Many moms (and dads) are proudly raising healthy, drug-free children. Yet, because each August these parents find themselves faced with school boards that promote vaccines, it's so important that they have a reliable resource for quality information.

That's why this month I've interviewed Barbara Loe Fisher, co-founder and president of the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) and co-author of "DPT: A Shot in the Dark" (HBJ, 1985).

A noted authority and speaker at many scientific conferences, congressional and state legislative hearings and in TV and print news reports, she has represented parents of vaccine-injured children as a member of the National Vaccine Advisory Committee; the Institute of Medicine Vaccine Safety Forum; and the FDA Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee.

The mother of three children, her oldest son was left with multiple learning disabilities and ADHD at age two and a half -- after suffering a convulsion, collapse shock and state of unconsciousness within four hours of his fourth DPT shot.

The NVIC, a non-profit educational organization founded in 1982, is dedicated to preventing vaccine injuries and deaths through public education and defending the right to informed consent to vaccination.

The World Chiropractic Alliance (WCA) strongly encourages all chiropractors to support Barbara Loe Fisher's important work through NVIC membership (www.909shot.com).

Barbara Loe Fisher: "It is very important for parents to be fully informed about any drug or vaccine given to their child. Parents need to go on an information hunt and make sure they understand what everyone has to say about the vaccines their child will receive -- from public health officials and vaccine manufacturers to their own doctor as well as health advocacy organizations, such as the NVIC and the WCA.

"Knowledge is power and the more knowledgeable you are about diseases and vaccines, the better able you are to make health care decisions that are in the best interest of your child."

BLF: "Since the 1970s, the numbers of doses of vaccines routinely given to American children has increased from 23 doses of 7 vaccines to 36 doses of 11 vaccines. During this same time period, we have seen a dramatic drop in the numbers of cases of infectious disease in children such as measles, mumps and HIB.

"However, we have also seen a dramatic increase in chronic disease -- a doubling of learning disabilities, ADHD and asthma; a tripling of diabetes; and a 600% increase in autism in every state. Department of Education statistics now show that 17% of our children are chronically ill or disabled. It is a shocking public health report card.

"But the government, industry and medical organizations are denying that multiple vaccination in early childhood has anything to do with it. And those in charge of the mass vaccination system refuse to seriously investigate whether the price being paid for suppressing all infectious disease in childhood with ever increasing numbers of vaccines is much higher than anyone ever anticipated.

"Certainly the drug companies want every vaccine they produce to be used by every child because it means more money for them. And public health officials like to be able to tell Congress that the money they are appropriated every year is wiping out infectious disease. And doctors who administer vaccines get a fee for every new vaccine they give. In the meantime, a lot of children are stuck on sick and no one in charge seems to really want to find out why."

BLF: "All states have medical exemption to vaccination, but it must be written by an M.D. or D.O., the two kinds of doctors the state licenses to prescribe drugs and perform surgery. Unfortunately, few M.D.s or D.O.s are willing to write medical exemptions to vaccination because they are often harassed by state health officials for doing that, especially if they give exemptions for reasons which are not covered under the CDC's official contraindications to vaccination.

"All but two states have religious exemption to vaccination, but the language in many state laws says you have to belong to a church with a written tenet opposing vaccination, which is unconstitutional and has been struck down by several high state courts as a violation of equal protection under the law.

"As long as you hold sincere personal religious convictions opposing vaccination, you can belong to any mainstream religion including Christian (Protestant or Catholic), Jewish or other denominations. But you have to be willing to fight for the right to claim a religious exemption and those who do not have true, sincere religious beliefs about the matter can be in a lot of trouble when trying to defend themselves in a court of law.

"There are 15 states with conscientious, philosophical or personal belief exemptions and these states come the closest to allowing citizens the right to voluntary, informed consent to vaccination. Of course, the right to decide what you are willing to risk your life or your child's life for can be defined as a basic human right and so it is very important that we fight for the right to informed consent to a medical procedure, like vaccination, that could kill or injure us.

"I suspect most school boards do not tell parents about their right to exemptions because they want everyone vaccinated. The federal government gives financial incentives to states and the states give financial incentives to school districts to obtain as close to a 100% vaccination rate as possible."

BLF: "Well, that is actually the first time I have heard a doctor tell a mother that a seizure is a 'normal' reaction to a vaccination because usually they try to say that convulsions after vaccinations are very 'rare.' Unfortunately, seizures are a very frequent complication of vaccination.

"One U.S. government study showed that 1 in 875 DPT shots is followed by a convulsion or collapse shock reaction and they also can lead to permanent brain damage that can range from learning disabilities and ADHD to permanent seizure disorders, autistic behaviors and mental retardation.

"Parents should not be afraid to learn more about vaccines because medical information is no harder to understand than learning how to operate a computer -- you just have to be willing to put the time and effort into it.

M.D.s and Ph.D.s have done a really good job scaring everyone into believing only they can understand what they do when actually almost ANYONE can learn what they do and figure out what needs to be done better.

"You have to be an advocate for yourself and your children because you, not your doctor or your state public health official, are the one who will live with the consequences of any health care decision you make."

BLF: "Parents can go to the website of the NVIC at www.909shot.com for more information on diseases and vaccines. We are linked to many other websites that provide both complimentary and alternative views to ours. The WCA publishes and provides reliable information on vaccine complications.

"There are a number of books and special reports which can be obtained through NVIC such as 'DPT: A Shot in the Dark' (Coulter & Fisher) and 'What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Children's Vaccinations' (Stephanie Cave, M.D.)."