My decision to opt out of the current vaccine schedule was not made lightly. (“More parents say ‘no’ to vaccines,” Enterprise, Aug. 15) It was done thoughtfully after much research and after watching my oldest child suffer from vaccine damage.
His second adverse reaction caused him to be hospitalized and his descent into regressive autism began at that point. This was a healthy, engaging, typically developing child who was damaged by his routine vaccines.
We chose not to give the MMR to our second child, who received all routine vaccinations up until 12 months. Our now 18-month-old daughter has not received any vaccines. For us, the risk of autism and other neurodevelopmental disabilities is greater than the risk of the diseases we would be preventing.
We are not anti-vaccine. We want safer vaccines and a safer schedule. The government has not conducted tests on the cumulative effect of the current vaccine schedule or on the risk of doing multiple vaccines in one day. Since 1983, when autism rates were 1 in 10,000, routine vaccines have increased from 10 by age 5 to 36 today. In that time, autism has increased to 1 in 150 and the CDC says 1 in 6 children now has a neurodevelopmental delay. It is time to listen to the children who have been affected rather than contributing to the bottom line of the pharmaceutical industry.
Perhaps the Public Health Seattle and King County Web site should include the horror stories of families like mine as well. The media can keep telling people that parents like me are putting their children at risk by not vaccinating. I will continue to tell every pregnant woman I meet that the current vaccine schedule is not safe for all children and to read about a safer schedule at www.generationrescue.org.
Jena Dalpez
Bothell
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