Anti-Vaccination

by Elsewhere 33 Replies latest jw friends

  • Elsewhere
    Elsewhere

    I recently spoke with a few new mothers who are adamantly against vaccination. They went on and on about horrible dangers associated with vaccinating your children.

    Even after listening to their stories I am very doubtful of the validity of the claims. What is your view on this if you have one?

    Gaaaawd I hope this does not turn into a vicious debate... it seems that people on both sides of this issue are very passionate.

    Anti-Vaccination web site:
    http://www.garynull.com/Documents/Vaccines/VaccinesOpinion/vaccines-2ndop06Activists.htm

    Website debunking Anti-Vaccination claims:
    http://www.quackwatch.org/03HealthPromotion/immu/immu00.html

  • Double Edge
    Double Edge

    I never get a flu vaccination. I've had three friends get one in the past two months and all three came down with the flu.... Me?... I feel fine.

  • Satanus
    Satanus

    No vaccination for decades. No flu for several yrs

    SS

  • Elsewhere
    Elsewhere

    I'm talking more about the childhood/infant vaccinations.

    Regarding the Flu vaccination... I get it every year and this year was the first time I have gotten the flu far as long as I can remember. Hmmm... maybe seventh grade (1987 or so).

    We all know that the vaccination is not 100%... so individual stories of vaccination failures really don't sway me.

  • Princess
    Princess

    Good luck with this one elsewhere. Strong opinions on this issue.

    I thoroughly frustrated my kid's doctors by not sticking to the vaccination schedule. I just think babies don't need all that stuff injected into their bodies. However, all the diseases they vaccinate for are still out there and dangerous. I did eventually get the vaccinations and had to pay for some myself because I didn't stick to the schedule. I refused MMR until they were past three. I refused oral polio completely and insisted on the injected vaccine which had a nurse fuming mad because she had to throw it away. I told her it simply was not going in my baby's mouth. They have since stopped the OPV until the child has had two IPV doses making it safe.

    I refused the chickenpox vaccine. I am not comfortable with it, it hasn't been around long enough for long term effects to be studied. I had chickenpox twice and lived as did just about every kid I grew up with. It's making the rounds in this area right now so I'm prepared for a month of hell with my two kids (they are not good patients).

    I do think it's very possible that some of the vaccines such as MMR can cause autism or other complications. It hasn't been proven but the evidence is there.

    That's all I'm going to say. Now I'm going to sick back and enjoy the show.

  • Double Edge
    Double Edge

    I think children SHOULD get vaccinated for all other diseases. I remember as a kid getting my polio vacinnations at school (as well as other vacinnations). Each classroom would be called down to the nurses offices where a "team" of practioners would give out the shots. Kids would line up, rolling up their sleves... it reminds me of those pictures you see from the Army. As the line snaked it's way closer to the nurses office, you could hear the kids from the younger grades wailing their lungs out. The older kids all put on a 'tough guy" front, but every now and then an older kid would start crying....scared the rest of us in line.

    Anyway, when I was a kid, there use to be kids who had polio that spent their lives laying down in big machines to helped them breath. I had relatives that lived back east, and they didn't go swimming in lakes until near the end of June because of the polio threat. The polio vaccinations did away with all of that.

  • MegaDude
    MegaDude

    Never had a flu shot, and I didn't get the flu.

    A couple of people in my office who got the flu shot came down with the flu, which makes me suspect they got it from the vaccine, but I have no proof either way.

  • Angharad
    Angharad

    Our kids had / are having all the childhood vacinations.

    There is always a small risk of a reaction with any vaccine which can be tragic, but I think you have to weigh up the odds and reactions are very rare. Most kids just get a slight temperature a few hours after the vaccine and then are fine the next day. Recently there was a big scare in the UK with the MMR vaccine and loads of people have not vaccinated their kids, in a few years it is quite likely that measles (which can be very serious and even kill) will be back in large numbers. The damage an epidemic of whooping cough or polio would be terrible, but it is more likely to happen with more and more people refusing vaccination.

    I didnt know there was a chickenpox vaccine, we dont get offered that in the UK - but that, although nasty is not usually life threatening.

  • Simon
    Simon

    I think people only look at the risk of having vaccination and don't properly consider the risk or consequences of not having them. Measles, Mumps and Polio can be serious diseases.

    There is a risk in both of course.

    Now, the best option is if everyone else gets the vaccination and your kids don't. That way, they dont have the risk of the vaccination and still benefit from the group protection against diseases.

    However, where this thinking goes wrong is when more people do it, the levels of vaccinations fall and then the diseases increase.

    Now, your kids are seriously at risk and don't have the protection they should. This is more risky than having the vaccinations but isn't so 'immediate' when making the decision.

    I vote for vaccinations. They have saved thousands or millions of lives.

  • Country_Woman
    Country_Woman

    depend on the age of the child.

    The older a child is, the more dangerous is a vaccination against pocks.
    So when your child was not in the position to get it at early age - then don't give it. (while most children got this vaccin the danger of catching the disease is smal) for the rest : take the vaccination when the disease is life treatening.

    As far as the flue: I just once took the shot, and went ill prompt - without: never.

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