TIME Magazine - How Safe Are Vaccines?

How Safe Are Vaccines? - TIME

TIME Magazine examines the immunisation debate - just thought I'd put the link up as I just stumbled across it.

Interesting article.
Such a sensitive debate, thanks for posting.

Thankyou for posting that article, I enjoyed reading it. Makes me think I made the correct decision in vaccinating my child.

It certainly has a strong bias but some good information none-the-less.

Because her children are healthy and well-nourished, Jane said they will sail through childhood diseases such as measles and chicken pox without trouble ? and get lifelong immunity from the exposure. And she said, because the U.S. is a relatively healthy first-world country with a well-functioning health care system, she feels safe in making the choice to vaccinate selectively. "Looking at the diseases mumps, measles and rubella in a country like the U.S.... it doesn't tend to be a problem," Jane said. "Children will do fine with these diseases in a developed country that has good nutrition. And because I live in a country where the norm is vaccine, I can delay my vaccines."

This is another reasons why I don't vacc. It came from one of the related articles from that site. The article was ok, but no one ever seems to address to actual "severity" of the diseases kids are being vacc'ed against. I had measles when I was younger, it wasn't a tea party but I got time off school (!), I've never contracted Chicken Pox despite multiple exposures, so must have some sort of immunity...

I'm glad they have cleaned up the vaccs, but its still not good enough. I just can't trust the say so of the people that ignored the ingredients within for so long...and continued to approve them..

Ach - anyway....

Lulu, I don't think they have cleaned up the vaccs! Here is the ingredients in flu shots:

FLU Vaccine Ingredients depend upon the manufacturer
FluVirin, FluShield, FluZone, FluMist, Etc, Etc.

All are made using egg or chicken protein
Influenza viruses (most! are inactivated)
Neomycin, polymyxin, gentamycin - antibiotics
Thimerosal [mercury] - a harmful preservative
Betapropiolactone - a disinfectant
Nonoxynol - used to kill or stop growth of STDs
Octoxinol 9 - a vaginal spermicide
Formaldehyde - embalming fluid used to kill viruses

I don't think the article provided a balance of viewpoints. It is a very sensitive issue and one that needs to be discussed........Thanks for posting!

While I think it is everyones choice as to what they do in this regard, I wonder if everyone took that approach and relied on other people vaccinating their children, whether we would see rises in these illnesses again?

I think 'Jane' lives in a bubble though - the US has a totally crap health system.

So the Flu shots are relatively new - why is there still mercury in them??? Not to mention the rest....

The drop in rates of many of these infectious diseases also coincide with the changes in the world regarding cleanliness, hygiene etc. No one throws chamber pots out in the street anymore and we have clean water and plumbing.

This artical makes me happy we decided to vacc all our children.

may i ask what would do we think would happen if we decided not to vacc. polio, diphtheria and all the others can be such deadly deseases.
Its easy to say we are clean and healthy and have much better lifestyles but we are also exposed to people who are not healthy who come from countries that have these deadly deseases. they still exist in Australia just not often. my uncle had polio as a child i wouldn't wish it on my enimy...

Kristy- all these infectious diseases were in a steady decline for decades (in Australia since records were kept) long before vaccinations were introduced. Some people suggest that they would have been totally eradicated by now except that vaccines keep the virus alive- that they wouldn't be in existence if they let nature take its course. Official statistics are freely avaliable that show that vaccinated chn still get diseases and research shows that vacs don't reduce the severity of them either.

Great read...thanks for sharing!

I think you will find that the australian version of the flu vaccine does not contain thimerosal as it is actually not used in any vaccinations or other drugs in this country and hasnt been for at least four years. As for formaldehyde it is a substance we all make in our bodies naturally and the amount contained in the vaccine is actually less compared to what our own bodies produce naturally on a daily basis.
I am actually anti vaccination but just want you to be aware of the facts.... there is nothing worse than debating with incorrect information.

It was a good article but it just confuses me even more! I was watching Oprah a few months back (and wished I'd turned over to Ellen!),they were discussing autism and parents were showing footage of their children when they were under 18mths-2yrs old.All of them had reached all the milestones they were suppose to,some were talking,laughing,etc.It was heartbreaking to see the same children having been diagnosed with autism.A few of the parents suggested vaccines were to blame,in particular the MMR vaccine.Others suggested the vaccine combined with gene make-up (as suggested in the article).

I have so far given my 4 month old DD all her vaccinatons,but the MMR one does scare me.We are both suffering from a cold at the moment and I feel awful,but its nothing compared to seeing her trying to breath through a stuffy nose and coughing.I cant imagine having to see your child suffer from anything worse.On the other hand the thought of having made the choice to vaccinate and something going wrong is just as awful. Aaaargh! Its such a hard decision,one not to be taken lightly.

Does anyone know if there's any evidence or suggestions to maybe hold off on the MMR vaccine untill the child is older and may have stronger immunity??

Ness27, as of April 2007 (when i stopped reading, having made my decision) there were no scientific studies which indicated there was anything to be gained by delaying MMR vaccination, or any possibility of harm from the vaccination. I'm not talking about online opinion, anecdotal evidence or magazine articles, only scientific studies in respected medical journals (my personal preference for research). Younger children are more at risk of severe injury or death from measles. Mumps and rubella are generally less risky for tots and can be delayed if you wish (you'd need to opt for the seperate vax, rather than the combined MMR, and delay the rubella and mumps ones) but should be given before puberty as mumps in a pubescent male can cause permenant infertility and rubella in a pregnant woman is disastrous for the baby.

All one can do is read, research, check. Parenting, like life, is a balancing act. When i have #2 i will re-do all of my research, because something new might have happened, some new evidence might have come to light. As things stand i decided to vaccinate because there are many many risks from the illnesses they vaccines protect against, and zero scientifically demonstrated long-temr risks from taking them. I will not vax #2 because i vaxed #1. Other people have done other research and come to different conclusions - that's their lookout.

To me it is pointless to list the ingredients in the vaccines here - how many of us are biochemists who design vaccines? How many of us can say what is or is not needed in a vaccine? These people (i know some) have usually done 7-12 years at university - it is not a science one can learn on the internet. Just because we don't know why something is in a vaccine, or don't like the look of something, doesn't mean anything. The spermicidal lubricant is a perfect example - pick an irrelevant use for something and then use that to describe it! I know a premmie baby who was dying due to a circulation problem. Her life was saved by VIAGRA, her mother didn't say "no, that's for male impotence! Don't give it!". Most biochemical substances have more than one possible application, and i'll bet that ingredient has an application within the vaccine solution that is NOT about killing sperm!

I knew a little girl who died of measles in 1986. These diseases might be much rarer, but that doesn't mean they aren't dangerous.

Bx