I get the flu shot every year only because I get it for free from the government and I work with kids who carry a LOT of germs and I have a compromised immune system. But I can definitely understand why you wouldn't opt for a flu vax, they aren't in my opinion 100% necessary.

As for other vaccinations, some I think are very important. For example, I think the HPV vaccine for young girls/women is something I would encourage my hypothetical children to get (I got it too a few years ago!) because there is a huge stack of extremely conclusive research that links the HPV virus with cervical cancer. If you don't get HPV, you will be much much much much much much less likely to get cervical cancer. There have been all sorts of scares about the apparent horrible side effects of this vaccine but I had all 3, and so did most of my friends, and we experienced no side effects at all. My mum, who is a medical scientist, also says that a severe reaction to the vaccine would be extremely rare.

http://www.bittenandbound.com/wp-con...arthyoprah.jpg

do i really need to type up 991 more words?

I think the word you were looking for is "underwhelming". The fact is for the past decade there is only one vaccine (the flu vaccine) given to children that contains traces of mercury, not "many". And the kind of mercury used in that particular vaccine is one that is quickly excreted from the body.

I studied autism as a specialist to my teaching degree and there is no direct correlation between childhood vaccinations and autism at all. Autism continues to be a condition that baffles medical experts/ parents/ individuals and every few years there is a new trend of blame to try and figure out how autism occurs. There is definitely no DIRECT correlation, there may be some kind of vague link in some research but it is not enough to draw conclusions.

In fact, in the more current studies, research has shown that children with ASDs have often had less exposure to to thimerosal-containing vaccines than the children in the studies who did not have an ASD. And I can tell you that the last twenty extensive studies have found absolute no correlation between childhood vaccinations and autism. I can provide a link to the research if you're interested (as I did a case study on some children involved).

However, strong evidence does suggest links between genetics and autism. It's a classic case of people trying to prevent autism by suggesting that it is environmental factors that contribute to it, rather than genetics (something you cannot really prevent).

NO NO NO NO NO NO!! I don't know where you're getting your information from, but it's not a credible source. Jenny McCarthy maybe? If it were true that vaccinations were a direct cause of autism, there would be an almost equal amount of boys and girls with the condition. Right now, the ratio of boys to girls with autism is about 4:1.

My brother has autism, and so I like to keep on top of new developments regarding the condition. There was a study done recently here in Toronto that links autism to a faulty chromosome: Why more boys than girls are autistic - thestar.com. Makes much more sense than the notion that vaccines cause autism!

Good luck to you when your daughter starts school. They're going to be all over you regarding the fact that she doesn't have any vaccination records...

So basically what we're looking at is some doctor publishing a flawed study, the media latching onto it, and all the housewives simply believing the most controversial thing?

It just seems that something this important wouldn't still be a subject of debate if there were definitive answers. Where are all the studies that absolutely prove either case?
Me personally, I would vaccinate my kids if I had any. I'm just wondering why I know people who would take the risk of leaving their children open to the same diseases that killed many people before we had an answer for it, because of what's looking to be a theoretical link to Autism.
If I didn't know any better, I would have to assume that everyone here who's been vaccinated is Autistic.

Yeah, I agree with you in entirety FD. There are countless studies that disprove the links between vaccinations and developmental or other disorders, but I think people still cling on to the whole 'mass scare' thing that was created by a very few minor, flawed, and inaccurate studies.

I was born with a disorder of the immune system so getting vaccinated when I was a baby/ child probably saved my life.

I've always had my children vaccinated on schedule, on the advice of their pediatrician who is an immunology specialist and member of several child protective committees. I realize vaccines are not totally safe, but in my opinion they are much more safe than contracting the diseases they protect against. I think well-intentioned parents who opt out of vaccinating their children should take into account that as vaccination rates drop, the immunity of the community at large weakens and their unprotected children (along with the elderly and immunity-compromised people) will be the most vulnerable in a potential outbreak.

I just dropped a baited hook to my cousin asking her for her personal recommendations for sources of why she supports anti-vaccination, under the guise of simply being interested (and conveniently ignorant).

When I get some links from her, I'll post them here after going through them myself. I'll be wanting some opinions on them.


I'm really interested in this, because thus far, I think not vaccinating your children against known deadly diseases is nearly equal to criminal negligence, but it's also important enough for me to want to figure out factually before I'm ever in the position to make a decision regarding it. And I don't want to campaign against my own family unless I have some pretty convincing evidence.

Measles is making a comeback thanks to anti-vaxxer idiots

As a Floridian I think I should be allowed to shoot any unvaccinated person who comes into my vicinity as part of the stand your ground rule.

Clearly being at risk for dangerous contagions is more threatening than dark skin.