Vaccinate children despite risk, says disease expert


* Bellinda Kontominas Medical Reporter
May 10, 2007

Children should be vaccinated against diseases such as measles, whooping
cough and diptheria, even if they have had a suspected reaction to the
injection, says a leading Australian infectious diseases expert.

Addressing a conference of the Australasian College of Physicians, the
director of the National Centre for Immunisation Research, Professor
Peter McIntyre, said paediatrician should be aware that adverse medical
reactions in children who have been recently immunised may not be a
result of the vaccine but simply a "chance association".

Up to 20 per cent of children experience common side effects from
vaccination such as localised redness or swelling, however more serious
side effects have been reported, including anaphylaxis which can result
in dangerous swelling of the airways.

However, the benefits of vaccinations in protecting against serious
diseases far outweighed the risks, he said.

"The really important message is that children shouldn't be denied
protection from vaccines simply because of a suspected event. We need to
look carefully to be confident that it is the vaccine and not something
else."

Professor McIntyre said children were commonly immunised at two, four,
six and 12 months of age when many conditions are first diagnosed.

While it "might seem very compelling that A is related to B, it in fact
may not be," he said.

"If you've got 130 cases of cot death in Australia every year then
you're going to have at least two cases a year where cot death is going
to happen within 24 hours after vaccination, without there being any
link between the two."

Professor McIntyre recounted the experience of an American paediatrician
was about to give a patient an vaccine when the baby has a seizure. "Now
you can imagine if she had just given the vaccine how differently that
might look," he said.

The National Centre for Immunisation Research sees about 100 children a
year. Professor McIntyre estimated between 30-40 per cent of patients
referred to the centre following an adverse medical event, were in no
way linked to the vaccine they had just been received.

 
http://www.smh.com.au/news/science/vaccinate-children-despite-risk-says-expert/2007/05/10/1178390396233.html
 

================================

From: "Meryl Dorey" <meryl@...>

Hi all,
 
A lot of you have been writing letters and making phone calls to the Herald
- hopefully, there will be enough to prove to them that this is an issue
that truly concerns parents. Below is a selection of some of the letters
(thanks for sending copies to me - if you haven't done so yet and you still
have them on your computer, please shoot them through to me at
meryl@... <mailto:meryl@...> ) you have been writing to the
Sydney Morning Herald. If you haven't already sent one, here are the
details to do so:

Sydney Morning Herald

Letters to the Editor

Email: letters@...
Mail: GPO Box 3771, Sydney NSW 2001
Fax: (02) 9282 3492

You can also call and leave a recorded comment (make sure you mention that
the article you are commenting on is the one that discusses ignoring
vaccine reactions) on 02 9282 3073 and listen for the prompts. Please do it
now!

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***********

The opinion of infectious disease expert, Peter McIntyre, to vaccinate no
matter what, will not and should not be heeded by any parent who loves and
cares for his or her child. Parents err on the side of caution for their
children. When a parent hears or sees with their own eyes the numerous
possible adverse events that do take place when injections of toxic
substances, which these vaccinations are, are dispensed, that is proof
positive of a connection.
 
Should we as parents consider Mr. McIntyre's single story of only one child
who had a seizure just prior to vaccination and not the thousands of
stories and reports from parents and doctors and others in the medical
profession who have seen and experienced babies and adults who suffer major
adverse reactions just after receiving vaccinations?  What about the
thousands of Annual reports to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System,
VAERS?  It is estimated that only about 10% of Adverse reactions are
reported. Last year, 2006, there were 17,468 reports and this year in the
first 3 months there have been 4,834 reports. DO THE MATH!
 
As a parent who has already had Measles, Mumps and Chicken Pox I would
rather my child have these diseases and know that he or she will be immune
for life when they heal from these diseases than take a chance with my
child's health by allowing injections of foreign and toxic substances into
my child's body.  I know that with the healthy lifestyle my family leads
today my child is already armed to deal properly with these childhood
diseases.
 
I, as a parent, hold the toxic ingredients of all vaccinations to be highly
suspect in leading to lifelong illnesses.  My father suffered an adverse
reaction from a Flu Shot when he and several Senior Citizens in his
community who received this flu shot at the same time were diagnosed with
Polymyositis, a debilitating muscle disease with no known cure. If asked
now to have a flu shot, I say "No thanks, I would rather have the flu!"
 
________________ New Jersey, USA
 
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Dear Editor

I'm writing in response to your article printed today May 10 2007 about
"vaccinating children despite the risk". There are two points of view when
it comes to vaccination, and both are subscribed to with passion. Those of
us who have read and understood both arguments, yet have gone on to not
vaccinate, have weighed up the risks and decided that the risk of an
adverse reaction is one we're not prepared to take. We have decided to give
our children their best chance of living healthy and full lives by
supporting their immune system through a healthy diet and lifestyle along
with plenty of love. How dare Professor Peter McIntyre advise doctors to
convince gullible parents, who only want the best for their children, to
immunize them despite a previous reaction?

Too many times the media jumps on the vaccination debate in support of the
dogma, with no critical research done, just a desire to kowtow to the
medical fraternity and pharmaceutical companies. Vaccination is a giant
uncontrolled experiment and our children are the hapless victims. How about
some real journalism Bellinda Kontominas?

_________________________________ Brisbane, QLD

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**********************

Dear Bellinda
 
Could I please respond your article about the Australasian College of
Physicians, the director of the National Centre for Immunisation Research,
Professor Peter McIntyre comments regarding immunisation.
 
In 2005 we lost our 21 month old daughter from cancer. It was a very rare
rare liver tumor. She was diagnosed one week before her first birthday. She
had been vaccinated for Hep B, her first shot at 3 days old. Hepatitis is a
known probable cause of liver cancer. The Hep B vaccination has only been
recently added to the vast list of childhood vaccinations. Many times we
were told by many oncologists what may not have caused our child's cancer
and no one, the world over, could tell us what caused it. The medical
science of vaccination relies on clinical tests. It is measured on
probability & statistics. No one can be sure of the safety. We we need to
be concerned about the direction the vaccination programmes are heading.
Before we are happy to expose our children to the side affects of
vaccinations, more research should be conducted and action taken to screen
children to determine individual sensitivities. The question of accumulated
toxic burdens passed to newborns, individual immune system tolerance and
latent unhealthy conditions likely to be exacerbated by vaccination is also
unanswered. Our newborn is being treated with a homeopathic immunisation
programme.  
 
Yours sincerely.
___________________________, Cairns QLD
 
 
PS - I have attached a photo of our Daliah Adele Thirkedaughter, aged 19
mths. She is not a 'statistic'.
 
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Dear Sir,
As a long time member of the Australian Vaccination Network I am very
concerned at the possible introduction of Mandatory Vaccination for ALL
workers associated with the health industry.  This applies from the top to
the bottom  Viz Medical Practitioners down to Laundry apprentices.
My concern hinges on the negligence  (in my view only) of medical practice
some 30years ago, when my wife, a triple graduate from the Sydney
Conservatorium on the violin,  was made completely
paralised as a result, beginning we believe from a vaccination for the 'Flu
and subsequent three procedures with an injected spinal dye.
Of course, no one has accepted responsibilty for this sad event and we have
been living with it for the last
thirty years.
You are no doubt a very busy person but I am sure your views on this matter
of personal choice, would be influenced by a short read of the publication
"Vaccination Roulette" put out by the AVN.
Your staff, I am sure, would also find this little publication of interest
for any open mind.
 
Yours faithfully,
______________________, Tasmania
 
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Dear Editor

I'm writing in response to Vaccinate children despite risk article in
today's SMH.

I totally disagree with the reported recommendations of Prof McIntyre.
They will endanger children's lives.

Vaccinations are reported as being effective only via epidemiological studies.
Where are the double-blind trials other drugs are subjected to?

Cases of disease outbreaks often occur within fully vaccinated populations.
Vaccines are only 75 to 80% reliable in producing antibodies in any
individual and these antibodies may not be effective in protecting the
individual against an outbreak of the vaccinated disease.

A parent is the best person to make the decision on whether to vaccinate
their children after carefully weighing up the information they are given
by their physician and from personal research.
If a parent suspects vaccination has caused their child/children harm their
concerns need to be heard and respected.
Adverse reactions to vaccinations are under reported and largely ignored to
the detriment of children's health.

The onus should be on the vaccine providers/promoters to prove they do no
harm.
They can't do this, vaccines come with warnings of their known adverse
reactions.
Parents should be counselled on the known risks and be on the look out for
any reactions and  asked to report them.
I would  like to see a warning: future vaccinations should be undertaken
will extreme caution if x,y or z telling reactions are noted.
I would like to see Prof. McIntyre advising parents on what the telling
reactions are that indicate a child will be injured if vaccinations are
continued.
Instead he likes to pretend an adverse reaction is a mere coincidence.

____________________, Lapstone NSW
 
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In response to the article below I think it's unethical for a doctor to
make such statements as this is encouraging parents to make unsafe
decisions regarding their babies health. My sons reaction at 2 months to
his immunisation was not taken seriously by his gp who recommended we go
ahead with follow up doses although he has redness and swelling and
irritability for a couple of days after the injections at 2 months and
again at 4 months. I had to argue with my gp to "negotiate" the 6 months
injections and felt very confused as I trusted her to be telling me the
truth and to work with me as a team to protect my child's safety and
health. I only ever wanted what was best for my child and it was only that
other more experienced mum's in my mother's group were warning me about
certain injections that I had any idea that there could be a problem or a
risk. As it turned out the injection my gp was strongly promoting to me for
my son at 6 months was egg based and because it was already established
that he had a sensitivity to cows milk dairy products that he might also
have an intolerance to egg he would be at risk of a serious or dangerous
reaction to the measles injection, the egg based injection. She reassured
me it would be fine and not to worry about it, though I persisted to tell
her that I was uncomfortable with us going ahead with it, finally
exasperated she told me to go home and "challenge" him with a cooked egg,
that is to cook up an egg and feed it to him and see if there was any
reaction. Her manner towards me which was fine and friendly whilst I was
compliant changed now and clearly she felt annoyed and irritated by my
questioning the safety. I went home and cooked an egg offered him a small
amount on a teaspoon, he was very interested and tasted it curiously then
suddenly spat it all out and then rapidly developed a rash where it had
dribbled out, the rash became very red with large white spots and his lips
and chin and neck were covered within a couple of minutes. Of course after
that I refused to le

I have since met plenty of other families who are also very suspicious of
immunisation and have a variety of stories to tell, one was a grandmother
who had worked at the spastic centre and she had been told by a number of
families who had children in the centre that their children had seemed
quite normal until they received their immunisations and then became
"damaged" after having their needles.


I have also wondered about the rumour that doctors/gp's receive a kick back
or monetary bonus incentive scheme for each child they immunise. I wonder
if this is true, and I wonder at the ethics of this?  Apparently the dept
of health has a scheme running where they pay an extra incentive based on
shots to children which the gp calculates monthly and then is paid a
"bonus" when they submit their paperwork.


Sincerely,


__________________________________, Sylvania, NSW


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Thanks Professor McIntyre, (Vaccinate children despite risk, says disease
expert, May 10th) now we know that only 60-70% of the reactions seen at
your centre are due to vaccines. How reassuring. I wonder, if I was
allergic to penicillin, would you want to give it to me anyway?

______________________, Epping NSW


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******


Your article in the SMH today -
http://www.smh.com.au/news/science/vaccinate-children-despite-risk-says-expert/2007/05/10/1178390396233.html  states "paediatrician should be aware
that adverse medical reactions in children who have been recently immunised
may not be a result of the vaccine but simply a "chance association"

I want to see these "chance associations" investigated by the medical
profession and the results made public by the media and not sanitised
before being fed to the general public.

Whilst these chance associations may not be a result of vaccination they
may well be a result of vaccination.  Who is to say one way or the other ?
No one can say for sure if the reaction is related to the vaccine or not
unless each individual case is examined but it seems that Professor
McIntyre is not willing to investigate because many conditions are first
diagnosed at the same time as the vaccinations.

"Professor McIntyre said children were commonly immunised at two, four, six
and 12 months of age when many conditions are first diagnosed."

If the estimated 30-40 % below are not linked to an adverse reaction to a
vaccine are the other 60-70% in fact linked to an adverse reaction to a
vaccine ??  Sometimes it more about what is not said that we need to pay
attention to.

"The National Centre for Immunisation Research sees about 100 children a
year. Professor McIntyre estimated between 30-40 per cent of patients
referred to the centre following an adverse medical event, were in no way
linked to the vaccine they had just been received."

If several adults had a bad reaction and become ill after dining out at one
of Sydney's top restaurants and came to your paper to report it would you
report the restaurant as "poisoning it's patrons" or would you investigate
the claim before hand ? 

There are always two sides to every story and we only ever seem to get the
medical profession's side of issues related to vaccination, how many
parents of vaccine (suspected) damaged children have you spoken with when
putting this article together ?? 

Please consider investigating this further.

Kind regards,

___________________, Drummoyne NSW

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*************

Dear  sir,
I refer to the story;

Vaccinate children despite risk, says disease expert

* Bellinda Kontominas Medical Reporter
May 10, 2007
*
http://www.smh.com.au/news/science/vaccinate-children-despite-risk-says-expert/2007/05/10/1178390396233.html


It's unarguable that vaccinations represent an assault on the immune system.
It's also clear that auto-immune diseases are endemic in our society.
It's also clear that some people react to vaccinations. Some fatally.


This director of the National Centre for Immunisation Research, Professor
Peter McIntyre,
quite clearly has a fixed & blinkered position, and his research can't
possibly be fair and unbiased.
This sort of comment should see him looking for work in another area.
Perhaps in the pharmaceutical sales sector?


Regards,
_______________________________, West Midland, WA
 
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Dear Sir,  Please consider printing my letter regarding this community issue
 
It intrigues me that Peter McIntyre can suggest that everyone can and
should take vaccines when it is well known that not everyone can take
certain drugs.  People react to penicillin and therefore many cannot take
it, in fact, doctors etc ask patients this information before administering
it.
 
Vaccines are medicine and like all medicine comes with risks and children
can react and do react.  Yesterday I spoke with a parent whose 3 year old
has been diagnosed with autism.  He is convinced the vaccines played a hand
in this outcome. His child's behaviour changed dramatically after his MMR
vaccine.  His child will be damaged for life, will be a strain on their
finances and relationships, and be a burden for want of a better word on
society. 
 
vaccines are often touted as being cost effective.  vaccine damaged
children are a huge cost on society, family relationships and Medicare.
However doctors like Peter McIntyre refuse to acknowledge that vaccines
cause such damage and when they do have the guts to admit the truth, their
peers ridicule them and run them out of town like the cowboy days.  Its
pathetic
 
Parents must be able to make informed decision regarding any medical
procedure including vaccination without ridicule or discrimination.
 
__________________________, brisbane Queensland
 
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I believe it is quite irresponsible for parents to be encouraged to
vaccinate their children without regard to the risks. Many vaccines contain
toxic substances such as mercury, and when they are given at repeated
intervals, vulnerable children seem to suffer quite severe symptoms such as
a loss in mental alertness, and some unfortunate children even become
Autistic. If you were the unfortunate parent whose child had been damaged
by toxic substances contained in vaccines, you would not think the benefits
of vaccination outweighed the risks. Is there a register in Australia of
the effects of vaccinations? Are parents properly warned of all the risks,
including the considerable likelihood of a child becoming highly allergic?
Are they being allowed to make an informed choice? This basic right of
informed choice should be ensured for all parents now. I believe an open
register of the side effects noticed by parents in the days and weeks
following vaccination must be established. Twenty four hours is an
inadequate period of observation. Real patterns of damaging effects will
then stand out from coincidental illness, and health 'losses' can be
compared with a control group of unvaccinated children.
 
______________________, Parent and Naturopath, Brisbane QLD
 
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