Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, March 27, 1993 TAG: 9303290407
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: COLLEEN REDMAN
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Yet considering news headlines in the past few years, plus research and books (some by doctors) that deal with the risks involved with immunizations, it's no wonder that there is a growing number of conscientious, intelligent parents who are choosing not to immunize their children. They prefer prevention, improved diet and lifestyle changes as safer measures to deter disease.
Headlines and stories published in the Roanoke Times & World-News included "DPT vaccine can cause crying, seizures, shock." This article also linked vaccines for Rubella with arthritis. Another story, "Measles return as killer disease preying on infants," pointed out that the outbreak was, unfortunately, a byproduct of immunization, as immunized mothers' antibodies were too weak to protect infants, whereas mothers who had the measles as children passed on strong immunity to their babies.
This newspaper reported in 1991 that $65 million had been awarded by President Bush under the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act for vaccine deaths and permanent injuries. Remember the swine flu immunization fiasco, where 500 or so individuals contracted Guillian Bairre paralysis from the swine flu vaccination? (Give me the flu any day.) Other news stories have pointed out that many deaths, originally classified as "sudden infant death syndrome," are now being reclassified as vaccine-related deaths. These stories do not indicate "largely unfounded fears" as Koop suggested in his commentary.
Even though medical science likes to claim responsibility for the eradication of many dreaded diseases, the fact is that most of the diseases we immunize for were well on the decline before the introduction of immunizations. Since the introduction of immunizations, all known outbreaks of these same diseases have included considerable numbers of people who have been immunized.
Besides the question of reliability, which pro-immunization material neglects to report (much of this material is funded by the pharmaceutical companies who profit from their use), there is a growing body of evidence suggesting that modern vaccines are a major factor in the growing tendencies to allergies and impaired immune functions.
Have we traded measles and mumps for cancer and leukemia? If the average parent were aware that severe reaction to whooping cough vaccine produces brain damage in a small number of children, would they risk it? Is the chance that their child might contract whooping cough enough to risk it? If brain damage is the severe reaction, what of the less severe reactions or unknown long-term effects?
Even if one considers immunization to be responsible for the eradication of such a disease as polio, will we continue to immunize for polio forever? The very few sporadic cases of polio today are actually caused by the live vaccine itself.
Much of what we consider modern "advances" or "conveniences," such as cars, electricity and X-rays, are turning out to have a downside of hazardous waste, pollution or health risks. Substances known to be toxic, such as asbestos, dioxin, lead or cigarette smoke, were once thought to be harmless. Most medical drugs are now known to have varying degrees of side effects. Why should immunizations be any different?
Parents who are concerned about the blanket use of immunizations should ask questions, read the list of ingredients of vaccine labels, do some personal research or explore alternatives. Maybe one day it will be considered ignorant or, at best, naive not to do these things.
In America we have a basic right to freedom of health-care choice, even under pressure from the American Medical Association or the government.
Colleen Redman, a Floyd writer, has been involved in nutrition, self-health care and herbal studies for 20 years.
by CNB