Alternatives: Vaccine Safety Concerns, Part I

Louise Valentine, <i>The Epoc

PureInsight | August 15, 2005

A man goes to jail for several years, accused of shaking his baby to death, but is acquitted after vaccination proved to be the cause. A cheerful, outgoing child suddenly becomes withdrawn after an MMR (measles, mumps, Rubella) vaccination and is diagnosed autistic. These stories and many like them make some parents look for legal ways to avoid vaccinations, while their children can still attend school, camp or college.

Donald Miller, Jr., M.D. wrote "User Friendly Vaccination Schedule" in the "Health Freedom News" Jan./Mar. 2005 issue, suggesting a less harmful approach.

Twelve vaccines are now given before the child reaches the age of two. Hepatitis B is given the day of birth. Seven vaccines are given at two months. Six more plus boosters are given at four months, and up to eight are given at the 6-month well-baby visit. By the age of two, the baby will have been scheduled to have 32 vaccinations, according to Dr. Miller.

There have not been any long-term studies of the safety of these amounts and combinations of medications, but there has been an "explosion of neurological and immune system diseases in American children."

Autism, first recognized in the 1940s, then affected less than 1 in 10,000 children. Today 1 family in 68 has an autistic child. Four million children have Attention Deficit Disorder and one in six is classified as learning disabled.

These autoimmune diseases in children have also escalated: type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma and bowel disorders. Diabetes has increased from 1 in 1,700 children in the 1950s to 1 in 400 now. It is reported that 300,000 children have juvenile rheumatoid arthritis today, whereas 25 years ago it was so rare that no public health statistics were kept.

Recent research in neuroimmunology has shown that the brain has its own immune system. Multiple vaccines given close together could over-stimulate the brain's immune cells called microglia. These cells would then release toxic substances, which damage other brain cells and their synaptic connections. If you are having a discussion with your pediatrician on this subject, here are some references: Russell L Blaylock, M.D. (neurosurgeon): "Interaction of Cytokines, Excitotoxins, Reactive Nitrogen and Oxygen Species in Autism Spectrum Disorders" [Journal of the American Nutraceutical Association 2003; 6(4)] and "Chronic Microglial Activation and Exicitotoxicity Secondary to Excessive Immune Stimulation: Possible Factors in Gulf War Syndrome and Autism," in Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons [JAPS 2004; 9(2)]

The most rapid formation of the human brain takes place from the third trimester of pregnancy through the second year. In that short time the brain completes 80 percent of its development. Dr. Miller suggests: "Until randomized controlled trials demonstrate the safety of giving vaccines during this time of life, it would be prudent not to give any vaccinations to children until they are two years old. From a risk-benefit perspective there is growing evidence that the risk of neurological and autoimmune diseases from vaccinations outweigh the benefits of avoiding the childhood infections that they prevent. An exception is hepatitis B vaccine for infants whose mothers test positive for this disease."

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