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Vaccines: Safe for Everyone?
The vaccine issue is a hot one, and each day more parents are left wondering what the best thing is for their children.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) vaccination schedule, children will get numerous vaccinations during their childhood, the earliest beginning at birth. An increasing number of parents are questioning the safety of vaccines...they feel they should be able to make the choice as to whether their child is injected with numerous doses of vaccines. These parents feel that the benefit of not vaccinating their children outweighs the benefit of an expected "herd immunity". No vaccine guarantees 100% immunity.
All states will exempt children from vaccination for medical reasons, and there are some states that provide exemptions to vaccination requirements for religious or philosophical reasons. We invite you to read the following information, then research the vaccine issue by visiting some of the listed resources and reading the recommended books. Ask your children's physician or pharmacist for copies of vaccine package inserts. They will list all the ingredients in the vaccine, any contraindications, and will include any known adverse reactions. As parents, we try to make sure the products our children use are safe...for example, car seats, toys, furniture, and foods. How can we not fully investigate the chemicals that are injected into our child's tiny bodies? Make sure to be report any reactions to vaccines that your child has received, do your research, and get fully informed about the risks and benefits of vaccination before you make any decisions as to what's best for your family. No one has to live with the consequences of vaccination, but you. You may as well make your decision an informed one.
For your information:
- Hepatitis B Vaccine: In July, 1999 the AAP, the AAFP and CDC recommended that clinicians and parents take advantage of the flexibility in the hepatitis B vaccination schedule to delay hepatitis B vaccination from birth until age 2-6 months for infants born to mothers who have been verified by blood testing to be hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-negative (i.e., verified not to be infected with hepatitis B virus). This change was made in response to concerns that the small amounts of mercury in the vaccine preservative thimerosal could pose a theoretical risk to newborn infants, although no scientific evidence of harm caused by this level of exposure has been reported.
- Rotavirus Vaccine: RotaShield® is no longer recommended or available for use in the United States due to an association with intussusception. On October 22, 1999, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended that Rotashield® (RRV-TV), the only U.S.-licensed rotavirus vaccine, no longer be used in the United States
(MMWR, Volume 48, Number 43, Nov. 5, 1999).
New Vaccine Now Linked to Diabetes.
- Thimerosal (a mercury-containing preservative used in some Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), diphtheria and tetanus toxoids - with acellular pertussis (DTaP), hepatitis B, influenza, and other
vaccines): In June, 1999, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) revealed that some infants who receive multiple doses of vaccines containing Thimerosal could be exposed to total amounts of mercury that exceed some federal guidelines.
- Inactivated polio vaccine (IPV): The CDC and Prevention and the AAP have announced that only the inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) schedule is recommended for all children, effective January 1, 2000.
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The information in the above articles was gathered by MyParenTime.com. Any information obtained in these articles should not be construed as medical or legal advice. The above information is presented for educational purposes only, and it is not a substitute for informed advice or training. Please do not copy or use this information to diagnose or treat any problems without consulting a qualified professional.
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