MedicalConspiracies- Meningococcal Disease & Vaccine: What You Should Know

July 18, 2011 Issue What You Should Know About Meningococcal Disease & The Vaccine by Barbara Loe Fisher Today, pediatricians give American babies as many as 33 doses of 13 different vaccines by 12 months of age. Now, federal public health officials are considering recommending that doctors give four more doses of a new vaccine - meningococcal vaccine - to babies between two and 12 months old in addition to the two doses children already get at 11 and 16 years old. Big Questions About Necessity There are big questions about the necessity, effectiveness, safety and cost of this new proposed change to the child vaccination schedule. Meningococcal Disease Rare in the U.S. Invasive Neisseria meningococcal disease is a bacterial infection that involves inflammation of the meninges of the brain and can lead to a serious blood infection. It is very rare in the United States. In our population of 308 million, there are between 1400 and 3000 cases every year that fluctuate with natural cycles... click here to watch a video and read the entire commentary with links to references. CDC Holding Public Engagement Meetings in Chicago & Denver. Click here to learn how you can participate. Join NVIC on Facebook here. Are YOU being harassed for your vaccine choices? Tell the world about it here. Sign up for NVIC's free Advocacy Portal at NVICAdvovacy.org and protect your vaccine choices. In The News 131 Children Vaccinated at Gunpoint - "About 131 children from Nsanje who fled into neighboring Mozambique during the anti-measles [campaign] a few months ago were vaccinated this week at gunpoint. The children, belonging to Zion and Atuma Churches were taken into Mozambique by their parents to hide them from officials, fearing they might get vaccinated. According to Dr. Medison Matcaya, District Health Officer for Nsanje, medics went to vaccinate the children in Nsanje under police escort..." - Mike Lanya-Lulanga M. Malawi Voice, July 8, 2011. We Don't Know Enough About Childhood Vaccines, Researcher Asks: Are 36 doses of vaccines by age 2 too much, too little or just right? "The topics of vaccines and vaccine safety spark emotional outbursts at scientific meetings and family dinner tables alike. But many of these debates are remarkably fact-free. Surprisingly few people - not just concerned parents but also doctors, policymakers and even immunization experts - can answer this seemingly simple question: How many immunizations does the federal government recommend for every child during the first two years of life? The answer is important because most states, including Maryland, faithfully follow the recommendations of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, codifying CDC guidelines into requirements for children to enroll in school, kindergarten, preschool and child care. A new Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health study reports that the higher the proportion of infants and toddlers receiving recommended vaccines, the higher the state's rate of children diagnosed with autism or speech-language problems just a few years later..." - Margaret Dunkle, Baltimore Sun, July 11, 2011. Parents Have Good Reason to Distrust Childhood Vaccines - "Steven L. Salzberg's response to Margaret Dunkle's vaccination op-ed is itself a study in fear-mongering and ignorance ("Sun prints dangerous anti-vaccination op-ed," July 14). It is precisely because of the condescending and uninformed views of Dr. Salzberg that parents are losing confidence in the CDC mandated vaccination program. Salzberg is "deeply concerned" that the op-ed piece will lead to decreased uptake of vaccination and increased morbidity due to vaccine-preventable infectious diseases. Fair enough, but how about a comment from him on the following points: The co-author of the 2002 epidemiological study from the Journal of Pediatrics cited by Dr. Salzberg is currently under federal indictment for stealing money from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. His credibility is in doubt, as is that of the entire study..." - Josh Mazer, Baltimore Sun, July 16, 2011. Are Vaccines Safe for Kids? - "For some people, vaccinating infants and children against preventable disease is a part of childhood, like baby teeth and tricycles. But critics say vaccines cause more harm than good. Vaccinations can have dangerous physical side effects, they add. Such conflicting messages can create a dilemma for parents as they wonder what to believe. A national survey released in June of 376 households found that 80 percent of parents are uncomfortable getting their children vaccinated. Still, 95 percent said they would get the vaccinations..." - Becky Orr, Wyoming News, July 17, 2010. ... Our Sponsors

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