Truths of Vaccination, part III

Part III on vaccines

Myth: Vaccines cause Autism

This is just loads of wrong.  The study that considered this was rejected by peer-reviewed journals and the writer was stripped of his medical license.  The study itself used techniques that were quite harmful to the children involved (unnecessary enemas, colonoscopies and other painful tests were performed).  Additionally, recent studies (2014) have concluded that the changes in brain structure and function that result in autism begin in utero (long before childhood vaccinations).  Vaccines do NOT cause autism. 

Myth: The decline of vaccine prevented illnesses wasn't due to vaccines

While some graphs seem to show that diseases were in decline, and therefore the decline wasn’t due to vaccines but other measures (from nutrition to sanitation and quarantine).  While these public health measures may have had some effect on the decline of these diseases, they weren’t enough to wipe out or even slow down these diseases.  Additionally, many of these public health measures had been used for decades previous to the decline of these diseases.  Vaccines were truly the cause of these diseases declining.

Myth: Vaccines contain dangerous chemicals and toxins

Vaccines, like thousands of other products, have certain chemicals in them to keep them functional and safe for long periods of time.  These are called adjuvants.  There are a variety of adjuvants used in vaccinations, but all are safe and have undergone rigorous testing to prove so.  The scary names you hear are really not that scary, and are often found in other, everyday foods.  A pear contains many times more formaldehyde than a vaccine, which is still less than the amount found naturally in the body.  MSG is found in thousands of foods, and is responsible for that tasty, meaty flavor (umami) in broths, meats and salty products, as well as vegetables, sauces and other dishes.

Myth: Vaccines haven’t been tested by double-blind studies so they aren’t effective

Firstly, a double blind study of vaccines would require deliberately exposing unprotected children to deadly diseases and infections.  There are some obvious ethical problems with that.  As a result, many vaccines are studied using titer testing, which tests immunity based on blood chemistry and anti-bodies in the blood stream.  These trials are undertaken by willing volunteers.  Comparison trials are also done in pre-cursor animals studies, under rigorous conditions.  Many such animal studies (in multiple animals, over short and long time periods) must be conducted before a possible vaccine can even be suggested for study in humans.