Replies

For anyone interested in the FACTS concerning the bogus autism/MMR link and what krodriguesdc considers to be good evidence, see this thread.

Parents have good reason to be concerned about the possibility of a mumps outbreak in London. The epidemiological history of this infectious disease suggests that mumps is unpleasant but hardly ever fatal to children. In rare cases it causes meningitis or encephalitis; it can also cause infertility in boys. Before there was a vaccine for mumps, it tended to kill no more than five people a year.

Yet it is impossible to be certain that half a century of vaccination against the disease will not have weakened our natural immunity to the extent that a renewed outbreak would produce unusually severe symptoms.

This is why the near quadrupling of mumps cases in the capital to 112 in 2001, and the 30 per cent rise in the last quarter over the previous three months, is particularly worrying, given that clinics across the country have been without supplies of the mumps vaccine for up to six months and do not know when they can expect fresh supplies.

You do notice, don't you, the extremely poor reasoning in the above paragraphs? It would not be surprising at all to find, in the wake of a fad of parents eschewing vaccination, leaving their children unprotected, that the incidence of a particular disease, such as mumps, would increase in a population in which it had formerly been decreased due to vaccinations. This is the most direct explanation rather than invoking nonsense about vaccinations resulting a reduction in "natural immunity". It also confuses increased incidence of the disease with increased severity of clinical signs of the disease (not to be confused with "symptoms"). Vaccinations would have no effect at all if not for the body's immune system. "Natural immunity" for any particular disease is simply the percentage of people who, in the absence of either immunization or quarantine and following exposure to the pathogen, do not become infected. The body does have wonderful overlapping immune systems, but it is in spite of this that people, if challenged with a sufficiently large load of pathogens, become infected. Depending upon the exposure, the virulence of the pathogen, and the state of health, the person will either have no detectable sign of the disease (except as revealed through antibody titers), a slight case, a severe case, or a fatal case. Immunization is the most effective way of working with the body's immune system to protect someone against a future encounter with the wild-type pathogen. No amount of good diet, subluxation "therapy", proper mental attitude, or alignment of the chakras will do as much to protect one against a disease as immunization .

Sing to "Pop goes the Weasel"..."All around the mulberry bush, WHO chased the weasel, pop goes all the children in the third world screwed by WHO"...Thanks to Ted Turner and Bill Gates to all the money given for the children...the children in third world countries used as experiments who are deficient in certain vitamins/minerals who will die but served as good rabbits in the test...A good read right about now is "The Abolition of Man" by C.S. Lewis...

I don't really have a dog in this fight, but I have had a very unusual history with Mumps. First, I had a case of mumps as a small child in the sixties. Then, when I went to college, they required me to be immunized against Measles/Rubella. So I went and just got an MMR injection in about 1980-something. Then a few years ago, I moved to Europe and my young son came home with mumps. I figured that I was immune... after all, I had had mumps as a child and PLUS... I had been vaccinated.

WRONG! I got a case of mumps that later went to my liver and kidneys and very nearly killed me. Strange, but true... not only that, but I gave it to my wife.

There was an epidemic in this part of Europe at that time (MMR is not given here). One of my friend's daughters had mumps on one side of her neck. She got better, and went back to school. Two weeks later she got mumps again on the other side. Go figure.

I don't know what the studies say, but I got mumps for a second time after being given the MMR vaccine in college in the 80's AND after having had them as a young child. Go figure.

I figured that I would be immune since I had mumps as a baby and I had to get an MMR booster again in college due to the fact that I had no Rubella antibodies in a blood test. I went to a state university which REQUIRED this. I only needed a Rubella vaccine, but it was just simpler to go to a GP and get an MMR shot. So I figured I was as immune as could be after my previous infection and then inoculation. WRONG!!

I moved to Europe and my son got mumps. Not long after, I got them too...AGAIN. And after being immunized. Crazy, but true. Damn near killed me. I didn't get orchitis, but it did go to my liver and kidneys. I didn't know that they could give you so much pain.

Now I should be REALLY immune. Yep. You won't see me going near any more kids with mumps though...

I don't know what the studies say, but I got mumps for a second time after being given the MMR vaccine in college in the 80's.

I figured that I would be immune since I had mumps as a baby and I had to get an MMR booster again in college due to the fact that I had no Rubella antibodies in a blood test. I only needed a Rubella vaccine, but it was just simpler to go to a GP and get an MMR shot. So I figured I was as immune as could be. WRONG!!

I moved to Europe and my son got mumps. Not long after, I got them too...AGAIN. And after being immunized. Crazy, but true. Damn near killed me. I didn't get orchitis, but it did go to my liver and kidneys. I didn't know that they could give you so much pain.

Now I should be REALLY immune. Yep. You won't see me going near any more kids with mumps.