It always is when children die of vaccine "preventable" deaths. Here's a story about how children are getting the Hib cooties not because Hib is "out there and contagious," but because their bad, rotten, negligent parents didn't get the kids their shots. Well, that's the implication I came away with after reading the story.
This is plain old bad reporting.
You know what? Mayyybe Hib vaccines can prevent an immunized child from contracting Hib. Not always. Find me a vaccine that says "perfect protection from disease, zero side effects" and I'll show you a lying manufacturer. Not that I'm a cynic or anything. I myself have contracted a medically documented case of the measles after my parents, bless them, followed the full vaccination schedule.
Anyway. So here's a child who DIED after, the news report claims, the parents' decision not to vaccinate. Hey, maybe. But was anyone asking why a mom or dad wouldn't want a vaccine? Or WHY there was this "shortage" that "might" play into some of these Hib illnesses?
Simple Google search, people.
Merck's Hib vaccines were found after inspection in 2007 to have "45 areas of concern, including contaminated packaging of children’s vaccines, unwanted fibers on vaccine vial stoppers, failure to follow good management practices, and contamination of bulk vaccine lots. The FDA sent the letter after determining that Merck was not acting quickly enough to fix problems at the plant." Link.
Vaccine shortage caused by bad vaccine. Bad vaccine that some kids no doubt RECEIVED before the recall. Would you like "unwanted fibers" injected into your kid? Let alone whatever it is that happens to vaccine after the company's "failure to follow good management practices" or the more vague "contamination" has occurred?
Did I mention that you're a bad parent if you refuse to get your kid vaccinated? Doesn't matter that there was some bad vaccine out there and you're concerned. Get with the program.
You know, I'm not anti-vax either. I just don't like alarmism on either side of the debate.
HELLO, let me tell you that when a child dies you have NO idea if that kid would have gotten whatever disease if he or she were vaccinated. You could say, if you are a statistics believer, it would be far less likely. You could even say that overall, vaccines are relatively safe, effective and have rid things like polio and mumps from being common childhood experiences.
But we don't know everything. I'm not going to flip and say my childrens' autism was caused by vaccines because there's so much out there that could have been a contributing factor. But neither will I back up vaccine companies and say these vaccines could never EVER have anything to do with it, or that thimerosol is a really kewl thing to inject into your veins.
I'd like to see some balanced reporting. It seems that either you're eating from the manufacturer's hand or you're some crazy nutball who thinks the government is genetically modifying mice to spy on Republicans in Montana. It would be nice to see some sort of in-between moderate thing going on IMO.
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Look Out, Dad!!
My father is the purple dot above the blue weather station. He's juuust outside Milton's evacuation zone. Well! My brother and I jus...
This is why I love reading your blog! You don't go the extremist route, and take time to look at all the different factors. Perhaps with, um, all your free time, you could go out and provide the public with some balanced reporting? :)
ReplyDeleteVaccines are obviously an interesting area. I occasionally encounter some purported vaccine-related issues in my professional life. The research is all over the place, and its complicated by the fact that some of the research is done by groups with clear pro- or anti- agendas.
Allison
I have a friend who never vaccinated any of her six kiddos. They are all grown now, healthy, having healthy babies of their own. I'm afraid many parents haven't done ANY research on this to get the con side of it.
ReplyDeleteMy quick vaccine story:
ReplyDeleteMy two sons that received vaccines developed terrible food allergies shortly thereafter. My other non-vaccinated children have never even showed signs of the same thing.
So, that's my controlled clinical trial! LOL!
I also got the measles despite being vaccinated! That was pretty gross!
ReplyDeleteBecause of the work I do, I know that parents can get in trouble for not vaccinating.
ReplyDeleteI have no problem with vaccines and yes I have kids on the spectrum. I do feel docturs should see to it that parents get good advice on this and that they, themselves (the DR.) knows about what they are giving the child. I think they should be spread out more and not given all at once.
I know there is a HIB shortage, I just did not know why. Thanks for the info.
I have a problem with the Vax info too: I want some data I can trust. I had heard that vaccines aren't all that effective, and it's interesting to hear from people for whom that is true. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDelete~Luke
Thanks, Allison! I'm pretty sure as charged as this debate is, it's not a job I'd want LOL!
ReplyDeletePam, I'm sure a totally pro-vax person would say it's all herd immunity, but I do wonder if we really need vaccines for chicken pox fer crying out loud. (And how much money are they making on something almost no one dies from??)
Daja, my child with the biggest speech delays/ most signs of autism was NOT vaccinated. But I look at the ingredients of some of those shots and go iwww. Remember your "flu" video? It was funny but true.
DMV47, I found the measles to be not bothersome at all. No worse than a cold, though I looked awful.
Bishop's wife, I don't think a lack of vaccines should necessarily tip someone off to abuse, though I guess if you really dislike your kid you're not going to bother even if you think they're ok. I'd be more likely to suggest kids are abused if they watch some of the stuff on daytime tv or know rock lyrics. My goodness. :]
Luke, that's the thing. The ONLY WAY you'll know they're effective for you is if you're majorly exposed to the disease you're trying to prevent. Sharing a room with five active polio cases for a week would be a good test.
Say the vaccines are then shown to be 90 percent effective. Well, you'd have a lot fewer people ill and carrying the bug around but then HELLO, that means ten percent are unprotected and they've taken a risk getting the vaccine with zero (or little) benefit.
But so far as I know, no one tests them that way. :]