Continuing on with the countdown; # 4.
Refusing to Immunize Kids
People say that these vaccines are poisoning our children. They can contain Mercury which is said to cause autism or SIDS.
Unfortunately these people who are following the anti vaccine trend haven't got the facts. There are no major medically accepted studies that support the claims of vaccines causing autism in children.
From what I found the autism link seems to mostly go back to a 1998 study that was rejected by all major health organizations and in 2004 was even rescinded by its creator.
As far as SIDS is concerned; the rates of occurrences has gone down 40% since the institution of vaccinations.
The final point on this argument is that the way these vaccinations were stored made them to contain mercury. The problem with this argument is that the kind of mercury (Ethyl Mercury) used is not the dangerous kind (Methyl Mercury) you think of. In America the use of any mercury was stopped in 2001 anyways.
All of this is not to say that there is no risk when vaccinating your children. As with any drug there is a chance that you could get a bad reaction. However; the odds of a serious side effect are rather slim as compared to the risk of contracting a horrible disease by not being vaccinated.
The argument that many parents use is that as long as the other kids are immunized mine don't need to be. The problem with that logic is eventually there are so many "my kids" running around not immunized that an epidemic breaks out all of the doctors instead of saying I told you so as they probably should, would then have to cure you sick little sickey poos.
Jamie: "So Adam what have we learned today?"
Adam: " Vaccines are safe and all kids should get them."
Jamie: "Right on Adam; Vaccinate your kids!"
Adam: "Well the myth that immunizing your kids is bad for them; I'd have to say that's Busted.!"
Booya, slam dunk.
ReplyDeleteI actually did a report on this same subject last year for Immunology and came to the same conclusion... Mercury-preserved vaccines DO NOT increase the risk for childhood autism.
Alot of the fear-mongering came from the startling increase in DIAGNOSIS of autism, not the incidence. Autism has been around forever, but only in the early 90s did a reformed criteria for diagnosis arise and popular knowledge of the disorder increase. Therefore, doctors began actually diagnosing the affected children with autism, instead of just chalking it up to retardation/other disorders.
And at the same time, knowledge of mercury-containing vaccines cropped up, so naturally the mothers of autism-afflicted children started pointing fingers.
(And btw, that picture of the guy with a beret reminds me of someone i know...)