This article is not rubbish. In the past we had more Govt involvement in the development of vaccines. Now they are not doing due diligence with testing and allowing big Pharmaceutical Cartels to have total control.

Why did they withdraw singular safe vaccines during the 1980's and replace then with multiple ones that in some cases had to be withdrawn because they caused Meningitis?

We are not saying abandon vaccines, but bloody well make sure they are safe.

I am appalled by the mis-representations in this article.

I am old, so I remember some of these diseases. When I was young, my parents would never think of having a chickenpox party, a measles party. I contracted chickenpox at age 6. I was away from school for three weeks. I have since had shingles. I would not wish this on any child. I caught measles at age 3. I was so sick, I ended up in hospital. These are not trivial diseases. Most who catch them will have no long-term effect, but a few will be severely affected and even die. This is an example recently in the news http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/cecily-johnson-calls-for-vaccinations-following-death-of-her-daughter/story-e6frf7jo-1226643310425

Of course it is possible for infants to contact Hepatitis B. They contact from their mothers who are carriers. http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/cda-cdi31suppl.htm~cda-cdi31suppl-3.htm~cda-cdi31suppl-3d.htm Vaccination of newborns is estimated to reduce incidence of vertical transmission by 75-90% http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8862332

Diptheria was eradicated from Australia through vaccination. It still occurs elsewhere in the world. Back in the bad old days before vaccination eradicated diphtheria, it used to kill people. My father had a friend at school who died from diphtheria in the 1930s.

Our children are not sickly. They typically have better health than children in Australia have ever had – although over consumption of calories and under exercising are causing a health crisis in their own right.

MMR does not cause autism. There have been exactly 1 payout for autism in the US (out of more than 5000 claims) and one rather suspect payout in Italy. It only makes me think Sophie Love is gilding the lily.

Yes Ms Love has the right to be a conscientious objector to vaccination. She does not have the right to mis-represent vaccination to others.

Agronimist, this issue in this present Corporate dominated world is not a simple black and white answer. http://www.globalresearch.ca/are.vaccines-safe/15669

Reference here is made to Dr Tom Jefferson head of Vaccine Field Group at Cochrane Data Base and he has serious reservations about the H1N1 flu vaccine.

In this current world environment of corporatocracy, with their deception, theft and lies, as evidenced by the GFC, wars of imperialism, contrived debt, austerity, theft of public assets and the perception the world is way too over populated etc; Would you put your child's life their hands? Life was always cheap in third world countries.Now we are joining them.

We should all do our own research and not rely profit orientated self interest groups as being the self evident truth.

Ms. Love should perhaps take some time to become a bit more educated about the diseases she thinks are so mild. For instance, measles kills about 1 in 1,000-2,000 children who get it, even with advanced medical care (http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/6mishome.htm#risk). Hepatitis B, while predominantly spread via sexual contact or IV drug use, can survive on surfaces for around a week and still be able to cause infections. With infants' propensity to touch things and put their hands in their mouths, it makes eminent sense to protect them where possible. Speak to a pediatric infectious disease specialist to learn more about these viruses and bacteria and just what they can do. (Here's some info formatted for a lay-person's understanding for 16 of the diseases that are commonly vaccinated against: http://www.harpocratesspeaks.com/2012/08/complete-vpd-wanted-poster-lineup.html)

Ms. Love may also want to learn a little more about the "chemicals" she fears so much. For example, no vaccine contains anti-freeze. This is a common mistake made by anti-vaccinationists confusing "ethylene glycol" (anti-freeze) and "polyethylene glycol" (a non-toxic excipient in some vaccines), two similar-sounding chemicals that are very different. As someone else mentioned, sodium chloride is common table salt. MSG is not the terror Ms. Love thinks it is either (http://www.harpocratesspeaks.com/2012/10/demystifying-vaccine-ingredients-msg.html).

The article also makes errors and misrepresentations regarding U.S. compensation cases. In fact, Ms. Love's piece is long on opinion, but rather short on facts.

Todd W. You've never posted on OLO before and I'm a tad suspicious. Are you denying the use of thermisol which contains 49% Mercury and is a neurological poison?

The facts are that vaccines are a multi- billion dollar business and the present psyche would not want the truth get in the way of a good profit.

So if in doubt in the future,we should see people like Obama and his children inject exactly what we get. Perhaps Todd W,you should lead the way in this field with a Russian Roulette of vaccine expose.

@Arjay

Yes, this is my first comment at OLO. The article popped up in my Google alerts for posts about vaccine-preventable diseases (e.g., measles, which is currently ravaging Pakistan and causing a large number of hospitalizations in the U.K.). Be suspicious of me all you want. Whatever you suspect of me is most likely incorrect.

Thimerosal is still used in some flu vaccines (but thimerosal-free vaccines are available), as well as in vaccines used in developing countries, where prevention of contamination is very important. Thimerosal in the amounts found in TCVs is not neurotoxic. In much larger doses, yes, it is dangerous, but that can be said about any substance. Here's more reality-based info on thimerosal (http://antiantivax.flurf.net/#Thimerosal).

If you have any links to legitimate, high-quality research showing that any of the vaccines is actually worse than the diseases they present, by all means, let us have the links. Though I suspect you'll just cry conspiracy rather than ponying up some evidence.

As for President Obama, I'd wager he and his kids are up to date on their immunizations. And regarding Russian Roulette, you're loading your chamber with more bullets by not vaccinating (http://thepoxesblog.wordpress.com/2013/01/04/lets-play-russian-roulette/).