To DPT or not to DPT, that is the Question

So much has been written on the possible dangers of the DPT (Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus) vaccine that I am amazed at how many of my well-read friends still believe their infants need this shot to remain healthy… or even alive.

Of course, research by people like Dr. Vera Shiebner which linked the whooping cough (pertussis) vaccine to crib death (also known as SIDS), has been hotly debated by vaccine supporters since her research was published in 1993. It is so hard for parents to know whom to trust.

How about the vaccine manufacturer? Can we trust them? Normally I would be skeptical of info from the company that makes money from the sales of vaccines. But here’s the warning that the Connaught Company, an American vaccine supplier, has included in its package insert:

“In a large, controlled study in England, children two to 35 months of age with serious, acute neurological disorders such as encephalopathy or complicated convulsions, are more likely to have received DPT in the seven days preceding onset.”

Did you catch that? Wow. I think that says all we need to know about the safety of the DPT vaccine, no?