Augmenting the Immune System in Response to
Childhood Vaccinations By Ayelet Connell-Giammatteo,PhD
more. For the past two decades, the potential negative effects of these heavy metals have been fueling the vaccine debate. The issues that arise from vaccinating are multiple. Many families avoid vaccinating their children out of religious belief. Some do not vaccinate because of apparent medical issues with their children. Depending on the medical practitioner, avoiding vaccinating your child when they have health issues is often not even considered. The most notable issue with vaccines today is the questionable cor- relation with the rise in autism spectrum disorder. A recent 2011 study published by the American Journal of Psychiatry found 2.64% of children or 1 in 38 children have autism. These numbers have skyrocketed in recent years. Many people attribute this rise in autism to vaccines.
Recently in the news, there have been some concerns voiced T
he vaccine controversy has been a source of heated debate amongst the natural and traditional medical and parenting communities for many years. Many don’t understand what a
vaccine is or how it works, let alone the potential issues that may arise from vaccinating. The history of vaccines has been well docu- mented by many researchers. The most notable scientists in vaccine history are Edward Jenner
and Louis Pasteur. The term “vaccination” was coined by Edward Jenner in 1796. The first vaccine came from the cowpox virus and was used to combat smallpox in humans. The well known Louis Pasteur continued Jenner’s research to develop current day vac- cines such as anthrax and rabies. Pasteur later published the name “vaccine”, giving homage to Jenner’s discoveries. Following these researchers, Maurice Hilleman developed many of our current day vaccines, including measles, mumps, hepatitis A and B, chickenpox, meningitis and more. There are many different types of vaccines today. Though historically, vaccines have played a significant role in reducing infectious disorders such as small pox, it is today’s usage of vaccines in civilized communities throughout the US and Europe that is the focus of this heated debate.
The Issues: Vaccines and Heavy Metals The Rise in Autism
Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a vaccine as “a prepara- tion of killed microorganisms, living attenuated organisms, or living fully virulent organisms that is administered to produce or artificially increase immunity to a particular disease.” This means that a vaccine is composed of living or dead pathogens that are aimed at increasing a person’s immune response. Typically, in addition to the pathogen, vaccines include heavy metals that are used as preservatives such as the well known “thimerosol” (organic mercury), aluminum, and
about the validity of the famous Danish study, “Thimerosal and the occurrence of autism: negative ecological evidence from Danish population-based data”, published in Pediatrics in 2003. This study found that there was no link between Thimerosol and autism. The study was funded by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). One of the primary researchers involved in this study, Paul Thorson, who was in charge of managing the monies for the study, was recently charged with fraud related to the funding of the project. He has been cited for academic misconduct by Aarhus University in Denmark where the study took place and is being charged by the US Depart- ment of Justice with embezzling a $1 million grant for autism from the CDC. Thorson has been involved with multiple studies defending Thimerosol as a preservative in multiple vaccines. This Danish study is the primary study cited when discussing the correlation between vaccines and autism.
The Potential Effects of Vaccinating
Today, there is a tremendous amount of anecdotal evidence supporting the correlation between autism and vaccines. As a health practitioner, I treat many children with autism spectrum disorder. Often, I hear from parents that they can remember when their child’s symptoms and changes started, correlating it directly with their child receiving one or multiple vaccines. Consider two children of similar histories and similar body
make-up. Why would one develop autism following vaccinations and the other not? In this country, it is common for children to visit their family doctor and receive multiple injections with levels of heavy metal way above recommended limits. But even with just one vaccine, is the heavy metal level too much for a child’s body? What if the child had some kind of illness? What if that illness affected their immune system? What if this illness was not apparent and easi- ly missed by the family doctor? Would that child be more affected by the vaccine then another healthier child? Would there be a greater possibility for the onset of autism? There are so many questions today regarding the issue of whether to vaccinate your child. A helpful
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