Comments on: Governments should prep for the next vaccine scare http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/02/26/governments-should-prep-for-the-next-vaccine-scare/ now with extra source Sun, 12 Feb 2012 02:48:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Kate http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/02/26/governments-should-prep-for-the-next-vaccine-scare/#comment-4472 Kate Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-4472 It's pretty damn obvious that anyone who is so patently against immunisation has never seen a baby with whooping cough struggling to breathe. Tens of thousands of people die every year in 3rd world countries from diseases that could have easily been prevented by vaccination for lack of nothing other than funding, yet here in Oz, one of the most affluent nations in the world, we have people too stupid to do the smart thing. It’s pretty damn obvious that anyone who is so patently against immunisation has never seen a baby with whooping cough struggling to breathe. Tens of thousands of people die every year in 3rd world countries from diseases that could have easily been prevented by vaccination for lack of nothing other than funding, yet here in Oz, one of the most affluent nations in the world, we have people too stupid to do the smart thing.

]]> By: steve martin http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/02/26/governments-should-prep-for-the-next-vaccine-scare/#comment-4473 steve martin Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-4473 It has been suggested that the excessive cleanliness of modern homes,and children could be the reason for increased allergic reactions among today's. children; it is suggested that their immune systems have failed to develop strongly because they are unchallenged.<br />Could vaccinations for so many ailments have a similar effect?<br />I am well into my 70s and never seem to have illness of any sort (although I do get Flu injections annually), yet as a child i had measles,rubella, whooping cough, scarlet fever, and of course mumps, maybe these challenges developed my immune system.<br />I of course know that some of these diseases can have very serious consequences. It has been suggested that the excessive cleanliness of modern homes,and children could be the reason for increased allergic reactions among today’s. children; it is suggested that their immune systems have failed to develop strongly because they are unchallenged.
Could vaccinations for so many ailments have a similar effect?
I am well into my 70s and never seem to have illness of any sort (although I do get Flu injections annually), yet as a child i had measles,rubella, whooping cough, scarlet fever, and of course mumps, maybe these challenges developed my immune system.
I of course know that some of these diseases can have very serious consequences.

]]> By: Bronwyn http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/02/26/governments-should-prep-for-the-next-vaccine-scare/#comment-4474 Bronwyn Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-4474 There are already people concerned about vaccinating children in Australia. There are too many vaccines in too short a time and many of the illnesses are not that bad for kids to catch, from first hand experience measles is much worse as an adult. The Australian Vaccination Network (http://avn.org.au) contains links and information so that everyone can be informed. the increase in vaccinations must have something to do with the increase in autism. If I had children I would be hesitant to vaccinate without naturopath support and would probably not allow all the vaccines. According to the vaccination schedule you have to get boosters of most of the vaccines in your teens and as adults anyway, and your brain is more able to cope with the mercury levels then. There are already people concerned about vaccinating children in Australia. There are too many vaccines in too short a time and many of the illnesses are not that bad for kids to catch, from first hand experience measles is much worse as an adult. The Australian Vaccination Network (http://avn.org.au) contains links and information so that everyone can be informed. the increase in vaccinations must have something to do with the increase in autism. If I had children I would be hesitant to vaccinate without naturopath support and would probably not allow all the vaccines. According to the vaccination schedule you have to get boosters of most of the vaccines in your teens and as adults anyway, and your brain is more able to cope with the mercury levels then.

]]> By: DH http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/02/26/governments-should-prep-for-the-next-vaccine-scare/#comment-4475 DH Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-4475 10 years ago I would have read Adele Horin and cheered, joined Kate and Kitty in abusing selfish parents who don't protect their kids by vaccinating. It's a media-driven national pastime - identify a sub-group that thinks differently and denigrate them. Julie Leask seems reasonable by comparison, but dismisses vaccine safety as a PR issue. It is easy to discredit any causal theory when it comes to autism - which is after all just a defined set of behaviours. The underlying problems may vary, a confounding variable making most experiments non-repeatable.<br /><br />10 years ago we had our first child. At nine months old he was staring at objects sideways. Doctors said don't worry - babies do wierd things as they develop. But he didn't develop - at 2 he had no eye contact, few words and screamed at other kids. After MMR, words stopped altogether and he could no longer recognise us from other adults. At 2.5, he was formally diagnosed with autism. We were told he would never talk, never 'know' us and would be institutionalised for life. We were told to prepare ourselves for this - he no longer had a life.<br /><br />Here are some facts. Aged 10, he is a happy kid at a normal school, with lots of friends, aced his 2008 NAPLAN - he has a life. The doctors now say it was a misdiagnosis - code for curing the incurable. We spent 5 years on those "wacky internet sites" that explained the connection between our son's symptoms, the pertussis vaccine and thimerosal. We followed their advice, we spent our time, house and savings curing him through therapy, diet and supplements. We rid his body of mercury and other toxins. We watched our son improve - very fulfilling, I recommend it! We gained confidence to have another child - and did not vaccinate her. We did not have any issues. That this could ever happen is totally discredited by medical authorities. We are stupid, selfish, uninformed, bad parents to the Adele Horin brigade - slavering with condemnation but lacking personal experience. 10 years ago I would have read Adele Horin and cheered, joined Kate and Kitty in abusing selfish parents who don’t protect their kids by vaccinating. It’s a media-driven national pastime - identify a sub-group that thinks differently and denigrate them. Julie Leask seems reasonable by comparison, but dismisses vaccine safety as a PR issue. It is easy to discredit any causal theory when it comes to autism - which is after all just a defined set of behaviours. The underlying problems may vary, a confounding variable making most experiments non-repeatable.

10 years ago we had our first child. At nine months old he was staring at objects sideways. Doctors said don’t worry - babies do wierd things as they develop. But he didn’t develop - at 2 he had no eye contact, few words and screamed at other kids. After MMR, words stopped altogether and he could no longer recognise us from other adults. At 2.5, he was formally diagnosed with autism. We were told he would never talk, never ‘know’ us and would be institutionalised for life. We were told to prepare ourselves for this - he no longer had a life.

Here are some facts. Aged 10, he is a happy kid at a normal school, with lots of friends, aced his 2008 NAPLAN - he has a life. The doctors now say it was a misdiagnosis - code for curing the incurable. We spent 5 years on those “wacky internet sites” that explained the connection between our son’s symptoms, the pertussis vaccine and thimerosal. We followed their advice, we spent our time, house and savings curing him through therapy, diet and supplements. We rid his body of mercury and other toxins. We watched our son improve - very fulfilling, I recommend it! We gained confidence to have another child - and did not vaccinate her. We did not have any issues. That this could ever happen is totally discredited by medical authorities. We are stupid, selfish, uninformed, bad parents to the Adele Horin brigade - slavering with condemnation but lacking personal experience.

]]> By: Kitty http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/02/26/governments-should-prep-for-the-next-vaccine-scare/#comment-4476 Kitty Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-4476 Brownwyn's comment is ill-informed and irresponsible. The rise in cases of Autism in recent years are due to a rise in detection, thanks to an increase in research and better informed doctors and parents. In previous decades, a mild to medium case of autism would quite often have gone undetected or blamed on the child's personality - "He's an odd child."<br /><br />The 'Australian Vaccination Network' are nothing but an anti-vaccication propaganda group and should not be considered a credible authority on the matter. Quite frankly, if vaccinations caused Autism, then it would stand to reason that all vaccinated children would end up Autistic. This is obviously not the case.<br /><br />I urge all parents to vaccinate and protect their children from harmful, and quite often fatal, diseases. I have done so with my little girl. I couldn't think of anything worse than exposing her to measles or whooping cough.<br /><br /> Brownwyn’s comment is ill-informed and irresponsible. The rise in cases of Autism in recent years are due to a rise in detection, thanks to an increase in research and better informed doctors and parents. In previous decades, a mild to medium case of autism would quite often have gone undetected or blamed on the child’s personality - “He’s an odd child.”

The ‘Australian Vaccination Network’ are nothing but an anti-vaccication propaganda group and should not be considered a credible authority on the matter. Quite frankly, if vaccinations caused Autism, then it would stand to reason that all vaccinated children would end up Autistic. This is obviously not the case.

I urge all parents to vaccinate and protect their children from harmful, and quite often fatal, diseases. I have done so with my little girl. I couldn’t think of anything worse than exposing her to measles or whooping cough.

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