How Can I Get My Husband To Understand Vaccines?
Below is the information I presented to my husband when we first were learning about vaccines and the diseases they are intended to prevent.
The information is pretty rudimentary; however, I believe this has an advantage because (1) it is easy to get confused when starting to learn about vaccines in general and (2) it can be challenging to communicate everything you are learning (especially if the other person is not as committed to the learning... yet).
I think learning about the diseases prior facilitates a better understanding and foundation.
I encourage you to learn more about each disease in greater detail. Check out the links under the main title to learn more.
Hepatitis B
Virus that infects the liver
Prevalence
less then 2%in US
Transmission
unprotected sex, blood transfusions, re-use of contaminated needles & syringes, and vertical transmission
Treatment
More than 95% of people who become infected as adults or older children will stage a full recovery and develop protective immunity to the virus. Of those infected between the age of one to six, 70% will clear the infection
More info on Hep B Disease and Vaccine:
CDC Pinkbook - Hep B
NVIC - Hep B
Hep B - This Disease & Vaccine
Rotavirus
Stomach Flu
Prevalence
average of 35 deaths/year in US
Transmission
faecal-oral route, via contact with contaminated hands, surfaces and objects
Treatment
Hydration; Rotavirus infections rarely cause other complications and for a well managed child the prognosis is excellent
More Information on Rotavirus:
CDC Pinkbook - Rotavirus
NVIC - Rotavirus
Rotavirus - The Disease & Vaccine
Diphtheria
Respitory tract infection, characterized by sore throat, and low fever
Prevalence
3 recorded cases in US from 2000-07
Transmission
direct physical contact or breathing the aerosolized secretions of infected individuals
Treatment
Infected child or adult receives a special antitoxin. Diphtheria is also treated with antibiotics, such as penicillin
More Info on Diphtheria:
CDC Pinkbook - Diphtheria
NVIC - Diphtheria
Tetanus
prolonged contraction of skeletal muscle fibers
Prevalence
approx. 43 cases annually
Transmission
Infection generally occurs through wound contamination and often involves a cut or deep puncture wound.Heroin Uses at higher risk. From 1998-2000, 75% of the deaths in the US were in patients older than 60 years
Treatment
Immune globulin, given intramuscularly, is the immediate treatment of unimmunized individuals exposed to material likely to contain the tetanus bacteria. Treatment includes bed rest and quiet conditions.
Pertussis
Whooping Cough
Prevalence
5,000-7,000 annually in the United States
Transmission
airborne discharges from the mucous membranes of infected people, who are most contagious during the catarrhal stage
Treatment
Treatment with an effective antibiotic
More Information in Pertussis:
CDC Pinkbook - Pertussis
NVIC - Pertussis
The Perfect Storm: How the increase in pertussis vaccine usage is causing an 'epidemic'
Haemophilus Influenzae Type B
Bacterial Infection
Prevalence
3 out 100,000
Transmission
contact with discharges or droplets from the nose or throat of an infected person
Treatment
Treatment with antibiotics should be started
More Information on Hib -
CDC Pinkbook - Hib
NVIC - Hib
Pneumococcal
pneumonia
Prevalence
500,000/year in US
Transmission
Respiratory droplets from the nose or mouth of an infected person
Treatment
Treatment with penicillin
Additional Notes:
The Vaccines and Immunizations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends for:
- 65 years old or older
- You have a serious long-term health problem such as heart disease, sickle cell disease, alcoholism, lung disease (not including asthma), diabetes, or liver cirrhosis
- Your resistance to infection is lowered due AIDS or Cancer
- You are an Alaskan Native or from certain Native American populations
*twice as high in African Americans than in caucasians
More information on pneumococcal:
CDC Pinkbook - pneumococcal
NVIC - pneumococcal
Influenza
Flu
Prevalence
see below in additional notes
Transmission
Transmitted through the air by coughs or sneezes. Also be transmitted by direct contact with bird droppings or nasal secretions, or through contact with contaminated surfaces
Treatment
Plenty of rest, drink plenty of liquids, avoid using alcohol and tobacco and, if necessary, take medications such as acetaminophen to relieve fever
Additional Notes:
Most people will recover completely in about one to two weeks
According to the World Health Organization: "Every winter, tens of millions of people get the flu. Most are only ill and out of work for a week,
yet the elderly are at a higher risk of death from the illness.
The group most vulnerable to flu, the elderly, is also the least affected by the vaccine, with an average efficacy rate ranging from 40-50% at age 65,
and 15-30% past age 70
In the United States
a person aged 50–64 is nearly ten times more likely to die an influenza-associated death than a younger person
More Information on Influenza:
CDC Pinkbook - Influenza
NVIC - Influenza
Flu Vaccine Inhibits Your Heterosubtypic Immunity (and why the heck its important)
Buying into the hype of this year's flu shot?
Measles
infection of the respiratory system caused by a virus, rash on skin
Prevalence
131 cases-No deaths, (11 of the cases had received the vaccine)
Transmission
Airborne pathogen which spreads primarily via the respiratory system
Treatment
Most patients with uncomplicated measles will recover with rest and supportive treatment.
More information on Measles:
CDC Pinkbook - Measles
NVIC - Measles
Mumps
Prevalence
disease is self-limiting, and general outcome is relatively good with life long immunity
Transmission
When an infected person coughs or sneezes
Treatment
intermittent ice or heat to the affected neck, acetaminophen/paracetamol (Tylenol) for pain relief
Additional Notes:
Prior to the development of vaccination and the introduction of a vaccine, it was a common childhood disease worldwide
The disease is generally self-limited, running its course before receding, with no specific treatment apart from controlling the symptoms with painkillers.
After the illness, life-long immunity to mumps generally occurs
More Information on Mumps:
CDC Pinkbook - Mumps
NVIC - Mumps
Rubella
German Measles
Prevalence
CDC annouced elimination in 2004 in the US
Transmission
airborne droplet emission from the upper respiratory tract
Treatment
No specific treatment-disease lasts for 1-3 days
Additional Notes:
Disease is often mild and attacks often pass unnoticed
Children recover more quickly than adults.
The disease can last one to three days.
More information on Rubella:
CDC Pinkbook - Rubella
NVIC - Rubella
Varicella
Chicken Pox
Prevalence
.0023% death rate in the United States
Transmission
inhalation of airborne respiratory droplets
Treatment
anti-itching creams and lotions
Additional Notes:
More severe in adult males than in adult females or children.
More information on Varicella:
CDC Pinkbook - Varicella
NVIC - Varicella
Chickenpox Party-RSVP?
Chickenpox vaccine-strain virus reverting back to virulence
Hepatitis A
Prevalence
640 people in 2003 (this was considered an outbreak)
Transmission
HAV is found in the feces of infected persons & those who are at higher risk include travelers to developing countries where there is a higher incidence rate, and those having sexual contact or drug use with infected persons
Treatment
There is no specific treatment for hepatitis A. Sufferers are advised to rest, avoid fatty foods and alcohol eat a well-balanced diet, and stay hydrated
Additional Notes:
Hepatitis A does not have a chronic stage, is not progressive, and does not cause permanent liver damage.
Following infection, the immune system makes antibodies against HAV that confer immunity against future infection.
Young children who are infected with hepatitis A typically have a milder form of the disease, usually lasting from 1–3 weeks, whereas adults tend to experience a much more severe form of the disease
More information on Hep A:
CDC Pinkbook - Hep A
NVIC - Hep A
More General Posts Regarding Safety of Vaccines:
Vaccine schedule touted as 'not unsafe'
87 Published Works on Vaccines and Adverse Health Concerns
Vaccine Trials & the Use of Placebos
How your doctor is taught to deal with questions about vaccines
Natural immunity vs artificial immunity
Anti-vaccine vs pro-vaccine
Stages parents experience on their journey to understanding vaccines
I found this video incredible helpful for providing fact-based, non-fear-mongering information on vaccines. My husband and I started off on opposite sides of the vaccine debate and after watching it, found a good middle-ground. We have decided that when we have kids we will likely give only the whooping cough vaccine but not until later on (maybe 18 months).
ReplyDeleteDr Jay Gordon, 'Vaccinations: Assessing the Risks and Benefits'.
http://www.amazon.com/Vaccinations-Assessing-Risks-Benefits-Gordon/dp/B000KF0QP4
thank you so much Chloe for sharing your experience and the video!
DeleteHealth professionals like Dr Gordon and Dr Sears seem to me more open-minded than other doctors who have their nose to the ground and are stuck in a rut I refer to as the vaccine child poisoning schedule. However, delayed, spaced and selective vaccination really amounts to playing a form of Russian Roulette with your child's life which has been modified only by taking a few of the bullets out of the chamber while still leaving some in it. A friend's child e.g. suffered severe brain damage as a result of his first vaccination (with a single vaccine) he was given at the age of 18 months, so where was the benefit of delaying this vaccination? The only sane option is in my opinion to keep one's child vaccine-free. The entire vaccine industry needs in my books to be shut down as a matter of urgency to put an end to this medical fraud and abuse of our children.
DeleteI invite readers to visit my 'Vaccine free children photo gallery' on Facebook.
Thanks for the great summary 'Blinded by the Light'!
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, many if not most parents and doctors believe in vaccination because they are blinded by junk science.
Here is some great info which has just been posted on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/timaree.torres#!/photo.php?fbid=10200692847788876&set=o.93263831889&type=1&theater
Capricorn, can we please rephrase that statement to "some parents don't believe in vaccination because people have fed them junk science"?
DeleteAndrew Wakefield's study was produced at the behest of a law firm who wanted him to cobble up some results so they could try to win a lawsuit. Any examination of his study shows he abused children to gain what dubious information he did get -- and then shamelessly proceeded to enrich himself at the expense of defenseless children. And he's been proven WRONG.
On the other hand, historical evidence will show that millions have been saved with vaccines. It takes 30 seconds of Google searching to show the epidemics that vaccines stopped! Following the anti-vaccine logic, the children in third world nations should be the healthiest on the planet. Yet they are not -- and in many cases, because they are dying of easily preventable diseases.
Last but not least (not that I have any hope that you'll listen to me), please, please remember that disease does not just affect YOUR child. My dear, sweet niece recently lost her baby because a neighbor brought her chicken pox-infected child over to see her -- and my niece had HAD chicken pox. (My husband had it twice, so I wouldn't be surprised if there's a family vulnerability.) Your child with chicken pox could kill my father, a 76 year old diabetic who's never had the disease. Did you know it's often fatal in adults?? Your child with measles could kill my baby, who's too young for the MMR. And lest you dismiss anyone getting such diseases...we're seeing more outbreaks because we're getting people in the country who are *not* vaccinated, and who are still exposed to such diseases. We see it a lot, sadly, in Texas.
So please, please, remember...you wouldn't want someone infecting your child or your father. Please do your homework, and remember a lot of the so-called naturalists are just as guilty of wanting to sell you a bill of goods as the so-called Big Pharma.
Let's rephrase that comment to "many if not most parents don't believe in vaccination because they are incapable of comprehending either science or history."
DeleteDo your homework. Millions of lives have been saved because of vaccines. And for the love of whatever you may hold holy, at least respect the fact that diseases don't JUST affect your child. Your sick child with chicken pox can infect and kill my 76 year old father, who's never had it. Your child with the measles can infect and kill my baby, who's too young for the MMR.
What you want to do to your children is your right ONLY so long as it does not infringe upon the health of others.
excuse me, but your recently vaccinated child poses a health risk to your 76 year old father as well my friend.
DeleteAccording to the package insert from the vaccine manufacture of Varivax, immunized individuals pose a health risk up to 6 weeks after injection. (http://www.immunize.org/packageinserts/pi_varicella.asp)
Compare this with someone who contracted chickenpox naturally - the contagious period is approximately 10 days.
Do I go around blaming people who choose to vaccinate that they are altering the epidemology of diseases such as chicken pox that my children would have gotten in childhood, but instead they will not - now they are more likely to contract the disease when it poses more of a health risk in adulthood?
Thats silly - stop blaming people for having autonomy over their bodies.
"It takes 30 seconds of Google searching to show the epidemics that vaccines stopped!"
DeleteI would appreciate a link because after researching the vaccination issue for nearly 20 years I still haven't found any scientific evidence which shows that vaccines prevent diseases. The only evidence is hearsay spouted by health authorities to the effect that vaccination is the greatest medical invention ever blah blah blah and that millions of lives have been saved blah blah without providing a shred of evidence to back up their claim.
The truth is of course that they can't because vaccination has been a failure and a fraud right from the beginning some 200 years ago.
It however only takes a few seconds of Google searching to come up with evidence to show that vaccines have never prevented anything, apart from health, sanity and common sense:
http://healthsentinel.com/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2662:historic-data-shows-vaccines-not-key-in-declines-in-death-from-disease&catid=5:original&Itemid=24
There is in my books absolutely no valid argument why anyone should participate in the senseless poisoning of defenceless children for profit. There is certainly NO WAY I would let anyone with a vaccine come near me or any child of mine.
of course, Amanda, those are post-vaccine numbers. Without vaccination, the stats would look significantly different. So you are giving your husband the 101 how to benefit from herd immunity generated by other people's vaccination morale. Not so cool.
ReplyDeleteYou may want to add info on congenital rubella in your rubella section. You know that disease that mauled thousands of babies a year, just before the introduction of the vaccine (despite all those mums having had the chance at natural infection).
Not totally honest to leave out measles complications either. You know, all those kids with pneumonia for example...
On a side note: it is prevalence, with an a.
What numbers should I use – numbers from the 1800s? lol
DeleteHow about numbers before running water?
If I had the numbers from 2043 I would include those too.
Herd immunity is NOT JUST OBTAINED FROM THE VACCINATED POPULATION.
Herd immunity is DYNAMIC.
One of the best examples of this currently is the national varicella immunization program. The effectiveness of the chickenpox vaccine itself and the ‘herd immunity’ from the vaccine is dependent on NATURAL boosting from WILD_TYPE CHICKENPOX, so that as chickenpox declines, so does the effectiveness of the vaccine.
Vaccines and national vaccine programs permanently alter the NATURALLY OCCURING HERD IMMUNITY.
I didn’t leave out anything – I included links for people to do further research.
Virtually all children of my generation including myself got measles yet I never got to hear of anyone suffering any negative consequences, let alone to die from measles. On the contrary, we developed strong immune systems and life-long immunity. Give any child of mine measles than autism any day! And yes, Dr Andrew Wakefield was right all along to have listened what the parents of affected children told him! He was just the first one who listened, took notice and said something about it, which is why he was vilified, persecuted and deregistered.
DeleteIn New Zealand, there were an average of two congenital rubella syndrome cases per year before the rubella vaccine came on the scene, and an average of two cases a year after the vaccine was introduced. Hmmmh.
There is also NO WAY I am going to inject a vaccine like the MMR into any child of mine which contains particles of chick embryo cells and particles of aborted human foetus cells. Would you eat the stuff? If not, why do you allow this filth to be injected into your child? To prevent measles, mumps and rubella? You must be kidding! I would rather take my child to an African witch doctor than believe such nonsense!
Vaccination and vaccine-induced herd immunity is something for morons to believe in; I am ashamed to admit that I used to be one of them! I even got a tetanus booster as recently as 40 years ago. Never again!
Actually, while this is a great start, it leaves a lot out. What about the results of these diseases? That should certainly be there. It's not fear-mongering -- it's fact! In order to make an informed decision, we need to know precisely what risks we are taking with the lives of our children.
ReplyDeleteFor example, chicken pox can cause shingles in later life. Believe me, that's a painful disease you do NOT want! Moreover, while small children may weather the disease a little better, it can cause miscarriages in pregnant mothers who catch it from infected children, and it can kill adults who have not had the disease. Even having the disease isn't proof of immunity; my husband's had it twice. My father, who's 76 and a diabetic, has to be extremely careful; he's never had the disease, and for him, chicken pox would be almost certainly fatal. And that's by far the least severe of the so-called 'childhood illnesses'!
My mother had hepatitis-A, which she contracted overseas while my grandfather was assigned over there. Contrary to this information, she DID suffer permanent liver damage. She could never give blood, and it took her six long and very painful weeks to recover. That's something a parent should know, and it is NOT fear-mongering -- it is fact!
Measles can cause blindness, deafness, plus heart problems, and, most frightening of all, encephalitis. Further, rubella can also cause pregnant women to miscarry or their children to be born mentally handicapped. I know neither you nor I care so little for others that we want to do that to someone's baby -- and I know how heartbroken and angry I would be if that had happened to me.
Mumps can cause deafness and, in young men, sterility. Mumps contracted by women in the first trimester cause miscarriages.
Polio causes crippling, life-long dependence upon life support, and death. We had a friend of the family who was German and who had contracted the disease; her withered leg would break your heart. I can't imagine having that happen to my child.
To me, calling these 'childhood diseases' is a misnomer. If you are going to put the facts on there, then parents should also know what *permanent* damage these diseases can cause, and also how long their child will be sick. These are viral diseases. They cannot be treated with antibiotics. Sure, these diseases are rarer than they once were, but it makes them no less serious. We're also experiencing spikes of these diseases -- largely because we also have a surge of people coming into this country who are *not* vaccinated, and who *have* been living in environments where these diseases are still prevalent.
The thing for me is, I know from unbiased history (historical fact, not anyone with an agenda) that vaccines *have* saved millions of lives. I also know that I cannot think of a disease in terms of JUST my child -- even though the mere thought of crippling, blinding or even killing my child is a bad enough thought in and of itself. I have to be responsible and think of the people my child could affect as well -- people who are innocent, who did not ask to have *my* decision about my child affect *their* health. People who are immuno-compromised, for example -- and there are a surprising number of children in schools who are; just check in the special education classrooms, in particular.
But most importantly, I don't want my child to suffer needlessly. Let's say the odds of my child being hit while playing in the street are 1 in 5000. I tell you now that I wouldn't take those odds, and you probably wouldn't either.
Two things - I did include links with a full detailed description of the diseases from the CDC and NVIC.
DeleteSecondly - I have to admit I stopped reading after your lack of understanding of the epidemology/relationship of varicella/shingles.
The effectiveness of the chickenpox vaccine itself is dependent on natural boosting from wild-type chickenpox, so that as chickenpox declines, so does the effectiveness of the vaccine.
Researching and epidemiologists from the CDC hope “any possible shingles epidemic associated with the chickenpox vaccine can be offset by treating adults with a ‘shingles’ vaccine.”
Using a shingles vaccine to control shingles epidemics in adults would likely fail because adult vaccination programs have rarely proved successful (think Hep B vaccine)
[Research published in the International Journal of Toxicology, 24(4):205-213, Universal Varicella Vaccination: Efficacy Trends and Effect on Herpes Zoster. Also, Vaccine, 23(25):3349-3355]
The idea that vaccines can eliminate disease is very tempting - however, to eliminate disease we must create HEALTH.
To eliminate disease we must create health - indeed, and health doesn't come out of the end of a vaccine syringe - only ill-health does.
DeleteChickenpox vaccination has now been shown to be causing a shingles epidemic in children and the elderly. Not surprising really, because no vaccine has ever been of benefit to anyone except the people who run this despicable racket.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/11/02/chicken-pox-vaccine-creates-shingles-epidemic.aspx
On the positive side, shingles and many vaccine-related disorders can be cured with homeopathic treatment prescribed by a qualified homeopath.
The claim that vaccines have saved millions of lives is false. The truth is that vaccines haven't ever protected anyone, or saved anyone's life. I realise that this may come as a bit of a shock to some but I can tell you that I was shocked as well when I first found out that vaccination is a massive fraud. We have been misled to look at vaccination as disease prevention and in doing so have subscribed to a very dangerous illusion. The reality is in my estimation that vaccination is an organised criminal enterprise dressed up as disease prevention by means of junk science, or biological warfare against children. Next time your doctor is bullying you about vaccinating your child, know that you are face to face with a bioterrorist who doesn't know that he is being used as such.
ReplyDeleteI invite readers to visit my 'Vaccination Information Network' page on Facebook.
Any chance you could include HPV and Polio in this list?
ReplyDeleteAlso, have you looked into the issue of transgenic vaccines (ie, genetically modified vaccines)? As though vaccines weren't creepy enough, now we have to deal with transgenic vaccines? I believe the hepatitis B, rotavirus and HPV vaccines all use transgenic material, not just growing mediums from other animals. ( My concern over transgenic GMO manipulation of food crops and animals - ie, salmon - is what led me to the vaccine issue.)
I've since found out that the replacement of older vaccines used for livestock and poultry with transgenic vaccines makes it impossible for organic producers of poultry, livestock, and dairy to actually be "organic" since organic excludes gmo use. I realize this issue might not be at the top of your list of priorities since you are a vegan, but it is an interesting conundrum when it comes to navigating food safety if you are not a vegan (I get my dairy from a local farmer and am in contac with the divine mama cows each week when I pick up the milk - I thank them! And I can't imagine eating dairy from any other source).
I am so tired of hearing people chirp about how these infectious diseases were killing so many people, blah, blah, blah.... And it's usually polio that people like to talk about and how thanks to vaccines it's pretty much gone. The polio scare has to be one of the biggest myths going around. According to the Merck medical manual regarding polio, "Most (70 to 75%) infections cause no symptoms. Symptomatic disease is classified as abortive poliomyelitis or as paralytic or nonparalytic poliomyelitis.
ReplyDeleteAbortive: Most symptomatic infections, particularly in young children, are minor, with 1 to 3 days of slight fever, malaise, headache, sore throat, and vomiting, which develop 3 to 5 days after exposure. There are no neurologic symptoms or signs, and physical examination is unremarkable except for the presence of fever.
Paralytic and nonparalytic: Paralytic poliomyelitis occurs in < 1% of all infections. " Did you get that? Less than 1% of all polio cases are paralytic. And btw, at the time that all of the supposed polio cases were happening back in the day, DDT was being touted at the cure all to keep people from getting polio, so they were spraying it EVERYWHERE. Look up DDT videos on youtube where you can see them spraying DDT onto children eating their lunch, outside where children are playing. Interestingly enough DDT poison symptoms are the same as polio symptoms, so when people went to hospital and told their doctor their symptoms, they doctors couldn't differentiate between DDT poisoning or polio, so most of the time they put down on the patient's chart that they had polio.