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I vaccinated my child and plan to vaccinate my other child when she is born. I got the measels when I was 5 months old and almost died. I developed a SEVERE case of chicken pox that I needed to be hospitalized. I will not have my children go through that. When my father's internship in Australia ended when I was 1 1/2 years old, we went to Africa. I was taking malaria pills and I had the small pox vaccination. Nothing happened to me. I just find it interesting that 3rd world countries and begging for vaccinations and mothers are weeping in joy when receiving them that there are parents in Amercia who refuse them. Also, I believe the rise in autism rates are due to the fact that more people recognize the symptoms and they are diagnosed as autism. My mother, who was around before mandetory vaccinations had a boy in her cla__s who was said to be "slow and have behavior issues" would sit all day and rock back and forth in his chair, not participating in any discussions not responding to any other children in his cla__s. Today, he would be diagnosed as autism. What caused his Autism if there was no such thing as MMR at that time?

we were torn with the issue of vaccinating after our daughter received her 2 month shots and her ped gave us the info packet on side effects. we read that not only can fevers or soreness be expected, but also in rare circ_mstances brain swelling, seizures and death. that got us to looking into the issue, and we discovered that several of our family friends didn't vaccinate either. from what i've read (and i prefer to only read middle-of-the-road articles - not pro-vax or anti-vax), most of the diseases we vaccinate against were already on the decline BEFORE the advent of vaccines. Vaccines themselves are not totally responsible for the decline, but proper sanitation and better medical care are as well, if not more so. looking at each vaccine one by one, we have come to this conclusion: Hepat_tis B: This is a "just in case" vaccine. And to us, that's not good enough. They can't target the prost_tutes and the drug dealers so they target the newborns - and why? Unless the child is born of a hep b positive mother, what is the need? Hep B is pa__sed through blood, s_xual contact, and needle-sharing. I don't anticipate my child doing any of those any time soon. We don't put Ritalin in school water fountains "just in case" so why should we vaccinate "just in case?" Besides, there is no conclusion as to how long these shots last. Will kids need boosters? Will they wear off in just a few years? We declined Hep B. Polio: Considering that polio creates absolutely no symptoms and no problems in 90% of people who catch it, and that it is pretty much eradicated, and lastly considering that those who DID contract polio in the US in the last 20 years "caught" the disease from the vaccine itself, we declined this vaccine as well. Pertussis (DTap): Pertussis is rarely fatal, and those who die from this disease are usually infants under 6 months old. Children that age aren't fully vaccinated for the disease anyway. Furthermore, the pertussis component of the DTaP shot is actually used in lab animals to induce brain swelling and brain damage. It's not surprising then that brain-swelling and damage are listed in the side effects portion of the drug info. Pertussis outbreaks are not uncommon to highly vaccinated populations; studies place the level of immunity at 60-80% in those fully immunized, and immunity at twelve years after full vaccination has been found to be as low as 5%. So adults and teens are quite susceptible to catching this disease and pa__sing it around to others without even knowing it; in older persons it is often misdiagnosed as bronchitis or just a nagging cough. So, to anyone who blames a non-vaccinated child for pa__sing the disease around, think twice - adults pa__s it around just as easily. Considering that the chances of catching the disease are about as high as having an adverse reaction to the vaccine, we declined Pertussis. Teta__s: This is one vaccine we will most likely have our daughter get (though it is only available with the Dipthera portion) once she becomes old enough to run around outside and get in the dirt, which is where this disease is found. MMR: Measles: Considering that the death rate for measles is .03 per 100,000, and since 1984 over 50% of measles cases have been in fully immunized people, and further considering that measles is meant to be a mild childhood disease and becomes more serious as a person ages, we declined this one as well. If she has not contracted it naturally (which we certainly are NOT hoping for!) then we may look into the vaccine when she is a teenager. Measles as an adult or teen can be more dangerous and is more fatal. MMR: Mumps: Mumps is very rarely harmful in childhood. The biggest danger period for contracting mumps is in adolescence or adulthood when the male sterility can result. My child is a girl and we refused this vaccine. My unborn child is a boy, and we may vaccinate him against this when he is a teen if he is not already immune from natural exposure. MMR: Rubella: Again, this disease is not harmful in childhood. It is only a danger if a child (or an adult, for that matter) pa__ses the disease to a pregnant woman's unborn child. Therefore, if my daughter is not immune to this disease naturally (85% of the population was before the advent of the vaccine), then she can opt to receive the vaccine prior to becoming pregnant. From what I've read, the rubella vaccine has not lessened the number of children born in this country with birth defects. We declined this, since it is only given in the MMR combined shot. Some MMR reactions include brain damage, chronic fatigue syndrome, guillain-barre syndrome, and arthritis. I know of several children who, after receiving this shot, developed incapacitating arthritis. Another side effect is that the diseases MMR is supposed to guard against are now becoming adult diseases after the vaccines wear off, and in adults these diseases are far more serious. Chicken Pox: It is humorous to me how chicken pox has always been an expected, mild, childhood disease, until the vaccine was made available to the public. Suddenly, it has become a horrible killer of children. But we're talking big money here for the vaccine manufacturers, so I guess it's to be expected. Chicken pox can be deadly - but rarely. There is precious little research and long-term study on this vaccine, and it is not known how much immunity it confers, or how long the immunity lasts. This may very well be just another normal childhood disease we are keeping from our children and pushing into the future when they are adults and when the immunity is gone - and with most childhood diseases, chicken pox is much more serious and more fatal in adulthood. We're hoping for natural (and permanent) chicken pox exposure. We declined this vaccine. Hib: This is the only vaccine we are still tossing around. Meningitis is a frightening disease, but unfortunately this vaccine only offers protection for one form of meningitis. Interestingly enough, numerous international health organizations have recommended that governments promote b___stfeeding as the #1 line of defense against Hib, since b___stfed babies have a greatly reduced chance of developing Hib. Children at greater risk are those who tend to live in urban areas, crowded conditions, have contact with certain animals, especially rats and mice. They are often in daycare situations. They tend to not be b___stfed for any significant duration. My child fits none of those risks. This is just some of the material I've come across to help you see how we made our decision. Taking into account the fact that vaccines are drugs, some contain mercury and dna from different animal (and aborted fetus) cell lines, and other foreign objects. We are trying to live healthy lifestyles, b___stfeed our children to at least one year, and avoid excess sweets. So far, so good. My 16-month old daughter has only been mildly sick twice - and no ear infections!!!

Maya, Ti and "my opinion" and jill, and many others, i agree that there are some (very little from my research) pros to vaccination. Do you want your child to be the one in one million dead or what ever of the children vaccinated. have you ever sat and thaught about where these diseases came from? WE, HUMANS CREATED THEM OUT OF CURIOSITY, SOME OF US KILL OUR CHILDREN OR GIVE THEM AUTISM BECAUSE WE DECIDE THAT THEY MAY GET HEP B. there are sooooo many different harmful ingredients in the shots we get or agree to give our children. what do you think the odds are that you will get these diseases if you dont get vaccinated. you say they're really high, im sorry but if you think that than you are just the people the government love because youre so absentminded and gullible. bull, they can and some of the time will get more than JUST A FEVER!, research what is in these vaccines before you get your children vaccinated. OF COURSE DOCTERS WONT TELL YOU THE TRUTH, THEY DONT HAVE TO, THEY ARE TOLD NOT TO, DID YOU KNOW THAT THEY ALMOST PASSED A BILL WHERE DOCTORS WERE NOT REQUIRED TO TELL YOU IF THIS VACCINE OR MEDECINE IS HARMFUL TO YOUR HEALTH. and the sad thing is, they almost pa__sed the bill. wouldnt you want to know if your child was at risk to get the disease they are getting a shot for. most know, but for those who arent aware, did you know that when you get a vaccine, they inject you (along with tons of other c___p that can damage you internally) with a very weak part of the disease. if youre getting a shot for hep a,b, or any disease sickness or what ever, you will have the disease within you, doctors just take the chance because they hope your immune system is smart enough and strong enough to be able to fight it off. but what if it cant? you get the disease, it takes over your body and your stuck with it because of your stupid decision. what if it was your innocent child? how would you feel then? There is so much at risk, please PLEASE before you even think or agree to getting a vaccine or a new medicine, ask for the ingredients or side affects. you might just change your mind about how much you really need toTHINK your safe from hep or the FLU or chicken pox. please listen. thanks for listening ~Brandy~

Thank you all once again and for those concerned their babies may be coming down with something such as whooping cough dont hesitate to take them in and make someone listen, we did a recent news interview and it was so hard, hindsight is 20/20 and I beat myself up again and again, please dont let a careless Dr or anyone else wear you down when it comes to your baby our babies depend on us and I will forever live with the guilt of not being able to save my angels.

Hi everyone. I just wanted to add my 2 cents. Our son recieved all of his vaccinations until he was 1yr old (because we didn't know any better). We have chosen to not get any further vaccinations because of the risks involved. We feel that both Western medicine and alternative medicine have their place in the health of our child. We believe that preventative medicine should be comprised of more natural methods such as good nutrition, hand washing, and chiropractic care. I think that vaccinations have outlived their usefulness. Also, tecnology and modern medicine have evolved to where these childhood diseases can be treated so much more effectively and then they have immunity for life (with some). It is very rare that a heartbreaking story such as Lucy's comes about, and it is just as common for vaccinated children to still contract these diseases, usually from the vaccination, and have serious life threatening situations. My son contracted the chicken pox from someone at school (who was vaccinated) because he was too young to be vaccinated. It was not fun, he was pretty miserable for about a week, but we kept him home and let him get better with the medicine that he was perscribed to help shorten the duration and now I don't have to worry about him getting shingles later in life. However, that being said, we are planning on travelling to Spain, Greece and Italy next fall and we are working with our chiropractor to find out which diseases are the most common there and we will have him vaccinated for the serious ones simply because he will be risking exposure. I think each family must decide what is best for their child, I don't think that people who get their child vaccinated are injecting them with poison, they are just doing what they think will let their child have a long happy life. I also feel that vaccinations should not be mandated or required, but rather offered to parents who want them. I also think there should be guidelines on what parents are told about vaccinations- they should be required to give you information about ALL of the risks and benefits. For example, almost all of the vaccinations are NOT reccommended (by the manufacturer) for children who have a history of seizures. My son had unexplained seizures when he was very young, I don't think they were a result of the few vaccinations he did get, but do you think anyone was going to tell me that he should probably not get vaccinated! Absolutely not, I had to go out and find the information myself, and that's what all parents need to do- make informed decisions, don't just do something because some person in Washington who doesn't know you or your child says it's good for them! Sorry for the little rant. Kate, I'm interested to know where you got much of information. I am doing a term paper on this subject and I am looking for sources that are as objective as possible, but still solid and accurate. Good Luck everyone, stay healthy and happy!!

no need to ad my 2 cents although we also choose not to .

Unforuntaely it is not as rare as many try to make it out to be since my daughter got this horrible diease I have heard many many many other cases there is news paper article after article but I am simply promoting awareness.

I really don't like this topic. Honestly, you're d__ned if you do and d__ned if you don't. If you DO get your kids vaccinated, you risk them getting many side effects from the meds. If you DON'T vaccinate, you risk them being infected with something that could have been prevented. So just IMO, EITHER WAY YOU CAN BE SCREWED.

what a long thread ! SOMEONE HERE HAS NOT LEARNED HER LESSON yet has suffered from vaccination herself (no names here if you can figure out who that is please) I don't care what science and stats or break throughs think anymore all I know is that those who have chosen NOT TO vaccinate 'whole or partially' have read and read and read and read etc etc etc exhaustfully to their need or potential to come to their decision and or conclusion because they have all been under pressure to weigh the pros and cons but I certainly wonder about the advocates ?. Is it common uneducated fear, media ifluenced ? Or is it propoganda influenced by not GRADUATING in their feild of medicine so there is no knowledge of the pros and cons ? well lets find out ? ANYONE INTERESTED IN SHARING AS TO WHY YOU ("""YOU""") PERSONALLY , Advocate to vaccinate and why you have no doubts ?

if enough people dont vacinate, it will bring back some terrible diseases, i would vacinate as the side effects are better than death from disease

For any of those who have had experience with or wouldl iek to learn more about Pertussis aka whooping cough I started a yahoo group you are welcome to join at http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/Pertussis/

it is your job to protect your children! To NOT vac your kids is like puting them in the car without a car seat, the chances of somthing happening are small yet there is a chance, thats how I look at it

It seems to me that the people who decide not to vaccinate their children are counting on the fact that the rest of us do vaccinate...If everyone quit vaccinating, the diseases that we don't even have to worry about as parents would become real threats again. I have a neighbor who didn't vaccinate her child. That child used to come play all the time, but once my neighbor told me she hadn't vaccinated him, I stopped inviting him over, because I have a baby who isn't old enough to have had all her shots yet. I was angry that she hadn't told me sooner, because I felt like she was putting my baby at risk for her beliefs.

I have had my oldest 2 done and I'm gettin my baby done too.

How can a healthy unvaccinated child put your child at risk? I think some of you have no clue about vaccinations except for it is what you are told to do.

I wouldn't even consider not vaccinating my children. I have a younger brother that has an immune disorder so he doesn't get vaccinated becuase it would could cause him to become ill. My mom has always had such trouble with this because schools and other places require a list of your vaccinations. The only thing I won't get vaccinated for is the flu. I've never got a flu.