Loving life...: June 2014

Greetings readers! Here is a sequel to my vaccine blog post from several weeks ago. I wanted to write something that covers the diseases that are commonly vaccinated for, but also address what disease is, and the importance and function(or what we know of it) of the microbiome. Antibiotics get covered a bit…this post is a bit all over the place…but I feel like all of the info is necessary to understand the point…which, overall, is that vaccines aren’t necessary for good health and wellness.

First, pull up the cdc^1,2 vaccine schedule(adults’ is the 2^nd one, but I’ll be following the child’s for the sake of this post). I want to make something very clear…anything can kill you. Walking across the street, any variety of disease, driving in a car, drinking a glass of water, and food (in excess, or poisoning from it). So as we carry on in this post, keep in mind what “disease” means – according to Merriam Webster – disease: “an illness that affects a person, animal, or plant : a condition that prevents the body or mind from working normally.”³ And then there’s the medical definition – disease: “an impairment of the normal state of the living animal or plant body or one of its parts that interrupts or modifies the performance of the vital functions, is typically manifested by distinguishing signs and symptoms, and is a response to environmental factors (as malnutrition, industrial hazards, or climate), to specific infective agents (as worms, bacteria, or viruses), to inherent defects of the organism (as genetic anomalies), or to combinations of these factors.”³ “Disease” doesn’t necessarily mean “germs”…or obviously “sick”….it is an impairment of the normal state of the living animal. So every time you have diarrhea, a cough, runny nose, etc. you are technically “diseased”, because your normal state is impaired. A chronic disease is one that lasts 3 months or more(i.e. diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome, eczema, etc.). Diseases are everywhere. They happen all the time. The best thing we can do, is try to arm our defenses – our immune system, to handle the pathogens. (Definition of pathogen: “a specific causative agent (as a bacterium or virus) of disease” ⁴) There are hundreds and thousands of pathogens. Some we are bombarded with daily…some not so much.

About the microbiome - the bacterial cells in and on our body, that help us in ways we are still discovering, that outnumber human cells ten to one! Sometimes, we encounter “germs” that make us sick(they overtake our immune system, bringing on disease), some protect us, while others seem to have no effects at all. When we take antibiotics, we disrupt the normal functions of the microbiome. Some of those protective bacteria die off, making an opening for other forms of disease, like asthma and allergies⁶. The microbiome has also been shown to play a role in absorbing and rejecting nutrients and as well! You can’t just eat vitamins and assume that your body is using them. Often they just become very expensive urine and feces, because your body and microbiome aren’t functioning correctly.⁷ This is often seen as a person who is often sick, or “under the weather”…they might be eating some nutritious foods, and not able to absorb the nutrients…even obesity can be linked with your microbiome! If I can make one thing clear, I want this to be heard, loud and clear- your microbiome is extremely important. Your body isn’t absorbing the nutrients in the food, and is in something of a starvation mode, and therefore, you don’t burn the fat you should be. Or, you are storing what few calories you take in, because your body thinks it is in a famine.⁸ The microbiome is literally tied to almost everything in health right now. http://chriskresser.com/ is a great resource for scientifically based, alternative medicine, with lots and lots of research about the microbiome! We need to love on those bacteria keeping us alive, not keep killing them off. I highly encourage you to research this. It is relatively new in science, only the last 10 years or so J

How does one get a well-developed microbiome? It seems important for warding off disease (normal state being impaired – i.e. illness, weight gain, allergies, etc.). Well, there are several steps to having a good microbiome. Ideally, a healthy pre-natal period(no use of antibiotics…or at the very least, the use of good probiotics after the use of antibiotics)…a vaginal, antibiotic-free birth, exclusively breastfeeding for at least 6 months, eating fermented foods (kefir, yogurt, real pickles/sauerkraut/pickled foods/raw dairy products(only from trustworthy sources), etc.)^9,10 So I am not saying never use antibiotics, but go with caution, and know that antibiotics are regularly fed/injected into conventionally raised animals. So you ARE getting antibiotics through conventional milk, meats, fish, cheeses, etc. Organic is definitely a better option…best option is to know your farmer J. Now, some of us can't control what our mothers did or not do, and we don't often have those details. So encouraging a good microbiome through fermented foods, specific starches and fiber, and a good probiotic supplement is so important if we really want to have a healthy gut....many a nutritionist will tell you, "it all begins in the gut!" Chris Kresser, Jordan Rubin, Weston Price, and most up to date alternative health practitioners will emphasize how important the microbiome is to good health...we have a symbiotic relationship with billions of cells living in and on us...they help us and we feed them...

So, we have covered disease, pathogen, and microbiome. Let us continue.

A good microbiome and in turn, immune system, will ward off disease. It doesn’t have to be exposed to it more than once to do so¹¹. Basically, your T-cells can identify a foreign pathogen when it enters your system through the normal routes(nose, skin, eyes, mouth, etc.). You don’t have to have an antibody for that specific pathogen. The story of vaccines tells you that antibody = immunity. And that vaccines = antibody = immunity. And this is simply not true. Toxins impair the immune system, making it difficult to ward off disease, even if you have been exposed before.¹² Stress, lack of nutrition, lack of sleep, etc. all hurt the body ultimately. There are a few diseases that get a bad reputation, because they CAN be bad, or they are "vaccine preventable"…but I tend to think that the vaccine alternative for the disease is worse than getting the disease itself(and that the vaccine doesn’t protect you as much as it is promised to). Vaccine efficacy depends on the microbiome¹³. Yes, you read that correctly, your gut needs to be in good shape for the vaccine to work best. Essentially, if you decide to vaccinate or not, it all comes back to the microbiome being the main source of defense for your body’s overall health. Antibody titers(how much antibody you’ve produced to recognize a particular pathogen) don’t mean immunity, vaccines don’t mean immunity¹⁴…it is nearly a guessing game of who is “immune” or not. Therefore, it is simply better to be healthy, in my humble opinion. Especially, since there is a lot of evidence to support that vaccines hurt the microbiome because of the antibiotics contained in them(plus, we aren't entirely sure how they do or do not respond to the toxins. If vaccines aren't tested for carcinogenic properties, they certainly aren't tested for microbiome effects!)! There is some evidence that the toxins in vaccines hurt the body more than help it. So let’s delve into the diseases that are “vaccine preventable” and see what they are, how to prevent them, how to treat them, and what is associated with the vaccine! (and if they are actually scary at all!) Let us start at the beginning of the CDC schedule and work through the first 18 years OR SO(I will not be covering the flu vaccine, meningitis, or HPV – if you have questions about those, please contact me privately, and I’d be happy to answer any questions J ) None of the information I present is intended to treat or diagnose a person or illness.

Note: SIDS is higher in countries that vaccinate heavily(like the USA)^45.. You cannot vaccinate away disease without proper nourishment, water, sleep, good living conditions, etc.Also, as I was writing this post, and I read through the package inserts. I would have to double check, but pretty much all of them that I can recall, said pretty clearly: “_______vaccine has not been evaluated for carcinogenic or mutagenic potential or impairment of fertility”…so before you go an assume they’ve been tested extensively, and are super safe, keep that statement in mind. The vaccine has NOT been thoroughly tested. Virtually every, if not every single, insert said that statement. Also, main causes of death in babies and children in the US are genetic problems, accidents, SIDS, and cancer. 3 of those 4 main causes could be linked to vaccines, but no one wants to test it too thoroughly…they might not be linked at all…but it would be nice to test for those things, before injecting them into a person’s body.

Birth:

Hep B – According to the WHO¹⁵, it is a virus. It hurts the liver, which can become inflamed. It is transmitted by blood(from mother to baby, contaminated injections-usually drugs, and sexual contact). The most common treatment of it is rest, drinking fluids, and eating well. It normally resolves itself without any medication. Sometimes, children CAN get a chronic infection – this is rare. Also, look at the risk factors…generally speaking, most children have a nearly 0% chance of getting Hep B. And since it rarely requires medication, I wouldn’t be too concerned. Since it is a virus that attacks the liver, things like milk thistle and lemon essential oil with a cleansing tea, like Echinacea would be excellent in helping to fight the infection while supporting the liver.

The Hep B vaccine has aluminum, yeast protein, formaldehyde, and a bunch of other toxic ingredients, in addition to the inactive hep b virus. It takes at least 3 doses to be effective, the immunity will wear off by the time the child is sexually active-(excluding extreme circumstances), and the last dose administered between 6-18 months old¹. There is no evidence yet, that vaccinated babies retain their “immunity” into adulthood.¹⁶ The risks of the vaccine include death, fevers over 100 degrees, vomiting, influenza, nausea, multiple sclerosis, febrile seizures, Bell’s Palsy, encephalitis, eczema, lupus, and the list continues.¹⁷

So we have a rare disease, that doesn’t normally need medication vs. a vaccine that hasn’t been shown to be effective for babies that has possible, proven side effects of death, brain damage(encephalitis), seizures, and MS…

I find this vaccine to be unnecessary for my family and potentially dangerous.

2 months:

Hep B- (see birth)

Rotovirus – It is “a leading cause of severe diarrheal disease”- basically, smelly diarrhea. It is unclear how it is spread. Pretty much every child gets it at some point, by the time they are 3 years old. It is rarely life threatening. Dehydration is the most common side effect. 5% of deaths under the age of 5 years old, are due to rotovirus. And 95% of rotovirus deaths are in Asia and Africa – where malnourishment and living conditions are severe.

The vaccine doesn’t work well in breastfed babies, it is now recommended you STOP breastfeeding for 2 or 3 DAYS to let the vaccine work better¹⁸…yeah, stupid right? Not only is it REALLY bad for the breastfeeding mom, it is bad for the baby also. The vaccine is a live virus, so if the breastfed baby fights the live virus so well in the vaccine, it would also fight it well if it came across it naturally. If you are nursing, this vaccine is completely unnecessary. If you are formula feeding, I would still say this is unnecessary…because it is diarrhea, not the bubonic plague. Stay hydrated, change those smelly diapers, and get on with life.

Side effects of the rotovirus vaccine¹⁹ – diarrhea (yes, the vaccine can and does cause the thing it is meant to prevent), vomiting, irritability (like babies need extra doses of THAT!) otitis media (fancy way of saying chronic ear infections, intussusception (an extremely painful, and potentially life threatening bowel disfunction, often requiring surgery), seizures, etc….. No – possible rotovirus diarrhea vs. possible chronic ear infection and possible permanent bowel problems ….I’ll risk possible rotovirus, and breastfeed. Rotovirus is also very treatable through a variety of methods. Generally, it resolves itself in 3 to 9 days, and the vaccine has only been around since 2006 – a total of 8 years(it is for infants only – under 32 weeks of age). No current adult has been vaccinated for it in infancy, nor did our parents fear us dying from it.

With proper nourishment, this is a completely normal, easy, disease to go through…and seeing as how the vaccine can cause the disease, because it is a live virus vaccine, and the side effects CAN be quite severe.

I find this vaccine to be unnecessary for my family and potentially dangerous.

DTaP –We need to break this one down further:

Diphtheria-this disease is NO JOKE! The rates of death from it are pretty high…as much as 20% in children, and 10% in adults. However, it is rarely contracted. Only 5 cases in the last 10 years, according to the CDC²⁰. A healthy baby is not going to contract it because it isn’t prevalent…it is sickly, impoverished, overcrowded populations that suffer from this disease. There are antitoxins that are able to treat this also. Generally, it is “flu like symptoms” though.

Tetanus-Also no joke! It is typically in fecal matter of farm animals, it doesn’t live in the presence of oxygen, and it produces excitotoxins that are neurotoxins. An antitoxin can treat it, and the tetanus immunoglobin is an effective way to prevent it, if you have been contaminated. The circumstances for contamination are a deep puncture wound, with fecal matter in it, and the wound doesn’t bleed (bleeding shows an oxygenated environment which the tetanus bacteria cannot live in). You can clean it out with peroxide to oxygenate it also. You can’t “catch” it from someone. Tetanus still happens in America, but with basic first aid, and if necessary, a tetanus immunoglobin, you should be fine. Again, if you do get it, it can be treated with antitoxin also.

acellular Pertussis – aP J “whooping cough”, “hundred day cough”….we’ve all heard the horror stories. Infact, the DTaP shot is the only way to prevent it….so they say. It is caused by the pertussis bacteria, and it lives in the throat, and has a “whoop” sound after the cough. It CAN be dangerous, left untreated, because you can cough so much that you don’t have time to breathe. You can vomit you cough so hard…it can be really rough…or it can be nothing more than a cold with an annoying cough.

As far as treatment for pertussis. The media and CDC say that the vaccine is the ONLY way to prevent it. Infact, it has a 100% transmission rate. If you have never had the vaccine, and never had whooping cough, you will get it if you are exposed. But there is a little discrepancy about the “never had the vaccine” part. The vaccine has been shown to be completely ineffective. Infact, the more “immune” you become to it, the more likely you are to GET it! 42% MORE LIKELY!²¹ And here’s some stats on a recent outbreak in Vermont.²² If you look up those numbers, you’ll see, that people who don’t get the vaccine get WC…and kids who’ve had 5 and 6 doses of the vaccine, still get WC… Now, I’m not saying this to diminish the seriousness of this disease. Babies DO die from whooping cough. But generally, a healthy, breastfed baby will survive it just fine. There are steroid treatments that the Western medical field would prescribe if your baby/child contracted whooping cough. Or, you can go with the natural, safer, and more effective route of high doses of vit c. I know I know…trust a vitamin INSTEAD of a “proven” technique of steroids or antibiotics? Well, yes. That is what I’m suggesting. Dr. Suzanna Humphries has set up and established a vit c protocol for whooping cough, and I know people, who have infants, who had whooping cough, and have treated it effectively, quickly, and safely with this method.²³ Another option is antibiotics, because it is the pertussis bacteria that cause the disease, but as previously shown in the section on the microbiome, you really want to avoid antibiotics at all costs. Also, something a bit upsetting about the DTaP vaccine, is that you can become an asymptomatic carrier of pertussis and actually end up giving it to other people without knowing it. Since the vaccine offers no protection, you can give it to other vaccinated and unvaccinated people.²⁴ Also, getting the vaccine ENHANCES the chances of a parapertussis infection.²⁵ Best article on whooping cough and the recent outbreaks all with cdc and medical journal citations!

Now, the problems with the DTaP shot on the whole – It has been linked with SIDS and Autism…on the package insert. In the clinical trials, the Tripedia vaccine of DTaP CAUSED autism and SIDS…but that vaccine isn’t used…anymore. So who knows how many cases of SIDS and autism during its use were causes by this “needed” shot. Here is the Tripedia insert²⁶. Please keep in mind, the FDA allowed something this harsh on the market. As to the regular DTaP vaccine commonly administered to babies NOW, side effects include: encephalopathy (brain swelling, leading to brain damage), SIDS, fever, Guillain Barre Syndrome, seizures, etc.²⁷ I’m sorry…SIDS is still listed…so trying to avoid a severe cough, you may not only give your child a shot to “protect” them, which may in turn, cause them to be more likely to get parapertussis, and might cause them to spread pertussis more readily…but it may also kill them through SIDS. Here’s the ingredients - Aluminum Hydroxide, Bovine Extract, Formaldehyde or Formalin, Glutaraldhyde, 2-Phenoxyethanol, Polysorbate 80. ²⁸ (all ingredients to any of the vaccines can be found at the #28 reference.

I find this vaccine to be unnecessary, extremely hazardous, and potentially life threatening.

HiB – Haemophilus influenza – it is a bacteria that can cause pneumonia, meningitis, and illness of that nature. It is typically treated by antibiotics. The bacteria often live in/on the human body without any problems. Sometimes, they can cause infection. It is typically contracted by children under the age of 5.
This is a highly toxic shot. It is also somewhat new to the CDC schedule(1988- before I was born, so I’m calling it “new”). Most 80’s babies and prior didn’t get this vaccine. HiB deaths were also extremely rare. My mother didn’t fear me getting HiB and dying. “In 1995, out of 74 Hib disease cases where age and vaccination status were known, 41 or 55 percent had received at least one Hib shot; 22 were appropriately vaccinated for their age; and 18 had completed the primary series."”²⁹ - not worth it to me. Another study showed 38% of the 164 cases in 3 years were “true vaccine failures”.³⁰ What stands out to me is that there were only 164 cases in 3 years. Another point, 43 of those were true vaccine failures. So in the 3 year where there were literally, billions of people living and dying in the US, only 164 cases of HiB? Is this really a big danger? HiB is really rare as far as diseases go, in my opinion, and 18 out of 74 cases (nearly 1/3), were fully vaxed…..doesn’t sound very effective to me. And considering how many people are fully vaccinated for it, and still get it, I just question why I need to give it to my infant, especially when it is so rare. Some of the ingredients, depending on the brand include formaldehyde, thimerasol, ammonium, aluminum, formalin….³¹ Side effects of the HiB vaccine – most of them are mild- fever, pain, etc…the “normal” side effects…however, there has been a link between this specific vaccine, and type 1 diabetes³². This is very alarming, especially considering how many children are diagnosed with diabetes in today’s world. Diabetes effects sooo many things in life, and increases risks for just about every other life threatening issue, this doesn’t seem worth the risk. So few cases of HiB actually happen these days, and many of the ones that do, are fully vaccinated, type 1 diabetes is just not something that I’m willing to risk. I’m even delaying my child from eating a diet with any grains until he is 18 months old, why would I risk his healthy diet with a shot that really doesn’t guarantee protection and has such a life altering side effect.

I find this vaccine to be unnecessary for my family and potentially dangerous

PCV- This is the pneumococcal series…it might expose the baby to 7 or 13 strains of this bacteria, depending on the specific brand. It is extremely new to the CDC schedule(2010). It is supposed to protect you from varieties of strep bacteria that could lead to pneumonia and the like. It is treated with antibiotics, if it gets treated at all.

Here are some of the side effects - Bronchiolitis, pneumonia, UTI, acute gastroenteritis, asthma, aspiration, breath holding, influenza, inguinal hernia repair, viral syndrome, URI, croup, thrush, wheezing, choking, SIDS, conjunctivitis, pharyngitis, colic, colitis, congestive heart failure, roseola, sepsis. ³⁴

Ingredients – ammonium, aluminum, polysorbate 80, etc.³¹ I think I’ll take my chances without this vaccine. I survived just fine without it, infact, I don’t think I ever even had a sick visit to the doctor my entire childhood. My mom treated everything I ever had at home. A healthy child, that gets sick from time to time, will most likely recover from just about anything. An immunocompromised person will have a lot more of a struggle with illness, which is why it is important they stay healthy…but this vaccine doesn’t ensure that your child will be more healthy than the unvaccinated person…infact, I think just the opposite…the toxins in this vaccine compromise the immune system…not help it. I think I would reinforce with herbs, essential oils, and probiotics if my child were at serious risk of contracting something, either these diseases, or something else.

I find this vaccine to be unnecessary for my family and potentially dangerous.

IPV – inactivated polio vaccine. Duh, why NOT vax for polio!? Because, according to the CDC, 95% of polio cases have no symptoms at all. Because it isn’t deadly almost ever. Because the vaccine doesn’t actually prevent polio effectively….I had polio as a teen…3 days I was sick…yup, it was pretty painful…but it was 3 days…I drank tea, watched Disney classic movies, and ate soup My unvaxed mom and vaxed sister did not get any symptoms, and my vaxed father DID get symptoms a few weeks later. Neither one of us have had any complications…we also haven’t gotten it again. Polio is a big scary word, and not a big deal…and seeing as how the vaccine didn’t protect my father and I, and the disease didn’t attack my unvaxed mom, I am not worried again, 95% off all people who “get polio” have ZERO symptoms, or are called asymptomatic. There is a super small chance that your child could get paralytic polio. It is more common in foreign countries with tainted water supply. However, this vaccine has had very limited efficacy. I know we all think we “erradiacted” polio in the US. Unfortunately, it was renamed shortly after the vaccine didn’t work so well. It “hides” under new names like aseptic meningitis, Gullain Barre Syndrome, Bell’s palsy, etc. These things would have all been considered “polio” in the 40’s. But after the vaccine was introduced, all these new labels came out. And polio was already on a huge decline before Salk and Sabin’s vaccines came out. The polio craze was largely a result of the depression and poor living/working conditions.³³ The ingredients are pretty awful for this vaccine…formaldehyde, antibiotics, vero cells, etc.³¹ And the side effects are – myalgia, anaphylactic shock, febrile convulsions, anorexia, etc. ³⁵

I find this vaccine to be just plain unnecessary for my family, ineffective, and potentially dangerous.

That is the 2 month schedule. Repeat that for 4 and 6 months, basically anyways. Hep B is given at 6, not 4. And at 6, start adding in the flu shot. That becomes yearly now. Also, some docs think that babies should get it twice a year for several years…because one just might not be enough.

At 12 or 15 months:

MMR – measles, mumps, and rubella (german measles). Let’s break these all down. These are all super scary words…

Measles- is from a virus and presents, often, as a fever or a cold, with a rash. In the natural remedy world, it is often treated with extra vit a…it seems to help a lot. Cod liver oil, spinach, carrots, etc. are all rich in vit A. Infact, it helps to prevent measles deaths.³⁶ Once again, we see a vitamin very effective with a disease, making is much less scary. My mom and pretty much everyone of her generation got the measles, without any fright. The Brady Bunch did an episode about the measles, and it was quite funny. The media of the 70’s, versus the media now, are 2 completely different stories. We hear in the 70’s – annoying rash, fever, have to stay home, very contagious, no big deal. We hear nowadays – killer disease, horrible rash, blindness, super contagious, needs immediate medical attention, extremely big deal!!! Is it annoying? Yup! Is it life threatening?? Extremely unlikely. The mortality rate BEFORE the vaccine came out was 3 in 10 million….basically a zero percent chance(depending on how mang significant figures you use) of dying from the measles.

Mumps – this also presents as a “flu like” illness, but with some swollen glands. There is a SMALL risk of sterility in males from the mumps (there needs to be a few factors present, which you are welcome to research. As a mother of a son, I’m not worried and I’ve done enough research for this blog post :-P ). Unfortunately, the vaccine doesn’t really work. Infact, Merck lied about the mumps portion being effective and there is a lawsuit pending.³⁷ In the recent mumps outbreak from 2009-2010, 1521 cases were reported, 55 had swollen testicles (which CAN lead to sterility, but it is rare…and 55 out of 1521 is pretty rare….so we’re looking at a SMALL percentage of sterility problems) 75% of the people affected had gotten the 2 recommended doses of the MMR vaccine. 88% had at least one of the shots. In some cases, it was as much as 93% had at least one shot. The vaccine simply didn’t give immunity to A LOT of people…and it is spreading. More and more people are coming down with the mumps in the area of the outbreak. It was originally contracted in the UK, just fyi(reason #10,000 why herd immunity doesn’t work – people travel…) Because of this outbreak, the CDC now wants a 3^rd shot for extra protection. I’m sorry, if two didn’t “immunize”, I have zero confidence that a third will.³⁸

Rubella – also called “German measles” or ” 3 day measles”. This is literally an easy-peasy disease. By the time the rash is moving down toward the legs, it is fading from the head. Again, just flu-like symptoms with a rash. The seriousness of this disease is when you are pregnant, it CAN under extreme circumstances, cause issues with the baby if you get this while pregnant, still extremely rare. This was once considered a “normal” childhood disease, and so women who get it as a child, don’t have to worry about getting it when pregnant, because getting the disease generally offers lifelong immunity.

Now, the MMR vaccine. Recently, there was an outbreak (outbreak means 3 or more…so if you hear of an outbreak, this does not mean hundreds of people running in ER doors with near death experiences…there was an outbreak of measles in Orlando – one family, all four children had measles -considered an outbreak…no one was hospitalized and there were no reported side effects.) in NYC where a lady was fully vaccinated, caught the measles FROM the vaccine, and gave it to four people – 2 vaccinated persons and 2 non-vaxed persons. ³⁹ So read that again - 60% of the outbreak was fully vaccinated and caused by a vaccinated person!

Side effects of the MMR vaccine – diabetes, myalgia, encephalitis, measles, Guillain-Barre syndrome, pancreatitis, pneumonia, otitis media (chronic ear infections), and a ton of other side effects…after all, it is 3 diseases, and all the side effects that come with them. And the side effects that typically come with vaccines too…⁴⁰ As to the ingredients – everything from chick cells to aborted fetal cells, to antibiotics are in this stuff. (Note- there is no metal adjuvant. No aluminum or mercury…even though some people think that is has metals – it does not.)

No thanks, I’ll take my chances with the diseases. This vaccine is ineffective and potentially dangerous. (Note: this vaccine is often associated with autism. Many, many parents, all around the globe, can point to this vaccine and claim this is why their child is now autistic. If you wish to look into those stories, I highly encourage it.)

Varicella – chicken pox. I had it, you probably had it…pretty easy disease. Again, flu like symptoms with an itchy rash- no biggie. It is largely an “economic vaccine”. Theoretically, it is supposed to prevent the pox, and therefore, the time the parent needs to spend time at home with the sick child. Well, it turns out, this is a “live” vaccine. You can get the pox from the vaccine itself. Also, the vaccine is a bred up virus…turns out, it is a smidge different than the common one that circulates wildly⁴¹…so your kid could get the pox from the vaccine…and still get the natural pox from someone else. I have a good friend who had this vaccine, and has had chicken pox 3 times. 3 stinking times! It is also the vaccine responsible for the skyrocketing rates of shingles IN CHILDREN.⁴² It is pretty dangerous in children too.

As to side effects of the vaccine, not including chicken pox and shingles – encephalitis, pneumonia, aseptic meningitis, fever, rash, bacterial infections, etc. ⁴³ Ingredients – human lung cells, MSG, antibiotics, guinea pig cells, and it just goes on and on the awful things in it…

Again, I find this vaccine to be unnecessary for my family and potentially dangerous.

Hep A – Hepititis A - also, sounds super scary! It is basically a stomach bug (to the people infected)…but it is an inflammation of the liver. It is normally caused by contaminated food or water from someone who is already infected, or fecal matter in your food. It normally resolves itself without any meds also. So if you do get hep a, it is pretty safe anyways. Stay hydrated and you’ll be fine. You can treat it with natural liver supporting herbs and detoxifiers if you really want to. Generally, you just medicate symptomatically. So here we are again, like rotovirus, a kinda stupid vaccine.

Side effects of the vaccine – vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, upper respiratory tract infections, encephalitis, multiple sclerosis, anaphylaxis, etc.⁴⁴ Ingredients – aluminum, human cells, formaldehyde, antibiotics, etc.

Again, I find this vaccine to be unnecessary and potentially dangerous.

18 months old:

Hep B(3^rd dose), DTaP(4^th dose), IPV(3^rd dose), Flu shot (which I won’t get into here, many provax doctors are anti-flu shot…just sayin’) Hep A (2^nd dose).

Then, your child still isn’t immune, or might not be. SO, let’s make sure, and give them more of what they have already gotten:

4-6 years:

Varicella/chicken pox(2^nd dose), MMR(2^nd dose), IPV(4^th dose), DTaP (5^th dose)

11-12 years:

Tdap (DTaP booster…cause 5 shots isn’t enough…), HPV and Meningococcal. And you’re still getting yearly or twice-yearly flu shots. I could go into more detail about Tdap, HPV, Flu shot, and Meningococcal…but this blog post is already horribly long.

I’m a researching mom…I researched my baby carrier…I researched children’s medicines (like Tylenol versus Motrin versus herbs/essential oils)…I have researched baby foods galore…and breastfeeding versus formula…and I could go on and on…and I have spent a minimum of 50 hours just researching for this blog post alone(and hundreds of hours researching this topic). I promise you that your pediatrician hasn’t spent hundreds of hours researching vaccines…ok, not promise, but it is unlikely. Most pediatricians that I know, that have researched vaccines extensively, are not nearly so eager to push them on their patients.

Also, there is recent data to suggest that other side notes of vaccines include : the myelin sheath of neurons being damaged – leading to brain damage/learning disabilities⁴⁶, thimerasol(mercury, in the form of ethyl mercury) is still in almost all vaccines in trace amounts, although not listed on the ingredient list⁴⁷; and while you think the amount of vaccine damage reported would be 100% of the damage, the FDA admits that it is only 10-20%, and other estimates come up even lower than that.⁴⁸ And if you are at all curious about the old schedules, you can find it at Chop.edu⁴⁹

This isn’t intended to diagnose or prevent disease…but to hopefully encourage to you make a more informed decision about your health and your child’s health. While I know you want to trust your doctor in all things, just look at the ingredients…use some common sense…60 years ago, these vaccines didn’t exist, but we didn’t have plagues sweeping through the nation. Anyone, clearly looking at the ingredients, must question the necessity for the vaccine. You want your child to eat healthy things, but inject them with toxins and illness(bypassing the natural barriers and processes by which we contract a disease)…think about it…

Happy researching,

Becca H.

Works Cited:

(1) http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/hcp/imz/child-adolescent.html

(2) http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/hcp/adult.html

(3) http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disease

(4) http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pathogen

(5) http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/129/5/950.full

(6) http://journals.lww.com/co-allergy/Abstract/2011/04000/Role_of_innate_immunity_in_the_development_of.12.aspx

(7) http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/94/1/58.short

(8) http://journals.lww.com/co-gastroenterology/Abstract/2010/01000/Obesity_and_the_human_microbiome.3.aspx

(9) http://genomebiology.com/2012/13/4/152