Vaccinate your children

A little more than a week ago, a letter was published in this paper about the claim that vaccines cause autism. You can spout any nonsense you want without backing up, but then you lack credibility. I want to impart some fundamental facts onto you, as I believe people should be educated, not just opinionated. A vaccine, contrary to what you may have heard, is a mixture of dead or weakened form of virus which simulates an attack on your immune system which in turns stimulates an immune system response (like coughing or sneezing). In doing this, your body rids itself of the intruders while retaining some memory of what the virus looks like so that it will be deactivated much sooner next time, ultimately sparing you the trouble of suffering through Polio, Mumps, Tetanus, Rubella, and host of other diseases. This invention saves lives every day.

Autism is a behavioral disorder that manifests in difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication, and repetitive behaviors. Some of what are thought to be the leading causes of autism is genetic defect, chemical imbalance, chemicals, and viruses. Yes, that's right viruses. These are active viruses, as opposed to the inactive viruses found in vaccines. That being, if the child is protected from the virus via past experience like a vaccination or the mother was vaccinated, the child can actually be protected against autism as Rubella is thought to be a component causing autism.

I hope I've gotten my point across that vaccines do more good than harm. It is my hope that this ridiculous claim perpetuated by uneducated individuals will someday cease. And please, be educated, not just opinionated.

Jeremiah Riendeau

Grand Rapids