Vaccines:
You are Your Child's Best Advocate
by
Crystal Brinkley
Because
vaccines are such a hot topic for debate, it can be
difficult to find an unbiased discussion.
|
The
debates over the safety and efficacy of vaccines continue to rage.
Do vaccines play a role in our exploding autism rates?
Why did the
American
Academy
of
Pediatrics recommend reduction of mercury in vaccines while
maintaining that they are safe?
Why do so many vaccinated children contract the very
illnesses these shots are supposed to protect against?
Doesn’t the historical data show sharp declines in
infection rates for each disease before the introduction of a
vaccine?
While
most agree that mass vaccinations can be a lifesaving practice in
areas suffering from poverty, malnutrition, and epidemics of
disease, many argue that the risks of vaccines outweigh the benefits
in countries such as the
United
States
.
All
parents should be encouraged to educate themselves on the risks of
each recommended vaccine, as well as the corresponding illness and
possible complications and side effects. They should be provided
with manufacturers’ inserts and encouraged to ask questions.
Unfortunately, many providers do not discuss this matter with
parents. Often, parents are simply given a handout listing the
schedule of shots and expected to make the necessary appointments to
achieve compliance. When necessary information is omitted, parents
cannot provide informed consent.
Besides
the question of safety, some of the other issues parents should
consider when making a decision regarding vaccination include the
following:
Vaccines alter the epidemiology of a disease.
Many of the diseases for which vaccines are available are
relatively mild childhood illnesses with rare complications.
When the opportunity to obtain lifelong immunity through
natural infection is replaced by a vaccine with waning protection,
a person is put at risk of contracting the illness later in life
with a corresponding higher risk of complications.
The necessity for boosters often occurs in the late teens
or early 20s, when there is a significantly low compliance rate.
This leaves many young adults potentially exposed to serious
illness.
Vaccination is not an all-or-nothing decision.
Many parents decide to forego the recommended schedule and
delay all vaccinations until age 2 or beyond, when the risk of
adverse reaction is significantly reduced.
Some insist that only a single shot be given at an
appointment, rather than the three or more often combined in a
single visit. Others
allow their children to receive selected vaccines based on their
research while declining others.
A number of parents begin the vaccination schedule, but
discontinue it after further research or when their child
experiences a reaction. On
the other hand, some may reconsider their decision not to
vaccinate when circumstances change.
Perhaps they plan to travel to another country, or their
child has reached an age linked to a higher risk of complications
and has not acquired natural immunity.
Alaska
does
not have a philosophical exemption for state-mandated
vaccinations. If an
exemption is requested, you will need to provide one on either
medical or religious grounds.
The requirements are: 1) Statement by an M.D., D.O., P.A,
or advanced nurse practitioner, or
2) A signed affidavit affirming immunization conflicts with
"tenets and practices of the church or religious denomination
of which the applicant is a member.”
Seek
out assistance within the natural health community if trouble is
encountered regarding your right to exempt a child from vaccination.
If
you choose to have your young child vaccinated, consider nursing
while the shot is administered.
Studies show that breastfeeding is an extremely effective
analgesic and lessens both the physical pain and emotional trauma
associated with injections and other painful procedures.
In many cases, a nursing baby shows no signs to indicate that
s/he knows the procedure is even taking place!
Because
vaccines are such a hot topic for debate, it can be difficult to
find an unbiased discussion. The
book Vaccinations:
A Thoughtful Parent’s Guide by Aviva Jill Romm provides a
balanced look at both the vaccines and the diseases, allowing
parents to perform their own risk/benefit analysis.
Another source of information is the
National
Vaccine
Information
Center
(www.909shot.com),
a non-profit organization that advocates reform of current
vaccination practices and informed consent through education.
Mothering magazine
frequently features well-referenced articles on specific issues
pertaining to vaccines and many can be found in the online archives
at www.mothering.com. In
addition, the Alaska Wellness
website has over a dozen archived articles on vaccinations, as well
as a review of Aviva Jill Romm’s book.
(www.alaskawellness.com/Archives
~ scroll down to Vaccinations).
The
information needed to make a knowledgeable decision regarding
vaccination is available, but one must actively seek it.
When parents perform their own research and draw their own
conclusions, they can rest assured that they have made the best
decision for their family.
Crystal
Brinkley is a mother of two and a proponent of Natural Family
Living & Attachment Parenting.
Her website is www.AlaskaBaby.com.
