Parents of newborn babies have it much easier today than they did, say, fifty years ago. Back then, if you were fortunate to have a safe and problem-free delivery, you then had to concern yourself with a whole slew of potentially deadly threats to your infant—like polio, rubella, and meningitis to name a few.
Nowadays vaccines have dramatically reduced cases of these and other serious diseases. Before the vaccine for measles became available, for example, Health Canada reports that our country had more than 61,000 cases of the virus in a five-year period; between 2000 and 2004, that number had dropped to a mere 200. Similarly, rubella (German measles) fell from nearly 38,000 cases to just 29 in that same timeframe.
Furthermore, the Canadian Paediatric Society website states: “The development of effective vaccines has been called the most significant advance in human health of all time. Within the past 50 years, we have witnessed the control of tetanus, diphtheria, measles and polio, and the complete eradication of smallpox.”
With information like that, it seems obvious that one of the most important things you can do as a parent is to have your child immunized. Yet still, some parents are wary. The reason stems from a controversial study that was published in a British medical journal in 1998 linking the MMR (measlesmumps- rubella) vaccine to autism. Although those findings were later retracted—and its primary author, Andrew Wakefield, disgraced—British parents abandoned the vaccine in hoards, which led to a massive resurgence of measles in Britain and Europe throughout the early 2000s. Here in Canada, there was a similar backlash against vaccines with some parents fearing vaccine overload; the notion that too many vaccines at once could overwhelm a baby’s immune system and lead to adverse effects. Although medical science and health professionals strongly refute this theory, the autism-vaccine connection was born, and many parents are still uncertain of their ‘reward to risk’ ratios.
Meet Toronto-based food and recipe blogger Emily Martin Johnson—a university-educated, modern mother of healthy four-year-old twins. After the birth of her babies in 2007, Emily chose against immunization despite obvious pressures from doctors and the community at large. “My decision had little to do with the autism connection,” she says. “There’s much more to it than that. I did my homework and I was struck by a study I’d read out of Sweden that compared the overall health of vaccinated versus unvaccinated children. Unvaccinated children are drastically healthier.”
This point, of course, is where the two sides fundamentally disagree. If you go to any official government or medicalbased website, you’ll see science-backed statements citing the superior immunities of vaccinated kids, as well as pleas and campaigns urging parents to have their babies immunized in order to prevent mass epidemics from infecting our communities. Commenting from the BC Ministry of Health, Craig Thompson, Director of Immunization, says, “There are plenty of studies that anti-immunizers cite, but all of them are based on data that cannot be replicated consistently (it doesn’t follow the scientific method). Their data is mostly based on observational findings, and this poses a problem…it isn’t proof!”
Still, whether it’s stemming from personal beliefs or outright fear, a large contingent of parents share Emily Martin Johnson’s resistance to vaccines, believing ‘the proof is in the pudding.’ Their lifestyles are typically rooted in holistic principles that a clean and natural existence is the best way to prevent disease. According to Martin Johnson, her kids, now in junior kindergarten, have never consumed fast food or cow’s milk; have never taken antibiotics or had an ear infection; and their diets are preservative and gluten free. “They are extremely healthy, happy kids…the healthiest kids I know,” she insists.
To that point Thompson says, “Unvaccinated kids are healthy largely because they are benifitting from the vaccinated kids. Many diseases are no longer prevalent in Canada because of the success of our immunization programs. But what happens if those kids were to travel to a country with high rates of preventable disease?”
When pressed about why she chose this path—why the resistance to vaccines despite all the medical statistics and pressures from health professionals to do so, Martin Johnson explains, “I just don’t believe in vaccines; I don’t trust them. They are dirty, toxic and full of gunk. Until they come out with a clean, organic vaccine, I’m out.”
Of course, each vaccine is different and the ingredients do vary, but Thompson counters that “vaccines are all made from dead or small amounts of the actual disease. Sounds pretty green to me!” He also points out that the mercury-containing preservative thimerosal—an ingredient that used to exist in childhood vaccines until 2002—was, in fact, very safe despite concerns that it somehow triggered autism. And notably, since that ingredient was removed, autism hasn’t shown any signs of declining. “Vaccines are highly regulated in Canada. They are safe. They are tested. They are the most effective method of disease prevention in Public Health.”
But, like with any medication, there are always minor risks of side effects—and for some parents, the rewards (staving off the mumps or the measles) just isn’t good enough to risk a reaction. (“I’ll take the mumps over an autoimmune disorder, thank you,” says Martin Johnson, staunchly, despite overwhelming evidence that vaccines are safe.) And though she won’t be following her kids’ immunization schedules this year, Dr. Bortolussi and his fellow medical professionals urge you to follow yours. “We know that the human immune system is complex and is fully mature only by adolescence. That is why some vaccines must be given more than once to young children and others are not given until a certain age.”
The bottom line is, don’t delay—get those vaccinations on schedule! Although everyone is entitled to their own opinions and beliefs, and we all want what’s best for our children, it’s important to do the right thing when it comes to matters of health and safety. Talk to your child’s physician if you are still in doubt.
How childhood immunization works
Childhood immunization helps the immune system build resistance to disease. Children are given vaccines containing tiny amounts of viruses or bacteria that are dead, weakened, or purified. The vaccines prompt the child’s immune system to produce antibodies that attack the virus or bacteria to prevent disease. The child’s immune system stores the information about how to produce those particular antibodies, and responds if the child is exposed to that same virus or bacteria in the future.
In Canada, there are currently vaccines to prevent 13-plus diseases, and they are publicly funded for children in all provinces and territories. For more information or to download an immunization schedule, visit: www.hc-sc.gc.ca
How safe are vaccines?
Vaccines are actually very safe, despite implications to the contrary. The vast majority of vaccine side effects are minor and temporary, like a sore arm or mild fever. These can often be controlled by taking acetaminophen before or after vaccination. More serious reactions occur rarely (on the order of one per thousand to one per million doses), and some are so rare that risk cannot be accurately assessed. – Public Health Agency of Canada
It is the parents’ choice whether or not to vaccinate their own children. You need to do your own research and decide for yourself, but you also need to be sure your source of information is credible. Saying that your chlidren are unvaccinated and healthy doesn’t prove anything against vaccines. My children are vaccinated and healthy, but that was my choice. By the way, the amount of antigens in vaccines have significantly decreased over the years (in 1980 ,the DPTP vaccine alone contained over 3000 antigens, almost 20 years later 4 vaccines given in a visit contained only 34 antigens).
If you consider antibiotics (anti life) and vaccinations to be essential to “cure the infectious diseases”, maybe you need to look at the countless many graphs of the natural decline to death of diseases before every main vaccination was introduced, here is just a sample http://www.theoneclickgroup.co.uk/documents/vaccines/Immunization Graphs PPT – RO 2009.pdf
What a great article! I think the spirit of this article is what makes it interesting. On the one hand, as parents, there are biological instincts that trigger the release of feel good chemicals when we see our children enjoying the good things nature has to offer. For me, nothing makes me feel better than providing environments and foods that will promote healthy living and fun. These things can be achieved by staying active, enjoying the outdoors and playing in green spaces (which we have smartly preserved). Further watching my young boys eat apples and gobble up natural unprocessed foods- gives me a euphoric feeling that can best be distilled down to the old adage- ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’. Although I believe in the spirit of this old adage – and it is clearly well placed in addressing many ills faced in modern medicine (e.g. child obesity and increasingly cases of diabetes) it does have its limits. Eating lots of apples did not cure the infectious diseases listed above- vaccines and antibiotics were essential. Our increasing lifespan is a clear testament to that fact. As a scientist (and for that matter a parent), I have learned to question things but also to appreciate that medical findings are scrutinized with vigor by the best minds of our times. The scientific and medical advances are something to behold – we no longer have children dying after contracting a common infectious disease. Dialogue brought about by these articles are also healthy. It reminds me of the value of choice, and the benefits of sound public healthy policy for our greater good. Thanks again for the article!
Based on my own personal research, there is more evidence FOR vaccines and the good that they do…similar maybe to getting the flu shot. Just knowing that we don’t have to fear horrible diseases like many thousands died from in the past is enough for me. Within the past 50 years, we have witnessed the control of tetanus, diphtheria, measles and polio, and the complete eradication of smallpox.
Please can you show me you evidence for your claims
If you think those who warn against vaccination are wrong, just take a few moments to at least consider the points they are trying to make. Watch the documentary Greater Good and read parents’ experiences at http://www.thinktwice.org. An educated weighing up of true risks and benefits could mean that your child avoids an horrific vaccine injury with little prospect of compensation. Most parents of vaccine injured children are desperate to help you learn the truth before it is too late. Rather than dismiss and vilify them just hear them out and don’t be swayed by compromised information sources that are determined to maintain the status quo at any price.
A nice comment stated fairly. If you were in charge of promoting the anti-vac message more people might listen. Being yelled at is not the right approach.
I find all of these comments quite interesting as this is, without a doubt, a balanced article. I think the anti-vaccine groups feel it is only unbalanced as they are lacking solid evidence to support their claims. There is yet to be a good quality peer-reviewed study that supports any of the claims of the anti-vaccine groups. You can list the numeours anecdotal events outlining the horrors of vaccines, but this is not evidence in which we base, or should base, medical practice. Vaccines are one of the most effective advances in medicine and are responsible for essentially eliminating numerous DEADLY diseases.
Exactly!
I agree completely with this comment. Most parents have inklings that their baby may have a condition before a vaccine – they may not give eye contact or they may have repetitive behaviour, if it’s autism, but it’s easy to look for blame. Just wait – the condition will show itself at some point, vaccine or not. Everything has risks, perhaps, but if you have a normal healthy baby the best thing to do is get get ‘em vaccinated. Don’t risk a disease and put others at risk too. Good article here.
I chose to have my children vaccinated and thankfully they suffered no ill effects. I do take issue, however, with parents who choose not to vaccinate being denigrated by the “moral majority”. I have seen children with major medical problems and/or autism who were vaccinated. I have yet to see one case of autism in an unvaccinated child. Coincidence? I think not.
I would never presume to encourage/discourage a parent for choosing what they think is best for their child.
This is a very hot topic and one that people feel deeply passionate about. I see there is much more to this conversation and a lot to be said! If Emily Martin Johnston feels misrepresented, that was not my intent and I will post her position, in her voice, in a follow up article if she so desires. Emily, contact me to make the arrangements if you are interested. Thanks!
Kudos on a well-articulated article. At no point did you take rude pot-shots such as those that are being taken at you. Here’s hoping you won’t stoop to such a base level. You presented this mom in a positive and non-judgmental light while expressing your views – backed up by facts. Not an easy task given the volatility of the subject matter.
I agreed to participate in this article because I was promised by writer Erin Ruddy that she wanted to write an article on the controversy surrounding vaccines right now. She promised me, after I expressed concern, that it was in fact NOT going to be an article just to discredit the ‘informed choice’ or ‘anti-vacine movement’ but in fact tell both sides of the story. During the interview she seemed interested in my (and others) concerns with vaccines and asked for links, articles and studies to do further reading (which she obviously didn’t do) I also have to add that many of the quotes from me are not direct – I never would have said ‘organic vaccine’..
Havingachuckle – I will not take back that she is a talented writer….in fact I still believe that she is….she writes wonderful fiction. And keep in mind that she interviewed ME, asking me to BE the ‘mouthpiece’ for my opinion and stance on this subject. And just like she is allowed to have her opinion (which BTW is NOT suppose to be expressed when writing as a journalist unless this is going to be filed under ‘Opinion Piece’ or ‘Editorial’ and no she didn’t back them up) so are the others that made comments)
It is unfortunate that another opportunity to have both sides of the ‘story’ told has been missed to ‘towing the mis-informed line’, and safe non boat rocking. Boring really…..I was promised and expected more If you really want to learn something look at the ‘vaccine’ page on my website
Interesting how those with anti-vaccine views take no issue criticizing, insulting, and being downright rude when they don’t agree with statements, but oh lordy!, best they not be criticized. Very well thought-out article; just a shame that the expectation was that the mom you quoted could use your article as a mouthpiece for her views. Check out her site – back in November she referred to you as a talented writer. Bet that’s being taken back. And not once did you criticize her in this article. As a writer, you are entitled to your opinions which you have backed-up – same goes for her. So why the hate towards you?? I feel bad that your hard work was for nothing.
This article is a horrifying white wash of an issue that is so much more serious than is presented here. It is also inaccurate, misleading, and missing a lot of information.
This piece states, “Of course, each vaccine is different and the ingredients do vary, but Thompson counters that ‘vaccines are all made from dead or small amounts of the actual disease. Sounds pretty green to me!’ ”
Mr. Craig Thompson needs to do some research himself. Here is a link to the list of ingredients present in the most common vaccinations (which include formaldehyde, aluminum, and cells from aborted fetal tissue to name a few.) There is very little on this list to make anyone feel that they are making a “green” or “safe” choice for their children. And I’d be surprised if anyone wasn’t tempted to do more research and educate themselves further after reading it. http://www.informedchoice.info/cocktail.html
This article is irresponsible. You have an medium and shame on you for not giving both sides to this story. You have not quoted any experts on the anti-vacine side. You have not addressed the amount of money that drug companies receive as a result of every child receiving THREE times the amount I received as a child. THREE TIMES! Do you really think eradicated diseases are on the rise in North America? Is it not lost on you that somehow we all managed to not get Hepatitis (in any form), yet we are giving that vaccine to every child? Is it not lost on you that, feasibly, at a 6 month check up a child can receive 6-8 vaccines in ONE day? Do you know anything about nerve development? Do you know that the part of the nerve that protects the nerve from bacteria and viruses are not fully formed until age 2? Do you even know that the shots you encourage parents to give their children ARE bacteria and viruses? Can you explain to me why US pharmacies answer the phone “thank you for calling, get your flu shot now”? Do you think they are doing this out of the kindness of their hearts, because God forbid somebody get achy and have a fever? Do you know anyone that has died from Chicken Pox? Your medium should encourage parents to THINK. There is room for movement on both sides of this argument. Your telling your readers to be responsible and get their kids vaccinated is ironic because you, in a word are IRRESPONSIBLE.
Amy – Good to hear that you personally didn’t get hepatitis. You conclude that the vaccine isnt necessary because you personally didn’t get hepatitus. Hmmm… those living with Hepatitus would likely have preferred the risk and option of a vaccine. The flu kills up to 1500 Canadians per year… again, in your experience, you did not experience dealth, but aches and pains, and I’m happy for you. Your personal experience is not proof that vacination is not required.
Are parents of the vaccine injured children also selfish when they no longer vaccinate for THAT reason? My son suffered a terrible reaction to a vaccine when he was 3 years old. Lost so many skills and was given a diagnosis of “Mental Retardation” (medical term still used today as a diagnosis).
The problem with post vaccine injury….is…that it is NOT very rare. There is 1……No diagnostic tests to proove that the vaccine caused it…not one single test determines that!!! and…… 2.Doctors make the post vaccine diagnosis based on symptoms and often claim that the post vaccine issue is a coincidence! 3. they go to extremes to “protect” public health from a scare away from vaccines by denying children who have had some, very real injuries.
Today….My son is 20 years old and functions on a 6 year old level. Post vaccine injury, that no doctor wants to make. They told me they would make the diagnosis after they ruled other things out….and they ruled those things out! The doctor retired, and no doctor will go up against the Pharmaceutical companies for my son….This is the way it is….so when people tell me that it is so very rare that kids are being vaccine injured……think again, the system says it is rare….but the numbers of the kids racking up with all kinds of vaccine injuries….is overwhelming……..Am I STILL selfish for NOT vaccinating my son?
My son should not have to further bear the burdeon of protecting YOUR child……..No one protected him when he was injured……No one!
I think parents who don’t vaccinate their kids are selfish and they are not thinking of the great good.
vaccinations reduce disease, plain and simple. what would happen if no one vaccinated their kids? Their would be mass epidemics.
when you stated that thimerosal was taken out of all vaccines that is simply not true. there are still some vax that DO contain small amounts. and there are some that contain the full amount like the flu shot that mamas get while pregnant (unless they are smart and educated) that goes straight to fetus brain bc the blood barrier is not intact.
perhaps yu should mention the aluminum that is in the shots that causes problems and that exceeds the legal limit on babys brains by 3 times the amount in one dr visit. and dont forget the aborted fetal cells used.
lets be truthful. to follow the herd is much easier and less conflict than to educate oneself and stand alone.
its only the uneducated and the lazy that get their child fully vaxxed…bc then there is no accountability when somehting goes wrong. but that is the way of the world nowadays right?!
oh and dont forget that the studies of vaccines….are conducted by vaccine companies.LMAO really? now please argue the safety of them…seems quite oxymoron
when you are on the toilet and need reading material check out dr blaylock who is a neurologist. he used to be pro vax until he saw the effects of the CRAP that is put in vaccines.
sorry my dear. the non vaxxers and selective vaxxers are on the rise. why? bc there was a point in time (1983) when there were 10 shots given. now it is 38-46 before the age of 2.
just plain retarded. and that is what it is causing in our children.
not mine.
and since i see that there are no other comments on this thread i can assume you have a busy day of deleting them. LOL
There are NO long term studies done on vaccines, and no studies AT ALL done on the combination of vaccines given per schedule. Every shot you allow in your child is a roll of the dice. Ask any parent who’s child regressed right after receiving a large round of shots. The recommended schedule has grown by over 250% in the past 25 yrs. Are children healthier? NO, quite the opposite. Stop believing this propaganda crap and do some real research.
What a cop out. Given the opportunity to fully explore the dynamic of natural immunity in action, you have instead bowed to the pressure placed upon you by the status quo. Ask your experts please how it is that fully vaccinated children, with positive antibodies, will still succumb, by the dozens and droves, to whooping cough and measles. No ‘antivaccination’ parent anywhere near them. There have been many many instances in the news in the past few months. Look them up. I’ll keep my vaccine sceptic hat on, right next to my bs sensor, thank you very much. You vaccinate your infants, Mine are fine. Unvaccinated teens – healthy as can be.
The information in the very first paragraph is incorrect. One hundred years ago, the childhood diseases were a threat, but by fifty years ago they simply weren’t. The government’s statistics are unambiguous; the incidence or threat (mortality) of the childhood diseases declined by more than 95% during the first half of the century, before the vaccines were even introduced – that is, the vaccines didn’t eradicate them.
Now speak to the $2 billion the national vaccine court has awarded in compensation for proven vaccine damages, including epilepsy, brain damage and death, and the fact that the CDC’s adverse reaction reporting database is dysfunctional – the AMA’s own magazine, JAMA, has cited studies finding that only 1% of serious reactions ever get reported. In other words, no one can really tell us what are the true risks of vaccines. No one can make an informed decision without all the information.
Now re-write the article.
Educate before you vaccinate.