This page is for the parents who have decided vaccinations are not in the best interest of their children. I only wish I could have been one to those parents.
I delivered our son, Brandon Beck into the world on April 13, 2006. We had him at home, drug free, all natural and in about 1 hour. My water broke at 10:15 and my contractions started at 11:30 and he came out at 12:17pm. He has never had any vaccines and never will! He is so alert and has been since day 1. The day he was born he was looking all around the room and taking it all in. He had two bowel movements within hours of being born and nursed within the 2nd hour of life!! He latched right on and nursed twice before I laid down a few hours after his birth! He has been around a few sick people over the last ten months and gotten sick once and fought it pretty quick. Being that we don’t use antibiotics or conventional drugs, his antibodies are all built up and in his system, nothing has been wiped out! I am so happy that we can give him this great healthy start.
6 years ago we had our beautiful daughter and of course at the time, I did what I thought all parents did ... I got her her shots! Sometime later as we started to homeschool, she had learning disability problems and looking back, she did have a personality change. I feel in my heart she had a reaction to her vaccines, but that was a long time ago and I didn't know what to look for. I can see a change in her outward personality to an inward too shy/stage fright personality in our home video's. Because I suspected autism in our daughter, our 5 yr. old son hasn't had any shots. Autism, I heard, is higher in boys. The Lord gave me peace about the decision not to vaccinate him. He is a healthy outgoing boy like our daughter started out being. We all eat a mostly Raw food diet! YUM. Our daughter has now been evaluated and found to have ADHD and Asperger's Autism. She wished to Dual Enroll for her high school years at the local community college and needed this testing to receive accommodations. Thank you, Jesus, that she is doing well, considering what she has been through. She may learn differently, but she can learn and with the Lord's help, she will succeed. Little brother adores his BIG sis and wishes he could go to college, too!
Juli
Juli
Meet Adi and Yossi 18 and 20 and completely unvaccinated. The picture of health, mom says she can count on one hand how many times the two of them combined have even been sick.
The Unvaxxed Carroll Children, Maui, Hawaii
Maverick Medlin
100% Vaccine free. Bathes only in 100% toxin free baby soap and shampoo. Mom only uses toxin free wipes (make my own). Now 2 years old has never had one ear infection, yeast infection, whooping cough….etc.
100% Vaccine free. Bathes only in 100% toxin free baby soap and shampoo. Mom only uses toxin free wipes (make my own). Now 2 years old has never had one ear infection, yeast infection, whooping cough….etc.
MY CHILDREN ARE POISON FREE, WI ARE RASTAFARI CHILDREN AND WI DON'T WANT BABYLON DEATH SERUMS.... AVIJAH (OLDEST) GANJITA (Youngest)...
Labor of Love: How I Became a Medical Renegade
Gretchen was born 1 February 2007. It was a Thursday evening and she was delivered C-section after I labored for more than 36 hours, endured 2 epidurals, and braved 2 catheters (which resulted in a UTI 2 weeks later). My husband and I had absolutely no clue what was going on during my entire labor in spite of Lamaze class, various videos, and multiple books we had tried to absorb and understand during our 9 months of pregnancy. I didn’t know then that the majority of the resources upon which I was relying for information were inadequate and at times even faulty.
Without going in to too much birthing detail, I will only say that if I had done as much research BEFORE Gretchen was born as I have done in the 3 months SINCE she was born, I would have never opted to use an obstetrician (I would have found a midwife instead), I would never have gone to the hospital (I would have stayed home instead), and I would NEVER have injected myself with so many drugs, allowing our daughter to be poked, prodded and tested in her first minutes of life while I lay helpless, pinned to an operating table (I would have been able to hold and breastfeed her instead).
In retrospect, I mourn my lack of initiative in researching natural medicine versus conventional medicine for the conception and birth of our precious little life, our answer to many prayers. For 37 years I have accepted - hook, line and sinker – conventional medical standards. I have lived in a fog of acceptance, blinded to the butchery of a profession that is rarely held accountable for the damage it does to its victims – victims who pay to have themselves sliced, diced, and sometimes “iced” (i.e. who die in the hands of conventional medicine). If I sound dramatic, I suppose it’s because I am angry with myself for being so stupid. It has only been since acquiring this new role of “mama” that I understand the depth of love and ferocious protective instincts this role evinces. As a result, I have blinked away the haze of compliance. As a result, I have begun to ask questions. Perhaps it is too late for me; my health may already be compromised in ways I don’t know or yet see. But our baby girl is mostly untouched by unnecessary medical procedures; she still has a fighting chance.
I accede that modern medicine has its place in our lives. But I believe its place is limited and rare; there are emergencies that require the skill of a doctor or surgeon to save lives. These are the times, I believe, that doctors prove their talent and worth…motor vehicle accidents and poisoning are the first things that come to mind. But the long hands of doctors and Big Pharma have infiltrated our lives so assiduously. We pay huge, corporatized pharmaceutical companies to control our lives and our health, with doctors as their willing and perhaps even unwitting accomplices. It begins at birth with Apgar tests, antibiotic ointment in the eyes, PKU tests, vitamin K shots, Hep B vaccine if the mother tests positive, and hearing screening. All of these things are done to hospital-born babies, often when they are barely minutes old, especially if a mother is drugged from a C-section and not allowed to hold her newborn because she may be shaking too hard from a reaction to the drugs she received in the epidural. These hospital procedures (whose merits or faults must be left to the discretion of each child’s parents) merely set the stage for the beginning of many other questionable procedures performed by pediatricians on children who cannot fend for themselves and whose parents may not truly understand the magnitude of harm to which their children are being subjected.
Of all worthless and outrageous procedures carried out on children, it is my belief that vaccines rank highest. It is my belief that vaccines are the biggest culprits in a long list of health crimes against both children and adults (autoimmune diseases, cancer, diabetes, asthma, etc.). It is my belief that the myth and lie of vaccines as “beneficial” is propagated by Big Pharma and underwritten by governments because vaccines are a cash cow whose moneymaking potential is virtually bottomless. It is my belief that this “cash cow’s” dependability is guaranteed because parents’ first response is the protection and safety of their children and mainstream medicine tells us vaccines are how responsible parents protect and keep their children safe. It is my belief that this systematic poisoning of our children and even our adults (flu shots) is intentional.
I never understood the preciousness of life before becoming a mother. I took my own life and health for granted. My regret is poignant, my former blasé attitude toward my health an act of irresponsibility. But for Gretchen I will labor, with love, to protect her from the outrages of conventional medicine. For Gretchen I have made myself a medical renegade.
Wendy, my wife is, as you see, quite eloquent. Why do you think I married her?
I will add this to what she's written, to give you my side:
My Dad's dad dropped dead suddenly when I was three years old. He was 56.
My Dad dropped dead suddenly when I was 30. He was 51.
I'm the oldest of six boys. We've all been wondering, for years--which one of us have it?--the bad heart--How many of us have it? Which one did the genetic roulette choose?
Well there was a genetic roulette, but I no longer think it that the heart was the heart of the matter.
I may have to give my brother a kidney someday soon. Someday soon, somebody is going to extremely probably have to give my brother a kidney soon. My brother was diagnosed with a serious kidney disease two years ago. I had no idea--neither did any of us--that the kidneys have so much to do with regulating blood pressure. My brother's blood pressure was through the roof.
My Mom and my youngest brother saw my Father pass away. It didn't look like an "ordinary" heart attack. We all thought at the time, from descriptions my Dad gave us as he was leaving this life, that he had ruptured an artery. (Note: There was no autopsy. He had lost his job and his health insurance just prior to that time, because the aeropspace munitions-manufacturing corporation Lockheed-Martin let all the older guys go, just prior to their having attained full retirement, so they could hire younger guys for less money--nice world we live in, eh?).
Well anyway, my brother, with this kidney thing now, and me having my first baby now, finally--anyway the subject of vaccinations comes up. I am really confronted with it for the first time in my life, because I have heard some bad stuff about them, because I stopped getting my news from corporate news sources some time ago. I knew about mercury. But I knew nothing of the details about the true horrors of vaccinations yet--the colossal error of an entire generation.
And I read, and I educated myself, crash-course-style as is my penchant--I studied anti-vaccination literature by the likes of Eleanor McBean, Walene James, Rebecca Carley, Wendy Lydall, and now Wendy Callahan, while my beautiful newborn daughter sleeps in her crib. When the baby is not in my arms, my nose is in a book.
And I am confronted for the first time in my life with a huge ugly potentiality that just might have been infecting my family's history for so long. I am apprised, through this suppressed literature, of this thing called "autoimmune disease." MY HEAVENS!, I think, YOU MEAN TO TELL ME, THE PATHOGENS THAT ARE IN A VACCINE CAN LINGER AROUND IN THE BODY, THEN FINALLY "LODGE" THEMSELVES SOMEWHERE, IN SOME OR OTHER VITAL ORGAN, AND THEN YOUR OWN BODY ATTACKS THE ORGAN!!!???
I have no proof that my Grandfather's death was the result of kidney disease induced by vaccinations; I have no proof that he had kidney disease---they never had M.R.I. technology back then, which is almost the only way to diagnose polycystic kidney disease--but I DO have proof that my grandfather had had more than his slate of vaccinations. He was a soldier in WWII. He fought in France, after D-Day. Of course he would have had all his vaccinations. (Read Eleanor McBean's book if you want to find out what these vaccinations are doing to our soldiers!)
And I know that my father was vaccinated. My father grew up under the big polio scare, so of course he was vaccinated up, but good.
And my brother was vaccinated, and guess what. My Mom now informs us, informs me, that, out of all my brothers, this brother, the one with the kidney thing--THIS brother had the most severe reaction to the vaccinations we all had. The most severe reaction by far. His whole leg swelled up--each time. Each time he was vaccinated, his leg swelled up. My Mom trusted the whitecoated authority-figure idiots. She feels horrible about that now.
I do not know for certain that this kidney thing running in my family is a vaccine-induced autoimmune disease with a genetic susceptibility toward kidneys. BUT I DO STRONGLY SUSPECT IT.
Why? Why else do I think that? Because, my friends, when you FINALLY get off this world's disinformation major media "services" and read the anti-vaccination literature, you are finally introduced to the real facts and statistics, and one thing about those statistics is this:
It was not until the huge rise in vaccinations that western civilization saw the huge rise in kidney disease. And diabetes. And heart disease. And autism. And lupus. And multiple sclerosis. And yes, CANCER. These are the facts. TV and radio and major newspapers, magazines, and major book publishers are LYING to us. Thank God for the Internet, for as long as it lasts before they take it away! Seriously, I never would have known about Wendy Callahan, or Eleanor McBean, or Walene James, or Ingri Cassell, or Mary Tocco, or Wendy Lydall, etc, etc, if it wasn't for my access to the Internet!
I will tell you one more thing and then I'm outta here. I have spoken with people who never were vaccinated, and they tell me, nonplussed as to why, that they themselves have always seemed healthier, all their lives, than the people around them who were vaccinated. I have a good friend who was a 9/11 rescue worker. He's terribly sick because of the toxins he was exposed to at Ground Zero which he was falsely led to believe (by these damned lying authorities again!) was not harmful. He is seriously, seriously ill. Yet he is still alive as of this date. He tells me that, most of the rescue workers who were with him at Ground Zero on 9/11--most of those people are dead. He credits the fact that he is still alive to the fact that he was not vaccinated. He said that, growing up, he never got sick--not like his vaccinated friends in school. Sounds like his immune system never got compromised by this horrific, vast and colossal medical bungle of our time.
Wendy, I look at my baby girl, my sweet beautiful unpolluted baby girl, and when she smiles at me---Wendy, knowing what I know now, I look at my girl and I realize they will have to kill me before anyone jabs her and puts poison in her veins which might--if it doesn't cause her to have a violent instant reaction like what happened to your babies, Wendy--it might cause her to suffer some terrible autoimmune disease long down the road, when the profiteering numbskulls who gave it to her--who injected it into her veins--will be long gone and unblamable. No, they'll have to kill me first. They are not touching my child.
I think of the pediatrician my wife and I just kicked to the curb because he wanted to jab her, and his office policy mandates jabbing her. This guy--he is coincidentally a TV junkie. Everytime in his office, all he ever wanted to talk about was this TV show, or what's going on with this channel. This is exactly what I'm talking about. This man is brainwashed. And he's an authority? No thanks. We'll homeschool Gretchen. We'll crash-course ourselves and become knowledgable in homeopathy.
And you just watch and wait and see if we don't have the healthiest child on the block.
They once laughed at Dr. James Lind because he said Vitamin C cured Scurvy. Then they persecuted him.
They once laughed at Dr. Semmelweis because he told the doctors in his hospital to wash their hands in between seeing patients. Then they persecuted him.
They once laughed at Galileo because he said the earth goes round the sun. Then they persecuted him.
I bet there was some guy somewhere in Rome who tried to warn the town plumbers not to change the city's old water pipes to these brand new lead jobs--and I bet they laughed at him. And I bet they persecuted him.
Mankind learns nothing. Only the dates and the names change.
God bless what you are doing, Wendy.
David
We chose to not vaccinate Parker after much research and prayer. We even insisted he not get Vitamin K or the Hepatitis shot at birth. He is an extremely healthy active one year old boy. I am a stay at home mom and plan to stay diligent in keeping him as safe and healthy as possible. It is impossible to do everything right as parents, but being educated about vaccinations is so important. It breaks my heart to hear the stories of those parents whose children are damaged or dead because of these vaccines.
Gretchen was born 1 February 2007. It was a Thursday evening and she was delivered C-section after I labored for more than 36 hours, endured 2 epidurals, and braved 2 catheters (which resulted in a UTI 2 weeks later). My husband and I had absolutely no clue what was going on during my entire labor in spite of Lamaze class, various videos, and multiple books we had tried to absorb and understand during our 9 months of pregnancy. I didn’t know then that the majority of the resources upon which I was relying for information were inadequate and at times even faulty.
Without going in to too much birthing detail, I will only say that if I had done as much research BEFORE Gretchen was born as I have done in the 3 months SINCE she was born, I would have never opted to use an obstetrician (I would have found a midwife instead), I would never have gone to the hospital (I would have stayed home instead), and I would NEVER have injected myself with so many drugs, allowing our daughter to be poked, prodded and tested in her first minutes of life while I lay helpless, pinned to an operating table (I would have been able to hold and breastfeed her instead).
In retrospect, I mourn my lack of initiative in researching natural medicine versus conventional medicine for the conception and birth of our precious little life, our answer to many prayers. For 37 years I have accepted - hook, line and sinker – conventional medical standards. I have lived in a fog of acceptance, blinded to the butchery of a profession that is rarely held accountable for the damage it does to its victims – victims who pay to have themselves sliced, diced, and sometimes “iced” (i.e. who die in the hands of conventional medicine). If I sound dramatic, I suppose it’s because I am angry with myself for being so stupid. It has only been since acquiring this new role of “mama” that I understand the depth of love and ferocious protective instincts this role evinces. As a result, I have blinked away the haze of compliance. As a result, I have begun to ask questions. Perhaps it is too late for me; my health may already be compromised in ways I don’t know or yet see. But our baby girl is mostly untouched by unnecessary medical procedures; she still has a fighting chance.
I accede that modern medicine has its place in our lives. But I believe its place is limited and rare; there are emergencies that require the skill of a doctor or surgeon to save lives. These are the times, I believe, that doctors prove their talent and worth…motor vehicle accidents and poisoning are the first things that come to mind. But the long hands of doctors and Big Pharma have infiltrated our lives so assiduously. We pay huge, corporatized pharmaceutical companies to control our lives and our health, with doctors as their willing and perhaps even unwitting accomplices. It begins at birth with Apgar tests, antibiotic ointment in the eyes, PKU tests, vitamin K shots, Hep B vaccine if the mother tests positive, and hearing screening. All of these things are done to hospital-born babies, often when they are barely minutes old, especially if a mother is drugged from a C-section and not allowed to hold her newborn because she may be shaking too hard from a reaction to the drugs she received in the epidural. These hospital procedures (whose merits or faults must be left to the discretion of each child’s parents) merely set the stage for the beginning of many other questionable procedures performed by pediatricians on children who cannot fend for themselves and whose parents may not truly understand the magnitude of harm to which their children are being subjected.
Of all worthless and outrageous procedures carried out on children, it is my belief that vaccines rank highest. It is my belief that vaccines are the biggest culprits in a long list of health crimes against both children and adults (autoimmune diseases, cancer, diabetes, asthma, etc.). It is my belief that the myth and lie of vaccines as “beneficial” is propagated by Big Pharma and underwritten by governments because vaccines are a cash cow whose moneymaking potential is virtually bottomless. It is my belief that this “cash cow’s” dependability is guaranteed because parents’ first response is the protection and safety of their children and mainstream medicine tells us vaccines are how responsible parents protect and keep their children safe. It is my belief that this systematic poisoning of our children and even our adults (flu shots) is intentional.
I never understood the preciousness of life before becoming a mother. I took my own life and health for granted. My regret is poignant, my former blasé attitude toward my health an act of irresponsibility. But for Gretchen I will labor, with love, to protect her from the outrages of conventional medicine. For Gretchen I have made myself a medical renegade.
Wendy, my wife is, as you see, quite eloquent. Why do you think I married her?
I will add this to what she's written, to give you my side:
My Dad's dad dropped dead suddenly when I was three years old. He was 56.
My Dad dropped dead suddenly when I was 30. He was 51.
I'm the oldest of six boys. We've all been wondering, for years--which one of us have it?--the bad heart--How many of us have it? Which one did the genetic roulette choose?
Well there was a genetic roulette, but I no longer think it that the heart was the heart of the matter.
I may have to give my brother a kidney someday soon. Someday soon, somebody is going to extremely probably have to give my brother a kidney soon. My brother was diagnosed with a serious kidney disease two years ago. I had no idea--neither did any of us--that the kidneys have so much to do with regulating blood pressure. My brother's blood pressure was through the roof.
My Mom and my youngest brother saw my Father pass away. It didn't look like an "ordinary" heart attack. We all thought at the time, from descriptions my Dad gave us as he was leaving this life, that he had ruptured an artery. (Note: There was no autopsy. He had lost his job and his health insurance just prior to that time, because the aeropspace munitions-manufacturing corporation Lockheed-Martin let all the older guys go, just prior to their having attained full retirement, so they could hire younger guys for less money--nice world we live in, eh?).
Well anyway, my brother, with this kidney thing now, and me having my first baby now, finally--anyway the subject of vaccinations comes up. I am really confronted with it for the first time in my life, because I have heard some bad stuff about them, because I stopped getting my news from corporate news sources some time ago. I knew about mercury. But I knew nothing of the details about the true horrors of vaccinations yet--the colossal error of an entire generation.
And I read, and I educated myself, crash-course-style as is my penchant--I studied anti-vaccination literature by the likes of Eleanor McBean, Walene James, Rebecca Carley, Wendy Lydall, and now Wendy Callahan, while my beautiful newborn daughter sleeps in her crib. When the baby is not in my arms, my nose is in a book.
And I am confronted for the first time in my life with a huge ugly potentiality that just might have been infecting my family's history for so long. I am apprised, through this suppressed literature, of this thing called "autoimmune disease." MY HEAVENS!, I think, YOU MEAN TO TELL ME, THE PATHOGENS THAT ARE IN A VACCINE CAN LINGER AROUND IN THE BODY, THEN FINALLY "LODGE" THEMSELVES SOMEWHERE, IN SOME OR OTHER VITAL ORGAN, AND THEN YOUR OWN BODY ATTACKS THE ORGAN!!!???
I have no proof that my Grandfather's death was the result of kidney disease induced by vaccinations; I have no proof that he had kidney disease---they never had M.R.I. technology back then, which is almost the only way to diagnose polycystic kidney disease--but I DO have proof that my grandfather had had more than his slate of vaccinations. He was a soldier in WWII. He fought in France, after D-Day. Of course he would have had all his vaccinations. (Read Eleanor McBean's book if you want to find out what these vaccinations are doing to our soldiers!)
And I know that my father was vaccinated. My father grew up under the big polio scare, so of course he was vaccinated up, but good.
And my brother was vaccinated, and guess what. My Mom now informs us, informs me, that, out of all my brothers, this brother, the one with the kidney thing--THIS brother had the most severe reaction to the vaccinations we all had. The most severe reaction by far. His whole leg swelled up--each time. Each time he was vaccinated, his leg swelled up. My Mom trusted the whitecoated authority-figure idiots. She feels horrible about that now.
I do not know for certain that this kidney thing running in my family is a vaccine-induced autoimmune disease with a genetic susceptibility toward kidneys. BUT I DO STRONGLY SUSPECT IT.
Why? Why else do I think that? Because, my friends, when you FINALLY get off this world's disinformation major media "services" and read the anti-vaccination literature, you are finally introduced to the real facts and statistics, and one thing about those statistics is this:
It was not until the huge rise in vaccinations that western civilization saw the huge rise in kidney disease. And diabetes. And heart disease. And autism. And lupus. And multiple sclerosis. And yes, CANCER. These are the facts. TV and radio and major newspapers, magazines, and major book publishers are LYING to us. Thank God for the Internet, for as long as it lasts before they take it away! Seriously, I never would have known about Wendy Callahan, or Eleanor McBean, or Walene James, or Ingri Cassell, or Mary Tocco, or Wendy Lydall, etc, etc, if it wasn't for my access to the Internet!
I will tell you one more thing and then I'm outta here. I have spoken with people who never were vaccinated, and they tell me, nonplussed as to why, that they themselves have always seemed healthier, all their lives, than the people around them who were vaccinated. I have a good friend who was a 9/11 rescue worker. He's terribly sick because of the toxins he was exposed to at Ground Zero which he was falsely led to believe (by these damned lying authorities again!) was not harmful. He is seriously, seriously ill. Yet he is still alive as of this date. He tells me that, most of the rescue workers who were with him at Ground Zero on 9/11--most of those people are dead. He credits the fact that he is still alive to the fact that he was not vaccinated. He said that, growing up, he never got sick--not like his vaccinated friends in school. Sounds like his immune system never got compromised by this horrific, vast and colossal medical bungle of our time.
Wendy, I look at my baby girl, my sweet beautiful unpolluted baby girl, and when she smiles at me---Wendy, knowing what I know now, I look at my girl and I realize they will have to kill me before anyone jabs her and puts poison in her veins which might--if it doesn't cause her to have a violent instant reaction like what happened to your babies, Wendy--it might cause her to suffer some terrible autoimmune disease long down the road, when the profiteering numbskulls who gave it to her--who injected it into her veins--will be long gone and unblamable. No, they'll have to kill me first. They are not touching my child.
I think of the pediatrician my wife and I just kicked to the curb because he wanted to jab her, and his office policy mandates jabbing her. This guy--he is coincidentally a TV junkie. Everytime in his office, all he ever wanted to talk about was this TV show, or what's going on with this channel. This is exactly what I'm talking about. This man is brainwashed. And he's an authority? No thanks. We'll homeschool Gretchen. We'll crash-course ourselves and become knowledgable in homeopathy.
And you just watch and wait and see if we don't have the healthiest child on the block.
They once laughed at Dr. James Lind because he said Vitamin C cured Scurvy. Then they persecuted him.
They once laughed at Dr. Semmelweis because he told the doctors in his hospital to wash their hands in between seeing patients. Then they persecuted him.
They once laughed at Galileo because he said the earth goes round the sun. Then they persecuted him.
I bet there was some guy somewhere in Rome who tried to warn the town plumbers not to change the city's old water pipes to these brand new lead jobs--and I bet they laughed at him. And I bet they persecuted him.
Mankind learns nothing. Only the dates and the names change.
God bless what you are doing, Wendy.
David
We chose to not vaccinate Parker after much research and prayer. We even insisted he not get Vitamin K or the Hepatitis shot at birth. He is an extremely healthy active one year old boy. I am a stay at home mom and plan to stay diligent in keeping him as safe and healthy as possible. It is impossible to do everything right as parents, but being educated about vaccinations is so important. It breaks my heart to hear the stories of those parents whose children are damaged or dead because of these vaccines.
I have 4 children and we were strong vaccinators, until we realized what poison we were letting our pediatrician inject into our children. However it did not go over well with family, until my mother in law also found out what toxins were in the flu shot she religiously receives every November. It takes very little effort to find out what is in the vaccines. I can never again justify putting that into my children ever again. Pediatricians are supposed to help aid us parents grow strong happy and healthy children. They seem to be really well educated. Note that I said seem to be. I am currently searching for a pediatrician, as ours told us not to come back to her office until we vaccinated our children. She said, "your unvaccinated children will give their germs to my vaccinated patients". HUH?!?!? I really had hoped that she misspoke, because to it sounded like she didn't believe the very toxic vaccines she gave to her patients worked very well. Aren't vaccines given to the mass population to prevent the spread of diseases? Well apparently this doctor didn't think so. Non the less she didn't want to treat us anymore. Which is fine by me. ( of course I talked to Wendy a while to help ease the shock, but I am glad I stuck to my guns! thanks Wendy!) Pediatricians are supposed to give us parents the information to make a wise decision, not railroad well meaning parents by playing guilt trips, or by playing the well child card. We as parents need to know that the world does not revolve around the doctors, and that we are the parents we have the final say. These are our babies, and if we don't stand up for them who will? I will not let my four children be poisoned anymore. We stopped vaccinating our children April 2005. Which means the older three children are pretty much completely vaccinated except for boosters they will hopefully never receive! Our children are perfect, healthy, and full of life. However we were one of the lucky families. I hope that every parent will take the time to read all package inserts before they let their children be vaccinated. God Bless.
Home schooling since 12-06-04
Children are a gift from the LORD;
happy is the man whose quiver is full of them!
Psalm 127:3,5
All rights not demanded are presumed waived" ~Scott Thurston
Home schooling since 12-06-04
Children are a gift from the LORD;
happy is the man whose quiver is full of them!
Psalm 127:3,5
All rights not demanded are presumed waived" ~Scott Thurston
My life’s journey into the power of how God and nature “cure”
By Sara Landis
We believe that the best way to illustrate how our bodies work in both health and dis-ease is through personal testimonies. We asked Sara to share her powerful life story with our readers this month so you, too, will be empowered to take the steps necessary to heal yourselves. As the father of American Herbology, Dr. John R. Christopher stated, “There are no incurable diseases; only incurable people.”
A Rough Start
My journey into natural medicine began long before I ever knew I was even on one. At six weeks old my mother took me in for a well-baby checkup, which included what she believed to be the DPT vaccine. The next day, between 5-10 minute sleeping intervals, I began arching my back and screaming.
Eventually my mother took me to the hospital concerned with dehydration since I was also unable to hold anything down. The doctor gave me a suppository to control the vomiting. However, by the time we reached home my diaper was filled with blood (thanks for the suppository, doc). My mother rushed me back to the hospital where they further assaulted my body. My mother and her best friend held me down while the doctors removed fluid from my soft spot and administered a spinal tap. I was diagnosed with “multiple viruses” and placed in intensive care. Night after night my parents were told not to expect me to live. They placed a cloth that many had prayed upon in my hands, and I held it tightly as a prayer chain continued around the world for me. I clung to my cloth as my parents sat outside the hospital crying. They told God they would love to keep me, but that if they couldn't, they would still serve him. From that moment on I started getting better.
Second miracle
I spent part of my childhood in Alaska. I made sure I ate plenty of dirt and tormented my older brothers with my favorite snack: garlic oil capsules. For an extended period of time I would only eat French fries and apple juice. Later, my childhood fare consisted of the typical American diet: flour, sugar, canned and processed stuff labeled "food", and more than my share of French fries. My diet and extended antibiotic use (for chronic sinus and kidney infections) led to chronic constipation. Eventually, my bowel problems landed me in the hospital when I was 12, for a blockage that was to be removed via surgery. Not only were my bowels in trouble but they told me I had the gallbladder of a 70-year-old woman. Now I realize that my addiction to French fries led to my early gallbladder problems. Thankfully, I was spared once again as my blockage miraculously disappeared on the colonoscopy screen right before they were to begin surgery.
My brother’s experience plants a seed
Shortly after my scheduled surgery was canceled, my older brother, Dan, was diagnosed with encephalitis (inflammation of the brain). His doctors theorized that the cause of the inflammation was from the water that we all had been swimming in. I now believe it was caused by a tetanus vaccine since he had received a Dt (diphtheria/tetanus) vaccine about five years earlier for stepping on a rusty nail. From my studies I have learned that encephalitis can show up years later after a tetanus shot.
Dan became paralyzed on the right side of his body. I remember being with him in his room at Bonner General Hospital as they injected an unknown substance into his arm. "It's burning!" he screamed. My Dad couldn’t take it any longer and said "that's enough." He scooped him up and we took him home. After many months in battle with the allopathic medical field, my parents realized Dan wasn't getting any better. In fact, he was getting worse. He even lost his ability to speak. Since they were desperate to help him, they took him to a Naturopathic Doctor. The hospital doctors said it would take at least a year of physical and speech therapy to get him walking and talking again. The Naturopathic Doctor had him doing both in less than a month.
Naturopathy was also my first experience with muscle testing [kinesiology]. I remember thinking how fascinating it was. After that, I was hooked on alternative medicine. I read articles from health magazines my Dad would bring home to me and save the graphs and interesting factoids from them. But, as I became a teenager, I moved away from all that and continued my carefree ways and bad eating habits. Little did I know I was in for the greatest blow of my life.
Three Souls
At the age of 18 I was diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Hypoglycemia. Soon after I realized I was pregnant. My overwhelming joy of upcoming motherhood went spiraling down around me when I went in for an ultrasound at the end of my first trimester. I was considered 13 weeks along, but my baby had actually died at 8 weeks 2 days. I saw it on the screen, his/her little fingers and toes starting to form, but there was not a heartbeat. My loss was the first real devastation I experienced in my life. I became depressed and obsessed with figuring out how to prevent this from happening to me again. Unfortunately, I looked in the wrong place. I searched infertility and pregnancy books and left with less hope than I had before I read them. I made slight changes to my diet, but continued on with most of my bad dietary habits. I didn't know they were as bad as they actually were for me at the time. Afterall, I went to public school and learned that the food guide pyramid was created for our health - right? (ha,ha) It didn't help that I was on the W.I.C program and consumed large amounts of free cheese, milk, sugar cereal, and processed foods completely devoid of nutrition. Altogether, I lost three precious souls in a four year time period. Each one I loved, and each one I grieved for. I had pretty much given up on the fact that I would ever be able to have children of my own.
A dream come true
One night in October 2001 I had a dream. In the dream I was able to ask God two questions I wanted answers to and I would receive the answer in a print out. I only remember asking one question. Why can't I carry a pregnancy to term? The piece of paper printed out only a list of seven or eight herbs and their actions. When I woke up I could not remember what the list had said. Less than two months later I took an herbal course at the Workforce Training Center, where I learned of Dr. Christopher and his female corrective formulas. His diet consisted of cleansing and nourishing the body and reproductive organs. His formula contained eight herbs.
The first month I began taking it I was completely free of my horrible PMS mood swings, debilitating cramps, and heavy flow that I had suffered with since the age of 12. I continued taking it faithfully every day for 8 months. Then I did the 3-day cleanse and continued with the mucusless diet, consisting of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. I felt better than I can remember feeling my entire life. I had tons of energy! I was sleeping less and working harder. My mind felt clear and I had no more bowel problems!
One month into the diet I became pregnant for the fourth time. By this time I had completely thrown modern medicine out the window. I had an awesome pregnancy, and a beautiful home birth, but most of all I had Serenity. My little girl who completely changed me for the better and still does. She was the desire of my heart and is now the love of my life. I became a true believer in natural medicine and have continued my studies into alternative therapies with passion.
Utilizing God’s gifts
I have seen many healings take place since then. When my mom broke her ankle, we placed comfrey poultices on it and administered it internally as well. One week after the break, her new x-ray revealed that it was completely healed. My brother Matthew had a flesh eating bacteria in his femur that left each side of the bone with only the thickness of a toothpick. He had surgery to remove the bacteria and was told he would have to have a metal rod placed in his leg. Comfrey brought back all of the bone, much to his surgeons disbelief. My Dad was healed from extreme dizzy spells and high blood pressure through dietary changes and nerve rebuilding formulas placed on his occipital bone and down along his neck. My husband saved himself from extensive problems by placing cayenne pepper on a hobo spider bite. It healed in less than 2 weeks and barely left a scar. Just weeks away from surgery, his aunt was cured from planters warts using Goldenseal. I honestly don't have enough room here to write all of the wonderful things I've witnessed the body heal as more people become informed of the body's innate ability to heal itself.
Just recently I was finally able to rid myself of the ongoing sinus infections. Though they were less often and I knew how to treat them naturally, they were still a nuisance. I did another three-day cleanse and was taking large amounts of glyconutritionals. A hard tube shaped exactly like my sinus cavity, complete with perfectly symmetrical rings imbedded into it, came out of my nose. It was hanging out of my nose and I tried to pull it out, but I could feel that it was stuck clear up under my right eye. The piece I was pulling on finally snapped off and the rest came out in 3 pieces the next day. Ahhh, sweet relief. No more sinus problems!
“Living” food – the key to life
The more I learn about this amazing being that we are contained in, the more I realize how simple true health actually is. What we put into our bodies is what we get out of it. If you fill it with dead, processed and devitalized products then that is what you can expect your quality of health to be; dead and devitalized. If you fill your body with whole, fresh, living food then that is also what you can expect for your health to be; fresh and whole. This includes what you put into your heart and mind, for they have an amazing amount of power over your body. This means forgiveness of self and others. The human body never makes a mistake! It only reacts to the environment which you, yes you, have created for it! I feel truly blessed that I am healthy today and able to share my story with you. My journey has had some bumps, but I learned something from each of them and can now see the good that came from all of my life’s lessons.
“…and the fruit therefore shall be for meat and the leaf thereof for medicine.” ~Ezekiel 47:12
Sara Landis is first and foremost a wife and mom. She is currently a Nutritional Herbologist and “very soon to be” a Master Herbalist and a Licensed Massage Therapist. Sara taught two classes locally on “Naturally healthy pregnancy and childcare.” She is also the director of the Idaho Chapter of Vaccination Liberation. She can be contacted through email at saralandis@mail.com.
I have an 8 month old baby girl and was in EXACTLY the same position as you. We did our first two rounds of vaccines (HIB and polio) and by the time it came time for the third in the series, I had read all this stuff about vaccines, was seeing first hand what vaccines were doing to one of my dogs and it just didn't feel right to continue vaxing. So I didn't. Stopping vaccination was the BEST decision I have ever made in my life - I only wish I had done it sooner and wish that I knew then what I know now. Not a day goes by that I don't kick myself for giving 2 shots of HIB and polio.
If vaxing doesn't feel right to you (and it didn't feel right to me) then don't do it. Once you give the vaccine you can't turn the clock back and undo things. My doctor was completely unsupportive of my concerns about vaccines. He's fairly holistic in his views but he completely pooh-poohed my questions. "Reactions are so rare.... vaccines are NOT linked to allergies.... it's all a bunch of hog wash... besides, don't you want your daughter to be protected against these terrible and deadly illnesses?" I vax'd XXXXXX out of fear. That's what it came down to. What I did not realize at the time was that in vaxing her I was 1) not guaranteeing her immunity against these "horrible illnesses" 2) that these illnesses are NOT all that common in the first place 3) I was putting my child at risk for chronic disease 4) mercury toxicity is VERY real and a serious threat to children under the age of 6 months 4) vaccines form a large part of a doctor's practice which puts him in a conflict of interest when presenting both sides of the story. My daughter didn't spike a fever during her vaccines and other than getting a little cranky she "did fine" as well. Now she's 8 months old, has never been ill a single day in her life but she's suffering from acne. Why? No idea. Not a clue. Allergy? Perhaps. Hypersensitivity due to the vaccines? Perhaps. But now I'll never know because I gave those damn vaccines. XXXXX is just going to start homeopathic care for the acne and I have not been able to trace the acne to a food allergy. I will not take her to the doctor for the problem because the last thing I want to do is suppress the symptoms. She's a happy child, very content and if she is "the one" who becomes autistic because of vaxing out of fear I could never forgive myself knowing what I know now. Once you understand the real dangers of vaccines, it's like opening up a door that can never be closed again. Once you "see" the dangers you can't go back into naivety. I only wish I had seen sooner. My best advice to you is this: follow your gut. I wish I had followed mine.
Actually your page was the first one I've seen that was much more clear. I sat my dh down and made him read it and we both decided not to vax :) Men usually don't take active roles into the kids medical care etc, you know how that is. So I think he needed to see it more than I did. My intuition was already telling me NOT to do this, his wasn't! I'm just sick over the fact that I've already vax'd my older two and partially vax'd my baby!
Wendy,
Thank you for putting together such a comprehensive view. I have a 3 week old daughter, our first, and I was deeply concerned about vaccinating her. I have read numerous medical, scientific and anecdotal articles and the more I read, the more concerned I become. You may have guessed what my decision will be. I now need to convey the information to my partner so that she shares the same viewpoint and doesn't blindly trust the stance of the Health Authorities in the UK.
Thank you once again. I was delighted to hear your son is far in the journey to recovery.
Best Wishes and kind regards,
Thank you for the wonderful website full of wonderful information! Our son turned 2 in May and is not Vaxed -- We still research every day -- but I have yet to find anything that can modify my view on this -- So, he remains unvaxed. Thank you-- I will share your website with our friends...
Bless you -- I'm so happy your son is well.
I just wanted to add what approach worked for me, married to a civil engineer. ( you know they all seem to fit into a "type"! he is very logical, very linear in his thoughts, and very hard to argue with) When I first looked into the vaccination issue, our third child (our only boy) was nearing his 1sth birthday and I was uneasy about the whole autism issue. Once I started researching, I felt sick- I knew I couldn't give any of our kids anymore vaxs, but especially not our sweet boy who was red haired, and already allergic to several foods and the metal on his clothes. My husband, the civil engineer, had also been pre-med for about 3 years, and his brother is a Dr., I was up against so much! My approach: don't push hysterically, at firs I mentioned a few of the articles I had read; he would respond with, a "wow-how interesting" kind of comment and then, "ok, Jen, as long as he gets his shots..." so I toned down and didn't say much, but I collected some very well researched articles- if it had an M.D. in the title, the better! I left an article out for him every once in while to take with him to work or leaving it in the bathroom without mentioning it is even better! After he read a few articles, without me ever arguing with him, though I was thinking "over my dead body!" ( I never said that out loud!) I prayed a lot and then one day he said that we could delay the shots until our boy was 2 because I felt so strongly about it and because he knew I only wanted what was best for our kids, even though he didn't totally agree with me. I just continued in that way, giving an article every once in a while, pointing out the bias and questionable statements in pro-vaccine newspaper articles- it made him think, and the next thing I knew, he was on my side, and taking a us-against them stance when he saw biased articles in the paper. So, our boy is almost 3 now, no more vax's and our 4th child is completely unvaxed. one other thought, my husband was forced to get a MMR booster in college, and he was so sick from it and in so much pain, it helped to remind him of that and question the effectiveness of the vaccine when they have to keep adding boosters, and to remind him that the babies can't complain and let us know how awful they feel after the shot- he was able to verbalize it.
Jenny in Ca
Dear All!
My name is Tanya and I am happily married to Paul and we have two lovely babes - Tamara age 6 yrs and Alexander who is just over a year. We live in Cornwall which is a beautiful part of the UK. I do tend to waffle a bit so I'll get to the point and no doubt you'll get to know a bit more about us very soon!
I first had a peek inside 'Pandora's Box' when I became a CA to a vitalistic chiropractor and attended a weekend seminar hosted by Ted Koren in London back in 2000. Basically this seminar changed my life and for the past two years have gleaned as much info. as possible regarding vaxxes.
I wish I had been aware of all the issues back in 1996 when Tamara was fully vaxxed until the age of 13 months and I can only thank God that to date she is bright, well-balanced and healthy. Obviously she hasn't received anything since then and Alex is totally unvaxxed.
We're very lucky to live locally to two organic farms and the majority of our food is organic, especially the kids but we are human and think the odd pizza can be righted by overall good nutrition. We love chiropractic and all get adjusted monthly, Alex was just four days old when he was first adjusted and Tamara is responding beautifully from homeopathy for her so-called asthma as a GP once diagnosed, its fantastic that she doesn't have to traipse to school armed with inhalers and those big plastic bubble spacer thingies. I believe also that a good sense of humour and lots of laughs help with the old immune system and as a family try to be as positive and expressive as possible - love will save the day (and diseases) as they say!!!
Do tend to feel a bit isolated in my views though sometimes as an NHS nurse told me once that she would rather have an autistic child than a dead child when she found out about my vax opinions. I must admit I did contribute intelligently to the conversation but would rather have told her where to go, especially as a good friend of mine has an autistic child and thought this silly remark was both patronising and disrespectful to all that they have to go through. So this is why I am so glad I have discovered you all and a similar very good Brit group.
Anyway, think I must need a good holiday as I must have vax on the brain! I have been dreaming that the whole populations of the States and the UK are all going to receive Smallpox vax, that the doctor in 'Eastenders', a very popular UK soap opera has been pushing the flu vaccine, my daughter quizzically asking what are booster shots, as mentioned in the Rugrats and that we can now buy, along with our groceries at the checkout ...................................................the flu vaccine. I really do need a long lie down me thinks!
Take care!
Love from Tanya
My short story is this.....I have 2 beautiful boys, 4 and 2 in January. They are both totally unvaxxed and never will be. We do chiropractic, and both my babies were adjusted at birth. It's amazing that my children are the healthiest kids I know. Other kids have the asthma, the colds, and other assorted maladies, but not my babies! My husabnd is in the military and I worry about what vaxxes he'll be getting when and if they go overseas and what we can do to minimize the effects of those. I started an information resource group about 3 1/2 years ago when my oldest was about 1. I have continued, although since starting I have relocated to a new state. I start chiropractic school November 1st and am sssooooo excited about this. It has been a dream of mine since high school to be a healthcare provider, although I used to want to be an MD! Egaads!! Now the very thought of that makes me nauseous.
I am so glad this list is here to provide support and information for those parents that truly wish to be educated. I'm excited to be attending Dr Tim o'Shea's Sanctity of Human Blood seminar next month and I expect to get lots of good info from that.
Healthy wishes for all,
I myself have a 2 1/2 month old named Tyler who just received his first set of vaccinations. The poor guy had to get five shots, two in one thigh, three in the other. Had I known that these vaccines really weren't necessary, I wouldn't have put him through the pain. I, like many other first time mothers was told the vaccines were needed when in fact they really are not, and you can go to the health department and get a waiver stating that your child doesn't have to have them. My cousins baby boy is six months old and went to have his vaccinations for that age, after coming home the baby started having seizures and they rushed him to the hospital. Upon arrival, tests were done and they said he was allergic to the Pertussis shot. However, after hearing what you had to say and reading your website it sounds like the doctors just said that to cover their own hides! I can assure you, my child will not be receiving any more vaccinations! I love my son too much to inject these poisons into him that could harm him! My son is my whole world and I would die if I knew that my ignorance was the cause of him dying or getting hurt in any way. Once again, thank you so much for your insight into this ongoing problem. Without your story and insight, I would never have thought to say no to the vaccines.
Thanks Again,
Audra and Tyler
By Sara Landis
We believe that the best way to illustrate how our bodies work in both health and dis-ease is through personal testimonies. We asked Sara to share her powerful life story with our readers this month so you, too, will be empowered to take the steps necessary to heal yourselves. As the father of American Herbology, Dr. John R. Christopher stated, “There are no incurable diseases; only incurable people.”
A Rough Start
My journey into natural medicine began long before I ever knew I was even on one. At six weeks old my mother took me in for a well-baby checkup, which included what she believed to be the DPT vaccine. The next day, between 5-10 minute sleeping intervals, I began arching my back and screaming.
Eventually my mother took me to the hospital concerned with dehydration since I was also unable to hold anything down. The doctor gave me a suppository to control the vomiting. However, by the time we reached home my diaper was filled with blood (thanks for the suppository, doc). My mother rushed me back to the hospital where they further assaulted my body. My mother and her best friend held me down while the doctors removed fluid from my soft spot and administered a spinal tap. I was diagnosed with “multiple viruses” and placed in intensive care. Night after night my parents were told not to expect me to live. They placed a cloth that many had prayed upon in my hands, and I held it tightly as a prayer chain continued around the world for me. I clung to my cloth as my parents sat outside the hospital crying. They told God they would love to keep me, but that if they couldn't, they would still serve him. From that moment on I started getting better.
Second miracle
I spent part of my childhood in Alaska. I made sure I ate plenty of dirt and tormented my older brothers with my favorite snack: garlic oil capsules. For an extended period of time I would only eat French fries and apple juice. Later, my childhood fare consisted of the typical American diet: flour, sugar, canned and processed stuff labeled "food", and more than my share of French fries. My diet and extended antibiotic use (for chronic sinus and kidney infections) led to chronic constipation. Eventually, my bowel problems landed me in the hospital when I was 12, for a blockage that was to be removed via surgery. Not only were my bowels in trouble but they told me I had the gallbladder of a 70-year-old woman. Now I realize that my addiction to French fries led to my early gallbladder problems. Thankfully, I was spared once again as my blockage miraculously disappeared on the colonoscopy screen right before they were to begin surgery.
My brother’s experience plants a seed
Shortly after my scheduled surgery was canceled, my older brother, Dan, was diagnosed with encephalitis (inflammation of the brain). His doctors theorized that the cause of the inflammation was from the water that we all had been swimming in. I now believe it was caused by a tetanus vaccine since he had received a Dt (diphtheria/tetanus) vaccine about five years earlier for stepping on a rusty nail. From my studies I have learned that encephalitis can show up years later after a tetanus shot.
Dan became paralyzed on the right side of his body. I remember being with him in his room at Bonner General Hospital as they injected an unknown substance into his arm. "It's burning!" he screamed. My Dad couldn’t take it any longer and said "that's enough." He scooped him up and we took him home. After many months in battle with the allopathic medical field, my parents realized Dan wasn't getting any better. In fact, he was getting worse. He even lost his ability to speak. Since they were desperate to help him, they took him to a Naturopathic Doctor. The hospital doctors said it would take at least a year of physical and speech therapy to get him walking and talking again. The Naturopathic Doctor had him doing both in less than a month.
Naturopathy was also my first experience with muscle testing [kinesiology]. I remember thinking how fascinating it was. After that, I was hooked on alternative medicine. I read articles from health magazines my Dad would bring home to me and save the graphs and interesting factoids from them. But, as I became a teenager, I moved away from all that and continued my carefree ways and bad eating habits. Little did I know I was in for the greatest blow of my life.
Three Souls
At the age of 18 I was diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Hypoglycemia. Soon after I realized I was pregnant. My overwhelming joy of upcoming motherhood went spiraling down around me when I went in for an ultrasound at the end of my first trimester. I was considered 13 weeks along, but my baby had actually died at 8 weeks 2 days. I saw it on the screen, his/her little fingers and toes starting to form, but there was not a heartbeat. My loss was the first real devastation I experienced in my life. I became depressed and obsessed with figuring out how to prevent this from happening to me again. Unfortunately, I looked in the wrong place. I searched infertility and pregnancy books and left with less hope than I had before I read them. I made slight changes to my diet, but continued on with most of my bad dietary habits. I didn't know they were as bad as they actually were for me at the time. Afterall, I went to public school and learned that the food guide pyramid was created for our health - right? (ha,ha) It didn't help that I was on the W.I.C program and consumed large amounts of free cheese, milk, sugar cereal, and processed foods completely devoid of nutrition. Altogether, I lost three precious souls in a four year time period. Each one I loved, and each one I grieved for. I had pretty much given up on the fact that I would ever be able to have children of my own.
A dream come true
One night in October 2001 I had a dream. In the dream I was able to ask God two questions I wanted answers to and I would receive the answer in a print out. I only remember asking one question. Why can't I carry a pregnancy to term? The piece of paper printed out only a list of seven or eight herbs and their actions. When I woke up I could not remember what the list had said. Less than two months later I took an herbal course at the Workforce Training Center, where I learned of Dr. Christopher and his female corrective formulas. His diet consisted of cleansing and nourishing the body and reproductive organs. His formula contained eight herbs.
The first month I began taking it I was completely free of my horrible PMS mood swings, debilitating cramps, and heavy flow that I had suffered with since the age of 12. I continued taking it faithfully every day for 8 months. Then I did the 3-day cleanse and continued with the mucusless diet, consisting of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. I felt better than I can remember feeling my entire life. I had tons of energy! I was sleeping less and working harder. My mind felt clear and I had no more bowel problems!
One month into the diet I became pregnant for the fourth time. By this time I had completely thrown modern medicine out the window. I had an awesome pregnancy, and a beautiful home birth, but most of all I had Serenity. My little girl who completely changed me for the better and still does. She was the desire of my heart and is now the love of my life. I became a true believer in natural medicine and have continued my studies into alternative therapies with passion.
Utilizing God’s gifts
I have seen many healings take place since then. When my mom broke her ankle, we placed comfrey poultices on it and administered it internally as well. One week after the break, her new x-ray revealed that it was completely healed. My brother Matthew had a flesh eating bacteria in his femur that left each side of the bone with only the thickness of a toothpick. He had surgery to remove the bacteria and was told he would have to have a metal rod placed in his leg. Comfrey brought back all of the bone, much to his surgeons disbelief. My Dad was healed from extreme dizzy spells and high blood pressure through dietary changes and nerve rebuilding formulas placed on his occipital bone and down along his neck. My husband saved himself from extensive problems by placing cayenne pepper on a hobo spider bite. It healed in less than 2 weeks and barely left a scar. Just weeks away from surgery, his aunt was cured from planters warts using Goldenseal. I honestly don't have enough room here to write all of the wonderful things I've witnessed the body heal as more people become informed of the body's innate ability to heal itself.
Just recently I was finally able to rid myself of the ongoing sinus infections. Though they were less often and I knew how to treat them naturally, they were still a nuisance. I did another three-day cleanse and was taking large amounts of glyconutritionals. A hard tube shaped exactly like my sinus cavity, complete with perfectly symmetrical rings imbedded into it, came out of my nose. It was hanging out of my nose and I tried to pull it out, but I could feel that it was stuck clear up under my right eye. The piece I was pulling on finally snapped off and the rest came out in 3 pieces the next day. Ahhh, sweet relief. No more sinus problems!
“Living” food – the key to life
The more I learn about this amazing being that we are contained in, the more I realize how simple true health actually is. What we put into our bodies is what we get out of it. If you fill it with dead, processed and devitalized products then that is what you can expect your quality of health to be; dead and devitalized. If you fill your body with whole, fresh, living food then that is also what you can expect for your health to be; fresh and whole. This includes what you put into your heart and mind, for they have an amazing amount of power over your body. This means forgiveness of self and others. The human body never makes a mistake! It only reacts to the environment which you, yes you, have created for it! I feel truly blessed that I am healthy today and able to share my story with you. My journey has had some bumps, but I learned something from each of them and can now see the good that came from all of my life’s lessons.
“…and the fruit therefore shall be for meat and the leaf thereof for medicine.” ~Ezekiel 47:12
Sara Landis is first and foremost a wife and mom. She is currently a Nutritional Herbologist and “very soon to be” a Master Herbalist and a Licensed Massage Therapist. Sara taught two classes locally on “Naturally healthy pregnancy and childcare.” She is also the director of the Idaho Chapter of Vaccination Liberation. She can be contacted through email at saralandis@mail.com.
I have an 8 month old baby girl and was in EXACTLY the same position as you. We did our first two rounds of vaccines (HIB and polio) and by the time it came time for the third in the series, I had read all this stuff about vaccines, was seeing first hand what vaccines were doing to one of my dogs and it just didn't feel right to continue vaxing. So I didn't. Stopping vaccination was the BEST decision I have ever made in my life - I only wish I had done it sooner and wish that I knew then what I know now. Not a day goes by that I don't kick myself for giving 2 shots of HIB and polio.
If vaxing doesn't feel right to you (and it didn't feel right to me) then don't do it. Once you give the vaccine you can't turn the clock back and undo things. My doctor was completely unsupportive of my concerns about vaccines. He's fairly holistic in his views but he completely pooh-poohed my questions. "Reactions are so rare.... vaccines are NOT linked to allergies.... it's all a bunch of hog wash... besides, don't you want your daughter to be protected against these terrible and deadly illnesses?" I vax'd XXXXXX out of fear. That's what it came down to. What I did not realize at the time was that in vaxing her I was 1) not guaranteeing her immunity against these "horrible illnesses" 2) that these illnesses are NOT all that common in the first place 3) I was putting my child at risk for chronic disease 4) mercury toxicity is VERY real and a serious threat to children under the age of 6 months 4) vaccines form a large part of a doctor's practice which puts him in a conflict of interest when presenting both sides of the story. My daughter didn't spike a fever during her vaccines and other than getting a little cranky she "did fine" as well. Now she's 8 months old, has never been ill a single day in her life but she's suffering from acne. Why? No idea. Not a clue. Allergy? Perhaps. Hypersensitivity due to the vaccines? Perhaps. But now I'll never know because I gave those damn vaccines. XXXXX is just going to start homeopathic care for the acne and I have not been able to trace the acne to a food allergy. I will not take her to the doctor for the problem because the last thing I want to do is suppress the symptoms. She's a happy child, very content and if she is "the one" who becomes autistic because of vaxing out of fear I could never forgive myself knowing what I know now. Once you understand the real dangers of vaccines, it's like opening up a door that can never be closed again. Once you "see" the dangers you can't go back into naivety. I only wish I had seen sooner. My best advice to you is this: follow your gut. I wish I had followed mine.
Actually your page was the first one I've seen that was much more clear. I sat my dh down and made him read it and we both decided not to vax :) Men usually don't take active roles into the kids medical care etc, you know how that is. So I think he needed to see it more than I did. My intuition was already telling me NOT to do this, his wasn't! I'm just sick over the fact that I've already vax'd my older two and partially vax'd my baby!
Wendy,
Thank you for putting together such a comprehensive view. I have a 3 week old daughter, our first, and I was deeply concerned about vaccinating her. I have read numerous medical, scientific and anecdotal articles and the more I read, the more concerned I become. You may have guessed what my decision will be. I now need to convey the information to my partner so that she shares the same viewpoint and doesn't blindly trust the stance of the Health Authorities in the UK.
Thank you once again. I was delighted to hear your son is far in the journey to recovery.
Best Wishes and kind regards,
Thank you for the wonderful website full of wonderful information! Our son turned 2 in May and is not Vaxed -- We still research every day -- but I have yet to find anything that can modify my view on this -- So, he remains unvaxed. Thank you-- I will share your website with our friends...
Bless you -- I'm so happy your son is well.
I just wanted to add what approach worked for me, married to a civil engineer. ( you know they all seem to fit into a "type"! he is very logical, very linear in his thoughts, and very hard to argue with) When I first looked into the vaccination issue, our third child (our only boy) was nearing his 1sth birthday and I was uneasy about the whole autism issue. Once I started researching, I felt sick- I knew I couldn't give any of our kids anymore vaxs, but especially not our sweet boy who was red haired, and already allergic to several foods and the metal on his clothes. My husband, the civil engineer, had also been pre-med for about 3 years, and his brother is a Dr., I was up against so much! My approach: don't push hysterically, at firs I mentioned a few of the articles I had read; he would respond with, a "wow-how interesting" kind of comment and then, "ok, Jen, as long as he gets his shots..." so I toned down and didn't say much, but I collected some very well researched articles- if it had an M.D. in the title, the better! I left an article out for him every once in while to take with him to work or leaving it in the bathroom without mentioning it is even better! After he read a few articles, without me ever arguing with him, though I was thinking "over my dead body!" ( I never said that out loud!) I prayed a lot and then one day he said that we could delay the shots until our boy was 2 because I felt so strongly about it and because he knew I only wanted what was best for our kids, even though he didn't totally agree with me. I just continued in that way, giving an article every once in a while, pointing out the bias and questionable statements in pro-vaccine newspaper articles- it made him think, and the next thing I knew, he was on my side, and taking a us-against them stance when he saw biased articles in the paper. So, our boy is almost 3 now, no more vax's and our 4th child is completely unvaxed. one other thought, my husband was forced to get a MMR booster in college, and he was so sick from it and in so much pain, it helped to remind him of that and question the effectiveness of the vaccine when they have to keep adding boosters, and to remind him that the babies can't complain and let us know how awful they feel after the shot- he was able to verbalize it.
Jenny in Ca
Dear All!
My name is Tanya and I am happily married to Paul and we have two lovely babes - Tamara age 6 yrs and Alexander who is just over a year. We live in Cornwall which is a beautiful part of the UK. I do tend to waffle a bit so I'll get to the point and no doubt you'll get to know a bit more about us very soon!
I first had a peek inside 'Pandora's Box' when I became a CA to a vitalistic chiropractor and attended a weekend seminar hosted by Ted Koren in London back in 2000. Basically this seminar changed my life and for the past two years have gleaned as much info. as possible regarding vaxxes.
I wish I had been aware of all the issues back in 1996 when Tamara was fully vaxxed until the age of 13 months and I can only thank God that to date she is bright, well-balanced and healthy. Obviously she hasn't received anything since then and Alex is totally unvaxxed.
We're very lucky to live locally to two organic farms and the majority of our food is organic, especially the kids but we are human and think the odd pizza can be righted by overall good nutrition. We love chiropractic and all get adjusted monthly, Alex was just four days old when he was first adjusted and Tamara is responding beautifully from homeopathy for her so-called asthma as a GP once diagnosed, its fantastic that she doesn't have to traipse to school armed with inhalers and those big plastic bubble spacer thingies. I believe also that a good sense of humour and lots of laughs help with the old immune system and as a family try to be as positive and expressive as possible - love will save the day (and diseases) as they say!!!
Do tend to feel a bit isolated in my views though sometimes as an NHS nurse told me once that she would rather have an autistic child than a dead child when she found out about my vax opinions. I must admit I did contribute intelligently to the conversation but would rather have told her where to go, especially as a good friend of mine has an autistic child and thought this silly remark was both patronising and disrespectful to all that they have to go through. So this is why I am so glad I have discovered you all and a similar very good Brit group.
Anyway, think I must need a good holiday as I must have vax on the brain! I have been dreaming that the whole populations of the States and the UK are all going to receive Smallpox vax, that the doctor in 'Eastenders', a very popular UK soap opera has been pushing the flu vaccine, my daughter quizzically asking what are booster shots, as mentioned in the Rugrats and that we can now buy, along with our groceries at the checkout ...................................................the flu vaccine. I really do need a long lie down me thinks!
Take care!
Love from Tanya
My short story is this.....I have 2 beautiful boys, 4 and 2 in January. They are both totally unvaxxed and never will be. We do chiropractic, and both my babies were adjusted at birth. It's amazing that my children are the healthiest kids I know. Other kids have the asthma, the colds, and other assorted maladies, but not my babies! My husabnd is in the military and I worry about what vaxxes he'll be getting when and if they go overseas and what we can do to minimize the effects of those. I started an information resource group about 3 1/2 years ago when my oldest was about 1. I have continued, although since starting I have relocated to a new state. I start chiropractic school November 1st and am sssooooo excited about this. It has been a dream of mine since high school to be a healthcare provider, although I used to want to be an MD! Egaads!! Now the very thought of that makes me nauseous.
I am so glad this list is here to provide support and information for those parents that truly wish to be educated. I'm excited to be attending Dr Tim o'Shea's Sanctity of Human Blood seminar next month and I expect to get lots of good info from that.
Healthy wishes for all,
I myself have a 2 1/2 month old named Tyler who just received his first set of vaccinations. The poor guy had to get five shots, two in one thigh, three in the other. Had I known that these vaccines really weren't necessary, I wouldn't have put him through the pain. I, like many other first time mothers was told the vaccines were needed when in fact they really are not, and you can go to the health department and get a waiver stating that your child doesn't have to have them. My cousins baby boy is six months old and went to have his vaccinations for that age, after coming home the baby started having seizures and they rushed him to the hospital. Upon arrival, tests were done and they said he was allergic to the Pertussis shot. However, after hearing what you had to say and reading your website it sounds like the doctors just said that to cover their own hides! I can assure you, my child will not be receiving any more vaccinations! I love my son too much to inject these poisons into him that could harm him! My son is my whole world and I would die if I knew that my ignorance was the cause of him dying or getting hurt in any way. Once again, thank you so much for your insight into this ongoing problem. Without your story and insight, I would never have thought to say no to the vaccines.
Thanks Again,
Audra and Tyler
Dear Wendy
Here is my story and here is Shalom.
6 months ago had appointment with the baby's pediatrician! In that appointment I was supposed to let the doctor to vaccinate my baby with 4 vaccinations; Hep B, IPV, DTP, HIB, but didn't go to the Dr's office!
8 months ago, when my baby was 2 months old, I was still naive about vaccinations... I thought that some are good and safe and important, while I rejected Hep B, or MMR, I thought about single jabs for MMR. As any good obedient mom, who wanted the best health care for her first son, went to the Dr's office for well being check up. When the dr. saw my baby, she said my baby is so healthy - perfect baby! Let's vaccinate! She wanted to give him 4 shots: Hep B, IPV, DTP, and HIB. I felt uneasy about it. I sensed something was wrong. When I WAS a baby age 2 months, I didn't get so many jabs - just IPV. I told the doctor; don't you think 2 months old is too early for so many shots? The Dr, thought for a minute, wanting to be nice told me, do u know what? Lets postpone these vaccinations till next appointment, when my baby will be 4 months old in March 25. I said ok. When I got home with my still unvaccinated baby I decided to educate myself about the vaccination issue.
I thought to myself, why the kids of nowadays are sicker than before? I was just fine with fewer vaccinations than the kids with today's vaccinations! It looked aggressive to me to jab the baby so many shots in such a young age... Also I remembered once as a child when I came to doctor's office, I chatted with the doctor, as any good chatterbox, I loved to chat with doctor while gave me vaccinations, I shared medical knowledge and loved to awe the doctor with the knowledge I had. So I chatted about getting chicken pox and being immunized to it for life. The doctor said, yes wow u know it in such a young age? One thing: if you get chicken pox under 1 year old, your immunization system isn't mature to have antibodies memory, so it doesn't count, and you have to get that disease AFTER age 1 year old to be immunized to it for life!
So I thought, so why do they vaccinate babies right after birth? and so many shots before age 1 year old? The immunization system isn't developed yet!!
When I surfed in the Internet, for HOURS all the information upset me so much that this night I couldn't sleep! The going to doctor in the same day played in my mind again and again. And I thought, what if the doctor was vaccinating MY beautiful healthy baby with these 4 shots loaded with poisons and MY baby could now be screaming or dead by now or having weaken immunization system, or developing allergies... ohh God what a narrow escape! I hugged my baby tight. He is so, so healthy and perfect! Thank God! I was so lucky not to have him poisoned. I imagined again and again about my baby opening his mouth in horror as the doctor jabbed a shot after shot, and having him screaming...having swollen feet, having fever, then having him 'not same like before' more quiet, or more sleepy, or stopping smiling, or even dead... it was a hard sleepless night. I was angry and upset.
Anyway... 2 months later - I just didn't show up in the doctor's office with my precious baby! Now he is 10 months robust happy baby. Thanks God He guided me to take a good care of him.
Here is my story and here is Shalom.
6 months ago had appointment with the baby's pediatrician! In that appointment I was supposed to let the doctor to vaccinate my baby with 4 vaccinations; Hep B, IPV, DTP, HIB, but didn't go to the Dr's office!
8 months ago, when my baby was 2 months old, I was still naive about vaccinations... I thought that some are good and safe and important, while I rejected Hep B, or MMR, I thought about single jabs for MMR. As any good obedient mom, who wanted the best health care for her first son, went to the Dr's office for well being check up. When the dr. saw my baby, she said my baby is so healthy - perfect baby! Let's vaccinate! She wanted to give him 4 shots: Hep B, IPV, DTP, and HIB. I felt uneasy about it. I sensed something was wrong. When I WAS a baby age 2 months, I didn't get so many jabs - just IPV. I told the doctor; don't you think 2 months old is too early for so many shots? The Dr, thought for a minute, wanting to be nice told me, do u know what? Lets postpone these vaccinations till next appointment, when my baby will be 4 months old in March 25. I said ok. When I got home with my still unvaccinated baby I decided to educate myself about the vaccination issue.
I thought to myself, why the kids of nowadays are sicker than before? I was just fine with fewer vaccinations than the kids with today's vaccinations! It looked aggressive to me to jab the baby so many shots in such a young age... Also I remembered once as a child when I came to doctor's office, I chatted with the doctor, as any good chatterbox, I loved to chat with doctor while gave me vaccinations, I shared medical knowledge and loved to awe the doctor with the knowledge I had. So I chatted about getting chicken pox and being immunized to it for life. The doctor said, yes wow u know it in such a young age? One thing: if you get chicken pox under 1 year old, your immunization system isn't mature to have antibodies memory, so it doesn't count, and you have to get that disease AFTER age 1 year old to be immunized to it for life!
So I thought, so why do they vaccinate babies right after birth? and so many shots before age 1 year old? The immunization system isn't developed yet!!
When I surfed in the Internet, for HOURS all the information upset me so much that this night I couldn't sleep! The going to doctor in the same day played in my mind again and again. And I thought, what if the doctor was vaccinating MY beautiful healthy baby with these 4 shots loaded with poisons and MY baby could now be screaming or dead by now or having weaken immunization system, or developing allergies... ohh God what a narrow escape! I hugged my baby tight. He is so, so healthy and perfect! Thank God! I was so lucky not to have him poisoned. I imagined again and again about my baby opening his mouth in horror as the doctor jabbed a shot after shot, and having him screaming...having swollen feet, having fever, then having him 'not same like before' more quiet, or more sleepy, or stopping smiling, or even dead... it was a hard sleepless night. I was angry and upset.
Anyway... 2 months later - I just didn't show up in the doctor's office with my precious baby! Now he is 10 months robust happy baby. Thanks God He guided me to take a good care of him.
An older Shalom with his new unvaxxed baby sister!
Here is an update on Shalom and sister Tzippy.
By the way, my son's school tried to force us to vaccinate him. The principal said he will expel my son if I don't vaccinate him in 2 weeks. I stick to my guns. my son was expelled from the school and we are home schooling him. I still try to get him back to the school just for that granny sweetheart teacher. (if not for her, we wouldn't care to fight) But if I don't find a liberal school we will homeschool next year.
Unfortunately the private schools are not obligated by the law to accept religious exemptions. The principal doesn't care that we might be vaccine damaged (my being deaf, and my brother being deaf AND autistic). we had heated email exchanges. The thing that most hurt me was his saying: your fears are unfounded anyway I am not going to risk my son's health just for the principal's hunger for power and his want things to be his way.
regards,
Sara
Here is Shalom and Tzippy and new baby Moshe all unvaxxed and in perfect health. Read about Sara's problems with school exemptions.
Here is an update on Shalom and sister Tzippy.
By the way, my son's school tried to force us to vaccinate him. The principal said he will expel my son if I don't vaccinate him in 2 weeks. I stick to my guns. my son was expelled from the school and we are home schooling him. I still try to get him back to the school just for that granny sweetheart teacher. (if not for her, we wouldn't care to fight) But if I don't find a liberal school we will homeschool next year.
Unfortunately the private schools are not obligated by the law to accept religious exemptions. The principal doesn't care that we might be vaccine damaged (my being deaf, and my brother being deaf AND autistic). we had heated email exchanges. The thing that most hurt me was his saying: your fears are unfounded anyway I am not going to risk my son's health just for the principal's hunger for power and his want things to be his way.
regards,
Sara
Here is Shalom and Tzippy and new baby Moshe all unvaxxed and in perfect health. Read about Sara's problems with school exemptions.
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Our school's principal is trying to force us to vaccinate our son!!!
I am so upset with his attitude. What the hell! He doesn't care about us at all! He just wants the jabs for our son, even with me having a high probability of being deaf from a vaccine! Plus my brother is deaf AND autistic! Same vaccines!
here is our emails exchanges...
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Re: about Shalom
Dear XXXX
Regards to your demanding a letter from a doctor about not needing vaccinations, you are requesting a medical waiver which isn't available. New Jersey state accepts religious waiver which I gave you before.
You shall write a statement in writing outlining your lawful reasons for refusal to accept him in school concerning about vaccinations..
Sincerely,
Sara
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sent: 1/16/2007 10:43:00 AM
Subject: FW: Re: about Shalom
.Dear Rabbi,
Subject: FW: Re: about Shalom
Dear Mrs.
I feel the need to respond to your e-mail to Mrs. XXXXX. As the Head of School for YBH, I am also the Rabbinic leader as well and its Posek. Orthodox Judaism since Moshe Rabbinu has used physicians and medicine to heal and prevent illness. Our faith in Hashem is to use the best medical services available at any given time while trusting in Hashem that He is sending the doctor or medicine as His messenger. While the State of New Jersey recognizes religious exemptions for children attending public schools, we are not a public school and our religion in fact promotes sound medical care and advice. If you have a medical doctor who writes that immunization is dangerous for your children, I might consider it, but I will not allow your son to continue in our school as a potential danger to other children and staff, using non-Orthodox Judaism as a religious excuse. Please let me know what your decision is.
Rabbi
.
Subject: RE: FW: Re: about Shalom
Your statement that my son is a danger to the other children and the staff isn't valid because the based on your belief on vaccinations, the others are immunized, therefore they are protected so what is the danger? Talking about dangers, my son has to be the one to be in the danger and not the other way around. Isn't it?
As for us, the immunizations are dangerous for us because I am vaccine damaged. I am deaf. As well my brother is deaf AND autistic. resulting from the vaccinations. We were born normal babies. But around the time of the scheduled vaccinations we got sick and got damaged. Our hearing plummeted to almost zero, and my brother got into autism. He was crying and vomiting and having screaming spells. I remember these days, even I was almost a baby myself. It was an horrible experience seeing my mom helplessly holding the baby as he was waling and squirming in pain and arching his back for hours and hours days on and days off..
We will not put our son/children through this risk.
The doctors don't accept this theory that vaccinations damaged us. I hope you are having a Jewish heart and will not force us to vaccinate as the dangers of the vaccinations are real to us. Could you sign that vaccinations are completely safe and that you will take lifelong responsibility if G-d forbid anything will happen to my son resulting from the shots? And I believe that shots are against Judaism because some of the materials used in the vaccinations preparations include aborted fetuses serums. I am sure Moshe Rabeinu used natural medicine and not the Orthodox medicine using dangerous toxics damaging children's health causing the ADHD and allergy and autism epidemic of nowadays, and using inhuman methods like using serums from aborted fetuses!
Its unfair to threaten children to be expelled from school as some are damaged from the shots then they are unable attend any school!!
.Subject: RE: RE: FW: Re: about Shalom
Date: Wed, 17 Jan 2007 11:45:35 -0500
Mrs. Kohn,
I certainly worry about the well being of your son but you and I do not agree that your son is in danger without getting proper immunizations against childhood diseases. The rest of our staff and parent body do agree with me and I am responsible for their safety. Even your physicians have told you that your fears are unfounded. I am sorry but this issue can not be compromised. It is your choice not to get your son immunized and therefore place him out of school. He is more than welcomed at YBH under our conditions. This my final answer. If over the winter break you see to it that he receives all of his vaccinations and immunizations, he will be allowed in school. Otherwise you will need to find him another arrangement.
Rabbi
.
Subject: RE: RE: FW: Re: about Shalom
Will you agree to sign to testify the immunizations are completely safe and that my fears are unfounded, and that if anything happens resulting from the shots you will take full responsibility?
Subject: RE: RE: RE: FW: Re: about Shalom
Date: Wed, 17 Jan 2007 15:12:44 -0500
I don't negotiate with parents about such serious matters. My decision is final.
Rabbi
Subject: A few matters
Date: Thu, 1 Feb 2007 10:59:44 -0
Mrs. Kohn,
It has come to my attention that you have sent your son to YBH without having him receive his proper immunizations. I have also found that your family have not completed any paperwork on your tuition obligation to our school. YBH is very generous and patient but you must do your part if you want your child in our school. I do not want to embarrass Shalom, but if he is in school on Monday, February 5, and nothing is done towards getting his needed inoculations or arrangements made with our business office in terms of your financial obligations to YBH, I will have no choice other than to send him home.
Rabbi
..and that's what I wrote back to him:
--------------------------------------------------------------
Mr. XXXX
You have no respect to our situation. I am vaccine damaged, and is so my brother worst damaged. My brother's life is destroyed. he will never marry. and I will never hear what you take for granted: hearing the beauty of music, being able to speak on phone, getting jobs and not being discriminated because of my deafness. You don't care about us. Our son can be seriously damaged just because you want to exercise your controlling altitude. You want our son get the jabs not because you care about the safety of anyone, just because of your arrogance and your wanting to control everything to be your way.
What is the difference if you would decide that everyone in school must eat peanut butter sandwiches and you will force the children who have allergy to it to eat it along with everyone else? Then you will tell the parents that their fears of peanut butter are unfounded. Then if the child will be hurt or dead from the peanut butter sandwich you will tell them coldly that they have no proof its from the peanuts. That what we exactly feel by your altitude.
Well I don't want to have any fight with you, I want to live in peace with everyone. I just don't know what do you want from our life and what is the source of your phobia of unvaccinated children. You can go ahead to ask any medical doctor even the most pro vaccination ones, and ask them if all the vaccinated people are in danger in presence of the unvaccinated ones??
By the way - I see the altitude of schools wanting the medical records of the students as controlling and corrupt. Why shall parents share this private info with the schools? What schools have to do with the children's medical records?! Its nobody's damn business and parents have right to maintain their privacy (only need to share the relevant info like warning schools of their children's allergies or situations that can affect their children's relations with others)
If you will expel our son from school, he will be greatly heartbroken and remember it for life. He will remember you as the principal who rejected him. And we will not take the risk of vaccinations just to satisfy your wanting to make everything your way.
p.s as i said before: we are taking our son to a pediatrician who knows both sides of the picture of the vaccinations. he heard our story and finds it truly founded.
Sara
And another thing: That principal who takes it as a granted right to meddle with the kid's medical treatments i.e: vaccinate them, What will be the difference if I would meddle with his medical needs. He is greatly overweight having a large protruding belly. Suppose I will go to him and tell him: Your being overweight is very dangerous for your heart. Your cholesterol levels can be high. Then I will force him to go to a doctor for medical treatment for his weight problem. Then force him to do a diet. This isn't any of my $#%@# business, so my son's medical care isn't any of his business. That he is going to his school doesn't justify anything of it! We are the customers and he has to satisfy the customers, and not the other way around. We are not a bunch of dirty rabid dogs in a dog daycare center that the dog daycare center owner having anxiety attacks to have these dogs to be vaccinated to rabies!
(I'm so proud of Sara for loving her kids enough to do what it takes to keep them vaccine free.)
No-one in my family has been vaccinated at all for at least 6 generations. I'm not sure exactly who has had what in the way of diseases that we could have been vaccinated for but I do know that we've all had some of them, and that no-one had had any complications what-so-ever! Except for myself, no-one has had any illness that has required anything more than a day or twos bed rest as treatment if that! We put it down to diet and lifestyle - I run astray abit but everyone else is / was very careful about what they consume. My Gran remembers having Measles, and I can also remember my Great Gran and her sister telling me that they both had Measles and German Measles. My Mum remembers having German Measles too. I'm not sure about my Grandads side of the family - I get the impression that no- one ever caught anything that was worth making a fuss of, but I might ask him tomorrow to check. I had Measles we think - I had a rash and slight fever for less than a day, I had Mumps in the same fashion - swelling on one side which was gone by lunchtime, I had Chicken pox so mildly I barely noticed it. I had bacterial Menengitis which was awful for a day, I went to hospital! I had German Measles at age 19 which was no big deal - the rash was the only obvious thing about it. My son possibly had Measles when he was a baby but no-one knew for sure, again whatever it was that caused the rash was so mild he didn't seem bothered at all. He had Chicken Pox too which caused him no discomfort, and he had Whooping cough last year which sounded absolutely awful at times but he didn't acctually feel ill most of the time.
I have read that some of the complications from Measles can be avoided by giving children vitamin A - not sure of the doses though
Our school's principal is trying to force us to vaccinate our son!!!
I am so upset with his attitude. What the hell! He doesn't care about us at all! He just wants the jabs for our son, even with me having a high probability of being deaf from a vaccine! Plus my brother is deaf AND autistic! Same vaccines!
here is our emails exchanges...
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Re: about Shalom
Dear XXXX
Regards to your demanding a letter from a doctor about not needing vaccinations, you are requesting a medical waiver which isn't available. New Jersey state accepts religious waiver which I gave you before.
You shall write a statement in writing outlining your lawful reasons for refusal to accept him in school concerning about vaccinations..
Sincerely,
Sara
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sent: 1/16/2007 10:43:00 AM
Subject: FW: Re: about Shalom
.Dear Rabbi,
Subject: FW: Re: about Shalom
Dear Mrs.
I feel the need to respond to your e-mail to Mrs. XXXXX. As the Head of School for YBH, I am also the Rabbinic leader as well and its Posek. Orthodox Judaism since Moshe Rabbinu has used physicians and medicine to heal and prevent illness. Our faith in Hashem is to use the best medical services available at any given time while trusting in Hashem that He is sending the doctor or medicine as His messenger. While the State of New Jersey recognizes religious exemptions for children attending public schools, we are not a public school and our religion in fact promotes sound medical care and advice. If you have a medical doctor who writes that immunization is dangerous for your children, I might consider it, but I will not allow your son to continue in our school as a potential danger to other children and staff, using non-Orthodox Judaism as a religious excuse. Please let me know what your decision is.
Rabbi
.
Subject: RE: FW: Re: about Shalom
Your statement that my son is a danger to the other children and the staff isn't valid because the based on your belief on vaccinations, the others are immunized, therefore they are protected so what is the danger? Talking about dangers, my son has to be the one to be in the danger and not the other way around. Isn't it?
As for us, the immunizations are dangerous for us because I am vaccine damaged. I am deaf. As well my brother is deaf AND autistic. resulting from the vaccinations. We were born normal babies. But around the time of the scheduled vaccinations we got sick and got damaged. Our hearing plummeted to almost zero, and my brother got into autism. He was crying and vomiting and having screaming spells. I remember these days, even I was almost a baby myself. It was an horrible experience seeing my mom helplessly holding the baby as he was waling and squirming in pain and arching his back for hours and hours days on and days off..
We will not put our son/children through this risk.
The doctors don't accept this theory that vaccinations damaged us. I hope you are having a Jewish heart and will not force us to vaccinate as the dangers of the vaccinations are real to us. Could you sign that vaccinations are completely safe and that you will take lifelong responsibility if G-d forbid anything will happen to my son resulting from the shots? And I believe that shots are against Judaism because some of the materials used in the vaccinations preparations include aborted fetuses serums. I am sure Moshe Rabeinu used natural medicine and not the Orthodox medicine using dangerous toxics damaging children's health causing the ADHD and allergy and autism epidemic of nowadays, and using inhuman methods like using serums from aborted fetuses!
Its unfair to threaten children to be expelled from school as some are damaged from the shots then they are unable attend any school!!
.Subject: RE: RE: FW: Re: about Shalom
Date: Wed, 17 Jan 2007 11:45:35 -0500
Mrs. Kohn,
I certainly worry about the well being of your son but you and I do not agree that your son is in danger without getting proper immunizations against childhood diseases. The rest of our staff and parent body do agree with me and I am responsible for their safety. Even your physicians have told you that your fears are unfounded. I am sorry but this issue can not be compromised. It is your choice not to get your son immunized and therefore place him out of school. He is more than welcomed at YBH under our conditions. This my final answer. If over the winter break you see to it that he receives all of his vaccinations and immunizations, he will be allowed in school. Otherwise you will need to find him another arrangement.
Rabbi
.
Subject: RE: RE: FW: Re: about Shalom
Will you agree to sign to testify the immunizations are completely safe and that my fears are unfounded, and that if anything happens resulting from the shots you will take full responsibility?
Subject: RE: RE: RE: FW: Re: about Shalom
Date: Wed, 17 Jan 2007 15:12:44 -0500
I don't negotiate with parents about such serious matters. My decision is final.
Rabbi
Subject: A few matters
Date: Thu, 1 Feb 2007 10:59:44 -0
Mrs. Kohn,
It has come to my attention that you have sent your son to YBH without having him receive his proper immunizations. I have also found that your family have not completed any paperwork on your tuition obligation to our school. YBH is very generous and patient but you must do your part if you want your child in our school. I do not want to embarrass Shalom, but if he is in school on Monday, February 5, and nothing is done towards getting his needed inoculations or arrangements made with our business office in terms of your financial obligations to YBH, I will have no choice other than to send him home.
Rabbi
..and that's what I wrote back to him:
--------------------------------------------------------------
Mr. XXXX
You have no respect to our situation. I am vaccine damaged, and is so my brother worst damaged. My brother's life is destroyed. he will never marry. and I will never hear what you take for granted: hearing the beauty of music, being able to speak on phone, getting jobs and not being discriminated because of my deafness. You don't care about us. Our son can be seriously damaged just because you want to exercise your controlling altitude. You want our son get the jabs not because you care about the safety of anyone, just because of your arrogance and your wanting to control everything to be your way.
What is the difference if you would decide that everyone in school must eat peanut butter sandwiches and you will force the children who have allergy to it to eat it along with everyone else? Then you will tell the parents that their fears of peanut butter are unfounded. Then if the child will be hurt or dead from the peanut butter sandwich you will tell them coldly that they have no proof its from the peanuts. That what we exactly feel by your altitude.
Well I don't want to have any fight with you, I want to live in peace with everyone. I just don't know what do you want from our life and what is the source of your phobia of unvaccinated children. You can go ahead to ask any medical doctor even the most pro vaccination ones, and ask them if all the vaccinated people are in danger in presence of the unvaccinated ones??
By the way - I see the altitude of schools wanting the medical records of the students as controlling and corrupt. Why shall parents share this private info with the schools? What schools have to do with the children's medical records?! Its nobody's damn business and parents have right to maintain their privacy (only need to share the relevant info like warning schools of their children's allergies or situations that can affect their children's relations with others)
If you will expel our son from school, he will be greatly heartbroken and remember it for life. He will remember you as the principal who rejected him. And we will not take the risk of vaccinations just to satisfy your wanting to make everything your way.
p.s as i said before: we are taking our son to a pediatrician who knows both sides of the picture of the vaccinations. he heard our story and finds it truly founded.
Sara
And another thing: That principal who takes it as a granted right to meddle with the kid's medical treatments i.e: vaccinate them, What will be the difference if I would meddle with his medical needs. He is greatly overweight having a large protruding belly. Suppose I will go to him and tell him: Your being overweight is very dangerous for your heart. Your cholesterol levels can be high. Then I will force him to go to a doctor for medical treatment for his weight problem. Then force him to do a diet. This isn't any of my $#%@# business, so my son's medical care isn't any of his business. That he is going to his school doesn't justify anything of it! We are the customers and he has to satisfy the customers, and not the other way around. We are not a bunch of dirty rabid dogs in a dog daycare center that the dog daycare center owner having anxiety attacks to have these dogs to be vaccinated to rabies!
(I'm so proud of Sara for loving her kids enough to do what it takes to keep them vaccine free.)
No-one in my family has been vaccinated at all for at least 6 generations. I'm not sure exactly who has had what in the way of diseases that we could have been vaccinated for but I do know that we've all had some of them, and that no-one had had any complications what-so-ever! Except for myself, no-one has had any illness that has required anything more than a day or twos bed rest as treatment if that! We put it down to diet and lifestyle - I run astray abit but everyone else is / was very careful about what they consume. My Gran remembers having Measles, and I can also remember my Great Gran and her sister telling me that they both had Measles and German Measles. My Mum remembers having German Measles too. I'm not sure about my Grandads side of the family - I get the impression that no- one ever caught anything that was worth making a fuss of, but I might ask him tomorrow to check. I had Measles we think - I had a rash and slight fever for less than a day, I had Mumps in the same fashion - swelling on one side which was gone by lunchtime, I had Chicken pox so mildly I barely noticed it. I had bacterial Menengitis which was awful for a day, I went to hospital! I had German Measles at age 19 which was no big deal - the rash was the only obvious thing about it. My son possibly had Measles when he was a baby but no-one knew for sure, again whatever it was that caused the rash was so mild he didn't seem bothered at all. He had Chicken Pox too which caused him no discomfort, and he had Whooping cough last year which sounded absolutely awful at times but he didn't acctually feel ill most of the time.
I have read that some of the complications from Measles can be avoided by giving children vitamin A - not sure of the doses though
Hello everyone, My name is XXXX, I'm 21, Married and have a 2yr old son XXXXX. He will be 2 on the 30th anyway. He is not Immunized, I am also expecting #2 in Feb. I grew up in a family that did not believe in Vaccinations, but I never knew what they were as a child. I just knew I never had shots, like other kids did. It wasn't really until I got pregnant with my son , that I realized it was a decision every parent had to make and that I should start looking into it. Well since my parents didn't Vaccinate they had alot of info for me, and I searched online a lot. Well what I found just shocked me! And i knew there was NO way i could do that to my child. This has been a very hard on going battle with my husband and his family. He has "given" in to me, but still doesn't completely agree. His family has pretty much flat out said that we are killing our child, so we stay away from them. I like getting new information , because it teaches me more and gives me a better argument, but not only that it gives me things to show my husband.
Hello everyone!
I'm xxxx, and I live in NC. I'm a married, SAHM to a 1 year old little girl. I was introduced to this group after speaking to another mother who belongs to it. I have just made the decision to not give the chicken pox shot, to seperate and delay the MMR (maybe), and to cease all over vaccinations until I learn more. My daughter's 1 year check up was this past Friday. She was due for Hep B, DTaP, and HIB. On top of all of that, they wanted to give her the chickenpox vax,and start the MMR. I had a new Ped. that day, a very ignorant one, who ignored my request to seperate the MMR, and told me all my non-vax information from online sites that are reputable is "junk." I refused all vaccinations on Friday, and left a very proud mama. My daughter was joyful all that night, and I think that was a message to me that I did a good thing. ;) The Ped. office threatened me, stating this was a form of child abuse, and they demanded to know when my daughter will be getting these shots because the state audits them. I did leave politely, paid my copay, and I hoped that I struck a chord in that new Ped. to listen to her patient's parents, who are their advocates. She stated that no child in that office is non-vax, not one. Before she gave me her speech, she remarked on how wonderfully happy my daughter is, and how attached she was to me. ;)She was impressed she said to hear I was a SAHM. She did turn my stomach though. Anyway, I am glad this group is here, because I plan to flood my brain with information and not persuasive dr. talk. I hope you can welcome me here. This decision has been a very rough one to make, and there are people out there making me shaky in my decisions. I am standing my ground. There are too many children in my close family being diagnosed with autism and ADD who were fully vaxed. I was once a victim of pharmaceutical medicines that changed me forever..that's a story in itself, but anyway everyone.... ;)
I have 2 gorgeous boys, XXXXX 3yrs (up to date on vax but will not be getting anymore) and XXXXX 4 weeks who will have no vax) www.babiesonline.com/babies/m/magic Just over a year ago I started researching vaccinations after I started seeing my homeopath as I had come to the conclusion GP's make too many mistakes and don't listen! They are the jack of all trades and master of none! I have read anything I can find on the subject and I am now determined my sons will not be subjected to the immunisation programme. I am very much into natural parenting, cloth nappies, organic food etc I also believe we are designed to give birth and obs should stop interfering in the process so much. I had to complain alot to get the choice of a waterbirth with my last son as my NHS trust (i am in the UK) would not allow births in their "labour" pool. In the end Dillon only took 90 minutes so I didn't have time for the pool anyway. I think breastfeeding is amazing and wish more women would do it. Where I live the only time I've seen/known a breastfeeding mum has been in the hospital. I very much feel the odd one out. I am even called a spoilsport for not letting my 3 yr old eat sweets and drink coke!! There are some odd views out there! Anyway back to the vax issue. The one thing that amazes me is that just based on the limited knowledge gained during my biology a-level I know that vaccines cause harm. It's common knowledge mercury is dangerous, when you're pregnant you're told to avoid certain fish due to mercury content yet the same people warning about this is quote happy to make you have it injected into a 2 month old baby! Madness! It the same with artificial sweeteners, I was actually taught by my biology teacher 6 years ago that artificial sweeteners are carcinogenic yet are still see good old phenylaline in robinson squash! It's hard to avoid that stuff! Next week I get to tell my GP that I will not be accepting the offer of vaccination (he wants to do me too!) so I am wondering what sort of reaction I'll get. My HV will be fine, she knows and hasn't tried to persuade me at all! Anyway, it's time to go now before I get carried away! I tend to go on when it's something I feel strongly about!
Hello, my name is XXXXX This is my first day on the Vaccinations Group. What a wealth of information! We're so blessed to have access to so much info to help make the most informed decisions about our children. I learned about this site through my friend who recently joined the group. I am the mother of a 15 month old son. I have researched vaccines extensively after agreeing to one Hep B in the hospital. I then went through 4 pediatricians until I found one who supported me in delaying them until after age 2 (which I have now decided not to do at all). My son has only had one other vaccine, 1 Hib (which I understand to be the least reactive) but that one HIB had him in the hospital with rectal bleeding, vomiting, fever of 105 and red throat which after researching seemed to be a reaction most likely to formaldehyde because he had no post nasal drip. I am more determined than ever to build my son's immune system through vitamins, herbs and proper nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. I feel certain in my heart that vaccinating him could have grave results. I realize that all children are different, and they all react differently, however for my son I feel strongly that I need to build his immune system and avoid vaccinations. I am interested in learning much more. Thanks,
PARENTS OF UNVACCINATED CHILDREN
- Tim O'Shea
After speaking with so many parents around the world who have not vaccinated their children, my standard question is always: How does the health of your child compare to that of the vaccinated children in your community? Almost one hundred percent of the time I would get the same response: my child is so much healthier, my child almost never gets sick, my child is bright, alert, has no allergies, no learning problems, etc. Over and over again, always the same response.
So it became obvious that a list might be helpful to see how common such a phenomenon might be. Of course this list does not attempt to masquerade itself as a controlled randomized study. It would fall more under the heading of empirical observation, or in the cases where the parents are doctors, clinical experience.
To be on this list, the undersigned are stating that they meet three criteria:
1. Parents of an unvaccinated child
2. The child's health has not only been exceptionally good, but that it has been far better than the apparent health of the child's vaccinated friends
3. The child rarely or never gets colds, has no chronic allergies, and has no use for drugs or those little pocket inhalators used today by so many children.
A number in parentheses indicates more than 1 unvaccinated child.
If you'd like to get on this list, kindly send in an E-mail. (O'Shea@thedoctorwithin.com)
A Normal Life
- Tim O'Shea
Here is what a normal life should be like:
You're born. You get no drugs and no vaccinations. During childhood you have the usual illnesses, but conservative treatment gets you through them without antibiotics or drugs, and you build your natural immune defenses. You don't eat white sugar, white flour, too much meat or cheese, or drink soft drinks or pasteurized milk. You concentrate on whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and a clean, natural diet. You never learn to drink coffee or to smoke cigarettes. The only pills you take are natural antioxidants and enzymes and minerals, which are part of your daily intake. You drink at least 1 liter of water every day. Into adulthood, you never get sick: no colds, no flu, no headaches, no diabetes, no ADD, no "thyroid problems," no panic attacks, growing pains, fatigue, or digestive disorders, no high blood pressure. The only pains you experience come from accidental injury. Perhaps you do moderate exercise or sports activity to maintain mobility and general fitness. You look to the care of your spine. Your entire adulthood is spent in this disease-free mode. As you age, your mind gets sharper, your body gets stronger, your immune system tougher. You experience no arthritis, cancer, or osteoporosis, no Parkinson's or Alzheimer's. Finally one day after 90 or 100 years, you flicker like a candle and go out.
The above paragraph may be useful in choosing a doctor. Some doctors will say all this is impossible; which for them is true. So don't choose them. All this is possible; moreover, thousands and thousands of people are living it. So listen only to those who can help you achieve such a condition of living health. Because now we've arrived at the threshold of a time when good health and a powerful immune system are not only advisable; they are the very determinants of survival.
http://www.thedoctorwithin.com/index_fr.html
(Lots of good article at this site - check it out!!)
Taking sides in the vaccine war
25 November 2002
By GRANT FLEMING
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,2121396a7144,00.html
Choosing not to immunise her two children is a decision that Catharina Fisher does not take lightly.
The Hutt Valley mother of two says that when faced with the question of whether to vaccinate or not, she and her husband decided to look further into the matter. "Once we got into it, there seemed to be a big discrepancy between government information and what our research was telling us." She says there was little information about possible adverse effects and the research that had been done was funded by the manufacturing drug companies and was very limited in its scope. However, their decision, says Ms Fisher, means taking greater responsibility for keeping her two children, Kieren, 4, and Annabel, 18 months, healthy. That involves breastfeeding for a long time - till Kieren was two, and still breastfeeding Annabel - not letting the kids get too run down, and providing them with a healthy diet. "We keep away from the high fat and sugar foods." The Fishers are not alone in their decision. The Health Ministry estimates that 2 to 4 per cent of New Zealand parents choose not to immunise their children for philosophical reasons, and as many as a further 10 per cent waver over the decision to give their children the jab.
In New Zealand, immunisation is offered to babies for hepatitis B, haemophilus influenzae, diptheria, tetanus, whooping cough, polio and measles, mumps and rubella. Ministry national immunisation manager Clair Mills says that reaching the wavering 10 per cent and another, smaller group who find it difficult to get to a doctor is a priority. She says research shows that if 95 per cent coverage can be achieved, diseases such as measles, which has the power to disable or, in extreme cases, kill, could be wiped out. The ministry estimates that between 85 and 88 per cent of two-year-olds are immunised. However, Dr Mills says, immunisation is not 100 per cent effective. A small proportion will get these diseases even after immunisation. This, and the fact that they outnumber non-immunised children by about nine to one, accounts for a high proportion of immunised children in disease statistics.
But she says it is the children who aren't immunised who often act as carriers, exposing those immunised children. She says that when looking at the effects of a disease outbreak on an entire population, the gains made from immunisation are huge. "If 100 per cent of people were immunised, the diseases would not exist ... next to clean water, this is the most successful health intervention we have." But Immunisation Awareness Society spokeswoman Sue Claridge says that in the information war the ministry has waged to convince undecided parents, disease risks have been exaggerated and the potential for long-term side-effects ignored.
Ms Claridge says that during the 50 years leading up to the 1940s, when vaccination programmes began, the incidence of communicable diseases had already dropped dramatically because of better sanitation, hygiene, water supplies, housing and nutrition. "Health authorities attribute the drop to vaccination, but in reality most of it was already happening."
She says that diseases such as scarlet fever have also declined hugely during the past 100 years, despite the absence of a vaccination programme. Ms Claridge says public health authorities have accepted vaccination on the assumption that it is safe. The common short-term side-effects - swelling, redness, fever and irritability - have been studied and are well known, she says, but there has been no study of long-term health effects. There is little surveillance of potential adverse effects, such as auto-immune disorders and even death from extreme reactions to immunisation. In many cases of possible adverse reactions, doctors are unwilling to accept immunisation as a causal factor, even if the medical event occurs during the 24 hours after vaccination.
"In many of these cases, it may not be linked to vaccination, but you will never know if there is a pattern if you don't investigate or report it in the first place. We believe that, at the moment, the risks are considerably underplayed by the medical establishment in their effort to reach their aim
of high vaccination rates. They are not providing parents with the information to weigh the risks against the benefits." But, she says, the society also advocates a holistic approach to health if people choose not to immunise. Measures such as long-term breastfeeding, which confers the mother's immunity to the child, and excellent nutrition are essential, she says. "Those things ensure that if a child does get sick, their body has the strength to fight that illness."
Auckland University immunisation researcher Nikki Turner agrees that the monitoring of adverse effects must improve. She says the current passive monitoring system needs to change to one that is more active in collecting data. "In European countries and the United States, doctors are putting a lot more money into surveillance and better linking of kids' medical records so cause and effect can be established if there is a possible adverse reaction." Common reactions to vaccines, those experienced by 1 to 10 per cent of people, such as red legs, fever, irritability and even post-vaccination fits, have been well quantified through big studies, she says. But rare adverse reactions, for example, a one-in-a- million probability, are almost impossible to identify because the catchment pool needed to pick up reliable data is too large. "They do large studies on 300,000 or 400,000 kids and they can show there does not appear to be a link, but if it was incredibly rare, if there was some poor individual out there who gets an unusual and rare reaction, you will not pick that up in a very large study . . . for certain issues, the studies have been done, but there are always things we have not considered."
She says that with the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, which some research has linked to autism, there have been big studies that show if there is a link, it is extremely rare. Dr Turner says there has also been much concern about an international increase in auto-immune conditions - in which the body attacks itself - such as autism and diabetes. But she says that though those conditions relate to the immune system, they are most probably linked to our affluent lifestyle and longer life expectancy.
"You have to look at it and do research case by case. Is there a link between vaccines and diabetes - no. Is there a link between vaccines and autism - it's been found to be extremely unlikely." Dr Turner is a firm advocate of immunisation. Though there is now a much lower incidence of disease than there was 50 years ago, she says that increased numbers of people travelling, babies being taken out of the home at a younger age and more contact at pre-schools puts children at risk. However, she says, some vaccines are of more benefit than others. There is a strong case for immunising against measles, which can be very severe. But the case for mumps is much weaker - in very rare cases, it can lead to deafness. And the case for polio is almost non-existent unless you are going to polio endemic areas. "With coverage, you don't need to get 100 per cent, so they don't have to be religious zealots, but you have to get above 90 per cent and close to 95, but the community can always handle conscientious objectors."
My name is Sara, I have two precious boys, Colin (3) and Jack (4 months). Colin was vaccinated up until he was supposed to have the MMR, then I freaked out after meeting a woman who's son was autistic, she said that he was developing normally until he had the MMR. I decided to put it off for awhile, then the more that I read the more it scared me, then I realized that I was more afraid of doing vaccines than I was of not doing them, so we stopped them all.
Jack is my "lucky baby", he has had the more educated mama. Jack was a beautiful and natural homebirth (even though he weighed tens pounds and came out with his arm over his head, I am woman, hear me roar!) and he hasn't had any vaccines or allopathic medicine, ever! With Colin, I was a scared first time mom and let a couple of doctors bully me into antibiotics for ear infections, I found wonderful naturopath who helped with the last one that he had, and that was the last one! The final straw for conventional doctors came when Colin had chicken pox, he had one in his eye and an urgent care doctor said that I had to let him give him a shot of antibiotics, oral antibiotics and antibiotic drops! I told him no way! Chicken pox is a virus and I knew that the antibiotics would make it worse!
We now have a wonderful DO who is really into alternative medicine and not only respects my decision not to vaccinate, but she supports it. She doesn't recommend them and has a big binder full of information against vaccines.
Sara
Mama to
Colin Patrick 12/7/99
Jack Michael 8/7/02
My husband and I do not have children yet however we are educating ourselves thoroughly on this issue. A few years ago I was unaware that vaccines did any harm. Then my nephew developed autism right before my eyes after his MMR vaccine. He was a normal developing child and after his MMR slipped backwards and developed autism. I was explaining to a friend of mine about what I witnessed and she said, "That's common with MMR don't you know all about vaccines and their harm?" The answer was no I didn't. Then I found out one her sisters never vaccinated any of her 5 children and her oldest is 22 and completely healthy without vaccines. She is currently a social worker for autistic children who contracted it by MMR vaccine. Then my friend went onto say her husband was under care getting mercury detox for what is believed by his treating doctor as vaccine caused MS. He developed symptoms shortly after he turned 30. Pro-vaccine doctors wanted to treat his MS with anthrax shots!! (you believe that?) His family was very against the natural detox and wanted him to see a "real" doctor. He did what his family wanted for a bit and he was getting worse. After the Anthrax shots and all the medicine he couldn't work, was loosing his vision, losing feeling in his legs and feet, had to walk with a cane, all at age 30 etc.. Finally my friend talked her husband into going for the natural mercury detox treatment. After his natural treatment he is like a new person. He can see fine, walk fine, isn't in pain anymore and is back to his regular hard working labor job.
What it comes down to is not enough people are educated on this subject and it seems they have no clue there are risks involved. All the literature posted in main places like doctors offices, libraries, and magazines are all pro-vaccine. If we could reach people that are pro-vaccine because they didn't even know that they do have a choice it would make all the difference. Most people I speak to vaccinate because they think everyone does and they have to. They are shocked when I explain the ingredients in vaccines and talk about side effects that happened to people I know. Your new site idea will make awareness grow and that is our goal. I wish I was educated on the risks instead of having to find out about them through my nephew being damaged.
You're on the right track by educating yourself, whatever decision you do ultimately make.
Personally, I've never feared taking my unvaccinated daughter anywhere. Since birth she has been healthier than her older (vaccinated, but not at birth) sisters. She's been in a home daycare situation since she was a year old. She's had two colds in 5 years, both very minor. I believe that her immune system is strengthened, rather than weakened, by her unimmunized state.
Two children in the last month have contracted chicken pox. I jumped for joy, hoping she would get this mild childhood virus before she was old enough for serious complications, and I was getting concerned over not seeing any cases at all. However, both children that got chicken pox were vaccinated, and she hasn't shown any sign of contracting it.
I just wanted to let you know that from my experience there's no need for your daughter to be kept in a virtual bubble. I would like to minimize my daughter's exposure to kids that have been recently vaccinated, but I haven't been able to track that since parents don't report that to day care. However, we've had no ill effects.
I wish you all the best!
I just wanted to tell you that we are 99% certain our un-vaccinated 7 month old son has just had Measles. He was a little under the weather the week before the spots appeared, 1 day of being sick and a couple of days with fever but so mild that it took us a week to realise what it was! We didn't give him any drugs only huge doses of organic veg. and he is now absolutely fine. Thank heavens he hadn't just had the scheduled vacs or I think he would of been seriously ill, so a big thank you to this group for educating me, I now have a strong healthy child quite capable of fighting disease naturally.
I am mom to three unvaccinated children. I became interested in the vaccine issue when I was pregnant with my first child; my MIL, an OB nurse for over 20 years, sent me some articles, and warned me to look into the vaccine issue because they weren't safe. My husband, who was working in research in Pediatric Immunology at the time, encouraged me to hear her out. At the time, I thought she was a little out there, but I read the info she sent and was shocked by what I learned. This led me into further research and, 8 years later, I am still searching and learning about this issue. And I am still appalled by what I learn. I went through several stages of learning as I progressed: first, I discovered that vaccines were unsafe; then, I learned that the diseases they intended to prevent were either benign or rare, or both; then I learned that many diseases, such as chicken pox and measles, are beneficial to the development of the immune system; next, I learned that most doctors know very little about immunology and pharmacology; lastly, I discovered the huge conflict of interest between pharmaceutical companies and government.
It is the latter issue that I focus on most these days; I am horrified by the fact that we are becoming more and more a medical state. Government is not only pushing allopathic medicine (via Medicare and Medicaid), they are now enforcing it, by charging parents with medical neglect when they chose not to utilize allopathic treatments, as well as mandating vaccines for school attendance. I see a lot of parallels between medicine and religion; particularly as doctors see themselves as gods with the power of life and death, and the fact that we are expected to worship at the alter of allopathy (I am obviously a fan of Dr. Robert Mendelsohn). If there is to be a separation of church and state, then certainly there should be a separation of medicine and state. As the truth about vaccines becomes more and more widespread, I believe we will see an end to forced vaccination; and the credit for that will largely go to the parents of autistic children who refused to cower when the AMA and their ilk barked at them. To those parents, I offer a deeply felt “thank you”.
Laurie in NJ
When I first made the decision to not vax, my husband and mom only halfheartedly agreed with my decision. Now that my daughter is 16 months, they completely support me because they see how healthy she is. They are even telling others about how bad vaccines are. My aunt was really against me not vaxing in the beginning but as time goes by, she is starting to think differently. She said the other day that she has never seen a healthier child and she is amazed that she has never even had diaper rash. She is starting to think I was on to something by not having her vaxed. I think that some people will start to come around over time after seeing for themselves how different a non-vaxed child can be physically, emotionally, and mentally. Some people will never get it no matter what so there is nothing that can be done to convince them.
Hello everyone. My name is Heather and I just wanted to introduce myself. I have a 2 1/2 year old daughter and I am pregnant with my 2nd child who is due in September. I consider myself lucky. I grew up with parents who do not believe in vaccinations (my father is a chiropractor and we do everything as naturally as we can). I have never been vaccinated in my life, neither has my daughter and we do not intend on vaccinating our newborn child either. When my daughter was born, the pediatrician at the hospital told me that my "baby was going to die" if I didn't vaccinate her. Little did he know that I have done a *ton* of research on vaccinations and I'm not willing to take the risk of vaccinating my children. My only response to him was that I was still here, healthier than most people my age and I've never been vaccinated. Since that day, I've tried to find a pediatrician out there that will at least "accept" my decision not to vaccinate. I have yet to find this doctor so we have been without a medical doctor (not that we have needed one). I take my daughter to see my dad who gives her chiropractic adjustments and has since the day she's been born. My daughter has not had any illnesses since she's been born (no ear infections or anything). She is the healthiest 2 1/2 year old I know and I credit a lot of that to not vaccinating her and chiropractic. I am proud to be part of a group that feels the same way I do about this. I've been looking for a group like this for a long time and just heard about this one. It is nice to know that there are people that will support your decision not to vaccinate. Most people just criticize me for it! I am looking forward to being a part of this group.
Heather (living in Iowa)
I too come from a family of Chiropractors (Dad, Granddad, Uncle and Bro-in Law) and my sisters and I were never vaxed and neither was my dad or his siblings. I have the first grandchild in my family and was very scared to do the no vax thing, but luckily my husband left the decision up to me and I have been very happy that I have decided not to vax and actully have fun watching my ped squirm at each well-baby visit when I keep telling her I refuse to vax! I think she is about to refuse me as a patient! oh well. My son has also had adjustments since two days old and is so far- very healthy. All we can do is research, eat healthy and stick to our guns.
I used to feel the way you do as did many other mothers I know. I decided to learn as much as I could about optimum health, diet, the 'diseases' and alternative treatments. The more I learnt, the less fearful I became. I gave my son chicken pox, though I was publicly criticized at the time, funny though the amount of mums that came to me privately and said they did the same. I would have no hesitation letting my son play with someone that had measles. I have been preparing him for measles since I first learnt that the severity of a case of measles is linked to the amount of Vitamin A. Remember how our grandmothers used to go on and on about cod liver oil? Sometimes I think that my son may have had measles and I missed it because the only reason I noticed he had chicken pox was that I had been trying for him to get it for two weeks and was looking for it. He had three spots and a slightly elevated temperature for about three hours. So much for that life threatening disease.
Get rid of this fear thing and realise that you are in control. The more that you fear, the more negative energy you will attract. Celebrate your decision to not vaccinate and learn more about what a great gift you have given your child.
Joanna
I've come to the conclusion that taking a child to do doctor is what makes them sick in the first place. XXXX does go to a special doctor but he does a complete different approach. A holistic approach. And he is trying to repair the damage done to her from her previous doctors.
My sister had a special needs child who was very small. 2 lbs at birth, three months early. She already had two previous children who suffered reactions so she adamantly refused a lot of the care they said the child needed. They kept stating because she was a preemie she needed Synagis shots. My sister refused the doctor didn't like that. They said she was taking a risk. She refused. And that child being a preemie and completely unvaccinated is the healthiest of all her children. She got a lot of negative feedback for her decision. There was another child in the hospital that was also a preemie but weighed more and was 7 month term instead of 6 month term as my sister's child. She had a lot less problems in the beginning than my sister's child. What was done differently was that she had the Synagis shots, developed ear infections later, got all her shots, suffered failure to thrive and died at six months old.
My sister's child who did not go through all these "necessary" procedures that was kept being pushed on her. (My sister learned the hard way; An ADHD/LD daughter and PDD-NOS son) is strong and well, alert and bright, weight is good and is VERY (capitalized for emphasis) healthy. My sister got a really hard time and many times doubted her decision but stood firm. After all the aggravation she was very pleased with the decision she made. We have one healthy child to show for it. And a preemie at that!!! She visits a chiropractor once biweekly and nutritionist and that is all. When people ask why she doesn't her child to a doctor for follow ups and such, my sister replied she loved her daughter too much to take her to a doctor.
Also she had one ear infection. A garlic concocment was used. A little fever and she was fine. Had she gone to a doctor he would have prescribed antibiotics and she would have been there every month after as antibiotic use will really only mean your child will be back at the doctor's office in four to six weeks, where a chronic ear infection would result as well as yeast issues. So no doctor for XXXX. We rather avoid them as much as we can. Find a homeopath better to learn to be healthy than learn to be sick.
I'm Kate, SAHM to 4 children, aged 7, 5, 2-1/2 and 2 months. I started questioning vaccines when my daughter (the 5 year old) was 16 months old and developed epilepsy. She was nearly due for her 18 month booster, and I read somewhere that children with a personal or family history of seizures should not receive the pertussis vaccine. I asked around, got different answers everywhere, and realized I had better figure it out on my own. My daughter's MMR was the last vaccine any of my children received. Unfortunately, we think it was one too many, because we now look back and think it was the cause of my daughter's seizures. Thankfully, she has now been pretty much seizure free for 3 years and med free for 2, so we are very lucky. I'm now gearing up for the upcoming battle over my youngest not getting the shots.
Kate
A little knowledge sways vaccination
By Louise Pemble
12apr03
EDUCATED parents are more likely to disagree with immunising their children, according to new demographic data from the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register. This contrasts with the widespread view that parents who are against immunisation are more influenced by conspiracy theories than hard science. Dr Glenda Lawrence, an epidemiologist from the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance in Sydney, found that the 3 per cent of parents who were not immunising their children were more highly educated than the general population.
Most were basing their decisions on research, as people with tertiary educations are trained to do, she said. "They are more likely to seek information and to challenge information," she said. Her findings come from a telephone survey of a random sample of parents whose children were incompletely immunised. Parents were asked if they were aware their children's vaccinations were not up-to-date, and if they had a reason for not immunising. The survey found that 58 per cent of parents surveyed disagreed with or were concerned about immunisation, she said.
"Their primary concerns were related to concerns about side-effects and most vaccines have mild side-effects," she said. "These are parents who might have seen their child develop a mild fever or drowsiness after one vaccination, so they have stopped immunising." Based on Australia's yearly birthrate of 250,000, Dr Lawrence estimates that about 7500 children are not immunised each year due to parental concern. Dr Lawrence said that childhood diseases had much more serious complications than the mild ones generally associated with vaccines.
"It's a perception of risk versus benefit,"she said. "Because of a lack of knowledge about the disease, they focus more of the side-effects of the vaccine." The fact that many based their decision on research made it harder for doctors to convince them of the benefits of immunisation, Dr Lawrence said. "Anecdotally, a lot of GPs will tell you that the patients who bring in information from the internet are usually the more highly educated ones," she said.
However, Dr Lawrence pointed out that a lot of medical research published on the internet was "not peer-reviewed data" but more like a hypothesis unproven by clinical trials. But tertiary-educated Gold Coast mother Narelle Chenery used the skills she gained through studying for a Bachelor of Applied Science (Information Management) to reach her decision not to vaccinate her children. "I didn't get one single shot," she says of her three children aged four, six and eight.
She first came across the case against vaccination while visiting a birthing centre in Melbourne when expecting her first child. "I saw a health sheet that had a graph showing that the incidence of a lot of these deadly disease was 90 per cent in decline before (mass) vaccinations were ever instigated and I thought that was very interesting," she said. After that, she bought dozens of books and read widely on the topic. "Basically, I decided that the risks far outweigh the benefits," she said. She now believes that bringing up children on a healthy diet is the best way to boost their immune systems.
"They have had the measles and the chickenpox, but it was very mild and they got over it quickly," she said. "These childhood diseases are meant to be caught in childhood as a primer for the immune system for life." She says it was this view rather than fear of the side-effects that guided her decision. "It wasn't a fear-based decision; it was a knowledge-based one."
Hello everyone!
I'm xxxx, and I live in NC. I'm a married, SAHM to a 1 year old little girl. I was introduced to this group after speaking to another mother who belongs to it. I have just made the decision to not give the chicken pox shot, to seperate and delay the MMR (maybe), and to cease all over vaccinations until I learn more. My daughter's 1 year check up was this past Friday. She was due for Hep B, DTaP, and HIB. On top of all of that, they wanted to give her the chickenpox vax,and start the MMR. I had a new Ped. that day, a very ignorant one, who ignored my request to seperate the MMR, and told me all my non-vax information from online sites that are reputable is "junk." I refused all vaccinations on Friday, and left a very proud mama. My daughter was joyful all that night, and I think that was a message to me that I did a good thing. ;) The Ped. office threatened me, stating this was a form of child abuse, and they demanded to know when my daughter will be getting these shots because the state audits them. I did leave politely, paid my copay, and I hoped that I struck a chord in that new Ped. to listen to her patient's parents, who are their advocates. She stated that no child in that office is non-vax, not one. Before she gave me her speech, she remarked on how wonderfully happy my daughter is, and how attached she was to me. ;)She was impressed she said to hear I was a SAHM. She did turn my stomach though. Anyway, I am glad this group is here, because I plan to flood my brain with information and not persuasive dr. talk. I hope you can welcome me here. This decision has been a very rough one to make, and there are people out there making me shaky in my decisions. I am standing my ground. There are too many children in my close family being diagnosed with autism and ADD who were fully vaxed. I was once a victim of pharmaceutical medicines that changed me forever..that's a story in itself, but anyway everyone.... ;)
I have 2 gorgeous boys, XXXXX 3yrs (up to date on vax but will not be getting anymore) and XXXXX 4 weeks who will have no vax) www.babiesonline.com/babies/m/magic Just over a year ago I started researching vaccinations after I started seeing my homeopath as I had come to the conclusion GP's make too many mistakes and don't listen! They are the jack of all trades and master of none! I have read anything I can find on the subject and I am now determined my sons will not be subjected to the immunisation programme. I am very much into natural parenting, cloth nappies, organic food etc I also believe we are designed to give birth and obs should stop interfering in the process so much. I had to complain alot to get the choice of a waterbirth with my last son as my NHS trust (i am in the UK) would not allow births in their "labour" pool. In the end Dillon only took 90 minutes so I didn't have time for the pool anyway. I think breastfeeding is amazing and wish more women would do it. Where I live the only time I've seen/known a breastfeeding mum has been in the hospital. I very much feel the odd one out. I am even called a spoilsport for not letting my 3 yr old eat sweets and drink coke!! There are some odd views out there! Anyway back to the vax issue. The one thing that amazes me is that just based on the limited knowledge gained during my biology a-level I know that vaccines cause harm. It's common knowledge mercury is dangerous, when you're pregnant you're told to avoid certain fish due to mercury content yet the same people warning about this is quote happy to make you have it injected into a 2 month old baby! Madness! It the same with artificial sweeteners, I was actually taught by my biology teacher 6 years ago that artificial sweeteners are carcinogenic yet are still see good old phenylaline in robinson squash! It's hard to avoid that stuff! Next week I get to tell my GP that I will not be accepting the offer of vaccination (he wants to do me too!) so I am wondering what sort of reaction I'll get. My HV will be fine, she knows and hasn't tried to persuade me at all! Anyway, it's time to go now before I get carried away! I tend to go on when it's something I feel strongly about!
Hello, my name is XXXXX This is my first day on the Vaccinations Group. What a wealth of information! We're so blessed to have access to so much info to help make the most informed decisions about our children. I learned about this site through my friend who recently joined the group. I am the mother of a 15 month old son. I have researched vaccines extensively after agreeing to one Hep B in the hospital. I then went through 4 pediatricians until I found one who supported me in delaying them until after age 2 (which I have now decided not to do at all). My son has only had one other vaccine, 1 Hib (which I understand to be the least reactive) but that one HIB had him in the hospital with rectal bleeding, vomiting, fever of 105 and red throat which after researching seemed to be a reaction most likely to formaldehyde because he had no post nasal drip. I am more determined than ever to build my son's immune system through vitamins, herbs and proper nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. I feel certain in my heart that vaccinating him could have grave results. I realize that all children are different, and they all react differently, however for my son I feel strongly that I need to build his immune system and avoid vaccinations. I am interested in learning much more. Thanks,
PARENTS OF UNVACCINATED CHILDREN
- Tim O'Shea
After speaking with so many parents around the world who have not vaccinated their children, my standard question is always: How does the health of your child compare to that of the vaccinated children in your community? Almost one hundred percent of the time I would get the same response: my child is so much healthier, my child almost never gets sick, my child is bright, alert, has no allergies, no learning problems, etc. Over and over again, always the same response.
So it became obvious that a list might be helpful to see how common such a phenomenon might be. Of course this list does not attempt to masquerade itself as a controlled randomized study. It would fall more under the heading of empirical observation, or in the cases where the parents are doctors, clinical experience.
To be on this list, the undersigned are stating that they meet three criteria:
1. Parents of an unvaccinated child
2. The child's health has not only been exceptionally good, but that it has been far better than the apparent health of the child's vaccinated friends
3. The child rarely or never gets colds, has no chronic allergies, and has no use for drugs or those little pocket inhalators used today by so many children.
A number in parentheses indicates more than 1 unvaccinated child.
If you'd like to get on this list, kindly send in an E-mail. (O'Shea@thedoctorwithin.com)
A Normal Life
- Tim O'Shea
Here is what a normal life should be like:
You're born. You get no drugs and no vaccinations. During childhood you have the usual illnesses, but conservative treatment gets you through them without antibiotics or drugs, and you build your natural immune defenses. You don't eat white sugar, white flour, too much meat or cheese, or drink soft drinks or pasteurized milk. You concentrate on whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and a clean, natural diet. You never learn to drink coffee or to smoke cigarettes. The only pills you take are natural antioxidants and enzymes and minerals, which are part of your daily intake. You drink at least 1 liter of water every day. Into adulthood, you never get sick: no colds, no flu, no headaches, no diabetes, no ADD, no "thyroid problems," no panic attacks, growing pains, fatigue, or digestive disorders, no high blood pressure. The only pains you experience come from accidental injury. Perhaps you do moderate exercise or sports activity to maintain mobility and general fitness. You look to the care of your spine. Your entire adulthood is spent in this disease-free mode. As you age, your mind gets sharper, your body gets stronger, your immune system tougher. You experience no arthritis, cancer, or osteoporosis, no Parkinson's or Alzheimer's. Finally one day after 90 or 100 years, you flicker like a candle and go out.
The above paragraph may be useful in choosing a doctor. Some doctors will say all this is impossible; which for them is true. So don't choose them. All this is possible; moreover, thousands and thousands of people are living it. So listen only to those who can help you achieve such a condition of living health. Because now we've arrived at the threshold of a time when good health and a powerful immune system are not only advisable; they are the very determinants of survival.
http://www.thedoctorwithin.com/index_fr.html
(Lots of good article at this site - check it out!!)
Taking sides in the vaccine war
25 November 2002
By GRANT FLEMING
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,2121396a7144,00.html
Choosing not to immunise her two children is a decision that Catharina Fisher does not take lightly.
The Hutt Valley mother of two says that when faced with the question of whether to vaccinate or not, she and her husband decided to look further into the matter. "Once we got into it, there seemed to be a big discrepancy between government information and what our research was telling us." She says there was little information about possible adverse effects and the research that had been done was funded by the manufacturing drug companies and was very limited in its scope. However, their decision, says Ms Fisher, means taking greater responsibility for keeping her two children, Kieren, 4, and Annabel, 18 months, healthy. That involves breastfeeding for a long time - till Kieren was two, and still breastfeeding Annabel - not letting the kids get too run down, and providing them with a healthy diet. "We keep away from the high fat and sugar foods." The Fishers are not alone in their decision. The Health Ministry estimates that 2 to 4 per cent of New Zealand parents choose not to immunise their children for philosophical reasons, and as many as a further 10 per cent waver over the decision to give their children the jab.
In New Zealand, immunisation is offered to babies for hepatitis B, haemophilus influenzae, diptheria, tetanus, whooping cough, polio and measles, mumps and rubella. Ministry national immunisation manager Clair Mills says that reaching the wavering 10 per cent and another, smaller group who find it difficult to get to a doctor is a priority. She says research shows that if 95 per cent coverage can be achieved, diseases such as measles, which has the power to disable or, in extreme cases, kill, could be wiped out. The ministry estimates that between 85 and 88 per cent of two-year-olds are immunised. However, Dr Mills says, immunisation is not 100 per cent effective. A small proportion will get these diseases even after immunisation. This, and the fact that they outnumber non-immunised children by about nine to one, accounts for a high proportion of immunised children in disease statistics.
But she says it is the children who aren't immunised who often act as carriers, exposing those immunised children. She says that when looking at the effects of a disease outbreak on an entire population, the gains made from immunisation are huge. "If 100 per cent of people were immunised, the diseases would not exist ... next to clean water, this is the most successful health intervention we have." But Immunisation Awareness Society spokeswoman Sue Claridge says that in the information war the ministry has waged to convince undecided parents, disease risks have been exaggerated and the potential for long-term side-effects ignored.
Ms Claridge says that during the 50 years leading up to the 1940s, when vaccination programmes began, the incidence of communicable diseases had already dropped dramatically because of better sanitation, hygiene, water supplies, housing and nutrition. "Health authorities attribute the drop to vaccination, but in reality most of it was already happening."
She says that diseases such as scarlet fever have also declined hugely during the past 100 years, despite the absence of a vaccination programme. Ms Claridge says public health authorities have accepted vaccination on the assumption that it is safe. The common short-term side-effects - swelling, redness, fever and irritability - have been studied and are well known, she says, but there has been no study of long-term health effects. There is little surveillance of potential adverse effects, such as auto-immune disorders and even death from extreme reactions to immunisation. In many cases of possible adverse reactions, doctors are unwilling to accept immunisation as a causal factor, even if the medical event occurs during the 24 hours after vaccination.
"In many of these cases, it may not be linked to vaccination, but you will never know if there is a pattern if you don't investigate or report it in the first place. We believe that, at the moment, the risks are considerably underplayed by the medical establishment in their effort to reach their aim
of high vaccination rates. They are not providing parents with the information to weigh the risks against the benefits." But, she says, the society also advocates a holistic approach to health if people choose not to immunise. Measures such as long-term breastfeeding, which confers the mother's immunity to the child, and excellent nutrition are essential, she says. "Those things ensure that if a child does get sick, their body has the strength to fight that illness."
Auckland University immunisation researcher Nikki Turner agrees that the monitoring of adverse effects must improve. She says the current passive monitoring system needs to change to one that is more active in collecting data. "In European countries and the United States, doctors are putting a lot more money into surveillance and better linking of kids' medical records so cause and effect can be established if there is a possible adverse reaction." Common reactions to vaccines, those experienced by 1 to 10 per cent of people, such as red legs, fever, irritability and even post-vaccination fits, have been well quantified through big studies, she says. But rare adverse reactions, for example, a one-in-a- million probability, are almost impossible to identify because the catchment pool needed to pick up reliable data is too large. "They do large studies on 300,000 or 400,000 kids and they can show there does not appear to be a link, but if it was incredibly rare, if there was some poor individual out there who gets an unusual and rare reaction, you will not pick that up in a very large study . . . for certain issues, the studies have been done, but there are always things we have not considered."
She says that with the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, which some research has linked to autism, there have been big studies that show if there is a link, it is extremely rare. Dr Turner says there has also been much concern about an international increase in auto-immune conditions - in which the body attacks itself - such as autism and diabetes. But she says that though those conditions relate to the immune system, they are most probably linked to our affluent lifestyle and longer life expectancy.
"You have to look at it and do research case by case. Is there a link between vaccines and diabetes - no. Is there a link between vaccines and autism - it's been found to be extremely unlikely." Dr Turner is a firm advocate of immunisation. Though there is now a much lower incidence of disease than there was 50 years ago, she says that increased numbers of people travelling, babies being taken out of the home at a younger age and more contact at pre-schools puts children at risk. However, she says, some vaccines are of more benefit than others. There is a strong case for immunising against measles, which can be very severe. But the case for mumps is much weaker - in very rare cases, it can lead to deafness. And the case for polio is almost non-existent unless you are going to polio endemic areas. "With coverage, you don't need to get 100 per cent, so they don't have to be religious zealots, but you have to get above 90 per cent and close to 95, but the community can always handle conscientious objectors."
My name is Sara, I have two precious boys, Colin (3) and Jack (4 months). Colin was vaccinated up until he was supposed to have the MMR, then I freaked out after meeting a woman who's son was autistic, she said that he was developing normally until he had the MMR. I decided to put it off for awhile, then the more that I read the more it scared me, then I realized that I was more afraid of doing vaccines than I was of not doing them, so we stopped them all.
Jack is my "lucky baby", he has had the more educated mama. Jack was a beautiful and natural homebirth (even though he weighed tens pounds and came out with his arm over his head, I am woman, hear me roar!) and he hasn't had any vaccines or allopathic medicine, ever! With Colin, I was a scared first time mom and let a couple of doctors bully me into antibiotics for ear infections, I found wonderful naturopath who helped with the last one that he had, and that was the last one! The final straw for conventional doctors came when Colin had chicken pox, he had one in his eye and an urgent care doctor said that I had to let him give him a shot of antibiotics, oral antibiotics and antibiotic drops! I told him no way! Chicken pox is a virus and I knew that the antibiotics would make it worse!
We now have a wonderful DO who is really into alternative medicine and not only respects my decision not to vaccinate, but she supports it. She doesn't recommend them and has a big binder full of information against vaccines.
Sara
Mama to
Colin Patrick 12/7/99
Jack Michael 8/7/02
My husband and I do not have children yet however we are educating ourselves thoroughly on this issue. A few years ago I was unaware that vaccines did any harm. Then my nephew developed autism right before my eyes after his MMR vaccine. He was a normal developing child and after his MMR slipped backwards and developed autism. I was explaining to a friend of mine about what I witnessed and she said, "That's common with MMR don't you know all about vaccines and their harm?" The answer was no I didn't. Then I found out one her sisters never vaccinated any of her 5 children and her oldest is 22 and completely healthy without vaccines. She is currently a social worker for autistic children who contracted it by MMR vaccine. Then my friend went onto say her husband was under care getting mercury detox for what is believed by his treating doctor as vaccine caused MS. He developed symptoms shortly after he turned 30. Pro-vaccine doctors wanted to treat his MS with anthrax shots!! (you believe that?) His family was very against the natural detox and wanted him to see a "real" doctor. He did what his family wanted for a bit and he was getting worse. After the Anthrax shots and all the medicine he couldn't work, was loosing his vision, losing feeling in his legs and feet, had to walk with a cane, all at age 30 etc.. Finally my friend talked her husband into going for the natural mercury detox treatment. After his natural treatment he is like a new person. He can see fine, walk fine, isn't in pain anymore and is back to his regular hard working labor job.
What it comes down to is not enough people are educated on this subject and it seems they have no clue there are risks involved. All the literature posted in main places like doctors offices, libraries, and magazines are all pro-vaccine. If we could reach people that are pro-vaccine because they didn't even know that they do have a choice it would make all the difference. Most people I speak to vaccinate because they think everyone does and they have to. They are shocked when I explain the ingredients in vaccines and talk about side effects that happened to people I know. Your new site idea will make awareness grow and that is our goal. I wish I was educated on the risks instead of having to find out about them through my nephew being damaged.
You're on the right track by educating yourself, whatever decision you do ultimately make.
Personally, I've never feared taking my unvaccinated daughter anywhere. Since birth she has been healthier than her older (vaccinated, but not at birth) sisters. She's been in a home daycare situation since she was a year old. She's had two colds in 5 years, both very minor. I believe that her immune system is strengthened, rather than weakened, by her unimmunized state.
Two children in the last month have contracted chicken pox. I jumped for joy, hoping she would get this mild childhood virus before she was old enough for serious complications, and I was getting concerned over not seeing any cases at all. However, both children that got chicken pox were vaccinated, and she hasn't shown any sign of contracting it.
I just wanted to let you know that from my experience there's no need for your daughter to be kept in a virtual bubble. I would like to minimize my daughter's exposure to kids that have been recently vaccinated, but I haven't been able to track that since parents don't report that to day care. However, we've had no ill effects.
I wish you all the best!
I just wanted to tell you that we are 99% certain our un-vaccinated 7 month old son has just had Measles. He was a little under the weather the week before the spots appeared, 1 day of being sick and a couple of days with fever but so mild that it took us a week to realise what it was! We didn't give him any drugs only huge doses of organic veg. and he is now absolutely fine. Thank heavens he hadn't just had the scheduled vacs or I think he would of been seriously ill, so a big thank you to this group for educating me, I now have a strong healthy child quite capable of fighting disease naturally.
I am mom to three unvaccinated children. I became interested in the vaccine issue when I was pregnant with my first child; my MIL, an OB nurse for over 20 years, sent me some articles, and warned me to look into the vaccine issue because they weren't safe. My husband, who was working in research in Pediatric Immunology at the time, encouraged me to hear her out. At the time, I thought she was a little out there, but I read the info she sent and was shocked by what I learned. This led me into further research and, 8 years later, I am still searching and learning about this issue. And I am still appalled by what I learn. I went through several stages of learning as I progressed: first, I discovered that vaccines were unsafe; then, I learned that the diseases they intended to prevent were either benign or rare, or both; then I learned that many diseases, such as chicken pox and measles, are beneficial to the development of the immune system; next, I learned that most doctors know very little about immunology and pharmacology; lastly, I discovered the huge conflict of interest between pharmaceutical companies and government.
It is the latter issue that I focus on most these days; I am horrified by the fact that we are becoming more and more a medical state. Government is not only pushing allopathic medicine (via Medicare and Medicaid), they are now enforcing it, by charging parents with medical neglect when they chose not to utilize allopathic treatments, as well as mandating vaccines for school attendance. I see a lot of parallels between medicine and religion; particularly as doctors see themselves as gods with the power of life and death, and the fact that we are expected to worship at the alter of allopathy (I am obviously a fan of Dr. Robert Mendelsohn). If there is to be a separation of church and state, then certainly there should be a separation of medicine and state. As the truth about vaccines becomes more and more widespread, I believe we will see an end to forced vaccination; and the credit for that will largely go to the parents of autistic children who refused to cower when the AMA and their ilk barked at them. To those parents, I offer a deeply felt “thank you”.
Laurie in NJ
When I first made the decision to not vax, my husband and mom only halfheartedly agreed with my decision. Now that my daughter is 16 months, they completely support me because they see how healthy she is. They are even telling others about how bad vaccines are. My aunt was really against me not vaxing in the beginning but as time goes by, she is starting to think differently. She said the other day that she has never seen a healthier child and she is amazed that she has never even had diaper rash. She is starting to think I was on to something by not having her vaxed. I think that some people will start to come around over time after seeing for themselves how different a non-vaxed child can be physically, emotionally, and mentally. Some people will never get it no matter what so there is nothing that can be done to convince them.
Hello everyone. My name is Heather and I just wanted to introduce myself. I have a 2 1/2 year old daughter and I am pregnant with my 2nd child who is due in September. I consider myself lucky. I grew up with parents who do not believe in vaccinations (my father is a chiropractor and we do everything as naturally as we can). I have never been vaccinated in my life, neither has my daughter and we do not intend on vaccinating our newborn child either. When my daughter was born, the pediatrician at the hospital told me that my "baby was going to die" if I didn't vaccinate her. Little did he know that I have done a *ton* of research on vaccinations and I'm not willing to take the risk of vaccinating my children. My only response to him was that I was still here, healthier than most people my age and I've never been vaccinated. Since that day, I've tried to find a pediatrician out there that will at least "accept" my decision not to vaccinate. I have yet to find this doctor so we have been without a medical doctor (not that we have needed one). I take my daughter to see my dad who gives her chiropractic adjustments and has since the day she's been born. My daughter has not had any illnesses since she's been born (no ear infections or anything). She is the healthiest 2 1/2 year old I know and I credit a lot of that to not vaccinating her and chiropractic. I am proud to be part of a group that feels the same way I do about this. I've been looking for a group like this for a long time and just heard about this one. It is nice to know that there are people that will support your decision not to vaccinate. Most people just criticize me for it! I am looking forward to being a part of this group.
Heather (living in Iowa)
I too come from a family of Chiropractors (Dad, Granddad, Uncle and Bro-in Law) and my sisters and I were never vaxed and neither was my dad or his siblings. I have the first grandchild in my family and was very scared to do the no vax thing, but luckily my husband left the decision up to me and I have been very happy that I have decided not to vax and actully have fun watching my ped squirm at each well-baby visit when I keep telling her I refuse to vax! I think she is about to refuse me as a patient! oh well. My son has also had adjustments since two days old and is so far- very healthy. All we can do is research, eat healthy and stick to our guns.
I used to feel the way you do as did many other mothers I know. I decided to learn as much as I could about optimum health, diet, the 'diseases' and alternative treatments. The more I learnt, the less fearful I became. I gave my son chicken pox, though I was publicly criticized at the time, funny though the amount of mums that came to me privately and said they did the same. I would have no hesitation letting my son play with someone that had measles. I have been preparing him for measles since I first learnt that the severity of a case of measles is linked to the amount of Vitamin A. Remember how our grandmothers used to go on and on about cod liver oil? Sometimes I think that my son may have had measles and I missed it because the only reason I noticed he had chicken pox was that I had been trying for him to get it for two weeks and was looking for it. He had three spots and a slightly elevated temperature for about three hours. So much for that life threatening disease.
Get rid of this fear thing and realise that you are in control. The more that you fear, the more negative energy you will attract. Celebrate your decision to not vaccinate and learn more about what a great gift you have given your child.
Joanna
I've come to the conclusion that taking a child to do doctor is what makes them sick in the first place. XXXX does go to a special doctor but he does a complete different approach. A holistic approach. And he is trying to repair the damage done to her from her previous doctors.
My sister had a special needs child who was very small. 2 lbs at birth, three months early. She already had two previous children who suffered reactions so she adamantly refused a lot of the care they said the child needed. They kept stating because she was a preemie she needed Synagis shots. My sister refused the doctor didn't like that. They said she was taking a risk. She refused. And that child being a preemie and completely unvaccinated is the healthiest of all her children. She got a lot of negative feedback for her decision. There was another child in the hospital that was also a preemie but weighed more and was 7 month term instead of 6 month term as my sister's child. She had a lot less problems in the beginning than my sister's child. What was done differently was that she had the Synagis shots, developed ear infections later, got all her shots, suffered failure to thrive and died at six months old.
My sister's child who did not go through all these "necessary" procedures that was kept being pushed on her. (My sister learned the hard way; An ADHD/LD daughter and PDD-NOS son) is strong and well, alert and bright, weight is good and is VERY (capitalized for emphasis) healthy. My sister got a really hard time and many times doubted her decision but stood firm. After all the aggravation she was very pleased with the decision she made. We have one healthy child to show for it. And a preemie at that!!! She visits a chiropractor once biweekly and nutritionist and that is all. When people ask why she doesn't her child to a doctor for follow ups and such, my sister replied she loved her daughter too much to take her to a doctor.
Also she had one ear infection. A garlic concocment was used. A little fever and she was fine. Had she gone to a doctor he would have prescribed antibiotics and she would have been there every month after as antibiotic use will really only mean your child will be back at the doctor's office in four to six weeks, where a chronic ear infection would result as well as yeast issues. So no doctor for XXXX. We rather avoid them as much as we can. Find a homeopath better to learn to be healthy than learn to be sick.
I'm Kate, SAHM to 4 children, aged 7, 5, 2-1/2 and 2 months. I started questioning vaccines when my daughter (the 5 year old) was 16 months old and developed epilepsy. She was nearly due for her 18 month booster, and I read somewhere that children with a personal or family history of seizures should not receive the pertussis vaccine. I asked around, got different answers everywhere, and realized I had better figure it out on my own. My daughter's MMR was the last vaccine any of my children received. Unfortunately, we think it was one too many, because we now look back and think it was the cause of my daughter's seizures. Thankfully, she has now been pretty much seizure free for 3 years and med free for 2, so we are very lucky. I'm now gearing up for the upcoming battle over my youngest not getting the shots.
Kate
A little knowledge sways vaccination
By Louise Pemble
12apr03
EDUCATED parents are more likely to disagree with immunising their children, according to new demographic data from the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register. This contrasts with the widespread view that parents who are against immunisation are more influenced by conspiracy theories than hard science. Dr Glenda Lawrence, an epidemiologist from the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance in Sydney, found that the 3 per cent of parents who were not immunising their children were more highly educated than the general population.
Most were basing their decisions on research, as people with tertiary educations are trained to do, she said. "They are more likely to seek information and to challenge information," she said. Her findings come from a telephone survey of a random sample of parents whose children were incompletely immunised. Parents were asked if they were aware their children's vaccinations were not up-to-date, and if they had a reason for not immunising. The survey found that 58 per cent of parents surveyed disagreed with or were concerned about immunisation, she said.
"Their primary concerns were related to concerns about side-effects and most vaccines have mild side-effects," she said. "These are parents who might have seen their child develop a mild fever or drowsiness after one vaccination, so they have stopped immunising." Based on Australia's yearly birthrate of 250,000, Dr Lawrence estimates that about 7500 children are not immunised each year due to parental concern. Dr Lawrence said that childhood diseases had much more serious complications than the mild ones generally associated with vaccines.
"It's a perception of risk versus benefit,"she said. "Because of a lack of knowledge about the disease, they focus more of the side-effects of the vaccine." The fact that many based their decision on research made it harder for doctors to convince them of the benefits of immunisation, Dr Lawrence said. "Anecdotally, a lot of GPs will tell you that the patients who bring in information from the internet are usually the more highly educated ones," she said.
However, Dr Lawrence pointed out that a lot of medical research published on the internet was "not peer-reviewed data" but more like a hypothesis unproven by clinical trials. But tertiary-educated Gold Coast mother Narelle Chenery used the skills she gained through studying for a Bachelor of Applied Science (Information Management) to reach her decision not to vaccinate her children. "I didn't get one single shot," she says of her three children aged four, six and eight.
She first came across the case against vaccination while visiting a birthing centre in Melbourne when expecting her first child. "I saw a health sheet that had a graph showing that the incidence of a lot of these deadly disease was 90 per cent in decline before (mass) vaccinations were ever instigated and I thought that was very interesting," she said. After that, she bought dozens of books and read widely on the topic. "Basically, I decided that the risks far outweigh the benefits," she said. She now believes that bringing up children on a healthy diet is the best way to boost their immune systems.
"They have had the measles and the chickenpox, but it was very mild and they got over it quickly," she said. "These childhood diseases are meant to be caught in childhood as a primer for the immune system for life." She says it was this view rather than fear of the side-effects that guided her decision. "It wasn't a fear-based decision; it was a knowledge-based one."
Hi, my name is Michelle Williams and I live in Northwest Arkansas with my husband Wade, and our two vaccine-free daughters, Lucy (almost 4 yrs) and Leslie (14 months). Here is a little about us: Our family practices attachment parenting. We cloth-diaper, co-sleep, long-term breastfeed, etc., and we are a Christian family. We have a homeopath locally that we use when necessary (we do yearly hair analysis also) and a chiropractor the girls see monthly for maintenance. Additionally, our local family doctor is a friend who we take the girls to see about once a year to be weighed and measured and just get comfortable with the doctor and her office in case there is ever a need to actually go to the doctor. She is pretty laid back about our not vaccinating. We try to eat organic and natural as much as we can. (Constantly working on that.) We attempt to follow the principles of Dr. Weston A. Price, a dentist who did extensive studies on non-industrialized, non-commercialized peoples in the early part of the last century. He advocated "native nutrition" (see www.westonaprice.org). Both of our girls were conceived via in-vitro fertilization and after years of infertility treatment and some bad experience with doctors we learned to question, question, question, do lots of research and never assume that a medical professional knows everything. Because of this attitude when I finally got pregnant with our first child we researched everything involving birth and what might happen. When we got to the info about Hep-B shots for newborns we were both disgusted at the idea of injecting a newborn against a disease that is not a true risk for the majority of newborns. This led to more reading and research until we became educated enough to question all vaccines, and here we are now. My husband recently worked with a group to reinstate the religious exemption law in Arkansas (it was declared unconstitutional) and although the legislation passed wasn't perfect and there are some things we weren't thrilled with it does have language in it allowing philosophical exemptions which is great! Sometimes it feels like a lonely journey that our family is on when so many people are willing to blindly follow the crowd, but I know that we are doing what is right for our children. :-)
Michelle Williams
SAHM to Lucy (5.99)
and Leslie (2.02)
in NW Arkansas
The first thing Elijah Goode does when he gets to the playground one chill March day is look for the deepest puddles. Then, because he is 5, he jumps in and has to splash himself with muddy water everywhere not covered by his yellow rain boots and coat.
He is the kind of kid who can carry on his end of the conversation, even with someone he met just five minutes ago. He also can be curious, funny and thoughtful. In his young life, he has been protected from much of the outside world - fast food, excessive television watching and computer games. But something this robust, rosy-cheeked blur of yellow hair and rain gear has not been protected against is childhood diseases.
His parents, after much thought, decided not to get him standard childhood shots that immunize against once-common illnesses such as measles, polio and whooping cough. They're not part of any anti-vaccination movement or support group. It was just their personal belief that vaccines posed more risk than benefit. In this, they are part of a small minority of California parents who sign school waivers exempting their children from vaccinations. But in the Sierra foothills where they live, in rural Nevada County, they are closer to the mainstream.
Nevada County has the state's highest percentage of children in kindergarten who, for philosophical reasons, are not fully vaccinated - 11.39 percent in 2001 compared with about 1.2 percent statewide, which was a 20-year high. In some schools in Nevada County, particularly in a 30-mile swath of pine- and oak-covered hills known as The Ridge, the levels are even greater. At Yuba River Charter School, a public charter program Elijah attended last year, more than half of the kindergarten children this year don't have a complete set of vaccinations, according to the school.
Why would so many well-educated parents who can afford the vaccinations and live within a few hours of some of the nation's best-known medical research institutions decide against the shots? The reason lies partly in the mix of parents drawn to the Gold Country towns and foothills 60 miles northeast of Sacramento. Alongside the mining families who've lived there since the Gold Rush boom, the loggers and the retirees, there are now artists and writers, urban refugees and back-to-the-land folks who tend to seek holistic health and natural remedies. Driving around the foothills, one is just as likely to see signs for a yoga retreat or organic food co-op as markers for the local Rotary Club or an historic Gold Rush building.
"People who choose to be here are alternative people," says Yuba River Principal Terry Ann Paquette, who sometimes has to ask students to help her pronounce things like Ayurvedic medicine. "They are going to look into everything, particularly health care. Among the parents we have Reiki healers, massage therapists, homeopaths, naturopaths, people who use aromatherapy. They either are these [practitioners] or they go to them."
Kim Goode, Elijah's mother, does favor natural and homeopathic cures for common illnesses. But her reason not to vaccinate also lies in the paradox that has become a major public health debate. Vaccines have been so successful in eliminating once-common diseases that some parents now worry more about vaccine reactions than they do about those illnesses. The immunizations, in essence, are in jeopardy of being a victim of their own success. So worried is the medical community that the president of the American Academy of Pediatrics has posted an open letter to parents on the group's Web site reminding them of the severity of diseases like measles and imploring them to "be diligent about vaccinating."
"A lot of the things we vaccinate against, there aren't a lot of those diseases around," Goode says. "The only way to get polio is to come into contact with someone who's just had the shot. The risk of vaccinations seemed like it was greater than the likelihood of getting the disease."
No one doubts the decline in disease. Measles, which used to kill 3,000 children a year mostly through encephalitis and pneumonia, is so rare that many parents have never seen a case of it. They might have forgotten about the epidemic that swept the nation 12 years ago and infected 16,500 in California, killing 75. Those same parents missed polio entirely. They are too young to have seen the signs hung in public places reading, "Closed due to polio epidemic." And whooping cough, though it cycles through the nation periodically, has declined dramatically. It struck 175,000 Americans a year in the pre-vaccine early 1940s and killed scores. By 2000 there were only 5,396 reported cases, though the number is creeping upward for reasons researchers have yet to understand fully.
Although diseases may have waned, a backlash has grown. It is fueled by gripping stories about children whose parents say they developed autoimmune or developmental disorders such as autism after getting immunized. Those parents point to the alarming but unexplained autism statistics. For some reason, cases of the neurological disorder in California alone have more than tripled in the past 15 years. Medical studies, as yet, have found no link to childhood shots, but doctors can't make the guarantee some parents want to hear - that vaccines are 100 percent safe. A fraction of children who are vaccinated will have certain documented reactions, the vast majority of which cause no long- term damage, doctors say. So the duel rages. There are myriad Web sites on both sides of the issue, providing a daunting amount of information. Some post stories by parents detailing how their children were injured or advocate greater public education about immunization risks. They are countered by medical and public health sites describing why the shots are still needed to maintain group immunity, some of them complete with illustrations of kids suffering measles lesions or necks swollen from diphtheria.
There have been no epidemics in recent memory in Nevada County, health officials say. Whooping cough has appeared episodically, just as it has elsewhere around the state, but not in epidemic proportions. Yolo County, south of Sacramento, recorded more than 170 cases of whooping cough in late winter this year - almost all in vaccinated older children. Health officials in Nevada County were concerned that kids who visited or played sports teams there could bring the disease back home. Two children at Yuba River Charter School have had it in the nine years she's been there, Paquette says. She can't remember any cases of measles or mumps.
"They are just very blessed," says Christina Garner, the county health department's immunization coordinator, who has tried to set up appointments with parent groups at the school with no success. "They haven't wanted me to come up," she says. "Nobody invites us up there."
The county health department offers free vaccinations, and its workers show up at "kindergarten round-ups," where parents come to get information about schools. Soon the department will operate a mobile vaccine van. But even that is not expected to make a difference to parents at Yuba River, Garner says. "They are very educated and they have made up their minds," she says. "I have to respect that."
Goode and her husband, a timber framer who works for a firm that builds traditional Japanese houses, made up their minds about vaccinations when she was pregnant with Elijah. It's not something she'd thought about before, she says, running her fingers through the strawberry-colored ringlets that fall to her shoulders. Elijah continues his search for puddles at the park where we've arranged to meet, which belongs to a spiritual retreat called Ananda.
Goode is not a member, but she brings her children there once a week to hike the meadows and trails. Elijah likes the playground equipment, the natural foods deli and also the thrift store, because it has toys.
After his romp in the puddles, he agrees to come inside the restaurant and eat lunch while waiting for a friend to arrive. He devours a plate of whole wheat pasta wheels and broccoli. Then he wheedles a dollar from his mother so he can buy a treat - a frozen juice bar made from crushed organic fruit. She carefully saves the paper plate from his lunch so she can use it for her own before dropping it in a recycling bin.
The vaccination decision was not made lightly, Goode says. Her midwife, whose own children didn't get immunizations, recommended some books and articles, both for and against vaccinations. She talked to friends who'd made the decision recently. Her husband weighed in also, but she did most of the research, she says.
"I started reading stuff and looking into how vaccinations are made," she says. "By the time children are two months, they are supposed to have something like eight vaccinations. It seems like a lot of viruses for your body to take in two months. As an adult, if you were attacked by eight viruses in two months, you'd be trashed."
Her reasoning centered on a commonly held belief among many of those who don't vaccinate. She worried that the vaccinations would somehow weaken or damage her son's immature immune system. Medical researchers have been interested in that theory - which a quarter of all parents think might be true,
according to one survey - but, so far, studies have not shown such damage from immunizations.
Goode also weighed the need for other common preventive medical treatments for newborns - ones that many new parents take for granted. She opted against vitamin K, given routinely to enhance a baby's blood-clotting ability, and eye drops used to combat possible neonatal exposure to venereal disease or bacterial infection during birth. In consultation with her midwife, she decided her baby was not at high risk for either complication. But she did opt for routine blood screening.
In the five-plus years since then, Elijah has been to the doctor once. Goode took him to a pediatrician in kindergarten when he kept coming home with one virus after another. It turns out that was perfectly normal, given that it was his first year in school, traditionally a time when young children are exposed to a petri dish of infections. She said she'd take him to the doctor again if he came down with something neither she nor alternative health practitioners could diagnose.
Elijah was exposed to whooping cough when he was 15 months and a neighbor's two children, also unvaccinated, came down with it. Goode had read enough to know about the characteristic gasping - the whoops - that can be followed by vomiting. In fact, she was the one who suggested that the children had whooping cough. She says she then quarantined Elijah for 10 days, giving him a homeopathic prevention tonic called Pertussin. He never got the illness.
She didn't even consider vaccinating Hazel, who now sits squirming in her lap, but she did give her vitamin K at birth because of some bruising on her head. So far, Hazel hasn't been to a doctor, although, as a second child, she has had her share of viruses. Goode treated her daughter's one suspected ear infection with homemade ear drops (garlic, mullein flowers, tea tree oil, lavender oil, grapefruit seed extract) and a warm compress made from a blanched onion covered in cheesecloth.
Goode knows about the "herd immunity" phenomenon. Her children may be safe from disease because so many others have been vaccinated. If her life were different, if she traveled overseas or lived somewhere else, she might make different decisions, she says. She might have gotten some shots for her children.
But she and her husband have chosen to live in Nevada County, where they can build the kind of house they want and if they choose, send their kids to a public school that serves organic grains for snacks.
Goode laughs at the idea that she's a hippie. Sometimes her father teases her about that, but it just doesn't fit, she says. It's more that she's conscious of the details of her life. She wanted her children, if possible, born at home. (They were). She wanted them to eat organic food and not to watch television. Instead of plastic throwaway toys, she wanted wooden ones like the beautifully made rattle Hazel gnaws on with her quad of new teeth.
"A lot of people don't want to know about things," she says. "If they do, it makes it harder for them to go on with what they're doing. I want to know that at least I made the choices."
She can't say where all this came from. It wasn't from some sudden revelation or from her own background, exactly. She grew up in the small Calaveras County town of West Point, where her father has a sawmill. Her parents believed in traditional medicine, she says, but were open to alternatives. She was vaccinated, for example, but went to an acupuncturist for migraines and then a persistent rash on her face when she was a teenager. She recalls that it worked for both. Later on she took some college classes, moved to Nevada County and trained as a massage therapist. She plans to go back to college when her children are older.
Her husband grew up in a more conventional household in Ojai, she says. He also was fully immunized.
Now they live with their children in a small cabin but have plans to build a house that will embody both their aesthetics and their environmental consciousness. The house, which her husband is building himself, will have earthen walls containing no fiberglass or other manmade insulation. It will have Japanese ceilings and sliding doors and solar panels.
It will, she says, be beautiful, not at all hippie-ish, and no larger than it has to be.
"I want my footprints when I'm gone to be as small as possible," she says, watching Elijah, who is outside after lunch playing with his friend - also unvaccinated - who's just arrived.
This year Goode is homeschooling him because the drive to Yuba River Charter School takes - like the commute almost everywhere on the ridge's winding roads - at least a half-hour. It is too much to negotiate twice a day, with Hazel along.
But last year she signed the waiver that allowed Elijah to start kindergarten without otherwise required shots that protect against nine diseases. California is one of 22 states that allow exemptions based on personal beliefs as well as religious beliefs and medical reasons. This year, school Principal Paquette says, 25 of 42 kindergartners have full exemptions and nine have partial - meaning their parents chose to give them some vaccinations and not others.
This unusual scenario exists in a very unusual, out-of-the way school. To get there takes a drive through semi-deserted Gold Rush towns, forested hills and bucolic fields, where even the horses look as if they're placed in the pasture just to be part of a perfect landscape.
The school is in what used to be a rural office park and looks like a mountain retreat, its low wooden buildings nestled among the trees. Yuba River Charter was the first public school in the state to use the Waldorf model, based on an approach to education pioneered at the end of the 19th century by the Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner. Paquette is tired of talking about the pending legal challenge to what are now several Waldorf-inspired public schools.
But she is not tired of showing off her school, where students are enrolled because their parents have made the choice to have them there. Although it might look crunchy to the outside world, the school, in the Waldorf tradition, emphasizes the handmade and homespun, arts such as sewing, knitting and harp- playing. In the lower school, the spacious classrooms are painted calm, warm hues. The kindergartens are soft shades of lavender and rose.
Inside, the children play with wooden or handmade toys. They listen to fables and make animal figures from beeswax. As Paquette leads a tour through the rooms, the kids rush to hug her. Her visit creates a commotion in the rooms, which are otherwise peaceful, especially for kindergarten. No one is jumping on chairs or kicking anyone else. The children have just finished their morning snack of organic oatmeal - on other days it's millet, rice or soup - that they helped cook. Then they line up to wash their dishes in a tub of soapy water.
County health officials worry that, as sweet as this scene is, the unvaccinated kindergarten children are at risk. In vaccinated populations, most cases of whooping cough that occur are in babies too young to be immunized fully or adults and older children whose immunity has worn off after ages 7 to 10. But here the youngest kids, who also tend to get the sickest, are vulnerable, they say.
But many parents say they have considered the pros and cons of vaccination and believe that their children are better off without the shots. The school has been touched by whooping cough before, but it did not spread beyond one child at a time.
"In a lot of ways, I wish I'd never gotten my children any vaccines," says school secretary Krissa Connelly, whose three daughters caught whooping cough about four years ago. "But I had to weigh what I felt was right for them then."
Connelly says her first daughter, now 17, started off getting the full course of vaccinations but had a severe reaction to the one that protects against whooping cough, or pertussis, named after the germ that causes it. The evening of the shot, she says, her daughter developed a high fever and was screaming inconsolably, then periodically became listless. The whooping cough vaccine her daughter received commonly caused some fever and redness or swelling at the site of the shot and far less commonly (as estimated one in 1, 750 doses) caused fever severe enough to induce seizures. It has been replaced by a newer form that has a lower incidence of side effects, according to federal public health statistics.
Along with the pediatrician, Connelly decided not to continue the pertussis component of the diphtheria and tetanus shots, which are usually given together. Her two younger daughters never got any pertussis vaccinations because Connelly feared they would have the same reaction.
Her oldest daughter caught whooping cough while she was in middle school at Yuba River Charter School - at an age when her immunity would have waned anyway because of her age. At first Connelly didn't know what she had, but the coughing fits, followed by vomiting, were classic signs.
Her daughter had a relatively mild case. It was her two younger girls who were sickest, Connelly recalls. All of them were out of school for four to six weeks. Connelly, at the time working as an office manager for a local business,
had to take a leave of absence.
"I couldn't even count how many times they vomited each day," says Connelly. "It was terrible. I was just running back and forth between them, 24 hours a day." The girls recovered and are fine. Their smiling faces beam from pictures on the wall near Connelly's desk. For whatever reason, they didn't infect anyone else at the school.
Barbra Yorba, who is studying to become a naturopathic doctor, says her son also had an extreme reaction to pertussis, prompting her to stop his immunizations. Each time he got that particular one, beginning at two months, he developed a rash and fever, she says.
"I knew in my heart it didn't feel right," she says, waiting to pick up her son in the kindergarten yard, which has a vegetable garden planted by the children, a climbing structure and some mini Adirondack chairs. "You're right there with your child saying it's OK, and the nurse is on the other side. They ask you to hold the child down. It's emotional. It doesn't feel right."
Her decision to stop the vaccinations was cemented by attending a conference where she heard how vaccines could cause behavior problems, says Yorba, who treats most of her children's routine ailments with nutrition and herbal remedies. For her, it all clicked. Her son had had trouble concentrating and "mild behavior problems" that she now believes are due to his early vaccinations. Her daughter, now 4, has had no shots - and no attention problems, she says.
But still, she and others are aware of how controversial this is just about anywhere else. "Don't turn me in!" one mother jokes, then is reluctant to give her name because she doesn't want to face the reaction from her extended family who live elsewhere and don't agree with her decision not to vaccinate. "For children who live in poverty, without good nutrition, yeah, they might need vaccinations because they are more vulnerable," Yorba says. "But not here. "
Hello, My name is Tanya. My home is Lawrenceville, Georgia but I'm currently living in Stuttgart, Germany. I have two sons 5 1/2 and 1 1/2. My first son received all standard vaccines and suffered from numerous ear infections (that included two operations for tubes to be put in all before age two), has leaky gut syndrome, acute ADD, and suffered from Shingles as a result of the chickenpox vaccine. Now that I know better, my second child has not been vaccinated at all and has never suffered from any major illness - (1 fever in 16 months due to teething).
I fought many naysayers to include my pediatrician who insisted I was harming my children by not continuing to vaccinate. My pediatrician admitted having hefty stocks in the Pharmaceutical industry after a discussion we had about the financial ties between government and the industry but insisted this did not influence his staunch belief in vaccines. My second child's lack of illness was indisputable in comparison. I am new to this group but I am well acquainted with Sherri Nakken from a previous newslist. I value her work as it has helped many.
I urge all parents to do thorough research prior to vaccinating. Doctors making recommendations (and meeting Dept of HR services quotas to receive financial payments) will not have to live with the adverse side affects - you will. No one would take my case when I tried to sue (I consulted 12 lawyers). After finding one that would agree to look into my case, it was to late, the statue of limitations had run out (so much for compensation).
Pharmaceutical companies do not stand by their products, so why take the risk at your child's expense?
Michelle Williams
SAHM to Lucy (5.99)
and Leslie (2.02)
in NW Arkansas
The first thing Elijah Goode does when he gets to the playground one chill March day is look for the deepest puddles. Then, because he is 5, he jumps in and has to splash himself with muddy water everywhere not covered by his yellow rain boots and coat.
He is the kind of kid who can carry on his end of the conversation, even with someone he met just five minutes ago. He also can be curious, funny and thoughtful. In his young life, he has been protected from much of the outside world - fast food, excessive television watching and computer games. But something this robust, rosy-cheeked blur of yellow hair and rain gear has not been protected against is childhood diseases.
His parents, after much thought, decided not to get him standard childhood shots that immunize against once-common illnesses such as measles, polio and whooping cough. They're not part of any anti-vaccination movement or support group. It was just their personal belief that vaccines posed more risk than benefit. In this, they are part of a small minority of California parents who sign school waivers exempting their children from vaccinations. But in the Sierra foothills where they live, in rural Nevada County, they are closer to the mainstream.
Nevada County has the state's highest percentage of children in kindergarten who, for philosophical reasons, are not fully vaccinated - 11.39 percent in 2001 compared with about 1.2 percent statewide, which was a 20-year high. In some schools in Nevada County, particularly in a 30-mile swath of pine- and oak-covered hills known as The Ridge, the levels are even greater. At Yuba River Charter School, a public charter program Elijah attended last year, more than half of the kindergarten children this year don't have a complete set of vaccinations, according to the school.
Why would so many well-educated parents who can afford the vaccinations and live within a few hours of some of the nation's best-known medical research institutions decide against the shots? The reason lies partly in the mix of parents drawn to the Gold Country towns and foothills 60 miles northeast of Sacramento. Alongside the mining families who've lived there since the Gold Rush boom, the loggers and the retirees, there are now artists and writers, urban refugees and back-to-the-land folks who tend to seek holistic health and natural remedies. Driving around the foothills, one is just as likely to see signs for a yoga retreat or organic food co-op as markers for the local Rotary Club or an historic Gold Rush building.
"People who choose to be here are alternative people," says Yuba River Principal Terry Ann Paquette, who sometimes has to ask students to help her pronounce things like Ayurvedic medicine. "They are going to look into everything, particularly health care. Among the parents we have Reiki healers, massage therapists, homeopaths, naturopaths, people who use aromatherapy. They either are these [practitioners] or they go to them."
Kim Goode, Elijah's mother, does favor natural and homeopathic cures for common illnesses. But her reason not to vaccinate also lies in the paradox that has become a major public health debate. Vaccines have been so successful in eliminating once-common diseases that some parents now worry more about vaccine reactions than they do about those illnesses. The immunizations, in essence, are in jeopardy of being a victim of their own success. So worried is the medical community that the president of the American Academy of Pediatrics has posted an open letter to parents on the group's Web site reminding them of the severity of diseases like measles and imploring them to "be diligent about vaccinating."
"A lot of the things we vaccinate against, there aren't a lot of those diseases around," Goode says. "The only way to get polio is to come into contact with someone who's just had the shot. The risk of vaccinations seemed like it was greater than the likelihood of getting the disease."
No one doubts the decline in disease. Measles, which used to kill 3,000 children a year mostly through encephalitis and pneumonia, is so rare that many parents have never seen a case of it. They might have forgotten about the epidemic that swept the nation 12 years ago and infected 16,500 in California, killing 75. Those same parents missed polio entirely. They are too young to have seen the signs hung in public places reading, "Closed due to polio epidemic." And whooping cough, though it cycles through the nation periodically, has declined dramatically. It struck 175,000 Americans a year in the pre-vaccine early 1940s and killed scores. By 2000 there were only 5,396 reported cases, though the number is creeping upward for reasons researchers have yet to understand fully.
Although diseases may have waned, a backlash has grown. It is fueled by gripping stories about children whose parents say they developed autoimmune or developmental disorders such as autism after getting immunized. Those parents point to the alarming but unexplained autism statistics. For some reason, cases of the neurological disorder in California alone have more than tripled in the past 15 years. Medical studies, as yet, have found no link to childhood shots, but doctors can't make the guarantee some parents want to hear - that vaccines are 100 percent safe. A fraction of children who are vaccinated will have certain documented reactions, the vast majority of which cause no long- term damage, doctors say. So the duel rages. There are myriad Web sites on both sides of the issue, providing a daunting amount of information. Some post stories by parents detailing how their children were injured or advocate greater public education about immunization risks. They are countered by medical and public health sites describing why the shots are still needed to maintain group immunity, some of them complete with illustrations of kids suffering measles lesions or necks swollen from diphtheria.
There have been no epidemics in recent memory in Nevada County, health officials say. Whooping cough has appeared episodically, just as it has elsewhere around the state, but not in epidemic proportions. Yolo County, south of Sacramento, recorded more than 170 cases of whooping cough in late winter this year - almost all in vaccinated older children. Health officials in Nevada County were concerned that kids who visited or played sports teams there could bring the disease back home. Two children at Yuba River Charter School have had it in the nine years she's been there, Paquette says. She can't remember any cases of measles or mumps.
"They are just very blessed," says Christina Garner, the county health department's immunization coordinator, who has tried to set up appointments with parent groups at the school with no success. "They haven't wanted me to come up," she says. "Nobody invites us up there."
The county health department offers free vaccinations, and its workers show up at "kindergarten round-ups," where parents come to get information about schools. Soon the department will operate a mobile vaccine van. But even that is not expected to make a difference to parents at Yuba River, Garner says. "They are very educated and they have made up their minds," she says. "I have to respect that."
Goode and her husband, a timber framer who works for a firm that builds traditional Japanese houses, made up their minds about vaccinations when she was pregnant with Elijah. It's not something she'd thought about before, she says, running her fingers through the strawberry-colored ringlets that fall to her shoulders. Elijah continues his search for puddles at the park where we've arranged to meet, which belongs to a spiritual retreat called Ananda.
Goode is not a member, but she brings her children there once a week to hike the meadows and trails. Elijah likes the playground equipment, the natural foods deli and also the thrift store, because it has toys.
After his romp in the puddles, he agrees to come inside the restaurant and eat lunch while waiting for a friend to arrive. He devours a plate of whole wheat pasta wheels and broccoli. Then he wheedles a dollar from his mother so he can buy a treat - a frozen juice bar made from crushed organic fruit. She carefully saves the paper plate from his lunch so she can use it for her own before dropping it in a recycling bin.
The vaccination decision was not made lightly, Goode says. Her midwife, whose own children didn't get immunizations, recommended some books and articles, both for and against vaccinations. She talked to friends who'd made the decision recently. Her husband weighed in also, but she did most of the research, she says.
"I started reading stuff and looking into how vaccinations are made," she says. "By the time children are two months, they are supposed to have something like eight vaccinations. It seems like a lot of viruses for your body to take in two months. As an adult, if you were attacked by eight viruses in two months, you'd be trashed."
Her reasoning centered on a commonly held belief among many of those who don't vaccinate. She worried that the vaccinations would somehow weaken or damage her son's immature immune system. Medical researchers have been interested in that theory - which a quarter of all parents think might be true,
according to one survey - but, so far, studies have not shown such damage from immunizations.
Goode also weighed the need for other common preventive medical treatments for newborns - ones that many new parents take for granted. She opted against vitamin K, given routinely to enhance a baby's blood-clotting ability, and eye drops used to combat possible neonatal exposure to venereal disease or bacterial infection during birth. In consultation with her midwife, she decided her baby was not at high risk for either complication. But she did opt for routine blood screening.
In the five-plus years since then, Elijah has been to the doctor once. Goode took him to a pediatrician in kindergarten when he kept coming home with one virus after another. It turns out that was perfectly normal, given that it was his first year in school, traditionally a time when young children are exposed to a petri dish of infections. She said she'd take him to the doctor again if he came down with something neither she nor alternative health practitioners could diagnose.
Elijah was exposed to whooping cough when he was 15 months and a neighbor's two children, also unvaccinated, came down with it. Goode had read enough to know about the characteristic gasping - the whoops - that can be followed by vomiting. In fact, she was the one who suggested that the children had whooping cough. She says she then quarantined Elijah for 10 days, giving him a homeopathic prevention tonic called Pertussin. He never got the illness.
She didn't even consider vaccinating Hazel, who now sits squirming in her lap, but she did give her vitamin K at birth because of some bruising on her head. So far, Hazel hasn't been to a doctor, although, as a second child, she has had her share of viruses. Goode treated her daughter's one suspected ear infection with homemade ear drops (garlic, mullein flowers, tea tree oil, lavender oil, grapefruit seed extract) and a warm compress made from a blanched onion covered in cheesecloth.
Goode knows about the "herd immunity" phenomenon. Her children may be safe from disease because so many others have been vaccinated. If her life were different, if she traveled overseas or lived somewhere else, she might make different decisions, she says. She might have gotten some shots for her children.
But she and her husband have chosen to live in Nevada County, where they can build the kind of house they want and if they choose, send their kids to a public school that serves organic grains for snacks.
Goode laughs at the idea that she's a hippie. Sometimes her father teases her about that, but it just doesn't fit, she says. It's more that she's conscious of the details of her life. She wanted her children, if possible, born at home. (They were). She wanted them to eat organic food and not to watch television. Instead of plastic throwaway toys, she wanted wooden ones like the beautifully made rattle Hazel gnaws on with her quad of new teeth.
"A lot of people don't want to know about things," she says. "If they do, it makes it harder for them to go on with what they're doing. I want to know that at least I made the choices."
She can't say where all this came from. It wasn't from some sudden revelation or from her own background, exactly. She grew up in the small Calaveras County town of West Point, where her father has a sawmill. Her parents believed in traditional medicine, she says, but were open to alternatives. She was vaccinated, for example, but went to an acupuncturist for migraines and then a persistent rash on her face when she was a teenager. She recalls that it worked for both. Later on she took some college classes, moved to Nevada County and trained as a massage therapist. She plans to go back to college when her children are older.
Her husband grew up in a more conventional household in Ojai, she says. He also was fully immunized.
Now they live with their children in a small cabin but have plans to build a house that will embody both their aesthetics and their environmental consciousness. The house, which her husband is building himself, will have earthen walls containing no fiberglass or other manmade insulation. It will have Japanese ceilings and sliding doors and solar panels.
It will, she says, be beautiful, not at all hippie-ish, and no larger than it has to be.
"I want my footprints when I'm gone to be as small as possible," she says, watching Elijah, who is outside after lunch playing with his friend - also unvaccinated - who's just arrived.
This year Goode is homeschooling him because the drive to Yuba River Charter School takes - like the commute almost everywhere on the ridge's winding roads - at least a half-hour. It is too much to negotiate twice a day, with Hazel along.
But last year she signed the waiver that allowed Elijah to start kindergarten without otherwise required shots that protect against nine diseases. California is one of 22 states that allow exemptions based on personal beliefs as well as religious beliefs and medical reasons. This year, school Principal Paquette says, 25 of 42 kindergartners have full exemptions and nine have partial - meaning their parents chose to give them some vaccinations and not others.
This unusual scenario exists in a very unusual, out-of-the way school. To get there takes a drive through semi-deserted Gold Rush towns, forested hills and bucolic fields, where even the horses look as if they're placed in the pasture just to be part of a perfect landscape.
The school is in what used to be a rural office park and looks like a mountain retreat, its low wooden buildings nestled among the trees. Yuba River Charter was the first public school in the state to use the Waldorf model, based on an approach to education pioneered at the end of the 19th century by the Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner. Paquette is tired of talking about the pending legal challenge to what are now several Waldorf-inspired public schools.
But she is not tired of showing off her school, where students are enrolled because their parents have made the choice to have them there. Although it might look crunchy to the outside world, the school, in the Waldorf tradition, emphasizes the handmade and homespun, arts such as sewing, knitting and harp- playing. In the lower school, the spacious classrooms are painted calm, warm hues. The kindergartens are soft shades of lavender and rose.
Inside, the children play with wooden or handmade toys. They listen to fables and make animal figures from beeswax. As Paquette leads a tour through the rooms, the kids rush to hug her. Her visit creates a commotion in the rooms, which are otherwise peaceful, especially for kindergarten. No one is jumping on chairs or kicking anyone else. The children have just finished their morning snack of organic oatmeal - on other days it's millet, rice or soup - that they helped cook. Then they line up to wash their dishes in a tub of soapy water.
County health officials worry that, as sweet as this scene is, the unvaccinated kindergarten children are at risk. In vaccinated populations, most cases of whooping cough that occur are in babies too young to be immunized fully or adults and older children whose immunity has worn off after ages 7 to 10. But here the youngest kids, who also tend to get the sickest, are vulnerable, they say.
But many parents say they have considered the pros and cons of vaccination and believe that their children are better off without the shots. The school has been touched by whooping cough before, but it did not spread beyond one child at a time.
"In a lot of ways, I wish I'd never gotten my children any vaccines," says school secretary Krissa Connelly, whose three daughters caught whooping cough about four years ago. "But I had to weigh what I felt was right for them then."
Connelly says her first daughter, now 17, started off getting the full course of vaccinations but had a severe reaction to the one that protects against whooping cough, or pertussis, named after the germ that causes it. The evening of the shot, she says, her daughter developed a high fever and was screaming inconsolably, then periodically became listless. The whooping cough vaccine her daughter received commonly caused some fever and redness or swelling at the site of the shot and far less commonly (as estimated one in 1, 750 doses) caused fever severe enough to induce seizures. It has been replaced by a newer form that has a lower incidence of side effects, according to federal public health statistics.
Along with the pediatrician, Connelly decided not to continue the pertussis component of the diphtheria and tetanus shots, which are usually given together. Her two younger daughters never got any pertussis vaccinations because Connelly feared they would have the same reaction.
Her oldest daughter caught whooping cough while she was in middle school at Yuba River Charter School - at an age when her immunity would have waned anyway because of her age. At first Connelly didn't know what she had, but the coughing fits, followed by vomiting, were classic signs.
Her daughter had a relatively mild case. It was her two younger girls who were sickest, Connelly recalls. All of them were out of school for four to six weeks. Connelly, at the time working as an office manager for a local business,
had to take a leave of absence.
"I couldn't even count how many times they vomited each day," says Connelly. "It was terrible. I was just running back and forth between them, 24 hours a day." The girls recovered and are fine. Their smiling faces beam from pictures on the wall near Connelly's desk. For whatever reason, they didn't infect anyone else at the school.
Barbra Yorba, who is studying to become a naturopathic doctor, says her son also had an extreme reaction to pertussis, prompting her to stop his immunizations. Each time he got that particular one, beginning at two months, he developed a rash and fever, she says.
"I knew in my heart it didn't feel right," she says, waiting to pick up her son in the kindergarten yard, which has a vegetable garden planted by the children, a climbing structure and some mini Adirondack chairs. "You're right there with your child saying it's OK, and the nurse is on the other side. They ask you to hold the child down. It's emotional. It doesn't feel right."
Her decision to stop the vaccinations was cemented by attending a conference where she heard how vaccines could cause behavior problems, says Yorba, who treats most of her children's routine ailments with nutrition and herbal remedies. For her, it all clicked. Her son had had trouble concentrating and "mild behavior problems" that she now believes are due to his early vaccinations. Her daughter, now 4, has had no shots - and no attention problems, she says.
But still, she and others are aware of how controversial this is just about anywhere else. "Don't turn me in!" one mother jokes, then is reluctant to give her name because she doesn't want to face the reaction from her extended family who live elsewhere and don't agree with her decision not to vaccinate. "For children who live in poverty, without good nutrition, yeah, they might need vaccinations because they are more vulnerable," Yorba says. "But not here. "
Hello, My name is Tanya. My home is Lawrenceville, Georgia but I'm currently living in Stuttgart, Germany. I have two sons 5 1/2 and 1 1/2. My first son received all standard vaccines and suffered from numerous ear infections (that included two operations for tubes to be put in all before age two), has leaky gut syndrome, acute ADD, and suffered from Shingles as a result of the chickenpox vaccine. Now that I know better, my second child has not been vaccinated at all and has never suffered from any major illness - (1 fever in 16 months due to teething).
I fought many naysayers to include my pediatrician who insisted I was harming my children by not continuing to vaccinate. My pediatrician admitted having hefty stocks in the Pharmaceutical industry after a discussion we had about the financial ties between government and the industry but insisted this did not influence his staunch belief in vaccines. My second child's lack of illness was indisputable in comparison. I am new to this group but I am well acquainted with Sherri Nakken from a previous newslist. I value her work as it has helped many.
I urge all parents to do thorough research prior to vaccinating. Doctors making recommendations (and meeting Dept of HR services quotas to receive financial payments) will not have to live with the adverse side affects - you will. No one would take my case when I tried to sue (I consulted 12 lawyers). After finding one that would agree to look into my case, it was to late, the statue of limitations had run out (so much for compensation).
Pharmaceutical companies do not stand by their products, so why take the risk at your child's expense?
I just wanted to write and thank you for a wonderful and informative web site. My son is 2.5 years old and he has not been vaccinated. He started a daycare program today at a local church and they require a copy of his immunization record. Of course I don't have one, and started researching vaccinations on the internet (I also did this before he was born). Your web site was honest and straight-forward (I love the quote on the home page about vaccinations - doctors like vegetarians - butchers). I am glad to see so much more information available then there was 3 years ago.
I was even surprised to see vaccination information about pets. I think my past experience with a pet vaccination is what opened my eyes. About 10 years ago I found a Manx kitten at work, she was untamed and wild. She was my first "child" and I nurtured her to be the best pet and companion anyone could have. She was also vaccinated, because the vet recommended it was the best thing for her - especially since she was wild. When she was 5, I noticed a lump on her leg. Turns out she developed cancer from the vaccinations. Long story short, she was put to sleep because it had spread.
I still miss my cat today, but she taught me a valuable lesson - and helped my son be vaccine free.
Thank you,
Ramona Hacker
And I can tell you that I have experienced the ravages of vaccine. Vaccines are poisons, and if you want a happy healthy baby that is dynamic in all stages of development (especially social), NO vaccines. My first four children are partially vaxed. One is ASD and one has vision problems. All of my first four had issues that I now know were all vaccine induced. My last two children are vaccine free (breast feed) with the last also vit. K free and their development has been incredible. My now completely unvaxed four and a half month old has NEVER been sick, has NEVER had any diaper rash or thrush, has NEVER had any ear infections, has NEVER been inconsolable or colicky, has NEVER had any bowel problems or problems with moving her bowels, etc. Just super healthy.
My now completely unvaxed four and a half month old is up on all fours and trying to crawl! She scooted across an entire room at four months. She slept through the night (w/o waking for a feeding) by two months of age! She has been making great eye contact since birth and laughs and giggles with such delight. She cried tears within the first week of life! She has enjoyed peek-a-boo since three months of age!
She is so social and alert that the staff at my ASD son's nutritionist office thought she was 4 to 5 months old when they saw her at 3 months of age! In fact, the nutritionist made it a point to tell her staff to take notice that this baby is completely vaccine free and that is the reason for her dynamic development.
She is a happy calm baby. Once fed, changed, etc., she plays, is calm and very happy as she squeals with delight and speaks in baby babble--yes lots of incredible pre-speech that is crucial to speech and language development. Also, it is very easy to distinguish her cries.
Most people comment about how good she is, how quiet she is and how socially aware she is of people.Our relationship is indescribable because she can relate. Vaccines can tear that away and both you and your baby will suffer.
When I look back at what happened to my son, (of course the docs tell you it is normal) there were red flags everywhere that he was reacting (subtle things. but significant) to vaccine. It made our relationship a frustrating one. Why couldn't I consol him at times? (DPT frying his little brain? or Mercury damaging his little nerve cells?) Why did he have trouble moving his bowels? What? Roseola? Ear infections? Sleep disturbances? etc. By age two he started his spiral decline into the abyss of autism. My son was normal at birth and an uneventful pregnancy. The pain of it all is unbearable at times. I can't go back and the future, though a little promising with treatment, is a struggle. And all because of the vaccine scam.
Research is important, but the fact is vaccines do nothing to help your child. Vaccines are poisons. Vaccines can and do cause developmental disabilities and sometimes death.
There is a family here in my hometown whose two normal 6 month old twin girls reacted to the DPT with siezures and both died at age 7. Tragic! The mother did not recieve any compensation until the girls died.
Best wishes for your little bundle and your family,
I got that too, at first. My dh was laid off when XXXXX was 3 weeks old so we skipped the 2 mo checkup. What was the point? She wasn't sick. And being my third, I know she was eating, sleeping, gaining just fine. When I took her in at 4 mos, the nurse said Oh you missed her 2 month appt. I told her dh didn't have insurance at the time. She pointed out that the health dept does shots for free and that now she was off schedule. I said, that's okay, she's not vaccinated anyway. With a big grin, of course. She didn't quite know what to say. Just kind of looked at me like I was misinformed. I didn't bother to mention that I'm a nurse.
Hello, I have been on this list for nearly a year but have not had time to participate due to a busy and large household. Although I was never comfortable immunizing my first child it was after my second child nearly died in my arms following her first DPT that I REALLY became concerned about the whole sham operation. Some of my later children were partially immunized on physician advice since we were a military family living overseas and "in contact with many foreign people and foreign germs." I deeply regret doing so and feel that their many ear infections, attention difficulties, dyslexia, allergies, and emotional moodiness are due to immunization damage. My last baby received one hib shot at 3 months and has not been the same child since and is now 15 1/2 months. She has never received any other immunizations and I hope to keep it that way. It would be remiss for me not to mention that my husband received an MMR at the age of 31 as he had never had the mumps (supposedly). This happened shortly before our marriage and it caused him to suffer autistic
symptoms and possibly short term infertility--not the best way to start a marriage.
I hope I am not painting too dismal of a picture. We are a fun and happy family and my children are quite intelligent; however, I think the immunizations have caused unnecessary hurdles and worries. I would like to add that in my small homeschool 4-H group, 2 mothers have had healthy infants die in their sleep within 24 hours of their first DPT as well as one woman's nephew succumbed in the same way. My daughter nearly died and in fact would have if I had not been holding her and was able to do CPR. And we have at least half a dozen children with autism or related difficulties. This does not even include the babies who screamed continuously for hours on end following immunizations, or those with asthma, allergies, and learning or mood difficulties.
On top of all this, I am quite angry knowing that some of the immunizations my children received contain aborted fetal cells. An excellent web site that details this is
www.cogforlife.org.
In short, my recommendation as a mother of 8 children and former teacher is: No immunizations. Do not let any difficulty stand in your way of breastfeeding your baby. Cut back on tylenol and motrin which are hard on a baby's liver. The whole family should eat organic. Homeschool or keep your child in a small school where you can keep an eye on his evironment. Young children should avoid as much as possible large public places where there is likely to be a cesspool of bacteria and viruses--libraries, grocery carts, etc. Avoid stress and get enough sleep ( Here is where homeschooling is unbeatable.) And lastly, be aware of toxins in your evironment-- fluoride, chemicals added to carpets, building materials, toys, lawns, etc. (I have a friend who owns several McDonald's restaurants and she has them sprayed for cockroaches, flies, etc. EVERY MONTH. When my children were in a small private school, the principal slipped and revealed that she has their cafeteria sprayed for pests several times a year. Yuck!)
Sorry this is so lengthy. I am just hoping to help other people and their children avoid some of the difficulties I have encountered.
May God Bless You! Kimberly
I was even surprised to see vaccination information about pets. I think my past experience with a pet vaccination is what opened my eyes. About 10 years ago I found a Manx kitten at work, she was untamed and wild. She was my first "child" and I nurtured her to be the best pet and companion anyone could have. She was also vaccinated, because the vet recommended it was the best thing for her - especially since she was wild. When she was 5, I noticed a lump on her leg. Turns out she developed cancer from the vaccinations. Long story short, she was put to sleep because it had spread.
I still miss my cat today, but she taught me a valuable lesson - and helped my son be vaccine free.
Thank you,
Ramona Hacker
And I can tell you that I have experienced the ravages of vaccine. Vaccines are poisons, and if you want a happy healthy baby that is dynamic in all stages of development (especially social), NO vaccines. My first four children are partially vaxed. One is ASD and one has vision problems. All of my first four had issues that I now know were all vaccine induced. My last two children are vaccine free (breast feed) with the last also vit. K free and their development has been incredible. My now completely unvaxed four and a half month old has NEVER been sick, has NEVER had any diaper rash or thrush, has NEVER had any ear infections, has NEVER been inconsolable or colicky, has NEVER had any bowel problems or problems with moving her bowels, etc. Just super healthy.
My now completely unvaxed four and a half month old is up on all fours and trying to crawl! She scooted across an entire room at four months. She slept through the night (w/o waking for a feeding) by two months of age! She has been making great eye contact since birth and laughs and giggles with such delight. She cried tears within the first week of life! She has enjoyed peek-a-boo since three months of age!
She is so social and alert that the staff at my ASD son's nutritionist office thought she was 4 to 5 months old when they saw her at 3 months of age! In fact, the nutritionist made it a point to tell her staff to take notice that this baby is completely vaccine free and that is the reason for her dynamic development.
She is a happy calm baby. Once fed, changed, etc., she plays, is calm and very happy as she squeals with delight and speaks in baby babble--yes lots of incredible pre-speech that is crucial to speech and language development. Also, it is very easy to distinguish her cries.
Most people comment about how good she is, how quiet she is and how socially aware she is of people.Our relationship is indescribable because she can relate. Vaccines can tear that away and both you and your baby will suffer.
When I look back at what happened to my son, (of course the docs tell you it is normal) there were red flags everywhere that he was reacting (subtle things. but significant) to vaccine. It made our relationship a frustrating one. Why couldn't I consol him at times? (DPT frying his little brain? or Mercury damaging his little nerve cells?) Why did he have trouble moving his bowels? What? Roseola? Ear infections? Sleep disturbances? etc. By age two he started his spiral decline into the abyss of autism. My son was normal at birth and an uneventful pregnancy. The pain of it all is unbearable at times. I can't go back and the future, though a little promising with treatment, is a struggle. And all because of the vaccine scam.
Research is important, but the fact is vaccines do nothing to help your child. Vaccines are poisons. Vaccines can and do cause developmental disabilities and sometimes death.
There is a family here in my hometown whose two normal 6 month old twin girls reacted to the DPT with siezures and both died at age 7. Tragic! The mother did not recieve any compensation until the girls died.
Best wishes for your little bundle and your family,
I got that too, at first. My dh was laid off when XXXXX was 3 weeks old so we skipped the 2 mo checkup. What was the point? She wasn't sick. And being my third, I know she was eating, sleeping, gaining just fine. When I took her in at 4 mos, the nurse said Oh you missed her 2 month appt. I told her dh didn't have insurance at the time. She pointed out that the health dept does shots for free and that now she was off schedule. I said, that's okay, she's not vaccinated anyway. With a big grin, of course. She didn't quite know what to say. Just kind of looked at me like I was misinformed. I didn't bother to mention that I'm a nurse.
Hello, I have been on this list for nearly a year but have not had time to participate due to a busy and large household. Although I was never comfortable immunizing my first child it was after my second child nearly died in my arms following her first DPT that I REALLY became concerned about the whole sham operation. Some of my later children were partially immunized on physician advice since we were a military family living overseas and "in contact with many foreign people and foreign germs." I deeply regret doing so and feel that their many ear infections, attention difficulties, dyslexia, allergies, and emotional moodiness are due to immunization damage. My last baby received one hib shot at 3 months and has not been the same child since and is now 15 1/2 months. She has never received any other immunizations and I hope to keep it that way. It would be remiss for me not to mention that my husband received an MMR at the age of 31 as he had never had the mumps (supposedly). This happened shortly before our marriage and it caused him to suffer autistic
symptoms and possibly short term infertility--not the best way to start a marriage.
I hope I am not painting too dismal of a picture. We are a fun and happy family and my children are quite intelligent; however, I think the immunizations have caused unnecessary hurdles and worries. I would like to add that in my small homeschool 4-H group, 2 mothers have had healthy infants die in their sleep within 24 hours of their first DPT as well as one woman's nephew succumbed in the same way. My daughter nearly died and in fact would have if I had not been holding her and was able to do CPR. And we have at least half a dozen children with autism or related difficulties. This does not even include the babies who screamed continuously for hours on end following immunizations, or those with asthma, allergies, and learning or mood difficulties.
On top of all this, I am quite angry knowing that some of the immunizations my children received contain aborted fetal cells. An excellent web site that details this is
www.cogforlife.org.
In short, my recommendation as a mother of 8 children and former teacher is: No immunizations. Do not let any difficulty stand in your way of breastfeeding your baby. Cut back on tylenol and motrin which are hard on a baby's liver. The whole family should eat organic. Homeschool or keep your child in a small school where you can keep an eye on his evironment. Young children should avoid as much as possible large public places where there is likely to be a cesspool of bacteria and viruses--libraries, grocery carts, etc. Avoid stress and get enough sleep ( Here is where homeschooling is unbeatable.) And lastly, be aware of toxins in your evironment-- fluoride, chemicals added to carpets, building materials, toys, lawns, etc. (I have a friend who owns several McDonald's restaurants and she has them sprayed for cockroaches, flies, etc. EVERY MONTH. When my children were in a small private school, the principal slipped and revealed that she has their cafeteria sprayed for pests several times a year. Yuck!)
Sorry this is so lengthy. I am just hoping to help other people and their children avoid some of the difficulties I have encountered.
May God Bless You! Kimberly
Hello!
I went to the internet in May this year to see if there was any information on vaccines. You can surely imaging my shocking experience! There was I sitting and reading and reading, and pulled my hair saying time after time: This can't be true. At the same time the pieces started to fall in the right places. I have 3 children and the 2 oldest got every vaccine except MMR. My oldest is born -96 and -97.I had internet when my first was born so this was info I easily could had get in -96.The 3 child -02 was the reason why I went to the internet. He reacted to his DPT 2 shot with drowsiness, vomiting, diarrhea. That wasn't ringing any bells yet. It was his otitis media after IPV and HIB 2 at six month of age that made me angry. The health problems in my children have been repeated otitis media, toe tipping, incontinence, spontaneously bleeding from the nose, atopic skin. Luckily I also have found homeopathy. I read about parents like me who had find out to late about vaccines, and now was treating vaccine damage successfully with homeopathic medicine. My son has been de-toxiced and so will the two oldest. My sons atopic skin has almost disapered,3 weeks after detox.I will never allow another vaccination, not even the cat will have one! Thank you for a interesting site.
Marika Liljeroos, Finland
Isn't it scary that all symptoms are the same? It doesn't matter if you live in Finland, Germany, Sweden, USA, Canada...The list is long. Developing countries are heading toward bankruptcy because our children are developing more and more chronic illnesses. The same alarming figures, the same suffering everywhere, who will pay? Vaccine makers? Drug companies? Don't be a fool. They do as they always did, take the money and run. You are the one sitting there with a damaged child. Who can I trust ,you ask? Sorry, you have to trust motherinstinct. What's that? Time too find out.!
I went to the internet in May this year to see if there was any information on vaccines. You can surely imaging my shocking experience! There was I sitting and reading and reading, and pulled my hair saying time after time: This can't be true. At the same time the pieces started to fall in the right places. I have 3 children and the 2 oldest got every vaccine except MMR. My oldest is born -96 and -97.I had internet when my first was born so this was info I easily could had get in -96.The 3 child -02 was the reason why I went to the internet. He reacted to his DPT 2 shot with drowsiness, vomiting, diarrhea. That wasn't ringing any bells yet. It was his otitis media after IPV and HIB 2 at six month of age that made me angry. The health problems in my children have been repeated otitis media, toe tipping, incontinence, spontaneously bleeding from the nose, atopic skin. Luckily I also have found homeopathy. I read about parents like me who had find out to late about vaccines, and now was treating vaccine damage successfully with homeopathic medicine. My son has been de-toxiced and so will the two oldest. My sons atopic skin has almost disapered,3 weeks after detox.I will never allow another vaccination, not even the cat will have one! Thank you for a interesting site.
Marika Liljeroos, Finland
Isn't it scary that all symptoms are the same? It doesn't matter if you live in Finland, Germany, Sweden, USA, Canada...The list is long. Developing countries are heading toward bankruptcy because our children are developing more and more chronic illnesses. The same alarming figures, the same suffering everywhere, who will pay? Vaccine makers? Drug companies? Don't be a fool. They do as they always did, take the money and run. You are the one sitting there with a damaged child. Who can I trust ,you ask? Sorry, you have to trust motherinstinct. What's that? Time too find out.!
hello, I'm Maxx and the mother of two wonderful children, Niko(6) and Cassidy(4). Thank you so much for all the hard work you have done in researching, compiling and posting information on vaccines. I now have a resource to point to when people say 'why' or 'prove it'. Of great interest to me was the information on microwaves. I've never owned one because I felt something wasn't right about them. Never before your site had I heard this sentiment echoed, let alone supported by research. Yay!
Just want to say (as a mom) that your site is great, your quotes are on the mark and the information in the site has really helped me in my decision not to vaccinate my child. If only my friends and family would agree with you! I didn't need ANY convincing about the dangers of vaccinations and I don't understand how others, after reading sites like yours and doing a modicum of research can subject their kids to it. But anyway, that discussion can go on for days.
I have just encountered the butt end of the medical profession recently when I took my child who suffered terribly from eczema, to a homeopath. In 6 days he was "cured". It hasn't come back in 5 months. The doctors' assessment was, "its in remission". Needless to say that conversation ended very quickly. My point is we must question everything they tell us. Why doesn't everybody question? I just don't get it?
I suppose that is the bigger question why we are such lemmings.
All the best and happy holidays
(Belfast)
My name is Kelly, I have two children who have never been vaccinated. They have received chiropractic care since the day they were born. No serious illnesses to date. They are healthy and happy. I homeschool my kids. I am a member of the National Vaccine Information Center, and their Kansas and Arizona contact. We recently moved to Kansas, but I have remained the contact for Arizona since I am well versed on their laws. I have formed the Kansas Alliance for Informed Choice in Vaccination. www.ksaicv.com I am actively trying to meet people here in Kansas that are like minded, I have met a few and hope to meet more.
Kelly H www.ksaicv.com
I am a 27 year old SAHM. I have a beautiful and healthy 16 month old daughter. My husband and I have decided not to have our daughter vaccinated. We made that decision based on the fact that my husband had horrible reactions to vaccines as an infant leaving him with learning disabilities. We have done lots of research, as well. We have not had much support though. We recently moved to Georgia and were actually turned away by a pediatrician because of our choice not to vaccinate. We were told that we could only come back if we changed our minds and vaccinated our daughter. We consider ourselves as "attached" parents. We co-sleep and I am still breastfeeding. I am hoping I will be able to learn and share new information about vaccines. I am also looking for and hope to give support to others.
Have a great day!
Missy
I wanted to add my voice and the unheard voices of my children to this group of individuals who are showing you how much we appreciate you and all you do/have done for us and our children. I am the mother of identical twin boys , born at 28 weeks gestation and given their vaccinations before they even left the hospital NICU at 3 pounds each. It horrifies me that nowhere is the "negative" information on vaccinations made available to new parents. We are literally patted on the head and told this is the way it has to be. If I had known then, the things I know now; my children would never have been inoculated. Not at 3 pounds, not at 10 pounds, not ever.
At 18 months after receiving their DTP shots, both my boys had horrendous fevers that spiked and required hospitalization overnight. They stopped playing appropriately, they stopped eating some of their favorite foods, they stopped looking at us in joy to share, stopped giving us that wonderful secret smile that children have, they stopped babbling and regressed to making one single repetitive sound all day and long into the night....."aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa" . Soon after they started hand flapping and holding objects very close to their faces. They were different babies. Now they are 4 years old, we still have no words from one....But we have gained back all the babbling and sounds, The other is talking! We will not be getting their booster shot to start school and have already filed our Vaccination Exemption forms to the Health Unit in Ontario.
Sincerely,
Michelle and family
http://www.recordonline.com/archive/2004/03/31/holistic.htm
March 31, 2004
All natural: From organic baby food to no vaccinations
By Laura Dolce
For the Times Herald-Record
ladolce@verizon.net
They serve their children organic foods.
They breast-feed them into the toddler years.
They sleep with their babies in a family bed and believe in the philosophy of attachment parenting.
They may forgo immunizations altogether, and treat their children with natural remedies.
They're holistic moms. And they're not part of some fringe group or hippie counterculture. They're educated, caring mothers – and your neighbors. They come from Milford, Pa., Pine Bush, Wallkill and other towns andhamlets dotting the Hudson Valley.
Every Friday, a dozen or so of the women gather in Walker Valley for a vegetarian lunch, play time for the children and support for themselves. The first few women met at a Bradley birthing class recently. They were looking for a more naturalmethod of childbirth. They found it – and women who felt like they did,too. Soon, the stay-at-home moms were getting together to chat and share baby tips. That evolved into weekly trips to Gymboree for playtime. There, they met others like them, moms who were looking foralternatives, for support. They found it.
They don't have a namefor their group. No "association" for them. The closest they come is" circle of friends." These are some of their stories.
Nine months to Nicholas
For Zina Mazzone of Pine Bush, the path to holistic motherhood started with her pregnancy.
"It carried over from natural birthing," she said. "I thought, 'If I'm going to have a baby without drugs, I should try to raise him that way.' " And so began Mazzone's foray into holistic motherhood and attachment parenting. So far, it's been a relatively smooth one. Mazzone has faced little censure from friends and family for her lifestyle choices, which include cloth diapers, breast-feeding, organic foods and only some vaccinations for 5-month-old Nicholas. Figuring out what's best for their son has helped Mazzone and husband Domenic get better at doing what's best for themselves.
That means eating healthier foods: organic fish, free-range chicken, organic beef and even fresh venison. Still, not everything she's tried has worked. "We started the family bed, but he (Nicholas) kicks," she said with a laugh. "Still, I sneak him in all the time. My husband leaves for work at 5, then we snuggle and breast-feed for a few hours."
Mazzone has heard all the horror stories people bring up about the family bed: the babies who were crushed, infants who were smothered. "I wonder if you're getting the whole story," she said. She likes an explanation someone once gave her: You don't fall out of bed, even though you're sleeping, she said. You know the edge is there. "It's the same with a baby," she said. Mazzone did a lot of research on the Internet, but says her circle of friends is her biggest support. "We're just all friends who got together," she said. "We talk about anything and everything."
Recent topics include teething – a stage Mazzone says most of the babies have hit – and even some current events. One member's looking into getting the group into a food co-op. But for the most part, Mazzone said, it's the feeling that they're not alone that means the most. "We make each other feel better," she said. Sheoffers this advice to new mothers: "Trust your instincts. Don't
listen to your mother, neighbor, doctor. You will instinctually know what is right for your baby."
From mainstream to earth mom
"Less than two years ago, I was as mainstream as they come," said Jennifer Rogers of Milford, Pa., laughing. "When I became pregnant, I just got this gut feeling that the way we birth and raise children in America wasn't the right way. I did lots of research and decided I would follow that gut feeling." Rogers found a certified midwife and decided to have a home birth. Both her family and her husband's at first felt the couple was extremely irresponsible, but both Rogers and husband James felt their decision was the right one. And 33 hours of labor later, baby Griffin put in an appearance – at a healthy 10 lbs., 4 oz.
"I got a lot of criticism from people," Rogers said, "but thanks to my amazing husband, I stuck with it and had an amazing home birth." Today, Griffin is a happy 6-month-old. While he sees a pediatricianoccasionally, and then only to confirm a diagnosis, he hasn't received any vaccinations
and his parents don't plan to take him for any. They treat his minor ailments with things like garlic oil for earaches and lanolin for diaper rashes. "The last pediatrician wouldn't see him if we didn't take him for well-baby visits and vaccinations," Rogers said. The new pediatrician, she said, is willing to see them when they request a visit, though he's hoping they'll change their minds about immunizations.
Rogers doesn't plan to. She feeds her son organic baby food from a jar, and makes the rest at home, hopingthat eating right, combined with the breastfeeding, will build up Griffin's natural immunity. She plans to stick to her healthy eating habits until Griffin's a toddler, allowing him to wean himself off breast-feeding, and eventually move on to more "mainstream" food –maybe even the Golden Arches. "I want him to be able to go to a McDonald's birthday party" she said.
Who's laughing now?
Walker Valley's Jen Gonzalez can have a dozen kids crawling through her house each Friday, but she couldn't be happier. As the "host" mom for her circle of friends, Gonzalez has all the support she needs in her quest to bring up 6-month-old daughter Maia the way she and husband Patrick plan. She just never thought she'd find herself in this position. Gonzalez recalls that when her sister first had her son and decided he would sleep in the bed with them, she was less than understanding. "I thought she was crazy," she remembered with a laugh. "It's so funny, 'cause now I'm the same way. She laughs now." Gonzalez confesses she was never even able to use the co-sleeping attachment that hooks on the side of their bed for Maia. "I thought it would be a great idea," she said, "but she's been in bed since day one. Even in the hospital."
Gonzalez admitted her husband was initially worried he'd roll over on his new daughter, but time has helped put those fears to rest. Time has also helped ease any objections friends and family might have had toward Gonzalez's parenting choices, which range from feeding Maia organic foods to choosing not to have her vaccinated. That was a tough one for Maia's grandmother, but she is accepting. "She's got a healthy, happy granddaughter," Gonzalez said. The vaccine issue is one that Gonzalez has given a great deal of thought, and one she doesn't see eye-to-eye with her pediatrician on.
"I want her immune system to be strong on its own," Gonzalez said. "I doubt I'll ever give her vaccines. Especially for diseases thatwouldn't kill her. Most have mercury in them. "We have friends who have never vaccinated their daughter and she's so healthy, she's never been sick."
'Can't describe how great it is'
Like many of the other moms, Yvette Hauser of Bloomingburg found that her desire to have a natural childbirth overlapped into child care. That's why she decided that she'd breast-feed son Benjamin, now 5 months old, after he was born, and why she cooks with organic foods and practices attachment parenting. That's also why she had a tough time deciding to vaccinate her son, though she did have it done. And she thinks her way of doing things is just more intuitive, not crazier, than other moms' ways. "They're things we would've been doing anyway," Hauser said. "They're more natural; it just seems we've gotten away from them." While she hasn't faced any harsh criticism, Hauser said some well-meaning friends have urged her to stop breast-feeding and try formula ("It's easier," they say) and tell her to stop running for son Benjamin each time he cries ("Cry it out," they say). That – and being a newcomer to the area – is why her Fridays with the group are so precious to her. "I was actually feeling withdrawn and isolated," Hauser said of herself before joining the group a month ago. "Being with them was so unbelievable and great. "Having that support – I can't even describe how great it is, how important it is."
Vaccination Facts
-All 50 states allow parents to forgo vaccinations for a child for medical reasons.
-49 (with West Virginia the only exception) allow a parent to refuse vaccinations based on religious reasons.
-19allow exemptions for philosophical reasons: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin. A law has been introduced in New Jersey, and a similar one allowing a less restrictive religious exemption failed last year in New York.
-According to the Centers for Disease Control, nearly 38,000 children in the United States –almost 2 percent of children in certain states – are not vaccinated. Nearly 20,000 have exemptions for religious reasons. That number is growing.
The other side
-The benefits of vaccinations far outweigh any risks, says the American Academy of Pediatrics. The group also says that no immunized children are 35 times more likely to get measles – and the resultant complications – than immunized children.
-In addition to a risk of developing measles and complications such as pneumonia, the CDC says that children who go unvaccinated are "also at risk from meningitis (swelling of the lining of the brain) caused by Hib (Haemophilus influenza type b, a severe bacterial infection), bloodstream infections caused by pneumococcus, deafness caused by mumps, and liver cancer caused by hepatitis B virus."
Recommended reading
Books members of the Holistic Moms Network like.
-"How to Raise a Healthy Child – in Spite of Your Doctor" by Robert S. Mendelsohn. (1990, Ballantine Books)
-"Natural Family Living: the Mothering Magazine Guide to Parenting" by Peggy O'Mara. (2000, Pocket Books)
-"Baby Matters: What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Caring for Your Baby" by Linda Folden Palmer. (2001, Lucky Press)
-"Mothers& Others for a Livable Planet Guide to Natural Baby Care: Nontoxic and Environmentally Friendly Ways to Take Care of Your New Child" byMindy Pennybacker and Aisha Ikramuddin. (1999, John Wiley)
-"SmartMedicine for a Healthier Child: A Practical A-to-Z Reference to Naturaland Conventional Treatments for Infants & Children" by Janet Zand,Rachel Walton and Bob Rountree. (1994, Avery Pub. Group)
-"TheBaby Book: Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby – From Birth toAge Two" by William and Martha Sears. (2003, Little Brown)
-"TheDiscipline Book: Everything You Need to Know to Have a Better-BehavedChild From Birth to Age Ten" by William and Martha Sears. (1995, LittleBrown)
-"Birthing From Within: An Extra-Ordinary Guide toChildbirth Preparation" by Pam England and Rob Horowitz. (1998, ParteraPress)
-"The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth" by Henci Goer. (1999,Berkley Pub. Group)
-"Obstetric Myths Versus Research Realities: A Guide to Medical Literature" by Henci Goer. (1995, Bergin & Garvey)
-"GentleBirth Choices" A Guide to Making Informed Decisions About Birthing Centers, Birth Attendants, Water Birth, Home Birth, Hospital Birth" by Barbara Harper. (1994, Healing Arts Press)
-"The VBACCompanion: The Expectant Mother's Guide to Vaginal Birth AfterCesarean" by Diana Korte. (1997, Harvard Common Press)
-"BirthWithout Violence: The Book That Revolutionized the Way We Bring OurChildren Into the World" by Frederick Leboyer. (1995, Healing ArtsPress)
-"Motherwit, An Alabama Midwife's Story" by Onnie Lee Logan. (1989,Dutton)
-"Holistic Pregnancy and Childbirth" by James Marti and Heather Burton.
(1999, John Wiley & Sons)
-"MotheringMagazine's Having a Baby Naturally: the Mothering Magazine Guide toPregnancy and Childbirth" by Peggy O'Mara and Wendy Ponte. (2003,AtriaBooks)
-"The Birth Book: Everything You Need to Know to Have aSafe and Satisfying Birth" by William and Martha Sears. (1994, Little,Brown & Co.)
-"Baby Catcher: Chronicles of a Modern Midwife" by Peggy Vincent. (2003,Scribner)
-"TakingCharge of Your Fertility: The Definitive Guide to Natural BirthControl, Pregnancy Achievement, and Reproductive Health" by ToniWeschler. (2002,HarperCollins)
-"Sugar Blues" by William Dufty. (1993, Warner)
-"Whole Foods for Babies & Toddlers" by Margaret Kenda. (2001, La Leche League International)
-"Feedingthe Whole Family: Whole Foods Recipes for Babies, Young Children, andTheir Parents" by Cynthia Lair. (1997, Moon Smile Press)
-"TheFamily Nutrition Book: Everything You Need to Know About FeedingYourChildren – From Birth to Adolescence" by William and Martha Sears.(1999,Little, Brown)
What is attachment parenting?
Attachment parenting is a child-rearing philosophy espoused by noted pediatrician William Sears.
Sears believes that all mothers bond strongly in a child's first years of life, and therefore should spend as much time together as possible, up to and including sleeping together in a family bed. This style of parenting is considered very nurturing; proponents claim that by responding to a child's needs immediately, the baby will grow to be more secure and happier. Parents who practice attachment parenting do not let a baby "cry it out" or attempt to force a baby to a rigid schedule. Sears has authored a number of books, including "The Attachment Parenting Book," which details what he calls his six baby Bs– "bonding, breast-feeding, baby-wearing, bedding close to baby, belief in the language value of baby's cry, and beware of baby trainers."
Source: Attachment Parenting International
On the web
www.holisticmoms.org,site of the Holistic Moms Network. Includes membership information, calendar, links and articles. Includes a terrific list of books on subjects near and dear to holistic moms' hearts. Membership/chapter organization is included. www.attachmentparenting.org, Web siteof the organization Attachment Parenting International. Includes downloadable copy of their quarterly journal, a list of relevant articles and a short list of medical practitioners. Membership information is also included.
Unvaccinated Children: Who Are They, and Where Do They Live?
Philip J. Smith, Susan Y. Chu, Lawrence E. Barker. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Immunization Program, Atlanta, GA; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Immunization Program, Atlanta, GA; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Immunization Program, Atlanta, GA.
BACKGROUND: Despite efforts to increase vaccination coverage rates by removing barriers to receiving vaccinations, each year 1.4 million children 19-35 months of age are undervaccinated. Among these are children who received no vaccinations. Unvaccinated children are at greatly increased risk of acquiring a vaccine preventable disease (VPD). Also, unvaccinated children who have acquired a VPD pose a risk for undervaccinated children who are susceptible to VPDs.
OBJECTIVE: To compare characteristics of unvaccinated and undervaccinated children, and provide estimates of the number unvaccinated children by county.
DESIGN/METHODS: We used 1995-2001 data from National Immunization Survey. Vaccination histories of children 19-35 months of age were ascertained from medical providers. Undervaccinated children received at least one dose of diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis vaccine, polio vaccine, measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, Haemophilus influenzae vaccine, hepatitis B vaccine, or varicella vaccine, but did not receive all of the doses recommended for all of these vaccines. Unvaccinated children were children who had no medical providers and received no vaccinations, or children whose medical providers reported administering no vaccinations.
RESULTS: Undervaccinated children tended to be black or Hispanic, have an unmarried mother with 2yrs of education, and live in a household below poverty. Unvaccinated children tended to be white, live in a household with a high income, have an older mother who had a college education, and live in a household with 4 children. Annually, 18,000 children were unvaccinated. The largest numbers of unvaccinated children lived in Los Angeles, Detroit, Orange Co, San Bernardino Co, San Diego, Fresno, Chicago, Westchester Co, Seattle, Pittsburgh, Dallas, Oklahoma City, Spokane, Boulder, Salt Lake, and Houston.
CONCLUSIONS: Unvaccinated children have characteristics that are distinctly different from those of undervaccinated children. Unvaccinated children cluster geographically and may remain unvaccinated upon school entry, increasing the risk of spreading VPDs to both unvaccinated and undervaccinated children.
Hi all! My name is Kate and I have 6 children: Elizabeth is 12.5 and vaccinated (has Tourette's & asthma), James is 11.5 and vaccinated (has learning disabilities), Jane is almost 5 and was vaccinated until she was 2 (has Asperger's), Jonathan is 2.5 and received 2 sets of shots ~ HiB, DPT & polio ~ and 3 RSV shots due to prematurity (has Autism), Grace is also 2.5 and received the same shots as her twin brother (has developmental delays) and Nathaniel is 5 months and has received NO vaccinations and never will (and he is perfectly neurotypical!).
I had no clue about vaccines being full of poisons and all the autoimmune and neurological disorders that are associated with them with my first two children. When I was pregnant with Jane, I had a dear friend talk to me about not vaccinating. She gave me the book "A Shot In the Dark" and after I read it, I decided I probably shouldn't vaccinate the baby I was carrying. Unfortunately, I didn't really have a strong conviction to NOT do it, and the pressure to vaccinate by doctors/nurses is strong, so I caved and let them give Jane shots. She didn't receive Hep B or Varicella, nor Prevnar, but she did get DPT, HiB, polio and MMR, as scheduled. When I had my twins, I was pretty sure I didn't want to vaccinate, though I still hadn't done a lot of research on the topic and didn't have any "proof" to back up my choice (and therefore my conviction was weak). My babies were 5 weeks early and spent a week in NICU ~ they were given RSV shots before being discharged (at 7 days old,
still technically 4 weeks before their due date) without my consent or knowledge! When I got to the hospital, they informed me that they'd given the vaccines because, due to their prematurity, Jonathan and Grace were more susceptible to contracting RSV. They got another RSV injection at 2 weeks of age and again at 6 weeks. And at 8 weeks of age, both babies were diagnosed with RSV!!! I asked how they could get a disease that they were vaccinated against and no one had any answer for me! Ugh.
Anyhow, due to being ill, neither baby got shots at 2 months. They got their first set at 4 months. I refused Hep B again (they didn't get it at birth, either), but they got DPT, HiB and polio. That evening, both babies began screaming uncontrollably (for the first time in their lives). They would wail for 4 hours every night, and the pediatrician diagnosed them with colic ~ at FOUR MONTHS OLD! Their "colic" lasted for 6 weeks. When they were 5.5 months old, they both developed bronchitis and Jonathan ended up with pneumonia. Both babies were on nebulizer treatments and antibiotics. Right before they turned 6 months, they went in for a re-check. Grace was doing fine, but Jonathan was still wheezing, so the pediatrician prescribed another round of antibiotics and a different med for the nebulizer. Then we scheduled another re-check for one week later. When we came back, Jonathan was still not 100% well, but the doctor pushed for us to vaccinate both babies anyhow, since we were getting ready to move out of state and it would take awhile to get set up in the new town we were moving to AND the babies were behind on their vaccinations already, etc.......I felt a "check" in my heart that said, "Don't do it," but when I gave voice to my concerns, reminding the pediatrician of the "colic" both babies had developed the same day they received their first shots, the doctor brushed me off, ridiculed my fears and kept insisting we HAD to do this TODAY. And I, being the stupid fool I was, capitulated. Both babies received DPT, HiB and polio once again.
That night, Jonathan began refluxing. I mean MAJOR vomiting (which, by the way, continued until he was 15 months old and medication ~ zantac and reglan ~ never did get it completely under control). And the same "colicky" screams began again. Within a week, he had lost many skills ~ grasping a toy, making eye contact, smiling at us, bearing weight on his legs, etc. He developed sensory issues and screamed all the time. I took him to the pediatrician's once more before we moved and she told me it appeared Jonathan was developmentally delayed and I needed to contact Early Intervention to get him assessed. I asked how it could be that he was FINE just one week ago and now he was delayed and she had no answer. Didn't even attempt to answer. Just said to make the call as she walked out the door. Within a few months, my husband and I knew there was something waaaaay wrong with our son, and he was eventually diagnosed with autism. And yes, we did get him evaluated by EI after we moved and he was globally delayed. This baby who had been developing perfectly normally was now delayed in everything! He began speech and occupational therapy at 8.5 months and added physical therapy when he was 11 months. He continues to receive speech and occupational therapy, too.
Grace developed normally until she was 21 months old and then she regressed, losing 24 of her 35 words and her ability to eat with a spoon, balance while running and some other motor skills. Neurological testing revealed nothing, nor did an EEG. Her MRI was normal but showed a slight underdeveloped area at the back of her brain, resulting in her brain being slightly pulled away from her skull. The neurologist told us it probably wouldn't affect her as she got older, but she could not participate in contact sports. We started an ABA program with her (we were also doing ABA with David) to try and halt her regression and gain her speech back. After 7 months of therapy, she had her vocabulary back, but still was "off". And now, at almost 3 years old, she is still globally delayed, with many sensory issues. I believe the only reason she isn't full-blown autistic like Jonathan is because she wasn't still sick when they both received their 2nd set of shots and he was.
Those who say there is no connection between autism spectrum disorders and vaccines or autoimmune disorders and vaccines are ignorant or in complete denial, depending on their knowledge of the subject. I'm sorry if I come across as offensive to some people, but this is something I am absolutely rabid about nowadays. I KNOW that I KNOW that I KNOW that my son's neurological problems are a direct result of his being vaccinated. My guess would be it was the dang pertussis component of the DPT. I WISH I had followed my gut instinct and REFUSED to vaccinate him, but I was a doofus and caved in. It'll never happen again. I now have religious exemptions for all 6 of my kids and my youngest has not received any vaccines........and so far, he is wonderfully healthy (just over 20 pounds and 29 inches at 5 months ~~ Jonathan, by comparison, is only 27 pounds at almost 3 years old!). I'm fairly certain that my daughter's Tourette's, my son's learning problems and my other daughter's Asperger's were all triggered by vaccines, as well.
Anyhow, I apologize for getting so long-winded. But that's my intro and my "story". It's how I got into the whole not-vaccinating frame of mind. I just wish I'd "gotten into it" a lot earlier. I could have, most likely, prevented 99% of my kids' problems!
~Kate, mom to 6 in Florida
I have just encountered the butt end of the medical profession recently when I took my child who suffered terribly from eczema, to a homeopath. In 6 days he was "cured". It hasn't come back in 5 months. The doctors' assessment was, "its in remission". Needless to say that conversation ended very quickly. My point is we must question everything they tell us. Why doesn't everybody question? I just don't get it?
I suppose that is the bigger question why we are such lemmings.
All the best and happy holidays
(Belfast)
My name is Kelly, I have two children who have never been vaccinated. They have received chiropractic care since the day they were born. No serious illnesses to date. They are healthy and happy. I homeschool my kids. I am a member of the National Vaccine Information Center, and their Kansas and Arizona contact. We recently moved to Kansas, but I have remained the contact for Arizona since I am well versed on their laws. I have formed the Kansas Alliance for Informed Choice in Vaccination. www.ksaicv.com I am actively trying to meet people here in Kansas that are like minded, I have met a few and hope to meet more.
Kelly H www.ksaicv.com
I am a 27 year old SAHM. I have a beautiful and healthy 16 month old daughter. My husband and I have decided not to have our daughter vaccinated. We made that decision based on the fact that my husband had horrible reactions to vaccines as an infant leaving him with learning disabilities. We have done lots of research, as well. We have not had much support though. We recently moved to Georgia and were actually turned away by a pediatrician because of our choice not to vaccinate. We were told that we could only come back if we changed our minds and vaccinated our daughter. We consider ourselves as "attached" parents. We co-sleep and I am still breastfeeding. I am hoping I will be able to learn and share new information about vaccines. I am also looking for and hope to give support to others.
Have a great day!
Missy
I wanted to add my voice and the unheard voices of my children to this group of individuals who are showing you how much we appreciate you and all you do/have done for us and our children. I am the mother of identical twin boys , born at 28 weeks gestation and given their vaccinations before they even left the hospital NICU at 3 pounds each. It horrifies me that nowhere is the "negative" information on vaccinations made available to new parents. We are literally patted on the head and told this is the way it has to be. If I had known then, the things I know now; my children would never have been inoculated. Not at 3 pounds, not at 10 pounds, not ever.
At 18 months after receiving their DTP shots, both my boys had horrendous fevers that spiked and required hospitalization overnight. They stopped playing appropriately, they stopped eating some of their favorite foods, they stopped looking at us in joy to share, stopped giving us that wonderful secret smile that children have, they stopped babbling and regressed to making one single repetitive sound all day and long into the night....."aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa" . Soon after they started hand flapping and holding objects very close to their faces. They were different babies. Now they are 4 years old, we still have no words from one....But we have gained back all the babbling and sounds, The other is talking! We will not be getting their booster shot to start school and have already filed our Vaccination Exemption forms to the Health Unit in Ontario.
Sincerely,
Michelle and family
http://www.recordonline.com/archive/2004/03/31/holistic.htm
March 31, 2004
All natural: From organic baby food to no vaccinations
By Laura Dolce
For the Times Herald-Record
ladolce@verizon.net
They serve their children organic foods.
They breast-feed them into the toddler years.
They sleep with their babies in a family bed and believe in the philosophy of attachment parenting.
They may forgo immunizations altogether, and treat their children with natural remedies.
They're holistic moms. And they're not part of some fringe group or hippie counterculture. They're educated, caring mothers – and your neighbors. They come from Milford, Pa., Pine Bush, Wallkill and other towns andhamlets dotting the Hudson Valley.
Every Friday, a dozen or so of the women gather in Walker Valley for a vegetarian lunch, play time for the children and support for themselves. The first few women met at a Bradley birthing class recently. They were looking for a more naturalmethod of childbirth. They found it – and women who felt like they did,too. Soon, the stay-at-home moms were getting together to chat and share baby tips. That evolved into weekly trips to Gymboree for playtime. There, they met others like them, moms who were looking foralternatives, for support. They found it.
They don't have a namefor their group. No "association" for them. The closest they come is" circle of friends." These are some of their stories.
Nine months to Nicholas
For Zina Mazzone of Pine Bush, the path to holistic motherhood started with her pregnancy.
"It carried over from natural birthing," she said. "I thought, 'If I'm going to have a baby without drugs, I should try to raise him that way.' " And so began Mazzone's foray into holistic motherhood and attachment parenting. So far, it's been a relatively smooth one. Mazzone has faced little censure from friends and family for her lifestyle choices, which include cloth diapers, breast-feeding, organic foods and only some vaccinations for 5-month-old Nicholas. Figuring out what's best for their son has helped Mazzone and husband Domenic get better at doing what's best for themselves.
That means eating healthier foods: organic fish, free-range chicken, organic beef and even fresh venison. Still, not everything she's tried has worked. "We started the family bed, but he (Nicholas) kicks," she said with a laugh. "Still, I sneak him in all the time. My husband leaves for work at 5, then we snuggle and breast-feed for a few hours."
Mazzone has heard all the horror stories people bring up about the family bed: the babies who were crushed, infants who were smothered. "I wonder if you're getting the whole story," she said. She likes an explanation someone once gave her: You don't fall out of bed, even though you're sleeping, she said. You know the edge is there. "It's the same with a baby," she said. Mazzone did a lot of research on the Internet, but says her circle of friends is her biggest support. "We're just all friends who got together," she said. "We talk about anything and everything."
Recent topics include teething – a stage Mazzone says most of the babies have hit – and even some current events. One member's looking into getting the group into a food co-op. But for the most part, Mazzone said, it's the feeling that they're not alone that means the most. "We make each other feel better," she said. Sheoffers this advice to new mothers: "Trust your instincts. Don't
listen to your mother, neighbor, doctor. You will instinctually know what is right for your baby."
From mainstream to earth mom
"Less than two years ago, I was as mainstream as they come," said Jennifer Rogers of Milford, Pa., laughing. "When I became pregnant, I just got this gut feeling that the way we birth and raise children in America wasn't the right way. I did lots of research and decided I would follow that gut feeling." Rogers found a certified midwife and decided to have a home birth. Both her family and her husband's at first felt the couple was extremely irresponsible, but both Rogers and husband James felt their decision was the right one. And 33 hours of labor later, baby Griffin put in an appearance – at a healthy 10 lbs., 4 oz.
"I got a lot of criticism from people," Rogers said, "but thanks to my amazing husband, I stuck with it and had an amazing home birth." Today, Griffin is a happy 6-month-old. While he sees a pediatricianoccasionally, and then only to confirm a diagnosis, he hasn't received any vaccinations
and his parents don't plan to take him for any. They treat his minor ailments with things like garlic oil for earaches and lanolin for diaper rashes. "The last pediatrician wouldn't see him if we didn't take him for well-baby visits and vaccinations," Rogers said. The new pediatrician, she said, is willing to see them when they request a visit, though he's hoping they'll change their minds about immunizations.
Rogers doesn't plan to. She feeds her son organic baby food from a jar, and makes the rest at home, hopingthat eating right, combined with the breastfeeding, will build up Griffin's natural immunity. She plans to stick to her healthy eating habits until Griffin's a toddler, allowing him to wean himself off breast-feeding, and eventually move on to more "mainstream" food –maybe even the Golden Arches. "I want him to be able to go to a McDonald's birthday party" she said.
Who's laughing now?
Walker Valley's Jen Gonzalez can have a dozen kids crawling through her house each Friday, but she couldn't be happier. As the "host" mom for her circle of friends, Gonzalez has all the support she needs in her quest to bring up 6-month-old daughter Maia the way she and husband Patrick plan. She just never thought she'd find herself in this position. Gonzalez recalls that when her sister first had her son and decided he would sleep in the bed with them, she was less than understanding. "I thought she was crazy," she remembered with a laugh. "It's so funny, 'cause now I'm the same way. She laughs now." Gonzalez confesses she was never even able to use the co-sleeping attachment that hooks on the side of their bed for Maia. "I thought it would be a great idea," she said, "but she's been in bed since day one. Even in the hospital."
Gonzalez admitted her husband was initially worried he'd roll over on his new daughter, but time has helped put those fears to rest. Time has also helped ease any objections friends and family might have had toward Gonzalez's parenting choices, which range from feeding Maia organic foods to choosing not to have her vaccinated. That was a tough one for Maia's grandmother, but she is accepting. "She's got a healthy, happy granddaughter," Gonzalez said. The vaccine issue is one that Gonzalez has given a great deal of thought, and one she doesn't see eye-to-eye with her pediatrician on.
"I want her immune system to be strong on its own," Gonzalez said. "I doubt I'll ever give her vaccines. Especially for diseases thatwouldn't kill her. Most have mercury in them. "We have friends who have never vaccinated their daughter and she's so healthy, she's never been sick."
'Can't describe how great it is'
Like many of the other moms, Yvette Hauser of Bloomingburg found that her desire to have a natural childbirth overlapped into child care. That's why she decided that she'd breast-feed son Benjamin, now 5 months old, after he was born, and why she cooks with organic foods and practices attachment parenting. That's also why she had a tough time deciding to vaccinate her son, though she did have it done. And she thinks her way of doing things is just more intuitive, not crazier, than other moms' ways. "They're things we would've been doing anyway," Hauser said. "They're more natural; it just seems we've gotten away from them." While she hasn't faced any harsh criticism, Hauser said some well-meaning friends have urged her to stop breast-feeding and try formula ("It's easier," they say) and tell her to stop running for son Benjamin each time he cries ("Cry it out," they say). That – and being a newcomer to the area – is why her Fridays with the group are so precious to her. "I was actually feeling withdrawn and isolated," Hauser said of herself before joining the group a month ago. "Being with them was so unbelievable and great. "Having that support – I can't even describe how great it is, how important it is."
Vaccination Facts
-All 50 states allow parents to forgo vaccinations for a child for medical reasons.
-49 (with West Virginia the only exception) allow a parent to refuse vaccinations based on religious reasons.
-19allow exemptions for philosophical reasons: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin. A law has been introduced in New Jersey, and a similar one allowing a less restrictive religious exemption failed last year in New York.
-According to the Centers for Disease Control, nearly 38,000 children in the United States –almost 2 percent of children in certain states – are not vaccinated. Nearly 20,000 have exemptions for religious reasons. That number is growing.
The other side
-The benefits of vaccinations far outweigh any risks, says the American Academy of Pediatrics. The group also says that no immunized children are 35 times more likely to get measles – and the resultant complications – than immunized children.
-In addition to a risk of developing measles and complications such as pneumonia, the CDC says that children who go unvaccinated are "also at risk from meningitis (swelling of the lining of the brain) caused by Hib (Haemophilus influenza type b, a severe bacterial infection), bloodstream infections caused by pneumococcus, deafness caused by mumps, and liver cancer caused by hepatitis B virus."
Recommended reading
Books members of the Holistic Moms Network like.
-"How to Raise a Healthy Child – in Spite of Your Doctor" by Robert S. Mendelsohn. (1990, Ballantine Books)
-"Natural Family Living: the Mothering Magazine Guide to Parenting" by Peggy O'Mara. (2000, Pocket Books)
-"Baby Matters: What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Caring for Your Baby" by Linda Folden Palmer. (2001, Lucky Press)
-"Mothers& Others for a Livable Planet Guide to Natural Baby Care: Nontoxic and Environmentally Friendly Ways to Take Care of Your New Child" byMindy Pennybacker and Aisha Ikramuddin. (1999, John Wiley)
-"SmartMedicine for a Healthier Child: A Practical A-to-Z Reference to Naturaland Conventional Treatments for Infants & Children" by Janet Zand,Rachel Walton and Bob Rountree. (1994, Avery Pub. Group)
-"TheBaby Book: Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby – From Birth toAge Two" by William and Martha Sears. (2003, Little Brown)
-"TheDiscipline Book: Everything You Need to Know to Have a Better-BehavedChild From Birth to Age Ten" by William and Martha Sears. (1995, LittleBrown)
-"Birthing From Within: An Extra-Ordinary Guide toChildbirth Preparation" by Pam England and Rob Horowitz. (1998, ParteraPress)
-"The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth" by Henci Goer. (1999,Berkley Pub. Group)
-"Obstetric Myths Versus Research Realities: A Guide to Medical Literature" by Henci Goer. (1995, Bergin & Garvey)
-"GentleBirth Choices" A Guide to Making Informed Decisions About Birthing Centers, Birth Attendants, Water Birth, Home Birth, Hospital Birth" by Barbara Harper. (1994, Healing Arts Press)
-"The VBACCompanion: The Expectant Mother's Guide to Vaginal Birth AfterCesarean" by Diana Korte. (1997, Harvard Common Press)
-"BirthWithout Violence: The Book That Revolutionized the Way We Bring OurChildren Into the World" by Frederick Leboyer. (1995, Healing ArtsPress)
-"Motherwit, An Alabama Midwife's Story" by Onnie Lee Logan. (1989,Dutton)
-"Holistic Pregnancy and Childbirth" by James Marti and Heather Burton.
(1999, John Wiley & Sons)
-"MotheringMagazine's Having a Baby Naturally: the Mothering Magazine Guide toPregnancy and Childbirth" by Peggy O'Mara and Wendy Ponte. (2003,AtriaBooks)
-"The Birth Book: Everything You Need to Know to Have aSafe and Satisfying Birth" by William and Martha Sears. (1994, Little,Brown & Co.)
-"Baby Catcher: Chronicles of a Modern Midwife" by Peggy Vincent. (2003,Scribner)
-"TakingCharge of Your Fertility: The Definitive Guide to Natural BirthControl, Pregnancy Achievement, and Reproductive Health" by ToniWeschler. (2002,HarperCollins)
-"Sugar Blues" by William Dufty. (1993, Warner)
-"Whole Foods for Babies & Toddlers" by Margaret Kenda. (2001, La Leche League International)
-"Feedingthe Whole Family: Whole Foods Recipes for Babies, Young Children, andTheir Parents" by Cynthia Lair. (1997, Moon Smile Press)
-"TheFamily Nutrition Book: Everything You Need to Know About FeedingYourChildren – From Birth to Adolescence" by William and Martha Sears.(1999,Little, Brown)
What is attachment parenting?
Attachment parenting is a child-rearing philosophy espoused by noted pediatrician William Sears.
Sears believes that all mothers bond strongly in a child's first years of life, and therefore should spend as much time together as possible, up to and including sleeping together in a family bed. This style of parenting is considered very nurturing; proponents claim that by responding to a child's needs immediately, the baby will grow to be more secure and happier. Parents who practice attachment parenting do not let a baby "cry it out" or attempt to force a baby to a rigid schedule. Sears has authored a number of books, including "The Attachment Parenting Book," which details what he calls his six baby Bs– "bonding, breast-feeding, baby-wearing, bedding close to baby, belief in the language value of baby's cry, and beware of baby trainers."
Source: Attachment Parenting International
On the web
www.holisticmoms.org,site of the Holistic Moms Network. Includes membership information, calendar, links and articles. Includes a terrific list of books on subjects near and dear to holistic moms' hearts. Membership/chapter organization is included. www.attachmentparenting.org, Web siteof the organization Attachment Parenting International. Includes downloadable copy of their quarterly journal, a list of relevant articles and a short list of medical practitioners. Membership information is also included.
Unvaccinated Children: Who Are They, and Where Do They Live?
Philip J. Smith, Susan Y. Chu, Lawrence E. Barker. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Immunization Program, Atlanta, GA; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Immunization Program, Atlanta, GA; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Immunization Program, Atlanta, GA.
BACKGROUND: Despite efforts to increase vaccination coverage rates by removing barriers to receiving vaccinations, each year 1.4 million children 19-35 months of age are undervaccinated. Among these are children who received no vaccinations. Unvaccinated children are at greatly increased risk of acquiring a vaccine preventable disease (VPD). Also, unvaccinated children who have acquired a VPD pose a risk for undervaccinated children who are susceptible to VPDs.
OBJECTIVE: To compare characteristics of unvaccinated and undervaccinated children, and provide estimates of the number unvaccinated children by county.
DESIGN/METHODS: We used 1995-2001 data from National Immunization Survey. Vaccination histories of children 19-35 months of age were ascertained from medical providers. Undervaccinated children received at least one dose of diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis vaccine, polio vaccine, measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, Haemophilus influenzae vaccine, hepatitis B vaccine, or varicella vaccine, but did not receive all of the doses recommended for all of these vaccines. Unvaccinated children were children who had no medical providers and received no vaccinations, or children whose medical providers reported administering no vaccinations.
RESULTS: Undervaccinated children tended to be black or Hispanic, have an unmarried mother with 2yrs of education, and live in a household below poverty. Unvaccinated children tended to be white, live in a household with a high income, have an older mother who had a college education, and live in a household with 4 children. Annually, 18,000 children were unvaccinated. The largest numbers of unvaccinated children lived in Los Angeles, Detroit, Orange Co, San Bernardino Co, San Diego, Fresno, Chicago, Westchester Co, Seattle, Pittsburgh, Dallas, Oklahoma City, Spokane, Boulder, Salt Lake, and Houston.
CONCLUSIONS: Unvaccinated children have characteristics that are distinctly different from those of undervaccinated children. Unvaccinated children cluster geographically and may remain unvaccinated upon school entry, increasing the risk of spreading VPDs to both unvaccinated and undervaccinated children.
Hi all! My name is Kate and I have 6 children: Elizabeth is 12.5 and vaccinated (has Tourette's & asthma), James is 11.5 and vaccinated (has learning disabilities), Jane is almost 5 and was vaccinated until she was 2 (has Asperger's), Jonathan is 2.5 and received 2 sets of shots ~ HiB, DPT & polio ~ and 3 RSV shots due to prematurity (has Autism), Grace is also 2.5 and received the same shots as her twin brother (has developmental delays) and Nathaniel is 5 months and has received NO vaccinations and never will (and he is perfectly neurotypical!).
I had no clue about vaccines being full of poisons and all the autoimmune and neurological disorders that are associated with them with my first two children. When I was pregnant with Jane, I had a dear friend talk to me about not vaccinating. She gave me the book "A Shot In the Dark" and after I read it, I decided I probably shouldn't vaccinate the baby I was carrying. Unfortunately, I didn't really have a strong conviction to NOT do it, and the pressure to vaccinate by doctors/nurses is strong, so I caved and let them give Jane shots. She didn't receive Hep B or Varicella, nor Prevnar, but she did get DPT, HiB, polio and MMR, as scheduled. When I had my twins, I was pretty sure I didn't want to vaccinate, though I still hadn't done a lot of research on the topic and didn't have any "proof" to back up my choice (and therefore my conviction was weak). My babies were 5 weeks early and spent a week in NICU ~ they were given RSV shots before being discharged (at 7 days old,
still technically 4 weeks before their due date) without my consent or knowledge! When I got to the hospital, they informed me that they'd given the vaccines because, due to their prematurity, Jonathan and Grace were more susceptible to contracting RSV. They got another RSV injection at 2 weeks of age and again at 6 weeks. And at 8 weeks of age, both babies were diagnosed with RSV!!! I asked how they could get a disease that they were vaccinated against and no one had any answer for me! Ugh.
Anyhow, due to being ill, neither baby got shots at 2 months. They got their first set at 4 months. I refused Hep B again (they didn't get it at birth, either), but they got DPT, HiB and polio. That evening, both babies began screaming uncontrollably (for the first time in their lives). They would wail for 4 hours every night, and the pediatrician diagnosed them with colic ~ at FOUR MONTHS OLD! Their "colic" lasted for 6 weeks. When they were 5.5 months old, they both developed bronchitis and Jonathan ended up with pneumonia. Both babies were on nebulizer treatments and antibiotics. Right before they turned 6 months, they went in for a re-check. Grace was doing fine, but Jonathan was still wheezing, so the pediatrician prescribed another round of antibiotics and a different med for the nebulizer. Then we scheduled another re-check for one week later. When we came back, Jonathan was still not 100% well, but the doctor pushed for us to vaccinate both babies anyhow, since we were getting ready to move out of state and it would take awhile to get set up in the new town we were moving to AND the babies were behind on their vaccinations already, etc.......I felt a "check" in my heart that said, "Don't do it," but when I gave voice to my concerns, reminding the pediatrician of the "colic" both babies had developed the same day they received their first shots, the doctor brushed me off, ridiculed my fears and kept insisting we HAD to do this TODAY. And I, being the stupid fool I was, capitulated. Both babies received DPT, HiB and polio once again.
That night, Jonathan began refluxing. I mean MAJOR vomiting (which, by the way, continued until he was 15 months old and medication ~ zantac and reglan ~ never did get it completely under control). And the same "colicky" screams began again. Within a week, he had lost many skills ~ grasping a toy, making eye contact, smiling at us, bearing weight on his legs, etc. He developed sensory issues and screamed all the time. I took him to the pediatrician's once more before we moved and she told me it appeared Jonathan was developmentally delayed and I needed to contact Early Intervention to get him assessed. I asked how it could be that he was FINE just one week ago and now he was delayed and she had no answer. Didn't even attempt to answer. Just said to make the call as she walked out the door. Within a few months, my husband and I knew there was something waaaaay wrong with our son, and he was eventually diagnosed with autism. And yes, we did get him evaluated by EI after we moved and he was globally delayed. This baby who had been developing perfectly normally was now delayed in everything! He began speech and occupational therapy at 8.5 months and added physical therapy when he was 11 months. He continues to receive speech and occupational therapy, too.
Grace developed normally until she was 21 months old and then she regressed, losing 24 of her 35 words and her ability to eat with a spoon, balance while running and some other motor skills. Neurological testing revealed nothing, nor did an EEG. Her MRI was normal but showed a slight underdeveloped area at the back of her brain, resulting in her brain being slightly pulled away from her skull. The neurologist told us it probably wouldn't affect her as she got older, but she could not participate in contact sports. We started an ABA program with her (we were also doing ABA with David) to try and halt her regression and gain her speech back. After 7 months of therapy, she had her vocabulary back, but still was "off". And now, at almost 3 years old, she is still globally delayed, with many sensory issues. I believe the only reason she isn't full-blown autistic like Jonathan is because she wasn't still sick when they both received their 2nd set of shots and he was.
Those who say there is no connection between autism spectrum disorders and vaccines or autoimmune disorders and vaccines are ignorant or in complete denial, depending on their knowledge of the subject. I'm sorry if I come across as offensive to some people, but this is something I am absolutely rabid about nowadays. I KNOW that I KNOW that I KNOW that my son's neurological problems are a direct result of his being vaccinated. My guess would be it was the dang pertussis component of the DPT. I WISH I had followed my gut instinct and REFUSED to vaccinate him, but I was a doofus and caved in. It'll never happen again. I now have religious exemptions for all 6 of my kids and my youngest has not received any vaccines........and so far, he is wonderfully healthy (just over 20 pounds and 29 inches at 5 months ~~ Jonathan, by comparison, is only 27 pounds at almost 3 years old!). I'm fairly certain that my daughter's Tourette's, my son's learning problems and my other daughter's Asperger's were all triggered by vaccines, as well.
Anyhow, I apologize for getting so long-winded. But that's my intro and my "story". It's how I got into the whole not-vaccinating frame of mind. I just wish I'd "gotten into it" a lot earlier. I could have, most likely, prevented 99% of my kids' problems!
~Kate, mom to 6 in Florida
My name is April Howell and I live in Mississippi. This is my daughter Summer.
In Mississippi you only have the option of a medical exemption in order to send children to public or private school or most daycare situations. Homeschool is the other option. This option is not available to everyone because many families need two jobs to make a living.
I almost fully vaccinated my son who is 6 years old. I always had a bad feeling about vaccines but I was told I had to vaccinate my son to send him to public school. The thought of homeschooling my children was scary to me. I thought I could not give them a decent education. I have since learned that homeschooled children are searched out by colleges and I really can homeschool them.
What really woke me up about vaccines is when my nephew is is only 4 months older than my son was diagnosed with a mild form of autism and ADHD. I looked into the matter and discovered that vaccines play a hand in autism and much more. I found out what was in the vaccines and wondered, How can vaccines help children?
When my son was a small baby, I let him get a vaccine in the winter one time. He caught several colds that season. He has never been allowed anymore vaccines in the winter and he always dealt with illness better since then but his immune system has always been worse than my unvaxxed daughter. I had never seen how unvaccinated children handle illness at that time.
Later on I became pregnant with a girl. I was so proud because I was going to have the girl I had longed for. She was born at home in a warm tub of water. It was a beautiful birth and the first thing I noticed was how much hair she had and how tiny her ears were. She did not cry for a long time and just looked around in the dimly lit room.
I have not vaccinated her and she is extremely healthy. During the flu season of 2003 we all caught colds and were feeling pretty bad. The first round of colds that went around in the family left us all fairly sick but able to function but my unvaccinated daughter was cranky and whiney for 2 days and that was it. A few weeks later we all got sick again and my daughter had a mild fever and a runny nose for 3 days. She remained fairly active and you could barely tell she was sick. In the meantime the rest of us were not fairing nearly as well. I breastfed both of my children well beyond the first year of life.
I just recently noticed a picture of my son in the year 2001. He was sick in May and Rubella tends to strike in the spring. I now believe he contracted Rubella even though he had been vaccinated for it. I did not take him to the doctor because he really was doing ok and I did not see the point. I now wish I had so he could have been diagnosed. Judging from his symptoms he had a classic case of the disease. So much for vaccines protecting him from disease. I now do not believe he is protected from any disease regardless of how many vaccines he received. I only wish I had gotten a diagnoses so I could have proof and it could be reported. If that is what rubella is like for most children , I am not worried about the disease for my daughter who could likely handle it with great ease.
April Howell
"http://www.vaclib.org/chapter/misshome.htm"
In Mississippi you only have the option of a medical exemption in order to send children to public or private school or most daycare situations. Homeschool is the other option. This option is not available to everyone because many families need two jobs to make a living.
I almost fully vaccinated my son who is 6 years old. I always had a bad feeling about vaccines but I was told I had to vaccinate my son to send him to public school. The thought of homeschooling my children was scary to me. I thought I could not give them a decent education. I have since learned that homeschooled children are searched out by colleges and I really can homeschool them.
What really woke me up about vaccines is when my nephew is is only 4 months older than my son was diagnosed with a mild form of autism and ADHD. I looked into the matter and discovered that vaccines play a hand in autism and much more. I found out what was in the vaccines and wondered, How can vaccines help children?
When my son was a small baby, I let him get a vaccine in the winter one time. He caught several colds that season. He has never been allowed anymore vaccines in the winter and he always dealt with illness better since then but his immune system has always been worse than my unvaxxed daughter. I had never seen how unvaccinated children handle illness at that time.
Later on I became pregnant with a girl. I was so proud because I was going to have the girl I had longed for. She was born at home in a warm tub of water. It was a beautiful birth and the first thing I noticed was how much hair she had and how tiny her ears were. She did not cry for a long time and just looked around in the dimly lit room.
I have not vaccinated her and she is extremely healthy. During the flu season of 2003 we all caught colds and were feeling pretty bad. The first round of colds that went around in the family left us all fairly sick but able to function but my unvaccinated daughter was cranky and whiney for 2 days and that was it. A few weeks later we all got sick again and my daughter had a mild fever and a runny nose for 3 days. She remained fairly active and you could barely tell she was sick. In the meantime the rest of us were not fairing nearly as well. I breastfed both of my children well beyond the first year of life.
I just recently noticed a picture of my son in the year 2001. He was sick in May and Rubella tends to strike in the spring. I now believe he contracted Rubella even though he had been vaccinated for it. I did not take him to the doctor because he really was doing ok and I did not see the point. I now wish I had so he could have been diagnosed. Judging from his symptoms he had a classic case of the disease. So much for vaccines protecting him from disease. I now do not believe he is protected from any disease regardless of how many vaccines he received. I only wish I had gotten a diagnoses so I could have proof and it could be reported. If that is what rubella is like for most children , I am not worried about the disease for my daughter who could likely handle it with great ease.
April Howell
"http://www.vaclib.org/chapter/misshome.htm"
July 11, 2004
Scott and Debra Sawyer, with son Morgan, oppose having their children vaccinated. (Dan Coyro / Sentinel)
Child vaccines less popular in county than elsewhere
By SHANNA McCORD
Sentinel staff writer
SANTA CRUZ — At age 2, Morgan Sawyer has never had a single shot of medicine.
Before he was born, Morgan’s parents Scott and Debra Sawyer poured through dozens of books and attended conferences that led them to believe injecting their son’s blood with vaccinations posed more risks than benefits and that Morgan would be better off without. "I can’t believe in my heart that a vaccine is going to make an infant healthier," said Scott Sawyer, a Santa Cruz chiropractor. "I firmly believe that we were all given an opportunity when we were born to start out perfect. With vaccines, they’re saying that we’re not born perfectly."
The Sawyer’s opposition to having their son immunized represents the small but significant portion of the local population that makes Santa Cruz County one of the highest in the state for "personal belief exemptions" from vaccinations. In 2002, Santa Cruz County had the third highest percentage of exemptions with 5.4 percent of parents opting to withhold vaccinations for their children, according to the county Health Services Agency.
During the past three decades, vaccinations have become the standard and most effective method for eradicating once powerful diseases such as polio, measles, mumps, tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough and rubella. Now there are also vaccinations for Hepatitis B, chicken pox and the flu.
According to government guidelines, Morgan Sawyer and all children up to age 2 should have already received vaccinations for protection against a dozen diseases. The only counties with higher percentages of exemptions than Santa Cruz in 2002 were rural Nevada and Siskiyou counties. Last year the Santa Cruz County exemption rate fell to 4.3 percent, with exemptions for 139 out of 2,800 children, said Katie LeBaron, health educator with All Kids By Two Santa Cruz County Immunization Coalition.
Still, the rate is four times higher than the state average of 1 percent, a disconcerting issue for county health officials. The primary reason parents choose not to immunize, health officials say, is fear. "They’ve read something that scares them," said M’Liss Keesling, immunization coordinator for the county Health Services Agency. "Some would rather their children have the disease naturally, but chances are they won’t get these diseases as a child but as an adult, which is much worse."
State law requires vaccinations before children can attend day care or school, though parents can opt for a personal belief waiver that allows their child to enter school under the condition that if there’s a disease outbreak, their child will be forced to stay home.
Some private schools won’t accept kids who aren’t vaccinated.
"There are certain diseases that we don’t see anymore, but we still need to immunize because they’re not eradicated worldwide," Keesling said. A recent example is the UC Santa Cruz student who was diagnosed with the measles in April, when she contracted the disease from a baby in Washington who had come to the United States from China. Health officials say that families like the Sawyers, by not immunizing their children, are relying on the majority of others to provide immunity against disease — a concept known as "herd immunity." "The larger the percentage of the population that’s immunized, the less susceptible the host will be in the community," LeBaron said. "With herd immunity, there’s less and less places for the disease to go."
Scott Sawyer disagrees.
He says his findings are based on various books that state most diseases were already waning before vaccinations were developed and there’s no guarantee that vaccinations prevent illness. Sawyer is also concerned with levels of formaldehyde and a mercury replacement called thimerosal, both used to create vaccines. "Anything you inject into the blood stream will come in contact with the brain until age 2 when the blood-brain barrier has been developed," Sawyer said. "There’s evidence that chemicals on the brain can lead to autism and sudden infant death syndrome."
Sawyer said he and his wife prefer a healthy lifestyle that includes meticulous attention to diet, exercise and ample rest. Debra, who is pregnant with their second child, will give birth at home with a midwife just as she did with Morgan. And neither of them take aspirin for common headaches.
"The premise I live my life by is that health is an inside job," Sawyer said. "I think people in Santa Cruz take time to educate themselves." As for Morgan, besides a bout with jaundice as an infant, he’s done fine without vaccinations, his father said. "He’s been very healthy, everything’s been great," Sawyer said.
Contact Shanna McCord at smccord@santacruzsentinel.com.
My name is Rena and I live in Dallas, TX. I have a 2 year old boy, a almost 11 month old boy, and a baby girl on the way in October. I have been married to my husband for 3 years.
My vaccination history is as follows: I did not get any of my childhood vaccines until I was 5 yrs old. At that time I got them ALL AT ONCE. That was in 1986 long before my stepmom found out what she knows now about vaccines. Anyway all that first year I was sick. The main reason being
was I had not been exposed to other children until that time. I don't want to bore you with my childhood before age 5 (what I know of it anyway). Anyway I received vaccine updates when I was 16 yrs old before I went to military school. I do not think I have had any ill effects from vaccinations. I actually believe because I didn't get any vaccines till I was five years old was what helped me to have a strong immune system. I hardly get sick and when I do it doesn't last long.
Now on to my decision to not vaccinate. I have 2 much younger half sisters. One is 11 years younger then me the other is 14 years younger then me. They received all of the vaccines that they were supposed to receive by the age of 2. They have much more obvious vaccine injuries. My stepmom has celiac disease (can't eat wheat) and so do my two sisters. My stepmom speculates that celiac disease is because of vaccine injuries. so not only do my sisters have celiac disease my sister that is 11 years younger then me has deep muscle damage. My other sister has a lazy eye that happened because of vaccines. With my younger sister not only did she have all of her vaccines but when she was around a month old she went into the hospital with failure to thrive. Even though she had that she was still kept on her regular vaccine schedule.
Well later on my mom had heard that there was mercury in the vaccines. Well she researched it and not only discovered that but found out all of the other dangers of vaccines. Since that time she decided not to vaccinate anymore. I was about 14 when she decided this. I was fortunate enough to have found out about vaccines before I had kids. I have not given my kids a single vaccine. When my kids were born, both times I had my husband and my dad (he is paramedic) go with my babies to make sure that they did not receive anything but the vit K shot for the circumcision and the antibiotic eye stuff. Both of the pediatricians that I had starting out with my boys refused to see me. I did finally find one that will see me. The way I look at it about the doctors refusing patients is that I feel they shouldn't be forced to see me because I do not want to have a doctor who doesn't want to
see me anyway.
Now recently we have been doing research on natural remedies and traditional diets. We have been drinking raw milk and working towards eating organic foods and not eating sugar. We use sugar alternatives such as stevia and xylitol. The book that we have found most helpful in our information search about the traditional diet is Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon. It has all sorts of info about why enriched flour is bad, why margarine is bad and why saturated fats are good for you. The website that we looked at for information about raw milk is www.realmilk.com This and the aforementioned book is supported by the Weston A Price foundation. www westonaprice.org Now I know this is not directly related to the vaccine issue but it is something I come to fully believe in as well.
Rena
CONVERN OVER MERCURY POISONING
A.J. Jillani said when his daughter, Savannah, was vaccinated 10 years ago, she received about five different shots that day. ''We had expressed concerns that she might be getting too much mercury at one time,'' Jillani recalled. ''They pretty much laughed at us when we told them that.''
Thimerosal - a mercury-containing compound that's used as a preservative to prevent bacterial and fungal contamination - is a concern for parents. It is nearly 50 percent mercury by weight and has been part of the manufacture of vaccines since the 1930s. Currently, all routine pediatric vaccines are manufactured without thimerosal. Other vaccines - such as influenza, tetanus and diphtheria - for older children and adults continue to contain thimerosal, though the influenza vaccine is available without it.
Jillani, spokesman for the Charlotte, N.C.-based group People Advocating Vaccine Education, said he and his wife noticed a change in Savannah after she received those shots. She developed facial ticks and twitches and was later diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. A research paper by physician Andrew Wakefield in 1998 established a link between measles, mumps and rubella - or MMR - vaccine and autism. However, additional research has been done since that refutes this claim, said Thomas Saari, a pediatrician and a member of the committee on infectious diseases for the American Academy of Pediatrics.
''They are unwilling to accept evidence,'' Saari said. ''How many papers will it take?'' When the Jillanis' second daughter, Madison, was born, they decided not to vaccinate her at all. Madison, now 8, has been sick twice in her life and is a very healthy girl, Jillani said. ''Scientists are always correcting their errors,'' he said. ''I and my kids are not going to be guinea pigs so they can make money off of this. I don't believe kids have to be soaked in pharmaceuticals to keep them alive.''
Scott and Debra Sawyer, with son Morgan, oppose having their children vaccinated. (Dan Coyro / Sentinel)
Child vaccines less popular in county than elsewhere
By SHANNA McCORD
Sentinel staff writer
SANTA CRUZ — At age 2, Morgan Sawyer has never had a single shot of medicine.
Before he was born, Morgan’s parents Scott and Debra Sawyer poured through dozens of books and attended conferences that led them to believe injecting their son’s blood with vaccinations posed more risks than benefits and that Morgan would be better off without. "I can’t believe in my heart that a vaccine is going to make an infant healthier," said Scott Sawyer, a Santa Cruz chiropractor. "I firmly believe that we were all given an opportunity when we were born to start out perfect. With vaccines, they’re saying that we’re not born perfectly."
The Sawyer’s opposition to having their son immunized represents the small but significant portion of the local population that makes Santa Cruz County one of the highest in the state for "personal belief exemptions" from vaccinations. In 2002, Santa Cruz County had the third highest percentage of exemptions with 5.4 percent of parents opting to withhold vaccinations for their children, according to the county Health Services Agency.
During the past three decades, vaccinations have become the standard and most effective method for eradicating once powerful diseases such as polio, measles, mumps, tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough and rubella. Now there are also vaccinations for Hepatitis B, chicken pox and the flu.
According to government guidelines, Morgan Sawyer and all children up to age 2 should have already received vaccinations for protection against a dozen diseases. The only counties with higher percentages of exemptions than Santa Cruz in 2002 were rural Nevada and Siskiyou counties. Last year the Santa Cruz County exemption rate fell to 4.3 percent, with exemptions for 139 out of 2,800 children, said Katie LeBaron, health educator with All Kids By Two Santa Cruz County Immunization Coalition.
Still, the rate is four times higher than the state average of 1 percent, a disconcerting issue for county health officials. The primary reason parents choose not to immunize, health officials say, is fear. "They’ve read something that scares them," said M’Liss Keesling, immunization coordinator for the county Health Services Agency. "Some would rather their children have the disease naturally, but chances are they won’t get these diseases as a child but as an adult, which is much worse."
State law requires vaccinations before children can attend day care or school, though parents can opt for a personal belief waiver that allows their child to enter school under the condition that if there’s a disease outbreak, their child will be forced to stay home.
Some private schools won’t accept kids who aren’t vaccinated.
"There are certain diseases that we don’t see anymore, but we still need to immunize because they’re not eradicated worldwide," Keesling said. A recent example is the UC Santa Cruz student who was diagnosed with the measles in April, when she contracted the disease from a baby in Washington who had come to the United States from China. Health officials say that families like the Sawyers, by not immunizing their children, are relying on the majority of others to provide immunity against disease — a concept known as "herd immunity." "The larger the percentage of the population that’s immunized, the less susceptible the host will be in the community," LeBaron said. "With herd immunity, there’s less and less places for the disease to go."
Scott Sawyer disagrees.
He says his findings are based on various books that state most diseases were already waning before vaccinations were developed and there’s no guarantee that vaccinations prevent illness. Sawyer is also concerned with levels of formaldehyde and a mercury replacement called thimerosal, both used to create vaccines. "Anything you inject into the blood stream will come in contact with the brain until age 2 when the blood-brain barrier has been developed," Sawyer said. "There’s evidence that chemicals on the brain can lead to autism and sudden infant death syndrome."
Sawyer said he and his wife prefer a healthy lifestyle that includes meticulous attention to diet, exercise and ample rest. Debra, who is pregnant with their second child, will give birth at home with a midwife just as she did with Morgan. And neither of them take aspirin for common headaches.
"The premise I live my life by is that health is an inside job," Sawyer said. "I think people in Santa Cruz take time to educate themselves." As for Morgan, besides a bout with jaundice as an infant, he’s done fine without vaccinations, his father said. "He’s been very healthy, everything’s been great," Sawyer said.
Contact Shanna McCord at smccord@santacruzsentinel.com.
My name is Rena and I live in Dallas, TX. I have a 2 year old boy, a almost 11 month old boy, and a baby girl on the way in October. I have been married to my husband for 3 years.
My vaccination history is as follows: I did not get any of my childhood vaccines until I was 5 yrs old. At that time I got them ALL AT ONCE. That was in 1986 long before my stepmom found out what she knows now about vaccines. Anyway all that first year I was sick. The main reason being
was I had not been exposed to other children until that time. I don't want to bore you with my childhood before age 5 (what I know of it anyway). Anyway I received vaccine updates when I was 16 yrs old before I went to military school. I do not think I have had any ill effects from vaccinations. I actually believe because I didn't get any vaccines till I was five years old was what helped me to have a strong immune system. I hardly get sick and when I do it doesn't last long.
Now on to my decision to not vaccinate. I have 2 much younger half sisters. One is 11 years younger then me the other is 14 years younger then me. They received all of the vaccines that they were supposed to receive by the age of 2. They have much more obvious vaccine injuries. My stepmom has celiac disease (can't eat wheat) and so do my two sisters. My stepmom speculates that celiac disease is because of vaccine injuries. so not only do my sisters have celiac disease my sister that is 11 years younger then me has deep muscle damage. My other sister has a lazy eye that happened because of vaccines. With my younger sister not only did she have all of her vaccines but when she was around a month old she went into the hospital with failure to thrive. Even though she had that she was still kept on her regular vaccine schedule.
Well later on my mom had heard that there was mercury in the vaccines. Well she researched it and not only discovered that but found out all of the other dangers of vaccines. Since that time she decided not to vaccinate anymore. I was about 14 when she decided this. I was fortunate enough to have found out about vaccines before I had kids. I have not given my kids a single vaccine. When my kids were born, both times I had my husband and my dad (he is paramedic) go with my babies to make sure that they did not receive anything but the vit K shot for the circumcision and the antibiotic eye stuff. Both of the pediatricians that I had starting out with my boys refused to see me. I did finally find one that will see me. The way I look at it about the doctors refusing patients is that I feel they shouldn't be forced to see me because I do not want to have a doctor who doesn't want to
see me anyway.
Now recently we have been doing research on natural remedies and traditional diets. We have been drinking raw milk and working towards eating organic foods and not eating sugar. We use sugar alternatives such as stevia and xylitol. The book that we have found most helpful in our information search about the traditional diet is Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon. It has all sorts of info about why enriched flour is bad, why margarine is bad and why saturated fats are good for you. The website that we looked at for information about raw milk is www.realmilk.com This and the aforementioned book is supported by the Weston A Price foundation. www westonaprice.org Now I know this is not directly related to the vaccine issue but it is something I come to fully believe in as well.
Rena
CONVERN OVER MERCURY POISONING
A.J. Jillani said when his daughter, Savannah, was vaccinated 10 years ago, she received about five different shots that day. ''We had expressed concerns that she might be getting too much mercury at one time,'' Jillani recalled. ''They pretty much laughed at us when we told them that.''
Thimerosal - a mercury-containing compound that's used as a preservative to prevent bacterial and fungal contamination - is a concern for parents. It is nearly 50 percent mercury by weight and has been part of the manufacture of vaccines since the 1930s. Currently, all routine pediatric vaccines are manufactured without thimerosal. Other vaccines - such as influenza, tetanus and diphtheria - for older children and adults continue to contain thimerosal, though the influenza vaccine is available without it.
Jillani, spokesman for the Charlotte, N.C.-based group People Advocating Vaccine Education, said he and his wife noticed a change in Savannah after she received those shots. She developed facial ticks and twitches and was later diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. A research paper by physician Andrew Wakefield in 1998 established a link between measles, mumps and rubella - or MMR - vaccine and autism. However, additional research has been done since that refutes this claim, said Thomas Saari, a pediatrician and a member of the committee on infectious diseases for the American Academy of Pediatrics.
''They are unwilling to accept evidence,'' Saari said. ''How many papers will it take?'' When the Jillanis' second daughter, Madison, was born, they decided not to vaccinate her at all. Madison, now 8, has been sick twice in her life and is a very healthy girl, Jillani said. ''Scientists are always correcting their errors,'' he said. ''I and my kids are not going to be guinea pigs so they can make money off of this. I don't believe kids have to be soaked in pharmaceuticals to keep them alive.''
I grew up (I vaguely remember this part) hearing my friends complain that they had to go get their 'shots' and how bad it hurt to get 'shots'. I was always saying to myself 'What are they talking about?' but, never questioned it to my mom. I NEVER even thought twice about anything about 'vaccinations'. It was our way of life, if we got sick, we went to the Chiropractor for an adjustment and vitamins. I grew up knowing NOTHING about 'vaccinations', NO CLUE, NEVER HEARD OF THEM.
My husband and I were expecting our 1st baby in 1997, I was 24. I read 'What to expect when you're expecting' and it mentioned 'vaccinations'.
I asked my mom about them then, what they were about, her thoughts, etc... (you have to believe me, I had actually NEVER heard/discussed/mentioned them in my life). She told me, "Whatever you do, if you have to beg, borrow or steal...DO NOT EVER get this baby 'vaccinated'!!!". She handed me 'A Shot In the Dark'. I just about started crying thinking that if she hadn't told me what she did, I would have blindly LET the doctors do whatever they wanted to if I didn't take her advice. That really freaks me out... I WOULD HAVE BLINDLY LET THE DOCTORS DO WHATEVER THEY WANTED TO!!!!!!!!! My GOD, I had NO CLUE, NO IDEA that this was a concern, that DOCTORS were injecting CRAP into peoples, BABIES bodies and that MOST PEOPLE thought this was 'the norm'.
My husband and I were expecting our 1st baby in 1997, I was 24. I read 'What to expect when you're expecting' and it mentioned 'vaccinations'.
I asked my mom about them then, what they were about, her thoughts, etc... (you have to believe me, I had actually NEVER heard/discussed/mentioned them in my life). She told me, "Whatever you do, if you have to beg, borrow or steal...DO NOT EVER get this baby 'vaccinated'!!!". She handed me 'A Shot In the Dark'. I just about started crying thinking that if she hadn't told me what she did, I would have blindly LET the doctors do whatever they wanted to if I didn't take her advice. That really freaks me out... I WOULD HAVE BLINDLY LET THE DOCTORS DO WHATEVER THEY WANTED TO!!!!!!!!! My GOD, I had NO CLUE, NO IDEA that this was a concern, that DOCTORS were injecting CRAP into peoples, BABIES bodies and that MOST PEOPLE thought this was 'the norm'.
I researched and researched everything I could get my hands on. All of my findings were the same, It's all CRAP going into these babies bloodstreams and I would NOT have ANY part of it....your right I WILL BEG..LIE...STEAL...do ANYTHING I have to do to get waivers/excuses/reasons (I mostly lie and use the religious one. Although I DO believe in GOD, this is not my reason for NOT vaxxing......common sense is!!!!!) I now have 2 boys and go though all the stuff I have to go though to get them into school etc......... I wouldn't have it any other way..... BRING IT ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THANK YOU MOM for giving me a healthy start in life and NOT shooting CRAP into my bloodstream!!!!! I've learned so much from you and will express my knowledge to everyone I know!!!!!!! My kids and I thank you Mom!!!!!!
THANK YOU MOM for giving me a healthy start in life and NOT shooting CRAP into my bloodstream!!!!! I've learned so much from you and will express my knowledge to everyone I know!!!!!!! My kids and I thank you Mom!!!!!!
Grand Mother died in her 90s peacefully too, no sickness or anything... Still, there are 4 generations of us here not vaccinated. From left to right: My Gran, my Mum, me (Jowanna,) my Grandfather and my Son Tom, (12+1/2) My Grandparents are both 87 and have rarely been sick for more than a day at a time and very rarely! Mum's the same and Tom. I am the exception, though mostly I have only suffered mildly too and in more recent years any prolonged illness I feel can be attributed to neglect on my diet and too much partying!
Hope all's well with you ~ Jowanna.
Hope all's well with you ~ Jowanna.
After doing some research, we concluded that the risk of brain damage and long term health complications from a vaccination far outweighed the risk and long term complications of catching a childhood disease. It also seems irrational to inject a 2 month old baby with a pharmaceutical product that was clinically tested on healthy 8 year-olds.
Best Regards, Jake Marion
Best Regards, Jake Marion
Our choice for not vaccinating.
After having a wonderful homebirth, with no interventions whatsoever. I went to a lecture about a year before having Kali, it was a lecture on animal vaccines, given by a vet who had converted to his practice to a homeopathic vet, after himself developing Alopecia, a reaction to a childhood vaccine. He was treated by a homeopath and got better. He talked about the myth of the polio vaccine statistics, and how animals are used as a testing ground for human vaccines. etc...
So, after Kali was born, I started reading about vaccines and children. The more I read, the more frightened I got at the prospect of all these toxins entering her tiny body. The un-natural way the diseases are pumped into the blood, before a child even had a chance to develop an immune system. And the huge billion dollar industry that is vaccines. She has never had any childhood diseases yet. A cold here and there. No allergies. I tend to be one who believes in the human body as a perfect thing that should not be tampered with. I believe illness needs to be treated from within and not from without, with medications etc... that symptoms are a sign of a deeper and greater problem.
Though I often worry I am wrong about vaccines, I have now seen a few children who have developed symptoms following vaccines, and not mild ones, one friend's child, now 12, has been diagnosed with Tourettes, a common side effect of the Hep b vaccine, I have another acquaintance whose 2 year old has frequent epileptic seizures. He has had all his vaccines. My brother has Ankylosing spondylitis, and I wonder if that is not from heavy metal poisoning from vaccines. Though I was vaccinated at 6 years old, I only received 3 or 4 vaccines, I cannot imagine the harm that is done from the many vaccines children receive now. It's overwhelming.
I have recently taken up reading again about vaccines, and again, I am amazed at how much literature there is that contradicts the safety of vaccines. It is staggering.
After having a wonderful homebirth, with no interventions whatsoever. I went to a lecture about a year before having Kali, it was a lecture on animal vaccines, given by a vet who had converted to his practice to a homeopathic vet, after himself developing Alopecia, a reaction to a childhood vaccine. He was treated by a homeopath and got better. He talked about the myth of the polio vaccine statistics, and how animals are used as a testing ground for human vaccines. etc...
So, after Kali was born, I started reading about vaccines and children. The more I read, the more frightened I got at the prospect of all these toxins entering her tiny body. The un-natural way the diseases are pumped into the blood, before a child even had a chance to develop an immune system. And the huge billion dollar industry that is vaccines. She has never had any childhood diseases yet. A cold here and there. No allergies. I tend to be one who believes in the human body as a perfect thing that should not be tampered with. I believe illness needs to be treated from within and not from without, with medications etc... that symptoms are a sign of a deeper and greater problem.
Though I often worry I am wrong about vaccines, I have now seen a few children who have developed symptoms following vaccines, and not mild ones, one friend's child, now 12, has been diagnosed with Tourettes, a common side effect of the Hep b vaccine, I have another acquaintance whose 2 year old has frequent epileptic seizures. He has had all his vaccines. My brother has Ankylosing spondylitis, and I wonder if that is not from heavy metal poisoning from vaccines. Though I was vaccinated at 6 years old, I only received 3 or 4 vaccines, I cannot imagine the harm that is done from the many vaccines children receive now. It's overwhelming.
I have recently taken up reading again about vaccines, and again, I am amazed at how much literature there is that contradicts the safety of vaccines. It is staggering.
Thomas George was not only NOT vaccinated, he received no Vit K, no eye antibiotic, no circumcision and his mom took no medication during birth. He was born in the tub.
Stephen is a bright, happy and extraordinarily healthy boy (only a few runny noses!). My son is also completely unvaccinated.
My youngest son, Holden is 20 months and completely unvaccinated. After learning about the toxic ingredients in vaccines and the conflicts of interest regarding the vaccine industry there was absolutely no way my husband and I felt comfortable with him being given shots. We'd never been completely comfortable with vaccines anyway (my husband has long wondered if mandatory vaccinations helped cause his Gulf War Syndrome, although he now blames exposure to depleted uranium) but we now felt armed with enough knowledge to feel quite comfortable forgoing shots.
Megan is 8 months old and was born 15 weeks prematurely. There was absolutely no way that I would be vaxing her at all. My first was vaxed till she was 9 months when I started researching vaxes. I became disgusted at the ingredients and how many vaxes they give to such a little baby. My little preemie baby who was born under 2 lbs is now healthy and has absolutely no health complications and will remain vax free.
Laura
Laura
Vaccine free!
Patrick (Paddy) 15 months
Patrick (Paddy) 15 months
I have three children. Skanda 4, (boy), Nadia,2) and Amelie 2 months. All are homebirthed and 100% vaccine free and 100% healthy. No Vitamin K injection at birth, either. My children don't have allergies or any family history of disease that guided this choice. I trust in the intricate workings of our bodies. Simple Living, High Thinking is our motto. Between me and my 4 other siblings, we have 13 children. Only one of those children has received routine vaccinations. The other 12 are vaccine free and growing and playing and thriving without injected toxins. Two of my nieces are currently recovering from Pertussis and doing great.
Thank you,
Nipuna
Thank you,
Nipuna
When I was pregnant with my first child, my midwife subtly suggested we research vaccination. She gave us a copy of Mothering magazine. What we read convinced us to delay vaccinations until our daughter Lula turned two, with a promise to ourselves that we would revisit the issue then.
In those two years, we were amazed at the health and vitality of our little girl. She was almost never sick, and shrugged off any minor illness easily. While our friends' kids were constantly at the doctor or in the hospital, our daughter sailed through life with a naturally strong, unaltered immune system. She is now almost 4, and still the healthiest child I've ever known! She got Pertussis a little over a year ago- but with large doses of Vitamin C, it was a mild case that was over in about a week.
When I had my second child, Marcos, in December, there was no question that he will never be vaccinated. I think breastfeeding has contributed enormously to his good health, too. We object strongly to vaccinations for our children, for health as well as religious reasons.-------
Kristi
In those two years, we were amazed at the health and vitality of our little girl. She was almost never sick, and shrugged off any minor illness easily. While our friends' kids were constantly at the doctor or in the hospital, our daughter sailed through life with a naturally strong, unaltered immune system. She is now almost 4, and still the healthiest child I've ever known! She got Pertussis a little over a year ago- but with large doses of Vitamin C, it was a mild case that was over in about a week.
When I had my second child, Marcos, in December, there was no question that he will never be vaccinated. I think breastfeeding has contributed enormously to his good health, too. We object strongly to vaccinations for our children, for health as well as religious reasons.-------
Kristi
Louise Harkins was born in 1941. Louise' parents had 7 children; all home births and none received vaccines. Her Dad would argue with the schools that if the other children were so well vaccinated they didn't need to worry about his children. Measles, mumps and chickenpox were all taken in stride. As a child she never had any medications- not even as much as a cough drop. Today, at age 64 she has taken an occasional Tylenol. She experiences wonderful health and has no trouble maintaining a normal weight. Her own daughter was also born at home and is unvaccinated.
Bernice Richardson was born in 1932. She has 4 brothers and 3 sisters, who were all delivered at home. Even in 1932, hospital births were already the rule. Bernice was the only one in her grammar school class not to be born at a hospital. Her mom actually safely delivered one of her brothers, at 12 pounds, alone before the midwife arrived. Her father also went before the school board arguing against the need for his children to be vaccinated. They successfully obtained school waivers in Springfield, N.J.. The most impressive thing about Bernice is her agility, mobility and energy. She has the movement of a 30-year-old woman. Bernice gets up from the couch quickly and with ease, moves through a crowded room freely and negotiates steps without giving them a thought. Absolutely no symptoms of arthritis. She has only taken one pharmaceutical medicine her entire life and is looking to replace it with something natural. She is the wife of Charles Richardson.
Charles Richardson born 1923, one of five children, has 24 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren. Never vaccinated, he enjoys glowing health into his eighties. A retired electronics engineer with the FAA, he helped designed the Traffic Alert Collision Avoidance System. Charlie displays a radiant complexion, natural smile, agile mind and a tall, slim, muscular body. Instead of doctors and medicines, he has relied his entire life on the promises of the Bible, especially Isaiah 40:31 "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up on wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." He says he's never been able to give up smoking and drinking- because he had the wisdom never to start.
Bernice Richardson was born in 1932. She has 4 brothers and 3 sisters, who were all delivered at home. Even in 1932, hospital births were already the rule. Bernice was the only one in her grammar school class not to be born at a hospital. Her mom actually safely delivered one of her brothers, at 12 pounds, alone before the midwife arrived. Her father also went before the school board arguing against the need for his children to be vaccinated. They successfully obtained school waivers in Springfield, N.J.. The most impressive thing about Bernice is her agility, mobility and energy. She has the movement of a 30-year-old woman. Bernice gets up from the couch quickly and with ease, moves through a crowded room freely and negotiates steps without giving them a thought. Absolutely no symptoms of arthritis. She has only taken one pharmaceutical medicine her entire life and is looking to replace it with something natural. She is the wife of Charles Richardson.
Charles Richardson born 1923, one of five children, has 24 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren. Never vaccinated, he enjoys glowing health into his eighties. A retired electronics engineer with the FAA, he helped designed the Traffic Alert Collision Avoidance System. Charlie displays a radiant complexion, natural smile, agile mind and a tall, slim, muscular body. Instead of doctors and medicines, he has relied his entire life on the promises of the Bible, especially Isaiah 40:31 "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up on wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." He says he's never been able to give up smoking and drinking- because he had the wisdom never to start.
