Using Religion to Avoid Vaccines
There's always been controversy surrounding vaccines for children—just ask members of iVillage’s Vaccination Debate board—but when a small but growing number of parents, who are claiming religious exemptions to avoid vaccinating their children, recently made the news, the debate took a new turn.
Some iVillage members think that the parents’ decision to claim religious exemptions to avoid vaccinations, when the real reason may be skepticism of the shots or concern they can cause other illnesses, puts other children at risk of contracting dangerous diseases. Members, such as genuinecanadianangel, think those parents are actually committing fraud: “Saying you have a religious exemption when you don't is clearly LYING, no matter how you look at it. It boggles my mind that the people who are crying foul at the doctors who apparently 'misled' them [about vaccines], are the same ones who have absolutely no trouble misleading school boards with blatant lies.”
Should anti-vaccine parents with no genuine religious objections be allowed to use a religious exemption? Some iVillagers, such as member kellyrn, don't think so: “It makes me really angry that people are so quick to lie about their convictions. They should be honest about their reasons. If this means that their child will have trouble getting into school, then too bad. There is a reason vaccines are required. If a parent doesn't agree with the reasons, then maybe public school isn't the best idea for their family.” Member jjhnn8600 agrees: "I personally don't think people should be able to opt out of vaccines and still be able to go to public school. Some people may have very legitimate religious reasons for not getting the vaccine. But, and I know this sounds harsh, that isn't my problem. If you don't want to vaccinate, then send your kids to a school where other parents are OK with their children being exposed to kids who don't receive vaccines."
But what about parents who feel that the risk of the vaccine is worse than the risk of the actual disease? Anti-vaccine iVillagers, such as member a_mothers_love, say claiming religious exemption is their only option for getting their kids into school: “With states only allowing religious exemptions, how else are parents supposed to protect their children from the dangers of vaccines? Yes, lying is wrong, but when it comes to our children, we will do whatever it takes to keep them safe.”
Some parents say vaccination is a personal choice, and until exemptions for “philosophical” or “moral” reasons are allowed, they should be free to claim religious objections. Says cl-suschi on the Non-Vaccine Support board: "So they don't like parents who use a religious belief when that is the ONLY OPTION to avoid any shots for their child? Well, that's the behavior they drive when they tell you that you must vaccinate your child even if you think the next round of shots may KILL THEM. If they don't like parents using a bogus exemption, then change the laws and really give the parent a CHOICE!" Member jhjkk is just as passionate about the issue of parental freedom: "I am one of those parents that don't vaccinate my kids... If the government would let US be the parents of our own kids and do what WE want and NOT them, then we wouldn't have to chose the religious exemption if we were not of a religion that is against vaccines."
Indeed, emotions run high when it comes to immunization, an important health decision for parents. Those against vaccinations are frustrated with the difficulties they face trying to avoid what they consider a harmful practice, and those in favor of vaccinations worry that their kids are at risk among non-vaccinated children.
Member catchzik76 sums up the difficulty of making what some consider a life-or-death decision for their kids: " I can honestly say that I personally feel like there are just risks not matter WHAT you choose. It's all pretty darn scary stuff. It's just up to the parents to decide what is best for their children and to weigh the risks themselves. I really hate this part of parenting."
Do you think parents should claim religious exemptions to avoid vaccines? Share your thoughts on the vaccine debate.
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Yes, vaccinations may prevent some pretty serious diseases but they are also loaded with harmful ingredients, like thimerisol. What some doctors aren't telling you is that most of these vaccines could be made more safe by not bundling together vaccines. Unfortunately, insurance companies just don't want to spend the extra cash to offer this as an alternative to parents. One in 4 children are now being diagnosed with Autsim... and unlike Measles, chicken pox, or hepatitis, this is an epidemic that needs to be addressed NOW. I already have one child with Autism. Therefore, I have made the decision to hold off vaccinating my 2 year old from some vaccines such as MMR. I'm not a fanatic or anything...but if there is even a chance that these vaccines are playing a role in the Autism epidemic, than I'm opting out. It is puzzling to me that many parents have pulled toys away from their kids due to the whole lead paint ordeal, but then they fail to acknowledge that we are injecting our kids with toxic chemicals.
While I personally believe in the benefits of vaccinations, we decided to selectively vaccinate our son. If I have to sign a paper that says my religious beliefs keep me from giving him certain vaccinations, then so be it, and I will not think twice about it. When its the only option given, and its my child's health at stake, well, lying will win out every time.
There is just too much controversy, and not enough research. Even though no direct links have been found to an incredible increase in many childhood diseases/disorders YET (autism being only ONE of them) there is something to be said for the tens of thousands of parents who have watched their children regress into autism between the age of 1 and 2 - typically after a round of vaccinations. While the risk may be a small one, if it happens to YOUR child, then the risk is 100%, isnt it?
I would encourage every parent to EDUCATE themselves about vaccines and diseases, and be able to make their OWN decisions about what is right for their child.
Not sure what the difference really is for the parents of vaccinated children. If they truly believe in the vaccination benefits then they should have nothing to worry about! Following the vaccine philosophy, all the vaccinated are protected, and the unvaccinated are the vulnerable ones. Besides, it is unconstitutional to force someone to obtain a medical treatment that is against their religious beliefs, hence there will ALWAYS be unvaccinated children in the public school system. That their reason is religious really make any difference? Their children will still be just as unvaccinated as people that use the religious exemption under false pretenses and as their only choice. Thankfully some States are more in tune with people's fundamental rights and offer Philosophical exemptions.
I think we need to preserve everyone's fundamental right to freedom when it comes to their health and that of their children.
Vaccines have demonstrated remarkable health benefits for children/adults everywhere. I have worked as a nurse for years,and have witnessed what happens when young ones come down with illnesses that could have been prevented. It's never pretty, and causes needless suffering. I suppose that some people reason that since most children are vaccinated, their unvaccinated children are at less risk, but that's not the case. Just last Winter I cared for a female with whooping cough. She was seriously ill for weeks. I realize it is a personal choice, but with choice comes responsibility. Because of this, I do not feel that unvaccinated children should be allowed in schools. They should not put others at risk that might not be able to tolerate vaccines due to allergy,or are not yet fully resistant. If parents choose to go against state law, then they need to educate their children at home. If they are using religion as an excuse, that's just wrong. Take responsibility for the choice and deal with the consequences
By not getting the vaccine you are putting my children at risk and I don't agree with that. If you don't want to vaccine than keep your children away from mine and send them to a school that is ok with that.
I agree with oncnurse, there may be kids in the school that are vaccinated but not fully resistant yet. And there are kids that cannot be vaccinated due to medical reasons. They are all at risk. While anti-vaccine parents say they have done their research and educated themselves, we who have chosen to immunize our kids also have done our research and educated ourselves. And choose to vaccinate our kids, and we choose to keep them safe and healthy. But with this happening in schools, our kids are at risk. Where is our choice in that?
Just to comment on the first post - Thimerisol hasn't been used in vaccines since 2000. I just hate it when misinformation is used to combat other supposed misinformation. The fact is, Autism is just as prevalent in countries that DON'T routinely vaccinate as it is in the US. Another fact... Autism is now being diagnosed as one of a "spectrum" of conditions. This was not so even as early as 10 years ago.
Let's put 2+2 together - fewer and fewer vaccines (if any at all) contain "toxic chemicals" any more, yet the rate of diagnosis of Autism continues to increase. Why? Because we're getting BETTER at recognizing the signs. It is no longer being chalked up to bad parenting as it was a decade ago.
Autism is now being diagnosed earlier and earlier - even before kids get the dreaded MMR vaccine.
Everyone just conveniently ignores these bits of info.
Ask someone who's been paralyzed by polio or sterilized by measles if they think the risk is "minor".
Correction... I meant to reference mumps, not measles, with regard to sterility.
I standby what I said in my first posting. Unfortunately, thimerisol IS still an ingredient in vaccines. However, the FDA has allowed doctors to call these shots "thimerisol free" because they are at "trace level" amounts. I am not willing to subject my son to even a "trace" amount of mercury. Especially because my family history is already pre-desposed to ADS. If they are currently recommending that pregnant women not eat tuna fish because of mercury, than I'm not going to inject my child with it either.
Thank you AC! I had wanted to comment on the issue of better diagnoses of autism as well. Measles, chicken pox, polio, hepatitis are not "epidemics that need to be addressed right now" BECAUSE of vaccinations. The immunization programs have reduced the occurence of these infectious diseases. My mom worked in pediatrics nationwide and internationally and has seen the devastating effects of polio, and it is definitely not a minor risk.
I don't understand why parents who vaccinate their children would be concerned about exposure to non-vaccinated children. If vaccines work, non-vaccinated children don't pose a danger to anyone but themselves. If vaccines don't work, why bother?
Hope: Though the risk of contracting illnesses are of course greater for non-vaccinated kids, it's also a risk for vaccinated ones because not all kids, even when vaccinated, are fully resistant yet. One child may have gotten all her immunizations, but perhaps she didn't get the full immune protection from every dose. Also, some kids cannot have vaccinations for medical reasons (not religous). So they're at risk, as well.
Of course vaccines work extremely well--a lot of diseases are virtually eradicated because of them. You rarely see polio anymore, right? We have the vaccine to thank for that. I understand parents' concerns when it comes to an increase in the number of non-vaccinated children in their schools.
One interesting article titled, "A Pharmacist Questions Vaccines " appeared in the December 1994 issue of The American Chiropractor. Some alarming statistics were listed in this article. For example, within a thirty-nine month period ending in November of 1993, the F. D. A. Vaccine Adverse Reporting System collected nearly 32,000 reports of adverse reactions following vaccination, with more than 700 deaths. DPT vaccine was associated with more than 12,000 of these reports, including 471 of the related deaths. "The F. D. A. acknowledges that this voluntary reporting underestimates the actual number of reactions." The National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act (NCVIA) was passed in 1986, establishing the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP). As of July 5, 1994, the program has paid $452.5 million for vaccine injury or death, and is back-logged with more than 2,600 claim cases--all of which will not be settled for several years.
This information doesn't give me much faith in the medical profession's preventative care program. I am not writing this as a for or against position -- just advising that one should make an educated decision on vaccines, whether for children or for animals. ~ Dr. Regan Golob
Autism is very real, and an epidemic, there has to be a reason the numbers have skyrocketed. I have a four year old servely Autistic son. I cry when I watch the home videos and see my beautiful child with such potential. A normal 13 month old child!!! Two days after his fifteen month shots his limb node in that very leg swelled.His docter told me with his very weak immune system he has had it is more likely than not that he had cancer. Well test after test proved he didnt have cancer. About a month after the shots he became a little withdrawn, he would sit in the corner and stack shoes. Well about 6 months after that I have him on video totally withdrawn, silent, it was like a total different child, I would say his name, nothing, I would hug him, nothing. When anyone came around him he would quietly walk away. Eye contact was gone. He was there and then he was gone. Maybe it isnt the vaccines alone but they played a big part. People need to quit worring about what other people do to protect their children.
I read a comment on here that states vaccines have been without thimerisol since 2000. Do your homework because just in June of 2007 I had to refuse the hepititus B vaccine when my child was born because it contained guess what thats right thimerisol!!!! I already have one child I have watched change from a very promising child into a world of pain. Life for him is torture. Let your child be touched by something as horrible as autism, and then you can comment otherwise you need to go over your facts once again, because us crazy moms have done our homework, along with night after night of no sleep holding our crying children not being able to calm them, not knowing what is wrong. Fighting with school systems. Taking our children to theropies year after year seeing no change. Having to turn to expensive treatments, that we shouldnt have to be forced to do. Trying to hold on to what is left of our children. So get YOUR facts straight before you open your mouth!!!
I don't see what business it is of mine to dictate what another parent should or should not do about their child's vaccinations. The only time it would be my business is if my child were to catch a contagious diseases from the kids who are not vaccinated. As long as I vaccinate my own child, that shouldn't be a problem, right?
When my daughter was given her first DTP vaccine she reacted to the pertussis. We took her to Children's Hosptial and she was diagnosed with a Brain Inflammation, we did not know if she would ever be a normal child. She recovered but some children do not.
We had our son a few years later and investigated the DTP vaccine...the doctor told me it would be fine to give it to him but in our research we found out there can be a genetic link and if a sibling has reacted to a vaccine then the other children in the family should not get the shot as they could react too. Our doctor did not know this, he was willing to give our son a vaccine that could have caused a reaction. I think we need to be advocates for our children and press for more research on vaccines and their side effects.
Anyone should be able to use the religious exemption for anything. The government can't declare any religion illegitimate, so just make up one of your own that doesn't allow whatever you don't want to do.
One in four children are diagnosed with Autism? I don't think that is correct. At last count I heard it one in 150-166. Common sense would tell you that one in four is not correct.
Whatever schedules you have in your state/province, are unique to that place. Somewhere else is different. Ontario is only one of three provinces where vaccines are "mandatory". Are you telling me that the kids in the rest of the provinces are somehow "wildly unhealthy?" Come on. You don't want my kid around your kid? Fine with me. The lines for dangerous vaccines are filled with children of parents that don't question the status quo. I am so glad that when I was a child being forced to get shot up with goodness knows what, the hpv vaccines, and the aids vaccine, which is in development, were nowhere to be found. And guess what. I don't have hpv, and I don't have aids. My kids can get shot up with whatever they chose as adults. My religious exemption is 100% correct. I don't believe my God wants this crap injected into my child's body and it's not going to happen.
I heard you have to give your child medicine before getting shot up so that they don't get a raging fever. You might have to rub down their legs if a terrible bump pops up. You have to monitor them for some kind of awful reaction. You have to sign a waiver to give up your right to any legal action if something goes wrong with the "completely safe" shot. My kids are concentrating on taking their vitamin C and eating their veggies, not taking anti fever medicine before these awful shots. Shame on parents who let policy makers add more and more mandatory shots to already way too long lists. Lots of money in it for those pharma companies.
Autism is not merely being diagnosed more today. If you've ever dealt with an autistic child, you know that it would be very difficult to diagnose it as anything different. I'd like to ask about girls maturing much earlier as well. Hormones in our food or another vaccination effect?
Here's my source... where's yours?
http://www.fda.gov/cber/vaccine/thimerosal.htm
Methylmercury is the "dangerous/toxic" form, which is found in some fish.
The FACT is - the tuna sandwich you probably fed your child is more likely to cause autism than any vaccine.
BUT - the point of this article was whether or not it is ethical for parents to LIE in order to get past the exemption, not to debate whether or not vaccines are unsafe.
I'm in teh camp that it is unethical. If you don't want to vaccinate fine, then keep your kids home and homeschool. At the same time, lobby with your state to change the exemption allowance. It's a much better example in my book than teaching your child to lie because they don't like the rules.
Mahayana - I respectfully disagree. Autism is now recognized as a broad spectrum of behavioral conditions ranging from severe (where anyone can tell the child has an issue), to the more mild cases, where only a trained professional would notice. That was not the case a decade ago.
My suspicion is that - like certain food allergies - there will be a time when it is discovered that there are genetic markers which predispose certain children to these conditions.
I, too, have seen the statistics that say 1 in 150-165 children will be diagnonsed with Autism. That is an extremely low percentage statistically speaking compared to the millions of children who receive vaccinations in teh US every day and are just fine. If vaccines were THE ONE AND ONLY CAUSE of autism (with no genetic, dietary, or other environmental cause at all, period, none), the numbers would be MUCH higher.
Anyway, I'm tired of this debate...
So what are the parents of vaccinated kids so worried about? if your kids vaccinated, then exposure to an unvaccinated kid will what, either make them sick or not. They could get something else on the the street that the don't get vaccinated for, like TB. I wasn't vaccinated when I was a child, and I was healthy...NO chickenpox, No measles and I'm healthy today. I will not vaccinate my child. Period.
2 weeks ago, a friend's 12-week old baby was given 5 single dose vaccines at one doctor's visit. One of them was Rotavirus. The baby not only stopped eating, but had a high fever and diarrhea for 2 days. Does a 12 week old baby really deserve 5 shots in one visit? My only plea is that parents will get educated on the adverse reactions for each vaccines and report them to VAERS. You can download and read the reports straight from the site for each vaccine. It will really open your eyes. I have no doubt that vaccines were orginally designed to protect our children but 48 doses of 14 vaccines before the age of 6 years old is just scary. I see nothing wrong with anyone using the religious exemption for their child if that is the only exemption available to them in their state.
Until there is an exemption available where you can state "good old common sense" as your reason for not vaccinating, religious exemption is fine with me. After all, God is the one who gave me my common sense.
The reason these comments are discussing pros and cons of vaccines is because people who are supposedly outraged at the misuse of the religious exemption tend to throw in something stupid like "homeschool your kid since he's not vaccinated". If this is not their somewhat questionable pro-vaccination comment then I don't know what is.
I really can't believe sometimes I'm reading some comments for a first world country. Give me a break, if wasn't for vaccination half of the world population would be dead now. I don't know much about the subject, but i think autism is something much more deep than simply blame it on vaccines. probably since the fecundation that baby already has some disfunction for some reason, eveiromental, or whatever the mom had being exposed to.
The only adivice I would give for those afraid of vaccine is that they are putting others in risk. And also dont vaccine your child if he has any kind of cold or any other infection, because the child body is already fighting a virus, wait until he is fine. My son had a cold and took the musels and 1 month later he had ITP, has no prove ,but could be because his body was fighting a virus and got more from the vaccine; he is fine now and I still give him all the vaccines, because this is the most responsable and best way to protect your child.
Couldn't resist just *one* more! I found this link ON the autismspeaks website! Proves my point - again.
http://www.fumento.com/disease/thimerosal.html
BTW - I have aspergers, and I didn't get an MMR until I was 14.
Oh, wow - the chance of a vaccine hurting your child is SO low - and these widespread "vaccines are evil" saying are just invalid. There is no proof that vaccines "hurt" children. Sure, there's a risk. But there is a risk with EVERY aspirin you take. Nobody is freaked out about that. Gosh. If you don't vaccinate your child, he/she could get measles, POLIO for God's sake - these are diseases that MAIM children and damage them for life. I personally desire to keep my child from contracting these diseases that a simple shot will prevent her from getting. "Nobody" has Polio anymore BECAUSE we have the Polio vaccine. But the Polio virus/bacteria/whatever it is is still out there. Don't vaccinate your kids, and you risk them getting these "old" diseases. And I highly doubt pediatricians are trained today to recognize Polio or another "old" disease...it just makes SENSE to vaccinate.
It is so easy to judge choices of others until you have walked in their shoes. I was an avid "Do whatever the Doctor says mother" until I went against my gut feeling that I shouldn't get my oldest daughter immunized. She ended up in the hospital with paracarditis. Now, do I really think it was a gut instink. No. It was God letting me know that "she" could not handle the shots. But, I chose not to listen to God, but my doctor and school instead. If I choose to use "religious beliefs" as a reason not to imunize her or my other children it is because of my religious belief that God can guide us.. NOT because my "Church" says to or not to imunize. I have had the hard decision to make for each shot for each of my four children. If I choose to immunize them and they get sick or have a reaction it is my fault... If I choose not to immunize them and they get sick or catch something it is my fault also. So, the best decision for me has been to pray over each child and each decision. It been 10 years and is working best.
The people who are arguing against using a religious exemption obviously do not own a dictionary. Here are 2 additional definitions of religion as according to Merriam-Webster: 1. "a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith" AND 2. "a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices". That has nothing do with simply being Catholic or Lutheran or Jewish. It's about personally held beliefs. The non-vaccinating (or selectively vaccinating) parents are not vaccinating because they HAVE bona fide personally held beliefs. Everything is not about organized religion.
Given the current state of our country, I am surprised more people do not question and research what the government tells us to do.
Godiva_mom: Does your child ever eat any fish, say tuna? Tuna has more mercury in it than a vaccination. Also thermisol isn't being used anymore. Do some more research.
Nothing as nice as seeing women helping women. Why don't you divide yourselves into two groups - then each group can talk amongst themselves and pat each other on the back.
If you believe you are doing the right thing, you need not be so defensive. If you want to share your reasons for your decision, so be it - it might help someone else. But to act as though its your way or the highway on something so obviously personal is ridiculous.
For the actual issue of the article, I do agree with a prior blogger who stated that to use the religious exemption in order to get your kid into school when s/he is not vaccinated is not, in my opinion, setting the right example for your child. If you believe in not vaccinating, than your conviction should make you strong enough to deal with the consequences. Sure, you may still fight to change the exemption rule - usually done by lawsuit in this country - but in the interim, you would need to find a non-public school alternative.
Thimersol is in the Flu Vaccine.
I have an almost 4 year old son with autism. I believe he was fine until after he was 15 months old after the MMR Vaccine. He use to call me mama all the time. Then he didn't call me mama until he was 2.5 y.o. He was 3.5 y.o. when he started to kiss and hug me. Yet still not potty trained. So if the MMR Vaccine is what delayed him..I'm against giving it to him. Yet, I don't really know. There are potential factors involving environmental pollution too as well as genetics even Plastic baby bottles. Plus Thimersol is still in the Flu Vaccine.
I'm 5 months pregnant. I wanna be pregnant forever. She's fine where she is.
I read this entire thing from TOP to BOTTOM and I now am going to choose NOT to vaccinate. I'm a Southern Baptist but my church says no dancing. I go by the Holy Bible and the brain and heart that God gave me. I believe in Kharma and the Golden Rule and Tyrannical Government and www.infowars.com .
I can't homeschool my kid. I'm not a teacher. I'm going to sign the papers and pray that "old" diseases don't come around.
God didn't make my baby with a tube to pour chemicals in. I'm not going to give her one.
I'm also going to research Flinstone Vitamins and she's not eating at McDonald's. Maybe I'll move out to the country and become a farmer... near a school. An education is something I have... and I'm smart enough not to trust the government.
I am still learning... so please email dixie12488@yahoo.com with any proven data.
Concerned Parents, please... if you are concerned about Autism, Asberger's syndrome etc... ck out the C.A.R.D. web site. The Nat'l Asberger's office is alsoin Oceanside California. A Professor at UCSD has done research regarding "mercury" (a preservative used in vaccines) and its adverse affects when given to children via vaccines.
Regarding preserving your parental rights, the law states that "if an explicit reservation of rights is absent, they are assumed to be waived."
So, place ALL RIGHTS RESERVED WITHOUT PREJUDICE above your signature on all forms (school registration etc...) before you sign anything. This one statement will show any judge or risk management officer at any school that you have explicitly made a reservation of your rights not to be compelled to perform under any agreement that you haven't entered into KNOWINGLY, VOLUNTARILY A N D INTENTIONALLY.
If you haven't read the entire State Education Code and Statutes, how do you know WHAT you've agreed to?
Feel free to email me. PJ
Concerned Parents, please... if you are concerned about Autism, Asberger's syndrome etc... ck out the C.A.R.D. web site. The Nat'l Asberger's office is alsoin Oceanside California. A Professor at UCSD has done research regarding "mercury" (a preservative used in vaccines) and its adverse affects when given to children via vaccines.
Regarding preserving your parental rights, the law states that "if an explicit reservation of rights is absent, they are assumed to be waived."
So, place ALL RIGHTS RESERVED WITHOUT PREJUDICE above your signature on all forms (school registration etc...) before you sign anything. This one statement will show any judge or risk management officer at any school that you have explicitly made a reservation of your rights not to be compelled to perform under any agreement that you haven't entered into KNOWINGLY, VOLUNTARILY A N D INTENTIONALLY.
If you haven't read the entire State Education Code and Statutes, how do you know WHAT you've agreed to?
Feel free to email me. PJ
One: Thimerisol has NOT been definitely linked to autisim--in fact, only one study ever found such a link (and 20 or more others found NO link), and all of the authors of the study have recanted and said their methods and findings were faulty, and that they do NOT find a link between autism and thimerisol.
Two) Autism is wide-spread, anywhere from 1 in 167 to 1 in 94, depending on how you look at the numbers for 2007--HOWEVER, please be aware that "Autsim" was not being used in the public school system as a special education designation before about 1994, except for a few rare cases. Because of IDEA and NCLB, it has been used for the past 13 years--the period of supposed "epidemic." Also, Aspbergers Syndrome was not in the DSM-4 until 1994, so not being diagnosed until then. There is no epidemic, there is only better diagnosis--it's very good to get an early diagnosis, so you can get early and effective treatment. But if you look at the data, sorry, we can't blame vaccines.
One: Thimerisol has NOT been definitely linked to autisim--in fact, only one study ever found such a link (and 20 or more others found NO link), and all of the authors of the study have recanted and said their methods and findings were faulty, and that they do NOT find a link between autism and thimerisol.
Two) Autism is wide-spread, anywhere from 1 in 167 to 1 in 94, depending on how you look at the numbers for 2007--HOWEVER, please be aware that "Autsim" was not being used in the public school system as a special education designation before about 1994, except for a few rare cases. Because of IDEA and NCLB, it has been used for the past 13 years--the period of supposed "epidemic." Also, Aspbergers Syndrome was not in the DSM-4 until 1994, so not being diagnosed until then. There is no epidemic, there is only better diagnosis--it's very good to get an early diagnosis, so you can get early and effective treatment. But if you look at the data, sorry, we can't blame vaccines.
I have a 12 month old son and another one on the way. So far, we've had our son vaccinated. He has not had the MMR yet...that one comes at 15 months. Yes, there has been no research indicating that it's linked to autism, but when you hear parents say their child was fine before that shot, it makes you wonder. For now, my husband and I have decided to NOT give him that vaccine until we feel comfortable that it's safe.
The flu vaccine contains formaldahyde and mercury. Need I say more? We need to question the safety of these vaccines the government tells us to inject in our kids.
The flu vaccine contains formaldehyde and mercury. Need I say more? We need to question the safety of these vaccines the government tells us to inject in our kids.