THIS Coming from an RN...

Nothing new for 'those of us in the fox hole', but maybe what Ms. Jamison writes will carry more weight because she's an RN?

Is the proliferation of vaccinations really in your child's best interest?

By Barbara Jamison
For the News-Sentinel

All parents should review the list of routinely recommended vaccinations for babies, toddlers and young children prior to giving consent. Read the available information about each vaccine. Go online or to the public library. Ask a friend, co-worker, nurse or doctor for in-depth information regarding each vaccine. Ask questions such as: How dangerous is the illness? Is my child likely to contract the illness? What are the risks of the vaccine?

Vaccination against disease has been an ongoing process since the smallpox inoculations in the late 1700s. At that time, the etiology of common infectious diseases was unknown. Today in America, most people have an excellent quality of food, water and proper sanitation. We understand how disease is spread and have access to treatment.

It is time to take a new look at the need for specific vaccinations. Vaccination is designed to benefit the public health. It is a one-size-fits-all approach. Thus, the rural Midwestern baby receives the same treatment as the crowded inner-city baby. Surely, the needs of these babies are not the same.

Hepatitis B vaccine is recommended for men who have sex with men, IV drug users and babies prior to hospital discharge after birth. This is because the government wishes to avoid future cases of Hepatitis B. Thus, all babies, regardless of the likelihood of exposure, are given this injection. Does that seem appropriate to you? This same theory is the reason for the recent push to vaccinate all 11- to 12-year-old females against HPV (human papilloma virus), which is spread by sexual contact. Another example: Hepatitis A is a contagious liver disease spread through contaminated food and water. Children are not among the high-risk group. Does your infant really need this shot?

A prudent approach would be to target a specific vaccine to specific patient populations. The minimal recommended vaccination schedule includes 60 doses — some different strains of the same illness — for 14 diseases by age 18 months. It is common for the shots to be bunched in one day. If the baby is “off” schedule, your 15-month-old may receive all the 12-18 monthly doses on the same office or clinic visit. Surely, this must have some adverse effect on the immature immune system. [emphasis added by moi]

Some scientists correlate the proliferation of autoimmune disorders in our society to multiple vaccinations at that very early age — illnesses such as asthma, diabetes, lupus, inflammatory bowel, rheumatoid arthritis, allergies and certain cancers. Some medical researchers and parents believe components of vaccine products cause or did cause autism and other neurological disorders. All vaccines carry risk and can be fatal. Indeed, a reaction is the expected outcome necessary to provide immunity.

Scientists are continually making new vaccines and more trivalent-polyvalent forms. These are combinations of vaccines in one dose. The more combinations, the less likely science will be able to determine which vaccine causes a possible severe reaction in your child. And the likelihood of severe reaction increases. Even today, we do not know the true extent of problems post injection. The FDA estimates that parents or physicians do not report 90 percent of adverse vaccine reactions. Reactions such as seizures, high-pitched screaming, fever, severe diarrhea, vomiting and shallow breathing are not reported. SIDS will not be reported as a vaccine reaction unless it happens within 48 hours of the shot. Yet many vaccine responses occur within one to four weeks. [emphasis added by moi]

The medical establishment equates refusal to vaccinate or choosing partial vaccination as tantamount to child neglect. These parents are often treated with contempt. Perhaps these parents are better parents. Maybe it is best to allow viral contact between children. It is impossible to prevent the spread of most viruses anyway. This would encourage young immune systems to respond normally.

This letter is meant to increase parental awareness about childhood vaccination and to encourage a more individual approach. Otherwise, the price we pay is the loss of natural immunity to many diseases.

Barbara Jamison is a registered nurse.

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Other interesting stuff:

PEDIATRIC VACCINES INFLUENCE PRIMATE BEHAVIOR: ABSTRACTS

SICK MONKEYS: RESEARCH LINKS VACCINE LOAD, AUTISM SIGNS
A blurb - The first research project to examine effects of the total vaccine load received by children in the 1990s has found autism-like signs and symptoms in infant monkeys vaccinated the same way. The study's principal investigator, Laura Hewitson from the University of Pittsburgh, reports developmental delays, behavior problems and brain changes in macaque monkeys that mimic "certain neurological abnormalities of autism."
The findings are being reported Friday and Saturday at a major international autism conference in London.