The Vaccination Controversy
The controversy in the news is most about a preservative used in many vaccines called Thimerosal. Thimerosal is an organic-mercury (Hg) based compound, used as a preservative in many childhood vaccines, in the past and present. To date, there have been over 165 studies that focused on Thimerosal and found it to be harmful [1, 2]. (A comprehensive list of these studies is shown at http://mercury-freedrugs.org/docs/20140329_Kern_JK_ExcelFile_TM_sHarm_ReferenceList_v33.xlsx.)
Of these studies, 16 were conducted to specifically examine the effects of Thimerosal on human infants and/or children [3–18]. Within these studies, which focused on human infants and/or children, the reported outcomes following Thimerosal exposure were (1) death [3]; (2) acrodynia [4]; (3) poisoning [5]; (4) allergic reaction [6]; (5) malformations [7]; (6) autoimmune reaction [8]; (7) Well’s syndrome [9]; (8) developmental delay [10–13]; and (9) neurodevelopmental disorders, including tics, speech delay, language delay, attention deficit disorder, and autism [10, 11, 14–18].
However, the United States (US) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) still insists that there is “no relationship between [T]himerosal[-]containing vaccines and autism rates in children” [19]. This is a puzzling conclusion because, in a study conducted directly by the CDC, epidemiologists assessed the risk for neurologic and renal impairment associated with past exposure to Thimerosal-containing vaccine (TCV) using automated data from the Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) and found a 7.6-fold increased risk of autism from exposure to Thimerosal during infancy [20]. The database for that study was “from four health maintenance organizations [HMOs] in Washington, Oregon, and California, containing immunization, medical visit, and demographic data on over 400,000 infants born between 1991 and 1997.” In that initial study, Verstraeten et al. [20] “categorized the cumulative ethyl-Hg exposure from [T]himerosal[-]containing vaccines after one month of life and assessed the subsequent risk of degenerative and developmental neurologic disorders and renal disorders before the age of six.” They “applied proportional hazard models adjusting for HMO, year of birth, and gender, and excluded premature babies.” The reported results showed that “the relative risk (RR) of developing a neurologic development disorder was 1.8 (95% confidence intervals [CI] 1.1–2.8) when comparing the highest exposure group at 1 month of age (cumulative dose > 25 μg) to the unexposed group.” Similarly, they “also found an elevated risk for the following disorders: autism (RR 7.6, 95% CI = 1.8–31.5), nonorganic sleep disorders (RR 5.0, 95% CI = 1.6–15.9), and speech disorders (RR 2.1, 95% CI = 1.1–4.0)” in the highest exposure group.
Thimerosal has not been removed from childhood vaccinations; it’s still there. The FDA changed the rules so vaccine manufacturers do not have to include thimerosal on the label as an ingredient unless it is used as a preservative. According to the FDA, if thimerosal is used in the manufacturing process but it is not used as a preservative, the vaccine can be labeled “thimerosal-free” when that is not the case. You can read more about this semantic posturing and what it really means for your child here. The point is, several vaccines given to infants and children still contain thimerosal, including the DTaP vaccine, DT vaccine, Hib (ACTHib, TriHIBit) and Meningococcal vaccine. – See more at: http://healthimpactnews.com/2014/dr-oz-warns-about-mercury-in-flu-shots/#sthash.aVaMFHCp.dpuf and http://www.hindawi.com/journals/bmri/2014/247218/
My Comments on the Vaccine Controversy
I have heard many stories, some from people I know personally, about perfectly healthy babies who were given vaccinations and shortly thereafter demonstrated neurological symptoms. One baby died within days, the child of a friend of a friend. On the other side, one can point to the fact that vaccinations have saved lives worldwide. But there is a gray area. A certain percentage of infants, children, and adults do react to vaccinations. That is a fact. No one knows exactly why some people react. It may be a selenium deficiency or a host of other variables. The concerning fact is that no one knows if their child will be one who is harmed, or if you get a vaccine yourself and will have a reaction. At the very least, parents should have the right to choose for their own children what they deem to be the right thing to do.
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After getting shots for whooping cough & polio I was very sick with both. Had measles after measles vaccine & the same for all my kids. My mom was given a pneumonia shot and died 10 days later with pneumonia. THEY CAN KEEP THEIR VACCINES.
I so agree! More and more they are taking the rights away from the parents. The government wants to be ‘your baby’s daddy’. What ever happened to the land of the free? I call it dictatorship.
Thanks Cherie for this concise overview. It concerns me with 12 grandchildren.
One of the challenges that parents face is the legal ramification of not having their children vaccinated. We need some legislators to read & think about & act on the info that you are referring to! Bless you two!
Thank you for speaking up and telling the truth. I’m sure you’ll catch some attack from those who are only educated through major media sources and an industry funded by the pharmaceutical companies who make and sell the vaccines. I agree that it should be the parent’s choice, as there are risks involved, whether they vaccinate or not. God bless you. I appreciate your ministry and love juicing myself. Blessings.
Great article, problem is Drs. Scare people and parents feel this is necessary. Being into natural health and chiropractic have been trying to convince new mothers about vaccines, is very difficult. They won,t let my child in school etc. etc. etc. ignorance. Sending this article to everyone. Love it.
This fact is being told by paediatricians even in India, as a gimmick and not considered as harming the growing nerve cells of infant to the age of 12 to say the least. I have seen case where children were immunized and then within a day or two they developed fevers and developed autistic characterstics and doctors send parents on a wild goose chase. We do need to make people understand that doctors and pharma companies are not our providers of our well being.
Choice is the answer.
I agree it should be the parents choice if they wish to vaccinate their child or not.
Cherie, thank you for your post and for the links you provide. I have children who have all been vaccinated up until junior high when i decided enough is enough. I do not understand why a baby needs to be vaccinated against hepatitis when it is a sexually transmitted disease. I also do not understand the outcry of people wanting mandatory vaccines for all children. If the vaccine does its job and protects the individual from the disease how then can an unvaccinated individual present a danger to the vaccinated? That seems to be the one question that no one will address. This “outbreak “of measles is fascinating when you look at the number of infected, I believe the last I saw was 40 some cases, how is that an epidemic? As for me and my family we are finished with vaccines we also do not take the flu shot . I will allow my body to do the job God gave it ‘immune system’ and do my part to keep us healthy through the foods we eat. Thank you for your recipes and your insight.
The issue is not choice. The issue is developing and providing a safe vaccine. If the vaccine were safe, responsible parents would be happy and relieved to keep their children safe from terrible, sometimes deadly, childhood diseases. This debate should be not political, which it has become. The debate should be about the health and safety of ALL our children. When parents politicize the debate, then it’s about the parents. It we can stop the political rhetoric and talk safety, then the debate will be centered on the children, which is where the debate should be centered. Instead of talking divisive politics, we should all band together and demand that the vaccine be made safer. As long as we talk divisive politics and blur the real issue, the vaccine will never be made safer. Think about it.
Janet, so well said. We do need safe vaccines used responsibly.
Thank you for sharing the truth about vaccinations. So many think that all vaccinations are OK. Yes I am sure you will get some backlash for speaking the truth. But we need to stand up for what is right. To many are afraid to speak out on
controversial subjects.
Keep up the good work.
Thank you for sharing the truth on vaccinations. Just to many people think all vaccinations are OK.
I am sure you will get some back lash on your statements, but keep up the good work you are doing. You make a difference for many.