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• They Say: Get Your Kid the Flu Shot

  My mother used to roll me over early in the morning and poke a needle in my arm. "Good morning, honey, you've just been vaccinated against the flu." Welcome to life as a nurse's kid. It's no wonder I've been lining up each year to get my daughter her flu shot since her first shot at 7 months. Yes, 7 months - her summer birthday set her up to hit the minimum approved age for the vaccine in the heart of flu season, and I wasn't taking any chances. So I was one mom who was happy to hear the CDC extend the recommended age for vaccinating kids against the flu this year. Read More... Posted Sep 28 2008, 10:40 AM by JeanneSager with | with 6 comment(s) Filed under: immunizations, influenza, vaccination, vaccines, cdc, Jeanne Sager, flu shot

• They Say: More Toddlers Get Immunized Than Ever

  From the news -- multi-state measles outbreaks, autism-weary parents cautious when it comes to immunizing --  you'd think parents who get the full schedule of vaccines for their kids are the ones way outside the norm. In fact, it's quite the opposite. Surprisingly so.   Read More... Posted Sep 05 2008, 02:01 PM by Madeline Holler with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: immunizations, cdc, they say, reuters, childhood vaccinations, measles outbreaks, autism link to vaccines

• Was Amanda Peet Right? Jump In Measles Cases Linked to Vaccine Refusals

  Recently starlet Amanda Peet infamously stated in Cookie Magazine that "parents who don't vaccinate their children are parasites.". On Cookie.com she responded (and kinda apologized), in due part from the avalanche of criticism she received from her comments, that “I still believe that the decision not to vaccinate our children bodes for a dangerous future. Vast reductions in immunization will lead to a resurgence of deadly viruses. This is as indisputable as global warming. I know a lot of parents who secretly use as a justification.” "Well, enough other people are vaccinating, so therefore, we don't have to." She continues to write that “It's so hard to appreciate vaccines now that so few children are dying from preventable diseases today, but that could all change if we're not vigilant. There are currently multiple measles outbreaks in the United States. Hopefully children do not have to die before people start to realize the cost of withholding vaccines.” Well, it looks like Amanda Peet had a point. New studies have found that...   Read More... Posted Aug 22 2008, 09:26 AM by SunnyChanel with | with 3 comment(s) Filed under: Cookie, vaccinations, measles, amanda peet, cdc, Whopping Coug

• They Say: Everybody's Catching Measles

  Are you sure you want to skip childhood vaccinations? Because in at least seven states, federal officials are expecting more cases than ever in 2008 thanks to several measles outbreaks around the country. The numbers, according to the NY Times: There were 64 cases from January through April 25, more than in all of 2006 and the highest number during that four-month period since 2001. None have yet proved fatal, but officials said they expected the total to keep rising.   Read More... Posted May 02 2008, 05:02 PM by Madeline Holler with | with 5 comment(s) Filed under: vaccinations, immunizations, measles, cdc, they say, measle parties

• More Moms Choose the Boob

  To listen to your average sanctimonious lactivist, breastfeeding is under attack everywhere and nurses shove bottles of formula into the groggy, exhausted hands of postpartum mothers while binding their breasts to cut off milk supply. Ain't necessarily so, at least according to the Center for Disease Control. More than three-quarters of mothers breastfeed for at least a short period, according to their annual study of breastfeeding rates. Read More... Posted May 01 2008, 09:03 AM by Amy Kuras with | with 12 comment(s) Filed under: poverty, breastfeeding, formula, cdc, ACOG, APA

• CDC: Flu Plus Infection Killing Kids

  A deadly combo of the flu and resistent bacterial infection has killed at least 22 kids in 2006 and 2007 and officials aren't sure what to do about it.  Almost a third of child deaths from the flu in those years found that methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, was also present. From UPI:   Read More... Posted Apr 28 2008, 02:30 PM by Madeline Holler with | with no comments Filed under: influenza, childhood illness, cdc, mrsa, flu, deadly disease, resistent bacterial infection

• Controversy: Autism and Vaccines

  In response to Rachael's post about triplets with autism, readers were adamant in both their defense and rejection of the theory that childhood vaccines can trigger autism - from tom, who wrote, "Vaccines are evil poisons," to John, who stated, "The onset for autism is usually at the same time that children get vaccines . . . This does not mean vaccines cause autism.  There is NO data to support this.  Vaccines are important and vital to our society." As the parent of a son with autism, here's my take:  we will never know.   Read More... Posted Apr 04 2008, 08:24 AM by Amy S.F. Lutz with | with 8 comment(s) Filed under: autism, vaccines, cdc, mercury, Thimerosal, immunization schedule

• Government Concedes Georgia Girl's Autism Caused By Vaccines

  Hannah Poling was a precocious toddler until her 18-month check-up, when she was given five vaccines in one visit.  She had a strong reaction to the shots - for the next 48 hours, she ran a high fever and wouldn't stop crying.  She refused to walk and stopped sleeping through the night.  Within three months, Hannah began showing classic signs of autism:  spinning, and staring at lights and ceiling fans.  For a while, she completely stopped talking.  Now 9, Hannah needs one-on-one care all the time. Although my son, who is also autistic, did not follow this pattern of regression following his immunizations, it's very common to hear similar stories from other parents.  But now the Polings have something those other parents don't have, at least not yet:  acknowledgement from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that Hannah's autism was caused by vaccines.   Read More... Posted Mar 06 2008, 02:03 PM by Amy S.F. Lutz with | with 25 comment(s) Filed under: autism, vaccines, cdc, thimerosol, compensation, Hannah Poling

• Flu Vaccine While Pregnant Might Mean a Kid With the Crazies!

  Pregnant ladies, here we go: another report that undermines what you’re being told to do. This time, it’s the flu vaccine. In late November every year, pregnant women (and young children and the elderly) are especially encouraged to get inoculated against the year’s influenza bug. But there’s growing reason to think that the vaccine could effect the fetus waaaaay later on in life, in the form of ...   Read More... Posted Nov 27 2007, 04:54 PM by Madeline Holler with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: pregnancy, mental health, vaccinations, safety, flu shots, cdc, schizophrenia

• Vaccines and Autism: Hell, What Do I Know?

  So, there's a couple posts on the CDC's study of thimerosal exposures and neuropsychological outcomes--related perhaps to the issue of whether vaccines caused autism, ADHD, and other disorders. One post says the study results indicate a relationship between boys developing tics and mercury, but that the report glosses over this fact and the study was flawed anyway. The other post says the study is further evidence that there is not a link between thimerosal and autism, but that the anti-mercury activists who were involved in the study rejected the results when they weren't to their liking. I say: Damn, well, glad we solved that once and for all.  I vaccinated my daughter.   Read More... Posted Sep 29 2007, 10:55 AM by Kelly Mills with | with 6 comment(s) Filed under: research study, huffington post, autism, vaccination, cdc, mercury