vaccination, TB test, etc.
Posted by pinkorange on Dec 05, 2006 · Member since Oct 2006 · 24 posts
I believe most of you here know that vaccinations, TB test, and other shots are made of animal products. When the law or your schoosl and works place require to be vaccinated or tested, how do you deal with?
I feel frustrated because government or some agencies can make such laws or policies to contribute to animal cruelty. Also, I feel like it is a violation of our human rights. Or can't they make vegan versions? (I know, there is none for now :'()
Have any of you protested?
If you show good cause, (the most common one is religious beliefs) you can be excused. You will, however, have consequences. Most Daycares (not public schools) will not allow an unimmunized baby to expose the others, who may not have completed their immunizations, to potentially fatal diseases. You will also have trouble leaving the country. For the most part, they will accept that everyone else has been protected from whatever you may contract. There are a few in the schools who haven't been immunized.
I have raised a small fuss about medicines derived from egg yolk or animals, but unhappily I don't know where to comment to make a difference (I usually ask doctors if other methods are available, and leave it there). It's always been something I feel I have to be flexible about, much more than other situations.
I am a believer in community rights being more important than personal rights where illnesses are concerned; if it's a requirement to be vaccinated, I am happy to comply, because I don't want to make my neighbors sick (and I don't want an antique disease. But then, I'm allergic to most of the major antibiotics, and develop new drug allergies with shocking ease. Getting sick could so easily finish me.) Yet I can see how it becomes a much more serious conflict where there is a moral code violation.
Of course, I draw the line at medicines derived exclusively from animal cruelty when there are alternatives. Premarin, for example, is on my "never" list.
I had no idea about this. My daughter is 8 months and has been getting these immunizations up until now. Thank you for the info. I will stop her from getting them now.
I had no idea about this. My daughter is 8 months and has been getting these immunizations up until now. Thank you for the info. I will stop her from getting them now.
You do need to be very careful about this. While "good cause" excuses you, you do need to provide that "good cause", and it does have to be good enough. eg. You can't just say "It goes against my religious beliefs" --they will check into your religion to see if your official religion opposes it. Otherwise you could get yourself into quite a bit of trouble. ..hard enough being a vegan parent, better not to call any more attention to yourself than necessary. :-\
Also, I'm sure the last thing you want to do is allow your little one to contract something fatal because of an ethical choice she didn't get a say in making. As fraught as this matter is, there's nothing to recommend keeping somebody susceptible to an obsolete disease (for which post-infection treatments are now scarce due to infrequency of infection).
I think my own personal choice would be to allow the immunization, and then organize letter-writing to campaign for cruelty-free alternatives, but again, it is your personal choice.
there's nothing to recommend keeping somebody susceptible to an obsolete disease (for which post-infection treatments are now scarce due to infrequency of infection).
I agree completely. HOWEVER; the word obsolete and others like it are used a bit too often about these diseases. Small Pox is obsolete: that's why we no longer get immunizations for it. All of these other diseases are not. They are still out there, and children do die-in our own country. Contrary to popular belief, even chicken pox takes lives every year.
While we choose to live our daily lives causing as little harm to our world as possible, sometimes there are things that need to be weighed out. We eat without meat because we don't need it. For now, this is our only way, it may be a need. Can you consider protecting your child from a horrific, well, you know, be a stronger conviction in you than the animal that provides this protection? The reason for these immunizations in little ones is that these diseases are not ones that pass or even simply take life--they are really, really tragic in the torturous symptoms. Do an image google for 'tetanus' and look at the pictures. That should help you decide. But, of course, to each their own.
This is such a controversial topic. I decide not to vaccinate (before I became vegan) my children after doing extensive research on the subject. If you want to know what is in the vaccines, check it out here: http://www.informedchoice.info/cocktail.html Gross, I know.
Diseases run their course in time, without intervention, contrary to what the drug companies will have us believe. For example, Pertussis death rate declined more than 75% before the vaccine was introduced. Looking at the larger scale (50 years as opposed to 5 years before) will show the natural decline. The drug companies don`t want us to know. The more people who blindly vaccinate without asking questions is more money in their pockets. They are not concerned about our safety or health. It`s a flawed system that runs on greed. And about the Doctors: They learn from books assigned to them from the same flawed system. Doctors don`t have to be educated about alternatives or any preventative measures, they are taught how to treat the sickness, not prevent it. The majority of people I know personally that got the flu shot got sick for weeks after. Healthy people. It is supposed to prevent it... The Chicken Pox vaccine wears off and it is way more dangerous to get it as an adult. There is so much more. Look into it yourself, listen to both sides of the story. Do lots and lots of research. Question Authority. In Canada, the preschools and schools can say the child must be vaccinated, but it is illegal to not accept an unvaccinated child. What I did for my son`s preschool is write them a note saying I know the benefits and risks of not vaccinating.
Links:
Canadian Exemption and info: http://www.vran.org/
American Exemption and info: http://www.vaclib.org/exemption.htm
http://whale.to/vaccines/mendelsohn.html
http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/vaccines.htm
http://www.thinktwice.com/flu_lie.htm
http://www.house.gov/burton/autism.ht
Thimerosal Cover-Up: http://www.newstarget.com/011764.html
California officials announce plan to inject infants with mercury-laced vaccines: http://www.newstarget.com/020982.html
Some great books:
The Vaccine Guide: Risks and Benefits for Children and Adults by Randall Neustaedter, OMD (North Atlantic Books, 2002)
Vaccinations: A Thoughtful Parents' Guide - How to Make Safe, Sensible Decisions About the Risks, Benefits and Alternatives by Aviva Jill Romm (Healing Arts Press, 2001)
What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Children's Vaccinations: Hidden Dangers, Pros and Cons, and Safety Measures That Can Protect Your Child by Stephanie Cave, MD (Warner Books, 2001)
Vaccines: Are They Really Safe and Effective? A Parent`s Guide to Childhood Shots by Neil Z. Miller
Wow, fantastic set of links-- kudos on researching this one thoroughly!
Thanks for the info everyone, I will look at those links and do my reseatch and make a decision based upon that.
Thank you everybody!!
I lerned a lot from each of your post, not just information, but also how to see things differently.
Special thanks to healthymomma. I really appreciate all the information and links you provided :) I will do more research on this based on your info. (They all looke very useful)
The beginning of this whole concern of mine started from graduate school applications, which are still on the process. I asked a doctor, and he told me that TB testing made of some product that come from cows.
Also, I had heard that some researchers cheat when presenting the data to the public by distoring interpretations (like how flu shot "is" effecctive to prevent actual flu, while it is not quite so). What is more, I learned that pharmaceutical companies are getting a great amount of money from side effect from these shots, especialy the developmental delays or other serious conditions.
Of course, there are risks from not getting vaccines for very serious diseases. I understand that, so I didn't post my question to convince others or anything.
My daughter is 8 months and has been getting these immunizations up until now. Thank you for the info. I will stop her from getting them now.
Please, jaksdaughter, like 7 is saying, be cautious when you make decision for your daughter. Please don't be freaked out simply by my posting. I think healthymomma's posting is especially useful for you as well as for the rest of us.
I am a believer in community rights being more important than personal rights where illnesses are concerned; if it's a requirement to be vaccinated, I am happy to comply, because I don't want to make my neighbors sick. Yet I can see how it becomes a much more serious conflict where there is a moral code violation.
Duckalucky, thank you for your insight. I like how you see this issue from both side while you still hold your own opinion ;) You are right. Community right is important, and I long ago learned from a Buddhist vegetarian that "harmony" is the key, and it should be our (vegans & vegetarians) way of life. I was so blind at the moment when I started this posting. I was so self-focused because I was so disgusted with the idea that something in cows get into my blood stream. But, truly, we are living with others, so we need to maintain some balance between needs of a self and of a society.
I will think about this issue more since I still have several months to decide.
Again, thank you for those who replied ;D
I checked out those links. I am disgusted with the ingredients in these immunizations. I am so sorry that I did not reseach this earlier , but I am also thankful that I now know. I will not give my daughter any immunizations anymore. Thak you all again for the info.
I'm an ER nurse. I have all my important vaccines up to date (tetanus, hep a/b, etc.), but have always refused the flu shot. This is simply because I'm 29 and in good health, getting the flu won't kill me. However, if my immune system was shot, I would get the flu shot plus the pneumo-vacc.
I do believe that when I have kids I will have them innoculated. Again, this is because I have seen horrible things happen in the ER when people don't have their vaccines up to date. However, I recognize that these things are rare. I just can't bring myself to take the chance.
Hi All! First off I want to say that I respect everyone's opinion and I think it's great when people take time to decide what is best and healthiest for them and don't follow the norm blindly (if we did, we wouldn't be veg!) I am in my final year as a pharmacy student (Doctor of Pharmacy) and am currently on rotation at a NY children's hospital. I have seen first hand what can happen in children who do not get vaccinated. Just within the past three weeks I have seen two cases of pertussis (whooping cough) in unvaccinated infants. One child passed away in the ER and another is still in very poor condition. This disease causes patients to cough to the point where they become cyanotic (they are no longer able to breath) and can die from the lack of oxygen. This disease is particularly lethal in infants, yet mostly benign in adults. However, besides protecting yourself and your child, your also protecting others (aka your neighbor's newborn preemie). Vaccinations are created to protect us from deadly disease. And, although I understand the concern over animal cruelty (I am a vegan as well), you should carefully weigh the risks and benefits of vaccinations. The right thing to do is to raise awareness and protest the cruel practices of drug companies. Please feel free to ask me specific questions about vaccination origins, the risks of getting or not getting a certain vaccine, etc.
Welcome veggie_climber! Thanks for the input. :)
Thank you for inviting further informal, personal discussions of the issue-- it's a fraught one and it's great to have knowledgeable people on hand and willing to be questioned! :)
I found a great source of information and think it is worth bringing this thread back to life to add the link.
http://www.apparenting.com/vaccination-immunization.html