Immunization Issue

Compulsory immunization has nearly become an accepted way of life. However, a growing number of concerned parents and professionals alike are beginning to take a hard look at the statistics and the real risks involved. In this edition of the Home Educator, we will explore the little publicized side of the immunization question--the hidden dangers many of us are not aware of.

Virtually all states & most of the industrialized nations have compulsory immunization laws. Though most Americans take vaccinations for granted, immunization requirements for school admission have been in place only since the National Childhood Immunization Initiative of the late '70s. In 1977, following recommendations by the Public Health Service, a number of states passed laws requiring immunizations for seven diseases--measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus and polio--before a child could enter public school. Failure to comply with the law, even where it is legal to choose not to be immunized, can prevent a child from attending school and expose the parents to the possibility of child neglect charges. 2

In the U.S., guidelines for inoculations are decided on a state-by-state basis and the trend is toward comprehensive state laws, which require annual proof of immunization for all children in kindergarten through grade 12. Some states have even adopted immunization requirements for admission to college.

What Are the Pro's and Con's of Vaccinations?

We are all familiar with the pro-vaccination arguments which are presented in the media and which are promoted by most of the medical profession. Supporters of vaccinations generally defend their stand with the following reasons:

1. Vaccines are relatively harmless.

2. Vaccines are effective in protecting against disease.

3. Vaccines have caused the decline of infectious diseases.

4. Vaccines are the only practical and dependable way to prevent epidemics and dangerous diseases.

5. Unvaccinated people are a public health threat.

6. What we learn from the media or from doctors regarding immunizations, epidemics and diseases is generally accurate and fair, and for the betterment of general health.

However, there are many people who strongly oppose vaccinations and there is considerable evidence to support this stand. In this issue of The Home Educator we will consider each of the six main points above, and present information from a number of books, and recent newspaper and magazine articles, to show you the "other side" of the immunization question.

1:

Vaccines Are Relatively Harmless

The NO to Vaccination Position:

Vaccines Can Kill Or Cripple

There is a mounting body of evidence that indicates that vaccines themselves cause serious illnesses, may have adverse side-effects, and weaken the natural immune system. All vaccines are toxic and dangerous, especially when they are received directly into the bloodstream.

Dr. Robert Mendelson, a pediatrician for 30 years, has studied vaccines extensively. He refers to them as medical time bombs. "The greatest threat of childhood diseases lies in the dangerous & ineffectual efforts made to prevent them through mass immunization. Much of what you have been led to believe about immunizations simply isn't true. Although I administered them myself in my early years of practice, I have become a steadfast opponent of mass inoculations because of the myriad hazards they present."

WHY ARE THEY SO DANGEROUS?

Dr. William Albrecht in the Organic Consumer Report, Dec. 4, 1962, warns us that vaccines are dangerous because they go directly into the bloodstream without censoring by the liver. "When you take in other substances like carbohydrates and proteins, they go into the intestines, and from there are passed through the liver, as the body's chemical censor, before they go into the blood and circulate throughout the body. Most vaccination serums are proteins, and are not censored by the liver. Consequently vaccinations can be a terrific shock to the system." 2, 3

VACCINES CAN CAUSE DISEASE

Dr. Alec Burton, in a talk given at the convention of the National Hygiene Society, Milwaukee, Wis., 1978, said that vaccines themselves cause a variety of illnesses some of which may be considerably more serious than the disease for which they were given.

Immunizing children at two to six months of age is the largest cause of upper respiratory infections, allergies, and ear infections. (Dr. Daniel A. Landers in Immunization: An Informed Choice)

Vaccines do not merely produce a mild "copy" of the original disease, they cause illnesses of their own, often much harder to detect and treat. Vaccinations have been associated with diseases and disorders of the blood, brain, nervous system, and skin. Rare diseases such as atypical measles and monkey fever as well as such well-known disorders as premature aging and allergies have been associated with vaccinations. Also linked to immunizations are such well-known diseases as cancer, leukemia, paralysis, multiple sclerosis, arthritis and SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). 2

Dr. Fred Klenner of North Carolina, ("The Disturbing Question of the Salk Vaccine", Prevention, Sept., 1959) has stated: "Many here voice a silent view that Salk and Sabin vaccines, being made of monkey's kidney tissue, have been directly responsible for the major increase of leukemia in this country." 1

Mass immunization is suspected of being behind the increase in childhood cancer and as possible cause of auto-immune disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis. 1

Live viruses in vaccines attach their own genetic material to the host cell and replicate along with it. This presence of antigenic material (antigen: a substance which, when introduced into the body, causes production of antibodies) within the host cell cannot fail to provoke auto-immune phenomena such as herpes, shingles, warts, tumors--both benign and malignant--& disease of the central nervous system. 2

Many allergists speculate as to the link between the vast array of allergic symptoms seen in children today and the use of toxic foreign proteins in vaccination procedures. When we remember that one of the chief causes of allergies is the presence of undigested proteins in the blood, the connection between immunizations and allergies becomes apparent.

Dr. Robert Mendelsohn, Senior Consulting Physician for the Dept. of Mental Health of the State of Illinois; author of Confessions of a Medical Heretic asks, "Have we traded mumps and measles for cancer and leukemia?"

CAN VACCINES CAUSE OR CARRY AIDS?

It has been shown that the use of live virus vaccines, like that used for smallpox, can activate dormant virus infections such as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) associated with AIDS. 2

In a front-page article in The Times of London, May 11, 1987: "Smallpox Vaccine `Triggered AIDS Virus'," an advisor to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the organisation which masterminded the 13-year vaccination campaign which ended in 1980, told The Times: "I thought it was just a coincidence until we studied the latest findings about the reactions which can be caused by Vaccinia (smallpox vaccine). Now I believe the smallpox vaccine theory is the explanation to the explosion of AIDS." 2

Dr. Eva Lee Snead described similar findings in a cover story in Health Freedom News of July 1987 entitled "AIDS--Immunization Related Syndrome". Through her research, she became convinced that the cause of AIDS and other auto-immune diseases was SV-40 contamination of some batches of immunizations. SV-40 virus is a powerful immunosuppressor. It causes a clinical syndrome indistinguishable from AIDS as well as birth defects, leukemia, and other malignancies. 2

VACCINES DAMAGE THE IMMUNE SYSTEM

Evidence suggests that immunizations damage the immune system itself. Research at the Arthur Research Corporation, Tucson, Arizona and other centers on the effects of childhood vaccine programs indicate that the body's immunological reserve is substantially reduced in many vaccinated children. By focusing exclusively on increased antibody production--which is only one aspect of the immune process, and by no means the most important one--immunizations isolate this function and allow it to substitute for the entire immune response. Because vaccines "trick" the body so that it will no longer initiate a generalized inflammatory response, they accomplish what the entire immune system seems to be designed to prevent. They place the virus directly into the blood and give it access to the major immune organs and tissues without any obvious way of getting rid of it. These live viruses and virus elements survive in the blood and host cells for years, perhaps permanently, without provoking acute disease. But the result is a systematic weakening of the ability to mount an effective response not only to childhood diseases but to other acute infections as well. 2

The injection of foreign viral & bacterial toxins directly into the bloodstream of infants & children can commit up to 70% of their total immune system function to a lifelong defense of a few uncommon diseases. Contacting the same virus or bacteria in a natural way (airborne, etc.) commits only 3 to 7% of the total immune system function. Exhausting the total immune system through injected vaccines can leave a child vulnerable to many, far more serious, diseases. 1

VACCINES CAN CAUSE EPIDEMICS

Sometimes diseases have increased to epidemic proportions after the introduction of mass compulsory vaccination. For instance, diphtheria increased by 30% in France, 55% in Hungary and tripled in Geneva, Switzerland after the introduction of mass compulsory immunization. In Germany, where compulsory mass immunization was introduced in 1940, the number of cases increased from 40,000 per year to 250,000 by 1945, virtually all among immunized children. On the other hand, in Sweden, diphtheria virtually disappeared without any immunizations. 2,3

Between 1917 and 1919, the U.S. Government staged a compulsory vaccination campaign in the Philippines which brought on the largest smallpox epidemic in the history of that country with 162,503 cases and 71,453 deaths, all vaccinated.

THE COMPLEX HUMAN BODY

The human body has the most complex organic machinery in the world. It produces all the chemicals one will ever need to be healthy. In reality, no one knows for sure how effective or safe immunization really is and it is unlikely that we will ever know because the human body is far too complex.

DPT (DIPHTHERIA, PERTUSSIS [WHOOPING COUGH] AND TETANUS VACCINE)

"Many children have suffered horrible and permanent side effects from the DPT vaccine," said investigative reporter Lea Thompson, on the "Today" T.V. show (April 20, 1982).

BRAIN DAMAGE AND DPT

A UCLA/FDA study suggested that some 11,000 to 12,000 cases of permanent neurological damage take place annually in the U.S.A. alone, as a result of DPT vaccination.

An even more shocking figure on the reaction to the DPT vaccine indicates that 1 in 100 children react with convulsions or collapse or high-pitched screaming. One out of 3 of these--that is, 1 in 300--will remain permanently damaged! According to the testimonies of the Assistant Secretary of Health, Edward Brandt, Jr. M.D., before the U.S. Senate Committee on May 3, 1985, every year 35,000 children suffer neurological reactions because of this vaccine. 2 (Compare this figure with that of federal studies in the late 1970s which concluded that some 50 children a year are permanently brain damaged by the pertussis vaccine.)

Doctor Coulter and Barbara Fisher who have done major research concerning the DPT vaccine, believe that the UCLA/FDA study gravely underestimated the degree of damage and death from pertussis vaccination. The survey only asked Los Angeles M.D.s to report reactions taking place within 48 hours of the vaccination. Numerous serious reactions and deaths took place after the 48 hour limit. 1,3

Another recent study at UCLA estimates that as many as one in every 13 children had persistent high-pitched crying after the DPT shot. "This may be indicative of brain damage in the recipient child," Dr. Bobbie Young said. "You know, we start off with healthy infants, and we pop'em not once, but three or four times with a vaccine...the probability of causing damage is the same each time. My greatest fear is that very few of them escape some kind of neurological damage out of this." 2

Jack Ashley, a member of the British Parliament, said, "Over a 25-year period, 300 children in Britain had been deafened, blinded, or suffered permanent brain damage after immunization against whooping cough, diphtheria and tetanus. Happy, healthy children's lives ruined within a few days." 2

Professor Stewart of the University of Glasgow, who has done extensive studies on the effects of the DPT vaccine said, "Pertussis vaccine has a consistent record in the published work and in unpublished reports since 1933, of neurotoxic and other sequelae (consequences), unmatched by other vaccines. There is no doubt in my mind that in the UK alone some hundreds, if not thousands, of healthy infants have suffered irreparable brain damage needlessly, and that their lives and those of their parents have been wrecked in consequence."1,2

Professor Stewart continues by explaining that reports of brain damage in children immunized in this way were causing great anxiety in the early 1970s. Compensation for vaccine-damaged children was introduced in 1978. During the 1970s the pertussis complement of the triple vaccine was often not used, and only tetanus and diphtheria were being given, instead, as a double vaccine. 1,2

The DPT vaccine is not used in many parts of the world because of its serious side effects in some children. 4

Literature distributed by one manufacturer of DPT vaccines states: "WARNING: This vaccine must NOT be used for immunizing children 7 years or older." Why is DPT supposedly safe for babies, but not older children or adults?

TYPICAL DPT REACTIONS

In their major research work, dealing with the effects of DPT vaccination, Dr. Harris Coulter, Ph.D., and Barbara Loe Fisher, authors of DPT: A Shot in the Dark, state that the most typical mild reactions include the following: Rash, swelling at the site of injection, mild fever, inconsolable crying and ear ache. These are usually self-limiting conditions, and are accepted as "normal" by the physicians administering the immunization. 1

When reactions are more acute and more severe, they often involve high fever (104-105 degrees Fahrenheit), as well as collapse, convulsions, and often a peculiar type of crying which is described as encephalitic crying, or high-pitched screaming. Death may also occur in such cases. If a child who has a severe reaction survives, he/she may develop serious chronic ear problems, allergies (multiple), asthma and sleep disturbances.

VACCINES LACK QUALITY CONTROL

A further strike against DPT is the poor testing and quality control that exists in the USA. Safer tests have been developed as to DPT vaccine toxicity, but the test used in the USA may leave one vial of vaccine as much as 400% more potent, and therefore potentially more toxic, than another, and still remain legally usable.

A UCLA study showed a much higher incidence of serious adverse reactions to the DPT vaccine than current government & drug manufacturers indicate. This study has been ignored by government health bodies & medical associations--but not by the drug companies. Six of the eight companies manufacturing & marketing DPT in the U.S. have quit production rather than face the growing number of lawsuits as parents learn to recognize the damage done by the DPT vaccines.

Polio Vaccine

The Lancet reported: "It was in April 12th, 1955, the tenth anniversary of President Franklin Roosevelt's death, that the Foundation of Infantile Paralysis told the world, using every possible means of publicity, that the vaccine devised by Dr. Jonas E. Salk was `safe, potent and efficient.' 1

"Only 13 days after the vaccine was acclaimed by the whole of the American press and radio, as one of the greatest medical discoveries of the century, and two days after the English Minister of Health announced he would go ahead with the manufacture of the vaccine, came the first news of disaster. Children inoculated with one brand of vaccine had developed poliomyelitis. In the following days more and more cases were reported, some of them after inoculation with other brands of the vaccine. Then came another and wholly unlooked-for complication. The Denver Medical Officer, Dr. Florio, announced the development of what he called `satellite' polio, that is cases of the disease in the parents or other close contacts of the children who had been inoculated. They communicated the disease to others, although not suffering from it themselves. 1

"On June 23rd, 1955, the American Public Health Service announced that there had been 168 confirmed cases of poliomyelitis among the vaccinated, with six deaths, and 149 cases among the contacts of children given the Salk vaccine, with six deaths. The numbers developing polio were far greater than would have been expected had no inoculations been carried out. 1

"In 1982 and 1983 all cases of paralytic poliomyelitis in the USA were vaccine associated, and only one case caused by wild virus has been reported since 1980." (Wild virus" refers to a naturally contracted disease.) (From a Center for Disease Control report, Atlanta, Georgia, as reported in Lancet, December 8, 1985, pg.1215-7.) 1

Jonas Salk (developer of the vaccine) testified in 1977 that most of the few polio cases that had occurred in the U.S. in the last ten years were the by-product of the live polio vaccine. 3

MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella Vaccine)

Authorities say that MMR and polio vaccines can produce: Brain damage; paralysis; nerve inflammation; disease of the lymph glands; inflammation of the testicles and glands near the ear; partial deafness; skin disorders--rashes, tenderness, hardness, itchiness and discoloration; blood disorders; allergies; arthritis. 3

Measles

The first measles vaccine was licensed in the USA in 1963. Occasionally there are complications associated with contracting measles, but the vaccine itself is hazardous too. One of the dangers of the vaccine has been shown to parallel the alleged major danger of the disease itself, in being the cause of encephalitis in a great many cases. Dr. Robert Mendelsohn states: "I would consider the risks associated with measles vaccination unacceptable, even if there was convincing evidence that the vaccine works. There is not." Other complications that have been associated with the vaccine include: ataxia (unsteady gait, muscle weakness), retardation, learning disabilities, aseptic meningitis, seizure disorders and hemiparesis (partial paralysis). 3

Dr. Mendelsohn also points out that measles and mumps vaccinations may expose children to central nervous system involvement, including febrile seizures (fits relating to high temperature), unilateral deafness, and encephalitis (brain fever). Although such risks are small, they are infinitely less acceptable than the minimal dangers of the conditions which they are supposed to be protecting against. Children who contract measles suffer encephalitis about one in 100,000. The vaccine itself carries a high risk of producing encephalitis. 1

Mumps

Mumps usually makes your salivary glands swell, your temperature rise, and your head ache--nothing too serious in kids. It can be a lot worse for adults, causing deafness, miscarriage in women, and inflammation of the testes in men, which may in turn cause sterility.4

Mumps vaccine, says Dr. Mendelsohn, is of extremely questionable value, for although it may decrease the incidence of the disease in the children to whom it is given, it does so at the risk of exposing them to its dangers later on, as the protective effects are less than likely to last a lifetime. 1

Rubella

Rubella is not a serious disease, and yet the side effects of the vaccination which is designed to protect children from it are sometimes very serious indeed. These include arthritis, arthralgia (painful joints) and the painful condition of polyneuritis, in which there is a burning, tingling numbness in many nerves. 1

In 1977 the HEW (Health, Education, Welfare Dept.) reported that in 1970 as much as 26% of children receiving rubella vaccination, in national testing programs, developed arthralgia or arthritis. 1

Glen Dettman, Ph.D., described a figure of 30% of adults in Canada, given rubella vaccine, suffering from arthritic attacks within four weeks. Some of these were crippling in intensity. 1

Dr. Janet Chantler of the University of British Columbia, Canada, said that 4 to 5% of women vaccinated against rubella develop a chronic infection. Following immunization, the virus is not eliminated as is usual, but sets up a persistent infection. It is called Chronic Rubella Viremia & the women report long-term symptoms of arthritis, muscle ache, rash, joint pain & exhaustion. 4

In October 1977, a rubella outbreak at a large California hospital started a vaccination drive of all hospital staff. Allowing themselves to be vaccinated were 67% of service employees, but only 22% of all doctors & 9% of obstetricians & gynecologists. Do they know something we don't? 1

Smallpox Vaccine

Professor Arie Zuckerman, a member of the World Health Organization's advisory panel on viruses, warned against the smallpox vaccine, saying, "Immunization against smallpox is more hazardous than the disease itself." Plus, we now have monkeypox" which is clinically indistinguishable from smallpox. 2

Japan started compulsory vaccination against smallpox in 1872 and continued it for about 100 years with disastrous results. Smallpox increased every year. By 1892 their records showed 165,774 cases with 29,979 deaths, all vaccinated. In Australia where they had no compulsory vaccination they had only 3 deaths from smallpox in 15 years. 1

Smallpox had declined dramatically in the UK by the end of World War II. The extent of this was such that more children were dying of vaccination, than from the disease. In the post-war years, until the merciful end of this procedure, vaccine against smallpox killed more children than died of the actual disease. 1

2:

Vaccines are effective in protecting against disease

Vaccines are neither proven nor lasting in effectiveness

The protection offered by vaccines is extremely over-rated, and in some cases simply not true. In fact, if your body is fighting an infection, a vaccination can precipitate the disease. Just receiving a shot is no guarantee that you are immune to a disease, either for the present or future.

There is certainly no guarantee that vaccination will protect a child against disease, in fact over 30,000 cases of diphtheria have been recorded in the UK in fully immunized children. In other cases where there are outbreaks of diphtheria, approximately 50% of those who contact the disease have been immunized. 1,2,3

When immunity to a disease is acquired naturally, the possibility of reinfection is only 3.2%. If the immunity comes from a vaccination, the chance of reinfection is 80%.

In England the ghastly smallpox epidemic of 1871-1872 broke out after 35 years of inoculations. At the time of the epidemic's outbreak, 90% of the population was believed to have been vaccinated. 2

The incidence of smallpox actually increased with the introduction of the smallpox vaccine. Prior to 1853 (& the complete vaccination of the nation) there had been about 2,000 deaths per two-year period. Nearly 20 years later after the vaccination program had been in effect for those years, the biggest smallpox epidemic of 23,062 occurred. Towns where there had been the most thorough enforcement were the most severely hit. 3

In the U.S., smallpox vaccination lost its appeal by 1927 or so when it was realized that the vaccinated suffered the worst effects of the disease. Around this time the Philippines had experienced a ten-year campaign of vaccination against smallpox: the death rate from smallpox rose from 10% to 74%. In 1918, more than 18,000 Filipinos died from smallpox. 3

Another example of the uncertainty that surrounds many vaccines is the tuberculosis vaccine, BCG. At a conference on BCG vaccine held in Glasgow, the Medical Officer of Health for the city said, "More than a quarter of a century has elapsed since BCG vaccination (for tuberculosis) was introduced, and despite the fact that more than 100 million people have been vaccinated, there is basic disagreement on its value as a preventive measure."

An editorial in the Lancet (Dec. 1, 1980) tells that the BCG vaccine (tuberculosis vaccine) was a failure and that there was a greater incidence of tuberculosis in the vaccinated. In another article, Drs. Dettman & Kalokerinos mention that in their own country of Australia where the tuberculosis vaccinations were given, some of the strain of bacteria mutated, killing around 600 children.

The degree of efficacy of pertussis immunization is disputed by many authorities. Why? Immunized and non-immunized children show an equivalent incidence of the disease in many outbreaks. Professor Gordon Stewart, Professor of Public Health at the University of Glasgow, has studied whooping cough vaccination extensively. He stated in 1980: "The vaccination program was monitored from 1957-1968, and during this time it is firmly on record that whooping cough occurred in fully vaccinated children." He also states that in 1974-5, and 1978-9, outbreaks in the UK, and in the 1974 outbreaks in USA and Canada, the proportion of children developing whooping cough who had been fully vaccinated was between 30 and 50%. This made it very apparent that protection offered was incomplete. 1,2

The effectiveness of whooping cough vaccine has been reported to be about 50%. Professor Stewart commented, Vaccination has been at best only partially effective in controlling whooping cough, and had never been proved to be adequate in protecting infants below one year of age who are, in the UK at least, the only group of children whose health is seriously menaced by whooping cough. 1

An American survey also confirmed that current whooping cough vaccination programs do not necessarily protect infants.

The World Health Organisation did a study which was reported by Dr. Paavo Airola in Everywoman's Book, 1979, which found that in an unimmunized, measles-susceptible group of children the normal rate of contraction of disease was 2.4%; while in the control group that had been immunized, the rate of contraction rose to 33.5%. 2

In 1978 a survey of 30 U.S. States showed that more than half of the children who contracted measles had been adequately vaccinated. The fact is that there is no way to know how long this partial or temporary immunity will last in any given individual. 1,3

In 1977, 34 new cases of measles were reported on the campus of UCLA, in a population that was supposedly 91% immune, according to careful serological testing. 3

The U.S. Center for Disease Control reported 7335 measles cases in the first half of 1989. Of the school children affected, 80.6% were vaccinated. Government health authorities, rather than withdrawing the vaccine, view this evidence of its failure as a chance to experiment with using it twice on infants & children.

A killed measles virus vaccine was used in America for protection against this disease between 1963 and 1968. Some 750,000 children received this vaccination, which offered very little protection. A vast number of these children are now subject, as young adults, to what is called "atypical measles". This is a very severe form of the disease in which it appears that, because of the vaccination, there is a heightened susceptibility to measles viruses. It seems that some 50% of the children vaccinated in this way (when under 12 months of age) suffered damage to their immune systems causing permanent alteration to their ability to respond to this particular virus. 1,4

Thousands of children were vaccinated with the live measles vaccine less than 15 months after birth, when the vaccine may not take. And a small percentage of youngsters inoculated before 1980 with a live but less stable vaccine than today's may also be at risk. 4

Dr. Dennis H. Geffern, Medical Officer of Health at St. Pancras Hospital in the U.K., gave a list of four main host factors which predispose a person to developing polio:

1. Operations for the removal of tonsils and adenoids.

2. The condition of pregnancy.

3. Undue exertion, fatigue and chill.

4. Small injuries such as the inoculation of vaccines, of injection of drugs like penicillin. In these cases paralysis is usually observed in the limb which has received the trauma.

There can be little doubt, therefore, that even the vaccination of children against poliomyelitis itself may provide the very conditions which favor attack, and so increase the incidence of the disease. And this risk is by no means confined to the first injection. A child who is injected three times is at risk three times.1

One question is whether a childhood inoculation of the new chicken pox vaccine will lose its effectiveness in adulthood, a particular concern because chicken pox is generally more serious when it strikes adults. 4

The effectiveness and the potency of the flu vaccine are still under question and the side effects are well documented. Many cases of paralysis and some deaths were associated with the 1976 swine flu vaccine. 3

Mumps vaccine is very questionable because protection may not last a lifetime. Mumps is more serious in later life and is making a particularly strong comeback among young adults. 3,4

There is great controversy over the age at which the rubella (German Measles) vaccine is effective and whether immunizing children is at all effective in ultimately protecting the unborn fetuses of pregnant women, who are the real potential victims. 3

Thirty-six percent of adolescent females who had been vaccinated against rubella lacked evidence of immunity by blood test. A large proportion of children are found to be seronegative (no evidence of immunity in blood tests) four to five years after rubella vaccination. In a study reported by Dr. Paavo Airola, in Everywoman's Book, 1979, 80% of army recruits who had been immunized against rubella came down with the disease. 2 n

3:

Vaccines have caused the decline of infectious diseases

Sanitation, not vaccination, causes the decline of disease

Actual statistics and records from around the world show that infectious diseases--e.g., smallpox, diphtheria, whooping cough, scarlet fever, etc.--began to disappear long before immunizations ever came on the scene. Improved sanitation, better nutrition, and better housing have been more the cause of decline in disease than vaccination. In fact, some diseases are presently being perpetuated by vaccination.

According to the World Health Statistics Annual, 1973-1976, Volume 2, there has been a steady decline of infectious diseases "in most `developing' countries regardless of the percentage of immunizations administered in these countries. It appears that generally improved conditions of sanitation, better housing and above all, greater resistance to disease due to improved nutrition, are largely responsible for preventing `infectious' diseases." 2

Dr. Stewart of the University of Glasgow tells us, "Most of the major infectious diseases, especially those of childhood, have decreased in prevalence and mortality in all developed countries more or less continuously for fifty years or more. The essential fact is that the decline in prevalence and severity of these major infections and several others, occurred before there was any vaccination program. It is self-evident that factors other than vaccination play a large part in the decrease in prevalence and severity of infectious diseases." 1,2

The credit for the decline in the incidence of smallpox cannot be given to vaccination. The fact is that its incidence declined in all parts of Europe, whether or not vaccination was employed.

The combined death rate for scarlet fever, diphtheria, whooping cough and measles from 1860 to 1965, for children up to 15, shows that nearly 90% of the total decline in the death rate over this period had occurred before the introduction of antibiotics and wide-spread immunization against diphtheria.

Polio disappeared in Europe during the 1940s and 1950s without mass vaccination.

From 1958 to 1966, the number of measles cases reported each year dropped from 800,000 to 200,000. The drug industry claims this drop was due to vaccinations; however, there are some interesting discrepancies: 1 The incidence of measles has been declining steadily for the past 100 years. 2 It wasn't until 1967 that the live vaccine which is presently used was introduced because the killed virus vaccine which came out in 1963 was found to be ineffective and potentially harmful. 3 A survey of pediatricians in New York City revealed that only 3.2% of them were actually reporting measles cases to the health department. 4 In 1974, the Centers for Disease Control determined that there were 36 cases of measles in Georgia, but the Georgia state surveillance system reported 660 cases that same year. 1,2 n

4:

Vaccines are the only practical and dependable way to prevent epidemics and dangerous diseases

Nutritional and natural remedies are just as effective in the long run!

Vaccination is not the only solution. There are nutritional and natural remedies that are more in harmony with the body's immune system.

In terms of alternatives to immunization there are two main lines of thought: 1) Homeopathic and other non-drug methods, and 2) nutritional methods.

The best vaccine against common infectious diseases is an adequate diet. Poor nourishment is regarded universally as the single most common cause of immune system deficiency. The blood itself, if healthy, can immobilize and render harmless bacterial invasion, via its very chemistry. This is dependent upon adequate nutrition.

SUGAR. Sugar consumption can be shown to speedily reduce the efficiency of the immune function. This is vitally important in the early stages of infection, as it can make the difference between contracting a serious infection, and avoiding it. This is evidenced by a well-documented event, which occurred in the USA in 1949. During a polio epidemic in North Carolina, in 1949, Dr. Benjamin Sandler was able to promote the view that sugar was a major contributory factor in the contracting of this disease. With the aid of local radio and newspaper publicity, he urged parents to stop the intake by their children of ice cream, sweets, soft drinks and sugar as such, especially during hot weather. Fortunately the fear of the epidemic caused the heeding of the warning, and polio incidence in North Carolina dropped by 90% in 1949, as compared with surrounding areas, and previous outbreaks. 1

If a deficiency of Vitamin C coexists with a high sugar intake (not unusual in sweet eating, soft-drink consuming and non-fruit and vegetable eating youngsters) then the chances of infection are greatly enhanced. Supplementation of Vitamin C at times of epidemic (ideally not only then) can be seen to be a prudent measure. Vitamin C in particular is capable of killing bacteria and virus particles. There is a certain level of Vitamin C required to allow the body to cope with disease and infections, below which death of infants can occur from immunological shock when exposed to the toxins of vaccination. 1

Megadoses of Vitamin C have been known to both shorten the duration of many infectious diseases as well as lessen their discomfort. Used along with herbs, particularly alfalfa, and a non-mucus forming diet, Vitamin C is rendered more effective. But even without these megadoses of Vitamin C, the child who is well nourished can handle these "dread" diseases without much discomfort. 2

Other natural substances such as herbs have been used successfully in treating--& preventing--"infectious" diseases. Diet nutrients that have a special relevance to immune function include: Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin B, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B12, Biotin (a B vitamin), Folic acid (a B vitamin), Pantothenic acid (Vitamin B5), Vitamin E. 2

Your body's defense system is your protection against harmful environmental factors. It is made up of diverse specialized components superbly fashioned and programmed to perform highly sophisticated functions. These individual parts are organized into marvelously coordinated units which are strategically positioned. In health, they are constantly reinforced by new recruits, efficiently trained to carry out their very specialized duties. Your immune system is the chief constituent of this system, designed to shield you from agents of infection and disease.

Chief among the immune system's fighting forces are the white blood cells, or leucocytes, of which there are five types. Of these, the lymphocytes--of which there are about a trillion in the healthy human adult--are considered the chief fighting component. There are two types of lymphocytes: T-cells and B-cells. The former play a major role in defense against fungi, viruses and some bacteria. They also attack tumors and transplanted cells. B-cells are vital in the war against pus-producing bacteria.

Other structures belonging to the immune system include bone marrow, the thymus gland which is located in the chest, the lymphatic system, the spleen, tonsils and adenoids, & Peyer's patches which are groups of lymph nodules found mainly in the small intestine, and the appendix. These are all closely interrelated with other body systems.

The VIP Formula

(Formula for Vigorous Immune Potential)

Armed with a basic, albeit much simplified, account of what the immune system is and what it does, you can now proceed to care intelligently for its various essential elements, to keep them functioning optimally. To this end, I have devised what I call The VIP Formula, which is a sort of checklist to remind you of certain aspects of care and to alert you to areas of possible neglect. Put this checklist where you will see it each day. Review it each week.

* Eat adequately of a wholesome diet, avoiding highly processed foods containing additives. Ensure a good daily fluid intake, avoiding alcoholic beverages and those containing caffeine. Avoid using drugs of any kind. Don't smoke.

* Avoid reliance on commercial laxatives. Exercise regularly--out of doors when the weather permits. Choose a form of exercise you enjoy and will therefore do consistently, rather than something currently in vogue.

* Avoid unnecessary exposure to the sun. Protect your skin--your largest organ and part of your first line of defense against potentially harmful environmental factors.

* Make time each day for relaxation. Select and practice a technique you enjoy and feel comfortable with. You will find relaxation techniques described in some health and stress management books, or you can learn them in community classes. There is now persuasive evidence that reducing stress to manageable levels can bolster the body's disease-fighting ability.

* Try to obtain adequate sleep without dependence on medications. Regular exercise and relaxation will help, and there are natural sleep aids (e.g. herbal teas) available at health food stores.

* Establish and maintain a sound emotional support system (e.g. trustworthy, reliable, caring friends and/or relatives). Don't hesitate to seek help for emotional and other problems. There's a wealth of available resources upon which to draw.

* Make a conscious effort to cultivate positive feelings and attitudes and to build and maintain a sense of selfworth. Don't be afraid to do something nice for yourself from time to time. Be good to yourself. There's a wealth of documented evidence to support the fact that the mind has a powerful influence over the body as well as over microbes.

* Make time for a period of solitude each day. Your daily relaxation period could provide this, or you may set aside a different time simply to sit quietly and to withdraw from the myriad stimuli to which you may be subjected daily, or to engage in some activity that provides a contrast with usual occupations and social interactions. Avoid socializing with those who make you feel inadequate, depressed or fatigued.

Immune System Boosters

The ideal, is to draw largely upon your own natural resources to keep your body's defense system in peak condition. There are times, however, when life's demands or the agents of infection and disease tax or overwhelm these resources. At such times, when you feel you "are coming down with something", if something is "going around", or if you know you have been in contact with a communicable disease, you may wish to consider availing yourself of one or more of a number of products on the market which show promise as natural immune boosters. These should be used in conjunction with a wholesome diet and with the practices outlined in The VIP Formula.

The beauty of these products is that they stimulate the body's immune response rather than attack offending organisms or growths directly, and they do not produce the adverse reactions which drugs frequently do. The products include coenzyme Q10, organic germanium, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and herbs such as echinacea, licorice, chlorella, garlic, suma, lomatia and astragalus. n

5:

Unvaccinated people are threat to public health

If the unvaccinated are a "threat", that means vaccines don't work!

If vaccines really do their job, then it doesn't matter if everyone is vaccinated or not. Those who are vaccinated will be protected. Besides, most childhood diseases are not that dangerous and usually confer lifelong immunity.

Are unvaccinated persons a danger to others? Parents who choose not to have their children vaccinated will likely be confronted by people who think their decision a selfish one and their children a public health threat. However, if vaccination does what its advocates claim for it, the person who is vaccinated ought to be safe no matter whether anybody else is vaccinated or not. 3

Dr. Richard Moskowitz, in his article "Unvaccinated Children," says, "If the vaccines conferred a true immunity, as the natural illnesses do, then the unvaccinated people would pose a risk only to them-selves. Authentic immunity would insure that only the unvaccinated would fall ill, which has never proved to be the case. All known outbreaks of these diseases in the post-vaccine era have included large numbers of vaccinated people as well." 3

According to Dr. Richard Moskowitz and others, childhood diseases are decisive experiences in the development of the immune system which prepare the child to respond promptly and effectively to any infections he may acquire in the future. The ability to mount a vigorous, acute response to infectious organisms is a fundamental requirement of health and well-being. 3

The risks attached to the contracting of either measles or whooping cough are minimal, if the general health status of the children was reasonable by virtue of adequate nutrition, hygiene etc. 3

Whooping cough is not a serious disease in well nourished children, of good basic health. Dr. Gordon Stewart says that when children die of whooping cough, it is because they are severely disadvantaged in some way. Evidence suggests that a healthy child, properly cared for, will not die from whooping cough nor will the disease be serious or protracted. 1

Although pertussis was a highly virulent disease in earlier centuries with high incidence of death as well as non-fatal complications, current evidence indicates that whooping cough has become a milder disease in developed nations with good nutrition, medical care, and sanitation. The U.S. witnessed a steady drop in whooping cough deaths from the end of the 19th century until the 1930s. This decrease in death rate occurred before the widespread use of the pertussis vaccine. 3

However, in undeveloped countries, in contrast to developed countries, pertussis remains a virulent disease with death rates of up to 25%. 3

It is a little known fact that of the people that contract polio "naturally", over 90% of them produce no symptoms at all; only 1% to 3% get seriously ill. Wild polio virus is found everywhere in cities, and people develop natural resistance to it. 1,3

Prior to the vaccine era, measles, mumps, and rubella were reckoned among the "routine childhood diseases," which most school-children contracted, before the age of puberty, and from which nearly all recovered, with permanent, lifelong immunity, and no complications. The death rate from wild-type measles is very low, the incidence of serious complications is insignificant, and the general benefit to the child who recovers from the disease is very great. 1,3

6:

What you learn through the media or from doctors regarding immunizations, epidemics and diseases is generally accurate and fair, and for the betterment of general health

Medical mind set, money-making industries, and misguided politicians intentionally muzzle the truth

Statistics have been deliberately altered and media scare tactics used to create fear of diseases and promote vaccinations. Political and corporate interests promote the use and sale of vaccines.

Let's look at the statistical mill itself. The case of poliomyelitis is particularly instructive. A recent article in Modern Maturity states that in 1953, there were 15,600 cases of paralytic polio in the United States; by 1957, due to the Salk vaccine, the number had dropped to 2,499. However, during the 1962 Congressional Hearings, Dr. Bernard Greenberg, head of the Department of Biostatistics of the University of North Carolina School of Public Health, testified that not only did polio increase substantially (50 percent from 1957 to 1958 and 80% from 1958 to 1959) after the introduction of mass and frequently compulsory immunization programs, but statistics were manipulated and statements made by the Public Health Service to give the opposite impression. 1,2

How were the statistics manipulated? By: (1) redefinition of the disease, and (2) redefinition of an epidemic.

A common way of "reducing" the incidence of disease is simply to reclassify or "rediagnose" the disease. From the Los Angeles County Health Index: Morbidity and Mortality, Reportable Diseases, we read the following:

Viral or Aseptic

Date Polio Meningitis

July 1960 273 53

July 1961 65 161

July 1963 31 151

Sept. 1966 5 256

The reason for this remarkable change is stated in this same publication: "Most cases reported prior to July 1, 1958, as non-paralytic poliomyelitis are now reported as viral or aseptic meningitis." In Organic Consumer Report (March 11, 1975) we read, "In a California Report of Communicable Diseases, polio showed a 0 count, while an accompanying asterisk explained, `All such cases now reported as meningitis.'"

Within a few months after the television show "DPT: Vaccine Roulette," was aired (April 1982), the states of Maryland and Wisconsin reported whooping cough "epidemics." The Maryland state health officials implied that this rise in cases was the result of parents seeing the documentary and not having their children vaccinated. The cases in both the Maryland and Wisconsin "epidemics" were analyzed by J. Anthony Morris, Ph.D., an expert on bacterial and viral diseases. In Maryland, he found laboratory confirmation in only five out of the 41 cases and all of them had been vaccinated! In Wisconsin, he found laboratory confirmation in only 16 out of 43 cases, and all but two had been vaccinated! The formula seems to be: If you want to sell vaccines--and visits to the doctor--create epidemics.

The chicanery sometimes used in compiling vaccination statistics is discussed in much literature distributed by the National Anti-Vaccination League in Britain. For instance, the Ministry of Health itself has admitted that the vaccinal condition is a guiding factor in diagnosis. This means that if a person who is vaccinated comes down with the disease he is "protected" against, the disease is simply recorded under another name; for example, in the 30 years ending in 1934, 3,112 people are stated to have died of chicken-pox, and only 579 of smallpox in England and Wales. Yet all authorities are agreed that chicken-pox is a non fatal disease. In other words, people who have been vaccinated for smallpox and later come down with the disease are classified in the health records as having chicken-pox. 2

Since physicians have a stake in vaccination programs, "there is a natural tendency to under-report a disease when it appears to be occurring in a vaccinated population."

Examples of Questionable Statistics in News Articles:

"The Food and Drug Administration said earlier this year that if DPT vaccinations drop from their recent 90 percent level to a level of 30 to 40 percent, the United States could expect as many as 380,000 cases of whooping cough, resulting in 18,500 hospitalizations, 7,400 cases of pneumonia, 307 cases of convulsions, 184 cases of brain damage and 104 deaths." 4

(Editor's Comment: This direct quote from a newspaper is designed to sound as if we are dealing with facts, whereas they are only fabricated figures--which only could POSSIBLY happen.)

"Serious brain damage resulted in one of every 100,000 DPT vaccinations. The risk of suffering the same brain damage from whooping cough itself is one in 9,500 cases." 4

(Editor's Comment: These stats are questionable because they make it look like there are 10 times as many times cases of brain damage from whooping cough as from the vaccine. But since not every child gets whooping cough, the comparison of figures is not accurate.)

"Whooping cough kills an estimated 1 million children around the world." 4

Professor W. Ehrengut in Hamburg and Dr. John Wilson in London reported independently that signs of severe brain damage began to appear in some children soon after adverse reactions to triple vaccine (DPT). At about the same time, a number of reports appeared in the press from different parts of the UK about children who were previously well, but had become mentally retarded or paralyzed soon after receiving triple vaccine. The British Government, on the advice of its advisory committees, responded to these reports by reaffirming the efficiency and safety of pertussis vaccine, and by insisting that this component be retained in triple vaccine. They insisted also that a high level of vaccination among children of all ages must be maintained. 1

When "rut-thinking" reigns, a culture becomes stuck in a stance, and interpretations of reality that are at variance with the dominant stance are locked out. For instance, in recent Congressional hearings on vaccinations (S.2117), Congress refused to let scientists opposed to vaccinations testify before the committee. 2

Parents who believe their children were killed or injured by vaccine shots for whooping cough, or pertussis, called for development of a safer vaccine and a law to compensate them for their losses. The group favors passage of a bill that would force the Department of Health and Human Services to search for a safer vaccine and allow parents to sue for damages caused by pertussis inoculations. HHS, which maintains the vaccine is relatively safe, opposes that measure because of its potential cost to the government.4 (Editor's Comment: If the vaccine is safe, logically there would be no cause to sue, and therefore the cost would be minimal.)

Why are so many people unaware of vaccines? Who is responsible for this public image? Those who make money from this practice--namely the medical/pharmaceutical industry. 1

In 1981, vaccine distribution of eight major vaccines in the United States generated $300 million for the drug industry. Vaccines are big business! The research and administration of vaccines employs tens of thousands of people in drug companies, private research laboratories, universities, state health departments, public health clinics, the FDA, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control), hospitals, and doctors' offices. States obtain federal grants to hire additional personnel in their health departments to implement mass immunization programs. 1

Medical schools in the United States are subsidized by the foundations and grants of the multi-billion dollar drug industry and that same industry, spends an average of $6,000 a year on every doctor in the United States. With a built-in bias like this, is it any wonder that the medical profession is disease-oriented rather than health-oriented and inclined to promote drugs and vaccines? 40 to 60% of all disease complications in hospitals and clinics are doctor induced! 130,000 persons a year die from doctor-prescribed drugs! 1

The media pushes the popular orthodox line, and this supports the views which are being taught to the next generation of scientists and doctors, who after investing years of their lives to become a part of the established order, are unlikely for many reasons to be heretics. The simple fear of stepping out of line, the fear of rejection by one's colleagues and peers, and of being labeled as a heretic, are powerful reasons for conforming, and not rocking the boat. Thus, faced with a patient who has all the signs and symptoms of a particular disease, from which they have been "protected" by immunization, by calling the disease something else they are protecting their belief system, and the integrity of the theories around which they have built their actions, such as vaccination. All this is done to protect a system, and to help to save the public from having doubt as to the efficacy of methods. 1

Vaccine laboratories admit that the vaccines are highly toxic and cannot be made safe. The vaccine package comes with inserts that inform the doctor of the poisonous and possible after-effects of vaccines, yet he does not tell his patients what he knows.3

Wolfgang Ehrengut, a West German M.D. and immunologist, has pointed out that the prevailing mentality of physicians, when it comes to pertussis vaccine, is that "what must not be, cannot be". In other words: "It must not be true that this vaccine, that is supposed to save lives, has been killing and brain injuring children in unacceptable numbers for forty years, because whatever will we do if it is true? How will physicians who have been routinely administering a neuro-toxic vaccine to millions of babies ever live with that knowledge?" 1

There is a tremendous debate in the medical world about the dangers of immunizations and none of this is leaked to the public until a large number of tragedies occur. The scientific evidence exists against some immunizations, but the political and economic reasons for their continuation remain stronger than these facts. 1 n

If You DO Decide to Immunize

There can be no doubt that any medicine that is potent enough to do good has at least some potential for toxicity as well. Parents should be aware of the following precautionary steps when dealing with vaccinations:

1. Do not allow your child to be immunized if he or she has been ill or has had a cold or runny nose within the last 48 hours. Vaccinations provide supposed immunity by going directly into the bloodstream, and an immune system that is already taxed is more likely to react badly to immunization. Vaccinations also affect the lymphatic system which may already be stressed by a cold or runny nose.

2. If you wish to have your baby vaccinated, consider beginning at six months rather than six weeks. If your child was small for gestational age or was born prematurely, consider waiting even longer.

Although most physicians would recommend that immunizations be started at six weeks because the risk of pertussis, for example, is greater in infancy, there have never been any controlled studies done to determine whether or not an infant under six months of age can actually build immunity when immunized. Booster shots became popular to protect against the possibility that early immunity may not develop through immunization.

In Great Britain, vaccinations are started at six months of age. Why do we start them so much sooner in the U.S.? The major reasoning for beginning vaccinations so early comes from a study conducted by Parke-Davis in 1962, which concluded that it is more likely that children will receive the entire series of vaccinations if they are begun early in infancy. And, since most babies visit the doctor at four to six weeks for a check-up, it is more convenient for the health practitioner to start the series of immunizations at this time.

3. If your child has exhibited a severe reaction to the pertussis vaccine, immediately find a physician who will verify the reaction and write in your child's permanent medical record that he or she should never again receive a pertussis shot.

4. Be aware of the possibility that a strong family history of vaccine reaction may greatly increase the risk of receiving that particular vaccine. Any child whose brother or sister or parent reacted strongly or violently to a vaccine should certainly be excused from receiving it, preferably by obtaining a medical exemption from a physician practicing in that state.

5. Any child whose sibling or parent previously contracted poliomyelitis, or a severe or complicated case of measles or whooping cough or any of the other disease listed, should not receive the vaccine prepared against that illness. Other grounds for medical exemption include pre-existing epilepsy, central nervous system disorder, or any severe or disabling chronic disease.

6. If you have a family history of central nervous system disease, deafness, blindness, convulsions, or life-threatening allergies, the pertussis vaccine may be contraindicated (indicated as not advisable) for your child.

7. Once a particular child has reacted seriously, additional doses will frequently cause more serious reactions. A serious reaction to vaccination may include any of the following: Excessive, high-pitched screaming (the high-pitched scream is suggestive of central nervous irritation); severe swelling or redness at the site of the injection; fever lasting several days; collapse or extreme lethargy; greyish skin colour and cool extremities; or convulsions.

Some physicians might not consider local swelling and fever for several days to be severe reactions; but there have been cases of children who have exhibited swelling and fever reactions to a first immunization and more severe reactions to a second one, so even swelling and fever should not be minimized.

Some practitioners suggest a half dose followed by another half dose for children who have exhibited a toxic reaction to the vaccine. However all available evidence indicates that giving the child a half dose of DPT, followed one week later by another half dose, does not lessen the potential for toxic reaction.

8. Always write down the batch and lot number of any vaccine that your child is given. Be sure to look carefully at the vial whenever your child is given a vaccination. It is possible for a person to make a mistake and give your child the wrong vaccine.

9. For about two weeks after receiving the "live" polio vaccine, keep your child away from anyone who is not fully immunized against polio, or anyone who has an immune deficiency, for their own protection. The "live" polio vaccine, a live virus, is contagious. The disease is carried in the bodily excretions.

10. Be aware that most doctors recommend not giving your children aspirin following the "live" polio vaccine, because aspirin use has been associated with Reye's syndrome when a child is ill with a virus.

11. Parents are sometimes told by doctors & public health nurses to give their babies Tylenol before &/or after some vaccinations. This can add to the potential dangers of the vaccines. Research shows that the risk of adverse reactions increases dramatically with the depletion of Vitamin C in the body. The toxic effects of the vaccine cause a rapid depletion of Vitamin C. Tylenol & other fever-reducing chemicals also deplete the body of Vitamin C. If you do vaccinate your child, give lots of Vitamin C before & after the injections.2,3 n

We pray that the information in this issue of The Home Educator has helped you to be more fully informed concerning the question of immunization, and that it will help you make a prayerful and informed decision for your little ones.

Whatever decision you make, remember that God is able to keep His children no matter what the situation. If you prefer to vaccinate your children and believe that it would be in their best interests, we encourage you to observe the guidelines on page 11 entitled, "If You DO Decide to Immunize." If your situation is such that you must immunize your children to protect yourselves or them from legal or other difficulties, then God can keep them through it, just as He kept Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace and brought them out without the smell of smoke. If you believe that it is best not to have your children immunized, and commit your children to the Lord in prayer, then God can keep your children from disease, or protect and heal them if they do get sick. Either way, His children are in His hands and He will care for His Own. "Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass" (Psalm 37:5).

(1) Vaccination and Immunization: Dangers, Delusions and Alternatives, by Leon Chaitlow, The C.W. Daniel Company Limited, Great Britain.

(2) Immunization: The Reality Behind the Myth, by Walene James, Bergin and Garvey Publishers, Inc., Massachusetts.

(3) Immunizations: Mothering Special Edition, Mothering Magazine, Sante Fe, New Mexico.

(4) Various recent newspaper articles.

[Articles, tables, and information printed as "insets" in this publication are presented below:]

Immunization Recommendations by the American Association of Pediatrics [inset on page 1]

Age Vaccine

2 months DPT #1 (Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus injection)

3 months Oral Polio #1

4 months DPT #2

5 months Oral Polio #2

6 months DPT #3

7 months Oral Polio #3

9 months Tuberculin Test

15 months MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella injection)

18 months DPT booster, Oral Polio booster

24 months Tuberculin Test, DPT booster, Oral Polio booster

After 6 years Tuberculin Test (every 2 years), Tetanus booster (every 10 years)

LOOKING INSIDE THE VIALS [inset in section 1]

Materials from which vaccines and serums are produced are nauseating to contemplate: 1) rotten horse blood, for diphtheria toxin and antitoxin; 2) pulverized felt hats for tetanus serum; 3) sweepings from vacuum cleaners, for asthma and hay fever serums; 4) pus from sores on diseased cows for smallpox serums; 5) mucous from the throats of children with colds and whooping cough, for whooping cough serum; 6) decomposed fecal matter from typhoid patients for typhoid serum; 7) Plus a host of other substances composed of animal cells (chicken embryo, monkey kidney cells, calf serum, rabbit brain tissue, dog kidney tissue, duck egg protein) which are all foreign proteins which enter directly into the bloodstream. Are they hazardous to health?

Besides containing microorganisms, foreign proteins, and even live viruses which are put into the bloodstream, vaccines also contain other ingredients that are foreign to the body. Each vaccine has its own preservative, neutralizer, and carrying agent, none of which are indigenous to the body. For instance, triple antigen DPT (diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus) contains the following poisons: formaldehyde, mercury (thimersol), and aluminum phosphate (Physician's Desk Reference, 1980). Formaldehyde, which is commonly used to embalm corpses, is a known carcinogen (cancer-causing agent). Mercury is a toxic heavy metal, and aluminum phosphate is a toxin used in deodorants. Some of the other toxic ingredients are: phenol (carbolic acid), alum (a preservative), and acetone (a volatile solvent used in fingernail polish remover which can easily cross the placental barrier, thereby affecting the fetus). 2

PARENTS MUST SIGN, NOT SUE [inset in section 1]

Today parents of school children sign a paper agreeing not to sue if complications arise from compulsory immunizations. In California, there is a new law providing up to $25,000 for medical expenses for children who have catastrophic reactions to mandatory immunizations. The fact that this law was enacted shows us that such reactions can't be all that rare!

A U.S. federal compensation system has awarded US$22 million to families with children who died or showed injuries after being vaccinated for whooping cough and other diseases.

Created by the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986, the system provides families an alternative to time-consuming, sometimes fruitless lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies and doctors.

The claims court awarded $1 million to Joshua Schroeder, who experienced seizures after being given two shots of a childhood vaccine for diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (whooping cough). Joshua, now 12, is developmentally retarded.

1991 STUDY LINKS CHILDHOOD VACCINES TO HEALTH PROBLEMS [inset in section 1]

WASHINGTON (UPI) -- Two widely used childhood vaccines for diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus and rubella apparently can cause rare, but potentially serious health problems, an expert panel concluded Wednesday. The 11-member panel conducted a 20-month review of 20 health problems suspected of being linked with the rubella vaccine and the DPT vaccine, which millions of children receive each year. The study, which was concluded in July 1991, was requested by Congress in its 1986 Childhood Vaccine Injury Act, which established a federal compensation program for persons injured by vaccines.

The committee found there was sufficient evidence that the vaccines could cause several potentially serious health problems, although it was unclear exactly how common the reactions were and why the vaccines could cause them. Of 17 health problems associated with the DPT vaccine, the committee found evidence the vaccine could cause a rare, sudden, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction called anaphylaxis. The report estimated that only about six cases occur out of every 100,000 children who receive the standard three-dose immunization. In addition, there is evidence for a link between DPT and acute encephalopathy, brain conditions that can produce symptoms ranging from a stupor to a coma. About 10.5 cases out of every 1 million immunizations occur at most, the report said. The report found evidence supporting a link between DPT and shock and an "unusual shock-like state" occurring within 12 hours of immunization. Studies indicate that reaction may occur 3.5 to 291 times in every 100,000 immunizations, the report said.

In addition, evidence "indicates a causal relation" between the pertussis component of the DPT vaccine and an extended period of crying or screaming, sometimes lasting 24 hours or more after immunization. At most, this occurs in 6 percent of cases and there is no evidence it is linked to permanent neurological damage, as had been feared, the committee found.

(Editor's note: The above statistics indicate that almost 9% of children vaccinated with DPT vaccine suffer an immediate and obvious reaction to the vaccination. Others may be affected by the more long-term health problems, for which the study did not obtain sufficient evidence.)

CRIB DEATH (SIDS) AND DPT [inset in section 1]

From a Washington D.C. newspaper (AP):

Killer Vaccine Recalled after Four Babies Die: The government announced the recall of more than 100,000 doses of vaccine designed to protect from diphtheria, whooping cough and tetanus following the deaths of four babies within 24 hours after receiving the vaccine. The deaths originally appeared to have resulted from the little-understood sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), also known as crib death. 4

A study undertaken in 1979 at UCLA and which has been confirmed by other studies, indicates that in the USA approximately 1,000 infants die annually as a direct result of DPT vaccination, and these are classified as SIDS deaths (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). These represent about 10 to 15% of the total number of SIDS deaths occurring annually in the USA. 1

It was noted in one survey that two-thirds of 103 children, who died of SIDS, have been immunized with DPT vaccine within three weeks of each death. Many health workers have noted that the sudden, inexplicable death of an apparently healthy baby often takes place within hours or days of vaccination of one kind or another. 1

The most important practical work in this area has been done by Dr. Archie Kalokerinos and Glen Dettman, PhD, in their work with aboriginal children in Australia. Aboriginal infant death rates had shown a dramatic increase in the early 1970s, having doubled in 1970 and gone even higher in 1971, and in some areas the infant death rate was reaching 500 out of 1,000 babies. Dr. Kalokerinos was asked by the area's Minister of the Interior to advise. He describes how the answer came to him:

"Suddenly it clicked. We have stepped up immunization campaigns. My God! I had known for years that they could be dangerous, but had I underestimated this? Of course I had. I knew the procedure. A health team would sweep into an area, line up the aboriginal babies and infants and immunize them. There would be no examination, no taking of case history, no checking on dietary deficiencies. Most infants would have colds. No wonder they died. Some would die within hours from acute Vitamin C deficiency, precipitated by the immunization. Others would die later from 'pneumonia', 'gastroenteritis', or 'malnutrition'. If some babies and infants survived, they would be lined up again in a month for another immunization. If some managed to survive even this, they would be lined up again. Then there would be booster shots, shots for measles, polio and even TB. Little wonder they died. The wonder is that any survived."

Dr. Kalokerinos and Dettman were able to almost completely eliminate the infant death problem by the simple expedient of nutritional supplementation with Vitamin C. Dr. Kalokerinos says, "I have no doubt that some so-called 'cot-deaths' are in fact acute Vitamin C deficiencies, and that these occur even if the diet is adequate. In vaccination there is an increased utilization of Vitamin C, and this, particularly when associated with dietary deficiency, lowers immunity. An infection such as pneumonia or gastroenteritis is likely, thus an infant may die a few days after being immunized." 1

Keys to a Healthy Immune System [inset in section 4]

1. Eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.

2. Eating only whole, natural foods.

3. Chewing food well.

4. Eating whole grains.

5. Keeping eliminative organs working well.

6. Getting adequate rest, exercise, pure water and fresh air.

1. Refined sugar.

2. Refined, chemicalized, stale and overcooked food.

3. And, of course, coffee, tobacco and alcohol.

4. Poisons such as drugs, vaccines, insecticides, X-rays, radioactivity.

5. Exposure to electromagnetic radiation. In more than moderate amounts, this has been shown to have a lowering effect on immune efficiency. Thus extra precautions are required for anyone working in front of a video display screen, or regularly exposed to microwaves, X-rays, telephones, radar, television, computers and all low-frequency electronics. 1

6. Exposure to air or water pollution by heavy metals. (lead, etc.) Anyone living in an industrial area, or a large city, where atmospheric lead from petrol is likely to be excessive, should increase their intake of nutrients which help to counteract this (like Vitamin C, selenium, calcium).

7. Excessive sunbathing. This has a marked lowering effect on immune function.

8. Stress. Stress in all its forms is lowering for the immune function.

SANITARY MEASURES AND NATURAL IMMUNITY [inset in section 4]

Are vaccines the only alternative for disease prevention? Most of the success over these killer diseases, ordinarily attributed to the vaccines, has been due to improved general health and sanitation. 3

Both diphtheria and tetanus are serious, sometimes fatal diseases, even under the best of treatment; this is especially true of tetanus, which still carries a mortality of close to 50%. On the other hand, both diseases are quite readily controlled by simple sanitary measures and careful attention to wound hygiene, and, in any case, both have been steadily disappearing from the developing countries, since long before the vaccines were introduced. 3

Dr. William Howard Hay has pointed out that in any epidemic of communicable disease only a small percentage of the population contracts the disease. Most people are naturally immune, so if a man who has been vaccinated does not contract the disease, that really proves nothing. If he had not been vaccinated, the chances are he would not have contracted the disease anyway. We have no way of knowing. 2

Doctors consider that if a person was born before 1957, even if they have never had symptoms of mumps, they are presumed immune (assumed to have had subclinical infection and to have developed antibodies) due to universal childhood exposure at that time. 4

For infants, their mothers' milk will normally protect them from all infections about as well as can ever be done.

Tetanus is essentially a wound infection. Tetanus does not occur epidemically, and cannot be passed from person to person, although conditions associated with wound infections (such as warfare) definitely favor it if the spores are present. The spore-forming organisms live in horse manure, and to a lesser extent in human manure (chiefly among people who keep horses); but the spores themselves are highly weather-resistant and can survive in the soil for decades. They will germinate only under strict anaerobic conditions ---- such as a deep, jagged puncture wound with enough tissue damage to get the infection started (the proverbial "rusty nail") or a simple wound infection (a severe burn or an infected umbilical cord stump in a newborn) which consumes all the available oxygen and thereby allows the spores to germinate underneath.

Careful attention to wound hygiene will effectively eliminate the possibility of tetanus in the vast majority of puncture wounds. Wounds should be carefully inspected, thoroughly cleaned, surgically debrided of dead tissue (under local anesthesia, if necessary), and not allowed to close until healing is well under way "from below".

If you do decide to vaccinate your children with tetanus toxoid alone, there is no need to vaccinate until the child is old enough to walk around and navigate on his or her own (18 to 24 months), at which time the vaccine is far less likely to cause complications.

Propaganda and Scare Tactics [inset in section 6]

The practice of immunization in the United Stats has, for the most part, been accepted without any opposition. The public has been intimidated by scare tactics and guilt either to immunize their children or be labeled negligent parents. 3

The appeal to fear and the necessity for technological intervention and management of disease is illustrated in much of the literature distributed by state departments of heath. "The hidden menace" and "killer and crippler" are some of the terms used to describe certain childhood infectious diseases from which children must be ”protected" by immunizations. "Danger," "warning," "allowed to strike" are some of the scare terms used to intimidate parents into getting their children immunized. The more serious consequences as well as the frequency of the disease for which children are given immunizations are maximized, if not grossly exaggerated, while the frequency of serious complications resulting from vaccinations is ignored or greatly minimized.

Examples of Propaganda and Scare Tactics in News Articles [inset in section 6]

Actual Excerpts from Newspaper Articles:)

"A dirty nail jabs through your tennis shoe while you're cleaning out the garage, leaving a nasty hole in your foot. Bacteria enter your body through the wound, the toxins they produce attack your spinal cord, and your muscles spasm and then become rigid. Unless you get medical treatment quickly, you stand up to a 40 percent chance of dying. Even if you live, you could face several weeks in the hospital breathing with an artificial respirator. --Or you could get a tetanus shot. If you never completed your initial series of three shots (which infants now routinely receive with their DPT inoculations), ask your doctor to immunize you immediately. Even if you've had the primary series, you need a booster shot every ten years." 4

"Chicken pox strikes more than 3 million Americans a year, mostly children." 4

"Measles is far more dangerous than most people think. It can lead to pneumonia or encephalitis--especially when it hits older adults and infants." 4

"Measles is by no means harmless. Spread by a highly contagious virus, it can lead to complications like pneumonia, spontaneous abortion in pregnant women, inflammation of the brain cells (encephalitis), or even death." 4

What Options Do Parents Have? [inset in section 6]

If you do not want your child vaccinated, what can you do? First, read the law of your state. You will find there are two and sometimes three exemptions: Medical, religious, and personal belief. To qualify for the medical exemption you must have a doctor certify in writing that vaccines would be detrimental to your child's health. To qualify for the religious exemption, a parent or a guardian must sign a notarized affidavit stating that immunizations are contrary to your beliefs. If your state is one with the personal belief exemption, simply write on a piece of paper that immunizations are contrary to your beliefs. As of 1985, the personal belief exemption exists in 22 states. 2

If your state does not have the personal belief exemption and you cannot get a medical exemption, the easiest course for you to follow would be to take the religious exemption. 2

Note: While there are grounds in some states on the base of philosophical belief which allow parents to escape the enforced immunization of their children, they risk the local authorities attempting to make their children wards of the state, on the grounds that the parents are unfit to have custody. This is happening now in the U.S. In the UK there is freedom of choice, but the pressures on the parents to conform are great, and resistance difficult, unless they are articulate and well-informed. 1

"It is also possible for parents to file as conscientious objectors with the state health department, although this choice is not advertised," Carol Horowitz, from the University of New Mexico, tells us. She says that several people she knows who are conscientious objectors stated that it is their "God-given right to refuse to immunize my child." Any lesser statement is legally unacceptable. You cannot say, for instance, that you have read 20 articles in newspapers and 8 articles in medical journals or have seen some documentary on television. 2,3

What about traveling abroad? You simply declare exemption under Clause 83 of the International Sanitary Code, issued by the World Health Organization and adopted by all its members. It states, in effect, that only when coming from an infected area are vaccinations necessary or the traveler could be quarantined for up to 14 days from the time he left the infected area if the health department deems it necessary. If you come from an area where there has been an epidemic, you will probably be put under surveillance. This simply means that together with the local health officer you must keep a close watch for any suspicious signs or symptoms. You will probably be required to report periodically to your local health officer for a period of up to 14 days from the time of your departure from the infected area. If you notice any outbreak or symptom, you must immediately turn yourself in and submit to quarantine or isolation. 2

A Doctor's Comment On The Immunization Question [inset in section 6]

Q: Could you please tell me something about immunization?

A: I find the immunization issue complex and am always careful to encourage parents in my practice to make up their own minds after reading the cases for and against. There is no clear-cut answer because there is not enough research available yet (that I know of). Personally I did not immunize my own daughter, feeling comfortable in assuming responsibility for recognizing and treating any childhood illnesses she might get.

I believe there is validity in the ideas that:

1. Vaccinations add to the toxic load of the body.

2. It is best to build the immune system by breastfeeding, good diet and lifestyle, and the use of natural therapies for illnesses.

3. It is useful for children to go through all normal childhood diseases as a part of the development process of their immune system.

4. The risk of contracting a dangerous childhood disease (i.e., polio) or having a complication from a normal one (i.e. meningitis) is low and also not entirely ruled out by vaccinations anyway.

5. The use of vaccinations may be partially related to the increase in allergies and possibly chronic diseases in our society.

In the final analysis, though, I try not to make a huge deal out of this issue, feeling that if parents do decide to vaccinate and there is some imbalance as a result, that continuing to work with diet, lifestyle and natural remedies can probably overcome it.