By: Audrey Stevenson, PhD
18 October 2010
Parents continually struggle to sort out the avalanche of information about vaccine safety. It has been estimated that for every reputable scientific vaccine Web site, there are three from non-reputable sources. Ever since the now debunked Wakefield study linked the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine and autism, families have been fearful about vaccines, and public figures, like Jenny McCarthy, who speak about the evils of childhood vaccines receive much publicity on TV and in news reports. Although many families will ask for their healthcare provider’s advice about the safety of a particular vaccine, information about thimerosal or the timing and number of vaccines recommended, there are many who listen to friends and family members, or read articles that cause them to question vaccine safety.
(Note from SaneVax Team: With all due respect to the author, she needs to get her facts straight. People are fearful about vaccines because no long-term safety studies have been conducted either on individual vaccine components, or vaccines in combination with other vaccines. They are concerned about the consequences of injecting toxins into the bodies of their children in amounts that EPA considers toxic to humans in much smaller amounts. They are concerned because clinical trials that do not turn out as expected are frequently just not published; while those that do turn out well are published multiple times. Most parents who are concerned about vaccine safety tend to be those who are more educated–that, in and of itself, should say something.)
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