>There are several list members that express regrets about having had >children vaccinated. The majority of parents who do choose to not immunize their children have done extensive homework on the subject and are well informed as to the "pros" and "cons" of vax. (At least they should have done their homework). >A study...revealed that parents could not be relied upon to >give health professionals an accurate history of their children's >immunizations. I am one who happens to have a very accurate record of my child's vax, and that is mainly because I was wary from the start. If anyone is to blame for ill-kept records, it is the vax-pushers who convince parents that all is well and there needn't be any concern, and fail to make the parents understand the importance of showing proof of vax if they wish to have their child enrolled in school, etc. (Though most if not all states by now allow for certain exemptions, and the bottom line is that it is the family's right to refuse any vax or other medical treatment) >Most parents now raising questions about the safety and wisdom of childhood >immunizations have never seen a case of... You fail to mention the diet of those children who became so ill. You fail to mention the irradiated milk experiments and other immunity-compromising practices in the '50's. You fail to mention the coincidence that so many of these children were fed cow's milk-based formula (which was considered in the '50's to be superior to human milk). There are hundreds if factors that set the stage for such an epidemic. What about those cases where a child was damaged by the vax? >Few such parents realize that small children can die or become brain-damaged >from a measles infection The vax cause more brain development problems than the diseases do. Few parents realize that cow's milk is poison, or that "just a little bit of sugar" goes a LONG way. >Ill-informed hysteria about the safety of current vaccines could once more >bring these awful childhood diseases to the fore... There are times when a vaccine would be advisable, but there is NO NEED for mass routine vaccination! It is absolutely inappropriate for the government to 1) try to force parents into "routine" vax and 2) even worse, give these to infants!! If a child is to be vaccinated, the matter should be taken very seriously and the effect that this inocculation will have on the body should absolutely be taken into consideration. Having more than one vaccination at any time is foolish. That's exactly like giving the body more than one of these diseases at a time. Homeopathy should be condsidered for use in conjunction with the vaccine, as it will help the body overcome some of the ill effects and may even help the vaccine to "take" better. And how about this? Rather than herd a bunch of immunocompromised infants into day cares and preschools, how about parents treat them like individuals, and keep them at home with their moms for as long as possible in their early childhood? The stress of a day care/preschool situation, separation from parents, disposable diapers outgasing, arificial baby milk/"food", and all the various illnesses that breed in places like this keep the baby/small child's immune system from functioning optimally. Add a vax on top of that and you are asking for trouble. >How accurate are the accusations against vaccines, and what price might we >pay for heeding them at the expense of the immunizations now universally >recommended by pediatric and public health officials? Humankind has thrived quite well for millenia without vaccines. Give me a break. Disease and death are a part of life. Children get sick and they sometimes die, and no vaccine can claim to remedy this fact. >But as a serious outbreak of measles in Alaska shows, all it takes >is one child with an active infection to cause widespread problems among >those not properly immunized. "Immunization" does not guarantee immunity against the disease. It can't make that claim. There is no way to predict how the body will react. Also, no vaccine I know of is effective for more than 20 years, most being effective for 10-16 years. My rubella titer shows that my childhood vax is wearing off. Here I am in my child bearing years, no longer immune to a disease that could seriously damage fetal development, and I could not have a booster if I wanted to because my baby is still nursing... Vax are very misleading. They can cause disease, wear off, or simply not "take". You have no way of predicting. >Studies have found no causal connection between vaccines and autism. That's just a load of crap in my opinion, and I expect you will hear the same from another mom on this list who knows better than that too. Parents have every right to refuse to knowingly expose their infant to vaccines. They have the right to informed consent. Informed consent means knowing all of the possible risks associated with administering vaccines, as well as the truth about the disease itself. They have the right to vaccinate their children according to their own circumstances. No infant should be subjected to routine vaccination for no reason other than the doctor and the government said it should be that way. The polio epidemic of the '50's was every bit as much of a social/spiritual problem as a physical health problem. These are the children of the people who were born during the Great Depression. But that is another topic altogether.