Help Me, Interwebz! You're My Only Hope!

Something is coming. I've heard strange noises coming from the cemetery I pass every day. People in the neighborhood seem more tense; they glance around furtively, spending as little time as possible outside, and when they do, they run. There used to be birds, too. It has become so very, very quiet. And my area isn't the only one. It seems to be spreading, heading north. If my calculations are correct, it looks like whatever this is will converge on Amesbury, MA in just a few weeks.

A zombie apocalypse is coming. The dead will rise, forcing people to run for their lives. On May 5, 2012, the Amesbury Sports Park will be transformed into a 5K obstacle course...with zombies! Runners will need to make it past twelve natural and man-made obstacles, all while trying to avoid being eaten. And I am going to be among them. The runners, that is, not the zombies. At least, I'm going to try to not become a zombie.

But I need your help. "How?" you ask? Read on.

Demystifying Vaccine Ingredients - Formaldehyde

There seems to be a lot of fear and confusion surrounding many of the ingredients (PDF) that are listed as being in vaccines. Many of them have long, scary or hard to pronounce chemical names, like polyethylene glycol. Others just sound a little disturbing, like chick embryo fibroblasts. Then you have more familiar chemical names that have some manner of negative connotation associated with them, such as formaldehyde.

Generally, in discussions about such ingredients, those who are in some manner opposed to vaccines will say something about "the toxins!" What they actually mean is generally unclear. Just as unclear, at times, is what the supposed toxin is supposed to do; how is it supposed to hurt people? They may not be certain what it does or why it is bad, but they know it is bad and that's that. I thought I might turn my hand, then, toward trying to understand, from a lay perspective, what these ingredients are, how they are used and whether they really are, as claimed, "toxic". Let's start with formaldehyde.

Quick Legislative Update: Vermont and California

I just wanted to give my readers a quick update on where things stand with vaccine exemption-related legislation in Vermont and California. If you'll recall, Vermont's Senate passed a bill that would remove philosophical exemptions from school immunization requirements (leaving in place religious exemptions). California introduced a bill that would require parents in that state to get a written, signed form from a physician, surgeon, nurse practitioner or physician assistant stating that the health care provider gave the parent information about the risks and benefits of vaccines before a philosophical exemption from school immunization requirements will be granted.

The Vermont bill (S.199) was referred to the state's House of Representatives (H.527), where it is currently in committee. I urge any of my readers in Vermont to contact their representatives and ask them to support this bill.

The California bill (AB 2109) is also currently in committee. As with my Vermont readers, I would ask any of my readers in California to please ask your assembly member to support this bill.