Shots or Not Part II

“Vaccines saves lives; fear endangers them. It’s a simple message parents need to keep hearing.” ~Jeffery Kluger

Welcome to part two of our discussion on whether to vaccinate or not. In my posting Monday I presented a brief argument for both sides in order to let you think on it and or examine your own beliefs and thoughts on the matter. In this posting, I will be presenting information regarding the outcomes of studies that might help you in your thought process. As you have probable discerned from my opening quote, I am of the school of thought that the risks of vaccines outweigh the risks of not vaccinating. At the end of the day, what this argument really boils down to is risk management…do I risk side effects of the various vaccines to inoculate my child against life threatening illnesses OR do I risk my child’s life by not taking pro-active steps to prevent life threatening illnesses? Let’s take a look at some of the research.

One of the biggest concerns parents have is a fear of a “reported side effect” of the MMR vaccine. This “reported side effect” is that by receiving the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine, the child is at a higher risk of developing autism spectrum disorder. According to Autism Speaks, an organization that advocates for those who are on the spectrum and for the families who deal with autism, reports “In the largest-ever study of its kind, researchers again found that the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine did not increase risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This proved true even among children already considered at high risk for the disorder,” (https://www.autismspeaks.org/science/science-news/no-mmr-autism-link-large-study-vaccinated-vs-unvaccinated-kids). They also state, “Consistent with studies in other populations, we observed no association between MMR vaccination and increased ASD risk…We also found no evidence that receipt of either one or two doses of MMR vaccination was associated with an increased risk of ASD among children who had older siblings with ASD.” According to the Autism Society, there are no know causes of autism but researchers strongly suspect that genetics plays a large role in this condition.

Other arguments against vaccinations are more related to the objections of the ingredients of the vaccine and a strong dystopian view of the government or the manufacturers of vaccines. Some people object because of the cost vaccines and the discomfort the child feels during and after the vaccination process has occurred. I’m not one to tread on any moral or religious beliefs that prevent a child from being vaccinated…if that is a core belief then that is a risk you must take on behalf of your child. If you distrust the government or the pharmaceutical companies that produce vaccines, again, that is your viewpoint but it is your responsibility for assuming the risk involved in not getting vaccines for your child. To add to the complexity of this issue is the sad story of a family where the parents are on trial for not seeking proper medical treatment for their son who passed away from a preventable illness because he wasn’t vaccinated against the illness. The legal ramifications from the outcome of this case will have a far reaching effect on all parenting choices.

There is no parenting manual that is distributed with the birth of each child…maybe there should be but I’m sure not everyone would agree with the content. Each child is different and each parent has learned how to do it through trial and error, by reading or observing, by loving or ignoring. Every parent is different, every child is different but there are general trends that have shown successful outcomes…kindness, love and nurturing behavior have shown to develop happier children than abuse and neglect and along those lines of thinking, the trend shows that the risk of vaccinating children far outweighs the risks of not…but these are just my opinions. I thank you for reading and I hope you have a great weekend (try and stay cool out there!). Take care of yourself and each other, remember, we’re all in this together.

Wm Reid

Best Home Care Services

325 N Eastern Ave

Connersville, IN 47331

765-827-9833

wmreid@bhcshealth.com