I was browsing the internet one day and came across a photo of a group of women who appeared educated and influential. They were wearing blue T-shirts with claims that vaccines cause autoimmune diseases, seizures, ADHD or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, learning disabilities, death, autism, sudden infant death syndrome and infertility.
I couldn’t help but laugh at them! I shared this photo on my Facebook page. To my surprise, one of my educated friends shared her concern about vaccinations and declared that she had withheld immunization from her own children. I decided to write this paper for young women like my friend who are concerned about the well-being and safety of their children. Their decision to not vaccinate their children is driven by fear and misinformation.
Autoimmune diseases of hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, Addison’s disease, type 1 diabetes, and pernicious anemia are linked to genetic abnormalities. Seizures are caused by fever, electrolyte imbalance; some are triggered by past strokes. Learning disabilities can be related to neurological and psychiatric issues. SIDS etiology remains elusive and cannot be explained by an infant’s vaccinated status. It’s apparent, these ladies are afraid of the serious diseases, they don’t scientifically understand them, and have decided to scapegoat vaccinations.
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