Re: Christianity and vaccinations?

The concern about mercury in vaccines regards Thimerosol. This is a mercury
containing organic compound that is used as a preservative. Extensive
studies by the medical community have not found any danger from Thimerosol.
And despite this, the FDA in 1999 recommended that the vaccine
manufacturers remove Thimerosol.

http://www.fda.gov/Cber/vaccine/thimerosal.htm#tox

The following table gives a list of current vaccines and the amount of
Thimerosol, and mercury that they contain. Essentially only trace amounts.

http://www.vaccinesafety.edu/thi-table.htm

Nevertheless, no one proposes that vaccines are 100% safe. There is a risk
benefit to any medication. It is the opinion of the vast majority of
pediatricians that the risk/benefit ratio is highly in favor of giving
vaccines. People have short memories, and many people have never seen
rubella, or rubeoloa, or polio, or diptheria, etc. or complications from
these diseases. These diseases are not just the chickenpox.

My concern about the current trend to refuse these vaccines is the
"conspiracy theory" aspect of the information. For example, it is ludicrous
to think that pediatricians are recommending them because they are told to
do so by the drug companies, or the government. There is no conflict of
interest here on the part of the pediatricians because it costs them more
money to administer them, then they get reimbursed for, so the pediatricians
are actually paying to immunize kids.

My suggestion to any parent that is considering immunization refusal is that
they talk to their pediatrician about it. If their pediatrician wont give
them the time, then find another doctor, but dont get confused by
disinformation on the internet, or from articles in Rolling Stone magazine;
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/7395411/deadly_immunity/

A good pediatrician will be willing to listen and explain, and would be
willing to give vaccinations at intervals instead of grouped together.
Please encourage anyone contemplating this to find a physician they trust
and talk to him/her about it.

Louise, you mentioned that the couple is a missionary. And they are
contemplating not vaccinating their kids? I am sorry, but are they NUTS?!
The only possible rationale I could see for not vaccinating kids is because
of the herd immunity and the relatively safe environment they would be in
here. But I would never, ever remotely consider it reasonable to take
unvaccinated children overseas for any length of time. That is a death
sentence. Honestly, this is getting close to being neglectful.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Clarke Morledge" <chmorl@wm.edu>
To: "Freeman, Louise Margaret" <lfreeman@mbc.edu>
Cc: <asa@calvin.edu>
Sent: Sunday, March 05, 2006 6:02 PM
Subject: Re: Christianity and vaccinations?

> Unfortunately, I wish there were some credible evangelical/scientific
> resources for addressing the concern over vaccines. The several Christian
> people I know who refuse vaccinations for their children do so because of
> a mixture of theological and alternative medicine-based reasons.
>
> Theologically, it often revolves around the Old Testament concern
> regarding the sanctity of human blood. It is claimed that the process of
> vaccination violates Scripture by polluting blood. (Perhaps this explains
> the Jehovah Witnesses' aversion to blood transfusion??).
>
>>From alternative medicine, there is the concern that vaccination has led
> to things like damaging mercury poisoning.
>
> A quick Google search revealed some rather provocative "biblical/medical"
> analysis (though it reads like some idea crafted by a script writer for
> the X-Files TV show!):
>
> http://www.tetrahedron.org/articles/vaccine_awareness/Vaccination_UnGodly_Practice.html
>
> There is just enough "science" here along with biblical exegesis to make
> it sound plausible. But I'm afraid that for some people it is just enough
> to "immunize" you against further study and a fully balanced and reasoned
> Christian approach (pardon the pun ;-)
>
> I did find a good source to address the medical concerns here:
>
> http://www.quackwatch.org/03HealthPromotion/immu/thimerosal.html
>
> But once again, I don't find much in terms of evangelical/scientific
> resources on the Internet that can be offered to folks who are
> reconsidering vaccinations. This reference is an exception, but it only
> briefly addresses the mercury poisoning claim -- and there is no
> discussion of Scripture:
>
> http://www.creationcare.org/resources/mercury/mercury.php
>
> Sounds like a great topic for one our ASA medical members to address in
> the Perspectives journal...
>
> Blessing in Him,
>
>
> Clarke Morledge
> College of William and Mary
> Information Technology - Network Engineering
> Williamsburg, Virginia
>
> On Sun, 5 Mar 2006, Freeman, Louise Margaret wrote:
>
>> There is a young couple who attended our church a number of years ago who
>> are expecting their first child and are considering not vaccinating their
>> children. I don't know if their concerns are medical, theological or
>> both,
>> but a number of us are concerned, particularly since they intend to go
>> overseas as missionaries in a few years (they met as missionaries in the
>> mideast).
>>
>> Does anyone have a webscite or other resource that addresses vaccination
>> concerns in a responsible manner, from both a scientific and Christian
>> viewpoint?
Received on Sun Mar 5 19:33:36 2006