Personal Statement: I want to start this blog post by explaining why I did what I did. As the mother of two children diagnosed with autism, I’ve gotten my share of emails from ‘antivaxxers’ regarding what fault I have in my kids diagnosis. I’ve heard everything from “You know… Jenny McCarthy said that vaccines cause autism” to “You’re a horrible mother who should be ashamed of yourself. You gave your kids autism when you injected their tiny bodies with poison.” I, and many other parents I’ve spoken with who have children with autism have been borderline harassed by parents who refuse to vaccinate their children and have taken it upon themselves to use us and our children as a ‘warning’ to other parents.
They use us as a scare tactic to fear-monger other parents out of vaccinating.
My children, both of them, were showing signs of autism BEFORE they were even old enough to get the MMR vaccine. They both had to postpone their shots due to illness and one of them was already diagnosed by the time she received the MMR. Even after knowing this, the ‘antivaxxers’ refuse to believe that maybe, just maybe, vaccination didn't cause my kids to be autistic.
They use us as a scare tactic to fear-monger other parents out of vaccinating.
My children, both of them, were showing signs of autism BEFORE they were even old enough to get the MMR vaccine. They both had to postpone their shots due to illness and one of them was already diagnosed by the time she received the MMR. Even after knowing this, the ‘antivaxxers’ refuse to believe that maybe, just maybe, vaccination didn't cause my kids to be autistic.
So, one day, after a particularly cruel email, I sat here, thinking about cavemen. Cavemen had it rough. They were dropping like flies due to everything from the common cold to a bout of diarrhea. Mosquito bites, the flu… heck, even food poisoning from that slightly under-cooked Saber-toothed Tiger. Everything was a risk to them. I can only wonder if given the chance to utilize our advanced methods of preventing illnesses, if they’d do it. I have to think that, after watching so many of their fellow cave-folk die, they would. They’d use it readily and without much argument. Then again people these days are embracing the times of the cavemen. We have people refusing medical treatment that would save their lives, people that refuse to vaccinate against preventable illnesses; heck, we've got the Paleo diet, which is basically only allowing yourself to eat what a caveman would have. I guess I just don't understand why so many people are 'adopting' the ways of cavemen. After all, the average lifespan of a caveman was around 25 years.
The "Anti-Vaccination Movement" is moving us backwards...
I guess that’s why it’s so hard for me, today, to sit here and read that there are people getting seriously ill and even dying from diseases we have prevention for.
In order to find out why, I went to the "source". Chat rooms and message boards frequented by parents who refuse to vaccinate their children. I wasn’t there to insult them but to seriously try to understand why they've chosen not to vaccinate. I took what they said, and I asked a lot of questions, which I would hope any parent who’s thinking of making a choice like this would do. So, before I write this out, a disclaimer.
**The following are actual reasons and actual quotes given to me by individuals who've chosen not to vaccinate their children. They are, again, the opinions of the individuals I spoke with and, of course, don’t represent ALL anti-vaccination advocates. If you are an anti-vaccine parent and DO NOT like the way antivaxxers are portrayed in this blog, please take it up with your fellow antivaxxers and the way they conduct themselves online.**
Reason #1: Vaccines cause autism.
Actual Quote: “My kids chances of getting autism from a vaccine are higher than their chances of ever catching measles.”
Follow-Up: The link between vaccines and autism has been proven false numerous times. Andrew Wakefield had his license pulled when it was revealed he made up his research.
Reply: "You need to do more research. The link is there. Mercury causes autism!"
Follow-Up: They removed 'thimerosal' from vaccines in 1998, so if it caused autism, the rates of autism would drop, not increase.
Fact: There may be trace amounts of mercury found in some vaccines due to the specific way they're processed, however, the average tuna sandwich contains 28 micro grams of mercury, which is NINE TIMES more than what a child would get with ALL the infant vaccinations combined.
Reply: "You'll believe anything they tell you. Do your own research!"
Follow-Up: They removed 'thimerosal' from vaccines in 1998, so if it caused autism, the rates of autism would drop, not increase.
Fact: There may be trace amounts of mercury found in some vaccines due to the specific way they're processed, however, the average tuna sandwich contains 28 micro grams of mercury, which is NINE TIMES more than what a child would get with ALL the infant vaccinations combined.
Reply: "You'll believe anything they tell you. Do your own research!"
When I asked what research she had that showed proof of a link, she sent me a copy of a speech Jenny McCarthy made years ago that quoted Andrew Wakefield’s paper. When I asked for research that was up to date and didn't include any reference to Wakefield, I got no further replies.
An aside: Out of date research papers are NOT sufficient proof of anything. Unfortunately, everyday it seems there’s another paper being published that links autism to SOMETHING. Most of the time, these ‘reasons’ fade out just as fast as their published, but sometimes, they stick around. The ‘vaccines cause autism’ one is just one of those that won’t go away. Maybe due in part to parents who NEED this to be true in order to justify their choices or need something to blame. Also, when I'm told to do 'my own research', I think they mean they want me to conduct my own experiments because showing them fact based, peer reviewed scientific studies doesn't seem to qualify as 'actual research'. Who knew. Also, I got a lot of replies from parents who said, "My kid was fine until they got the vaccine!" "Not fine" to them can be anything from spiking a fever after the shot (which is normal), being under the weather for a few days, or losing motor function or being later diagnosed with autism. While it's convenient to blame the 'last big event' that happened before your child started to show symptoms of something negative, correlation is NOT causation.
Two things to add here: 1) Timing, of when most of the 'red flags' for autism start to show is normally between the ages of 18 months and 2 years. That also happens to the around the same time kids get the MMR vaccine. 2) As with everything, there are going to be those people out there who can't eat strawberries. They won't know they can't eat them until they've already had a bad reaction to them. However, just because some may react badly doesn't mean they are unsafe. The same goes with cough medicine, peanuts and, yes, vaccines.
Her Final Thought: "If vaccines don't cause autism, then how do you explain the epidemic?"
My Final Thought: "40 years ago, if a child displayed signs of ANY kind of disorder, they were placed in an asylum or an institution. They were all branded 'mentally retarded' or they were diagnosed with 'childhood psychosis'. As years pass, we learn to distinguish between disorders and we learn that there are names for things that used to be called something else. What we have now is not an epidemic, it's a rise in PROPER diagnoses. Years ago, schizophrenia, bi-polar, ADD, autism, torrent's syndrome, down's syndrome; ALL of them were considered the same and they were all treated, medically, the same. Now, we have medical professionals who know that they're not all the same and we can treat individuals properly. Since 1994, the entire criteria for an autism diagnosis has changed. So, better ways to diagnose = more diagnosis. The number could have been the same 40 years ago if children were being diagnosed correctly, but we'll never really know.
Two things to add here: 1) Timing, of when most of the 'red flags' for autism start to show is normally between the ages of 18 months and 2 years. That also happens to the around the same time kids get the MMR vaccine. 2) As with everything, there are going to be those people out there who can't eat strawberries. They won't know they can't eat them until they've already had a bad reaction to them. However, just because some may react badly doesn't mean they are unsafe. The same goes with cough medicine, peanuts and, yes, vaccines.
Her Final Thought: "If vaccines don't cause autism, then how do you explain the epidemic?"
My Final Thought: "40 years ago, if a child displayed signs of ANY kind of disorder, they were placed in an asylum or an institution. They were all branded 'mentally retarded' or they were diagnosed with 'childhood psychosis'. As years pass, we learn to distinguish between disorders and we learn that there are names for things that used to be called something else. What we have now is not an epidemic, it's a rise in PROPER diagnoses. Years ago, schizophrenia, bi-polar, ADD, autism, torrent's syndrome, down's syndrome; ALL of them were considered the same and they were all treated, medically, the same. Now, we have medical professionals who know that they're not all the same and we can treat individuals properly. Since 1994, the entire criteria for an autism diagnosis has changed. So, better ways to diagnose = more diagnosis. The number could have been the same 40 years ago if children were being diagnosed correctly, but we'll never really know.
(For some reason, a D-list 'celebrity' famous for disrobing and a discredited doctor who had his license pulled after admitting to falsifying data have more medical pull on parents than peer reviewed research and facts. By the way, McCarthy, who says vaccines are dangerous, totally endorses botox, which is actually proven to be seriously toxic. Wakefield, who was paid to lie about research, also lied and did seriously invasive tests on CHILDREN without approval.)
Reason #2: If your kid is vaccinated then what does it matter if mines not?
Actual Quote: “If vaccines work like you think they do, then your kid should be fine and you shouldn't be worried about them getting sick.”
Follow-Up: I told her that I wasn’t just worried for MY kids. It’s those that are too young to get vaccinated and those who are immunocompromised. Also, two words pretty much sums it up. HERD IMMUNITY. As the old adage goes, ‘it takes a village’ and the more people vaccinated in a certain area, the higher the chances of keeping the illnesses away. Those that are immunocompromised or are too young to get vaccinated DEPEND on herd immunity to stay safe. These illnesses are held at bay by those who are vaccinated.
*Unvaccinated children are 23 times more likely to catch whooping cough and 35 times more likely to get the measles and this in most part due to the fact that parents and children who aren't vaccinated are more likely to hang around other parents and children who are also unvaccinated. Then, unfortunately, those children spread illness to children who are too young to be vaccinated or to those who are immunocompromised.*
Reply: "That’s just what the people pushing vaccines want you to think. Prove it."
Follow-Up: Sent her links to actual CDC research and PDF’s from the World Health Organization that basically explained it as lay as they could. If you have 100 children in a room and only two of them are vaccinated, the chances of those kids getting sick are pretty high. If you have 100 kids in a room and 98 of them are vaccinated, the chances of any of those kids getting sick is pretty slim. Herd immunity works, but it takes a herd. The more the merrier.
Reply:"Herd Immunity is a myth. It's a made up term to trick people.”
Follow-Up: I sent her proof that herd immunity works to which I was sent an email that basically restated her original statement; that if vaccinations worked, then I didn't need to worry about vaccinated kids.
Reason #3: Vaccines are here just to make money for drug companies and doctors.
Actual Quote: “Why should I give in and poison my child just so doctors can get rich?”
Follow-Up: I sent her a link to the CDC’s web page that lists the prices for vaccines. It’s open for public viewing of course, and the highest priced vaccine on the entire list is around $180. I then sent a few links showing how much it costs to treat the measles. The average price is around $15k/per person. I’m no mathematician, but it seems as though ‘drug companies’ and doctors would profit much more by treating those already infected rather than encouraging vaccines and preventing illness in the first place. I also showed her that worldwide, vaccines make up only 2% of pharmaceutical revenue. Vaccines are only given once, or twice and there are boosters for some, but things like anti-depressants, anxiety medications, medications for heart conditions, high blood pressure etc. are given to people to take EVERYDAY. Why does no one say *those* medications are 'just to make doctors and drug companies rich'.
It costs more to treat the infected than to vaccinate and prevent.
I got no immediate reply, but a few days later, she emailed me stating that she’d done some research on a few things and actually thanked me for my opinion. I thanked her for sharing her views as well. Proof that people on opposite sides of a point of view can, in fact, be civil and proof that sharing information in the form of actual facts, instead of emotional anecdotes, can be useful. Even though I don’t know what her ultimate decision was regarding anything we talked about, it was still nice to think that she was taking the time to look into things.
Reason #4: I don’t trust doctors.
Actual Quote: “To doctors we’re all just numbers. They don’t know me or my children so why should I believe that they have my kids best interest in mind. They’re just trying to make money off me.”
Follow-Up: I pointed out that in her profile picture she was wearing glasses and had mentioned in another post that her husband had just come home from the hospital after having broken his leg at work. I asked why it was okay to trust doctors with her sight and her husbands ability to walk, but not with preventing potentially deadly diseases.
In her reply, she made mention of doctors trying to profit from vaccines, which I've already covered here. She did, however, bring Jenny McCarthy up again and even though the mere mention of her name makes my face red with anger, I decided to go with it. I guess I just get confused because while accusing doctors of wanting to 'just make money', I have to question why no one says that about the 'Autism Cure' profit making collective. Jenny McCarthy, alone, HAS made MILLIONS pushing her anti-vaccination agenda. She's written books, been paid to appear on TV shows, been paid to do speeches and public appearances. She's endorsed other people who've banked on the promise of a 'cure' for autism. Everything from 'organic' diets and hyperbaric chambers have been sold for PROFIT with a promise of being able to cure and even PREVENT autism. There is a MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR market out there with everyone from doctors and drug companies to stay-at-home mom's hocking their snake oil to parents who are desperate and grieving over an autism diagnosis. None of which has ever been proven to 'cure' anything.
In her reply, she made mention of doctors trying to profit from vaccines, which I've already covered here. She did, however, bring Jenny McCarthy up again and even though the mere mention of her name makes my face red with anger, I decided to go with it. I guess I just get confused because while accusing doctors of wanting to 'just make money', I have to question why no one says that about the 'Autism Cure' profit making collective. Jenny McCarthy, alone, HAS made MILLIONS pushing her anti-vaccination agenda. She's written books, been paid to appear on TV shows, been paid to do speeches and public appearances. She's endorsed other people who've banked on the promise of a 'cure' for autism. Everything from 'organic' diets and hyperbaric chambers have been sold for PROFIT with a promise of being able to cure and even PREVENT autism. There is a MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR market out there with everyone from doctors and drug companies to stay-at-home mom's hocking their snake oil to parents who are desperate and grieving over an autism diagnosis. None of which has ever been proven to 'cure' anything.
Reason #5: If your kid is vaccinated, then they can’t get sick. Then, mine won’t either.
Actual Quote: “If all the other kids are vaccinated, then my kid won’t get sick because the others can’t. I'm not going to risk my child. Just because people say it helps those that can't get vaccinated, there's no proof.”
My thoughts: I couldn't believe this woman refuses to vaccinate because of the risks, but is okay with other parents taking those risks to protect her kid. Seemed a little selfish. I didn't say that however, instead, I asked why it was okay for other parents to take the risks she deemed to ‘dangerous’, but thought it was okay for her child to benefit from it, but she never replied to my email.
Reason #6: Illegal Aliens
Actual Quotes: "These outbreaks wouldn't happen if we’d stop letting illegal aliens into our country."
Follow-Up: Proven statistics from other countries that show just how strict they are with their vaccination policies. Some countries see refusing to vaccinate as a form of child abuse. I also asked that if she believes it’s due to foreigners coming to the US, wouldn't it be a smart idea to vaccinate to prevent the spread of these illnesses.
Reply: “It’s mostly the illegal Mexicans that sneak in! We should just close the boarders and not let anyone in from outside the US.”
Follow-Up: I asked if she could prove this, or if this was just her opinion, since the last few outbreaks of measles were traced back to American citizens who were unvaccinated. I also pointed out that many people leave the country, and enter the country legally, so closing the boarders for everyone is not a logical answer.
(No reply)
Reason #7: It’s Obama’s fault.
Actual Quote: “Just like Ebola, Obama brought these diseases here on purpose because he’s trying to help drug companies get rich. He gets a profit. Every time there’s a ‘so-called outbreak’, Obama is lining his pockets with money handed over by parents who bought into the fear of measles, or whatever else he’s threatening us with.”
Follow-Up: (I honestly wasn’t sure if this person was serious or trolling) I understand that people don’t like Obama, but to think that he personally brought these illnesses here to intentionally make people sick seemed a little… “tin foil hat” to me. I asked if she had proof of this, or what evidence she had to back up these claims, but all I got back was “Obama is Muslim and hates Americans.”
(While I don’t take claims like these seriously, I wanted to include this here because, believe it or not, I got quite a few parents who said something similar to this. “Intentional outbreak” was used a lot and the blame was either placed on drug companies who just wanted to profit OR it was blamed on President Obama, who they are convinced is intentionally trying to kill Americans.)
Reason #8: It’s against my religion.
Actual Quote: “Vaccines go against God’s word and they use dead fetuses and dead fetus DNA to make them!”
Follow-Up: The ‘dead fetuses’ reason was used by most of the people who said they refused for religious reasons, however, what they are referring to is actually a human cell line originally derived from an aborted fetus from decades ago that is used to grow the viral stocks used to make some vaccines. These cells are hundreds of cell divisions removed from the first original cells and through science, no longer even contain the ‘first cells’ used. While some might still find that objectionable, vaccines do NOT contain DNA from ‘dead fetuses’.
Reply: “It goes against God’s word.”
Follow-Up: If God put everything here for people to ‘use and enjoy’, then how is using what is here to help people a bad thing?
Reply: “Mercury is man made, so are most of the dangerous chemicals in vaccines. Some vaccines contain chemicals that are lethal in high doses”.
Follow-Up: Most man made compounds come from combining other compounds and most of those ARE originally found in nature. The ‘mercury’ you’re referring to is *thimerosal* and that was removed from vaccines in 1998. Alcohol is lethal in high doses, but not in small doses and the bible speaks of using wine to help with stomach pain. There are a lot of things that are totally safe in low doses that are potentially lethal in high doses, even water. That doesn’t mean that they aren't beneficial and able to be used safely and medically.
Reply: “I will pray for your and your family.”
I thanked her for the sentiment, but at the same time, that didn't really address anything I said. I want to add here that while I am not religious, I think that everyone has a right to believe, worship or be involved in any faith they choose, at the same time, however, where do you draw the line between personal opinion and religious views when it comes to public safety?
The recent spike in unvaccinated children and the recent spike in outbreaks of things like measles and whooping cough has caused it’s share of justified controversy. Many doctors offices are now refusing to allow unvaccinated families in its doors in order to protect those who are too young to get vaccinated. There are some states that are requiring ALL children to be vaccinated before they can start school and will no longer allow for religious exemptions.
There are a lot of antivaxxers out there who say, “That’s not fair!”
But imagine if you can…
Before this last outbreak, two unvaccinated children spread the measles to a large population of children who were also unvaccinated. It landed a lot of children in the hospital including three babies who were too young to be vaccinated. Those three babies died. Now that number might not be enough to convince some people, but imagine, if you will, that YOUR child was one of those three.
Imagine your child had to die so someone else could express their personal opinions. Imagine if your child died so someone else could express their religious beliefs.
How is THAT fair?
Clearly this is a topic I feel strongly about. I, personally, am tired of the stigma that vaccines cause autism, and vice-versa. I'm tired of people using children like mine to push their own agenda. I'm tired of people using autism as a scare tactic.
I, as a mother, am saddened to see so many children suffer from something preventable due to misinformation and outdated thinking. I know that there will always be a line in the sand that certain parents glare over at other parents. Unfortunately, this isn't a debate about whether to use cloth diapers or disposables. It's moved past personal preference and is now a matter of public safety.
Again, I do NOT claim to be an expert and I don't want ANYONE to do anything based on what I have to say. I want people to do their own research, but please DO RESEARCH BASED ON SCIENTIFIC DATA. So many people I heard from while doing this said "Just because doctors went to school and have a licence to practice medicine, doesn't mean they know everything." Well, if I were to drastically oversimplify things, I could say that HANDS DOWN the guy that went to flight school and has a license to fly a plane should be more trusted to fly a plane than the man who used a flight simulator online, I don't know how many people would disagree. Maybe the people saying doctors aren't educated on these topics just because they have a license would in fact board a plane with a man who has no actual training flying a damn plane. Who knows... clearly, stranger things have happened.
Penn and Teller on vaccines causing autism. *Bad language used*
Clearly this is a topic I feel strongly about. I, personally, am tired of the stigma that vaccines cause autism, and vice-versa. I'm tired of people using children like mine to push their own agenda. I'm tired of people using autism as a scare tactic.
I, as a mother, am saddened to see so many children suffer from something preventable due to misinformation and outdated thinking. I know that there will always be a line in the sand that certain parents glare over at other parents. Unfortunately, this isn't a debate about whether to use cloth diapers or disposables. It's moved past personal preference and is now a matter of public safety.
Again, I do NOT claim to be an expert and I don't want ANYONE to do anything based on what I have to say. I want people to do their own research, but please DO RESEARCH BASED ON SCIENTIFIC DATA. So many people I heard from while doing this said "Just because doctors went to school and have a licence to practice medicine, doesn't mean they know everything." Well, if I were to drastically oversimplify things, I could say that HANDS DOWN the guy that went to flight school and has a license to fly a plane should be more trusted to fly a plane than the man who used a flight simulator online, I don't know how many people would disagree. Maybe the people saying doctors aren't educated on these topics just because they have a license would in fact board a plane with a man who has no actual training flying a damn plane. Who knows... clearly, stranger things have happened.
Here are some other quotes I've come across, concerning vaccines:
"Before 1945, or whenever vaccines started, there was no such thing as cancer. Now, we have cancer in dogs!" ~ Carl Buzz. Father of two. Who also believes that football, basketball and the American Music Awards are a creation by drug companies to keep you distracted while nurses stick needles into your baby. (This man also said that drug companies shipped vaccines to Africa, and now they have AIDS.)
"You think you get herpes from kissing? No, that's courtesy of your polio vaccine." ~Wendy Callahan, co-director of "Vaccination Liberation". She also said that the aluminum found in vaccines is lethal, but fails to realize that it's the SAME aluminum also found in over the counter antacids, except the antacids contain nearly 10x as much aluminum as vaccines do.
"I'd rather my child die from measles than be autistic." ~ Mary Anne (no last name). A message board user who said this to me when I told her that my child had autism BEFORE she was even vaccinated. This woman has two children and to think that she'd rather have a dead child than one with autism seriously broke my heart. I found it insulting as well that she later implied my kids would be 'better off' dead than living happy lives as loved children who happen to be autistic.
"Doctors don't respect our Vegan lifestyle. Until they come up with Vegan approved vaccines, I'll keep refusing. ~ BellofMidtown (username) regarding vaccines not being Vegan.
"You ask any mother in the autism community if we'll take the flu, the measles, over autism any day of the week." ~Jenny McCarthy (who DOES NOT speak for every mother, trust me.)
"The reason why [the medical community] is reluctant to talk about it is because there's such a huge business in pharmaceuticals." ~Also Jenny McCarthy, who banked an estimated 120 million dollars in two years due to book sales, public appearances and talk shows she went on to discuss her anti-vaccination stance and how she 'cured' her son of autism with diet change an vitamins. Turns out, her son never had autism in the first place. He's said to have had Landau-Kleffner Syndrome, a childhood neurological disorder sometimes misdiagnosed as autism.
"Vaccines are all part of the Obama administration and his attempt at controlling the American people." ~ username MarthasMom5485 (I didn't reply, but someone on the message board pointed out that vaccines have been around far longer than Obama's been in office.)
"Before 1945, or whenever vaccines started, there was no such thing as cancer. Now, we have cancer in dogs!" ~ Carl Buzz. Father of two. Who also believes that football, basketball and the American Music Awards are a creation by drug companies to keep you distracted while nurses stick needles into your baby. (This man also said that drug companies shipped vaccines to Africa, and now they have AIDS.)
"You think you get herpes from kissing? No, that's courtesy of your polio vaccine." ~Wendy Callahan, co-director of "Vaccination Liberation". She also said that the aluminum found in vaccines is lethal, but fails to realize that it's the SAME aluminum also found in over the counter antacids, except the antacids contain nearly 10x as much aluminum as vaccines do.
"I'd rather my child die from measles than be autistic." ~ Mary Anne (no last name). A message board user who said this to me when I told her that my child had autism BEFORE she was even vaccinated. This woman has two children and to think that she'd rather have a dead child than one with autism seriously broke my heart. I found it insulting as well that she later implied my kids would be 'better off' dead than living happy lives as loved children who happen to be autistic.
"Doctors don't respect our Vegan lifestyle. Until they come up with Vegan approved vaccines, I'll keep refusing. ~ BellofMidtown (username) regarding vaccines not being Vegan.
"You ask any mother in the autism community if we'll take the flu, the measles, over autism any day of the week." ~Jenny McCarthy (who DOES NOT speak for every mother, trust me.)
"The reason why [the medical community] is reluctant to talk about it is because there's such a huge business in pharmaceuticals." ~Also Jenny McCarthy, who banked an estimated 120 million dollars in two years due to book sales, public appearances and talk shows she went on to discuss her anti-vaccination stance and how she 'cured' her son of autism with diet change an vitamins. Turns out, her son never had autism in the first place. He's said to have had Landau-Kleffner Syndrome, a childhood neurological disorder sometimes misdiagnosed as autism.
"Vaccines are all part of the Obama administration and his attempt at controlling the American people." ~ username MarthasMom5485 (I didn't reply, but someone on the message board pointed out that vaccines have been around far longer than Obama's been in office.)
Helpful Links:
Centers for Disease Control. Information on Vaccinations.
World Heath Organization. Information on Vaccines.
Voices for Vaccines. A great personal story from a mother who's daughter is autistic, despite her previous stance against vaccinations.
Voices for Vaccines. A website of parents who are speaking up for vaccinations.
