I don't mind vaccinations at all. I think that they can be quite helpful, and any risk is outweighed by the benefits. However, that's not to say that I think this about ALL vaccinations. After they've gone through enough testing and whatnot, then I trust them. So, naturally, the ones that have been in use for decades or more, I trust more than newer ones.

I can't say that I trust the H1N1 vaccine at all, nor do I trust the vaccination out for cervical cancer. These were not tested long enough before being distributed, and we're already seeing terrible side-effects from the one for cervical cancer because people were too overzealous in getting it out to the public.

I don't necessarily believe in the conspiracy theories about vaccines (where the adverse affects some people have are given to us on purpose), but I can see where the logic comes from that some people draw such conclusions. I just don't buy it, myself.

Either way, I know a lot of people seem to balk at having tests like this done. And I don't mean the people making/distributing the vaccines. I mean, just regular people who support vaccination. Its as if any testing like this is a waste of time and so shouldn't be done. Well, a lot of things were first touted as a waste of time before they were finally discovered to have merit. If the money is there and the willingness is there, why not? What's there to be afraid of?

Doing tests like this is a good idea. I'm all for vaccinations (for some things), but that doesn't mean I feel that tests like this shouldn't occur. Its good to know such answers! :p

To clarify what I mean about vaccinations for some things, I just think we should vaccinate people for really "bad" things. Stuff that is more annoyance than anything and that we can endure easily without dying (except in the rare case, because even in rare cases an otherwise healthy person can die from the common cold if there are complications or it turns into something suddenly worse), then we probably shouldn't bother vaccinating against it in countries like the US.

Such as chicken pox. I didn't get that vaccine when I was a kid, and I got the chicken pox when I was 9. Ugh, I still remember it, it was terrible! A lot of other kids in the school got it, too, but I don't think I was the origin of it. I think a teacher's son was the origin of it. She sent him to school even though she KNEW he had the chicken pox, and was irritated with my mother for not sending me to school. She insisted that there was no reason for my mother to keep me out of school and it was not beneficial for mother to do so, and boasted that she knew for a fact because she sent her son to school with the chicken pox on purpose. And she was a teacher!

Either way, the majority of kids don't die from the chicken pox (although the older you are when you get it, the worse it is for you, I've heard). That isn't to say no one dies of the chicken pox in the US, and certainly people would be more likely to die from it in some places, like certain areas of Africa.

So, I feel that there are some things that in countries like the US, the majority of people do not need to be vaccinated against. Yes, they may very likely contract the virus they aren't vaccinated against, but they won't die from it and its really more of an annoyance than anything else. Its inconvenient for everyone in the household when a kid has chicken pox, but for the majority it isn't deadly.

But, the viruses and diseases that are still more likely to kill the majority of those who get it should probably still be vaccinated against if we have a vaccine for them.

I just don't see the point in vaccinating for things that are just inconvenient instead of actually dangerous anymore.

@tracezilla@lovelyish - I think you should read this about whether or not a child is likely to get measles in the US, how measles is spread in the US and the death rate http://www.childrenshospital.org/clinicalservices/Site1884/mainpageS1884P13.html. It isn't such good news.

@tracezilla@lovelyish - True, you didn't, but I thought you were extending your remarks to vaccinations in general. I apologise for jumping to conclusions.  

@tracezilla@lovelyish -   You are a very bright and honest person.  It is wonderful to see someone who looks at both sides of the issue and also who looks into each individual vaccine and disease on it's own.  It would be wonderful if everyone looked at the matter in such a responsible and thoughtful manner.  Kudos to you!!!!

@tracezilla@lovelyish - I'm glad you're keeping an open mind about the vaccination issue.  Although I'm in full support of most of the childhood vaccines, the pros and cons of having them should be clearly presented to parents (something that isn't always done).  However, just as a sidenote - the chicken pox virus, although it now rarely kills in children, isn't just a harmless pathogen.  Once you get chicken pox, the virus remains dormant in your nerve cells for the remainder of your life and can erupt later as shingles.  There are approximately 2.5 cases of shingles per 1000 people between the ages of 25 - 50 and the percentage increases as the age range increases (by one estimate, about 1 million people in the US get shingles every year).  I had chicken pox when I was about 3 or 4, and I don't remember it at all.  However last year, I developed fairly bad case of shingles on the nerves in my right arm, and I was in quite a bit of pain for about a month.  I took 6-8 ibuprofen (or Advil) everyday and even then, I could barely use my right arm and hand.  Fortunately my rash was fairly minor, but for more serious cases the shingles rash can become so severe that portions of the skin start to die and peel off. For people who are immunocompromised (i.e. seniors, HIV-positive, people on chemotherapy, etc.), the lesions can facilitate infection by more serious illnesses and cause death (just like Christopher Reeves and bedsores).

http://www.shingles.com/info/about/what/who_gets.jsp

@tracezilla@lovelyish - Ah I see.  Sorry for the confusion - I just thought you weren't aware because of your previous comments about the chickenpox vaccine.  Thank you for taking the time to respond! :)

Interesting!

The problem with doing this is the amount of confounding factors. Socioeconomic status (poor people are less likely to get vaccinations due to inability to pay for them), race (minorities, especially African-Americans, are less likely to trust the medical community, and are therefore less likely to get vaccinations), and other factors can shift the results in one direction or another. So we don't know if these factors are decreasing (or increasing) the prevalence autism because they haven't gotten vaccines, or whether those factors directly or indirectly affect the prevalence of autism themselves. So you really have to know a lot about autism, vaccines, and other things in order to do this study correctly.

Unfortunately, I couldn't read the article due to it wanting me to register for some reason, so I can't say much about that. I wish I could have though. It looks interesting. I just hope it's good science.

@P1AutismMom - Thank you! I'm glad. :)