The vaccine debate continues to wage on, and while there are many different sides and angles to the conversation, one of the undeniable truths about vaccines is that the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule has evolved significantly over the course of the last 50 years.

Children who follow the CDC’s recommended vaccine schedule today receive more doses of vaccines than did children in years past. Under this schedule, a child now receives 49 doses of vaccines before the age of 6, and 69 doses before the age of 18. This reflects a substantial increase from the early 1950s, in which only four vaccines were recommended for children under the age of 6 for a total of 16 vaccines doses. This is an increase of 414% percent. Throughout the course of today’s vaccine schedule, a child may also receive up to 8 vaccines at one time.

While the increase in childhood vaccines can be viewed as a step toward heightened prevention of communicable diseases, there is also concern about the safety of such a schedule. Vaccines by their very nature are designed to alter the body’s immune system; introducing so many different strains of vaccines in a short period of time can increase stress to the immune system, while the contents found within vaccines—Thimerosal, aluminum adjuvants, etc.—have already raised questions about long-term adverse effects, with convincing research from scientists like Mark Geier to back them up.

Then there’s the staggering difference in rates of mental disability among children in the United States today as compared to thirty years ago. For example, in 1976, only 1 in 30 children had a mental disability. Today, that number is 1 in 6. As vaccine schedules have increased dose quantity and frequency of administration, neurodevelopmental disorders have also increased. Additionally, the United States maintains the highest number of mandated vaccines of any developed country in the world by at least 10 doses; interestingly, it also maintains a higher mortality rate for children under the age of 5.

The CDC even recommends that pregnant women receive influenza and pertussis vaccines, though no studies have been conducted to determine if such poses a threat to the safe development of a fetus.

Ultimately, it would seem that such a dramatic increase in the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule merits government exploration into adverse effects, particularly given that research has already identified evidence of dangerous vaccine ingredients.

Sources: http://vactruth.com/history-of-vaccine-schedule/

http://www.nvic.org/CMSTemplates/NVIC/pdf/49-Doses-PosterB.pdf