February 19, 2008
My daughter Julia had her MMR two days before her 1st birthday. Nine days later she was found unresponsive in her crib, covered in vomit and feces and unable to move on her left side. She was hospitalized for over three weeks (10 days in PICU) with encephalitis. All tests for an etiology came back negative. Her MRIs showed demyelination in the left and right frontal lobes of her brain. When she left the hospital, she was operating at the level of a 2-month-old baby -- unable to sit up, severely weak on the left side of her body, unable to drink liquids unless they were thickened because she would aspirate.
It has been over a year now. She is two years and two months old, and is operating at the level of a 12-month-old in most aspects. She is beginning to walk again, though very unsteady, and falls after about 10 steps. She still doesn't use her left arm or hand very much. She has no words. I have had several different opinions on her potential for recovery, varying from never talking again to going to college. I know in my heart that this was an MMR reaction and am devastated that I allowed this to happen to my baby girl. My son was due for his MMR (second one at 4 years old) two months after Julia got out of the hospital. This is not going to happen, ever.
We're sorry to hear that your daughter was seriously damaged after receiving the MMR vaccine. Although this is a common experience that is devastating to many families, the medical industry refuses to accept responsibility and will not acknowledge -- let alone change -- the failings of their "preventive" health practices. As a result, a new generation of children is being lost to neurological and immunological disabilities, developmental disorders, autism, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), and other serious ailments. Best wishes toward a full recovery.
February 12, 2008
Thankfully, many people are aware of the dangers in vaccinating their children. However, not too many people think about the dangers in vaccinating themselves as adults. Here is my story that I feel compelled to share with everyone.
Last year, I was 34 weeks along in my pregnancy. I was suffering from severe preeclampsia. In order to save my baby (and myself) I had to deliver prematurely via C-section. I spent the next 3 days in the hospital under close observation. By day 3, I was well enough to go home, pack a bag, and return to the hospital to be with my premature infant. I felt wonderful! Despite everything I had gone through, I was well enough to even borrow a laptop from one of the nurses to balance my checkbook and pay bills prior to my leaving.
Before leaving the hospital, a nurse entered my room and convinced me that I needed a rubella booster. Boy, was that a mistake! Within hours after leaving the hospital I went on a downward spiral. By that evening I was so ill that I decided not to return to my baby until the next day. By morning, I was hallucinating and so swollen with fluid that I had to use a stepstool to climb into bed. I thought death was near because I actually heard what I believed to be heavenly beings, complete with "the bright white light" above me. I had convinced myself that it was my time to go and that my baby would be in great hands with a wonderful husband.
Thankfully, my husband called to check on me while he was at work. Had he not, I would be dead. He rushed home, threw me into his truck (in the middle of a snowstorm) and raced me to the hospital. When I was admitted, my blood pressure was 182/128. I had to be given five doses of a particular medicine to lower my blood pressure. I was also so swollen that I couldn't recognize my toes -- they were stubs. I had to spend the next four days in the hospital (one hour away from my baby's hospital) recovering. I cried every single day. My heart ached so much because I could not be with my little peanut.
I poured myself into research on the matter. I was told that many women suffer from a "relapse" with severe preeclampsia by day 3 or 4 due to hormonal changes by their milk coming in. I now don't believe that theory. At the same time, I learned that you should not, under any circumstances, be given a vaccine when you are ill. Well, when one is suffering from preeclampsia, toxins are raging throughout your body. I was very ill! Not only that, but U.K. studies have shown that there is a small chance that the rubella vaccine virus can leak into your breastmilk and the disease may pass to the infant if you are breastfeeding!
To this day, my doctor is adamant that the vaccine was not the cause of my relapse. I know better now. I am disgusted that it is now standard practice for doctors to vaccinate mothers shortly after delivery. I wasn't asked if I would be breastfeeding! They obviously did not read the warning on the package insert supplied by the drug manufacturer either, that clearly advises the medical professional not to be administer to an ill patient! I am just so thankful that I lived to tell my story. Thank you for listening.
Thanks for sharing your story. You may also be interested in rubella vaccine studies conducted by Dr. F. Edward Yazbak. He found that women who were vaccinated with either this vaccine alone, or MMR, shortly before, during or after pregnancy, were statistically more likely to give birth to a child who is later diagnosed with autism. This vaccine has also been linked to arthritis, diabetes, neurological disorders, chronic fatigue syndrome, and other ailments. The Yazbak studies, and many others, are thoroughly explained in the Vaccine Safety Manual.
February 3, 2008
My beautiful baby was born 6 weeks early on February 26, 2007. I remember one particular nurse who was disgusted with my husband and I because we chose to "hold off" on his Hep B vaccine. I stated, "Well he's not having sex or doing drugs anytime soon so why should we give him this?" This nurse even went as far as telling us that despite our concerns, she had never even heard of any adverse reactions and we were doing him a disservice because it would result in him getting more shots in the future if he didn't have it now. I am so happy I didn't listen to her. He was too fragile.
Because my son was premature, it is now standard practice that preemies are evaluated for any possible delays. At 2 months we were told he was accomplishing milestones way beyond his age group. His dad and I were so proud.
Like a fool, I didn't go with my gut and hold off on the vaccinations. So, he had his 2 & 4 month vaccinations, which included DTaP, Hib, and IPV (I chose not to receive the additional ones that were recommended). This is a baby that never cries. Not only did he run a low-grade fever, but he let out blood-curdling cries for 3 straight days!! When I called the doctor's office in a panic, I was simply quoted verbatim what the CDC deems is an adverse reaction. Because my son did not scream for 3 hours straight (it was off and on) or run a high fever, there was no need to be alarmed. I was probably just touching his leg. I knew I wasn't. Again, like a fool I had him vaccinated again at 6 months...for the last time. My son didn't scream this time. Instead, he experienced full-body convulsions complete with his eyes rolling into the back of his head on numerous occasions in the following weeks. Again, the CDC states "there must be a high fever to accompany this in order for them to claim it to be a severe reaction."
He is now 11 months old. This month I am faced with having to have my baby re-screened for possible delays. As of last month, he was only accomplishing 1 of 20 tasks in developmental milestones.
I am so angry. I emailed his doctor and requested information on the shots that he received. I understand that it is a law that they must keep this information on file. I also told them I want a list of the ingredients that were in each of the vaccines. Upon receiving this information, I will then do a hair analysis. Thankfully I haven't cut his hair yet. I will then have my proof.
Is this just a coincidence? Is it also a coincidence that my 14-year-old son is suffering from ADHD and possible learning disabilities? He cannot do simple math, comprehend 8th grade reading material or even function for that matter. Despite my concerns, he repeatedly tests "average or below average" on special education school evaluations. He has been evaluated at numerous schools in NC, NH, and CA because we moved. I am told that he doesn't qualify for any assistance. I am now learning that the tests are "dumbed down" and the whole testing process contains many flaws. They are specifically designed so that children like mine will "pass" them. Up to 25% of the children out there are diagnosed as learning disabled. How many more are there? I have been talking to hundreds of parents that are in the same boat. They are simply told their child is lazy, unmotivated, or even a slow learner!!! That's it -- nothing more!! I now may have to pay thousands to prove that my 14-year-old is learning disabled and needs help. I may need an advocate, an attorney, and may even have to go to court where parents are not allowed to testify. Parents' testimony is viewed as biased because they want what is best for their children. The teachers can testify, though. They can and will do everything they can to prove that he is not disabled. It is just my opinion, but I think it is safe to assume that roughly up to 80% of children should qualify for special education and/or related services (IEP). I also think it would create mass hysteria if that were to happen, though.
I will never vaccinate either one of my children again. If only I knew then what I know now. Please feel free to use my story, but for safety reasons I choose to remain anonymous. Thank you for listening and thank you for all that you do.
Although the FDA, CDC, medical doctors, and drug companies conspire to deny the true extent of vaccine damage inflicted on our precious children, families must bear some of the responsibility as well, especially when mothers observe serious reactions in their babies following their 2 and 4 month vaccinations yet consent to additional shots at 6 months. Your story is common. The infant receives a battery of shots at 2 months, has a serious reaction, and may even end up at the hospital fighting for his or her life. The parents know the vaccines caused the reaction, but because the doctor denied it, they agree to another round of shots at 4 months. The baby has another serious reaction, often ending up at the hospital again fighting for dear life. Again, the doctor denies that the vaccine had anything to do with the reaction so mom consents to additional shots at 6 months. Often, this is just too much for the baby to bear. If the child lives, damage may be acute or chronic, immediately observable and/or inapparent yet resulting in long-term consequences. These could take the form of regressive development, learning disabilities, retardation, and much more. At Thinktwice, we are amazed and distressed at how often this same story is retold. Mothers seem to have lost their maternal instinct, having turned it over to the medical industry, allowing themselves to be badgered and browbeaten into harming their own children.
Many parents discover the harsh realities of allopathic preventive healthcare after the damage is done. However, vaccine awareness should occur prior to pediatric appointments. One's consent to or rejection of vaccines ought to be an informed decision. Proper research of benefits and risks is essential. Thank you for sharing your story so that we may share it with others.
January 29, 2008
I am hoping that you can help me figure out if my son's reaction to a vaccine is "normal" or not. My son had his kindergarten boosters. He was behind because we were slow getting his shots, doing one at a time. He got four shots on Friday, and one turned VERY red, hot and the rash spread around his leg. The doctor said this is normal but I disagree and think he should not get any more shots! Any insight would be appreciated!
Although your son received four "shots" concurrently, if any of them were combination shots, then he received 5, 6 or 7 vaccine-drugs at the same time. When did you last take that many drugs at the same time? If you took 6 or 7 different drugs simultaneously would you be more surprised if you did, or did not, have a reaction?
"Normal" doesn't mean "safe." If your child was bitten by a rattlesnake, he would have severe symptoms that were "normal" for a rattlesnake bite, yet he would still be in danger. We can't diagnose your son, but an inflamed leg could be the least of your worries; long-term effects are also possible. Please read our section on multiple vaccines given simultaneously. Best wishes.
January 29, 2008
I was reading some of the angry letters on your website. I am amazed and awed by your articulate, well-researched answers to the aggressive, condescending emails that you receive. I am so grateful that you seem to be able to peel open the closed minds of some of the people who are rigidly allopathic. Keep doing what you are doing. You are making a difference, and the freedom to choose the way we handle the healthcare of our kids is fundamentally American.
Thanks for your support of our efforts.
January 25, 2008
My grandson was vaccinated around September 27, 2007 with the hepatitis A vaccine. Around October 15, he began to limp and now cannot walk at all. He cries with leg pain a lot and keeps his legs drawn up in a fetal position. Below is some of the history of our lives since then. He fell in October. He began walking with a limp, and we assumed this was from the fall. He has now progressed to not walking at all. He has been tested at Wolfson's Children's Hospital. We are waiting on the results from a nerve biopsy. The bone biopsy was fine. He has seen neurologists, oncologists, orthopedists, hematologists, and pediatric. He has had 3 MRI's, 2 lumbar punctures, numerous x-rays, a bone marrow biopsy, a bone biopsy, more blood work than you can name, 2 full body bone scans, and genetic testing. He has also spent 16 days in Wolfson's Children's Hospital: two separate stays of 8 days each. One stay in October/November and the last stay in January. This last time he was seen by 23 different doctors and nothing has been found. He cries with his knees hurting a lot. We do not know what to do. We are at our wit's end. Your thoughts are comments on this would be appreciated.
We're sorry to hear of your plight. We recommend contacting a naturopathic physician (check your yellow pages). Good luck.
January 25, 2008
I am a mother of three boys in NY who applied for a religious waiver to refuse vaccines for my kids over a year-and-a-half ago. The school denied us. The school conducted a 'sincerity interview '-- this means the attorney for the school questioned my husband and I for almost two hours. Most of the questions had nothing to do with religion or our belief in God. Moreover, there are a half-dozen other couples in our district who have been grilled in the same fashion and denied their waiver. The reasons the school gives are outrageous. We have banned together to encourage the school to change their approach. The whole nightmare I've been living is a long, crazy story. My current status: the ACLU has picked up my case and I am pursuing legal avenues. I am hopeful it will all work out in my favor. However, I want to help other couples get through this process, wherever they live, so they are spared the stress my family has gone through. To have your faith in god questioned and dismissed as insincere is terribly dehumanizing.
We have seen this before, where authorities engage in an inquisition to determine the "sincerity" of one's religious beliefs. A few years ago, a case like this went all the way to the Wyoming Supreme Court, where the judges determined that the law does not permit such grilling of the applicant, and that the exemption must be accepted at face value. Good luck.
January 20, 2008
I had a tetanus shot in 1993, required to get a job. In 1997 I was given another after a dog bite and another one at the same ER in 2000 for cat scratches. About 6 or 7 months ago I received an injection by the same entity, different location. I had never had a reaction since childhood (that was mild). I was advised that the worst side effect could be muscle degeneration for as long as 3 weeks. I went home and about 5 hours later was starting to hurt. It got much worse and I could not use my arm at all. About 2 1/2 to 3 weeks later I called my doctor. I had to wait another week or so as he was out of town. To date, I still have pain and cannot lay on my left shoulder. My arm and shoulder continue to be much weaker and tire easily; some movements are painful. Sometimes it just aches.
Thanks for sharing your experience for the benefit of others.
January 15, 2008
I was wondering if you could point me in the right direction as far as research material is concerned. I'm in the middle of a custody battle with my husband who might attempt to accuse me of "medical neglect" because I have, after much research, chosen to not immunize our almost two-year-old son. I may need some scientific research material to convince the judge that I am a responsible mother who has made informed decisions regarding the vaccines, and that I have done so because of legitimate concerns regarding the vaccines' safety and effectiveness. Where do I find appropriate material?
Under these circumstances we always recommend convincing your husband of the merits of your decision, not the judge. If your husband accuses you of medical neglect because he truly believes it, that's one thing. If he does it to hurt you, see if he can find another way to vent his anger instead of directing it at the child.
Regarding scientific research material on vaccines, and peer-reviewed vaccine studies, the Vaccine Safety Manual for Concerned Families and Health Practitioners provides the most comprehensive collection of vaccine data available anywhere, with a special emphasis on studies that document safety and efficacy deficiencies.
January 14, 2008
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I love your site...will pass it along!! KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK! DONT STOP!!! My little one is 3.5 yrs now and at her first DTaP shot screamed, not cried, screamed. She never stopped even once for over 7 hours. It was horrifying...I didn't know...I know now. We will fight to the end to never, ever, ever have a vaccine, ever again! Please keep supporting the little people in this battle!
Thanks for your support of our efforts.
January 14, 2008
My granddaughter was born Dec 13, 2007. She was born with NO complications, No health problems until after her hepatitis B shot. Less than a week after, she didn't want to eat, was very agitated, and finally came down with a fever. My daughter called her pediatrician who told her to take the baby to the hospital. They ran tests, never mentioned the shots and said she had a urinary tract infection from the urine backing up into her kidneys. She was tested with other tests and given two antibiotics and Tylenol for her fever. She was in the hospital for 5 days. She is home and still taking antibiotics and being sent to a urinologist. They told her she will have to be on medicine for 6 months to 1 year or until the baby outgrows this problem. I say baloney, the shots most likely caused this. Can you tell me what is in the hepatitis shot and what are the reactions to it? Can I report these reactions to someone? My daughter probably won't because she believes the shot didn't cause these problems as the doctors told her.
Our site posts information on the hepatitis B vaccine. Many children are damaged from this shot. Contact 1-800-822-7967 to file a report.
January 3, 2008
I have been doing some research on the MMR vaccine and was happy to come across your site. I would like to share my experience with the vaccine as well. I am the oldest of 5 children and one of my younger brothers and one of my younger sisters had very adverse reactions to the MMR vaccine including high fever. My sister began having seizures and had to be admitted to the hospital for several weeks. As she was recovering, a misinformed nurse accidentally administered ANOTHER MMR with caused my sister to get even worse; I won't go into all the details of how she suffered but suffice to say that it took a solid 6 months in the Intensive Care unit before she got well and came back to live with us. She was 6 years old at the time and is now 19 years old. She continued having seizures for a little over 10 years although they were few and far between (maybe 2 or 3 a year). It is such a miracle that she lived, the doctors didn't give us much hope and said the odds were stacked against her. Of course my mother researched all vaccinations very heavily and decided that none of us would receive immunizations after that. After fighting with the school board and providing all the documentation of what happened to my sister, she finally prevailed by claiming it violated our religious beliefs to have immunizations. That apparently was something the school board wouldn't dare dispute.
This brings me to my present experience with the MMR vaccine. My son is 13 months old and had his 12-month vaccinations about a week after his first birthday. The doctors told us to watch out for fever within the next 7 to 10 days, but my son showed no ill effects for several days. Eight days after the vaccine was administered he was riding in the car with my wife and mother-in-law and started making some strange noises. My wife immediately pulled over and pulled him out of his car seat, convulsing with his eyes rolling back in his head. His lips and much of his face turned purple and then he went limp and pale. My wife honestly thought he was dead but he started whimpering a short while afterwards and then came to after that. It turns out he had a fever of 104, which came on very quickly and caused him to have a febrile seizure. After several tests including a CS and chest x-rays, the doctors could not tell us what caused him to have a seizure, but upon realizing he had just had his MMR, my whole family was convinced that was the cause. Of course, the doctors maintained it was probably not caused by the vaccine but they offered no other explanation!! Luckily, our pediatrician was open to our concerns and agreed with us in our decision to not administer any further vaccinations to our son. Our new son who will be born any day now (due date today). I am sure we will have to use the 'religious beliefs' defense to ensure they will be accepted into school without immunizations, but I would honestly homeschool my children before exposing them to something so deadly. When is the last time you heard of anyone in the US coming down with measles anyhow? Thanks for putting this information out there. I will be forwarding the Thinktwice link to all friends and family members with children, and I look forward to receiving the book!
Serious adverse reactions to the MMR vaccine often occur 7 to 10 days following the shot. Thus, parents who elect to vaccinate their children with MMR need to remain alert for possible signs of vaccine damage for at least this long. Thanks for sharing your experiences to benefit others.
December 27, 2007
Can you please tell me if the hepatitis B vaccine could be responsible for kidney disease? My grandson was vaccinated when he was one day old, at 3 months and 6 months. He wet the bed until he was 13 years old. He has been diagnosed with Allport's disease and will need a transplant in the future. My daughter had read that the hepatitis B vaccine damages the kidneys and the liver. No doctor will confirm this.
Although Allport's disease is a rare genetic ailment, numerous studies document adverse reactions to the hepatitis B vaccine. Here are a couple of studies linking this vaccine to kidney damage:
Islek, I., et al. "Nephrotic syndrome following hepatitis B vaccination." Pediatr Nephrol (Jan 2000);14:89-90.
Macario, F., et al. "Nephrotic syndrome after recombinant hepatitis B vaccine." Clin Nephrol (May 1995);43(5):349.
Here are a couple of studies linking this vaccine to liver ailments:
Ranieri, VM., et al. "Liver inflammation and acute respiratory distress syndrome in a patient receiving hepatitis B vaccine: a possible relationship?" Intensive Care Medicine (January 1997);23(1):119-21.
Lilic, D., et al. "Liver dysfunction and DNA antibodies after hepatitis B vaccination." Lancet (November 1994);344(8932):1292-3.
Other hepatitis B vaccine studies are posted on our website. However, the most extensive information on the hepatitis B vaccine may be found in the Vaccine Safety Manual, which contains the most comprehensive scientific documentation available linking this vaccine to kidney, liver, neurologic, immunologic, skin and blood disorders. Important research has also linked this vaccine to rising rates of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.
November 30, 2007
Ma'am or Sir,
I just read your international travel vaccine section. I found it interesting that you did NOT inform your readers of the risks of becoming infected with one of the vaccine preventable diseases -- yellow fever -- while traveling overseas, and the subsequent risk of illness and possibly long term consequences from the disease itself.
From 1996-2002, there were just five yellow fever fatalities among all American and European travelers. This doesn't seem like much of a risk. In contrast, yellow fever vaccines have been linked to multiple organ system failure (vaccine-associated viscerotropic disease), virtually identical to severe and fatal cases of yellow fever caused by the wild-type of yellow fever virus. The vaccine may also cause profound nervous system reactions, including Guillain-Barre' syndrome and neurotropic disease (previously named post-vaccinal encephalitis).
Lastly, the statement that vaccines are not required to travel overseas is not completely correct. Proof of yellow fever vaccination or a medical contraindication to yellow fever vaccination is an international travel requirement for a number of countries. People that arrive in a country requiring YF vaccination without the above proof can be subject to vaccination by the country visited or refused entry into that country.
Some countries may waive the requirements for travelers staying less than two weeks who are coming from areas where there is no current evidence or significant risk of contracting yellow fever. (The Vaccine Safety Manual contains more extensive information on the yellow fever vaccine.)
I'm not for unfettered use of vaccines. I am for full and accurate information for all people so that they can make the best-informed decision for themselves and their families.
Great! Then may we assume that you'll be contacting the CDC and FDA, like you contacted us, to request accurate information on their websites, which only post benefits and downplay the risks? Our site is not a branch of the medical establishment. Our goal is not to mimic vaccine propaganda; there are plenty of websites where people can get "official" vaccine information. Instead, we aim to provide valuable data that is not being offered by vaccine proponents.
Actually, I do contact any website manager that puts up information that appears incorrect or dangerously incomplete. I do this, as it would be irresponsible to allow our population to be misled by inaccurate information that may put their health at risk.
If what you say is true, which I doubt, then you must be very busy writing to the website managers of all the "official" vaccine websites requesting that they post correct information about potential vaccine reactions. Tell
me how many times you wrote to the CDC and FDA asking them to post honest information. Or did you really mean that you just contact people who don't promote vaccines? Our website endeavors to post honest and accurate information at all times. People are free to access information on our site and weigh it against information on sites that promote vaccines unconditionally.
Ma'am or Sir, just a little feedback on your writing style. Seems like you assume I am your enemy by beginning your email questioning my integrity. I doubt that helps to win you supporters. Secondly, it is also concerning that neither of the two emails I have received from you are signed. That is unusual and makes me wonder why. When I correspond with folks at CDC they always respond with a signed email. Hopefully you find this helpful and are able to be more successful in your future correspondence. Respectfully, JV, MD.
Dear JV, I am not requesting your "feedback" because it is clearly biased. Nor do I assume that you are an "enemy"; that is your assumption. However, I do believe that your desire to "help" is disingenuous. The truth is that you are annoyed that we present unflattering vaccine information on our website and would prefer that only "official" sources of vaccine propaganda be allowed to reach concerned people trying to make informed decisions. Furthermore, your attempt to turn this conversation into a lesson in proper correspondence is condescending, which I have observed to be a common trait among many medical doctors. Also, you failed to answer my simple question wondering how often you wrote to the CDC and FDA asking them to post honest information. It seems to me that if we are going to have "successful correspondence" then you are going to have to be more forthright. Sincerely, NW, Thinktwice.
November 29, 2007
Thank you for all of your wonderful work. I lost a daughter to SIDS. I am now discovering that my story is rather common; my daughter was nine pounds when she was born, very healthy, breast-fed, and always put to sleep on her back. Seven days prior to her death, she received a full battery of vaccinations. Sadly, I have only recently become aware of the potential link between SIDS and vaccinations. I would very much like to contact other parents who have similar stories, perhaps through a website dedicated to this aspect of vaccinations. Do you know of any links that I could try? Any information that you can give me would be very much appreciated.
I'm sorry to hear of your loss. Our site provides information on the link between vaccines and sudden infant death syndrome -- SIDS. However, we do not keep contact information on file.
November 28, 2007
I know this website is mostly for children but wanted to share something that happened recently to me. First off, let me say that I have a great deal of allergies and I am very careful of what I eat and what is prescribed by my doctor. Three weeks ago I stepped on a rusty nail. I hadn't had a tetanus shot in over 20 years. I thought I had better get one just in case. After I got there, we went over my allergies and I asked lots of questions. She said "are you allergic to eggs"? I said no. That was all that was said. She gave me the shot and I immediately felt as though I was going to pass out. I figured it had to do with me not liking needles, and I was being a baby. I walked out to the car still feeling really dizzy and sick. I drove a 1/4 of a mile and had to pull over. I had broken out in hives and my eyes were nearly swollen shut. Drove back to the doctor and told them that I was having a reaction. They did all the stuff they could to stop the reaction. I then ask what in the world could have been in that shot to do this? They looked at each other and said, well actually we gave you a DPT and it was more than likely the pertussis that did this. I was so angry that no one told me beforehand that this is a common practice for adults now. So here I sit, three weeks later, with hives, burning skin, aching joints, and incredible fatigue. I would not have willingly taken a DPT shot. My daughter had a severe reaction to it also as a baby and I have not given it to any of my other children. Just wanted to let you know that this stuff is happening to adults also.
The medical industry is now pushing teenage and adult vaccines because these are expected to be highly lucrative markets. Of course, no one is immune to a serious adverse reaction. Thanks for sharing your story. We'll post it to share with others.
November 28, 2007
My daughter is 2 months old, and I am so grateful for your book which led me to your website. My daughter's two-month well-baby checkup is in a few days, and after reading everything on your site I called her pediatrician and had a very candid conversation with him about the vaccines he was planning on giving her. I expected him to react with anger or denial, but I only got denial. I also got a speech from him on how his practice has "other parents like you with similar concerns, but I have given the shots to my own children and would not have done so if I didn't feel like it was safe..." I told him that he made that choice as a parent, and I was making my choice as a parent.
When I explained my concerns of brain damage or other problems caused directly by the shots he stated that he "has never in (his) experience seen any reactions to any of the shots given...(he) has patients that he sees that have autism but they are not related to the vaccine...." That spoke volumes to me when comparing the page in your book where the chart states that 82% of doctors do not report reactions to vaccines. I stood firm and explained that I would bring her in to her appointment on the understanding that no shots are to be given now or in the future. He said that he would be "happy to treat (my daughter) but please understand that every time you come in for a visit I will be 'suggesting' the shots she needs."
I'm currently seeking out homeopathic doctors in my area who won't 'suggest' any shots. Thank you so much for everything you have put out there about vaccines. I feel a little more empowered now in the protection of my infant daughter. I am armed with the knowledge to keep her healthy and safe now.
Everyone needs to be fully informed about the true benefits and risks of vaccines and must remain free to accept or reject the shots. Thanks for sharing your experiences. Check the yellow pages for a naturopathic doctor.
November 7, 2007
Great website! I would like to have a bumper sticker to help spread the word. My story quickly, I have four children. The first three were regularly vaccinated as "required" by our school administration. A friend of mine lost a child hours after being vaccinated and alerted me to the hazards associated with this. Our fourth child was not vaccinated and is the only one who is not in "Special-Ed" like the rest of her siblings.
Thanks for sharing your story to benefit others. A bumper sticker is on the way.
October 25, 2007
Ha ha, loved the site. It served for a few good laughs. Well, I'm on my way to get my flu shot. Have a good day.
That's your choice.
October 22, 2007
I received the varicella vaccine. Immediately following the vaccine I had a loss of elasticity to my skin, and dark circles under my eyes. As I have been unable to find a doctor knowledgeable enough to determine what happened to me, I began my own research and found the following: vaccines release free radicals in the body that attack and destroy skin cells, and can reduce key vitamin levels that are critical for supporting collagen and elastin. The vaccines essentially change the skin's DNA and perpetuate the aging process of the face.
Unfortunately, I did not make the connection as explained and was subject to more vaccines in December of 2006 for travel. These vaccines also caused dark circles under my eyes and a permanent tired line in my face. Vaccines can cause a permanent allergic reaction as the body reacts to the foreign substances that are contained in the vaccines. In addition to these visible changes, I have experienced substantial systemic changes as well. Vaccines have ruined the quality of my life.
I feel bad for all the young women that are now being targeted for the Human Papilloma Virus vaccine. The allergic reactions that these young girls will experience will be permanent for many. This particular vaccine is being hailed as a cancer vaccine when all it does is target a strain of STD that is linked to cervical cancer. It suggests that young girls are now free to have unprotected sex without consequence. They also want to market this to young men as a preventative for cancer of the mouth. This is inspired by money and not the well-being of these adolescents.
Cures do not exist because there is more money in vaccines. Please continue your work and efforts to make this information known.
Thanks for sharing your personal experiences with the varicella (chickenpox) vaccine and vaccines for overseas travel. Our website provides additional information on these vaccines and on the HPV vaccine as well. The Vaccine Safety Manual contains the most extensive information on all vaccines, with separate chapters on chickenpox, HPV, and several "travel" vaccines, including yellow fever, typhoid fever, cholera, and Japanese encephalitis.
October 16, 2007
I have a 3-year-old son that developed autistic-like behaviors right after receiving his MMR shot. He was diagnosed with autism at 21 months old. We started extensive therapy, and through the course of the last year-and-a-half he is doing so much better. He is totally verbal and very high functioning. My question is, I REFUSE to let him get the 2nd MMR shot. I did not go through all this hard work with him to have another shot hold him back. What are my rights in the state of Florida when it comes to denying this vaccine? (He is currently up to date with all other shots.) Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Vaccines are not legally required for young children in most states, only when they enter daycare or school, and then an exemption is permitted. Florida offers a religious exemption. Please read our Frequently Asked Questions and visit our section on immunization laws for more information.
October 9, 2007
Hi, I want to thank everyone who takes time to write on this page and tell their stories. I have a few questions for the parents who have children and their child had a bad reaction. My daughter is a healthy baby and she has been to 3 pediatricians and she is only 2 1/2 months old. My daughter had a DPT shot as scheduled because I thought it was the right thing to do. Around 6:30 that night I noticed her leg was very swollen and red, which the doctor said would happen, but he failed to tell me that she might have a bad reaction to the shot. My daughter was screaming, which was very unlike her, so I called the doctor and the doctor said she is having a bad reaction to the shot so just give her Tylenol and she will be okay. So I did, she fell asleep and woke up again still screaming and very swollen, only this time she was puking out of her nose and her mouth. This concerned me so I called the doctor again, and again he told me that it was just a bad reaction and that this is the only shot she can get a reaction to.
Nonsense, all of the shots can cause serious reactions. It can be very dangerous when more than one vaccine is given at the same time.
He also told me that next time, instead of giving her the DPT shot, he would give her just the DT shot. I am glad to say that it is 6 days later and she hasn't had any other reaction yet, but I took her to a third doctor today and he told me that there is no such thing as a DT shot, and also that there are risks of brain damage with every shot. Now being a concerned first time mom, I do not know what to do. I don't want my daughter to receive any more shots but how does that work with school in New York?
NY offers a religious exemption. Read our section on vaccine laws for more information.
Every night when my daughter goes to sleep I watch her and do not sleep myself because I am scared that something is going to happen. I just wish I never got her the shot, but like other moms I thought I was doing the right thing. My next question is how do I know that all my daughter had was the crying and nothing else? When is it safe to say okay, now I don't have to worry about her having any more reactions to this one shot? Please help me.
Your daughter was given DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis), not DPT, which was discontinued several years ago. Some people believe that the earlier formula was more dangerous than DTaP. However, studies (and real-life experiences) confirm that DTaP is also potentially dangerous. Keep in mind that doctors usually inject babies with a total of 8 vaccine-drugs at 2 months of age, so if your daughter received several shots, she may be reacting to a) the pertussis component of the DTaP shot, b) to an entirely different vaccine, or c) to the entire cocktail of vaccines.
The "screaming" that your daughter experienced is very likely the "cri encephalique" that can occur with neurological damage from vaccines. This has been written about. You may not know if she has long-term damage until she becomes more mature in age and development, by observing whether she achieves important milestones age-appropriately. Best wishes.
October 4, 2007
My son received EIGHT vaccines on February 13, 2007. They were DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis), IPV, Hib, Hep B, Prevnar & Rotateq. He was 6 months old. One week later he was inconsolable and lethargic. Another three days later he presented with seizures and suffered a significant stroke: 2/3 of his right brain is permanently damaged. I am lucky he is doing so well. I am not sure what his future holds but I am positive. Please send me a bumper sticker.
We're sorry to hear about your son. Hopefully, he will heal. A bumper sticker is on the way. Thanks for sharing your story to benefit others.
October 3, 2007
My 5 month old son received his first round of immunizations 2 weeks ago -- "the cocktail" -- 3 shots for 5 diseases. After a few days I noticed that he wasn't responding to my voice very well and was sort of "in space." I didn't pay much attention and just figured he was ignoring me. Then the other day I dropped something in the bathroom which made a huge noise and he didn't even flinch! I know he has suffered some hearing loss and I can't help but think it was caused by the vaccines. I'm terrified and have made an appointment for him to be tested by an audiologist. I've tried to find some specific information on vaccines and hearing loss but either it's very vague or I can't gain access to it. Could you please help me by pointing me to some information? Also, do I have any recourse? He passed his newborn hearing screening and was hearing fine before the immunizations. If he has sustained hearing loss is there a way to point to the vaccines as having caused it? ANY information you could give me would be very appreciated. Gratefully yours, a very terrified and angry mom.
Our website lists several studies, many of which are specific to hearing damage. Also be sure to file a report with the federal government's Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS): 1-800-822-7967.
October 1, 2007
Dear Thinktwice
I am a very firm believer that people are put in your path for a reason. Last week I took my 3-month-old son to the car wash with my mom. I always rush to pay and go sit outside. However, this particular day I decided to explain the whole car wash to my son and let him watch through the glass window. As we were waiting, a young woman approached us. She made small talk about the baby and then suddenly asked about his vaccinations. I was a little surprised. I told her that he had his first round at 2 months. She asked how he was doing since the shots and I said fine, completely normal. She then went on to tell me about your website and your books. I have always heard about the vaccine controversy but never really took the time to check it out. But the more I thought about the things she said the more curious I became. So I went home and read everything on your site. That woman was an angel put in my son's path to save him. I wish I had taken the time to ask her name. I wish I had seen her before I took him to the doctor. I will NEVER, EVER give him another shot.
After reading through your site, I started thinking about my 1-year-old puppy. I have a 4 lb pom. He is a wonderful, happy, healthy little pup. When I was 9 months pregnant with my son, I took my dog to the vet to get the shots and a routine check-up before the baby came. Little Bear (my pup) had a rabies, distemper, and one other shot I'm not sure. No one ever mentioned to me that he would have a reaction. So after I got home, me and Little Bear cuddled up on the couch to take an afternoon nap. Not more than 10 minutes after we sat down, Little Bear started screaming and shrieking, convulsed, arched his back, reversed, and urinated all over. My dog had a major seizure. Ever since then, he is very quiet, limps on his back legs, and sleeps quit a bit.
My point may be a little off here. But I just wanted to tell you that these vaccines aren't just damaging our babies. It is our pets as well. I knew Little Bear had the reaction to his shot. But I never put two and two together that the same thing could happen to my son. I regret so much getting his first round of shots. I would do anything to take it back. But I do know that I will never let him get another one. I am telling all my friends that are parents, or soon to be parents, of your website. It is extremely informational. Thank you for educating us. It is a sad world that we live in today.
Thanks you for sharing your letter. You're right about vaccines also causing problems in our pets. That's why we publish a book on this problem: Vaccine Guide for Dogs and Cats: What Every Pet Lover Should Know.
September 24, 2007
My son was born perfectly healthy. He had a bad reaction after his first vaccine(s): inconsolable crying for 12 hours. The doctor told me not to EVER give him another vaccine of pertussis. And we didn't. As time went by, we noticed he had a high tolerance to pain, didn't learn from discipline, then as he got older he couldn't tell the truth even if he wanted something that he was offered for telling the truth. We struggled, reached out for help, took him to a psychiatrist. He has no impulse control; he knows right from wrong but when put in a situation, he can't chose right if his life depended on it. I have watched this transpire from early on. I have believed for many years that this vaccine caused brain damage of some kind, but I can't get anyone to order a brain scan. He is almost 17 and he is going to juvenile prison for the 2nd time.
Who is tracking these kids long-term? How do we know that these vaccines aren't causing bi-polar, anti-social disorder, mood disorders or ADD/ADHD? Certainly vaccines are what all these children have in common. Of course, if a child has a seizure after a vaccine, or dies, that is reported and tracked, but all these kids who had 'milder' reactions, who is watching out for them?
You make good points that have already been investigated. I highly recommend the scholarly book, Vaccination, Social Violence and Criminality by Harris Coulter. This book may be difficult to locate, but it is available, and discusses the links between vaccines and anti-social behavior.
August 1, 2007
My beautiful four-year-old grandson is not talking and showing signs of autism. He was a vibrant, healthy baby, and was growing well until his baby shots at the age of 14 months. Within a two-week period after receiving his shots, he stopped giving eye contact, and seemed to turn inward. He has never been the same since the series of shots he got. He is developing well physically, but mentally and emotionally he is very delayed. My daughter suffers daily from his emotional and mental disability. It breaks my heart to see this. I don't know if he will ever be able to live a normal life. I have heard that the mercury in the shots could be the problem. If so, then someone has committed a horrible crime against these young children. What is your advice for her to do?
We're sorry to hear about this. Sadly, it is all too common. Mercury in vaccines is not the only problem. We are aware of many babies who became autistic after receiving several non-mercury containing shots. Our site lists several autism resources plus some links to people and organizations that may be able to help reverse vaccine damage. Best wishes.
July 19, 2007
My daughter who is three years old received vaccinations on June 21, 2007: MMR, Hib, hepatitis, polio. On June 27-30 she had fevers at night ranging from 101-104, on Tylenol. On July 10, she was crying that her stomach hurt from 8:30-10:30 at night. She fell asleep, waking up at 1:30am crying again. She had a 101 fever. On July 12, she had a seizure in the car lasting 15 minutes. She was pushing her finger into her eye, staring straight ahead. I asked her why she was doing this; I got no response. I took her out of her car seat and held her. She was also making a chewing motion with her mouth. When she came back to reality she told me her eye was hurting her. On July 14, she had another seizure lasting 2 minutes, making noises with her lips and staring and nonresponsive in the car again. She also said this time her eye was hurting afterwards. I brought her to ER and they sent her home on Keppra 1ml, twice a day. I have an EEG scheduled for July 20. Do you think all of what is going on is vaccine related? My primary care physician and ER doctors say no. I am scared that they are lying to me.
Can vaccine injury be reversed for seizures? Is she going to keep having these? Is she going to die on me? Can I help her someway?
Your daughter received 6 vaccine/drugs on June 21. When did you last take 6 drugs at once? Would you be more surprised if you did, or did not, have a reaction? Doctors rarely admit to vaccine reactions. It's hard to say whether the damage is permanent. You may want to contact a naturopathic physician. They are listed in the phone book.
December 7, 2006
I am a mother in the U.K. I had my 3 1/2 month old daughter vaccinated with the DPT vaccine (in the U.K. it includes Hib and Polio). She went from being a contented baby that woke on average twice a night to waking from the vaccine every hour to 90 minutes. We are now 3 months down the line and she wakes in pain (back arching, throwing her head back) every 2 hours. I have had a look at your site and feel we are lucky to have had a mild reaction but one I would still like to remedy. Do you have any info on this? I have added an infant probiotic to her food as well as flax oil and she has seen a homeopath and an osteopath with no signs of change. Do you have any advice? Many thanks on providing such a valuable service. Jessica is not having any more shots. Kind regards.
Your child received 5 powerful drugs simultaneously. We do not consider her reaction mild. We are always surprised when babies do not have a serious reaction after receiving several vaccines all at one time. Our site has a small section on "reversing vaccine damage" and a list of health practitioners who work with children who were damaged by vaccines. Please read our Frequently Asked Questions for more information. Good luck.
December 1, 2006
My daughter is 2 1/2 yrs old, she had a flu shot on November 9, 2006. Monday November 13, 2006 I took her back to her doctor because her eyes were suddenly crossed. Her doctor sent her to the ER who told us she has Guillain-Barre' Syndrome (GBS) from the flu shot. She was transferred to one of the best hospitals in the area, who thankfully told us they did not think it was GBS, but thought is was caused by the flu shot. Basically, fluid built up around her brain, causing her eyes to turn in, one more than the other. She now has to wear glasses and hopefully it will reverse the damage but they can't tell us for sure. We are still in the process of seeing different specialists. Can you please tell me have you heard of any reactions like this? She has already had a Spinal Tap, MRI, CT Scan and tons of blood work. My husband and I are worried about future problems. Please let me know if you have heard of any thing else like this. My little girl is happy and doing well. I am very thankful that she is okay! I am just so angry that this happened to her. My heart goes out to all the families who aren't so lucky. Thank you for such a great site; I am passing it on to all I know.
Vaccines can cause neurological damage. This is well documented in the medical literature. Please read our postings on the flu vaccine. Also visit our section on individual vaccines and vaccine studies. Thanks for sharing your experience. Best wishes with your daughter.
December 1, 2006
I wanted to write you to see if I can possibly get answers from you about my sister's son. He is 6 years old and has received all of his vaccines. When he was a year old he could say 10 words. He was a happy baby. At 15 months he got his MMR vaccine, and at 20 months he had a minor surgery on his eyes. He was put to sleep and he was so scared that he screamed. He was paranoid when he saw doctors for a long time after that, that's how scared he was. Shortly after, his sister was born. Since around that time he started to change little by little. He stopped talking and began to act different. He would point at things rather then say what he wanted. He did not always turn his head when people called him. He would go in his own world and some of his behavior seemed autistic. He would cover his ears when he heard noise. His behavior became more difficult to deal with. He screamed when they took him in public and also when visitors came by. Around that time, their house was getting fixed so there were a lot of loud noises around that drove him crazy. He was paranoid. He started to go into his own world and always had to find something to have in his hand that he would bang up against things. Today he still feels the need to twirl something in his hand or bang something. He goes into his own world a little when he gets to do that and he also has a lot of need to release energy and nervousness from his body by running back and forth. He is doing better and better and is taking big steps forward day by day. It's like he closed up and is trying to catch on. They have done so much to try to help him but nobody can tell them what is wrong with him. They take him to homeopathic doctors who gives them remedies and he has a few tutors that help him in many ways.
My question is...could it be that the vaccines might have affected him so long after? He got the MMR shot at 15 months but they didn't notice much change in him until around 18-20 months. Could it take months for this to show? Also, could something have happened when he was put to sleep by the doctor? Is there a way to help kids that have difficulties, through minerals or remedies (Detox)? In desperate need of answers. Thank you for a great page!
Our site has many stories of children becoming autistic following their shots. However, given the time period between the administration of the vaccine (15 months) and when they first noticed changes in their child (18-20 months) it would be difficult to determine whether the vaccines were responsible in this instance. (Of course, it is possible that the parents were unaware of subtle, detrimental changes that may have begun in the child shortly after the MMR vaccine was given. When parents are told by their doctors that vaccines are safe, they rarely pay extra attention to their children after the shots are administered, to look for possible signs of a reaction.) We recommend that you read our section on autism. You may also wish to read about health practitioners who may be able to help your nephew. Several are listed on our site in a section on reversing vaccine damage.
December 1, 2006
Good morning. Having come across your website, I thought you might be interested in my story. In November 2005, my wife Sylvia (56) had a flu injection for the first time ever. For 5 days after, she had flu-like symptoms, but then felt better, and for 2 days was back to normal. On Monday, Nov 14, 2005 she was in bed and complaining about me trying to awaken her. She was agitated and vociferous (most unusual). Within one hour, her condition was worse and I called the doctor who immediately hospitalized her. She died there 3 weeks later and the doctors still had not found out the cause. A post mortem stated she had died as a result of an adverse reaction to the flu injection. I attach a copy of the post mortem for your information, and hope it will make others think before accepting these vaccines. I am still waiting for information from The Procurator Fiscal who is supposed to be investigating the vaccine. If you need any further details please contact me.
We're sorry about your loss. Thank you for sharing your experience so that we may share it with others.
November 29, 2006
Dear Thinktwice:
I am re-reading your book on vaccines -- Vaccines: Are They Really Safe and Effective? -- and you mention all the letters you get from people whose children have been damaged by vaccines, so I thought I'd write you a letter about my children who have not been damaged by vaccines.
When I was pregnant with my three-year-old, we were invited over to dinner by a family my husband had met at a church we were attending. Somehow the vaccine issue came up and the mother and father started telling us all about why they weren't vaccinating their children. They had your book and loaned it to us. Up to that time I had not given any thought to the vaccine issue and probably would have gone along with vaccinations as advised by my baby's doctor. In fact, I remember commenting to my husband once we got home that the reason these parents could get away with not vaccinating their children was because everyone else did vaccinate. I didn't feel right about taking advantage of the "herd immunity" while not participating in it. In any case, I read your book and very quickly learned that not only do vaccines cause problems, they don't seem to measure up in terms of providing immunity even to those taking them. I couldn't believe what I was reading. As if to confirm your writing, one day I was waiting to interview a potential pediatrician and picked up a CDC publication about vaccination. I found two untrue statements in the first sentence of the first paragraph on the first page! While I thought your views and tone were somewhat extreme at the time, my husband and I decided that there was more to the vaccination issue than we'd originally thought, and that we weren't going to allow our daughter to take any shots until we learned more. I read many of the other books out there, and over time it became clear that there just wasn't any good reason to vaccinate, so we still haven't vaccinated either one of our daughters. We also learned that due to some family medical history (i.e., lots of people with unexplained autoimmune disorders), it's very possible our children are contraindicated for vaccination anyway, but I don't have any confidence a doctor would have even brought that up.
As I mentioned, I'm re-reading your book now, and appalled at just how many problems are associated with just about every vaccine. I am so thankful that as a mother I have never experienced the trauma of holding down my screaming child for a shot, nor any of the common sequelae (such as hours of screaming, fever, and other common reactions) following the shots. I am thankful that when I do (rarely) take my children to doctors for some ailment, they don't automatically start crying the moment we walk in the door. Most of all I am thankful for my two beautiful, vivacious and HEALTHY daughters. My three-year-old has such a great vocabulary we often forget she's only three; both my babies are generally easy-going and don't fuss too much. My three-year-old doesn't get sick too much and when she does, she tolerates it well. Our 6-month-old hasn't gotten sick once so far. I'm told it's normal for babies to be sick with something or other nine times in their first year! Had I not opened up your book almost four years ago, who knows what I could be dealing with? Perhaps I'd still have my two healthy daughters; not every child reacts horribly to vaccines. Or, I could be dealing with any number of issues: autism, SIDS, behavioral problems.... Perhaps I'd instead be one of those heartbroken parents who write you every day because they found out too late that the shot their child just got has permanently damaged them in some way. Of course, I have no way of knowing what could have happened; however, I am extremely grateful for what I do know which has helped me make much better health decisions for my children. I'm thankful to the parents who loaned me your book and I'm thankful to you for writing it. Thank you so much. Because of your work, my children will not become another statistic of vaccine injury, and my husband and I will not have our hearts torn apart from helplessly seeing it happen.
Please send me one of your bumper stickers. Perhaps it could save a child sometime in the future.
Thank you for your kind comments regarding our work with vaccines. The problems are just as significant today as they were many years ago when we first addressed this issue. Parents continue to send us horrendous stories of their healthy children becoming permanently damaged or killed following their vaccines. Much more needs to be done to stop the madness, rectify the system, and honestly deal with the large-scale social problems related to this travesty. More people need to become aware and involved.
Thanks for requesting a bumper sticker.
November 21, 2006
Hi, I am a university student currently writing an article on vaccinations. I am on deadline and I would really appreciate it if you could answer a few short questions:
1. How important do you think it is for the government to publicize the amount of vaccines which lead to injury in young children?
Honesty in government is essential. Parents are entitled to make informed decisions. This requires access to both positive and negative data. Censorship is a form of deception. When parents are only aware of vaccine propaganda promoting benefits they are unable to accurately assess the true risks, and our precious children may become unwitting victims.
2. Do you think there is enough support for parents who have children that have suffered adverse effects from vaccinations?
Absolutely not! Parents of vaccine-damaged children are not supported. In fact, authorities do everything in their power to deny vaccine reactions and to impugn the intelligence and motivations of parents who claim them.
3. Do you think the government could do more to prevent future problems caused by vaccinations such as pour more money into researching it?
Additional research is superfluous. Current studies showing links between vaccines and serious health problems are ignored, so new studies wouldn't change a thing. The FDA, CDC and vaccine manufacturers are already aware of the damage inflicted by vaccines. Also, many of the current vaccine studies are bogus, conducted simply to support predetermined, desired results. The entire dysfunctional and corrupt system of research, licensing and approval must be overhauled before additional research would provide honest data that could be constructively used to improve preventive healthcare and truly benefit society.
November 5, 2006
On Oct. 10, 2006 my 9-year-old daughter got her flu shot for the first time. Two days later, we flew to Hawaii and upon arriving she started getting a terrible cold, bad headache and sick stomach. That night, she woke up with a seizure. Six days later we flew home and that night again she had another seizure. My daughter has traveled the world since an infant and never had a problem with flying. So, we can only conclude that it has to do with the flu shot (nose spray type) she received for the first time. Her pediatrician said that if there's a reaction to the flu shot that it would occur immediately and not two days later. However, in talking to others, I was told it is possible. Can anybody confirm this? If it's really related to the flu shot, who do I report this to?
Thank you for helping the public to be aware of such danger. A friend of mine had shared with me your book on vaccines after she learned of our problem. My daughter is now on seizure medicine. She is upset that we had gone along with the doctor's order for a flu shot.
Doctors rarely acknowledge that vaccines can and often do cause serious adverse reactions. Your doctor is either misinformed or lying. This is very common. Of course, common sense tells us that the type of reaction you describe was most likely caused by the flu vaccine. With flu vaccines, you must also be wary of Guillain-Barre' syndrome. For more information, our site has additional data on the flu vaccine. To report this reaction, call VAERS: 1-800-822-7967. They will send you a packet.
October 30, 2006
Hi there. I came across your website by accident as I was researching whether we can get my baby to have her 6 month immunizations early as we are planning a trip to Jamaica in January. The info on your site is very interesting; I had no idea that the vaccines were so dangerous. So I just have a quick question that I was hoping you could answer. Is it safe to take a baby (she will be 6 months when we go) overseas without vaccinations? Is it safer to take our chances with her maybe getting something there or is it safer to take a chance with the vaccine. I'm so confused; I want her to be safe. Thank you very much in advance for your time.
Sorry, but your question is the kind that needs to be individually researched so that you can make an informed decision. Everyone wants their baby to be safe -- an indisputable reason that the vaccine issue is difficult for so many people. The Vaccine Safety Manual contains separate chapters on "overseas" vaccines, including shots for tuberculosis, yellow fever, typhoid fever, cholera, and Japanese encephalitis. This comprehensive vaccine guide also contains chapters on hepatitis A, hepatitis B and many other commonly administered immunizations. Therefore, we highly recommended this book to begin your vaccine studies. Best wishes with your vaccine education.
October 27, 2006
Dear Thinktwice, I have a 3-month-old gorgeous baby girl. The decision whether to vaccinate or not (or selectively) is currently weighing heavy in our household. Before I read the first shred on vaccines, something deep inside me told me it was just plain wrong, a commission of violence against my beautiful daughter's yet undeveloped immune system and myelin sheath. I tend to err on the side of holistic health practices, and therefore against vaccinating. My husband has come around somewhat, but tends to err more on the side of the mainstream when it comes to health practices (although not other things). I think he has done enough of his own research to be scared of vaccines, but he also seems to buy into the whole pre-vaccine era propaganda, i.e. "vaccines are the greatest medical discovery of our time," blah, blah, blah. Unfortunately, it is hard for me to get to the library and do research outside of the internet with a new baby who is breastfeeding every 2 hours or so. I feel like time is closing in as my husband is looking for me to decide what to do, and I feel a bit disorganized in the research department. I would so appreciate if you would point me the way of scientific studies that poke holes in vaccines, and tell me the easiest way to access them. I need this evidence to show my husband. He claims that there is tons of scientific proof for vaccines, but when I ask him to show it to me, he can't. He can't believe it when I tell him that there is not a single double-blind placebo controlled study on vaccinations.
We are lucky that our pediatrician is sort of old fashioned and is not at all pressuring us either way. She did say that if it were her kids she would do the Hib and Prevnar since she has seen the havoc that meningitis can wreak on a baby. She saw a patient's 9-month-old die within 12 hours. I was surprised as these are more newfangled vaccines, and I can't imagine that we have yet seen many of the long-term effects associated with them. How many kids really die of meningitis each year. We didn't have these vaccines when we were growing up and I never heard of a single case. She said we could "wait" to do the others like DTaP and polio. I am not really worried about these diseases except for pertussis. It scares me because apparently it can be very tough on a baby less than 6 months old. Our pediatrician said that pertussis "goes around" every winter, so of course I am freaked out since winter is about here. Ironically, this is also the scariest vaccine. Enough of my rambling. I can't tell you how any help would be appreciated.
Every parent needs to do the research and come to their own conclusions and vaccine decisions. For starters, we recommend perusing our website and others like it. Vaccines: Are They Really Safe and Effective? is one vaccine book with lots of documentation. There are others to read as well. Compare these with official fact sheets on vaccines.
You may also wish to consider the following: More babies in the United States die of malnutrition every year than from many of these diseases. Why do we not hear about and fear this deadly ailment? Could it be that a vaccine was not developed to address malnutrition? If a vaccine were developed to combat malnutrition, do you think the industry would hype the dangers of non-vaccinating against malnutrition? What about bee stings? Your precious baby is at risk of a dangerous sting. Does she wear a bee suit to protect her? Do you think that if a vaccine were available to "protect" against bee stings, you would hear more about it in the media and would be more nervous about the risks of not vaccinating your baby against bee stings?
We suggest that you continue with your studies until you and your husband are more comfortable with your understanding of the issues. Best wishes.
October 24, 2006
I always suspected that Jerry's Kids for MS, MD and ALS was a front for the drug companies to do research on the damage that vaccines cause -- at the expense of the people that they harmed -- but I have no proof. Have you ever noticed how they sucked $20 billion in spare change out of the gullible public since the 1960s and they are nowhere nearer to a treatment or cure? I wish I had a con running like that for that long. Oh, wait, you need the government's backing for that level of crime.
France removed the hepatitis B vaccine from the market a few years ago because it was apparently causing multiple sclerosis and/or MS-like symptoms. There are many studies linking vaccines with neurological debilities. Our website lists some of these studies.
October 17, 2006
I have been reading testimonies of death and damage from vaccinations today. I am filled with sorrow and sympathy for these poor families. I am shocked at the indifference of doctors to these needless deaths. I know that they are not ignorant to the dangers of vaccinations, but they continue to condone them and even force them on wary parents.
Reading testimony after testimony I begin to cry. I can only imagine the pain these families have and still endure. Just as I am filled with so much sorrow, my little baby boy, who has been sleeping soundly on my lap, wakes up and smiles. His smile reminds me of how lucky he is, and we all are, that we chose not to have him vaccinated.
I found your website, and many different books, just two weeks before my baby's vaccinations were due. We decided to put off his vaccinations. He still hasn't received a vaccination, and I never want him to be victim to the injection of deadly poisons. So, thank you for being there when we were in need. You never know you may have saved my baby's life.
Thanks for your support of our efforts.
October 16, 2006
Dear Thinktwice, what's your viewpoint on stuff like this [a newspaper article entitled "Bond Markets to Raise $4 Billion for Vaccines]? It seems like it would be tough in the public eye to take any kind of stance against it and the "humanitarian" side of Bill Gates [regarding his donations for vaccines].
A couple of years ago we had a severe drought that killed millions of our Pinon trees. They couldn't produce enough sap to repel different types of bark beetles, which invaded the trees. Many experts recommended different pesticides (analogy: drugs/vaccines) to spray on the trees to kill the beetles (analogy: germs/disease). None of the pesticides worked. However, some people realized the true solution required proper nutrition. They watered the trees closest to their home. These trees were able to produce enough sap to repel all of the invading beetles.
Bill Gates and the medical industry are focusing on the wrong technique. Why do children succumb to disease? Malnourishment is a big problem and should be addressed. Archie Kalokorinos wrote a book in the 1970s entitled "Every Second Child." In a DPT vaccination campaign aimed at Aborigine babies, one of every two vaccinated babies died. However, when vitamin C was administered to babies prior to the shots, the babies lived.
There may also be an emotional and spiritual dimension to disease that we are overlooking, although it may take many generations before we are able to fully understand this healthcare link. For example, we are always surrounded by germs. Why do we succumb to them on some occasions but not others? My children never visited a doctor. They were born at home and we used natural remedies, such as herbs and homeopathy, when they became sick. Actually, my wife used natural remedies for our children. When our kids were sick (which was rare) I simply talked with them to try and understand why their immune system temporarily weakened. Emotional issues were usually the culprit. My daughter reacted poorly following a stressful event, such as an argument with her girlfriend. My son reacted poorly prior to a stressful event, like an upcoming chess tournament (which he competed in). After we talked and figured out exactly what was irritating their internal equilibrium, or causing their anxiety, the emotional stress was relieved and the health issue (sniffles, etc.) resolved on its own.
October 13, 2006
I am a new mother of a beautiful 5-month-old girl whose 8-year-old half-brother was stricken with severe epilepsy and mild autism following his MMR shots when he was 18 months old. During his life he has suffered over 50+ seizures, some minor and some requiring hospitalization. I have been battling everyone I know about not immunizing her even though her brother WON A LAWSUIT and has money in a trust to pay for his school and medical/living expenses. It is really hard to find out how to get my daughter into daycare and school without these shots. The School Board website just says that it is required -- there is NO mention of a waiver/affidavit and I feel that is totally irresponsible of them to make parents believe they do not have a choice. I am thankful that my parents support us (my dad laughs because he never got any shots and he is 69 years young and doing great), and my daughter's doctor "agrees to disagree" and honors our wishes. I know that we will be battling this issue her whole life but I am glad that you are out there as a resource for my family. I am glad to know that someone out there lets us realize that we have the right to think for ourselves and the right to hear the whole story and all of our options before making a decision. Thank you again.
Thanks for your sharing your story.
October 11, 2006
Is the newborn vitamin K shot truly a vaccine? Can I take an exemption against it? Also, do you have any links/info on the vitamin K shot?
The vitamin K shot is not a vaccine. Studies show a link between the vitamin K shot and an increased risk of leukemia. (The Vitamin K shot is thoroughly evaluated in the Vaccine Safety Manual.) You may be able to reject this shot at birth. Oral vitamin K is an option. Mothering Magazine is an additional resource.
October 4, 2006
I am the mother of a 13-month-old daughter, a 3-year-old daughter, and a 7-year-old son. Although I have always been against the idea, I have allowed immunizations for all three to the present. My eldest children had typical reactions such as fever and many sleepless nights. My baby daughter has been extremely ill for three weeks following her 12-month "well-visit," including shots. The only new one was the MMR. She experienced fever up to 102 degrees, vomiting, diarrhea, complete loss of appetite, and pain in her joints (knees, ankles, elbows, wrists). She has been learning American Sign Language and began signing "hurt" and pointing to her joints. It has been heartbreaking to see her lose the ability to stand and walk. The physicians originally agreed that her fever and symptoms (one week after the shots) were a result of the MMR live viruses. After a couple of weeks, they said that her illnesses were unrelated (although symptoms remained the same). She is now beginning to recover, but is not yet herself. I took a perfectly healthy, happy, little girl to the doctor and our lives have been a nightmare for one month. I will definitely trust my instincts and not take another chance. I homeschool my "advanced" oldest already, because I feel that many public schools (like the medical profession) are concerned with the masses and not the well-being and best interest of individuals. I am concerned, however, about their entering schools or universities. I would much rather they choose to have the immunizations as adults rather than while growing. Also, our pediatric office has a policy of denying treatment if children are not up-to-date on shots. We live in Georgia and the doctors are very influenced by the CDC. Have you ever heard of similar reactions and are you familiar with Georgia laws?
Many studies link the rubella vaccine and MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) vaccine with arthritis and joint pain, especially in females. Here are a few of these studies:
Cooper, L.Z., et al. "Transient arthritis after rubella vaccination." Am
J Dis Child 1969; 118:218-225.
Spruance, S.L., et al. "Joint complications associated with derivatives
of HPV-77 rubella virus vaccine." American Journal of Diseases in Children
1971; 122:105-111.
Swartz, T.A., et al. "Clinical manifestations, according to age, among
females given HPV-77 duck rubella vaccine." American Journal of Epidemiology
1971; 94:246-51.
Weibel, R.E., et al. "Influence of age on clinical response to HPV-77
duck rubella vaccine." J. of American Medical Association 1972; 222:805-807.
Thompson, G.R., et al. "Intermittent arthritis following rubella
vaccination: a three year follow-up." American Journal of Diseases of
Children 1973; 125:526-530.
Chantler, J.K., et al. "Persistent rubella infection and
rubella-associated arthritis." Lancet (June 12, 1982):1323-1325.
Tingle, A.J., et al. "Prolonged arthritis, viraemia,
hypogamma-globulinaemia, and failed seroconversion following rubella
immunisation." Lancet 1984; 1:1475-1476.
Tingle, A.J., et al. "Postpartum rubella immunization: association with
development of prolonged arthritis, neurological sequelae, and chronic
rubella viremia." Journal of Infectious Diseases 1985; 152:606-612.
Tingle, A.J., et al. "Rubella-associated arthritis. Comparative study of
joint manifestations associated with natural rubella infection and RA 27/3
rubella immunisation." Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases 1986; 45:110-114.
Institute of Medicine. Adverse Effects of Pertussis and Rubella
Vaccines. (Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1991).
Benjamin, C.M., et al. "Joint and limb symptoms in children after
immunisation with measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine." British Medical
Journal 1992; 304:1075-78.
Georgia permits a religious exemption. Please visit our section on vaccine laws for more information.
October 4, 2006.
How can you become a Pediatritionist? What school can you attend?
The School of Common Sense and Independent Research will help to educate and wean you from unhealthy allopathic idolatry.
October 4, 2006
To who it may concern, My son who is 5 years old just started to attend kindergarten in public school. His immunization records show that he received his 1st MMR and Varicella shots 2 days before he turned 1 year old. The second was when he was 4 years old. I just received a disturbing letter from his school that he was vaccinated too early and that they need to have the records straight by Friday (10/06/2006) or they can't admit him to school from Monday on. It sounds ridiculous to me and I have no idea where and how to fix it. Does school have a right to expel my son if he was vaccinated but just so short of 12 months? What can I do keep my son in school? We live in New Jersey. Thank you.
Gosh, the authorities have no common sense; this is nonsense. We believe there is more risk to receiving additional vaccines than from having been vaccinated two days early. NJ offers religious exemptions.
September 29, 2006
I am very concerned about the content and the tone of this website. Neither side is portrayed very objectively.
Our goal is to provide important vaccine information that is not being provided on the thousands of "official" FDA and CDC websites. We are not interested in mimicking their propaganda, just as they have no intention of posting true rates of adverse reactions and other data that would permit parents to make honest, informed decisions.
The facts about mercury, vaccine contamination, and side effects are all very concerning. But I am also very concerned about a world without vaccines. Childhood illnesses were a terrible scourge, and it is irrefutable that they were eradicated for the better of all humanity.
This "irrefutable" contention of yours is quite refutable. For example, the polio vaccine has spread SV-40 throughout the world, causing cancer rates to skyrocket. This is documented in more than 60 peer-reviewed studies throughout the world. Reducing polio while increasing cancer is not "irrefutable" evidence of the vaccine's benefit to society.
Which side is right? I don't know. But right now there does not exist an alternative to the total prevention of these devastating childhood illnesses. And as of today, this website has not demonstrated an alternative. Until that moment, I think it's irresponsible that you are discouraging vaccination without suggesting a proper alternative.
A proper alternative is to investigate each vaccine individually and decide on the merits of the evidence whether the benefits outweigh the risks. Upon an honest assessment of the facts, many parents are deciding that profit motives trump safety concerns. The U.S. Congress agrees. A few years ago, a Congressional Hearing discovered that FDA and CDC committees responsible for licensing and recommending vaccines were in bed with the pharmaceutical industry. Many members of these committees were on the vaccine makers' payrolls. You are entitled to vaccinate your family just as others are entitled to reject the allopathic model. Thanks for sharing your concerns.
September 28, 2006
Hello, I live in Minnesota. Recently, during a routine physical exam for my 14-year-old daughter, I was asked to leave the room so the doctor could ask her some questions. That was okay with me; I left. But when I returned, I was told that my daughter had just been given the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) shot. I had not been given the chance to ask questions. I did not have a chance to decline. I was not told they were going to do it! Was this actually illegal, for them to give this to her without my verbal or signed consent? It really annoys me. As always, they assured me it was safe.
What this doctor did is outrageous. Parental consent is required for an invasive medical procedure, especially when there is no medical emergency. Furthermore, you were in the next room so your consent or decline of consent, could have been solicited. I assume this doctor asked your daughter privately if she was sexually active, and scared her into believing that she was susceptible to cervical cancer, and hyped up their brand new vaccine. This vaccine has many problems. For example, it contains neurotoxic aluminum; no long-term studies of this vaccine were conducted; it will not protect against the many HPV types not included in the vaccine; girls and young women rarely develop cervical cancer because this ailment mainly strikes elderly women. Besides, many studies show that folic acid, lycopene (found in tomatoes) and beta-carotene (vitamin A) can stop and reverse precursors to cervical cancer.
Also, this vaccine is expensive, requiring 3 doses -- a real boon for doctors and the pharmaceutical company. Since you didn't request this vaccine, you may wish to refuse payment. Let the doctor bill your daughter, who can't be held liable because she is below the age of consent and wasn't able to make an informed decision.
Wow, Thank you for all of that. It just makes me so angry. I've actually been consenting to the standard vaccines all of my life and that of my children's. I did not want my daughter to have this shot. I know she is not sexually active. And I know it is very new. I will decline vaccines for the rest of our lives. Thank you so much!
September 26, 2006
I received a tetanus vaccine in January 2005 and started adverse effects eight days later. After many months of tests I was informed that there was no antidote for the effects caused by the vaccine. Is there a test that can determine how much of the vaccine is left in my system?
Our website lists practitioners who attempt to remove damaging effects of vaccines. Visit Vaccine Damage Reversals for more information.
September 11, 2006
Hello, I'm the mother of two boys. One is 10 and one is 9 weeks old. Neither are vaccinated, and never have been. My oldest son has never been to see a doctor since he was born. He has never taken a drug in his life, not even Tylenol. He has had one fever in his life and when he gets a cold it lasts one day, and most would hardly classify it as a cold. Maybe it's our genes, maybe not. Who knows? The reason I chose to not immunize is because I had a gut feeling it was wrong. I never researched anything. I do now, just to occasionally defend myself. Anyway, thanks for having this website available. May you live long and healthy.
Thanks for sharing your experiences.
September 7, 2006
To Whom It May Concern,
I am writing you in the hope that you will be able to steer me in the right direction. I discovered your website while searching the internet for answers. Please forgive me for sending you my personal experience but I am hoping to find out where I should go to report my case and raise awareness and find additional information.
I have a 20-month-old daughter. She was faithfully given all of her vaccinations at the recommended times at each of her well-baby checks (until 12 months -- I have ceased all additional vaxes for the time being). I had never researched the pros and cons of vaxing until recently, as I assumed they were all safe and trusted the judgment of the State and my doctor. During that short 12 months of time she received 20 shots! Many of them were repeated doses and combo vaccines.
On January 11, 2006, my daughter received DTaP, Hib, Polio, MMR and PCV. Within days or weeks (I didn't record the first occurrence because I thought the marks were from her scratching her face with her spoon) she began breaking out in hives on her face whenever she ate peas (a member of the legume family). We also began to notice that she developed an intolerance to dairy (though this has gone away - by 16 months). Then on March 2, 2006, less than 2 months after her 12-month immunizations, she had an anaphlyactic reaction to one bite of peanut butter toast. I didn't realize it was an anaphylactic reaction at the time. Needless to say we took her to an allergy specialist (which took months to schedule an appointment) and had her tested and blood work done. We were prescribed epi pens for her peanut allergy and also advised to avoid all nuts. She is also allergic to peas, egg and chic pea although we don't require an epi pen for these. We were told that my daughter is a medical anomaly since there is no history of peanut allergy in myself or my husband or any of our extended family. There is no history of food allergy of any kind, for that matter.
I had no idea that there was a possibility that her vaccines and her allergy could be connected until this last week when I started researching vaccines after hearing many stories from other parents. One of the websites I found contained [a study that specifically links anaphylactic food reactions to vaccines]. Within the last two weeks my daughter has also started showing a sensitivity to food dye -- especially red #40. I am in the midst of taking her to another specialist because we have moved.
All of this has been very hard on our family, as is expected. We are angry and horrified at the level of risk that many of these vaccines carry and the relaxed attitude the medical field seems to attribute to them. We would like to stand up and advocate for the cause and do what we can to help bring more awareness to the possibility that the rise of anaphylaxis can be connected with vaccinations. Is there a U.S. based company/organization/etc. that I need to file a adverse reaction with? Do you know of any other studies or connections to this that exist -- other than the article I referenced? I am amazed that I can't find anything else.
I'm sure I will be met with severe skepticism along this journey but I can tell you from momma instinct that this is all VERY connected. My daughter had always reacted negatively to vaccines by displaying a fever and throwing up and being lethargic and cranky. I was always told these are normal reactions. I did the best I could to protect her from allergies by breastfeeding her, waiting to introduce solids, etc. In fact, we are still nursing and I am hoping that this will help to counteract her sensitivity to peanuts and reduce it over time.
I appreciate any information or advice that you can give me. I also appreciate the time you have given to this long-winded message.
On January 11, your child was injected with 9 powerful drugs. We would be surprised if she did not have a serious reaction. Extreme allergies is a commonly reported debility under similar circumstances. You can file a report with VAERS: 1-800-822-7967. Our site lists the names and contact information of people working to reverse vaccine damage. You may also wish to consider the lawyers listed on our site who specialize in vaccine damage cases. Best wishes on a complete healing.
September 2, 2006
I cannot believe I have not checked online the information available concerning this issue. I have a 24-year-old son who is mentally disabled with undiagnosed causes. The problem started with his checkups as a baby. The first shot at two months caused fever and lethargy and the doctor just said to keep watch. After several days, he was okay. This happened again with the second shot at four months, and at six months he received the third shot. The next morning when I turned on the light he went spastic and started making strange staccato sounds. Each day got worse and the seizures continued for some time. The doctor was not sure what to do. This went on for months. During this time the doctor diagnosed him as deaf, which I knew could not be correct, because until that time he reacted to the noises of his older brother and friends and usual home noises. He did appear deaf for about six months and then started reacting to sounds again. He no longer could roll over, sit up, or have eye contact with anyone.
At almost a year, a friend called to tell me about a program on Phil Donahue about children with this issue and the parents were attributing the problem to the DPT vaccine. When I asked my doctor about it, he became very defensive and explained it away, but "lost" all of our son's records, and when I told him I wanted another opinion and another doctor, he quickly sent over what little information he had left. Our son could not walk until 5 years of age, was not potty-trained until age 6, on and on and on. You get the picture.
Through the years, I have had him with neurologists who refused to believe it could have been the shot. He has had seizures through most of his childhood. He is on meds for ADD and other issues and has the mentality of a three-year-old in most areas. He has gone from a diagnosis of deaf to autistic, until today he is considered undiagnosed with autistic-like behavior. He is a very sociable, loving person. It has been an incredible journey for all of us and I believe he started out as a very healthy, happy baby, with no exceptions at birth (an apgar score of 10). He has been in special education all through the years, and is now living in a residential home close by. He is a happy, pleasant, tall (6'5"), very attractive young man who has no idea what has happened to him. Fortunately for him, other than seizures and reactions to the meds he has been put on, he has been healthy for the most part. There were many struggles through the years because he did not understand what was wrong, and training him was an uphill battle at best. Unless you have lived through the problems I speak of, you cannot imagine what it does to the dynamics of the whole family, etc.
Through the years I have tried to get doctors to consider seriously this could have been caused by the shot so that statistics realistically represent what is happening. The answer has always been there is no proof to support our claim.
I have tried to educate family and friends as much as possible, and many of them waited until their child was six months old to start the process. This may have helped.
I did not have access to a computer to research this issue for the first ten years, and did not have the energy to put into it. At some point I just accepted what was and did not want to go there, even though we received regular phone calls from attorneys encouraging us to consider a lawsuit. Nothing can bring back the potential our son has lost, and we have come to terms with what is, but I would like to figure out how I could help get the word out that the issue is still there, especially for the male population which seems to be affected the most.
Thanks for the website. I hope it has made a difference for others!
Thanks for sharing your story. Our website offers suggestions for anyone wishing to "get the word out" and help make a difference.
August 28, 2006
Thanks for your website, and all the resources. I feel very uninformed, but am encouraged that I'm finally learning about vaccines. We have a 1-yr-old daughter who is scheduled to receive her fourth set of shots next week. I'm not going to let them vaccinate her because I have a strong feeling that her eczema, severe anaphylactic reactions, hives and other allergies are due to her immunizations. Although we are thankful and blessed that our daughter has not had more serious reactions, I wonder if you receive emails from parents who suspect the eczema and allergies to be as a result of the shots?
She received her first Hep B in the hospital at 2 days old, then got all three sets of the usual newborn scheduled immunizations. Her eczema started when she was about 3 1/2 months old -- a rash on her tummy. This developed into eczema on her legs and face. Over the past 9 months we've seen her break out into hives regularly from many different foods, and we've been in the emergency room twice for anaphylactic reactions to dairy and goat's milk. (Each time they put her on prednisone which only added fuel to the fire.) The eczema/rash spread to her arms, neck, hands, but it's always been the worst on her legs (the site of all the shots). We've had to bandage her legs and arms at times because of the weeping and itching from the rashes. She rubs her legs CONSTANTLY when she's trying to go to sleep and then all through the night. The strange thing is, that since we've been giving her immune-system building nutrition (especially in the last 3 months) she's begun to detox. She's had boils on her legs, hard pimples and sores all over her body. Thankfully, we've never had her on antibiotics, even though I've been given a prescription for them and all kinds of steroid creams. Her skin on her face is finally smooth, and her arms and legs have not been weeping -- for the first time in months! Her body continues the detox through her legs and bowels. She has metallic-smelling poops.
The last set of shots she had at around 7 months. I don't want to give her any more. Has anyone else reported anything similar? Thank you again. I would love to be able to network with some other parents who share the same struggles.
Yes, other parents have reported similar experiences. Allergies and eczema have been linked to vaccines. Our site lists vaccine studies that you may wish to investigate. We'll post your story for others' benefit. Thanks for sharing your story. Best wishes.
August 27, 2006
My 78-year-old mother was given a tetanus shot in July in an E.R. after a fall in her living room. She had scratched her nose with her eyeglasses, and they apparently give the shot routinely to anyone admitted with a scratch or cut. Within 3 hours, she was intubated, as her throat had closed, and her tongue had swelled outside of her mouth. She also had some facial swelling. The ventilator was removed after 4 days, however, she wasn't able to swallow, eat, or breathe properly after that, and passed away 7 days later.
What is the appropriate use of a tetanus vaccine in a 78-year-old woman with no cut or gash? I question the routine administration of this vaccine in any facility. Is there a registry or log for this kind of incident in adults/senior citizens with regard to tetanus administration? Please forward as appropriate.
Doctors often give the tetanus shot like a magic amulet to ward off evil influences; it's more of a superstitious rite than science. A scratch should not be reason enough to administer this shot. Instead, people with deep puncture wounds, and who live in areas that are likely to harbor the tetanus spore, are better candidates. They used to call tetanus lockjaw. It sounds like your mother had a serious reaction to the shot. File a report with VAERS: 1-800-822-7967. You may also wish to hold the culprits accountable for your mother's death. Our site lists several law firms that specialize in this field. Best wishes.
August 16, 2006
FROM: MOTHER OF 18 MONTH OLD:
I want to share my story with everyone on this website. When my son was born, healthy, no problems, I took him into his pediatrician's office for his first month check-up. He received 4 shots: DTaP, HIB, IPV. [This is actually 5 drugs/vaccines administered simultaneously.] He screamed terrible after the shots and fell asleep in the car ride home. Woke up 20 minutes later at home and screamed a sound like no other for 3 hours. He wouldn't drink a bottle, or breastfeed. He then, for 3 weeks, had "colic," terrible screaming for hours in mid afternoon, evening hours. At 4 months, I brought him to the pediatrician for his 4-month shots, and he again, screamed for hours, wanted to be held non-stop. Also when I put him down for his nap, his entire crib was covered in urine, so much, I'd never seen before. He stopped babbling, laughing, smiling, playing for 3 weeks. I finally researched adverse reactions, and found this website, Thank God. I feel so lucky to have stopped giving him his shots. They are what caused soooo many problems for him. Today he is 18 months old, very smart, intelligent, ahead in all milestones. I will never give my child a vaccine. You can fight vaccines; they are not mandatory for school or daycare. Each state has its own rules!! You can deny all vaccinations for philosophical reasons, medical, or religious depending on yours state!! Please THINKTWICE before giving your child vaccines that can hurt them!! It's not worth your child's life!! From- Mother of 18-month-old.
Thanks for sharing your story. We're glad to hear that your son is now okay because parents often report that when their child had a serious reaction to one set of shots, it was the next set of shots that resulted in irreversible damage. Best wishes.
August 16, 2006
I am sending this email to share my story of what happened to my 15-year-old daughter. When my daughter was 11 1/2 years old, she developed what we thought was a sinus problem. After taking her to the normal doctor and an ear, nose, and throat doctor, it was recommended that an MRI be done. That MRI revealed a tumor, or mass, in her brain. I had already done research about vaccines after I married my husband, who is the stepfather to my 2 older children, and had decided that no more of my children would have any more vaccines when me and my husband had kids. My daughter had a biopsy done to find out what the mass was that was discovered in the MRI, and it was diagnosed as a brain tumor. After getting her dignosis, I researched her condition and realized early on that her condition was probably because of the polio vaccines she received as a baby and child.
She underwent chemo and radiation, and when the tumor shrank enough, she went to a specialized children's hospital for more treatment. After getting high dose chemo (which I did not realize was so bad) the doctors declared her in remission. In June of 2005 she started having health problems and it was discovered the cancer had spread and was quickly spreading to other parts of her body and the doctors said she would have about 6 months to live. She received some radiation, and also took some other cancer medicines in hopes of controlling the cancer but the medicines worked for only about 4 months. On October 31, she went into the hospital for the last time. She was put on breathing assistance and painkillers to keep her comfortable, and I signed a DNR order for her because I knew that trying to revive her would do no good. She had lost the ability to walk, use the bathroom, or feel anything at all. She held on until November 8 when she passed away.
It is very hard for me to write this but other people need to know the truth about what can happen. I know in my soul it was the polio vaccine that created her cancer. The vaccine passed the blood/brain barrier, and when she started to develop physically it triggered the growth of the tumor. She had pineoblastoma, and the tumor was very near the pineal gland that controls physical maturity. I am hoping that by me writing this, it will make people really think about what they are doing when they accept vaccines for themselves or their children. The loss of my daughter is not just mine either: she had a brilliant mind, made straight A's and could have had college paid for. She wanted to eventually work at NASA. She would have been a great asset to this world and I feel the world will lack something because of her death!
I will never do another vaccine for myself or my children again, and I am pleading with others to really think about it. The vaccine that you or your child may get today might not affect your lives now, but it could in the future. If only I knew then what I know now, my daughter would be alive and a part of my family. She was only 15, only had one boyfriend, only been kissed once, and never even got a learning permit to drive. She would have been 16 years old on her birthday this year. I will never see her get married, have babies, or a successful career...all over getting a vaccine that was supposed to help "protect" her against a disease.
We're very sorry to hear about the terrible loss of your daughter. It seems like she would have made many great contributions to society. Although some polio vaccines have been scientifically linked to increases in brain cancers, bone cancers, lung cancers and leukemia, it is not possible to determine if this occurred in her case without resorting to speculation. That is one of the problems with some vaccines which may not manifest damage for several months or years. We wish you much peace, and send our blessings for a healing of your grief.
August 8, 2006
Hi, I am a mother of four wonderful kids. I took the kids to get school shots last Thursday on August 3rd, 2006. My 2-year-old was behind on her shots and I have to say it was partly because I was a worried about the shots and their effects. She had also been sick a lot and I didn't want to take her in while sick or when she was only having short periods of times of wellness between times of being ill. She hasn't been feeling good since the shots but still seemed okay. I was giving her Motrin and hadn't noticed any high fevers until today when she had fallen asleep in the car, and when we arrived home she was groggy and I picked her up and noticed she was burning up. She had a temperature of almost 103. I called the clinic and they informed me no one was there so I needed to call the nurse line. I did so and she kept asking if she had been given the MMR shot. I looked at the records and only saw three shots recorded. I could have sworn they gave her four. It was her 18-month series and I saw no MMR marked for that day. We were rushed in and out with no data on side effects or warnings. I was only told to stick around for 15 minutes and after that there would be no need to worry, that if they were to have a reaction we would know in 15 minutes. All the kids were given shots very fast and kind of rough. The older two have had tummy aches since then and my older one has had headaches as well. My son (who is five) had trouble walking while still in the hospital and I had to carry him while my 11-year-old carried my two-year- old. He complained for a couple of days about the pain in his legs but could still walk. My two-year-old had a few bad days after prior shots and I think I even stayed home with her once and the babysitter had to hold her all day on one of the days. I was told that was normal and no need to see her. Today, though, the nurse said she only needed to be seen within 24 hours and to only take her in to the ER if I could not get the fever to go down and that I could treat the fever at home if it were 101 or less. My daughter soon perked up and was somewhat normal for a couple of hours and then got lethargic again. Her temperature went up to 103.2 and it had only been 4 hours since her last dose of Motrin. I gave her a bath and some Tylenol. An hour later it was at 103.1. I thought I would give it longer and she was sleeping. She awoke 2 hours after her dose of Tylenol and still had a temperature of 101.7 and was very lethargic. I began to make plans for my neighbor to come be w/the other kids since my husband is in Iraq. I then gave her Motrin and after awhile it went down to 101. The reason I have not taken her to the ER is that this military hospital is horrible. They are so stupid here and I would more than likely have to wait a long time and probably just get sent home and told she had a virus. I trust the clinic doctors more and feel like she would have a better chance with them. I have been told we have the second to the worst hospital in the country. Army hospitals that is. Anyway, I just need to know if these are enough symptoms to be concerned. She also has had loss of appetite and more cranky than normal and not as energetic, bouts of lethargy. My other concern had been that because my oldest daughter had developed epilepsy when she was in first grade, had grand mal seizure at school, and they have never been able to tell why she had it. I went to several different docs in four states and no one could give me answers. She also had ADD and bouts of depression. Her meds have kept her seizure-free for 2 years and they just took her off them and none yet. She was diagnosed with complex partial seizures. She would have several a day, ones where she was staring off and twitching. She has to go in for an EEG, though, to see if there is any activity. A few months back I became friends with my husband's sgt's wife who says her daughter had developed seizures from shots and that now she is slow and didn't talk for a long time. She is seizure-free now but still has learning disabilities. Is it common for some to outgrow the seizures if they are from the shots? Is it common to have a reaction to shots when you have already had them? Are older kids at risk too? Thank you so much. I am so scared my baby girl is in trouble because of my ignorance, and my husband isn't here to hold her or comfort her, and what if the worst happens and he doesn't get to? Thanks again.
Seizures are a form of brain damage. Even if they stop occurring after a few months or years, some mothers and fathers have complained that they may result in mental slowness, learning disabilities or other neurological symptoms. Evidence also indicates that vaccines may be extra risky to give to children with siblings who previously exhibited seizures. If one sibling had a serious reaction to shots, other siblings may be at greater risk. You seem overwhelmed. Nevertheless, you apparently need more vaccine education; thus, we recommend that you become more aware of vaccine risks and take a more active role in understanding what your children are receiving when they go to the doctor. Best wishes.
August 7, 2006
First off, I would like to extend my deepest sympathy to the parents of children who have been killed or injured from the hepatitis B and other vaccines. I'm writing this email just to let you know that you are reaching people and making a difference. My story sheds a little humorous light in a very, very dark room.
My wife gave birth to our first child (a girl) just three days ago. On our baby's second day of life they gave us a bunch of papers to fill out. One of the papers was a hepatitis B vaccine consent form. I was not at the hospital when they told my wife that it was very important that our child have the hepatitis B vaccine. When I got to the hospital she gave me the paper work and told me that she had been told that it was important to have our baby inoculated for Hep B. I looked over the fact sheet about Hep B that they gave us and found it strange that they wanted to inoculate our two-day-old baby for a disease that is transmitted (and I'm quoting the fact sheet) "by having unprotected sex with an infected person, by sharing needles when injecting illegal drugs, by being stuck with a used needle on the job, or during birth when the virus passes from an infected mother to her baby."
When another nurse asked about our hepatitis B consent form, I told her, "I have some questions for our pediatrician before we sign this form." Sure enough, the next day the maternity's on-duty pediatrician came by to answer my questions (not our child's selected pediatrician). Keep in mind that I was very open-minded to the idea of giving my two-day-old this vaccination if it was somehow beneficial to her. I asked, "How long has the vaccination been around?" This doctor fumbled out (no joke) "Oh five, ten, about 15 or twenty years." I asked her if there were any side effects of the vaccine. She said "There are some minimal side effects in a small percentage of children." I then asked her about any long-term side effects. She said "Well, you never can really tell, there is always a chance that there is an unknown side effect that may appear, but that is doubtful." I then got the famous line: "The risk of vaccination outweighs the risk of getting the disease." I told her "I agree with you 100% (if you're a junky, have unprotected sex, or work at an E.R.). But I trust the drug companies about as far as I can spit with my mouth closed. Look at what they have done with Ritalin; they cram that down the throats of every kid they can." The doctor told me, "I agree with you." So I told her, "I'm really not that worried of my new born baby having unprotected sex, sharing needles with a junky, or accidentally poking herself with a dirty needle at work. (My wife is Hep B negative and we had a C-section anyway.) So I kind of don't see the point in giving the Hep B vaccine to our baby." Now at this point the doctor is literally backing into the corner of the room. "Well, to be honest with you, I'm not sure why they lowered the recommended age from 14 to newborn." I told her, "don't get me wrong, if there is something beneficial to this for my baby then I want to know what it is but...I just don't see the point!?" She said, "Well I will go and print out some more information for you to answer more of your questions." We have not seen her since then. And after a visit to your website and a few others like it, this is the final nail in the Hep B vaccine coffin. We will never have our baby or any future children vaccinated for Hep B.
This vaccine was not originally intended to protect infants from hepatitis B because babies were never at risk from this disease. Furthermore, early studies showed an efficacy period of just a few years. In other words, the "benefit" would wear off years before these babies would become sexually active and possibly at risk of contracting Hepatitis B.
The vaccination age was lowered to infancy because true at-risk groups were not getting vaccinated, and babies were considered "accessible." (This was the actual marketing term used by the authorities.) By vaccinating babies, authorities believed it would provide passive immunity to the at-risk groups. In other words, babies are being vaccinated with hepatitis B not to protect them in case they engage in risky behaviors years later (the vaccine wouldn't last that long), but rather to protect at-risk groups that cannot be reached with the vaccine, or to protect at-risk people who simply refuse the vaccine. Babies are being subjected to all of the risks of this vaccine without an expected benefit.
August 7, 2006
I am a new mom who just had my baby girl almost 2 weeks ago on 7-25-06. While I was pregnant I did a lot of reading and research on vaccines and their adverse effects and decided that I am not going to vaccinate my daughter. When I found out I was pregnant, my midwives told me that my blood work showed that I was not immune to rubella and that I should be vaccinated after the baby was born. I didn't give it much thought after that. Then when I was being discharged from the hospital after giving birth, the nurse said I needed to get the shot for rubella since I was not immune. Against my better judgment I allowed them to give me the shot. I was so happy to have my baby and to be going home that I just did it. Also, I was thinking it would be better for me to get it and for my baby to get the antibodies from me through nursing than for her to be exposed to the vaccine.
Shortly after coming home I started having headaches that wouldn't go away. I have to take Tylenol or Motrin every 4 hours or I am miserable. I finally called my doctor after being home almost a week with continuous headaches and she had me come to the office to check my blood pressure, which was fine. They asked if I had had an epidural since headaches are a common side effect, but I didn't. They told me it was probably just tension headaches from the stresses of being a new mom and to try some caffeine. But today almost 2 weeks since I had my baby I am still experiencing these headaches, so I decided to look up some of the side effects of the rubella vaccine and sure enough mild to severe headaches is listed along with joint pain. I am wondering if anyone else has reported these type of symptoms after receiving vaccines as an adult. And if they have, what did they do for them? I am so glad I have chosen not to vaccinate my daughter. Any information about this would be so appreciated.
Dr. F. Edward Yazbak conducted three very important studies on MMR (especially rubella) and pregnant women. These studies are summarized in the book, Vaccines, Autism and Childhood Disorders. You can also do an internet search to find information about these studies. Read all three of these studies very closely. Be sure that you understand what is being asserted.
We receive many letters from women who experience severe debilities after receiving the rubella vaccine. I'm sorry, but we have no recommended treatment for MMR- or rubella-related headaches. You may wish to visit our section on reversing vaccine damage. Best wishes.
August 3, 2006
I'm a chiropractor in South Carolina. I have several patients who have gone to the health department and claimed a religious exemption for their kids to avoid vaccines. One of my patients the other day informed me that she tried to get an acquaintance of hers to at least study up on the subject to make an informed choice. My patient said that this lady looked at her as if "how dare she believe that vaccines are not the best thing to do." She said this lady called her in tears the other day saying that she wished she had taken the time to listen to my patient and do the research because her child started having seizures the same day that she got one of the common vaccines. I think it was the MMR.
Yes, sadly this is all too common. Thanks for sharing this story.
July 28, 2006
Yes I would like a bumper sticker. I do not believe vaccines are safe for children. I think they cause a lot of problems and health side effects. My daughter is 3 years old and I refuse to vaccinate her. If I change my mind I will vaccinate her using homeopathy. I've looked at the good and the bad on vaccines and this is what I choose to do. I wish more people would look at both sides before vaccinating their child. Doctors sure aren't going to tell you both sides. Some of them don't vaccinate their own children but they want us to. Think Twice.
July 26, 2006
This website irritates me. You're telling parents to not vaccinate their children. What kind of illogical idea is that? You want me to send my son to school with no kind of protection from the diseases that are out there? I don't want my child getting these diseases! The vaccinations help. I had them, my brothers had them, all my friends had them. And nothing is wrong with us. If you don't have your child vaccinated how are they going to go to school? If homeschool isn't an option, no school will admit a student without these papers. I think that it's a bad idea not to protect your child from a disease that can kill them. And I believe that vaccinations should be mandatory. That's how you stop the spread of disease. Prevent it from hopping hosts.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion, no matter how ill-informed it may be. No one is telling you not to vaccinate your children; that is your choice. Your claim that you and your brothers and your friends had vaccines and that nothing is wrong with you may or may not be true. Even if it were true, it would have little bearing on t
www.thinktwice.com 
