Introduction.

Let me begin by saying that I am going into this research knowing very little. Whilst having no particular stance on the subject, I personally, have never experienced, or known anybody who has experienced pro-longed adverse effects caused by vaccinations.  I am somewhat of a sceptic on this subject, but am researching it because it interests me.

The question of whether or not to vaccinate your child is, like most controversies concerning children, an emotionally fuelled one. There are many, valid or not, arguments for both sides; using scientific ‘proof’ or lack thereof, to back up claims. So numerous it may not be possible to take a complete stance on the matter, in the following posts I will attempt to highlight the key, most common arguments, both for and against the childhood immunisation.


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Adverse Side Effects.

Many people argue that vaccine shots can cause various adverse side-effects. The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) estimates that over 30,000 cases are reported annually; however, only 13% of these are considered serious side effects. Approximately 3900 cases.


Some mild reported side-effects:

•     Headaches,
•     Fevers,
•     Fatigue,
•     Sore throat,
•     Vomiting.

   
  
Experiencing mild side-effects is common; Department of Health and Human Services Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated from research that childhood vaccine for MMRV resulted in 1 out of 5 children getting a fever.

Unfortunately, some "side-effects" can be serious, while extremely rare risks do exist. There can be serious allergic reactions, while there are many reasons for allergic reactions most can be linked to lack of prior exposure. Vaccines contain ingredients that we may not necessarily be exposed to regularly; making this side effect slightly understandable.


Some other serious reactions:

•     Pneumonia
•     Long-term seizures
•     Comas
•     Permanent brain damage
•     Deafness

It cannot be clearly proven reported problems were indeed caused by the vaccine or whether they simply happened by chance following the vaccine. The fact is, currently, there is no way to test, or verify what caused any illness.

Choosing not to immunise your child puts them at risk too, they could develop a serious, even life threatening disease which could otherwise have been prevented.

Immunisation and Autism.

In 1998 study results were released, which claimed that the MMR vaccine had caused brain damage leading to autism.

Please watch the follow videos which summarize and discuss Andrew Wakefield, who released a conflicted study declaring MMR vaccine caused a new strain of autism. Or read about it here.

This video is a radio interview regarding the Wakefield Autism Hoax.

explanation of what Andrew Wakefield did wrong, and why his study cannot be correct.

How Andrew Wakefield tried to his censor opponents.

 

Now widely recognized that there is no proof that vaccines cause autism, it is still commonly believed, that vaccines can and have caused this illness.

Remember that the hysteria spread by Wakefield's false report, possibly was responsible for a child dying or being crippled by a vaccine preventable disease.

Toxic Ingredient Claims.

Okay, let me start with a video from inFact, a reliable, trustworthy site, who address common misconceptions and myths. This video explains things a lot better than I can, but I will summarize afterward.

This video addresses a lot of "suspected" toxins (as in, they are not proven), and other common myths, presenting them as if they are fact. To be honest, I find this approach to be plain scaremongering.



A comprehensive and genuine list of ingredients in vaccines can be downloaded in .PDF format from the CDC website 


Vaccines comprised several types of ingredient.

Click here to see the different types used and what they are used for

Most Common Controversial Ingredients:

 

Formaldehyde: Used to detoxify viruses. A toxic chemical, used in embalming bodies, also a carcinogen. Formaldehyde exists naturally in our bodies. The amount of formaldehyde in our bloodstream is over 10 times greater than in any vaccine. Trace amounts in some vaccines, are nowhere near enough to be damaging.

Allergens: Many parents have raised the lack of screening to pick up potential allergens. Known allergens such as egg, gelatin, yeast, antibiotics, are present, but medical records would show that a patient has an allergy. Doctors cannot guarantee your child will not have an allergic reaction to something they have not been exposed to before. Like trying a food for the very first time, there is absolutely no way you can know you aren't allergic to it.


Mercury: Thimerosal, actually. It does contain mercury, and was used as a preservative. Due to public outcry, it was removed from all vaccines

Aluminium:  This is a risk only to premature babies and people with kidney disease. We are exposed to far more aluminium on a daily basis. The body can break it down and excrete it. It may cause fever or other mild side-effects; purposefully provoking the immune system to notice the virus fragments without need for more active ingredients. It is actually safer to have aluminium salts in vaccines.

Benefits.

The World Health Organisation (WHO), estimates that in the year 2008, 1.5 million children world wide under the age of 5 died from vaccine preventable diseases. This chart makes up the causes of death.

60,000   Tetanus
120,000  Measles
195,000  Perussis
195,000  Hib
450,000  Rotavirus
480,000 Pneumococcal Diseases

"A child dies every 20 seconds from a vaccine preventable disease."

I will post personal stories, of parents who have lost their loved ones to vaccine preventable diseases:

"When you're looking at a child who's sick, and knowing that's something you've created; that the decision you made inevitably caused this to happen to your child, the guilt you feel is awful"

"We watched him die from pertussis."

"Nothing worked on one side of his body. His face had dropped, he was drooling, he couldn't speak"

"It was a relief for me, knowing that Hepatitis B could stop with me"

"The single most affective thing parents can do is have their child vaccinated."

"What happened to me, doesn't have to happen to you"

"I hope that no one else has to hold their child while they die"

"People are at risk if they have had chickenpox, and almost everyone has had chickenpox"

 

"It was horrible to watch her suffer like that, and knowing I could have prevented it."

No matter what your stance on vaccines is, you should watch these videos. Anybody who is/will be, a parent/caregiver, should be educated about these diseases, especially if you are choosing not to vaccinate. That is your right, but these illnesses are real. They can cripple or kill, that is fact. They are preventable.

To Conclude.

While this blog, (as opposed to the full version) contains only about a quarter of the case I have to present, and is a simplified, edited version for marking, I hope that I have been able to educate others on the somewhat questionable risks of receiving immunity, and the dangers of choosing not to vaccinate, as I know I myself have learnt a great deal during this brief.

I originally set out to discuss and argue both sides of the case, but due to word and time limits, and what I felt was over-whelming evidence for one side rather than the other, I think I began to side with for, rather than holding no bias. I'm kind of happy about this, because I set out to seek information about something I had limited knowledge of, and I now know enough to feel I can hold a justified opinion, which is what I wanted to be able to do.

I can honestly say now that I would immunise my children, should I have any, because the scaremongering tactics used by the opposing bias are not enough to convince me that anything is worth risking my child's life over. I know now that there is absolutely zero proof other than word-of-mouth that vaccines cause things like autism, brain damage, death, or any of the other serious claimed "side-effects", and if they did the chances of my child becoming one of 1.5 million per annum are far, far greater. I would never be able to live with myself if I watched my child die, or suffer, or become deaf or blind or crippled because of a decision that I made for them based on conflicted, unsubstantiated and/or dis-proven evidence.

If you are worried that vaccines are not right for you or your family, or that you or a member of your family may be putting your life at risk by getting immunised, for whatever reason or due to underlying medical illnesses, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's article on who should not receive vaccines, and which ones. 

References

New Zealand Herald, (2011) Vaccine study an 'elaborate fraud' - medical journal. Retrieved 30th April, 2012 from http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=10698322

Centers for Disease Control Prevention, (2011) Ingredients of Vaccines - Fact Sheet. Retrieved 3 May, 2012 from http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/additives.htm

L. Beattie, ( n.d ), The Causes of Allergies: Most Factors are Out of Your Control. 1st May, 2012 from http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/wellness_articles.asp?id=852

S. Begley (2009) Anatomy of a Scare. Retrieved 7th May, 2012 from http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2009/02/20/anatomy-of-a-scare.html

C. Winegar (2012) Some Moms Walk 15 Miles To Get Their Child Vaccinated. Retrieved 26th April from http://www.care2.com/causes/some-moms-walk-15-miles-to-get-their-child-vaccinated.html