JB Handley: The Seventies Most Vaccinated Child

By J.B. Handley

I grew up a "Military Brat" and always figured I must have been one of the most vaccinated kids of the 1970s. Born in May of 1969, I lived in Singapore (where I was born), Laos, Mexico, and Korea before I was ten and also traveled to Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Japan, and the Philippines during this same time period.

If you took a travel itinerary like that to your pediatrician today, he'd back up the vaccine truck and start pumping you and your child full of every vaccine he had in inventory and probably special order some unique ones, too.

I often heard my own son's pediatrician talk about "deadly foreign diseases" being "only a plane ride away" as he sought to allay our concerns over the volume of vaccines being given to our own kids in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

David Kirby's Huffington Post article (HERE) about vaccines in the military and the incredibly high rate of adverse events spurred me to write about something I recently unearthed: my own shot records.

As a reminder, the CDC recommends that today's children, by the age of 6, receive 36 vaccines. You can see a chart HERE that also compares today's 36 to the 10 children received in the early 1980s.

But what about the 1970s? I've never been able to find a vaccine schedule before 1983, but you'd sure think my own experience would be at the extreme upper end of vaccines given to a child. Not only did I live in multiple foreign countries, but I was also part of the tight military healthcare system where mandatory doctor visits are part of any overseas travel protocol. They could never miss me!

So, here's my schedule.

To keep it simple, I am only listing my vaccines from birth to age 6 so I can compare it to today's schedule:

March 1970:   Oral Polio
July 1970:      Measles (Rubeola)
Sep. 1970:     DPT
April 1974:     Oral Polio
April 1974:     Typhoid

That's it. I got 5 vaccines. Today's kids get 36 in the same time period. And, these are typical American kids who may never leave this country. I had lived in or visited nine countries, a number of them third world!

Notable that my first vaccine was given when I was 10 months old. Once, I got 2 vaccines in the same visit.  Otherwise, they were a minimum of 4 months apart, and in some cases YEARS apart.

What can we learn from one kid's vaccine schedule?

We can learn that the US Military is learning the same things we parents are: the insane US vaccine schedule is something very, very new.

We are witnessing a medical experiment being done on our kids and servicemen and women every day without precedent, without proper testing, and without acknowledgment for the extreme consequences of the insane number of vaccines we are giving our citizens.

This insanity is the product of a CDC that is corrupt and has let vaccine manufacturers make most of the rules. The question now is how this all will end. Who will step in and have the courage to reform a vaccine schedule that has clearly gotten out of control?

If a child of the 1970s can survive nine foreign countries with 5 vaccines, surely we can reduce the number of vaccines being given without putting our children and military at risk.

JB Handley is co-founder of Generation Rescue and Editor at Large for Age of Autism.

Comments

[lucy]

I never told my child (he is now 31) he has Autism . I am so ashamed of my lack of knowlege . I wish I could do it over again. I remember the crying and the shrill when he received his MMR. The Autism is every so slight, so quiet ,but I could tell. How his life might be different . He was so bright as a child.His verbal skills were of the charts. He could have been a doctor or lawyer. Not a warehouse worker ,working so hard for so little. I love him so much I'm sorry Daniel so sorry. Love Ma Ma

[Sami]

I sat down to read the Sunday paper and this article is in the Parade magazine section. It seems no matter where you look some idiot is trying to push the "vaccines are so wonderful" crap on any sucker they can find. I wish I had a bird...I would line the cage with Parade today.

Vaccine Alert!

print storyEven Grown-Ups Need Shots
By Dr. Ranit Mishori
Published: August 17, 2008
When I ask my adult patients if their immunizations are up to date, the response I'll often get is, "What, me? Now? I thought vaccines were for kids."

Kids do need vaccines, of course. And most of the protection we get in childhood will last us for many years. But adults also need vaccines--to boost that initial immunization or to take advantage of newly developed protection.

Yet many adults tend to neglect this important area of preventive medicine. The rates of adult immunizations pale in comparison to the rates for kids. According to a recent survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), barely 2% of adult Americans under 64 have been vaccinated against tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis. The new vaccine against shingles has been administered to fewer than 2% of adults over 60. And only 10% of women aged 18 to 26 have received the recommended vaccines against HPV, a virus that causes cervical cancer.

Why do adults lag so far behind children? The main reason is that adults simply visit the doctor less often than children. There also is a powerful financial disincentive for adult vaccinations: Not all insurance companies will pay for them.

But it's a mistake to let the matter slide. Just because you made it through childhood, you don't want to risk getting diseases for which you can easily find protection. Vaccinations are one of the simplest and least costly ways to stay well. Here's what I recommend to my adult patients.

The Shingles Vaccine.
The vaccine for herpes zoster, better known as shingles, has been on the market only since 2006. It is intended for adults 60 and up who have had chicken pox. That disease can reactivate later in life as shingles, with the hallmark painful rash. For many, it also has a nasty aftereffect--severe pain that can last for months. One expert estimates that, if used as recommended, the vaccine could eliminate some 280,000 cases of shingles a year.

Pneumonia Vaccine.
This vaccine guards against 23 of the most common strains of bacterial pneumonia, which is responsible for 40,000 deaths a year in the U.S. The pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV) also protects against some bacterial infections of the blood. It is given as a one-time shot for all adults 65 or older and for younger people with lowered immunity.

Tetanus Booster.
A tetanus shot prevents "lockjaw" or muscle paralysis, which can lead to death. Booster shots are needed every 10 years--don't wait until there's the threat of infection from an open puncture wound. (That's when adults usually get the shot.) In 2005, a combination booster, called Tdap, was introduced. In addition to tetanus, it contains low concentrations of diphtheria and whooping cough vaccines. Whooping cough was added because of a surge in cases in recent years and the realization that if the vaccine is given in childhood, its effectiveness may wear off. Giving the vaccine to adults and adolescents provides "a double benefit," says Dr. Jeanne Santoli, deputy director of immunization services at the CDC, because adults who care for or live with young children are the No. 1 source of infections for kids.

HPV Vaccine.
The Gardasil vaccine was created to counter human papillomavirus (HPV), responsible for genital warts and, more important, cervical cancer. In fact, about 70% of cases of cervical cancer in the U.S. are associated with HPV. A series of three shots currently is recommended for women through age 26 or before they become sexually active. Studies now are looking at how the vaccine might work in women older than 26 and in men.

Flu Shot.
This is the best- known vaccine--and also the most "popular"--among adults. Nearly 60% of adult Americans get it each year, although each year's formula is different from what came before. This is because the virus that causes influenza keeps changing, making itself a moving target, and the scientists developing the vaccine have to anticipate which strains they'll likely be up against in any given year. "There's no other vaccine that we give that's like that," says Dr. Myron Levine of the University of Maryland's School of Medicine Center for Vaccine Development.

Indeed, this past season was especially challenging. The flu vaccine was based on three different strains, but only one of them was a good match for what was out there making people sick. Scientists already are working on next season's vaccine and hoping for better success in predicting-- and preventing--the strains that will be the main players.

And prevention of disease is what vaccines are meant to do. They generally do so very well--p rovided enough people get them.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What you need to know about vaccinations for children

The first thing I thought when I saw the CDC's latest list of recommended vaccinations for both kids and adults was: "This list is getting long." I was struck by how complicated this once- straightforward rite of passage has become for families. Here are some of the questions parents ask me most often.

1. Are kids today getting more vaccines?
Yes. By the time a child is 6, she will get about 10 routinely recommended immunizations--via nearly 30 shots. Infants may get up to five shots during a single visit. Those include shots for hepatitis A and B; diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough (in one shot); MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella); the Hib bacteria; pneumococcal disease; flu; polio; chicken pox; and a vaccine given by mouth for rota virus.

2. Can so many vaccines at once harm my child?
Vaccines inject a dose of germlike particles into a child's system, usually in weakened form. There may be concerns for children with an immune disorder or disease. Healthy kids' systems can handle the load. Indeed, says Dr. Jeanne Santoli of the CDC, the amount of germ particles in vaccines is "very, very small compared to what any of us is exposed to any day that we are living."

3. Why do kids even need vaccines?
Polio, tetanus, and whooping cough seem like dangers that belong to history. But it would be a mistake to conclude that the danger of those illnesses has passed. Indeed, whenever vaccination rates slip, those diseases come back. For example, a recent national measles outbreak occurred mostly among kids whose parents had not had them vaccinated. "We live in a global world, and diseases do not pay any attention to borders," says Dr. Santoli. Several of the recent outbreaks of measles and mumps, in fact, have been linked to exposures overseas.

4. Are vaccines safe?
Sometimes vaccines have serious side effects in certain individuals. But these instances are exceedingly rare. "We give millions and millions of doses of many vaccines each year," says Dr. Kristin Nichol, chief of medicine at the V.A. Medical Center in Minneapolis, "and we know that the vaccines in routine use are very safe." Many experts believe that any risk is far outweighed by the benefits--preventing disease and death.

Vaccines go through extensive testing before they are licensed in the U.S., explains Dr. Santoli. In addition, the CDC, other governmental organizations, and the pharmaceutical companies track the safety of a vaccine after it has been licensed.

Articles Related to "Even Grown-Ups Need Shots"
The Danger of Too Many Tests

How To Make the Most of Your Doctor Visit

Fight For Your Health Care

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Add Comment Total: 2
This article is irresponsible
by Kenda posted:08/17/2008 09:34:AM

I am appalled about an article pushing vaccinations. Who paid for this? The drug companies who make billions evey year from selling unnecessary "prevention."? The best way to protect yourself is through proper nutrition and taking care of your body and mind. Injecting harmful bacteria, chemicals and metals into your body will cause harm down the road. Research for yourselves before you let drug companies control your lives. This is another form of control and I am appalled that parade is promoting this deadly medical procedure.

Vaccines kill. Children have died from the HPV vaccine as well as the flu shot. Do your research before you subject you and your children to harmful substances. This article contains no "real" facts. Just lies by those who profit.

REPLY TO THIS | Number of replies:1

[Jenny W]

This is what people have NO grasp on... the fact that we got so few shots and are fine.
It blows my mind that we mass vaccinate for diseases that are not deadly or only kill a couple kids a year. We weigh the pros and cons, but in the end take the path that will cause more harm than good.

It's freaking vaccine-mania.
It is NOT OK to vaccinate like this.

A professor of mine gave me the same old line again the other day, that she was witness to all these "awful" diseases that we vaccinate for and we need the vaccines.

Well, my generation is witness to all the awful diseases that mass hypervaccination is NOW CAUSING and we need to go back to when the balance was right.

I too had very few vaccines as a child --born in 75 I think I got my first MMR in 83. As a baby I think I had a polio and DTP, that was it. When I joined the Army in 93, they were sure to pummel me with with many vaccines --many unneeded (it takes too long to check titers and look up old shot records, I suppose). You line up and get "shot" with the high pressure gun. --for some this is their last fully functional day b/c the gun can sever a nerve and make the arm paralyzed. --again, acceptable losses... b/c we can't SLOW DOWN and do what is right. b/c it takes too much time and costs too much money.

It's quite a theme we have going here in this country.

[Theresa]

John, thank you for the updated figure on the RotaTeq deaths. That is awful--and it make the CDC's stance even more insane. I wonder how they come up with their "acceptable range" of deaths. (I also wonder what the acceptable number of girls paralyzed by Gardasil is.)

[Lea Schizas]

Well, after reading all this I went to check my five kids' vaccination schedules. I have to say that I am not a fan of any vaccinations so I purposely, before I knew of any controversy about them, delayed the schedules as much as possible.

It states in their record book that MMR shots should be given at 12 months - then they have 18 months so unsure if they give this twice or not. My four kids had them at 2 years of age. My little one had it on time. Whether or not this had an effect on her developing this learning disability or not--not sure but gut tells me poison in the system may have played a part.

[John Stone]

Theresa

The WSJ may have 3 deaths from Rotateq but VAERS now has 82 associated deaths (4 up from 11 days ago).

http://tinyurl.com/3xstxj

[apple_m]

I missed measles and mumps vaccines as my sister had Asthma and eczema.
make you wonder what if,, as I have a son with autism..

[Pete]

How any parent could give their child vaccines after looking at information like this is puzzling. How parents could continue to listen to their doctors and vaccinate after their kids have been damaged is even more disturbing.

DPT, Polio, Haemophilus b
Pentacel

Acel-Immune
DTaP
Diphtheria and Tetanus Toxoids and Acellular Pertussis Vaccine Adsorbed
Lederle Laboratories
1-800-934-5556
produced using formaldehyde, thimerosal, aluminum hydroxide, aluminum phosphate, polysorbate 80, gelatin

Act HIB
Haemophilus Influenzae Type B (Hib) Tetanus Toxoid Conjugate
Connaught Laboratories
1-800-822-2463
produced using ammonium sulfate, formalin, sucrose, thimerosal medium: semi-synthetic

Attenuvax
Measles Virus Vaccine Live
Merck & Co, Inc.
1-800-672-6372
produced using neomycin, sorbitol, hydrolized gelatin
medium: chick embryo

DPT
Diphtheria and Tetanus Toxoids and Pertussis Vaccine Adsorbed
SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals
1-800-366-8900 ext. 5231
produced using aluminum phosphate, formaldehyde, ammonium sulfate, washed sheep red blood cells, glycerol, sodium chloride, thimerosal medium: porcine (pig) pancreatic hydrolysate of casein

Energix-B
Hepatitis B
SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals
1-800-633-8900 ext. 5231
produced using aluminum hydroxide, thimerosal
medium: yeast (possibly 5% residual)

Havrix
Hepatitis A
SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals
1-800-633-8900 ext. 5231
produced using formalin, aluminum hydroxide, phenoxyethanol (antifreeze), polysorbate 20, residual MRC5 proteins (from medium) medium: human diploid cells (originating from human aborted fetal tissue)

Biavax
Rubella and Mumps Virus Vaccine Live
Merck & Co, Inc.
1-800-672-6372
produced using neomycin, sorbitol, hydrolized gelatin
medium: human diploid cells (originating from human aborted fetal tissue)

HibTiter
Haemophilus Influenzae Type B (Hib)
Lederle Laboratories
1-800-934-5556
produced using polyribosylribitol, ammonium sulfate, thimerosal
medium: chemically defined, yeast based

Fluvirin
Influenza Virus Vaccine
Medeva Pharmaceuticals
1-888-MEDEVA
(716)274-5300
produced using embryonic fluid (chicken egg), neomycin, polymyxin, thimerosal, betapropiolactone
medium: embryonic fluid (chicken egg)

FluShield
Influenza Virus Vaccine, Trivalent, Types A&B
Wyeth-Ayerst
1-800-934-5556
produced using gentamicin sulfate, formaldehyde, polysorbate 80, tri(n)butylphosphate, thimerosal
medium: chick embryos

IPOL
Inactivated Polio Vaccine
Connaught Laboratories
1-800-822-2463
produced using 3 types of polio virus, formaldehyde, phenoxyethanol (antifreeze), neomycin, streptomycin, polymyxin B
medium: VERO cells, a continuous line of monkey kidney cells

MMR
Measles Mumps Rubella Live Virus Vaccine
Merck & Co., Inc.
1-800-672-6372
produced using sorbitol, neomycin, hydrolyzed gelatin
mediums: M&M - chick embryo
Rubella - human diploid cells (originating from human aborted fetal tissue)

M-R-Vax
Measles and Rubella Virus Vaccine Live
Merck & Co., Inc.
1-800-672-6372
produced using neomycin, sorbitol, hydrolyzed gelatin
mediums: M - chick embryo
R - human diploid cells (originating from human aborted fetal tissue)

Menomune
Meningococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine
Connaught Laboratories
1-800-822-2463
produced using thimerosal, lactose
medium: freeze dried polysaccharride antigens from Neisseria
Meningitidis

Meruvax II
Rubella Virus Vaccine Live
Merck & Co., Inc.
1-800-672-6372
produced using neomycin, sorbitol, hydrolyzed gelatin
medium: human diploid cells (originating from human aborted fetal tissue)

Mumpsvax
Mumps Virus Vaccine Live
Merck & Co., Inc.
1-800-672-6372
produced using neomycin, sorbitol, hydrolyzed gelatin
medium: human diploid cells (originating from human aborted fetal
tissue)

Orimune
Poliovirus Vaccine Live Oral Trivalent
Lederle Laboratories
1-800-934-5556
produced using 3 types of attenuated polioviruses, streptomycin, neomycin, calf serum, sorbitol
medium: monkey kidney cell culture

Pneumovax
Pneumococcal Vaccine Polyvalent
Merck & Co., Inc.
1-800-672-6372
produced using phenol and capsular polysaccharides from the 23 most prevalent pneumococcal types

Imovax
Rabies Vaccine Adsorbed
Connaught Laboratories
1-800-822-2463
produced using human albumin, neomycin sulfate, phenol red indicator
medium: human diploid cells (originating from human aborted fetal
tissue)

Rabies Vaccine Adsorbed
SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals
1-800-366-8900 ext. 5231
produced using betapropiolactone, aluminum phosphate, sodium, ethylmercurithiosalicylate (thimerosal), phenol red
medium: fetal rhesus monkey lung cells

Recombivax
Hepatitis B Vaccine Recombinant
Merck & Co., Inc.
1-800-672-6372
produced using thimerosal, aluminum hydroxide
medium: yeast (residual
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CHEMICAL PROFILES AND DEFINITIONS:

Sources: EDF (Environmental Defense Fund) & MME (Mosby's Medical
Encyclopdia)

Ammonium Sulfate:
EDF Suspected - gastrointestinal or liver toxicant, neurotoxicant,
respiratory toxicant

Amphotericin B:
MME definintion - a drug used to treat fungus infections. Known
allergyto this drug prohibits use. Side effects include blood clots,
blood
defects, kidney problems, nausea and fever. When used on the skin,
allergic reactions can occur.

Aluminum:
EDF Suspected - cardiovascular or blood toxicant, neurotoxicant,
respiratory toxicant. More hazardous than most chemicals in 2 out of 6
ranking systems on at least 2 federal regulatory lists

Beta-Propiolactone:
EDF Recognized - carcinogen
EDF Suspected - gastrointestinal or liver toxicant, respiratory
toxicant, skin or sense organ toxicant. More hazardous than most
chemicals in 3 out of 3 ranking systems on at least 5 federal
regulatory
lists Ranked as one of the most hazardous compounds (worst 10%) to
humans

Formaldehyde:
EDF Recognized - carcinogen
Suspected - gastrointestinal or liver toxicant, immunotoxicant,
neurotoxicant, reproductive toxicant, respiratory toxicant
skin or sense organ toxicant
More hazardous than most chemicals in 5 out of 12 ranking systems on
at
least 8 federal regulatory lists Ranked as one of the most hazardous
compounds (worst 10%) to ecosystems and human health

Gentamicin Sulfate: an antibiotic

Hydrolyzed Gelatin: obtained from selected pieces of calf and cattle
skins, de-mineralized cattle bones (ossein) and porkskin

Monosodium Glutamate: Normally used as a flavor enhancer in a variety
of foods, however, due to concerns expressed by the American Academy
of
Pediatrics, MSG was removed from all products intended for use in
infants under the age of one. Injections of glutamate into laboratory
animals have resulted in damage to nerve cells in the brain.

Neomycin: an antibiotic

Phenol : aka Carbolic Acid
EDF Suspected - cardiovascular or blood toxicant, developmental
toxicant, gastrointestinal or liver toxicant, kidney toxicant,
neurotoxicant, respiratory toxicant, skin or sense organ toxicant
Morehazardous than most chemicals in 3 out of 10 ranking systems on
at least
8 federal regulatory lists

Phenoxyethanol: aka Antifreeze
EDF Suspected - developmental toxicant, reproductive toxicant Less
hazardous than most chemicals in 3 ranking systems
Polyribosylribitol: a component of the Hib bacterium

Polymyxin: an antibiotic

Polysorbate:
EDF Suspected - skin or sense organ toxicant
Sorbitol: EDF Suspected - gastrointestinal or liver toxicant Less
hazardous than most chemicals in 1 ranking system

Streptomycin: an antibiotic
Sucrose: refined sugar

Thimerosal:
EDF Recognized - development toxicant
Suspected - skin or sense organ toxicant

Tri(n)butylphosphate:
EDF Suspected - kidney toxicant, neurotoxicant More hazardous than
most
chemicals in 2 out of 3 ranking systems on at least 1 federal
regulatory
list

[Theresa]

Great post, JB. I thought you'd appreciate the CDC's latest shot at pushing RotaTeq (which we all need to save us from diarrhea, right?). Apparently (and I got this from the Wall Street Journal), the number of kids who got intussusception from RotaTeq (375) and the number who were killed by RotaTeq (3) "is within an acceptable range." (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121874889884842037.html?mod=dist_smartbrief) I'm sure glad to know the CDC has an "acceptable range" of dead kids!

[Sue M.]

OMG, HCN...

You mean you didn't get the following vaccines:

Hep B
Chicken Pox
MMR
HiB
Prevnar
Rotavirus
Flu
Hep A

Please pinch yourself to make sure that you really survived your childhood? We hear so many reasons why these vaccinations are soooooo important. I guess you got lucky?

ps. Please stay away from *all* children. You are clearly a danger to them considering your unvaccinated status.

Darn parasites... :)

[Tracey]

Krystal:

With a history of all your kids being autistic, as well as your younger brother, why would you take a chance and vaccinate your new baby at all? Sorry but I just can not understand how someone could think that simply not giving the child the Hep. B at birth and being on some sort of alternative vaccine schedule is the answer. It is so sad that despite all we have learned about this vaccine mess there are kids being born today whose parents are still being brainwashed by their Pediatricians.

[Julie Swenson]

My husband received around 11 shots over a 7 year period back starting in '69. That's it, including a broken-up MMR over many months. My husband and my 4 year-old autistic son are the exact spitting images of each other, have the exact same mannorisms, same food allergies, same phobias, same quirks, same EVERYTHING.

Except for one thing: They did not have the same vaccine schedule. I wonder to this day: If my husband had received 6 shots in one day like my son did, would he have the same issues my son now has? Would he be the same as my son? Would I even be married to him? It sickens me to think my otherwise-healthy, neurologically-sound child has been forever altered due to those shots. We are harming generations of children with this over-the-top schedule. A great American shame. Too much, too soon.

[Garbo]

I was a child of the 70s too. I had the MMR shot and I still got measles, mumps, and rubella. When our friends got chicken pox, my mom had them over to play so we could get it too. We got soothing baths, cool rags, ice chips, and comic books. We drank juice through crazy straws. We did puzzles and read books. We watched The Electric Company on TV. Then we went back to school. In a regular classroom with no aide. Where we sat still (mostly) and listened to the teacher.

[HCN]

My Army Brat shot record:
Smallpox:
23 Jan 58 (no take)
20 Mar 58
13 Aug 59
30 Mar 68
6 Apr 68
7 Sep 71
20 Jun 74

Typhoid:
18 Jul 59
26 Aug 59
31 Aug 59
6 Apr 68
14 Jun 74

Diptheria/Pertussis/Tetanus:
23 Jan 58
20 Feb 58
20 Mar 58
21 Jun 59
3 Aug 62

Diptheria/Tetanus:
30 Mar 68
14 Mar 74
?? Mar 85 (I stapled myself at work, so I went to the plant clinic)
?? Apr 95 (cut myself, so I went to a drop-in med clinic)
2 Feb 05 (because it was time, and I am a gardener)

Typhus:
13 Apr 68
18 May 68

Polio:
29 Jun 59
12 Oct 59
16 Aug 61
3 Aug 62

Yellow Fever (Panama and Venezuela):
26 Aug 59
3 May 68

Something called "Trivalent B" on 17 Jun 68 --- I have no idea what it is for(edited to add: It was a POLIO vaccine!).

[Randy]

Krystal - no worries - my bad - I did not mean to dig at you - just that the word "genetics" - although a critical element - raises the hackles a bit. All the genetic testing we've done has uncovered - well - nothing. The tests from Utah State (Singh), Drs Data, Sage, Great Plains, Philippe Auguste, etc. etc. etc. show all kinds of interesting things. Kind of a knee jerk reaction on my part - and I'm probably preaching to the choir a bit - it helps me keep my sanity if nothing else.

Best regards,
Randy

[Krystal]

Randy - I guess I misrepresented what I wanted to say (I sometimes do that LOL!)

What I mean by genetics is the fact that there has to be alink as to why all of them have it - my little brother has it as well - this is why i see a genetic link but I also DO NOT dimiss the possibility of a vaccine link because my oldest son was diagnosed after his MMR because he lost all the speech he had aqcuired and became lost in his world.

My other sons on the other hand we were able to see the signs from the earliest months - and with my youngst son, I have not had him vaccinated more than once.

I definately believe that there has to be a correlation between the vaccines and autism but as I stated in my case, I thik genetics has alot to do with it.

[Kelli Ann Davis]

I found this piece very informative. (JB's 39)

Me?? I'm 29, that's my story and I'm sticking to it (just like I have been for the last 19 years).

Oops.

[Randy]

"Does anyone not look at that?"

According to Dr Bernadine Healy, apparently not, or at least not really hard, not when it comes to vaccines. She seems to think her colleagues are a little afraid of what they might find.

As for genetics only - even if that may be the case for some kids, as a broad statement, that might raise some ire here - lung cancer has a strong genetic fingerprint - maybe more so than autism - but that's no reason to dismiss the millions of people who die from tobacco use. It's not a stretch to think that every living being, genetically diverse as we are, to some extent, has a toxic tipping point. A steamroller vaccine policy certainly more than qualifies as a culprit, given the fact that it seems to be the only medical intervention (none are without risk) for which the basic principal "first do no harm" does not seem to apply.

Why are so many kids sick? Yeah it goes way beyond vaccines and autism, but these 2 things are not mutually exclusive, IMHO...

[Cathy Jameson]

JB,

Aren't we military brats the lucky ones--finding new friends at every base we were stationed, able to adapt to any and every situation and just the coolest kid on the block with different toys and experiences than the local kids who lived in one house their entire lives. I look at my military brat upbringing as one of the most valuable 'tools' to get through these chaotic days raising a kid like mine.

I know I was vaccinated as a child several times--I'll be looking for my record out of curiosity again (I peek at it every few months to see if maybe I *missed* something). I am pretty sure the one college "required" shot contributed to some of the intense migraines I had back in the 90s.

Keep strong, my friend. We brats have to stick together.

Cathy Jameson

[Krystal]

I have to admit that I never thought much about the vaccine issue as all my children have some form of autism and thought it was genetic, and still do.

But the more that I read, the more shocked and appalled I am at the fact of how we are continuing to add chemicals and toxins and who knows what else into our children when history has shown that kids grew up healthier, stronger and with alot less medical issues than today.

Does anyone not look at that?

Needless to say, I have decided to forgo the traditional schedule and am working with my pediatrician on it.

And as for the baby to be born, I will NOT be vaccinating her for Hep B at birth, I do not see the need for it!

Thanks for this!!!

[Scott Shoemaker]

Were your parents nuts, or just "parasites"?

Damn, JB, you are a lucky bastard. How the hell did you make it to 39?

Don't worry, I know of a few docs that can get you caught up on all of your vaccines in one day! There is still time before the next violent outbreak of Hep B.

[Jake's Grandma]

I was born in the late 50's--my dad was one of those rogue DC's who read volumns on anything nutrition related--he was also an ND. He read about the polio vaccine giving children polio, and the dangers of DPT. I wasn't vaccinated at all, neither were my brothers. I remember being in the first grade and getting called into the nurses office. I was grilled as to why I hadn't had my vaccines. I cried. My dad was summonded to the school. He stayed his ground--sign the exemption form and held his head high, told me to do the same. I was told by a classmate I would die from not getting my vaccines! I had the mumps (yes both sides), chicken pox, measles and guess what? I lived! Other than those childhood diseases we were hardly ever sick. I am now 50 years old and still kicking! My dad was an excellent nurse too. He would pull up a chair bedside and care for us. Ice chips, cool cloths on the forehead, lots of Vitamin C and even more TLC. I used to wonder as a child when my dad slept during one of us kids being sick. He said in his later years that was truly the a problem with modern medicine, doctors and parents alike no longer knew how to "nurse" the sick through a virus, disease or even the common cold. He did though and may God Bless him! He was a mavrick born in 1927! Not sure he had any vaccines either. He lived to the ripe old age of 79.

[Karenatlanta]

SAME SAME GI
My mother was a public health nurse we got our shots regularly and on schedule, all 8 of them.
I wish every parent who had a vaccine injured child could testify at a CDC meeting.
The atmosphere at the bi-annual CDC ACIP meetings are akin to a Pharmaceutical convention.
You can't even contact the CDC ACIP consumer rep. It's a crazy sham!
Vaccines aren't about consumer health anymore - they are a big fat, government sponsored, money making machine.

[Barbie Hines]

This was great. I recently asked my mother how many vaccines I received. She didn't know. I asked her if I had the chicken pox or mumps. She didn't know. I asked her if she knew any parents who didn't vaccinate. She had no idea if other parents vaccinated or not. It wasn't an issue. I thought that was interesting...

[Diane]

Thanks for this JB...

I think a really important part to this is that you probably had your share of childhood illnesses. And you're still alive!!! Damn, shouldn't we all be dead by now having been put at such risk?

I can look at my mom's notebook (she still keeps it in the same place, as if I was 7 years old)...Mumps, March, 1966, both sides came out. (Did both your sides come out, or only one?) And chicken pox...when did I get those? At age 32. I survived that one, too. I guess I'm just really, really lucky.