The Safety (or lack thereof) of the MMR Vaccine

As previously stated, in an earlier post, I am on the quest for the most accurate information on the vaccines administered to our babies and children. I am taking each of them, and breaking them down, gathering information from various sources, to help me decide which (if any) of the vaccines I find truly necessary.

This post I will be examining the MMR or Measles, Mumps and Rubella.

First,what is it?
According to http://www.nlm.nih.gov  it is a vaccine where "one MMR will protect most individuals from contracting measles, mumps, or rubella throughout their lives. The second MMR is recommended to cover those individuals who may not have received adequate protection from the first MMR. " (15% of vaccinated children, do not develop antibodies to the diseases, and this is the reason why ALL children are given a second dose of the vaccine. The British Medical Journal (Jan 13, 2001) showed a survey noting that 80% of UK doctors do not recommend this booster.)

The MMR is one of the recommended childhood immunizations. Generally, proof of MMR vaccination is required for school entry. (Unless you get a waiver, which constitutionally you may)

• The first shot is recommended when the child is 12 to 15 months old. The timing of vaccination is important to make sure the child is properly protected. It must not be given too early.
• A second MMR is recommended before entering school at 4 - 6 years, but may be given at any time thereafter. Some states require a second MMR at kindergarten entry. (Babies are immune up to a year old, due to their mothers immune systems- according to the CDC)

This is the vaccine that has been the most closely linked to autism, even though the Wakefield  study has been proven an inefficient study, it was not the only study or observation citing a correlation between autism and the MMR.

If you look at these diagrams, you can note the accute correlation between when the number of autism cases spiked and the introduction of the compulsory MMR vaccine (1987),

From Vaccines, Autism and Childhood Disorders by Neil Z.Miller

According to nvic.org, the chances of your child catching and having a serious complication from the measles, is much lower than the chances of him/her having an adverse reaction or negative consequence from the MMR vaccine. According, Dr. Robert Mendelsohn ( a renowned pediatrician and vaccine researcher), only about 1/10,0000-1/100,000 depending on their living conditions and vitamin A intake, will contract encephalitis ( a serious complication of the measles) versus 1/3,000 who will have seizures from the vaccine.

Even the Government Site "Medline Plus"posts the following risks of vaccinating your child with the MMR (whether you acknowledge the autism statistics or not):

Potential mild to moderate adverse effects include:

• Fever (1 in 6 children)
• Rash (1 in 20)
• Swollen glands (rare)
• Seizure (1 in 3,000)
• Joint pain/stiffness (1 in 4, usually young women)
• Low platelet count/bleeding (1 in 30,000)

Severe adverse effects may include:

• Allergic reaction (less than 1 per million)
• Long-term seizure, brain damage, or deafness (so rare that the association with the vaccine is questionable

 The chances of a child contracting measles, and having
A great book on the MMR vaccine is Vaccines, Autism and Childhood Disorders, written by Neil Z. Miller (2003). There is documentation of statistics, reports from various doctors that were presented to congress, where even congree members spoke of the autism risks from this vaccine. The author presents various facts, past and present such as facts of the measles disease decreasing even before vaccines were initiated, and other serious complications which are still being researched such us crohns disease links, blood disorders and of course autism.

Even if one vaccinates their children, it does not mean they are in the clear, in 1989 89% of all children who contracted measles in the US were adequately vaccinated, in 1995 56% of them were. So with all these risks involved, and the protection still insufficient my husband and I have decided against this vaccine.

Please don't take anything I say as the end-all, but rather use the links and statistics as a jumping board for your own research. I am not, or ever was, a doctor! Thank you.

More information:

http://www.nvic.org The National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC, a grassroots organization founded by parents of vaccine injured
and killed children)
Vaccines, Autism and Childhood Disorders, written by Neil Z. Miller (2003) (A must read!!!!)
http://thinktwice.com/mmr.htm

Love and knowledge,
Kerry, the Momster

Hep B for newborns, the norm?

This is the next part in my ongoing research into newborn procedures and vaccinations.
Along with a Vitamin K injection right when your baby is born, silver nitrate is syringed into his/her eyes and then administered a Hepititus B shot.

Logically, if a mother has an STD, the infection can be spread to the infant through the eyes when passing through the birth canal, and thus the silver nitrate is an antibiotic to counteract this. But what if the mother doesn't have any STD's, why then is it necessary to burn a newborns retina and blind them for the first few hours of their life when they are at no risk? It doesn't! But it is a little something extra to add to your extrenuous hospital bill.

Then we come to Hep B, again, this makes sense if the mother has tested positive for the virus, but if not why vaccinate a child at birth and 3 more times over the next few years for a disease that is spread through blood and sex? The risks involved in this vaccine (or any vaccine) completely outweigh the tiny percentage of babies that might contract this disease from their mothers. If we were even in a country where the percentage of people with Hep B were higher than the meager 1% the current US statistics show, like in Asia and other developing areas, where the percentages are much higher.

According to the World Health Organization, the following are the ways in which Hep B is contracted:

Hepatitis B virus is transmitted between people by contact with the blood or other body fluids (i.e. semen and vaginal fluid) of an infected person.
Common modes of transmission in developing countries are:

• perinatal (from mother to baby at birth)
• early childhood infections (inapparent infection through close interpersonal contact with infected household contacts)
• unsafe injections practices
• blood transfusions
• sexual contact

In many developed countries (e.g. those in western Europe and North America), patterns of transmission are different than those mentioned above. Today, the majority of infections in these countries are transmitted during young adulthood by sexual activity and injecting drug use. HBV is a major infectious occupational hazard of health workers. 

I don't intend on allowing my newborn to engage in sex or intravenous drug use, although maybe by the time he is 4 he may be experimenting...  and thus I will not be injecting this live virus into my infant just because it's what is "done" at medical facilities. 

To be exempt from these procedures, you need to create a letter that is signed by the hospital/birthing center. Here are some samples you may use.

Further reading:

A Doctor's opinion

Thinktwice


Hep B Vaccine may be linked to MS

Love and Knowledge,
Kerry, the Momster 

Listomania

Listomania-Great song! Also a great way to organize my over-crowded, fuzz-lined brain. Those of you who have been following this blog for a while know that I am addicted to tadalist.com where I list books to read, baby names, craft ideas and everything else my little brain needs to hold, but wont.

With four weeks left until Baba Dos arrives, I am feeling overwhelmed with everything that I still need/want to do in preparation. Here is my 36 weeks pregnant list of "to-do's".

1. Take pack n play to moms.
2. Thank you cards for shower.
3. Clear out car
4. Set up car seat.
5. Pack hospital bag
6. Infant CPR/safety class
7. Make appointment with pediatrician to discuss vaccines.
8. Find out about baby insurance.
9. Get Lampstand and bulb.
10. Items for nursing area: magazine organizer, bottled water, granola bars.
11. Buy breast pump.
12. Put together baby's health kit.
13. Pick out birth announcements.
14. Get a haircut.
15. Buy costco frozen meals and replacement for camera.
16. Go to Mr. Food and stock up on pre-made dinners.
17. Prepare K's items to sleepover/ play while I'm in hospital.
18. Organize who will watch her/school drop off, etc.
19. Ipod playlist for labor
20. Cover electrical outlets
21. Life insurances
22. Hospital baby list- do's and donts for doctors and nurses.
23. Register at hospital
24. Birth plan
25. Wash baby items.
26. Organize and clean kids' room.
27. Complete Baby Mobile.
28. big sister stuff: print photos of her for hospital, wrap gift from "baby".
29. Wills

I'm sure there are  a bunch of things I'm forgetting, please let me know if there are. If I knock out 7 items a week I should be prepared by the time baby gets here (Unless, of course, he wants an early debut into the world ).

Love and preparation,
Kerry the Momster

Is it really Special K?

There is such a barrage of tests and vaccines and "preventative" measures for our infants that new parents can be overwhelmed. I know I am! With all the standard procedures, it feels as though we have no choices, but we do!! The first thing to do is stay informed. Over the next few weeks I will present my findings on infant vaccines and other unnecessary "norms" in the medical profession. Read it, research it for your self and draw your own conclusions.

First is the aspect of the vitamin K injection given at birth. While in some circumstances it is completely needed, in most healthy births it is not. It also increases the chance of getting childhood leukemia by 80%. Breastfed babies increase levels of Vitamin K slower than those that are formula fed, but the same levels can be achieved through oral supplements for both baby and mom, which are safer and less traumatizing. I am opting for the oral supplement if I can get my child's pediatrician and the hospital on board. One less needle to stick into my fresh new baby!

Here is some links to get you started on the road to discovery and make informed, thoughtful decisions. Don't just go with the flow.

Dr. Benkin

Supporting Oral Supplements

Love and knowledge,
Kerry the Momster