Theory Used to Force Vaccination of Children is Not Always True
There is increasing pressure to force vaccinations on children, and increasing marketing of vaccines for adults, including pneumonia and shingles. Children cannot attend daycare or school without proof of vaccinations. The theory behind these requirements is that if everyone is vaccinated, the probability of any individual contacting the disease is reduced. 41 students at Harvard University were infected with mumps, and all 41 students had been immunized for mumps. It is likely that all or nearly all of the students at Harvard had been given one or more MMR inoculations that should have prevented the mumps outbreak based upon the “herd immunity” theory.
Joseph Mercola, DO published an article on May 10, 2016 titled “Mumps Being Spread by and Among Vaccinated People.” This article discusses the effectiveness of mumps vaccine, and then extends to the effectiveness of vaccines in general. The Harvard mumps outbreak was blamed upon the close living conditions of the university campus. These conditions are where an effective vaccine is most needed. Dr. Amesh Adalja is an infectious disease specialist at the University of Pittsburgh Center for Health Safety. Dr. Adalja’s explanation of the Harvard mumps outbreak is more of a criticism of the mumps virus than an explanation. The mumps vaccine may not work where it is most needed.
Parents remain concerned about the side effects of the various immunizations, including sometimes fatal reactions and questions as to whether these immunizations are a cause in the exponential growth of autism spectrum disorders. The CDC denies that immunizations have caused the increase in autism, but has provided no explanation of why more and more children are autistic. The CDC provides detailed information for the MMR immunization and the potential side effects.
A compromise approach to childhood vaccinations is to give fewer vaccinations during a single visit to spread the vaccinations over a longer period of time. The body’s natural immune system is the most effective and long lasting provider of antibodies for specific diseases. There is a theory that multiple immunizations given together early in an infant’s life may overwhelm the baby’s immune system.
There is an extended discussion of herd immunity by Dr. Mercola and Barbara Loe Fisher. Fisher is a founder and president of the National Vaccine Information Center. The organization promotes informed consent for parents regarding vaccinations. This interview is focused on pertussis (whooping cough), but the major points are applicable to mumps and other childhood diseases.
The history of vaccines reflects the complexity of trying to keep the world safe from diseases. Smallpox and polio have largely been eradicated through the use of vaccines. Malaria remains as one of the largest causes of death, and drug companies have not developed a vaccine largely because malaria is prevalent in poor countries, i.e. it isn’t a profitable disease. Zika virus is now a focus as one of the causes of microcephaly, but only 1/3 of the sufferers of this brain deformity in Brazil have shown the presence of the Zika virus.
The choice of whether to vaccinate or not is being eliminated across the U.S. Like the war on terrorism, the attempt to eliminate all dangers to the population at large results in the loss of individual rights. If the herd immunity theory proves to be incorrect, the forced immunizations of children need to be reconsidered.
Note: This article was reprinted with the author’s permission. It was originally published by the Examiner.
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