June 24th, 2015

6/24/2015

Vaccines
In January 2015, 51 individuals contracted measles at Disneyland in southern California. This outbreak has been the cause of many debates about vaccines, public health, the rights of parents, and the role of the state.

What is a Vaccine?
A vaccine is a product that produces immunity from a disease and can be administered through needle injections, by mouth, or by aerosol. A vaccination is the injection of a killed or weakened organism that produces immunity in the body against that organism. Vaccines attempt to spur the body to make anti-bodies that will fight the weakened strain of the disease, so that if the body is attacked by a stronger strain later in life, it will be able to fight the disease.

What are Vaccines Made Of?
Vaccines are made from bacteria of infected animals or people. There are also at least 23 vaccines that are created from cells of aborted fetuses. Vaccines for measles, mumps, rubella, chicken pox, hepatitis and rabies are created from aborted fetuses.

A History of Vaccines
As early as A.D. 1000, Chinese used a vaccine to fight smallpox, and as early as 1661, a Chinese Emperor decreed that all Chinese should receive a smallpox vaccination. During the American Revolution, a smallpox epidemic broke out among Bostonians when British soldiers occupied the city. The British had been inoculated against smallpox. Later that same year, George Washington ordered mandatory inoculation for every American soldier of the Continental Army. In 1796, British doctor Jenner discovered that he could make a person immune from smallpox by inoculating a person with matter from a cowpox sore.

In the 1800s and 1900s, most developed countries of the world adopted laws that made vaccination against certain diseases mandatory. In the United States of America, the Supreme Court ruled in 1905 in Jacobson v. Massachusetts that states had the right to pass vaccination laws. A “well-ordered society” must be able to enforce “reasonable regulations” in responding to “an epidemic disease which threatens the safety of its members,” wrote Justice John Marshall Harlan. The Constitution did not protect “an absolute right in each person to be, in all times and in all circumstances, wholly free from restraint.” The findings of this case have been looked at as the guiding principle in relations of individuals and their state to vaccinations.

Arguments in Favor or Vaccination
The main argument in favor of vaccination appears to be that it works. In 1962, before the measles vaccine was licensed, over 500,000 American children came down with the disease, 48,000 required hospitalization, and 450 died. In 1997, under 100 American children came down with measles. Similar examples exist regarding polio. Polio is a contagious viral illness that causes paralysis, difficulty breathing, and sometimes death. Before the creation of the polio vaccine, the U.S. experienced 20,000 cases per year, primarily in children. After the creation of the polio vaccines in 1952 and 1955 and mandatory vaccinations, polio has been eradicated in the United States, with the last known case occurring in 1979. After a world eradication program of eradicating polio, the numbers of polio illnesses dropped from 350,000 cases in 1988 to 223 cases in 2012.

Arguments Against Vaccination
There are a number of arguments against forced vaccination. One involves the materials used to create the vaccines. In at least 23 vaccines, cells from aborted fetuses are used to create the vaccines. For those who are against abortion and believe that the unborn life should be protected, the use of materials from the aborted fetuses presents a moral problem of great magnitude.

Another argument against forced vaccination involves the great number of vaccinations that each child attending an American school is supposed to have. Each vaccination has its own possibly grave side effects. As the number of required vaccinations grow, the number of individuals hurt by these side effects will grow, as well. According to the Center for Disease and Control (CDC), the U.S. federal agency charged with America’s health, there are 14 diseases that young children under 6 need to be vaccinated for. For 7-18 year olds, the CDC recommends at least 14 more vaccines. Many parents question the need for each of the vaccines. One vaccine is for a disease that is spread through sexual activity.

What is Herd Immunity?
Herd immunity is a belief, or theory, that states when a certain percentage of people in society are vaccinated, then there is a lower chance of a disease spreading. Because some people are unable to be vaccinated against some diseases, either because they are too young, or too weak, many doctors believe that it is essential that most are vaccinated so that herd immunity be maintained. However, there are also those who disagree with the validity of the idea of herd immunity.

Dr. Andrew Wakefield, Vaccination, and Autism
In 1998, British Dr. Wakefield wrote an article in The Lancet that claimed there was a link between measles-mumps-rubella vaccine and autism. In the western world, many believed this claim to be authoritative, and in the United States, some parents chose not to have their children inoculated. In California, politically liberal citizens living in areas that tend to vote Democrat were the most affected, including Marin County, Santa Monica, and Beverly Hills, as parents chose a philosophical exemption to vaccinating their children.

Dr. Wakefield’s study was shown to be fraudulent, he was on the payroll of attorneys wanting to sue the government, and in 2010 he lost his medical license. Great Britain’s medical regulator ruled that Dr. Wakefield acted dishonestly and irresponsibly. It appears that Dr. Wakefield based his entire study on 12 children, and he misrepresented these 12 children, as well. However, the effects of his study still are being felt.

Conclusion
An outbreak of measles in January 2015 at Disneyland, California, has been the cause of great discussions involving disease, vaccination, and the role of government and public safety. Americans argue over the importance of vaccinations and the power of the state.

Questions
1.      What is a vaccine and how do doctors believe it works?
2.      What is the first known use of a vaccine?
3.      What do people who support vaccines say is the main reason all should be vaccinated against certain diseases?
4.      What are the main reasons people have against forced vaccination?
5.      What role do you think the government has in mandating vaccination?

The Classical Historian invites its readers to please contribute to this current event article by submitting your comments in the space provided. We realize that the great majority of our readers are moms, and we are greatly interested to learn from you, and hope that your comments will help teach our readers and us about this complex issue.

11 Comments

M. Orlando

6/23/2015 09:56:15 pm

1) Question- were the numbers of measles (and polio) reducing over the years leading up to the vaccines being utilized for polio and measles? - in other words, do we know that the vaccines caused the reduction in cases or are there other factors being ignored?

2) There are actually other studies besides Wakefield's study that have linked the MMR (and other vaccines) to autism. Wakefield's study is used to discredit the idea, but these other studies are being ignored. One study is commonly referred to as the "Japanese study" which purportedly proves the MMR does not cause autism. The study is a prospective study comparing those it terms "vaccinated" and "unvaccinated." At first glance it seems that the "unvaccinated" group had a higher rate of autism than the "vaccinated" group. However, as one continues to read the study it becomes apparent that the "unvaccinated" group was indeed vaccinated. The difference is that they were vaccinated with the three vaccines separately (measles, mumps, and rubella) versus the triple shot (MMR, all three in one). The fact that spreading the vaccines out into three separate shots actually increased the number of incidents of autism seems to suggest that there is, indeed, some connection. However, this is being ignored and the study is being touted as proof against any connection. There was no real control group (actually unvaccinated, or even vaccinated with other vaccines but not the measles, mumps, and rubella). There is another study that was done recently (perhaps someone else can post the link) which has shown the connection between autism and vaccines made from aborted babies.

3) Because so many studies are poorly done and erroneously interpreted, with a shocking lack of real control groups, we honestly don't know the actual adverse effects of vaccines. Even if we assume they have worked (which seems questionable when looking at all the factors that have contributed to a decrease in contagious diseases), the price we are paying is unclear. Because there is so little we actually know, the fact is that vaccination remains a huge experiment. Therefore mandating vaccines is unethical. We need to call for real studies with real control groups - both short and long term.

4) It is extremely disturbing to me that the pharmaceutical companies have NO accountability for their product. They have no accountability to making sure that their products are the safest and most effective. There have even been some appallingly dangerous safety issues that have become apparent, but no repsonse better than an "Oops, I'm sorry" in reponse. Yet we are all being told we must inject their products into our bodies without question?

5) We need to acknowledge that the VAERS system, supposedly in place to allow for reporting of adverse events related to vaccines, is broken. I know too many people whose children suffered an adverse reaction within hours of receiving a vaccines (from crying and irritability, to sudden onset of stuttering, to sudden death, and many other reactions as well) who were simply ignored when attempting to report the reaction to vaers. Many times the pediatricians were the first to turn a blind eye and call it a coincidence. How do we know something is a coincidence or if it is a consistent reaction if we don't keep track of these things long enough to be able to tell the difference? - if we don't at first take it seriously enough to make note of it and watch to see if there are other instances as well?

I have many more comments, but not enough time to write them.

I will say that I am a R.N. and the more studies I have read and the more I have researched vaccines and looked - hoping for information to affirm the use of vaccines - the more I have become disillusioned and concerned. I no loger vaccinnate my children and am sorry for the vaccines they have received.

Please forgive any typos! I am writing this on my phone...

John De Gree

6/24/2015 03:49:23 am

Thank you so much for your response. Let us continue this conversation, because it is needed and it is not happening in enough places. My response to your points.
1. I would love to know the answers to these questions you write. Could you please find them and respond? If we are being fed lies, I would really like to know.
2. Please, if someone can post the study that links vaccination to autism, it would be appreciated.
3. Let us have the real studies as you propose. I agree.
4. Can you write us about some examples of the pharmaceutical companies making mistakes and having no accountability? I don't doubt that they exist, but it will make a much stronger argument when we have the proof in writing. I would like to have a stronger judgment on this issue, and I'd like to see the proof.
5. Wow. This is horrible. I can see that it will be very challenging to assemble the evidence, when the system put in place to monitor problems with vaccines, is broken. If the VAERS system doesn't work, what does the average person do?
I am very thankful for your comments and writing. It is necessary to write our evidence to help us make informed decisions. I greatly appreciate your comments. If you can add anything more, please do so.

Russell Person

6/24/2015 04:23:40 pm

During the American Revolution, a smallpox epidemic broke out among Bostonians when British soldiers occupied the city. The British had been inoculated against smallpox. Later that same year, George Washington ordered mandatory inoculation for every American soldier of the Continental Army. In 1796, British doctor Jenner discovered that he could make a person immune from smallpox by inoculating a person with matter from a cowpox sore.
If Dr Jenner discovered the ability to immunize a person by innoculation, how is it that soldiers in the Continental Army were innoculated, when that was prior to 1796? Are you implying that the Boston epidemic came from innoculated British soldiers?
Thank you.

6/25/2015 08:01:58 am

I have learned that it was commonly believed that a person could become inoculated against smallpox by being exposed to cowpox. The doctor would take pus from a cow with cowpox and infect a human by making a cut and placing the pus from the cowpox onto the sore, This is how General Washington ordered his men to be inoculated.
Dr. Jenner's contribution was that he created a vaccine that could be replicated and widely used, instead of each doctor using a sore from a cow suffering from cowpox. Dr. Jenner coined the term vaccination in 1796[2]. The word vaccination is derived from the Latin root vaccinus, meaning of or from the cow

Leslie Friedman

6/25/2015 02:57:16 am

After reading your article I had the impression that further abortions were needed to make vaccines. I did a quick search and the most reliable info I could find on that exact topic was from ABC News. The article below explains that 2 cell lines, grown from cells from 2 fetuses aborted decades ago, are used. This may not matter to some, but for me the clarification was necessary. Also, the article stated that Catholics at least have been advised to still vaccinate despite this issue. http://abcnews.go.com/Health/aborted-fetuses-vaccines/story?id=29005539

6/25/2015 08:03:20 am

Thank you Leslie. This information is extremely important and I appreciate you writing it for us. I didn't know this and am glad to have learned.

Rachel Flachman

6/25/2015 07:17:10 am

As the parent of a child who has had an adverse reaction to the MMR, I can tell you that after further research, there are poisons in these vaccines the drug companies and physicians claim aren't there. Formaldehyde and mercury for starters. I would never inject these toxins into a child so young again. These vaccines have additives that give them a longer shelf life, but cause adverse reactions in some people. I deeply regret I didn't read the contents on the label myself before just handing my infants over to the nurses to inject the 'recommended' vaccines.

I know this is the subject of hot debate, but the facts that these drug companies have ZERO accountability for their product is truly appalling. The fact that drug lobby is way too imbedded in the political process for true unbiased studies to take place is well documented.

As a former employee of a medical device company, I can tell you first hand that the FDA has trouble dealing with drug companies objectively. The practically salivate over these lobbyists because the lobbyists are expert at finding legal ways to compensate the FDA for leniency.

The lack of credible studies over the link between vaccination and adverse affects is due in part to the brokenness of the system.

1. Any study would have to be retrospective in nature retrospective studies find it hard to be credible due to their lack of control subjects.

2. When a parent complains of adverse reactions due to vaccinations to the physician, the physician doesn't document these reactions because they discredit the parent's concern almost immediately as being invalid. In many cases, this isn't intentional on the part of the doctor, but due to the AMA's indoctrination of doctors to be wary of any complaints that reflect poorly on vaccinations in the first place.

6/25/2015 08:07:03 am

Thank you Rachel,

Although yours so far is the only comment regarding having a child who has suffered adverse reactions to the MMR, I have received an email detailing another child who is currently suffering terribly because of adverse reaction to the MMR. Because my readership is relatively very small, I would guess that there are large numbers of children suffering from being vaccinated with the MMR.
Also, I have received emails from others describing the broken system of reporting adverse reactions from vaccines.
Thank you very much for your response.

6/25/2015 10:03:14 am

Rachel, I believe you are probably right that many doctors do not report adverse reactions to vaccinations, especially if they are mild and transient-although of course we have no way of knowing! I went to the site of the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, and they advise contacting your doctor, but then reporting the reaction yourself. It can be done online, by fax, or by mail. http://vaers.hhs.gov/index

The discussion of poorly designed or fraudulent studies, unreliable data, and of course the profit motive of large corporations makes me ask myself how I should make decisions in general. If one studies history, I think one must believe that there are truths to be found-or at least that by researching as many different facets of an event or period one can come to a more accurate picture of it. But on a daily basis, how can we claim to make informed decisions based on facts?

judith martinez

6/25/2015 08:12:27 am

Dr. Wile (the author of the older Apologia science texts) has written extensively about vaccinations and presented evidence in support of using them. I have found that when seeking to read both sides of the issue his carefully footnoted information is a good resource for reading the pro vaccine side written by someone with nothing to gain personally. http://blog.drwile.com/?cat=22 Also http://www.drwile.com/lnkpages/render.asp?vac_abortion and http://www.drwile.com/lnkpages/render.asp?vac_ms

6/25/2015 08:31:56 am

Thank you Judith. Dr. Wile is a very trustworthy man and very knowledgable.

June 24th, 2015

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