Vaccinations

Michael and I went to a seminar on vaccinations this past week.  We had already decided prior to this not to vaccinate, but we still learned a lot.  Here are some highlights:  

• By the time a child is 6 months old they are suggested to be injected with 25 vaccines, and 32 by 1 year.  
• Study conducted by Christchurch Health and Development of 1265 children... immunized 23%  had asthma, 30% had other allergic illnesses.  non-immunized 0% had asthma or other allergic illnesses. 
• Study by McKeever, Lewis, Smith- children vaccinated with DPPT (or MMR) had 14 times more asthma and 9.4 times eczema than non-vaccinated.  
• US Food and Drug Administration- "Doctors underreport adverse vaccine reactions by 90%"
• By Dec 2002 (12 years after inception) VAERS (vaccine adverse effects reporting system)  received 244,424 reports of possible reactions to vaccines- 99,145 ER visits, 5,149 life threatening reactions, 27,925 hospitalizations, 5,775 disabilities, and 5,309 deaths
• Incidence of pertussis (the P in DPT) is at a much higher rate now than before the introduction of the vaccine.
• 80% cases of measles are contracted by vaccinated people.
• All deaths in 2000 from whooping cough were infants under 4 months.  
• Rubella is so mild it is often mistaken for a cold.
• Hep B (usually given before leaving the hospital after birth)- the only way to contract is through IV drug use, sex, & if the mother has it.  "The risk of a serious vaccine reaction may be 100x greater than the risk of hepatitis B...asthma and diabetes, autism and ADD/ADHD disorders have increased greatly since the introduction of many new vaccines.." Jane Orient, MD, Executive Director Assoc. of American Physicians and Surgeons.
• Hib Vaccine linked to increase incidence of type 1 diabetes.  Hib infections increased 4 fold after introduction of vaccine.  
• Tetanus associated with improper wound cleaning, malnutrition, and a weak immune system.  Decreased 92% from mid 1850- early 1900 (before the vaccine was introduced).  Today it occurs most in those over 50.
• Polio was on a rapid decline when the vaccine was introduced.  The epidemic also ended in Europe where the polio vaccine was not extensively used. 
• Meningitis outbreak in Brazil linked to MMR vaccination 3 weeks after 'National Vaccination Day' - American Journal of Epidemiology
• No adequate studies to determine long term effects of vaccines.
• Average time for monitoring safety of a vaccine in studies & testing is 4 days.  
• In '75 Japan raised the minimum age of vaccination from 2 months to 2 years.  Crib death, infantile seizures, meningitis, and other infectious diseases in infants virtually disappeared.  But, seriously infectious diseases such as meningitis sharply increased in 2 year olds.  And, since '88 parents have been given the option to vaccinate their infants- SIDS has quadrupled. 
• In vaccines:  formaldehyde (or formalin- 50 studies have shown link between exposure and leukemia, brain, colon, and lymphatic cancer), mercury (or thimerasol, symptoms of mercury toxicity resemble those of autism), aluminum, phenol, borax, ethylene, glycol (antifreeze), dye, acetone, latex, MSG, glycerol, sorbitol... monkey, cow, chick, pig, sheep, and dog tissues & cells, gelatin, casein, human fetus cells, human viruses, antibiotics, genetically modified yeast, animal/bacterial/viral DNA.
• Allowing children to be sick helps boost immunity.
• History of infectious diseases associated with decrease cancer risk. 
• Diseases contracted naturally are filtered through series of immune system defenses, but vaccine virus & chemicals are injected directly into the blood stream- with access to all major tissues & organs of the body without the normal advantage of a total immune response. 
• 62 studies from 30 worldwide labs link polio vaccine to brain tumors, bone cancers, lung lining cancers and leukemia.  The rates of these have increased dramatically in the last 30 years  - American Assoc for Cancer Research.
• Childhood cancers are increasing at 1% per year (since '74).  35% rise in pediatric brain cancer between '73 & '94.
• The number of 2-4 year olds taking psychiatric drugs like Ritalin & Prozac jumped 50% between '91 & '95. 
• in the 70s one in 10,000 births were autistic.  in the 80s one in 500.  in the 90s one in 100.
• Rate of autism among the Amish is almost non-existent.  
• Juvenile Diabetes increased 300% from '62-'76 with no official explanation.
• "As well consult a butcher on the value of vegetarianism as a doctor on the worth of vaccination"- George Bernard Shaw (I thought this was funny)

*I have been told the trustworthiness of some of these studies are questionable... so I don't want to spread misinformation.  Do your own research & know the companies supporting the study.  *I've heard* that a lot of the "vaccines are safe" studies are sponsored or supported in some form by pharmaceutical companies or "co-sleeping is unsafe" studies sponsored by furniture manufacturers.