I hope this doesnt start a debate! But

mummy2girls wrote: had anyone watched Montel Williams today? They discusses the contection between MMR vac and Autism. Freaky watching it. Does anyone believe this?

luvbug00 replied: I really hope that isn't a reoccuring case but I think I've heard of it before. Probaly on his show.

mckayleesmom replied: hmmm...I didn't watch it,,,but alot of people have been questioning weather vaccines caused autism. There was an episode of STRONG MEDICINE on lifetime where they wouldn't let a little boy go to school because he didn't have his shots. The mother refused because her first son got the shots and was autistic. I don't know

ediep replied: I always wonder about this but when my friend asked her daughters ped (who also happens to be Jason's ped) about the link between vaccines and autism, he said it is the mercury that is in vaccine that has been linked to autism and only the FLU shot has mercury.

A&A'smommy replied:
I saw that episode.. I don't know if I believe that or not! I hope its not true!

lisar replied: My grandmothers neigbor's kid is autistic and they blame it on that shot. I dont know if it true or not but I have heard about it before.

Lisa

SOUTHERN MOMMY replied: Who knows what really causes that for sure i'm sure there are many things that could cause it and noone knows about them yet

kit_kats_mom replied: there are pretty credible sources that will say the shots do cause autusim and other very credible sites that say they do not.

One thing to think about is that the age that they give the shot coorelates pretty closely to the age at which autusim becomes more obvious...who knows.

It's scary but I think the risk of the diseases that the vaccine protects you from, outweighs the "unproven" link to the shot and autisim. Just MHO. I did have a few sleepless nights and jittery nerves when K got hers though.

MommyToAshley replied: This debate has been going on for a while. I agree with Cary, there are "experts" on both sides that make valid points. I think part of the problem is that autism can be detected around the same time that the shots are given. From everything I read, there is no conclusive evidence that shots are related to autism. Although, that didn't keep me from worrying either.

I also read that mercury was suspected and that has been removed from the shots. I still limited the number of shots that Ashley got at one time. I only let her get two shots at a time.

I think it is more scary that a lot of kids are not immunized. There are some nasty diseases that extinct now because of immunizations. I'd hate to see the return of those. This is a touchy subject for some, and I hope I don't offend anyone. It is a personal choice to have children immunized or not, but it does affect others if one child comes down with something deadly and contageous. This is just my opinion and again it is not meant to offend anyone.

coasterqueen replied: I didn't see that episode, I was watching Dr. Phil's gold digger episode. But I do have some belief that this is possible. I still got Kylie the vax but I'm debating on what I'm going to do with Megan. From my understanding, if you split up the vax that make the MMR vax giving one every so many months it's supposed to decrease the changes of autism, or something to that effect. I'm considering doing that with Megan if I can get my ped to agree.

mummy2girls replied:
i saw that too!

luvbug00 replied: I thought about not getting Mya the chicken pox vaccine her dad has had reoccuring outbreaks (shingles i think it's called for an adult) I didn't get it and I only had them once ( with poisen Ivy at the same time.) But I really was adimit about everything else.

Boys r us replied: I do think that there is some credibility to this theory, however, I don't believe that it outright causes autism but rather increases a risk who may already be genetically predisposed to it.

amymom replied: It is tough to know what is really happening. Cary said it well, and the research shows there are more diagnosed cases of autism since we started vaccinating our kids. BUT and this is a big but, diagnosed is the word, We are better at diagnosing autism now a days. Before it was all lumped into mental retardation and the kids were all thrown into asylums. So it is difficult to say what is best. But I grew up just on the edge of vaccines being available, so I had the diseases Mumps, Measles, Rubella. I know that I am glad my children won't have to face those diseases. I remember them all too well.

Alice replied: The last I heard (and I didn't watch the show) was that the theory was retracted by all but one of the doctors who wrote up the original paper linking the two.

As I understand it, they're saying there's a correlation, but no causation. That autism starts to show at about the same age as the MMR vaccine, so the two appear to be linked. But they can't find any direct cause that the vaccine might have on the child that would cause autism, or why it would appear to affect boys more than girls.

mysweetpeasWil&Wes replied:
I limit the amount of shots Wil gets at one time too and I am completely against the flu shot. I always ask the doctor if the vaccines are thermisol (sp?) free even if all the news says that they've been removed from the shelves. You just never know. There have been cases where some doctors still have vaccines with mercury in them...it just never hurts to ask. I don't know what the date or expiration on them should be. Anyone know??

jcc64 replied: I recently heard a show on NPR with a NY Times journalist who was neither pro nor against vaccinations, but was curious about the debate and did a very thorough investigation on the subject. It was riveting, and provocative, and I do believe he had no agenda and he didn't appear to be overtly dogmatic. I wish I could remember the name of the book, but last week salon.com posted a virtual clearing house of links on this debate, and I do recall seeing the book listed there, if you're interested.
I tend to be in Nichole's camp on this one. I've had extensive conversations with my brother who works in a major teaching hospital and has access to the latest research on the subject. He also believes that in the right "host", the vaccine could have the potential to unleash a catastrophic reaction, but he remains firmly pro-vaccination.
No easy answers on this one, I guess. I am vaccinating Corey, but very slowly, and will refrain from the MMR until just before she enters elementary school.

Maddie&EthansMom replied:
They say this is the key. To limit the number of shots your child gets and spread them out further.