Statement of Some Lakewood Doctors

amother ↓

Thu, May 15 2014, 11:35 am

Most of us have heard about the Peach Magazine and those who objected to its contents.

Now, in the BP Weekly, Lakewood was treated to the following statement:
We the pediatricians that serve the families of the Lakewood Community are unwavering in our commitment to recommend, fully support and implement the immunization schedule, as per the proper guidelines of the ACIP and the American Academy of Pediatrics, in our roles of providing and advocating the correct and responsible care of all children.

Signed by all the doctors, PAs, NPs of the practices of Pediatric Affiliates (Dr. Shaik), Chemed, Dr. Gittleman, Dr. Preschel, Dr. Indich, and Westpark (Dr. Sasson and Topilow).

What I am wondering is why they have to shrei so loudly, as if chas vesholom anyone who so much as decided to vaccinate on a slower schedule or skip one of the shots for STD's etc, is committing a sin which is yehareg ve'al ya'avor. And, of course, no facts or counterarguments are offered, merely the fiat that we, the heiligeh doctors, have said so, and now all you obedient sheep who even thought of reading anything contradictory to our commands will promptly burn said material, erase all heretical thoughts from your minds, and comply!

(See, for example Dr. Mendelson, Confessions of a Medical Heretic. Dr. Mendelson was a frum Jew who trained at U of Chicago and taught at Northwestern University. He characterized the entire medical apparatus as akin to a church, where obedience is demanded and sacrifices are offered.

↑ amother ↓

Thu, May 15 2014, 12:39 pm

amother wrote:

could we just stop fighting over the "shots" business already. Those who don't want to vaccinate, dont have to, as long as they know that they are putting their kids and others who ARE vaccinated in danger.

Why the bolded above, if theyre vaccinated they're safe isnt that what you keep saying?

eli7

Thu, May 15 2014, 2:02 pm

Frumdoc can no doubt answer the above question better than I can, but if I may: there are those who are not able to be vaccinated (because they are too young, for example), and those who have compromised immune systems, who can become ill even if they were vaccinated in the past.

If you vaccinate, you take responsibility for the risks that come with it. If you don't, you have to take responsibility for increased risks to your children and to others they may come into contact with. Everyone has the right to decide for their own children what kind of risks to take. What upsets so many of us is when those who don't vaccinate in essence decide to increase our kids' risk.

Scrabble123 ↓

Thu, May 15 2014, 2:14 pm

I honestly see nothing wrong with this statement. The Drs. are reaffirming that they provide the best care to children, which includes advocating and administering vaccinations. It seems only appropriate that after such a dangerous magazine such as Peach is distributed to many families, some of which are impressionable and naïve, that those most responsible and knowledgeable about children's health, doctors will be there to respond to parents.

*P.S. These doctors may also have received many phone calls from parents who, having received the magazine, wanted to know their doctors' opinions.

imokay

Thu, May 15 2014, 3:08 pm

The statement is to clearly and unequivocally state their position on the matter so that there is no confusion... vaccines r indeed safe and effective and continue to be recommended as the best defense against said diseases

I imagine the magazine's propaganda (needlessly) scared some ppl who needed professional and medical reassurance

↑ Frumdoc

Thu, May 15 2014, 3:19 pm

eli7 wrote:

Nope, you've said it perfectly!

I would add that no vaccine is 100% effective, and there are some people in whom the vaccine doesn't take for unknown reasons. But the likelihood of epidemics of infectious diseases causing death and long term disability is greatly reduced in a predominantly vaccinated population, such as the ones we all live in.

One of the first things that emergency aid workers do on reaching or setting up a refugee camp is vaccinate everyone against measles, among other diseases, because the infectivity and subsequent death toll from an epidemic is enormous in that environment. BH we live in a world where we can naval gaze about giving vaccines and perceived insults from giving or receiving almost new clothes without it having a significant effect on our own children's chance of surviving to adulthood. Thanks to the evil institution that is evidence based classical medicine, that is. Some people just don't have the sense to appreciate that their whole lifestyle is based on the science they love to denigrate.

↑ amother ↓

Thu, May 15 2014, 3:37 pm

Perhaps it was made to counter the statements made here, among other places, that most doctors don't actually vaccinate their own children. That doctors in Lakewood -- and, indeed, throughout the world -- were so cowed by PEACH that they were unwilling and unable to respond.

Perhaps because they tired of responding to people who, because of the lies espoused by the person disingenuously posting this question, that HepB is a s3xually transmitted disease, even though a large percentage of infections occur during childhood. Or that frum women cannot get cervical cancer.

It certainly laughable that those who applaud the publication of PEACH condemn those who would oppose it. Because only one side should be heard from, and it is the side of those who reject the germ theory, who believe that unspecified non-mercury "toxins" in vaccines are somehow metabolized and excreted as mercury, and that vaccines do nothing more than drive "toxins" and "toxic waste" deeper into our bodies, causing illness. (All of which has been stated by this poster.)

It is even more laughable that she demands proof of generally accepted medical theories when she has not been able to provide so much of a scintilla of support for her own screeds.

↑ amother ↓

Thu, May 15 2014, 6:34 pm

amother wrote:

The masses have been placated. Everyone can breathe again. Baaaa!!!!

Indeed!

Don't be sheep and follow the advise of medical doctors, and of researchers who have spent countless hours researching and learning about the subject. Reject all of the information available. It comes from Big Pharma.

Learn to follow the lead of Playboy models who shill for electronic cigarettes, and tell you that autism can be cured not only by chelation, but also by aromatherapies, electromagnetics, and spoons rubbed on the child's body, and who continues to endorse the disgraced Andrew Wakefield. Oh, and whose "autism" began with seizures, and improved when the seizures were treated.

Learn to follow the lead of doctors who have rejected the germ theory. Germs don't cause disease. HIV doesn't cause AIDS. Toxins in your body cause disease. Never treat them with conventional medicine. When your child has a fever, DO NOT go for Tylenol or Motrin. Wet wool socks. Yes, that's right. Followed by dry cotton socks. Don't be a sheep.

allrgymama ↓

Thu, May 15 2014, 8:34 pm

I was actually tremendously impressed by the statement.

As I was reading it, I was thinking about the PEACH publication and all of the discussions that have come with it and all I could keep thinking was:

"If you trust your doctor about every other aspect of your child's care, why wouldn't you trust them about vaccines? And if you don't trust them about vaccines, you probably shouldn't trust them about anything else.'

↑ amother ↓

Thu, May 15 2014, 8:42 pm

allrgymama wrote:

Because if you're wrong about one thing you're wrong about everything? Not sure that's the right way to approach things in life.

But there is something to what you're saying and thus I do seek out doctors who share my beliefs.

↑ allrgymama ↓

Thu, May 15 2014, 8:50 pm

amother wrote:

In general, no, I would not say that if you're wrong about one thing then you are wrong about everything. But when it comes to choosing a doctor, you are choosing someone who spent years in school to get a degree, went through internships and fellowships and whatnots -- you think that maybe they missed the one day in college where their teacher told them vaccines are bad? Either you trust the education they received and the research they have done, or you don't.

And, as you said, you seek out doctors who share your beliefs. This is vitally important. I do not understand parents who pick a random name out of the phone book to serve as their doctor without researching that person first. If someone is an anti-vaxxer, they should seek out a practice that does not insist upon it or does not insist upon the schedule.

And mind you, as pro-vaxxer, my eldest was very off schedule because her food allergies were being mis-diagnosed as stomach flus and similar things for months. At the time, I was using CHEMED (who signed the statement) and it was the doctors there who recommended holding off on them. When we switched to Indich's office (who also signed), they didn't just stick her with the whatever-number of vaccines that she was missing -- they caught her up slowly. Point being, doctors have to be intelligent about things and (I feel that) mine were.

↑ amother ↓

Thu, May 15 2014, 11:24 pm

I'm in Lakewood, and I have an idea how these things work. First of all, for all of you not familiar with Dr. Shanik, he is a person who feels a tremendous responsibility for the entire town, not just his patients.
He gets very upset with these quacks because he sees the problems they cause. He does not see patients anymore that do not vax.

Also, the way a lot of people in this town work is that they are very nervous about a lot of things and double check everything which is a good thing, BUT he probably got SWAMPED with phone calls, office visits etc with questions brought by PEACH. AND HE WANTS TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT HE AND THE OTHER DOCTOR KNOW THAT VAXING IS IMPORTANT.

He's done such ads before. For ex before the summer he puts in an ad that camps that have children in diapers should not use an unfiltered pool only sprinklers because of shigella epidemics each summer. And now we know to ask the Morah, will you use sprinklers?

BTW, he always gets all doctors to sign with him.

Also, I prepare taxes and I always get phone call starting with 'I heard in Yeshiva that if I do this or that'. I always say, this is my procedure and my understanding of the rules if you don't like it let the people in yeshiva help you. (of course nicer than that) But it's very much a grapevine kind of town. Everything is a gemara question!!

Anon because how many female tax preparers are there in Lakewood?