Archive for category: Children’s Services

By Kenneth Thomas, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Pediatrician

I received some critical feedback from someone on my recent blogs on immunization addressing myths vs truths, frequently asked questions, and  schedules. I appreciate the time this reader took to write, and I want to share both the comment and my response with you.

First the comment:

This is a disappointing example of how “experts” in medicine will say a lot while saying nothing at all. You promised to address parents’ objections to vaccines, yet really provided nothing in particular to assuage those concerns parents might have after witnessing friends or family members deal with the reality of a vaccine-damaged child. What would you say to the request of a parent for any long term studies to support the efficacy or safety of any vaccine combinations administered to infants and up today? The sad reality is that there really are not any studies done like this while the vaccine inserts themselves list the many reasons parents would be objectionable to their infant being injected with vaccines.

The documentary VaXXed chronicles the CDC’s own use of fraud and abuse of its power to perpetuate the idea that vaccines do not cause autism, when in its own MMR study it dramatically increased the rates of autism in African-American patients.

I would ask Dr. Thomas to take the time to read the vaccine inserts before imposing on others the idea that vaccines are safe, they simply are not safe for everyone. They never have been proven, in today’s schedule, to be safe or effective in preventing the illnesses they are purported to prevent.

When 1 in every 2 children is overweight, obese or struggles from some sort of learning disability I would say that everything being done in the name of keeping our children healthy is on the table for reconsideration and vaccines, because of all the toxic and foreign ingredients from heavy metals to adjuvants to foreign DNA, are a primary choice for elimination until proven, by sound science and not political theater, to be absolutely safe and effective.

I’ll address each point:

If a parent asked me for long-term studies to support the safety or efficacy of vaccine combinations, I’d offer this website: http://www.immunize.org/journalarticles/conc_multi.asp.

It contains a list of long-term studies, specifically addressing multiple injections. This site is produced by the Immunization Action Coalition and provides solid scientific reference materials for parents and physicians.

One of the most compelling research studies (an analysis of 96,000 children) was published by the Journal of the American Medical Association. The study specifically debunks any link between vaccines and autism.

You are correct about vaccine inserts containing information that many parents might find scary or objectionable. There’s a law (the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act) that specifies that all vaccines have Vaccine Information Statements that detail possible side effects and risks. All FDA-approved medicines are required to inform users of possible negative outcomes from taking the medication.

I am quite familiar with the Vaccine Information Statements and regularly give them to my patients.

While I have not seen the film “VaXXed,” I know it is a work of propaganda, not journalism or unbiased reporting. (For example, even the IMDb movie site labels the film a “fantasy, thriller,” not a documentary.) It represents the point of view of the director, who is the same author who initially instigated the now-debunked concept linking vaccines and autism and lost his medical license as a result of ethical violations and deliberately manipulating data – in other words, committing fraud in his research.

I stand by my position and I stand with the scientific data that demonstrates the efficacy, safety and benefits of childhood vaccinations. I stand with a majority of physicians, scientists and researchers united in support of the positive health benefits of vaccinations.

I also stand with you and share your concerns for keeping our children healthy, including addressing the factors that cause obesity and learning disorders. I’ll take that on in a follow-up post.

Meanwhile, thank you for your concerns. I look forward to continued engagement and working together to keep our children healthy.

Questions and comments are always welcome. Use the box below to respond, or call us for an appointment for your child at 816-923-5800.

By Kenneth Thomas, MD – Chief Medical Officer, Pediatrician

In my experience in pediatrics, I know parents often have questions about childhood vaccinations. In this post, I will answer some of the most common questions I hear.

• How do vaccines work? Vaccines greatly reduce the risk of infection by working with the body’s natural defenses to safely develop immunity to disease. Vaccines work by stimulating the body to create defenses against disease-bearing bacteria or viruses. A vaccine contains a weakened version of the germ (or the toxin they produce), or parts of the germ, to “imitate” an infection — just enough to prompt the body’s immune system to get busy learning how to recognize and fight off the infection.

This type of infection does not cause illness, but it does cause the immune system to produce T-lymphocytes (White Blood Cells) and antibodies to respond to the infection. Sometimes, after getting a vaccine, the imitation infection can cause minor symptoms, such as fever. This is normal and expected as the body builds immunity. Once the imitation infection goes away, the body is left with a supply of “memory” T-lymphocytes, as well as B-lymphocytes that will remember how to fight that disease in the future.

• Can someone who’s been vaccinated still get the disease? It typically takes time for the immune system to develop an adequate level of protection after vaccination. So it is possible that a person who was infected with a disease just before or after vaccination could develop symptoms and catch the disease, because the vaccine has not had enough time to provide protection. No vaccine is 100 percent effective, but most come pretty close, and the vaccine may prevent the most severe complications of the disease such as hospitalizations or death.

• Is the “natural” way better? This is a belief that it’s better to catch the real disease and let your body deal with it. This is a dangerous belief, as the fact is children can suffer from serious consequences or die from measles, chicken pox, whooping cough and other preventable diseases. Vaccines save lives.

• Why are there so many childhood vaccinations? Decades of research have developed the detailed schedules of recommended vaccines throughout a lifetime. The vaccines are carefully timed for maximum effectiveness. Some vaccines require multiple doses to achieve immunity or booster doses to maintain protection. (I’ll talk more about this in my next post.).

• Why do babies and young children need vaccines? In general, vaccines are recommended for members of the youngest age group at risk for experiencing the specific disease, for which efficacy and safety have been demonstrated. We try to protect children before they are likely to encounter the disease.

• Are vaccines toxic? Unsafe? Untested? In the United States, vaccines are regulated and required to meet standards for safety and effectiveness before they are approved for use. This includes careful testing and controls in their development and production. The vaccines are safe and only a tiny fraction of people ever have a serious reaction to them. Take a look at The Journey of Your Child’s Vaccine, an explanation of the vaccine development process, for more information.

• Are these the same vaccines offered at big hospitals and specialty health centers? SHS vaccines are those approved and recommended by medical experts and the government. There is no differentiation in vaccines based on income, race, religion, gender or any other attribute.

Here at SHS, we know vaccines are safe. Vaccines are important protections against disease. It is our desire that the children of this community are as safe and healthy as possible. If you have other questions, let’s talk.

Let’s get our entire community healthy. Please bring your children for regular physical and Well-Child exams. Call 816-923-5800 to schedule an appointment.

Have other questions about vaccines? Leave your question in the comment box below or come visit the SHS pediatric clinic.

Johnea was about eight months pregnant with her second child when she learned about the Kansas City Healthy Start Initiative program at Swope Health Services.

Now, after seven months in the program, she feels like she has been adopted and embraced.

“It’s like I have an extended family,” she said. “The doors are always open. They are so caring and their arms are so wide!”

Healthy Start is a federal program, offered by the Health Resources and Services Administration department of the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, to support healthy pregnancy and early childhood. The Kansas City Healthy Start Initiative operates at SHS and at Samuel Rodgers Health Center through the Mother & Child Health Coalition.

Kansas City Healthy Start supports eligible women from zip codes in Jackson (MO) and Wyandotte (KS) counties where infant mortality rates are higher than average. The free program helps pregnant women and women with children under the age of 2 get information and services they need to have a healthy pregnancy, raise a healthy family, and keep themselves healthy and strong.

In the program, each woman is assigned a community health worker, said Ahkeya Howard, SHS Lead Community Health Worker and a licensed clinical social worker.

Each case worker provides a broad range of services to help the individual mother with her immediate needs, for example, attending medical appointments, signing up for health insurance, obtaining food, housing assistance or job training referrals.

To help strengthen family resilience, referral and resource information is also provided for the father of the baby and/or male significant other.

“Our goal when they get here is to make sure they are getting the best care possible and utilizing what is available to them,” said Ahkeya. “We take time to find the right resources.”

The support is also personal, Ahkeya notes. Regular discussions include topics like managing stress or depression, safe sleep practices, child development, breastfeeding, building strong relationships, and setting positive goals.

Says program participant, Johnea, “They always say ‘Let’s put you first — how are you today?’ It all starts with a strong foundation for me, the mother, both mentally and physically.”

That means caring conversations about what’s going on at home, how the children are feeling, and what help might be needed. Johnea described the case workers and program team as mentors and coaches, mothers themselves who understand her feelings and always give support.

“We get a lot of hugs,” Johnea said.

Johnea received information on topics from breastfeeding to job openings. The program provides HappyBottoms diapers for her children, and has given her the opportunity to meet other women through events like a holiday dinner and story-time readings for children.

As a result of the program, Johnea hopes to return to school to finish her nursing degree and find a good job in health care. She’s also working on potty training her two-year-old daughter.

“I would recommend it to any woman. It is a family-oriented program that is beneficial all the way around,” Johnea said. “I love it.”

RESOURCES: Kansas City Healthy Start Initiative

• Mother & Child Health Coalition
• Maternal and Child Health (HRSA)

 

Would you like more information about the Kansas City Healthy Start Initiative? Call SHS at 816-599-5790 and come visit with our Healthy Start team.