Before you decide, listen to this:
This American Life's Episode on the Measles Outbreak in San Diego in early 2008
And then read this:
CDC Conference Presentation on San Diego Measles Outbreak 2008
I understand very much about not wanting your child to get some sort of side-effect from vaccinations, but you need to consider the after-effects of infection. If you happen to live in an insulated community where no one travels, or is even within 20 foot proximity of someone who travels, you may be safe to not vaccinate your children.
How contagious is the measles virus?
If you are not vaccinated and you are exposed, you will get it. For example, if there is one person who has contracted measles within a 20 foot radius of your unvaccinated child, or if your child walks into a 20 foot radius of that person up to two hours after the infected person has left, they will be exposed and with almost certainty contract measles.
What are the symptoms of measles?
Fever, runny nose, sore throat and cough. A few days later a bright red rash breaks out on the face and eventually spreads to the entire body.
What is the treatment for measles?
This is the HEARTBREAKER. There is none. It's a virus. Either your child's body will be able to fight it off...or not.
What are the complications?
20 % of all cases develop complications. They are diarrhea, ear infection, conjunctivitis, bronchopneumonia and encephalits in 1:1000 cases. Diarrhea causes 500 deaths a year in children in the US. Ear infections can cause hearing loss. Conjunctivitis can cause eye damage. Bronchopneumonia can cause asthma. Encephalitis can cause permanent brain damage and mental retardation. Or as we heard in the This American Life story, illness for two months. Two months out of an infants existence in pain and suffering.
How many don't survive?
1-2 of every 1,000.
Who doesn't survive?
Infants, young children and adults. "The risk for death from measles or its complications is greater for infants, young children, and adults than for older children and adolescents." If your child suffers from Vitamin A deficiency, their likelihood of suffering complications and death is higher still. AND, diarrhea can cause Vitamin A deficiency. Infants are at the highest risk for complications with the disease. However they aren't routinely vaccinated before the age of 1. Up to 6 months they're protected by their mother's immunity. They can be vaccinated under the age of 1 with a limited vaccine if exposure in their community is a problem.
What are the long term side effects of the MMR vaccine?
1:100,000 have allergic reactions which can be treated and have full recovery.
Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), a bleeding disorder,is found in 1:22,300. However, the rate of ITP after catching measles, mumps or rubella is 1:3000-6000.
I live in a big city with many international travelers, I take my children on planes, and I shop in heavily crowded stores. Not vaccinating my children would be introducing them to risks that might result in death. Given the choice between unproven auto-immune disease and proven death or disablement, I'd chose to take the vaccination.
However I'm concerned because infants can't be fully vaccinated at birth. Your six month old baby crawling and grabbing at everything can be exposed to someone who has measles, mumps or rubella, even without any symptoms, and has no protection against it. Even at a distance of 20 feet. And up to two hours after they've left the room. (Think about your six month old grabbing for things in the grocery store, or crawling on the floor of the doctor's office. Is this even a tenable situation to try and prevent them from touching everything? I don't think so.)
Ask your parents and grandparents if they've known someone who was permanently disabled or killed by measles, mumps or German measles. I'm sure they have if they're older than 50. Those horrific stories are the ones that This American Life brings to my mind. We are so lucky that the risk of these diseases affecting us is so slim, but if people stop vaccinating their children the risk increases not only to them, but to those who are unable to be vaccinated (like all children ages 6 months to a year).
Sources:
NIH Office of Dietary Supplements
Measles, Mumps, and Rubella -- Vaccine Use and Strategies for Elimination of Measles, Rubella, and Congenital Rubella Syndrome and Control of Mumps: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), May 22, 1998, CDC.
I believed in the theory behind vaccinations and vaccinated all my kids on schedule, until my son developed immune thrombocytopenic purpura from his measles vaccination. After thousands of dollars in medical expenses and months of blood draws and toxic medications, and doctors who don't report the rate of ITP, I learned firsthand that the CDC isn't very truthful. The VIS states that the MMR vaccination can cause "temporary low platelets" but doesn't outline what to watch for at all. And I love how they proclaim that ear infections and diahrrea are so scary. Hilarious. Just check out the side effects to the drugs my son had to take to raise his platelet counts.
I'm done with my public health "duty." I no longer feel the need to put my kids at risk to save someone else's kid.
Posted by: Sheree | February 17, 2009 at 07:52 AM