Hey, J. Lo! When it Comes to My Child's Health Care? "BUTT OUT!"
Managing Editor's Note: The headline is mine and mine alone. Angela had a really nice, respectful headline ready to go. Just thought you should know. Same for that photo, from www.tmz.com. All my idea. KS
By Angela Warner
Dear Jennifer,
I saw your interview with Diane Sawyer on Good Morning America on April 22, 2009, and your Public Service Announcement HERE where you speak of children contracting pertussis from their parents, and strongly encourage parents to get vaccinated against pertussis. While I appreciate your efforts to raise awareness about pertussis and the fact that it is a nasty disease, I don’t appreciate the fact that you give medical advice and promote the DTaP vaccine as being an “easy simple thing to do”.
All vaccines given at any age have risks associated with them, and the safest and smartest recommendation that should be made is that before anyone makes the decision to receive this (or any) vaccine is for them to have their titers checked. Of course, this is the last thing that a vaccine manufacturer would suggest in a public service announcement promoting a vaccine. Doing so would cut into their bottom line.
In the year 2005, my then, family of five, all contracted pertussis. Ironically, my younger son (who got it first) caught it at a pediatrician’s office where we had taken him for a referral to have him evaluated for autism. He was later diagnosed with autism, which I know was caused by vaccinations. All of my children were vaccinated against pertussis. In fact my younger son had received his fourth dose of DTaP just a year before, and was not due for his fifth dose for another year and a half. Vaccines are not the answer to preventing all diseases, and they don’t always work.
Over the next few weeks my daughter, who was 18 months old at the time came down with symptoms along with the rest of us. I got in touch with the county health department knowing at that point that our doctor was worthless, and based on symptomatology of the classic cases all the kids had, and the symptoms my husband and I had, we were all confirmed by the county public health nurse as having pertussis. During this time my daughter was seen at the same clinic (by a different doctor at my request), and she was diagnosed with pneumonia and a bi-lateral ear infection, which are common secondary infections of pertussis.
During this same time frame, one of my close girlfriend’s children came down with the cold symptoms, and then her son was having the coughing spasms, and then vomiting. Her oldest is the same age as my oldest, and her youngest two weeks younger than my oldest daughter. They were both up to date on their vaccines as well. My friend immediately called her pediatrician upon me relaying this information to her, and her pediatrician said bring them in, and immediately put both her kids on the appropriate antibiotics. Neither of them went on to have the serious complications my kids did due to the ignorance of their own doctor. I am confident due to reporting guidelines (both at the time and current), that her children were reported to the County Health Department as probable pertussis cases. I am also sure that our family was not included in the numbers as no pertussis cases confirmed by the Public Health Nurse (at that time) were included in the numbers.
I know the doctor we saw had never seen a case of whooping cough because several weeks into the situation, I asked him directly. When he didn’t respond, I told him his silence spoke volumes. I proceeded to inform him that his mismanagement of my children’s illness bordered on malpractice, and that he was fired. I then hung up on him.
Nathan’s cough lasted for about 5 months, and the damage done to his lungs by this doctors inability to recognize this disease and lack of appropriate treatment and antibiotic prescription in a timely manner, was so severe, that anytime he would get the slightest cold for the next year and a half, the cough would return for weeks. Ironically, his immune system was so skewed by this vaccine and the illness, coupled with the damage to his immune system from all the other vaccines he received leading to an autism diagnosis, Nathan shows no immunity to pertussis
Here are the FACTS as they relate to the state of Washington, and specifically Clark County, regarding pertussis during the “outbreak of 2005”:
In 2005 Clark County Washington had, 61 cases of pertussis, 47 confirmed, and 14 probable. Data is not available for one case per the request that I put in.
Clark County Response to my request:
“Of the 60 cases for which data is available, 20 were adequately vaccinated, 37 were not adequately vaccinated, and for 3 the vaccination status was not known. Data is not available for 1 case.”
“Those that were adequately vaccinated had at least the primary 4 shot series of vaccination and any additional boosters based on their age.”
“Those that were not adequately vaccinated were defined as a child to young to have completed the series, a case exception, or case no update on vaccination boosters as set forth by the CDC Immunization Schedule at HERE“
From a “Publication from the Washington State Department of Health” regarding the vaccination schedule, which will explain adequately vaccinated versus inadequately vaccinated (specific to DTaP):
2 months
4 months
6 months
15-18 months
4-6 years
“Your baby should have a total of five immunizations, one at each of these ages.”
As far as your claim that moms give pertussis to their babies? I beg to differ.
For Clark County Washington (2005):
“Age Range: 0-8 Confirmed 37 Probable 4
9-17 Confirmed 9 Probable 6
18 + Confirmed 1 Probable 3
Protective Status [refer to above]:
Not Protected Confirmed 31 Probable 6
Protected Confirmed 14 Probable 6
Unknown Confirmed 2 Probable 1
NO DEATHS[!!!!!!]”
Now granted, I know this information is for my county only during 2005, but this is the year every one makes such a fuss about because there was a large outbreak that year. To state that pertussis is most often spread by parents is misleading. According to information HERE HERE only one third of pertussis cases can be traced to the child’s mother. That being said, I am left asking the question of who the mother came into contact with who gave it to her? My first thought would be from a child who had the cold symptoms who possibly had his or her hands all over the grocery cart handle’s, because that child’s mother was thinking it was only a cold when she took her child to the store…
Again, please refer to the above information, and realize that my husband and I caught it from our child.
Your campaign is to end the sounds of whooping cough. As an educated mom who was formerly a veterinary technician, and later a pre-midwifery student (an autism diagnosis brought that career to a screeching halt); pertussis is a cross-species disease which affects dogs in the form of kennel cough, and as such, the sounds of whooping cough will never end, no matter how much we vaccinate.
We have seen an astronomical rise in so many different diseases, in the name of eradicating other diseases, which given proper supportive and judicious care typically have a very low risk of long term consequences to one’s health. The same, miserably for so many, can not be said for many different diseases we’ve seen the astronomical rise in, and the consequences to one’s health.
When it comes to taking a vaccine, one needs to use the same caution when making this decision as they would any other medication that has the ability to alter one’s health. Doctor’s hand out medication and vaccination as if they are candy – meaning they are the end all be all to good health, which is simply not true, and they do so because they get kickbacks from pharmaceutical companies. Medicine’s can kill; look at Vioxx, and how many other’s that have been pulled from the market. Why would we think any different about a vaccine that is injected into our body?
In closing, I have to say that honestly while I am not very familiar with your work, I will certainly not seek to learn any more about it, or listen to your music. Your PSA is sponsored by Sanofi Pasteur, and I wonder how much of a kick back you’re getting? The March of Dimes??? While some life improving work has come from this organization, they just slipped a few rungs down on my ladder of respect as well.
Thank you for your time, and if you would like to discuss this further or read the report that I received from my county to see for yourself, you can reach me at autismrr at gmail dot com.
Very Respectfully,
Angela Warner - Air Force spouse and mom to four, two recovering/recovered from autism, three who were vaccine injured, and mom to three who survived pertussis in spite of their ignorant doctor.
I think it’s pretty clear looking from a perspective of time that Jennifer Lopes’ son Max has Autism and sensory processing challenges too.
Posted by: Basia | September 11, 2020 at 03:02 AM
Yep, we'll be revisiting this subject again in the VERY NEAR future.
INteresting how we've heard nothing from J Lo about this since. Hmmmmmm... hmmm .. mmm Yes we will.
Posted by: Angela Warner | February 13, 2010 at 02:46 AM
Mark P
The difference in Amanda Peet and Jlo and co. is this: Have they dealt with pertussis or whatever they are trying to get us to vaccinate for?!?!?! Have they had HANDS on experience like Jenny and Jim have had?!?!?
The answer is NO. Amanda and Jlo are paid spokeswhores with nothing at stake here but a paycheck. The two are NOT comparable.
And Mark P....why are you here?!
Posted by: Erica in Alabama | May 18, 2009 at 12:41 PM
I don't get why Jennifer Lopez is appearing in ads. Has her career tanked?
Posted by: Whatsup? | May 17, 2009 at 10:07 PM
the big point here is that pertussis vaccination does not prevent carriage and transmission of the disease. Read that again: THE VACCINE DOES NOT PREVENT TRANSMISSION OF THE DISEASE. The vaccine protects against the nasty side-effects from bacterial waste - not the actual bacteria that causes pertussis. Any parent, sibling, cougher on the subway, etc. can transmit pertussis to an infant whether they are vaccinated or not. another great example of no one knowing what they are talking about. J Lo only had to read the vaccine insert to see the warning that vaccination may not prevent transmission. It is well known that the pertussis vaccination wears off in several years so the general population is now and always has been spreading this disease around. Nothing has changed - there is an increase in documented cases because doctors have finally admitted the vaccine wears off and are finally diagnosing prolonged coughs in adults as pertussis. Used to be they checked vaccination status and if the patient had had the vaccine - they called it something else. THey are just messing with diagnosis and statistics to get the adults to become part of their money-making machine.
Posted by: sorsha | May 17, 2009 at 07:29 PM
Mark P
Jenny suffered enough with your so called idealistic view that autism by vaccine can't happen to celebrities. On the other hand, the other celebrity spokespeople paid and bought for countering her, have had the good luck of the draw and have not had to suffer like we have? What makes them an authority on the tragedy of vaccinocis? Sure, I would like to belong to the club that nothing bad happens to good people, but that ain't realistic. Amanda and JLO just may have had enough immune genes, and less toxins in them to counter the effects of vaccines by the dozens...for us "weak" and "poisoned", not so lucky. Welcome to the real world.
I am sure your in that club, and haven't ever watched your son/daughter on the brink of death/collapse/seizures by DPT/MMR. Give me a break. Self righteous know nothing and not walk in our shoes people suck. You will never know this tradgedy, unless you experience it, firsthand. These sucky people, don't know what we have been through. Big difference. I pay a lot of attention to a mom, celebrity or not, who has a living clue what happened to their child.
Posted by: Kathy Blanco | May 17, 2009 at 10:57 AM
Thanks, Ang for sharing what happened to your family. For my son, he was vaccinated timely with his four DTaP vaccines (as well as a slew of other shots up til age 2). When the immune system problems became too much for us to handle on our own, we sought the advice of several specialists. The immunologist checked the titres of several vaccines and, lo and behold, he had no antibodies or barely any to several childhood diseases. The doc's response was, "Let's bring Ronan back in for another DTaP." Why did he think vaccine #5 would have been the magic bullet? Thank God we declined that and any other vaccine since.
Posted by: Cathy Jameson | May 17, 2009 at 09:49 AM
No rational discussion of vaccines is allowed. You are either "fur 'em" or "against 'em" and that is it. The end.
Also amusing that folks can't tell the difference between a paid spokesperson and a volunteer who has been in it up to her neck. None so blind...
Posted by: MinorityView | May 17, 2009 at 08:52 AM
Jonathan, and yet you read us every day don't you?
See today's post on the return of the monovalent M M R and get back to me. Better yet. Don't.
We are for for taking vaccines out of the realm of "As seen on TV!" marketing. What's next, Billy May shouting, "Ladies, you DON'T want unsightly genital warts! Get your Gardasil today and we'll throw in a free tetanus booster with 25 mcg of mercury and a Snuggie!"
Kim
Posted by: Managing Editor | May 17, 2009 at 07:06 AM
Mark P, J. Lo and Amanda Peet are paid spokemodels for vaccines. Casting call: Functioning ovaries, stretch marks, pretty smile, new baby. (Copious cellulite optional.) Check.
Jenny McCarthy is a mother whose son was injured and who then turned the bandwagon into the giant cake that read "EAT ME!" at the end of the parade in Animal House - taking NO prisoners.
Kim
Posted by: Managing Editor | May 17, 2009 at 07:03 AM
It is indeed a shame that celebrities are used inappropriately.
I guess you guys will be not quoting the opinions of Jenny McCarthy or Jim Carrey then. Unless you are hypocrites, of course.
Posted by: Mark P | May 17, 2009 at 05:13 AM
What's up with this campaign of celebrity spokespeople countering Jenny, have we hit a nerve you think, or more like the honest god truth?? I agree, not all vaccines work, are effective, and are even useful. In fact, I abhore them all. I don't buy their stupid science, and I don't buy herd immunity that was only based on the NATURAL disease, not immunized populations. Rather have a healthy baby, full of nutrients, full of sunshine, full of cleanliness, etc, good diet, then to push this garbage in their veins...no thanks.
J LO? Amanda Peet, by the way, make LOUSY movies, and lousy actresses... me will protest...and never buy their crap EVEERR. (I think we should do the same for Pampers products too, which donate money to vaccine programs)..
Posted by: Kathy Blanco | May 17, 2009 at 01:58 AM
Oops, sorry for all the typos in the the above (or below?)...time for sleep.
I meant to say that Sanofi is recommending something that has not been approved by the FDA (as far as I could tell). When recommending such a change, one should provide evidence not "best guesses or assumptions."
Posted by: anonymous | May 17, 2009 at 01:45 AM
Someone ought to call the FDA and make sure that Sanofi shows the evidence-based science (or anything for that matter) that shoves evidence that parents are giving their babies pertussis.
If you to go to site for vaccination of dogs...the vets are way ahead of us. "It is important to NOT begin a vaccination program while maternal antiboides are still active and present in the puppy from the mother's colostrum. The maternal antibiodies identify the vaccines as infectious organisms and destroy them before they can stimulate an immune response."
GOD only knows what giving mom a DTaP (or whatever version they give) right after delivery (which they now recommend), will do to the poor neonate.
No one has stopped to ask the nurses that work in the nursery, where else they work (float) in the hospital? My guess is Pediatrics where all the sickest kids go (and the newborn if mom is discharged and baby is not quite ready).
There are some obvious and easy fixes to these issues and yet it seems only one voice is running the show!
Posted by: anonymous | May 17, 2009 at 01:40 AM
I've been on the phone off and on all night (love ya girlie) with a mom who has a child with pertussis. I'll let that parent share the details should they choose, but I was called and heard the cough and I know the exposure dates... and this child was NOT directly exposed. Nor Was Nathan....
Could we reflect on the transmission of pertussis?
It's not as direct as the CDC says. Period. You experience it versus what they say and your mind will be forever changed... I have many questions for the CDC FDA AAP blah blah blah.....
Coming from a mom who was vaccinated against the MMR and got meezzzluzzz (OMG) at age 14.
The whole entire system needs to be revamped. I do not believe that they should be left alone. I DO NOT believe in their sanciticy - or sanction.... .... ....
I am NOT anti-vaccine.
Posted by: Funny What Happens When You Tell The Truth | May 17, 2009 at 01:09 AM
Love your post, Angela.
My youngest received all 4 DTAPs and still contracted a terrible case of whooping cough at age 2. He was on steroid and nebulized albuterol twice a day for a month and was left with Asthma (there are studies that if DTAP is given at a young age there is a higher likelihood of developing childhood asthma). Nice, huh?
Posted by: Lisa in Texas | May 17, 2009 at 12:04 AM
I can't imagine why people think you guys are anti-vaccine. I don't know where they get that idea.
Yeah, don't you hate it when political ideologues recruit celebs to give people medical advice. . What do celebs know anyway? They're not doctors.
Great headline. Stay classy, guys.
Posted by: Jonathan | May 17, 2009 at 12:00 AM
I'm sure that my comment has been echoed by countless others - we just cannot vaccinate ourselves to health. We have an immune system for a reason and vaccines compromise that system by not allowing our natural defenses to get a work out. Some illnesses are actually good for us and the pharmaceutical companies seem to want us to believe that it is healthy to be germ and disease free all the time. If that were the case, why have the number of vaccines recommended for our children more than doubled in the last 15 years. Shouldn't we all be healthier now that we can vaccinate away all of our childhood illnesses? I don't wish illness and pain on anyone, but 100% health 100% of the time is unrealistic and actually unhealthy. Also, a one size fits all mentality for our children is also illogical. Low birth weight babies, babies born to vulnerable moms or premature babies should not be vaccinated in the same way that full term, larger babies born to healthy moms. That should be common sense, but all babies are put on the same schedule regardless of weight or the condition of their mother. Note to vaccine promoters - find someone to promote your wares who actually knows something about the pertinent issues.
Posted by: Janice | May 16, 2009 at 11:35 PM
It all sucks: the risk of getting these diseases AND some children getting autism from the vaccines. We are in a horrible position one way or the other. My child will never get a vaccine again because of Autism/autoimmunity/seizure disorder, but I'm not happy about it. I wish we could vaccinate him for some things, but I know we will just lose more of him.
Posted by: SMD | May 16, 2009 at 10:55 PM
I really don't like commenting on my own posts, but Kim, you get to eat your cake and frosting too on this one! The title is too funny - I LOVE IT - as well as the pic. LMAO! I had to hunt down my bathing suit for A1 today. Boy shorts... not that skimpy thing she has on ;)
"Got Milk???" That came from my boobs. Still does for my youngest at 2 and a 1/2 - I told her today she could still nurse when I got home. I won't go further unless asked, as I respect the power of the breast. Nice comparison Marie.
I must say that I did not view ANY of the comments as negative. More information is always good, but there is a difference between promoting the "shill" info and reality. Rachel, I do not think you even read my entire column.
Ang
Posted by: For Kim, Marie, Rachel and All :) | May 16, 2009 at 10:12 PM
Great letter, great message, but my question is whether or not the letter actually got to her.
maurine
Posted by: Maurine Meleck | May 16, 2009 at 09:51 PM
My son is a premed student and I am sending him to functional medicine conferences in preparation of the indoctrination he will receive at medical school from big pharma. I always tell him if you come home with that arrogant smirk these docs have mastered I will no longer invite him for the holidays!!!! My dad was a physician before they killed him and he said doctors today were "useless and dangerous" I couldn't agree more.
Posted by: Maureen O | May 16, 2009 at 09:39 PM
It is a shame that the pharmaceuticals are recruiting celebrities to peddle their vaccines. It reminds me of the "got milk" ads. When the autism community finally blows the lid off of this entire sham, these celebs will feel terrible guilt for not doing their homework.
Posted by: Marie | May 16, 2009 at 07:54 PM
What an ass.
Posted by: Alison MacNeil | May 16, 2009 at 07:37 PM
I think anyone doing any kind of publicity for vaccines should have to show their own and their children's shot records. Have they followed the recommended schedule?
I am waiting for my older children to come down with all of the childhood illness's as Adults. Will we start a new club for them?
Adults affected by childhood disease?
Good job Ang.
Posted by: K Fuller Yuba City | May 16, 2009 at 06:18 PM
P.S. - Why is J-Lo wearing her rump cheeks sideways?
Posted by: nhokkanen | May 16, 2009 at 03:02 PM
This is reality in writing. Not from a vaccine manufacturer's laboratory. Not from a CDC office. Not from a denialist blog. This is empirical observation.
Here is a truthful statement, backed up not only by of doctors' experiences but also by peer-reviewed medical journal articles: "Vaccines are not the answer to preventing all diseases, and they don’t always work."
Yet some uninformed, neurotic person will still label it as an anti-vaccine comment. That's the kind of oppressively limited mentality which ensures that children will keep getting injured.
Back in the old days ignorant folks avoided speaking the name of demons, for fear that doing so would magically conjure them up. Despite society's scientific and technological advancements, fear still drives too many public health attitudes and policies.
A little fear can be healthy, but not when it stifles public input on vaccine safety and maintains an immunization status quo that is not safe for all.
Posted by: nhokkanen | May 16, 2009 at 03:00 PM
GET A LIFE! At least she was trying! Bad if you do and Bad if you don't...At least the word is out...because look at all these comments some negative (which will always happen), and some postive with some more information...We could all learn...give her a break for crying out loud!...
Posted by: Rachel | May 16, 2009 at 02:08 PM
History teaches. A long time ago, vaccinators said, "one shot and you were good for life." Then that didn't work so we gave boosters to children for childhood diseases. Then that didn't work, so now adults need boosters for childhood diseases.
If vaccines work, then why after 50 years of pertussis vaccine and many added boosters, do we still have it? Much more importantly, with such high rates of vaccination, why are vaccinated people getting pertussis? For the industry, it's never a failure, only the need for more boosters, all the way into adulthood.
Doctors are taught that vaccines prevent diseases, so why would they want to diagnose those diseases in a vaccinated person? It would require turning their back on everything they "know."
Cynthia Cournoyer
http://www.whataboutimmunizations.com/
Posted by: Cynthia Cournoyer | May 16, 2009 at 01:46 PM
Gee another know it all doctor not listening to a parent's concerns.
I am shocked I tell you, shocked!
This is probably SOP for the AAP.
Posted by: Keith | May 16, 2009 at 12:15 PM
Twenty five years ago a woman at my church had a beautiful red headed daughter. The daughter had contracted whooping cough when she was three days old. At one time she thought her daughter was going to have to have half of her brain surgically removed to control the seizures. I thought that the DPT vaccine was taken by everyone to help protect these newborns. Through the years I have continued to run across other children that had whooping cough as newborns, or family members that sadly told of their newborn's death. Meanwhile: my daughter came down with kawaskas six weeks after her DPT shot. My son later had a stroke six hours after his DPT shot(epileptic/autistic now). When we moved to Michigan we bought a house from a couple whose son also had reacted to the DPT shot (Michigan is eat up with autism/my son had plenty of company in his special ed classes). This past winter, my best friend in Lexington, KY - observed her grandson having to take preventive antibotics because his class mate had whooping cough. My friend is a nurse and she questioned why the fear since her grandson had all his shots. This Christmas at my daughter's graduating nursing class, I meet one of her fellow student's son and saw first hand what I had been hearing; her autisic 3 or 4 year old damaged by the new and safer Dtap. I know I am preaching to the choir here, but the medical society needs to be shook up by its very roots - were it all begins -at the educational level- at the schools. I am telling all of you that my daughter and her poor little friend with the autistic son had to sit and listen FOR HOURS (as I did when in college) to endless lectures of how holy the vaccines are. J Lo is educated like the rest of us. It is not entirely her fault. She thinks she knows what she is talking about, and I hope for her sake that life doesn't re-educate her.
Posted by: Benedetta Stilwell | May 16, 2009 at 12:06 PM
Does she really want to go down the same path as Amanda Peet? Honestly, I know people that DIDN'T go and see the new "X Files" movie BECAUSE Amanda was in it. Have we heard anything out of Amanda lately? As soon as she joined the (I"m better than you because I vaccinate my children crowd) her career took a turn for the worse. I'm sure with all J Lo's millions it would be ok for her but I can tell you. I used to like her, now, not so much. Mind your own business Jennifer and keep your BIG ASS out of other parents lives. Yep, she is right, it a simple and easy thing to do. I did it and look what I got. I hate these supposed stars that think just because they read a flyer from the CDC or ECBT that they are somehow educated. I think she needs to sit down with our Jenny and see what education is ALL about.
Posted by: rileysmom | May 16, 2009 at 11:51 AM
J Lo is like a lot of people including me at one time - educated by schools and not by life. Life teaches a lot more and corrects any misinformation you might have learned earlier. DOGS?! Of course! I have been wondering that for years. So if the National Institute of Health had not just rule following/smart people, but people that actually had some creative spirit and could think for themselves we would be vaccinating dogs and leaving our kids alone.
Posted by: Benedetta Stilwell | May 16, 2009 at 11:35 AM
Wanted: Working Uterus and Gold Record or Hollywood appearance.
Job: Promote vaccination
THey are trying to counter Jenny, who came into our world organically, with an injured child. Pharma and the shill groups that front them posing a "vaccination information organizations" Like those dingbats in Colorado following us on Twitter seem to think that a working uterus and a gold record are enough to convince parents to vaccinate.
Posted by: Managing Editor | May 16, 2009 at 10:50 AM
Some of us are tired of seeing kids become more toxic than your average Superfund site in NJ due to pharma and its minions.
Some of us have actually done research on this, and I don't mean research funded by someone with a multi-billion dollar self-interest.
Until Lopez can show me a study--not funded by pharma or run by pharma "consultants-- that shows the safety and efficacy of vaccines I'll take a pass. From hard won experience I don't think I'll be relying on info from the same people that assured America about the safety of Vioxx, Thalidomide, etc.
Oh, and in your next ad, could you find the time to mention that DTaP is made using "bovine casein" so others who have kids with milk allergies don't make the same mistake we did and get the shot for their milk allergic kids? I know, I know, the amount of bovine casein is not harmful. In honesty, it may be no more harmful than the formaldehyde, aluminum hydroxide, aluminum phosphate, and polysorbate 80 (Tween-80), and the animal byproduct Gelatin. (not to mention the viral and toxoid ingredients) found in the vaccine.
Posted by: maddad | May 16, 2009 at 10:32 AM
Great work Ang! Very well researched, thought through and logically presented.
I feel quite sure that J Lo did not spend a fraction of the time you have here in due diligence before accepting her pay check from Sanofi Pasteur.
Posted by: Pamela | May 16, 2009 at 10:23 AM
Because pharma seems to seek celebrities with infants for these campaigns (Selma Hayek for third world vaccinations, Jennifer Garner for flu shots, JLo for pertussis-- check out the Affleck connection), these celebs hawk the shots while their kids are too young to show whether they've developed the full "spectrum" of adverse events from vaccination. At this rate, some actor or other is going to step up to the plate, take their pharma paycheck to promote immunization and then watch their own child or children regress.
What's nightmarishly comic is that some of these actors do thrillers on corporate or government greed, corruption and lies, etc., but must believe this only happens in the movies. It's kind of a reverse psychosis from the old lady in Topeka who thinks soap operas are real.
Posted by: Gatogorra | May 16, 2009 at 10:20 AM
The problem is that doctors have not been recognising or diagnosing whooping cough because it was supposed to have been eradicated by vaccination. In 2006 we had a prominent publication in the UK which concluded:
"For school age children presenting to primary care with a cough lasting two weeks or more, a diagnosis of whooping cough should be considered even if the child has been immunised. Making a secure diagnosis of whooping cough may prevent inappropriate investigations and treatment."
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/333/7560/174
The rational view of this would be that whooping cough vaccination is relatively ineffective no matter how many times you do it. But the effect of the article was that GPs started spotting cases of whooping cough, and lo and behold we suddenly had an epidemic, driving up demand for ever more shots - meanwhile the lead author was imediately co-opted to our Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.
Posted by: John Stone | May 16, 2009 at 09:40 AM
She is as uninformed as the doctor who gave your kids those shots. I am sorry for what you went through and I am sorry for all the other families that get so shaken by these awful toxins.
Posted by: Rotcod | May 16, 2009 at 09:00 AM