The evidence is now in and it is quite damning! Six studies have now discussed the association of DTP vaccinations and allergy-related diseases such as sinusitis, nose and eye symptoms and severe allergic reactions. The latest study, conducted by the UCLA School of Public Health, interviewed the parents of 13,944 infants, children and adolescents. The results of the study show that a child who has had DTP and tetanus vaccination is 50% more likely to experience severe allergic reactions, over 80% more susceptible to sinusitis, and twice as likely to suffer from asthma.

The study was prompted by the fact that the prevalence of allergic disorders has doubled over the last 20 years and that there are 30-50 million asthma and allergy sufferers in the U.S. The study attempted to discover why asthma is becoming such a common disease of young children. The results of the study appeared recently in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics (2000;23: 1-10) stated that "…50% of diagnosed asthma cases (2.93 million) in U.S. children and adolescents would be prevented if DTP or tetanus vaccination was not administered. Similarly, 45% of sinusitis cases (4.94 million) and 54% of allergy-related episodes of nose and eye symptoms (10.54 million) in a 12-month period would be prevented after discontinuation of the vaccine."

This study and the fact that the Institute of Medicine has established a causative link between DTP and tetanus vaccines with the often deadly anaphylactic shock may have prompted a leading medical association to call for an end to mandatory vaccination programmes. The venerable American Association of Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS) recently voted for a moratorium on mandatory vaccinations. Forty-two states currently have mandatory vaccine policies, in many states, pre-school aged children are required to endure as many as 22 shots before they can start kindergarten.

Dr. Jane Orient M.D. of the AAPS stated that "Our children face the possibility of death or serious long-term adverse effects from mandated vaccines that aren't necessary or have very limited benefits"

At their 57th Annual Meeting in St.Louis the AAPS adopted the following resolution which can also be seen on the AAPS website (www.aapsonline.org). The resolution reads as follows: "Whereas: The statement of Patients' Freedoms adopted by the Assembly at the 47th annual meeting of the AAPS in 1990 provides that "Patients have the freedom…to refuse medical treatment even if is recommended by their physician and to be informed about their medical condition, the risks and benefits of treatment, and appropriate alternatives"; and "Whereas: There are increasing numbers of mandatory childhood vaccines, to which children are often subjected without meaningful informed consent, including information about potential adverse effects; and "Whereas: Parents who exercise their freedom to refuse one or more vaccines may be subjected to penalties ranging from deprivation of the right to enroll their child in school, to threats of removing the child from parental custody and forcible vaccination; and "Whereas: Safety testing of many vaccines is limited and the data are unavailable for independent scrutiny, so mass vaccination is equivalent to human experimentation and subject to the Nuremberg Code, which requires voluntary consent; and "Whereas: The process of approving and "recommending" vaccines is tainted with conflicts of interest; "Be It Therefore Resolved: That the AAPS calls for a moratorium on vaccine mandates and for physicians to insist upon truly informed consent for the use of vaccines."

These are strong words on a very serious subject from a large group of professionals who know the risks and dangers well. One would imagine that these facts and statements would cause large-scale debate, but, unfortunately, it will more likely be as a voice in the wilderness. It seems as if industry is bent on creating more and more vaccines for all manner of conditions which a few years ago were considered "normal childhood sicknesses. Such minor conditions as the 'flu, measles and chicken pox which admittedly do have very occasional complications but more often are merely a minor bump in the road of life. How necessary are vaccines for these conditions, especially when measured against the risks both immediate to the recipient and long term to his or her immune system?

It seems that as soon as a new vaccine is on the scene, public health officials begin to sing its praises. Soon after a quasi-crisis is invented, during which dire warning are issued complete with statistics which serve to adequately scare the public. The resultant paranoia propels governments to impose mandatory or near-compulsory vaccination on school children, and in the case of the latest 'flu vaccines, on adults. One only has to reflect back to the Swine Flu fiasco of the mid-70's to see a graphic example of this process.

In this article, we have focused on DTP and tetanus, other vaccines are equally suspect; in future articles we will revisit this controversial issue.

The research, based in New Zealand found that the incidence of asthma was more common in children that had received the vaccination than in those children who did not receive any vaccinations at all. This research supported earlier research done in 1994 and 1998 that showed the same relationship. During a 10 year study, the asthma rate per 100,000 children rose by nearly 40 percent according to a National Health Interview Survey. The World Health Organization has also seen an increase in pediatric asthma world wide, and while they question some of the variable results found in the research, they call for more research being conducted to get a clearer picture of the relationship between vaccines and asthma. Reports from the National Vaccine Information Center which were published in Science Magazine also show the same relationships between asthma rates in unvaccinated children and those who received vaccinations. A study by New Zealand researchers published in Epidemiology, analyzed the health of 1,265 people born in 1977. Of these, 23 didn't get any childhood vaccinations and none of them suffered childhood asthma. Among the 1,242 who got polio and DPT shots, more than 23 percent later had episodes of asthma.

It appears that in each of these studies, the children who received vaccinations and developed pediatric asthma, were vaccinated later in childhood. The data regarding children vaccinated soon after birth does not appear to support the same conclusions. This difference is currently under study in several nations, and should help present a clearer picture of the actual relationships between childhood asthma and vaccinations.