Alternatives to Vaccinations

Vaccination is one of the most controversial topics in alternative medicine today. This issue elicits more emotion concerning a child’s healthcare than any other topic. Both pro-vaccination and anti-vaccination advocates present logical arguments to support their views. However, further examination reveals that these opinions are based upon bias, limited thinking, erroneous statistics, and faulty studies, providing little assistance to resolve the issue. This newsletter will discuss the controversies and suggest alternative treatment options.

Vaccination Concepts
Protecting the public from such devastating diseases as whooping cough, polio and the smallpox is a noble cause. Vaccination practiced by conventional medicine is based primarily upon two concepts:

1. Eliciting an antibody response
2. Herd immunity

Number 1 above is done by introducing enough antigen to illicit an immune response without causing the disease and to protect the body from subsequent exposure. Number 2 suggests that immunizing a majority of the population assists in the protection from and eradication of the disease.

Those against conventional immunization claim that among other factors, the immune response is not primarily an antibody-related one, but rather involves an interaction of the T-cells, cytokine/interleukin, and antibody systems. In addition, they would claim that, based upon the individual.s predisposition and genome expression, universal vaccination without assessment of these predispositions creates an increased likelihood of vaccine-based reaction due to an overburdening of the immune system and the use of unnecessary preservatives and other additives in the vaccines. The idea of vaccination is loosely borrowed from homeopathic and isopathic principles of like treating like, however the larger material dose of a vaccine is in higher concentration than what homeopaths would consider safe.

Vaccination Requirements
Vaccination is at an all time high covering 95% of children in the United States. Legal requirements vary from state to state, however, it became a federal requirement under the Clinton administration to have record of vaccination if on federal assistance. Most
states allow for medical or religious waivers, but parents must insist on these rights as they are not offered as an alternative. The current childhood immunization schedule calls for 21 vaccinations to be administered by 6 months of age and 38 vaccinations by the time a child reaches school age.

Pro-Vaccination Facts
* Elicits an antibody response
* Effective, simple and natural
* Up to 100% protection
* Reduction of impairing and death-causing diseases
* Need to have the complete herd protected to yield
results
* Outbreaks have occurred due to the exemptors.
(those who have not been vaccinated)
* Studies show no conclusive evidence of SIDS or
Autism being related to vaccination
* Faculty of Homeopathy in Great Britain states that
homeopathic remedies do not affect antibodies and
recommends it not be substituted for standard
immunization
* The earliest trauma to the individual is the deepest
trauma to the individual. -Samuel Hahnemann, MD

Statistics Supporting Vaccination
* 1974 . Japan showed no deaths from Pertussis so
immunization was stopped.
* 1979 . A Pertussis outbreak in Japan then resulted
in 13,000 cases and 41 deaths
* 1985 . Measles caused 125 cases and 3 deaths at a
Christian Science School
* 1987 . Measles cases among Amish were 130
(1.7% among immunized and 73.8% among nonimmunized)
* 1991 . Amish communities in 5 states had 890
cases of rubella
* 1992 . Polio in the Netherlands affected 68 people,
paralyzed 59 and killed 2 .- none immunized
* 1995 . Mitchell study in New Zealand showed that
vaccinated children experienced a lower incidence of
SIDS than non-vaccinated children
* OPV and its supposed relationship to GBS (Guillain-
Barre Syndrome) does not hold up (Lancet 1998) as
there is seasonal variation and some increases were
noted prior to OPV immunization being introduced
* Immunization has reduced measles in the U.S. by
99%
* Vaccines weaken immune system? Yes and No.
Circulating T4 cells did decrease because they went
to the site of the vaccine injection, normalized in 1
month

Anti-Vaccination
* Antibody is not necessarily the desired response
* Causes early trauma to the immune system
* Can cause serious side effects
* Not induced naturally due to method given and the binders and fillers
* Many items used in the manufacture of the vaccines are known allergens
* Vaccine may introduce undesired foreign organisms or genetic material
* No long-term studies regarding the combined effects of multiple immunizations given together
* Studies are faulty with inappropriate conclusions
* Lack of individualization with the therapy
* No guarantee of long-term benefit
* Hygiene, sanitation, and nutrition are the keys
* Do not vaccinate until after the age of 2 years old (except in the case of HIB)

Statistics Against Vaccination
* Jamie Murphy states that 40-65% of inoculated disease in the US occurs in vaccinated groups
* Deaths due to immunizations are most prevalent in children 1-3 months old
* Due to underreporting, as many as 120,000 children annually could be seriously injured
* Stephanie Cave, MD, states that at 2 years old, the average child receives 237 mcg of mercury exceeding the EPA level of .1 mcg per kg (NOTE-EPA has no jurisdiction over drugs)
* Leo Kanner identified Autism in the 1930.s (Thiomersal was introduced then) and IV chelation is of little value as Thiomersal stores in the gut
* Wakefield states measles dropped 85% before the introduction of MMR vaccine, he noticed 100% lymphoid hyperplasia in Autistic children
* O.Leary has shown evidence of the measles virus in 96% of the GI lymphoid tissue of Autistic children and 76% among Crohn.s sufferers
* .Background Susceptibility.-previous exposure of mother increases the risk of a child becoming autistic upon MMR immunization
* Simian virus transferred to humans via polio vaccine
* In 1975, Germany halted pertussis vaccination and the incidence has dropped
* Mary Megson, MD, correlated deficiency of vitamin A in children getting Autism after vaccination
* V. Singh, MDM at Utah State, studied 400 cases of autistic-related .hyperimmune responses. in which the immune system attacked the nerve sheaths - 55% followed MMR and 33% followed DPT immunization
* CDC has reported measles outbreaks in schools with vaccination levels of 98 to 100%
* A Japanese report demonstrated a live measles virus in mononuclear cells of children with autoimmune hepatitis
* Flu shots among the AIDS population raised the viral burden without protecting them (only 44% created antibodies to the flu)
* Asthma occurred in 10.69% of children immunized with DPT versus 1.97% of non-DPT immunized (448 patient study)
* Increased incidence of gelatin food allergies were found among those having systemic vaccine reactions

Various Facts To Consider
* Legal suits against vaccine manufacturers are on the decline due to better research and improvement of vaccine techniques. Some claim the money for reparation is no longer readily available.
* There were 11,365 adverse effects reported last year yet the FDA estimates that this is underreported by an estimated 90%. Severe and life-threatening events occur in 1 in 600,000.
* The Institute of Medicine panel that investigates adverse vaccine responses was distressed over the number of vaccine-related events in which there was inadequate information to determine causality.

To Vaccinate or Not?
This is ultimately a personal choice. Many feel a moderate approach should be considered by selecting vaccinations to be administered at specific times such
as HIB in the first 15 months of a child’s life and giving monovalent immunizations instead of polyvalents. For example, a parent has approximately 9 months until
the child starts walking to be concerned about tetanus. Most alternative practitioners agree that an infant’s immune system should be allowed to become more mature before the onslaught of forced foreign materials in vaccines. Breast feeding as long as possible and avoiding daycare assists in minimizing the risks in the first two years of a child.s life while the immune system is maturing. The body has a unique ability to armor itself
against trauma. This occurs from an adaptive survival mechanism, meaning the body has an innate intelligence in which it learns from the various traumas it has been previously exposed to. Some believe deep early traumas affecting the immune system will play an integral part in their individual gene expression exposing inherent weaknesses and dictating to what degree they may respond to later traumas or stressors.

Common side effects or adverse conditions resulting from immunization can be as follows: localized swelling and pain, seizures, autism, immune dysfunction, retardation, learning difficulties and in rare cases, death. These side effects were most common in children 1-3 months of age and could occur in as many as 120,000 children per year.

Conclusions and Considerations
There is evidence to suggest a protective effect from some form of immunizations, however, there can be extreme risks involved. Individualization of care by evaluating the child and parents may point to those who may be predisposed to these risks. Miasmic support, breast feeding, avoidance of daycare exposure and proper nutrition (consisting of Vitamins C, A, B12, Fatty Acids and Ginseng) to accentuate the effect of the immunization to establish antibody response are all factors to consider.

One can use homeopathics to minimize the ill effects of vaccination. We stock standard formulations such as

• Vaccinosis Nosode Drops,
• Childhood Immune Detox,
• Travel Immune Detox
• Childhood Disease or Vaccination Drops

 

Click here for all of our Nosodes

or click here to learn more