Post 3: The Debate

The debate is still raging today whether or not autism is linked to the preservatives in the vaccines given to children. So with that said, here are the pros and cons from each side.

The proponents of autism say that vaccines are good because they help the body increase it's immunity. And also the fact that it prevents these diseases from being able to spread around in the community and causing a mass epidemic. However the main opponents to this say that there is a huge link between autism spectral disorders and the vaccines that are given around the same time these ASD symptoms occur.

So now that we know what the main pros and cons are, I will try to decide what the most logical process would be to do if I was to have a kid today and the steps I would take to insure the OVERALL health of my hypothetical child. By OVERALL health I mean the whole picture, would it be worth it to have my kid develop these diseases from the immunizations or would it be worth it to not immunize and just hope that they don't come into contact with any of these diseases that are used for immunization? I think this is where most parents shrug their shoulders and just ask their healthcare provider for advice, but unfortunetly many healthcare providers see it how the big pharmaceatical companies see it. The more kids they can immunize the more money they make. And I know it isn't as sinister as it sounds like there is a big conspiracy to give these kids shots they don't need; Because I know that many of the vaccines are good for our community as a whole.

After watching the interview between Larry King, Jim Carrey, and Jenny McCarthy (who has an autistic son), I think they have a good view on how parents should give their kids these vaccines. They stated that they weren't against vaccinations, and talk about how in 1989 kids only received 10 shots, but now are required to have 36 shots. Then they basically ask what has changed since 1989?, there hasn't been any big outbreaks that warranted this influx of vaccinations. Also they stated that parents should educate themselves and pick and choose which vaccinations to give, space out the vaccines, delay the vaccinations until after one year of age.

I think that vaccines are just another part of the parents struggle to choose the lesser of two evils. After its all said and done I think that I would definitely research every shot before it was given to my child, and ask to see the package insert that describes the drug, ingredients, and side effects, before any immunization/vaccine is given. I feel that Its of course ultimately up to the parents to decide whether or not to do it, but they must educate themselves on both sides of the issue to see a solution. I wish vaccinations were easy as black or white, but there are many shades of grey in this debate.