Momfidence! - Read the Blog : Hooray for Amanda Peet!

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Momfidence! cheers on commonsense parenting and sighs at the rest. How to worry less, wing it more. A.k.a. parenting by the seat of my mid-rise mom jeans.

About Paula Spencer

I'm the author of Momfidence! An Oreo Never Killed Anybody and Other Secrets of Happier Parenting, and a mom of four in Chapel Hill, North Carolina (where you cannot even buy Oreos at the two groceries nearest to my home).

A rare foto in which all six Spencers face the camera! by Charles Harris

Some Kindred Blogs

Parentopia
    On mommy guilt
The Mother of All Blogs
    My fave fellow mom of four
MommaBlog in Fotos
    Looks like my house
Parent Talk Today
    Kindred writer
Momformation
    ParentCenter
Free Range Kids
    Set them free!
Jane Austen Addict
    For diversion
Diet Naked
    For inspiration
Dr. Helen
    For insights
American Poetry Alliance
    For mind expansion
Caring Currents
    Caregiver blog to which I contribute

Hooray for Amanda Peet!

July 12, 2008

Hooray for Amanda Peet! A celeb steps forward to counteract the damage being done by the righteous-but-ill-informed Jenny McCarthy, who is stoking a generation of nervous moms to not vaccinate their kids.

Herd immunity is sparing thousands of lives that were once lost to measles, rubella, rotavirus, diptheria, pertussis, polio, and countless other dread diseases.

Even now, there's a bad measles outbreak in 15 states.

People who aren't vaccinating out of fear of the disproven mercury-causing-autism theory or because they want their kids to remain "pure and natural" are putting those kids -- and many kids and pregnant women carrying unborn kids around them -- at risk. And, as Peet points out, even as they're self-righteously claiming vaccines are bad, they're benefiting from the shield created by group innoculations!

I think a lot of new moms aren't vaccinating not out of a strong viewpoint so much as herd ignorance. Not vaccinating is a trend they hear about as "smarter" than the establishment view so they're blindly climbing aboard the same way they did for potty-train-your-baby and let's-all-have-green guilt.

So it's great that there's a strong counter-campaign underway.

Comments

Elizabeth says...

Thank goodness this is getting some attention. I cannot tell you how many of these self-righteous, arrogant mothers I am running into who not only have their noses up in the air about NOT vaccinating THEIR children, but have the gall to criticize me for doing so.

Another big mouth on this is the loathsome Deirdre Imus who knows about as much about vaccine safety as I do about radio broadcasting.

No, wait. I know a little something about radio broadcasting from 20 years in the ad business.

There are REAMS of PEER REVIEWED STUDIES (available online at the Every Child By Two website) debunking this myth, but still people like Imus prattle on about the dangers based on nothing more than the fact that they or someone they know has an autistic child and is blaming vaccines. There's no basis in scientific fact--just the opposite. Plenty of evidence that something else is afoot, including an ever-expanding roster of "disorders" that are getting lumped in with autism.

laura says...

While I do NOT think that not vaccinating your child is the answer, I do not think that ANYONE can conclusively say that vaccines have nothing to do with autism. I DO know I don't trust the FDA (which, if I'm not mistaken, has recently conceded that there is the first case of autism that can be linked to vaccinations). To say that you absolutely know that vaccinations have nothing to do with anyone's autism is just simply irresponsible. This is NOT a black and white issue. Studies can say anything you want them to say, studies, schmuddies!!!! Always consider the source.

Paula says...

perhaps possibly maybe there's some genetic connection in some kids that's somehow turned on by some unknown environmental occurrence... but ain't the thimerosal (which hasn't been used since 2001).

And I trust the FDA, CDC, AMA, and AAP -- who all agree -- on this one.

Catherine says...

There's some very interesting research in the field of epigenetics as a possible causative process in autism.
I have as a sister one of those annoying, self-righteous vaccine bashers. It drives me crazy that she'll risk her children contracting diseases like polio and measles when the mounting evidence is against vaccines causing autism.

laura says...

Paula, Do you know the reason we stopped using Thimerosal in the vaccinations? Isn't it possible that the Thimerosal was the environmental toxin that caused the occurance in SOME kids? I'm just saying that we cannot rule anything absolutely IN or OUT and to do so is irresponsible and close-minded.

One thing is for sure, Thimerosal was mercury based and that IS a toxin. Taking that one step further with the increase in number of vaccinations on our children's schedule today, it would make sense that that might be a cause of Autism for some. I'm willing to bet that noone out there reading this would be okay with having Thimerosal in their child's vaccinations today??

And interestingly enough they stopped using it in vaccinations but they were still able to sell off the supply that existed. God forbid the pharmaceutical lobbies lose out on any money! Someone is sure looking out for them. But that is a whole other issue.

I hope we can safely assume it is no longer in our vaccination now. I guess what I am trying to say is that we can't believe everything we are told, don't be afraid to inquire with your pediatrician and others that may have some good advice. By the way, there are alternative vaccination schedules out there. Maybe we were simply OVER vaccinating our kids. We, as parents, have to do the research (always consider your sources) and take the time to ask the questions and then it is up to us to make those decisions.

It is also encouraging to hear that they have now established that in Genes of an autistic child they have isolated certain parts that are simply turned "off" and not actually missing. Hence the success we are having at working so hard to re-habilitate those precious kids. Hopefully this is a big step in putting this all behind us.

Paula says...

Uh, it's not even clear that there is any kind of link between autism and vaccines. I'm not saying there isn't -- but I think the hysteria over this possibility is now endangering lives.

Why was Thimerosal was removed? Solely as a preventative measure back when the issue was just beginning to be studied, that's why.

I agree the new genetic/environment studies are promising and exciting.

I simply don't agree it's up to individual parents to make the decision about vaccinating a healthy child against killer diseases when the entire medical establishment (including the WHO, left that off my list) believes that in so doing everybody else is put at risk.

Steph says...

Paula,

While I totally agree with everything you said and have had both of my kids completely vaccinated, making it mandatory and enforced by the government (if that's what you were implying) is a little scary to me. I don't think we want to start down that slippery slope.