Short graphic novel online about Wakefield

Ah, I love it. Want a review of the Wakefield case? (yes, it includes references too)

Check it out here by Darryl Cunningham:
The Facts In The Case Of Dr. Andrew Wakefield

Vaccine War: Love the show, hate the war

Okay, I loved Frontline: The Vaccine War. I really fail to see why the anti-vaccine side is offended either, it had plenty of their side. Not really PBS's fault that their side has little scientific evidence to go on. After all, they are the ones who use Jenny McCarthy as an advocate; it is not like PBS picked an obscure person to feature for their side. Seemed to have most of the main players. I don't think anybody was censored, they even had J.B. Handley on with his *lovely* language. (happy they censored the actual language though, I can do without that, thanks)

You can watch Frontline: The Vaccine Wars yourself here:
http://video.pbs.org/video/1479321646/

However....the annoying thing to me is there still IS a vaccine war. Why? We've seen study after study about vaccines and autism: no link. There is only so much money and time for autism research and advocacy. Why are people wasting it on vaccines? So many other issues are pressing: education support, respite, communication devices, sensory issues, safety, faith community inclusion, bullying, and on and on.

Studies all around the world have shown no connection between autism and vaccines. People are dying and getting ill from not having vaccines. From June 3rd, 2007 to April 17th, 2010 there have been 509 vaccine preventable deaths and 57,309 vaccine preventable illnesses. So not only are we wasting autism money and time; we are risking lives.

Please, please, vaccinate your kids, encourage others too. And autism community, stop harping on vaccines, it is NOT an autism community issue!

If you agree, please sign my petition to end the vaccine war within the autism community and move on to more important issues:

End the Vaccine War

(friendly remminder: No hate speech/cursing allowed in comments, that you need to send to my e-mail. Love you anways)

Measles mess, mumps misery, and rubella

Here's information on what the MMR vaccine prevents. Now keep in mind by not vaccinating, these could all occur in your kid.

Measles

Symptoms usually begin 8 - 12 days after you are exposed to the virus. This is called the incubation period.

Symptoms may include:

* Bloodshot eyes
* Cough
* Fever
* Light sensitivity (photophobia)
* Muscle pain
* Rash
o Usually appears 3 - 5 days after the first signs of being sick
o May last 4 - 7 days
o Usually starts on the head and spreads to other areas, moving down the body
o Rash may appear as flat, discolored areas (macules) and solid, red, raised areas (papules) that later join together
o Itchy
* Redness and irritation of the eyes (conjunctivitis)
* Runny nose
* Sore throat
* Tiny white spots inside the mouth (Koplik's spots)

Complications:
Diarrhea, ear infections, pneumonia, encephalitis, seizures, and death

Approximately 20% of reported measles cases experience one or more complications. These complications are more common among children under 5 years of age and adults over 20 years old.

Measles causes ear infections in nearly one out of every 10 children who get it. As many as one out of 20 children with measles gets pneumonia, and about one child in every 1,000 who get measles will develop encephalitis. (This is an inflammation of the brain that can lead to convulsions, and can leave your child deaf or mentally retarded.) For every 1,000 children who get measles, one or two will die from it. Measles can also make a pregnant woman have a miscarriage, give birth prematurely, or have a low-birth-weight baby.

Treatment:
*No treatment, but can be prevented by the MMR vaccine
MedlinePlus

Mumps

Mumps is an illness caused by the mumps virus. Mumps causes

* Fever
* Headache
* Muscle aches
* Tiredness
* Loss of appetite
* Swelling of the salivary glands

Serious problems are rare, but can include deafness; swelling of the brain, spinal cord, testicles, breasts or ovaries; and pregnancy loss.
Treatment:
*No treatment but can be prevented by MMR vaccine
MedlinePlus


Rubella
Symptoms:
* Fever
* Headache
* Malaise
* Bruising (rare)
* Inflammation of the eyes (bloodshot eyes)
* Muscle or joint pain
Treatment:
*Patients can take acetaminophen to reduce fever.
No other treatment, but can be prevented by MMR vaccine
MedlinePlus