Thought this might be a good way to exchange useful information regarding nutrition, medical procedures, self-care measures, including naturopathic alternatives.

Here's a summary of concerns re: the vaccination of children:

http://www.cell-free.com/Vaccine.htm

Mothering Magazine is also a good resource. Here's a series of responses by a physician to many of the concerns surrounding vaccinations, especially since the number of innoculations has increased so dramatically over the past 10 years (scroll up to begin the page):

http://www.mothering.com/exper...e.shtml#mmr-separate

And if the research showing the polio vaccine is causally involved in over 40% of Non-Hodgkins's Lymphoma isn't shocking enough, take a look at the data reappraising the cause of AIDS. I did an extensive literature review of this in the mid to late 90's while in graduate school, and the alternative hypothesis is compelling:

http://www.mothering.com/12-0-...onceptionside1.shtml

Hi w.c. - this is a topic of everyday importance to me, since I am a pediatrician who gives vaccines daily! This seems to be a very emotional issue with many people - very frightening for parents to be faced with so much conflicting information, especially on the Internet, and to try to make the wisest decision for their children.
Of the specific concerns I've seen raised, most are based on little if no evidence and have already been extensively debunked by better methods. It is true that prior evaluations and recommendations were made by scientists who had potential conflicts of interests - but that problem seems to have been solved by the formation a few years ago of an international committee to study such concerns. None of the members can have any sort of financial or employment conflicts with the vaccine industry, and so far they have looked at things like MMR and autism (no link) and several other questions. The polio question is more complicated than it sounds - it is not at all unusual to find various viruses expressed in tumor cells but much harder to know whether they had a causal link. If there is one, we will clearly have to stop that vaccine.
On the other hand, the evidence is much much stronger in favor of vaccine benefits (for the standard childhood diseases). Remember that we are always talking risk vs benefits, never all benefits. Although I've never seen polio or measles, I have had some experience with the newer vaccine for pneumococcal infections. We used to routinely have children come in with high fevers and blood infections with this bacterium - very serious and dangerous in many cases. I have had several patients with meningitis caused by pneumococcus and watched one 15 month old beautiful, healthy little boy die from it within a matter of hours, despite the best subspecialists around. I will never forget that as long as I live. The vaccine has been out for over 3 years, and it has been at least 2 years since I have had a patient come in with either sepsis or meningitis from pneumococcus (and I don't have any stock in any pharmaceutical companies)!
I tend to be very conservative and try to use very little in the way of any medications, antibiotics, etc. And I don't think we can ever say anything we do is risk-free. Obviously some vaccines are nasty and should be avoided whenever possible (smallpox, anthrax). But the routine childhood immunizations have saved so many lives that I am worried about the bad science in those internet sites - it seems to exploit the fears of parents and may cause them to forgo lifesaving care for their children.
Sorry for the soap-box! Somehow the medical community needs to establish a better basis for trust and communications with our patients. What I usually do with the parents in my practice who decline vaccines is to accept their decision as their right, give them specific info wherever I can and build up a relationship with them over time. Usually after several months to a year, they have learned enough that they decide to get the vaccines.
Thanks-
Pippa

"The polio question is more complicated than it sounds - it is not at all unusual to find various viruses expressed in tumor cells but much harder to know whether they had a causal link. If there is one, we will clearly have to stop that vaccine."

Actually, Pippa, this appear to have been a very well-established causal connection, in the case of Polio vaccines causing Non Hodgkins Lymphoma. Numerous medical schools examined cancer cells from donors and apparently confirmed the initial findings. Here's a citation, one of several, from the National Library of Medicine website:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/en...910254&dopt=Abstract

As a provider in a Family Practice, I occasionally encounter a parent with these reservations and try to explain (not quite as well as Pippa has done here) the benefits of these immunizations. But putting all science aside for a moment, I can remember the polio outbreaks of the 50s and the children (some of them friends) whose lives were so dramatically changed during that time. That is, if they lived at all. And recent experience points to a recurrence of this horrible disease process in the middle years -- and the nightmare lives on in these survivors. Of course, it is important to monitor the safety of all medical interventions. But let's not forget how many lives have been saved and/or significantly improved, and how many lovely children get to enjoy healthy lives today because of these vaccines.

Anecdotal information only, but there was alot of talk in the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome community about the illness being linked to the polio vaccine. Post Polio Syndrome is similar.
I know a 30+ year Chronic Fatigue patient who swears he got it from the immunizations on the way to Vietnam.Then there's the 300,000+ Persian Gulf Syndrome sufferers. Maybe I'm a little paranoid,
but 11 years with CFIDS can make you that way.

<*))))>< michael

Welcome T - Pac.

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The risk-vs.-benefits point seems to be of the essence, here, along with good research to as accurately as possible assess just what's going on.
- E.g., how many people who were vaccinated for polio developed serious consequences later in life *because* of the vaccination? Compare this with the # of people who would have contracted polio without the vaccinations? Same goes for other vaccines.

CFS seems an especially difficult issue to pin down and has almost become a "catch-all" for low-energy, depressive conditions we don't fully understand. I have a sister who suffered from it for years; she's been "cured" through strategies that focused on strengthening the immune system while eliminating allergenic foods. It seems to me that such an approach would go a long ways to preventing and even curing many diseases. But polio? Diphtheria? That might be rolling the dice, it seems to me.

w.c., thanks for the medline link - actually, I am wondering if you meant to give me a different link? That one was entitled "New developments about the association of SV40 with human mesothelioma" - it summarized the conclusions of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) that "the evidence is inadequate to accept or reject a causal relation between SV40-containing polio vaccines and cancer because the epidemiological studies are sufficiently flawed" and "the evidence is of moderate strength that SV40 exposure could lead to cancer in humans under natural conditions" (note the use of the words moderate - usually they use compelling if certain - and could). I went back and reviewed several other studies - interesting study in UK looking at 1073 people who had been known to get contaminated vaccine as newborns, showing zero elevated cancer risk and actually none of the tumors "putatively associated with SV40" (their wording). There is a similar cohort study out of Sweden. Overall, it looks to me as if the experts are still arguing over this one!
Anyway, I re-read my post and realized I had mis-spoken - I didn't mean to imply that this particular polio vaccine is still in use. This was a problem in the past with the processing of the live, oral polio vaccine, which did definitely cause deaths from vaccine-polio. We rarely use that vaccine in developed countries any more - use the IPV instead. In places where there is still thought to be a higher risk of wild-type polio, the oral vaccine may provide better protection.
But definitely, we have to be very careful with any health intervention, as I think everyone who has posted agrees!
My gut feeling (bad science!!!) is that the increase in degenerative diseases, autoimmunity and chronic fatigue are maybe more related to lousy diet, pollution, stress. Maybe even sleep deprivation. Any takers?