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Vaccine Fight -- Get the Popcorn!
January 12, 2009 at 7:20 AM by Cafe Cynthia - Comments (23)
There's a war going on between two top pediatricians. Dr. Paul Offit, a big vaccine proponent and spokesman for the American Academy of Pediatrics, is slamming a book by the noted Dr. Robert Sears (son of William).
Dr. Sears' best-selling book, The Vaccine Book: Making the Right Decision for Your Child, includes Dr. Bob's Alternative Vaccine Schedule, a formula by which parents can space out vaccines and delay the ones for the lowest-risk diseases.
Right now, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends babies get 14 different vaccines, requiring as many as 5 shots in a single visit and 26 by age 2. Dr. Sears feels more parents would opt to vaccinate if they had the choice of using his slower vaccine schedule.
He might be right. Throngs of parents are walking into their pediatrician offices demanding this schedule, and those docs are getting pretty teed off. Enter Dr. Offit.
He says Dr. Sears "misrepresents vaccine science and misinforms parents trying to make the best decisions for their children. At the very least, the schedules will increase the time during which children are susceptible to diseases. If more parents insist on Sears' vaccine schedules, then fewer children will be protected, with the inevitable consequence of continued or worsening outbreaks of preventable diseases."
Dr. Sears lashes back by saying Dr. Offit "greatly misrepresented the overall message of this book as being anti-vaccine." He says he is pro-vaccine and illuminates both sides of the debate in an effort to help everyone understand the fears behind vaccines. He says Dr. Bob's Alternative Vaccine Schedule encourages parents to vaccinate, and would actually raise vaccination rates.
For even more drama, read the entire AAP special article on Sears' book and Dr. Sears' response to the AAP.
Is Dr. Sears right? Would non-vaccinating moms change their minds if they could immunize their children more selectively and slowly? Would you?
FILED UNDER: doctor visits, health, safety
Comments:
We CAN vaccinate our children more selectively and slowly. I do. However, I am not anti-vaccine, I just believe it is too much too soon.
I still want my children protected against potentially fatal/debilitating illness, but I do not think sticking FIVE needles filled with toxins into the thigh muscles of an infant /toddler is the best way.
We discussed at delayed/spaced/selective schedule with the ped after doing some research. That is the schedule we now follow for all of my children.
It is great that Dr. Sears is trying to educate families on alternate schedules so that parents can make informed decisions and know they do have a choice. Some families are againt or do not believe in the vaccination process itself, so a delayed scheduled would not make a difference to them at all.
My kids are vaxxed on the AAP's recommended schedule. My husband and I are up to date on our boosters. We all get flu shots every year and my son even got the RSV shot every every month from Oct. to March his first year.
The delayed vaccine schedule seems to be a way to get even more doctor's visits in, thus making the doctors more money.
My kids have never gotten more than 3 needles at each visit, it's usually only one or two. I am confident that I am doing what is right for my family and feel that other parents should be confident they are doing what is right for theirs, weather they vax on the AAP schedule, delay the vaccines or do not vax at all.
Being the parent of a child on the spectrum, I believe it's 50/50. Part genetics, and part vaccines.
Personally I don't think vaccines have anything to do with autism, symptoms show up around the age that children are receiving the vaccines because that is when symptoms of autism start to manifest.
Now as far as using a delayed schedule because that is a lot of vaccines for a small child to receive. I see nothing wrong with it. If there is a chance of a reaction from the shot it is easier to know which vaccine caused it. I can NOT have a MMR because the mumps part almost killed me when I was a few months old but was still able to take an alternative measles and rubella vaccine.
Author David Kirby just posted about the vaccine-ASD connection last week on Huffington Post. Just to add fuel to the fire!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-kirby/uc-davis-study-autism-is_b_156153.html
I have read and go by Dr. Sears delayed vaccine schedule and I do not feel that Dr. Sears is biased or "anti-vaccine." The book is very neutral and very informative as well!! I think we over vaccinate (why does my 1 year old need a Hepatitis A shot anyway??) and have been programmed to not question the doctor's decisions for way too long!
I personally do not feel many young kids immune systems can handle the number and quanity of vaccines the CDC recommends, especially when many vaccines are being combined into one shot. The immune system must effectively fight the dead cells in a vaccine in order to develop adaquate antibodies to it. Sometimes this doesn't happen because the body is trying to fight several vaccines at once. There are also no studies done on the long-term effects of combining these vaccines, each of which carry its own trace amounts of various toxins.
Because of this, my family is following an alternative vaccine schedule. However, we only decided this after doing a great deal of research, including reading Dr. Sears book. My personal belief is that each family needs to make an informed decision about what is right for their family. I think our society is at an age of passivity when it comes to following advice from a doctor and we need to be active participants in decisions regarding our health.
I vaccinated my children on schedule and thankfully they are all fine. I can see how doing on the extended drawn out schedule would get you into the doctor's office more often which does add up to more $$$ for them. It costs $80 to walk through our doctor's door if it isn't for one of the well child check ups. Not to mention the cold/flu risk you run just by going to a doctor's office in the winter. I hate going in there with a well child I feel like I am walking into a cess pool of germs.
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I BELIEVE THAT KIDS THAT HAVE AUTISM PDD THE VACCINES ARE 50% OF THE REASON THEY GIVE KIDS 3 OR MORE SHOTS AT ONE TIME AND THAT CANNOT BE GOOD AND MY DAUGHTER HAS PDD AND IT ALSO STARTED RIGHT WHEN SHE TURNED 6 MONTHS.
ebeans Jan. 12, 2009 at 8:04 AM