Recently on NPR I heard an interview with a young man who has the unusual occupation of being a Facebook content moderator. For eight hours a day he reads the crazy stuff people post and deletes it. The conspiracy theories (as in 9/11 was perpetrated by Jews), the Holocaust deniers, you know what I mean.
The most stressful aspect of his job (in addition to the egregiously low pay) was that by reading all this drivel, he felt his brain changing. He actually began to question the Holocaust and wonder if the Sandy Hook massacre had been staged.
Such is the power of suggestion. For many physicians who follow the insidiously dangerous anti-vaccination (anti-vaxx) movement–which will eventually cause an epidemic, probably of measles–the primary source of anti-vaxx disinformation is social media sites like Facebook.
And the source of the recent spate of anti-vaxx messages? You guessed it: Russia.
Parenthetically, if you’d like to see Russian trolls at work, return to this Health Tip in a couple weeks and read the comments at the bottom. Most will be rants against my stance, some of them lengthy and some really quite vicious. There will always be some clown who says I receive big money from Big Pharma for writing this stuff.
Sorry to disappoint, but Big Pharma and I have been at odds for decades.
Anti-vaxxers in the news
Just this week, the Arizona state legislature, having sipped the Russian Kool-Aid, will be voting on laws to expand the exemptions for mandated immunization. One law wants physicians to literally unfold each vaccine package insert (packed with the bottle) and explain it in detail to the child’s parents in order for them to make “an informed decision.”
Another new law seeks to expand the rights of religious exemptions, the standard excuse for anti-vaxxers to avoid immunizations until recently, when most states banned this on discovering that virtually no religion actually prohibits immunizing children.
Arizona’s governor said he’d veto these ridiculous and potentially dangerous bills, but apparently the Arizona legislators are spending too much time on Facebook and have become the victims of Russian trolls.
Of course the fact that these legislators are alive and well in middle age and beyond is in no small part due to the wisdom of their parents who had them immunized as children.
Midway airport and local hospital measles exposure
The consequences of not being immunized were laid bare at Midway last week when an unvaccinated and infectious passenger with measles arrived Feb 22 in Concourse B, potentially exposing others to the measles virus. Two days later, that same person went to the emergency department at Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital in west suburban Geneva, possibly exposing even more people.
We all know how savory the air is during plane travel. At some time in your life you got a terrific virus two or three days after a flight and just knew it was from the guy across the aisle with his drippy Kleenex. Public health officials are reminding potentially infected people that they could develop symptoms as late as March 20, including a rash, cough, high fever, and runny nose with red, watery eyes.
The airline sent warnings to all the passengers and employees on the flight about this infected passenger, literally telling them that if they were not immunized against measles they could be at serious risk.
The hospital also posted warnings to employees and patients who had visited during the time the measles carrier was sitting there coughing and sneezing. Measles counts are rising, thanks to the anti-vaxxers reading and re-posting deliberate misinformation from Russian bots and trolls.
If you still have doubts, first read this piece about a woman in Washington State who is afraid to leave her home with her newborn, who’s too young to have had his first measles vaccination.
Next, please read my earlier Health Tip on this subject, which I’ve pasted in just below, and educate yourself on the potentially fatal consequences of not vaccinating your children.
Immunizing Your Kids
At least once a week someone asks my opinion on mandatory immunization, I suppose because WholeHealth Chicago is so widely known as an alternative medical center. Most often, the inquirer is pregnant and she’s read something about the (totally disproven) link between the MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) vaccine and autism.
Another question is whether vaccines contain mercury, in the form of the preservative thiomersol, followed by queries about a possible link between mercury and autism. I tell my patients that while there’s been no thiomersol in childhood vaccines since 1999, sadly there has been a steady rise in autism throughout the 21st century.
Probably the single most damaging public health hoax of the 20th century was former physician Andrew Wakefield’s 1998 article published in the British journal Lancet that linked the MMR vaccine to autism. Unbeknownst to the Lancet editors, Wakefield had been receiving funding from anti-vaccine groups. And because this idea was such a hot topic, Wakefield received a tsunami of media attention that resonates to this day in the form of doubts from the pregnant patient sitting across from me in my office.
Post-Wakefield infection rates skyrocket
After Wakefield, childhood immunization rates fell around the world and infection rates of the three potentially fatal childhood illnesses rose dramatically. Once Wakefield was investigated, his data was proven to have been manipulated and false. Later, his medical license was taken from him, and he’s no longer allowed to practice.
Wakefield is considered indirectly responsible for dozens of totally preventable deaths around the world and yet to this day, still revered by anti-vax advocates, he just won’t let go.
Wakefield produced, directed, and stars in “Vaxxed: From Cover-Up to Catastrophe,” a pseudo-documentary laden with scary misinformation. “Vaxxed” was recently yanked from Tribeca Film Festival by festival director Robert DeNiro (father of an autistic child) because “we do not believe it contributes to the discussion.”
Among other things, the film erroneously accuses Blue Cross of giving doctors financial kickbacks for immunizing kids. This link provides the (false) basis for that accusation.
In actual fact, the alleged kickbacks are simply a standard reimbursement for the cost of the vaccines themselves.
Persistent opposition and immunization’s global reach
Yet the very vocal opponents to childhood immunization persist in their endeavors on websites and in chat rooms around the world. Interestingly, organized vaccine opposition first began with smallpox vaccination in 1798 and in one way or another has never let up. When you read the history of anti-vaccine movements, the tenor is much less about safety and much more about government control. The phrases used by the opposition are similar to those employed against water fluoridation, designated smoking areas, and mandatory seat belt use.
Keep in mind that except for seriously underdeveloped countries, mandatory immunization requirements exist worldwide. This is not an American thing. The government health departments of various countries may have slightly different immunization schedules, but virtually all developed countries will not let a child attend school if he or she arrives without immunization documents.
In fact, in every country where immunization was suspended (such as occurred after the MMR hoax) there was a documented rise in infection and death. Here in the US, the so-called Disneyland measles outbreak in 2014 triggered a six-fold rise in measles. It began with a single unimmunized tourist walking through the crowds. The virus quickly spread around the country, exclusively infecting those who had not been immunized.
One issue I have with opponents of immunization is they’re too young to remember the physical and psychological devastation these illnesses once caused:
–Mumps could leave a child permanently deaf or sterile.
–Although apparently a mild viral infection, a pregnant women catching German measles (rubella) might give birth to a blind or brain-damaged child.
–Diphtheria and measles could kill, and did.
–Polio was the terror of my own childhood. A kid could be fine on Monday, catch polio that afternoon, and be crippled for life a few days later.
Herd immunity and Illinois law
Understand that not only is your child protected by these immunizations, but with everyone immunized the disease can disappear altogether. There is virtually no smallpox anymore. Polio is almost gone as well. The term for this is “herd immunity,” which is the protection of an un-immunized person because everyone else is immune. And while herd immunity is highly useful in protecting anyone with a compromised immune system, parents choosing not to immunize their children are relying on everyone else’s children to protect their own.
Here in Illinois (and in California), the otherwise egregiously incompetent state legislature passed some of the most stringent mandatory immunization rules in the country, making it very difficult for an anti-vaxx parent to avoid the system. Formerly, the most common way people got around immunization was to get a religious exemption from their physician, and a quick note could do it. Now parents are required to complete a more complex form that must signed by both by parents and physician. Parents needs to state a reason for the exemption for each individual vaccine.
In addition, before the form is completed parents also need to sign a statement verifying that they have been informed of the dangers of each illness their child is no longer protected from, that they have an understanding of herd immunity (i.e., they’re relying on other responsible parents to protect their child), and that the child might be denied admission to school (even with the religious exemption).
What anti-vax parents are often surprised to hear is “I hope you’re prepared to home-school your child.”
Pediatric docs oppose non-medical exemptions
In 2016, the president of the American Academy of Pediatrics said, “We believe there should be no religious or personal exemptions.”
In fact, finding a physician to sign an exemption form may be quite difficult. Because (just like parents) pediatricians want what’s best for the children they care for, getting a doctor’s signature on a form that renders a child vulnerable to illness may be well-nigh impossible. As a doctor, I would not want to be held responsible for a measles outbreak because I’d signed an exemption for a child who carried the virus into his classroom.
Yes, there are still some anti-vaxx physicians out there, and yes, if you go online you probably can find one, but are you really willing to place your child at risk because of your politics?
Some of Chicago’s top-notch pediatric practices simply will not accept any child whose parents refuse vaccination. They won’t sign the exemption form because they don’t want a possibly infectious (and potentially dangerous) child in the waiting room with babies who have not yet completed their vaccination programs.
Yes, autism is scary, but the vaccine-autism link was a hoax. Yes, the needle coming at your infant’s behind looks like a tenpenny nail. Yes, your daughter will wail when stuck.
But when all the kids come to your house for your daughter’s birthday looking so wild and healthy, you’ll know that none of them is at home in an iron lung (polio), dealing with deafness (mumps), covered with a nasty rash (measles), or choking for breath (diphtheria).
Be well,
David Edelberg, MD
Hi
Since you are an informed health consumer,let me share with you some interesting research that has shown measles vaccine protects children against a variety of illnesses beyond measles. It was a TED talk and here’s an article
http://theconversation.com/vaccines-have-health-effects-beyond-protecting-against-target-diseases-106383
Dr E
Yikes, I’m glad I read this before making an appointment. Helped me make the decision to go elsewhere. I am not a Russian troll, an “anti-vaxxer,” or part of a cult (!). I am a concerned human being with an autoimmune disease who believes in transparency and informed consent.
Heidi
Kudos Rick Farmer and Douglas Ringwald for your posts! Let me start out by saying vaccines are an amazing invention, but the accountability for producing safe vaccines is lacking. Dr E I researched the study you mentioned and this was noted about the institute that performed the study “…Apart from research into epidemiology and disease prevention, the institute also develops and produces vaccines, and is an integral part of the Danish ABC-preparedness operation.” This sounds like a conflict of interest. In 1987 about 22 vaccines were required by age 6, but in 2014 about 50 vaccines were required by age 6 and Autism has risen drastically along with the increase in vaccines. The increase in required vaccines also coincides with the 1988 law which protects pharmaceutical manufacturers for being held liable by recipients. Also as mentioned previously, a major concern is the aluminum adjuvant. It is well known that aluminum can cause degenerative neurological conditions. Any Alzheimer’s support group advocates avoidance of aluminum; yet, I’ve read our infants are mandatorily injected with Hep B within hours of birth which contains aluminum adjuvant and the first of many vaccines the child will receive with aluminum adjuvant by the time they are 6. I’ve read 98% of children diagnosed with Autism have the MTHFR gene which turns off their methylation cycle and severely limits they’re body’s capabilities to detoxify harmful chemicals. I am not an anti-vaxxer, but a person who wants safer vaccines for our children.
Marly
LOL
It’s been about 30 years since pregnant women were advised to quit smoking and drinking during pregnancy. Wow, since then, the autism rates have increased! Maybe that’s what should be blamed????
maureen
I had an appointment at your office this past week and I am so grateful that they screwed it up and I was able to cancel because after reading this… I would never want to put my health in the hands of a doctor that doesn’t even believe in informed consent. You’re upset that a bill in Arizona is requiring doctors to actually INFORM their patients of the risk of vaccines by reading the insert before administering them? Is that because those risks include outcomes like encephalitis and death? The same two rare and horrible outcomes that has instilled fear in the public for contracting the measles virus itself? I’m sorry but I’d rather take my odds getting the measles. At least I would acquire lifelong immunity rather than the 0-10 years the vaccine promised. You want to make a scientific argument, then start by answering the legitimate questions raised by these “AntiVax Cults” such as: How can vaccines be proven safe and effective if there hasn’t been a Randomized Double Blind Placebo Controlled study to back it up? To date, there isn’t a single study that looks at vaccinated vs non vaccinated outcomes. Also if these vaccines are so “safe and effective” why has $4 billion dollars been paid out for vaccine injuries as a result of the National Childhood Injury Act of 1986? You want to advocate that the benefits of vaccines outweigh the risks? GREAT!!… Then be upfront and stop pretending that they are completely devoid of any risk.
Rachael
Here’s an interesting editorial from the New York Times:
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/09/opinion/sunday/the-real-horror-of-the-anti-vaxxers.html?action=click&module=Opinion&pgtype=Homepage
Dr E
I am interested in hearing Dr. Edelberg’s comments on these peer reviewed articles published pre pro-vaccines hysteria. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1y4Ysa7OPnqMIj-NuNVYJnlHGsvbsyqFam8NaQDSSl8o/mobilebasic?fbclid=IwAR1on5zJErWUBO37HOOctILOe7Mu5pa6a6eFWNrt8tDeva5nKpC-6jVBj3w
Deb S
This is a complex problem and should not be taken lightly. My son got his 6 month shots in 1992, and he developed problems right away with his blood circulation and his legs turning blue, sleeping constantly and then he finally arrested at home. I resuscitated him, as I was a Respiratory Therapist and even had a pediatric stethoscope with me at home. He had such bad brain damage the pediatric neurologist said he would never talk or interact with anyone.
He now talks after decades of intensive therapy, but is autistic, he will only talk about what interests him, and at 26yo all he does is play on PlayStation all day and watch cat videos.
He had problems with his previous immunizations and I expressed concern, but I trusted my pediatrician when he said my son would be fine. Needless to say I switched pediatricians after my son was damaged by immunizations, and when the new doctor’s office asked for my son’s medical records, the records had conveniently disappeared and could not be found. We got nothing from the National fund that is supposed to pay for damage done to children from immunizations.
Regarding Autism, 98% of children and adults with autism have either the C667T or A1298C MTHFR gene variants, which cause problems with converting folic acid into folate the body can actually use. The government mandated folic acid enrichment of flour and you should look at that for causing the Autism epidemic to continue.
The MTHFR genes variants also cause problems with detoxing chemicals like mercury and aluminum, converting hormones like T4 into T3, etc.
While studies say the MTHFR and folic acid has nothing to do with Autism developing, one study done in China I read on PubMed had buried in the body of the study the notation that if the mother had two copies of either C667T or A1298C and took high amounts of folic acid, then the child would always develop Autism. And 60% of people have one of these MTHFR variants.
Guess what, I have two copies of C667T, I was one of the first women told in 1991 to take over 1000mcg of folic acid daily, before during, and after pregnancy while breast-feeding, and my son is now autistic.
Let me tell you, it is no fun having to take care of an autistic child who is now 26 yo, while I am now 64yo. Who will take care of him when I die? Or will he wind up homeless and on the street then, because no one is helping us with these kids when they age out of school. There is no help for the families who have to take care of a permenant child, he can not even cook for himself. I get no rest, no vacations, no relief from a child who will never grow up. I can not work and each year my house gets more and more decrepit as I have no money to make repairs, all my money goes to taking care of a son who is sucking the life out of me.
For the people with autism who are high functioning and can work and take care of themselves, I say you are very lucky and it is great that you think that there is nothing wrong with you being autistic. Great to know your life is good, but for children like my son life with autism is not great. He has not had a bath or shower in 8 years since water on his skin feels like it is burning. Do you know what a grownup autistic person who has not bathed in 8 years smells like? Have you ever smelled a skunk? Skunks smell good by comparison. He is lonely and has never had a date, never mind a girlfriend. His life is no fun, and taking care of him is sucking what little life I have out of me.
Aelxa Hill
Thanks very much for this helpful piece, Dr. E. My child’s pediatrician has a similar opinion and has been very helpful in talking to us about the pros and cons (we vaccinated).
Sally
https://aapsonline.org/measles-outbreak-and-federal-vaccine-mandates/
Lorelei Janis
Thank you for always telling it like it is. People struggle to hear the truth especially when it is put forth bluntly, without flowery, delicate language to ensure no one ends up with hurt feelings.
Dr. E, I’m forever grateful for the help you have given me. I tell people on the regular that you literally saved my life.
Lindsay
Thanks for your reply Dr. E, yes I know there are no aluminum adjuvants in the MMR vaccine. So you didn’t respond to the fact that the Cochrane Review (reputable in my book) says there is not enough data to determine the safety of the MMR vaccine. So I am wondering where you are getting your data that it is. My point with the aluminum adjuvant info was that researchers in Great Britain, Israel and China have found the accumulation of aluminum in the brain to have ASD effects and the mechanism by which aluminum from vaccine adjuvants gets into the brain. The research shows that the aluminum adjuvants are a possible contributor to and cause of autism. The author speculates that the timing of the MMR vaccine administration, during neural and immune system development, in combination with aluminum toxicity from previous vaccines in the currently recommended vaccination schedule can trigger ASD. I assume you are very busy but please take a look if you have the time. It looks like promising material to me in regards to figuring out the increasing autism rates and what to do to address them. Respectfully, Doug
Douglas Ringwald
The fact that some intelligent and well meaning people would prefer to believe Dr (?) Mercola over overwhelming non biased research is both enlightening and distgurbing.. It just might explain how so many believe a lie if it supports their view. ill not delve into politics here but the implication is obvious.. regardless of someones viewe point they can always find corraboration on the wild wild internet. sad.
f michael smith
Wow. So glad I never came to your practice. Way to go sell out!
Katrina
Back in the 1980’s My wife and I got a form so our son did not have to get vaccines. Johns Hopkins study that has since been debunked again and again like many others. Yeah, i want a former playboy bunny, Jenny McCarthy to guide my kids health.
Since then, I have changed my thinking. When you see national and world wide statistics of formerly mute diseases spreading once again, the facts to me are in. I remember the polio scare as a child.
Polio can return and will be happy to cripple your child or kill him.
Those in my age group and younger, have never witnessed one incident of a child coughing his brains out with whooping cough. We have been lucky thanks to immunization.
This is simply not about your well being, but the well being of those around you. Socialist thought? Perhaps. But following internet snake oil salesman who pick an opposing view and herd you in to build their personal wealth is heinous .
Stagger the vax but give your child the gift of good health.
Got a later life whooping cough vax and Shingles too. Not a fan of either. Thanks Dr E! Keep fighting the good fight towards sanity and good health for us all!
Jeffrey J. Lupetin
Hi Doug
There’s no aluminum in MMR vaccine. Here’s a link
https://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/vaccine-education-center/vaccine-ingredients/aluminum
Dr E
Disgusted but shouldn’t be surprised he misdiagnosed so many that had Lyme and were told they didn’t soooo many , myself included I went years and years getting sicker and sicker ha now his views are all changed regarding Lyme , imagine that. Did you think for like one second ppl aren’t vaccinating do to auto immune like Lyme? The insert clearly states moms or parents who have auto immune should really tread lightly ( something to that effect) this article is disgusting you don’t even put into consideration all ppl who are truly truly sick from these vaccines I’m so shocked this was your stance but lol should I be considering the hell yyou put me through , very dangerous . and lol when will you’re stance change like it did with Lyme? What about mthfr and the ability or lack there of to detox ? Guess that doesn’t matter to you either. I think it’s tome for your old ass to retire thibk you’ve done enough damage
Megan
Interesting. My son has Immune Thrombocytopenia as a result of his vaccines. This rare side effect is right there in the insert, and VAERS compensates for it. But how many of us have ever been offered the insert or even been told of this possibility at those wellness visits? Any concerns voiced to pediatricians are met with eye rolls. There’s a lot more to talk about than autism. I am very surprised this is your stance.
Paula Riehle
I am not as confident as Dr. E in regards to vaccine safety when I research the topics…
The accuracy of the Wakefield info can be debated. Was he a hero, villain, straw man…? Frankly, he’s one person. What about the science?
https://www.bebee.com/producer/@joyce-bowen/the-real-story-of-dr-andrew-wakefield-and-mmr-by-mary-holland-jd
Regarding MMR, The Cochrane Review concluded this:
Exposure to the MMR vaccine was unlikely to be associated with autism, asthma, leukaemia, hay fever, type 1 diabetes, gait disturbance, Crohn’s disease, demyelinating diseases, bacterial or viral infections.
Authors’ conclusions
The design and reporting of safety outcomes in MMR vaccine studies, both pre‐ and post‐marketing, are largely inadequate. The evidence of adverse events following immunisation with the MMR vaccine cannot be separated from its role in preventing the target diseases.
https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD004407.pub3/full?highlightAbstract=withdrawn%7Cvaccin%7Cvaccine%7Cmmr
Also, there is compelling current research linking the aluminum adjuvants in vaccines to autism. Have you seen this info Dr. E? What do you think? Is Chris Exley a russian troll or a respected neuroscientist?
https://jbhandleyblog.com/home/2018/4/1/international2018
Douglas Ringwald
Doctor, please reconsider your attitude toward autism. It is not “scary” or worse. It is not an epidemic. Your comments contribute to the culture of ableism that autistic people have to fight in order to be viewed as full human beings.
Saying “sadly there has been a steady rise in autism throughout the 21st century” makes autism sound like a tragedy. It is not a tragedy. It is a kind of human diversity. And it is very poorly understood and poorly supported, especially for adults. (Never mind the fact that most autistic women aren’t even diagnosed.)
I strongly suggest finding some of the many things written by autistic adults about their lived experience to better understand what autism is and what it isn’t. And please don’t be one of those people who makes the life of autistic people harder by referring to them as “scary.”
Lisa Gordon
Thank you, Dr. E. for your post today! I have been feeling quite alienated from the “natural” crowd because I vaccinate my children (even though we seek out natural remedies when appropriate & I’m a member of your practice). When we looked for a pediatrician for our first child, I admit we had questions about vaccines. We were not accepted at one practice for just asking questions. But we found a doctor who gave us the gift of her time & knowledge. She graciously answered our questions without judgment. She even called an immunologist friend when we had a question on a specific vaccine. We weren’t obnoxious but curious. She allayed our fears & we were fully comfortable with all the vaccines she recommended. It’s scary being a parent & it’s really sad & disgusting that the anti-vax movement plays on parental fears the way it does. On the other side, it helps immensely when pediatricians are willing to answer questions for parents. The right approach with parents in that first interview or first few appointments would go a long way in combatting the anti-vax tendencies. (Also, some of the backlash here supports exactly what you claimed in your article—The arguments against vaccination are really anti-government & not scientific in nature.)
Nikki
I am disturbed that Dr. Edelberg is taking such a stance on this issue. Up until today, I have read and appreciated his views, which seemed to be well thought out and and researched. However, this article lacks information and seems written to scare people into being vaccinated. Please understand, I am not against vaccinations, but I do believe we are now giving way too many in a short time frame. I don’t know if there is a link between vaccines and autism, but autism rates have grown exponentially in the past 30 plus years as we’ve continued to add new vaccines to the immunization schedule. Logic would indicate that it bears investigating. However, we are turning a blind eye, accepting it as the new normal.
And consider the recent pertussis outbreak at a school in California. From a Los Angeles Daily News article, a spokesperson for the school said, “only 18 of Harvard- Westlake’s roughly 1,600 students have medical exemptions allowing them to opt out of immunizations. None of those children have contracted pertussis, he said.”
https://www.dailynews.com/2019/02/26/whooping-cough-clusters-found-among-11-to-18-year-olds-in-la-county/
Education needs to include all aspects of this issue and allow individuals to make the choice for their own health, not frighten them into making such an important decision.
Kathi Davis
Given Dr. Edelberg’s normal problems with Big Pharma, his blind faith in vaccines is surprising. Adequate safety studies for the dozens of currently recommended vaccinations have simply not been done, and it ignores the scientific evidence of many problems associated with vaccines. For example (from Dr. Mercola article today): “In a Journal of Clinical Microbiology paper,1 researchers describe new technology developed to ‘rapidly distinguish between measles cases and vaccine reactions to avoid unnecessary outbreak response measures such as case isolation and contact investigations.’ According to this paper: “During the measles outbreak in California in 2015, a large number of suspected cases occurred in recent vaccines. Of the 194 measles virus sequences obtained in the United States in 2015, 73 were identified as vaccine sequences.”
In other words, about 38 percent of suspected measles cases in the 2015 Disneyland measles scare in California were actually vaccine-related and not caused by transmission of wild-type measles.”
Also from that article: “Currently valued at more than $34 billion a year, the vaccine industry is projected to exceed $49 billion by 2022. It’s an enormously lucrative field, and one of the absolute safest in terms of liability, as drug companies cannot be held liable for injury or death occurring from the use of FDA licensed and government mandated vaccines. Governments and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are also engaged in the marketing of vaccines, which eliminates their ability to be impartial.”
BTW, no Russian troll was involved in this posting.
Rick Farmer
This was posted yesterday on NPR – new study provides more evidence that mmr vaccines don’t cause autism.
https://www.wbez.org/shows/npr/a-large-study-provides-more-evidence-that-mmr-vaccines-dont-cause-autism/524c2edc-fa3a-4f33-bcc4-8775cfa7bcf7?fbclid=IwAR2ZvMHOC1k8NUF7i2awAD81c5VYQyAPZ7Re13AtdxUp_LteU9xG5MojEVQ
Elena S
Hi Linda
This was published today in the Washington Post. If a 10 year study following 500,000 immunized children and showing no autism link doesn’t convince you or other anti-vaxxers, then your thinking is ideologic rather than scientific.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/03/05/measles-vaccine-doesnt-cause-autism-says-new-decade-long-study-half-million-people/?utm_term=.533a008b8427
Dr Mercola has made himself a multimillionaire with
conspiracy theories and scare tactics like his immunization stance. He’ll also be happy to sell you a “Mercola approved ‘safe’ tanning bed” and a radiation resistent sleeping bag to protect you from EMF
Dr E
My son had a horrible reaction to 3 DTaP vaccinations, the last one of which we hoped he would survive. Vaccines are so important, but they aren’t made or administered as well as they could be. THAT is the discussion we should be having. Vaccines are an issue because they are a problem for too many people. The internet also becomes a voice for people with serious things to say who would otherwise be kept silent. As integrative physicians know, we have to take in all information and then raise the bar. It’s my hope the medical community can admit the damage vaccines can cause some people and then demand improvement. Remember we as parents have to sign a waiver before a vaccine can be administered. I’ve only encountered that before surgery. This alone speaks volumes as to what doctors and their insurance companies and lawyers know to be true. Let’s work to do it better so everyone stays safe in all ways.
Suzanne Kush
Forced medicine is upon us. Our bodies are no longer our own. I fear that one day they will be pounding on my door and forcing me to roll up my sleeve, not for my own good but for the good of the herd. This mentality is indeed frightening.
Deb Sincere
Well done Dr. E,
You are a wise man and great doctor.
Something’s are for everyone’s best interest. Well written.
Nancy Koutsianelos
Wow! All I can say is you must really believe this otherwise you never would have written your last paragraph…so now we scare people into giving vaccines.
My doctor recently told me not to get the Shingles Vaccine because I am a healthy 63 year old woman and he said the side effects were worse than getting Shingles!
I wish you were more accurate in clearly stating the opposing view. Interesting that today in Dr. Mercola’s newsletter was this article:
https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/03/05/measles-vaccine-reactions.aspx?utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20190305Z1_UCM&et_cid=DM272080&et_rid=560380973
People have to see both sides to make an informed decision. Scare tactics from Whole Health…I’m shocked.
Linda Silbert
Thank you Dr. Edelberg, your words carry much weight in this community and I’m glad you’re willing to put up with a bit of backlash to once again enlighten those in the anti vaccine crowd. Bravo!
Van Gurley