Anyone see this article on cnn?

[AprilM]

I just came across this article on cnn's site

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/01/23...cdc/index.html

Anyone scared over this?

FYI: I am anti vax.

[applejuice]

It looks like the typical scare tactics that I have seen for a lifetime.

The article does not say whether or not the babies were vaccinated against the disease, does it? My experience with VPD outbreaks is that:

+/- 33% are fully vaccinated
+/- 33% are partially vaccinated
+/- 33% are not vaccinated at all.

I sincerely doubt that the disease causes deafness or brain damage in the numbers that the article claims either.

And finally, of course the answer to the problem is to vaccinate more. What else would a doctor recommend?

[ammiga]

There are also other factors that I wonder about. I believe that breastfeeding gives children the immune system they need to fight off diseases- were these children breastfed?

Did the parents ignore signs of illness for too long?

Maybe the one that had the immune deficiency had it because he was immunized.

And more.

[Ktietje85]

No. Not scared. This is scare-tactic propaganda. They try to make it sound perfectly reasonable, and they try to make non-vaxing parents sound crazy. I mean, that BS about "Some parents don't vaccinate because they believe vaccines cause autism. But there is no link." Um...there are a THOUSAND reasons besides vaccine-autism link that parents choose not to vaccinate? They make it sound like parents heard Jenny McCarthy talk and just decided not to do any further research, and stopped vaccinating...come on.

As parents who choose not to vaccinate, we KNOW our kids could get sick. We know that the worst could happen. But we also are committed to doing what it takes to keep our kids healthy, by allowing them to get sick with minor illnesses naturally, breastfeeding, eating well, etc. Our children will be MUCH healthier, and will almost certainly not suffer serious illness because of their stronger, healthier bodies. BUT -- they could. And we accept that risk.

Scare tactics of this variety should be abolished. The government and media are trying to control the population, and force them to vaccinate, use public school, and whatever else they believe to be in the "herd's" best interest, and I am tired of it. There's a reason we all avoid mainstream society, and that is it.

[tallulahma]

Originally Posted by ammiga

There are also other factors that I wonder about. I believe that breastfeeding gives children the immune system they need to fight off diseases- were these children breastfed?

Did the parents ignore signs of illness for too long?

Maybe the one that had the immune deficiency had it because he was immunized.

And more.

yep.

it also says 2 kids who got it were vaccinated- so..... what good was that vax to them?

i wish they would say if the kids were breastfeeding, receiving motrin/tylenol that would mask serious symptoms & hinder immune system, are they eating a nutrient rich whole food diet, have they been exposed to bacteria or is the home continuously cleaned with bleach, lysol, etc....

there are a lot of things i do to try and ensure my children have strong immune systems, and i think trying to break it down to a vaxing issue is ignorant on the medical community's part.

[japonica]

Nope, not worried. There's so many other factors that come into play here than just vax status...and as one of the PPs pointed out, two of the kids were vaxed (either fully or partially) so a lot of good it did them. If I recall from my reading, the HiB vax increases the incidence of HiB disease in the weeks immediately following vaccination.

And as for other factors, were the babies breastfed? What was the mom's nutritional status? Were they in daycare? Were there toxins in the home? Cigarette smoke? Had they been an antibiotics recently? Had they had any boosters or other vaxes recently? Seems there's a lot more info that could be useful than just their vax status...

[Marnica]

Its funny you post this...lI posted this in the main forum and it was removed as quite a debate ensued!!!

[peainthepod]

Not worried for all of the reasons mentioned above by previous posters, but very sad for that family.

[japonica]

Marnica, I didn't know this. Just saw the thread was awol. I think these are logical factors to consider. Neustaedter and others mention how cigarette smoke is a risk factor for meningitis...and I've been reading Hilary Butler's second book that points out how when you take antibiotics or do certain vaccines (like the ones that knock out one group of bacteria but create a vaccum for other more aggressive bacteria to inhabit) you mess with the balance in your body that could result in illness. Her section on this in the book was fascinating and frightening at the same time. I wish all peds, parents would read that section...we don't do antibiotics here at all unless all other avenues have been tried first, but wow, it sure made me think...iresistance is one thing, but as a society i think we're in real trouble...

[MountainMamaGC]

Yeah I posted some links that show breastfeeding provides excellent protection against HiB. Thats the problem, they dont tell you things like did the kid live with smokers, was he BF, was he taken in too late, etc. They just tell you to go get vaccinated.

[mamakah]

Originally Posted by Marnica

Its funny you post this...lI posted this in the main forum and it was removed as quite a debate ensued!!!

I was just looking for that! Man, I missed the debate...it was peaceful last time I was in there!

As for the article, it scared me at first, until I did my research. I asked my mom if she had heard of it when she was vaccinating my sister and I when we were kids. She hadn't. That just told me that noone is afraid until you are told to be afraid. I have never heard of Hib. Sounds horrible, but the risks seem low (a lot lower than say e coli or salmonella which <gasp> can kill too). The article is a bit conflicting with other articles I read about it though. One that I read said that only 1 child was unvaccinated (the one that died ) and the other 4 were partially or fully vaxed...I'll try to find the link and post it.
I'm so sad for this family, knowing that very few take the decision not to vax lightly. Now their poor baby is being used as the unvaccinated poster child.

[grandmaofthree]

my daughter finally caved in and is having her children vaccinated because of this news.

[Gladiolus]

Originally Posted by sages

Now their poor baby is being used as the unvaccinated poster child.

I'm a big-time lurker, maybe I should come out!
I was wondering if this information goes against the HIPPA laws. I don't know much about HIPPA, is it okay to release vax status as long as there are no names mentioned or how does the doctor-patient confidentiality work in these cases? Can parents control how much information about their child's illness/vax status is released to the public? Or is it a doctor's "duty" to report cases for public welfare?
I feel so naive even asking.
I would be peeved if it were my child being used as the unvaccinated poster child. These poor families, much love to them.

[bluedaisy]

this kind of reporting drives me crazy - 5 cases of hib and one death is considered an OUTBREAK??? give me a break. of course my heart goes out to that family but i'm not scared my DD in VA will get Hib b/c 5 kids became sick in minnesota. sadly, many children die from diseases - one child dying from a rare disease never makes the news - unless there is a vax against it. and lots of kids die from vaxes but that never makes the news...it just shows that those who have money (pharma cos) control the news we hear :

[grandmaofthree]

Originally Posted by Gladiolus

I'm a big-time lurker, maybe I should come out!
I was wondering if this information goes against the HIPPA laws. I don't know much about HIPPA, is it okay to release vax status as long as there are no names mentioned or how does the doctor-patient confidentiality work in these cases? Can parents control how much information about their child's illness/vax status is released to the public? Or is it a doctor's "duty" to report cases for public welfare?
I feel so naive even asking.
I would be peeved if it were my child being used as the unvaccinated poster child. These poor families, much love to them.

I think when someone dies of something nobody dies of anymore in this country, the CDC probably is notified. I think the public has a right to know and it's not a HIPAA violation if the patient's name is not given to the public.

[Proverbs31]

grandmaofthree:

Out of curiosity, have you made the decision not to vaccinate or seriously exploring making this decision?

[mamakah]

Originally Posted by Gladiolus

I'm a big-time lurker, maybe I should come out!
I was wondering if this information goes against the HIPPA laws. I don't know much about HIPPA, is it okay to release vax status as long as there are no names mentioned or how does the doctor-patient confidentiality work in these cases? Can parents control how much information about their child's illness/vax status is released to the public? Or is it a doctor's "duty" to report cases for public welfare?
I feel so naive even asking.
I would be peeved if it were my child being used as the unvaccinated poster child. These poor families, much love to them.

The original article I read about this said:
" The mother [of deceased] said child may not have recieved Hib vaccine." So that could be where they are getting thier info. I know a pp on the other thread about this (now removed) said that this story started with the CDC. I'm irked because I can not find the original article that I read. :
still looking :

[tallulahma]

Originally Posted by grandmaofthree

my daughter finally caved in and is having her children vaccinated because of this news.

thats so sad

healthy kids across the country are now going to be risking vaccine injury based solely on fear mongering news articles.

as if all the research most non vaxers do to get educated can be undone by one poorly written, poorly researched article.

[mamakah]

Originally Posted by tallulahma

thats so sad

healthy kids across the country are now going to be risking vaccine injury based solely on fear mongering news articles.

as if all the research most non vaxers do to get educated can be undone by one poorly written, poorly researched article.

The scare tactics worked.
Grandmaofthree: you should send your daughter to these forums for support. Whenever my confidence in my decision is weakend (I have still got to learn to ignore the doctrine of my entire life), I find comfort, support and information in MDC.

[k9sarchik]

The media loves to sensationalize stuff. And it sounds like it really worked.

I found this wonderful link on how breastfeeding protects against Hib. It should be another reason to convince moms to BF and BF longer.
http://www.vaccinationnews.com/Daily...astfeeding.htm

Anyone know the stats on Hib prior to the introduction of formula?