Rate Of Child Vaccinations Drops In Minnesota

March 8, 2011 12:25 PM

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MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A national immunization survey states Minnesota’s child vaccination rates are declining.

Minnesota has dropped 13 spots in two years, from seventh in 2007 to 20th in 2009, for the primary vaccinations given to children 19 months to 35 months.

Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota says this decline is part of a troublesome trend that could pose a threat to the overall health of Minnesota children.

The 2009 National Immunization Survey shows Minnesota’s childhood immunization rate fell to 77 percent in 2009 from 80 percent in 2007.

Based on the state’s current population of children, Children’s Hospitals and Clinics says each percentage point drop in the immunization rate exposes 4,230 kids to vaccine-preventable disease.

Rate Of Child Vaccinations Drops In Minnesota

Dusty Koster

And the preventable disease called Autism which is from vaccinations.

Todd W. Olson

Absoulte and complete nonsense. There is no causal relation between vaccination and autism. Shame on you for perpetuating a fraud which has done serious damage to the public health.

Ashley

There sure is a relation…there is a certain gene that causes a human to be unable to absorb certain amounts of mercury…which is in the vaccine which then causes the completely normal child/baby to become autistic…but believe whatever you want…

Todd W. Olson

Ashley, your thesis fails to account for the instances of autism subjects who are not vaccinated. It also isn’t based on any clinically reproducable data. And, it is highly irresponsible to repeat falsehoods of this sort. The damage to public health is immense. You now hold responsibility for the suffering and deaths of those unvaccinated children who die from measles, etc. Foolish and sad.

Ashley

Todd, I am not responsible for any sort of suffering or death, I did not force any childs parents to prevent vaccinating, I just won’t put unneccesary toxins in my children that have not been deemed appropriate. My children have not been vaccinated and they have not suffered in any way shape or form. What is foolish and sad is you believe whatever the pharmeceuticals and doctors tell you…look at what they stand to gain by your foolishness and willingness to believe whatever they tell you…$.
Todd W. Olson

Ashley, by failing to vaccinate your children, you are DIRECTLY contributing to the spread of dangerous diseases such as German Measles and Chickenpox. It is bad enough that you would voluntariily put your own children’s lives at risk, but the danger you pose to the public health is unconscionable.
M B

Ashley: Just don’t come whining to us that “enough wasn’t done to protect your children” or “I wasn’t informed of the dangers” when your kids die from a preventable disease.
Simply because they haven’t gotten sick YET does not mean they won’t. In fact, a lot of those diseases that aren’t that troublesome for kids can be fatal for adults if they catch them.
On top of possibly losing their own lives, I doubt you’d bother to quarantine your precious children should they become ill, so they could become spreaders for the disease, risking the lives of others.
The irony is that if the child is let out and about he/she will most likely endanger those that are also unvaccinated.
Darwinism at work.

susie

let’s see here. Apple production in MN has increased in the last 20 years, perhaps THAT is the cause of autism.

Valerie

My cousin died 6mos before the vaccine came out in the 60′s. She only had measles that “went to her brain” was the explanation in those days & died in her father’s arms. These unvaccinated kids are not only at risk themselves but bring home all these germs to the elderly or disabled that might be too fragile for vaccines themselves. Extremely selfish parents!
Valerie

Absolutely no data to support that idea about Autism
PLEASE Vaccinate

I’m surprised that the Autism comment was even made (well, not really). That whole thing was debunked a few months ago with the great “Dr. Wakefield” was found to be a crook – made up the data to make it LOOK LIKE the vaccines caused Autism. SO many studies have been done in the years since that was published that find NO correlation!

insignificant

PLEASE Vaccinate you better look again because the REAL FRAUD was played upon Wakefield!

A mom

Autism is not caused from vaccinations Dusty. Otherwise my vaccinated child and all other vaccinated children would have it. My nephew, on the other hand, who was never vaccinated, has one of the worst cases of autism I’ve ever seen (and I’m a special ed. teacher). I wish people would quit using that as an excuse not to vaccinate their children.

Dusty Koster

Interesting from all of you, but very interesting how Autism has increased over the years as have the shots kids have to take by the age of 5, my two sons have never had a shot, 4 and 2 and have never been sick, work with many people who have young children and there kids are always sick, but continue to get vaccinations, interesting, very interesting

Duster

“Autism has increased over the years as have the shots kids have to take by the age of 5″

Nice logic.

The person responsible for the connection between Autism and vaccinations came through with the whole idea being a big fraud, and has since lost his miedical license.

Also, at your first comment, I want to know when Autism has ever been preventable.
A mom

Dusty, my vaccinated child has never been sick either. She had a cold once, which there is no vaccine for. Your comment has nothing to do with anything.

Autism is on the rise because if a child even sneezes funny there must be something wrong with them and they need to be tested. I have personally witnessed countless numbers of children diagnosed with autism in the schools because the parent pushes so hard for a diagnosis and autism is the easiest one to qualify a child for. Some kids have true autism but if you had any idea the number of students that qualified just because people wanted an answer to why their child wasn’t “normal”, you’d be shocked.
Matt Sandy

By your logic vaccines have also cause global warming, hybrid cars, zebra mussels, and iPhones,
insignificant

perhaps Dusty is a Big Pharma employee,eh?TOO MANY Vaccines are given to too young of children and their little bodies can’t handle ‘em all! Dr. Wakefeild is the victim of powerful drug companies attempt at debunking his truth…he aint a fraud,he is concerned about the little ones,so wake up you dolt!

mk

If you would all please do some reasearch. http://www.nvic.org has some great information. Open your minds people. Ask yourself if you think its a good idea to inject your innocent baby with 5 vaccines at a time. Check the ingredients. The body is made to heal itself

Todd W. Olson

Mk, you need to talk to someone who had polio. Ask them how well their body healed itself. And then ask them if they would have preferred to have been vacciniated.

Get Vaccinated!

My uncle had polio as a child. All 5 of his brothers and sisters had to be sent to live with grandparents so they didn’t get the disease. He was never able to use his right leg properly and suffered from post polio syndrome in his later years. It was a lifelong disease that caused his life to be shortened. Because my grandfather was a pediatrician, the rest of his children were among the first to get the vaccine. None of the rest of them got this deadly disease. Would you want your child to suffer needlessly for the rest of his or her life from this entirely preventable disease?!?

Nicole

It was proved that Vaccines does not cause Autism!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not to mention look at all the children that were vaccinated and dont have autism.
Eric

At what age does the immune system become fully developed? I bet it would surprise most people to know that the immune system does not become fully developed until the age of 11 (Merck Manual). So, why do we give vaccines to infants and children? You are giving the vaccine to an immune system that is at its lowest capacity, how does that ensure protection.
Also, improvements in hygiene eliminated many of the vectors for which many of these terrible diseases were spread.
Wow

Wow! A lot of amateur scientists out there who seem to know more than what the statistics tell us. Learn the facts based on large populations, then try and make an intelligent statement, not a personal belief statement.
JamieinMN

Not saying there is any link because I personally don’t believe vaccinations are the primary cause of Autism, but I would much rather have a HAPPY, LIVING child with Autism than have to bury them from the cause one of the most preventable deadly diseases.
Eiolgj

We give vaccines and then booster shots precisely because the immune system isn’t yet developed. The vaccines help the child fight the disease at the point the child is at. Perhaps the person who said that their children have not been sick have children who have never been exposed to the specific diseases that are prevented by the vaccines, prevented in the majority of children. iF 80% of a population is immunized, that provides some protection to the rest of the population.
If you were my age, 61, you would remember when almost all children did get these diseases, and you wouldn’t be hesitant to vaccinate your children. My parents worked for the Milwaukee Health Department back in the era when homes were quarantined when an occupant had one of these illnesses. I had all the childhood illnesses and they are difficult, hard on the child and hard on the family. I had mumps for three weeks, home from school. My sister had mumps for three months; it went into many of her organs. We were lucky, compared to the outcomes of some people. When polio was rampant in the ’50s, we were sent to the rural areas, away from our parents, to live with relatives in summer. People stopped going to parks, swimming pools and beaches. Now there is an outbreak of whooping cough because parents whose immunizations have worn off get it, but they think they have bronchitis, and they give it to their children whom they think they are protecting by not immunizing them. Look up the statistics of pertussis in California. Autism is still somewhat of a mystery, but it has been strongly linked to genetics and pollution, which is why there is so much of it in California.
You are naive if you think that the “natural” outcome of having these diseases is better for the individual child or for the population as a whole than having the immunizations.

LB

Just a quick response to pertussis…a large number of people who are getting pertussis (whooping cough) were vaccinated within the last 5 years. Unfortunately, the vaccine for it doesn’t provide complete protection from getting sick. However, it helps to reduce the overall numbers of people who might all of gotten sick. My self and one of my children had it this fall and my other family members did not. We were vaccinated. Everyone who can get vaccinated against pertussis should make sure they’re up to date. It’s a long recovery and deadly for infants.

Nancy Aleshire

The reason immunizations are given to babies and children is to protect them from deadly diseases. Most kids are in daycare facilities and/or preschools before entering first grade and need to be protected from sick kids and adults. I was a child born in the early 1950′s and got sick from German Measles, Measles and chicken pox and was very sick. Had those vaccines been available, my parents would have made sure I received them. I also went to school with a boy who had polio because the Salk vaccine had not been introduced.
PLEASE Vaccinate

http://www.vaccinateyourbaby.org – read some of the parent testimonials!!
Laura

Ashley:

First- I’d like to know which “certain gene that causes a human to be unable to absorb certain amounts of mercury”. I wonder if you can cite your source of this data.

Second- part of the debunking of the vaccine and autism link were a number of studies that showed that the thimerosol (the component that contains mercury) was NOT the cause of autism.

It’s a shame that scientists have to spend so much time and money to show that vaccination doesn’t cause autism. Wouldn’t you like to see those resources go to finding treatments, diagnostic tools and actual causes of autism?
Eiolgj

Since the mercury has been taken out of the vaccines, the rate of autism hasn’t gone down, so obviously, that wasn’t the specific cause of autism. The time and energy and money put into the campaign against immunizations as the cause of autism (linked to the mercury) could have been better spent looking more broadly for causes.
Nelca

How absolutely arrogant are the vaccine makers to say that all vaccines are safe for everyone…how about giving a spoon of peanut butter to everyone…ok for most….not for all….one size does not fit all!
Eiolgj

German measles (Rubella) in a pregnant woman puts her unborn child at great risk.
jon

I wouldn’t be surprised if the more people lose their jobs the less kids get vaccinated. A lot of people have insurance through their work and if they are getting laid off they probably won’t have insurance and are not likly to pay for vaccinations out of pocket.
Laura

Nelca:

They do NOT say that ALL vaccines are safe for EVERYONE. That’s why they give you a sheet of paper with the risks you are taking when you get your vaccines. These sheets are written in terms that (hopefully) most of the population can understand. The risks are clearly stated, as is information on the disease you’re being vaccinated against, side effects and other basic information.

If you are not getting this information when getting a vaccine (or taking your child in for a vaccination) then your doctor is not following protocols. These protocols are designed to give people more understanding about their health care.
IS MERCURY REALLY NEEDED

WHAT I WANT TO KNOW IS WHY DOES SOMETHING AS TOXIC (EVEN IN SMALL AMOUNTS) AS MURCERY HAVE TO BE USED IN A VACCINE IN THE FIRST PLACE? CAN SOMEONE ANSWER THAT FOR ME?

anon

It isn’t really anymore.
jon

It is used as a preservative.

Hmm

I believe the autism rate is going up for two reasons.

1. Overdiagnosis. So many kids are diagnosed that shouldn’t be. It is an easy way to blame something like autism rather than the parents for kids who misbehave.

2. Woman are much older than they used to be when having children. It makes sense that something like autism would increase if you have kids when you are older. Same as with downs syndrome or probably many other conditions that arise more frequently with an older mother.

Of course no one is going to say these things because then it would be blaming the parents and heaven forbid we put blame on the parents for anything in this society.

Kathie Hubbard

There is a DEFINITE risk of a child being born with a birth defect, primarily Down’s Syndrome, if the mother is 40 or over. Sarah Palin ignored that medical fact and proved it right once again. How many other children will have to be born with Down’s Syndrome because a woman can’t accept the risk she’s taking for her own few minutes of pleasure and that her best time for having a child has gone by? Mrs. Palin set a poor example with her behavior.

AJ

I’m still on the fence. Half of my kids have been vaccinated, the other half have not.

I don’t like the fact that so many vaccinations are combined in so few shots. Once your child is given the vaccination, the doctor tells you to watch for side effects, and call in if you see any. How do we know which vaccination is creating the side effect when they are all combined?

I think there are too many vaccinations, and too many unknowns.
Susie

Tetanus is a horrible way to die. HORRIBLE and preventable. Polio is a horrible way to die and a horrible thing to live with for the rest of your life. I could go on but you get the point. oh, and by the way, there is no mercury in todays vaccines for children.
Eiolgj

Mercury was taken out because of the public uproar. Autism didn’t drop.

The problem with whooping cough is that in an adult, it seems to be a form of bronchitis, so the parent isn’t aware of what he/she has until it is much later on in the course of the disease, and that parent might have spread it to several of his/her children or their playmates. In Utah, a midwife gave it to several infants! Told to me by a public health nurse (RN) who had been against immunizations until she saw that happen.
eiolgj

Regarding fewer immunizations and unemployment: yes, people will decline some immunizations if they don’t have the cash, but it is false economy. Yet, they might have NO MONEY for vaccines or other services. These people probably qualify for Medicaid, unless the legislators who are trying to slash public health spending have their way. When I was growing up, we got all our shots through the public health department for little or no cost, even though my parents worked. People realized then that it was for the public good. That was in Milwaukee in the 1950′s.