General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: If you don't vaccinate your children. [View all]Ms. Toad
(34,257 posts)My issue is with auto-immune disorders - via a mechanism I suggested before there was any scientific literature I was aware of, but for which there is now a growing body of research.
The current thinking is that auto-immune disorders are manifested because of a combination of genetic predisposition + environmental trigger. Adjuvants are intentionally added to most vaccines in order to provoke a stronger immune response in order to create more effective/longer lasting immunity to the disease. In someone with a normal immune system this is generally not a problem. In someone with a genetic predisposition to one or more autoimmune disorders, the deliberate beefing up of an already overactive immune response can be the environmental trigger that precipitates disease activity.
But even though it is an area in which there is a sound theory and a growing body of evidence, it is probably not enough yet to convince those who believe anyone who questions the current vaccine regime is a lunatic anti-science whack job. And, beyond that, we are not yet able to sort out those predisposed to auto-immune disorders prior to vaccination (aside from familial diseases - which is, at least, a place to start).
Anyone with experience with an autoimmune disorder knows how costly (emotionally, physically, and in many other ways) they can be - as well as how little solid evidence there is about much of anything associated with autoimmune disorders. The diseases are often devastating - and medical decisions often have to be based less than a satisfying quantity of evidence. Vaccines are no exception.
Our daughter is vaccinated against most things, but not against a few of the things which are less deadly, and not against things which her exposure risk was minimal (things primarily associated with very early day care - for example).