Why do so many folks not Vaccinate their kids? page 6

[PHaselow]

There was a study in which the researchers falsified the results and thus made it seem like autism was caused by vaccines. He was caught out and discredited by the journals that published his papers and by his peers but by then the damage was already done à la Jenny McCarthy and co.

If you are talking about Andrew Wakefield and MMR, that isn't really how it went down but oh, well. It is how it was played out in the media.

The Danish scientist that was hired by the CDC to debunk the MMR:Autism and Thimerosal: Autism connections absconded with $2M in 2009 and the validity of his studies are now in question. But again, oh well; it hasn't been reported by the media.

[PHaselow]

Something to consider if you do vaccinate your children: run titres at the time your child is due for their kindergarten boosters around the ages of 5-6 yrs. Often your child still carries adequate immunity to a virus from the earlier vaccines, and boosters are unnecessary. I did this for my Autistic child to work with my MD husband who believes the risk of disease outweighs the risk of harm from vaccines. The only thing my son didn't carry an immunity to was tetanus. All of the others were adequate: the measles, the varicella, the mumps, the polio. He needed none of them based on blood titres.

I have read up to 95% of children do not actually *need* the MMR booster, but we give it anyway because it is easier and less expensive than running titres on everyone. They say that the child's immune system did not respond to the initial shot but why would we think it will respond to the booster? Absolutely no science behind this theory as far as I can tell.

This is so emotionally charged for me. Sorry.

[PHaselow]

I'm 46 years old, never been vaccinated, no shots of any sort tetnus or otherwise, etc.
Still kickin....nuf said!

You are my age. Do you know why your parents chose not to vaccinate? At that time, we didn't get any as newborns and I think only 5-6 shots by the time we entered kindergarten. They were pioneers! It seems that the addition of the HepB at birth and others within the first 6 months correlates with the increase in Autism and other neurological disorders (around 1991). When we were little, I didn't think there was any concern. Just interested.

[PHaselow]

Warmbear, what were you thinking, bro? Not this thread again. Can we just hash this back and forth for a few more pages and then all make a solemn pact to NOT do this again next year? Please?????

I haven't been here for a year. Next year I will refrain from stepping up on my soapbox.

[JoanieL]

Go back about another 12 years, and all I got was the smallpox and polio vaccine. By the time the measles vaccine hit the scene, I'd already had measles and wasn't required to get vaccinated by the school. I remember that we had some Christian Scientists that were allowed to register their children for school even without the required vaccines.

Not sure if this has been posted (I confess to not reading the entire thread): Vaccines: Pubs/Vaccine Timeline

[CrazyCatLady]

I have been doing reading lately on the effects that gluten and dairy can have on people with autism. Which leads me to ask those of you who noticed that your kids started reacting with autism symptoms around the time of vaccination...when did you start feeding solids, cereals and milk to your kids?

Most doctors recommend starting solids around 4-6 months, around the time as some of the shots. Many people transition off of "baby" food around 12 to 18 months.

Certainly, vaccinations may be the straw that broke the camel's back, so to speak, for kids who have leaky guts, and undiagnosed allergies. But I do wonder what role wheat and milk plays. A fair number of kids and adults with autism seem to have significant improvements when no longer consuming wheat and milk.

[zoebird]

I do agree with the idea that we have the safety to refuse vax due to the fact that these diseases are no longer so prevalent due to long term Vax. I suspect if everyone stopped them, the diseases would come back with a will. Clean water also contributes too but to different sicknesses.

Thanks for everyone's input.

This is a belief, not supported by evidence.

That being said, vaccines are made by the same companies, and shipped internationally. They are all basically the same formulations. So, the ones in the US are the same as the ones in Canada and the ones in NZ.

It's fine to choose to vaccinate your children -- but please, please do your research. As in, do actual research. Don't just ask people on a forum.

[zoebird]

There's also an epidemiological study that connects greater incidents of SIDS clustering around vaccination schedules (and when those children actually got vaccines). Here's a link with lots of studies (a biblio). It's particularly focused on DTaP.

I had this information before I gave my son DTaP (the only vaccine I've given him), and you had better bet that this was weighed in that balance. And, you had also bed that Dh and I vowed to take shifts staying away over-night to watch him and make sure he was breathing all night long. Cosleeping helps, but each of us stayed awake for half the night for two nights straight (that's when the cluster window typically closes (within 2-3 days of vaccination).

Not that it's "causal" -- but it's enough to be a concern to me. I was also watching for other symptoms. Thankfully, no worries.

I also personally believe that autism has many causes, and vaccines may be one of them. But, as a prior poster noted, I think that vaccines are likely part of a confluence of factors, and that this may not be "autism" itself. I know it's a whacked-out theory.

See, I believe that there is a genetic component to the spectrum -- for people truly on the spectrum. I think -- just as there are viruses that mimic other viruses -- there are injuries and behavior patterns that mimic autism.

Thus, the brain-injury plus gut-issues autism spectrum may not actually be "true" autism at all -- and thereby "curable." Whereas, I believe that autism is organic, not injury-based per se, and while therapies of many kinds can help make certain brain pathways to better their social abilities/connect-ability, ultimately their brains process differently (similar to dyslexics).

[PHaselow]

I have been doing reading lately on the effects that gluten and dairy can have on people with autism. Which leads me to ask those of you who noticed that your kids started reacting with autism symptoms around the time of vaccination...when did you start feeding solids, cereals and milk to your kids?

Most doctors recommend starting solids around 4-6 months, around the time as some of the shots. Many people transition off of "baby" food around 12 to 18 months.

Certainly, vaccinations may be the straw that broke the camel's back, so to speak, for kids who have leaky guts, and undiagnosed allergies. But I do wonder what role wheat and milk plays. A fair number of kids and adults with autism seem to have significant improvements when no longer consuming wheat and milk.

Which came first: the toxic exposure or the allergy? I am one to believe the toxic exposure causes the leaky gut, which means maybe the vaccines are partially to blame for the leaky gut that is present at 4 months when I start feeding my child rice cereal (not wheat) or milk based formula? Mind you, my child already had 2 DTaP, 2 HepB and 2 Polio, 2 Hib and 2 pneumococcal vaccinations by 4 months (TEN vaccines!) because I followed the recommended schedule at that time. If leaky gut is to blame for Autism symptoms, then something is causing leaky gut that was not widely present 20 years ago.

My child was a definite responder to a gluten/casein free diet as a toddler. These days, it isn't as apparent and he is old enough and independent enough where I cannot control his eating all day. So, he gets gluten and casein. He was gluten free for about 6 months a few years ago and it seemed to heal a persistent (bad) gas problem. He has agreed to go gluten free again if his gas reappears. Sugar excess does it, too.

[PHaselow]

There's also an epidemiological study that connects greater incidents of SIDS clustering around vaccination schedules (and when those children actually got vaccines). Here's a link with lots of studies (a biblio). It's particularly focused on DTaP.

I had this information before I gave my son DTaP (the only vaccine I've given him), and you had better bet that this was weighed in that balance. And, you had also bed that Dh and I vowed to take shifts staying away over-night to watch him and make sure he was breathing all night long. Cosleeping helps, but each of us stayed awake for half the night for two nights straight (that's when the cluster window typically closes (within 2-3 days of vaccination).

Not that it's "causal" -- but it's enough to be a concern to me. I was also watching for other symptoms. Thankfully, no worries.

I also personally believe that autism has many causes, and vaccines may be one of them. But, as a prior poster noted, I think that vaccines are likely part of a confluence of factors, and that this may not be "autism" itself. I know it's a whacked-out theory.

See, I believe that there is a genetic component to the spectrum -- for people truly on the spectrum. I think -- just as there are viruses that mimic other viruses -- there are injuries and behavior patterns that mimic autism.

Thus, the brain-injury plus gut-issues autism spectrum may not actually be "true" autism at all -- and thereby "curable." Whereas, I believe that autism is organic, not injury-based per se, and while therapies of many kinds can help make certain brain pathways to better their social abilities/connect-ability, ultimately their brains process differently (similar to dyslexics).

Ah, but why the mind boggling rise in cases? And please don't say better detection and diagnosis. If that were the case, then we would see equally mind boggling reductions in cases of other disorders (we see just the opposite). Something is harming our children.