Life is often a game of chance, forcing us to make decisions without completely being convinced of the facts.  You can only go on what you feel is right, while many times your decision may not be accepted by others.  I was reminded of this again after being faced with vaccinating our child who was just born, before we left the hospital a few weeks ago.  Are vaccines safe? That's a dangerous question to answer these days. To say "yes" or "maybe" is to be accused of inviting a public health disaster as millions of parents refuse to vaccinate their children against dreaded diseases. But to say "no" is to deny the experience of parents who need no more proof than the fact that their children were fine before a shot and not fine after. The issue has become a flash point of contention, pitting science against certainty, doctors against parents, and parents against one another.       

    Before 1980, autism was diagnosed in just 1 out of every 10,000 children. Twenty-five years later, the National Institutes of Health reported that autism disorders affect one in every 250 children, and is estimated to increase 10% every year. Though no scientific evidence has yet to prove a link between autism and vaccinations, both the scientific and medical communities agree that further research and study needs to be conducted before the possible link can be completely dismissed. The first connection with autism and vaccinations come through a preservative called thimerosal. Thimerosal is a preservative found in many vaccinations. Thimerosal contains 46.9% ethyl mercury. Mercury is the second most harmful natural substance to humans, next to uranium. Mercury has been proven to cause neurological damage, among other ailments. Over a decade ago, The Institute of Medicine concluded that the hypothesis that exposure to thimerosal-containing vaccines could be associated with neurodevelopmental disorders was biologically plausible. However, additional studies were needed to establish or reject a causal relationship.    

    The Committee believed that the effort to remove thimerosal from vaccines was a prudent measure in support of the public health goal, urging that full consideration be given to removing thimerosal from any biological product to which infants, children, and pregnant women are exposed. Ultimately, the committee concluded that the causal relationship between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism, were theoretical only. Even though they never confirmed mercury as the culprit, they went ahead and encouraged drug companies to stop using it.    

    Another suspicion linking vaccinations to autism comes from the amount of vaccinations children now receive. In 1985, infants received four vaccinations that contained thimerosal. In 1991, when the rate of autism began to increase, infants were receiving eleven vaccinations containing thimerosal. In the 80s, children received eight vaccinations in early childhood. They now receive thirty. Why thirty? With each public health scare, like Smallpox or Anthrax, that number is going to inevitably increase. Twenty years from now, children could easily be receiving forty vaccinations, and, because some of the medical community endorses this, parents will vaccinate without knowing the risks. One thing is certain; the amount of vaccinations given to children has rapidly increased along with the number of autistic children in the United States. Whether there is any direct link between the two remains a mystery?  The most scientific experts in our country have concluded there is no relation.    

    Like my daughter, we agreed to vaccinate our son in the hospital and we will take him back for the remaining cycle of vaccinations, based on the IOM’s approval, not to mention that the benefits of vaccination are proven and the hypothesis of vaccinations causing autism is presently speculative. Widespread rejection of vaccines could lead to increases in incidences of serious infectious diseases like measles, whooping cough and Hib bacterial meningitis. This is a critical decision for any parent and in my case, my decision was based somewhere between science and faith.  You have to look at the statistics and research while trusting in your faith.  There is no clear cut answer and plenty of reason to speculate, but at the end of the day, you have to pick your poison, hoping you make the right choice.