The Vaccine Debate

This article was updated on January 27th, 2021. 

THE VACCINE DEBATE

This has always been a hot issue whether it’s a childhood vaccine, the flu vaccine, and now the COVID19 vaccine. Many people believe very strongly in one side or the other in the vaccine debate, and they are very passionate about their beliefs. For sure, there is something to be learned when it comes to vaccines, and to really make an informed decision, it’s vital to see what data is available.

CHILDHOOD VACCINES:

When it comes to childhood vaccines, not including flu vaccines, children receive at least 9 distinct vaccines accounting for at least 28 shots by the time they are six years old. The number can vary based on the fact that there are some combination vaccines, which are intended to cut down on the number of shots kids get. In the 1940s, children were vaccinated against four diseases— smallpox, diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus. In the 1950s, polio was added to the mix. Fast forward to the late 1970s/early 1980s, children were receiving the same vaccines as a kid from the 1950s minus the smallpox (which was eradicated in this country), and there was the addition of a vaccine for measles, mumps, and rubella. Today kids receive vaccines for: diphtheria, measles, tetanus, mumps, rubella, pertussis, polio, hib, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis A, Varicella, Pneumococcal, Rotavirus, and flu. Wow!

Obviously, there are a number of people who are of the opinion that vaccines are the cause of autism. While some think our children receive way too many vaccines, and they may be the source of adverse reactions, the debate about whether they cause autism, is losing ground, since the autism research was the falsely reported study that came out in 1998 — the one where the investigators admitted they “manipulated” the evidence to make it look like there was a link between autism and the MMR vaccine.

More recent thinking is that it could be more of an environmental issue because of all the toxic chemicals children are exposed to not only when they are born, but also in-utero. Scientific research over the last century has revealed and deepened our understanding about health and environmental harms caused by thousands of widely used chemicals, that have been identified as contributors to or the cause of many of the chronic diseases now plaguing people, including childhood and adult cancer, heart disease, asthma, damage to other organs, learning and developmental disabilities, reproductive harm, obesity, and diabetes.

FLU VACCINES:

When it comes to flu vaccines, it’s a matter of personal choice. As adults, we can make our own decisions about whether we get a vaccination to prevent flu. The flu can be anything from miserable and debilitated to life-threatening and even death. Vaccinations can reduce the number of cases of illness and hospitalization as the flu is highly contagious. It causes hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations and thousands of deaths each year.

The flu vaccine is considered to be very safe, but it’s not for everyone. Don’t get the vaccine if you’ve had a severe allergic reaction to any ingredient it contains, including egg protein. You also should avoid the flu vaccine if you’ve had Guillain-Barré syndrome. In 1976, a swine flu vaccine was linked to an increased risk for Guillain-Barré, which causes the immune system to attack and damage the protective coating around nerve cells. Guillain-Barré syndrome causes extreme weakness and tingling in the limbs, known as severe peripheral neuropathy. It can be life-threatening in rare cases. There’s no clear link between the current flu vaccine and Guillain-Barré. If any risk exists, it’s very small, affecting about 1 out of every 1 million Trusted Source people vaccinated.

COVID-19 VACCINES:

Now, we are faced with the COVID-19 vaccines, and because of the raging pandemic that is now killing over 2.15 million worldwide, 425,216 in the USA alone, with the numbers rising every day, understandably, there’s a rush to get as many people vaccinated as possible. Add to that, the new twist of the virus mutating, there’s even more urgency. While only time will tell if there’s been a rush to try to get life back “to normal” at the cost of safety, there really doesn’t seem to be many other options.

What is important is that getting the vaccine is not just about survival from COVID-19, it’s about preventing the spread of the virus to others and preventing infection that can lead to long-term negative health effects. In this case, while no vaccine is 100% effective, it seems they are far better than not getting a vaccine. The benefits certainly outweigh the risks in healthy people.

RESOURCES:

One of the pro-vaccination websites is Vaccines.com and it is managed by a vaccine-maker, Sanofi-Pasteur is a helpful website to give you a jumping-off point. NaturalNews.com is a great resource for finding reasons not to vaccinate your child.

The https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/featured-topic/covid-19-vaccine-myths-debunked discusses the Myths and Facts about the COVID-19 Vaccine.