Pertussis
Several parents share their harrowing stories of damage and death caused by the pertussis (DPT and DTaP) vaccines. Although the DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus and "acellular" pertussis) vaccine replaced the DPT (diphtheria, tetanus, and "whole-cell" pertussis) vaccine a few years ago (because some authorities believed it to be safer), recent emails by concerned parents indicate that this newer version of the triple shot may also be dangerous to your child.
Correlations between the pertussis vaccine and SIDS are also documented on this website. Also, be sure to watch this important video on overdosed babies.
Miller's Review of Critical Vaccine Studies
400 Important Scientific Papers
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by Neil Z. Miller
Foreword by Gary Goldman, PhD
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Q. My son (9 mos.) was given the DTaP vaccine three days ago. He was very tired after the shot, but was otherwise fine. Yesterday he had a temp. of 102 and has had no appetite. He has been doing some jerking while he sleeps and has not been himself. I took him to the doctor this morning and our doctor told me that it has nothing to do with the DTaP vaccine. I know in my heart that it was the shot that is causing these problems. When he was 2 mos. old he had his first dose and had some of the same symptoms. I called the doctor then and she said that because it was 3 days later it wasn't the vaccine. I put off the next vaccine at 4 mos. but he did receive a second at 6 mos. He had no reaction then at all, so I thought it would be fine to give him the dose this past Monday. Now I am kicking myself for letting them convince me it was okay. I am worried sick about my son and the doctors will not admit that it could be the shot.
A. Doctors rarely acknowledge adverse reactions and death from vaccines. The "jerking" that you describe appears to be seizures. [Several studies confirm that childhood vaccines significantly increase the risk of seizures.] Sometimes true damage is not immediately apparent. Best wishes.
Q. Hello, my daughter, 5, was just given her DTaP shot because of the school insistence. She is having a severe local reaction. Half her arm is swollen, red and hot. While looking up side effects, I found your website. Now, I am very concerned for several reasons:
* Her current reaction and what may follow (seizures, nerve damage,...)
* She was diagnosed at 2 years of age with Type 1 Diabetes (she had it for much longer but the doctor would not listen to me and refused to do any testing); we have no family history of the disease and I questioned if vaccinations had anything to do with it.
* She currently has "autistic tendencies" but has been diagnosed with "sensory" problems and possibly ADD.
Please help! Is there anything I can do to keep this shot from doing further damage: antibiotics, antiviral drugs, immune suppressive drugs, allergy medicine, vitamins/minerals, natural remedies,...? Are there any things to specifically avoid?
Your help is greatly appreciated. I'm glad you are helping people get informed. I just wished I had found your site earlier. Thank you very much for taking the time to help people!
A. We're sorry to hear about your bad experience with vaccines. Sadly, it is more common than many people realize. Our site does list some possibilities for reversing vaccine damage and healing. We also recommend contacting a naturopathic physician in your area. Best wishes.
Q. I would like some information on the DPT shots. My son was born 10lbs, 22 inches, a healthy baby boy, Apgar 9. He ate well, slept well, was doing fine. He had his DPT shots then started doing mild jerks that increased each day. By the tenth day he was put into the hospital with infantile spasms. No one ever told me why this happened. The doctors said "unknown." Today, my son is almost seven, with global developmental delays and seizures. Still, no doctor can tell me why this happened. I know it had to do with the DPT shot. There is so much more that I could say about this matter. Please email me about this. Thank you.
A. Doctors CAN tell you what happened because they know that vaccines can cause seizures. Many children have severe reactions to their vaccines. But doctors WON'T tell you what happened because they conspire to deny vaccine reactions. I recommend the following book: Vaccine Safety Manual, for more extensive information regarding the pertussis vaccine, including DPT and DTaP.
Q. I found your internet articles on adverse reactions due to vaccines very informative and, I must say, heart-wrenching. However, none of the information was surprising for I too have dealt with my child's adverse reaction to her DPT shot.
I would like to tell my story for it does have a happy ending, thus far. I am very glad to say that my daughter has regained about 90 percent of her health. Her episode began when she was given her first shot at two months of age. Prior to her first shot she was a normal and healthy baby. After her first DPT shot, her appetite greatly decreased, she cried excessively and would arch her back as if in pain. She was also constipated and less active. X-rays and an MRI on the mid-section of her body did not reflect anything unusual. Lexy was given her second DPT shot when she was four months old. She immediately displayed distress and a lack of appetite. All of her previous health problems magnified. By the next day, she was crying excessively and was too weak to move her head. The pediatrician attributed this to the flu.
That night as I was trying to rest after comforting her all day, her crying ceased. I called out to my husband who had been in the next room to check on her, and then there was complete silence. I asked my husband if there was anything wrong, yet there was still silence. I went into her room and found my husband giving her CPR. He yelled to call 911 which I immediately dialed. After completing the call, I watched in horror as my husband continued to give her CPR. She was bluish-gray and still not breathing on her own.
Less than five minutes later, I watched as if in slow motion the paramedics pick up my daughter and carry her into the awaiting ambulance. The same pediatrician was in the emergency room with no answer to account for her grave condition. She began to breathe, yet every breath was a struggle. A team from another hospital arrived and transferred her to the nearest PICU unit. She was placed on a ventilator that night. For the next week, my daughter was put through every test imaginable, including numerous MRIs. Each test was inconclusive. My daughter remained on a ventilator as I painstakingly realized that medicine was indeed not a perfect science. An MRI the next week confirmed that my daughter had Transverse Myelitis, inflammation of the spinal cord including the brain stem. As the doctors told us this news, they informed us that her condition was grave. She remained on a ventilator for the next month; each day she slowly began to show signs of improvement. She was eventually taken off the ventilator and two months after her being admitted, she was finally discharged.
As I stated previously, I am very pleased to say that my daughter has almost completely recovered. That was four years ago, and today she is now in kindergarten and doing very well. I thought this real life experience might make a difference in one child's life whose parents are still contemplating the decision to vaccinate their child. I can only say that this is a personal decision, yet every parent should know just what might happen if they vaccinate their child.
A. Thank you for sharing your story. We receive email every day and the stories are remarkably similar. We are trying to make a difference by educating parents regarding the serious problems associated with vaccines. We are also trying to wake parents up to the criminal behavior of the perpetrators who refuse to acknowledge or inform parents of the associated risks. Best wishes to your daughter. I'm sure that she has a bright future.
Q. I have just completed reading your website. It touches me and angers me to see the stories that sound all too familiar. My daughter had a reaction to her first immunizations at age two months. I am an RN and had been taught that immunizations were just something that all children had to have. I never even realized one had a choice. My daughter had her injection at 3:30 pm. She was a little off in the evening but fell asleep around 6:30 or so. Not being a great sleeper to begin with, I let her sleep on my shoulder while I relaxed on the couch. I have no idea why I did this but something made me pick her up so I could look at her. Her face was grey, she was not breathing, and when I checked she had no heart beat. I immediately started CPR and called 911. By the time the paramedics had arrived she was conscious and making an effort to cry.
We went to the hospital. Her heart rate stayed at 250 for the next few hours in a very strange arythmia. Neither the doctor nor I could figure it out. She also stayed mottled for the next three hours. When they felt her crisis had passed they admitted her into the pediatric ward. This was 1:00 in the morning. The hardest part was when they told us to call our family members in. I knew then that they didn't expect her to live. But my little angel surprised us. They discovered that she had a UTI and started treatment. Six days later we went home with her on heart and lung monitors, with us having a lot of unanswered questions. No one was willing to admit she'd had a reaction. When I phoned public health, the reaction had never been reported. I looked everywhere for information and found little to none. I contacted every pediatrician I could network with. The result of that was being called into my family doctor's office and being reprimanded for doing this.
A big conference was held with us, the G.P., and pediatrician. Somehow I got conned into re-immunizing her at four months. They admitted her to the hospital for this one as it was the only way I would allow it. She turned grey around three hours after the injection, but otherwise being awake she pulled through it. She had what I felt were petit mal seizures and one grand mal seizure following this at home. Each time I was discredited by the doctors. Being a nurse, I've seen enough to know what they were. She also suffered long bouts of crying, totally inconsolable. I finally I went to see a chiropractor (out of sheer desperation because I really didn't think he could do anything) and he was able to work with her. Her manner and behavior changed so quickly it was amazing. He also gave me the information I needed to fight the doctors, and my daughter had no further immunizations. It was such a victory to finally be able to say No!
A note of thanks for all the work that is now being done. My daughter is now three years old and is the light of our lives. I educate other parents whenever I can. Little steps can make a big difference.
A. Thank you for sharing your story. I am glad to hear that your daughter is doing well and your story had a happy ending. We receive email and letters just like yours almost daily. This madness continues, but we are doing everything we can to educate people before the damage is done.
Q. Dear Thinktwice, a couple of years ago you wrote about my son. I would like to let you know that his condition is worse now and he has had another brain surgery in May. Things seem to have gotten worse as far as his grand mal seizures. He used to have them either every 14 or 21 days and they would last for 15 hours. Now they are every 10 days and last for 22 hours with as many as 85 grand mals in this timeframe. I would like to write a book on all the things that go into raising a vaccine damaged child.
A. Thank you for the update on your son. I am sorry to hear that his condition is worsening. We are still diligently advocating vaccine awareness. I want to encourage you to tell your story. There is a great need for other parents and government officials to realize the extent of damage being inflicted on our healthy children, and the toll that parents like yourself must pay. Feel free to contact us in the future when you have organized your thoughts to share with others. Perhaps we can steer you in the right direction.
Q. I took my healthy five month old to the doctor for his well baby check-up. He received his third set of vaccinations, including a DPT shot. Two hours later he began having severe diarrhea, vomiting and shortness of breath. His body was limp and he was going in and out of consciousness. I took him to the children's hospital where he was examined by a doctor who told us he was fine and to take him home and give him Pedialyte every twenty minutes since he couldn't keep anything down. I looked at the nurse and said, "I don't care what that doctor said, he's wrong...look at my son's eyes." His eyes had dark circles underneath and they were sunken in. He was extremely pale and wouldn't smile or show any emotions. It was only after my insisting that he was ill that they performed blood work and determined he was severely dehydrated. We spent 16 hours in the emergency waiting room before being admitted, and even then they had no idea what was wrong with him. They kept saying it was a stomach virus, but I know better.
A. We receive several letters like yours every week. Perfectly healthy babies are being damaged by the vaccines, and doctors continue to deny it. I am sorry that you had to be awoken to this serious problem the hard way. Please call the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) at 1-800-822-7967 to file a report. You may also want to read some of our vaccine books to better understand the issues.
Q. The story from the woman with the child injured by DPT vaccinations is very similar to the story of my family. My brother was a normal, healthy two year old when he got his 3rd DPT vaccination from our doctor. Within a few days, he had forgotten how to talk, walk, use the bathroom and use eating utensils. My mother confronted the doctor with what she thought were seizures. The doctor ruled out seizures saying they were tantrums and that my mother should try more strict discipline.
I had been the victim of viral meningitis at age six months and had a lengthy stay at a hospital. The doctor said that because of my illness, my mother was no longer able to discipline us correctly and that she enabled my brother's tantrums. My mother spent countless hours at the library researching vaccinations and possible side effects. Finally, she found a wonderful doctor willing to examine my brother. He took one look at him and said it is obvious to me that this child is having seizure activity. My brother then underwent various testing at John Hopkins Medical Center, and although no specific diagnosis has ever been assigned to his condition, at least we now know that there is a true medical problem. The doctors who called them tantrums still don't believe to this day that my brother is having seizures. The story gets worse, however. When my mother tried to enroll my brother in the local school for mentally and physically challenged young people they refused to admit him without a fourth DPT shot. My mother called our doctor who said a fourth shot would almost definitely kill him or make him a vegetable. Thanks for listening.
A. Thank you for sharing your story.
Q. Dear Thinktwice,
I have four beautiful children. My oldest daughter Vicki is eight years old. She was born prematurely
and had a birthweight of 4 pounds, 11 ounces. I have gone to great lengths
to avoid what I consider unnecessary intervention in my children's health
by well-meaning but misled physicians.
I vividly remember
questioning my doctors about the vaccines. It took several visits before
I got the nerve to vaccinate them -- not because I was afraid of needles,
but because I had a real feeling the shots weren't healthy. To my heart-wrenching
regret, not one doctor offered me the list of warnings indicating which
children should not be given vaccines.
When I did allow
Vicki to be vaccinated at 4 months, she got very sick that night. She
screamed nonstop in a high-pitched scream. She wouldn't nurse and couldn't
be comforted. Her temperature was quite high. I called the emergency number
for my doctor and he told me it was very important to never let Vicki
receive the pertussis vaccine again, but that I should continue with the
other vaccines.
Vicki's neurological
problems were first noticed a few weeks later. She was behind in development
and never did actually crawl. Her speech came in late. After several tests
I was told that Vicki's seizure problems make it difficult for her to
concentrate and thus learn, although she is quite intelligent.
No one ever told
me about the risks associated with vaccines. I asked, but they still did
not tell me of the dangers. Almost every warning about DPT fits Vicki:
premature birth; low birthweight; family history of seizures; family member
with severe allergies.
Today, Vicki has
seizures all the time. Doctors say she has an 'attention deficit.' She
is extremely distractible and has difficulty concentrating. When she tries
to express her thoughts and feelings her eyes flutter and she stutters.
It causes her deep frustration and anger. As a result, she is about two
years behind in school because she has to learn in small increments.
In spite of all
this, she has a great attitude, a wonderful sense of humor, and is very
athletic. We try to focus on the good things, which are many. I have great
hopes for her, but I also have profound regret that somehow I could have
protected her from this terrible violation of human life.
A. Thank you for sharing your story for the benefit of others.
Q. Dear Thinktwice,
Our son, Ryan was
born healthy. I had a normal pregnancy, delivery, and birth. His Apgar
scores and PKU tests were ordinary.
At two months of
age I brought Ryan to the doctor for his well-baby checkup. He was given
his first DPT shot. Within 24 hours he started to change. Ryan became
lethargic and fussy, ran a high fever, and had a glassy-eyed stare. The
doctor 'reassured' me everything was okay. He recommended baby aspirin.
Several weeks later,
after Ryan's 2nd DPT shot, his reactions were the same. He also had severe
diarrhea, loss of interest in his bottle, choking, continued staring spells,
and prolonged sleeping -- except when he was high-pitched screaming. Again
I contacted the doctor and again I was 'reassured' everything was okay.
Soon thereafter Ryan developed a severe rash on his bottom. The doctor
treated it as a diaper rash. I had three children previously and had never
seen a diaper rash like this.
After Ryan received
his 3rd DPT shot at 10 months of age, his father and I became very concerned
that something was seriously wrong. Ryan's health was deteriorating rapidly.
His reaction to this shot was much more severe. He ran a fever of 106
degrees. He screamed, stared, and had severe diarrhea. His hands and lips
turned blue. The site of the injection leaked a clear fluid, and his thigh,
from hip to knee, was red and hot.
Ryan's development
was regressing. Although he walked at 10 months, at one year he was taking
'a few steps.' What few words he previously uttered were lost. His speech
just stopped.
At 17 months, on
a particularly bad day, I called the doctor in the evening to tell him
something was terribly wrong with my baby. He told me 'I only handle emergencies
at night.' Four weeks later Ryan was hospitalized with a high fever and
pneumonia. At the hospital I was told for the first time that Ryan's 'choking'
and 'staring' that I had previously complained about were seizures. No
one ever mentioned the vaccines as the cause.
Ryan's 4th DPT shot
was given at the age of 18 months. He had the same reactions as before.
The next day Ryan ran a fever of 106 degrees, had seizures, and screamed
constantly through the evening.
One month later
Ryan was again hospitalized with seizures. A C.A.T. scan showed an increase
in head size. Still, there was no mention of what caused this.
The medical and
developmental problems continued. Ryan spent the first three years of
his life in and out of hospitals. The diagnosis was made but the cause
was never given.
When Ryan was two
years old a major TV station ran a show called 'Vaccine Roulette.' I saw
this show and was astonished that Ryan's condition and health history
were a mirror image of the vaccine damages. I began to read, ask questions,
and started to piece together the truth. I was now convinced that with
each shot that Ryan received he was becoming more and more damaged. I
was angry with myself for not knowing to ask questions, and I was angry
with the medical profession for their silence on the topic.
When I confronted
Ryan's doctor (a neurologist) he gave me the standard 'benefits outweigh
the risks' speech. At this time we were also told not to give Ryan his
last DPT shot. This is like closing the barn door after the horse gets
out.
Ryan is now a teenager.
He suffers from learning disabilities, seizures, asthma, headaches, hearing
loss, and mastoiditis. He is being punished for our lack of knowledge.
I recently attended
a parent's group that was pro-vaccine. I told my story and one mother
became upset because I was 'scaring' her. If you are reading this, don't
feel sorry for me. Look at your own children; they're the ones at risk.
I'm glad parents get scared. I hope to scare you enough to ask questions
and seek the truth.
It is too late to
change Ryan's situation, but we can pass our knowledge and experiences
on so that others can learn from our mistakes. Only then will it seem
that the risks we suffered may benefit others.
Thank you for sharing your story.
Q. Dear New-Atlantean, my sister has a heart-wrenching story to tell about the death of her son due to the immunization policies regarding the use of the much hated DPT vaccine. Her memoirs include a horrific battle with the government over this DEATHLY practice. She won her case against the government and was an initial force in bringing this to the attention of the world. This ongoing death-causing practice is still claiming children's lives today. She is very devoted to making her story available to concerned parents around the world. I believe your interest in these memoirs would be of benefit to the world as well as to all parties concerned. I wonder if you can help us or direct us to someone who can. Thank you.
A. We would be interested in looking at a manuscript. It sounds like a story that needs to be shared with society.
Q. It is excellent to see that there are those who have the courage to tell others about the dangers of vaccines and the very real severe adverse reactions that are more common than health authorities state. They play down the seriousness of the adverse reactions because of their own vested interests. In our country, Australia, they are giving GPs a pay bonus to step up immunization, because as more and more people ask questions and are better educated, less are willingly vaccinating their children. Now, when parents take an ill child to a GP, the GP concerned with lining his or her own pocket will push parents to vaccinate. I have a sister who was born in 1972, and at six months received her third DPT shot. When she was approximately nine months my father noticed her having little seizures. My mother took her to a GP and expressed concern that it was a reaction to the DPT. This inhumane man told her, "It's just a spoiled reaction, take her home and start smacking her." By the time a doctor finally did listen it was way too late, the damage was done. She was my parents fourth child, so who better to know that she was a normal healthy, developing child, than those who had three children already.
The medical practitioners and health authorities can deny the DPT link to SIDS all they like, but the fact is there is a causal link to vaccines. This has been proven by Dr. Vera Scheibner through the use of Cotwatch monitors that record the baby's true breathing patterns. This instrument has proven that an infant's breathing is affected by vaccines for months after they receive the DPT. [Data from the cotwatch studies is available from New Atlantean Press.] Keep on publishing the facts about vaccines, as well as the real reason that vaccines were developed -- as a money-making venture for drug companies, which has been very profitable for them, but horrifying for the recipients of these poisons.
A. Thank you for your encouragement and support. The cotwatch studies conducted by Dr. Viera Scheibner are recorded in her book, Vaccination: 100 Years of Orthodox Research and in Vaccines: Are They Really Safe and Effective? as well.
Q. Dear Thinktwice, our son received his vaccines at six months. His older sister had adverse reactions [to DPT] of high fever and high pitched screaming so his doctor recommended pediatric DT. I was reassured that there was no reason to be concerned. Within six hours after his dose of Hib and DT, our son was not himself. I laid him down for a nap because he looked pale and his skin felt cold and clammy. Something told me to check on him moments after I laid him down. He was in his crib, blue, with his eyes rolling back then fixed in a strange stare, rigid limbs, foaming at the mouth, and his chest appeared to be laboring to breathe. My husband and I raced him to the emergency room which, thank God, was just down the street. I had to stimulate him by calling his name and gently shaking him. He stared in a strange way I had never seen and was barely breathing. Everything seemed surreal. My husband and I were so scared. We did not know if he would make it to the hospital. When we arrived, seconds later, they quickly grabbed him out of my arms. They did not know his name and did not have time to ask. They called him Charlie Brown. They suctioned out his throat, but of course nothing was blocking his airway; it was just closing on it's own.
As quickly as this started, he spontaneously came out of it. He was smiling up at the doctors and nurses who were trying to save him. Everyone applauded and laughed. We were just lucky. Our son is now two years old and there appears to be no permanent damage. I always wonder what damage occurred that I am not aware of yet. My precious son almost died in my arms. Needless to say, I never vaccinated him again. I pray for those who don't know the dangers as well as those who were not as lucky as we were. It has become my life's work to help with this issue, and inform other parents. Please allow me to help in any way.
A. I am sorry about your frightening ordeal but pleased that it had a happy ending. Sadly, we receive many vaccine horror stories that are quite similar to your own. There are several ways to take an active role. Decide how you would like to contribute and jump into the fray. You may wish to start an organization, or work with one that is already established. You may wish to give talks, sell vaccine books, or lobby the government. Decide which avenue of expression is best for you and get started. We need more people to get involved so that positive changes can begin to take root. Once you decide how you would like to contribute, let me know if I can be of further assistance.
Q. My daughter had a severe reaction to the DPT vaccine. She has not had the DPT or the DT vaccine since her reaction. She is now entering the 5th grade. So far, the local school system has respected my wishes that she not receive the DT vaccine, but I wish to be prepared in case they become more forceful in their requests. Is there any data available on reactions to a DT vaccine? Any help you can give me would be most appreciated.
A. Many states have vaccine laws that allow exemptions to vaccine recommendations. These laws indicate the type of exemption from the shots that your state permits. Arguing with the authorities over the dangers of the shots is not a suggested course of action. Find out your state laws and proceed from there.
Q. We have been told that there is an epidemic of whooping cough heading our way. We live in Washington and were told that it is currently in Idaho. We have four children. Our oldest is 11, then we have two boys that are six and seven, and a three year old girl. Our children have never had the pertussis shot. They have only had DT (and dead polio) along with the rest of the recommended shots. I didn't think there was any danger with anything other than pertussis and live polio. Our oldest had whooping cough when she was three years old. Fortunately I took her in because I was concerned as soon as she started the coughing. We were quarantined for five days while we all took eurithomiacin. We did not get the whooping cough shots for her because of two very serious reactions in two of my younger cousins; one resulted in death. The children's hospital wouldn't say that it was because of the vaccination which her doctor gave her baby when she was only five weeks old. That's right, five weeks old, because he was going on vacation. The other child was given DPT in 1/4 doses and the third 1/4 dose shot put her into seizures due to a high fever. She was hospitalized, strapped to a board, etc. The doctors will never convince me that this was a coincidence.
Now the dilemma: I called the health department and was told that they have a new vaccine against whooping cough. I was told that whooping cough is a fatal disease in which there is no treatment and was given the normal "good outweighs the bad" speech. I was told that this is safer with no known side effects other than a tender arm. I am aware that even if we get the shots it will take several weeks before any antibodies are built up for this disease. I was told that they wouldn't give it to my boys that are six and seven because there is a higher risk of side effects. My kids haven't had all the recommended shots at the ages they were supposed to mainly because I kept thinking "what if," and I didn't want to hold my babies while they were playing Russian Roulette with them and allow them to do it. So I think it is a good thing that I was nervous about it. I am terrified of anything "new" when it comes to shots. It wasn't long ago that everyone was told to get the new flu shots and lots of people did. A little bit later people started dying. It turned out to be the shot!
I guess I am rambling now. I need to know if I am making a mistake in not getting the shot for her. My gut feeling is no way. The risks are too high but I don't want to intentionally expose them to a fatal disease either. Our six year old has had milk allergies and was on soy formula as an infant. He now drinks some milk, but in excess it causes him to get all stuffed up. Our 3 year old was on soy after she stopped breathing at 3 days old. At 7 months old she spent 4 days in an oxygen tent (after numerous cat scans and neurological tests because of "arching" her back from birth). It turned out that she has asthma and got RSV. She was using a pulmo aid for several months with albuterol. She isn't having asthma problems at the present. She was hospitalized in January for 5 days with severe bladder and kidney infections and will remain on macrodantin for a minimum of 6 months to a year. I am concerned about her immune system being weak and whether it will create a bigger risk not getting the shot. I called her doctors office and talked to the nurse. She is going to do research about the new pertussis shot to see if it can be given in smaller doses and why it isn't safe for children over 4 (according to the health department). She said it would be safe to give her even with her medical problems. I did read on the vaccine contradictions that this was not the case. Do you have anything you can email me to take to the doctors office to give them? I did print out the pages about that and the "stories" of families that have had problems. Because she is 3, is there less chance of a reaction? Is there also a better chance that she will be able to fight the whooping cough even with her past problems? This is an urgent issue for us since we must make a decision one way or another. Thank you.
A. Do not allow yourself to be rushed or forced into something that you are unsure of. Washington state does not "mandate" the shots. You are entitled to reject them without having to explain your reasons to doctors, nurses, or other individuals who may try to intimidate you with scare tactics. Pertussis is usually more problematic with infants, and is rarely a serious threat for older children. This is well-documented in the medical literature. There are many good books on vaccines. I recommend that you read up on this subject so that you are not so vulnerable to medical ploys. Good luck and much peace to you with your decision.
Q. My daughter was in a government postnatal care unit at the age of eight weeks because we were having feeding problems that we were being helped with. While there, her [DPT] immunizations fell due and I was encouraged to take her to the doctor down the road to receive them. Not having any information on the subject I did so with the understanding that I was being a responsible parent. That night when I was out of the room my daughter stopped breathing. I was told that the nurse had taken her away to give her oxygen. When I tried to get information on what actually took place it was as if nothing important happened. It was never recorded on her records and I was told it was purely temper -- at eight weeks old! When we left this hospital, Nicole had developed a mild skin rash which over the past two years has worsened and no doctors can give me an explanation for it. I am grateful that when my daughter stopped breathing she was with someone and could be helped, but what would have happened if she had been in bed at home? Would she have been another case of cot death? Wake up Australia! The government does not care about your children. You need to be informed and make educated decisions for your children.
A. Thanks for sharing your story. As you have learned, the damage to our children and the pervasive coverups continue.
Q. Hi. I was at your site today researching the hepatitis b vaccine. My daughter was born in 1981 with a near perfect apgar. She thrived on breastmilk until her two-month checkup. We had told the pediatrician when her brother was born in 1978 about our family history of seizure disorder [a contraindication to receiving vaccines] and reminded him again at her birth. He insisted she get the DPT shots anyway and we were young and naive. I even trusted him. Within several hours of getting her first shot she screamed inconsolably for hours. After about 24 hours she stopped screaming and became apathetic. She was limp and disinterested in eating or smiling. She no longer turned over or kicked vigorously when placed on her back. She could no longer hold her head up when held on my shoulder. We called the doctor several times during the initial 24 hours and days that followed. They always assured us her reaction was normal and told us to keep giving her Tylenol. (Looking back now I wonder how baby Tylenol heals damaged brain cells.) After a few days she developed her first definable illness, "coincidentally" an upper respiratory infection. We took her to the doctor and he diagnosed her as "failure to thrive" and "complete loss of muscle tone." He still would not admit it was the shot! In fact, even though we fought him she still received her four month and six month dose of pertussis. He was the almighty doctor and therefore knew more than us. However, by her 18 month shot he told us that because we insisted he would withhold the pertussis. Who knows though, because years later when he retired and we transferred her records, his records show that she received DPT at 18 months.
Our older son also reacted to the DPT. He began having night terrors and visual auras. The night terrors continue to this day whenever he has a fever. He is in college now.
So what happened to our daughter? She was homeschooled until 1996 when she entered the public schools. She is in special classes with a recorded I.Q. of 50. She is 16 years old now and struggles daily to complete a 2nd grade curriculum. Physically she has very poor muscle tone, poor small and large motor coordination. The good news is that we just moved to another state and they are actually educating her rather than just babysitting. And the schools here are amazed that verbally and socially she is very able to fit in with the regular ed. kids. They actually told us they attribute this to our homeschooling.
I am grateful my child is alive. I love her like she is but I do hurt for her when I realize many of her dreams will not come true. And they are such easily attainable dreams for an average person. She wants to marry and be a mommy like me. Meanwhile, life does go on. Our 3rd child is 5 years old and never had any immunizations! She is as healthy as a little horse.
The toughest part is that no one will admit the reactions were from the shot. We have been told, in fact, that it absolutely was NOT the shot. Duhh! I was there. It WAS the shot! I hate being patronized and told I am only a mother. I have researched a lot, am very bright, and can probably understand as much as most of the doctors we have seen. Thanks for listening.
A. Thanks for sharing your story. The damage to our innocent children continues. Authorities have not changed; they remain stubborn, arrogant, and in deep denial. I'm sorry that you had to learn the hard way. You are not alone, but more and more parents are waking up before it is too late. Best wishes to you and your family.
Q. When my infant son, Billy, was 7 weeks old I took him to the pediatrician for a well baby
visit. He was given a routine DPT shot and polio vaccine. I was not
informed of any side effects other than fever. The first night
he was fussy but slept. By the next day he was crying without stopping,
wanted to be held but was sensitive to touch. His breathing became very
labored. I called my doctor. The nurse told me this was a normal reaction.
At that time, I made up my mind that he would never get another shot. He
couldn't eat, he seemed to throw his head back and was in constant distress. On the third day,
I called my doctor and said I was going to the hospital -- he could be
there if he liked. Billy was admitted with pneumonia and treated for eight
days. Despite my doctor's assurances that he would be fine, he has had
difficulties from then on. Although a wonderfully happy child, he has
had numerous allergies, difficulty digesting food, and is mentally retarded. Since that time,
I have learned the story of how this could happen, and how it continues
to happen. During the same month that my son had this severe reaction,
15 babies in Illinois died from the DPT shot. The reason a moratorium
on this vaccine hasn't been called immediately is a story of greed, corruption,
and a fatal belief in our own technology. But the damage to children continues.
We're sorry to hear that your son was harmed by vaccines. Thank you for sharing your story for the benefit of others.
Q. Dear Thinktwice, I am the mother of a 22 year-old daughter who was first immunized at three months of age. Today she is severely to profoundly mentaly handicapped, and has irretractable seizures. She functions on about a two to three year-old level. Our story is much like those I read on your webpage. Luckily we had a military doctor overseas who noted on her shot record that she could have had a possible reaction to the shot. We were to only give her DT from that point on. I had no idea what that meant or why, but I always reminded the airman who would give her the shot. I am sure that this saved my daughter from any further damage. The sad thing was that although this early someone had recognized that there could be a connection, NO ONE would say it was so. So I agonized over what to call it for ten years! I could only say she was "mentally retarded and had uncontrollable seizures." That is, until ABC's "20/20" showed a program with many other families in our same nameless, hopeless situation. When I confronted the doctor, she said "Yes, of course that is what happened to your daughter, but you'll never be able to prove it." I thought that at least now I can go and look in a book to see what to expect. But there is no book that tells you what to expect when your vaccine-injured child begins different phases of life. Every day is a learning process. These children don't fit into the convenient little special education slots that most school systems offer. My beautiful daughter is a square peg and the only things available for her are round holes.
I spoke with a woman in Tulsa, Oklahoma almost twelve years ago. She told me she held her screaming infant from the time it received its shot until it breathed its last breath. The autopsy report read "SIDS"! I can never be swayed from believing that many deaths reported as SIDS were really DPT reactions. As the former parents' group DPT (Dissatisfied Parents Together) used to state: "When it happens to your child, the risks are 100 percent."
My three year-old grandson only received the DT. I had sworn for years that no grandchild of mine will get pertussis, but when it came time for that event, I retracted and told my daughter and her husband that the decision had to be their own. I didn't want them to base it on what my heart and mouth had said for years. My daughter was in registered nursing school at the time and based her decision on many factors. They opted not to give it to him, and their pediatrician agreed. She had also treated my disabled daughter and knew the history.
I am still missing pieces of the pie. I know there are many parents with vaccine-damaged children that I could educate. Back then there just weren't a lot of them diagnosed correctly. Many parents just accepted that their child had "problems." That was never good enough for me.
Besides the danger from seizures, could this shorten her lifespan? I really worry about the massive amount of drugs necessary to give some control of her seizures. Brain surgery isn't an option because the damage is so global it wouldn't be possible. Plus, the results from such as a corpus colostomy aren't convincing enough for me to allow them to operate on her. Hell, I can't even explain to her what her period is about! I am so baffled that she is so physically able yet so mentally unable to perform even simple tasks.
I pray a lot because I know I can't do anything else. I would be willing to have others contact me who have similar stories, or if their children are young and they don't know what tomorrow holds. I don't either, but I can tell them what happened yesterday. Thank you.
A. I am very sorry to hear of your story. Sadly, it is one that I hear all too often. Regarding how to deal with the changes your daughter will go through, I suggest that you consider recording your experiences. Perhaps you can write the book that is needed. It would be quite helpful, I'm sure, for other parents in your situation. From the way things look today, it doesn't appear that doctors and health officials are going to make the necessary changes any time soon to end this madness. Your offer to be a reference to other parents is generous. I will make a note of this. Best wishes to you and your family.
Q. I was reading the letters at your website and was suprised to see that one child passed out after getting the DPT shot. My Matthew did the same thing when he was an infant. It was right after I left the doctor's office. He started wailing high pitched shrieks as soon as I started driving. I was going to pull over because I wanted to get him out of his carseat and try and soothe him. While I was looking for a place to pull over, he stopped crying. I turned around to look at him, and he was limp. I immediately rushed back to the doctor's office in a hysterical panic. The waiting room was full of parents and I was screaming. The doctor came running out and the first thing he said was "It wasn't from the DPT shot. No, this can't be from the shot," and he went on and on.
I was livid. My baby was passed out and he didn't even take him from me. The nurse got so irritated with him that she said to me "Give me this baby now." and threw the doctor a dirty look. She told me after that she was mad because instead of the doctor taking the baby from me to help him, he chose to try and cover himself. Matthew woke up as soon as the nurse took him. Thank God he was fine. I started a new doctor after that and I refused to let Matthew have another shot. I told the new doctor what happened and I will never forget what he said. He said "We can treat Pertussis. We can't treat a baby who is no longer with us because of the DPT shot." I asked the doctor if he ever heard of a baby passing out after a DPT shot, and he said no. But he also said "That doesn't mean it never happened. It just means that I have never heard of it happening. But I don't discount anything regarding that shot. You would be suprised what kinds of reactions I have heard of."
I just want to tell parents that if something happens to your child, and the doctor insists it's not from the shot, go with your own feelings. You don't have to get your child another shot, even if the doctor insists. You can always change doctors if his or her mindset is different from yours. That poor child who is talked about at your site that passed out from his first shot is brain damaged now because of the second shot he received. I don't even want to think about what could have happened to Matthew if I listened to the first doctor. Matthew is a happy and healthy 9-year-old now. I am lucky. I hope this letter helps someone who finds himself in the same situation. Follow your parental instincts. If your instincts tell you not to do something, then don't do it.
A. Thanks for sharing your experience. We'll post it on our website. Best wishes.
Q. Hello. I am 29 years old. I was born in 1974 and I suffered an adverse reaction to the D.P.T. vaccinations. I suffered grand mal seizures and mild ones also. My mother had to give me steroid shots to control my seizures. I am wondering what will happen. My mother was going to sue but our family doctor and the hospital would not release my medical records to her. I have a six-year-old son and I cannot even help him with homework. I have a second grade level in math. I am really bad when it comes to working with money. When I was young my mother told me I lost my sucking motion so that is why still today I suck my thumb and I have some problems mentally. I feel like I am not myself. I feel real bad.
A. We're sorry to hear that you had a bad reaction to your shots and are still suffering from the reaction. Thanks for sharing your story. We wish you well.
The Vaccine Safety Manual
contains the most comprehensive,
up-to-date information available
on the pertussis (DPT and DTaP) vaccines.
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