Vaccination Debate

We've vaccinated our son according to the traditional schedule, and he's never had any problems. He and I are both getting the H1N1 vaccine next week, too.

Vaccination is something I take very personally. I have a Primary Immune Deficiency, which is a genetic disorder and noncommunicable. Not only am I incapable of making antibodies to certain diseases (measles and mumps are two that I know definitely, although Hep B may be another), but if I get one of these diseases, my immune system may not be able to fight them off, and I could die. This means I depend upon herd immunity to keep me safe from any of these illnesses.

We vaccinate on schedule.  Never had any problems. 

My brother is autistic, so I read all the anti-vax materials blaming vaccines---have yet to find one where the research was scientifically sound.  Nobody can explain to me why countries that never used thimerosol vaccines have the same spike in autism rates as the U.S.  I do know that the way autism is defined has changed drastically; only the profoundly autistic were labelled so when my brother was a child, many of the high functioning were just considered eccentric or "weird".  Evidence is starting to point to the type of autism my brother has being largely genetic and possibly sex-linked the way color blindness is (we have several relatives with it on one side of the family).  In short, I consider any alleged connection between vaccines and autism to be nonsense.

I work with recently arrived immigrants from around the globe professionally, I've been exposed to everything from SARS to TB to leprosy on the job.  I'll take any vaccination I can get.

Gwen

Thanks, Toni!

Liam (9) had everything up until age 2, no boosters after that.
Cian (6) had everything until age 2 except MMR
Roan (2.10) has only had a single polio and her first flu shot (preservative free).

My oldest two have autism (HFA and Aspergers). I do know there's a genetic factor in play here, but my oldest also stopped talking/babbling after he received the MMR and Varicella at the same time (he regressed for a few weeks before beginning to babble again). You can see in his photographs after about 15 months his face has the flat affect and he doesn't start smiling for the camera again until he was close to age 4.

My 2nd ds had 7 words by the time he was 2 1/2. I never really saw a regression but by then I was skeptical enough.

My dd, will talk the hind leg off a donkey and although I'm not as anti vaccine as I was, I am still incredibly picky.

Dee

http://2ladsandalass.blogspot.com/

"I do know there's a genetic factor in play here,"

I hear people say that often, and I'm curious - where does that idea come from? As far as I know, there has been no evidence, that is why I asked :).

Anecdotal evidence exists. Autism can "run" in families.  A lot of people that I know with autistic children (especially when there is more than one child on the spectrum) believe that it is a combination of genetics and an environmental trigger.  Perhaps a mitochondrial disorder that is passed along that predisposes the child to a vaccine injury (or other environmental injury, heavy metal contamination is often brought up). A lot of mental and neurological disorders can be hereditary so I do not think that it is so far fetched to believe that genetics can play a role in some cases, especially when it comes to high functioning autism or aspergers.  I know a family with Aspergers.  The whole family.  Mom, Dad, and all three kids.  That, to me, clearly demonstrates a genetic component. Of course that is anecdotal.