April 20, 2007
 
Dear Editor:
 
Your April 19th issue had an article in which vaccination is touted as being necessary for a child's health. 

Parents who decide against vaccinating their children are made to feel guilty for putting others at risk of getting the disease that the vaccine is supposed to prevent. If the vaccines were effective, the vaccinated shouldn't have to worry. Pro-vaccinators say that we need to vaccinate everyone to prevent the germs from infecting the few who didn't receive immunity from vaccination.

Before you decide to give in on that basis, consider the following facts:

Deaths from infectious diseases declined drastically before vaccinations became mandatory. Harold E. Buttram, MD, said, "According to the records of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, from 1911 to 1935 the four leading causes of childhood deaths from infectious diseases in the U.S.A. were diphtheria, pertussis, scarlet fever, and measles. However, by 1945 the combined death rates from these causes had declined by 95% before the implementation of mass vaccine programs."

Buttram continued, "According to a report in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report of July 30, 1999, improvements in sanitation, water quality, hygiene, and the introduction of antibiotics have been the most important factors in control of infectious disease in the past century. Although vaccines were mentioned, they were not included among the major factors."

Even though the US has the most highly vaccinated child population in the world, we have infant mortality rates equal to third world countries.

F. Edward Yazbak, pediatrician, said in 2005, "It is also safe to state that in the last four decades, no other country has consistently administered more vaccines to infants and children than the United States." Dr. Yazbak isn't against vaccination but said he is "pro-reasonable vaccination."

Vaccination and immunization are not synonymous. Even the Centers for Disease Control admits this. Natural immunity is achieved through a healthy diet of whole, unprocessed foods and an active, clean lifestyle.

Our youth are very ill compared to those in other countries.  Recent studies confirm the links between autism and vaccinations. One in 150 children in the US is on the autism spectrum, but it is not like this in countries with lower vaccination rates. 

As the National Vaccine Information Center says, "Instead of epidemics of infectious disease, there are now epidemics of chronic disease."

Parents need to be aware of the many toxins in vaccines. If they would ask their medical providers for the vaccine package inserts, they could see some of what their children are receiving, such as aluminum, phenol, formaldehyde (formalin), and mercury (thimerosal).

They should know vaccines sometimes contain viruses or viral fragments and are sometimes made using fetal cell lines from aborted babies.

Package inserts warn that vaccines have not been evaluated for their potential to cause cancer and to be toxic to your DNA. If a vaccine is toxic to DNA, it may cause mutations that may or may not lead to cancer or birth defects. Many vaccines could affect the fertility of your daughter. Look for the section of the insert saying, "Carcinogenesis, Mutagenesis, Impairment of Fertility" to see that the studies just haven't been done.

Parents should not be frightened into thinking their children are more likely to be harmed by serious infectious diseases than by vaccination. The Food and Drug Administration admits that serious adverse reactions that are reported are a small fraction of those that actually occur.
 
Several inserts mention upper respiratory infections and earache (otitis media) as reported adverse vaccine reactions.

Because we are trying to prevent chickenpox in young children, the older population is starting to get it at a time of life when the death rate is higher. The lower incidence of chickenpox resulting from vaccination means adults are not having their immunity to it boosted, thereby causing them to be susceptible to it and to shingles again.

In the past, if a healthy person got chickenpox, his immune system got him safely through it and his immunity was boosted every time he was exposed to the virus, thus keeping him protected from that disease and from shingles. A vaccine may prevent a person from getting the disease for a few years, but when the immunity wanes, he will wish he had long-lasting natural immunity.

The article in the newspaper said it is important that parents be informed. That is exactly right; they need to know the facts about both sides.

Susan Pearce
Wyoming Vaccine Information Network
http://www.vaclib.org/chapter/wyhome.htm