I Am His Voice…He Is My Peace

I would like to start off by saying that although I have worked in healthcare for quite some time, I am by no means a doctor, nor do I have any hand in the composition of pharmaceuticals. I will also say that currently, my child is up to date with all vaccinations. While that is true, I do find this topic intriguing and of significant controversy in today’s society. We are entitled to believe what we would like to believe at the end of the day, but I must say that the information that I’ve come across has caused me to scratch my head a bit. Let me play devil’s advocate for a second…

As a parent, I’ve found myself increasingly pondering a challenging question: is there a connection between vaccines and the significant rise in Autism Spectrum Disorder? I’m aware of the scientific consensus that dismisses this link, and I have a profound respect for the medical community. However, my aim isn’t to contradict established science but to explore a perspective born from observation and a growing unease about modern trends. It’s about asking difficult questions when it comes to our children’s health.

The statistics are alarming… in 2000, roughly 1 in 150 children were identified with ASD; by 2020, it was 1 in 36 (CDC, n.d.). While increased awareness and broader diagnostic criteria certainly play a role, does this fully explain such a dramatic surge? My intuition suggests there might be other contributing factors in our rapidly changing environment.

My worries also include the current drug business.  It’s a huge, profit-driven business, which naturally makes people wonder about how open it is and how thorough its long-term safety reviews are.  There have been times when goods that were thought to be safe at first turned out to have bad effects that no one saw coming.  The number of vaccines given to babies keeps going up, which makes me wonder what effect the whole childhood vaccine schedule has on a growing immune and neurological system.  Do we really know what the long-term effects of these ingredients will be, or does this need more in-depth, independent research? 

The sharp rise in the number of vaccines children have gotten seems to have coincidentally happened at the same time as the rise in ASD findings.  Correlation doesn’t always mean causation, but it also doesn’t always rule it out either.  For many, this overlap in time brings up discomfort but important questions:  Could the number of vaccines or the mix of ingredients in them affect kids in ways we don’t fully understand yet? I mean look at Covid…

I think it’s important to have open and honest talks, even if they go against what most people think is right.  This isn’t about spreading fear or completely refusing vaccines as I did mention earlier that my child is vaccinated. It would be a lie, though, if I said that I don’t think about it consistently. 

In my opinion, I am all for pushing for more fair study and making sure parents’ worries are fully taken care of. After all, at the end of the day we do want, what we believe to be, is best for our children…something to ponder…

Night y’all