H1N1 Flu Vaccine is on it's Way. What Should Parents Do? Thursday, July 30, 2009 Ever since the H1N1 flu hit the U.S., everyone has been wondering if and when a vaccine is going to come out, and whether or not the vaccine is going to be mandatory. Everyone seems to be in a panic over what to do. I haven’t really jumped in on this debate yet, as I was waiting for the dust to settle a bit and see what the government and health care policymakers decided to do. Well, the decision is very clear now. Yes, an H1N1 flu vaccine is due to be available in October. And it looks like there will be a choice between a nasal spray and a shot. This will be a separate vaccine from the regular seasonal flu vaccine. What should parents do? My first piece of advice is to not even put any thought into this decision yet. We know nothing about the H1N1 flu vaccine ingredients. Will it contain mercury? What else will be in there? I can’t make a recommendation until I have that information. We also don’t know what the side effects will be. Will they be similar to the regular flu vaccine? Will they be more severe or less? There has been much worry over this issue because of reports that the last time the country had to produce a swine flu vaccine in the 1970s to thwart an expected outbreak (which ended up not happening), rates of Guillain-Barre reactions (GBS: temporary muscle weakness and/or paralysis) went through the roof that year. This is a known (but rare) side effect of the regular flu vaccine as well, but the reactions in the 1970s were reportedly much more than expected. So, will that be a worry with this H1N1 vaccine? We don’t know. This vaccine is different, but how different? So, the bottom line is that I am going to reserve judgment on this issue until I see what the ingredients are and what the initial safety trials show. At that point, I still will probably not act. I will wait until the second round of safety trials are done, and wait at least a month or more for it to be used in the general population to see if GBS reactions are a worry. I definitely will not be the first office to offer the vaccine. If the safety pans out, I will then make a recommendation. But that won’t be expected until at least November. So, until then, I wouldn’t waste time and energy fretting about it. Now, what you can fret about is whether or not the government will make the vaccine mandatory. Not “mandatory” in the sense that all vaccines are “required,” but parents can sign a waiver. I’m talking about mandatory in that Child Protective Services will take your kids away, or hold you back while they force the shot on your child. Yeah, that would be something to worry about. So, write your senator now and put in your two cents. OR, don’t even worry about it until they decide whether or not it’s mandatory, but by then it will be too late to make your voice heard. Having put that conspiracy on the table, I will offer one piece of reassuring news. The latest report I just got from the AAP discusses their anticipation that not everyone who is recommended to get the flu shot will go out and get it. That tells me they aren’t thinking “mandatory” yet. However, I’ve also seen reports that the government is thinking about making it absolutely mandatory. I don’t know whom to believe yet. Although they will be recommending the shot for everyone, they only plan to have about 120 million doses, so the CDC just announced a priority list for those at highest risk of suffering a severe case of the H1N1 flu (or those most likely to spread it to others): Pregnant women, health care workers, and children 6 months and older. Parents and anyone caring for infants, anyone with high-risk medical conditions (such as heart, lung, or immune diseases), and young adults ages 19-24 (not sure why) should also be given priority. Just how bad is the H1N1 flu? Our experience so far indicates that it is a little worse than the regular flu, but it is not the rampaging epidemic that will sweep through the country and kill everybody. So why is the government so worried? It’s because the evil drug companies are paying them to act worried and create hype over the H1N1 flu so that the drug companies can make billions of dollars selling a vaccine that everyone will be scrambling for. The companies can then hand some of that money back to the government officials who helped them out. I jest, but that is the worry many people have. Is this all just about money and not health? I have to believe that our government isn’t crooked enough to go that far. Am I just being naive? Some would say so. I don’t know. What I hear from medical policy makers is that they are not so worried about what the H1N1 flu is like now, but about what it could become if it mutates and starts creating more severe disease. That’s why they are acting preemptively to try to stop it. Is that a good idea? I guess. So, stay tuned for my November report. In the meantime, worry, or don’t worry. It’s up to you. Dr. Bob Labels: Vaccine News posted by Dr. Bob Sears @ 1:46 PM   210 Comments: At July 30, 2009 5:19 PM ,  Science Mom said... Now, what you can fret about is whether or not the government will make the vaccine mandatory. Not “mandatory” in the sense that all vaccines are “required,” but parents can sign a waiver. I’m talking about mandatory in that Child Protective Services will take your kids away, or hold you back while they force the shot on your child. Yeah, that would be something to worry about. So, write your senator now and put in your two cents. OR, don’t even worry about it until they decide whether or not it’s mandatory, but by then it will be too late to make your voice heard. Oh you have got to be kidding. Way to fan the hysteria fire there Dr. Bob. That is not going to happen! Shame on you for suggesting this; it's really revolting.   At July 30, 2009 6:33 PM ,  Jenn said... That could very well happen---I know of some families who would have lost their kids if they hadn't had them vaccinated. They were COURT ORDERED to vaccinate their children. (That was for all of their shots--not the flu.) There is also an emergency response team set up in my area to "activate" centers for mass mandatory flu vaccinations. They have people trained to go door to door. They also put an article in the paper about how they ran a practice session to determine how the center would run.   At July 30, 2009 6:33 PM ,  Anonymous said... Thanks for keeping us up to date Dr. Bob. I greatly value your wisdom and appreciate the time you take to follow vaccine news and inform all of us concerned parents. Your book has made me feel very confident in the vaccine schedule I have chosen for my children and I will continue to look to you for advice on any new vaccines coming out. (The thought of a mandatory vaccine just makes me feel sick!) Paige   At July 30, 2009 6:38 PM ,  Science Mom said... That could very well happen---I know of some families who would have lost their kids if they hadn't had them vaccinated. They were COURT ORDERED to vaccinate their children. (That was for all of their shots--not the flu.) Jenn, Courts don't order vaccinations just because. There are undoubtedly extenuating circumstances here which you would be much more responsible posting. There is also an emergency response team set up in my area to "activate" centers for mass mandatory flu vaccinations. They have people trained to go door to door. They also put an article in the paper about how they ran a practice session to determine how the center would run People trained to go door-to-door to give out information about influenza and available vaccines. Not to force anyone to vaccinate. Really, this is preposterous and I wish people would get their facts straight before perpetuating this nonsense. Especially those that have put themselves in positions of authority.   At July 30, 2009 7:00 PM ,  slm said... You know I have to say its not often and is even rare to find a doctor who is not afraid to be so candid about topics such as these.Try to find a GP not worried about being sued being so candid even in a private visit let alone a Ped being so open publicly. So maybe you don't agree but at least a Ped is willing talk to talk about it!!!!!   At July 30, 2009 11:04 PM ,  Anonymous said... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1918_flu_pandemic   At July 31, 2009 10:10 AM ,  Anonymous said... test   At July 31, 2009 1:34 PM ,  Anonymous said... Science Mom==Under the conditions of the Patriot Act, the US government via the Department of Homeland Security has the right to do exactly what Dr. Sears is talking about with ANY vaccine they deem necessary. Go learn more about the Patriot Act if you don't believe me.   At July 31, 2009 1:41 PM ,  Anonymous said... http://gnhealth.com/vaccinedenial.html See the above article for more details on compulsory vaccinations.   At July 31, 2009 4:42 PM ,  Science Mom said... Anonymous, I know about the Patriot Act and perhaps you would be so kind as to post the relevant articles that indicate that the H1N1 vaccine will be forcibly administered. Thank-you for posting that website; it speaks volumes about where you are getting your erroneous information from. I prefer to go directly to the relevant sources rather than regurgitated conspiracy theories by cranks; you should try it.   At August 1, 2009 2:37 PM ,  Catherina said... Welcome back, Bob - was there anything you actually wanted to blog about here? There is no real info in your write up, just your "jesting" (and a lot of "duh, I don't knows) that does nothing to curb wild conspiracy theories on mandatory vaccination.   At August 1, 2009 8:08 PM ,  Anonymous said... Dr Bob- I was following the statistics here in Mexico, and the population hardest hit based on the official website was healthy men and women in about the 19-24 range. That's probably why they have priority.   At August 1, 2009 10:31 PM ,  Anonymous said... Dr. Sears, we DO know some of the ingredients. Dr. Tenpenny has them on her web site (drtenpenny.com). Squalene alone is cause for alarm. It was one of the causes of Gulf War Syndrome. Then there is polysorbate 80 which is the cause of infertility and deformed genitals in rats. There is also a chance that aborted fetal cells could be used for the culture by at least one company. Please watch the 60 Minutes video on the 1976 fiasco. CDC admitted that the vaccine they tested on the public is not the one they used for the mass vaccination, and the Director could not even say if the one they used was tested or not!! And on and on.......   At August 2, 2009 1:25 AM ,  Donna said... I'm in the UK and the vaccine is going to available here at the beginning of next month. I have a 10 month old son and I am very concerned of the side effects of this vaccine. We are going to be one of the first countries having the vaccine and are therefore guineapigs! My heart is telling me not to let my little one have this as the illness itself is proving mild in the majority of cases. As with any illness, if the virus mutates, the vaccine will pretty much be useless won't it? As it will be based on the virus as it stands today? This is such a difficult decision to have to make as a parent and so reading the comments and views of people in the health sector is really helpful!   At August 2, 2009 7:22 AM ,  Science Mom said... Dr. Sears, we DO know some of the ingredients. Dr. Tenpenny has them on her web site (drtenpenny.com). Squalene alone is cause for alarm. It was one of the causes of Gulf War Syndrome. Then there is polysorbate 80 which is the cause of infertility and deformed genitals in rats. There is also a chance that aborted fetal cells could be used for the culture by at least one company. Squalene doesn't cause Gulf War Syndrome and Tenpenny would be hard pressed to put forth any evidence. Same with PBS-80, have you examined how much is actually in a vaccine? And what are her studies for mice? 'Aborted foetal cells'? Honestly, there are more accurate sources than Tenpenny. Medimmune is going to produce the FluMist for Swine Flu in the same manner that they manufacture the seasonal flumist so why Dr. Sears hasn't posted that in his 'blog' is beyond me.   At August 2, 2009 8:21 AM ,  Anonymous said... Young adults ages 19-24 = college students often living in dormitories. Always a higher risk population for spreading airborne diseases.   At August 2, 2009 9:01 AM ,  Anonymous said... Science Mom - you are a very angry person   At August 2, 2009 10:20 AM ,  slm said... "The FDA is likely to approve 2009 H1N1 (swine flu) vaccines before trial data can prove their safety and effectiveness against the virus." http://www.medpagetoday.com/ProductAlert/DevicesandVaccines/15230   At August 2, 2009 10:25 AM ,  Anonymous said... Check out the various vaccine ingredients. Chicken pox, shingles, Rubella and Hep. A are cultured on aborted fetal cell tissue. Also check out cogforlife.org for the substantiating references. As for Dr. Tenpenny, her book was written after 8000 hours of research, and she documents EVERY single charge with medical journal citations and CDC documents. Check it out! Our kids are depending on us to know the truth!!   At August 2, 2009 10:46 AM ,  Science Mom said... Chicken pox, shingles, Rubella and Hep. A are cultured on aborted fetal cell tissue. Also check out cogforlife.org for the substantiating references. Yes, I know some vaccine antigens are cultured on foetal cell lines, so do many others, this isn't secret information. So what is your point? As for Dr. Tenpenny, her book was written after 8000 hours of research, and she documents EVERY single charge with medical journal citations and CDC documents. I'll take quality of research thank-you. Dr. Tenpenny misrepresents data, uses information from 80 years ago and cherry-picks to support her crackpot theories. This isn't vaccine research, it's an agenda.   At August 2, 2009 11:42 AM ,  Anonymous said... Ever heard of "The Vaccination Myth" by Charles Creighton, M.D., or "Vaccines: Are They Really Safe and Effective" by Neil Miller or "Vaccine Safety Manual for Concerned Families and Health Practitioners" by Neil Miller and Russell Blaylock, M.D. or "Vaccine A" by Gary Matsumoto? Look them up on amazon.com and read some of the reader comments. Dr. Blaylock has done some very good research into the way vaccines damage the brain. There are many others I could name. The point is that we need to check out some resources other than what our local pediatrician is saying. Do your homework. The children are the innocent ones and need the truth on their side.   At August 2, 2009 11:51 AM ,  Anonymous said... Look into the work of Dr. Andrew Moulden, M.D, BA, MA, PhD of the Vaccine Injury Coalition. You can find his article at vaccinerights.com where it says "US Vaccine Court" in red. The information is devastating.   At August 2, 2009 12:01 PM ,  Science Mom said... Anonymouses, Can you cite any work about 'vaccine damage' as you believe it to be by anyone that isn't a crackpot or quack?   At August 2, 2009 4:29 PM ,  Anonymous said... Sciencemom, you too have an agenda. Dr Bob - Have you read anything about the use of proprietary adjuvants by the manufacturers (squalene, etc) - any thoughts.. or are you just reserving comment until the official ingredient lists come out.. any ideas when that would be?   At August 2, 2009 4:55 PM ,  Science Mom said... Sciencemom, you too have an agenda. Yes, yes I do; exposing cranks, quacks and pseudo-science all on my own time and own dime. How nefarious. Dr Bob - Have you read anything about the use of proprietary adjuvants by the manufacturers (squalene, etc) - any thoughts.. or are you just reserving comment until the official ingredient lists come out.. any ideas when that would be? Most all of that information is actually available as well as how the vaccines will be made.   At August 2, 2009 4:55 PM ,  Anonymous said... Test   At August 2, 2009 4:57 PM ,  Anonymous said... Science Mom, and WHAT exactly are YOUR credentials??? You write a blog...so WHAT? There are people on here who really want to discuss this issue...not spend all their time refuting you. You are just blindly believing what you read. What makes your sources creditable--the fact that they have the same beliefs as you???   At August 2, 2009 5:08 PM ,  Anonymous said... The ingredient lists for the swine flu vax are available? source?   At August 2, 2009 7:12 PM ,  Science Mom said... Science Mom, and WHAT exactly are YOUR credentials??? You write a blog...so WHAT? I could say anything about my credentials, internet-dogs, that kind of thing. What is more important is the quality of my blog and my information and what, if anything, would you care to critique? There are people on here who really want to discuss this issue...not spend all their time refuting you. Nobody needs to spend a single thought or second refuting me. I should hope that people are interested in accurate information, not hysterical rhetoric about forcibly vaccinating children while parents helplessly look on and references to charlatans like Moulden, Haley, and Tenpenny. You are just blindly believing what you read. What makes your sources creditable--the fact that they have the same beliefs as you??? I post all of my sources on my blog and here and they can be evaluated for yourself. I think the ability to properly evaluate the science is hardly 'blindly believing'; that seems to be what the pseudo-science advocates do actually. The ingredient lists for the swine flu vax are available? source? I believe that Catherina and I will be blogging on that shortly so stay tuned.   At August 3, 2009 4:21 PM ,  Dr. Bob said... Lots of fun to read all this. Hey Catherina. Thanks. This blog was really just an announcement of when the vaccine is supposed to be available (that info just came out last week, as far as I know). But this I realized, Hey, if I only announce that, everyones going to start asking me a millions questions about this and that - hence the commentary.   At August 4, 2009 11:39 AM ,  Marra's Mommy said... Science Mom - You mentioned that children aren't forced to be vaccined while their parents look on. But in NJ there are quite a few vaccines that we, as parents, are being forced to give our children. The government has made quite a few vaccines mandatory, especially when your child is in day care. Some of these, I feel, aren't necessary (like the chicken pox vaccine). The goverment only allows for religious exemption (which is difficult if you only want to avoid just one or two vaccines), or medical exemption. So what are parents like me supposed to do or think about a vaccine that is so new? I'm not arguing, I'm just concerned.   At August 4, 2009 12:30 PM ,  Laura said... I have a friend who was forced by court order to vaccinate her two children. It does happen.   At August 4, 2009 12:31 PM ,  Beth Moore said... I, too, am horrified that you would put conspiracy theories in what is supposed to be an informative article! I will choose to move on to another source for reliable vaccine information in the future.   At August 4, 2009 2:00 PM ,  Anonymous said... Clearly, Science Mom is an FDA stooge paid to keep gullible Americans believing in the "true science" behind their plans to keep us medicated and the government's wallets full. You think alternative medicine studies are cherry picked to support certain "quack" theories? That's the FDA's M.O. already. Sorry, they own it! Just google "FDA whistleblowers" and see what comes up. Here's a great interview with one: http://mrgreenbiz.wordpress.com/2009/06/20/the-fda-exposed-an-interview-with-dr-david-graham-the-vioxx-whistleblower/   At August 4, 2009 2:07 PM ,  Anonymous said... I work with virologists on the west coast and in a metropolitan ICU. The cases we have seen in intensive care have been pregnant women and people 20-34. This isn't the same pattern as usual flu epidemics thus some of the concern. Older adults tend to not get it (so far) or have milder cases due to some sort of similar exposure in the past. Regardless, this will be a difficult decision for a lot of people to make. I am not an alarmist and I hope that this predicted "pandemic" turns out to be nothing serious. And i hope that we can get some testing done on the actual vaccine quickly.   At August 4, 2009 2:08 PM ,  Anonymous said... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_War_syndrome Do you have any kids in this war on terror?   At August 4, 2009 2:30 PM ,  Anonymous said... http://www.geocities.com/iopener4life/theflu I think everyone should seriously do their own due diligence and research appropriately. I think there is a lot of misinformation out there, but at the same time just as much information out there is true and the people are too naive to believe it.   At August 4, 2009 3:23 PM ,  Anonymous said... I'd like to know why they've developed a vaccine similar to the flu-mist for H1N1. We know that flu-mist is contra-indicated in pregnant and immuno-compromised individuals due to a higher risk of developing disease. It's also contra-indicated in those who have close contact with those considered high risk due to the risk of SPREADING it. If that's the risk with the routine flu-mist, what on earth are the vaccine researchers thinking when they're considering giving a live H1N1 vaccine. I know sciencemom will come along and talk about how it's not full strength, it's simply attenuated. I fully understand the process of attenuation. I also know that the attenuated polio vaccine caused permanent paralysis in some people who received it - and that those people while having polio symptoms were contagious with polio. So tell me what kind of sense it makes to give a live vaccine of an apparently novel flu virus so that multiple people can be exposed to it who may otherwise not be. Sounds like head in the sand to me... of course, someone is more likely to take a vaccine that is just put in the nose instead of a needle - after all, it doesn't hurt. So maybe that's what they're thinking of. I don't do the regular flu vaccine and certainly won't be doing this one. My mom had the flu back in the 50's that seems to have conferred some immunity to this one and she said it was awful. She was very very sick with it. But she has rarely been sick the rest of her life since then and she believes that the strength her immune system gained from recovering from that bout with the flu is responsible. For what it's worth, she's against this vaccine too despite how seriously ill she was back then. No panic or debate in our household, we won't be getting the vaccine. And thankfully I won't have to worry about it being mandated due to the country I live in. People trained to go door-to-door to give out information about influenza and available vaccines. Not to force anyone to vaccinate. Really, this is preposterous and I wish people would get their facts straight before perpetuating this nonsense. Especially those that have put themselves in positions of authority. There is one state, and I'm forgetting which one right now, which has passed legislation allowing door to door vaccination or forcible quarantine in the event the household refuses. The same legislation also prohibits peaceful protests when a state of emergency has been declared. This effectively tells citizens that if they refuse their vaccination, they're quarantined until the outbreak is over, and there's nothing they can do about it. So much for self-determination. And for any of the "yeah, but" thoughts, you can bet your life that a public health emergency will be declared. Those who think that mandatory vaccination isn't a possibility are living in a bubble world and blissfully unaware of all the rights and freedoms that have been subtly removed over the last number of years. Thanks Dr. Bob for a very candid blog sharing your thoughts. It's refreshing to see a dr. who doesn't just "tow the party line" and actually stops to think for himself and his patients.   At August 4, 2009 3:27 PM ,  Fiesole said... I'll bite -- Please read the following concerning mandatory vaccinations in the United States: http://www.law.umaryland.edu/marshall/crsreports/crsdocuments/RS2141401182005.pdf This is from 2005 and it's not from some jerk's website. In short, the choice to mandate vaccinations generally resides (in many states, at least) with the governor of that state. These laws should be publicly accessible to all of you -- go read, if you want, the wording for your state to see what it has to say about this. I also note that Science Mom didn't say that there has never been an example of someone being ordered to vaccinate. What was written was this: "That is not going to happen!". Not: "That can not happen.". These are two very different sentences. I'm not sure I share the optimism of what was actually written, so I think I'll research the laws for my own state.   At August 4, 2009 3:38 PM ,  Anonymous said... Could a titer blood test show if my child has already had the H1N1 flu? And if so, can he then be exempt from "having to" get the vaccine? About a month ago, he had a high fever, headache, basic flu symptoms and was treated with Tamiflu because the Dr. office was out of all the flu kits. They were told not even to send anymore into the CDC because they couldn't keep up with all of them. We just assumed he had it but we never knew for sure...   At August 4, 2009 3:42 PM ,  Anonymous said... 1. I will not give a very new, experimental vaccine to my kids. Just like the lovely Gardisil has many irreversible effects such as rapid onset MS. 2. At least in CA you can waiver ANY vaccine and your kids CAN attend public school such as my kids. 3. It has been reported that the swine flu has caused less deaths than regular flu. 4. We have never had the flu or had flu shots. Friends who have had them end up getting a mild flu. 5. Yes, I vaccinate with caution. Expain how toxic levels of mercury get into your baby's system when the only mercury they are exposed to are from the vaccines.   At August 4, 2009 3:43 PM ,  Anonymous said... Very well thought through, and I appreciate your honesty and openness. I believe that this vaccine, especially if given in "3" doses will be more harm than help. The first shot will turn off your immune system. The second will inoculate you with the virus. The final shot will then turn on your immune system again. Imagine what your white cells will say when they have been dormant and suddenly see the body full of this virus? When you consider all this, it is not in anyone's best interest to get the vaccines. On the surface it is all about Baxter making more money. Interesting to note as well, they tell people the shots will most likely be mandatory. Do you notice how that "fear" has taken presidency over where this virus originally came from. I'm 100% sure it wasn't natural in origins, and I'm 100% sure it was engineered in a lab.   At August 4, 2009 3:45 PM ,  Amanda said... Hi Dr Bob, I just wanted to say after reading all the comments regarding this particular blog entry that I enjoyed reading your thoughts. Perhaps I'm bias, my son is your patient, ok I am bias but I love the fact you are so candid. You aren't afraid to say "I don't know" when it comes to these things and I feel that is rare in your field. I really enjoy reading your opinion and find it refreshing that you can post without feeling like you need to have definitive answers on all subjects. As far as the question of mandatory vaccines -can they or can't they - isn't it a fact that two states in our nation already mandate vaccinations for children? I believe you outlined them in The Vaccine Book, forgive my forgetfulness of which two they are. So if this is indeed fact, who's to say they can't and won't do it again?   At August 4, 2009 4:05 PM ,  kimcoo said... My father was a family doctor in practice until he died of a stroke at 85 (his patients would not let him retire!). He stopped vaccinating anyone after he saw the damage the swine flu vaccination did to people including a man with 5 children who was paralysed for 6 months and lucky to live who was a close friend of our family. There are a large number of doctors who will not vaccinate themselves or their families. My father recommended fresh food, exercise and sunshine everyday and heat compresses for a number of conditions. He had my mother cook home cooked meals for his elderly patients if they were in hospital and he would promise them that he would not send them to hospital unless he thought they would get better. He believed that people should die at home if possible. He lived with an enormous amount of guilt in his older years for patients he knew he had killed and injured when he was younger and had blind faith in what the drug companies told him. Get your vitamin D levels checked and stay away from the white powders (flour and sugar) and eat fresh fruit and vegetables and exercise daily if you are concerned about you immunity. We must take responsibilty for our own health.   At August 4, 2009 4:13 PM ,  Friederike said... Dr.Bob thanks for the info. It's good to hear some balanced info.I haven't read any info about the difference of nasal vaccine or injection. Also I don't understand how the covernment can force us to do something against our religious belief like using vaccines made from aborted fetuses. This is not a free country anymore, if that happens. Can you give us some more info how to contradict that? Thanks   At August 4, 2009 4:16 PM ,  Anonymous said... Dr Bob thank you for being so candid. I cant imagine being forced into giving my baby a vaccination that isnt thoroughly tested. Im not a scholar, nor a scientist....Im just a mom who thinks the world of my 5 month old. Im already angry that she was forced into having the HEP shot at birth and she didnt even really need it.....I appreciate your honesty and think parents should use ALL information to arm themselves so they can make informed decisions for their family. Our decision is NO on this vaccine, I dont know what I would do if we were forced.   At August 4, 2009 4:19 PM ,  Al Young. said... The Spanish Flu killed many people because the deadly strain was the variety that was spread. Normally, the very sick stay home and the people who have mild flu go to work and spread the mild variety. In WW1 however, it was the sick soldiers who spread it in hospitals so it was the deadly variety that mutated and killed everyone. Because we are not in the same situation as WW1, the swine flu isn't likely to be a mass killer like the Spanish Flu. Source: wikipedia.   At August 4, 2009 4:34 PM ,  Anonymous said... I am sorry but I find this, along with 99.9% of the articles on this site, utterly useless. What a huge disappointment. Basically all I see is making (the once solild and reputable) Sears name into a money-making franchise. What a disappointment.   At August 4, 2009 5:01 PM ,  Anonymous said... Science mom, you really need to do some homework on the matter. Forced vaccinations occured in the state of Maryland in 2007. Following the State of Maryland's threats against parents who refuse to have their children vaccinated, children were herded into a Price George County courthouse being guarded by armed personnel with attack dogs. Inside, the children were forcibly vaccinated, many against their will, under orders from the State Attorney General, various State Judges and the local School Board Director, all of whom illegally conspired to threaten parents with imprisonment if they did not submit their children to vaccinations.   At August 4, 2009 5:11 PM ,  Anonymous said... Dr. Bob, Thank you for taking the time to give your honest perspective. I truly value your opinions about vaccines. I do hope that the vaccines will not become mandatory as you mention, but I unfortunately believe they will. I look forward to reading more about your research into the ingredients and your opinions in the next months. Thank you for your boldness and willingness to call it as you see it - vaccines, drug companies and all.   At August 4, 2009 5:38 PM ,  Anonymous said... Money is the root of all evil. What money does the quacks have to lose trying to warn people of the dangers of vaccines?   At August 4, 2009 5:40 PM ,  GW said... Some of you really need to get a life. You spend all of your time worrying about something that has not even happened yet. Learn to enjoy things and ease up.   At August 4, 2009 6:16 PM ,  Anonymous said... Maryland and many east coast states are grass roots in removing parental rights. Scary but many people are being lead to slaughter.   At August 4, 2009 6:29 PM ,  Anonymous said... For additional information on vaccines and your state's requirements on them in a time of crisis, check out the National Vaccine Information Center at www.nvic.org. They have links to all of the state requirements for vaccinations. You can look up your state and then if you also look up the legislation supporting the vaccine requirements you will most likely find that in a state declared pandemic, no matter whether you have a religious exemption and sometimes even if you have a medical exemption, you can still be forced to vaccinate your children and be vaccinated yourself. These are facts that you can look up for yourself in whatever state you live in. You may also find some interesting information on vaccine law by one of the few vaccine rights attorneys in the U.S. right now also, Alan Phillips, on his website at http://www.vaccinerights.com. His Q&As about state legislation will answer many questions. Thanks Dr. Sears for your information which is honest and to the point. I think we will all look for your thoughts when you have collected more information. There IS legislation on the books where your rights can be taken away in certain circumstances. I believe that all of us need to also consider how we feel about that in general. No matter what your personal belief, isn't part of the reason we live in the U.S. because our founding fathers (and mothers) wanted a freedom of choice? Maybe we all need to write our State legislators and ask to have this kind of legislation removed in each of our states.   At August 4, 2009 6:34 PM ,  SuzAnne said... Thank you Dr. Bob for all of your information... Both here and in the book! I am a very appreciative parent of a healthy 17 month old and found out through my alumni magazine that we share the same undergrad Alma mater. I was super excited to see you in there! But that's beside the point. I know you say you jest about the drug companies involvement with the government, but there has to be some truth to it. Take gov Perry of Texas trying to make the guardisil vaccine mandatory for middle school girls. Luckily it didn't happen, but I found it interesting that merck is one of Perry's largest campaign contributors! Anyway, I hope that I never live in a place where my freedom to protect my child in the way I see fit is never compromised. I just wish it was easier to find more doctors like you!   At August 4, 2009 6:50 PM ,  Anonymous said... I have a problem with people like Science Mom who automatically lable anyone who dares to speak against vaccines or the vaccine industry as idiots, fruitcakes, freaks, or any other version of irresponsible or stupid lable that they can come up with. From what I can see, people like Science Mom are all about labeling people and forcing their doctrine down our throats. Basically, everyone who agrees with her is right and all who disagree are irresponsible quacks. Sounds like an agenda to me. I have a huge problem with injecting things into my children that were grown using fetal cells. I am very uncomfortable with some of the side effects that are being discounted or minimized for some of the vaccines they want to require my children to take. And I'm very uncomfortable giving a vaccine to my children that has not had adequate testing. Dr. Bob was not out of line with the insinuation that the drug companies and congressional representatives are scratching each other's backs. We've already seen the same sort of thing happening with state legislatures and state vaccine requirements. It's not an irresponsible allegation, it is probably happening just as he described. So present your side of the argument if you wish, but don't take the condescending tone and accuse everyone else of being a quack. You just make yourself look petty and foolish.   At August 4, 2009 6:52 PM ,  Anonymous said... Why would anyone give their child a vaccine that hasn't been tested enouGH??? Look what happened with the first swine vaccine in the 70's? I a m currently pregnant and WILL NOT TAKE THIS VACCINE.   At August 4, 2009 7:03 PM ,  Anonymous said... What I find surprising in so many discussions of vaccines is that many who are suspicious of vaccines focus on the vaccines' ingredients (are they toxic?) and possible side effects rather than on what the vaccine is supposed to protect against. The flu does kill people. I will probably vaccinate my young child this fall because I'd rather risk having her suffer some complications than risk having her die of the flu. Whether you vaccinate against something or you don't, either choice carries a risk.   At August 4, 2009 7:19 PM ,  Anonymous said... "By and large, there's no reason to think that the H1N1 vaccine will pose any problems for pregnant women since it's being produced in exactly the same fashion as the seasonal flu vaccine. What's more, Steinhoff adds, pregnant women who get vaccinated will probably also confer antibody protection to their newborns who are too young to be vaccinated themselves. This could prove lifesaving if H1N1 infections become extremely widespread or the virus mutates into a deadlier strain." From US News and World Reports http://health.usnews.com/blogs/on-women/2009/07/30/pregnant-women-will-be-included-in-h1n1-flu-vaccine-trials.html   At August 4, 2009 10:18 PM ,  Pediatrician to be said... I'm a medical student going into pediatrics and an admittedly paranoid mom of a toddler. Dr. Bob gave a great lecture at our school about two years ago. I put my baby on the "compromise" schedule and recommend it all the time. I really appreciate Science Mom's perspective on here, and am concerned that a lot of the people posting here are not receptive to it. One doesn't need to have a doctorate degree to be able to weight the risk to benefit ratio. Sure, vaccines are a money maker for drug companies, but they also do prevent disease. Just like any drug is a money maker for the drug companies, but can also improve quality of life when a disease is end stage. Think of all the diseases that have been reduced in numbers and severity, or have been virtually eradicated because of vaccines. Some of the most common bugs that caused the most common pediatric problems, such as otitis media, are no longer an issue because of the Hib vaccine. Someone mentioned Gardasil. Yes, there is a very low risk of serious side effects (as with any medication, or really anything for that matter), but if your daughter gets one of the strains that cause 70% of cases of cervical cancer, that may be a life threatening problem. Everyone needs to weigh the risk to benefit ratio themselves, hopefully with public health in mind as well, make a personal decision about it, and live with the consequences. I appreciated that Dr. Bob didn't try to force medical students into agreeing with his opinions. Most physicians do not agree with Dr. Bob, but I am glad that he brings attention to the topic and raises questions. Similarly, Science Mom isn't pushing her opinions on anyone either. I commend her for posting on here, knowing that it is probably a very anti-vaccine blog. I never ever comment on these blogs, but the reaction against her statements compelled me to write. Clearly, this is a hot button issue. My own concern is that with lots of people no longer vaccinating their children and hearing from my pediatric attendings about cases of preventable disease rising in little pockets of Los Angeles, a real public health problem may be emerging, which is why I am giving my little angel all the vaccines, but spaced out far in between. As for H1N1, that's really a tough call, and I don't know what I will do yet. I will definitely be vaccinated and will probably vaccinate my child as well, because we are in a high risk group and we live in Los Angeles, which has a huge immigrant population. But I will stay posted as to what the results are of the vaccine and hopefully not feel compelled into making a tough decision before the safety data is conclusive.   At August 4, 2009 11:21 PM ,  henrietta77 said... I did some research on the causes of some of the pandemics in the US this century (e.g. Spanish flu). It turns out that the reason why the healthy population were the ones dying, as opposed to the immune suppressed population, was due to something called a CYTOKINE STORM - an exaggerated systemic immune response. It was the people with healthy strong immune systems that died. Their system had no antibodies and went bezerk (the weaker ones did not have this ability). It seems like those people who got the mild case of H1N1 this season are the lucky ones because they developed some immunity and may not suffer if it comes back full force this winter. SOme exposure is good and hopefully the vaccine that comes out will be safe.   At August 5, 2009 12:29 AM ,  Friederike said... Here is a site that talks about altenative treatments for cytokine storm: which include fish oil and Tumeric.( i just heard a program about how great Tumeric is...: http://diseases-viruses.suite101.com/article.cfm/swine_flu_cytokine_storm_cures   At August 5, 2009 1:06 AM ,  Anastasia said... Greetings! First of all, to Dr. Sears, I sincerely thank you for all our hard work and research regarding immunizations especially! (Although, I have all your books. I am currently making my way through "The Discipline Book" since my daughter is getting to "that age.") Your unbiased, straight-forward, easy reading information about all the vaccines has been an amazing tool in clearing up a lot of my confusion and stress about how to vaccinate my daughter. I love your posts like this one because they are candid, straight-forward and fair-minded. To everyone else, whether or not to vaccinate my daughter against the H1N1 Mexican Swine Flu has been a very difficult issue for me. As we all do, I only want to do what is in my daughter's best interest. Vaccines are such a scary issue since we have the government and government sponsored organizations telling us to vaccinate freely and that it is so safe they recommend 6, sometimes 7 at a time be injected into a tiny 2 month old baby! Then, on the other hand, we have the die-hard anti-vaccination groups/individuals who preach about horror stories and make you feel like a bad parent for injecting your child with "poisons." As parents, we are left to sort through all the information and try to find the most valid, honest, true information so we can make an informed decision we feel confident about.   At August 5, 2009 1:07 AM ,  Anastasia said... In the case of the H1N1 (Mexican) Swine Flu vaccine, I truly believe in my heart of hearts that giving a vaccine that has not been thoroughly tested, especially if it is going to be "just like the Seasonal Flu Vaccine" is a very bad idea. I will not be vaccinating my daughter and if the government tries to make me, I will move to another country! The possibility of forced vaccination is an idea that any logical person who is keeping up with current events (and not just the Liberal mainstream media) could see coming a mile away. In fact, if Obama succeeds (fingers crossed tightly that he doesn't) in getting his "Health Care Reform Bill" put into effect, forced vaccination for all children is just over the horizon. Under the Obamacare bill, states will be forced to knock on your door, and even force your kids to have the vaccination that you may think will harm your child. It states in plain English the steps the government can and will take to encourage/ensure vaccination of all children. From: http://help.senate.gov/Maj_press/2009_07_15_b.pdf "Under this program, CDC will provide grants to states to improve immunization coverage of children, adolescents, and adults through the use of evidence-based interventions. States may use funds to implement interventions that are recommended by the Community Preventive Services Task Force, such as reminders or recalls for patients or providers, or home visits. Reauthorizes the Immunization Program in Section 317 of the Public Health Service Act." And for those of you who say oh no, it just says the vaccinations will be encouraged; come on people! Wake up and read between the lines! The language of the bill clearly leaves a HUGE, gaping, wide-open hole for the government to take advantage of by forcing vaccinations... and not only the H1N1! I am not anti-vaccination, BTW. I vaccinate my daughter on a very selective schedule and space the immunizations far apart (for obvious reasons). If this Swine Flu virus reaches pandemic proportions, I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that big brother will step in and mandate vaccination of ALL our children and we are going to be hard-pressed to stop them; and if the "Obamacare" bill gets passed they will have the legal right to do it to every one of us! NOW is the time to write, call, visit, send a carrier pigeon... whatever, to your Senators and Congressmen to tell them you do not want this to happen. Once it happens, it will be too late. Please act now! Oh! And one last thing, to the med student who said that the HIB vaccine has gotten rid of "Otitis Media" (AKA: Ear infections), this information is inaccurate. From the CDC's website; http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00022818.htm “Because the vaccine will not protect against nontypeable strains of H. influenzae, recurrent upper respiratory diseases, including otitis media and sinusitis are not considered indications for vaccination.” And… "Hib strains account for only 5%-10% of H. influenzae causing otitis media.” Just FYI. Bottom line is, As an Army veteran who did 6 years, proudly serving my county and ensuring the freedoms we enjoy here in the great US of A. I'll be damned if my own government is going to now step in and take away one of my most basic rights; the right of a mother to care for and protect my child as I see fit!!!   At August 5, 2009 6:14 AM ,  Science Mom said... I also note that Science Mom didn't say that there has never been an example of someone being ordered to vaccinate. What was written was this: "That is not going to happen!". Not: "That can not happen.". These are two very different sentences. I'm not sure I share the optimism of what was actually written, so I think I'll research the laws for my own state. Thank-you Pediatrician to be. Fiesole, Forced vaccination of the general public for swine flu isn't going to happen; it's swine flu, not ebola or nipah or hendra viruses or a bioterrorist agent. You need to read your laws carefully and understand that first, there aren't enough vaccines to accomplish such a task, and secondly, no manpower or desire to implement forced vaccination of the public. Clearly, Science Mom is an FDA stooge paid to keep gullible Americans believing in the "true science" behind their plans to keep us medicated and the government's wallets full. You think alternative medicine studies are cherry picked to support certain "quack" theories? That's the FDA's M.O. already. Sorry, they own it! Just google "FDA whistleblowers" and see what comes up. Ah, what would a blog be without the ubiquitous 'pharma shill' rant? One that usually follows my challenge to produce anti-vax science that isn't of the pseudo kind. But since we are on the subject, I didn't know that the FDA paid people to do what I do, how do I get such a post? Science mom, you really need to do some homework on the matter. Forced vaccinations occured in the state of Maryland in 2007. Following the State of Maryland's threats against parents who refuse to have their children vaccinated, children were herded into a Price George County courthouse being guarded by armed personnel with attack dogs. Inside, the children were forcibly vaccinated, many against their will, under orders from the State Attorney General, various State Judges and the local School Board Director, all of whom illegally conspired to threaten parents with imprisonment if they did not submit their children to vaccinations. My homework on the matter is just fine, is yours? Because those children weren't forcibly vaccinated, their parents were given the option of filing an exemption form; one or the other was required so those that vaccinated, did so willingly. It makes for a good media story though to present it as you did and also a very good reason why such drivel gets perpetuated. I have a problem with people like Science Mom who automatically lable anyone who dares to speak against vaccines or the vaccine industry as idiots, fruitcakes, freaks, or any other version of irresponsible or stupid lable that they can come up with. From what I can see, people like Science Mom are all about labeling people and forcing their doctrine down our throats. Basically, everyone who agrees with her is right and all who disagree are irresponsible quacks. Sounds like an agenda to me. Please be so kind where "I forced my doctrine" on anyone. I am challenging these ridiculous assertions about forced vaccinations and pseudo-science. If that makes you uncomfortable, good; it should.   At August 5, 2009 6:52 AM ,  Anonymous said... I am with Science mom...way to fan the fire of craziness. Although I do not trust our Government as far as I could throw them and that isn't very far. I don't believe they have an idea how to handle such an epidemic if it were to happen. The fact of the matter is we are all doing what we hope and think is best for our families and that is all we really can do. My daughter sufferes from severe Asthma and we have already begun pre-cations for the winter to protect her against a lot more than just the H1N1 Virus. And Worrying does not make your days longer by the way.   At August 5, 2009 7:38 AM ,  Concerned Mama said... Study on Squalene and Gulf War Syndrome by Tulane Medical School: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10640454?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_Discovery_RA&linkpos=1&log$=relatedarticles&logdbfrom=pubmed Refuted By: DOD: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19379786?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum and Novartis: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16960112?ordinalpos=3&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum I would say I am suspicious of the authorship of the refutations.   At August 5, 2009 7:40 AM ,  Bob said... Thanks for the info Dr. Sears.   At August 5, 2009 11:10 AM ,  Anonymous said... Check out Mike Adams' new article at naturalnews.com about diseased African monkeys being used for the swine flu vaccine. It will make you absolutely sick!   At August 5, 2009 11:34 AM ,  Science Mom said... Check out Mike Adams' new article at naturalnews.com about diseased African monkeys being used for the swine flu vaccine. It will make you absolutely sick! And a completely bogus story.   At August 5, 2009 12:36 PM ,  ana said... Thank you Dr. Sears for all your information. I really appreciate it.   At August 5, 2009 1:19 PM ,  Anonymous said... Yes, the flu does sometimes kill people. People who have immune compromised conditions. And maybe the rare healthy person. Can't compare that to the my daughter getting RSV (that almost killed her) after her 4 month shots and pneumonia (that could have also killed her) after her 6 month shots. Vaccinations in the number and frequency that are given. Could be deadly. There is no reason to give them 5,6, and 7 at a time. I'll give them, just 2 at a time thank you very much.   At August 5, 2009 2:21 PM ,  Anonymous said... Science Mom Is WORKING FOR THEM. BIG PHARMA LOBBYIST OR THE ONE WORLD ORDER LOBBYIST GET RID OF SCIENCE MOM FROM THIS BLOG/   At August 5, 2009 2:27 PM ,  Catherina said... Anonymous - you forgot the Illuminati - heck, Science Mom is probably sitting in that black helicopter that is circling your house right now. Time to put on your tin foil hat so *they* cannot read your thoughts.   At August 5, 2009 3:41 PM ,  Dr. Bob said... Lots of good comments here. I can't respond to all, but I will address any questions put to me: Anon - you asked about a blood titer. This is a great idea. I don't know the answer to this. Does anybody know? Friederike - your question about religious rights here. I can't think of any sources off the top of my head, but I'm sure there are. Someone DID post a link to legal info on this above. Even though it may not be right, the states probably CAN force this despite a religious objection. Will they? Very unlikely. Anon - MONEY is NOT the root of all evil. The LOVE of money is.   At August 5, 2009 4:34 PM ,  Science Mom said... Science Mom Is WORKING FOR THEM. BIG PHARMA LOBBYIST OR THE ONE WORLD ORDER LOBBYIST GET RID OF SCIENCE MOM FROM THIS BLOG/ We don't use lobbyists, we control the world leaders directly through mind powers. This is awesome, I'm calling Poe's law.   At August 5, 2009 5:12 PM ,  Anonymous said... Thank you, Science Mom, for your well-considered comments and your focus on the facts and reliable research that is available. I feel that hysteria over vaccines is not warranted and a careful review of all the scientific data is essential. It is difficult to be informed on all fronts and apparently many are swept away with the ANTI-pharma/government/vaccine rhetoric. I applaud you for blasting the quacks and exposing the pseudoscience. Thank you, thank you, thank you! And someone else brought up a wonderful point, the vaccines are developed to prevent dangerous diseases. If you consider avoiding vaccination for yourself or your child, you must weigh the risk of vaccine side-effects with the disease itself. Children died of these diseases prior to vaccines! And to the person who said that only ill people and those with compromised immune systems die from influenza (and the "rare healthy person") clearly needs to go to the available data. Infants, pregnant women, elderly, diabetics, asthmatics, etc ALL are at increased risk of severe disease and death with influenza. ANY influenza virus is dangerous and potentially fatal. This should not be down-played. I think we need to make our own personal decision about vaccination.   At August 5, 2009 5:17 PM ,  Anonymous said... To Anonymous (8/5 1:19pm) The flu kills infants and young children every year. That's why flu shots are recommended for children over 6 months of age. And pregnant women are disproportionately vulnerable to complications from the H1N1 virus (but maybe you were already classifying them with those having "immune compromised conditions"). To Anastasia: You write: Under the Obamacare bill, states will be forced to knock on your door, and even force your kids to have the vaccination that you may think will harm your child. It states in plain English the steps the government can and will take to encourage/ensure vaccination of all children. From: http://help.senate.gov/Maj_press/2009_07_15_b.pdf "Under this program, CDC will provide grants to states to improve immunization coverage of children, adolescents, and adults through the use of evidence-based interventions. States may use funds to implement interventions that are recommended by the Community Preventive Services Task Force, such as reminders or recalls for patients or providers, or home visits. Reauthorizes the Immunization Program in Section 317 of the Public Health Service Act." And for those of you who say oh no, it just says the vaccinations will be encouraged; come on people! Wake up and read between the lines! The language of the bill clearly leaves a HUGE, gaping, wide-open hole for the government to take advantage of by forcing vaccinations... and not only the H1N1! Don't you think that the "interventions" and "home visits" probably refer to educating under-privileged, under-served communities about the importance of vaccinations for the good of individual health and public health and to having resources that would allow medical personel to administer vaccinations at people's homes rather than in clinics. Many people in America can't afford to go to clinics or may not even know where to go to get vaccines. This includes immigrants, who may fear going to clinics. Finally, I'm amazed at the rampant paranoia expressed in the responses to this blog surrounding vaccines and the government's role in promoting public health. Surely not everyone at the CDC and the AAP and the Department of Health and Human Services lacks integrity and is beholden to drug companies. Really?? That would be a lot of smart people drinking the kool-aid. Mom of one   At August 5, 2009 11:40 PM ,  Friederike said... I haven't read all the comments( to many), but I haven't read anything about eating healthy and using alternative treatments and herbs. We haven't vaccinated our children and if they get sick it is rarely bad, they even are sick shorter than we adults. Not that we have the perfect diet,but sure we try. I know that Dr. Sears himself advocates good diet, what I applause.More pediatricians need to do that.Also I read that medicines can actually cause side effects during illness, that concerns me.( Sure they can safe lifes at times, I don't doubt that) If I only read the incredients in the vaccines I would refuse, bec I would not put that in my body anyway. Formaldehydes,for ex, etc,doesn't sound healthy to me. Keeping it as close to how God created it , is what I desire. Blessings   At August 6, 2009 1:11 AM ,  Catherina said... Friederike, your body makes large amounts of formaldehyde every day (it is part of a normal metabolic pathway), the half life of formaldehyde in our bodies is about 1 to 2 minutes - a banana has more formaldehyde than a vaccine.   At August 6, 2009 6:22 AM ,  Anonymous said... Awesome! I can't imagine that they would make it mandatory & just the thought of it sickens me, selfishly because I have a young infant. But just because I can't see them making it mandatory does not make me right. I'll still be contacting my senator. As for the science mom debate, you guys seriously make me laugh. I just want to say upfront I didn't waste my time reading all the posts, but I love that in all the ones I read Ms. Mom demands you post links & back-up your voice (then promtly discredits you without evidence) when she hasn't posted any resources herself! Oh wait, she 'posts them on her blog'!! Nice advertising!   At August 6, 2009 8:54 AM ,  Anonymous said... I actually read an article that there one of the ingredients in the swine flu vaccine is diseased green monkey. I think this is the same monkey used in Merck vaccines that were said to bring humans aids. visit link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edikv0zbAlU Also there is going to be a Teleconference to Explain African Monkey Virus Vaccine Patent Finding to be apart of this conference visit this link: http://www.naturalnews.com/026788_vaccines_health_pandemic.html   At August 6, 2009 9:30 AM ,  Science Mom said... Anonymous, there are no monkey cell lines responsible for Human HIV and the AGMK line isn't 'diseased' if you care to read the patent and supporting literature. As for the science mom debate, you guys seriously make me laugh. I just want to say upfront I didn't waste my time reading all the posts, but I love that in all the ones I read Ms. Mom demands you post links & back-up your voice (then promtly discredits you without evidence) when she hasn't posted any resources herself! Oh wait, she 'posts them on her blog'!! Nice advertising! Anon, Our blog isn't a paying job so 'advertising' is moot. Dr. Sears, however does sell books so is relevant there, but that is just fine, right? There hasn't been a single outrageous claim regarding the swine flu vaccine, nor mandates that is supported, even Dr. Bob hasn't provided any supporting evidence for his ludicrous claims. Just the Vax, however is heavily supported with relevant studies and the ability to parse the literature.   At August 6, 2009 7:45 PM ,  Laura Jean said... I think there is too much premature hype about all this right now and Dr.Bob conveyed that perfectly in this article. Let's not get carried away but also not ignorant.   At August 7, 2009 12:22 AM ,  leftoverciccia said... Thank you Dr. Bob for your precious research! Your books are read even in Europe, especially the parenting books of your parents. I see, that vaccines heat up the discussions even in the US! Here in Europe it is better not to even start talking about this, people heat up lot and there seems to be no limit in arguing. Here (in Germany) the discussion around H1N1 is really tense, we all should pay for this vaccine although it would not even be available for all! This is outrageous... In Germany there is no panic at all, people are not afraid of the flu but, the press is trying to get us to panic! Let’s see how this flu will develop. I have read your vaccine book with great interest! One point though, here in Europe Measles is still a rather common (and dangerous) illness and separate vaccines apparently aren’t available here  Although there are differences between US vaccines and European, your book was a great help for us. Thank you!!!!!!!!!   At August 7, 2009 4:05 AM ,  Anonymous said... Wow Science mom you are truely one who likes to fight. I see your type all the time. Where is your science?? Show me proof scientific proof that no vaccination has ever been dammaging to any person? There is none because it is a fact that some people react to vaccinations in bad ways. That is why parents have to sign warnings when kids are given them. Dr Sears gives very good moderate advice- Wait and see. Don't be the first to take the shot. Wait until SCIENCE. That is REAL science not you ranting and raving that others have not proven the point when yave not eather. He advised people to let there senators know how they feel not run screaming or protest. You need to really apply this scientific proof both ways.   At August 7, 2009 5:36 AM ,  Catherina said... Leftoverciccia, der Schweizer Maserneinzelimpfstoff Merieux ist in D zugelassen, obwohl nicht immer erhaeltlich. Bevor Ihr garnicht Masern impft, frag doch mal in der Apotheke. Von den MMR Impfstoffen ist Priorix der effektivste und am besten vertraeglich (bin gerade gestern nochmal durch die Serokonversions- und Nebenwirkungsstudien). Hier ist eine Liste aller Masern-enthaltenden Impfstoffe, aber wie gesagt, nicht immer ist jeder auch im Vertrieb: http://www.pei.de/cln_116/nn_158126/DE/arzneimittel/impfstoffe/masern/masern-node.html?__nnn=true   At August 7, 2009 10:53 AM ,  Science Mom said... Where is your science?? Show me proof scientific proof that no vaccination has ever been dammaging to any person? There is none because it is a fact that some people react to vaccinations in bad ways. That is why parents have to sign warnings when kids are given them. There has been no discussion here regarding vaccine reactions, nor any protestations by me that they don't exist so this is just a red herring. Dr Sears gives very good moderate advice- Wait and see. Don't be the first to take the shot. Wait until SCIENCE. That is REAL science not you ranting and raving that others have not proven the point when yave not eather. That's my point, there is information about these vaccines and their excipients now and if Dr. Bob was the 'vaccine researcher' he claims to be then he wouldn't have to wait for the package inserts. I guess that's why Catherina and I (along with others) will have to provide that information. He advised people to let there senators know how they feel not run screaming or protest. You need to really apply this scientific proof both ways. No he strongly implied that there would be jackbooted thugs coming to forcibly vaccinate your children whilst you hopelessly look on. This isn't science, it's conspiracy-mongering. It only takes a modicum of reading comprehension and a bit of ethics to already know that, not only has the HHS announced that there wouldn't be mandatory vaccinations, but the government has neither the desire, nor the manpower to execute such an action.   At August 7, 2009 11:02 AM ,  Justine said... Thank you so much, Dr. Bob, for your courage and candor. The negative comments are most likely from the educated ignorant who have a fear of the truth.   At August 7, 2009 11:32 AM ,  Anonymous said... I'd just like to say that I've enjoyed some of this banter. I appreciated "science mom's" comment about Dr. Bob's worrisome claim about forced vaccinations. It was a bit ironic that his goal was to lessen worries, and in the end he created them with those comments. But it seems that she is a frequent debunker on this site, so it seems she is hated by many. I don't come very often. I will say this before I say anything else. My wife is a Molecular Biologist with an Academic Institution, and I am a researcher in Boston. We follow a modified Vax schedule for our daughter that includes most of the vaccines, just in a spread out schedule. In the end, science is simply a systematized record of knowledge at the time. Any scientist worth their salt will tell you that much of what happens in the labs of the world is a process, not an event, and much data that is contrary to an investigators agenda is dismissed. "Arbitrary" is a word heard often in the Boston lab world, which is obviously no slouch in the science world. Though somewhat trustworthy, science is not unchallengeable, it is not concrete, and it is not unchangeable. If history has taught us anything, it is that. At the end of the day, science, while fascinating and useful, is not a god to be praised. It is a tool in the belt of any human being to be used in the search for knowledge. The banter, while amusing, reveals a sort of misconception in the world today. It is the misconception that there is "true" science and "pseudo" science, and discerning between the two is the goal of life. Interestingly, what is "true" and what is "pseudo" is constantly in flux. Nevertheless, there are those who will continue to spew out their "true" science, suggesting that anything else is invalid. I'm a big boy. I can handle someone opining, even if I differ. And I will make my own choice at the end of the day. Then again, science to me isn't a god. It is a tool. I don't put my faith and identity in tools.   At August 8, 2009 1:35 AM ,  Anonymous said... You know what would be really great....is if someone gave me some real advice on what to do as my child has been exposed at a Dana Point church to H1N1 & All Dr. Bob wants to do is get on his soap box..My kid is now, at 1am, with a 103 temp and this website has NO Real assistance!   At August 8, 2009 12:31 PM ,  Catherina said... Anonymous - I am sorry to hear your child so doing so poorly. I hope it is better by now, but actually, loads of clear fluids and rest and ordinary Ibuprophen is usually all that is needed. Sending healing vibes!   At August 8, 2009 6:48 PM ,  NAJ FROM OZ said... SCIENCE MOM, CATHERINA AND ALL THOSE WHO DO NOT APPRECIATE DR BOB READ THIS- I understand that you have a different opinion. I understand that you vehematly disagree with Dr Bob. I understand that you truely believe that you are helping people. HOWEVER, this is not a cpompetition on who has the best scientific knowledge and who is right or wrong. Real confidence meqans you have the ability to see another persons perspective and have respect that it simply is different to yours. YOUR VIOLENT attitude is not appreciated... You need to just calm down and stop being so sipteful. Learn that healthy communiaction involves using I statements and acknowloedging the other person point of view. It also involves, teliing your point of view with respect, dignity and intergirty for all partyis involved. I have NOT vaccinated my son, and i will be eternally grateful to people like dr bob as t seems at this point that my son may been affected seeing that the dr's have concern that he may haven scaring on his kidney's... HOWEVER, i am always open to hear what you have to say and what research you have found, but when you ridicule and demean others, APART from the fact that it takes away respect from people like myself who apprecaite what you have to say( as i am interested in learning more about formidahyde in babanas for instance), it just not pleasant to read... LETS DEBATE, LETS HAVE DIFFERENT OPINIONS, BUT LETS DO THIS WITH RESPECT AND INTEGRITY FOR ALL THOSE INVOLVED.... Perhaps, a better way you can approach this is {I see that you are concerned, and I would be too if I believed what you did. I just am concerned about the possibility that we are scaring people uncecessarily} etc... ON a more personal note, I really do fear that we as adults are teaching our children to comminunicate in this manner. This is not healthy and nor is it condusive to our development as a human race. WE are parents and need to simply behave better! I have NEVER seen Dr Bob degrade any of you, nor has he made any personnal attacks. Thats is how we ALL should be communicating.   At August 8, 2009 7:06 PM ,  NAJ FROM OZ said... OH and Annonymous with the sick child with HINI. My son over the last few days had a fever of over 39.7 and this went on for 2 days. I did give him panadole, but it only worked a little bit. I tried homepathtics etc and nothing worked. UNTIL, I gave him a massive dose of vit c that it helped him. It was AMAZING, it worked almost insantly... give it a go, and you may just suprise yoruself...   At August 8, 2009 7:16 PM ,  Anonymous said... Science Mom, "thank you" is two separate words and should not contain a hyphen. I noticed that you made this mistake several times.   At August 9, 2009 2:34 PM ,  Anonymous said... I would encourage those of you who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant or know someone who is pregnant to listen to a report on H1N1 and pregnancy that aired on NPR's All Things Considered this evening. Here's a link: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=111714561 For those of you who consider NPR part of the "liberal media" and do not consider yourselves liberal, I encourage you to be open-minded enough to listen to the report anyway. It's not very long. Mom of 1   At August 9, 2009 6:22 PM ,  Anonymous said... The title has incorrect grammar. Please fix it ASAP. It should say, "Its," not "It's."   At August 10, 2009 12:31 PM ,  Anonymous said... Here are the total influenza deaths from the report (from 1979 to 1995, the stats were released every two years): 1979: 604; 1981: 3,006; 1983: 1,431; 1985: 2,054; 1987: 632; 1989: 1,593; 1991: 1,137; 1993: 1,044; 1995: 606; 1996: 745; 1997: 720; 1998: 1,724; 1999: 1,665; 2000: 1,765; 2001: 257. Source: http://www.lungusa.org/atf/cf/%7B7A8D42C2-FCCA-4604-8ADE-7F5D5E762256%7D/PI1.PDF   At August 11, 2009 6:34 AM ,  Anonymous said... I'm just glad Science Mom isn't in charge of my child's vaccines. In Colorado I have a choice and he's on a delayed schedule. Science Mom, have you thought about maybe having a massage? You seem kind of tense. Or would that be too much alternative medicine for you?   At August 11, 2009 8:54 PM ,  Science Mom said... I'm just glad Science Mom isn't in charge of my child's vaccines. In Colorado I have a choice and he's on a delayed schedule. Science Mom, have you thought about maybe having a massage? You seem kind of tense. Or would that be too much alternative medicine for you? There is nothing special about Colorado (other than high pertussis rates due to non-vaccination), anyone can vaccinate on a delayed schedule. Oh, I adore my massage therapist but stating facts doesn't make me tense at all, in fact, not much does. Although I can tell I have that effect on others don't I?   At August 12, 2009 11:52 PM ,  NAJ FROM OZ said... There is nothing special about Colorado (other than high pertussis rates due to non-vaccination), anyone can vaccinate on a delayed schedule. Oh, I adore my massage therapist but stating facts doesn't make me tense at all, in fact, not much does. Although I can tell I have that effect on others don't I? Interesting, can you provide statsiics for the high pertussis rates in Colorado and the rates of vaccination? I am curious as in Australia, people ALWAYS like to blame the unvaccinated for the high rates of pertusis, but in fact, we have the highest rate of vaccination on record. In SA they did some research and found that 87% of those who had whooping cough were indeed vaccinared. Furthermore, In NSW, the South West has the highest rate of vaccination, but yet have the highest rate of whooping cough too. EVERY single person I know that has had whooping cough have been fully vaccinated. Furthrmore, when The Doctors try and tell me that I am endaerouring my son, I point out these facts, and low and behold, it comes out, that every child under the age of 10 who has contrcated whooping cough have indeed been fully vaccinated. Thus, i am keen to learn where you got these facts from as the whooping cough vaccine is the one vaccine that I am 100% confident in saying that it simply does not work... I will not say this about other vaccines yet,as I do not know that for sure. Also, I think that you may not reaslise it, but the reason why someone suggested you get a massage is that you do come across very angry. The effect thus is not one of influence...The pressumed facts that you state does not need to be done with disrespect to Dr Bob or anyone else. If you can mainatain a level of respect and dignity for all those involved you would indeed have so much more influence. For instance, I am more than open to hear what you have to say and to be challenged on anything I say too. In saying that, I still am curious on where you get your facts from?   At August 13, 2009 12:28 AM ,  Shawn said... I'm curious about a 'delayed schedule' for vaccinations. I have three children and all have been vaccinated. I have many friends that do NOT vaccinate their children and I guess I'm not educated enough on the reasons why. I don't ever get flu shots and will not ever in the future, but I do believe in normal childhood vaccinations. I guess I'm curious to know the reasoning behind a delayed schedule. Science Mom - I guess I'm confused...it is late...are you for or against vaccinating children? Lately I've been receiving LOTS of information from friends that states how bad vaccines are and I'm somewhat questioning my decision to vaccinate my children. Can someone please lead me to a reputable source of information for BOTH sides of the argument so I can be more informed. I am planning on having a fourth child and wondering if I should continue vaccinating or not????   At August 13, 2009 4:01 AM ,  NAJ FROM OZ said... Shawn, Read everything on this site ( read the blog on how the government may consider doing some real research, follow the links on it and read the governement documentation. This will intrigue you to know that we have seriously not researched vaccines properly and the authorities are actually admitting it), read everything that thinktwice globla offer, read everything generation rescue offer, read nvic.., read AVN, read what the CDC have to say, read what the FDA have to say, read what the WHO have to say. Buy, Vaccine Nation, read all the books on offer. Go to the primary sources as much as possible.... This will give you lots and lots to start with. Follow the links as much as possible, read about the different researchers. Google about the chemicals and see what comes up. Read the manufacturing inserts to see what incongruencies there are ( I was SHOCKED when I read it for myself). Read, read and read and you will see why your friends and people like myself chose not to vaccinate.. It is a personal choice, and I find it interesting that you amongst everyone else I love dearly who say they believe in vaccinations HAVE NOT DONE THEIR RESEARCH. I do understand that we have been conditioned into believing this though..This is not an insult as not vaccinating has been one of the most difficult decisions I have had to make which took every single ounce of courage to with stand the pressure from everyone around me. Thus, it became critical to arm myself with as much knowledge as possible. Goodluck with it all. As it is a hard slog going through everything, but it is important that we do not trust anyone until we have investigated it for ourselves. Oh the whole idea as I understand it for a delayed schedule is to allow the childs immune system to be a little bit more stronger before we expose them to so many illnesses at once. I also, believe its because, we do not catch that mnay diseases at once, so why is it that we need to put that many diseases into our bodies at once. The dangerous thing about the current US and Australian vaccination schedule is that we will be injecting our children with AT LEAST 30 VACCINES by the time they are 12 months old. NEVER in history have we experienced such an onslaught onto the human body. Thus, the delayed schedule is DEFINATELY more friendly if you choose to vaccinate....I will never say never, but if I ever did, it will be along these lines of a delayed vaccination schedule. BUT as far as I am concerned I am way tooooooo scared to put any of these poisons into my sons body, especially because it bypasses the normal route of how we catch these illness to begin with. Thus, going straight into their blood stream. VERY scary indeed!   At August 13, 2009 8:20 AM ,  Science Mom said... Interesting, can you provide statsiics for the high pertussis rates in Colorado and the rates of vaccination? Naj, here is an article that sums it up nicely: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/123/6/1446 Also, I think that you may not reaslise it, but the reason why someone suggested you get a massage is that you do come across very angry. I wouldn't do this if it angered me; you are witnessing others projecting their own anger upon me. Science Mom - I guess I'm confused...it is late...are you for or against vaccinating children? Shawn, I am pro-vax with a healthy dose of scepticism.   At August 13, 2009 9:59 PM ,  NAJ FROM OZ said... Thanks Science Mom, anything else like that, please pass it on, as I am always keen to learn... What I find interesting in this study is that they had 159 people with whooping cough, and only only 18 had not been vaccinated. Thus, it is interesting that they make such conclusions seeing that 88% of those who contracted whooping cough were indeed vaccinated.... This is what i find with the whooping cough epidemic in Australia. Most of the people that contract it, have indeed been fully vaccinated.... It just seems that this particular vaccine just does not work..But, I am cannot say this about the others.. Thanks for posting that science mom... take care..   At August 15, 2009 6:17 PM ,  Anonymous said... Dear Dr. Bob, Hi, our son is due for chicken pox vaccine (was actually due quite a while ago but we're getting caught up now) but we have a newborn baby in the house. Since chicken pox vaccine is a live vaccine, do you think it is safe to get our son this vaccine with our newborn being so young? When would be a safe time? Any precautions we should take? Does breastfeeding protect our infant against chicken pox (since I've had it) incase she does get exposed to the virus from the vaccine? Thanks so much! MP   At August 16, 2009 4:58 AM ,  Catherina said... MP, maternal immunity against chicken pox is not very good and would be based on antibodies that passed via the placenta before birth. Breastfeeding does not confer immunity against chicken pox. I would probably postpone chicken pox vaccination for a couple of months past the newborn period, just to exclude the (very small) possibility of transmission to the baby while s/he is still in a "high risk for chicken pox complications" age.   At August 16, 2009 9:25 AM ,  Anonymous said... Thank you for your reply Catherina! So what would you consider the newborn period - is it the first 3 months? I was thinking about getting the chicken pox vaccine for him when we go for our daugther's 2-month visit, but maybe wait till 4 months or even later? Thanks! MP   At August 16, 2009 10:31 AM ,  Catherina said... MP - the 2 month visit is fine - it would be another 10 to 14 days until your son would be contagious (if he ever is), so by that time your daughter would be old enough not to be in undue danger from chicken pox.   At August 16, 2009 7:23 PM ,  Anonymous said... Extremely important information at www.pandemicfluonline.com. Did you know the CDC is currently preparing vaccination cards for the swine flu to prove you have been vaccinated? What will happen if you don't have a card???   At August 17, 2009 9:44 AM ,  Science Mom said... Anon, pandemicfluonline is a poor source for flu information; they spout that swine flu is anthropomorphically engineered and rant about mandatory flu vaccination (not happening). This is a much better source for flu information: http://www.flu.gov/ And, I don't know, what WILL you do with the CDC flu information cards that will be handed out?   At August 17, 2009 11:56 PM ,  Evan said... Anonymous said: I'd like to know why they've developed a vaccine similar to the flu-mist for H1N1. We know that flu-mist is contra-indicated in pregnant and immuno-compromised individuals due to a higher risk of developing disease. According to the Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/31/AR2009073103418.html MedImmune's FluMist is just one of the five H1N1 vaccines that will be available, and it is the only one that uses a live attenuated virus. The CDC guidelines state that pregnant women should not receive live attenuated influenza virus (LAIV) vaccinations: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/preg-guide.htm Since elsewhere the CDC recommends that pregnant women be among the first to be vaccinated, that implies to me that a killed-virus injectable vaccine will be made available in the fall: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/acip.htm By the way, here is the abstract of a new article from The Lancet that suggests pregnant women are at a higher risk of complications from the H1N1 flu: http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2809%2961304-0/abstract As well as an blog from U.S. News: http://health.usnews.com/blogs/on-women/2009/07/29/swine-flu-hits-pregnant-women-harder.html However, it is true that the H1N1 flu vaccine will not get through the whole testing regimen by the fall that the seasonal flu vaccine usually has, so I can understand why some moms will want to wait: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/706132   At August 18, 2009 5:30 AM ,  Matthew Cline said... @NAJ FROM OZ: What I find interesting in this study is that they had 159 people with whooping cough, and only only 18 had not been vaccinated. Thus, it is interesting that they make such conclusions seeing that 88% of those who contracted whooping cough were indeed vaccinated.... Knowing only the percentage of the infected who were vaccinated isn't enough to tell if the vaccine is ineffective or not, you also need to know the percentage of the population which is vaccinated. If 88% of the population was vaccinated then that would mean that the vaccine was ineffective. However, if more than 88% of the population was vaccinated, meaning that 12% of the infected were unvaccinated but less than 12% of the population was unvaccinated, then the unvaccinated would be disproportionately represented, indicating that the vaccine is working. If 90% of the population is vaccinated it means that the unvaccinated are 1.23 times more likely to get pertussis than the vaccinated. If 95% are vaccinated then it's 2.59 times more likely. If 99% are vaccinated then it's 13.5 times more likely. Also, the pertussis vaccine tend to decrease the severity of symptoms in those who get the vaccine but still catch pertussis. If the vaccinated got pertussis at the exact same rate as the unvaccinated, but the vaccinated had a lower rate of mortality and permanent complications than the vaccinated, then the vaccine would still be effective.   At August 18, 2009 2:03 PM ,  Amanda said... Just wanted to let everyone know that I am pregnant, had H1N1, did not need treatment, and definitely would take the symptoms of that flu over any possible side effect of the vaccine. I know H1N1 may affect different people differently, but so will the vaccine. If you are worried about getting the flu, get the vaccine. If you are not, don't get it. Either way, there are risks and benefits. I am now most likely more protected from the virus, than if I had gotten the vaccine. You just have to be smart. If you don't get vaccinated, wash your hands a lot, cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze, etc, etc. If you get sick, stay in bed, monitor your temperature, drink and eat foods to keep you strong while the virus runs it's course. This flu isn't really doing much more than the so-caled "regular flu", which everyone almost expects to get once a year or so. It just has slightly different symptoms that can cause more breathing difficulties. There are worse diseases out there. Just stay smart and do what you think you should do for yourself.   At August 18, 2009 5:54 PM ,  Anonymous said... I cannot believe I just wasted 2 minutes of my life reading that completely uselss blog. Even more amazing is that the Dr wasted his time writing it.   At August 19, 2009 7:31 AM ,  txjohn said... Mandatory vaccinations is not such a far out idea. I live in Texas and Gov. Rick Perry signed an Executive Order requiring the vaccination of all girls with garvisil. It required the Texas Congress had to over ride his insidious act with legislation. It is for this reason I will vote against Rick Perry. His abuse of power, the precedence of even thinking to make vaccinations mandatory is insane.   At August 20, 2009 3:07 PM ,  tgibbs said... Dr. Sears's habit of dropping these vague rumors about vaccine threats and compulsory vaccination, while insulating himself by saying that he is just putting them "on the table," rather than personally endorsing them, is a clever way to promote anxiety and build his image as a vaccine guru, without actually taking personal responsibility. Of course, I recognize that Dr. Sears is running a business, and that the main purpose of this web site is to promote his book, and I imagine that it is quite successful at that. Nevertheless, I can't help wondering if Dr. Sears actually believes this stuff. Perhaps he thinks of his "alternative vaccine schedule" as a mostly harmless placebo, and imagines that he is doing a public service (as well as reaping royalties) by offering people with exaggerated fears about vaccines a benign alternative to refusing vaccination altogether. Of course, he might be sincere. You can get through medical school without learning a very much about actual science, particularly when it comes to reading the original literature (although one would have to be extraordinarily weak in science to take the work of Wakefield or the Geiers seriously). It's not uncommon to encounter physicians who value their medical intuition more highly that clinical trials, and the history of medicine is full of examples of therapies that were concocted by some doctor based upon his personal experience and intuition and enthusiastically adopted by the medical profession, only to have them turn out to be useless or even harmful once they were tested properly in controlled clinical trials. It may even be that his alternative schedule is not so bad, even though much of the reasoning behind it is obviously specious. Without a proper clinical trial, we will never know for sure. I suppose, compared to real antivaccination loons, he is not so bad. But I can't have a lot of sympathy for a guy who is advising parents to avoid a vaccination schedule that has been shown to be extraordinarily safe and effective, and instead to experiment on their own children by using a vaccination schedule that has never been rigorously evaluated, and might very well be exposing children to unnecessary risks of both disease and vaccination side effects.   At August 20, 2009 3:41 PM ,  Anonymous said... Hey Science Mom..do you work for a drug company?   At August 20, 2009 3:57 PM ,  Anonymous said... Actually reading Dr. Bob's post made me feel calmer and better about this issue. I was fairly concerned before reading his post, a result of the government and media, which are the entities that are "fanning hysteria". And to think that the drug companies do not influence government policy is naive at best.   At August 20, 2009 8:41 PM ,  Anonymous said... It is time for everyone to wake up...especially those who put all of their eggs in the 'science' basket. How about getting back to using a little common sense and a lot of mother's/parent's intuition. Before I read one thing about vaccines or their ingredients, I knew I couldn't pump that junk into my beautiful, perfect newborn. Let's face it...health never has been and never will be gained by continuing to shoot people up with more and more man made chemical concoctions. Our genetics are being ruined more and more with each passing generation pumping themselves full of more drugs, vaccines, toxins, junk food, and stress. The only path to health and to strong robust humans is to boost your immune system...period! Vaccines are NOT and never will be the answer to health. With 200+ in the pipeline, we are doomed. The human race will not survive it. Save your children and their children...skip the poisons.   At August 21, 2009 2:40 AM ,  NAJ FROM OZ said... tgibbs wrote, But I can't have a lot of sympathy for a guy who is advising parents to avoid a vaccination schedule that has been shown to be extraordinarily safe and effective, and instead to experiment on their own children by using a vaccination schedule that has never been rigorously evaluated, and might very well be exposing children to unnecessary risks of both disease and vaccination side effects... THERE HAS not been research on the current schedule.. Read through ALL of Dr Seears blogs and he PROVES that there has NOT been research done on the safety... HE PROVES IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!... read the blog on how the government is now considering doing some proper research as they simply have NOT done it...READ that government document and it will affirm what Dr Sears says... FURTHERMORE, it is frustrating hearing all the insults about how he makes money from this... WHY DONT WE CARE that the pharmecuetical companies make money, but yet we worry about Dr Sears?.... I respect the fact that I do not know everything and am grateful for people who teach me about both sides of the debate. So, keep the information coming, but leave the personal insults out please...Thus, if you want to refutt Dr Sears, I am keen to learn about that too.... THANK YOU SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH DR SEARS FOR YOUR HUMILTY AMONGST ALL OF THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   At August 21, 2009 12:07 PM ,  tgibbs said... One of the great ironies of life is that the only people who invoke "common sense" are the ones who don't have a lick of it. All vaccines are extensively tested for safety in combination with the existing vaccine schedule prior to release, and there is also extensive after-market surveillance of adverse effects that occur close to the time of vaccination. So we do know that the standard vaccine schedule is safe and effective. What we don't know is whether Dr. Sears's schedule is safe and effective. What controlled studies did he do before promoting his revised schedule to the public? It is clear that postponing vaccinations widens the time window of disease vulnerability. And it is not at all clear that spreading vaccinations out or giving them later will reduce adverse effects, and there are plausible reasons to think that it might do the opposite. The only thing that we do know about the alternative vaccination schedule is that it is making money for Dr. Sears.   At August 21, 2009 6:18 PM ,  NAJ FROM OZ said... Hey tgibbs, Vacciness have not been extensively tested in the manner they need to be... Please go back to Dr Sears Blog that was done on June 10 that leads to this document from the government - http://www.hhs.gov/nvpo/nvac/documents/NVACVaccineSafetyWGReport041409.pdf It is 90 pages, and in this document the are suggesting that studies refutting the link between autism and vaccines need to be re done. AS they stipulate that it is plausable that vaccines may indeed trigger autism in a small subset of the population. They suggest that perhaps an alternative schedule may be necessary.. They suggest that studies done have not effectively compared the vaccinated to non vaccinetd. They suggest that further studies need to be done with reference to vaccines, autoimmune diseases, asthma etc... They ADMIT that only 2 ingredients have been studied out of the many....There is of course much more for you to see for yourself! PLEASE, read this document before you continue to attack Dr Sears, for suggesting an alternate schedule that may indeed be enforced anyway... You seem to be soooooo caught up in Dr Sears making money, but yet, you have no problems about the manufacturing companies making billions of dollars? That is confusing to me...   At August 22, 2009 8:00 PM ,  Anonymous said... http://www.infowars.com/we-are-change-colorado-military-confirms-states-deciding-mandatory-vaccination/ Captain Raymond Strikas, MD, explains (just after the 3:00 mark) that the CDC is preparing vaccine cards to show whether or not you have been vaccinated for swine flu......they are NOT information cards! He also says it's up to the states to regulate....also says it's voluntary. Which is it??? If it's voluntary, why have cards?   At August 23, 2009 11:46 PM ,  Anonymous said... http://newswithviews.com/Devvy/kidd463.htm Mandatory Vaccinations? Tell Feds and States to 'Stick It' by Devvy Kidd (Excellent Article!)   At August 24, 2009 7:31 PM ,  Anonymous said... my 22-month old has asthma and wheezes even when she has a cold... is she more vulnerable to complications and should i push to get her vaccinated as soon as it's available? not sure which is more risky? she is in daycare.   At August 25, 2009 8:50 AM ,  Kathleen said... Hey there, Dr. B: how do you respond to the news circulating now of the 90 thousand potential deaths from swine flu this flu season? And the report that they will more than likely be among children and young adults...not among the elderly as seen most prevalently? I read your original blog post...any updates now? BTW I followed your recommendations when vaccinating my children. I love your book and find it an invaluable resource.   At August 25, 2009 4:45 PM ,  Cinda said... I just saw the national news from the CDC...what do we do now? My child is 2 and stays home. Do we vaccinate? I am not the most educated person but do love my son enough to question the governments decisions. I am on the alternate vaccine schedule as shown in the vaccine book. The news is scaring me now!   At August 25, 2009 6:13 PM ,  Anonymous said... People... Try and calm down. How many people have actually been hurt from the swine flu? back in 1976, there was hysteria about this impending doom, and we were all going to die lol... 90000 will die? Thats just outrageous... If you want to inoculate your children because you feel its the right thing, then go ahead. BUT, I suggest you do a chemical composition research first and base your decision on that. SWINE FLU thus far has been relatively mild. I WIIL NOT VACCINATE AT ALL, as I have done my research and as far as I am concerned there is toooooooooooooo much information that we are NOT told about!   At August 26, 2009 9:38 AM ,  Erika said... I am 5 months pregnant and according to the CDC, because I will be in my third trimester in the Fall/early Winter I will be in one of the "high risk" categories for significant issues if I contract the H1N1 virus -- and to my understanding there is no real reason for this -- just the fact that third trimester women tend to have more significant reactions to any flu. Anyway, I am definitely one to take vaccinations seriously and with my other two daughters I spread out their vaccines by a few months so that they are covered --- but not overwhelmed with several shots at once. I have never given them a flu vaccine because of the thimerasol - but according to the CDC's website there will be non-thimerasol containing H1N1 vaccines available for pregnant women and small children. I still have strong apprehensions to this vaccine as I do not want to compromise my unborn child in any way... but, I also don't want to risk his life by me contracting the flu either. So, I am torn. There is so much "unknown" about what is inside this vaccine - let alone the affects of it on pregnant women and their children... but this issue seems to be difficult to ignore. Any thoughts?   At August 26, 2009 9:18 PM ,  Anonymous said... Catherina, aka Science Mom, aka Justhevax... Dr. Sears is very well known, respected, can be visted, consulted with and seen live in front of a real human audiences. Can you please identify yourselve(s) so others on the site can accept one ounce of your credibility? One can hide, lurk and remain anonymous (as I am doing) but I (as most people) prefer to take and hear advise from those who don't remain anonymous. If you worked in my company you would have been fired long ago for miss use of company resources... or do you work? Oh yea you get paid to do this... it is pretty clear :-) I guess we all have our opinions.   At August 27, 2009 2:28 AM ,  Catherina said... Cinda, don't worry - the CDC is already backpedaling: http://tinyurl.com/mmg8ta Anonymous - your feeble attempt at mudslinging shows nicely that you have nothing of substance to contribute to the discussion.   At August 27, 2009 9:25 AM ,  Anonymous said... Dr. Bob, I appreciate your input on vaccines! I know for my own family doctor, he doesn't always know what one should do in regard to Vaccines b/c he sees how the pharma company's push the drugs for EVERYONE. The money hungry drug company's has really brought a lot of questions to families that really just want the best health for our little ones. I totally agree with the one poster that mentioned about her father being a dr. and prescribing, EXERCISE, Healthy home cooked meals and things of that nature. I am working on those things for our family. Our family personally HAS NOT been to the dr. in a long time. I treat my family when they are sick with natural remedies, sleep, filtered water, cut out the dairy and sugar etc when sick, up the Vit C, Elderberry, Garlic, Vinegar etc. and the best medicine of all is we PRAY!! Yes, we pray!! Our Lord Jesus takes care of us, every need. We must keep fighting for our rights!! I hope to make it to a town hall meeting at some point if possible. We need to give this controlling dictators a RUN for their MONEY!!! Seriously regardless what your faith. WE the AMERICAN people need to stand up and not back down to the Gov't and their control. Nationwide "Obama Care" will be the first step in controlling the people, the population and everything. If you are concerned about mandatory vaccines, you will not like Obama Care telling you NO to that serious surgery you need NOW as an EMERGENCY!!!! You will be on a waiting list for that important heart surgery and you will prolly die b/c you won't get the care you DESERVE...No Sorry, they won't be able to meet our needs b/c the govt' has already gone broke and they can't afford 1 more "Old grandma" or "newborn" to take care. They'll say "ahh sorry you'll just have to die and here is the death panel talk". Wow, and just to let you know, my opinions and thoughts on this have been for the past 6 or so years, I have seen the govt gain more control and I know that the "VERI-CHIP" is going to be implanted in EVERYONE if you want health care. It will be mandatory or you WONT receive care and or DIE. I pray, pray that i am wrong but when I first heard about the Veri-chip 5 years ago it really scared me. Check it out.. google it!!! Blessings to you Dr. Bob, may the Lord give you wisdom and keep you and your family safe in all you do!!! Shannon   At August 27, 2009 12:06 PM ,  Anonymous said... Dr. Sears, you posed the question about why the gov't was placing so much more emphasis on this as opposed to "normal" flu strains? Also,why emphasizing the kids as young as 6mo old and 18-24 age group which are typically the last to be recommended for flu shots, if at all? The answer is that we are seeing very eerie similarities between the early behavior of this particular strain and what history tells us the 1918 pandemic strain that went on to kill many millions did. Like this strain, it started in the spring and proved to be very contagious, but not particullarly more virulent in the general population. But like this H1N1 strain, the 1918 did have an unusual ability to hit very hard at groups which typically handle the average flu well, esp. people in their late teens to early 30's. That strain then went through a mutation early in the fall that made it turn deadly and suddenly millions of people worldwide were seriously ill, with the usually resilient youth populations having the highest mortality rates, rivaling in some areas that of the black death centuries before. This strain has some scary similarities. It is a novel strain immunologiclly, fairly mutagenistic, aggressive towards normally low impact populations, and at least in those groups, more virulent than average. The fear is that it will like the 1918 strain mutate in such a way that it becomes a major killer and that it will ravage the youth the way the 1918 strain did. That is why I am not taking any chances, and will vaccinate my 10 mo. old son along with myself and school teacher wife when the vaccine becomes avail., and the CDC gives the green light for pediatric patients. I can't afford to wait until half of my wife's school or my son's daycare comes down with it to wait and see if it is dangerous, by then it will be too late to be of any effect. RON from Houston   At August 27, 2009 2:32 PM ,  Anonymous said... Science Mom is probably a 'plant". Squalene is dangerous and the mist is not good if you have asthma or (((allergic to mercury)))) OK...and my daughter who is a nurse HAS to have it and she has asthma...SO she has to have the one with squalene that has not been tested since she has to have it first being a medical care provider. SHE HAS NO CHOICE. No religious or medical exemptions accepted.   At August 27, 2009 2:37 PM ,  Anonymous said... I WIIL NOT VACCINATE AT ALL, as I have done my research and as far as I am concerned there is toooooooooooooo much information that we are NOT told about! SOOOOOO how are you planning on doing that (not vaccinating)???   At August 27, 2009 2:52 PM ,  Anonymous said... Shannon..you are so rediculous if you think that! Really? Praying? Jesus? Really? OMG we are all so screwed. These nut jobs are actually parroting this nonsense and in the meantime Rome is burning! I hope Jesus or some magical figure would help us...but it's no happening. WE need to put some effort into changing the status quo and REVOLT.   At August 28, 2009 1:49 PM ,  Michele Davis said... Dr. Bob -- Could you offer some guidance to pregnant women? I am due on Christmas Day. I usually do not get the flu shot, even when pregnant, but I have seen reports that swine flu is more deadly for pregnant women than the typical flu. How do I evaluate my risk? To me, the risks of the vaccines seem high, since there are so many unknowns, but the thought of leaving my three children (under 3) without a mother is terrifying. Thank you for your blog and commitment to children. Blessings, Michele   At August 29, 2009 7:18 PM ,  STOP THE VAX said... Vaccines are POISON. The only one[s] who benefit from vaccines are PHARMACEUTICALS. Lots of Vitamin D will protect you from the flu and many other diseases. DON'T be fooled by paid off media hype. STOP the sickening assault on humanity.   At August 30, 2009 7:41 PM ,  Anonymous said... Amanda - you stated you were pregnant and had H1N1 - I am curious how far along you were when you had H1N1 - most complications seem to arise in pregnancy & H1N1 cases during the third trimester, among women who are very close to giving birth..... so curious if this is the case for you, or if you had it earlier in pregnancy. If you are not comfortable sharing this information, I understand. Thanks.   At August 30, 2009 7:52 PM ,  Anonymous said... Erika & Michele - I just wanted to let you know I am in the same situation as you all - pregnant and due at the end of November, and very nervous about all this H1N1 talk. Not only do I worry about myself catching this, but my tiny little baby who will be so very young during the midst of flu season. I am extremely nervous about taking a LIVE VIRUS vaccine while pregnant, especially one that has not been tested on pregnant women. I also have an egg allergy and have never gotten a flu vaccine because of this. What could this h1n1 vaccine cause in my unborn baby? What are the side effects for unborn babies? Or, conversely, if I don't get the vaccine, what happens if my tiny baby gets the flu? Is there real evidence that the vaccine can help give new babies immunity? My guess is NO since there were no tests done on pregnant women. Also, being a LIVE VIRUS vaccine, family/friends who are in the medical field have told me this means you can CATCH the flu from this vaccine. And what happens then??? Scary stuff. I have not made a decision yet, but I can tell you that based on trusted medical professionals I have talked to who are very questioning of "big pharma", I am leaning towards NO on this vaccine. I would love to hear Dr. Sears address pregnant woman and this vaccine as well, particularly addressing whether getting this vaccine could give your unborn child some immunity and the safety of this live virus vaccine for pregnant women.   At August 30, 2009 10:12 PM ,  Anonymous said... Please go to Dr. Stan Monteith's web site: http://www.soundwaves2000.com/radio_liberty/ Listen to 8-26-09 with Joyce Riley. She was an Air Force flight nurse during Gulf War 1 and was vaccinated with "Vaccine A" which contained SQUALENE. Her story will scare you to death, and you will not get the swine flu vaccine after hearing it!!   At September 2, 2009 11:19 AM ,  Mandy said... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4SmFxyust0&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efacebook%2Ecom%2Fhome%2Ephp%3F&feature=player_embedded#t=277   At September 2, 2009 7:48 PM ,  Anonymous said... Hi Dr. Bob, Can you please answer the questions pregnant women are asking. I've read your book, selectively and alternatively vaccinate my son but I'm so confused on what to do w/ the H1N1 vaccine for myself. I'm 31 weeks pregnant and will be delivering during the "height" of the proposed swine flu outbreak. I DO NOT want to get the vaccine, it is too new and the ingredients don't sound great. But I also don't want to get the flu, I live in AZ so we have alot of immigrants here and the number of swine flu cases and deaths has been pretty high. What would you have your wife do if she was pregnant now? Thank you for all your hard work!   At September 2, 2009 8:07 PM ,  Disappointed said... This is the same article that was included in last month's newsletter. Except for the inflammatory comments about Guillain-Barre' syndrome. It was not useful and snide the first time. Didn't need it again. So disappointing from a group that I used to respect.   At September 2, 2009 9:56 PM ,  Naj from Oz said... HI dissapointed, I do not know if you realise that the government have admitted and have paid out millions of dollars to people who suffered from Guillain- Barre- syndrome. It is sad, but true. So unfortuntely, Dr Bob, is actually saying the truth. The last swine flu vaccine had 25 confirmed deaths and 500 cases of Guillain- Barre- syndrome... Please refer to his june 10 article, follow the links and you will find an article written by the highest US officials that admit this too... I hope you will re gain you respect for this group, as we are very lucky to have them. Regards, Najla   At September 3, 2009 10:49 AM ,  Megan said... I have a 5 month old little girl... I am hesitant to give her new vaccines that have not been tested for a LONG time. If I were to get the vaccine when it became available would she get benefits and protection from it through my breast milk? thanks, Megan   At September 3, 2009 4:54 PM ,  Anonymous said... Hey Megan, I regretably vaccinated myself againts whooping cough, because I was too terrified give this vaccine to my son, so I thought that if I got vaccinated and everyone around us did, then he would be more protected... Since then, I have read much more and realise that there are soooooooooo many toxins in the vaccine that it could go through my breastmilk. In saying that, this swine flu vaccine had not been tested properly and we are all part of a big test. Thus, if anything happened to you, that would be much worse for your baby girl.... How many people have actually died from swine flu? Granted, there are a few isolated cases, but I dont think it warrants this hysteria and putting ourselves or children at risk either!... You love your baby girl more than anyone else. You need to decide whether your happy to be a test subject or maybe risk this relatively mild flu ( well at least its mild in most people)... This whole issue is more and more scary as so many people are actually believing in it all. Very scary indeed... I hope it works out how you want it to Meagan... Goodluck Naj   At September 3, 2009 4:54 PM ,  Anonymous said... I hate situations like this. My 14 month old daughter has received all her vaccinations up to this point. I asked a lot of questions, but knew it was probably the righ thing to do. However, I'm not thrilled with the concept that the drug companies have had to scramble to get something out to stop the spread of this. Can they be sure it's absolutely safe?? My daughter had a doctor's appointment in 2 weeks, and boy, I am going to ask a lot of questions. There were a lot of side effects with the vaccine in the 70's. I just don't trust it!   At September 3, 2009 5:34 PM ,  Gabes Mom said... I had posted early as anonymous and was'nt sure what to do..but now that they say they are not going to make it mandatory, i will NOT give it to my 2 year old. I certainly don't trust the gov't and i know they may change that mandatory status, for now i'm glad its not! I'm a SAHM and my child does'nt do daycare or playgroups so i will just wash our hands ALOT and santize a TON! I'm also going to limit malls and crowded places. Theres so much to do with family and close to your home anyhow!   At September 3, 2009 10:06 PM ,  Anonymous said... Science Mom and Cat~ Oh my holy blah blah blah blah! You hurt more than help and appear to have nothing better to do than to post here all day...... every day. People who visit Dr. Sears want to hear HIS point of view and if we want the other side we can visit the zillions of blogs that cater to it. Your constant hijacking of threads "all in the name of TRUTH (as you define it)" is rude and intrusive. You responses to Dr. Bob are often flippant and insulting which completely reveals your agenda which is to discredit rather than to inform or be a fair minded participant. My gosh I have never read more aggressive and tenacious trolling. Why not just post "hey...my opposing opinions and information is at this URL" instead of the distract and manipulate the thread tactics you employ here. TROLL That's what you both are. And it doesn't tale much effort to see you are one in the same person. Your average geek can follow the bloggery trails and posts to the same IP. Nice. TROLL   At September 4, 2009 2:18 PM ,  EcoChicMomma said... I too share a concern that the government is going to make this vaccine mandatory, and that they could take away our children if we refuse. There is already a bill that has passed in the Massachusetts state senate that takes a step down that road... http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/local/BO123558/ To quote from the article: "The "Pandemic Response Bill" would also force health providers to vaccinate people, authorize forcible entry into private homes, and impose fines or prison sentences on anyone not complying with isolation or quarantine orders." I am not trying to be alarmist, I just think it's naive to think that it can't happen.   At September 5, 2009 6:06 PM ,  Anonymous said... I have 4 wonderful healthy young adult children, none of them vaccinated. Vaccination is no longer useful in a modern country such as Canada with clean living conditions, sewers, running water, sanitation, waste disposal, education. Public health and sanitation have done more to sustain a healthy country than vaccination itself. Vaccination is a very lucrative business for any country and very controling. Please read, be informed, get your info from good sources such as holistic doctors, chiropractors or MDs that see beyond the conspiracy and smell the rats along like Science Mom. We enjoy the freedom here to not force upon our children any form of vaccination. Voice your concerns and opinions and be so aware that vaccination can make you sick. We have proof from the 70s, in France in the 90s when the DPT vaccine was banned for a few years and for the numerous cases of polio acquired from vaccination. Allow your children to develope a natural immunity with a holistic way of life; chiropractic care, homeopathy, naturopathy, healthy foods.   At September 6, 2009 6:03 AM ,  Anonymous said... Something to keep in mind in the debate and decision whether or not to vaccinate our own families is that the government has now granted legal immunity to drug companies making this vaccine. That's a red flag. I, too, am concerned like many that this vaccine will become forcibly mandatory, but the fact that if the vaccine kills or disables me or my child, I will not be allowed to make anyone responsible for it... it sickens me, as it should all of us. This vaccine will kill some people, just like any vaccine does, and chances are, those who die from the vaccine may not have been affected at all by the disease.   At September 7, 2009 6:56 AM ,  Anonymous said... For all the pregnant ladies, the H1N1 vaccines are new and put to the market as quickly as possible. It will be up to you whether you decide that the risk of the flu to you and the baby is higher is than the risk of getting a new and quickly tested vaccine. Dr. Sears cannot make that decision for you, and he has not seen enough evidence of the effects of the vaccine on pregnant women to give advice on its safety or effectiveness.   At September 9, 2009 10:30 AM ,  atb.online said... Aborted fetal cells: This is an OLD cell line. That fetus was aborted loooooong ago. If you still have trouble with it, get the egg-based vaccine. The "rate" of GBS went through the roof in the 1970s from the flu vaccine? No, the rate was the same as it always is for the flu vaccine, but more people were vaccinated. Add me to the ranks of science mom and catherina...   At September 12, 2009 12:48 PM ,  Catherina said... Canadian anonymous - actually, Canada had imported polio, measles and rubella cases (including congenital rubella) from religious communities in the Netherlands. Just being in a developed country does not protect you from disease and death.   At September 12, 2009 12:49 PM ,  Catherina said... Anonymous Troll - did you have a point? No? Thought so - move on.   At September 12, 2009 12:51 PM ,  Catherina said... Just for info: you cannot catch or spread the flu from the vaccine, unless you get "FluMist" which is attentuated enough that it doesn't give anyone severe flu (high fevers, opportunistic lung infections etc). It is a good idea to get the TdaP when you have a small baby. There are no "toxins" passed into breastmilk.   At September 12, 2009 12:52 PM ,  Catherina said... thanks atb.online :)   At September 12, 2009 2:52 PM ,  Informed M.D. said... "Dr. Bob" is so unbelievably ignorant, uninformed, and lacking in common sense. He has pulled the wool over the eyes of so many. He has no idea what the word "toxin" actually means, and has no formal training in toxicology or infectious diseases. He speaks so idiotically about these subjects that it is laughable. Well, it WOULD be laughable if he were not putting children's lives at risk.   At September 13, 2009 5:05 PM ,  jody said... I really appreciate Dr Bob's book as it has answered many questions that I had. And they were answered in a way that helped me feel more comfortable w/ vaccines. This book came out the year my first child was born, and I was agonizing over my vaccine concerns. His book was a god-send to me because I don't know that any other book could have made me want to give my daughter any vaccines. I appreciate Science Mom's perspective too. I don't think she is forcing anyone to listen to her. But I think she offers a good informative perspective and is very educated--much needed. I appreciate her authoritative manner. I need to hear that kind of voice. Anyone can research what she says. I don't see her as "angry". I think we should be respectful on here of everyone (I don't think she's being disrespectful, although she may challenge someone's viewpoint). I'm sorry, but I do think we are somewhat naive if we can't come to see the importance of vaccines in some degree. I've been there where I didn't see it. Now I do. We are cautious and vaccinate selectively. I know many of us would like to be all natural and green and so forth in all we do. But you know what? My natural dish washing detergent doesn't work! I have to combine it w/ a little Cascade! To me, that helps me put vaccines into perspective somewhat. The extremely small amount of chemicals/toxins in vaccines needs to be put into perspective too(although some may have excellent reasons for not vaccinating). Many could be vaccinated who aren't. Don't make the mistake of thinking certain diseases are harmless (though some ARE). You've really got to weigh your risks. I feel comfortable just being cautious and selective and realize what a blessing a vaccine can be to a child and to parents. You cannot guarantee your child's immune system is ALWAYS at it's peak (though you may try). Some things are not always w/in our total control. I am grateful I am not anti-vaccine anymore. I am grateful that I understand the importance of vaccines in our over-crowded society (it doesn't matter how sanitary you are, you can still get a disease!). We also had a great pediatrician somewhat like Dr Bob who was so respectful and patient of our decision not to rush into vaccinating (and so wonderful to answer questions). If we had had someone pushy, it might have turned us off to vaccines even further. I appreciate Dr Bob's integrity in not trying to sway people one way or the other. That really goes a long way w/ me.   At September 15, 2009 11:57 AM ,  Anonymous said... Dr. Bob, Thank you for your candid comments. I trust you as an authority on vaccinations AND my own motherly intuition. The bottom line is that we all have to do what we feel is the right thing to do for our own children! I am not worried about the swine flu, nor am I going to vaccinate my children or my family for swine flu. My own gut tells me that there is an agenda behind the "hype" and fear. Thanks again Dr. Bob.   At September 15, 2009 12:08 PM ,  Anonymous said... I might have a little easier time trusting your advice on matters of life and limb if you at least showed some attention to detail and mastery of the English language. "On it's way"? Really? Get and editor, Dr. Bob. Or, better yet, you went to college, right?   At September 15, 2009 1:15 PM ,  Juan Ramirez said... This post has been removed by the author.   At September 15, 2009 1:16 PM ,  Anonymous said... A government as all-powerful and malevolent as the one depicted in so many of these posts could surely find easier ways to murder children and enrich its evil cronies than complex and obvious schemes like deadly vaccination campaigns.   At September 15, 2009 3:43 PM ,  Anonymous said... Wow, I can't believe this article. I mean, this comes off as a credible site, but Dr. Bob posts some pretty quack comments (about the forced vaccination etc). How can he allow this sort of article on his website. Thanks to Science Mom, etc for their very intelligent replies. I have read a lot on vaccination/anti vaccination and their information is very science based. They intelligently refute every comment and their blog is very informative. I wish more people were like them--then maybe preventable diseases like measles wouldn't be at a huge risk of recurring due to anti-vaccine paranoia everywhere.   At September 15, 2009 4:37 PM ,  Anonymous said... Science Mom...are you really this ignorant? Do you really want to take the chance with your children with out knowing the exact ingredients in the vaccine? Why do you trust the govn't sooo much?   At September 15, 2009 4:41 PM ,  Anonymous said... Thank you Dr. Bob! I really appriciate you and your advice!   At September 15, 2009 9:44 PM ,  Anonymous said... "Eighteen Reasons Why You Should NOT Vaccinate Your Children Against The Flu This Season" by Bill Sardi http://www.lewrockwell.com/sardi/sardi119.html   At September 16, 2009 5:12 AM ,  Fidgetyxfrank said... I think if you are skeptical...wait to get your children the vaccine...I am in the middle here...I think Dr. Bob is completely out of control in his "findings"...but I am not all for the vaccine either...I get my children there vaccines when the doctor has recommended them, which has never been more than 3 at a time...they are very healthy and happy and smart. I will not be giving them the H1N1 vaccine until I know a little more. I want to do what is best for them, so I will wait and see exactly how this whole thing works out after a couple months...like Dr. Bob said...then if everything seems to be okay my children will be in line. It's simple really there isn't a need to argue about it...I think both science mom and Dr.Bob made a few valid points...so lets just wait and let tests be done and then we will all feel okay and be happy with our decisions. That is my advice to any unsure parents like me...I'm just going to wait it out and keep my children home as much as possible until I decide.   At September 16, 2009 10:18 AM ,  V said... Any word regarding people who have already had H1N1? Ie, are they recommended to get a vaccine also? Would they be exempt from a possible mandatory vaccine? My 3 year old, 6 month old and I have all had the H1N1 in March. Our doctor diagnosed it but did not swab for it because our county (and state) had already declared it widespread and only those hospitalized with symptoms were tested. I also know it was H1N1 because of the nature and severity of it, and the fact that I was directly exposed from a co-worker who was hospitalized and confirmed H1N1 because his developed into pneumonia. After all that, I DO NOT want a vaccine as we should have antibodies from the March illness and I don't trust an "new" vaccine.   At September 16, 2009 11:52 AM ,  nattyblonde said... Science Mom- you rock. I respect both the risks and benefits that vaccinations pose and I did my homework to come to my decision to vaccinate my kids. No agenda here, just trying to figure out the best decision for my kids as well as the community. I try to take all new and CREDIBLE information into account and am willing to change my opinion on vaccinations (specific or general) if and when good info calls for it. I rely on folks like Dr Sears in addition to articles and press releases from highly regarded peer-reviewed journals as credible resources. I have to agree that the bit about mandatory vaccinations that Dr Bob wrote was over the top and unfounded. You were right to complain and I will look at info from this site a bit more skeptically because of it.   At September 16, 2009 7:27 PM ,  Anonymous said... I wonder how many of the anti-vaccine moms were vaccinated themselves during childhood? I have a degree in public health and my father is an immunologist so we have some knowledge on the topic and unless a disease is virtually eradicated it just seems irresponsible not to vaccinate. As with all drugs, there is a small minority of people who suffer rare side effects, but the vast majority of people benefit greatly as does public health as a whole. We haven't seen the implications of the multitude of children not being vaccinated as yet because most people are vaccinated and the non-vaccinated folks are benefitting from it. But it's only a matter of time before preventable childhood diseases start making a comeback. As for the H1N1 vaccine, I am on the fence about whether to give it to my 2 year old son, and will likely get it myself before deciding whether to give it to him....so I know first hand what the side effects may be. I would love to wait to see more of the safety data, but with that said, somebody has to be the guinea pig for the greater good. Thank goodness we have people who volunteer to test new medicines and vaccines, so that the rest of us can live longer, healthier lives. And I have to make one more comment - I just don't get why people wouldn't support health care reform. Clearly you are not one of the 45 million+ people who do not have health insurance, and you also have probably never had a life threatening illness and not been able to get the care you needed and deserved because you lacked adequate coverage. I just think there are a lot of selfish, short-sighted people around.   At September 17, 2009 11:08 AM ,  Anonymous said... Thanks, Dr Bob, for always keeping us informed of what's latest in science and research about vaccines and everything else for our children. I forwarded this information to all my mommy friends. Just this week, my daughter's doctor also recommended the same, do not vaccinate for swine flu yet, so your article is very reassuring and a lot more information than i could get at the doctor's office. For you moms who think you know more than Dr. Bob with your mom phd, please, find another blog and another doctor to read! You're way out of line on your demeaning comments.   At September 17, 2009 6:42 PM ,  Rosita said... THANKS DR. BOB! FOR YOUR ADVICE AND FOR KEEPING IT REAL! YOU'RE A CHIP OFF THE OLD SEARS BLOCK. GOD BLESS.   At September 20, 2009 12:39 AM ,  Rob said... In NYS the fast tracked H1N1 vaccine is mandatory for all healthcare workers and will have till Nov 30 to be vaccinated or possible face termination. What's even more disturbing is how the government and vaccine companies have been granted immunity against any injury and/or death resulting from this H1N1 vaccine. Meanwhile the CDC continues to publicly state that it is a safe vaccine. On Dec 1st, we estimate over 1200 health care workers to be terminated for refusing the vaccine. This includes RN's, MD's, Repiratory Therapists, and Nursing Assistants. It will be a rude awakening for the government and the hospitals and their failure to use fear mongering to force a vaccine, with already a horrendous track record, on a population that does not need that vaccine. I will be one of those healthcare workers sitting home unemployed during the month of December. So try not to be in need of a hospital during the month of December in NY state.   At September 20, 2009 1:31 PM ,  Anonymous said... Please go to pandemicfluonline.com and look for the article "FDA Approves Experimental H1N1 Vaccine Prior to Children Safety Trials" which DISPUTES Dr. Bob's comments on the 18th at askdrbob.com about the vaccines being the same old flu vaccines they've been using for years, with only a change of virus. The above article includes a consent form which proves they are using SQUALENE currently in children safety tests. Other hanky panky as well is explained.   At September 23, 2009 8:36 AM ,  Stacy A said... Dr. Sears, thank you for your posts and updates to your book. You have made it possible to make more informed choices and have shed light on very confusing issues. I saw your response to Tdap vs Flu vaccine and that you could go either way. My question to you is Dtap and the Flu vaccine. I have a 15 month old who has not yet received the flu vaccine. Can he receive both the Dtap and Flu vaccine on the same day, is it better to space those out a month as well? If so, do you recommend Flu shot now, next month Dtap, next month second dose of Flu vaccine? Thank you!   At September 24, 2009 10:27 AM ,  Anonymous said... Now, what you can fret about is whether or not the government will make the vaccine mandatory. Not “mandatory” in the sense that all vaccines are “required,” but parents can sign a waiver. I’m talking about mandatory in that Child Protective Services will take your kids away, or hold you back while they force the shot on your child. Yeah, that would be something to worry about. So, write your senator now and put in your two cents. OR, don’t even worry about it until they decide whether or not it’s mandatory, but by then it will be too late to make your voice heard. Oh you have got to be kidding. Way to fan the hysteria fire there Dr. Bob. That is not going to happen! Shame on you for suggesting this; it's really revolting. I think alot of you are naive to think that something like this can NOT happen. This is not just directed at ScienceMom. I have seen websites and videos and just this morning happened upon an article saying they are going to start implementing the vaccine Oct. 15. It states that the military is trained and standing by to help enforce it.   At September 24, 2009 7:41 PM ,  KeepStriving said... Dr. Bob. I agree with waiting and watching. Our ped. is also waiting before recommending. In the meantime, our ped is recommending the regular seasonal flu. Is this because of the possibility of the two flus combining? I am debating this...perhaps the seasonal flu vaccine is safer and if the flu mutates..at least they wouldn't get the two at the same time?? I am scared...scared to vaccinate, and scared not to. There is such conflicting advice..One extreme says all vaccines are bad, and the other says that vaccines have "saved us"---I'm trying to weigh both sides. which is the greater/lesser threat..the flu or the vaccine?? Is vitamin d a way to help? And what about the idea that vaccines lower our immunity? if we get the seasonal flu vaccine, would that actually make it harder for our bodies to fight the h1n1??   At September 25, 2009 2:39 PM ,  worried said... I just received the Shot (Fluzone from the multi dose vial) and it lists H1N1 as one in the ingredients of 3 as well as the full dose of mercury. Why we not shown on government pages that this vaccine for reg flu 2009/2010 has the H1N1 vaccine in it? I was not aware of Thimerosal or that it has H1NI vaccine in it. I have the actual package and insert. Should I be concerned now that it is after the fact??????????   At September 26, 2009 11:42 AM ,  Colleen said... Worried: (above poster) The seasonal flu vaccination typically as an H1N1 strain in it; it is NOT the same strain as the H1N1 strain commonly known through the media as "swine flu". Thimerosal is in most vaccinations for adults. For children it has been eliminated for a few years now, with the exception of the seasonal flu shot (however you can typically tell your pediatrician which shot you would prefer and they can order either one). In my opinion you are worried over nothing. As an adult you aren't as susceptible to effects from the dosage of thimerosal in the flu shot, and you did NOT get the newly tested H1N1 shot that is due out in a few weeks.   At September 28, 2009 7:09 PM ,  Anonymous said... My 13 yr old nephew that lives in Mexico, he goes to junior high school and my sister just received a MANDATORY H1N1 vaccine card... this vaccine can ONLY be given by the goverment health clinics and is not allowed to be given by private pediatricians. If he doesn't get this vaccine at a public health clinic he will not be allowed to go to school... I don't understand why is MANDATORY and why can't private doctors give the vaccine... all I know is that why researches found the H1N1 vaccine so fast and not the common cold vaccine that has been on earth for SO long... I do agree with Dr. Bob and I'll wait to see what happens with the first people that get it... I don't want to be anybody's tester and I do opposse a MANDATORY anything!   At September 30, 2009 1:01 PM ,  Matt said... Science Mom said: "Oh you have got to be kidding. Way to fan the hysteria fire there Dr. Bob. That is not going to happen! Shame on you for suggesting this; it's really revolting." Hysteria?? Looks like Science Mom knows nothing. The state of Massachusetts just passed a law giving the governor the power to order mass vaccinations with door-to-door forced vaccination authorized. The law is discussed in this article, which was published before the bill passed: http://www.examiner.com/x-10438-Peace-Studies-Examiner~y2009m8d30-H1N1-conspiracy-theories-becoming-state-law-Massachusetts-leading-US-Martial-Law-Pandemic-Bill   At October 2, 2009 3:18 AM ,  Anonymous said... I live in NY and work in an assisted living facility. Come December 1st I will be unemployed because I refuse to be forced to take the H1N1 vaccine. Try being in my shoes Science Mom.   At October 2, 2009 6:35 PM ,  Anonymous said... I also live in NY and currently work as a Lactation Counselor where I am now being mandated to get all flu vaccinations. I am also currently nursing my 4 month old. How can I be so sure that it is safe for both of us? Guess I have no choice but to trust the same regulations that tell new moms that formula is safe for their babies...hhmmm   At October 3, 2009 6:25 PM ,  connectivetissue said... H1N1 Vaccines and Your Children: The details are in the fine print! http://wp.me/pC1DX-34 WARNING: Safety and effectiveness of Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine have not been established in pregnant women or nursing mothers or children <6 months of age. References from the CDC included above. Seeing is believing so take a look not only for yourself, but for your family as well. You will not believe what your own eyes tell you!   At October 7, 2009 4:18 AM ,  Anonymous said... There's no way I would let the government force my kids to take a vaccine considering its not proven safe, and there's a ton of literature out there that shows how ineffective and dangerous they are to begin with. People are in two classes. Those who choose to follow mainstream thinking and live in fear, and those who interrogate information and research for the truth. I am nobody's fool and neither are my kids. You cannot trust the government or any other institution because their eyes are filtered.   At October 12, 2009 11:51 PM ,  Anonymous said... I'm just a little confused. I admit I'm just starting to research the vaccine. I have a daughter with a heart condition that would make having the flu of any kind more dangerous than for the "average" kid. So my confusion is this: Why is everyone freaking out? Every year they take the same flu vaccines and plug different viruses into them to accomodate which strains of flu they expect for that season. So WHY would they be using a new process for H1N1? Aren;t they just going to do the same thing they do every year but stick H1N1 in there instead? I can't fathom that they would just willy nilly invent a new process of vaccine production when it would be MUCH faster and MUCH safer (oh yea, and much cheaper with is likely the biggest motivator) to just do it the same way it's always been done. So someone who knows more than me, please explain...what is all the fuss and fear?? Oh and if I hear one more person spout off the crap about 3 shots and turning of your immune system, I'm going to scream....it's one shot...we know that so why are ppl still speading that crap.   At October 13, 2009 8:04 AM ,  KeepStriving said... Answer to 3 shots: For a child who has never had a flu shot; they have to have 2 shots of seasonal flu vaccine. For any children, they have to have 2 shots of h1n1 vaccine=4 shots if they get both vaccines. For a child who has had a flu vaccine before: 1 shot seaonal vaccine + 2 shots h1n1= 3 shots.   At October 15, 2009 8:42 PM ,  JJJ said... Kids have been dying from H1N1. I'm not a big fan of vaccines, but I'm going to get my kids vaccinated ASAP. I've never heard of a child dying from the flu shot, but there are people 150 miles from us whose 9 yr old boy, with no health problems, just died 2 wks ago with H1N1. No brainer to me for this shot.   At October 21, 2009 12:46 AM ,  Anonymous said... It's very sad to see so many misinformed parents on this message board! Please do your homework on the H1N1 vaccine and research all available information before making a hasty decision not to vaccinate. I can understand the fear in using a vaccine that hasn't been tested for very long, I do. But every year, each flu strain is "new" and undergoes even less testing than the H1H1 vaccine has. If this virus would have struck us earlier than April 2009, this would all have played out differently, and the H1N1 strain would have been rolled out into the regular flu shot (that has already has contained H1N1-like strains for quite some time). What is tragic is the misinformation floating around. People, the vaccines approved for use in the United States for H1N1 DO NOT CONTAIN SQUALENE! In fact, they contain NO AJUVANTS whatsoever. Please refer to the CDC web site. I like Dr. Mercola, but he has published misinformation on that one! Squalene is being used in some other countries, true, but not here in the US! Also, none of the approved H1N1 vaccines for the US have been produced from diploid cell lines (abortion-derived). All were produced using chicken eggs. Refer to COG for Life web site. Thimerasol (which contains trace amounts of mercury) is still being used as a preservative in some of the flu vaccines, but you can request to receive thimerasol-free vaccines if you truly believe there is a link to autism. (Just ask for the single dose syringes containing thimerasol-free vaccine.) It is every parent's choice whether or not to vaccinate, and I do not support forced vaccinations. However, parents need to do their homework. Anti-vaccine folks only point to the risks and over-emphasize the things that have gone wrong with vaccines but and fail to point out the thousands of child deaths each year from parents who refuse to protect their kids from preventable diseases. Check out those statistics sometime. Yes, indeed, any medical procedure carries a risk, but you do have to look at the benefits that outweigh the risks. Hundreds of children die each year taking a bath. Does this mean you will never bathe your kids? Apart from the health fears, on a side note, I have never seen so much paranoia in all my life...not necessarily on this board but elsewhere...people believing in so many conspiracy theories. Mass genocide, depopulation,to microchipping... Honestly, I think this speaks volumes about the distrust the American people have for the government right now. But if you have bought into any of that, do you honestly believe that the thousands of scientists and doctors involved in vaccine development and production are "all in on it"? Do you realize how many people would need to be involved to pull something that crazy off? I just think that so many people out there right now to to get a grip on their minds.   At October 21, 2009 4:26 PM ,  chef24kat said... Thanks for the information. Still not sure what the right choice is for my kids after reading all of this. Dr. Jim is our Doctor the office and the the Doctor are not matching up. I wish Dr. Bob would comment on that. On the radio Dr. Jim recommends the flu shot but the office will not offer it. That is confusing for a non doctor like myself. Both my kids have never had the flu shoot. The way the media is spinning all this it makes it hard to feel confident in my choice to not give the kids the shoots this year. We all feel so passionate about our families and are on this site to make an informed choice. It is a shame that it is mucked up with such crazy ranting. This is not the forum. I feel like some of you have wasted so much of my time trying to read thru the true advice verses the crazy people ranting!   At October 21, 2009 7:05 PM ,  Anonymous said... Science Mom is the only one here making any sense and of course she is targeted for it. I cannot believe how many crazy people think the government is out to get them with a vaccine to either a)kill them off or b)wrangle $20 from their wallet. Do you guys see UFOs too? Why would the government want to kill you? They get tax money from you. They want you alive for as long as possible. If you are dead or in a coma you are no good to the government. My whole family just got vaccinated for H1N1. We're fine. No thimerosal, no adjuvants. Sure, not many people will die from this flu, but I will do what I can to make sure one of the few dead ones is not from MY family.   At October 23, 2009 9:45 AM ,  Jennifer said... Does anyone have any recommendations regarding the H1N1 vaccine and children with asthma? I've heard that these children should not receive the inhaled version. Is this correct? thanks.   At October 23, 2009 7:34 PM ,  Anonymous said... That's right, Jennifer, children with asthma should not receive the inhaled vaccine for the flu or swine flu.   At October 24, 2009 8:35 AM ,  Anonymous said... This is a question for Dr. Sears. I am 9 1/2 months pregnant with my 3rd child and will be not getting the H1N1 vaccination while pregnant since it takes 3 weeks to become fully immunized. I have 2 children, ages 2 and 6, who have been following a delayed vaccination schedule similar to Dr. Sears guidelines. Flu vaccinations of any kind, especially while pregnant, worry me. My question is "Should I vaccinate myself after I deliver? Will I pass any immunity onto the baby through breastfeeding? Not sure of the dangers of vaccinating while breastfeeding." I am still not sure if I will be vaccinating my 2 older children. As of now, they do not fall into a high risk group eligible for the shot in my doctor's office. Thanks.   At October 24, 2009 2:10 PM ,  kael nevets said... Lets go back in time if you had made such a decision as not to get your kids vaccinated with the experimental polio vaccine you'd be pushing them around in wheel chairs. sure we need to feel more comfortable about this vaccine but not go stupid over it. It has been estimated that only 37% will actually get the vaccine while 63% will get the H1N1 Flu. Im all for mandatory vaccines only when we know the European companies that have made them are safe. So far as I know no one that has received the shot has died from the shot,rather from complications that already existed. However their have been 1000 Americans die from the H1N1,and more than 5000 worldwide. I've never had a flu nor a flu shot this year I got my first standard flu shot no problems,and I intend to get the pneumonia shot perhaps I'll get the H1N1 shot. If the idiots at CDC who have caused this frenzy through the media to take hold yet not obtaining the tools to fight the virus they may become the most hated division of government ever.   At October 24, 2009 4:10 PM ,  Anonymous said... I am the mother of a 12 year old girl and 9 year old boy who is on the Autism Spectrum. Even though I do not believe that vaccinations "cause" a child to be on the Spectrum ( which is the opinion also of most doctors and FDA), I find it interesting that the FDA removed thimerosal from children's vaccinations in 1999. We do get the regular Flu shot every year, although it seems we cannot get any without mercury here in OK. It was a tough decision after finding out all the ingredients, formaldehyde etc. to keep getting the flu shot. As far as the H1N1 vaccine is concerned, my children and I will not get it. I need to see more research on the effectiveness and side effects that may show up later. In the 60's many pregnant women received a certain drug, sorry I do not know the English name,in German it is called "Contergan", and when they gave birth, many children were born without arms or legs. I let my daughter get the first shot of Gardasil but after reading more about it, I decided not to get her anymore. There may be just a small number of girls who had serious side effects or died but I do not want my daughter to be a statistic.   Post a Comment << Home   The 12 Childhood Vaccines Vaccine-preventable Diseases Boost Your Child's Immune System FAQs Parents Who Choose not to Vaccinate Current Outbreaks and Epidemics Vaccine Discussion Forum Read Dr. Bob's Online Interviews Updates & Corrections to The Vaccine Book Find a vaccine-friendly doctor near you Alternative Vaccine Schedule American Academy of Pediatrics 2007 Vaccine Schedule Vaccine News Vaccines and Autism Vaccines and their diseases

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