I am very
interested in the whole vaccination debate. As a health care worker, I
understand the importance, safety, & efficacy of vaccinations. I realize
that because of the invention of vaccinations, diseases such as polio have
basically been eradicated. I guess I would call myself pro-vaccination.
But please
do not think that I am naïve. I do question vaccine safety, & I am
concerned for my family & patients who receive vaccines. I am particularly
concerned with questions like are their toxic ingredients in vaccines such as
Thimerosal & is there a link between autism & vaccinations?
I have been
doing quite a bit of research on the topic of Thimerosal. Thimerosal is a preservative
that has been used in vaccinations for decades, & has most recently been eliminated
from almost all childhood vaccinations, (except from multi dose flu vaccines)
[1]. It is used as a preservative in multi dose vaccination viles to help
prevent diseases such as staph from growing in the viles [2]. The body breaks
down Thimerosal into an ethyl mercury, which is rapidly excreted from the body
through stool [2]. The push to have Thimerosal removed from childhood
vaccinations came mostly from parent groups who felt that the increased
diagnosis’ of autism were linked with the increasing childhood vaccination
schedule [2]. Numerous regulatory, scientific, & governing bodies,
including the WHO (World Health Organization), FDA (Food & Drug
Administration), & the CDC (Centers for Disease control) have dismissed the
claim that there is a link between thimerosal-containing vaccines & autism,
as autism remains on the rise, despite the removal thimerosal from routine
childhood vaccines [2].
One of my
biggest questions is for those who choose not to vaccinate their children- where
do you get your information from regarding vaccines? Ever since I had my son, I
have been trying to do more & more research regarding vaccines & their
safety. However, I have had a really hard time finding peer reviewed studies
& articles that are not only easy to find, but easy to understand! Where
are people finding their information?!? I would love to hear other parent’s opinions
& find out where they are accessing their information. I am not trying to
push vaccinations, or discourage against them. My goal is to start the
discussion on why & how people are making the choice to vaccinate or not to
vaccinate their children, & to help distribute different, yet RELIABLE
sources of information.
Next week:
Ethyl mercury vs Methyl mercury! What the heck’s the difference & why would
I care?!?
[1] Public Health Agency of Canada. Do vaccines contain toxic ingredients? Retrieved 21/10/2012, from http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/im/vs-sv/vs-faq14-eng.php
[2] Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia. Thimerosal. Retrieved 21/10/2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thiomersal
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