From the time that Edward Jenner discovered in 1796 that the injection of the virus that causes cow pox also prevented the dreaded small pox, immunization has been a front line of defense against many diseases. Immunizations have saved millions of lives. In fact the worldwide vaccination against the scourge of small pox has completely eliminated the disease from the earth. Vaccines rarely have serious side effects. Unfortunately, a scientific paper published in the major British medical journal, Lancet, in 1988, implicated the MMR vaccine (measles + mumps + rubella) as a cause of autism. It was completely untrue, a terrible hoax, and the Lancet soon retracted the article. The author had several major conflicts of interest and was found guilty of serious misconduct. He deservedly lost his medical license. But the damage was done, as many parents refused to authorize the vaccination, much to the detriment of their children when they became ill or died. Many studies have proved that the MMR vaccine does not cause autism! You and your children should get the appropriate vaccinations to provide immunity against many serous diseases!
These are most of the diseases for which vaccines have been approved for use in the US:
- Polio, Tuberculosis (called BCG), Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Anthrax.
- Diphtheria + tetanus + pertussis (called DPT). Pertussis is whooping cough.
- Influenza (the flu) – there are many types and a new one is developed yearly.
- Haemophilus influenza – Not the viral flu. It is a bacterial cause of sepsis and bacterial meningitis in children.
- Meningococcus – a major cause of meningitis and blood infection.
- Pneumococcus – a major cause of pneumonia in young children and it is especially deadly in the elderly.
- Human papilloma virus – the most common sexually transmitted disease that causes genital warts and sometimes cervical cancer.
- Small pox, Japanese Encephalitis, Plague, Rabies,
- Measles + mumps + rubella (called MMR). Rubella is German Measles.
- Rotovirus (Infant and childhood diarrhea) – the most common cause of diarrhea in U.S. children.
- Yellow fever, Typhoid, Varicella (chicken pox) and Herpes zoster.