Do you think vaccinations are essential? Is this an educated, informed decision?

1. 87

   hinazilleposted 10 years ago

   Do you think vaccinations are essential? Is this an educated, informed decision?
   
   There is a lot of evidence out there easily accessible to any parent wishing to inform themselves on the dangers of vaccines and the potential side effects they can cause. What about the fact that many conditions that are vaccinated against like whooping cough were already on the decline before the introduction of vaccines?
   
   Yes, the science behind the theory of vaccinations is sound, but it does not take into account the monetary rewards the vaccine makers reap by hiding data that shows substantial links between various longterm health issues.
   
   Which side of the debate are you on, and why?
   
   

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2. 78

   Shades-of-truthposted 10 years ago

   I opted out of the vaccinations, whenever we could. I do not like the side effects, or the ingredients that are in some of them. Most of my 8 offspring have not had their children vaccinated, and they are a healthy bunch.
   
   My husband gets a flu shot, every year, and gets sick from it. I have never had a flu shot, and thank God, do not get the flu.
   
   That being said, I do believe it is important for people to make informed decisions about vaccinations, before they opt to take them, or decline.

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   1. 87

      hinazilleposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      i completely agree Emily, i think its essential that we make informed decisions about the vaccines. problem is that most are not aware that there is an issue, or any controversy, surrounding vaccines because the family doctors are so pro vaccines!

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3. 51

   meecesaddleryposted 10 years ago

   The problem is, before vaccines and other precautions we take in the modern times, people would get what may be considered easily treated illnesses today but die by the thousands. I believe in taking as few vaccines, medications and the like as possible in order to strengthen my immune response and keep the usefulness of medications high because I have not diminished their effectiveness from overuse. That being said, I have also traveled to several third world countries who have sparse vaccinations and the chance of you becoming sick is extremely heightened. Diseases and illnesses Americans see as ancient times still exist and you can still contract it. The small minority of people who refuse vaccination in America may be fairly safe because everyone around them is vaccinated. While I may not like everything that could be in vaccines, the alternative is not a step forward. Many people today are in the habit of taking medications that stop their immune system from working correctly because they cant stand to be sick. The result is they get sick all the time. A good example is taking antihistamine for allergies. Histamine is your bodies natural response to allergens and an anti histamine stops it from working. I like to take a big spoonful of local honey in the spring and get all them allergens dealt with by my system. I don't take anything and just let it run its course. just because one person seems to get the flu even after the flu shot and one doesn't without it, doesn't mean that is the reason. Perhaps it has something to do with other habits or tolerances.

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4. 73

   Aime Fposted 10 years ago

   I believe in reading all of the information available, but also keeping in mind that not everyone with Internet access has been trained to read, analyze, and critically think about scientific data/studies. You have to be EXTREMELY critical of any source you take information from on the Internet because literally anyone can publish anything they want, and you have no idea what their credentials truly are (if they have any).
   
   I'm fortunate to have access to thousands and thousands of peer-reviewed journal articles, so generally I base my opinions on scientific matters off of those. My choice to vaccinate my daughter was based off hours and hours of reading peer-reviewed journals, as well as professional advice/guidelines. I can read until my eyes bleed but it still won't replace the formal training that doctors, immunologists, and health professionals receive. I know people get all enraged by the fact that vaccine manufacturers and "Big Pharma" get paid for this stuff, but that's life. It doesn't automatically make people who have spent 10+ years of their life getting degrees untrustworthy. Plus, you know what would make them even MORE money? Pushing medications and treatments to treat a vast array of preventable, deadly diseases.
   
   Ultimately it comes down to this: People who lost their kids by the handful to these diseases would be absolutely horrified to hear that we were tempting them to come back after being controlled (and in some cases completely eradicated) by not understanding how good we actually have it, how lucky we are to have access to these vaccines.
   
   I don't give my daughter the flu vaccine as its efficacy is questionable and she doesn't go to daycare. We delayed the MMR until after she was 15 months as there's some evidence to suggest it may be more effective after 15 months. So I don't just blindly follow guidelines and schedules. But I do put a certain amount of trust in medical professionals (and I discussed both decisions with her doctor), because I believe it's completely necessary. You probably wouldn't trust yourself to fly a plane by reading stuff online, so I'm not sure why people consider themselves qualified to make decisions that affect public health with that information.

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5. 84

   peachpurpleposted 10 years ago

   for babies and kids, yes, it is compulsory in our country for the vaccination. We have to follow according to the baby booklet, the rest of the vaccine are done in school for free

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