Wednesday, August 5, 2015

To vaccinate or not to vaccinate, that is the question




     Chapter 4.2 in the "Scientific Perspectives on Pseudoscience and the Paranormal" the author Timothy J. Lawson discussed in one section a possible link between autism and the MMR vaccine. Although the strong evidence and statistics presented in the book sided with the vaccine having no link in causing Autism in children, I still have my doubts and I do not seem to be alone in this either. Let me start you off with a basic list of ingredients that are common in all vaccines according to the CDC: Aluminum, Antibiotics, Egg protein, Formaldehyde, Monosodium glutamate (MSG), and Thimerosal. After looking at this list for the first time I was surprised it was legal for such harsh ingredients to be aloud in vaccines. 
     Thimerosal is a mercury-based preservative which was studied by the CDC specifically because of it high possibility of being the cause of autism. Although their result showed no link the CDC still lowered the amount of Thimerosal used to trace amounts. Formaldehyde, although is ALMOST completely removed from the vaccines before packaging, is found in trace amounts in vaccines. This ingredient is not only highly toxic to all animals but is also carcinogenic. 
     A study done back in 1998 published in an issue of the Lancet, Andrew Wakefield, FRCS, of Royal Free Hospital in London found evidence that linked gastrointestinal problems and autism. Wakefield and PaulShattock, (biochemist-pharmacist who is founder of the Autism Research Unit at the University of Sunderland, England) hypothesize that the combination of the three live viruses in the MMR could overload the immature immune systems of some toddlers leading to neurological problems such as autism. Theres a tough choice for new parents these days. There is a risk of their children catching the very disease these vaccines were designed to stop, yet at the same time the side effects could be just as harsh and deadly. All I can say is do the research yourself so you can make an educated decision.

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/Concerns/Autism/Index.html
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/additives.htm
http://www.webmd.com/children/vaccines/features/vaccine-linked-to-autism?page=2

4 comments:

  1. i believe that the benefits of vaccines outweigh the potential side effects. We are all to young to know the destruction that viruses such as polio have caused prior to its extinction in the United States.

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  2. I agree with Andrew in saying that the benefits outweigh potential side effects, however this post has made me more cautious. I did not have any idea that such ingredients were included in vaccinations and I can see how they would be dangerous to the body, and raise possible questions. I am certainly going to look more into any vaccination before receiving it from now on.

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  3. I agree with Andrew in saying that the benefits outweigh potential side effects, however this post has made me more cautious. I did not have any idea that such ingredients were included in vaccinations and I can see how they would be dangerous to the body, and raise possible questions. I am certainly going to look more into any vaccination before receiving it from now on.

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  4. I believe in vaccinations. I am a nurse and I feel that by not vaccinating we are creating a public health issue. A few years ago I had pertussis. Who would have thought? I contracted the disease from an unvaccinated child that I treated in the ER. After there was a small outbreak of it, The hospital required that we recieve the vaccine.

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