Let's talk about Vaccination.
During my childhood, vaccines were the things that doctors gave you before you got a lollipop and were given the all clear to go to school in the fall. I mean, I hated being poked, but what kid doesn't?
As I learned, through reading, watching historical documentaries (yes I was one of those kids), and learning about the scientific method in my 7th grade science classes, I got to learn why those pokes were important. Now, I know that some of the information that they taught me in school were facts that weren't disproved yet, and some of the things they taught were how people thought about germs, bacteria, and viruses in the "good old days".
My favorite historical misconception was that people used to believe that flies were born from rotting meat. It wasn't until someone did an experiment to prove this belief wrong. A guy put some meat in a jar and left some meat out in the open then wrote down what happened. Obviously the meat in the jar didn't grow flies, because flies weren't able to lay eggs and grow baby flies. Tada!
I think that science is neat like that. Taking what people believed was the truth and testing it to make sure it is the truth. I personally don't think that science is evil, it's the process of discovery and making sure that facts are facts.
Now, as I've mentioned, I'm a history buff. I love learning about what people did in the past. It's sad at times. Learning that people, not just children, were so commonly ill, and died from terrible illnesses. It was rare to see people older than 50, or 60, or 70 depending on where you were and how sick the population was. What was also fun about history, is learning these people's cures for ailments. In ancient Greece if you had a cough you were violently shaken until you stopped. Or if you were ill (from the dark ages until the victorian era) they would put leeches on you to remove "bad blood". Tuberculosis patients smoked as a cure for their lungs. I know that to some people, a vial full of disease seems just as ridiculous as a cure as the ones I just mentioned.
I know a lot about the controversy about vaccines. How people believe they are evil, that they cause autism, that it just gives you the disease. If you believe that. Okay.
But I thought about it the other day, as I looked at a sight that claimed it had 99 plus studies that proved that vaccines cause autism. Now I was taught to think for myself, to do research, and not take everything at face value. So I read the studies to see if they really were proof, giving the friend that posted the material the benefit of the doubt. Now I didn't read the whole thing, but from the 10 studies or so that I did read up on- the children they were testing for already had prior issues, the study excluded exactly which vaccines they were studying the effects of, and the statistics were skewed, with most of the studies saying that more tests would be needed to be conclusive. If they weren't conclusive, that's not a guarantee that their study was right or wrong. It just means they need more information.
Also, I asked myself a question. Which vaccine is it exactly that causes autism, if vaccines really do cause it?
Okay, so when a vaccine that causes autism is found, wouldn't that ONE vaccine simply be removed from the list that children are supposed to get? How is it that every single vaccine on the market could possibly cause every single child autism? I don't think the vaccine itself would then be a cause. It would have to be something else, like needle contact, or the plastic/glass that holds the vaccines. If we are still going to blame a vaccine for causing autism. Okay. So if it's the way it's administered wouldn't doctors have changed the way that vaccines were administered by now?
Also, I can't exclude the fact that Dr. Andrew Wakefield who first claimed that vaccines caused autism was convicted of fraud and is no longer a practicing doctor.
Blaming all of vaccines for causing a neurodevelopment disorder is too broad a statement for me to be taken as truth just yet.
If those of you reading want to know my position on the issue, I'm going to be honest, and say that I am on the side of vaccines. But I also know that vaccines don't solve issues like the common cold, allergies, and a lot of other things. I know that sometimes home remedies work just as well as prescriptions from a doctor.
To the people that disagree with me, you are welcome to your opinions. To the parent's reading this, you know your children and their needs better than anyone. I'm glad you are a concerned parent. It's not my place to tell you what to do. In the end, I simply hope that my perspective on the issue, brings you more clarity of your thoughts and feelings.
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