This a very sensitive subject. I want my children immunized but I don't want to take the chance of autism. It seems that autism has risen significantly the past 5-10 years or so and I'm wondering if it is the shots. Too much too soon they say. Do we really need to immunize that quickly?

Wasn't it the preservative Thimerosal that was linked to Autism though? And nowadays, supposedly the only vaccination with Thimerosal in it is the annual flu vaccine (which I order ahead of time for my sons because you have to request a Thimerosal-free version if you want it). Anyway, are there now suspicions that other agents in vaccines are causing Autism??

P.S. By the way, Stephanopoulos, it's nice to see you back!

I find it ironic that Amanda doesn't use sunscreen on her baby, because of the chemicals it contains; but she takes issue with parents who are wary of vaccines due to the chemicals they contain?

Tracey, while Thimerosol is no longer used as a preservative for vaccines, with the exception of the flu shot, it is still used in the manufacturing process. Many of the compound vaccines, the DTaP is one, do contain trace amounts of Thimerosol.

I'm gonna be so afraid when it's comes time to immunize my child. Is it riskier with or without the immunizations? What if I demand to space them out? Will they let me?

Nice to see you too Tracey. I pop in every once in a while and it's nice to see a familiar name. TGIF everybody. : )

Stephanopoulos, yes you can space out the vaccines instead of getting them all in one "mega" shot. I separated my boys' MMR shots for instance. Have a good weekend.

So nice to finally see some constructive comments here on this site. Great job Stephanopolous and Tracey. I'm so sick of the spamming; I hardly ever even check in anymore.

As for this controversy, I have a child diagnosed as high functioning autistic, and I did have him vaccinated. While I don't believe his vaccinations lead to his diagnosis, I respect anyone who feels that it is not in their child's best interest to be vaccinated. In my opinion as an intelligent woman and caring mother, I just don't think the research supports the link between vacs & autism. If there is something out there that says the opposite, I would love to have the information and I might change my opinion.

She is so hot and sexy..so many mature men want to date with her,but I hear she just dates a rich men at the dating site called JSenior Match. c om ..do you want to know more about her? her profile is really interesting.

I wouldn't down talk mother's who are strongly against it, but I definately get all my daughter's shots. They're obviously there for a reason and it's not to harm your child. Children, especially babies have weak immune systems so I think it's vital they are vaccinated.

Jenny and Amanda would never meet in a pediatrician's office . . .

Ms. Peet has been misled by Dr. Paul Offit. Amanda Peet's brother-in-law is a doctor who put Ms. Peet in contact with Dr. Offit.

Paul Offit has millions of dollars of transactions with drug companies and invented the new diarrhea vaccine and yet claims to run a non-profit vaccine information website. He is not a good source of informationabout childhood vaccines.

There is an honest case to be presented for giving vaccines to children and an honest set of facts for delaying vaccines, setting alternative schedules and even gving no vaccines at all to healthy children.

Amanda Peet's statements, insults and demeaning attitude interfere with an important dialogue and could harm children. She and Dr. Offit should be ashamed of themselves.

Jay Gordon, MD, FAAP

My infant and I were just harmed by vaccines last year. Amanda Peet should ask Dr. Offit to put his money where his mouth is. She was sadly misinformed by a drug manufacturer -Dr. Paul Offit. This is the same doctor who doesn't see anything wrong with giving an infant 10,000 vaccines at once.

There is no such thing as herd immunity. Anyone that knows anything about vaccines - knows this fact. With that said, ask your doctor why "healthcare professionals" are not required to receive boosters for every vaccine they shoot our precious children up with. Boosters are only good for 10 yrs which is why the CDC is now calling for adult immunizations (not healthcare workers though?). FYI - 5% of pediatricians do not even vaccinate their own children. So, Amanda Peet - I guess you could call them parasites also. Again, if there was such a thing as herd immunity.

I don't usually "ooh" and "aah" over infants, but Amanda Peet's baby is indeed absolutely gorgeous.

Re the vaccinations, I understand both sides. Jennie McCarthy's position has some merit, as she knows from personal experience. Amanda Peet was harsh in her choice of words. Unless she has walked in their footsteps....(and thank God she hasn't), she can't understand the struggles faced by parents of autistic children. I myself have never had to make such a decision (because I don't have kids), but I don't envy those who do!

The science that proves that vaccines injure humans is already on the package inserts found with each vaccine, in the files at the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System and on the website at www.nvic.org, the National Vaccine Information Center, run by Barbara Loe Fisher, a parent of a vaccine injured son who is respected enough by the vaccine machine to be a consumer member on their panel. If the Vaccine Safety Study raw data had actually been made public and not pretend made public and covered up, it would prove that thimerosal causes autism. If Generation Rescue's phone survey of vaccinated versus unvaccinated would be expanded into a full blown study, it would be very clear that vaccines may cause autism. Why is it so difficult for the vast majority of the public to realize that vaccines are just another medical product that could potentially be injurious? You don't think Vioxx should have been recalled? I pray that the non believers are not injured by their flu shots or Gardasil vaccines as they blindly accept their doctors' recommendations for medical treatment (that provides the doctor with profit) without adequately researching the risk benefit ratio of the possible side effects of that decision. We must all come together as a nation to demand more oversight and accountability for all medical products including vaccines to achieve the best level of public health.

Can you imagine what would happen if we didn't get immunizations? We'd be back where we'd have pandemics.

Try getting you kid in school without their shots..You cant.
If a child isn't up to date on their shots they are sent home.

Jenny McCarthy does not advocate no vaccines. She advocates cleaning up vaccines and a safer immunization schedule.

For anyone wanting to educate yourselves on vacines I would recommend the book "The Vaccine Safety Manual" by Neil Z. Miller. If you do vaccine ask to see the package insert and look for Thimerosal on the label.If it is there do not accept the vaccine. Also before giving your child boosters have their titers checked. This is the level of anitbodies already present in the blood stream. You can have them checked for all imunization types. If your titer levels are fine there is no need to get the booster shot.This is a safe option that all parents should be informed about but are not.

Many states, Michigan is one, protect the rights of parents not to immunize their children and it is against the law to refuse a child entrance to a public school because they have not been immunized if this is the case in your state.

I think her statements were shallow and harsh.

To the poster that THINKS you can't go to public school without vaccines you are very wrong. Every state with the exception of Mississippi & West Virginia have exemptions ( other than medical) for NON immunized children to attend. You will never know who is and who isnt immuinzed due to HIPPA. Expemptions for children are on the rise because of the concern of the 72 doses of vaccines given to children before age 2 vs the 10 the average 30-40yr olds had.

What an intelligent and thought provoking discussion. I thoroughly enjoyed all the opinions. I needed some info on this topic and it really helped. I will be bringing a baby into this world shortly and need all the info I can get!

I have 2 very small children and I wouldn't even consider not having them immunized. Obviously there are some people who disagree, but really, I would rather my children deal with autism and take the appropriate measures to make their lives the best possible than to have my child die or be deformed from the diseases we immunize them from.
But as far as I'm concerned, to each his own...you do what's best for your child and we all make mistakes and dont know it till its done.

Yesterday I did not even know who Amada Peet was. Today she is a parasite! I was highly insulted when she (peet) referred to parents who don't vaccinate as parasites. Even though my child is vacinated. My son also has autism. People like Amanda who judge others before walking in their shoes is the reason our world SUCKS! Of course a doctor who promotes vaccines is going to tell you they are 100% safe. How can anyone say anything is 100% safe. Come on Amanda..WAKE UP. Ever had an allergy? But flowers are 100% safe..etc. Instead of criticizing others Peet should be thanking GOD that her child has been healthy & typical (so far). Peets speaks of being humble..I am not sure she knows anything about being humble or she would not judge others for doing what they feel is best for their infant. Frankly, your article & your opinions disgust me!!! I hope the people in your life are not as blindly judgmental as yourself. This is the first time I have ever felt the need to speak out, so no I am not a crazed mother. I am not even convinved that vaccines have anything to do with my sons autism. But I am not judging others who have resons for feeling that way-nor am I jumping on their wagon. You (Amanda Peet) should have been raised not to judge others before you walk in their shoes!

Way to go Jenny! I just hope that autism is still a hot topic after the presidential election is behind us. As far as the preservative Thimerasol is concerned - it was removed from vaccines, but it was a voluntary recall. That means that clinics that stock pile vaccines, would have had to inventory their stock, re-package it, verify the lot numbers and them ship them back - voluntarily. How many large clinics do you think actually did that? I'm not betting many. So when the FDA and their cohorts in crime talk about the rates of autism not shrinking even after the removal of the mercury tainted Thimerasol, the elephant in the room is - it actually wasn't removed. It was an illusion.

Now of course, there is talk of putting the stuff back in even while there is a storm raging about the vaccine Gardasil for teen girls. I was suspicious when the drug went from introduction to mandatory in a short 2 months in Texas - George Bush's home state. Maybe we just can't vaccinate every known malady away? Maybe some illness are necessary to keep our immune systems healthy? Just a thought.

I do have a 3yr old boy who was diagnosed when he was 2. I'm sorry but I think the vaccines could have a great deal to do with it! We have our sons 1st b/day on video. If you go back now and look at this tape before all of his vaccines were finished he's fine! Family members are calling his name and he's looking directly at them on the 1st call. He's playing in his cake which he would not touch with a ten foot pole right now because of sensory issues he has. Plus he was eating normally hotdogs hambugers ext. which he only eats about 5 different kinds of food right this sec. none of them being hotdogs or hamburgers. So you tell me if vaccines have anything to dowith it or not. I think I have proof on video!

Melissa, is your diagnosis severe? Moderate? Just curious... I have a 7 month old and I'm so nervous about vaccinating! I'm not sure what to do....Do you have any other children? Thank you. :)

All one has to do is go to the CDC website and see that there are still some shots in some vaccines beside the flu shot. It's still in and kids are still getting exposed. A Emmy award winning reporter, Steve Wilson, just covered this issue and reported on it last week.

http://tinyurl.com/6nyw7t

Seems like pharmica has found a spokesperson for spin and damage control.

Our son slipped into "autism" immediately following 4 shots at his 15 month vaccination.

It may not be just the mercury but the deadly combo of additives, stimulants to engage the immune system and of course the part of the deadly diseases they are vaccinating for which are overwhelming so many kids there days.

Amanda got her info from Dr Paul Offitt. I wonder if Dr Offitt told her he is a patented owner on a vaccine that was pulled from the market due to damaging kids intestinal tracts?

One can see a list of vaccine that still contain mercury at the John Hopkins website
http://www.vaccinesafety.edu/thi-table.htm

I was saddened to see Amanda Peet's comments. Too bad she wasn't around our house to see the 300+ seizures that started after the 4 month vaccinations and thru the roof after the 6 month round. Who's the parasite here? Some of our kids have autism to create the umbrella Ms. Peet talks about.

Vaccine injury is NOT new and not only related to little kids. There is a long history of vaccine injury, lies, and government deception. Why should this case be any different?

In any case, this is America and maybe we should remember that before we continue down this path of forced immunizations.

FJH
http://autismparents.net

Thank you very much Amanda Peet!

Autism parents do not all go in for the "vaccine concept". We are tired of vaccines dominating the discussion and taking effort away from our children.

Autistic adults (yes, they do exist!) deserve better than being called damaged or toxic as well.

All of us deserve better than to see infectious diseases return.

There is an epidemic taking place with autism in our children today and it is directly related to vaccinations. If you do your research, you will find an abundance of information on how vaccinations have affected an entire generation.
As mothers we should really be conscientious and educated as to what our pediatricians are injecting into our children's bodies.
Just to give you an idea…
"Vaccines contain ingredients such as antifreeze, phenol(used as a disinfectant), formaldehyde (cancer causing and used to embalm), aluminum (associated with alzheimer's disease and seizures), glycerin (toxic to the kidney, liver, can cause lung damage,
gastrointestinal damage and death), lead, cadmium, sulfates, yeast proteins, antibiotics, acetone (used in nail polish remover), neomycin and streptomycin. And the ingredient making the press is thimerosol
(more toxic than mercury, a preservative still used in many vaccines, not easily eliminated, can cause severe neurological damage as well as other life threatening autoimmune disease). These vaccines are grown
and strained through animal or human tissue, like monkey and dog kidney tissue, chick embryo, calf serum, human diploid cells (the
dissected organs of aborted fetuses), pig blood, horse blood and rabbit brain." Sorry….but it is the truth.
a good website to start your research is www.vacinfo.org
A highly informative book to read, "Vaccine Safety Manuel" by Neil Z.Miller

There are many GOOD ways to inform people and bring attention to autism.

Midnight In Chicago does it with their Autism Spectrum Podcasts at www.mic.mypodcast.com where people can hear the "Autism and Vaccines: Parts I & II" podcasts.

The podcasts quote sources which may be much more accurate than Ms. McCarthy's opinion.

MIC also has the "Countdown to Midnight" CD that sends proceeds to reputable autism charities.

Spread the word. It is important we get the FACTS out on autism.