Watch From My Wall: February 2019

The article I am about to share regarding the vaccine issue was written in 2015, just after a sudden outbreak of measles had occurred in California. We now have a new outbreak of measles in Washington State with 36 cases reported. Not at all a high number by any standard; but it is alarming when the disease had basically been eradicated from the United States - therefore the developing new concern. Due to that concern, I have decided to repost my article with a few updates.

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The vaccine debate has reached a crescendo in some circles that certainly leaves us to ask why. At least it should. What is up and why now? Yes, there is a new outbreak in the United States of a disease that had been pretty much eradicated in recent years. It is easy to understand that with the illegal immigration problem - especially in that part of the United States where the outbreak occurred (California, and most recently, Washington state) - bringing in problem diseases was expected and warned. But I’m afraid that isn’t likely all there is to it. And really, neither should an increasing number of parents who are refusing to vaccinate be blamed for the entire problem.

Addressing this problem has not been easy. There are those who have little to no interest on this issue, to those that almost treat it as a religion. But regardless of where one stands, we are all affected to some degree by this debate. It is one we need to consider. My article is lengthy, but it is footnoted with verifiable resources and backed up with video and proven statistics.

To simplify things, I have broken up my article into "pages" that cover only one topic. Hopefully that will encourage those that may not be inclined to read a lengthy article to read those topics in which they have the most interest. If one has the time, the article is posted in its entirety after these links.

For those that only want to read by topic, click on the pages below:

My Personal View

Why Are You Worried?

Science and Correct Information

Are You Being Used?

Common Sense

Thimerosal:

Do Vaccines Contain Fetal Tissue

Right to Life - Michigan

About Anti-Vaccine Sites

And for a healthy dose of factual information I recommend you read this. http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/parents-guide/parents-guide-part4.html

Vaccines have been around a long time eradicating diseases such as Small Pox, and diminishing diseases such as Chicken Pox, Measles, and Pertussis. For the most part vaccines have been accepted and appreciated by most of America, and proven statistics are in favor of vaccines.

It is true there have been those who have been against vaccines from the time the very first vaccine was discovered. Certainly, it is human nature to wonder about and question anything new in the medical world. We don't want to blindly trust anyone or anything!

But today, there is an anti-vaccine movement on the rise that is coming from questionable sources. It is affecting both conservatives and liberals; Christians and others. I would like to take a look at some things that many may have not yet considered. I believe there is a deeper, underlying agenda in all of this. And it isn’t simply about taking away parental rights - though that is certainly frightening enough! I believe, there is an intent by some to lure citizens into distrust of their government and therefore grow to disrespect it and even hate it. They will feel it doesn't do any good to even try to stay involved. There is an ever growing degree of apathy and futility. There are many problems in our society today that divide our citizenry. The lines have never been so black and white as the social issues continue to make the headlines. But I believe this issue of vaccines, though minor as compared to some matters, is also being used to divide our citizenry and thereby bring people to the point they will no longer trust their government. Yes, there has to be a balance involved when it comes to trusting the government. We certainly do NOT want to blindly trust anyone, especially the government. But neither do we want citizens to distrust it to the point they turn away from it, or reject it and become inactive.

It is extremely disconcerting to me that so much of the anti-vaccine rhetoric comes from the liberal left. In fact, most of those promoting the anti-vaccine movement are from the liberal left ideology or political view. That is simply an undisputed fact. That the anti-vax movement was created from liberal bias and viewpoints is very easy to prove.

We need only look at the sources that are printing anti-vaccine information with little to no scientific basis. Some of those are: NPR; PBS; Huffington Post; New York Post; each of which promote a liberal media bias. It’s who they are. That also is without dispute. They each proudly claim they are of a liberal ideology. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. (son of the late Senator Bobby Kennedy) has probably been one of the most vocal in the anti-vaccine movement.[1] His was a popular name that people could easily believe and relate to without requiring facts.

It is a well-known fact that this movement found an increase in numbers, after Jenny McCarthy (former Playboy bunny and MTV host) had a child that was autistic. She led the group Generation Rescue after becoming convinced that the autism found in her child was due to vaccines. She had no science behind her claims. She had no personal credibility, but yet people believed her story.[2]

There is an excellent article on the National Review website. National Review is a long established conservative magazine started by William F. Buckley, Jr. in 1955. It describes itself as "America's most widely read and influential magazine and web site for conservative news, commentary, and opinion." The internet version is called National Review Online and they recently posted an article regarding the subject of the anti-vaccine movement being promoted by the left. While I may not agree with the article in its entirety, - I take exception to the statement that the natural health people are beginning to advocate for vaccines - it is a very important article for people to read.

“The countercultural Left is and has always been the core of the anti-vaccination movement. From NPR to PBS to the broadcast networks, the message of all-natural food and holistic homeopathic medicine has been broadcast for decades, while traditional scientific medicine has been brought under suspicion as something being put over on us by the government and corporations.”[3]

This fact is easy to corroborate. Just check to see who is posting the anti-vaccine information. As soon as this debate heated up, I started checking sources and I was not surprised to see from where much of the information is coming. There is an agenda behind this debate! And again, it isn’t simply about vaccines and parental rights.

The amount of sources that are from a liberal perspective is astounding. Why conservatives choose to believe information from liberals on this issue, is really no surprise. They simply have not researched the background of those promoting this belief.

I am not alone in my beliefs. In my original article I had posted a video from Rush Limbaugh that had at that time been made saying this movement has a political motivation and goal. Unfortunately, that video has since been removed with links no longer working. But Rush has a very interesting perspective I believe we all need to consider.

"They pushed the idea it was the cause of autism. It was the left, our good friends on the left, as they say in Washington, our good friends on the other side of the aisle, our good friends the Democrats that are out there claiming that autism was the result of unnecessary, unneeded vaccines."

You can read more about it here.

Rush specifically blames Barack Obama in 2008 for creating this debate about vaccines when Obama said on the campaign trail:

"No matter who wins in Pennsylvania today, the next President of the United States will support research into the growing evidence of some link between vaccines and autism."

Rush is absolutely correct about this!!! The source on this debate comes from the left. Anti-government rhetoric being the common denominator with ALL of them.

Google any of the anti-vaccine gurus...many of them are 9/11 Truthers - Mike Adams for instance. They all claim vaccine promotion is about money for the pharmaceuticals, but ALL the anti-vaccine spokesmen sell vitamins and books on their pages. Maybe that's the real money issue.

Mike Adams is the author and founder of Natural News.com. He is also a 9/11 conspiracy theorist who it seems would rather believe our government is a greater enemy than radical Islam, who are in fact the ones that were responsible for that 2001 attack on our homeland. Therein is another one of the dangers of an anti-government movement taken too far. Is there a goal to legitimize Adams so that the 9/11 Truther movement is then made to seem more legitimate? Or is it the other way around?

Regardless, the anti-vaccine movement is coming from a "fear the government" mentality. It is coming from those that choose to believe the government is our enemy; 9/11 truthers; conspiracy theories; Republicans are evil; libertarian view - which in turn then divides conservatives. We have seen for sometime now, deliberate attempts to divide conservatives and turn people away from anything political.[4] The perfect way to control the electorate is to get them to distrust the government and feel anything they do will be ineffective. So why even try, right?

In order to offer any legitimacy to what I am saying, I must show why there is a problem with the current trend turning away from vaccines. Truthfully, I am more concerned about where this trend takes our nation politically, then I am about the dangers of vaccines. But both are extremely important, of course, due to the end results. "Anti-vaxxers", I'm afraid, are going to lose their right to decide for themselves. But truly, what bothers me most is after careful study of this subject, I am convinced there has been successful dissemination of something that has many variables; no concrete answers and yet there is a segment of our society that cannot see through the errors and the misinformation. That troubles me greatly. That is the main reason I continue to pursue this subject.

Homeschoolers - Are You Being Used?
Christian homeschoolers, especially, have been the ones to take this stand on vaccine refusal. There is no disputing that fact. How they came to the decision not to vaccinate leaves us only to guess. It is my opinion, they have been strongly influenced and even targeted by anti-government propaganda. It has been done carefully, because people that homeschool are not fools. They are smart and determined and strong in their beliefs. They cannot easily be swayed from their beliefs. But they are busy. They are typically busy with multiple children, their homes, church activities and community service. That is who they are. Those are all wonderful attributes, but in that busyness they often don't have time to research all that crosses their path. They tend to trust other Christians.

Homeshoolers also have always been extremely politically active, to the point that our politicians KNOW - "Homeschoolers vote". Therefore, they are always sought out and courted for their vote. They are also known to be bold enough to question the norm.

It is my belief, homeschoolers were purposely targeted with the vaccine issue exactly because of these reasons. Because of their deeply held beliefs and ability to do things on their own, as well as their disdain for what the government has done to our public school system they are the perfect candidate to question the government. They are absolutely correct in their decision to rebel from public schools, and they are to be commended for thinking for themselves and stepping out of the norm. But if not careful or caught off guard, it makes for an easy target for anyone promoting anti-government beliefs. It is almost a no-brainer to seek them out, because they have already bucked the system when they decided to homeschool. And this isn't the first time they have been targeted by anti-government, "the government is out to get us" politicians and others. And that is exactly why I feel comfortable saying this.

Further, homeschoolers are primarily Christian. And one thing I know, as a Christian, we are an extremely loyal people. We love to support and promote other Christians in their endeavors. We want to see other Christians succeed. But along with that, it is also true, as Christians we are not very careful in checking our sources. The only thing one really needs to do, is tell us he is a Christian, quote a few Bible verses and we are on his side. That can be a very good thing! Unless! Unless, the person is a fraud and using Christianity to bring about support for his cause. This is not going to be a popular thing to say, but I’m sorry it is true. We have seen it over and over and over again in politics. For example: Bill Clinton and Hilary bringing out their Bibles for a photo shoot on the beach. Barack Obama ensuring us he is a Christian. Jimmy Carter always touting his "born again" Christian status, because he taught Sunday School. But we must ask, do their actions reflect Jesus?

If one carefully checks, we will see a good majority of the multi-level marketing organizations claim their founders are Christian. It builds a level of trust to make this claim! Everyone knows Christians can be trusted. Therefore, this allows their items to be sold more easily. And again Christians love to support other Christians. That’s a good thing! But on the other hand, “they” don’t call us sheep for nothin’! We had better be careful who we as “sheep” follow.

I live in a state with a high number of families that educate their children at home. I am very familiar with homeschooling. Those states that have a high number of home educators have been the targeted states when it comes to the anti-vaccination movement. Because of this, my state and other states with a high homeschool population will have a higher rate of outbreaks for all diseases, due to a higher rate of people who refuse to vaccinate. The persuasion has been effective. In my own personal circle, I know almost no one who home educates their children that supports vaccinating their children. This is what began my concern for what is happening and influenced my decision to research this subject to the degree that I have.

In Clark County Washington, where the current outbreak took place, it has been reported to have begun at a church. This area is one of the more conservative areas of Washington with the liberal bent coming from King County and the west side of the state. I suspect with the high amount of immigrants that come into Washington to work in the orchards, coupled with the fact there were a high number of unvaccinated children in this county that that is why we see the outbreak here. And why we can expect more like this in similar areas and circumstances. *

There are many problems within the anti-vaccine movement. The sources many anti-vaxxers are reading and quoting (besides liberal sites) are from independent bloggers, personal opinion pieces, or those who claim to have knowledge without having credentials. Many are selling books and vitamins on their websites, while claiming vaccines are all about “Big Pharma” making more money. It seems to me these very same anti-vaxxers have an agenda to make money with their books, magazines, and vitamins. It is frustrating and sad to me that people will believe these bloggers, who won’t even footnote any of their so-called “facts.” And really, the truth is, there is much more money made by the medical community (including pharmaceuticals) from treating a disease as opposed to money made from cures or prevention. Curiously, the ones accusing "Big Pharma" of only being about making money, all themselves promote natural remedies that make - guess what? Money. That simply doesn't add up.
*As of March 5, 2019 Washington State has reportedly spent 1 Million dollars in an effort to treat this outbreak. I weary of those that say "Vaccines are just about the money." Obviously treating the disease is far more expensive. The cases in WA are now up to 71 with a declaration that it cannot be considered "contained" until we have gone 21 days without a new case.

Why Are You Worried?

One of the questions that bothers me the most from those who choose not to vaccinate is also the one most oft repeated: "If your kid is vaccinated why are you worried?"

That’s a simple answer, it isn’t about us.

I find myself wondering, why people do not see this is NOT about us i.e. you and I who choose to vaccinate. Rather, it is about those who are vulnerable!! My child is safe because I chose vaccines. But that doesn't mean I shouldn't be concerned about kids with cancer, who can't be vaccinated. Most people don't think only of themselves, they want to consider others. We want to consider babies who are yet too young to vaccinate, as well as those who have a dangerous disease and therefore cannot be vaccinated. There are toddlers who haven't yet reached a safe age to vaccinate; the elderly and the sick that may have weakened systems that could catch a disease even though having been vaccinated in their youth are all at risk. Those are people who deserve our concern, too.

And what about the young women who may get measles while pregnant exposing their unborn to the dangers of this disease - mental retardation, deafness? What about the repercussions that have long been known for young men who come down with mumps in their teen years? Why do we hear nothing about these problems with these diseases? Because the diseases are being white washed by anti-vaxxers who only point out the milder symptoms such as: a rash, a fever, a cough, runny nose, and maybe some eye irritation. Hog wash!!! The truth is:

“Symptoms of mumps include fever, headaches, muscle aches tiredness, loss of appetite, and swollen or tender salivary glands under the ears on one or both sides of the head. A common complication in men is testicular inflammation, which can cause infertility. Other rare but serious complications include meningitis, encephalitis, inflammation of the ovaries, and deafness. Symptoms appear within 25 days of infection, but the virus can be spread before the ill person has any symptoms.”[5]

And these would be the symptoms of measles.

“Symptoms of measles include rash, a cough, runny nose, eye irritation and fever. Symptoms will appear one to three weeks after exposure to this highly contagious virus. Measles can lead to serious complications including pneumonia, seizures, brain damage, and death. Measles spreads easily through any coughing and sneezing, and according to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) there have been 102 measles cases in the month of January alone. A majority of these cases are linked to an ongoing outbreak in southern California and most of the people who were infected with measles were not vaccinated.”[6]

Certainly when frightening information is circulated, people respond to that. Too often we just believe what we are told rather than researching facts. Once we hear "Vaccines may cause autism." We don't see the word "may" and research it further. Rather we respond to it as fact and simply will not take the chance. If the disease is now being depicted as nothing more than a childhood ailment with no discussion about the more dangerous sides of a disease, people will opt for refusing the vaccine. It is simply easier not to take the chance. When our child is involved why gamble? Except for this time there is a gamble on the other side of the issue, as well. These can be serious diseases with serious ramifications.

What about thinking about the people who have no choice yet in vaccinations? [7] That's who our concerns are about!! Does that answer the question, "If your kid is vaccinated why then, are you worried?" We are concerned for those who have not yet had a chance at health!!!

VAERS Anti-vaccine proponents love to quote from VAERS – Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System.

“VAERS is a national vaccine safety surveillance program co-sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). VAERS is a post-marketing safety surveillance program, collecting information about adverse events (possible side effects) that occur after the administration of vaccines licensed for use in the United States.”[8]

Now VAERS is a government site created to allow citizens to bring their stories to light and give them an opportunity to tell the public what happened to them. People from the anti-vaccine movement love to use this site, because it is one that speculates about that which they believe, but it will look like it is coming from a credible government source. It is a way to throw the government back in the face of those in favor of vaccines. Or perhaps down deep, anti-vaxxers know or at least recognize there must be resources with some degree of credible or national recognition in order to persuade anyone to their beliefs.

The problem is, anyone can post to this site. Nothing is validated, nothing is proved with science. It is personal testimonies of citizens' private beliefs. Anyone with any agenda can go on this site and lie or distort facts, even making false claims.

Further, most that quote statistics from this site ignore the following information posted on the home page.

“VAERS receives around 30,000 reports annually, with 13% classified as serious (e.g., associated with disability, hospitalization, life-threatening illness or death) (CDC VAERS Master Search Tool, April 2, 2008). Since 1990, VAERS has received over 200,000 reports, most of which describe mild side effects such as fever. Very rarely, people experience serious adverse events following immunization. By monitoring such events, VAERS helps to identify any important new safety concerns and thereby assists in ensuring that the benefits of vaccines continue to be far greater than the risks.

Many different types of adverse events occur after vaccination. About 85-90% of the reports describe mild adverse events such as fever, local reactions, and episodes of crying or mild irritability. The remaining reports reflect serious adverse events involving life-threatening conditions, hospitalization, permanent disability, or death, which may or may not have been caused by a vaccine.”[9]

Besides stating the extremely high percentage of mild reactions, also noted on the site is the fact there is no judgment in regard to the claims posted.

“VAERS accepts all reports without judging whether the event was caused by the vaccine.”

And an additional quote from the website states:

“Note: Submission of a VAERS report does not constitute admission that healthcare personnel or the vaccine caused or contributed to the event.”[10]

In other words, one may just assume the reaction is caused by the vaccine without proof, but they are still able to report. There are limitations to VAERS’ statistics that must be considered before a blanket conclusion of any type can be reached.

Distorting Statistics

It has recently been reported that there have been 102 deaths due to the measles vaccines as opposed to zero deaths by the disease. Once again these are false statistics. Measles had been almost totally eradicated! Of course, there would be more repercussion with the vaccine, when the vaccine has increased and totally wiped out the disease.[11] We must consider all statistics before we can take a fact at face value. Here in America, the disease has been almost entirely eradicated. That is why there have been no deaths. And too, the vaccine has increased in numbers because of an increased population and an informed citizenry. One cannot use a statistic like 102 – 0 and claim it proves something, when there has not been any measles cases reported due to the success of the vaccine!!

Consider the deaths caused by measles worldwide, as opposed to here in the United States where the statistics above are from. The truth is, over 100,000 people a year die from measles around the world. The global statistic is down by 75% from an estimated 544,200 in 2000 to 145,700 in 2013 due to the availability of the measles vaccine in countries that had not before had the vaccine.[12]

Check the statistics in a nation that does not have the luxury of this vaccine and see what the results are. For example: There have been more than 57,000 reported cases of measles in the Philippines in the last year with 21,403 confirmed. On a side note, statistics CAN vary, but you get the idea…That’s a high number either way. Please reread my comments in this article about misconstrued numbers at VAERS. It’s the same thing – there are confirmed numbers and there are randomly reported numbers. Back to the initial point; 21,403 is a huge, confirmed number as opposed to the number of confirmed measles cases in the U.S. where the vaccine has been successful!

“According to the World Health Organization Web Site, 57,564 suspected cases of measles, including 21,403 confirmed cases and 110 measles deaths, were reported in the Philippines from January 1 through December 20, 2014. Additionally, during 2014, 25 US travelers who returned from the Philippines have become sick with measles.”[13]

Common sense would dictate we consider the ratio of greater good as opposed to the ill-effects of vaccines. Of course there are some problems! Every medicine, every medical procedure is not without risks. That is the nature of medicine. But you don’t throw the baby out with the bath water. We shouldn’t refuse medicine, just because there are some risks. Maybe we know of someone who knew someone who had problems due to a vaccine. But the truth is the ratio of good to bad far outweighs those incidents. And rarely do we have all the facts when we hear such stories. We must look for the greater good. We go with the higher ratio of less risk. It really is that simple. And we use a little common sense. A child raised with Christian principles is obviously not going to need a Gardasil vaccine. It's simple; we just refuse the vaccine.

The fact is, complete data is being ignored by many in the anti-vaccine movement. Have they taken into consideration age, illness, when the child received a vaccine? Was a medication given afterwards that could have brought on the poor reaction? And yes there are some vaccines that have not been properly administered, or possibly combined with other medications that may have caused side effects. But again, we MUST consider the benefit to risk ratio! And when we look at that ratio, there should be no question.

Some people would have us believe that the number of vaccines will soon number up to 200. Dr. Sherri Tenpenny is one. In a recent article she states:

“Children today receive as many as 49 doses of 14 vaccines before they reach age six, which is roughly 12 times higher than the number of vaccines administered to children back in 1940.

With more than 220 new vaccines in the developmental pipeline for children and adults...and no end in sight…the question you must ask yourself is ARE YOU CERTAIN you will be 100% comfortable when 200 more vaccines are added to the mandated list in the future?”[14]

I am afraid that simply is not true. You can find today’s vaccine schedule for children at the link below. You can see it is far from 200 or even 49 doses as claimed by Dr. Tenpenny.[15]

Again, this is an inaccurate statistic inappropriately cited.

Further, the number (200) comes from a lab that is researching multiple vaccines, just as thousands of medicines are researched every year. It does not mean that they will be forced upon us by the government, as Dr. Tenpenny and others seem to have erroneously implied. In Dr. Tenpenny's statement, after correctly stating the vaccines are only in the "developmental pipeline" which is without a doubt true, she then jabs us with a dose of fear saying - "added to the mandated list..." to imply they will be. That's fear-mongering.

FOX news host, Chris Wallace, made a foolish point on his show Fox News Sunday. He stated that people are concerned about the “science” of vaccines because so many deny the science of evolution and global warming. Good grief!!! Global warming and evolution is NOT science!! They are theories! Actually they aren’t even theories; they are hypotheses. Certainly these claims are not science, any more than the anti-vaccines claims are science. It is time Americans start thinking for themselves and quit believing the barrage of influence being forced upon society by false news and media sources. "Science" of global warming and evolution is NOT science!!! Just as the anti-vaccine movement is not based on science!

There are many examples of distorted statistics. Anything can be made to look like fact. We must use careful deciphering of the statistics offered.

Vaccines and Autism

In 1998, an article was published by Andrew Wakefield claiming the MMR vaccine was causing autism in children. Sometime later, this claim was investigated and proven false. Wakefield was forced to retract his paper and even lost his medical license due to this dishonest and contrived information. Unfortunately, his followers stuck by him, even gaining more ground in adding new converts to the anti-vaccine movement.

Ask anyone who is opposed to vaccines and they will tell you that Andrew Wakefield was unfairly maligned and that he has now been proven accurate. This simply isn't so and there is absolutely no science to back his claims.

Once again it is the left that is the one that seems to be at the forefront of pushing the fallacy about autism. The autism theory and the link to vaccines has been debunked many years ago. Furthermore, (from the horse’s mouth we might say) Rob Ring, Chief Science Officer for Autism Speaks – an important authority on autism states:

“Over the last two decades, extensive research has asked whether there is any link between childhood vaccinations and autism. The results of this research are clear: Vaccines do not cause autism. We urge that all children be fully vaccinated.”[16]

An important fact to note is that many symptoms of autism do not present until about the same age the child is receiving some of the scheduled vaccines. This fact perhaps leads those untrained in the medical field to believe the autism later seen in their child is caused by vaccines.

Developmental-behavioral pediatrician, and senior vice president for medical research at Autism Speaks, Dr. Paul Wang, states:

“In most medical conditions, the underlying processes are triggered before their signs and symptoms become obvious. Consider arthritis. The joints are breaking down and inflammation is setting in years before the aches and pains appear. In dyslexia (reading disability), the symptoms aren’t obvious until a child starts learning how to read. But the symptoms are rooted in brain differences that are present much earlier in development.

A similar chain of events occurs in autism. We know that toxic exposures during pregnancy and complications associated with delivery can disrupt brain processes before birth and shortly afterwards. Mutations in the genes associated with autism can affect how the brain develops and functions, starting well before birth.”[17]

Though the autism connection has been debunked over a decade ago, there are those in the anti-vaccine movement that continue to promote this falsehood. They claim thimerosal is the ingredient causing autism, but thimerosal was removed from vaccines at least 10 years ago. And yet, the cases of autism have continued to rise. Again, Robert Kennedy, Jr. is one that continues with this claim. I recommend an article at Forbes magazine that addresses this issue and Mr. Kennedy’s claims. Kennedy's initial statements were published by such liberal magazines as Rolling Stone and Salon.com, both of which eventually pulled his articles due to the fallacies and lack of proof. Kennedy blamed "Big Pharma" and even stated the "government knew" about the dangers. It was simply more of the same from conspiracy theorists that love to blame the government.

"As a lawyer, Kennedy should be able to understand this. The science, which Kennedy apparently does not understand, leads to the same conclusion: in study after study, scientists have found no link between thimerosal and autism, or any other kind of neurological disorder. And as RFK Jr knows, thimerosal was removed from childhood vaccines in the U.S. over a decade ago, and the rate of autism diagnosis continued to rise. This fact alone contradicts his major claim."[18]

I have often found myself wondering why there have been no studies to determine if the rising autism rate over the last few decades could be due to the wide spread acceptance and use of street drugs. How can we not suspect this possibility with the high percentage of people that have used drugs in their lifetime? We believe our health is suffering because of the chemicals added to our food supply. Why would the rampant use of drugs in our society not be considered? The answer is simple, really. It points to accountability and responsibility which could lead to blame of individuals. And that isn't politically correct or prudent. That is not to say every case of autism would be due to this factor; but it is something that might very well increase the autism rates. Why not study it?

Do Vaccines Contain Fetal Tissue?

No! Vaccines do NOT Contain new or current fetal tissue. This, of all the incorrect facts claimed by those in the anti-vaccine community, is the one that bothers me most. This is purposefully playing on the hearts of those that are rightfully against abortion, making them feel that if they get a vaccine they are helping the abortion industry.

Problem is, it just isn't so. To start, it is against Federal law to do this. And the law is very specific.

What did happen was in 1966 and in 1962, two babies were aborted. Vaccines were grown with human cells from those two abortions. Since human cells will propagate, these are the same cells that our vaccines are made from today, almost 50 years later. While certainly I do not want to minimize the importance of two precious lives, these two abortions are the sole supplier for vaccines since that time and there is no need for more, as these cells continue to reproduce.

Dr. Jay Wile, author of Apologia Science Curriculum*, has an excellent article explaining this. He gives a clear explanation, saying how unfortunate it is that these two abortions took place; but using the cells from these babies is really not any different than receiving a heart from a man or woman that was murdered. We don't condone the murder, but there is at least something good that will come out of it by saving someone's life with a donated heart.

That aborted babies are continuing to be used to make vaccines is a lie from the anti-vaccine movement that should not be allowed to continue. Please read Dr. Wile's full article here. It is extremely important that we promote truth, not lies that benefit a particular agenda.

(*Dr. Wile sold Apologia in 2010. He is no longer affiliated, nor does he support Apologia. You can read his explanation of the changes in Apologia Curriculum since that time here. )

There is an excellent article from Right to Life - Michigan that offers a balanced view with viable solutions for things we can do. It explains well that the vaccines we use are all from the two strains, Dr. Wile mentions. There is a new strain taken in 1985 to attempt to aid in finding an AIDS vaccine, as well as an Ebola vaccine. But this is not yet being used by the public, so Dr. Wile is correct in stating there were just two aborted babies used for the vaccines we use. As horrible as that is.

We would be wise to educate ourselves in the truth, because we only do harm and take away from any good we might be able to accomplish if we join those who are promoting lies. But yes, speak out as this article explains.

Diseases Evolve

It is true that diseases evolve. This is why vaccines do need to change from time to time. Everyone is aware that a different strain of flu comes around periodically. This is the disease that most often changes.

But the flu vaccine is usually only recommended for the infirm and the elderly. Lives have been saved for those groups of people. Of course, not everyone should be required to receive the flu vaccine. Those more often exposed such as those in the health care industry, would be wise to receive it.

It doesn't have to be all or nothing on either side of the vaccine issue. I thank God our medical professionals are required to be vaccinated, that our firefighters and EMT's must be. For their sake, as well as anyone else’s!! People would be wise to find a little common sense and a little common ground. We should all pay attention to who is going to win by this recent division and distraction regarding vaccines. We should also pay attention to our sources and see from where and what ideology they are coming.

Dissemination

Dr. Ben Carson, world renowned neurosurgeon and popular conservative Presidential candidate makes many valid points in the video below regarding vaccines.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRMvKqXeD7A

The problem is as Dr. Ben Carson eloquently emphasized on Chris Wallace’s show is that the pro-vaccine message has not appropriately been disseminated well enough so that our citizens are getting the complete and factual truth. If they were getting this message, the false rhetoric would not be so easily believed. The truth simply hasn’t been shared well enough. What is being effectively shared are messages from the anti-vaccine group within certain groups and communities, by a relentless, all-encompassing liberal media and/or those that want to push anti-government rhetoric.

We need to do a better job of informing the general public. The general public needs to have a desire for truth. The truth is there is a lot of ignorance on this subject. That is “ignorance” in the pure sense of the word which is defined as: “Without knowledge; unaware and uninformed.”[19] It doesn’t mean anyone is stupid. They have simply been inadequately informed, or they have been exposed to false information. I am afraid there is a lot of ignorance in certain groups, because the message has not been clearly and systematically brought to light.

Accurate Facts and Common Sense

I hate to see things not entirely accurate continuing to make the news cycle. It always takes an element of truth to get people to believe a lie; or to be kind - to believe a distortion. Often times something is promoted based on an assumption, but it is written as fact. Even some of the most well known doctors promoting the anti-vaccine message are disseminating incorrect facts. If one is to read carefully their literature, they do not back with footnotes or sources. They are careful in their wording saying things like "it is believed", "it is apparent". Words like "possible" are used in the text, but with the author expressing their view in such unyielding beliefs and strong language, their opinion is misconstrued as a fact rather than just a possibility. Their opinion is promoted in such a way that certain words are almost hidden in the text. The fact that it is an opinion rather than science will get lost in the article if one does not pay close attention. In this way, they carefully protect themselves from making factual statements, while convincing people it is an absolute fact. They are protecting themselves from being seen as propagating falsehoods. People protecting themselves from lawsuits use this technique all the time.

We need to be careful when we research. We need to seek truth, not just search for something that will back up our own preconceived opinions. If we are not reading and thinking critically, we will miss the small red flags that might be there to warn us that an article should not be implicitly trusted. Accurate facts are warranted in every decision, but not many seem to be thinking for themselves these days, jumping instead on bandwagons that may or may not apply to them. It doesn't have to be all or nothing in either viewpoint. We all need to weigh the consequences. There are vaccines in regard to a life-style choice that most should refuse. Common sense and critical thinking would go a long way. Again, Gardasil and probably even the Hepatitis B vaccine are lifestyle choices. Gardasil is clearly used to protect a life-style choice that most 12 year olds it is being offered to and even teens are not involved with and therefore it is a vaccine most should refuse. Families are able to reason that out for themselves. It is imperative they are allowed to decide for themselves.

A little common sense is warranted in every decision. Careful research and critical thinking a must, because someone is waiting to do it for us if we allow that by not basing our actions on truth.

Governmental Intrusion

If we are not careful we will lose our right to choose as parents. If this movement continues without regard to gathering correct information, they will lose all credibility, and any valid points they do have. If people refuse to educate themselves with proven science and instead opt for emotional opinions and left wing bloggers, the government will end up forcing themselves upon us.
It is only if we stay truly informed, committed to common sense will we be effective in keeping our freedom in this area.

Go ahead and take a stand against an unnecessary vaccine, such as Gardasil, but don’t include in that refusal, a vaccination that has proven to be effective with little side effects, such as small pox, measles, mumps and now even chicken pox. The true facts here ARE in favor of the vaccine! Educate yourselves and quit believing lies. The benefit to risk ratio is overwhelmingly in favor of the vaccine!

Personal View

It is not my intent to change anyone with deeply held beliefs to view things the way I do. It is my hope that those on the fence about vaccines, will read this and look at this issue with an open mind and a desire to find the truth. Science must be appropriated. We must use facts and statistics and we must use them correctly. We cannot continue to allow this important issue to be decided with emotion or personal experiences that are being used to form a belief by deciphering and coming to incorrect conclusions of the facts.

This discussion, really at heart, isn’t even about the pros and cons of vaccines. It isn’t only about taking away the rights of parents and forcing them into doing something they don’t want to do. In my view, this is a contrived and blown up issue to divide conservatives, and more importantly to create inactive citizens because they do not trust the government and therefore believe all attempts at being involved are useless. Or maybe it is simply the people that already have an anti-government world view are simply further being used.

On a personal level, I really don’t care if you vaccinate your child or not. I am not one that believes vaccinations should be mandated. But on issues such as this one, I believe it should be left to the states to create law and up to the citizens to decide and vote on that law.

What I do care about is facts being distorted with inaccurate information and not backed up with science. What I do care about is opinions on one side trying to force it down others’ throats while claiming it is the other side that is being forceful. What I am sick of hearing is faulty statistics that point to the danger of vaccines when clearly the opposite is true. Look at this for a moment: How many people do you know? And out of those people, how many have been vaccinated? And how many of those vaccinated have autism or have died from a vaccine? And if there is 1 in 1000 for example, can it be proved it was caused by a vaccine? NO it cannot! Be honest! And this silly example is a miniscule example of the effects vaccines have on the general public. We all need to take a deep breath and use a little common sense!

And while we are being honest, how about this? This isn’t about your religious beliefs, your faith, or your God, as some claim. Nor is it about mine! This is only about information that each of us have chosen to believe, and act upon.

Perhaps our faith, is a convenient excuse that we believe lends more credence to our argument. Be honest, remember? There are no Scripture verses that should convict any of us one way or another on the topic of vaccines. But yes, this decision should be left to the parent first and foremost. I am only saying parents should educate themselves with an open mind while considering the source. I find most are simply looking for sources to backup and prove what they already believe. They are failing. They are proving nothing at all, just as evolutionists prove nothing; those who believe in global warming prove nothing. There is no credible science on any of it. I am concerned about babies, the elderly and the infirm that are affected by this recent spread of inaccurate information, causing people to not vaccinate and creating little pockets that are less safe than others. We hear from some that if we are worried we should just "move out of that pocket where we might be vulnerable" and other cynical answers from some anti-vaxxers. But again, this is not about those that choose to vaccinate! It is about babies, the elderly and the infirm!! Maybe we all need to stop for a moment to realize that people that vaccinate really are thinking about others, too.

We definitely need to verify our sources. With the internet, it is so easy to say anything and convince people it is accurate. People get paid for "clicks" on their site. They don't care if it is true or not. They simply get more "clicks" and more dollars when they print a retraction. Much of the information being disseminated on this issue, has simply been exaggerated or misrepresented. We must verify our facts before we jump on any "bandwagons".

But the other important issue I am concerned about is the fact that if we are not careful, the government will force themselves on us. If the government presents facts more accurate than those who are simply believing bloggers and opinions, they will be the ones to gain. Because I guarantee you, there will be a dangerous outcome, unless people wake up, research all sides and then think for themselves. If we value our freedom, we had better get behind the science on this issue. There is a hornet's nest stirred up that is continuing to build. And it is without a doubt, someone is intentionally stirring those hornets.

And finally, what is most frightening to me in all of this, is to see smart, thoughtful, intelligent people buying into ideas and rhetoric that is NOT based on fact. That is a pattern that is very dangerous. Think about how scary that could be in other areas of our lives; in politics, our history, our faith and in our news. We aren't hearing about "fake news" for nothing! I am afraid that is becoming common place, and that right there is what is most dangerous of all! If we accept that type of propagation in one area, we will accept it in all. Disseminate fear, instead of fact and it appears one can get people to believe almost anything. We simply cannot let that happen. We must insist on facts. We must insist on truth in every area of our lives. Because a standard that is accepted in one area becomes accepted in all.

This is an easy to read chart of the current vaccine schedule:

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/easy-to-read/child-easyread.html

Some of the sites that promote an anti-vaccine belief, along with my comments about that site:

· Natural News – 9/11 Truther, Mike Adams[20]

· Reason – Though it began in 1968 with a more conservative view using authors during the 1970s, such as Milton Friedman, Friedrich Hayek, Thomas Szasz and Thomas Sowell, it has evolved into a publication that is more libertarian in view using extremists such as Gary North as magazine contributors. As well, they have been accused of revisionist history and an agenda aligned with holocaust deniers.[21]

· Perth Now – “a unit of The Sunday Times, owned by News Corp Australia, is a tabloid Sunday newspaper printed in Perth and distributed throughout Western Australia.” http://www.perthnow.com.au/ [22]

· Huffington Post – “The Huffington Post was launched on May 10, 2005, as a liberal/left commentary outlet and alternative to news aggregators such as the "Drudge Report”. “The Huffington Post has been criticized by several science bloggers, as well as online news sources, for including articles by supporters of alternative medicine and anti-vaccine activists and for allegedly censoring rebuttals written by science bloggers before publishing them.” http://m.huffpost.com/ca/entry/5881914[23]

· vactruth.com - VacTruth.com was founded in 2009 by Jeffry John Aufderheide. His site says he was a rescue swimmer in the US Navy. His service is commendable, but his site was born out of a belief that his son stopped normal development after 21 vaccines. While his intent is admirable, his site is not up to date regarding ingredients in vaccines i.e. Thimerosal, a preservative that has been removed from all vaccines for children under the age of 6 except the flu vaccine.[24]

· offtheradar.co.nz – a personal blog from a woman in New Zealand. She uses Natural News as a main source. Enough said.

· Dr. Sherri Tenpenny - is an American osteopath and anti-vaccination activist from Ohio. She has claimed that vaccines cause autism, asthma, ADHD and autoimmune disorders.[25] She uses her credentials as doctor to promote her beliefs that are not, nor can they be, based on actual science. Tenpenny’s appearance on the Alex Jones (9/11Truther and conspiracy theorist) show only lends credence to the fact that these sources all have the same root in common, in my opinion.

· Hear this well – Hear This Well, is a social media campaign on YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook, that was started by Polly Tommey. It was created so that parents who believe their child suffers from vaccine induced autism or other vaccine injury might have an outlet to share their stories. Polly Tommey claims, “The thing that makes this different is, there’s no medical paper, there’s no research that can stop what’s happening now because it’s real. It’s there. People are just coming out with heartfelt messages, saying please don’t put yourselves in the position we are in.”[26] Therein lies the problem with Hear this Well…there are no medical papers or research to back up the claims, though this again is a site created with good intentions.

· Dr. Suzanne Humphries – One that anti-vaxxers love to quote. Dr. Humphries is a medical doctor with specialties in internal medicine and nephrology who uses her title to promote beliefs that are not based on science or truth. She writes articles without documentation; promotes fear tactics without source. Please read the article footnoted, for example. There is not one statement backed or proven with science, including any proof of what she mentions as the horrible ingredients in the vaccine. She proves nothing and must take us all as fools that should merely take her at her word. What? Because her name begins with “Dr.”? I don’t think so.[27]

· Before Its News – Focuses on conspiracy theories and was started as a left wing website that uses writers such as Jake Kettle. Unfortunately, it has gained readers of a conservative nature believing the conspiracies without checking the left wing sources. “Kettle's written works include political articles on both his website and news website Before It's News. He self identifies as a social democrat, advocating for a combination of direct democracy and socialism, which Kettle mentions regularly in his podcasts and interviews.[3] He also claims to be open minded, and has professed an admiration for both the ancient Greek and Roman philosophers, as well as more modern philosophers such as Karl Marx and Niccolò Machiavelli among others.”[28]

· Healthimpactnews.com – “Brian Shilhavy is the Managing Editor and Founder of Health Impact News. He has a BA in Bible and Greek from Moody Bible Institute, and an MA in Applied Linguistics from Northeastern Illinois University. Brian Shilhavy is the only writer who writes in all 6 content areas. He and his wife Marianita were the first ones to import Virgin Coconut Oil from the Philippines to the United States in 2001, and start the modern day Coconut Oil Revolution. He is the founder of Tropical Traditions.” Not that one shouldn’t have a business if promoting an anti-vaccine message, but we do need to consider he profits from the message. I clicked on “Resources” to see who they use to support their statements and instead found a page full of products they sell.[29]

· The Edgy Truth - Over the Edge?

Resources: