Vaccines -- lots to think about

I just returned from the Loudoun Birth Matters meeting. Dr. Will Sonak, a chiropractor from Sterling, was the guest speaker, and he was really wonderful. He was very well-informed, and his presentation was clear and easy to listen to. He tried to provide a balanced approach to the vaccine debate, but he was very upfront about his choice not to vaccinate his own kids.

Over the years, I've read a lot about vaccine safety, but it has all been bits and pieces. It was really nice to see it all put together in a 60 minute presentation. Some points he made really make you think about whether to vaccinate:

• Vaccines contain all sorts of things -- not just the vaccine. They have cells from aborted human embryos, aluminum, mercury, animal cells (an issue for vegetarians), antibiotics, MSG, formaldehyde, and many other things. Of course, the pro-vaccine people say that these are in trace amounts, but it makes me think of the brownie story. This is the story where the kids want to watch PG-13 movies, and they're trying to convince their dad that it is OK because there is only a little bit of violence and sex. So, the dad makes brownies. He uses the finest ingredients -- the best chocolate, etc., but there is only one drawback; he adds a little bit of dog poop to them -- just a little bit. He tells his kids that he's sure he's mixed the poop in really well, so they probably won't even notice it. He says if they will eat the brownies, they can go to the PG-13 movie. Similar situation with the vaccines! The questionable ingredients are "just trace amounts," but who wants that stuff floating around in their newborn's body? Not me!
• Risk vs. benefit -- deaths from infectious diseases, including the diseases vaccines seek to protect us from, were already in steep decline before the introduction of vaccines. Nowadays, illnesses that would have killed us in the past are largely treatable. Of course, you wouldn't want your child to get these diseases at all, but the risk of a 2 month old getting something like polio or hepatitis B is practically zero. So, why risk introducing those chemicals into the body of a child whose immune system is just at the very beginning of development? Is there any harm in waiting?
• SIDS -- I knew that there was some controversy about vaccines and SIDS, but I didn't know about this. Apparently, in Japan, the government raised their DPT vaccination age from 2 months to 2 years. The SIDS rate plummeted. As immunization rates increased in the late 1970's Japan, the infant mortality rate likewise increased.
• Autism -- Again, I knew about the possible connection to autism, but I wasn't aware of this particular story. The Amish, who do not vaccinate their children, have a very low rate of autism amongst their population. They are about as close as we have to a control group here in the USA! The Amish of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania should have about 100 or so autistic people if you make your estimate based upon the rate of autism for the rest of the US population (now at about 1 in 150). However, the article showed only three people with autism -- one was adopted from China (and was most likely vaccinated there), the second one came from a progressive Amish family who vaccinated, and the third one was the only one for whom vaccines had not been introduced. Makes you wonder!

There was plenty more in Dr. Sonak's presentation, but those were a couple of gems I came away with. I still struggle with the vaccine issue with my own children, but I'm feeling more and more comfortable with not continuing to vaccinate my kids. Justin, who will be two in a week, has never had a single vaccine. I had considered starting to vaccinate him now that he is older, but after tonight's talk, I'm in no rush.