These parents not convinced that vaccines are safe

These parents not convinced that vaccines are safe

EDITOR:

As parents of children with autism we would like to address some of the information we have seen reported in The Vindicator regarding the H1N1 vaccine. A recent article specifically addressed the autism/vaccine controversy. Dr. John Venglarcik assured readers that thimerosal-free vaccines would be available to those who wanted them. Yet, 90 percent of the annual flu vaccines produced every year has contained mercury. To be assured of mercury-free, one should insist on seeing the vial and reading the package insert. Mercury has never really been completely phased out of pediatric vaccines. Thimerosal does not contain microscopic portions of mercury as Venglarcik stated. Thimerosal is 50 percent mercury by weight and infants and fetuses are particularly susceptible to damage by mercury.

Dr. Venglarcik said eating fish gives you more mercury than injecting mercury. That is an illogical comparison. Adults who eat fish have a digestive tract and a liver to help rid the body of any mercury. A newborn injected with mercury from a vaccine, or a fetus whose mother is injected with the same is taking that directly into their bloodstream and it goes straight to the brain.

Venglarcik goes on to say that there is no credible evidence that thimerosal in vaccines or vaccines themselves cause autism. Well, space does not allow getting into all the studies that contradict this statement. We encourage people to visit the following site for more information on the “science” used to base this assertion and decide for themselves: www.fourteenstudies.org. We have tripled our vaccine schedule in the last 20 years and the increase in autism has followed that trajectory. Until we look at children who have received vaccines and those who have not, we will never know what role vaccines have played in our autism epidemic. The government has never conducted such a study, and has no plans to do so — even though we already know a pool of children exists who have never been vaccinated.

Venglarcik talks about immunizing children in schools with the nasal form of the H1N1 vaccine. When a person is given this live virus form of the flu vaccine, they shed the live virus for three weeks, exposing it to those around them. People with compromised immune systems, pregnant women and people over 50 are not supposed to get this form of vaccine yet they will be subjected to these children shedding live virus out in their communities.

As parents of children who regressed into autism after complying with mandatory vaccine policy, we feel very strongly that public health officials should be truthful with the public about vaccines and their relationship to autism. The research so often cited in defense of the vaccine program has been funded directly or indirectly by the pharmaceutical companies.

ANDREA KELLER

Canfield

DENNIS SPISAK

Struthers

Spread the money around

EDITOR:

First Energy gave me a brain storm. I am planning to give every Ohioan $1 to stimulate the economy. If everybody would send me a stamped self address envelope and $2, I will mail everybody $1 back. Could you imagine, our population in Ohio estimated at 11,485,910, if everybody spends the $1 I send them how many jobs it would create. I love First Energy and their light bulb idea for giving me this brain storm.

ANDY PAPPAGALLO

Mineral Ridge