Ask The Doctor

Dear Vaccine Concerns,

It is beyond the scope of this column to analyze and evaluate the story behind each vaccine. While vaccines carry a great potential for benefits, vaccination supporters and those pushing vaccination seem to over look the risks and concerns.  More and more parents like you are becoming concerned about the push by government to "vaccinate your child or else".  Some parents may be philosophically opposed, some may object to what seems to be a painful assault on their child, and others may believe that the benefits of immunization do not justify the risks. More and more childhood vaccines are being offered and this in itself concerns parents as it is truly an overload on such a small body.

If the hepatitis b vaccine is avoided in the hospital at birth, then it is administered during the routine two month office visit, along with five other vaccines:

    * Inactivated Poliovirus [IPV] (three serotypes)
    * Haemophilus influenzae type b conjugate vaccine [Hib]
    * Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine [PCV] seven serotypes)
    * Diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis vaccine [DTaP]
    * Rotavirus vaccine [RV], (four serotypes)

That is a total of 19 vaccine antigens and multiple doses of chemicals injected on the same visit into an eight week old baby. Parents are starting to question whether it's right to inject numerous different viruses and bacteria, mixed with a multitude of different chemicals and solvents into eight week old babies' delicate, developing bodies.to "protect" them. Parents either want to delay vaccines for their child or they want to avoid vaccines altogether. They are not willing to accede to a point of view that goes against their core beliefs about health and wellness.

There are so many vaccines -most unheard of not that many years ago - but do we really need to wipe out every disease on the planet? Whether or not you decide to have your child vaccinated against any or all of these diseases, it is important to do everything that you can do keep your child healthy - to promote the strength of your child's immune system, and avoid things that can weaken it.

The best "immunization" a child will ever get is through extended breast-feeding. Continue for at least 12 months or longer if possible. The longer you breastfeed, the more your child will benefit. Breastfeeding prevents infections and the complications of childhood illness. If the government were to endorse a campaign to increase Americans' breastfeeding rate, it would prevent more childhood diseases -and deaths- than all of the current vaccination programs.

Sincerely,

Dr. Merkel