Your Opinion Wanted: Is This a Blatant Disregard for Parents’ Rights?

DOCTORS OPPOSE MARYLAND VACCINE ROUNDUP: Expect Dangerous Reactions When
Children Are Treated Like Cattle
Posted : Fri, 16 Nov 2007 19:31:43 GMT
Author : The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons
Category : PressRelease
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WASHINGTON, Nov. 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The Association of American
Physicians and Surgeons today condemned the “vaccine roundup” executed in
Prince Georges county Maryland this week, and promised to do everything it
can to support parents who refuse to immunize their children.

“This power play obliterates informed consent and parental rights,” said
Kathryn Serkes, director of policy for the Association of American
Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS), one of the few national physician groups
that refuse corporate funding from pharmaceutical companies.

In a scenario reminiscent of cattle round-ups, the state’s attorney has
issued summons to more than 1600 parents of children who have not provided
certificates of immunization for their children. But instead of toting a
cattle prod, this state’s attorney chooses to wield a syringe to keep the
“herd” in line.

Parents have been told to appear in Court on Saturday, and to subject their
children to on-the-spot state-mandated vaccines of up 17 vaccine doses, or
face imprisonment. Parents who ignore the court’s demands could face a $50
fine for every day their child is out of compliance or up to 10 days in jail.

“This campaign of intimidation to brutally enforce blanket vaccine mandates
by government agencies and the school district gives no consideration for
the rights of the parents or the individual medical condition of the
child,” said Serkes.

Children should be carefully screened, medical records taken and decisions
made carefully – not in an ad hoc assembly-line clinic in a county
courtroom and under the brutal watch of law enforcement. This is a man-made
disaster ready and waiting to detonate. Children could receive a dangerous
cocktail of several vaccines without proper examinations. “The procedure is
reckless and subjects children to the risk of severe reactions. Physicians
would not be allowed to treat children in this way, without individual
histories and physical exams – or informed consent,” said Jane M. Orient,
M.D., AAPS Executive Director.

Money and politics may be at the center of the round of threats. The school
district will lose a substantial amount of state funding if students do not
comply with the vaccine mandate. “Apparently the district wants that money,
even if it gets it off the backs of children,” said Serkes.

Mr. Ivey apparently has no problem invoking his own right to informed
consent and parental control. In a radio interview on Thursday, he admitted
that he has chosen to refuse the hepatitis B vaccines for his own children.
“It’s interesting that parents have to ask the state’s permission by filing
a form if they want to make the same decision for their children that he
made for his own,” said Dr. Orient.

But his galling hypocrisy clearly demonstrates that not every vaccine is
right for every child, particularly one such as the hepatitis B.

In their efforts to help the targeted parents, AAPS is contacting as many
of them as possible to educate them about their rights under Maryland law
and questions to ask before deciding whether vaccination is appropriate for
their child (see below). “We’ll do our best to help the parents make an
informed decision,” said Serkes. Representatives will also be on hand at
the courthouse on Saturday, and AAPS is working to set up a legal team to
help parents who refuse the vaccinations.

AAPS will also work with the National Vaccine Information Center to make
sure parents are informed on how to report any adverse reactions to the
Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). Such reporting is actually
required, but even medical professionals are lax about filing the reports.
Don’t expect the police to do it. The State’s Attorney General, the
manufacturers, and the people giving the shots are immune from liability if
the shots hurt somebody, however.

AAPS is also acting as coordinator for the “Hands Off Our Kids” coalition
of parents across the country who were instrumental in overturning Texas
Governor Perry’s executive order requiring the HPV vaccine for school girls
last spring. The coalition is appealing to Gov. O’Malley to intervene in
the case and work with the legislature to pass a philosophical exemption
provision. (The letter to the governor is posted at
http://www.aapsonline.org/.)

“All eyes are on PG County,” said Serkes. “It’s not just a local now, and
parents across the country are ready to fight.”

National Vaccine Information Center “8 Questions to Ask Before Vaccinating
Your Child”

1. Is my child sick right now? 2. Has my child had a bad reaction to a
vaccination before?

3. Does my child have a personal or family history of: vaccine reactions,
convulsions or neurological disorders, severe allergies or immune system
disorders

4. Do I know if my child is at high risk of reacting? 5. Do I know how to
identify a vaccine reaction? 6. Do I know how to report a vaccine reaction?
7. Do I know the vaccine manufacturer’s name and lot number? 8. Do I know I
have a choice?

The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons

Copyright © 2007 PR Newswire. All rights reserved.

Toys Ranked by Hazardous Chemicals: A Must See Before Holiday Shopping!

Before you hit the stores on Black Friday, you need to hear this!

 

Are you preparing your Black Friday search for bargains, but wary of purchasing toys this holiday season? Has the rash of recalls affecting more than a million popular toys got you wondering how to spread holiday cheer without harm? Well, there is finally some good news on the toy front.

 

The Ecology Center, in collaboration with the Washington Toxics Coalition and other leading environmental groups, has tested more than 1,500 toys and ranked them from highest to lowest in terms of harmful chemicals such as lead and PVC. They performed the tests using technology far more reliable than home testing kits. The results will be released to the public at www.healthytoys.org on Wednesday, December 5^th. Each week until Christmas more toys will be tested based upon shoppers’ requests.

 

So rather than braving the crowds this Friday, why not sleep in? This way you can wait to hear which toys are safest and avoid waiting on long return lines along with other customers who learn the toys they have purchased rated poorly on the test for hazardous chemicals.

3 Ways to Protect Your Loved Ones or Your Class from Sickness, Infections, Superbugs, and Staph Infection

 In light of recent outbreaks of Staph, short for Staphylococcus aureus, parents and teachers have expressed concern about how to prevent this health threat. Staph is a bacteria that is present on the skin and in the nostrils of all people, and is not usually problematic. The recent health scare involves a type of Staph that has become resistant to many antibiotics. It is called MRSA (short for methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus) MRSA has been a major cause of infections among hospitalized patients for years, but has only recently become a problem in non-hospitalized patients. It is estimated that 25-30% of people have Staph on their body whereas 1% of people harbor MRSA.

Because it is spread by direct skin-to-skin contact, Staph is a concern among schools, daycares, and other places where people gather. Here are 3 ways to protect yourself and others from Staph:

1. In order for Staph to cause infection, it has to pass through the protective layer of skin into the body. This may occur with cuts, scrapes, or through hair follicles. For this reason, the best form of protection from Staph is to keep infections covered with a bandage or other means. Towels, washcloths, razors, and other items that have had direct skin contact should also be kept from contacting others.
2. Proper hygiene including frequent hand washing and wiping down any surfaces that are frequently touched (as in preschool tabletops) is essential to preventing the spread of all infections, including Staph. However, antibacterial products are not required. A recent scientific study found that antibiotic soaps were no more effective than plain soap at reducing bacterial levels on hands nor were they more effective at reducing sickness¹. Moreover, several types of bacteria, including Staph showed unexpectedly high resistance to triclosan, the antibiotic typically used in antibacterial products¹. If these particular bacteria are wise enough to have developed resistance to antibiotics taken by mouth, it makes perfect sense that they would have developed resistance against antibiotics in soap, cleaners, detergents and other products. In addition to the possibility of creating “superbugs”, there is another high price to pay for the unnecessary use of antibacterial soap: When it reaches our waterways in wastewater, it is decimating fish and causing an environmental catastrophe. It has now found its way into human breastmilk with unknown consequences to the developing baby. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hydrogen peroxide (0.5%) and Isopropyl alcohol (Alcohol wipes) are effective against MRSA. Alcohol works by dehydrating the bacteria cells, so there is no way to develop resistance. While other cleaners may be effective, they are also frequently toxic to humans and are preferably avoided.
3. Have you ever noticed how some people fall prey to illness, while others who were exposed to the same germ do not? The reason for this is that there are two parties involved in every fight. We tend to focus on the aggressor, the germ, while overlooking the target, the immune system. It is essential to maintain a strong immune system in order to combat any type of infection, including Staph. This can be accomplished by eating a whole foods diet (check out whfoods.org) and considering high-grade nutrient supplements when necessary. A functional medicine doctor (www.functionalmedicine.org) can help you determine your child’s individual nutritional deficits by a simple blood test and prescribe targeted nutritional therapy.

TIP: Proper hand washing means taking the time to lather up the soap. This gives the soap time to lift the bacteria off the skin and entrap it within tiny soap compartments called “micelles”. Once the lathering is done, the bacteria are rinsed away by the water stream. Be sure to clean the fingernails, between the fingers, and all other surfaces of the hands.

 If a person becomes infected with Staph, they will usually develop a boil or pus pocket on the skin. These are treated by simply allowing the pus or fluid to drain out of the body. Antibiotics rarely are helpful because the Staph is walled off from the blood stream by the boil and antibiotics cannot reach the area to treat it. If a skin infection is not healing, getting worse, is accompanied by a fever, or causes concern, it is advisable to see a healthcare professional. The good news is that Staph infections that enter the bloodstream causing severe illness or death are exceedingly rare in healthy people and following the 3 steps listed above will help protect you and those in your care from the threat of Staph. 

1 Aiello AE, et al “Consumer Antibacterial Soaps: Effective or Just Risky” Clinical Infectious Diseases 2007; 45, Supp.2: S137-147.

2 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Questions and Answers about MRSA in Schools: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/ar_mrsa_in_schools.html