We all want to do what’s best for our children and try to take all of the precautions necessary. In the beginning I thought that finding what prenatal pill to take was going to be the most difficult choice I had to make – but soon before I knew it, I had to decide on a series of events that would involve my baby right after his or her birth, such as vitamin K shots, eye drops and the hepatitis B shot.
I don’t know about you, but back in my day the hepatitis B shot was given to children who were, well, children – not infants. Hepatitis B vaccines were initially only given to infants within the first 48 hours of a life who were born from mothers who were infected with the virus. These days, more and more countries have decided that all infants should be injected with the vaccine, regardless of whether or not their mother is infected.
Covered for Life?
It has recently been discovered that once the 3-shot round of hepatitis B vaccinations given within the child’s first year of life does provide lifelong protection from the disease. As a matter of fact, a study in Taiwan shows a correlation between the hepatitis B vaccine and a decrease in liver cancer 1.
Pretty good results, right? So what’s this vaccine uproar all about?
As with anything we put into our bodies, there is always a chance of an allergic reaction. The hepatitis B vaccine contains baker’s yeast, which is often the cause for any sort of allergic reaction. Children also often come down with a fever and experience redness and pain at the site of the injection, which can make them rather miserable for the next couple of days. There has also been a link with the hepatitis B to hair loss, SIDS, and autoimmune disorders (diabetes, multiple sclerosis).
Know What's in the Vaccine
The most concerning thing about vaccines for many parents, however, are the ingredients of the vaccine itself. The ingredients of concern are:
- Cloned GMO yeast: Genetically modified unnatural foods have yet to have long-term studies performed on them. It is suspected that genetically modified foods can cause a number of problems, such as cancer, as our bodies cannot process things that are not natural.
- Aluminum hydroxide: A heavy metal which has been linked time and time again to neurodegenerative diseases 2
- Thimerosal (aka mercury): A heavy metal with suspected neurotoxic effects and is the #1 ingredient blamed for the rise of autism
Each parent is responsible for making his or her own choice when it comes to their child’s health. Speak to your health practitioner and other parents for more information and weigh the risks of the vaccine with the benefits. What ever you choose, do so with confidence and know that you have made the best choice for your child and your family.
References
photo by Brian Hoskins
