There’s almost no topic in the health world more hotly debated than whether or not to vaccinate children. On one of side of the aisle is practically every conventional medical organization, and on the other side is nearly every “alternative” medical organization.
Each of us at Know the Cause has our own experience and persuasions about this topic, and so do you. Rather than landing on one side or the other, we thought it would be interesting to list some Pros and Cons of vaccinations, and ask which side of the debate YOU have landed on.
The American Academy of Pediatrics says that virtually all childhood vaccines work at preventing disease. They claim that the misgivings some parents may have about vaccinating their children arises from misinformation.
The CDC reports that every dollar spent on immunizations saves over six dollars in subsequent medical costs.
In many vaccines, a mercury-based preservative called thimerosal is added. Yet, in some cases, the amount is so small that manufacturers don’t even list it on the label According to pro-vaccine groups, thimerosal has virtually no negative side effects, and does not cause autism, even though it does contain mercury.
In 1999, at the height of the current vaccination debate, a six-week old child could receive close to 70 micrograms of mercury from immunizations. The CDC refused to acknowledge that there was any risk of harm from this much mercury. Yet, the American Academy of Pediatrics said that thimerosal in vaccines needed to be reduced or eliminated entirely. Why is ANY thimerosal or mercury-based preservatives allowed in vaccines, especially since mercury can permanently damge the brain, kidneys, and developing fetuses?
Though thimerosal has been reduced since 1999, the amount of ethylmercury exposure for many children who receive full-dose thimerosal-laden vaccines still can exceed the amount of methylmercury recommended for adult pregnant women.
There is a Vaccine Injury Compensation Trust Fund that compensates families for injury or death due to vaccines. How is the money raised? Per the CDC, every dose of a vaccine has a $.75 excise tax added to it. Injuries that are covered include such conditions as chronic arthritis, encephalitis, polio, and death.
Vaccines allegedly can cause such conditions as autism, autoimmune disorders, brain inflammation and other serious chronic health challenges. The growing incidence of autism has led researchers to look for answers, and vaccinations keeps popping up as a very likely link.
Conclusions about taking vaccines are for your own family to make. It’s not an easy choice, and it needs to be done with all the facts at hand. This little post doesn’t begin to scratch the surface of providing you with enough facts to make a fully informed decision. For those facts, visit with your licensed healthcare professional, visit the CDC’s website on vaccinations, and advocates such as Dr. Sherri TenpennyVaccines-Pro-Con
So, are you for or against vaccines? Let us know!