My Autism Insights

I can’t recall a day in the past year, maybe longer, when I haven’t read or heard about the word ‘vaccine’ in relation to autism at least once a day. I tend not to dwell on the issue because both my kids have had their full complement of vaccinations, so it’s a moot point, and since I’d much rather the momentary pain of a flu vaccination over the weeks of misery that the entire family suffers when one of us gets sick, I also make sure that everyone gets a flu shot every year. We’re a vaccination family. So why am I mentioning it today?

Well, I read an interesting post at Left Brain/Right Brain about measles this morning, and it got me to thinking.

I have two friends who are expecting their first babies withing the next two months. They both know that we have an autistic child. If asked about vaccinations, what should I say? One school of thought believes that vaccinating children is almost certain to doom them to the nightmare of autism (not my words, and by the way, I don’t consider autism or my life as an autistic child’s mother to be nightmarish - nightmarish is a word I reserve for Call of K’thulu). But by following that line of thinking and not vaccinating, that leaves the child vulnerable to potentially deadly diseases. Anti-vaccine folks maintain that measles was wiped out, yet the number of cases has been growing, and there have been at least two deaths.

What’s worse? The remote possibility of catching and dying from measles or the even less likely possibility of a vaccination contributing to a diagnosis of autism? Hmm…

May I just point out that Gus exhibited signs of sensory dysfunction and developmental delay pretty much from day one? So that, for me, blows the vaccine-autism link right out of the water. Can I also mention that my daughter was vaccinated in exactly the same way as her brother, two years after he was, and has shown only the slightest difficulty with fine motor skills, which is a problem that runs through my husband’s family? The answer is seeming much clearer now.

I think it’s fairly nuts to tell people not to vaccinate their children, especially in today’s world. The fact that so many parents, out of necessity, send their sick kids to school is enough of a reason for me to make sure my children are as protected as I can make them short of arming them in full plate mail (the seams in the armor would allow germs in anyway). And there’s still that pesky issue of autism and vaccinations not being linked in any credible studies. But, even if by some miracle of science, the link was somehow made, is autism really a worse fate than severe illness that could lead to death? Sorry, but I’ll take my Gus with all his quirks any day.

And if I haven’t been clear enough, if you’re wondering what to do, please vaccinate your children for their sake and for the sake of all the rest of our kids who should not have to be exposed to a real epidemic like measles when it can be avoided. If it makes you feel better, split up the vaccinations. Your child will get a few extra pokes and you’ll have a few extra copays, but that’s not the worst thing in the world. It’s worse to do nothing. You want ‘greener’ vaccines and a change to the schedule? I find that less offensive than just tossing them out the window altogether.

I think I’ll go back to straddling my fence now. Thanks for reading and please feel free to let me know your opinion.

Edit:  For more on this today, check out Autismvox .

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