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Flu is a dangerous disease, particularly to children under 5 (the younger the more serious). Just because medical knowledge has advanced from "the way it used to be" is no reason to reject new findings. Flu viruses naturally change every year. That is why an immunization is necessary every year. Influenza is caused by a virus, which has nothing to do with antibiotics.
Thanks for writing this. There are many people (speaking in general, not pointing any fingers here) who do not understand just how grave this disease can be. Was it 2003-2004 when 242 children died from the flu? 1918 they estimate between 20 and 40 million people died in the pandemic.
I had never asked for the flu vaccine for my children; the year that children were dying I inquired but it was too late to receive the vaccine -- they were out, the clinics were out and places that did have it placed strict restrictions as to whom they would vaccinate.
This past year, my son had a 'mild' case of the flu. He was flat on his back for 8 days, miserable, weak, fever, no appetite. He's a rather strong 15 year old, but anything could have happened. This year everyone is getting flu shots.
Just because the public believes it, doesn't make it true. The biggest factor driving the rise in diagnoses is a move in the goalposts. Many of the children who are diagnosed today would not have been diagnosed 20-30 years ago, before they changed the diagnostic criteria. Meanwhile, diagnoses of other learning disabilities have declined. The entire system is geared towards producing diagnoses, since getting help is contingent on having one.
BTW vaccine mandates normally don't mean you have to do them according to the recommended age. They come into play when you register your child for school. I have absolutely no idea how they could possibly enforce going according to the ACIP schedule. It might not even be legal--the only way they have been able to mandate vaccination at all is by tying it to school entry.
Just because the public believes it doesn't mean it's true? After loads of research they have pretty much narrowed it down. The original thoughts were environmental (air and pollution in certain areas),mercury,and then certain specific shots. After checking state by state and country by country the only kids that weren't getting it were in the poorest parts of africa with no standards for shots.England,Ireland,and the rest of europe,africa,etc... have it. I myself have done a few years of thorough research and EVERYTHING points to innoculations. The shot regimin for a child starting from when they are born is too rushed. I realize we are trying to protect the young but all the vaccines have not been as thoroughly tested as you and others think. Also,the problem is WHEN it is proven true has is our government going to pay for all these law suits. This is why the REPUBLICAN government and pharmaceutical companies completely deny this. It's kind of like putting someone in power whose family money comes from OIL; and then we wonder why not enough has been done to fight the rise in gas and oil prices when the answer is obvious. Use a little of our reserve,import less and the demand is less meaning price comes down. We have a country run by complete idiots and the republican side is the worse (by far) of the 2 evils. Please use your head in November and vote Democrat. This will benefit the working class families,more actual research on cures and proper preventitive care and guess what ALTERNATIVE FUELS TOO.
Thanks for writing this. There are many people (speaking in general, not pointing any fingers here) who do not understand just how grave this disease can be. Was it 2003-2004 when 242 children died from the flu? 1918 they estimate between 20 and 40 million people died in the pandemic.
You're welcome. My daughter had the flu at age 9, got pneumonia, was sick for two weeks. She almost had to be hospitalized for dehydration (note: I was out of town at the time, moving my mother into an assisted living center). At the time, flu shots were not recommended for kids. The next year, we got flu shots for both kids, and the one who had flu said, "Anything would be better than that".
Re: the above, referencing autism, it probably just isn't being diagnosed in third world countries. Rigorous research has not found a connection between immunization and autism. Unimmunized kids are just as likely to get autism as those who are immunized.
Last edited by Katarina Witt; 06-08-2008 at 11:02 AM..
Reason: Clarification of who I was responding to
The issue is not only the MMR. The issue was thymerisol, frequency of vaccinations, and quantity of vaccinations at the time of injection. Pediatricians will even admit you shouldn't dose more than 3 at a time (still too much), yet kids are going in for 5+ shots at a time. And there has been a recent lawsuit that was settled where the pharmaceutical company did take responsibility for a girl's sudden onset of autism after being given multiple vaccinations at once.
You're also failing to recognize that autism is a spectrum. It is not black and white; therefore, no parent's story will ever be the same as another's. I've worked with too many parents whose memories have not "changed over time."
There has been no thimerosol in any routine immuization since 2001. The only vaccine that contains any thimerosol is influenza vaccine, and there are thimerosol-free vaccines. Thimerosol was taken out of vaccines despite any evidence of any harmful effects, due to parental refusal of thimerosol-containing vaccines. Despite the fact that it has been 7 years since thimerosol was in vaccine, parents still ask me about it at least once a week, b/c of stuff they read on anti-immunization websites.
Thimerosol is the so-called vaccine ingredient culprit in causing autism. So if it has been out of use for 7 years, how come new cases of autism diagnosed haven't stopped? To the contrary, the autism cases just keep growing in number. I think this is partially because of better diagnostic capability than in the past.
The fact is unvaccinated autistic children show the same age of onset as do vaccinated autistic children.
I think what made people wonder if autism is caused by vaccines is that it occurs at the age when kids get vaccinations and they make an incorrect connection of cause and effect.
Just because we don't know yet what actually causes autism also does not give us free reign on creating a "laundry list" of things that we think cause it. That is promoting mass hysteria. Autism is called a spectrum disorder because there are a lot of different levels of ability/disability that can be grouped under the category of autism, NOT because there is a large spectrum of things that can cause it. That is an important point to remember when discussing what a spectrum disorder consists of. We don't know what causes autism so how can we start naming a spectrum of causes? It makes no sense at this point in time. Hopefully science will bring us answers sooner than later.
Thimerosol is the so-called vaccine ingredient culprit in causing autism. So if it has been out of use for 7 years, how come new cases of autism diagnosed haven't stopped? To the contrary, the autism cases just keep growing in number. I think this is partially because of better diagnostic capability than in the past.
The fact is unvaccinated autistic children show the same age of onset as do vaccinated autistic children.
I think what made people wonder if autism is caused by vaccines is that it occurs at the age when kids get vaccinations and they make an incorrect connection of cause and effect.
Just because we don't know yet what actually causes autism also does not give us free reign on creating a "laundry list" of things that we think cause it. That is promoting mass hysteria. Autism is called a spectrum disorder because there are a lot of different levels of ability/disability that can be grouped under the category of autism, NOT because there is a large spectrum of things that can cause it. That is an important point to remember when discussing what a spectrum disorder consists of. We don't know what causes autism so how can we start naming a spectrum of causes? It makes no sense at this point in time. Hopefully science will bring us answers sooner than later.
Parents have every right to question the onset of their child's autism. It is not mass hysteria, it is their right and, actually, good parenting. Looking into the vaccinations is not creating mass hysteria. People want to know why, and they have every right to know. When the AIDS virus started to spread, was it mass hysteria to research the origins, variations of the illness, and treatment for this disease??
Thymerisol was not the ONLY issue in relation to vaccines...there is also the frequency and quantity aspect of these vaccinations.
The spectrum being as large and diverse as it is, it would be irresponsible and ignorant to think it boils down to one cause.
Hoping that science will bring answers is very complacent. Scientific research is not gratis. Someone needs to absorb the costs for studies. The financial backing comes from the CDC and pharmaceutical companies. I truly hope you do not believe that these 2 organizations perform studies with complete selflessness and without agenda.
Parents have every right to question the onset of their child's autism. It is not mass hysteria, it is their right and, actually, good parenting. Looking into the vaccinations is not creating mass hysteria. People want to know why, and they have every right to know. When the AIDS virus started to spread, was it mass hysteria to research the origins, variations of the illness, and treatment for this disease??
Thymerisol was not the ONLY issue in relation to vaccines...there is also the frequency and quantity aspect of these vaccinations.
They have BEEN looked into and found not to be the cause. Continuing to bring them up instead of looking for the real cause is promoting mass hysteria.
Quote:
Originally Posted by iluvmycuties
The spectrum being as large and diverse as it is, it would be irresponsible and ignorant to think it boils down to one cause.
It is also ignorant to pick out pet "causes of disease" when no evidence exists that the POV is factual.
Quote:
Originally Posted by iluvmycuties
Hoping that science will bring answers is very complacent. Scientific research is not gratis. Someone needs to absorb the costs for studies. The financial backing comes from the CDC and pharmaceutical companies. I truly hope you do not believe that these 2 organizations perform studies with complete selflessness and without agenda.
I personally know 5 research scientists that could have made a fortune in private practice doing specialty medicine, but chose to work in research BECAUSE THEY CARE ABOUT COMING UP WITH CURES. The pharma companies and the CDC could throw money anywhere they like, but they will get nowhere without the work of men (and 1 woman) like this. I will be sure and give them your thanks for all they do (seeking cures and advances in care for breast cancer, diabetes, cerebral palsy, Lou Gehrig's Disease, and AUTISM). They earn 1/3-1/2 of what a typical surgeon or anesthesiologist earns on Long Island. They don't have yachts and multiple summer homes like LI doctors do. Advances in science and medicine is not all driven by shadowy government agencies and money mad corporate moguls, surprise surprise. If it was all about money, there would be no MDs who choose research as a field. However, when people feed at the trough of mass hysteria all kinds of conspiracy theories pop up, so I am sure they will forgive you.
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