To vacinate or not?

[crossroads]

I've recently become interested in the vacination debate after reading about it on a friend's blog.

I've read about both sides of the debate. Some people say that vacinations can actually lower a child's immune system for life; other people say that not vaccinating your child is equal to child abuse.

Did you get your child vacinated? What are your thoughts?

 

[Nicoleoleole]

I am totally against vaccinations. My husband isn't, so we're delaying them (hopefully way later... she still hasn't had any).

I have plenty of reasons... (copied from my blog):

- They have never been tested before. Technically, we are ALL the “guinea pigs,” and we don’t know what effects the vaccines will have on us.
- The vaccines have the virus in them. But it isn’t JUST the virus. The virus has to live on something, so they are injecting pieces of skin cells, or animal cells with this virus on it into the body.
- Vaccines have metals in them. Metals slow down the immune system to “let the virus take course,” but the metals actually weaken your immune system permanently.
- There are numerous vaccines with formaldehyde in them. That’s right, the preservatives that kept the dead frog you dissected in high school. It’s in the vaccines. Queensland Poisons Control Centre has said was ‘unsafe at any level if injected into the human body,’ yet it’s still in vaccines.
- There are immediate side effects: It’s not totally uncommon for a recently vaccinated person to get convulsions and epilepsy, permanent brain damage, anaphylactic (life threatening allergic) reactions, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), retinal and brain haemorrhages (now being confused with Shaken Baby Syndrome) or even death.
- Vaccines do not protect you all the way. Most of the time, you will still ‘catch’ it.


The flu vaccine? They just GUESS which strand is going to hit us this year. And most of the time, they're wrong.
Gardisil? Notice how they're recalling them after all these incidences of people getting full blown cancer?


I never had any vaccinations until I was in the military (and they forced me to get them). And I'm healthier than most of the people I know. My husband that has all of his vaccinations? Always sick.


I prefer natural immunity and want the same for my children.

 

[Laura2919]

Im against non vaccinations. My girls have had all their vaccinations and will continue to do so.
I, as a mother refuse to put my children or other children at risk. They potentially put others at risk and as a parent I cant live with that thought.

I have had every single vaccination and I am fine also, its not to do with vaccinations its you as a person, if you get sick a lot you get sick and if you dont, you dont.

IMO there is no connection.

 

[LoraLoo]

I'm all for vaccinations. If its something that is going to protect our children I cant understand why anyone wouldnt. There is no vaccine as yet, for the type of Meningitis Eve got. If there was, I think the majority of us would let our children have it, knowing how fatal it is

 

[marley2580]

I selectively vaccinate as I don't like some of the ingredients, because I think we vaccinate for diseases that are rarely an issue now (polio) and I think that 'childhood illnesses' are now being pushed into adolescence and adulthood, when the effects are a whole lot worse. I'm actually in favour of vaccines in 3rd world countries where they don't have the same hygiene and medical care as we do.

 

[aragornlover8]

One thing that I think should be made clear is that the MMR (the most common vaccine discussed in debates like these) does not contain thimerisol, which is the mercury-containing agent that many people attribute to autism. Most babies have immune systems that are fully capable of responding to the vaccines; if they didn't, the vaccines themselves would not work at all as T-cells have to respond in order to "remember" the virus later. There are babies who are born with certain immunodeficiencies, however. Because of these deficiencies, they rely on other children to have vaccinations to limit their own exposure to certain diseases. It's important to note that these diseases have larger consequences for children with those same immunodeficiencies.

And yes, sometimes you still get sick with the diseases vaccines are supposed to prevent against. However, when this happens, the case of the disease is often much milder and less life threatening than if the subject had not been previously vaccinated.

 

[charlotte-xo]

Alfies had all of his vaccinations so far and will continue to.

 

[crossroads]

I selectively vaccinate as I don't like some of the ingredients, because I think we vaccinate for diseases that are rarely an issue now (polio) and I think that 'childhood illnesses' are now being pushed into adolescence and adulthood, when the effects are a whole lot worse. I'm actually in favour of vaccines in 3rd world countries where they don't have the same hygiene and medical care as we do.

Why do you think they are rarely an issue now?

 

[marley2580]

Well, using Polio as an example - it's a disease that is spread by coming into contact with infected faeces, in the past it was mainly spread in swimming pools. Since chlorine started being added to swimming pools, and better sewage and hygiene has become standard, polio is not a disease most people are likely to come into contact with.

 

[Missy86]

Well, using Polio as an example - it's a disease that is spread by coming into contact with infected faeces, in the past it was mainly spread in swimming pools. Since chlorine started being added to swimming pools, and better sewage and hygiene has become standard, polio is not a disease most people are likely to come into contact with.

Still I wouldnt want to risk getting it

 

[marley2580]

Polio infection may be mild, causing few symptoms. 95% of people have minor flu-like symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, fever, sore throat and headache. People may not always realise they have polio. In around 5% of people, the virus gets into their central nervous system. For most, this will cause symptoms similar to meningitis (inflammation of the lining around the brain and spinal cord) or encephalitis (inflammation of the brain tissue) with high fever, stiff neck, back and muscle pain, and headache. This is known as non-paralytic polio.
Paralysis results in around 1 – 2% of people. This is where the poliovirus invades the motor neurons (nerves controlling movement) causing weakness, paralysis, muscle cramps and muscle pain. This is known as paralytic polio. Sometimes the poliovirus affects the brain stem, causing symptoms like breathing, swallowing or cardiovascular problems and facial weakness. This is known as bulbar polio.

So even though, it is largely considered to be eradicated from the UK, if you do catch it 95% of people experience flu like symptoms.

To put it into perspective chicken pox -

Chicken pox carries a 5 – 10% complication rate; meaning five to ten out of every hundred people infected with the virus will face serious complications rather than the mild chicken pox most people think of.

 

[moomin_troll]

my son has had all his injections, i never really thought about not doing it. so my second son will have all his too.

but i woudnt say a person who doesnt vacinate is abusing their child, i think thats abit far fetched.

 

[peanut56]

I would never even consider not vaccinating.

 

[Bartness]

OH is against them, Im for them. Jaxon has not had any done, and probably wont be getting them done (OH's nephew had a bad reaction to a vaccination as a baby, not sure which one, I wasnt with OH at the time).

 

[Sarahkka]

Yes, my sons have had all of their vaccinations and will continue with the vaccination schedule. We even have our firstborn in a study that is tracking the effectiveness of our meningococcal vaccination schedule in our province. He gives a blood sample at a few designated times and they titre to see if the vaccine schedule is promoting the best immune response. I'm proud to be part of this research.
Anti-vaxers have yet to provide any argument that has a good solid scientific basis, so I'm unswayed by the no vaccinating argument. I definitely think it's up to the individual to decide, but I'm not super happy about seeing resurgences of preventable diseases. It is a tough medical ethics question: at which point does the right of the individual stop taking precedence over the greater good of the population? Not sure where I stand, to be honest. I believe strongly in freedom of choice, but I worry for the vulnerable part of the population.

 

[Laura2919]

Well, using Polio as an example - it's a disease that is spread by coming into contact with infected faeces, in the past it was mainly spread in swimming pools. Since chlorine started being added to swimming pools, and better sewage and hygiene has become standard, polio is not a disease most people are likely to come into contact with.

Still I wouldnt want to risk getting it

I agree

 

[crossroads]

Well, using Polio as an example - it's a disease that is spread by coming into contact with infected faeces, in the past it was mainly spread in swimming pools. Since chlorine started being added to swimming pools, and better sewage and hygiene has become standard, polio is not a disease most people are likely to come into contact with.

"The disease is transmitted primarily via the fecal-oral route, by ingesting contaminated food or water. It is occasionally transmitted via the oral-oral route, a mode especially visible in areas with good sanitation and hygiene."

(Wikipedia).

So good hygiene does not absolutely prevent spread of the disease.

 

[LoraLoo]

OH is against them, Im for them. Jaxon has not had any done, and probably wont be getting them done (OH's nephew had a bad reaction to a vaccination as a baby, not sure which one, I wasnt with OH at the time).

But i presume nephew is ok now? I think a bad reaction is a lesser evil than getting Meningitis, Polio etc....still, each to their own

 

[moomin_troll]

my sister has always had a bad reaction to injections, and it didnt stop my mum vacinating her. turns out shes allergic to something they use in all injections. her arm or leg swells when she has a injection :S

 

[LoraLoo]

my sister has always had a bad reaction to injections, and it didnt stop my mum vacinating her. turns out shes allergic to something they use in all injections. her arm or leg swells when she has a injection :S

I suppose its a bit like the Flu jab, can make you a litte bit poorly, but its protecting you against getting very sick, iykwim? So worth it in my eyes xx