Sigh. More Misinformation

I've been very open about our views on vaccination. It is something that I continue to research and learn about. I just wish that people writing news articles about it would do the same. Today I read another one, this time about pertussis. Aside from obvious mistakes like referring to it as a virus, it concluded that parents who choose not to vaccinate do so with some misunderstanding of herd immunity and the possible risks of contracting the disease.

I've been posting with large communities of parents (a rather surprising number of them physicians and nurses!) who have chosen either not to vaccinate, or to vax on a selective/delayed schedule. The vast majority have spent a huge amount of time researching the pros and cons. And, for the record, most do not count on herd immunity for anything, certainly not for pertussis, where herd immunity is basically non-existent, anyway. (And for most of them, any possible link between vaccinations and autism is not an important factor in the decision, either).

Pertussis is endemic in the US, regardless of vaccination rates. Chances are high that anyone who is unvaccinated will get it, as will those who are not up to date on boosters (which is most adults). Furthermore, the vax itself is not particularly effective at preventing transmission or acquisition of pertussis--essentially, it makes you get a very mild case of it. I have probably had pertussis, my children probably will get it at some point. I believe that the possible risks and complications from the vaccination are much more dangerous than the possible risks from the disease.

If you are interested, please take a look here for some of the research available on DTaP: http://insidevaccines.com/wordpress/vaccine-efficacy-how-often-do-vaccines-work/dtap/ And if you want to write an article, please do some basic research in a place like the MDC vax forum or another site where you can get accurate info on those of us who do not rely on a little prick to protect our children.