I completely agree with Amanda's views on vaccines....but man, she's going to make a lot of people angry.

I could not disagree more...Vaccinations can be harmful and are harmful. You have to do your research on both sides of the coin. Not just meet with two people who are pro-vaccines. There is a ton of literature out there to the contrary. It amazes me how during pregnancy a lot of women won't have a glass of wine, eat tuna fish, or anything with salt because they don't want to harm the fetus. Then as soon as they are born, they pump the kids full of aluminum and mercury during their most formative years. I commend the organic food she is feeding her daughter...and I respect her choice to vaccinate...but to call someone a parasite because they are trying to give their children the healthiest life is not right.

Wow! Im a parasite eh?? Nice Amanda. Really charming. Name calling is up there with sarcasm as the lowest form of intelligence. If her beloved vaccines are so wonderful how are children who aren't vaccinated placing her precious child at risk? This judgment of hers is based on talking to doctors who have a vested financial interest in vaccines. Yep good researching. *Pat Pat* It's people like Ms Peet who should be given a warning about their comments. In the next paragraph she admits she's a narcissistic consumer?? Yep she's all class. WhatEver.

So she spoke to two groups, pediatricians and the CDC who have a vested interest in squashing fears about vaccinations and now she thinks she's an expert who can tell other parents what to do? And not only that, she calls parents concerned about vaccinations “parasites”? What a crock. She's a new mom who knows nothing more than what people TELL her and yet she’s passionate about an issue that has not touched her. I have two autistic sons and I know my second son was perfectly normal until his vaccinations at a year old. My youngest son was not vaccinated until he was over the age of two and he does not have autism. Can I scientifically prove those shots caused my older boys’ autism? No. Can this woman scientifically prove they didn't cause it? No. Until they can prove what does cause autism, no one can say what doesn’t cause it.

This is a perfect example of why celebrities should keep their mouths shut. I don’t go around telling her how to look pretty and read lines that other people wrote for her so maybe she should stop going around telling parents how to raise their children when she’s clearly clueless. And she calls herself humbled by parenthood? Like I said, clueless.

Jenny that's true. I believe what Amanda wants to do with her daughter is her business. All I know is that I had my vaccines and I'm still alive. I also eat non-organic food and my doctor says I'm in good health.

Wow - I am really offended by her use of the term "parasite". I am the mother of a 9 year old son with autism. Do I believe that vaccinations "caused" my son's autism - no I do not believe that will happen in an otherwise healthy child, but I do believe they triggered some pre-existing immune system breakdown, as he was a totally normal 12 month old, until the MMR vaccination at that time. That is where the attention should be focused - how to determine the risk potential for certain children. I do not trust the medical establishment's opinion much, as they pooh-poohed the intense, alternative, biomedical treatments we ended up using for the last 7 years to undo the damage, which has led to 90% recovery for my son. He is in Grade 4, and flourishing in a regular school, talking like crazy, sociable and smart as can be. We will never vaccinate him again - period. That is our choice not to do so - at least for now. Don't you dare judge our decision until you have walked the road we have walked. There is simply not enough proof yet, and all the "proof" that exists comes from those who approved all of these vaccinations in the first place.

Wow I'm reading some of your comments and jeeze some of need to CALM down. She has an opinion and so do you, that's that.

Did she really call parents who choose not to vaccinate parasites? So let me get this straight, because she, in all her non Medical/Epidemiology degree holding glory, has decided to do what she deems best for her child, everyone who does the opposite is parasitic? Parasitic to what exactly? I don't care either way what other parents choose to do with their own kids, to each his own, but WOW, that statement seems inordinately and unnecessarily harsh.

As for the link to Autism, I wonder if she chose to speak to the parents of children who weren't symptomatic of the disorder until they were administered vaccinations? Speaking to her BIL and a CDC expert only presented her with one side of the spectrum and certainly isn't enough for her to draw such a broad and incredibly rude generalization.

While I respect the cause and the issue, her statement and gross disrespect of varying parenting choices doesn't do much for her or what she's pushing. To me, it would have been better for her to present a more comprehensive review of the issue and THEN make her preference for her own child and children around the country known. As is, she comes off as arrogant and benighted.

I am so proud that my 9 month old is not vaccinated. My husband and I choose to vaccinate ourselves, and make sure those around us and in close contact with her(grandparents, aunts, uncles etc.) choose to be vaccinated. We choose to only have one income so that I can stay home with our daughter, we do not take her to places where she can be exposed to diseases and viruses. Do people honestly think we can pump our children with all of these "dead" viruses and chemicals and not have any fallout? How many toxins do you honestly believe a 2 month old, 4 month old, 6 month old etc... can handle?? OUR adult bodies couldnt even handle the amount of vaccinations we give our children.

FOR EVERY ONE VACCINE A CHILD RECIEVED IT IS LIKE GIVING A 150 POUND ADULT 7 VACCINES.

SEVEN.

And children get 4 shots per appointment. That's like 28 vaccines in one sitting for our adult bodies.

Parents need to inform themselves, and not only look into one side.

Wow, what a thing to say. We are "parasites"? Well that is very interesting Ms. Peet since my decision not to vaccinate my two daughters had nothing to do with so-called "herd immunity" and in fact we do travel the world and visit countries with much lower vaccine rates than the U.S., so no, we are hardly parasites. Ms. Peet needs to mind her own business and understand that this a personal decision up to the parents to make. Is she aware of the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Fund that pays out millions annually to the families of VACCINE INJURED CHILDREN? I am guessing since she gets her info only from people for whom vaccines are their bread and butter, no she has not adequately examined the other side nor will she recieve such facts from the vaccinators. The truth about vaccines will continue to be suppressed because of the sheer magnitude of damage incurred, Can you imagine the lawsuits and chaos if the truth were ever to be revealed?

What a horribly ignorant thing for her to say. And I agree with others; she talks to 2 people who's livelyhoods depend on vaccines continuing and suddenly she's a "well researched expert". Not hardly.

PS. Both of my kids were vaccinated with no harmful side effects, however if I knew then what I know now about vaccines, I would have certainly hesitated and probably would have never gone through with them.

Jacky,

I'm glad you had your vaccinations and you're fine. I had mine too and I'm fine. My two oldest sons had theirs on schedule just like Ms. Peet wants as a way to protect her daughter and they have autism. While having your child vaccinated and choosing the schedule for the vaccinations is a personal choice, people should be aware that there are possible consequences to each of these choices.

Besides, just because you had your vaccinations and turned out fine doesn't prove they're safe anymore than my sons having their vaccinations and getting autism proves they're dangerous. The government HAS admitted that mercury in vaccinations could cause autism. Ms. Peet’s research doesn’t seem to have picked up on that which indicates that she does not have Internet access.

Oh, and as one of the parasites she detests so much, I would definitely say all this to her face. It might help her to hear an opposing viewpoint, but that would never happen.

Vaccinations are among the first decisions parents are required to make on behalf of their children. I find it a challenge, as a new mom, to make informed decisions especially when a hard line for or against anything is taken. Let's converse, not condemn. Let's get beyond the "it's what we should do" comment and get answers to honest questions of why and when.

Vaccines can be used effectively, but that doesn't mean they are all eqally necessary, wise, or helpful.

Parents, no matter where they are on this issue, need to READ READ READ all they can, from every side. The history of vaccines is interesting and will help frame the issue and its relevancy to today. It will also reveal that formulas of vaccines have changed, a shift in schedule, and multiple new vaccines that we did not have as children. It is worth investigating the changes.

Oh gosh, this should set off some sparks! Personally I agree to an extent with Amanda. My age group- I'm 30- were vaccinated and you don't see near the #'s of people with autism that you see now in young kids. What has changed is what intrigues me. I am not a parent yet but look forward to researching more once I become one. Ultimately all anyone wants to do is what is best for their child. And what that is is different for everyone.

Maybe if Amanda had a son like mine who did a complete 360 after he had his cluster of vaccines and lost all his ability to communicate and lost his learned skills she wouldnt open her mouth.

"That is where the attention should be focused - how to determine the risk potential for certain children."

I'm with Lisa on this one.

I was in the Amanda Peet camp until my daughter developed an auto-immune condition called alopecia areata very shortly after getting her second Gardasil shot. The doctor pooh-poohed any relationship between the shot and her hair starting to fall out but I insisted that it be reported. If all doctors respond as this one did the CDC is not getting a real sense of the possible reactions to all of these vaccines.

It is very possible that it was just a coincidence that the condition developed shortly after the vaccination but I believe that it could have been a triggering mechanism.

Wow. 'Parasites'. That's disappointing. Gosh, I hope after loading her child with vaccinations that she doesn't regret it...and have to publicly eat her words later.

If her child IS vaccinated against so many diseases, why would a non-vaccinated child be a risk to hers? She shouldn't prepetuate an attitude of fear of these diseases amongst the population who are "protected" by the vaccine. She is grossly malinformed...but we all have the right to live in ignorant bliss, don't we.

I knew her comments would cause some people to be upset but I do agree with her that parents should vaccinate their children. i would not feel comfortable with a child that has not been vaccinated around my children. Also, alot of you aren't medical experts. Please don't attack people who do vaccinate their kids which some of you are doing

Jacky, telling someone to calm down usually has the opposite effect. Celebrity Baby Blog would have disabled commenting if they didn't want some passionate comments from readers.

All the comments so far against Amanda's parasite statement have been very well thought out and valid. I hope they do not calm down.

I'd just like to say how sad it is to see people get so riled up and go back and forth on the vaccine issue when children die every single day in parts of the undeveloped world because they do not have access to life-saving vaccines for diseases we over here have no worries about. Thank you lucky stars that you can debate whether or not to get your kids vaccinated against measles, mumps, polio, and smallpox and that even if you don't vaccinate, that you have a healthcare system that can handle and treat the disease appropriately. Having spent significant time in a place where vaccines are scant to be seen, I'm a little dismayed to see how much people take that for granted. I am no way advocating either side, but step back and see how sad this is that parents in other countries don't even get the chance to debate this.
Personally and this is in no way scientifically backed up and just my opinion and observation, but I was vaccinated as a child and so were many kids in my generation and a majority of us do not have autism or autism-related disorders. It seems to be on the rise in the last few years. Which leads me to believe that it might be something else. Not to mention that there are plenty of kids who get vaccinated and show no sign of abnormalities.
Bottom line: do the research and make the educated choice on your own.

Good argument, D. Well then, I hope everyone carries on. I'd get involved if I had children...

Facingdawn-

Vaccines HAVE changed...they've undergone serious molecular changes to make them longer-lasting on the "shelf" (makes them more money) as well as stronger, drop for drop. (also makes them more money and by "them", I mean the manufacturers, of course) It's not that WE have changed so much in one generation; the vaccines, foods, teaching curriculum, and so many other things that shape young people are what has changed.

Anyway...

I know I'm just echoing what others have said on here, but WOW! I can't believe that Amanda Peet spoke with all of TWO people- both of whom are probably very wealthy due to the administration of multiple vaccines per child per pediatric visit- and she not only forms this ill-conceived "expert opinion" but deems anyone who disagrees with her a PARASITE?

Wow, I am *SO* not a fan anymore.

I don't have kids myself, but I AM a person who thoroughly researches and documents every major life decision and will do the same with the vaccine issue when I do have children.

As I have known several people whose children were right on or above the physical and intellectual curve pre-vaccination and then literally RIGHT after vaccination descended into unexplainable self-retreat and backpedaled socially, verbally, and emotionally...I would definitely think that this issue bears more research than talking to ONE relative and ONE so-called expert who makes his millions with every needle-stick a child receives.

I am just appalled by her selfishly narrowminded rhetoric! I really hope her reputation suffers because of this...it's the only thing I can think of that would make her snap to and realize "maybe I should do a little research personally before making offensive blanket statements that demean the parenting choices of so many people..."

God forbid she learn the hard way about vaccines and have to watch Autism envelope her child, like so many parents of recently vaccinated children have had to do...I would hate to hear that her beautiful daughter suddenly stopped verbalizing and making emotional demonstrations after her vaccines...because now that Ms Peet has made SUCH an inflammatory, archaic statement...her pride may keep her from aggressive and early treatment.

wow. all i can say is wow. I used to love Amanda. Now, not so sure. I agree with many people here...she talked to 2 people who have a vested interest in vaccines and that is enough? How about spending time with my son or thousands of others children who had no signs or symptoms of autism in any way....until they had certain vaccines...in my son's case (in 1991)...the MMR. People have to realize kids are given many many more vaccines now than we were when we were children back in the 70's and 80's. Bottom line is...parents make the best decision for their children based on research and intuition. But resorting to calling parents of a certain mindset "parasites"???? Totally uncalled for. Completely ignorant. And...very very sad!

What a rude and degrading comment to make, espically to mothers of austic children.

it's fine for her to have an opinion, we all are, but to degrade someone else because she's only looking at one side of the argument is offensive.

I just lost all respect for her.

If there is a link between autism and vaccinations, how come a gross majority of children who are vaccinated do not develop the disease?

I am not trying to start a debate or anger anyone, I'm just curious (& seeking information/research) since I'm the mother of an infant son. So far he has been vaccinated, but I'm wondering if I should discontinue.

I totally respect the right of parents to make their own decision for their children--what I can't stand is when the other side of the spectrum is deemed to "wrong" or, in Amanda's opinion "parasitic". I don't even know how I feel about vaccinations, but I think Amanda's comments are extremely ignorant (and I would say that to her in a conversation. :)

AND ANOTHER THING...
She calls us parasites for NOT vaccinating our kids but she boats that she doesn't give her daughter medicine or sunscreen?!?!?!?!?

anyone else find this a bit hypocritical...

I'm going to steer clear of the autism debate (my cousin has autism so I do understand everyone's concerns about the link between vaccines and autism). However, as a Floridian, I'm a little confused by her comments on sunscreen. Amanda says she doesn't like to put sunscreen on Frankie, which is something I don't understand. I'm not a medical expert, but I think the benefits of sunscreen far outweigh the risks.

Risa, in my honest opinion...I believe certain children are genetically pre disposed to develop autism and that vaccines can trigger a response in these children. Many many people share this belief. This is why some children develop autism and some don't. But, in my son's case, he went a perfectly normal 15 month old who met all his milestones and was developing beautifully...to a shell of his former self. He started having seizures, lost many of his abilities, and regressed immensely. This was all within the month after receiving his MMR. The seizures within a few days of the shot. How could I NOT think there was a correlation between the events? I have heard so many parents with the same story.

Thanks Liz. yeah, I could see that. The drug co's amping the vaccines up and saying that it is making them "better". when i have kids i will make myself much more knowledgable.

Whether she agrees with vaccinations or not, she should have never called anyone a parasite! Im not sure what she was thinking there- maybe she wasnt thinking :)

Do you think that it might be helpful to quote more of the sentence in which Amanda called such parents "parasites"? In the present context, it is not clear why she considers them parasitic.

Wow, what an ignorant thing to say!! I cannot believe she called us parents parisites! I mean, her child isn't even old enough for her to know if she has Autism yet. And if she does, will she vaccinate her next child too? Knowing it might be the cause of Autism? Or will she join the ranks of us "parisites" and spare her future children? Jenny Mcarthey and Jim Carey should totally KICK HER ASS!! I wouldn't be suprised to hear some strong resposes about what she's said here. I wonder if anyone's told her about the loads of toxins, murcury, aluminum, either, and animal products in those shot's she's so proudly injecting into her first born child. I wonder how she'll feel if her precious daughter stops looking her in the eye and speaking to her after being dosed with thirty or so shots and the MMR around her first birthday? Or if she see's a friends child spinning and screaming for hours or not responding to thier own names after one of those lovely docter's visits? We need to understand that when we we're children we only had few immunizations, I believe it was something like 6 in 1985, now it's something like 36 total. And some children are clearly predisposed to severe reactions and intolerance to these toxins. My older son has autism and youngest son doesn't, guess who had shot and who will never have them! Kids are being overloaded with toxic chemicals and it is causing brain and organ damage! Period! We need to GREEN OUR VACINNES!

I've never commented here before, but I am outraged at her ignorance and lack of education on the subject. Especially at those who chose to delay and/or stagger vaccines.

Not every vaccine that is recommended is for a deadly disease (hello chickenpox). And hundreds of thousands of people were not dying here during the 50s. Where the heck did she get those numbers? What are her sources? It's ridiculous fear mongering.

At birth, most infants are now routinely vaccinated for Hepatitis B. I do not have HepB so I did not see the need to assault my newborn's immune system with a vaccine for a blood born, STD that she has no chance of getting in the near future. But that makes me a parasite? Unreal.

The reason some parents opt out and some delay or selectively vaccinate is because the dangers are very real. Our government set up the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program for the families of children who died or were severely injured as a result of being vaccinated. Could your child die from one of these diseases? Yes, that is a real risk. The chance is slim, but it's there. Could your child die as a result of receiving immunizations? Again the risk is small, but yes, they could die. As parents it's up to us to research on our own and decide which path presents the least risk to our kids. It's utterly wrong for anyone, including fool celebrities who obviously have no idea what they're talking about, to minimize the risks of either position.

Alysha there is not more. I read the story at Cookie and the whole sentence is "Frankly, I feel that parents who don't vaccinate their children are parasites." There is a link in the article here or at the bottom too if you want to see it and there's cute pics of Frankie too.

I wholeheartedly disagree with Amanda but don't feel like getting into a discussion on it right now.

I agree with Amanda, and the reason that she is referring to people who do not vaccinate is because of something called "herd immunity." When I vaccinate my child, I'm not only protecting her. I'm protecting other children who might otherwise catch the disease from her. So far, choosing not to vaccinate hasn't had many terrible consequences because most people do vaccinate, and so once-common childhood diseases are now rare and it is unlikely that an unvaccinated child will be exposed to them. Vaccines do have risks (although the evidences demonstrates that autism is not one of them), and people who don't vaccinate are reaping the rewards of living in a society where most people do vaccinate without bearing any of the risk. That is parasitic.

I was watching her interview. And despite being 36 or 37 years old, this lady seems VERY imature and she talks like she is 19.

I know people are focusing in the vacination.. but every single thing she said in this interview sounds wrong to me.

Wow. I used to like Amanda Peet, but now that my kids and I are parasites, not so much anymore.
Facingdawn- The number of vaccines that children get has increased by a lot since we were kids. I think they get 36 by 18 months now and according to my vax records, I got about 6 before kindergarten.
Ekaterina- You must take into account that the people in 3rd world countries do not have access to clean water or sanitation like we do making it much easier for disease to spread.
Do some research and you'll find that vaccines were not responsible for wiping out diseases and they were actually already on the decline before the vaccines were introduced.

I'm proud to be a parasite. :)

I have two healthy non-vaxed kids who've never had to have ANY type of medicine or ANY medical problems at all. An occasional cold and they are 6 and 3. My "student of the year" early reader parasite children.

I am curious as to why people only equate vaccines to "austim?" Even if autism has nothing to do with vaccines, many of the ingredients are nuerotoxins, carcinogenic, blood toxicants....the list goes on and on and on.

As more people start to learn about vaccines I think we'll see a real dividing line as our kids grow into adults (healthwise.) I'd love to see a cancer study done on the two different groups personally. I'd also love to see a difference in speech and learning. I look at so many kids at my son's school and wonder.......

Here is why I vax myself and my kids. Working in the health profession as an RN I see ALOT. You wouldnt even believe the number of patients with MRSA I've encountered this summer alone.

This was just posted TODAY on FoxNEWS.com. It's out there, it's scary, and when people choose not to vaccinate they give the virus and bacteria the opportunity to mutate, risking a huge epidemic. While parasite is not the best choice of words, it really sums it up pretty well as those who choose not to vaccinate put everyone else at risk.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,379388,00.html

There is some misinformation being given on this side too-there is aluminum in some vaccines still, but no vaccines still contain mercury. While I think it's responsible to do research and possibly use a delayed vaccine program if your children aren't in daycare, I do still vaccinate my child on a slightly delayed schedule. We've just learned that several new friends of ours do not vaccinate, and we are considering not allowing our 17 month old daughter to play with them until she receives all of her immunizations on her delayed schedule. We want her to be protected on both sides-having vaccines that are on a more appropriate schedule and not all on one day, and not being around children who may be carrying a serious virus or disease because their parents have chosen no vaccines for them. While I understand that parents may not want their child vaccinated, I'll expect that they'll understand why my child can't play with theirs.

I seem to have read that autism could be gentic. In the "old days" people hid their children. Some time you can find out about a uncle or aunt that was put in a instution. Also I read that it might be because of older fathers. Who knows.

Good for her! She is completely right. you people who chose to believe the lies will not accept any scientific proof. You would rather believe that all medical researchers, scientist and the CDC are in a conspiracy to cause autism in the general population. Have you ever stop to think why they would do that? How would they benefit? Vaccines cost nothing compared to other drugs so that kind of logic makes no sense. There have been numerous studies that found no link but to all of you every ones lying. This is what happens when something does not have a clear cause so all kinds of myths and bogeymans can make people feel better as to why their children have a condition. They have an "answer" and something to fight against. Bravo for you Amanda you are a very brave woman to speak up in the "dark ages" we are presently living in. Where people would rather believe anecdotal stories rather than scientific proof.

But Maria, that doesn't make sense. Why would a virus or bacteria mutate in an immune system free from vaccines. If anything, the mass vaccination policy would encourage the viruses to mutate and get stronger because we're tampering with our immune systems. Sort of like how antibiotics resistant strains of bacteria are now so prevalent from the overuse and abuse of antibiotics. If a person is unvaccinated, there would be no need for the virus to mutate to ensure it's survival.

I'm not downplaying the measles, but what the article fails to mention is that the kids that are dying from measles are in poor, underdeveloped countries. In places like that, a simple case of diarrhea or the flu could kill someone. Here, the measles will make you uncomfortable for 2 weeks. If you look up the disease through emedicinehealth.com you'll note that even they admit the disease is typically mild (their terminology, not mine.

Ashley, there are several vaccines still routinely given that contain mercury. You can look them up on the FDAs website. The flu shot is the biggest offender on that one.

First, to any parent or loved one with an autistic child, my awe and admiration for the love and dedication that you show your children in the face of incredible challenges. I know a few parents with autistic kids and I'm just in floored by their patience, love and bravery. That said, I am totally in favor of childhood vaccinations. The "link" between vaccination and autism onset seems to be that the symptoms of the latter show up right after the vaccinations. To make a hard case that one thus causes the other is like saying I got the flu after eating Chinese food therefore Chinese food made me sick. The phenomenon of higher autism rates seems to coincide with a more willing population of parents to highlight their child's plight, whereas in say the late '40s when my uncle was born, parents just did not speak out. My uncle was clearly autistic. Back then they said he was mentally retarded, and my grandparents sent him to a state-run institution. Society at large didn't want to talk about it, and that was that. So some of the "spike" might be merely be better diagnosing. I understand that medical professionsals are in many ways "in bed" with pharmecutical companies but, logically, they have to be. I highly doubt people who dedicate their lives to helping others would willingly allow even a small possibility of a child being harmed by a drug would advise the parents to allow said drug to be given. There's overwhelming scientific evidence to support the safety of vaccinations. Let's not allow our fear of autism to overrule our knowledge. As for Amanda Peet, she said what she said in a most unsensitive manner. I almost feel queasy being on her side. But like Ekaterina said, it's baffling to me that we take for granted the great benefit we've have the past several generations to not worry about polio, measles,etc. They killed millions of children in our country. Please let's not fall back into a dark age.

Fragile X syndrom is what causes Autism, NOT vaccines.

Fragile X is a genetic disorder, almost always coming from the mom and almost always affecting only boys.

To claim that vaccines causes autism is ludacris.

I find it somewhat hypocritical that many of you are rebuffing Amanda for her lack of a medical or scientific degree, and yet, none of you have claimed such a degree yourselves. Your "opinions" would then seem to be equally passionate and uneducated. The source of one's information is vital. You can find an "expert" who will say exactly what you want to hear.

I am a scientist, one with a PhD, and I am telling you that simply because someone has autism AND was vaccinated DOES NOT mean that the vaccinations caused the autism. Those same autistic children have likely been exposed to hormones in dairy and meat products or pesticides in their fruits and veggies, pollutants from car exhaust, fumes from household cleaners, etc. By that logic, anyone of these dangers could also be to blame for autism.

Autism is a VERY complex disease, and inconveniently rears its ugly head during the same early years during which children are vaccinated. Untangling the two will be critical. Autism may quite possibly be caused by both a genetic predisposition for the disease (meaning it is inherited) and environmental exposure to some risk factor(meaning things outside of our body contributed). But as of yet, no legitimate PROOF that vaccines are that risk factor has been shown.

Molly is correct; it is EASY to choose to not vaccinate your children in first-world countries where the risk of exposure is small and because others have given your child protection because they ARE vaccinated. But many parents of unvaccinated children would likely never travel with their children to developing nations where children remain unvaccinated because the KNOWN risk of sickness is REAL. Many diseases that once killed thousands have been wiped out because of vaccines. For that there IS proof. Those who choose not to vaccinate are greatly benefitting from the fact that others are.

While I certainly don't agree with Ms. Peet's degrading comments, I do agree that new moms should consult with their peditricans about questions and concerns about vaccines. Who else do you go to??? So much of the information on the internet is false.

I'm college educated, but I didn't go to Harvard Medical School and study pediatrics like my son's doctor did. I really feel like he's the one with the best information on this than me and my policitcal science degree and my new mommy brain swimming with conflicting information.

Molly , you have good point. Really talk about this issue with doctors not anonymous people on the Internet when it comes to your family health which is what Amanda did which was a smart thing to do

I rarely post replies to the stories here but this one made me very angry. It's all well and good for celebrities and the medical community, even ordinary people, to make sweeping statements about others choices when they have no idea why those choices were made. I was hesitant to give my oldest daughter any vaccines but as a first time mother I allowed them to be given because I didn't really have more than a "feeling" that they shouldn't be given and my husband saw no reason why they should be avoided. We followed the CDC path even after she spiked a high fever following her first HepB shot in the hospital. At 6 months she got all shots she was supposed to get and the next day she had her first seizure. My perfectly developing baby was soon ravaged by over 100 seizures a day and has a rare seizure disorder. After 7 long months of trial and error we finally found a medication that has controlled her seizures and allowed her to begin the catch up process with the help of early intervention.

The info sheets clearly state that the DTaP can cause myoclonic seizures yet our DR refused to report it because the seizures were not confirmed for over a month (took that long for her to have one while also having an EEG). We also did not get the info sheets until AFTER the shots were given. As a result of her seizure disorder she can never have the MMR or DTaP again as they can exacerbate seizure disorders and for this reason my husband and I are deemed "parasites."

Needless to say we did our research and decided that our children will not receive any vaccines until absolutely necessary and even then we're going to be picky, do them one at a time and avoid combo shots at all costs.

For everybody who thinks that all children should be vaccinated, please remember that there are some children who truly cannot receive vaccines for various reasons.

I'm not gonna comment about the vaccinations cause I guess I just believe that each parent should do what they feel is best for their own children, however I just have to say that her daughter is adorable!! Those big blue eyes are so cute!!

toni, please...give me a break...there is no history of mental illness or autism or mental handicap in my family...at all...and both me and my husband were 21 when my son was born.

anna, you have nothing back that up...I do...my son was tested for Fragile X...he is autistic...he DOES NOT have Fragile X. Both my husband and I were also tested to see if we are carriers since we want to have more children...neither of us do.

I think I have heard just about everything now.

I chose to vaccinate my daughter because I know how devastating some of these diseases can be. I work with a colleague who contracted Polio as a young child before the vaccine became available. She hasn't been able to walk since she was young and requires the help of a nurse every day to get ready in the mornings. I'm sure she would have appreciated the opportunity to get the vaccine had it been available to her.

Also, while these diseases may be rare in the U.S., I would think it would be easy for them to see a resurgence if more and more people stop getting vaccinated. We don't live in a quarantine here in the U.S.--what's to prevent these diseases from becoming widespread here if our population isn't vaccinated?

Finally, I'm not sure about the link between autism and vaccinations (I'm not a scientist) but I do wonder why boys are so much more prone to autism than girls--I've read 4:1. If vaccinations are causing autism, why do they seem to affect boys so much more frequently? I really am curious about this and wonder what research has discovered about it. Anyone know?

I am going to stay clear in commenting about the vaccinations cause i believe that each parent will do what they think is best for their children and thats perfectly ok. I just have to say that her little girl is completely adorable. Those big blue eyes are SO cute!! She seems to be very loved by her parents and is very lucky.

You can get a mercury-free flu vaccine. They're easy to find. My toddler had one last fall, and so did I because I was breastfeeding him. The flu can kill, you know.

Amanda Peet probably meant people who don't vaccinate are "parasites," as one other poster theorized, because non-vaccinated children (and adults) benefit from the others who are vaccinated -- just like parasites live off other creatures. It's not exactly a gentle way to describe herd immunity, but I think she was trying to be controversial. I don't think she's going to make a very good spokesperson for vaccines with an aggressive attitude like that ... although I do agree with her.

Some people *can't* be immunized, due to their age (infants) or due to their weakened immune systems. Those people truly deserve the benefit of herd immunity. I feel like everyone else should get on board with vaccines for the benefit of society.

Many of my fellow attachment parenting friends don't vaccinate their kids, and I'm considering keeping my as-yet unborn daughter away from them until she is old enough to be vaccinated. I would never forgive myself if she, a tiny innocent baby, caught a deadly disease from one of them.

FRS, you seem to think you know alot about vaccines, are you "college educated". If you were you would know its better to listen to your doctor or the cdc than to think for yourself.

So many things to say, so little space. To all the people who think vaccines have been the sole cause of the decline in contagious diseases - go and have a look at the government records that show that all of the diseases people vaccinate against were well and truly on the decline BEFORE the introduction of vaccines! Hygiene and sanitation played a much larger role than any vaccine ever did. (The only trick is to look at graphs that contain centuries of statistics, not the little snippets the vaccine proponents want you to read!) Not one single person has ever been able to provide an argument to explain those statistics. Not one.

Those statistics should also help people understand that children in third world countries need clean drinking water, hygienic living conditions, adequate food and the appropriate removal of waste rather than chemicals injected into their little bodies!!

To all those people who say things like "I'm protecting other children who might otherwise catch the disease from her" - how does it feel up in your special ivory tower? Do you feel special, important and extremely righteous?? You certainly come across as sounding that way!! The herd immunity argument just makes me laugh. I dont want you to inject chemicals into your child's body for the sake of mine thank you very much! My child is incredibly healthy and doesnt need your "charity". The times that my child has come into contact with contagious diseases her body has coped brilliantly. She has never had an ear infection or gastro in her life. She has never been hospitalised. We have never had to use drugs to treat her - she recovers from illness (by illness I mean the 3 colds and 1 bout of chicken pox she has had in her 4 years) well before drugs were necessary. How many of you vaccine users can say that? Again I ask, if your beloved vaccines work the way you say they do why on earth should the children who arent vaccinated matter. If you have vaccinated your child why on earth would you need to stop them from being around children who arent vaccinated?? Surely they couldnt catch the disease they are vaccinated against because vaccines work dont they? haha

Why dont people do research that hasnt been funded by people who make MILLIONS from vaccines every year at the expense of children and their families? I dont call people who vaccinate child abusers so why should I put up with being called parasites by a celebrity?

An outbreak of measles affecting 127 people has been reported in the US. Looks like primarily unvaccinated individuals contracted the illness and spread it to other unvaccinated individuals. The few paragraphs from the NBC article:

"WASHINGTON - The biggest U.S. outbreak of measles since 1997 has sickened 127 people in 15 states, most of whom were not vaccinated against the highly contagious viral illness, federal health officials said.

The outbreak was driven by travelers who became infected overseas — 10 countries are implicated — then returned to the United States ill and infected others, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday.

Thanks to a vaccination program dating to 1963, measles is no longer endemic in the United States, with ongoing transmission of the virus declared eliminated in 2000.

Public health officials have been stressing the importance of immunizing children amid increasingly vocal vaccine opponents who object to them for religious or other reasons or because they fear the shots may cause autism or other harm.

British health officials said last month that measles had again become endemic in that country for the first time since the mid-1990s due to parents declining to get their children vaccinated."

I think part of the problem stems from the internet - when people say they have 'researched' a question, hey often simply mean they have typed something into google. While everyone is entitled to their opinion, not all opinions are equal and it's a shame that the internet enables people to feel knowledgeable in areas that they have no real experience in. Unless you are a doctor, or are getting your information from a doctor (a real one, who can show you her/his diploma - not an internet one who could be anyone!) then you don't really have anything to contribute to the debate - that includes Ms Peet and the people here.

I think it's a trifle daft to say 'I didn't vaccinate my kid and its six and fine' - as if that had any bearing on anything in the absence of, e.g. a measles outbreak in your area.

Oh pppft give me a break. White coat syndrome abound. So you have a degree Anne. So what? I have one too. Although granted I am clearly not as intelligent as you because I dont have a PhD. *roll eyes*. Are you aware that most people who deliberately dont vaccinate their child are college educated and do so having thoroughly researched that decision. On the other hand most (not all) people who vaccinate do it simply because it's what everyone else does. Baa baa It's not an EASY choice to make at all!! Its an incredibly difficult one if you take into account the horrible judgments that are regularly heaped upon people who do not vaccinate. We are seen as being on society's loony fringe all too often, even though we are the ones doing the research!

Do you even realise how offensive you are being to parents who have said that within DAYS, sometimes HOURS, of a vaccine their child has disappeared into a black hole?? Do you even stop to think about how ridiculously uninformed you sound?

For the record I would happily travel OS with my unvaccinated child! I would do so because I know her immune system has not been overloaded with chemicals and therefore functions brilliantly!

FRS,

I just took Microbiology
and from what I learned there are several types of immunizations and vaccinations. Most cases you're injected w/ an inactive/weakened virus so your body can build up antibodies. As its using your first line of defense your second line of defense is slower but its making the antibodies/antigens to be stored as your 'memory' so god forbid the virus should come back or a similar version your body goes 'Hey I recognize this' and it'll come back stronger and faster to kill it and wipe it out. Thats why vaccinations are encouraged bc while you may not vaccinate you may get the actual full blown virus and your body can't regulate its defenses. The first line of defense is weak so it has no problem killing the weak virus the 2nd line is the best and that one takes time and previous experience in order to attack.

According to my professor, the problem if any from the vaccinations may have been the needle they were using not the actual vaccine. But now those needles are non existent and they use ones free of metal

that wasn't supposed to be an attack or anything its just from what I learned :)

Des,
My 11 year-old son was vaccinated on schedule. He was talking in sentences by 2 years-old, reading by 4 years old, and has been in gifted classes since 1st grade and has an IQ in the 140's. He's also very rarely ever been sick. I don't think the fact that we both have smart, healthy kids is because we did or did not have them vaccinated.

To those who question the "no medicine or sunscreen" line: there are studies out now that show many sunscreens might not be effective at best, and may be harmful at worst, when they are chemical sunscreens vs physical blocks. Skin is our largest organ and absorbs into the bloodstream. So even physical blocks that use nanoparticles (so they don't look so white) are being questioned right now. In trying to keep our kids free of skin cancer, are we putting something on them that may cause another? That is how the thinking goes.

Medicine could just mean not to dose Baby Tylenol for every little thing, or antibiotics for every ear infection. That is usually what people I know mean when they say something like that.

Wow, Anna...Fragile X Syndrome is what causes autism?

Perhaps you should inform the medical community, as they don't seem to know that.

The fact that the cause of autism is NOT known is what makes this such a fierce debate. Unfortunately, it will probably take years to figure out the causes (because I wouldn't be surprised to find that there are a multitude/combination of causes.)

I have to tell you what a fine line this is for me. I think we all want what is best for our children. I worked in a group home a few years ago and startling revelation. One of the women who lived in the home was a perfectly fine baby girl. Once vaccinated, she suffered a reaction that cause her a brain injury. She wound up living in group homes for the rest of time. So this one is near and dear to my heart. With my new son at just 2 weeks old, how do prevent and protect our little ones??

That is really an awful thing for her to say. I know she is entitled to her opinion, but that is something way beyond opinion. That is ugly.

"This was just posted TODAY on FoxNEWS.com. It's out there, it's scary, and when people choose not to vaccinate they give the virus and bacteria the opportunity to mutate, risking a huge epidemic. While parasite is not the best choice of words, it really sums it up pretty well as those who choose not to vaccinate put everyone else at risk.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,379388,00.html"

ah yes, the fear-mongering, misogynistic, conservative, "pro-values," anti-progress FauxNews. Right, they are the source I'll seek when I need info on an impending "epidemic."

Perhaps a better style of decision making would be to listen to both sides of the argument. You've taken on board the medical perspective, now you need to take on board the perspective of those who advocate healthy bodies through healthy choices. The only way to make an informed decision is to avail yourself of all the information available. Otherwise it's a bit like a judge just listening to one party in the court room.
I find the name calling personally offensive and unkind. We are all making the best decisions that we can based on the information available to us. The decision to not vaccinate is not an easy one, it requires many many hours of research and consideration. I often wonder if this is true of those who choose to vaccinate. Are they making a considered decision based on the facts available? I think not.
Open your mind, start thinking for yourself Amanda.

I just want to scream!!! I had to stop reading the comments b/c they are stupid. I sympathize with parents who have children that are autistic, I really do, but autism IS hereditary. Parents feel betrayed and hurt and want to put blame on something or someone when things go bad. Blame the doctor, blame the shots, blame the government. There is NO blame. Autism happens, just as cancer happens and car accidents. They are tragic and serious and can be devestating. There are children dying EVERYDAY from lack of vaccinations. Thank your lucky stars that we live in a world and a country where vaccinations are available.

And I don't enroll my baby in a playgroup unless it is mandatory that ALL the children are vaccinated. There is a risk letting your kids play with those that aren't up to date with their shots and why would you ever choose to risk that? Also, organic is no better than regular food. It has a different taste, but it isn't hamful. Another myth that people WANT to believe.

I find it disturbing that CBB has posted this, and all the comments KNOWING that this type of reaction was going to unfold.

Wow! That is some statement.

I do agree that there isn't a proven link between vaccines and autism but there are many other strong reasons why I do not believe that vaccines are in the best interest of children.

I think way too much focus is put on autism as a reason to not vaccinate and all the other important reasons are not discussed enough.

Please all of you simmer down. Everyone has
their own opinions and I highly doubt she meant any harm. She prob just said it and then realized "oops that was an interview, shit" and it was to late. Obviously her brother has told her his views as a pediatrician and she is sticking with that as she probably doesnt know much more about the other side of things. I am very concerned about my daughter's upcoming 1st vaccinations and am not sure what to do myself and the appt is tomorrow. I appreciate all views to help make the right decision and I am not freaking out that she said parasites. I do respect everyone for their personal choices though for sure! It's so commendable all of you and really am in awe at your strength and sorry some have had experiences with autism..my heart is with you all :)

My children were vaccinated long time ago before the debate of does it cause autism or not. I am wondering however, those who chose not to vaccinate.. is it b/c of the age and then when they are older you will vaccinate them or will you not vaccinate them at all. also when they goto school and some kids are vaccinated and others arent, how do you know your child wont develop the disease the vaccination was suppose to protect them from? I am not trying to cause a debate, I am just wondering b/c like i say my kids were vaccinated long before the autism thoughts came out. steph

Re: tink
I don't know you or your son. What I was saying is that Autism isn't new. As you know many children who were diagnois "mentally retarded" were put in institutions. Many were misdiagnoised, some were Autistic. The parents never talked about the son they put away. That's all I was saying. Thank God, we have advanced in this society.

Sorry...I just read the article and yes that was horrible that she said that! Why would she say that...for the public to read? Big mistake on her part! Sorry for that last message! Wow, controversial big time...I am reading all your comments and I am REALLY rethinking my daughters vaccinations now...thank you for all your help!

Wow. I'm not sure that I want to set foot in this fire but ... It's every parent's choice to vaccinate or not vaccinate their child. However, many of us are too young to have experienced the dreadful, awful diseases these vaccines were developed to prevent. Personally, I would rather live with a child with autism than lose a child to one of those diseases. But it's your child, your choice.

Katherine: I'm sorry to see you sinking to her level of condescension.

Melody:

It is true that children who are not vaccinated against diseases put other children at risk. They put alot of people at risk. If they get sick, having completely no protection from the diseases means they have a higher chance of getting sick and the strains becoming strong enough to mutate- thus putting people immune to the original strains at risk.

I'm so torn on the immunization idea. But not having them does put other children at risk.

I don't mean to be mean in any way, shape or form. I think that people that think that vaccines are the only reason that autism exists need to step back. If the thimerosal in vaccines were the only thing that caused it, then it would have been greatly reduced by the use of preservative free vaccines. The truth is that it hasn't decreased at all. I firmly believe that it is a combination of many factors that we just haven't figured out yet. And I think that by focusing ONLY on vaccines, we are missing something. Could they be a factor? Yes, absolutely. But I don't think they are the "cause". There have to be other environmental and/or genetic factors. I just wish that we could find out exactly what it is.

So no one has a response about the government records showing these diseases were well and truly on the decline before vaccinations?? Gee how surprising.

"Thank your lucky stars that we live in a world and a country where vaccinations are available."

I will never "thank my lucky stars" that vaccines exist! You can but please dont tell me what to think. If you want to exclude your vaccinated child from being around unvaccinated children that speaks volumes to me about how much faith you actually put in vaccines.

Funny how this discussion parallels many in real life. The pro-vaccine people seem to love telling people that they HAVE to do this and they SHOULD do that. I havent seen one anti-vaccine person on here say that people who do vaccinate shouldnt do it. Its a personal choice for goodness sakes. Stop with all this moralising about how wonderful you are as a parent if you vaccinate and those who dont are evil..ooga booga

What exactly do you find so disturbing about the fact that CBB posted this article? The fact that you are hearing opinions that contradict your own? It can be a bit confronting if you arent 100% secure in your decisions hey...

Im sorry if I offended you Emily.

"They put alot of people at risk. If they get sick, having completely no protection from the diseases means they have a higher chance of getting sick and the strains becoming strong enough to mutate- thus putting people immune to the original strains at risk."

Thats a nice theory you've got going there. Shame there's no substance to it though...

Autism is an existing condition that is TRIGGERED in the body. That trigger can be vaccines. It isn't always, but it can be. We don't currently have a way to know who is at risk and we need to know.

Do you know what can be in vaccines? Let me read you a short list: formaldehyde, egg proteins, hydrocortisone, mercury, aluminum, human fetal cells, cow serum, MSG...

Would you EAT most of those things? Then let's have a reasonable discussion of injecting them into our children.

It doesn't take a medical degree or a rocket scientist to realize that injecting living and/or dead organism that the body must ATTACK and DEFEAT in order to develop immunity is asking a lot of little bodies. When the traditional schedule is followed, those little bodies are fighting like mad. Do that repeatedly for years on end and some children are going to be negatively impacted.

Don't just smile and nod and let it happen. But don't stand your ground and not know why!

Do I trust the government do to what is best for our children? I trust that it is made up of falliable human beings who don't have all the answers.

My experience is that we vaccinate for CONVENIENCE (fewer sick days for parents, for example) in addition to health. The schedule for vaccines is also partially driven by the schedule insurance companies will cover for well-baby visits. In other words, if the doctor won't see the baby between 2 and 4 months, they want the baby to be fully vaccinated and don't offer parents to split the vaccines and come in at month 3.

Whatever your stance--vaccines are about a lot more than autism!

"Name calling is up there with sarcasm as the lowest form of intelligence."

Pot, please meet kettle.

Anyway, I stopped reading after I read Ms. Brillant's comment. On to the point at hand.... My friend had a child a few years back who actually DIED from having the same vaccination TWICE. She had it done at the hospital when she was born, and then again at 2 months. My friend informed the doctor, who in turn told her IT WAS COMPLETELY SAFE. 2 days later she died from unknown causes, per an autopsy. After doing EXTENSIVE research, she found that something in the vaccinations triggered a reaction. There have been HUNDREDS of cases like this. She has since had 2 more children, and both of them also have been vaccinated. Both of them are fine and dandy. Doctors are NOT always right, and neither are those who hold the "ALL MIGHTY" status of telling people they're a "parasite" because they didn't have their children vaccinated. It's a parents CHOICE to get their child vaccinated. THEIR choice. I'm sure they weigh the pros and cons of both situations quite throughly. If you don't like it, OH FRIGGIN WELL.

Caroline, you have to weigh the pros and cons of each vaccine. You don't have to do all or nothing; some vaccines may be more beneficial in some situations than others. Some of the vaccines protect against diseases that are either not that troublesome or that can be prevented in safer ways.

LisaB, in my research on autism 2 years ago, I never came across anything about it being hereditary. Did I miss some new development? Where did you get that information?

And to the "I was vaccinated and I was fine" comments: Sure, maybe you were. So was I. But this isn't just about personal experiences, this is about our health as a whole. As vaccine use increased, so have allergies and neurological disorders like autism. Just because Bob smokes and is "fine" doesn't mean I'm going to go smoke. Just because Bill fell off a bridge and is "fine" doesn't mean I'm going to throw myself off one. The risk is not worth it. (Yes, yes... I know jumping off a bridge is not the same thing as getting vaccinated, but the point is just because someone else lived through an experience doesn't make it safe.)

Wow, Katherine, I am the one that sounds uneducated? You sound like you have no idea what you are talking about. For my PhD, I did research in a lab that was researching autism...so yes, I think that does make me smarter on the topic than you. Is this where I "roll my eyes".

And I would suggest that you keep your children in the US...the recent outbreak of measles here in the US stemmed from unvaccinated individuals travelling overseas and bringing it back here.

I am truly sorry for families who have children with autism. I can not even begin to feel their pain or concern for their child's future. I can certainly understand wanting to know why it happened and what is to "blame". But just because some want to blame vaccines, and they seem like an easy target, does not make it true.

Also, it is not children who are vaccinated that need to worry about spending time with unvaccinated kids. It is unvaccinated children who might want to steer clear of eachother. Glad to see someone who is so "smart" making decisions for her kids.

Why don't you keep your eye rolling to yourself, Katherine. Seems like you are the one up there on the Ivory Tower...and you might want to stay there if you don't want your kids getting the measles.

FRS - the reason they immunize babies against HepB, even if the parents do not have it, is because HepB is a VERY hardy virus. It can live for a very long time on surfaces and it's a blood borne pathogen. It's so that if she were ever to come in contact with the virus, and she could come in contact with it innocently and you wouldn't even know it had happened, this way she's protected and safe.

At least, this is what I've been learning in my Clincial Medical Assitant classes. It's why we, as students, are made sure our vaccinations on HepB are up to date before we go out into the medical field to do our practicals. Because the virus is so hardy and can live almost anywhere for long periods of time and you'd never know you came in contact with it.

As far as the correlation between autism and vaccinations? I think it's every parent's choice individually and it's up to them whether or not they want to take that risk, especially since no one DOES have a definitive answer as to whether or not they cause it or not. I don't see how one unvaccinated child among children who are vaccinated is considered parasitic and if you're worried about your vaccinated child getting sick ... doesn't that defeat the purpose of vaccinating your children? Isn't the point of vaccinating them to KEEP them safe and healthy? Just a thought.

Courtney - I do not get my children vaccinated for conveinience and to avoid missing work for sick days. I get them vaccinated to protect them from getting DEADLY diseases. I personally feel the risk of my children getting a disease is greater than getting autism. But that is my choice. Everyone has their choice to do this or not.

Wow these comments are certainly thought provoking! Thank goodness I'm a medical researcher and have access to information from sources other than a few people and the Internet. I won't state or argue my perspective because much of it has already been posted. I will say that many of the comments on here (on both sides) are based on emotion and propaganda instead of facts. Please pray on it, learn what you can, and do what you think is best for your child. As a parent that's all you can do.

To Kim, you said "we do not take her to places where she can be exposed to diseases and viruses." If I am reading this correctly, you are saying that you never take your child out of the house! When my oldest child was 13 months old (7 years ago) there was an outbreak of measles in Seattle. One of the exposed zones was the Starbucks down the street. This means that whoever had been at that Starbucks could have also showed up at the grocery store. Do you take your child to the grocery store? I am sure you do.

And I am also sure that you love your child very much but the truth is that regardless of how careful you are, there is a chance that your child could be exposed to diseases and viruses. And the more parents who do not vaccinate their kids increase that risk. My child had her first MMR at 13 months because of the outbreak. Her second was at 15 months because at the time they did not feel that anything before 15 months would last long term. She had her third before Kindergarten. And you know what? She is just fine.

Amanda has an opinion, which I whole-heartedly agree with. Yet she is critized for it. I did not jump on the boards and scream about what Jenni McCarthy when she makes statements that I feel are harmful to the general public. I choose to vaccinate all three of my children per my doctors' suggestion and I don't feel that they made those suggestions because of money. All three of the pedis that we have seen over the years have children of their own and have also vaccinated them.

And for those questioning how an unvaccinated child can affect children who have been vaccinated. Well they can't, but the certainly can cause extreme harm to a younger sibling who is not yet old enough to have the vaccines. Thankfully all three of my children have had all of their vaccines, but since my husband and I would like to have a fourth, I am now constantly worried about that baby being exposed during a playdate or school event for the older children. While these diseases may not be common anymore in the US, with the increasing globalization of our society and the fact that these diseases are still very common in other parts of the world, how long until we see US children dieing from them again?

Why does doing research in a lab make you an authority Anne? Can I ask who funded that research? You are more than welcome to roll your eyes at me, in fact I expect it ;)

Just FYI we dont live in America, thank goodness! We dont have archaic laws that require mandatory vaccination here. Im happy to travel OS with my children, it really doesnt bother me at all.

I dont doubt that you do feel sympathy towards children who develop Autism and their families. I think we all do. You just seem to be doing what most associated with the medical profession do which is completely discount what parents know to be real. It's the deny deny deny attitude and it frustrates me. There are enough children out there who have experienced almost immediate, disturbing responses to vaccines. In fact many of them in America have been paid large amounts of money. But still its deny deny deny.

Oh and for the record I dont believe vaccines are the only thing contributing to the large rise in the instance of Autism.

You have proven that you really dont have a clue where Im coming from Anne (Im not really expecting you to though, we are all coming at these things from our own perspectives). I have absolutely no problem with my child coming into contact with measles. Nor any other normal childhood disease for that matter. In fact I want my children to come into contact with what I consider to be normal childhood diseases. Im sure some of you may consider me crazy for even saying that but my research and experience suggests that if I assist my child to be healthy in mind and body her immune system will do what it was designed to do which is fight off illness.

You havent responded to my question relating to the government statistics either Anne ;)

(Just in case people have failed to notice Im doing my best to not be sarcastic. I have taken on board the comments. Its no fun being a pot ;-))

eek! she sure did jump head first into one of the top 3 touchiest subjects on earth. if she would have mentioned breast feeding and circumcision - she would've hit the trifecta! i won't jump into the debate - but i will agree that name calling is never the way to support your argument.

To the person wondering if vaccines cause delays in speech and learning... My daughter has been fully vaccinated and as I mentioned in my previous post, has had three MMRs because of an outbreak in Seattle. She is in the top levels in both math and reading at her school and is reading three grade levels above her peers. So no, vaccines are not making our children stupid!

I think that people need to take a look at the situation..take a step back, stop thinking about YOUR feelings and take emotion out of this.

Katherine, I think you are trying to prove something. Don't vaccinate your child..but don't whine about others that do the right thing and DO. And please disclose to others that you have chosen to go against the vaccination schedule so that our children and families aren't around yours.

Obviously Ms. Peet and her doctor friends have not researched enough to notice that the CDC schedule puts thousands of micrograms of aluminum simultaneously into a person with less than a liter of blood. Thats kind of a lot considering the fact that Aluminum is a known neurotoxin and the FDA has strictly limited the amount given to Pre-term infants to an amount not more than 25 micrograms. Why would thousands of micrograms be okay for a baby that weighs a few pounds more? And show me one study that was done to establish these levels of aluminum as safe for our childrens brains in vaccines?

I bet this is just a misunderstanding, maybe something that a journalist posted the way he wanted it to sound. I has already happened, with Melissa Etheridge for example, saying that she let her partner Tammy tell her kids about homosexuality or something like that.

Hmmm...I just lost a tremendous amount of respect for this woman.
I hope to God that she never has to hear the news that her child has autism.
Perhaps if she does though - she will recant her "parasite" statement.

finnaryn: " no, vaccines are not making our children stupid!"

I am floored at the insensitivity of your comment. I am truly beyond words to formulate how horrid of a statement that is to make in this discussion.

Anna - SERIOUSLY??
lol!

My son has autism and does not have Fragile X....can you back up your comment?

I am raising 3 children. My middle has Autism Spectrum Disorder. All of my children are vax'd - but we did separate and stagger them.

For her to refer to people who believe they are making a decision in the best interest of their children "parasites" is completely unnacceptable.

I wonder if Jenny McCarthy will respond to her article...

Lisa B all Im trying to prove is that there is another side to the story ;) I do like engaging in debates of this kind as there are many people who havent put a lot of thought into whether they should vaccinate their children or not. The majority of the information you can find relating to vaccinating is very pro (and Im not just talking about searching the internet either - medical professionals assume they have a monopoly on reading scientific literature for some reason). I think it's helpful to look into both sides of any story ;) It's not going to keep me awake at night if you dont agree with me though. I know my child is as healthy as she possibly can be. If it makes you feel better to call yourself right and me wrong, go right ahead :)

Does anyone else think it's funny that someone would direct others to 'take the emotion out of it' and then in the same breath call people whiners and insist that their way is the 'right' way?

Sorry, LisaB, but for someone that was on the fence on this issue your approach (and that of Ms. Peet) is a total turn-off. If Every Child By Two has any sense at all, they'll distance themselves from Ms. Peet's comments at once. Think what you will about people who opt not to vaccinate their children, but name-calling usually fails to persuade the masses that your message is the correct one. If anything, it makes Ms. Peet in this instance seem shrill and hysterical.

As the mom of a son with autism, we've continued to vaccinate our second son but on a delayed schedule. For us it's a happy medium and -- yes -- I'm complete at ease with the notion of him not being able to 'play' with your fully-vaccinated children. As a general rule in our household, we only pursue playdates with people who refrain from histrionics and fear-mongering to make their point. We also like to spend our time with people who actually have a clue about what it's like to live with someone with autism (which I suspect includes very few of you). They're far less judgmental about and far more accepting of the incredibly difficult decisions we make for BOTH boys on a daily basis.

my heart is sick from some of these comments. finnaryn, my autistic child is not stupid. there is a huge difference between autism and "stupid." this kills me that you and others use such ignorant, flippant language (amanda peet included).

i am vaccinating my 2nd son(my first is on the autism spectrum), but i am using a delayed schedule (to moms who wonder, check out dr.sears' book on the subject). i am college-educated and well-researched (and not on google research), yet have no real conclusion about all of this.

what i do know is that i am TERRIFIED of having another child with this (and honestly, i'd take measles, etc. over this any day). so this means that i have chosen to delay and spread out his vaccinations. i am separating the MMR at a great expense but feel comfortable with this. i do not in any way condemn those who vaccinate normally. nor do i condemn those who don't vaccinate at all. i wish others would do the same.

we all love our children and would walk over hot coals for them. no one should question our motives. why can't we support and respectfully disagree without condemnation and hateful words?

finnaryn: "So no, vaccines are not making our children stupid!"

Autism = stupid?

Many autistic children & adults have above-average to genius-level intelligence.

Far from *stupid*, indeed.

You go Amanda. If autism was triggered by the mercury in vaccines, why are autism rates still rising when mercury was removed from all vaccines except some flu? And don't even get me started on people who say there is a conspiracy and it wasn't really removed..I mean, give me a break - is this a tv drama or reality!

Study after study confirms that autism is not triggered by vaccines and in fact that it is genetic, yet those who seek financial restitution for their children's autism will stop at nothing. Children are not poker chips and spreading lies about vaccines will only result in children dying or being permanently damaged from diseases. Thank you Amanda for having the guts to stand up for all the children our there whose parents are being confused by misinformation about vaccines!

Katherine:)

I am so glad that you aren't going to stay awake at night because I think your statements are ridiculous:) And I am glad that your unvaccinated child is healthy..as my 3 vaccinated children are also healthy:)

Wow forget her rude comment. I am shocked that people proclaiming to be adults and parents can't have a debate without being condescending, and/or calling people names, and questioning other peoples personal opinions like yours is any better.

You have doctors that will state that vaccines should not be used and some that will state they should be used. Some doctors/scientists that say that vaccines can trigger autism and some that say that vaccines have nothing to do with the cause of autism. It's a matter of who you believe and your personal beliefs. To put down or question someones beliefs who can back them with a doctor's opinion and/or personal experiences that differs from yours and your backed beliefs from another doctor's opinion and/or personal experiences is juvenile and ludicrous.

What can you possibly be teaching your children about debating and supporting what they believe in? If someone has facts supporting and not supporting on either side of their debate/beliefs and they don't agree with them, that it's okay to resort to acting like a hot-headed pre-teen who can't control their emotions?

JMO: For someone to state different degrees of education only to resort to acting juvenile should be an embarrassment. Sad! Sad! Sad!

Most people who are against infant vaccinations are not against immunizations straight across the board, from what I have witnessed. The concern primarily is the number of vaccines administered at what age and in what dosage? Those of you who are alive and well and have long entered into adulthood received a tiny fraction of the antigenic's we now pump into developing young humans. Your body in infancy was not forced to constantly fight extreme doses of both synthetic and natural immunogens on top of receiving countless growth hormones, stress hormones, carcinogens, and goitrogens with the things you consumed. In the name of convenience we are poisoning today's babies in nearly all areas of their existence: the air they breath, the foods they eat, the medications they are given. This is largely unprecedented, so no one can claim to know exactly what's causing what. But one thing on which mothers of autistic children and those in the medical profession and the field of psychology can agree is that something -is- wrong.

As a psych student, something that has given me complete and total pause is that the rates in which we record autism today are not documented by my predecessors. Neither vaccines nor human developmental studies are new, yet history simply does not show such extreme rates of children exhibiting autistic behaviors. Studies completely unrelated to autism documenting every step of a child's development do not in any way support the idea that one in every 150 children suffered from manifestations of this disorder just fifty years ago. So what is going on today? I'm not saying the problem is definitively vaccines, not by a long shot (no pun intended), but it's thoroughly against the scientific mind to write off the possibility when studies in this specific area, that is, present vaccination regimes for the infant child, are not even complete let alone available for exhaustive scrutiny.

I'm bothered by Ms. Peet's use of 'bully science', and hope her words truly were taken out of context. We better society by opening up an empathetic dialogue, not insulting other viewpoints; no one has the right to be demeaning or judgmental with regard to the decisions made by other parents who most likely put as much consideration into every aspect of their child's health as you do. Always question your doctor, always question the experiences of other people, and always give both consideration in accompaniment with your own gut instincts. That's the best you can do.

I don't want to enter this debate but I did want to comment on Katherine's reference to government statistics indicating that sanititation and public health measures contributed more to the decline of infectious diseases than vaccines. I can provide a source for this ... somewhat. I read it two years ago in a PRO-VACCINE publication funded by the American Academy of Pediatrics. I forget the author but it was a fairly standard guide for new parents and I found it on the bookshelves of my local library. I found it interesting that a book that advocated strict adherence to a vaccination schedule also acknowledged that vaccines only played one role in a greater movement. The thing is that if you read the pages of even pro-vaccine publications cover to cover, you will likely find more concessions in there than you think. I know this because I read no less than a dozen books all with different opinions and funding sources when deciding whether to vaccinate my daughter and if so, on what schedule. It really does not matter what I ultimately decided. What matters is that I did as much research as a non-expert can possibly do and reached a decision with which I was comfortable. And yes, I did talk to a doctor. Three of them! And all three had remarkably different positions in the debate... Good luck to all of you - parenthood certainly isn't easy!

I think the reason for the anger expressed here is because autism is a really, really tough card to be dealt. My mom taught a severely autistic boy in her 4th grade class, he was an angel at heart but was unable to talk, relate to the other kids or 'properly' express his emotions. It is absolutely no joke to deal with, for the child affected and their entire family. The novel "Daniel's not speaking" profoundly affected me, highly recommended reading. I think the people who have developed the only known (to me, a layperson) effective treatments of intensive behavior and diet changes are godsends. We really need to find out what causes this disorder because it is growing and resulting in lifelong care needs for our children.

I think Amanda Peet needs to get her ego in check.....motherhood is humbling for her....calling people parasites...uh not!!!!!! Who does she think she is....she plays pretend/dress up for a living, what qualifies her to make such judgments?

Whether she agrees or not with other people's choices, she needs to hold off with the judgmental name calling. She very well may have excellent points but she completely turns me off to anything she has to say.

I have to agree with LisaB in that I am disturbed that CBB did not close or block some of the comments on here. In many, many other situations with celebrities such as bottle vs. breast, pacifiers, attachment parenting, etc., CBB editors actually warn commenters NOT to be degrading or NOT to comment on whose baby is STILL using a bottle at over 2 years old. It's not okay on here to question or comment about breastfeeding or start a debate about other personal parenting choices when the subject is perfectly appropriate because it was said or initiated by a celebrity through a quote, article, or picture that was posted on CBB. Yet, CBB editors allow this degrading, name calling, sarcastic, rude debate by readers regarding this issue? There are many, many personal attacks by parent readers aimed at other parent readers. As parents, don't you think every parent wants the best for their child? Why would we start name calling because some celebrity, whom we don't even personally know, used poor word choices? How shameful. Supporting each other in the parenting community is one of the ways in which more research and funding to find a cause and a cure for autism and many other diseases can happen. What educated, professional lawmakers, doctors, and healthcare companies are going to take this bunch of arguing, name-calling bunch seriously?

Parent positively, be present, love your children, and do your best. That is all anyone can really ask a parent to do and be.

Frankie is so beautiful and I love her name too!

Vaccines are important, all people that are denying them now should think how the world would be if they had never been invented. Your children would be dying from terrible diseases and become paralyzed from polio etc. It seems people seems to forget that these vacc