Yesterday I read an article in Cookie Magazine (August 2008) about Amanda Peet. Among many topics mentioned in the article she spoke out for vaccinations and expressed that she is concerned by the growing number of un-vaccinated children who are benefiting from the “shield” created by the inoculated. In the article she is quoted as having said, “Frankly, I feel that parents who don’t vaccinate their children are parasites.”

Now, Ray and I have been called a lot of negative things due to the fact that we have six kids…. Selfish, ignorant, irresponsible, arrogant. But, before yesterday had we never been called “parasites.” Now, I’m really not taking it too personally. After all, Amanda Peet doesn’t know me from Eve. It did, however, strike a nerve.

Ray and I made the decision many years ago not to inoculate any of our babies. While we do believe some vaccines are helpful and necessary, we will not expose our infants’ bodies to live viruses or poisonous and otherwise harmful chemicals. We have decided that we will begin their immunizations at age 3, when their immune systems are better developed, and risk of infection and other side effects are much lower. And even then we only consent to the polio, measles-mumps-rubella, and diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccinations.

I feel that Amanda Peet’s name calling was childish and unnecessary. But, I guess she has become quite the expert, so maybe she’s entitled. After all, she was taught about the “value and importance” of vaccinations by none other than Paul Offit, M.D. – Chief of Infectious Diseases at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and Co-Inventor of the Rotavirus Vaccine. In the above mentioned article, she bashes the “unproven” link between certain vaccines and autism, and spoke out about the “safety” of Thimerosal (a mercury-based preservative), and the “myth” that a high number of shots kids receive today overwhelm their young immune systems. Because of her strong beliefs on this topic, she is scheduled to appear in public service announcements for Every Child By Two.

I haven’t discussed the fact that we don’t inoculate our babies with many. I have spoken plenty about it with friends who are open to hear our reasons, but I never pushed my beliefs on anyone or criticized them for vaccinating their babies. That’s not my goal here, either. I simply would like to caution you not to make any decision based on what an actress in Hollywood says (unless it’s Jenny McCarthy*), or even by what your doctor says. Research this very important topic for yourself. Please.

Our family has never been directly effected by the negative consequences of infant inoculations, nor do I pretend to understand what it’s like. The research my husband and I did on this subject took place over 7 years ago, and honestly I’m not even sure where to find all of the articles and references that helped us to come to our decision. I do know that is was through much research, prayer, and consideration that we made our decision.

But, the subject of vaccinations is one that hit the Precourt family hard. The Needle and The Damage Done gives you a glimpse into their story. Stephanie Precourt writes at Adventures in Babywearing and in a post entitled Stirring the Pot urges her readers to read this article that exposes the links between autism and mercury poisoning. Here are just a few facts from the article that I would like share here:

Mounting evidence suggests that Thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative in children’s vaccines, may be responsible for the exponential growth of autism, attention deficit disorder, speech delays, and other childhood neurological disorders now epidemic in the United States.

Mercury is a known brain poison, and autism rates began rising dramatically in children who were administered the new vaccine regimens. A decade ago the American Academy of Pediatrics estimated the autism rate among American children to be 1 in 2,500. Today, the CDC places the rate at 1 in 166, or 1 in 80 boys. Additionally, one in six children is now diagnosed with a related neurological disorder.

Prior to 1989, American infants generally received only three vaccinations (polio, measles-mumps-rubella, and diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis). In 1985, children were vaccinated for seven diseases. Now, that number is 16. That means children now endure about 37 separate vaccination encounters.

This article was not yet published when we did our initial research, however these facts certainly do play a small part in to the reasoning behind following through with our initial decision. I have also found some other great great information along the way… When doing your research, be sure to also visit these sites and read these articles:

The National Vaccine Information Center – www.nvic.org
Ingredients in Vaccines – Fact Sheet – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Unlocking Autism – unlockingautism.org
Generation Rescue – generationrescue.org

Are Vaccinations Safe For Your Kids? – CBNnews.com
Vaccines That Kill Children? – World Net Daily, www.wnd.com
Vaccines: It’s Your Child, Your Choice – Age of Autism

*Of course I was kidding with my remark about Jenny McCarthy. However, she did recently share her story on Oprah – She even answered questions regarding the link between vaccines and autism. You can read her story, and others, here.

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