http://www.ivanhoe.com/stream/thevaccinedebate.shtml
The Vaccine Debate
|
Download RealPlayer |
OCALA, Fla. (Ivanhoe
Newswire) — These days, children get as many as 16 shots by the age of 2 and
nearly all children must be vaccinated before they start school. While we count
on these shots to help prevent diseases, some parents and medical experts
believe it is the shots that are doing harm — even blaming them for an increase
in autism. Still, many doctors deny the claims. Here's more on both sides of
the debate.
Eight-year old Javi Perales
is autistic. His parents never thought he would reach this age.
Javi's mother, Amparo,
says, "He was having seizures non-stop. He would have 40 seizures in a
row."
Problems started right
after Javi's second set of baby shots. Amparo says they escalated with the
third. "He became blind and deaf," she says.
The Perales' blamed the
vaccine. Doctors denied it.
Amparo says, "They
just kept saying, 'Severe vaccine reactions just don't happen.'"
Despite this, in 1986, the Vaccine
Injury Compensation Program was created to provide monetary awards to
vaccine-injured children. More than 6,000 petitions have been filed and rewards
totaling more than $1.2 billion given.
So, is there a connection?
Harvard University researcher and pediatrician Marie McCormick, M.D., led a
study to review past research suggesting a link between the MMR vaccine and
autism.
"Epidemiologic data is
all in the other direction showing that there's no association," says Dr.
McCormick.
However, Washington, D.C.
Georgetown University researcher and pharmacologist Candace Pert, Ph.D., is not
convinced.
"The Institute of
Medicine report on the connection between autism and vaccines really showed an
absence of proof that there was a connection. Absence of proof is not proof of
absence," says Pert.
She says it may be that
doctors are too nonchalant about giving so many vaccines. "From what I
know as a scientist and from my own scientific research, it's highly plausible
that vaccines may cause autism."
These same concerns caused Barbara
Loe Fisher to found the National Vaccine Information Center in Vienna, Va.
She's quick to point out, she's not anti-vaccine, just pro-research.
"We should be about
preventing both the disease as well as vaccine reactions, not saying that one
is more important than the other," says Fisher.
Researchers from the CDC
agree more research is needed, yet they urge concerned parents to talk to their
doctors before making any final decisions.
In addition to the injury
compensation program, the CDC and the FDA have a program called the Vaccine
Adverse Event Reporting System for people to report any problems with vaccines
ranging from skin irritation to severe problems.
|
If you
would like more information, please contact: National Vaccine
Information Center 421-E Church St. Vienna, VA 22180 (703) 938-DPT3 (800)
909-SHOT 2101 Constitution Ave. NW Washington, DC 20418 E-mail: news@nas.org Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (800) 822-7967 Related
Articles: |
|
ALL
INFORMATION, DATA, AND MATERIAL CONTAINED, PRESENTED, OR PROVIDED HERE IS FOR
GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS REFLECTING THE
KNOWLEDGE OR OPINIONS OF THE PUBLISHER, AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED OR INTENDED
AS PROVIDING MEDICAL OR LEGAL ADVICE. THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO
VACCINATE IS AN IMPORTANT AND COMPLEX ISSUE AND SHOULD BE MADE BY YOU, AND YOU
ALONE, IN CONSULTATION WITH YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.