How Independent Are Vaccine Defenders?

A VERY telling article as far as I'm concerned.

(CBS) For years some parents and scientists have raised concerns about vaccine safety, including a possible link to autism and ADD. Many independent experts have sided with government officials and other scientists who say there's no possible connection. But how "independent" are they? CBS News investigative correspondent Sharyl Attkisson shares here's what she found.

They're some of the most trusted voices in the defense of vaccine safety: the American Academy of Pediatrics, Every Child By Two, and pediatrician Dr. Paul Offit. But CBS News has found these three have something more in common - strong financial ties to the industry whose products they promote and defend.

The vaccine industry gives millions to the Academy of Pediatrics for conferences, grants, medical education classes and even helped build their headquarters. The totals are kept secret, but public documents reveal bits and pieces.

A $342,000 payment from Wyeth, maker of the pneumococcal vaccine - which makes $2 billion a year in sales.

A $433,000 contribution from Merck, the same year the academy endorsed Merck's HPV vaccine - which made $1.5 billion a year in sales.

Another top donor: Sanofi Aventis, maker of 17 vaccines and a new five-in-one combo shot just added to the childhood vaccine schedule last month.

Every Child By Two, a group that promotes early immunization for all children, admits the group takes money from the vaccine industry, too - but wouldn't tell us how much.

A spokesman told CBS News: "There are simply no conflicts to be unearthed." But guess who's listed as the group's treasurers? Officials from Wyeth and a paid advisor to big pharmaceutical clients.

Then there's Paul Offit, perhaps the most widely-quoted defender of vaccine safety. He's gone so far as to say babies can tolerate "10,000 vaccines at once."

This is how Offit described himself in a previous interview: "I'm the chief of infectious disease at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and a professor of pediatrics at Penn's medical school," he said.

Offit was not willing to be interviewed on this subject but like others in this CBS News investigation, he has strong industry ties. In fact, he's a vaccine industry insider.

Offit holds in a $1.5 million dollar research chair at Children's Hospital, funded by Merck. He holds the patent on an anti-diarrhea vaccine he developed with Merck, Rotateq, which has prevented thousands of hospitalizations.

And future royalties for the vaccine were just sold for $182 million cash. Dr. Offit's share of vaccine profits? Unknown.

There's nothing illegal about the financial relationships, but to critics, they pose a serious risk for conflicts of interest. As one member of Congress put it, money from the pharmaceutical industry can shape the practices of those who hold themselves out to be "independent." The American Academy of Pediatrics, Every Child By Two and Dr. Offit would not agree to interviews, but all told us they're up front about the money they receive, and it doesn't sway their opinions. Today's immunization schedule now calls for kids to get 55 doses of vaccines by age 6. Ideally, it makes for a healthier society. But critics worry that industry ties could impact the advice given to the public about all those vaccines.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/07/25/cbsnews_investigates/main4296175.shtml

Why We Decided Not to Vaccinate- Our Story

My husband and I had planned and planned and discussed and discussed many things before our son was born. You could say he was anxiously awaited! We talked about how we would raise him, how we would educate him, what kind of morals and values we would instill in him, what kind of food he would eat...nothing was too small to go over. But there was one thing we missed. And that was vaccinations. As vigilant as we were about what he would eat and what we put on his body, we never thought about what was being injected IN it. Go figure.

Lucky for me, I met someone through a Craigslist transaction (really!) and we became good friends. She urged me to research vaccinations- she does not vaccinate her daughter who is my son's age (7 months old). At first I thought, oh, well he needs shots- think of those horrible diseases you can get. Although I really couldn't name one off the top of my head....and I certainly couldn't tell you anything about them. Then I thought, well, if we go to Egypt, there's much worse there and he'll need to be protected, won't he? I didn't realize how socially ingrained the concept of vaccinating is and I just assumed it's what we had to do, what we should do and the best thing. But my friend encouraged me to research again and because I have an open mind and realized that I did not know anything about vaccinations that I should do my research.

What I initially found was quite shocking. I talked to my husband and we decided to cancel my son's 4 month "well-baby visit" (Read: "shot-visit") until we could do more research and come to a conclusion. Now, my husband and I both have our masters and we're no strangers to research, so we delved in. We looked at 3 things initially- just the facts. There are many pro and con vaccine websites and books out there, but first we needed to put all debates aside and look at the heart of the matter.

1. What are the recommended vaccinations?

2. What ingredients do these vaccines have in them?

3. What are the diseases they are vaccinating against and the details? (How statistically possible is it to get it? What happens if you do get it? What is the treatment for it?)

I think the recommended number of vaccinations is what is quite unbelievable at first. Why is it that the amount has increased SO drastically since say, we were children or even our parents were children, yet there have been no new diseases or epidemics that require such measures? It is easy to see if you follow the trail of money...doctors, drug companies, politicians- vaccines make their businesses extremely profitable. Why not make more and more? Sadly, there are no long term studies on how these vaccines affect the health of those they are injected into- but who cares- it's all about the money, isn't it? All you will hear from doctors is that vaccines are "safe and effective." Where is the proof? I do not want the 96+ viruses injected into my son- his immune system is perfect as-is. The vaccines can only overwhelm and weaken it.

I think the most shocking for us was the second thing we researched- the ingredients. Just go to the Center for Disease Control website. They list all the ingredients.

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/downloads/appendices/B/excipient-table-2.pdf

I think I will pass on the mercury, aluminum, monkey kidney tissue, aborted fetus cells, formaldehyde and much more, thank you. I felt like puking after reading what they inject helpless babies with. And this is coined "safe"? Who are they fooling? I will not say more about the ingredients- I believe they speak for themselves if you take the time to look. Or take a peek at the package inserts for the vaccines that your doctor probably will not go over with you. Wait, I guarantee that he or she will not. See for yourself why.

http://www.vaccinesafety.edu/package_inserts.htm

The last thing, the diseases, definitely took the longest time to research. Although after we did, the picture became crystal clear. We realized that the diseases which there is a possibility of contracting are not inherently dangerous. (Yes, I did survive the chicken pox.) And those that are dangerous are almost impossible to contract. You might think- well that's because vaccines eradicated them. Not so. There is absolutely no scientific evidence to prove this. Try and find some. Take polio for example. It went away in Europe at the same time as here in the States, yet in Europe they did not vaccinate widely as they did here. So what gives? Better hygienic conditions most likely. Also, the polio vaccination was developed as the cases of the disease were already on the decline. But most people, previously including me, don't know these things. This article was a fabulous resource for us to congeal the whole scenairo.

http://www.consumerhealth.org/articles/display.cfm?ID=20001118213614

So as we plugged through each disease, we crossed one more vaccine off the list. Until we didn't have any left. And then we felt better. Freer. At least that's how I felt. I remember when we gave my son his 2 month shots (albeit split into 2 visits per my mother's recommendation), I just felt that it was wrong. I do not know why- maybe it was instinct. When we came home and he screamed for 4 hours straight the top of his lungs and ran a fever, I just knew all this could not be a good thing. And now I know why I felt that way.

Also, after this research I came to ponder all the claims of autism, developmental delays, allergies, asthma and even cancer- as well as many other things people never had when I was a kid. Why? What's changed so drastically since then that these conditions are so extremely prevalent in children today? I am a teacher (or rather former, since I am now a SAHM) and I often cannot believe the problems of today's children. Always sick, allergic to everything under the sun, multiple learning disabilities...I personally think it has to do with vaccines. I also think that diet, chemicals in the environment and antibiotics have a thing of two to do with it as well.

So as my mind was opened up to "possibilities", I continue to research vaccines. It is fascinating and there is a wealth of information available that your doctor certainly will not give you. So don't take his or her word for it- arm yourself with knowledge! While I research vaccines, I am also learning how to boost my son's immune system naturally. So if he contracts the measles or chicken pox or the flu, he can be in tip-top shape to fight it off the way nature intended.

This is really the short version of our journey. There is an absolute plethora of information available online and in books about vaccines- which is why I am still learning and reinforcing our decision. But my advice: stick to facts and don't get carried away in the controversy. Decide what you think. Decide what is best for your child. And don't get caught up in "fear" or what your doctor says or that you need shots to go to school (you don't- there are exemption letters in most states). Because before I researched- really researched- I would have just gone along with the herd. So good luck- and do your research. Your kids will thank you.

Awesome Lentil Soup (and Baby Food)

I finally perfected my lentil soup recipe. It is very easy and great to puree for babies. My 7-month old really liked it!


Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 large onion, coarsely diced
• 4 or 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 6 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes
• 5 cups of chicken or beef broth (needs to be homemade-store bought is not nutritious)
• 1 cup red lentils (soaked previously for at least 7 hours)
• salt and pepper to taste

Process

Put the onion, garlic, carrots and olive oil in a large pot. Saute for about 15 minutes (making sure not to burn the garlic). While the onion and garlic are sauteing, strain the lentils with strainer to get rid of the water. Then add the lentils and broth and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat, cover and simmer until the lentils are soft (around 30 minutes). After the lentils are soft, add the tomatoes and simmer for another 10 minutes. It is important not to add the tomatoes until the end. For some reason the lentils will not cook properly with tomatoes- I made that mistake before myself.

For babies, puree the soup (I avoid the pieces of tomato, though) and serve!

Make Your Own Baby Formula

Really. I thought this was so great. I wish I had known about it when my son was first born. I fed my son a few bottles of formula here and there in the first month or so. I didn't want to. I wasn't happy about it- especially when I read the label on the formula (yikes- what ARE those ingredients!). And I wanted to gag when I tasted it. But while waiting for my milk to come in and for a few weeks after my c-section when my husband needed to help me, I knew of no other option. (Pumping just never worked for me, unfortunately). Thankfully, my son speedily took to nursing and has never seen a bottle since.

Later on, a friend told me about a recipe for formula that she started making for her daughter when she went back to work. Her daugther is so healthy and just thriving on it. I thought this was fantastic- it would have been great to have had a natural and healthful option on hand when I needed it in the beginning. So I want to share:

http://westonaprice.org/children/recipes.html

And some FAQ:

http://www.westonaprice.org/children/formula-faqs.html

And if you need more reasons to make your own, see the following articles:

CDC: Rocket Fuel Chemical Found in Baby Formula
http://health.yahoo.com/news/ap/baby_formula_perchlorate.html

90 Percent of U.S. Infant Formula May Be Contaminated with Melamine; FDA Abruptly Declares Chemical Safe for Babies
http://www.naturalnews.com/024947.html

I also want to add that glass bottles are the way to go. Born Free (expensive) and Evenflo (inexpensive) sell them- I've seen the Evenflo at Babies 'R' Us and Burlington Coat Factory. That is the brand I went with. I use them now for water and they are very durable (dropped multiples times) and of course, safe. You'll never have to worry about any of the things that are used to make plastic leaching into the fluid. I highly recommend them- they are great.

A Shocking Trip to the Dentist's Office

When I was at the dentist this past weekend, she asked me why I wanted to know about what the ingredients were in the filling material. I had them send me the package inserts weeks in advance. I told her I am leery of numerous components (especially fluoride leaching) and I like to be an informed consumer.

Later she started talking to me (because of my almost 7 month old) about how babies are being started on "fluoride vitamins"at 6 months. I was really shocked. Um, what? Maybe I have been in the dark, but I hadn't heard about that before. Great, just what babies need, to be overdosed with fluoride AND vaccines.

I really didn't want to discuss it and just laughed it off saying, "Well, my son doesn't have teeth yet anyway". (Read: As if you'll ever catch me giving that to my son.)

She said, "Oh, well they don't need to have any- it's to get the fluoride in their system before they get teeth."

So when I was paying my copay, I couldn't help myself. I just had to say something. I asked her, "Don't you think if children's diets were better (they didn't eat processed food, sugar, and all that other nasty stuff) that they wouldn't need fluoride?"

She said, "Well, a long time ago people didn't eat those things and they had more cavities than today." (This is debatable!)

"Sure", I said, "But then their hygiene habits then were not as good as today. Today our hygiene is very good."

She looked stumped and kept saying, "Well, studies prove that fluoride prevents cavities...blah blah blah".

I am not arguing about whether fluoride does or does not prevent cavities, but if people just ate better and continued to take care of their teeth well, I think that would certainly alleviate the need for fluoride. Not to mention how much fluoride all of us are already ingesting through our water supply and food. Fluoride is a toxin- bottom line! I was really feeling so disgusted at the fact people actually pump their babies full of this stuff. Funny enough, as I was about to go, her assistant who was standing right near her, asked my recommendation for a fluoride-free toothpaste for another patient they have. That kind of made me chuckle inside.

There are many sites to research fluoride- but here a couple to get started. Do the research yourself- see what you think! No matter which way you lean, be informed.

http://www.fluoridealert.org/

http://www.nofluoride.com/