(And Why You Shouldn’t Let the Media Scare You)
Being reported in the news this morning is the fact that there have been 179 cases of whooping cough reported in Suffolk county this year. Though this number isn’t large, the media is touting it as concerning because “The number of whooping cough cases have tripled in Suffolk County.” Many reports, including the one from NBC linked below, claim that one reason could be that “more people are opting not to have their children vaccinated.” They also cite that numbers have risen “because whooping cough is now better diagnosed and because public awareness is higher” (Cheng).
YET, the same report states, “According to Suffolk health officials, ALL those affected had been immunized in the past, but immunizations are not 100 percent effective” (Cheng). The health department backs vaccinations by stating that those infected had less severe symptoms because of their prior vaccinations, yet this has not been proven. There are new strains of pertussis (whooping cough), and it is very plausible that these strains are simply not as threatening as prior strains. There are no reports on what strain these people had as opposed to what they were vaccinated for years ago. And, who are they comparing the symptoms of this particular outbreak with being that ALL 179 had been previously vaccinated? (If you want to see the contradictions within the reports themselves, please see the link for NBC below or Google the outbreak to see similar articles from other networks.)
These reports are being used to scare people into going to get the vaccine, yet statistically, whooping cough outbreaks usually occur in the months of June – September, which means the cases should now be on the decline (Dr. Tenpenny – Pertussis Reported Incidence and Deaths).
Whooping cough itself is only a problem for young children, 1 to 2 years and younger and deaths occur primarily in children less than 3 months of age. The death statistics are low, with only 10 total deaths of the 10,454 pertussis reports in 2007 (These are the most recent statistics of this kind that I could find). Many families have combated the cough using natural remedies and vitamins with no issues for babies under one (Dr. Tenpenny – What’s Inside the DTaP Vaccine)
In addition to this information are some statistics out of Australia. According to the Australian Department of Health, and discussed on Vaccination – A Parent’s Dilemma, “For the years 2008-2010, there were a total of 9333 cases of whooping cough reported in children aged 0-4 years. Among them were 754 who were either too young or otherwise not eligible to have been vaccinated, and 1497 for whom vaccine status was not known. Of the remaining 7082 cases whose vaccine status was known, and who were eligible to have received the vaccine, 5296 (75%) were fully vaccinated for their age. A further 986 (14%) were partly vaccinated. Only 800 (11%) were un-vaccinated.” I’ll let you come to your own conclusion based on these numbers.
Some of the Side Effects of the Vaccine to Consider:
1. This info comes straight from the manufacturer of INFANRIX (one brand of the DTaP vaccine). All six brands contain similar information: Infections and Infestations: Bronchitis, cellulitis, respiratory tract infection. Blood and Lymphatic System Disorders: Lymphadenopathy, thrombocytopenia. Immune System Disorders: Anaphylactic reaction, hypersensitivity. Nervous System Disorders: Encephalopathy, headache, hypotonia. Ear and Labyrinth Disorders: Ear pain. Cardiac Disorders: Cyanosis. Respiratory, Thoracic, and Mediastinal Disorders: Apnea, cough. Skin and Subcutaneous Tissue Disorders: Angioedema, erythema, pruritus, rash, urticaria. General Disorders and Administration Site Conditions: Fatigue, injection site induration, injection site reaction, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
2. “70% of children who have died of SIDS received the pertussis vaccine within 3 weeks before death.” Within this 3 week time period after receiving the vaccine, children’s breathing patterns became stress induced, wreaking havoc on their respiratory systems, suggesting that some of these cases labeled as SIDS have a known cause, vaccination side effects (Miller 120 and 121).
3. “As early as 1933, the Journal of the American Medical Association published data acknowledging neurological damage following pertussis vaccinations.” The damage includes coma, cerebral palsy and mental retardation (Miller 116).
4. “In 1994, the Journal of the American Medical Association published data showing that children diagnosed with asthma were 5x more likely than not to have received the pertussis vaccination… In 1998, a study published in Thorax showed a 1.4-fold increased risk of asthma associated with pertussis vaccination.
What You Can do to Increase your Family’s Immunity:
1. Get adjusted! Many people hear the word chiropractic and associate it with back pain. Chiropractors do way more than help with specific areas of pain! Regular chiropractic adjustments keep your body aligned and at its optimum health to fight off any illness.
2. Keep up with your vitamin D! Vitamin D “triggers and arms the body’s T cells, the cells in the body that seek out and destroy any invading bacteria and viruses” (Alleyne).
3. Take some elderberry before going out around people who are sick or when you will be in large crowds. I give my son some before he goes off to school. Elderberry strengthens the immune system and is a great source of potassium and vitamin C.
4. Avoid eating sugar or foods with any artificial ingredients, like aspartame, BHT, TBHQ, artificial food coloring, etc., as they suppress and/or decrease your body’s immune response.
And If you Do Get Pertussis, Here are Some Great Links With Some Great Natural Remedies! – Some also Contain Preventative Measures.
Natural Whooping Cough Remedies
Whooping Cough Natural Remedies and Prevention Tips
Whooping Cough – More Natural Remedies from Heal Thyself
RESOURCES AND SOURCES
Miller, Neil. Vaccine Safety Manual for Concerned Families and Health Practitioners. New Atlantean Press: Santa Fe, 2008.
NBC’s News Report: http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Whooping-Cough-Triple-Suffolk-County-Long-Island-132659533.html
Link to all six brands of DTaP package inserts (most of the severe side effects are found towards the end): http://www.immunize.org/packageinserts/pi_diphtheria.asp
Dr. Sherri Tenpenny – http://drtenpenny.com/default.aspx If you cannot find the link to the actual info I site from her, I will be glad to provide you with a copy of what I have here. I printed it a while ago from her website and can scan it for those interested.
Vitamin D info: Alleyne, Richard. Vitamin D Triggers and Arms’ the Immune System. The Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/7379094/Vitamin-D-triggers-and-arms-the-immune-system.html
thank you for this post and also for resources and links in ‘Vaccine Info’
hi there, my name is Tiffany and I just came across this by looking at things on the web about vaccinating…My son who just turned 5, has only been vaccinated till the age of 18 mo, and I stopped after that. Reason why is because I believe that these vaccines triggered his sensory issues, past hypotonia, speech delay, and adhd. My son has come through great accomplishments, and still struggles to pay attention, and still needs all therapy to function in school now. I am scared however, after reading about stories of kids almost dying of tetanus, etc…and I am caught in between..I really don’t want to vax anymore, and I do give him organic food at home, and give him supplements but still don’t know what to do as far as protection against something like tetanus if ever in the future. I am also worried because I am pregnant with my second, and am 5 months now. This whole pertussis thing worries me, but I will not vax myself while pregnant. I know what they put in this stuff, so what can I do besides breastfeeding to protect my new baby against this, and my 5 year…Any suggestions is greatly appreciated!!
Hi there – you can get lots of great answers to this if you copy and paste this and send it as a message to our FB page! Dawn
Good lord, you majored in journalism and presume to know about vaccinations and whooping cough. Please talk to your health are provider and try to be open minded about vaccinations from a medical provider’s point of view. Don’t just react to the anti-vaccine movement. Vaccines are not scary, they are science. You can fix my grammar and I can tell you about pertussis.
Grace,
Being that you don’t know me, you have no idea just how much research I have done on vaccines. It’s quite extensive, especially for a journalist, I must say. Vaccines are not something that I take lightly, thus I certainly make sure to look at all aspects of the topic. My research includes talking to four doctors on the subject – three of whom oppose all vaccines and one who is for select vaccines. If I need to talk to someone about pertussis I will talk to Dr. Sherri Tenpenny, Dr. Lawrence Palevsky, or my brother-in-law, Dr. Keith Brennan. Thanks anyway for the offer. (And since you have a PhD. I will assume you can fix your own grammar)
Great article! I find it shocking that 70% of SIDS deaths follow a DTaP vaccine w/in 3 weeks!! You don’t hear that in mainstream media. And it just boggles my mind that even though all those affected in the recent outbreak were vaccinated, that people still think the vax is the best choice. I am thankful that more and more people are seeing the light. Thanks for spreading truth!