Do you know what the DPT vaccine includes and whether it is really safe?
The DPT vaccine is a mixture of three vaccines: to immunize against diphtheria, pertussis [whooping cough] and tetanus. It also comes with its risks of adverse reactions, although it has been "reported" that severe problems closely following DPT immunization happen very rarely. If you were to ask my mother about the DPT Vaccine of the early 1950s, she may tell you a different story about how safe it WAS.
You see, I had an older brother who received the DPT Vaccine as directed, however, he was one of those reportedly "rare cases" of the severest of adverse reactions requiring hospitalization for high fever and uncontrollable seizures. He quickly became a "test subject" for the Cleveland Clinic. Unfortunately, there was not much that could be done for him. He died shortly after his fourth birthday! I wish that he was with us today; however, because he received the DPT vaccine and had severe reactions to it, he is not with us.
What is the DPT Vaccine?
DPT, (sometimes DTP) is a mixture of three vaccines, to immunize against diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough) and tetanus.
DTP vaccine may be distinguished as "DTwP" and "DTaP", with "wP" referring to "whole cell pertussis" and "aP" referring to "acellular pertussis". (The acellular form is considered safer and contains far fewer antigens than the older preparation.) Current versions of DTP in Europe do not contain preservatives; older ones contained Thiomersal. In the Netherlands, DTP refers to a mixture of diphtheria, tetanus and poliomyelitis vaccines. --wikipedia.com.
What is Diphtheria?
Diphtheria (Greek (diphthera) - "pair of leather scrolls"), is an upper respiratory tract illness characterized by sore throat, low fever, and an adherent membrane (a pseudomembrane) on the tonsils, pharynx, and/or nasal cavity. A milder form of diphtheria can be restricted to the skin. It is caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae, a facultatively anaerobic Gram-positive bacterium.
Diphtheria is a highly contagious disease spread by direct physical contact or breathing the aerosolized secretions of infected individuals. Once quite common, diphtheria has largely been eradicated in developed nations through wide-spread vaccination. In the United States for instance, between 1980 and 2004 there have been 57 reported cases of diphtheria (and only five cases since 2000 as the DPT (Diphtheria-Pertussis-Tetanus) vaccine is given to all school children. Boosters of the vaccine are recommended for adults since the benefits of the vaccine decrease with age; they are particularly recommended for those traveling to areas where the disease has not been eradicated.
--wikipedia.com.
What is Pertussis?
Also known as Whooping Cough
Worldwide, there are 30-50 million pertussis cases and about 300,000 deaths per year. Despite generally high coverage with the DTP and DTaP vaccines, pertussis is one of the leading causes of vaccine-preventable deaths world-wide. Most deaths occur in young infants who are either unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated; three doses of the vaccine are necessary for complete protection against pertussis. --wikipedia.com.
What is Tetanus?
Commonly referred to as Lockjaw
Infection generally occurs through wound contamination, and often involves a cut or deep puncture wound. As the infection progresses, muscle spasms in the jaw develop hence the common name, lockjaw. This is followed by difficulty swallowing and general muscle stiffness and spasms in other parts of the body. Infection can be prevented by proper immunization and by post-exposure prophylaxis. --wikipedia.com.
What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Children's Vaccinations
What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Children's Vaccinations
Amazon Price: $9.72 (as of 07/15/2009)
In this book, Dr. Stephanie Cave explains vaccinationsthe pros and the cons. With detailed facts about each vaccination, as well as regulations and laws, this book provides easily understandable information to help parents make a knowledgeable, responsible choice about vaccinating their children.
Stephanie Cave, M.D., is a family practitioner in Baton Rouge who specializes in children with autism and related disorders. She has been featured on CNN regarding children and vaccinations and testified in congressional hearings in July 2000.
Severe problems with DPT?
Severe problems closely following DPT immunization happen very rarely. These include a serious allergic reaction, prolonged seizures, a decrease in consciousness, lasting brain disease, or even death.
Report on the first symptoms of neurological damage
This serious acute neurologic response to DPT is a rare event. The estimated excess risk ranged from 0 to 10.5 per million immunizations (IOM, 1991). The committee stresses that this is not the strongest statement regarding causality; the evidence does not "establish" or "prove" a causal relation....
The evidence remains insufficient to indicate the presence or absence of a causal relation between DPT and chronic nervous system dysfunction under any other circumstances. That is, because the NCES is the only systematic study of chronic nervous system dysfunctions after DPT, the committee can only comment on the causal relation between DPT and those chronic nervous system dysfunctions under the conditions studied by the NCES. In particular, it should be noted that the chronic nervous system dysfunctions associated with DPT followed a serious acute neurologic illness that occurred in children within 7 days after receiving DPT.
Boy in the Window
The Boy in the Window: A Journey Through an Unexpected Tragedy
Amazon Price: $15.56 (as of 07/15/2009)
It was the miraculous discovery of my son's genius that almost went unnoticed. If not for a very sharp and intuitive young man working as Kenny's aide at school, the desire to write about my son would not have arisen. Kenny, who has always been extremely hard to manage since his devastating shot, and the behaviors that most professionals felt warranted institutionalization, is as mysterious as his uncanny abilities.
Though his genius levels have not made him rational or easier to manage, it gives hope and encouragement for parents that have given up the possibility that their child, because he/she can't talk, is unintelligent. And if they try the method in my book, called facilitation, they might be extremely surprised and shocked. But more than anything else, my book is about the daily challenges and unconditional love in raising someone like Kenny. That love has taken me down every avenue, in spite of the hardships, in hopes of getting him better.
He was a perfectly normal and beautiful baby until the day he got his d.p.t. shot at 19 months old. Since that tragic day, there has never been a time without worry over Kenny, or a month of another impossible behavior to contend with.
Only .0007%?
Such severe neurologic events occur after approximately 1 in 140,000 doses of the DPT vaccine (0.0007%). Most of the reactions to DPT injection are thought to be from the pertussis component.
The buzz on the DPT Vaccine
- Q & A Autism « Keluarga Sehat Keluarga Bahagia
- In January 1990, an Institute of Medicine committee examining possible health effects associated wit...
- "The Pink Sheet" :: PRESCRIPTION PHARMACEUTICALS AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
- Appeals Court Finds Link Between DPT Vaccine And Seizure. Individuals seeking compensation for vacci...
- Are vaccines safe for you? « Dr.Sundardas Blog
- The three vaccine policymakers in America, noted above, do not ?officially? consider the followi...
- PointofLaw.com | PointOfLaw Forum: Federal Circuit Overturns Court ...
- Note, for example, the following quote by the court: "Here, the testimony of Deray, the pediatric ne...
DPT: A Shot in the Dark
A Shot in the Dark
Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 07/15/2009)
In a world filled with drug ads, it's hard to find the truth about medicine. Newspapers and magazines aren't going to risk losing all that ad revenue by telling the truth about drugs, including vaccines. That's why every parent should read this book. At least you'll be able to make an informed decision about which drugs to have pumped into your children's bodies. The material in this book is all documented and factual and it provides a fascinating, though at times frightening, look at the vaccine industry today.
"The P in the DPT Vaccine may be hazardous to your child's health."
The news on the DPT Vaccine
- Appeals Court to Vaccine Court: Don't be a Putz!
- ... a logical sequence of cause and effect between the DPT vaccine Enrique received on October 31, 1...
- Federal Circuit Overturns Court of Claims in Vaccine Liability Case
- ... a logical sequence of cause and effect between the DPT vaccine Enrique received on October 31, 1...
- Gardasil may have cosmetic adverse effect
- They say similar cases of lipoatrophy have been seen with the DPT vaccine, and they speculate that t...
- WHAT'S UP DOC? Pertussis is on the rise
- Since the disease was usually not severe in adolescents or adults, and since there were fairly commo...
Drop me a line ...
Are you familiar with any adverse reactions to the DPT vaccine? Know someone? Your comments are welcome.
dc64 wrote...
How sad for your mother, to lose a son after doing what she believed was the right thing for him. All of my children have been vaccinated, but it is a gamble. I know the odds are low, but when a child dies or is permanently damaged, the odds don't mean a thing to their family.
Posted July 07, 2009
EverythingMouse wrote...
Angel Blessings to you Julie for increasing awareness about this subject. My son had seizures for many months following the DTP vaccine. I consider myself one of the lucky ones to have 'only' had this experience. I shudder to think how much worse the effects could have been. None of my children have been vaccinated since.
Posted January 04, 2009
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