Vaccinations – The Right to Choose

Vaccinations are often seen as a compulsory and normal part of raising a child. Yet in recent years new evidence has caused some parents to question whether getting their young baby vaccinated is the best course of action for their health. Based on extensive research and strong instinctual feelings, I have chosen not to vaccinate my baby.

However, the purpose for writing this post is not an attempt to convert anyone else to my viewpoint. It is definitely up to each parent to decide what they think is best for their child and there is no one ‘right way’ that fits everyone. My concern, and reason for writing, about the vaccination issue is that there is often a lack of adequate information available for parents to feel empowered to make well thought out and informed choices. Far too many times only one side of the story is presented and even with genuine concerns parents are made to feel guilty and negligent for not vaccinating rather than being given a fair choice. So the following are some links that I have found useful and other parents may be interested in. I have to thank Trudy Prevost of Rainbow Yoga for sharing the majority of this research and resources and for being a shining light with two very healthy and unvaccinated adult daughters.

I look forward to hearing from readers on your choices and experiences.

Global Vaccine Initiative
http://thinktwice.com/

Vaccination exemption in schools
http://thinktwice.com/laws.htm

Mothering Magazine Resources on Vaccines
http://www.mothering.com/articles/growing_child/vaccines/vaccines.html

US National Vaccine Information Centre
http://www.nvic.org/

Vaccination the Hidden Truth Video
http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=vaccination+-+the+hidden+truth#

Vaccination Liberation – lots of information on legal exemption from vaccines
http://www.vaclib.org/exemption.htm

House Government Reform Committee; on Autism and Vaccines; Representative Dan Burton, Chairman
http://www.feingold.org/megson.html

Informed Vaccination Refusal
http://www.vaclib.org/letters/RefuseVaccines1.doc

Why you should avoid taking vaccines
http://educate-yourself.org/vcd/avoidvaccines07dec03.shtml

Shots may be producing superbugs
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20825107/

12 babies die from a vaccine trial in Argentina
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/07/31/12-babies-die-during-vaccine-trials-in-argentina.aspx?source=nl

For the first time the US government has admitted vaccine autism link
http://www.webmd.com/brain/autism/news/20080306/vaccine-autism-debate-heats-up?ecd=wnl_nal_030608

Shot in the Dark - Physicians make the case for–and against–child immunization
http://www.metroactive.com/papers/sonoma/06.16.04/immunization-0425.html

Vaccine Nation
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/07/14/vaccine-nation.aspx?source=nl

FDA Notes Baby Vaccine Bowel Problems
http://children.webmd.com/vaccines/news/20070213/fda-notes-baby-vaccine-bowel-problems?ecd=wnl_lbt_022807

Are Vaccinations Causing Early Alzheimers?
http://www.wellnessresources.com/health/articles/are_vaccinations_causing_early_onset_alzheimers_disease/

Pediatricians Demand Annual Flu Shots for Infants as Vaccine-Pushing Doctors Descend into Extremist Quackery
http://www.naturalnews.com/025203.html

Childhood Vaccine Linked to Convulsions
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory?id=4356546

HPV Vaccine blamed for teenagers paralysis
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/08/02/hpv-vaccine-blamed-for-teen-s-paralysis.aspx?source=nl