Vaccine Controversy

Kate over at Sugar and Spice posted a great discussion topic the other day on the controversial issue of vaccinations. I think it is a very important subject and one that all new parents should become familiar with before making the decision to vaccinate or not. I'd like to share my views with you and I understand that everyone will not agree with me, but hopefully it will at least stir up some conversation. If this post inspires just one person to ask questions and learn about the topic of vaccines then I feel like I have made an impact.

I will start out by saying that I am PRO vaccinations, but it took a lot of research and talking with Austin's pediatrician before I became so. Obviously, the most controversial vaccine is MMR which people are trying to attribute to the rise in cases of Autism. Let me first of all say that the CDC flat out states that there is NO scientific evidence that a vaccine can cause Autism. This thought gained popularity partly because the MMR shot is given around a child's first birthday which is also about the time signs of Autism start to show up. Using that consequential logic, one could also assume that birthday cake could cause Austim since most children get their first piece of cake on their first birthday. Crazy, huh?

So, using this consequential "evidence", some scientists came up with a hypothesis that the MMR vaccine and Autism were linked and they managed to find a few high profile celebrities, who are parents of children with Autism, to endorse and join their anti-vaccine campaign. Of course this created and uproar...who doesn't believe a celebrity, right? I can understand the sadness and disappointment one must feel to have a child who is diagnosed with Austim, I can understand the need to blame something...anything for the devastating circumstance, but to blindly place blame on a vaccine for which there is NO supporting concrete evidence is not right. If you do your research, you will see that study after study have tried and failed to link the two.

So what is the reason for the rise in Autism? My pediatrician as well as many others I have come into contact with all seem to agree that Autism is currently being mis-diagnosed and over-diagnosed which is reason for the increase in reported cases. Just like every kid who was active, curious and didn't listen in class was once diagnosed with ADD, every child who exhibits a few Autistic-like behaviors seems to be diagnosed with having Autism. Instead of spending time to find the root of all these evils, a diagnosis is made based on assumption because it's much easier to say your child has a disease than to admit that maybe they're just slow, have a mental retardation or some other combination of problems that can't easily be explained.

Autism is scary, and like most mothers, I worried from the day Austin was born a healthy baby boy that at some point along the way things could take a drastic turn and he would not develop normally. Every month I read about the milestones he should be accomplishing and watched him like a hawk to make sure he was on schedule. However, at 9 months he is doing everything a typical 9 month old should and more! I feel safe in believing that no matter what vaccine he gets a few months from now, it will not change my sweet baby boy. Of course, if after his MMR vaccine he no longer smiles at me when I get him up in the mornings, quits saying ma-ma when he wants my attention, and no longer wants to play and dance and sing with me throughout the day...I may change my opinion. However, I will have to see it to believe it and at this point I am not one bit worried! I would much rather be safe and do my best to prevent my sweet baby, and any other child he comes in contact with, from contracting any harmful and possibly deadly disease than put credit in a tested and unproven hypothesis.