Are You Worried About Vaccines?
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From Our Friends at Momversation.com
When you hear the word “vaccine,” do you immediately think of the word “autism?” If so, you’re not alone. The purported link between vaccinations and autism has been big news in recent years. Stars like Jenny McCarthy have claimed in the media that vaccines caused her child’s disorder, while celebrities such as Amanda Peet have spoken about the importance of vaccinating children. So, with all the conflicting information, whom do you believe?
According to the CDC, there is no link between autism and vaccines. In fact, it was recently proven that the doctor who first made the connection faked his results. Yet, some mothers whose children showed symptoms of autism shortly after vaccination remain convinced that the vaccine caused the disorder. In the video below, Heather Armstrong of Dooce asks our panelists, “Are you concerned about vaccinations?
What are your thoughts regarding vaccinations and autism? Did you vaccinate your child? Why or why not?
Are You Concerned About Vaccinations?
Just gotta try this Creamy Avocado Dip recipe via Momables.com - love how you can spread it on a sandwich in lieu of Mayo! 
Comment by Susan on Mar 01 2010 11:37:59:
Hello,
I’m the mother of a child on the autism spectrum and pay very close attention to the news and studies regarding autism. The doctor you reference did not “fake his results” and I think this is a very misleading statement.
The CDC has also revised its findings on vaccines and concurred that some vaccines in some children DO cause autism. This is a mitochondrial condition which has come up in the “vaccine courts.” The parents in these cases were able to prove their children were damaged by vaccines and were awarded funds by the court.
I don’t know if vaccines injured my child or not, but I know the subject is much more involved than this quick little summation implied. You owe your readers more respect on the subject than this.
Comment by Annie on Mar 01 2010 11:47:31:
My younger brother has autism. He is 24 and non-verbal; a very extreme case of Autism. Shortly after having a round of vaccinations he had seizures and he has not spoken a word since then. I firmly believe there is a connection. It may be possible that my brother had a chromosome defect before and the vaccines caused a seizure that lead to mutation of that defect, and it that is the case, it is entirely possible that I carry the same defect and have passed it on to my children. Which is why I chose to opt out of certain vaccinations.
Comment by Te on Mar 02 2010 01:07:53:
I am a parent of a child with autism. She was diagnosed at about
two and a half years. As a parent, I saw a change in my daughter
around 15 months. At that time I was not sure if vaccines had a
possible connection connection. By the time my daughter reached her
2nd birthday, she had no language, no eye contact. I do not rule
out vaccines had something to do with it. This artical was poorly
It’s not just parents looking for someone to blame, which
has been said to parents of kids with Autism, but answers. The
CDC will never addmitt to any wrong doing. Dr. Wakefield
has conducted a good study, just not what they want to hear. Other Dr. Have
done studies too. Research before you take someones word about
how safe vaccines are, check out the products that are in them, you’d
be amazed what you’ll find. It’s not just something parents make up,
we know our children best. So much focus on saftey of vaccines, check
out how some kids are recovering(DAN doctors), then see if vaccines
could have a connection.
We know our children best.
Comment by Phoebe on Mar 02 2010 01:31:18:
I visited the CDC website and found this link very helpful: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/topics.html. I also read through this chart of CDC’s vaccine research: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/documents/vaccine_studies.pdf. After reading this, I do plan to continue vaccinating my five month old.
Comment by MegCraig on Mar 02 2010 01:59:36:
As a parent, I worry about a lot of things. Vaccines and their safety is not one of them. I have chosen to vaccinate both of my kids. I fear the diseases that the vaccines were developed to prevent far more than the very remote chance that my child will have a reaction to the vaccine itself. I feel as though there has been so much misinformation repeated on both sides of this topic. While I do not believe there is a proven (or implied) connection between vaccines and autism, I am concerned to know why there has been such an increase in the diagnosis of this condition. I have been asked why I would inject toxins into such a little body. My response is that the diseases these vaccines combat are many times over more destructive and ravaging to a little body than the components of a vaccine. Children are exposed to heavy metals and other toxins in greater concentrations drinking from a soda can, breathing air in some areas and, sadly, playing with some types of toys. It is a tough choice for some, but I feel it is giving my child the protection they need.
Comment by Mom on Mar 02 2010 02:16:51:
I’m the mom of a sweet 19 months girl and I’ve been very careful when adminstering vaccines to her. So far she is up-to-date on her vaccines but MMR which I’m waiting until she is 3 years when her nervous system is more developed to deal with a strong vaccine like MMR is. I think nothing is 100% when it comes to vaccines and autism but the reality is that they all have side effects and because we are all different some may experience more obvious side effects than others…so not all these little bodies react the same way…and they can indeed have irreversible damage on our little ones. I’m pro vaccines but I have my concerns since whatever numbers you find in cdc.org will be based on doctor’s reports. If a doctors doesn’t report accurate information to CDC such as sides effect related to vaccines or a case of varicella, mumps, etc the information will be obtaining from CDC won’t be accurate. I like how Dr Sears make recommendations in his book about different vaccine schedule and their side effects due to ingredients. http://www.askdrsears.com/thevaccinebook/
Comment by Becky Richards on Mar 02 2010 03:18:48:
I agree with both sides here. You need to be careful with vaccines, but avoiding them all together for fear that your child “may” get autism from a vaccine is ignorant. There is nothing that shows a correlation between autism and vaccines. Paying close attention to family history and your childs current health should help you and your pediatrician develop a vaccine schedule that is safe for your situation. Asking questions is also important. make sure that your pediatrician only uses vaccines free of mercury and set your own schedule depending on what you feel comfortable with. I agree with the last mom that the MMR should be given when children are a little older
Comment by Manda on Mar 03 2010 10:04:16:
My 2-year-old son has Autism Spectrum Disorder. Needless to say, it’s an altering experience to see the change from a normal, playful baby to a child who becomes antisocial and goes from speaking 7 or more words to nearly none. As parents, I think we all can sympathize that witnessing something like that can make anyone skeptical. My mission is not to blame someone/thing, but to find the answers so I can unmask that bright child I know exists underneath the disorder. My son is currently up-to-date on his shots, but I have until he’s four (next rounds) to decide to further this. Since this change, our family is adding in steps: GFCF diet in October, ABA Thereapy in December, ENT Doc in March, DAN doc in April. I believe, at minimum, the vaccine schedule should be more phased. This way, behavior/physical changes can be monitored and a cause can be discovered. Trust me, there is nothing worse than hearing this information, seeing your child change before your eyes, and wondering why you didn’t follow your instincts. Protect your children. *In Jenny McCarthy’s book on Autism,she notes various items that may be the cause of Autism (not just vaccines).
Comment by The Frazzalicious Mommy on Aug 19 2010 07:46:04:
Aside from the research about the link between vaccines and autism – of which there are nearly as many conclusion as there are studies – some of us choose to question many other issues. On major issue is the effectiveness of the vaccines themselves. Some are highly effective while others, such as Rotavirus (stomach virus) and Varicella (chickenpox) provide immunity that is shaky at best. Others, such as Rubella and, once again, Varicella, use aborted fetal cells or embryos to grow the vaccines.
If you want a really great all-in-one resource, I highly recommend “The Vaccine Book” by Dr Robert Sears. It very objectively displays all of the vaccines, the rates and severity of each disease, the ingredients of each vaccine by brand, the specific controversies of each vaccine and even each ingredient and reference after reference including studies linking vaccines to potential problems. He even includes two alternate schedules for those who wish to delay or selectively vaccinate.
We have chosen to selectively vaccinate. Our schedule is slightly different from Dr Bob’s, but our doctor is ok with it. I am a nurse myself, and I am very comfortable with the decision we have made based on both my pediatric experience and my own extensive research. I urge all parents to do their homework and make the informed decision that they feel is best for their child rather than blindly trusting a doctor, or worse, government agencies and pharmaceutical companies. We are our children’s best, and possibly only, advocates!
Comment by Malia on Aug 29 2010 05:39:34:
I have 3 little girls, ages 4 years, 2 years, and 2 months. My husband and I have chosen to vaccinate all of them. He has experience with bad reactions to vaccinations; his cousin’s daughter suffered a severe fever as a result of her vaccine and now has a siezure disorder and his friend’s brother is mentally handicapped as a result of the high fever he suffered from in reaction to his vaccinations. We know the risks and possible side-effects and have seen firsthand how families can be affected and are still confident and comfortable in our decision to vaccinate on the reccomended schedule.
However, the risks, in our oppinions, are outweighed by the rewards. Diseases like Polio, Measles, Mumps, Whooping Cough and the like are so devistating and sometimes fatal. The likelyhood of our children having a bad reaction to the vaccine is less than that of them contracting one of these illnesses if we didn’t vaccinate. One only needs to look at the children in underdeveloped and third-world countries to see the impact these diseases still have. And even here in our own country we are starting to see these diseases rear their ugly heads again with measles outbreaks and a rise in whooping cough being reported. While autism is not something I have experience with or whose effect I wish to downplay, it is not fatal. It is my understanding, limited though it may be, that children live, don’t always suffer, and sometimes thrive, with the syndrome.
And I wonder what has changed in our society that autism has become more prevelant. Vaccinations have been given for many years now and it seems that it is only recently that any correlation between them and this disorder have surfaced. Why didn’t my parents worry about this when they were vaccinating me and my sister? Have the manufacturing processes changed that much that the vaccines are so much more dangerous? Or are there other environmental factors contributing to the rise of autism? Or are there just more parents reporting the syndrome and more doctors recognizing the signs and symptoms?