Autism, ADHD and Vaccines

Posted by Elizabeth Richards Oct 21, 2009

This week I wrote about autism, ADHD and vaccines. The issue is very debated and there are many advocates for both sides.

I'm not a big fan of vaccines but do follow the philosophy of Generation Rescue- try to educate myself with non-biased information. I take things a step further in my own personal viewpoint in that I believe it is important to first follow the money trail of whatever source of information I am receiving and two, dig deep into every aspect of information. This means going offline as well as online to seek details. I also have learned not to trust "studies," especially those commissioned by drug companies. That doesn't mean every study is skewed, but it does make me question results that are advertised as a reason to give medication.

That said, my children have had some vaccines. And we have had adverse reactions and what we suspect as neurological problems linked to the MMR vaccine. My husband has recently been diagnosed with a very rare autoimmune disorder that began yielding symptoms after he received multiple vaccines to travel abroad. I don't think it's coincidental. I can say that I find the vaccines against cervical cancer and chicken pox puzzling.

I do not feel irresponsible, a word some people refer to for others who chose not to get a certain vaccination; in fact, I feel quite the opposite. A lot of time, thought, research and soul-searching goes into each decision about whether or not to get a specific vaccine. I think I am more responsible in seeking out real information, not basing my opinion on flyers and posters (put there by drug companies) bombarding me in my primary care physician's office.

Nor do I feel I am being inflammatory and irresponsible in my reporting, and have received comments (in other publications) by readers who are angry with my information. I can guarantee that my links and sources are always from reliable places, including the Center for Disease Control. But I don't fault people for being passionate in their beliefs or wanting to get a vaccination. That is their right to do so, I don't even mind if they don't agree with my opinion. And I applaud the idea of trying to keep disease from spreading. I'm just not sure I can understand the extent and almost rabid intensity that the swine flu and vaccine are being reported.

Our personal philosophy and thoughts are just that, ours. People need to draw their own conclusions and make their own decisions as to what course of action they will take to prevent illness. We try to live a very healthy lifestyle and I'm thankful that aside from the neurological and autoimmune disorders we have encountered, our family is rarely sick with flu, colds or other illnesses. When we do get sick, we seem to get over things quickly.

I think a natural immunity is much more effective than vaccination for most flu and illnesses. People do die from the flu but most people who do either have weakened immune systems or have secondary infections that go untreated or not treated quickly enough. The current data on the H1N1 flu is not reliable and there are many cloudy issues as to how many people who have died have actually had H1N1 and how many have had other issues that affected the illness. Another key issue that needs to be determined and reported is how many of these deaths have occurred in individuals who have been vaccinated and individuals who haven't. That is an important factor that is missing.

The CDC admits that the swine flu vaccine is not proven and that recent seasonal flu vaccines have been unreliable. I'm not comforted in the fact that the vaccine contains thimerosal, a preservative I worked with for years that was removed from contact lens solutions for causing irritation. More and more studies point to neurological problems associated with thimerosal, but the few that were funded by drug companies and point away are the ones that are most cited in news sources.

One thing everyone agrees on is that the proven method of not spreading flu is to exercise proper hygiene. Wash hands frequently. Cover your mouth (properly) if you sneeze or cough. Wash hands frequently (yes, I meant to repeat that). And stay home if you're sick. I can't tell you how many people I've encountered recently that have gone out to work with a fever or sent their kids to a school function, even though they were ill earlier in the day. I can't understand how they can be so uninformed.

No matter where you stand on the issue of vaccine, please exercise common sense. Please research information from reliable and unbiased sources.

Wishing you excellent health!