Comments on: Vaccines and Autism: Videos on Newsweek

By: 29 Marbles / Advocates and allies

29 Marbles / Advocates and allies — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 05:12:10 +0000

[...] came toward the end of a long comment discussion concerning Kristina Chew’s appearances on Newsweek.com and NBC’s The Today Show last week in which she was asked, as the mother of an autistic son, [...]

By: 29 Marbles / So you want to be interviewed about autism…

29 Marbles / So you want to be interviewed about autism… — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 10:38:06 +0000

[...] when producing stories about autism. The most recent example of this is the reaction to Kristina Chew’s interview with Newsweek on the subject of parent’s reactions to “political pandering” to parents of [...]

By: Chuck

Chuck — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 16:03:25 +0000

Everyone in my home is vaccine injured. Each in their own unique way.

By: Emily

Emily — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 14:16:40 +0000

I guess it’s really a “vaccine avoidance business.” Or, as I like to think, “Let’s Endanger Everyone’s Infants Because We’re Gettin’ Hassled By The ‘Man’” business. Another charlatan makin’ a buck.

By: Emily

Emily — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 14:06:31 +0000

Or here. But I do know a child who had a hemolytic reaction to vaccines. He cannot be vaccinated. Which means that were he to come in contact with one of these deadly diseases, his life will be threatened. Which means that his mother really hopes that people whose children don’t have this one in a million or more (and for serious reactions, is that, no matter how much uninformed people sneer about it) response to vaccines have their children vaccinated on the regular schedule. In her case, her hope is justified, given her son’s vulnerability. We, for one family, will not be the ones responsible as vectors for the death of her child from measles or diphtheria or polio.

Does Mary have a vaccine injury BUSINESS? Mike, is that you? I see that you’re “not gonna let Big Pharma kick (you) around any more.” I can tell you, Big Polio or Big Pertussis or Big Meningitis make Big Pharma look like the 90-pound weakling on the beach. Or, if that’s not good enough, there’s always Big Tetanus or Big Diptheria. Hey, I know, let’s dance around the fire together three times, toss some indigo crystals around, and incant until we’ve summoned up Big Smallpox, while we’re at it.

By: Kristina Chew, PhD

Kristina Chew, PhD — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 11:10:28 +0000

No vaccine injured children here either.

By: Mary

Mary — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 10:59:19 +0000

HCN,
Please don’t think you are the only one ‘read up.’ Give me a break with the arrogance. I have no vaccine injured children, but after having read volumes, speaking to many parents and attending seminars, I have certainly concluded vaccines do injure and kill. This is fact– and please don’t give me the ‘one-in-a-million’ nonsense. I think you are wrong and Hannah Poling certainly proves that out, along with the Homefirst population. Am I permitted to disagree with you based on opposing and credible research? You bet– this is America.
One of the big complaints is that enough money has NOT been spent disproving the autism/vaccine link– not enough studies done by IMPARTIAL sources.

By: Chris H.

Chris H. — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 05:00:27 +0000

Kristina said “though he is the tallest and I wonder how often that gets overlooked”

Not an unfounded observation… it is odd, but tall children seem to be perceived as having different intellectual capabilities. Which is both good and bad.

You are wise to take each day one at a time, and get to know you local school counselor and/or psychologist. My son did create friends in both middle and high school, but he did not like keeping them by calling them up after they go to different schools. I did notice when I was buying his textbooks at the community college that some students did stop to talk to him, so there is a bit of social network that they do not like parents to know about.

Good luck, we all hope for the best.

By: Emily

Emily — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 02:38:10 +0000

HCN, while you were at “Mary’s” site, did you check out the “retain my services” link? w00t.

By: Kristina Chew, PhD

Kristina Chew, PhD — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 02:37:30 +0000

@Chris H,
I think I’ll just take middle school one day at a time, with constant forays in to the long view. Charlie is the youngest child in his class though he is the tallest and I wonder how often that gets overlooked (not intentionally, just in the heat of the moment).

@Ron,
What brings all parents of autistic children together are the basic struggle to take care of our children; people choose the avenues that they discern to be appropriate. We all have to figure out how to help our kids in school, with their education, and, again, we all share much more in this struggle (and in the struggles that await as our children grow up into teenagers and adults) than divides us.