Issues Go to..... Alternative Medicine Amalgam Fillings Artificial Sweeteners Aspartame Birth Control Bypass Surgery Cancer Politics Chelation Therapy Complementary Medicine Dairy Products Fertility Good Causes Homocysteine Interfaith Dialogue Medical Issues Mercury Fillings Organic Foods Politics of Cancer Soy Vaccinations Water What's Wrong with Medicine "We ardently believe the best approach to this very controversial subject is to present both the pros and cons, good and bad, known and unknown about immunizations, and then help guide the patient or parents to choose what is best for them or their children."    Harold E Buttram, M.D. PRO VACCINE ARTICLES 10 Tips on Evaluating Immunization Information from The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention "How do you know if vaccine information you find on the Internet or in other sources is accurate?" Recommendations for Childhood Immunizations from Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center "All of the vaccines licensed for routine use in children have been proved efficacious in controlled studies or multiple time series. Those that have been in widespread use for some years (diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, Hib) have already demonstrated a dramatic effect on the incidence of childhood disease." What Would Happen If We Stopped Vaccinations? from The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention " Vaccines are responsible for the control of many infectious diseases that were once common in this country. Vaccines have reduced, and in some cases, eliminated, many diseases that routinely killed or harmed many infants, children, and adults. However, the viruses and bacteria that cause vaccine-preventable disease and death still exist and can be passed on to people who are not protected by vaccines. Vaccine-preventable diseases have a costly impact, resulting in doctor's visits, hospitalizations, and premature deaths. Sick children can also cause parents to lose time from work." Vaccine Safety from the National Immunization Program "As infectious diseases continue to decline, some people have become less interested in the consequences of preventable illnesses like diphtheria and tetanus. Instead, they have become increasingly concerned about the risks associated with vaccines. After all, vaccines are given to healthy individuals, many of whom are children, and therefore a high standard of safety is required. Since vaccination is such a common and memorable event, any illness following immunization may be attributed to the vaccine. While some of these reactions may be caused by the vaccine, many of them are unrelated events that occur after vaccination by coincidence. Therefore, the scientific research that attempts to distinguish true vaccine side effects from unrelated, chance occurrences is crucial. This knowledge is necessary in order to maintain public confidence in immunization programs. As science continues to advance, we are constantly striving to develop safer vaccines and improve delivery in order to better protect ourselves against disease. This overview will focus on vaccine research, how vaccines are licensed, how safety is monitored, and how risks are communicated to the public." For the Vaccine-Wary, a Lesson in History by Jane E. Brody "Ill-informed hysteria about the safety of current vaccines could once more bring these awful childhood diseases to the fore." PRO VACCINE RESOURCES Articles from The New England Journal of Medicine Every Child By Two Immunization Action Coalition Immunization Gateway National Immunization Program National Network for Immunization Information Parents of Kids with Infectious Diseases Hepatitis B Vaccine Hepatitis B from WebMD "The U.S. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends hepatitis B immunization for all children, from birth through 18 years of age." Hepatitis B Vaccine May Be Linked to MS from WebMD "In the study, researchers report that vaccination with the recombinant hepatitis B vaccine is associated with a threefold increased risk of multiple sclerosis." Hepatitis B Vaccine by Jane Orient, M.D. "Public policy regarding vaccines is fundamentally flawed.  It is permeated by conflicts of interest.  It is based on poor scientific methodology (including studies that are too small, too short, and too limited in populations represented), which is, moreover, insulated from independent criticism." Michael Belkin Testimony to Congress "Newborn babies are not at risk of contracting the hepatitis B disease unless their mother is infected.   Hepatitis B is primarily a disease of junkies, gays, and promiscuous heterosexuals.   The vaccine is given to babies because health authorities couldn't get those risk groups to take the vaccine. Adverse reactions out-number cases of the disease in government statistics..." The Saga of Pediatric Hepatitis B Vaccination by F. Edward Yazbak, M.D. "Probably the most baffling question is: why was a new vaccine recommended for a vulnerable infant without risk/benefit analysis and in order to prevent a disease that was not an immediate threat and that had a decreasing incidence?" Dangerously Misguided Universal Infant Hepatitis B Vaccination Policy by Joseph Mercola, D.O. Possible Link between Autism and Vaccines by Joseph Mercola, D.O. "If you could only focus on one vaccine though, I would encourage you to look at hepatitis B.  I believe it is criminal that it is given to newborn infants whose tiny central nervous systems are particularly susceptible to toxic insults.  I believe future generations will view this practice as reprehensible ignorance that caused epidemic levels of brain injury in our young and helpless children." Is the MMR Vaccine Causally Associated with Autism? MMR-Autism Theory from CDC This Vaccine Won't Hurt at All by Howard Fienberg "Whether or not consensus on autism's rise exists, no epidemiological correlation can be found between the disease and the MMR vaccine.  The new California study discovered that the 373% relative increase in autism coincided with a relative increase of only 14% in immunization coverage over the same time period.  In England, a 1999 study in The Lancet indicated that their rise in incidence began in 1979, and the data showed no significant jump after the introduction of the MMR vaccine in 1998." Immunization Safety Review: Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine and Autism from the Institute of Medicine "Though the MMR-autism question might appear to be resolved, science is always a work in progress; a conclusion is only as good as the methods of the analysis.  The epidemiological studies, traditional public health tools used to examine the risk factors for a disease on a population level, were at a disadvantage here because there is little variation in exposure to MMR since children in most developed countries are vaccinated similarly.  Furthermore, the difficulties in diagnosing and determining the exact onset of autism in children make it difficult to design appropriate studies and compare the results from those studies. The committee acknowledges they could not rule out another possibility--that MMR vaccine could contribute to ASD in a small number of children--because existing epidemiological tools may not have enough precision to detect the occurrence of rare effects like ASD." Letter from Walter 0. Spitzer, M.D. "I would be delighted if effective MMR were also demonstrated to be safe in scientifically admissible safety studies.  But let that be the result of the kind of rigorous science that has been called for by the IOM, not unsubstantiated exoneration of MMR by one person." Letter from Jaquelyn McCandless, M.D. "Though I agree that long-term peer reviewed studies do not yet prove the relationship between the MMR and autism, I believe the report was mis-leading to the general public and especially to parents or parents-to-be. There is overwhelming clinical evidence by those of us out in the fields dealing with rapidly increasing numbers of autistic children that vaccine safety needs a great deal more investigation." "In my opinion, to take the MMR vaccine out of context of the entire vaccine program and state that it is safe stands to create complacency in parents and researchers, and will continue to endanger many more children before the full truth of this very complicated picture is understood." Danish Study Finds No Links Between Vaccine and Autism by Rachel Zimmerman "A large-scale study of medical records in Denmark found no relationship between a widespread childhood vaccine and autism, casting doubt on a popular theory for an apparent rise in the mystifying brain disorder." Dr. Andrew Wakefield Responds to Latest Danish MMR Study "This is a good study as far as it goes and the authors should be congratulated for making a thorough attempt to approach this complex subject in an epidemiological study.  However, there are a number of problems with this study that limit the conclusions that can be drawn." Dr. Andrew Wakefield’s Response to NEJM Autism MMR Study "It is my personal opinion that the answer will be found in the detailed analysis of each individual child -- from clinical history to molecular idiosyncrasy." Vaccines and Autism by Paul A. Offit, M.D. This article "provides a concise summary of the studies used to support the hypothesis that MMR causes autism, the studies that refute this hypothesis, and other investigations into the causes of autism." It refutes Dr. Wakefield. The Autism Explosion by Bernard Rimland, Ph.D. "There is a good deal of evidence -- none of it yet conclusive -- implicating the MMR as causing the autism epidemic.  The evidence includes both clinical research studies and thousands of parent reports linking autism to a vaccine--especially the MMR.  The medical authorities in the U.K. have responded by conducting several ill-conceived and poorly executed studies intended to mask rather than reveal the facts." Thimerosal, Children's Vaccines and Autism Thimerosal Is Not Responsible for Autism by James R. Laidler, M.D. "Thimerosal exposure is down.  Autism numbers have kept rising.  The conclusion should be inescapable." Autism Rates Fall With the Removal of Mercury by Joseph Mercola, D.O. "It's no surprise that the diminishment of thimerosal in childhood vaccines has coincided with a reversal in autism rates." Autism "Linked to Mercury Vaccine" by Rosie Waterhouse in the Sunday Times (UK) "In general, the researchers argue, the cumulative effects of mercury impair brain development and damage the child's immune system and gastrointestinal tract, resulting in hypersensitivity to toxic environmental substances. This build-up could lead to autism or a form of mercury poisoning - whose symptoms are similar. In addition, researchers believe, the MMR triple vaccine, usually given at 18 months to two years, could trigger autism because the damaged immune system cannot cope with three live viruses at once. Only some children exposed to mercury will develop symptoms.  Researchers believe this indicates that there may be a genetic predisposition.  This theory was reinforced by a study published this month which showed that in 99% of autistic children a family of proteins essential for disposing of mercury and other heavy metals is missing or "disabled." Autism: a Novel Form of Mercury Poisoning from Medical Hypotheses "Thimerosal, a preservative added to many vaccines, has become a major source of mercury in children who, within their first two years, may have received a quantity of mercury that exceeds safety guidelines. A review of medical literature and US government data suggests that: (i) many cases of idiopathic autism are induced by early mercury exposure from thimerosal; (ii) this type of autism represents an unrecognized mercurial syndrome; and (iii) genetic and non-genetic factors establish a predisposition whereby thimerosal's adverse effects occur only in some children." Immune to Reason By Michael Fumento "Repeatedly Mr. Kennedy's conspiracy claims vanish like a vampire exposed to sunlight.  Which might be amusing were it not so serious.  The conspiracy-mongers have scared parents into not protecting their children." Thimerosal, Children's Vaccines and Autism by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. "Michael Fumento bases his defense of thimerosal on the assurances by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Institute of Medicine (IOM), but these are the same government agencies that green-lighted thimerosal for use in children's vaccines and that have ignored biological, toxicological and epidemiological studies linking thimerosal to a wide range of neurological disorders." Flu Vaccine Flu Facts from National Vaccine Information Center Flu Vaccine International Vaccination Newsletter from International Vaccination Newsletter "Questions have to be answered as to the efficacy and the safety of the vaccine." "The most intriguing deception of the public, however, is the suggestion that the patient who gets an influenza-vaccination will not get the flu." Why I Never Get Flu Shots by Chet Day "Have your doctor read you the insert that comes with the vaccine.  Then have him/her explain why it makes sense to inject toxic chemicals into the human body and how such substances can aid the delicate immune system. New Flu Vaccine is Loaded With Mercury by Joseph Mercola, D.O. "How is it possible that they can approve vaccines that have a preservative that has been outlawed for six years?" Does the Flu Vaccine Really Protect the Elderly? by Joseph Mercola, D.O. "For most people, the flu shot does not prevent illness, but actually does the polar opposite -- it weakens your immune system and makes you more predisposed to the illness." Alternatives to the Flu Vaccine by Joseph Mercola, D.O. "Beyond the toxins in the vaccines, though, those who obtain the immunization are in for a big surprise: the flu vaccine will actually do little to protect them from the flu. The influenza virus is merely an innocent bystander. Most people have been lead to believe -- by the pharmaceutical powers that dominate conventional medicine and really like your money -- that viruses like the flu bug are the problem. They are not the problem. The real problem is that many people, in fact most people in the U.S. now, have weakened and impaired immune systems that are unable to function as they’re designed to because of our horrendous dietary habits (the same culprit behind the obesity and chronic disease epidemics in the U.S.)" Six Ways to Avoid the Winter Flu and a Flu Shot Isn’t One of Them by Joseph Mercola, D.O. and Rachael Droege "Ways to greatly reduce your chances of getting the flu this year." ANTI VACCINE ARTICLES Dispelling Vaccination Myths by Alan Phillips "My point it not to tell anyone whether or not to vaccinate, but rather, with the utmost urgency, to point out some very good reasons why everyone should examine the facts before deciding whether or not to submit to the procedure. As a new parent, I was shocked to discover the absence of a legal mandate or professional ethic requiring pediatricians to be fully informed, and to see first-hand the prevalence of physicians who are applying practices based on incomplete--and in some cases, outright mis--information." The Medical Time Bomb of Immunization Against Disease by Robert S. Mendelsohn, M.D. "I have become a steadfast opponent of mass inoculation because of the myriad hazards they present." Are We Kidding Ourselves? by Lendon H. Smith, M.D. "It appears that the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Center for Disease Control, and the FDA are not reading and evaluating the vast literature that indicates that vaccinations to control whooping cough, diphtheria, measles, mumps, rubella, and polio are not effective, and worse yet, are hurting the children's immune systems to the point of allowing these same diseases and other devastations to invade their unprotected bodies." Mercury, Vaccines and Medicine by Mark A. Sircus "Though mercury, in the form of thimerosal, has been in use for over 60 years in vaccines, the big problem with this pharmaceutical practice only became obvious through decisions implemented in 1990 and 1991, when the medical establishment more than doubled the amount of mercury injected into children during the first year of life." The Truth Behind the Vaccine Coverup by Russell L. Blaylock, M.D. "In essence, too many vaccines are being given to children during the brain's most rapid growth period.  Known toxic metals are beings used in the vaccines that interfere with brain metabolism, antioxidant enzymes, damage DNA and DNA repair enzymes and trigger excitotoxicity." A User-Friendly Vaccination Schedule by Donald W. Miller, Jr., M.D. "Health officials consider a vaccine to be safe if no bad reactions -- like seizures, intestinal obstruction or anaphylaxis -- occur acutely.  The CDC has not done any studies to assess the long-term effects of its immunization schedule." "Rather than obediently following the government's schedule, there is now sufficient evidence, grounded in good science, to justify adopting a more user-friendly vaccination schedule.  One which is in the best interests of the individual as opposed to what planners judge best for society as a whole." Vaccine Scene 2001: Update and Overview by Harold E Buttram, M.D. "Scientific evidence does support the effectiveness of immunizations. They do prevent infectious diseases; some better than others, but this point is not disputed. Scientific evidence does not support the safety of immunizations: Safety studies on vaccinations are limited to short time periods only: several days to several weeks.  There are NO (NONE!) long-term (months or years) safety studies on any vaccination or immunization. There is limited but rapidly growing scientific evidence of long-term adverse side effects of vaccines that need much more study." Specific Vaccines - Effectiveness and Risks by Randall Neustaedter, O.M.D. Excerpted summaries from Dr. Neustaedter's book: The Vaccine Guide - Making An Informed Choice Tetanus; Polio; Pertussis (Whooping Cough); Acellular Pertussis Vaccine; Diphtheria; Measles, Mumps and Rubella; Haemophilus influenzae b (Hib) Meningitis; Hepatitis B; Varicella (Chickenpox) About Vaccine Choices by Randall Neustaedter, O.M.D. "What options are available to parents in their choice about vaccines? First, parents may decide they want less than the total range of recommended vaccines. It comes as a surprise to some parents that they can choose to have one or some vaccines and refuse others. You are responsible for your child’s health. You are in control. If a child suffers a dramatic and tragic reaction to a vaccine, it is the parents who must cope with it. The doctors may be sympathetic, but they are personally uninvolved. They view it merely as a casualty in the war against disease, if they admit any culpability at all." Eight Questions to Ask Before You Vaccinate by National Vaccine Information Center Should I Vaccinate My Child? by Jini Patel Thompson "While these short-term consequences are alarming (especially if it happens to your child) the possible long-term consequences of vaccination are, in my opinion, even more of a worry." Vaccines: A Second Opinion by Gary Null, Ph.D. "This report explores the interplay of economic, legal and political forces that affect vaccine policy and presents extensive scientific evidence that vaccines may not be as safe as we have been told." Excerpts of the 400-page article. The Case Against Immunizatons by Richard Moskowitz, M. D. "The truth is that we have been taught to accept vaccination as a kind of sacrament of our loyal participation in the unrestricted growth of scientific and industrial technology, utterly heedless of the long-term consequences to the health of our own species, let alone to the balance of Nature as a whole.  For that reason alone, the other side of the case urgently needs to be heard." Vaccination: A Sacrament of Modern Medicine by Richard Moskowitz, M.D. "Vaccines have become sacraments of our faith in biotechnology in the sense that 1) their efficacy and safety are widely seen as self-evident and needing no further proof; 2) they are given automatically to everyone, by force if necessary, but always in the name of the public good; and 3) they ritually initiate our loyal participation in the medical enterprise as a whole." Unvaccinated Children by Richard Moskowitz, M.D. "The argument that parents should vaccinate their children to protect society as a whole from epidemics does not make sense." Vaccinations and Children by Andrew Saul, Ph.D. The Truth Behind The Vaccine Cover-Up by Russell L. Blaylock, M.D. "In essence, too many vaccines are being given to children during the brain's most rapid growth period.  Known toxic metals are beings used in the vaccines that interfere with brain metabolism, antioxidant enzymes, damage DNA and DNA repair enzymes and trigger excitotoxicity.  Removing the mercury will help but will not solve the problem because overactivation of the brain's immune system will cause varying degrees of neurological damage to the highly-vulnerable developing brain." Whooping Cough, the DPT Vaccine, and Reducing Vaccine Reactions from the National Vaccine Information Center Vaccination Quotes From Doctors And Scientists Articles on Individual Vaccines from Think Twice Anthrax Chickenpox DPT and DTaP Flu Haemophilus Influenzae Type B Hepatitis B Vaccine Measles MMR Mumps Polio Smallpox Tetanus ANTI VACCINE RESOURCES Association of American Physicians and Surgeons Coalition For Informed Choice Individual Vaccines International Medical Veritas Association June Russell's Health Facts: Vaccinations Knowledge of Health by Bill Sardi Dr. Mercola's Favorite Vaccine Link Pages International Chiropractic Pediatric Association Michigan Opposing Mandatory Vaccines National Vaccine Information Center NaturalMom.com - The Vaccination Debate Think Twice Global Vaccine Institute Vaccine Information & Awareness Vaccination Information Internet Resources Vaccinations: Questions and Answers by Sherri J. Tenpenny, D.O. Vaccines and Scientific Studies RECOMMENDED BOOKS Please click on the picture of the book or the title to order.
Stephanie Cave and Deborah Mitchell, What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Children's Vaccinations	Judy Converse, When Your Doctor is Wrong, Hepatitis B Vaccine and Autism
David Kirby, Evidence of Harm: Mercury in Vaccines and the Autism Epidemic: A Medical Controversy	Robert S. Mendelsohn, M.D., How to Raise a Healthy Child In Spite of Your Doctor
Randall Neustaedter, O.M.D., The Vaccine Guide: Making an Informed Choice	Sherri J. Tenpenny, D.O., Vaccines: What CDC Documents and Science Reveal (DVD)