From Section 1 - General Questions

Can infants develop antibodies? 

I have heard doctors explain that infants cannot develop antibodies before the age of one; others say 18 months. Parents have reported that their doctors said the same and approved of the mother delaying the vaccine so long as she came in when the child was 12 months. Others laugh about the fact that vaccines do nothing in the first year and it is only there to get parents into the habit of visiting doctors and assuming that doctors need to be involved in raising their children. Biology students have always learned that the immune system is not developed until 12 months and that breast milk is so important to the newborns because it provides immune support from the mother. 

On the other hand, researchers in Australia just reported that infants given the whooping cough vaccine at birth (another birth vaccine being considered) had higher antibodies some months later than those not given it. Antibody levels are the predominant way that doctors and researchers determine the effectiveness of vaccines. So, the jury is out on this one. The researchers acknowledged that they did not know exactly what level of antibodies are needed to protect from more serious disease. It is also not conclusive that high antibody levels confer protection and low levels leave one unprotected; probably because the body has other means of protection. Antibodies are only one part of the immune system.

Another interesting issue is that some older people report that 60 years ago, only one polio vaccine was given and only one smallpox vaccine was given. The incidence of both of these diseases has reduced dramatically and both have essentially disappeared in Australia. Babies are now given three DTaP vaccines (diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis or whooping cough) and three polio vaccines at 2, 4 and 6 months, then at four years of age. Why so many so close? Are their immune system is not functioning properly and need regular prompts, as suggested above? Are the current childhood vaccines very poor compared with those used 60 years ago? Are we just revaccinating to possibly improve the chances of response, for the group that did not respond to the first vaccine?  

The growing vaccine schedule

Vaccines originally began with just small pox, a nasty and sometimes deadly disease which is no longer around. This was the only widely used vaccine for over 100 years. Today we have an increasing list of vaccines available. We now give multiple doses of most of them and we seem to be recommending more for adults, to protect themselves or to top up. We were originally told that the vaccines would protect for life, but it seems they do not.

Some people born in the 1930s were given only one vaccine- smallpox. 

In the late 1940s to early 1950s many children had up to 5 doses of vaccine, some given at primary school. Three doses of DPT was available from 1953.

By 1975 – there were 19 doses to 12 years old. The first now given at 3 months.

In 1998 – 32 doses up to 16 years, and given from 2 months.

In 2018 – 40 doses by 4 years and 45 to age 16, plus any annual flu vaccines (recommended but not on the national schedule). The first vaccine is now given at birth and babies are also exposed to pregnancy vaccines. 

If you are over 35, you have probably had fewer vaccines in your whole life

than most 6-month-old babies have had today.

Now, in 2019, there is a new four strain Meningococcal vaccine just added to the schedule, replacing the previous single strain. The recommended flu vaccine is offered free in some states, for certain age groups, including children of six months up to 5 years. The two month vaccines can now be taken at six weeks of age, because some parents put their child into childcare at that age. Some tertiary students are now being asked to revaccinate, their vaccine protection has run out. 

What used to be the hepatitis vaccine for 10 - 16 year olds, 

is now given at birth, and 2, 4, and 6 months; 

bringing the total to 24 vaccine doses by 6 months of age. 

Ensuring the vaccine program continues

To protect society from dangerous diseases, vaccines were introduced as the need arose and as the vaccines could be developed. Unfortunately, vaccines have not been available for all of the deadly infectious diseases we have heard about in history classes, but most of those epidemics disappeared in time, sometimes due to deliberate efforts to isolate the infected. Sanitation and improved food and living conditions also played a large part.

Vaccines generated a modest payment to the manufacturers, however as time went by, manufacturers were held more and more accountable as people began to sue after a bad reaction to a vaccine. Penalties awarded against the manufacturers would normally lead to an improvement in the safety of vaccines, to everyone’s benefit. At one stage, around the 1980s, American vaccine ........ 

Possible Adverse Events

(according to the manufacturers)

Adverse events or injuries due to the vaccines are acknowledged by the manufacturers, despite the messages we hear about safety. Following is a long list of symptoms and diseases that have been observed after vaccination and that may be adverse events. Remember that the vaccines have not been tested to establish if these things are in fact caused, or not caused, by the vaccines; we just do not know, scientifically, because they have simply not been researched. They have just been reported soon after a vaccine session. 

The most common symptoms to appear very soon after vaccination, are fever, nausea and vomiting and may be called side effects. These are not likely due to exposure to any virus/bacteria in the vaccine, because there is an incubation period of between 7 days and three weeks or more after exposure to these diseases, before such symptoms appear. This means they may be reactions to other factors related to the vaccine, including the toxins, contaminants or added ingredients in the vaccine. If these reactions become serious, a parent will often go to the emergency department at hospital, so the initial doctor may not even see this side effect of the vaccinations he/she has given. 

This list of possible adverse events is taken directly from the product information sheets, for vaccines routinely given up to 18 months of age, not including the flu vaccine, HPV, travel and adult vaccines. If you come across any of these, you will know that they really are a sign of illness and that they might be a result of a vaccine or vaccines, and they might not. These symptoms or events are not a normal part of childhood, and these diseases do not just “drop out of heaven” for no reason. Look for possible causes and watch very carefully if you decide to repeat that possible cause. 

Symptoms and diseases on this list may not show in the days or weeks immediately following the vaccines, but it is still valuable to record for future reference. 

Some of the diseases on the following list will be unfamiliar to many readers. There is room for you to add further descriptions if the meaning is not clear, in case you want to. Plenty of information can be found on medical or government websites.

Listed on product inserts

You can add your notes (or translate) below.

abdominal pain/cramps 

acute disseminated  

encephalomyelitis

agitation

alopecia

anaphylactic shock

angina pectoris

anorexia

aplastic anaemia

apnea

arthralgia

arthritis

aseptic meningitis

ataxia

back   pain

Bell’s palsy

bronchitis

bronchospasm

candidiasis

cellulitis

cerebrovascular accident

chills

conjunctivitis

constipation

cough

crying for long periods

cyanosis

death

dehydration

depression

diabetes

diarrhoea

dizziness

dyspepsia

dysuria

earache

ecchimosis 

eczema

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Pregnancy

Doctors used to warn strongly against vaccinating during pregnancy, but now they recommend vaccines for flu and whooping cough (pertussis). Seeing as your unborn child may be exposed to your pregnancy vaccines, we will discuss and observe these ones as well. Two vaccines are recommended, flu and Tdap.

These infections are unlikely to be a problem during pregnancy but are advised as a precaution, for mother and baby. If a mother wants to avoid taking these vaccines during pregnancy, she might be able to prepare ahead of time by: 

1. Timing the pregnancy so as to not be pregnant during the flu season

2. Boosting vitamin D levels, particularly when low, for extra protection  against the flu [i] 

3. Having the whooping cough vaccine well before getting pregnant, if needed

4. Keeping away from the sick.

Influenza (the flu) 

“Influenza (the flu) is a highly contagious disease … and treated

by managing symptoms. Spread by body fluids from infected people,

symptoms include a runny nose and sore throat. Flu can affect anyone

but is especially serious for babies and older people.”

Department of Health, Australia [ii]

   -  Flu is seasonal 

   -  Symptoms include muscle aches, soreness, headache and fever

   -  Median age of flu death in Australia is 88 years, vs 82 years overall

   -  Serious complications under 16 years of age is 1 in 500,000

   -  Boosting low vitamin D levels gives extra protection against the flu[iii] 

   -  Vaccine is often ineffective

   -  There are many other “flu like” respiratory diseases that are not flu

   -  Fewer than one non-elderly death per million in the 2017 “bad flu year” 

   -  Has not been tested on pregnant women

   -  Vaccine had not been proven effective in under five year olds in 2003-4 and 2004-5.[iv]Has this year’s been shown effective for under five?

  -  The flu vaccine has not been evaluated for cancer, male fertility or  mutation potential. 

[i] https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2017/02/study-confirms-vitamin-d-protects-against- cold-and-flu/, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28202713 9/5/19 

[ii] https://beta.health.gov.au/health-topics/immunisation/immunisation-throughout- life/national-immunisation-program-schedule 9/5/19

[iii] https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2017/02/study-confirms-vitamin-d-protects-against- cold-and-flu/, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28202713 9/519 

[iv] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18838647 9/5/19

Fevers

Before we begin, please note the previous warning about acetaminophen. It is widely used for infant pain medications and might be causing problems.

Fevers can arise after vaccination as well as with natural infections. While many people are afraid of fevers, it is well worth learning more about them. Fevers may even be beneficial, within reason. While some parents panic, or medicate their children at first sight of a fever, some parents who take their child to a medical doctor, are told the child is fine, the fever is not dangerous and it should resolve in a day or so. Some other health traditions say that fevers are an important part of mounting an immune reaction to whatever pathogen is currently causing havoc; in other words, they could be good for us! 

The famous Johns Hopkins hospital’s Health Library says:

“Fever is not an illness. It is a symptom, or sign that your body is fighting an illness or infection. Fever stimulates the body’s defenses, sending white blood cells and other “fighter” cells to fight and destroy the cause of the infection.” [i]

The number of degrees above normal, the age of the child and the length of the fever seem to be the real issues here, so please check with your doctor early in your child’s life, to be sure of safety issues.

Johns Hopkins also advises when to call your child’s healthcare provider: 

Unless advised otherwise by your child’s healthcare provider, 

call the provider right away if:

- Your child is 3 months old or younger and has a fever of 100.4°F (38°C) 

 or higher. Get medical care right away. Fever in a young baby can 

 be a sign of a dangerous infection.

- Your child is of any age and has repeated fevers above 104°F (40°C).

- Your child is younger than 2 years of age and a fever of 100.4°F38°C)    continues for more than 1 day.

- Your child is 2 years old or older and a fever of 100.4°F (38°C) continues 

 for more than 3 days.

- Your baby is fussy or cries and cannot be soothed. 

[i] www.hopkinsmedicine.org/healthlibrary/conditions/pediatrics/fevers_90,P02512 25/5/19