Vaccination Controversy Takes Center Stage

The issue of mass vaccination programs has been questioned more recently than ever before. In a front page headline article in the August 3rd 1999 USA Today, the issue was brought to the American public stronger than ever. The headline read "Now Parents Fear Shots", and asks the question, "Are vaccines safe for our kids?" The article points out that children born today in the U.S. will get 21 shots before they reach the first grade.

The article goes on to report that several consumer advocacy groups such as the National Vaccine Information Center, (www.909shot.com ) have raised concerns about data linking childhood shots to diseases such as diabetes, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, allergies, and death. According to the article, the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System received 11,000 complaints about adverse reactions from vaccinations last year alone, with 15% being considered serious. These numbers are sobering considering that many authorities believe that adverse reactions are extremely underreported.

The article also reported that on July 15th federal health officials suspended the use of the rotavirus vaccine after receiving 15 reports of babies suffering from life-threatening bowel obstruction as a result of the vaccine. Also reported was the fact that only a week earlier the Food and Drug Administration asked vaccine makers to phase out vaccines that contain the preservative thimerosal because of concerns of toxic mercury.

In June, the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics began advising doctors to use injected, instead of oral, polio vaccine, because the oral vaccine contains live virus. This resulted in about eight cases of polio a year, which represents the only cases of polio occurring in the USA, all of which were caused by the oral vaccine.

In conjunction with this article, USA Today is conducting a survey on vaccination safety. They have put a survey on the web to judge public opinion on the confidence of the public in the vaccination process. Please take a moment and hit the link below to register your vote www.usatoday.com/life/health/child/lhchi046.htm .

In a related issue, a study was performed and published on the Effects of Diptheria-Tetanus-Pertussis (DTP) or Tetanus Vaccination on Allergies and Respiratory Symptoms Among Children and Adolescents in the United States, by L.Hurwitz D.C., Ph.D. and Hal Morganstern, Ph.D. UCLA School of Public Health and the Los Angeles College of Chiropractic. In this study 13,612 babies and children ages 2-months through 16-years old were studied. Two hundred eighty four (284) children did not receive DTP or tetanus vaccinations. The study results showed, "Subjects who had been vaccinated were more likely to have histories of asthma, severe allergic reactions, and any allergy or allergic reaction. Vaccinated subjects were also more likely to have had sinusitis or sinus problems, or allergy related nose and eye symptoms in the past year." The study conclusions were, "DTP or tetanus vaccination in children is associated with a lifetime history and 12-month prevalence of many allergies and related respiratory symptoms. Vaccinations may be partly responsible for the increase of asthma and other allergic hypersensitivity disorders."

Recently the Hepatitis B vaccine has come under extreme criticism. In a recent appearance before the House of Representatives, Committee on Government Reform, Jane Orient, M.D., Executive Director of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS), testified, "For most children, the risk of serious vaccine reaction may be 100 times greater than the risk of hepatitis B." Adding fuel to this fire the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), contains reports of 25,000 hepatitis B vaccine reactions, 8,000 of which involved hospital emergency room visits. VAERS list of side effects and adverse reactions include prolonged screaming, agitation, difficult breathing, visual disturbances, convulsions, tremors, twitches, spasms, paralysis and more. To this list Dr. Orient adds, "Even more alarming is the huge increase in reports of autism and attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder with devastating life long effects."