Vaccines Part 1

The Vaccine Book by Robert W. Sears

This must-read book unbiasedly presents all the facts about each of the 12 vaccines on the current vaccine schedule, and allows each parent the opportunity to make an informed vaccination decision for her child. And in my opinion, only informed decisions can be wise decisions. The best thing about this book is that five different mamas could read it and make five very different decisions regarding whether, when, and how to vaccinate their children.

As a backgrounder, here is the current vaccine schedule recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (although not necessarily recommended by every pediatrician):



Here are a few interesting tidbits I learned while reading this book:

1. Hep B (Hepatits B) - This disease is transmitted through blood. If a pregnant mother is infected with this disease, she can transmit it to her baby during birth. (So any mama with this disease may want to consider having her baby vaccinated.) This disease is also transmitted sexually, by sharing IV drug needles, and by using improperly sterilized tattoo needles. (So any mama whose baby is engaged in these risky behaviors may want to consider having her baby vaccinated.) There is also approximately a 1 in 282,500 chance that a person can contract this disease from a blood transfusion. (So any mama whose baby is undergoing a blood transfusion may want to consider having her baby vaccinated.) There are two brands of this vaccine, both of which contain aluminum, and one of which also contains formaldehyde.
2. HIB (Haemophilus Influenzae Type B) - This disease is transmitted like the common cold. There are only approximately 25 new cases each year in the U.S., most in children under 2 years. Breastfed babies who do not go to day care have an even lower risk of contracting the disease.
3. Pc (Pneumococcal) - This disease is transmitted like the common cold and is treatable. Because the Centers for Disease Control has not classified this as a reportable disease, nobody knows exactly how common it is. However, a baby has a 1 in 20,000 chance of having a seizure after getting this vaccine. This vaccine also contains aluminum.
   
4. DTaP (Diptheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis) - For diptheria: There are only approximately 3 new cases each year in the U.S., and the disease is treatable. For tetanus: This disease lives in soil and on dirty metal, and is introduced into the body through deep, dirty wounds. In children under 5, there is only approximately 1 new case each year in the U.S.; in older children, there are only approximately 5 new cases each year; and in adults, there are approximately 70 new cases each year. If an unvaccinated person gets a deep, dirtly puncture wound, he can get vaccinated after getting the wound and the vaccine may help prevent the disease. For pertussis: Also known as whooping cough, this disease is not considered serious after 6 months. (It is intersting that the vaccine schedule calls for children to be vaccinated 3 times at/after 6 months.) There are three brands of the vaccine, all of which contain aluminum and formaldehyde, two of which contain 2-phenoxyethanol (a known toxic substance), and one of which contain polysorbate 80 (a known toxic substance) and mercury. In addition, two of the brands contain liquidized cow tissue. The Tdap vaccine listed on the schedule at 12 years is a version of the DTaP vaccine that contains less diptheria and pertussis than the DTaP.
5. Rotavirus - This disease is transmitted by coming into contact with the stool or saliva of an infected person. It spreads most easily in day cares, and most children have caught the virus at least once before turning 3 years. It is an intestinal virus that causes vomiting and diarrhea, which in turn sometimes causes dehydration. (The best hydration remedy for babies is breast milk.) The vaccine contains a live, whole virus, and is actually intended to cause a mild infection. A baby has a 1 in 1,300 chance of having a seizure after getting this vaccine. The vaccine also contains monkey kidney cells and fetal cow blood.
   
6. Polio - This disease is transmitted like the common cold. The last case of polio in the U.S. was in 1985, when an already-infected immigrant entered the country. The last case of wild polio contracted in the U.S. was in 1979. The old form of the vaccine was taken off the market in 2000 because it caused paralysis in approximately 8 children each year. No reports of paralysis have been reported from the new form of the vaccine. The vaccine contains monkey kidney cells, baby cow blood serum, human blood proteins, a component of MSG, formaldehyde, and 2-phenoxyethanol.