Knowledgeable opinion on childhood vaccines can only come from experience of adverse effects
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Dear Editor,
An extensive amount of controversy has been stated about the decision to give or not to give vaccines to children. Until you experience first-hand the absolute frightening experience of your child having a severe allergic reaction to a vaccine can you knowledgeably express a comment.
My child was 15 months old when according to the guidelines of vaccine distribution that a MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) protective vaccine was to be administered. Just days later as my child was rambunctiously playing as 15-month-olds do, he suddenly fell to the floor lifeless! The absolute terrifying terror that came over me as a young mother is, to say the least, indescribable. As I screamed in fright, holding him in my arms, my husband called 911 as he tried to instill calmness in two other young siblings. Paramedics were on the scene within minutes as we all frantically watched in disbelief as they performed CPR on this small lifeless body. He was transported to the hospital as the paramedics related to us that he had suffered a grand mal seizure. Upon assessment from the doctors who met the ambulance on arrival, admittance would be without question as a panel of testing would be required to determine the exact cause of this unforeseen incident.
Pediatric specialists were present the next morning ready to take my child for testing as I sat by his crib in a heap of confusion as to what had just taken place in the past 24 hours. While undergoing testing from the best doctors available, he also was experiencing as many as nine seizures a day. You can only imagine the panic as a young mother that I was going through, not leaving his side while in constant guilt of leaving my two other young at home with questions and confusion of their own.
After three days of extensive testing, the doctors relayed the news of the finding to us. The baby had suffered a severe allergic reaction to the measles part of the vaccine. Medication was prescribed to keep him in a calm state to prevent any further seizures as they were unsure of what the future would hold concerning any permanent damage from this reaction. Yearly brainwave testing (EEGs) would help the doctors determine if any brain damage had occurred. Sitting through this 30- to 40-minute testing was terrifying enough as we watched our baby lay there helplessly, not knowing why the doctors were placing wires all over his small head.
When he was a senior in high school he had to be removed from school for two weeks when our local YSU College was experiencing a measles outbreak and the doctors were concerned that the small amount of the vaccine that remained in his body may not be enough to protect him from an exposure. The life-long threat we were told would be if he ever contracted measles that his brain could swell and death could immediately occur (Encephalitis).
So please, do not question or voice so much controversy concerning the decisions on the safety of vaccines until you have a chance to study all of the information that you may not be aware of as many children have suffered severe mental ramifications as a result of reactions.
We were blessed! Praise the Lord!
Thank you for reading this and I can only pray that you never have to experience the Hell that my young family experienced. He never received any more vaccines after this incident.
Mary Ann Rosile-Flesse
Columbiana