what are the real facts about vaccinations for children?

Question

Ive heard very bad things about them such as: causes autism, contains mercury, not nessassary, all a ploy to get $ from everyone. I tried to look it up online and saw alot of positive articles about getting shots. I will have my baby soon and want to make an informed decicion. I also know that you dont have to get them by law. I just want to know the truth about them, shots, no shots, or only certin shots............

A couple of familys that i have worked for either dont get shots or only get certin ones and their children are allowed to go to school. so I allready know that some people dont get them. that doesnt mean that I agree I just want to know plain facts not your opinion if I should or not.

Answer 1

Vaccines contain lots of toxins besides mercury such as aluminum, formaldehyde, gelatin, human serum albumin, antibiotics, egg proteins, yeast proteins etc... so theres really no way to know if a childs immune system is going to be strong enough to handle the overload. if you're set on vaccinating I would suggest following a safer vaccine schedule. check out the book by Stephanie Cave called "What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Children's Vaccinations".

Answer 2

There is no evidence that vaccinations cause autism or anything of the sort. *Some* (not all) vaccines contain a preservative that contains mercury; a few people are very sensitive to it (break out in a rash, etc.) and it should be avoided on general principles, but no significant long-term pathology has been shown.

Some people (of any age) have bad reactions to vaccines; unfortunately this cannot be predicted in advance, but most such events are self-limiting and respond well to supportive care. Another possible mishap is 'pathogenic reversion' in live viral vaccines; this means the vaccine actually gives you the disease.

Generally speaking, vaccines for common viral diseases are a good idea; but there is always a risk no matter how small. Do what needs to be done, but no more than that. Your doctor is the best person to ask for detailed information.

One vaccine you might want to be cautious about is the new one for HPV to prevent cervical cancer. A number of cities are trying to force this on all girls at 11-12 years of age. You can *only* get HPV from sexual activity, so such policies basically label all young girls as little sluts. If you can be reasonably certain your child isn't sexually active at that age, you can and should oppose this vaccination - for the symbolic element if nothing else.

Answer 3

Vaccinations are good- if they weren't they would never have government funding.

Things like the 'link' between autism and MMR is exaggerated by the press. The fact is that millions of children each year get the shot without adverse events. The problem is that the shot is given at 1 year of age (in Australia), a time when developmental problems become apparent. The other thing is that when the kid gets the shot, they see their doctor, so if they're having developmental issues, thats when it will be spotted. This causes an artefactual relationship between shots and serious problems- i.e. they are a false result.

Shots are not only safe, but they are protective- trust your doctor more than some journalist in a newspaper or some hick mother who has decided to sue a pharmaceutical company for her bad luck in life.

Answer 4

What happens with a vaccination is the disease is injected into you. The form they inject into you is a dead version or very weakend strain. Your body looks at the disease and goes hey this shouldnt be there and it will form antibodies for that disease. Your body stores this information about this disease so if or when it comes in contact with it again, then it has the ability to fight off the real deal and your body has no problem since it has the memory. Not vaccinating your kids could have major problems such as not being allowed into school or death from a common problem that could have been avoided from a simple vaccination.

Answer 5

Well, considering that a lot of children's vaccinations are given at cut rates or fee to the public, really, this is NOT where the drug companies are making the good money. The good money is in designing drugs for the aging and affluent, particularly things like Viagra.

You are fortunate to live in an era where infectious diseases don't kill children like they used to. Did you know in some cultures, babies wouldn't be named until they were at least 2? seems people didn't want to waste good names on babies that wouldn't make it.

Vaccines helped us eradicate smallpox. Now we're getting close to eradicating polio, too. However, those efforts are being thwarted by the same people who are telling you that vaccinating your children will harm them. Yeah, shots hurt and I don't like needles either. But polio is a far greater evil than a stick in the arm. (btw, for those of you who are into public health, the same gang that helped eradicate smallpox is starting a campaign to vaccinate kids against meningococcal meningitis)

My mother is a nurse and an immigrant from a third world country. Before she came to America, she worked in parts of the hospital like the Pediatric Diphtheria Ward. Do you know what diphtheria does to a child? It causes a thick membrane to form and cover the inside of a child's throat. The disease slowly suffocates the child till s/he DIES and feverish, horrible death. But in America, we can protect our kids with a simple shot.

Really, vaccination is one of the greatest medical advancements we have made in cutting infant mortality. Vaccines are the reason that many of us don't know what these horrific infections are anymore. Because we don't see children dying of tetanus these days, we have forgotten how horrible it really is.

So please, I strongly encourage you to vaccinate your child.

btw, the autism link has been studied time and time again, and the studies have demonstrated no significant association between the two. In fact, as vaccination rates decline due to fear and panic, autism rates are still continuing to climb. And while mercury is generally excluded from vaccines now, you can still ask your doctor to specifically use a vaccine without thimerosal.

Answer 6

Let me preface this by saying that I have a PhD in microbiology and immunology, have worked in vaccine development and infectious diseases for most of my life: I am completely pro-vaccination. The only minor issue I have with it is that I think it begins a little too early. by that, I mean 2 months too early. other than that...particularly if you plan to have your child in day care, get all the vaccinations. Americans don't remember these childhood illnesses because our vaccines have been very effective...but go take a walk in an old graveyeard and look at the headstones of all the children who died prior to the 1930s....it was tetanus, whooping cough, measles, Heamophilus, meningitis, and mumps who killed them or left them deaf or brain damaged or physically disabled. Do not take a chance with your child for the cause of misunderstanding what many people *think* they know. listen to the link below and decide if you want your child to suffer this because you decided not to vaccinate. Oh and BTW, there has never been a scientific link between autism and vaccination. Autism seems to be on the rise but we don't know what is causing that...and picking on vaccination was just convenient...there's no proof. as to health care being to expensive...well, that's true. but the cost of living is too expensive, too. but think of the alternative

Answer 7

On one hand you have critics that suggest that alum used in vaccines causes autism or possibly an increased probability for developing Alzheimer's. But there has been NO conclusive evidence to show that this is true.

On the other hand, in the US we have a very complex suggested immunization schedule that is constantly reviewed and changes nearly every year. This vaccination regimen will protect your children from dozens of diseases that range from fatal, to very very unpleasant. Vaccination is clearly proven to decrease the rate of infant mortality, (look at infant mortality rates in the early 20th cen.) A vaccination only exposes your immune system to a pathogen without having to first receive an infection and get sick (it trains your immune system). I believe that a parent who is concern about their child's health should have their children immunized.

Oh... and happy belated mother's day

Answer 8

Get ALL of the shots your pediatrician recommends. You don't have to have them 'by law', but many are required by the schools. Immunizations are intended to protect your child. They have been tested over many years and are very safe. Reactions to shots are very rare, though some do cause a temporary lump to appear at the injection site which may last a week or two, and some cause fevers. Personally, I give my daughter tylenol for pain/fever about 30 minutes before she gets shots, so it has started to work by the time she has them.

Answer 9

Vaccination is important and should be given to newborn and children as per schedule and per national immunisation guideline and programme.It is a misconception that vaccination would lead to autism,or it contains mercury.Vaccination will provide protection from all sorts of infection like TB, Measles, mumps,rubella,HIB meningitis,Diphteria ,whooping cough and tetanus.It is only contraindicated in certain group of children,and should not be given to children who is a known HIV positive,low immunity like those on long-term steroid therapy/treatment,children with confirmed malignancy.It should not be given to children who fever,recent seizure/fitting episode after given vaccination.Overall,vaccination is still the gold standard in childhood protection against many disease

Answer 10

1) If you don't get all the tick and signature by Doctor on your child medic card, he/she be in trouble when starting primary school. Do you know that the school actually ask for it.
2) Now, they have a few jab put into 1, so the number of shot will be lesser.
3)Go to gov't clinic, you only need to pay RM2 for registration.