor of the link between autism and vaccines has been copied and pasted from the internet (do you guys even know what they say?).
...I think I'll stay on the side that promotes critical thinking, thank you very much.
There also seems to be direct coloration between the "believers" and the inability to spell, use correct grammar, and/or create individual thoughts. ...Nearly every post in favor of the link between autism and vaccines has been copied and pasted from the internet (do you guys even know what they say?).
...I think I'll stay on the side that promotes critical thinking, thank you very much.
10/01/2007 9:24 PM
Anonymous said...
Definitely some passionate opinions have been shared here.
My 1 yr. old daughter is due for her MMR shot. I've heard about the possibility of autism being associated with this shot, so I came here for some research.
The information is overwhelming to say the least. First, I don't think it was fair of those of you who "attacked" the doctor for the information in his article. That was unnecessary and uncalled for. You can have a difference of opinion without being nasty about it.
But I do have a question for the doctor if he would be so kind as to humor me with an answer.
Why is it, that any time I ask my daughter's Pediatrician questions about immunizations or any other condition that I've brought her in for; I am treated as if I have a 5th grade education and that I should NEVER dare to question her doctor's authority?
Of course, I do realize that you can not speak on her behalf, but she is not alone in this instance. As you can see, many parents have had trouble receiving information from their child's pediatrician on this issue. We have no choice but to do our own research. Unfortunately our only resource IS the internet and it is our job to decifier what is true and what is false.
May I suggest to the medical community that you take a moment to better educate your patients and/or their parents about immunizations and what the true pros and cons are. Give them both sides of the story. Give them the option to think about and decide what is best for their child according to their beliefs.
I can't say that I blame those who believe that doctors push immunizations b/c they get "paid" to do it. And that drug companies buy them expensive things to do so. I guess that is a perk of being a doctor, but please do not scold the public for having a negative association with immunization and Autism if the Medical community will not take the time and effort to educate us.
JM, Canton, Georgia
My 1 yr. old daughter is due for her MMR shot. I've heard about the possibility of autism being associated with this shot, so I came here for some research.
The information is overwhelming to say the least. First, I don't think it was fair of those of you who "attacked" the doctor for the information in his article. That was unnecessary and uncalled for. You can have a difference of opinion without being nasty about it.
But I do have a question for the doctor if he would be so kind as to humor me with an answer.
Why is it, that any time I ask my daughter's Pediatrician questions about immunizations or any other condition that I've brought her in for; I am treated as if I have a 5th grade education and that I should NEVER dare to question her doctor's authority?
Of course, I do realize that you can not speak on her behalf, but she is not alone in this instance. As you can see, many parents have had trouble receiving information from their child's pediatrician on this issue. We have no choice but to do our own research. Unfortunately our only resource IS the internet and it is our job to decifier what is true and what is false.
May I suggest to the medical community that you take a moment to better educate your patients and/or their parents about immunizations and what the true pros and cons are. Give them both sides of the story. Give them the option to think about and decide what is best for their child according to their beliefs.
I can't say that I blame those who believe that doctors push immunizations b/c they get "paid" to do it. And that drug companies buy them expensive things to do so. I guess that is a perk of being a doctor, but please do not scold the public for having a negative association with immunization and Autism if the Medical community will not take the time and effort to educate us.
JM, Canton, Georgia
10/02/2007 9:47 AM
Polarbear said...
There is some good information in the article and in some of the responses. However, there are too many personal attacks and it only damages one's case. Stick to facts and document your sources. Please remember that just because you found it on a professional looking web site, does not mean the information is worth the HTML is was written in.
This is clearly a controversial issue and as a parent I want all of the FACTS, not anecdotal stories. Let's have an accurate and civil debate, so that parents and doctors can make the best decisions for our children.
Rudeness is the weak person's imitation of strength.
This is clearly a controversial issue and as a parent I want all of the FACTS, not anecdotal stories. Let's have an accurate and civil debate, so that parents and doctors can make the best decisions for our children.
Rudeness is the weak person's imitation of strength.
10/02/2007 11:52 AM
Anonymous said...
I hope that the people that have been commenting on this blog have read the lead story on WebMD today. It has some interesting information about vaccinations and what they may or may not cause. I think it might give everyone some insight into what a doctor thinks about when he/she is suggesting that your child be vaccinated.
I know that many people that have commented believe that doctors are in some conspiracy with the drug companies. If you really know your doctor then you know this isn't true. I know there are doctors that are talk down to their patients, but the majority of them are very caring and work 60 hours a week to make sure that we stay healthy. They are not sitting back at the end of the day and laughing because they got more parents to believe their children need to be vaccinated.
I have a few friends that are doctors and I have never known them to take trips that are paid for by drug companies. One of them works for a medical group that does not accept samples from the drug companies just to prevent them from looking like the work with the drup companies.
I know that I will bring over the conspiracy people to this way of thinking. But, I just had to fight for the doctors who are basing their opinions on the best data available to them.
I know that many people that have commented believe that doctors are in some conspiracy with the drug companies. If you really know your doctor then you know this isn't true. I know there are doctors that are talk down to their patients, but the majority of them are very caring and work 60 hours a week to make sure that we stay healthy. They are not sitting back at the end of the day and laughing because they got more parents to believe their children need to be vaccinated.
I have a few friends that are doctors and I have never known them to take trips that are paid for by drug companies. One of them works for a medical group that does not accept samples from the drug companies just to prevent them from looking like the work with the drup companies.
I know that I will bring over the conspiracy people to this way of thinking. But, I just had to fight for the doctors who are basing their opinions on the best data available to them.
10/02/2007 12:54 PM
Anonymous said...
Just a personal note:
I live in Jackson County, OR, where one of the studies mentioned above was done. There is a high number of unvaccinated children here, and it's been met with some pretty serious consequences, including an outbreak of Whooping Cough.
My nephew, at less then a month old, was exposed to Whooping Cough before he could be vaccinated by a teen who was UNvaccinated. The effects were devastating: for two days he was on life support. They called in a priest to do last rights. By some miracle, he survived, but he was in the hospital for two months. When he came home, he was still using humidifiors, and his lungs are now permanantly damaged.
What a horrific experience for my sister and our family! Needless to say, I'm going to be vaccinating my own children, and I won't be allowing ANY outsiders into my home with my newborn.
I know anti-vaccinators do so because they think they're doing right by their kids, but the fact remains that these diseases have NOT been eradicated, and can still cause needless pain and suffering.
I live in Jackson County, OR, where one of the studies mentioned above was done. There is a high number of unvaccinated children here, and it's been met with some pretty serious consequences, including an outbreak of Whooping Cough.
My nephew, at less then a month old, was exposed to Whooping Cough before he could be vaccinated by a teen who was UNvaccinated. The effects were devastating: for two days he was on life support. They called in a priest to do last rights. By some miracle, he survived, but he was in the hospital for two months. When he came home, he was still using humidifiors, and his lungs are now permanantly damaged.
What a horrific experience for my sister and our family! Needless to say, I'm going to be vaccinating my own children, and I won't be allowing ANY outsiders into my home with my newborn.
I know anti-vaccinators do so because they think they're doing right by their kids, but the fact remains that these diseases have NOT been eradicated, and can still cause needless pain and suffering.
10/02/2007 12:57 PM
Anonymous said...
To JM:
I think the doctor's reaction probably comes out of frustration. There is no scientific evidence linking vaccinations and thimerosol, study after study is published with that conclusion, yet the linkage is still there. As doctors, they feel strongly about the value of vaccines, and I have to believe that every time they're confronted with this question the frustration grows.
They know and have seen the harm of not vaccinating, and aren't seeing evidence of a direct link to autism, but the rumor persists. Since they known and have seen what can happen to unvaccinated children, I think they're probably as passionate about it as the ones who argue vaccines as the culprit. The passion/frustration could easily manifest itself the way you describe.
I think the doctor's reaction probably comes out of frustration. There is no scientific evidence linking vaccinations and thimerosol, study after study is published with that conclusion, yet the linkage is still there. As doctors, they feel strongly about the value of vaccines, and I have to believe that every time they're confronted with this question the frustration grows.
They know and have seen the harm of not vaccinating, and aren't seeing evidence of a direct link to autism, but the rumor persists. Since they known and have seen what can happen to unvaccinated children, I think they're probably as passionate about it as the ones who argue vaccines as the culprit. The passion/frustration could easily manifest itself the way you describe.
10/02/2007 12:57 PM
Anonymous said...
I love reading the comments "i was not vaccinated and i'm still alive" - that is very astute comment. i hope you also don't wear a seatbelt - because i drove once without a seatbelt and i didn't die therefore seatbelts are not necessary. come on people - please don't make such general statements and pass them off as fact. do i know the answer to autism vs vaccination question? no, but neither do you. just because someone in the mainstream (i.e. government, education, medical community) says it is a good thing doesn't automatically make it a bad thing.
10/02/2007 1:02 PM
Anonymous said...
My grandson was begining to talk, make eye contact and eating all of the normal foods. He was given the shots (which was controversity between the nurses because he had insurance and was independent pay and was given a vial from the medicaid group by mistake , this is them speaking, I think their should be no difference!) Then it all quickly left, our little fun smiley guy drifted away. You should protect your children but why not give the shots in more that one visit. So their little systems will not be overwhelmed with so much all at once. It would be worth it if you can protect your child and also keep autism from stealing your child
10/02/2007 2:19 PM
Anonymous said...
The link between autism and thimerosol doesn't have to be scientifically proven
If u do your research its all common sense
If u do your research its all common sense
10/02/2007 7:14 PM
Anonymous said...
I don't know if mercury or thimerosal is linked directly to autism or not. I do find it awfully curious that drug companies would go through the trouble and expense to remove it from most vaccines if they know for sure that its perfectly safe.
Also you have to ask yourself this question...If the CDC really did find out that thimerosal is linked to autism, do you think they would release that information to the public and admit that they encouraged people to give their kids vaccinations that led to them developing autism? Do you think that the government would want to deal with the widespread panic that would result from them admitting such a thing? People would stop vaccinating their children if the link was ever proven and admitted. From the government standpoint its more effective to take a chance with our health than admit that they probably don't know for sure if its safe or not.
My kids are very sensitive to preservatives, artifical colours, etc. They have already had their early vaccinations but I will absolutely not get them flu shots because some of them still have thimerosal.
Also you have to ask yourself this question...If the CDC really did find out that thimerosal is linked to autism, do you think they would release that information to the public and admit that they encouraged people to give their kids vaccinations that led to them developing autism? Do you think that the government would want to deal with the widespread panic that would result from them admitting such a thing? People would stop vaccinating their children if the link was ever proven and admitted. From the government standpoint its more effective to take a chance with our health than admit that they probably don't know for sure if its safe or not.
My kids are very sensitive to preservatives, artifical colours, etc. They have already had their early vaccinations but I will absolutely not get them flu shots because some of them still have thimerosal.
10/02/2007 9:25 PM
Anonymous said...
Of course the CDC would. And you know why? Because they're makeing tons of money. I mean not all children develope autism just the unfortunate ones.
They still make vaccines with the Thimrsoal in it and over 600,000 children a year die or become damaged from them, yet they don't try to fix that problem now do they!! No they just keep making more and more and more of them with the same dam ingredients in them.
They still make vaccines with the Thimrsoal in it and over 600,000 children a year die or become damaged from them, yet they don't try to fix that problem now do they!! No they just keep making more and more and more of them with the same dam ingredients in them.
10/03/2007 5:39 PM
Anonymous said...
Ummmm, anonymous 5:39pm...
The CDC is a not-for-profit entity. Government agencies are not profit centers. That's kind of like saying the World Health Organization fights the bird flu to profit from the cure.
I don't think so.
The CDC is a not-for-profit entity. Government agencies are not profit centers. That's kind of like saying the World Health Organization fights the bird flu to profit from the cure.
I don't think so.
10/03/2007 9:07 PM
Anonymous said...
While we can argue about this forever, we are leaving out one main component in the issue. When all of these vaccinations were being developed and introduced to us in the 50's, polio and the other diseases were already on the decline in this country. Why? due to increased sanitation practices. We started to put screens on our windows, indoor plumbing became more advanced and accessable, new products were being invented. This had a HUGE effect on decreasing the spread of diseases. It just so happens that it coincided with the time that all of the vaccines were being introduced. So, who takes credit? the medical profession of course! Pharmaseutical companies are huge and have more poower in their money machine than any other in the world. It's a shame but it comes down to money. How many children have to suffer for this? Look up the ingredients in vaccines!! They speak for themselves! Lets see: Aluminum causes alzheimers disease, mercury causes death, formaldehyde causes cancer, bovine cells and human fetal growth cells-from where?-ask your doctor and MAKE him tell you! He has to answer your questions! monkey kidney cells, Msg-also cancer causing, What are we doing to our children?
They come to us pure and given everything they need to survive if given the proper nutrition and love. Start throwing all of these carcinogens at an immune system that is only days old and see what happens? No one will ever convince me that this can be good. We are killing our children and the doctors know it - they have studies that prove it! I believe we all have a choice about what we put into our childrens bodies and as parents we need to educate ourselves! we aren't going to be educatied by the medical profession-that has been proven. A recent statistic that I came across is that 1 in 100 vaccines cause side effect. Only 10% of adverse side effects are reported after a vaccine. So, if only 1 in 10 problems is reported and the ratio is still 1 in 100, considering all of the 10's of thousands of shots given in one day-that is a very scary stat! Some may say "OK I can live with 1 out of 100 chance just to vaccinate my child" but what if your child is #100.
They come to us pure and given everything they need to survive if given the proper nutrition and love. Start throwing all of these carcinogens at an immune system that is only days old and see what happens? No one will ever convince me that this can be good. We are killing our children and the doctors know it - they have studies that prove it! I believe we all have a choice about what we put into our childrens bodies and as parents we need to educate ourselves! we aren't going to be educatied by the medical profession-that has been proven. A recent statistic that I came across is that 1 in 100 vaccines cause side effect. Only 10% of adverse side effects are reported after a vaccine. So, if only 1 in 10 problems is reported and the ratio is still 1 in 100, considering all of the 10's of thousands of shots given in one day-that is a very scary stat! Some may say "OK I can live with 1 out of 100 chance just to vaccinate my child" but what if your child is #100.
10/04/2007 5:33 AM
Anonymous said...
Center for Disease Control(CDC)- It is the job of this center to find cures and ways to control the spread of diseases. Their primary concern is the health of all people. This government agency does not make any profit and does not work with drug manufacturers. Many of the doctors that work for the CDC put their lifes on the line everyday by studying deadly viruses like ebola. The only reason the CDC advocates vaccinations is they want to continue to control the spread of disease.
Everyone is so concerned about the ingredients in vaccines, but the amount that is injected is so very small when you compare it to the amount of bad things we eat. If you are so concerned about your children, then maybe you shouldn't feed them fast food, frozen food or anything with preservatives or artificial flavor or sweeteners. It may be the rise in processed foods that is causing the rise in autism.
I am just pointing out another possibility. Just because a child changes soon after receiving a vaccine doesn't mean the vaccine is the cause. That's like saying that whenever you wear your favorite T-shirt, good things happen, so the T-shirt must be lucky. One doesn't necessarily lead to the other. It could be just a coincidence.
Doctors are not lying to you and they are not profitting from vaccinating your child. They are doing what they believe is in your child's best interest.
Everyone is so concerned about the ingredients in vaccines, but the amount that is injected is so very small when you compare it to the amount of bad things we eat. If you are so concerned about your children, then maybe you shouldn't feed them fast food, frozen food or anything with preservatives or artificial flavor or sweeteners. It may be the rise in processed foods that is causing the rise in autism.
I am just pointing out another possibility. Just because a child changes soon after receiving a vaccine doesn't mean the vaccine is the cause. That's like saying that whenever you wear your favorite T-shirt, good things happen, so the T-shirt must be lucky. One doesn't necessarily lead to the other. It could be just a coincidence.
Doctors are not lying to you and they are not profitting from vaccinating your child. They are doing what they believe is in your child's best interest.
10/04/2007 11:08 AM
Anonymous said...
11:08
I did remove preservatives and artifical colors from my kids diets. Thats how I KNOW that it makes a difference and thats why I don't want garbage injected directly into my childrens bloodstreams.
If they had a vaccine with only a small amount of arsenic, you'd take it, right---because its only a small amount? Of course not! So why would you want mercury injected into your body?
And actually, doctors do profit from vaccinating children. They don't do it for free, now do they? I'm sure they believe its the best thing, but a lot of us disagree.
I did remove preservatives and artifical colors from my kids diets. Thats how I KNOW that it makes a difference and thats why I don't want garbage injected directly into my childrens bloodstreams.
If they had a vaccine with only a small amount of arsenic, you'd take it, right---because its only a small amount? Of course not! So why would you want mercury injected into your body?
And actually, doctors do profit from vaccinating children. They don't do it for free, now do they? I'm sure they believe its the best thing, but a lot of us disagree.
10/04/2007 7:28 PM
Anonymous said...
The CDC may not be making a profit but the drug companies sure are!!
I understand what you are saying about the foods we eat today, and I totally agree with you but-that is a totally different issue altogether. Good, informed choices need to be used all around. The fact remains that we are not injecting chicken nuggets and artificial sweeteners into our newborns, we are injecting cancer causing agents and heavy metals.
I understand what you are saying about the foods we eat today, and I totally agree with you but-that is a totally different issue altogether. Good, informed choices need to be used all around. The fact remains that we are not injecting chicken nuggets and artificial sweeteners into our newborns, we are injecting cancer causing agents and heavy metals.
10/04/2007 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
WHOOOOOOOO about damn time someone get on here and basically believe the way I do about doctors making a profit basically off the vaccines they give our children so all in all off of our children!
10/05/2007 12:47 AM
Anonymous said...
If all the doctor did in his practice was vaccinate children, he would end up bankrupt. After you consider the cost of purchasing the vaccines, the equipment to properly store them, paying the salaries and benefits of the support staff, there isn't much left to pay the doctor. Doctors are not getting rich by vaccinating our children. Vaccinations are just part of the practice of a doctor and they are certainly not the most expensive.
It takes most doctors 10 years to pay off their education loans. They work very hard to serve us and provide the best care possible. And it seems like all we can do is sue them whenever anything goes wrong and assume they are in some big conspiracy with the drug manufacturers. Doctors are people too. They are not super human and all knowing. People that have posted on this blog insist that doctors know that vaccines cause autism but refuse to admit it. But I wonder if they have any facts to back that up. I know they have information, but it doesn't mean that the doctors believe it.
I think that those of you who insist that doctors are getting rich off of their patients, should read the most current blogs by Dr. Ira Kirschenbaum on Mad about Medicine. He is doing a series about what doctors actually make and what they could make in a true free market. You might find it interesting. Of course, I know it won't change your mind.
It takes most doctors 10 years to pay off their education loans. They work very hard to serve us and provide the best care possible. And it seems like all we can do is sue them whenever anything goes wrong and assume they are in some big conspiracy with the drug manufacturers. Doctors are people too. They are not super human and all knowing. People that have posted on this blog insist that doctors know that vaccines cause autism but refuse to admit it. But I wonder if they have any facts to back that up. I know they have information, but it doesn't mean that the doctors believe it.
I think that those of you who insist that doctors are getting rich off of their patients, should read the most current blogs by Dr. Ira Kirschenbaum on Mad about Medicine. He is doing a series about what doctors actually make and what they could make in a true free market. You might find it interesting. Of course, I know it won't change your mind.
10/05/2007 11:06 AM
Anonymous said...
Doctors may not get rich directly off giving vaccinations, BUT consider how many vaccinations are expected these days. Its not unusual for kids to get 3 shots at a time per visit. And during the first year of life, even healthy kids see the pediatrician a lot. And when you consider what it costs just to walk into the doctors office these days, I wouldn't worry to much about doctors going bankrupt.
I know it takes a lot of money and hard work to become a doctor. But for those who do become doctors, believe me, it does pay for itself. You don't see many ESTABLISHED doctors driving old clunker cars or living in bad neighborhoods. Most of the doctors that I know live in affluent communities and send their kids to the best schools. They take several vacations a year. And good for them, most of them earn it. But don't tell me that they are poor--I don't believe it.
I know it takes a lot of money and hard work to become a doctor. But for those who do become doctors, believe me, it does pay for itself. You don't see many ESTABLISHED doctors driving old clunker cars or living in bad neighborhoods. Most of the doctors that I know live in affluent communities and send their kids to the best schools. They take several vacations a year. And good for them, most of them earn it. But don't tell me that they are poor--I don't believe it.
10/05/2007 2:48 PM
Anonymous said...
I don't know what causes autism but there needs to be more effort put into figuring it out. It used to be a rare disorder, 1 in 10,000 children would become autistic. Now it's 1 in 150! Maybe when it gets to be 1 in 50, or perhaps 1 in 25 it will be considered a crisis. How many will it take?
10/05/2007 3:03 PM
Greg said...
It's somthing how the people who have never had a child with autism, or lost a child within a week of receiving the shots, like what happened to my family. Can worry about how well people spell and not realize that the bad spellers are more worried about the puncual peoples children than they are.
And any doctor who pushes vaccinations is just another stupid sheep of the drug company's. If the British thought so much of the vaccinations why don't they start giving the shot's untill after the child is three years old, when they live closer to all the third world countries, where it is a higher risk of getting any of the diseases that are vaccinated for.
And how gullible do you have to be, to not know that doctors make money from giving these shots, if they did not pay they would not give them they would leave it up to the goverment, let's be real.
To the person who said that children in third world countries get autisum, at what rate we used to have a 1 in 2000 rate before vaccines, what about that.
I do feel sorry for the poor parents who say they better give their baby these shot's, because after they do and they lose the child like we did, or they come up with autism it is to late. Then they to will be doing all they can on these web sites to try and help the next parent avoid losing their child one way or another. Because after my first son died we never gave another child shot's and my oldest is now 24 and my youngest is 1 and they are healthy and no medical problems.
And to address the people who complain about the rudness of some of the posters, let's see how you talk after it's your kid, maybe then you will be aggravated with the stupid things people are saying while your trying to warn people. and keep them from felling your pain.
And any doctor who pushes vaccinations is just another stupid sheep of the drug company's. If the British thought so much of the vaccinations why don't they start giving the shot's untill after the child is three years old, when they live closer to all the third world countries, where it is a higher risk of getting any of the diseases that are vaccinated for.
And how gullible do you have to be, to not know that doctors make money from giving these shots, if they did not pay they would not give them they would leave it up to the goverment, let's be real.
To the person who said that children in third world countries get autisum, at what rate we used to have a 1 in 2000 rate before vaccines, what about that.
I do feel sorry for the poor parents who say they better give their baby these shot's, because after they do and they lose the child like we did, or they come up with autism it is to late. Then they to will be doing all they can on these web sites to try and help the next parent avoid losing their child one way or another. Because after my first son died we never gave another child shot's and my oldest is now 24 and my youngest is 1 and they are healthy and no medical problems.
And to address the people who complain about the rudness of some of the posters, let's see how you talk after it's your kid, maybe then you will be aggravated with the stupid things people are saying while your trying to warn people. and keep them from felling your pain.
10/09/2007 1:49 AM
Anonymous said...
If we can get 3 more comments after this one, there will be 100 comments to this blog. I think that might be a record.
In response to Greg above, actually the local county government where I live does give vaccinations. When I say that doctors don't make money from the shots, what I actually mean is the profit margin is very, very small. Doctors are not getting flithy rich by vaccinating children. I actually have proof of this, however I have no way of posting it in the blog. I have seen the books of a local doctors office and know what they pay to get the vaccine and what the charge to give it. And what most insurance companies will reimburse. The resulting profit is small. Do you have actual proof that doctors are working in a conspiracy with drug manufactures to push vaccinations? Because if you did, I'm sure the federal government would like to know. Such a conspiracy violates federal anti-trust regulations.
I am not totally sold that vaccines are 100% safe, but I do believe that doctors believe what they tell their patients. And I do know what it is like to have a child with autism. However, I am a lucky parent; my daughter's autism is mild.
I often wonder if we are getting better at diagnosing the varying degrees of autism and that's part of the reason why the number of children with autism is rising.
I also wonder how the children that are not vaccinated receive an education. Are they home schooled? I know in Illinois, you cannot attend a public school without proof of vaccinations or a medical reason for not having them.
In response to Greg above, actually the local county government where I live does give vaccinations. When I say that doctors don't make money from the shots, what I actually mean is the profit margin is very, very small. Doctors are not getting flithy rich by vaccinating children. I actually have proof of this, however I have no way of posting it in the blog. I have seen the books of a local doctors office and know what they pay to get the vaccine and what the charge to give it. And what most insurance companies will reimburse. The resulting profit is small. Do you have actual proof that doctors are working in a conspiracy with drug manufactures to push vaccinations? Because if you did, I'm sure the federal government would like to know. Such a conspiracy violates federal anti-trust regulations.
I am not totally sold that vaccines are 100% safe, but I do believe that doctors believe what they tell their patients. And I do know what it is like to have a child with autism. However, I am a lucky parent; my daughter's autism is mild.
I often wonder if we are getting better at diagnosing the varying degrees of autism and that's part of the reason why the number of children with autism is rising.
I also wonder how the children that are not vaccinated receive an education. Are they home schooled? I know in Illinois, you cannot attend a public school without proof of vaccinations or a medical reason for not having them.
10/09/2007 4:59 PM
Anonymous said...
I am surprised that no one has mentioned DAN as of yet. It stands for Defeat Autism Now. The physicians and researchers have done extensive research and have discovered high metal toxicity to been a contributing factor. Not just mercury.
It has also been shown, in some autistic children that allergies to cow's milk and to wheat also contribute to autism. When do most children come off the bottle? How many colicky infants display signs of austism. My nephew, as an infant was colicky. My brother and sister-in-law placed him on the expensive soy formula. Through his toddler years, my mother, a nurse practioner, was highly concerned because of the signs he was exhibiting. He still has issues today as robust 5 year old. He still does not drink cow's milk.
What if it is combonation of vaccine and allergy? What if the vaccine causes the allergy?
I suggest for those who will, a look at http://www.autism.com/
No one in my family is austic. Why should Rain Man have to be in an institution when there is a possibility he could be healed?
It has also been shown, in some autistic children that allergies to cow's milk and to wheat also contribute to autism. When do most children come off the bottle? How many colicky infants display signs of austism. My nephew, as an infant was colicky. My brother and sister-in-law placed him on the expensive soy formula. Through his toddler years, my mother, a nurse practioner, was highly concerned because of the signs he was exhibiting. He still has issues today as robust 5 year old. He still does not drink cow's milk.
What if it is combonation of vaccine and allergy? What if the vaccine causes the allergy?
I suggest for those who will, a look at http://www.autism.com/
No one in my family is austic. Why should Rain Man have to be in an institution when there is a possibility he could be healed?
10/09/2007 7:07 PM
Anonymous said...
There may indeed be treatments that help autistic children's behavior. My ADHD son certainly benefitted from a whole-grain diet with Omega-3 supplements but that didn't "cure" his ADHD. It just helped manage the symptoms better.
It's amazing to me that this discussion has gone from "vaccines don't cause autism", to "yes, yes they do cause autism because I know so in my gut despite study after study to the contrary" to "autism can be cured."
The saddest part to me is that those of you who claim vaccines to be the culprit seem also not to be accepting of the fact that your child is autistic -- it's a "horrible thing" that others should be "saved from".
If you are putting half the energy into your kid that you are trying to claim the vax/autism link, good for you. If you're not, maybe you should consider accepting him/her as they are and working toward helping them, rather than blaming others.
It's amazing to me that this discussion has gone from "vaccines don't cause autism", to "yes, yes they do cause autism because I know so in my gut despite study after study to the contrary" to "autism can be cured."
The saddest part to me is that those of you who claim vaccines to be the culprit seem also not to be accepting of the fact that your child is autistic -- it's a "horrible thing" that others should be "saved from".
If you are putting half the energy into your kid that you are trying to claim the vax/autism link, good for you. If you're not, maybe you should consider accepting him/her as they are and working toward helping them, rather than blaming others.
10/09/2007 9:41 PM
Anonymous said...
Does anyone who has posted on this board about doctors working with drug companies have any actual proof? Most of what I have read in all of these posts is conjecture and opinion, but no one has offered any concrete evidence of a connection between the doctors and the drug companies to push vaccinations.
If that connection really did exist and there really was such a conspiracy, then I am sure the Federal Government would be all over it. Such a conspiracy is against the anit-trust laws of this country and if it really did exist it would be BIG news.
If you really want to do something to stop the requirement of vaccinations, then contact your congressman and senator. These are the people who are in with the lobbyist of the big drug manufacturers and they are the ones who would lose money if they did not promote what their backers wanted.
Let's bring the fight about vaccinations to congress and get the laws changed. Then getting your children vaccinated will truly be optional and we can see what will happen to the once erradicated diseases.
If that connection really did exist and there really was such a conspiracy, then I am sure the Federal Government would be all over it. Such a conspiracy is against the anit-trust laws of this country and if it really did exist it would be BIG news.
If you really want to do something to stop the requirement of vaccinations, then contact your congressman and senator. These are the people who are in with the lobbyist of the big drug manufacturers and they are the ones who would lose money if they did not promote what their backers wanted.
Let's bring the fight about vaccinations to congress and get the laws changed. Then getting your children vaccinated will truly be optional and we can see what will happen to the once erradicated diseases.
10/10/2007 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
Don't you think that if the medical community showed some actual effort on their part in researching what DOES cause autism than the parents would not feel that they would have to take the reins and come to conclusions on their own?
The basis of the frustration, Sir, over these "wrong" theories is probably that they spread so much to begin with. Because that would be a clear and serious indication that people just don't trust doctors anymore. We are tired of them blowing off our parental intuitions. We are not ignorant...if the medical community, the governemnt, or the drug companies truly showed effort over eliminating this epidemic (oh and this is an epidemic...even the cdc concedes that there is not truly 100 percent accuracy in the collection of data on how many people are actually affected by autism - so the numbers could be even lower)instead of taking so much time and energy in telling these parents that they are wrong, than maybe the community would have more confidence that this issue is being addressed. Can not the doctors and pharmeceutical companies be wrong?? Could it be that unheard of? If they are not, why don't these companies instead help fund and research what truly does cause autism if not vaccines. God knows they have the money and resources to do it. Why not an international panel to work together in eradicating this epidemic? (I mean one where ideas are actually shared instead of being harbored out of the fear that the finder would not get sole credit in the medical journals) Do you know how much this is going to cause the taxpayers to get services for these children as they grow? If not just for the health of these children than for the pricetag it is going to cause this government?
I find it unbelievable that a country that can come up with these vaccinations in the first place to almost eradicate these diseases can get no closer to finding the cause of Autism. Maybe not a cure but at least the cause.
Unfortunatly there is good reason the community has lost faith in their doctors. Fear breads uncertainty and panic. Parents are afraid and yet the ones that they should be turning to have no answers for them. So why should they not be leary when they are being told vaccinations are 100 percent safe? Why should they not believe what you believe are these "crackpot" theories. At least these theories are giving them some kind of answer, wrong or not. From the doctors we get "we don't know." That is just not acceptable when you have such a dramatic increase of children with autism.
And posters please do not say that it is just that we are getting better at idenitfying it. If that were the case and the statistics were always this high there would have been a DECREASE in the number of people diagnosed with other disorders as more people were being properly diagnosed with autism. Such as mental retardation which was often given without a co-morbid diganosis of Autism when in fact Autism was the cause.But there is no such decrease in these numbers that is compatible to the huge increase of people being diagnosed with autism.
So in turn it is the medical community that is actully spurring on these beliefs in these theories as they have not offered any real tangible answers themselves.
Please stop telling us we are wrong and why and start telling us what is going on.
The basis of the frustration, Sir, over these "wrong" theories is probably that they spread so much to begin with. Because that would be a clear and serious indication that people just don't trust doctors anymore. We are tired of them blowing off our parental intuitions. We are not ignorant...if the medical community, the governemnt, or the drug companies truly showed effort over eliminating this epidemic (oh and this is an epidemic...even the cdc concedes that there is not truly 100 percent accuracy in the collection of data on how many people are actually affected by autism - so the numbers could be even lower)instead of taking so much time and energy in telling these parents that they are wrong, than maybe the community would have more confidence that this issue is being addressed. Can not the doctors and pharmeceutical companies be wrong?? Could it be that unheard of? If they are not, why don't these companies instead help fund and research what truly does cause autism if not vaccines. God knows they have the money and resources to do it. Why not an international panel to work together in eradicating this epidemic? (I mean one where ideas are actually shared instead of being harbored out of the fear that the finder would not get sole credit in the medical journals) Do you know how much this is going to cause the taxpayers to get services for these children as they grow? If not just for the health of these children than for the pricetag it is going to cause this government?
I find it unbelievable that a country that can come up with these vaccinations in the first place to almost eradicate these diseases can get no closer to finding the cause of Autism. Maybe not a cure but at least the cause.
Unfortunatly there is good reason the community has lost faith in their doctors. Fear breads uncertainty and panic. Parents are afraid and yet the ones that they should be turning to have no answers for them. So why should they not be leary when they are being told vaccinations are 100 percent safe? Why should they not believe what you believe are these "crackpot" theories. At least these theories are giving them some kind of answer, wrong or not. From the doctors we get "we don't know." That is just not acceptable when you have such a dramatic increase of children with autism.
And posters please do not say that it is just that we are getting better at idenitfying it. If that were the case and the statistics were always this high there would have been a DECREASE in the number of people diagnosed with other disorders as more people were being properly diagnosed with autism. Such as mental retardation which was often given without a co-morbid diganosis of Autism when in fact Autism was the cause.But there is no such decrease in these numbers that is compatible to the huge increase of people being diagnosed with autism.
So in turn it is the medical community that is actully spurring on these beliefs in these theories as they have not offered any real tangible answers themselves.
Please stop telling us we are wrong and why and start telling us what is going on.
10/10/2007 2:55 PM
Anonymous said...
You should know what if a doctor tells you something is 100% effective and or safe it has to be pure lie!! Nothing is 100% safe.
If Vaccinations were that damn safe There would be NO AUTISM< NO DEATHS, and NO MENTALY DISABLE OR DAMAGED CHILDREN, AND NO OTHER PHYSICAL REACTIONS PERIOD IN ANY CHILD!!!
When they do vaccines for children they start way way way to young. Their tiny little bodies cant handle so much crap in their systems, especially when their bodies dont have really any a immune system.
SO if your one of those parents that think vaccinations are the every answer to keeping a child safe, stop being one minded, start researching. Theres actually a list of websites on here u can check out and thats just to name a few that will help you understand!!!
But if you still want to vaccinate then WAIT TILL THEY ARE AT LEAST 2!! or 3!! when their immune systems are built stronger.
The doctor that i see for my daughter has 5 children that are not vaccinated and they are all grown up 3 of them anyways!!
I'd been talking to a nurse from an office and she was not vaccinated or her family and when she got her first born vaccinated he DIED!!
Unfortually their are many babies out there who are dieing after vaccinations, you just never hear about them because doctors tend to write it off as SIDS so their asses wont get sued for Malpractice!!
If Vaccinations were that damn safe There would be NO AUTISM< NO DEATHS, and NO MENTALY DISABLE OR DAMAGED CHILDREN, AND NO OTHER PHYSICAL REACTIONS PERIOD IN ANY CHILD!!!
When they do vaccines for children they start way way way to young. Their tiny little bodies cant handle so much crap in their systems, especially when their bodies dont have really any a immune system.
SO if your one of those parents that think vaccinations are the every answer to keeping a child safe, stop being one minded, start researching. Theres actually a list of websites on here u can check out and thats just to name a few that will help you understand!!!
But if you still want to vaccinate then WAIT TILL THEY ARE AT LEAST 2!! or 3!! when their immune systems are built stronger.
The doctor that i see for my daughter has 5 children that are not vaccinated and they are all grown up 3 of them anyways!!
I'd been talking to a nurse from an office and she was not vaccinated or her family and when she got her first born vaccinated he DIED!!
Unfortually their are many babies out there who are dieing after vaccinations, you just never hear about them because doctors tend to write it off as SIDS so their asses wont get sued for Malpractice!!
10/11/2007 11:50 AM
Anonymous said...
parents, ask to see the insert that comes with the vaccine that is given to your child. The doctor will give it to you if they have nothing to hide. Then look up all of the ingredients and their potential side effects. If we educate ourselves then we won't have to rely on people that either don't know or won't tell us.
Addressing the education issue above, my children are not vaccinated and each state that we have lived in "requires" vaccines for school - but there are wavers, religiious, philosophical, and medical wavers that you can download for each state. They have never been questioned by any school.
Addressing the education issue above, my children are not vaccinated and each state that we have lived in "requires" vaccines for school - but there are wavers, religiious, philosophical, and medical wavers that you can download for each state. They have never been questioned by any school.
10/11/2007 3:18 PM
Anonymous said...
Schools cant question an exemption form
Anyone who thinks that your child cant go to school if they dont get their shots is wrong!!
It is law that your child attends school so they cant denie your child from going to school just because you dont believe in vaccinations, just get an exemption form for your state
Anyone who thinks that your child cant go to school if they dont get their shots is wrong!!
It is law that your child attends school so they cant denie your child from going to school just because you dont believe in vaccinations, just get an exemption form for your state
10/11/2007 9:50 PM
Anonymous said...
I think, that most people like to be informed, to be able to weigh the pro's and con's of vaccines. I think that personally most people shut off when it is consistantly shoved in your face. Seriously do you appreciate it when someone does this to you? Consider this, who listens to people screaming their opinions at you? Tone down guys, and just state the facts.
10/12/2007 2:22 AM
Anonymous said...
I know from personal experience that MD's do NOT like to be questioned. I have been refused care by doctors calling me an irresponsible and neglectful parent just because i asked questions and refused vaccines. one MD actually had me escorted from his office when he heard that i had no intention of getting my baby vaccinated. so, don't tell me about being having and opinion shoved in your face!! I am no idiot. I have a graduate degree and am a professional person who choses to inform my self by weighing the pro's and con's. but i had to find the answers for myself.
10/12/2007 9:12 AM
Anonymous said...
sorry for the typo - i really am not an idiot:)
10/12/2007 9:19 AM
Jeffrey Dach MD said...
The Most Bitter Debate
There is no greater rancor in medicine than the autism-vaccine debate, and this debate has reached the federal vaccine court where 5000 autistic kids and their families are requesting compensation for vaccine injury.
In California it is a illegal to inject newborns with the mercury containing vaccines (such as the Hep-B Shot, and it should be crime in your state as well.
Hepatitis B is transmitted with IV drug abuse, or via sexual transmission, both of which are somewhat impossible for newborns. It is much safer to wait until the child is 3 years old to give the shot.
Hopefully, the injection of mercury into newborns will soon become a relic of the ancient past, taking its rightful place in the museum along with bloodletting and leeches. Until then, there is much work to be done to remove mercury from our vaccinations. As a nation, we can't afford not to.
Read more at:
Autism and Mercury Vaccines by Jeffrey Dach MD
Jeffrey Dach MD
4700 Sheridan Suite T
Hollywood Fl 33021
954-983-1443
my web site
There is no greater rancor in medicine than the autism-vaccine debate, and this debate has reached the federal vaccine court where 5000 autistic kids and their families are requesting compensation for vaccine injury.
In California it is a illegal to inject newborns with the mercury containing vaccines (such as the Hep-B Shot, and it should be crime in your state as well.
Hepatitis B is transmitted with IV drug abuse, or via sexual transmission, both of which are somewhat impossible for newborns. It is much safer to wait until the child is 3 years old to give the shot.
Hopefully, the injection of mercury into newborns will soon become a relic of the ancient past, taking its rightful place in the museum along with bloodletting and leeches. Until then, there is much work to be done to remove mercury from our vaccinations. As a nation, we can't afford not to.
Read more at:
Autism and Mercury Vaccines by Jeffrey Dach MD
Jeffrey Dach MD
4700 Sheridan Suite T
Hollywood Fl 33021
954-983-1443
my web site
10/12/2007 12:17 PM
Anonymous said...
Dr. Dach is a well-known Scientologist, as a simple Google search on the terms "Dr. Dach" and Scientology will indicate to anyone who cares to try it.
Consider that when you weigh the views he states above.
To the person who was escorted from the doctor's office when you refused vaccines...that doctor has a responsibility to all the patients who visit his office. If he was a pediatrician where other infants might be visiting, it seems like a responsible move not to risk the introduction of diseases which would not be present if your child were vaccinated. The fact is, you're relying on the rest of us to vaccinate our children as the preventive measure which frees you all to choose NOT to vaccinate yours.
Consider that when you weigh the views he states above.
To the person who was escorted from the doctor's office when you refused vaccines...that doctor has a responsibility to all the patients who visit his office. If he was a pediatrician where other infants might be visiting, it seems like a responsible move not to risk the introduction of diseases which would not be present if your child were vaccinated. The fact is, you're relying on the rest of us to vaccinate our children as the preventive measure which frees you all to choose NOT to vaccinate yours.
10/12/2007 12:33 PM
Anonymous said...
Excuse me, but you couldn't be more wrong about that! I do not rely on herd immunity. I simply believe that natural immunity is always best. And furthermore, you have just proven my point, if vaccines work the way everyone would have us believe they do then why should the doctor worry? all of his other patients have their shots so my child would not be a threat-right? thanks!
10/12/2007 2:37 PM
Anonymous said...
That is why I love this country...so tolerant of other people despite race OR RELIGION. I suppose next you are going to expect us to reject Dr. Dach (and he is a doctor) just because of his religion.
I think what many many many people are missing is a very important point; that it is not that ALL these parents would be against vaccinating their child if they weren't filled with so many toxins or if they were at least given the correct answer to what causes autism. The CDC themselves must reveal that there is a chance, however small, that your child can have an adverse reaction to these shots...so how can the doctor that wrote this blog, an accredited professional mind you, be irresponsible enough to claim in writing that he knows more than the CDC and that vaccinations are 100 percent safe??? Like I said earlier... and they wonder why we are losing faith and trust in the medical community???
I think what many many many people are missing is a very important point; that it is not that ALL these parents would be against vaccinating their child if they weren't filled with so many toxins or if they were at least given the correct answer to what causes autism. The CDC themselves must reveal that there is a chance, however small, that your child can have an adverse reaction to these shots...so how can the doctor that wrote this blog, an accredited professional mind you, be irresponsible enough to claim in writing that he knows more than the CDC and that vaccinations are 100 percent safe??? Like I said earlier... and they wonder why we are losing faith and trust in the medical community???
10/12/2007 2:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Ignore the Scientology bias against medications or in this case, vaccines, at your own peril. There is a clear slant and agenda behind the drumbeat of their consistent anti-med/vax evangelizing. This includes marketing of so-called natural remedies and therapies, despite the lack of medical evidence to support them. In some cases those remedies (such as their so-called detox program with near-lethal results in documented cases) lead to death or near death.
Choose your poison, I say, but do it with your eyes open.
By the way, I made no judgments. I simply pointed out his affiliation with Scientology and suggested that his recommendations be taken in that light. You're the one that read something negative into that. I reject Scientology out of hand as voodoo religion with an agenda. If Scientologists didn't inject themselves so thoroughly into the health debate with unsupported claims and hyperbole on a regular basis I'd have no basis to discount him.
Wouldn't it be great if we all knew what caused autism? But we don't. One study says it's aging sperm; another study says genetics and so on. We also don't know what causes cancer, despite zillions of dollars of research in that area. Yet cancer has also been around far longer than vaccines. One of the reasons we don't know what causes cancer is because there are so many different factors that can't be boiled down to one single thing.
The bottom line is that you don't know that vaccines cause autism any more than you know that the air causes it. Neither do I. And it's frustrating. But I'd REALLY hate to have an autistic child who is further handicapped by the side effects of diseases easily prevented.
One of the most instructive things I ever did was go back and track my family history as far as I could go. When I did and gathered up as many artifacts from grandparents, great-aunts and uncles, cousins and parents as I could, a clear pattern emerged for me, showing that autism spectrum behavior was present on both sides of the family tree, wreaking havoc as far back as the mid 1800's. Anecdotal, yes. But still, at least there's some evidence for the autism spectrum disorders being genetic.
Choose your poison, I say, but do it with your eyes open.
By the way, I made no judgments. I simply pointed out his affiliation with Scientology and suggested that his recommendations be taken in that light. You're the one that read something negative into that. I reject Scientology out of hand as voodoo religion with an agenda. If Scientologists didn't inject themselves so thoroughly into the health debate with unsupported claims and hyperbole on a regular basis I'd have no basis to discount him.
Wouldn't it be great if we all knew what caused autism? But we don't. One study says it's aging sperm; another study says genetics and so on. We also don't know what causes cancer, despite zillions of dollars of research in that area. Yet cancer has also been around far longer than vaccines. One of the reasons we don't know what causes cancer is because there are so many different factors that can't be boiled down to one single thing.
The bottom line is that you don't know that vaccines cause autism any more than you know that the air causes it. Neither do I. And it's frustrating. But I'd REALLY hate to have an autistic child who is further handicapped by the side effects of diseases easily prevented.
One of the most instructive things I ever did was go back and track my family history as far as I could go. When I did and gathered up as many artifacts from grandparents, great-aunts and uncles, cousins and parents as I could, a clear pattern emerged for me, showing that autism spectrum behavior was present on both sides of the family tree, wreaking havoc as far back as the mid 1800's. Anecdotal, yes. But still, at least there's some evidence for the autism spectrum disorders being genetic.
10/12/2007 3:21 PM
Anonymous said...
good point before, if vaccines work like they are meant to, then why is everyone so threatened by those of us who don't?
10/12/2007 4:33 PM
Anonymous said...
I too have heard time and time again there is no scientific proof that there is a link between autims and vaccines. However, I can only give what documented proof I have regarding my son who AQUIRED autism at the age of 18 months, immediately following his first MMR vaccine.
I have video tapes of my son, talking, socializing and developing normally prior to his 18 month MMR vaccine. He was meeting and surpassing all developmental milestones. Within two weeks of receiving his first MMR vaccine, the regression began as is noted on video. He stopped responding, seemed to "drift" off in he own little world, and lost physical skills as well. After six months of this behavior we immersed him in speech, occupational and behavior optometry therapies. Although he still was not developmentally appropriate, his communication skills and social skills seemed to be progressing as the video tape recordings show. However, pediatric records showed that development milestones (such as answering yes/no questions, joint attention, etc.) that he had once achieved, were not longer present.
At the age of 4 he received his second MMR vaccine. Shortly after this he STOPPED SPEAKING ALTOGETHER! Speech therapy three times a week did not help my son regain his ability to speak. Is this co-incidental timing. That severe marked regression occurred after receiving both MMR vaccines? I don't think so. Do I have "scientific" proof? No. I don't need any. I know my son, and I have video tapes to prove to his his skeptic doctors.
And now the clincher. When he was 12 or 13 he received another vaccine, which still contains the poison of thimersol. Within a week, he developed seizures and has been having weekly seizures since. He is now 17.
Is there scientific proof relating autism or other developmental delays to vaccines? Maybe not...but there is enough antedoctal evidence like mine to keep this issue alive.
I have video tapes of my son, talking, socializing and developing normally prior to his 18 month MMR vaccine. He was meeting and surpassing all developmental milestones. Within two weeks of receiving his first MMR vaccine, the regression began as is noted on video. He stopped responding, seemed to "drift" off in he own little world, and lost physical skills as well. After six months of this behavior we immersed him in speech, occupational and behavior optometry therapies. Although he still was not developmentally appropriate, his communication skills and social skills seemed to be progressing as the video tape recordings show. However, pediatric records showed that development milestones (such as answering yes/no questions, joint attention, etc.) that he had once achieved, were not longer present.
At the age of 4 he received his second MMR vaccine. Shortly after this he STOPPED SPEAKING ALTOGETHER! Speech therapy three times a week did not help my son regain his ability to speak. Is this co-incidental timing. That severe marked regression occurred after receiving both MMR vaccines? I don't think so. Do I have "scientific" proof? No. I don't need any. I know my son, and I have video tapes to prove to his his skeptic doctors.
And now the clincher. When he was 12 or 13 he received another vaccine, which still contains the poison of thimersol. Within a week, he developed seizures and has been having weekly seizures since. He is now 17.
Is there scientific proof relating autism or other developmental delays to vaccines? Maybe not...but there is enough antedoctal evidence like mine to keep this issue alive.
10/13/2007 10:43 PM
Anonymous said...
As a parent getting ready to have their child receive their 12 month immunization shots; my question is; Can I still have her vaccinated without receiving the MMR vaccine? I know studies show that "IF" the MMR vaccine was to be proven to cause autism that boys are more prone. I have a daughter & I am still concerned.
10/14/2007 12:46 AM
Anonymous said...
you can refuse any vaccine.it is your decision. but just be prepared for the doctor to argue with you. they can't make you do anything and please, do not be bullied into a shot that you may regret later! measles and mumps and rubella are not fun childhood diseases but they will pass. autism is for a lifetime. be informed and good luck with your doctor!
10/14/2007 7:29 AM
Anonymous said...
to the woman above with a videotape--God bless you!
i hope that you have a good lawyer and can take this to the highest courts. you will have lots of support. my prayers will be with you and your child.
i hope that you have a good lawyer and can take this to the highest courts. you will have lots of support. my prayers will be with you and your child.
10/14/2007 7:32 AM
Anonymous said...
I am very much suprised at this debate! I am Dr Adebayo; a medical doctor from Nigeria.
I find many of the views expressed by people on the topic of vaccine quite ludicrious!!! Someone saying measles, polio, and rubbela etc are not killer diseases! That is a very ignorant statement! I have personally certified dead dozens of children who died from measles. They didnt recieve vaccination! Many more are living witht the residual complications of measles.
As a citizen of the only country where there is still the wild polio virus in the world, I am very conversant with the ravaging dangers of polio. A walk along major streets in state capitals of Nigeria, reveals paralyzed beggers who will tell you just how dangerous polio is. They were not vacinnated!
A child (or even an adult) dying from tetanus is a terrible heart wrenching sight. I know because i jave also PERSONALLY certified dead children whose mothers did not recieve any anti-tetanus vaccination.
Vacines safes Lives!!! There is absolutely nothing in this world that doesnt have potential side-effect! Even water does. You there are are potential side effects to some vaccines. There are guidelines to prevent (and reduce to a minimum) the occurence of these unwanted effects. DPT nor MMR are not associated with autism!!! Plain simple!
Please enough of the ignorant ramblings! Immunize your children. If you dont, you may come to regret it!
I find many of the views expressed by people on the topic of vaccine quite ludicrious!!! Someone saying measles, polio, and rubbela etc are not killer diseases! That is a very ignorant statement! I have personally certified dead dozens of children who died from measles. They didnt recieve vaccination! Many more are living witht the residual complications of measles.
As a citizen of the only country where there is still the wild polio virus in the world, I am very conversant with the ravaging dangers of polio. A walk along major streets in state capitals of Nigeria, reveals paralyzed beggers who will tell you just how dangerous polio is. They were not vacinnated!
A child (or even an adult) dying from tetanus is a terrible heart wrenching sight. I know because i jave also PERSONALLY certified dead children whose mothers did not recieve any anti-tetanus vaccination.
Vacines safes Lives!!! There is absolutely nothing in this world that doesnt have potential side-effect! Even water does. You there are are potential side effects to some vaccines. There are guidelines to prevent (and reduce to a minimum) the occurence of these unwanted effects. DPT nor MMR are not associated with autism!!! Plain simple!
Please enough of the ignorant ramblings! Immunize your children. If you dont, you may come to regret it!
10/17/2007 9:03 PM
Anonymous said...
Anyone care to supply me with solid data proving that vaccines WORK? As far as I'm concerned, all this talk about Autism and all is beside the point. They DON'T WORK!!! These diseases were all already headed for a natural decline by the time the vaccines were introduced. The pharma's say "woops!" did we say one shot would provide you with life-long immunity!? We meant two shots!" Then the kids keep getting the diseases and they say "Woops! We meant you need three shots." Still not working? "Actually, you need FOUR shots AND a booster shot at age 11" And by this time, HOW much money are the big pharmas making and are the diseases still popping up? YES! Only they are misdiagnosed.... "Well, since Billy had his shots, this CAN'T be whooping cough... just keep giving him his cough medicine.... it'll go away eventually"
VACCINATIONS DON'T WORK!
VACCINATIONS DON'T WORK!
10/18/2007 12:51 AM
Anonymous said...
Evidence that vaccines work:
I had mumps, measles, and rubella. I was born before those vaccines were available. I did not have polio, because the vaccine had recently been introduced and my mother marched me down to the public health clinic on the bus to receive it.
The little girl down the street, however, did have it and was disabled as a result. She wasn't vaccinated.
My three kids, none of them autistic, were vaccinated for all the diseases I named above. They had none of them.
Only the youngest received the chicken pox vaccine. It wasn't available for the oldest or the middle one until they were older. Of course, by then, both of the older ones had it, but the youngest one has not, despite exposure (thanks to stupid people who thought it would be a good idea to expose their kids to chicken pox when they were young).
None of my kids missed more than one day in a row of school for illness. If they had caught any of the diseases I named above, they'd have been out for a week to 10 days. But they weren't because they were vaccinated.
Now here's a challenge for you: Prove with empirical evidence (instead of shrill dogmatic low-level shouting) that: a) These diseases were already headed for natural eradication; and b) that vaccinations don't work.
You spew a lot of pretty-sounding theories that have NO BASIS in fact. They attract folks who, by nature are suspicious and paranoid, but they have NO FACTS. ZERO FACTS. I've read over one hundred messages and the only facts I see are ones in support of vaccinating children, not against.
I had mumps, measles, and rubella. I was born before those vaccines were available. I did not have polio, because the vaccine had recently been introduced and my mother marched me down to the public health clinic on the bus to receive it.
The little girl down the street, however, did have it and was disabled as a result. She wasn't vaccinated.
My three kids, none of them autistic, were vaccinated for all the diseases I named above. They had none of them.
Only the youngest received the chicken pox vaccine. It wasn't available for the oldest or the middle one until they were older. Of course, by then, both of the older ones had it, but the youngest one has not, despite exposure (thanks to stupid people who thought it would be a good idea to expose their kids to chicken pox when they were young).
None of my kids missed more than one day in a row of school for illness. If they had caught any of the diseases I named above, they'd have been out for a week to 10 days. But they weren't because they were vaccinated.
Now here's a challenge for you: Prove with empirical evidence (instead of shrill dogmatic low-level shouting) that: a) These diseases were already headed for natural eradication; and b) that vaccinations don't work.
You spew a lot of pretty-sounding theories that have NO BASIS in fact. They attract folks who, by nature are suspicious and paranoid, but they have NO FACTS. ZERO FACTS. I've read over one hundred messages and the only facts I see are ones in support of vaccinating children, not against.
10/18/2007 1:20 AM
Anonymous said...
my mother got polio from her polio vaccines. that is not a "no basis" fact.
10/18/2007 6:44 AM
Anonymous said...
I JUST READ THE ARTICLE "IMPROVING MEDICAL STANDARDS IN NIGERIA" BY TUNDE ADELAKUN. TO THE DOCTOR ABOVE FROM NIGERIA- HOW MUCH OF THE DISEASES DO YOU FEEL COME FROM SUBSTANDARD MEDICAL CARE? I'M NOT ATTACKING THE NIGERIAN DOCTORS BUT IF THE FACILILTIES ARE NOT ADEQUATE, DON'T YOU THINK THAT MAY PLAY A HUGE PART? THE SAME WAS THE CASE HERE IN THE U.S. UNTIL BETTER HEALTH AND SANITATION WERE PUT IN EFFECT IN THE 40' AND 50'S.
10/18/2007 7:04 AM
Anonymous said...
It is sad that there are so many 3rd world countries that are still experiencing death from these diseases. But how can we compare the state of those places to The u.s.a? Anyway, the arguement is autism and there may not be hard solid proof against vaccines, but how can you discount the stories of mothers holding a perfectly normal baby one day, and after the shots, a completly different child? That is not "no basis". And as a mother - that is all the fact I need to think twice. Doctors say, "Sure some adverse reactions may occur but they are rare." Fine, but what if your child is the one? Not worth it to me! I will stay by the bed of a child and nurse them through their disease IF they ever contract it.
And after reading the statement of the doctor above from Nigeria - I can see where parents would feel bullied by their doctors and take the vaccines against their will.
And after reading the statement of the doctor above from Nigeria - I can see where parents would feel bullied by their doctors and take the vaccines against their will.
10/18/2007 7:17 AM
Anonymous said...
Everyone wants facts - but the facts have been stated throughout this debate. The ingredients in vaccines are cancer causing and are heavy metals. Do your homework and reserch these ingredients and then make the choice weather you want to put your child under the needle. All of the ingredients are listed in the above blogs or you can google them under vaccine ingredients. they are poison.
10/18/2007 8:23 AM
Anonymous said...
Of course the Nigerian doctor is going to say what he did, only because hes comes from a 3rd world country! Of course hes going to see many ppl with diseases, it has to do with poor sanitation! Diseases such as polio are not common in the US, because we have pretty good sanitation.
To the person on the topic of Scientology......where you commented on the lady escorted from the docs office, fist off how dare you try to say that if in infant isn't vaccinated then it must carry diseases!!! Thats what you are insinuating anyway. YOu have the most ridicules statement.
I think that doctors got everyone who vaccinates, who thinks they're so safe, and will protect their child, Hypnotized.
To all who have autistic children, i feel really bad for you, I've seen an autistic child, and its very upsetting espically when you know its probably from the vaccinations.
Its really sad if you start reading and doing your research you will find approximately how many children suffer DUE TO VACCINES!!!
Yet u never really see or hear about children who die cause they're not vaccinated.
Vaccine deaths are hard to find because many doctors WILL NOT ADMIT(SOBS) to a vaccine causing injury or death because they can get sued and or lose their medical licenses; therefore they just write it off as SIDS!!! CHicken-S!@#$ bastards!
Ya you may think that a doctor cares about your child, but when it comes down to your child getting damaged or dieing after his/her vaccinations, that doctor will do anything in his power to save HIS ass!
To the person on the topic of Scientology......where you commented on the lady escorted from the docs office, fist off how dare you try to say that if in infant isn't vaccinated then it must carry diseases!!! Thats what you are insinuating anyway. YOu have the most ridicules statement.
I think that doctors got everyone who vaccinates, who thinks they're so safe, and will protect their child, Hypnotized.
To all who have autistic children, i feel really bad for you, I've seen an autistic child, and its very upsetting espically when you know its probably from the vaccinations.
Its really sad if you start reading and doing your research you will find approximately how many children suffer DUE TO VACCINES!!!
Yet u never really see or hear about children who die cause they're not vaccinated.
Vaccine deaths are hard to find because many doctors WILL NOT ADMIT(SOBS) to a vaccine causing injury or death because they can get sued and or lose their medical licenses; therefore they just write it off as SIDS!!! CHicken-S!@#$ bastards!
Ya you may think that a doctor cares about your child, but when it comes down to your child getting damaged or dieing after his/her vaccinations, that doctor will do anything in his power to save HIS ass!
10/18/2007 10:11 AM
Amber said...
IN MY OPINION... and only my opinion, I have a four year old and I have kept his vaccinations up to date since the moment he arrived on this earth. Why some may ask... because I would hate to see my son get a comeback disease because I was negligent... Children like anyone else can come in contact with substances that are unhealthy, but the alternative could actually be worse... I really do not think that I would be able to handle the fact that I helped an epidemic continue because I was to smart to get my child vaccinated in the first place. But thats just me.
10/18/2007 10:29 AM
Anonymous said...
it is the nigerian doctor again. while it is true that i practice in a so called third world country, medicine as a science is univeral in nature. worldwide, the thrust of medical practice is now hinged on evidence-based-medicine and the concept of informed consent. what these translates to is that no doctor can force (or bully!!!) anyone to doing or taking any treatment even if it is a live saving treatment.
i just read on yahoo news the story of a woman having to lie about her religious beliefs to avoid her child getting shots. that is most unfortunate. this does not happen in nigeria. you just say no!!! infact, people that get the shots, have to queue up to recieve them and only on certain days. no one forces anyone. no one has to. the people know the benefits. the government knows the benefits.
doctors worldwide have to abide by the laws governing the practice in their practicing nations. 3rd world countries are no exception. in fact, a sizeable chunk of health care providers in usa come from outside the us. we dont bully our patients. i dont bully my patients. i love my patients. my joy is their health and wellbeing.
i am suprised at what fear can cause people to say and do. this whole brouhaha bottles down to fear. fear of the unknown. as of today, there is no definite known cause for autism.
but we do know that one of the greatest discoveries of modern time is the discovery of vaccines. while the danger of possible side effects is real, the benefits are far far greater. penicillin revolutionized the treatment of infectious diseases. but the possible side effects of pennicillin can even kill in a most painful way. do we stop giving people antibiotics because of this? certainly not.
eating well is of utmost importance in the defence against diseases . sanitation is very important. very very important. but with no form immunity to these killer diseases, on contact with the bugs that cause them, most children stand no chance. pls do read up on the issue of human immunity. half knowlegde is a most terrible disease.
i can just imagine people having this kind of discussions say 100 years from now about HIV/AIDS if a vaccine is eventually found. Can u imagine someone saying HIV is not dangerous? Simply absurd.
all the best with your decision. whatever you chose, you will need a doctor someday.
i just read on yahoo news the story of a woman having to lie about her religious beliefs to avoid her child getting shots. that is most unfortunate. this does not happen in nigeria. you just say no!!! infact, people that get the shots, have to queue up to recieve them and only on certain days. no one forces anyone. no one has to. the people know the benefits. the government knows the benefits.
doctors worldwide have to abide by the laws governing the practice in their practicing nations. 3rd world countries are no exception. in fact, a sizeable chunk of health care providers in usa come from outside the us. we dont bully our patients. i dont bully my patients. i love my patients. my joy is their health and wellbeing.
i am suprised at what fear can cause people to say and do. this whole brouhaha bottles down to fear. fear of the unknown. as of today, there is no definite known cause for autism.
but we do know that one of the greatest discoveries of modern time is the discovery of vaccines. while the danger of possible side effects is real, the benefits are far far greater. penicillin revolutionized the treatment of infectious diseases. but the possible side effects of pennicillin can even kill in a most painful way. do we stop giving people antibiotics because of this? certainly not.
eating well is of utmost importance in the defence against diseases . sanitation is very important. very very important. but with no form immunity to these killer diseases, on contact with the bugs that cause them, most children stand no chance. pls do read up on the issue of human immunity. half knowlegde is a most terrible disease.
i can just imagine people having this kind of discussions say 100 years from now about HIV/AIDS if a vaccine is eventually found. Can u imagine someone saying HIV is not dangerous? Simply absurd.
all the best with your decision. whatever you chose, you will need a doctor someday.
10/18/2007 11:12 AM
Anonymous said...
With all due respect, my comments are not anti doctor, they are anti-vaccine. All I want is for parents to make an INFORMED decision. Vaccines are not right for my children and I will fight to defend my philosophy just as strongly as you will. I respect your opinion and do not doubt that you care about your patients- but that does not mean that vaccines are safe. Parents are not told the side effects during a childs visit. They are told what shots they will be given that day. And I know that they are looked down upon if they refuse-i've been there! I am not an uneducated person. I have done my homework. I have studied the bodies immune system and know that nutrition and exercise are very important. I will never understand injecting poison into our babies and expection their tiny bodies to fight all of the toxic chemicals. I also know that doctors aren't God! They can't prove for sure that vaccines are 100% safe and effective. And they can't prove that they don't cause autism. You are right, I will need one someday and so will my kids. I only hope that there are still some out there that aren't so close minded and judgmental.
10/18/2007 1:57 PM
Anonymous said...
to amber above;
i don't appreciate the comment about being negligent. I don not vaccinate and i am proud of all of the research and conclusions that i have reached. my children are happy and healthy and, by far, not neglected. This whole debate in MY opinion is about informed consent. Weather you decide to vaccinate or not-don't do it without all of the facts. And it sounds to me that the jury is still out on vaccines and autism.
i don't appreciate the comment about being negligent. I don not vaccinate and i am proud of all of the research and conclusions that i have reached. my children are happy and healthy and, by far, not neglected. This whole debate in MY opinion is about informed consent. Weather you decide to vaccinate or not-don't do it without all of the facts. And it sounds to me that the jury is still out on vaccines and autism.
10/18/2007 2:06 PM
Anonymous said...
to amber above;
i don't appreciate the comment about being negligent. I don not vaccinate and i am proud of all of the research and conclusions that i have reached. my children are happy and healthy and, by far, not neglected. This whole debate in MY opinion is about informed consent. Weather you decide to vaccinate or not-don't do it without all of the facts. And it sounds to me that the jury is still out on vaccines and autism.
i don't appreciate the comment about being negligent. I don not vaccinate and i am proud of all of the research and conclusions that i have reached. my children are happy and healthy and, by far, not neglected. This whole debate in MY opinion is about informed consent. Weather you decide to vaccinate or not-don't do it without all of the facts. And it sounds to me that the jury is still out on vaccines and autism.
10/18/2007 2:07 PM
Chris said...
This is typical garbage from an uniformed arrogant person who thinks that because he is an MD and his patients are not, they must be stupid.
There is an amazing analysis from The Lancet (The UK's version of New England Journal of Medicine) that shows the possible link to Autism with the combination injection of MMR. I showed this trial to my doctor and she wouldn't even look at the synopsis before she dismissed it.
Here's the point: If you are uncomfortable with vaccinations, please wait. Don't let some uniformed jerk bully you into doing something you don't want to do just because they have MD after their name. You can wait until your kids are pre-Kindergarten and immunize them when their immune systems are up to the task of multiple injections. They question I would ask this doctor and any other is "What problems can occur if I just wait?" Sure there might be a measles outbreak, but I doubt it.
There is an amazing analysis from The Lancet (The UK's version of New England Journal of Medicine) that shows the possible link to Autism with the combination injection of MMR. I showed this trial to my doctor and she wouldn't even look at the synopsis before she dismissed it.
Here's the point: If you are uncomfortable with vaccinations, please wait. Don't let some uniformed jerk bully you into doing something you don't want to do just because they have MD after their name. You can wait until your kids are pre-Kindergarten and immunize them when their immune systems are up to the task of multiple injections. They question I would ask this doctor and any other is "What problems can occur if I just wait?" Sure there might be a measles outbreak, but I doubt it.
10/21/2007 9:05 PM
Anonymous said...
The problem with that is that a doctor will lie to u most likely about the waiting thing because he or she wants you to do them now not later
Children do not need to be vaccinated so young! Infact a doctor told me that they do it to them while they are young so they don't remember!
What if u vaccinate then say you moved and went to another doctor and they told you to either wait or not to do them at all?
Now legally they cant tell you not to vaccinate they will lose their license, but what if you heard them over talking with staff saying they would never vax their child?
Then who'd you believe.
Doctors know whats really going on about the whole vaccination thing, but its their job to tell you to do it anyways regardless of their feelings.
Children do not need to be vaccinated so young! Infact a doctor told me that they do it to them while they are young so they don't remember!
What if u vaccinate then say you moved and went to another doctor and they told you to either wait or not to do them at all?
Now legally they cant tell you not to vaccinate they will lose their license, but what if you heard them over talking with staff saying they would never vax their child?
Then who'd you believe.
Doctors know whats really going on about the whole vaccination thing, but its their job to tell you to do it anyways regardless of their feelings.
10/22/2007 11:21 AM
Anonymous said...
Does anyone know of a case where an unvaccinated child became autistic?
10/23/2007 3:52 PM
Anonymous said...
I think in the mist of all the anger people have forgotten what this blog is all about. Its not about who can and can not spell, who is a "lazy" parent and who isnt. Its about our children and their safety. The question is up in the air about whether or not vaccines are safe for are kids. Honestly, I dont think "ANYONE" knows the answer to that question right now. Not the doctors, the parents, the FDA or anyone. I will not give my opinion about it but I will say this, all 3 of my children are vaccinated and are very healthy. I have not had any issues with illnesses. i have been really blessed. When other children in their daycare or school was home with sickness, my children stayed healthy. I know that every time I had any of my children vaccinated I was always given a pamplet of the pros and cons. I chose to vaccinate, not out of laziness, but because I honestly wanted what was best for my child. Thats not to say that I am right or wrong in my decision. Smeone asked if anyone knew of a child with autism that WASNT vaccinated. Yes, my 9 yr old nephew has severe autism and my brother and sister in law chose to not vaccinate any of their children. One is very healthy and as I said, one has severe autism. I think everyone is right here. Everyone has their own beliefs and they should ALL be respected. We are all parents and obviously we ALL care about our children or we wouldn't be involved in this blog to begin with. So, why doesn't everyone convert all this anger and insanity to where it should be, which is finding the cause (if there is a cause to be found) and how to help our children. Stop hateing so much. This is rediculous. This whole forum sounds like my 3 boys fighting over whether or not we have peas or green beans for dinner.
10/23/2007 4:25 PM
Anonymous said...
Ya but is your nephew ever in his life since day 1 of his life had a vaccination??
About finding a cause.....
Do you honestly think that the Government is going to let that kinda information out to the public? they know what causes autism, but they are not willing to admit it, because of how many people can sue the manufactures.
Not only that but they will come up with anything else possible in order to try and keep people from blaming vaccines as the cause of their child's autism! or any other damage that child might have.
About finding a cause.....
Do you honestly think that the Government is going to let that kinda information out to the public? they know what causes autism, but they are not willing to admit it, because of how many people can sue the manufactures.
Not only that but they will come up with anything else possible in order to try and keep people from blaming vaccines as the cause of their child's autism! or any other damage that child might have.
10/25/2007 9:50 AM
Anonymous said...
My nephew has NEVER had a vaccination. Not one...my brother will barely even give his kids antibiotics. He has always been against any kind of medicine thats not natural......that may be so about the government which is really sad. I wish I knew the truth about it all but unfortunatly we dont and we probably never will which is even sadder, because it is our children who suffer the most.
10/25/2007 1:24 PM
Anonymous said...
For Those Interested:
Largest-Ever Search for Autism Genes Reveals New Clues
Source:
National Institute of Mental Health
The largest search for autism genes to date, funded in part by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has implicated components of the brain's glutamate chemical messenger system and a previously overlooked site on chromosome 11. Based on 1,168 families with at least two affected members, the genome scan also adds to evidence that tiny, rare variations in genes may heighten risk for autism spectrum disorders (ASD)*.
The study is the first to emerge from the Autism Genome Project (AGP) Consortium, a public-private collaboration involving more than 120 scientists and 50 institutions in l9 countries. Their report is published online in the February 18, 2007 issue of Nature Genetics.
With NIH support, the AGP is pursuing studies to identify specific genes and gene variants that contribute to vulnerability to autism. These include explorations of interactions of genes with other genes and with environmental factors, and laboratory research aimed at understanding how candidate susceptibility genes might work in the brain to produce the disorders.
"This is the most ambitious effort yet to find the locations of genes that may confer vulnerability to autism," said NIH Director Elias A. Zerhouni, M.D. "The AGP is revealing clues that will likely influence the direction of autism research for years to come."
"Although we know autism is highly heritable, complex gene interactions and submicroscopic anomalies create a din of statistical noise that drowns out detection of signals from linked sites in the genome," explained Dr. Bernie Devlin, University of Pittsburgh, who served as a corresponding author on the project along with the University of Toronto's Dr. Stephen Scherer. "To amplify these signals, we brought to bear gene chip technology with a huge sample, and also screened for these fine-level anomalies, factoring them into the analysis."
Clues emerged adding to evidence that implicates components of the brain's glutamate neurotransmitter system in autism. Glutamate increases neuronal activity and plays an important role in wiring up the brain during early development. Since autism likely stems from faulty wiring, a genetic blueprint gone awry in this pivotal neurotransmitter system is a prime suspect. Some key genes associated with the glutamate system are located in chromosome regions previously associated with autism, note the researchers.
Previous studies have also linked abnormal glutamate functioning to disorders such as Fragile X syndrome and tuberous sclerosis, which share some symptoms with autism. It's not unusual for individuals with either syndrome to be diagnosed with autism.
Among the new clues is stronger evidence for an association between autism and sites of genes for neurexins, molecules that build glutamate synapses — the connection machinery by which brain cells communicate.
A site on chromosome 11 most strongly linked to autism in this study harbors genes for proteins that shuttle glutamate across the synapse. Although detected previously, the linkage signal at this site was regarded as less important until now.
Submicroscopic anomalies — tiny deletions, or the doubling, tripling or even multiplying of stretches of genetic material — are relatively common in the human genome and aren't necessarily harmful. However, recent evidence suggests that these anomalies may contribute to risk for — or rarely even cause — autism if they affect certain sites associated with the disorder. The AGP researchers found a number of these variations in such suspect chromosomal locations in affected individuals, including deletion of a neurexin gene.
These anomalies can also make it more difficult to detect the genes that more commonly account for autism risk, say the researchers. Since each major autism candidate gene likely contributes to risk for a relatively small percentage of families, its linkage signal can easily be lost in the statistical noise generated by those of the anomalies — just as a high level of static can drown out a weak radio signal.
To amplify the power of possible linkages detected, the researchers analyzed many subsets of data, variously excluding from the sample factors like the submicroscopic anomalies, female sex, and ethnicity. These analyses unmasked several suggestive linkages that would otherwise have eluded detection.
Researchers last Fall reported (http://www.nimh.nih.gov/
A second phase of AGP studies will follow up on leads suggested in this first phase.
Gene typing and data analysis was funded by Autism Speaks (formerly NAAR). NIH Institutes, led by NIMH, funded the recruitment and assessment of U.S. families.
The AGP Consortium is comprised of four existing consortia: Autism Genetics Cooperative (AGC), Autism Genetic Resource Exchange (AGRE) Consortium, Collaborative Programs of Excellence (CPEA), International Molecular Genetic Study of Autism Consortium (IMGSAC). Dr. Andy Shih of Autism Speaks served as scientific manager of the project.
Principal investigators of NIH-funded components of the study were: Joseph Buxbaum, Susan Folstein, Neil Risch, James Sutcliffe, Daniel Geschwind, Bernie Devlin, Edwin Cook, Catherine Lord, NIMH; Joachim Hallmayer, Margaret Pericak-Vance, James Sutcliffe, Thomas Wassink, NINDS; Geraldine Dawson, Gerard Schellenberg, William McMahon, Fred Volkmar, NICHD. The research was also supported by General Clinical Research Centers at Yale University and the University of Utah, both funded by the NCRR.
Information about Autism Spectrum Disorders:
*http://www.nimh.nih.gov/
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) mission is to reduce the burden of mental and behavioral disorders through research on mind, brain, and behavior. More information is available at the NIMH website (http://www.nimh.nih.gov/).
The NICHD sponsors research on development, before and after birth; maternal, child, and family health; reproductive biology and population issues; and medical rehabilitation. For more information, visit the Web site at http://www.nichd.nih.gov/.
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke is the nation's primary supporter of research on the brain and nervous system. More information about stroke and other neurological disorders can be found on the NINDS web site, www.ninds.nih.gov.The National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) provides laboratory scientists and clinical researchers with environments and tools that they can use to prevent, detect, and treat a wide range of diseases. This support enables discoveries that begin at the molecular and cellular level, move to animal-based studies, and then are translated to patient-oriented clinical research, resulting in cures and treatments for both common and rare diseases. NCRR connects researchers with patients and communities across the nation to bring the power of shared resources and research to improve human health. For more information, visit www.ncrr.nih.gov.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) — The Nation's Medical Research Agency — includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.
Publication Release: July 26, 2007
Largest-Ever Search for Autism Genes Reveals New Clues
Source:
National Institute of Mental Health
The largest search for autism genes to date, funded in part by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has implicated components of the brain's glutamate chemical messenger system and a previously overlooked site on chromosome 11. Based on 1,168 families with at least two affected members, the genome scan also adds to evidence that tiny, rare variations in genes may heighten risk for autism spectrum disorders (ASD)*.
The study is the first to emerge from the Autism Genome Project (AGP) Consortium, a public-private collaboration involving more than 120 scientists and 50 institutions in l9 countries. Their report is published online in the February 18, 2007 issue of Nature Genetics.
With NIH support, the AGP is pursuing studies to identify specific genes and gene variants that contribute to vulnerability to autism. These include explorations of interactions of genes with other genes and with environmental factors, and laboratory research aimed at understanding how candidate susceptibility genes might work in the brain to produce the disorders.
"This is the most ambitious effort yet to find the locations of genes that may confer vulnerability to autism," said NIH Director Elias A. Zerhouni, M.D. "The AGP is revealing clues that will likely influence the direction of autism research for years to come."
"Although we know autism is highly heritable, complex gene interactions and submicroscopic anomalies create a din of statistical noise that drowns out detection of signals from linked sites in the genome," explained Dr. Bernie Devlin, University of Pittsburgh, who served as a corresponding author on the project along with the University of Toronto's Dr. Stephen Scherer. "To amplify these signals, we brought to bear gene chip technology with a huge sample, and also screened for these fine-level anomalies, factoring them into the analysis."
Clues emerged adding to evidence that implicates components of the brain's glutamate neurotransmitter system in autism. Glutamate increases neuronal activity and plays an important role in wiring up the brain during early development. Since autism likely stems from faulty wiring, a genetic blueprint gone awry in this pivotal neurotransmitter system is a prime suspect. Some key genes associated with the glutamate system are located in chromosome regions previously associated with autism, note the researchers.
Previous studies have also linked abnormal glutamate functioning to disorders such as Fragile X syndrome and tuberous sclerosis, which share some symptoms with autism. It's not unusual for individuals with either syndrome to be diagnosed with autism.
Among the new clues is stronger evidence for an association between autism and sites of genes for neurexins, molecules that build glutamate synapses — the connection machinery by which brain cells communicate.
A site on chromosome 11 most strongly linked to autism in this study harbors genes for proteins that shuttle glutamate across the synapse. Although detected previously, the linkage signal at this site was regarded as less important until now.
Submicroscopic anomalies — tiny deletions, or the doubling, tripling or even multiplying of stretches of genetic material — are relatively common in the human genome and aren't necessarily harmful. However, recent evidence suggests that these anomalies may contribute to risk for — or rarely even cause — autism if they affect certain sites associated with the disorder. The AGP researchers found a number of these variations in such suspect chromosomal locations in affected individuals, including deletion of a neurexin gene.
These anomalies can also make it more difficult to detect the genes that more commonly account for autism risk, say the researchers. Since each major autism candidate gene likely contributes to risk for a relatively small percentage of families, its linkage signal can easily be lost in the statistical noise generated by those of the anomalies — just as a high level of static can drown out a weak radio signal.
To amplify the power of possible linkages detected, the researchers analyzed many subsets of data, variously excluding from the sample factors like the submicroscopic anomalies, female sex, and ethnicity. These analyses unmasked several suggestive linkages that would otherwise have eluded detection.
Researchers last Fall reported (http://www.nimh.nih.gov/
A second phase of AGP studies will follow up on leads suggested in this first phase.
Gene typing and data analysis was funded by Autism Speaks (formerly NAAR). NIH Institutes, led by NIMH, funded the recruitment and assessment of U.S. families.
The AGP Consortium is comprised of four existing consortia: Autism Genetics Cooperative (AGC), Autism Genetic Resource Exchange (AGRE) Consortium, Collaborative Programs of Excellence (CPEA), International Molecular Genetic Study of Autism Consortium (IMGSAC). Dr. Andy Shih of Autism Speaks served as scientific manager of the project.
Principal investigators of NIH-funded components of the study were: Joseph Buxbaum, Susan Folstein, Neil Risch, James Sutcliffe, Daniel Geschwind, Bernie Devlin, Edwin Cook, Catherine Lord, NIMH; Joachim Hallmayer, Margaret Pericak-Vance, James Sutcliffe, Thomas Wassink, NINDS; Geraldine Dawson, Gerard Schellenberg, William McMahon, Fred Volkmar, NICHD. The research was also supported by General Clinical Research Centers at Yale University and the University of Utah, both funded by the NCRR.
Information about Autism Spectrum Disorders:
*http://www.nimh.nih.gov/
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) mission is to reduce the burden of mental and behavioral disorders through research on mind, brain, and behavior. More information is available at the NIMH website (http://www.nimh.nih.gov/).
The NICHD sponsors research on development, before and after birth; maternal, child, and family health; reproductive biology and population issues; and medical rehabilitation. For more information, visit the Web site at http://www.nichd.nih.gov/.
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke is the nation's primary supporter of research on the brain and nervous system. More information about stroke and other neurological disorders can be found on the NINDS web site, www.ninds.nih.gov.The National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) provides laboratory scientists and clinical researchers with environments and tools that they can use to prevent, detect, and treat a wide range of diseases. This support enables discoveries that begin at the molecular and cellular level, move to animal-based studies, and then are translated to patient-oriented clinical research, resulting in cures and treatments for both common and rare diseases. NCRR connects researchers with patients and communities across the nation to bring the power of shared resources and research to improve human health. For more information, visit www.ncrr.nih.gov.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) — The Nation's Medical Research Agency — includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.
Publication Release: July 26, 2007
10/25/2007 1:43 PM
Anonymous said...
Thank you for that. But now can you repeat it in English for all of us without a medical background?
10/26/2007 7:54 AM
Anonymous said...
These studies are all wonderful I'm sure. But is it so hard to accept that we are injecting heavy metals into our kids and the metals settle in the communication centers of he brain? Yes. It is just a theory but it also makes alot of sense.
10/26/2007 7:59 AM
Anonymous said...
Ok, What the study is saying...Autism is a cromosome 11 defect. Something aquired during the development of the fetus in utero. It is also saying that it is a gentic issue. Passed down throught the genes of one of the paretns family. (not sure how much of that I believe) But what I have found is this, just in my research alone, and I am no doctor. I am the one who posted about my 9 yr old nephew who was diagnosed with a severe case of autism,whom has NEVER had a vaccination in his life, and since then I have been doing a lot of research to find out exactly why. See, I also lost my only daughter to rare birth defect at birth. She lived only 28 minutes. It was anecephaly, which is something else they say is genetic. I just thought it strange that my daughter and nephew both had genetic disabilities, so I have researched my family history indepth. I couldnt see anything all the way back to my great-great-great-
10/26/2007 12:30 PM
Anonymous said...
Thank you.
10/26/2007 3:20 PM
Anonymous said...
For all the "believers": Did you know that the doctor in the U.K. who authored the report on the connection between autism and vaccines, specifically the MMR vaccine, is on trial in the U.K. for falsification of data related to his "study" on this subject? His name is Alex Wakefield.
10/29/2007 10:19 AM
Anonymous said...
I almost died from allergic reactions to the DPT shot as a baby. Luckily I had an amazing pediatrician who realized I was allergic to the Pertussis (whooping cough) part of the vaccine. I don't have children of my own yet, and I haven't decided if I will vaccinate or not.
I've seen several comments (including the original article itself) citing problems regarding the storage of vaccines. I have to wonder if improper storage is playing a bigger role than we think in the link between vaccines and autism. Not all doctors would throw out $20,000 in vaccines due to storage issues. I'm not saying doctors are unethical but they are human. Doctor's offices have many employees that aren't doctors or registered nurses. It just seems like a lot of room for error.
We can't forget that all vaccines have horrible components, including the disease itself. We also can't forget that even though the CDC is nonprofit, it is part of the government, and it still has paid employees. Throughout the years, the organization's mismanagement regarding money has been scrutinized. Non-profit only means that after all the expenses (and made-up expenses), the organization's profit is or close to zero.
On the CDC's website, they list my allergy to the DPT shot as "one in more than a million." I've always tried to convince everyone I've ever met that I'm one in a million, but realistically speaking, a DPT allergy is only one in a million+? Either that's really hard to believe or I'm humble. Oddly enough, the website says the exact same thing with the exact same wording for allergies to the MMR vaccine.
I've seen several comments (including the original article itself) citing problems regarding the storage of vaccines. I have to wonder if improper storage is playing a bigger role than we think in the link between vaccines and autism. Not all doctors would throw out $20,000 in vaccines due to storage issues. I'm not saying doctors are unethical but they are human. Doctor's offices have many employees that aren't doctors or registered nurses. It just seems like a lot of room for error.
We can't forget that all vaccines have horrible components, including the disease itself. We also can't forget that even though the CDC is nonprofit, it is part of the government, and it still has paid employees. Throughout the years, the organization's mismanagement regarding money has been scrutinized. Non-profit only means that after all the expenses (and made-up expenses), the organization's profit is or close to zero.
On the CDC's website, they list my allergy to the DPT shot as "one in more than a million." I've always tried to convince everyone I've ever met that I'm one in a million, but realistically speaking, a DPT allergy is only one in a million+? Either that's really hard to believe or I'm humble. Oddly enough, the website says the exact same thing with the exact same wording for allergies to the MMR vaccine.
10/30/2007 3:58 AM
Anonymous said...
I do not know about the link between Autism and vaccines, but I question the methods that are used to produce them, and the secrecy that drug companies keep around their production. How many different diseases, DNA, and other by-products are we injecting into our kids by giving them a product that is created using live monkey livers as a culture to grow them?
10/30/2007 11:01 PM
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