After
researching each vaccine and illness (which it is highly recommended
you do as there are different risks associated with each disease
and it’s corresponding vaccine), you may decide that
you only want to vaccinate for select illnesses and/or at
a later stage than is recommended or you may feel that vaccination
is not for you and your children. These are your choices to
make, for it is a matter of your child’s health.
This article
will present a general outline of some of the issues you should
be aware of, but it is highly recommended that you look beyond
this article and educate yourself thoroughly about vaccinations
and immune systems – read some of the fabulous books
that have been written and engage in a discussion with a variety
of health-care providers.
Above
all, be informed and whatever you
decide be confident that it is the right choice for your family.
What
is the argument for vaccines (and who is making that argument)?
The purpose of mass artificial immunization campaigns is to
lower and even eradicate the incidence of certain diseases.
The theory behind vaccines is that if you inject a small amount
of the disease into the body, the body’s defense system
will rally to fight the injected material and produce antibodies
to that particular illness. The body should remember what
the disease looks like (for a few years) and anytime that
disease shows up, the antibodies will be dispatched to kill
it. Vaccines are reported to have a 90-95% effectiveness rate.
The pharmaceutical
industry, many doctors and virtually all health region boards
argue that vaccines are required to fight disease and there
is no doubt that vaccines are big business in North America.
In 2001 5.4 billion dollars was spent on vaccines. This number
is expected to rise to 10 billion dollars by 2006. This is
a whole lot of money behind the argument for vaccines.
What
is the argument against vaccines (and who is making that argument)?
Injecting a virus directly into a child’s bloodstream
bypasses all of the other immune system filters and may overwhelm
the inner immune protection systems whereas being exposed
to virus and bacteria in the environment will stimulate and
strengthen the immune system and normal development will occur.
-Neil Miller: Vaccines: Are They Really Safe and Effective?
Disease
Rate of Decline Unaffected by use of Vaccines
Several doctors, statisticians and scientists have pointed
out that infectious diseases were in decline before the advent
of mass vaccination campaigns. Factors such as improved nutrition,
sanitation and hygiene are responsible for the decline of
disease that started before vaccines were introduced. The
introduction of vaccines created little difference in the
rate of decline that had started up to 50 years before they
hit the market.
Lack
of Adequate Vaccine Testing
One of the greatest reasons that many avoid or delay vaccinations
is the fact that there is a lack of widespread, long-term
testing done before they are released for mass use. Health
Canada readily admits that not all side-effects may be detected
before they are used in the general population. What’s
worse, the monitoring of the vaccines once they are released
is imperfect, at best. Adverse effects do not have to be reported
at all, but if they are, they must fall within certain time
frames. It is estimated that only about 10% of all adverse
reactions are actually reported in Canada. Even with this
imperfect system however, there have been instances where
enough adverse reactions were reported to have amendments
made to certain vaccines.
•
The oral polio vaccine (OPV) was determined to cause polio
in some people. This vaccine was replaced.
•
The original pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine caused high
fevers, seizures and collapse in some infants. This vaccine
was replaced in Canada in 1998.
All right,
they feel that they have worked these problems out. But what
about the next vaccine to prove itself harmful? ( The hepatitis
B vaccine, the only vaccine left in Canada to contain mercury-containing
Thimersol comes to mind). For more info on this vaccine, click
here.
Since
there is a lack of widespread testing done before release,
it stands to reason that only after public release and the
subsequent injection into thousands and thousands of babies
and children will we really know how vaccines affect health.
And since adverse reactions have to be reported within short
time frames, will we ever know the long-term health implications?
Suspected
Links to Other Serious Health Issues
Vaccines have been suspected in the start of the AIDS virus,
soaring autism rates and even Shaken Baby Syndrome. While
there have been studies that both support and reject these
hypotheses, reports by the Immunization Safety Review Committee
of the National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine
(American) found that they could not determine whether or
not there was a causal relation between a specific vaccine
and an adverse effect in 2/3 of the cases. Proponents of vaccines
have used these reports to declare that there is no causal
relationship between vaccines and serious adverse effects.
Truthfully though, the reports came back without answers –
they simply did not have enough evidence to draw firm conclusions.
Germ
Theory Questioned
Basic knowledge available to us tells us that germs cause
disease. This theory is being disputed, however, by some doctors
and researchers who report that germs, rather than causing
disease, are a sign of disease. This seemingly insignificant
play on words actually requires a massive shift in our view
of disease and illness. If germs cause disease we may be able
to inject a very weakened version of that germ directly into
the bloodstream to rally the body’s immune system and
this may be effective for a number of years. However, if germs
are a sign of disease, we need to do all we can to build our
immune systems naturally so that when the body encounters
a virus in the environment, it has the capability to fight
the disease on it’s own – and provide lifelong
protection when it encounters the same virus. This theory
extends from the theory that the body has the ability to heal
itself. For more information on this, Immunization: The Reality
Behind the Myth is well worth reading.
What
other things will boost children’s immune systems?
Recommend: Super
Healthy Kids: Strengthening Your Child’s Resistance
to Disease; Jane Sheppard e-book
Whether
you choose to vaccinate your children for all of the vaccines,
for a select few or not at all, you are choosing so because
you are invested in maximizing your child’s health.
There are several other things you can do to promote a healthy
immune system and, regardless of your vaccination decisions,
the following suggestions will help.
Extended
Breastfeeding
The benefits of breastfeeding extend beyond the first year
and continue as long as your child is nursing. There are health
advantages and immune system benefits to nursing children
as they grow from infancy through the toddler years and the
breastfeeding relationship is perfectly honed to provide the
nursling with his/her precise requirements in terms of protein,
fats, and antibodies and this differs with each feed. Of course
the added touching and cuddling helps the immune system as
well.
Probiotics
Probiotics are the “good” or “friendly”
bacteria that prevent the overgrowth of unfavorable intestinal
bacteria and microorganisms. Probiotics are essential to a
fully-functioning digestive system. Probiotics are found in
foods such as yogurt, kefir, tempeh, miso, sauerkraut, and
sourdough bread. There are also supplements available in several
forms from health food stores and some brands carry formulas
specially designed for children.
Homeopathic
Nosodes
Homeopathy is based on the principle that like cures like
and that anything with the capability of harming the body
also has the power to heal. Homeopathic nosodes actually work
on similar principles as vaccines, however the nosodes contain
extremely smaller quantities of the materials. Whereas vaccines
contain the very real presence of toxic microorganisms, homeopathic
nosodes contain only an energy imprint. Remedies and nosodes
are extremely dilute and are effective and safe for even the
youngest of children. The nosodes are administered orally
and can be used in place of vaccines. Consult a homeopathic
doctor for more information on this alternative. Studies have
shown them to be extremely effective.
*None
of us at Earthy Family are doctors or health-care practitioners
but we are a family concerned with doing the best we can for
ourselves and our children. We strongly encourage you to become
as informed about the vaccination decision as possible. Engage
in discussions, read both sides of the arguments and, in the
end, make a decision that you feel good about.
