Vaccinations

I almost posted an hour-long comment on Keara's blog in response to her thoughts on vaccination - but figured I would spare sounding like a lecture.

For the record, do what you will - just don't judge someone who doesn't vaccinate their children. They've probably researched it more thoroughly than you can imagine - and many of them know more about vaccinations than your own doctor does. (I know, I paid attention to my husband's immunology coursework - it only mentions vaccinations in passing. i.e. The vaccination for ___________ disease is ____________ type.)

So, my thoughts:

* The majority of diseases aren't fatal. They have very minute percentages of complications - and if the CDC ACTUALLY reported all of the complications that were occurring from immunizations- we would be scared to death. But they're the government and they don't have to do what they don't want to do.

* I think its pretty bold of the government to call millions of mothers nationwide "LIARS" (which is essentially what they're doing.) When a mother can literally watch the regression of her previously bright, intelligent child within days of receiving a specific shot, I think it calls to light some very scary implications. Why should the burden of proof be on these poor mothers to prove the vaccine unsafe?

* If there is even an inkling of doubt, it should be off the market. But instead, the CDC funds flawed study after flawed study trying to ease fears. All the while they continue to demand that we inject our children with these shots - in essence making it MORE essential that their studies prove the outcome that they want it to. How can this be unbiased? (And we haven't even begun on the financial reasons the CDC would want us to all vaccinate our kids.)

* We are so blessed to live where we have access to clean, healthy, abundant food and living conditions. These factors play in our favor when it comes to our immune system. Our wealth, knowledge of sanitary practices, diet, and lifestyle are what truly set us apart from other countries. We are not surving in a scary world because we're immunized. We're surviving because we were blessed to live with the resources and knowledge we do (access to healthy food, sanitary living conditions).

*Research the decline of diseases and the dates that the immunizations were brought to the market. Isn't it odd that the diseases were dropping off drastically for several years BEFORE we started getting the shots?

* I read in one of Kyle's textbooks about a theory of virology (? what would you call it.) That a virus actually has a desire to mutate until it can live in the environment without being detected and killed. Could this theory actually explain why the diseases were dying out before we were immunized. Were the viruses slowly coming to equilibrium with their human host?

*I have been vaccinated for Rubella 3 (yes, 3) times in my adult life (plus however many they gave me as a child. MOM?? you would know better than me.) Each and every time I have had my blood drawn at the beginning of my pregnancies, they tell me I am not immune. They vaccinate me again (after delivery) - and we go through the same thing the next time. Wouldn't it be a freaky fun experiment to have ALL of us check our titers for EVERY SINGLE DISEASE we've been immunized for. How many of us AREN'T actually immune to what we *think* we are? Maybe we *think* we're not getting diseases because we have these shots - but in reality, we're just not getting the disease because we're not.

*Along the "do they even work?" line - Guthrie had Pertussis when he was 3-years old. It was totally scary and totally sad to me that I had WILLINGLY injected his body with toxins under the pretense that it was going to protect him from this disease that was so life-threatening. In the end, he got it anyway. (and subsequently recovered, along with every other child that I've ever personally encountered who contracted the disease.)

*Our bodies are miracles and the way they NATURALLY defend themselves against disease is an AMAZING thing. We're shortchanging our systems by bypassing the mechanisms that are in place to protect us.

* We need to breastfeed!!!! MORE. and LONGER. and MORE. For a country (world.) that is so freaked out about mass-mortality from diseases, why can't we embrace and accept the single most effective practice for preventing illness in children. Get over the sex/boob thing and feed your baby. And don't stop just because your "super smart" doctor tells you that at 6 months (or 1 year or 18 months) you're milk isn't adequate anymore. Research breastmilk like you research new cars or your fantasy baseball picks. You'll be converted. It really does bother me when I hear a pediatrician has told a mother that her "milk is basically water at this point and your baby isn't getting any benefit at all." Yup, that's a quote told to my good friend by her pediatrician. Her baby was 8 months. Seriously, the woman went to med school - and THAT's the information she's handing out??? What happened to the American Academy of Pediatrics "at LEAST a year?" I can't entirely blame her. Kyle has hardly heard breastmilk mentioned in his classes - so I just keep assuming that the REAL information will come later. What if it really never does??? Read a new copy of "The miracle of breastfeeding" and you'll probably be 2 steps ahead of your doctor.

Anyway, there is probably more, but those were the thoughts brought to the surface by her post (and by her commenters)

Like I said, I don't give a poo if *you* vaccinate your kids or not. I do give a poo when I'm looked down on for making my choice. Also, the WORST thing we can do is stop vaccinating without taking other lifestyle choices into account. Do we know how to treat common childhood diseases? Are we eating a diet that promotes healthy healing? Are we willing and able to breastfeed for as long as they need it?

Next week we'll talk about the pros and cons of toilet paper. (That's the mood-lightening joke that is always essential after someone goes off an a ranty tangent - although sometimes I think bidets sound way too cool for words!)

PEACE and I hope ya'all can still look me in the eye.

Also, if you're wanting to research vaccines - www.mothering.com/discussions is the place to start. They have thousands of links, books, lectures, etc. to read through and use to draw your own conclusions. And don't worry - its not *all* anti-vaccination (though, there is a lot of that.)