Good on you Adrian Dix ... you’re fighting the good fight! (Sarcasm? Yes!). There is one choice, and one choice only to be made

Please, Please, Please people ... it’s that time again when the anti-vaxxers attempt to convince others that vaccines are toxic ... unsafe ... and will put your child at risk.

THEY ARE WRONG .... dead wrong ... and if they convince you to risk your child’s life in not protecting against deadly – PREVENTABLE – diseases, only one person will be responsible.  YOU!

CORRECT ...  Vaccination is the best way to protect your child against many dangerous diseases. 

WRONG!  My child doesn’t need vaccines because no one gets these diseases anymore

CORRECT ... the safety of each vaccine is thoroughly studied before it is approved for use.

WRONG!  If so many other people are vaccinated, my child doesn’t need vaccines.

CORRECT ... the benefits of vaccines greatly outweigh the risks

WRONG!  Thimerosal in vaccines causes autism (it is NOT used!).

CORRECT ... getting more than one vaccine at a time is safe

WRONG!  Vaccines are not adequately tested for safety

CORRECT ... Canada has one of the best vaccine safety programs in the world. Here are some important things you should know about vaccine safety

WRONG!  Natural is better. We shouldn’t put foreign substances like vaccines into our bodies.

CORRECT ... the ingredients in vaccines are safe

WRONG!  The vaccine IS NOT riskier than getting the disease?

The following information, from the Canadian Paediatric Society, and from the Immunize BC, is legitimate and presented by reputable people with REAL credentials in medicine and health care. 

Let’s start by agreeing that the Internet has a lot of information about vaccines and vaccine-preventable diseases— and also agreeing that there is also misinformation which can be harmful if used to make decisions about your child’s health.

 

Find out answers to these questions --- and source them from legitimate websites.  Doing so will help you decide if you can trust the information you find.  Here’s a checklist to use in sourcing out answers to your questions:

... Who runs the website? Can you trust them?

... What does the site say? Do the claims seem reasonable? 

... When was the information posted or reviewed? Is it up to date?

... Where did the information come from? Is it based on scientific research?

... Is the site listed by the World Health Organization as a trustworthy resource?

... What are some signs that a website might not have a balanced point of view?

The Canadian Paediatric Society has three quick questions, with simple straight up and honest answers.

#1 Do vaccines really work?

Yes. All vaccine-preventable diseases have declined in countries with successful vaccination programs. Vaccines protect children who are immunized and the people close to them by preventing the spread of disease.

When immunization rates drop, these diseases can come back. All of the diseases that children are vaccinated against can cause serious illness, complications and death, even with the best medical care. Many of these diseases have no cure.

#2 Do vaccines have side effects?

The chance of getting sick from a vaccine-preventable disease is far greater than the very small risk of having a serious side effect from the vaccine itself.

... some children will have mild pain and redness where the needle went into the arm or leg.

... a mild fever is common after vaccination.

... fever combined with a rash may happen after the MMR, MMRV or varicella (chickenpox) vaccine.

... anxiety about needles may cause fainting, especially in older children and teens.

Other side effects, including serious allergic reactions, are very rare. 

#3 Are vaccines properly tested for safety?

Vaccines are among the most strictly regulated medical products in Canada. Before any vaccine is approved, it must be shown to be safe and effective. There is extensive monitoring, testing, information-sharing and decision-making that goes on behind the scenes. After a vaccine has been approved, Canadian health authorities continue to monitor for side effects

Measles IS HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS and spreads easily through the air when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes. The virus can survive in small droplets in the air for several hours.

AND ... for those who toss it off as no big deal, IT IS .... and your choice not to vaccinate puts others at risk --- others who often times have NO protection yet from deadly preventable diseases!

It’s bad enough that you are will to put your own children at risk, however what the hell right do you have to put other parents’ children at risk.

'My husband and I are completely on edge,' says B.C. mom as family waits for measles incubation period's end. Stefania Seccia said Max, her first child, was born premature and underwent surgery as a preemie — making him vulnerable for diseases like measles

Instead of celebrating a birthday ... a week and a half ago, his parents were living in what his mother described (in a CBC news story) as an agonizing fear that Max may have been exposed to measles during a visit to B.C. Children's Hospital on February 1^st.

What parent should ever have to go through that agony!  The answer?  NONE!

BC NDP Health Minister Adrian Dix has stated that by this Fall, all school age children will have to show a record of vaccinations.  They can still attend school ... they can still run the risk of infecting others.

They won’t however be able to bring peanut butter sandwiches to school ... or nuts ... or in most cases perfumes and scents as they can cause allergies and medical distress --- up to and including death.

Good on you Adrian Dix ... you’re fighting the good fight! (Sarcasm?  Yes!)

There is one choice, and one choice only to be made.

ALL CHILDREN attending school MUST show a record of up to date vaccinations – and if unable to do so – they should not be permitted to attend classes.  No forcing of vaccinations, just a refusal of school attendance.

Adrian ... you’ve made the wrong choice.  Not make the right one before it’s too late.

I’m Alan Forseth in Kamloops ... I encourage you to share your response to this commentary.  KEEP IT CIVIL however!