"Evidence of Harm"
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| Wed, 05-11-2005 - 8:59am |
I am reading "Evidence of Harm" by David Kirby and I am so confused about whether or not to get the MMR for my 9 month old when the time comes. My DS Kiki, 32 months old, is suspected ASD and while I don't think that vaccinations have caused his problems, I just don't know. I've been reading pretty much everything I can get my hands on in the last 6 months on Autism and ASD and while I believe that vaccinations save childrens lives...I'm not sure that all vaccinations are as safe as the medical establishment would have you believe.
What concerns me is that they seem to completely ignore repeated parental reports that these vaccines caused their child's autism or in fact any harm.
Has anyone else read this book? Has anyone else here made the decision to delay or not get their child vaccinated because of the concern?
Gemma
Mommy to Blythe 4.5 years, Kiki 2.5 years (suspected ASD) and Cameron 9 months

hi gemma,
i am currently reading the book. i can offer you my opinion, and that would be to delay vaccines including the MMR. i also agree that vaccines are important, but when there is already a child on the spectrum, you have to be extra cautious. i have delayed my younger sons vaccines from 18 months forward. so he did get his MMR, but if i could do it over, i would wait on most until closer to age 4. and any given at any point i would do very slowly.
valerie
If I had to do it all over again I wouldn't vaccinate. My son tested high/toxic for aluminum and positive for deranged mineral transport; an indicator of mercury toxicity. My daughter had all of her shots up till kindergarten. I decided not to give her the booster shots. Neither of my kids will ever be vaccinated again. Its just not worth the risk for us. There is also a large group of people who believe the MMR can cause the measals virus to live in childrens guts causing damage so you don't just have to worry about heavy metals.
Samantha
Well, Samantha, this lady (link below) thinks we're morons. My daughter had seizures right after she got her 15 month vax. Guess I'm one of those selfish morons who believe vaccines had something to do with it. Geez, she breezed through a couple of internet sites and now she's qualified to make an opinion. Even worse, calling parents of these children morons.
As an answer to the question. I do happen to believe vaccines can be good. I just think they should be delayed at least until a test can be found to find out which kids may be at risk. Children's guts aren't mature until they are about 3 years old. Guess where much of our immunity is produced? Also, I do believe there are a subset of children who are vunerable to vaccines. I saw both my children altered after vaccines. It may be just a correlation, but what a huge coincidence. I just think there was too much too soon. If I were to have another child, I would vaccinate, but at a delayed schedule and preferably not a whole bunch of different bugs to fight at once.
Oh, here is the crazy columnist who smears parents who are afraid to vaccinate. I guess ignorance is bliss, especially when you're up on your high horse. I emailed her and she wrote back to me saying vaccine reactions were rare and she stands by what she says. (She stands by calling devastated parents morons??)
This columnist thinks the anti-vaccine crowd should
just take a"chill pill". Even calls the vaccine-scared "morons".
Please, let's write her and show her exactly who are the educated ones
are around here. (This is unbiased journalism??)
http://tinyurl.com/93jx9
LR
Hi Gemma,
I too have my middle child with an ASD and a younger child who is a baby.
After contemplating this, I am immunizing my baby. But I am doing it slowly. You can get the MMR vaccine in three separate shots, just ask in advance. They haven't had thimerisol since 2002.
Just today I took DS to see a DAN! doctor (that's Defeat Autism Now). She told me that she vaccinated her own son. In fact, all of my ped. friends (I have three of them) have vaccinated their children, which I find reassuring. My developmental pediatrician told me that she believes in doing things that have no downside. Delaying vaccines is one of those things you can do. Your baby still has your antibodies against some diseases until at least 15 months of age. They can then check for "titers" to see if he still has your protection and go from there.
Good luck.
Cathy
Well, this is a tough decision which needs careful thought.
One thing to keep in mind is that there are reports of more reports of deadly childhood illnesses such as pertusis being found since many people have been declining to vaccinate. That is just something to keep in mind.
I think we do need to weigh the benefits of vaccinations with the concerns. And though I am a firm believer that there is something environmentally triggering autism in our kids, it is not proven yet that this thing is vaccinations. They haven't completely disproven it in my mind, but I don't think it is quite the culprit it is made out to be. I think there is more at work here or there would have been a definitive link in some of the studies.
That being said, we did spread out David's vaccines and I would do it again. I do vaccinate, but with alot of extra care. I don't give needless vaccines like the flu for instance. I don't give vaccines with known thermerisol in it. And the vaccines we do give we spread out so they are not getting more than 1 (sometimes 2 depending on what they were) and then waiting a period of time for the next one. Going for the most important ones first.
I think this is a place were we need to use wisdom and care. There are 2 very important factors to consider with our childrens health. The development of autism and the development of a possibly deadly illness.
I once had Emily in the hospital all hooked up to tubes from a bout with rotovirus. They couldn't get her to rehydrate and for a while there we thought we were losing her. She was 2 and dave was 2 weeks old. Not a feeling I EVER want to have again. I don't want more autism either, but there is both sides.
Renee
First of all, I haven't read the book, so I can't comment on that. But I will say this: there was autism before there were vaccines. Before concluding that X causes Y, I personally would want to know about the scientific studies that were done to try to answer that question. Parental reports are interesting, but I could just as easily suggest that my child has Asperger's because I couldn't nurse him immediately after birth.
I'm looking at a magnet on my fridge that has an immunization schedule printed on it, and according to that, the MMR is given at 12 months (the magnet's schedule coincides with my child's vaccinations, I'm pretty sure.) Well, David showed signs of being "quirky" and "not like other kids" WAY before 12 months. He was "different" the day he was born.
So, personally, I wouldn't worry too much. Then again, I haven't read the book. If he has solid, scientific evidence, then I might change my mind.
Evelyn