CDC Approves Adult and Childhood Vaccine Schedules for 2019
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) have approved new adult and childhood vaccine schedules effective February 2019.1 The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) have all endorsed the new schedules.2 […]
Minnesota Establishes Autism Council
In October 2018, the Minnesota State Senate established a working group called the Minnesota Autism Council to provide guidance on how best to address issues relating to autism, including “treatment, educational options, employment opportunities, independent living, and more.” It was decided that the council would consist of individuals from different backgrounds, including autism advocates and […]
How to Immunize Yourself Against Vaccine Propaganda
A New York Times editorial attacks “anti-vaxxers” as “the enemy”, but it’s the Times editors who are dangerously irrational and ignorant of the science. Opinion | On January 19, 2019, the New York Times published an editorial mischaracterizing anyone who dares to criticize or dissent from public vaccine policy as dangerously irrational and ignorant.1 In doing so, the Times avoided […]
Listening vs Coercion on ‘Vaccine Hesitancy’
Story Highlights Public shaming of vaccine-hesitant parents has reached new heights. Those who question mainstream vaccine policy tend to be among the most educated, well-informed parents. Respectful conversations about vaccination between health care professionals and their patients is more effective than coercive tactics. The rhetoric surrounding vaccination has long been dismissive of anyone who questions […]
A Baby Died After Vaccination
I watched every mother’s nightmare unfold yesterday in a conversation on a local online mom’s group. It began when the baby’s aunt asked frantically for prayers for her nephew, who had gotten his four-month shots that day and was found unresponsive in the evening. Then we learned the baby had apparently bled from every orifice […]
Infant in Nepal Dies Hours After Getting DPT Vaccine
Six-month-old Binod Ale Magar died on Feb. 3, 2019 within hours after receiving the DPT (diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus) vaccine at a health care station in the Kailali district of Nepal.1 The baby’s uncle said the child was in normal health when he was administered the vaccination around noon. “The child was crying after the vaccination. We […]