I have seen a few other questions today about vaccines and many of the posts mention doing research before making any vaccination decisions. It just made me wonder where you all go to get your information on this topic. Internet? Books? Doctors? Who do you trust to give you the facts?
A doctor. But I don't really have any "vaccination decisions" to make. If there is a vaccination available for a dangerous disease, my daughter will have it.
I would also trust the Center for Disease Control, as others have mentioned.
Dr. Tenpenny...she is this country's leading expert on the dangers of vaccines. You can find her on facebook.
Oh....Lord.....here we go!
Personally, we vaccinate and we go by our pediatrician's schedule.
The Center for Disease Control is one of the only sources I would trust on this subject. Bottom line, people no longer die from the diseases we vaccinate for, unless they're not vaccinated. What other research do you really need to do??
My kids pediatrician
Books written by doctors with LOTS of bibliography to research myself. You can also look up congressional hearings about vaccines and side effects - scary stuff our government doesn't hand out to us without us digging! Also make sure the research isn't being funded by the drug companies - independent researchers only!
I trust my pediatrician and adhere to the recommendations set forth by the CDC.
People can go on and on about how the government and pediatricians only want to make billions and billions of money but really, what do you think Sears and Tenpenny are doing when they sell their multiple editions of books? They're making money, too...
A great site to check out is www.quackwatch.com - it is a nonprofit group that will give information about all the health fraud and quackery out there.
If you are worried about any vaccine or the repercussions on any, call your local Health Department, speak to your childs' Dr. They are both eager to help and they wont' tell you some story that just doesn't make sense. They will also tell you what is required for your child to attend school etc. The internet and some ppls. views are just that. Its' best to speak to someone who is professional and again someone who will tell you if absolutely required, symptoms etc. I hope I have helped with your situation, good luck!!
To answer your question, All of the above! I mostly read books (both sides of the issue) and ask our doctors and naturopaths and then I make a decision that I am comfortable with.
Dr. Sherry Tenpenny actually IS an excellent source. She is a microbiologist who was actually pro vaccine until she did research beyond what her textbooks fed her.
There is fear mongering on both sides of the vaccine issue. I would also check out the Dr. Sears link that another mom gave you.
I would NOT recommend Tenpenny or any anti-vaccine sites, it is all hype and fear. Read about the vaccines on non-bias pages, and have an open and honest discussion with your doctor. As you research vaccines, also research the diseases they prevent so you can weigh the risk to benefit ratio of each on its own merits.
The Vaccine Book: Making the Right Decision for Your Child - Robert Sears
Very informative and straight-forward. It gives you all the info to make the right decisions for you and your child. It has a GREAT pro / con section for each vaccine, has ingredient list, side effects......and it also has its own alternate schedule.
Really - this is the #1 book for vaccines. It has all the info!
I honestly don't know who to trust, and where to look. With my first child, we have followed the basic schedule of vaccinations. With my second who is turning one next week, we have so far followed the same basic schedule.
Tomorrow at noon, in Washington DC there is going to be a "Press conference to unveil an investigation based on public, verifiable government data, breaks new ground in controversial vaccine-autism debate." I'm interested in seeing what they have to say.
Hi--
This is a tough one as everyone has an opinion. For me, I am highly educated and took classes on neurology, biology, chemistry, and childhood illnesses, so I felt pretty prepared. It is fact that some children have severe negative reactions to vaccines. It is also a fact that the warning labels on the vaccines actually say that they may cause death. Most children have some type of reaction, ranging from lethargy and fever to seizures (doctors says this is a "normal" reaction, but swelling on the brain causing seizures while "normal" are certainly not "healthy"), etc. Only about 5% of children have "severe" reactions. It is a fact that vaccines contain chemicals and heavy metals that are known toxins to the human body (ie mercury and aluminum and formaldehyde). Some children are raised in environments that are higher in toxins than others (from everything from paint to cleaning products to pollution to food preservatives and dyes) so their systems are already over-loaded and the small amount of toxins in the vaccines throws their bodies over the edge of what they can deal with. Some children are prone to food and environmental allergies, which makes them more prone to a severe reaction. Personally, when my first child was born I decided to wait until he was older to vaccinate and put him on a delayed schedule. Turns out that my son was allergic to eggs and chemically sensitive---he is in the 5% of kids that would have had a severe reaction. Thankfully we figured this out before we started vaccinating. My gut said don't vaccinate right away and I am really glad I listened (against medical advice, I might add). Because of my education I already knew the risks and I tread lightly around them.
So, I guess what I am saying is that I trusted myself and my gut more than anything else.
J.
You can talk to your doctor about vaccines and you can do research in PEER REVIEWED medical journals. There is plenty of non-peer reviewed and highly biased "research" out there that will tell you that vaccines are extremely dangerous, but there is no hard evidence against vaccinating the general public. There are a few instances where vaccination is not recommended, usually because of immune deficiency diseases. And there is a very small percentage of the population who will suffer side effects from vaccinations, but they are considered very safe for the majority of the population. I compare vaccines to seat belts, in rare instances seat belts can cause rather than prevent injury in a car accident; but for the most part they save lives. I'm not about to stop buckling my kids in their seat belts on the off chance that the seat belt could harm them, because it is far more likely that the seat belt will save their lives. By the same token, it is far more likely that a vaccine will save your child's life than harm him or her in any way.
I like the dr. Sears book and www.thedoctorwithin.com! Also the NVIC website.
center for disease control, medical journals...
DR. Sears has a good vaccine book, it's a little outdated though:
http://www.askdrsears.com/thevaccinebook/
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_MED_MEASLES?SIT...
I got mine from Focus on the Family (a rather well known Christian org.)
They can mail the information about the vaccinations right to your door or direct you on the website if you call.
