Comments on: Autism’s Not Like the Measles

By: Bonnie Sayers

Bonnie Sayers — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 03:08:27 +0000

Nice post about the visit with friends and Charlie eager to ride in the taxi. Just earlier today Matthew seemed to be grinding his teeth and now I read that Charlie has a loose tooth.

I think there is still a post from me under your top posts for the week that has a link and stuck somewhere. Also I wanted to ask if you have posted about showers and how old Charlie was when he first started taking them. It is time for Matt to take one but he ran out last time I tried so still doing baths.

I was going to ask if school has showers, might be easier to get his aide to teach him to take a shower (with bathing suit on), not sure just toying with the idea.

By: Phil Schwarz

Phil Schwarz — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 02:52:13 +0000

I got the mumps when I was 8, back in 1964, before there was a vaccine. I contracted encephalitis as a complication of the mumps, and it killed the auditory and vestibular nerves on my left side. I am stone deaf in my left ear, and must rely on vision to compensate for the lack of vestibular function.

I really wish I’d have been able to get the vaccine rather than the disease.

By: Laura

Laura — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 02:29:19 +0000

My husband has a co-worker whose son turned one recently. She went to his well child visit for the MMR, Hep B and flu shot. Within a few days, the child was diagnosed with thrust and the MEASLES.

By: Kristina Chew, PhD

Kristina Chew, PhD — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 21:30:15 +0000

There's no connection between the MMR and autism, according to the most recent studies. Information about the development of the MMR is widely available (here is the Wikipedia entry, and here is information from the CDC. Arthur Allen's Vaccine would be a good place to start for a full history of vaccines.

By: donald savitz

donald savitz — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 20:28:22 +0000

After reading about maybe 300 to 400 postings I naver seen any body to ask the question of why that the there wasn”t one remark about when the MMR was first used or maybe I havent read the board. Maybe that is the reason tha D Kirby gets to say what becaue nobody ever challenge him. Here Is a couple of questions that some one should ask! #1 In what year did they first use MMR? #2 What was the Autism Prevalence in 1990? It will be interesting to hear what the anwswers are. If the people had the facts then they feel more at ease to get their childern vaccinated. I will be looking forward to the anwsers!!

By: Leila

Leila — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 16:51:42 +0000

I was vaccinated for measles as a young child and got the disease in a “mild” version as a teenager, from God knows where. I was very strong and healthy back then so I guess this helped me go through a very rough period where the rash affected my throat and I couldn’t eat anything but liquids, it hurt so much. I lost several pounds in a week. I can’t imagine what it must be like for a baby or toddler to go through what I did back then.

By: hammie

hammie — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 16:50:37 +0000

I am glad you had a great day out Kristina. Nice to read about happy days. All we can do is keep celebrating how great life can be with our kids and hopefully help to outshine the “terror of Autism” crew.
I’m truly sorry for any parent who feels that immunisation harmed their child, you can’t help what you feel. But I think there is a lot worse in the world than autism and I am glad my kids are happy and healthy and in the world with me today.
Love to you K, Jim and Charlie.
xx

By: Angela

Angela — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 15:31:03 +0000

I think all someone needs to do is google ‘rubella’ and see why it is better to keep it nonexistent.

By: MJ

MJ — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 14:19:21 +0000

“The MMR vaccine doesn’t hurt kids. Letting them go without it will.”

I think that one statement sums up what is wrong with the vaccine debate very well. It sounds good but it is not true. MMR can and does hurt kids. Letting them go without it will only hurt if they are exposed to something that it is attempting to prevent. The MMR isn’t likely to hurt a child, but I think it happens every day. And while some of the diseases are increasing, your chance of coming into contact is very small.

But what statements like that do is split the world into those who think that the MMR is as safe as a drink of water and think that measles is a death sentence and those who know that the MMR can have side effects up to and including death and the measles, while a serious disease, isn’t a death sentence (although it can also kill).

I think honesty when discussing vaccinations would go a long way to resolving the issues.