Doctor Asks Yeshivos to Expel Students Not Vaccinated Against Mumps
Aryeh Levin of COLlive reports: Crown Heights physicians met this past week with principals of Jewish schools in the Brooklyn neighborhood to discuss what they called a threat of a quickly spreading viral disease.
“Our community is prone to infectious diseases,” Dr. Eli Rosen warned during the meeting at the Crown Heights Jewish Community Council. “The issue here is not only the mumps, but future diseases.”
At least 1,500 people in New York, most of them Orthodox Jews, have contracted mumps during a 7-month outbreak that began last summer, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported.
Almost all of those infected had received the mumps vaccine, which suggests that crowded households and close contact in schools can sometimes overwhelm the protective effects of immunization, Los Angeles Times noted.
Rosen agreed: “It’s a lifestyle thing; we sit face to face and learn, have Farbrengens, share cups etc. It’s more prevalent among male students than female,” he said, but definitely not limited to males, he also pointed out.
Rosen and Dr. Allan Plaut said a large factor is the number of students who do not receive vaccinations. They said that while 20 years ago he had 2 patients who chose not to be vaccinated, today the number is close to 200.
“That is horrendous,” commented Mrs. Shaindel Tiechtel, Hebrew Studies Principal of Beth Rivkah High School in Crown Heights.
Reviewing the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) presented at the meeting, Tiechtel mentioned how her late brother-in-law, Tzfas Chief Rabbi Levi Bistritzky enforced vaccination in his city’s schools.
But Rabbi Yosef Simpson, Principal at United Lubavitcher Yeshivos and a member of Hatzalah, noted that parents get away with not vaccinating using the “religious exemption” in the law.
His colleague at Oholei Torah, Rabbi Hershel Lustig, explained that many of the parents use their legal immunity because of the belief that the vaccine can cause autism.
“I have not had a single case that a child was hurt by vaccination,” Dr. Rosen replied. “Vaccines do not injure people. What I have seen is deaths caused by people not taking vaccination.”
He said that Dr. Andrew Wakefield — the British doctor known widely for sparking the fear that vaccines cause autism — lost his medical license for unethical behavior.
Rosen blamed some of the misguided belief on a series of articles published in the Nshei Newsletter, a journal for Lubavitch women.
“We are up against tough opposition. I sit with mothers and break my teeth explaining the need. Articles in Nshei are more convincing,” he said.
Present at the meeting, coordinated by the Community Council, was member of Badatz of Crown Heights Rabbi Yaacov Schwei who listened carefully to the medical explanations.
Other attendees were Rabbi Zalman Wilhelm of Bnos Menachem, Rabbi Schneur Freedman of Ohr Menachem, Mrs. Sheina Charter of Beis Chaya Mushka and Mrs. Ruthie Kirschenbaum of Crown Heights Bikur Cholim.
Members of Vaad Hakohol attending were Fishel Brownstein (Chairman), Chanina Sperlin (Vice Chairman), Zev Cadaner and Elie Poltorak.
Participants agreed that there was a need to counter back the misconceptions with an awareness campaign which should include the MMWR article and a letter from doctors and rabbis.
“There is not a single Rov that would object (to vaccinations) based on Torah and Halacha,” Dr. Rosen said. “The Rebbe in fact mentions vaccinations in many of his letters.”
Rosen suggested that since Crown Heights schools are private, principals have the option to expel students that were not vaccinated even if their parents refuse due to “religious reasons.”
Asked for his opinion, Rabbi Schwei mentioned the obligation of obeying the county’s laws (”Dina D’Malchusa Dina”) and since doctors recommend it (”Verapo Yerape”), residents should get vaccinated.
Answering COLlive whether students will indeed be expelled, Rabbi Simpson said: “We will maintain our responsibility for insuring public safety.”
{COLlive/Matzav.com Newscenter}
19 Responses to “Doctor Asks Yeshivos to Expel Students Not Vaccinated Against Mumps”
2. Comment from anon
Time March 7, 2010 at 12:11 PM
There is no such thing as an immunization being overwhelmed by close proximity to an infected person. What this means is either the immunization never took hold to begin with or it’s effects waned over time.
There are many unanswered questions over the safety and efficacy of vaccines. Unfortunately Dr. Wakefield has been scapegoated by the vaccine industry.
3. Comment from destro613
Time March 7, 2010 at 12:48 PM
if the 1st kid was immunized we would never have gotten it!!!
4. Comment from yes
Time March 7, 2010 at 1:39 PM
yes, it is everyone’s achrayus to get immunized, if you are not, please attend your own schools or be home schooled and away from people as much as possible, even with you own minyanim!!!! look what you have caused!
5. Comment from Anonymous
Time March 7, 2010 at 2:03 PM
#2: What you are saying is misleading. There is something called “herd immunity”, which protects people whose immunity has waned over time. Large numbers of unvaccinated people take away this protection. (You doon’t have to take my word for it; look it up, or speak to your pediatrician.)
6. Comment from pinchas kahana
Time March 7, 2010 at 3:10 PM
I think everyone is just scared to get shots. Maybe we should give out better stickers and prizes to those who get them.
7. Comment from B’shvili nivro HoOlaom
Time March 7, 2010 at 3:12 PM
I believe that in the majority of cases the victims were immunized. I also believe that immunizations lower one’s natural immunity and weaken the body and introduce toxins that can cause harm to a person. I do not believe in having immunizations to protect us from epidemics.
8. Comment from to #2
Time March 7, 2010 at 3:16 PM
The doctors seem to think that this is some sort of wild strain of mumps; it’s affecting people who have been properly immunized and presumably they couldn’t all have been given weak batches.
9. Comment from mazel tov
Time March 7, 2010 at 3:20 PM
#2: How do you know the doctor was scapegoated? If someone lied and fooled many people, how is that scapegoating?
10. Comment from Torah4me
Time March 7, 2010 at 4:35 PM
He says himself that most of those infected WERE immunised! So why force immunisation if it doesn’t help? Immunisations are DANGEROUS - see the following. This is an agreement drawn up between doctor and patient
Physician”s Warranty of Vaccine Safety
I (Physician”s name, degree)_________________________, _____ am a physician licensed to practice medicine in the State of ________________. My State license number is _______________ , and my DEA number is _______________. My medical specialty is ________________________
I have a thorough understanding of the risks and benefits of all the medications that I prescribe for or administer to my patients. In the case of (Patient”s name) ___________________________ , age _________ , whom I have examined, I find that certain risk factors exist that justify the recommended vaccinations. The following is a list of said risk factors and the vaccinations that will protect against them:
Risk Factor ____________________________________________
Vaccination ___________________________________________
Risk Factor ____________________________________________
Vaccination ___________________________________________
Risk Factor ____________________________________________
Vaccination ___________________________________________
Risk Factor ____________________________________________
Vaccination ___________________________________________
Risk Factor ____________________________________________
Vaccination ___________________________________________
Risk Factor ____________________________________________
Vaccination ___________________________________________
I am aware that vaccines typically contain many of the following fillers:
* aluminum hydroxide
* aluminum phosphate
* ammonium sulfate
* amphotericin B
* animal tissues: pig blood, horse blood, rabbit brain,
* dog kidney, monkey kidney,
* chick embryo, chicken egg, duck egg
* calf (bovine) serum
* betapropiolactone
* fetal bovine serum
* formaldehyde
* formalin
* gelatin
* glycerol
* human diploid cells (originating from human aborted fetal tissue)
* hydrolized gelatin
* mercury thimerosol (thimerosal, Merthiolate(r))
* monosodium glutamate (MSG)
* neomycin
* neomycin sulfate
* phenol red indicator
* phenoxyethanol (antifreeze)
* potassium diphosphate
* potassium monophosphate
* polymyxin B
* polysorbate 20
* polysorbate 80
* porcine (pig) pancreatic hydrolysate of casein
* residual MRC5 proteins
* sorbitol
* tri(n)butylphosphate,
* VERO cells, a continuous line of monkey kidney cells, and
* washed sheep red blood
and, hereby, warrant that these ingredients are safe for injection into the body of my patient. I have researched reports to the contrary, such as reports that mercury thimerosol causes severe neurological and immunological damage, and find that they are not credible.
I am aware that some vaccines have been found to have been contaminated with Simian Virus 40 (SV 40) and that SV 40 is causally linked by some researchers to non-Hodgkin”s lymphoma and mesotheliomas in humans as well as in experimental animals. I hereby warrant that the vaccines I employ in my practice do not contain SV 40 or any other live viruses. (Alternately, I hereby warrant that said SV-40 virus or other viruses pose no substantive risk to my patient.)
I hereby warrant that the vaccines I am recommending for the care of (Patient”s name) _______________ _______________________ do not contain any tissue from aborted human babies (also known as “fetuses”).
In order to protect my patient”s well being, I have taken the following steps to guarantee that the vaccines I will use will contain no damaging contaminants.
STEPS TAKEN: ______________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
I have personally investigated the reports made to the VAERS (Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System) and state that it is my professional opinion that the vaccines I am recommending are safe for administration to a child under the age of 5 years.
The bases for my opinion are itemized on Exhibit A , attached hereto, — “Physician”s Bases for Professional Opinion of Vaccine Safety.” (Please itemize each recommended vaccine separately along with the bases for arriving at the conclusion that the vaccine is safe for administration to a child under the age of 5 years.)
The professional journal articles I have relied upon in the issuance of this Physician”s Warranty of Vaccine Safety are itemized on Exhibit B , attached hereto, — “Scientific Articles in Support of Physician”s Warranty of Vaccine Safety.”
The professional journal articles that I have read which contain opinions adverse to my opinion are itemized on Exhibit C , attached hereto, — “Scientific Articles Contrary to Physician”s Opinion of Vaccine Safety.”
The reasons for my determining that the articles in Exhibit C were invalid are delineated in Attachment D , attached hereto, — “Physician”s Reasons for Determining the Invalidity of Adverse Scientific Opinions.”
Hepatitis B
I understand that 60 percent of patients who are vaccinated for Hepatitis B will lose detectable antibodies to Hepatitis B within 12 years. I understand that in 1996 only 54 cases of Hepatitis B were reported to the CDC in the 0-1 year age group. I understand that in the VAERS, there were 1,080 total reports of adverse reactions from Hepatitis B vaccine in 1996 in the 0-1 year age group, with 47 deaths reported.
I understand that 50 percent of patients who contract Hepatitis B develop no symptoms after exposure. I understand that 30 percent will develop only flu-like symptoms and will have lifetime immunity. I understand that 20 percent will develop the symptoms of the disease, but that 95 percent will fully recover and have lifetime immunity.
I understand that 5 percent of the patients who are exposed to Hepatitis B will become chronic carriers of the disease. I understand that 75 percent of the chronic carriers will live with an asymptomatic infection and that only 25 percent of the chronic carriers will develop chronic liver disease or liver cancer, 10-30 years after the acute infection.
The following scientific studies have been performed to demonstrate the safety of the Hepatitis B vaccine in children under the age of 5 years.
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
In addition to the recommended vaccinations as protections against the above cited risk factors, I have recommended other non-vaccine measures to protect the health of my patient and have enumerated said non-vaccine measures on Exhibit D , attached hereto, “Non-vaccine Measures to Protect Against Risk Factors.”
I am issuing this Physician”s Warranty of Vaccine Safety in my professional capacity as the attending physician to (Patient”s name) ________________________________.
Regardless of the legal entity under which I normally practice medicine, I am issuing this statement in both my business and individual capacities and hereby waive any statutory, Common Law, Constitutional, UCC, international treaty, and any other legal immunities from liability lawsuits in the instant case.
I issue this document of my own free will after consultation with competent legal counsel whose name is _____________________________, an attorney admitted to the Bar in the State of __________________ .
__________________________________ (Name of Attending Physician)
__________________________________ L.S. (Signature of Attending Physician)
Signed on this _______ day of ______________ A.D. ________
Witness: _______________________________ Date: ______________________
Notary Public: ___________________________ Date: ______________________
11. Comment from Torah4me
Time March 7, 2010 at 4:49 PM
#4 - so will you take Achrayus if a child develops Autism after taking the vaccine? Like my son did after being Vaccinated! Vaccines trigger Autism - of this there is no doubt! All the self righteousness and selfish disregard of those suffering from vaccines is deeply disturbing. Chayecho kodmin, Chayecho kodmin, Chayecho kodmin - CHAYECHO KODMIN!!!! For those who don’t understand… it means you are obligated to worry about yourself FIRST before being concerned about others.
12. Comment from Doug_rabin
Time March 7, 2010 at 7:28 PM
There are NO DATA TO SUGGEST that MMR vaccinations are dangerous in fact I reported that the Lancet totally withdrew and denied any validity in the article originally cited as a source for connecting vaccines to autism. The above posts are wrong and cannot be supported by the data.
There is up to a 16% prevalence of mumps affeting men and compromising their fertility in this out break to date.
In my medical practice 5% of Yungeleit that I see are no longer immune to mumps measels or rubella as well as chicken pox.
The risk of vaccine, fever, rare allergic reaction, and rarer still immune untoward reaction are all FAR FAR less common that the risk of damage to an unborn child and to the woman or man himself.
There is no basis to avoid vaccination and there is a Psak din from Rabbi Shmuel Fuerst and his Bais Din that permits removing un vaccinated kids from School.
Pleae make not the risk is SOOO much great for damage and death from mumps and other MMR agents, that there can be no justification to not get vaccinated.
13. Comment from anon
Time March 7, 2010 at 9:40 PM
#5 You are misconstruing what I said. Herd Immunity means that if 80% - 90% of a given population are vaccinated,then you have virtually guaranteed that there will not be outbreaks in that population because a sufficient number of people have been immunized so that transmission within that group is unlikely to occur. However with the recent Mumps outbreak where one would have expected herd immunity to be an effective stop - gap it was shown to be ineffective. Doubly puzzling is why previously vaccinated individuals are contracting the Mumps. In fact it appears that most of the people contracting the Mumps were previously immunized. The only answer to this puzzle is as I stated, that either the vaccines were originally ineffective at inducing sufficient antibodies or that over time, the antibody titers to Mumps waned to such low levels that immunity was lost.
14. Comment from Maurine Meleck
Time March 8, 2010 at 12:29 AM
This article is for those who cannot read. It states, “most of those infected were vaccinated.”
There is no other way to look at this other than the vaccines don’t immunize people. But hey, the government and the pediatricians can call for a mumps vaccine every year based on this article. Lots of control of our lives and lots of money to be had.
15. Comment from Anon
Time March 8, 2010 at 1:05 AM
Mumps is almost always a completely benign disease. Even at its worst, with a male losing fertility, this morbidity does not begin to compare to the horrors of autism. The autistic are still shunned, and very little help is offered to the families of these children. If vaccines are so safe, why do all the European countries have such a different schedule than the US (36 vaccines by age 5 here versus 11 or 12 in most other countries)? Vaccines cause autism.
16. Comment from AnneS
Time March 8, 2010 at 9:22 AM
Sounds to me like the mumps vaccine (MMR) is NOT EFFECTIVE!
17. Comment from Please site sources
Time March 8, 2010 at 9:52 AM
Those of you stating as fact that the vaccine causes autism would be more credible had you sited some reliable sources for your claims. Autism is a terrible diagnosis to deal with (I know first hand), but you must still think rationally before jumping to conclusions that can have long lasting detrimental ramifications!
Vaccines have been huge lifesavers since their invention. ask people who suffered through the last Polo outbreak (and were lucky to survive) shortly before the vaccine was discovered. I bet they wish they and their families could have been as fortunate as we are to be able to take the vaccine!
18. Comment from david
Time March 8, 2010 at 10:39 AM
So people are perfectly OK with cells cultured from aborted fetal tissue and bovine fetal tissue? The logic of the ones pushing the mmr is insane! Where are the counts proving anyone’s fertility has been affected by the current mumps outbreak, where is the proof the non vaccinated child from the UK who supposedly started the outbreak ever existed? Do some research they are experimenting in some areas by pushing yet a third dose of the mmr on teens. Lastly I want to see proof that anyone is dying from not vaccinating, so far all I get is hearsay and references to third world countries where it is most likely a person died from malnutrition.
19. Comment from vvanderer
Time April 21, 2010 at 12:31 AM
I suppose it is nice to know that we yiddeen are not immune from the loony fringe, although we ought to know that from Torah study.
The Rebbe said countless times to consult and heed advice from professionals. End of issue for me
1. Comment from tzippi
Time March 7, 2010 at 11:42 AM
I don’t know if proportionately the Chabad community is more alternatively minded than the rest of the olam, but the simple fact is: the epidemic seems to have been started by one unimmunized kid. The majority of the new mumps patients ARE immunized.