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Vaccinations: A Choice or A Mandate? Part II

www.mypicshares.com

Yesterday you may have read Part I of this series about vaccinations and choices, and whether or not a parent should take their child into the doctor on the recommended schedule for immunization “protection”.

A growing body of research and inquiry is starting to question the absolution of vaccinating children as frequently as they are now required to be immunized, as well as the content of the vaccines being used to provide “immunity”.

The second part of this series will feature an important video about autism and related disorder awareness, my family’s experience with vaccines, and information about informed consent as it relates to vaccines and choices parents have when they are deciding whether to vaccinate or not.

Watch this informative video from Generation Rescue, Jenny McCarthy’s activist organization bringing together parents, scientists, and educators to learn and teach about recovered children and how their parents reversed their conditions through biomedical intervention – nutritional supplementation, dietary changes, and detoxification strategies:

“AUTISM YESTERDAY” Autism is Reversible from JB Handley on Vimeo.

Our family’s experience with vaccinations

I truly believe there are many factors which contribute to the development of autism and other similar and related disorders. That is certainly not to discount the role in the development of those diseases that factors like vaccinations, environmental toxins, personal health of the parents of the child with autism, dietary habits, and other things like genetics play. In late 2000 when I was a new mother, I had no idea about the dangers of vaccines. So I went ahead and allowed the hospital and pediatricians to inject all the usual vaccinations into my premature, newborn son until he was nearly 2 years of age:

  • Hepatitis B (4 doses)
  • DTaP (Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis – 4 doses)
  • IPV (inactivated Polio – 3 doses)
  • PCV (pnemococcal conjugate – 4 doses)
  • HiB (influenza – 4 doses)
  • MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella – 1 dose)
  • Chicken pox (1 dose)

That’s 25 shots before age 2! That’s more vaccines than either my husband or I had when we were growing up, and that’s not even all of them! Does it seem reasonable that a child’s immune system that is so immature and underdeveloped could conceivably tolerate all of these drugs in such a short amount of time? And considering the ingredients of these drugs, it’s no wonder so many parents report their children have issues after receiving them.

From the moment we brought Tristan home from the hospital, he was fussy, unhappy, and cried most of the time. His naps were rarely longer than a half an hour. Night time was the worst. His fussing and crying that was on and off became constant for nearly 3 -4 hours beginning in the early evening and continuing on until sometimes beyond 9 p.m. He often wouldn’t go to sleep until well after 10 p.m. and would awaken anywhere from 5 – 6 a.m. each morning.

From the beginning I was largely unable to breast feed Tristan. He was born 9 weeks premature and I had sustained a serious infection just before his birth – which the doctors failed to find until exploratory surgery revealed a ruptured appendix and perotinitus. Although I spent many hours every day using a breast pump to try to get milk, my efforts yielded probably only about an ounce every day, which I gave to him.

The doctor told me his episodes were due to “colic” and recommended I continue to cycle through different types of infant formula. I tried them all – including soy. I had heard about goat’s milk, but was so inexperienced in natural foods and remedies I never tried it.

Through it all, Tristan continued to cry and scream constantly. Knowing what I do now, it breaks my heart knowing that he was basically starving to death and likely reacting to all the chemicals that had been put into his little body, which was the cause of his discontent. People who would say, “oh Raine, don’t worry, he’s just fine, he’s getting all that he needs”. But in the back of my head I kept thinking to myself, “this isn’t normal, this isn’t right. Something must be wrong.” And years later I realized how correct my intuition was, and that I should have listened to my little voice and spent more time investigating.

As Tristan grew older, he remained fussy and discontent. He was what some might call obsessive compulsive, and he was a perfectionist. He would become very frustrated if his first attempt at doing something didn’t yield the result he wanted. He was bent, from the beginning, on doing things “right”, or all was lost. His moods were very up and down. When he was happy, he was all smiles and giggles. When he was upset, it could very quickly escalate into absolute and uncontrolled anger, tantrums, screaming, and hysterics. We didn’t go many places for the first few years. I didn’t want to be caught in public and not be able to control his mood swings.

His mood swings affected me, too. I wasn’t eating well during that time, but the constant screaming and fussing would send me into a tailspin in seconds. I couldn’t imagine how other parents dealt with issues like this. Was this really what parenting and raising a child was all about? People kept saying, “be patient, he’ll outgrow this.” I continued to wonder and wonder, “is this normal?” My mother assured me that no, this was not normal. But she didn’t have much advice to offer other than, “you can’t let children get away with anything or they will walk all over you.”

I’ve always believed in discipline and firm parenting, but it seemed like no matter how much I tried to apply these principles to raising my son, he was still defiant, moody, and prone to tantrums whenever something happened that he didn’t like.  I often thought I might lose my mind if I couldn’t get his moods under control.

It was after his second birthday that I started to become aware of all the possibilities of danger in administering all of those vaccines to a child at such a young age, and which contained so many toxic substances. So I stopped vaccinations. But by then, he’d had so many.

Two years later, my health had hit rock bottom. I had been having issues for years, but I didn’t know or realize that my lifestyle and diet was the problem. It was then that I started throwing out all our processed foods and started feeding my family real food. My husband and I started noticing positive changes in Tristan’s behavior and moods, although the highs and lows (especially) were fairly pronounced.  I started making remarks about this to my friends and family who discounted our dietary changes and responded by saying that he was just growing out of his childish habits. But we knew better.

Now that Tristan is almost 10 years old, I can say with certainty that I know those vaccinations probably made things much worse for us, along with the fact that I was towing the “party” line with following all the dietary recommendations the pediatrician and nurse practitioners gave us. And today I can tell a huge difference when Tristan goes away from home and eats something he’s not accustomed to having – his temper usually flares, he become agitated and frustrated much faster than if he had eaten at home, and he also experiences tummy trouble and sometimes other health issues as well.

People sometimes say to me, “when you eat such a pure diet at home, it’s impossible to keep that up anywhere else and then you will be more sensitive to it. If you weren’t so worried about eating expensive food all the time, you’d be able to eat other food in other places and it wouldn’t bother you or Tristan so much.” It’s funny how people call it “expensive” food, not “real” food, which is really what it should be called. Here’s my question – does it make sense  to just throw all my efforts out the window and stop trying to eat well just because sometimes we won’t be able to maintain that standard?

Here’s an analogy – if you are an alcoholic and you have a drink, you probably won’t notice the effects too much. But if you rarely drink and then you have a glass of wine or two, chances are you’ll feel the effects pretty quickly. The same is true with real food and conventional food. The more tainted food you eat, the more your body will be burdened with toxins and it won’t react to them as much. But if you are healthy and try to control your diet most of the time to eating real food, a meal with toxic food could send you over the edge quite easily.

For many years Bruce (my husband) – and even I to a certain extent – wondered if Tristan didn’t have some autistic tendencies. People have asked why we didn’t go and get a for-sure diagnosis that would prove once and for all whether we were right. But I never saw the point. I wasn’t going to go the traditional route of conventional doctoring and medicating anyway. I knew that I had the power and ability to make changes in him just through lifestyle and dietary alterations. Several professionals I talked with casually said it was very unlikely. He’s was too social, made eye contact, and was much more concerned with and aware of others than a true “autistic” child would be. And deep down inside I knew he wasn’t full-blown autistic. But there were definitely triggers and factors that could spiral a bad mood or behavior pattern down to the bottom of the bottom.

Even though things are much better now that he’s older, those triggers are still there. I know that if I hadn’t realized what was going on and changed our ways of eating, cleaned toxins out of our house and everywhere else I was able, things may have gone from bad to worse. Tristan may have ended up with severe behavior issues and “learning disabilities” of the most severe kind. Instead, what I have is a healthy, happy, inquisitive, and very intelligent little boy who has a great sense of humor and loves to joke and be silly. He’s also terribly wise and insightful for his age, which never ceases to astound me. Sometimes he still has trouble when he gets upset or frustrated with things, but the situation is definitely improved over what it used to be. I attribute some of that to maturity, but a great deal of it I know is directly affected by his diet and lifestyle choices.

We remain mindful of his sensitivities and vulnerability to emotional breakdowns. We know that if he’s not eating well, getting enough rest, etc., those breakdowns can and will occur very quickly.  I wish our family had the same understanding. It’s very hard to send him over to see his grandparents because they pretty much give him whatever he wants, and don’t pay any attention to how it might affect him. And those breakdowns occur with any child, really. When I used to work at the YMCA in the childcare center, I’d watch parents feed their kids junk out in the courtyard before bringing them into the Child Watch and their moods would often rapidly deteriorate. But parents are not taught nor encouraged to look at what their children are consuming and what’s in their environments and consider the very real connections those factors have on their physical, mental, and spiritual well-being and happiness.

What is informed consent?

From the Vaccine Ethics web site: The American Medical Association defines informed consent as “a process of communication between a patient and physician that results in the patient’s authorization or agreement to undergo a specific medical intervention.” Vaccinations are viewed as routine activities that families participate in to “protect” their children and themselves from “deadly” diseases.

According to Barbara Loe Fisher, co-founder and president of the National Vaccine Information Center, informed consent to any medical intervention is a basic human right. No one has any authority to force someone to vaccinate him or herself or the person’s child without voluntary consent.

There are 6 principles for protecting vaccine choices:

First principle:  It’s your choice

When exercising your right to voluntary, informed consent to vaccination for yourself or your child, remember that state laws contain:

  • Legal requirements that school and health officials are responsible for enforcing
  • Legal exemptions that you have the legal right to choose to exercise (Public schools must allow vaccine exemptions outlined in state vaccine laws, but private, religious or other non-state operated schools may reject vaccine exemptions.

Second principle: You have the right to know

You have the legal right to know the risks and complications of vaccines before you make the choice of whether or  not to allow your child to be vaccinated. The National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act, passed by Congress and signed into law by President Regan in 1986, directed all doctors and other vaccine providers to give parents written information about vaccines before children are vaccinated.

Third principle: Be informed and prepared

Knowledge is power. Arm yourself with accurate information about vaccination and health. Do your own research and talk to one or more trusted healthcare professionals before you make any healthcare decision. Become an educated consumer and you will be empowered to defend your right to freely make voluntary choices about health, including vaccination, for yourself and your children.

Fourth principle: Take responsibility for your words and actions

When you are standing up for your right to know, and freedom to choose, whether or not to vaccinate yourself or your child, how you go about exercising your rights will determine whether or not you will succeed. In your contact with doctors, school or government health officials, remain calm but politely firm when explaining and defending the vaccine choice you have made. If you are treated with disrespect or are harrassed in any way by a doctor or government official, do not engage in an unproductive argument. You may want to contact an attorney, your elected  state representatives or local media if you or your child is threatened. The NVIC also devotes a section of its web site, the Cry For Vaccine Freedom Wall, for the public to post reports of harassment because of vaccine choice.

Fifth principle: Keep written records

Be sure to ask your doctor for copies of your medical records of your child’s medical records, including recorded information about vaccinations and illnesses. Under the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986, doctors and other vaccine providers are required by federal law to:

  • Write in a child’s permanent medical record any serious health problems that occur after a vaccination
  • Keep a permanent record of all vaccines given, including the manufacturer’s name and lot number
  • Report serious health problems, hospitalizations, injuries, and deaths that occur after vaccination to the federal Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS). If your doctor won’t report a reaction for you, you have the right to make a vaccine reaction report to VAERS.

Sixth principle: Be courageous It’s not easy to stand up for the right to make informed, voluntary choices about vaccination when public health officials, the pharmaceutical industry and many medical doctors are putting pressure on all Americans, especially parents, to use every government recommended vaccine. The fact that the number of doses of government mandated vaccines have tripled in the past quarter century, while the numbers of chronically ill and disabled children have also tripled, offers an opportunity to have a long overdue public conversation about the effects of vaccination on individual and public health.

To be fully informed about the decision you will make with regard to vaccination, it’s important to do the research and learn about:

  • The side-effects of each vaccine
  • The effects of healthy lifestyle and nutrition on the immune system which can prevent and offset many communicable illnesses and diseases
  • The symptoms of each disease and whether or not it is normally fatal or harmful to the person who gets it
  • Mortality rates
  • The consequences (if any)  for deciding not to vaccinate
  • Whether to delay vaccinations until your child is older, or skip certain ones altogether
  • Requesting “green vaccines” without preservatives (such as thiomersal) from your health care provider
  • Incidence of outbreaks

When making a decision about whether or not to vaccinate, don’t take my word for it. Do your own research. Question everything you have been told and find out the answers for yourself. Remember that there is a small risk of contracting an infectious disease versus a greater risk of lifelong autoimmune disorders and other health issues when you are considering a vaccination for yourself or your child.

If you are trying to conceive, are pregnant, or have just had a baby and would like some information on ways to make your body and baby healthy and avoid disorders like autism by dietary and lifestyle changes including avoidance of vaccines, you will want to read this upcoming companion post to the Vaccination series, which will be featured next week:

Reducing Your Child’s Risk of Autism and Other Disorders: Conception, Pregnancy, and The Newborn Infant,

Part I and Part II

Check back next week for this informative write-up about what you can do to prevent life-long, chronic illness and disease for your child.

More information about informed choices you can make with regard to vaccination:

Vaccine Truth

Vaccine exemptions information, state-by-state

Cervical cancer vaccine – before you take your daughter in to get the Human Papallomavirus vaccine, read this article from Natural News about a researcher who worked on the vaccine and now warns against its use

Suggested reading:

The Truth Behind the Vaccine Cover-Up by Dr. Russell L. Blaylock

Vaccines, Are They Really Safe and Effective – Neil Z. Miller

What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About VaccinationsStephanie Cave and Deborah Mitchell

Saying No To VaccinesDr. Sherri Tenpenny, DO

More information on conventional medicine, toxins, and reactive and preventative measures in health:

Who’s Right? Finding the Truth About Medical Knowledge, Science, Health, and Nutrition

Your Toxic Load, How Does It Affect Your Health?

Is Reactive Medicine Cheaper Than Preventative?

Want to learn more about eating healthy and real food?

My Kitchen Staples – How I Keep My Family Healthy

How Well Do You Know Your Food? Find Out!

6 replies on “Vaccinations: A Choice or A Mandate? Part II”

What a good resource Raine! I’m sorry your son was affected by vaccines and mainstream medicine 🙁 It’s especially hard when it’s your first, I think! I thought all Hannah’s issues were my fault (she’s still nonverbal at 4, and that’s after being on GAPS for a year!) but now I know they’re not all bad parenting. ~eyeroll~ She wasn’t vaccinated, which I do think makes her higher functioning than she could be.

That doesn’t make a ton of sense 😉 I think she would have been lower functioning if we had vaccinated, that’s what I’m trying to say 🙂 Have a great night!

Cara — I had a friend who was nonverbal until she was 5. Then, when she finally spoke, she used complete sentences! Her first words were “Is the moon a big balloon in the sky?”

What a story! I am so sorry that you and Tristan suffered so much. But it is really inspiring how you took control of the situation, stopped the vaccines and factory foods that were causing the problems, provided real food to your family, and literally saved your son’s life.

You showed great courage and wisdom in doing what you did, despite what must have been intense pressure from Pediatricians, nurse practitioners,and others to follow the party line.

We cannot trust the medical profession to take care of us or our families. Most of them are so focused on profit that they have lost their way, and have forgotten their moral duty to be a healer first, last and always. We cannot trust the government to look out for us, as it is controlled by the very corporations that are exploiting us.We have to learn the truth, think for ourselves, make our own decisions.

Thank you so much for this magnificent vaccine series, which provides vital information that will help us to make our own decisions.

Hi Cara and Kristen – thanks for your comments!

Stanley – thanks for your comments as well!

We’ve been out of town visiting relatives and attending a concert for the last 6 days, so I apologize for the delay in my response.

The vaccination issue is an important one, I am grateful for people like all of you who read these posts, write your own, and support the education of vaccination for everyone. Many, many thanks to you all!

Oh, my mom hates a kid like that and wouldn’t of thought of his breakdowns as being dietary but instead being a bad kid and all his fault. Sounds like the lady in the above article pacifies her kid too much. He should be taught to deal with his emotions.

But I do feel your pain of explaining a real food diet to other people. They instantly think of the cost instead of the quality. because real food is what people are supposed to eat regardless of price.

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