“In 1736 I lost one of my sons, a fine boy of four years old, by the small-pox, taken in the common way. I long regretted bitterly, and still regret that I had not given it to him by inoculation. This I mention for the sake of parents who omit that operation, on the supposition that they should never forgive themselves if a child died under it; my example showing that the regret may be the same either way, and that, therefore, the safer should be chosen.”
-Ben Franklin when asked about inoculations.
Inoculations in the 1730’s were undeniably just as controversial as they are now. The procedure to administer an inoculation was a dangerous operation, potentially fatal, even- but less likely to kill than the disease they were fighting and after having lost his own son to the terrible disease, he fought to spread the word throughout England and America that inoculation was key to survival. Many refused to get it because there was a death toll caused by the procedure itself, completely unrelated to the disease. It was an operation and in those days, that was a dangerous game no matter what the reason. Today’s vaccination enthusiasts often use Ben Franklin’s wisdom as cause to trust them in today’s world because he trusted them back when it was clear that vaccines could kill. However is this really a fair thing to do?
In the 1730’s, an inoculation was potentially deadly, but it was also pretty straight forward… made with a “small amount” of the virus in a solution that would allow it to pass into the human bloodstream safely so the body could build a resistance to the disease, thus protecting the patient from death or severe reaction if they came in contact with the full strength virus in an infected person. That was it. No ten page list of ingredients in a language only a scientist would understand, no hidden poison or toxic chemicals used to bind them, just the virus and some water and that’s pretty much it. So, could we honestly say that Ben Franklin would be so passionate about advocating vaccines now that they are full of chemicals, some known to kill or injure both as immediate reaction, as well as long-term disease contributors such as tumors and autoimmune issues? Would he be able to overlook the human rights issue of using aborted fetal tissue or the foolish waste of destroying cows to collect fetal bovine blood tissues? Well, maybe he would, but the truth is people, we’ll never know his opinions so we really aught to stop using this quote as ammunition against the anti-vax club and realize life was very different in the 18th century. They didn’t understand what we do today and they didn’t have access or the knowledge they do today to find better ways.
The reality is inoculation in Franklin’s day is NOT the same as vaccination in 2014. Some may say it’s much safer now, but others might say the term “safe” is too loosely used and it ignores the thousands of vaccine injuries worldwide to protect a massive and enormously lucrative industry. There is money involved and anytime that happens, people assume decisions are made out of greed and not good will. There are buzz words surrounding the topic. Words like “autism” and “herd immunity” and we soon find ourselves joining camps on one side of the fence or the other, building walls between us and the “other” side.
I’ve only been in the game for 3 years. My oldest turned 3 in November, 2013 and I began my research just after he was born because when the doctors asked “are you opting out of the Hep B?” It occurred to me that “opting out” was a thing and I didn’t know why. I thought, well… we all get it, right? So sure… better do it, I guess. Well I did allow it, and all the other birth procedures and then I sat there with this pit in my stomach and a screaming, miserable baby with blood on his heel and a bandage on his penis wondering if I’d made the right choice. I didn’t really know if I had and THAT was the whole problem. I was just doing what everyone else did… and somehow that’s supposed to mean it’s the right thing but I just couldn’t settle myself with the idea. When in my WHOLE LIFE have I EVER done a single thing simply because everyone else was doing it? I’d grown up a rock against peer pressure of all kinds and I was dedicated to carving out my own path. I never tried drugs, I didn’t care about “the cool crowd” and I carried the understanding of my Self with me through all my decisions. It made absolutely no sense then, to make any parenting choices on behalf of an entirely different human being without knowing the why, how, what and when for every topic. How could I in good conscience, allow something to be done to my child without really understanding what it was? Was I not the voice for this tiny, new life? Was I not it’s protector, it’s advocate, it’s voice of reason until he had one of his own? That’s my JOB right? It’s what a mother does… isn’t it?
So… I began my research and opened the Pandora’s Box of vaccine insanity and I can honestly say after three years of study, I am no closer to feeling good about any decision in either camp and this has lead me to believe something that so many on either side of this war seem to constantly forget.
Every parent loves their babies. Every parent makes their choice out of love and a desire to safeguard their babies. Whether they choose to vaccinate their children, pets or themselves, or not… is usually done with nothing but a hope that by doing so, they are doing the best they can for their children.
The vaccination issue has become a great, civil war in this country and many others. It literally divides families, homes, neighborhoods, churches, schools and sets brother against brother, mother against daughter, community against an unvaccinated child.
There are a few, huge misconceptions out there about anti-vax parents that I really wanted to address and clear up once and for all.
Anti-vax parents don’t hate vaccines. They don’t hate the idea of giving their babies a little shot and in return for a moment’s pain, have them safeguarded from a terrible, life-threatening disease. That would be amazing and magical and I can’t think of a single person who doesn’t agree that in a perfect world, we would ALL be in favor of this! ….if it were actually possible. Unfortunately, vaccinations are NOT fool proof, they’re not a guarantee and they are not an exact science. They are full of additives, preservatives and bonding agents that are toxic, literally dangerous in large quantities and in some cases, morally and spiritually controversial.
Many anti-vax people are still willing to give their children some vaccines and many opt for extended schedules and carefully choose which vaccines they get. Generally, those who don’t understand, believe that anti-vax parents are actually anti-protection. That is not largely true. We are against the crap IN the vaccines that can do harm to our families, NOT against protecting anyone from disease. We are against the lack of transparency and the digging a parent has to do to find the truth. For example, do most pro-life groups consider the extraordinarily morbid reality that they are injecting aborted, human fetal tissue into their children to protect them from disease? Do Jewish parents who uphold the Kosher laws and refuse to touch pork know that they are injecting their babies with tissues from these “unclean” animals? Do Buddhists and other spiritual groups those who have taken vows to not consume the flesh of animals and never do anything that can encourage the death or harm of any living thing know that most vaccines contain animal tissues, some human tissues, sometimes taken while the specimen is alive and in some cases, stripped from the womb and slowly bled out specifically to harvest heart tissue to be used as bonding agents in vaccines?
My issue is NOT that any of this is the reality- I’m not here to go all crazy animal rights or pro-life on anyone. My issue is that these are realities. These are FACTS and unless you really dig- you won’t know about it. You won’t even have the option of opting out for religious reasons because unless you go looking, you won’t know you SHOULD look. They don’t offer you the company name and list of ingredients to the injection your child is about to receive at the doctor’s office and while you have the right to ask, I wonder how many people actually do? If you DO know to ask, you have to then make the choice; do I deny what I believe and get them anyway? Or do I decline vaccination and leave my family unprotected?
Like in all wars, lies are told on both sides to inflame emotions and continue the division between the parent who doesn’t vaccinate and the one who does. Here are the two “great lies” that get tossed around:
Anti-vax parents are all hippies who are selfish and don’t care about anyone else’s needs. They are too stupid or too high to know better than to trust medical science, they’re paranoid conspiracy people who are irresponsible, are a threat to society and their unvaccinated children are dangerous. It’s because of them, that diseases like polio and measles are making a comeback and they should be ashamed.
And;
All parents who choose to vaccinate their families are sheep- lazy and don’t want to read labels. They don’t care about their children, they’re more concerned with fitting in than they are their children’s health and they are blind to the dangers of toxins within the vaccines. They just going along with what everyone else does because it’s easier.
Personally, I believe for some, all of this is true. There ARE some stupid sheep out there and there are some crazy, conspiracy junkies on both sides of the fence but if you’re reading this, it’s because you are one of the few who are somewhere between insane paranoia and apathy. We, the discerning parent who is willing to do research but not succumb to the hype and fear-mongering tactics of either side, are making our decisions one way or the other out of carefully weighed odds, research and understanding of our own situations and the strength of our children, families and the dangers involved with either choice.
Pro-vax people come in all shapes and sizes. Many do it because the anxiety and fear of their child getting a disease. They believe the risk of disease is far greater than the very small documented percentage of people harmed by them. The odds are in their favor and they can look past the ingredient list because it’s worth it. It’s their child’s life and it’s worth it. Many pro-vax people believe the lives we all enjoy are because of vaccinations. Look at so many other nations in this world and how much they suffer with diseases we put an end to so long ago our grandparents don’t even remember them! We enjoy a quality of life that some countries may not get to experience until our children’s grandchildren have children of their own. They do it because they believe it’s safe. They trust that the people who spent their lives dedicated to the study and manufacturing of vaccinations know more than the average mom-blogger armed with a few books and the Internet.
There are also those who deeply rely on those who are vaccinated because they, themselves cannot be vaccinated due to health issues of their own. Those people need the people they encounter to be healthy or they could die, so they beg the public to protect themselves by vaccinating.
On the other side are many, many parents who choose not to vaccinate their children for a host of solid, rational reasons. They have children who experienced vaccine injuries and stopped vaccinating to prevent further damage. Some have children who suffer from autoimmune issues, making it dangerous for them to receive vaccinations of any kind. Many others choose to opt out because of religious reasons. Some parents simply do not want to be part of the small percentage of families who “might” experience an injury that can and may include death. The idea of contracting a disease that our nation’s medical system is fully equipped to manage and treat is far less dangerous to them than injecting a multitude of chemicals into their infant when there is even a slight possibility that their child might react severely. They make the choice because one wants to be part of that 10% who suffers an injury and if they can prevent it by opting out, doesn’t that seem like the best option?
Is either camp truly wrong for wanting to protect their children?
My point is, there are fighters on each side of this war who deeply believe with passion and truth that they are right. I believe they are all right, the pro and the anti-vaxer’s, alike. Right in their motivation and right in their decision because it is THEIR decision to make.
I’m writing this today, not to sway anyone to one side or the other or rile things up for anyone. I am writing this because I believe it’s time for ALL parents stop bashing one another, stop judging one another and stop demanding that the entire population follow “our” way. Every parent, pro-vax or anti-vax, loves their babies and have made their decisions BECAUSE of that love. Either they want to protect them from disease, or protect them from toxic ingredients or for some moral/religious reason and it doesn’t make any of us bad people or dangerous, or irresponsible. It doesn’t matter if you are on the side that believes the ingredients aren’t toxic and people shouldn’t care if there are pig, monkey, goat, people or unicorn parts- just get it because it keeps you safe. It doesn’t matter if you don’t agree that the vaccinations work or are even necessary and even if they were, they’d have to make some according to Kosher law that don’t use toxic metals or animal parts. It’s nice that you have your convictions, but I’m sorry- it really just doesn’t matter in this argument.
What DOES matter, is that while we’re all fighting amongst ourselves, companies continue to make vaccines. Our fighting has done nothing to cause the industry to change their formulas or find new ways to make them because we have been so focused on fighting each other, we are ignoring what SHOULD be the focus of all our rage: The way these are made has to change.
What we should ALL be demanding, are better, safer, vegetarian vaccinations that work. We should be demanding this together- because we ALL want it and we all want it for the same reason. We love our babies and we want them to thrive in this world of danger, disease and we have the power to create a safer world. If we could all come down off of our soapboxes and put our energies together for THAT goal instead of the goal to make those who disagree feel stupid, I believe we might just see the change we all would rather have- a vaccine that didn’t threaten death, cancer or spiritual compromise in order to MAYBE protect.
The great lie of the vaccination argument is; “we will always be on opposing sides, just accept that and learn to live with it”. The reality is- we are and have always been, on the same side. We’ve been pitted against each other for so long, no one really seems to realize that if we stopped fighting work together to demand a change for all, for the better, instead of settling for what we have always had and then demanding compliance, maybe THEN will we see the end to this war.
It’s 2014, people. We can find a better way.
The Cautious Mom 
Can you provide any documentation for your claims about vaccine contents? I’ve seen empirical evidence that the “aborted fetal tissue” argument is no longer accurate and that the most commonly labeled “toxic” ingredient is actually not toxic at the levels anywhere close to those present in vaccines. But I have yet to find any documents indicating the presence of animal tissue in vaccines and would love to see it as my family is Buddhist and this would be an important factor for us!
Good morning, Kate! I’d be happy to provide any information I can to help you make informed choices.
First off, know that what I have is literally a tiny drop in an ocean of research. Please always do your own! The information is hard to find sometimes because there is so much subjective, biased and fear-based propaganda on both sides of this argument masked as “research”. One of my first introductions to this whole issue was from reading The Vaccine Book by Dr Sears. From there, I cross referenced many of the technical names and discovered they call things by scientific names on the pamphlets most of the time. For example, human fetal tissue is called “WI-38 and MRC-5 cells” on the labels. It’s in there, they just don’t think you should care because it’s not really considered “human” anymore.
Here are a few pieces of info for you to start your search:
Here is a comprehensive list of all the ingredients in common vaccines here in the US direct from the CDC:
Click to access excipient-table-2.pdf
Here is a link to the FDA site that explains why fetal bovine serum is used in the making of certain vaccines:
http://www.fda.gov/BiologicsBloodVaccines/Vaccines/QuestionsaboutVaccines/ucm143521.htm
Then, below is a pamphlet provided by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia that explains what metals are used and why, and also the process of using human fetal tissue as bonding agents:
Click to access vaccine-ingredients.pdf
Know when reading the above, that it is written by a medical facility specifically to defuse any fear a parent may have when faced with the vaccine question. The pamphlet indicates it’s safe, religiously on par with the standards placed by various religious leaders and should not morally and spiritually conflict with anyone’s beliefs. I am personally picky about this sort of thing, so to me, it’s basically saying, “your leaders think that a little animal is okay in THIS case, so you shouldn’t worry about it.” This to me, undermines the religious/spiritual individual wishing to uphold their vows and is asking you to look away and ignore it because well, it’s not THAT much. I am pretty sure in most cases, for those who are “orthodox” in ANY belief system there is no such thing as subjective acceptance and I have personally spoken to many people of the Jewish faith, as well as those who follow its dietary restrictions who absolutely do not believe it’s okay just because it’s a small, diluted amount. The vaccine industry (and the hospital) is profiting from the notion that you won’t care because it’s “only a little bit” of cow/pig/baby and the world’s religious leaders have decided it’s okay. It’s also not considering the amount of animals tested and destroyed due to testing these chemical compounds every year and for many, possibly even yourself, the desire to protect all life from exploitation goes beyond the topic of ingesting the animal. For example, here is an excerpt from a study I found regarding the MMR vaccine;
“Official Package Insert: ‘M-M-R II is a sterile lyophilized preparation of (1) ATTENUVAX* (Measles Virus Vaccine Live), a more attenuated line of measles virus, derived from Enders’ attenuated Edmonston strain and propagated in chick embryo cell culture; (2) MUMPSVAX* (Mumps Virus Vaccine Live), the Jeryl Lynn** (B level) strain of mumps virus propagated in chick embryo cell culture; and (3) MERUVAX* II (Rubella Virus Vaccine Live), the Wistar RA 27/3 strain of live attenuated rubella virus propagated in WI-38 human diploid lung fibroblasts.’
‘Measles vaccine can cause problems (e.g. fatal giant cell pneumonia) in those with severely compromised cell-mediated immunity. If a patient has an impaired cell-mediated immune response, there is continued growth of the virus in the lungs leading to giant cell pneumonia (such patients may not have a rash). This is rare, but often fatal.’ Dr. Margaret Hunt, University of South Carolina School of Medicine
‘The development of giant cells has been illustrated in tissue cultures infected with adenoviruses and measles viruses, and in ferrets infected with distemper viruses.‘ Giant Cell Pneumonia: Clinicopathologic and Experimental Studies, J. M. Adams,, D. T. Imagawa,, Miye Yoshimori, R. W. Huntington ”
(Excerpt from VRM: The Rise of Mutagenic Viruses http://vaccineresistancemovement.org/?p=13124)
So if we take the above, we understand they are actively testing on animals, injecting the viruses into live chick embryos and while we may only actually take into our bodies “trace amounts” of animal/fetal tissue, it is still there and by taking them, we fund those who profit from this testing, exploitation and manipulation of living creatures.
It also brings attention to the amount of metals contained in vaccines as finite and trivial, nontoxic and points out that you get far more exposure through other means in your life, which does a great job at making you feel stupid for worrying about it however, I am not 100% convinced. I’ve heard many doctors speak out against the levels of metals and their effects upon children and adults alike after injection via vaccine. Additionally, we know that these metals never leave the body so every little bit adds up. How many times over a person’s life will we say “it’s only a little” and let it slide? It’s only a little in your food, its only a little in your deodorant, it’s only a little in your vaccines, your cosmetics, your air… so why worry? Personally, I’d rather say, let us cut the toxicity where we can and do the best with what we have available. If this is an area we could cut, I believe we should press the industry to work harder at finding alternatives.
Also while doing my research, I happened upon this blog where the writer had done extensive personal research and laid out every issue she knew regarding the metals and the toxicity potential in a great breakdown that is super easy to read and understand:
http://vaxtruth.org/2011/08/vaccine-ingredients/
Again this is just a small, small taste of what is out there to find all the answers you need. Again, I am not here to judge anyone’s choices or comfort levels. Everyone has a different way of seeing things and a different level of “acceptable” with all of these controversial ingredients. I simply uphold the belief that we should be made aware of the reality so we can make our own choices and not leave it to ANYone else to tell us that it’s okay. I will decide if it’s okay for me and my family and I encourage every other parent to do the same, whatever your version of “okay” looks like. ❤
I hope this helps!
Thank you for your post! I like what you are saying, except that isn’t it a bit hypocritical to say that peoples’ convictions just don’t really matter when you subsequently state that it’s time to find a way to change the way the vaccinations are made so that they’re vegetarian, better and safer? Sorry to sound like a fighter…but, truthfully, putting our views on how the vaccinations are made is still anti-vax at this point (the current vaccines are not what we want!)….and that’s a conviction.
That really is an excellent point, MMR.
Let me clarify:
When I say that your opinion doesn’t matter and what does is that we stop fighting and bashing one another instead of focusing on the industry, I don’t mean to say that anyone’s personal value system or comfort level doesn’t matter- it matters entirely. In fact, that’s the whole point but we as parents, really need to get away from bashing other parents and start putting pressure on the industry to make changes.
Now, can we accomplish this without going anti-vax? We still support them financially when we get our children or ourselves vaccinated but the reality is a few thousand moms quitting vaccines just to make a point won’t really impact their bottom line when it’s a global market and millions of very rich industries profit from them.
What COULD impact it, is a global magnifying glass. If every parent who was passionate about vaccination in one direction or the other suddenly began working together, digging deeply into the production, manufacture of these solutions and helped to place a spotlight upon the realities of the ingredients lists… I am pretty sure we’d see change.
No more omissions, no more scientific terms no average can understand, no more putting up with “your religious leaders say it’s fine so don’t worry, no need to think for yourself”, no more doctors allowed to say “not to worry, it’s fine and safe and don’t bother looking it up yourself, just trust me because I went to grad school so I know more than you”.
If we, the discerning, opinionated parents, the ones with the loud, obnoxious voices on the internet with no hesitation at telling people what’s on their minds, we need to start working together to make that happen. Social media is a powerhouse of strength and if people who took the time to create anti-vax webpages and those on both sides who spend literally hours online talking about how the other camp believes and how wrong they are were were willing to fight the companies who produce those vaccines and demand action on new processes and ingredients, I really believe we could make some changes happen.
I admit, I’m not a scientist. Not even close. But I can’t imagine in this day and age of scientific research they couldn’t come up with a better formula than the ones developed in the 1960’s and even earlier in some cases.
I hope this helps to clarify what I mean.
Yes, the current vaccines are NOT what we want but then, our current education system in the US is largely not what we want either and changes are being made because parents demand it. Changes can be made by voices- not always money exchange. 🙂
Maybe I’m overly optimistic, but I do believe that our voices can cause change even when money does not.
Thank you so much for your comment and taking the time to provide your input!
Thank you for your open-mindedness and thoughtfully written posts and responses!!
You make some great points and I am all for safer, less cruel vaccines… but are you volunteering to have the new versions tested on your kids?
There’s a reason they haven’t changed much over the years, and that’s because the risks of redeveloping vaccines from scratch and having to prove to an already sceptical population that they’re effective – without harming anybody in the process – makes the idea incredibly impractical when we already have something that works…
I hear what you’re saying, Joy and I agree, your concern is a risk these companies will have to take. Many parents won’t want their children to be the ones who test out new vaccines, however- I’m nearly certain many will. How many parents got the Gardasil vaccine for their daughters in the first year it was on the market? How many people jumped at getting a flu vaccine when they went into circulation? Both of these vaccines are relatively new, not all side effects truly had time to be actualized because there hadn’t been enough time to tell what it could do to a person in the long term, yet people trusted them and offered up their children to receive them, simply because their doctors said it was safe.
Maybe I am just dreaming, but if millions of people are willing to jump in line for vaccines made with the questionable ingredients, I believe millions will also jump in line to get the ones that don’t have them.
In general, not just on this topic- I think it’s important to remember that all things have risk and at some point, if the desire is a safer vaccine, we will have to step outside our current comfort zone and find a new way. If we thought like that about all things, we would still be dying of scarlet fever and we would still be performing frontal lobotomies with ice picks because no one would have trusted the use of some strange, new method that seemed scarier than the one we trusted at the time. The human body is fragile and we know meddling in it’s processes can be dangerous, no matter how potentially lifesaving it might be. Lasik is risky, using the da Vinci System for prostate surgery is risky, even taking simple pain killer is risky for some, but we push forward as a race into unknown territory trying to find better, safer ways at keeping us alive. That’s the risk of being human and what makes this topic so unsettling. No matter what, there will always be risk. But shouldn’t we at least be properly informed of that risk without worry that the person telling us it’s safe isn’t saying so because they get paid by the company? Shouldn’t we be given an option for a less dangerous method?
I just know that for me and many women I speak to on a daily basis, if the vaccines were made without these harsh metals and didn’t contain animal/human compounds, more children would be vaccinated without a second thought. MOST of the people I know who don’t vaccinate, would do it if those issues were taken care of. To the pro-vax crowd who like to blame the anti-vaxers for random outbreaks of viruses, you would think they would get on board with the idea if reformulating them would increase vaccination rates and potentially save lives.
Just think of how much less painful the whole process would be if we didn’t have to be afraid of the vaccines as much as we fear the viruses they protect against! It wouldn’t be this grueling decision that kept mothers awake at night the day before their baby’s wellness appointments.
I know a mother who, when asked her opinion about vaccines, replied, “I know absolutely nothing about them and I don’t want to. I already have anxiety, I don’t even want to know how bad or scary it is. I just take them to the doctor and let them do whatever is normal and try not to think about it.” I asked, “what would you think if something DID happen?” She replied, “well, that hardly ever does, so I’m sure they’d be fine”. So I said, “so you’re just hoping your kids aren’t part of that “hardly ever” crowd? She said that was exactly the case and that was the end of the conversation. Oh, but not before she was sure to tell me that I shouldn’t be so paranoid.
I think that is horribly sad that an intelligent mother has chosen ignorance because she is too afraid to know the truth. That she would blindly go along with whatever someone else told her to do for her child because of a “well, there’s nothing we can do to change it, it’s just how things are” defeatist mentality.
What I envision is a world where all parents stand together to demand transparency, respect for beliefs and a global solution that doesn’t involve “necessary risk” or percentages of reactions that can include disability and death. I envision a world where those reactions are considered children, not statistics and in this world, those parents who have chosen not to vaccinate are respected enough for the companies who make them to consider a new way. Not told to just get over it because they are paranoid or expected to ignore their gut instinct to question what goes into their children, or disrespected by being told to overlook their beliefs, suck it up, get the shot anyway.
Can anyone truly say “it’s okay honey, it’ll all be alright and over in a minute” and KNOW for 100% CERTAIN that is true? The way they are made now… no, we can’t. Not unless we pretend it’s true. We have to hold our babies while they’re in tears and pain, looking at us like we’ve betrayed them and, swallow our anxieties while pretending we don’t fear the reality that they COULD end up being part of that “small percentage” of risk and there’s nothing we can do about it.
We have a right to know exactly what that risk is, exactly what is in them and to be allowed to make the informed decision for ourselves and we NEED to demand a better way.
I hope this helps, I know I rambled a bit, so thank you if you stuck around till the end! 🙂
Reblogged this on Generally Crispy and commented:
I really loved the way this was put into words.
“Generally, those who don’t understand, believe that anti-vax parents are actually anti-protection. That is not largely true. We are against the crap IN the vaccines that can do harm to our families, NOT against protecting anyone from disease.” -CautiousMom Blog