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To quote the Doctor himself regarding parents' fear of the vaccine-autism link, "Fear should not drive public policy'. Why is the state trying to inject me with FEAR that my child could die from the flu if I don't shoot him up some more? What's next, an anti-smoking vaccine for my 4 year old or the HPV vaccine for my non-sexually active daughter. Please, stop the insanity and wake me up when this is over.

I think children need to have the chance to built up their immune system. The flu is one important part of doing this. I worked in a Kindergarden in Germany with the age group 3-6/7.
The children who can fight the flu will become stronger adults fighting their flu and will have a stronger immune system.
The vaccine should be used to prevent a flu- outbreak for everyone whose health is so weak that the flu would trigger a switch into a dangerous health situation.

I'm not anti-vaccine, not a doctor, don't work for a pharmaceutical company. I'm not really vested on any side of the vaccine debate.

But there was one unfortunate comment that Brian made on the show -- he raised the questions about Thimerosol and Autism without stating something that should be obvious -- the link is disproved.

Mercury was removed from virtually all pediatric vaccines in 2002. Autism is almost always diagnosed by age three or four.

You can do the math -- if there really were a causal link between Mercury and Autism, the rates of Autism would have dropped sharply.

Instead, they continue to climb. Nobody, therefore, should mention the suspicious link without noting that it is disproved and impossible.

This is NOT to say that there are zero harms from vaccines. I know families that feel certain that behavioral changes in their kids happened after vaccinations. And Autism isn't the only possibility.

Nor should people feel comfortable with Mercury. I wouldn't willingly give either of my kids ANYTHING containing Mercury, which is a poison. This includes fillings for their teeth, vaccines, anything.

But it is time to put this Autism/Thimerosol theory to bed. It is simply not true.

Ben

As a child I grew up under homeopathic care (in another country)and never had a vaccination not due to lack of vaccinations but because homeopaths believe in vaccinations when there's some sort of epidemic only. I've always been healthy, don't suffer form allergies or have any health problems. First time I had a shot was when I applied for college here in the US because it was required.
I don't want to be forced by a law to vaccinate my children because of others believes.

My two autistic children have very high levels of aluminum. How can we justify injecting them with more of this neurotoxin?

Why not teach children to wash their hands regularly. That would help prevent the spread of all disease.

One benefit of flu vaccines, in the era of potential bird flu, sars, 1918 type pandemic, if a child has a flu shot and comes down with a nasty flu, you then know your child may have something seriously wrong and require more care.

Bravo Barbara. Well articulated comment on a subject that is rarely raised.

Wow, that's a lot of "if"s and qualifiers about thiomersal, but at least there might be options. Might want to look into a documentary called "vaccine nation" by Gary Null.

Why do we have to specifically REQUEST non-Thimerssal versions of vaccines, as if asking for regular or decaf coffee? Shouldn't it be a given?

In my day (1950s) we had a small fraction of the innoculations that are now required for children. I fail to see that kids are any healthier. In fact the reverse seems true. Please explain what's the point.

I have concerns about long term effects of altering the immune system before it can make normal maturity. As a physician I see many chronic diseases that are immune based and wonder if this rise and these difficulties can be related to our altering the immune system artificially. Most vaccines do not work with the entire system, specifically cell mediated immunity. Our immune system is how we recognize self from non-self, I think it doesn't take much to extrapolate this to higher levels.

The thiomersal (aka mercury) issue really needs to publicly addressed. Mandatory vaccines, as they exist now, are mandatory IQ reductions via mercury poisoning.

If they do this, are they going to make it mandatory for Insurance Companies to cover the cost of flu shots?

I am very concerned about this possible requirement. The flu shot has mercury and I do not want to expose my children to any additional mercury, since most vaccines have mercury. This is unlike other disease.

ditto - how can they force poison on children (or anybody?) where did they get this power? STOP THEM!!!

I believe that flu vaccines are "live" and contain the mercury based preservative thiomersal, until it contains no mercury at all I agree with Richard.

Flu vaccines contain mercury. I will not permit my child to receive any vaccine containing any mercury derivative. It may mean that I home school, which is just fine by me.

Mr Bresnitz, when all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.

Enough. Please.