Fairfax Pediatric Associates, PC
Comprehensive Health Care for Infants, Children & Young Adults
(703) 391-0900

Since all the controversy regarding vaccines has come up and people have stopped or changed how they vaccinate their children, there has been a resurgence of the diseases that previously had almost disappeared from the U.S. 

·        In 2007 and 2008, there continues to be a measles outbreak in San Diego, Arizona, New York, Michigan, and Wisconsin

·        In 2006, there was a huge outbreak of mumps in the Midwest of more than 5000 cases.  In recent years there have been >15,000 cases in England. 

More than 17 large studies have shown no link between MMR and autism. 

·        The authors of the original study that claimed the link in the first place have since published a retraction stating that their study was not conclusive.

In 1993, Japan stopped giving the MMR combined and gave separate mumps, measles and rubella

·        It made no difference, and their incidence of autism has continued to be on the rise.

All of our routine vaccines are mercury-free?  Only the flu shot has very small amounts.

·        A Tuna sandwich has 5 times more mercury than 1 dose of flu vaccine.

·        A breastfed baby gets 25 times more mercury from breast milk in 6 months than what is in 1 dose of flu vaccine. 

The type of mercury found in vaccines is not the kind that has been shown to be an issue.  The type that has been shown to cause problems is called Methyl mercury.  This is NOT the type of mercury in vaccines which is called Ethyl mercury.  Ethyl mercury in vaccines is a larger molecule that cannot cross the blood-brain barrier to enter the brain.

Diphtheria (part of DTaP vaccine) – still common the world.  1 in 20 people with it die from suffocation, heart failure or paralysis.

Pertussis (Whooping cough) (part of DTaP vaccine) – very common in the US, 15-20 children die from it each year.  18,000 cases in US in 2007.

Pneumococcal – a bacteria that can cause meningitis, pneumonia and bloodstream infections.  This vaccine has decreased the number of serious infections by 90%.

HiB – very common until the vaccine’s introduction in the 1990’s.  Prior to the vaccine, 20,000 children/year suffered or died from the disease.  Caused meningitis.

Polio – still present in the world - 2005 outbreak in Minnesota - Causes paralysis.

Measles (part of MMR vaccine) – can cause pneumonia, permanent brain damage and death.  Continue outbreaks in the United States.  Worldwide, 20 million cases of measles still occur each year. Of those, 1 in 64 children die from measles. 

Mumps (part of MMR vaccine)– can cause meningitis, and permanent hearing loss.  More than 5,000 cases in Midwest in 2006. 

Chickenpox (Varicella) – can cause pneumonia and brain infection (encephalitis)

Hepatitis A – common in world, with 1000’s infected in US/year.  Liver infection which can be fatal.

Influenza – very common every year.  Can be fatal especially in young children and elderly.