I think what she is doing is incredible. I wish her and her son all the best.

i thank her for elightening me and prompting me to look closer at the vaccines our lil guys getting (and the ones we're waiting awhile on).

I think the whole vaccine schedule and the pharmaceutical companies hands in it needs an overhaul.... i don't have ANY kind of faith in the system that tells me an infant needs something like 30 vaccines.
But I also want our child protected against deadly diseases.... such a toxic world we gotta deal with

sigh

i am sorry but i watched jenny on Oprah say she noticed something around 6 months old but didn't think about it. than it became more apparent after his MMR. I think something might have triggered it but I dont think it was the main cause.

I could 100% rather have my child alive with autism than something much worse. we did all the vaccines and so far she is perfectly healthy.

i do think they should do tons more research on all aspects to see if something is triggering the austism from the vaccines in people who have something in common.

why not make them all green though, it shouldn't have to be so much chemicals to prevent this stuff. than again if i could get a vaccine for cancer, in a family full of it, i would jump right on the boat.

I think it is clear from the scientific research that there is no link. Since Thimerosal was removed from vaccines there was a rise not a decline in the incidents of Autism, even with the decrease of children getting vaccinations due to the theory that it may cause Autism. The increase in Autism diagnosis since vaccinations became standard is due to to better understanding of the disease and proper diagnosis not the vaccines.

I totally agree with Jenny about taking a closer look at what goes into vaccines and the schedule in which they are given. My son also was diagnosed with autism, a seizure disorder, developmental delay, and ultimately cerebral palsy due to lack of oxygen to his brain during the first seizures he had. All within days of getting his MMR. This was in 1991. BEFORE anyone really took a look at vaccines and what was in them. I am not against vaccinating, nor is Jenny. Its just "too much too soon" IMHO. I think the vaccine schedule needs to be overhauled completely. What would it harm? Kids used to get only about 10 vaccines in their first year or two. Now its over 30. I think the schedule can be revised safely. I also believe that maybe due to toxins in the environment coupled with certain ingredients in vaccines can trigger a response in some children who may be genetically prone to developing autism. More research needs to be done in all these areas. I think Jenny and Jim are doing a wonderful job bringing awareness to this campaign.

I am just in awe of what a wonderful supporting "daddy" Jim Carey is. He must have a heart of gold to take on this issue after dating Jenny for a short time. She is lucky to have him as her guy.

I am not convinced that vaccines are the reason for autism - there isn't enough evidence to show a connection. I do think we need a lot more research and that more money should go towards finding the cause and a cure (if possible)! I think it is great for Jenny to come out about her son and to take such an active position in bringing attention to the autism issue. I do have a question, though...could the "rise" in autism cases simply be a better awareness of the condition and that it is being diagnosed more?

What an emotional topic ... I really do feel for Jenny and what she has gone through with her son. I have an 8 month old son and we were lucky enough to have a doctor who recommended a "modified" vaccine schedule based on the "Vaccine Book" by Dr. Sears. For those of you who think there needs to be a happy medium between vaccinating and NOT at all ... this is a great book to read!

that book IS terrific CM2. we're doing a "modified" schedule also. i've also bought the book for a friend who's expecting.

it is a very touchy subject, and i wasnt trying to come off NO vs PRO w/the vaccines... i'm pro... just not all at once & so early in his life. (he had a reaction and it really makes you re-think things)

My son was perfectly healthy as a baby, at least up until he received his MMR shot. He had extremely high fever, stopped eating for over a week, had to be put on IV fluids and was breifly hospitalized. He went from 90% of growth to

cm2, thx for recommending that book. I am definitely going to check it out for next time.

Jenny says her son behaves like any other child now. She also says that she, and all the other parents who have gotten results like hers, are treating their children for vaccine injury.

While I definitely think a modified schedule is better than the one in place now, I'll still never vaccinate my kids.

LilRuck...just curious and for anyone else who has done the no vaccinating thing...how do you get around them being required for entry to school???

Faery... some states allow philosophical exemption, (not ny where i'm from but there's a bill being proposed that anyone can support by going here http://capwiz.com/a-champ/issues/alert/?alertid=11007911 if they'd like to support it) and some states allow exemptions based on religion or medical reasons (bad reaction to a previous shot)...i think it's harder to get a religious or medical exemption. i also think a lot of doctors are afraid of being sued so they're not always so receptive to an alternate schedule.

but as far as school goes... i dunno... maybe they'd homeschool?

roxtarchic, thx, I wasn't sure of the state laws, etc...and my son is exempt from certain vaccines due to his seizure disorder so we were lucky with that one. But if my IVF is successful and I am faced with vaccinating...I am definitely doing an alternative schedule and I will search until I find a pediatrician that will go along with it. Like I said...I am not against vaccines, but I really want to find out the safest way to protect my child. And since I already have a child who had a reaction to the MMR and now is autistic I would be afraid of that happening again.

Informed consent and vaccination choice are the most important aspect of this issue to me. There are risks on both sides of this
issue. I don't vaccinate my kids and some people say, "Aren't you scared? What if they get sick?" but I've done the research, read
what the CDC has to say, and I see how likely it is for them to catch the disease vs. have a reaction from the shot. Some kids DO get harmed by vaccines - if not, there would be no need for the VAERS system, which compensates families of vaccine injured children and protects Doctors and pharmeceutical companies from lawsuits connected to vaccine injury. The CDC says that "serious" reactions happen 1 in a million DOSES - kids are getting 36 doses these days - that's raising the numbers that they are even ADMITTING to an
uncomfortable level. We must not ignore the statistics that say that most of the disease we vaccinate against were on their way out
before mass vaccination became the norm. Improved sanitation and living conditions were a major cause of this. If my kids do decide to travel, and fear they are in danger of contracting a disease that they may not have been so easily exposed to where we live, then they
can get vaccines later in life. Hopefully they will be strong and healthy enough to have no negative reactions to the shots at that
time. My three year old is healthy, smart and wonderful to watch. If I looked into his eyes and watched him slip away from me into some regressive state, I just couldn't stand it. I have 2 healthy kids with a natural defense against disease. If you mess with nature
over and over again by injecting kids with toxins and viruses and it's bound to backfire on you.

NY is trying to mandate all the recommended shots by the cdc. Right now NJ leads the pack with 4 new mandates coming into effect this
fall. Learn more about conscientious belief exemption to mandatory vaccination in New Jersey at http://njvaccinationchoice.org

They really require over 30 vacines for kids now? That's insane - I don't think I've had that many in my entire 26 years and my parents were never against vacinating by any means. When I have kids I will certainly be researching every single vacine that is recommended and make decisions that way. There's no way I will subject my kids to that many shots.

Faery you basically have three ways to opt out, religious, philosophical, or medical. All states have the religious (this would be something like God created us to resist disease, etc) and medical. Some don't have the philosphical.

Roxtarchic I probably will homeschool (how did you guess? I'm really curious!), but I feel confident that my reasons would stand if I decide to send them off to school, so I'm not worried.

I am currently studying to become a doctor and have also been doing biomedical research for several years and strongly support the idea of further research into the possible link of autism and vaccination. However, I also urge that all parents consider the protection they are gaining by getting their children vaccinated. The vaccination of children is very important to not allow opportunistic virus's to re-emerge in the population. There is an interesting article in Time magazine this week that talks about the research into the possible link of vaccination and autism. It also addresses the important and, often overlooked side (which is understandable for concerned mothers), of what could happen if you do not vaccinate children. I hope that parents look at both sides of the argument. In the meantime support further research!

truthfully lilruck... after i read "evidence of harm" i was ready to lock our lil guy in the house & never let him out... it's VERY alarming, and that's why i think it's important to look at BOTH SIDES of it... i think dr. sears book & his alternative schedule not only make sense, but they do kinda of give you the flip side of the alarmist conspiracy theory... and i validity in both sides....

i also didnt know NY was planning on mandating more shots.... UGGHHHH i can't even fathom it.... just finally got the whole freaking thing figured out what he's getting WHEN and now they're gonna pull the rug out...

hmmppfffff

that's how i guessed btw... i was ready to lock him in and homeschool'm

I know what you mean roxtarchic!

I think the mandating of vaccines is a massive violation of human rights.

Steph, exactly the point...further reasearch IS needed.

Where do the outbreaks of common illnesses long eradicated come from?? Is it truly immigrants and visitors to our country? Seriously, not trying to start anything...I am very much interested.

Faery from what I have read, they can come from travelers, foreigners, and sometimes even vaccinated children (if the vaccine was live).

The vaccine for Rotavirus, Rotateq, (the thing was recalled once in the 1990s and then again last year after being re-released) is live. My kids are exposed to it every time they play at the YMCA child watch when a recently vaccinated infant is there. I do agree with what onyourmark said about the natural defense to disease, but I feel like if I shout from the rooftops that my child has a spectacular immune system, something bad is bound to happen.

My son has had whooping cough, but he got over it just fine.