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Survey Results: Are Unvaccinated Children Healthier?Vaccination
In December 2010, a comprehensive survey was initiated by the German site impfshaden.info and its counterpart vaccineinjury.info to compare the health of vaccinated versus unvaccinated children. As far as I know, no survey or study of this kind has ever been conducted except for a compilation of statistics of the patients of Dr. Mayer Eisenstein MD, a pediatrician based in Chicago.
Nearly 12,000 surveys have been filled out so far, and while this project is ongoing, the results are starting to be published.
Please note that only the health of entirely unvaccinated children was evaluated. Parents were also asked to review the birthing records for their children to ensure that their baby had not mistakenly received the Hep B jab before being taken home.
I am happy to report that all 3 of my children participated in this survey. I am proud to have been part of this important, worldwide effort to help inform the public about the clear and present dangers of vaccination.
The market for vaccines is expected to surpass $36 billion dollars by 2013. Vaccines are clearly an important growth industry for Big Pharma. Just witness the rapid increase in the childhood vaccination schedule from 3 shots in 1950 to 68 vaccines by age 11-12 today (25 of those by the age of 6 months)!
In 1986, it cost a parent about $80 for her child to receive every government recommended vaccine. In 2011, it cost $2200! Clearly, vaccines are one of the fastest growing sectors of the pharmaceutical industry. $4 billion in tax dollars are spent every year purchasing vaccines for health clinics in the United States alone.
Big Pharma does not want the results of a survey like this to be published as it threatens their very reliable and growing oil well of profits: childhood vaccination. This is why surveys like this will never be reported objectively on the evening news or in major newspapers.
Who Participated in the Survey?
75% of the surveys were filled out in English and 25% in German. Most of the respondents were from the USA followed by the UK, Canada, and Australia.
Slightly more completely unvaccinated children are male than female and the children are primarily between the ages of 0-2 years of age followed by 2-4 years and 5-6 years. This makes sense as the momentum against vaccination has only gained steam in the past 5 years or so.
Most of the children participating in the survey were breastfed for longer than 6 months and their parents preferred natural or homeopathic remedies to allopathic (drugs/surgery) methods for illness intervention.
Over 99% of the parents who chose to completely unvaccinate their children were happy with their decision. Can the same be said for those who choose to vaccinate? I highly doubt it. I hear from people all the time who greatly regret their decision to give into doctor or family pressure to immunize.
The biggest reasons for not vaccinating were a concern over the ingredients and that the shots would be ineffective. 25% of respondents had seen a vaccine reaction in a friend or family member and had decided not to vaccinate for that reason.
One respondent wrote:
"As a speech-language pathologist in the pediatric setting, I have seen many cases of children having seizures within 36-72 hours following routine vaccines with a traumatic regression in the child's brain and language and overall development. I feel in my heart, it is linked to vaccines and do not want to subject any of my children to this."
Are Unvaccinated Children Truly Healthier Than Vaccinated?
Ok, let's get down to brass tacks. Are unvaccinated children really healthier?
Here are the stats:
- Less than 10% of unvaccinated children suffer from allergies of any kind. This compares with 40% of children in the USA ages 3-17 reporting an allergy to at least one allergen and 22.9% with an allergic disease.
- .2% of unvaccinated children suffer from asthma. This compares with 14-15% of vaccinated children with asthma in Australia, 4.7% in Germany, and 6% in the USA.
- 1.5% of unvaccinated children suffer from hayfever. This compares with 10.7% in Germany.
- 2% of unvaccinated children had neurodermatitis. This auto-immune disorder affects over 13% of children in Germany.
- ADHD was present in only 1-2% of the unvaccinated children. This compares with nearly 8% of children in Germany with ADHD and another 5.9% borderline cases.
- Middle ear infections are very rare in unvaccinated children (less than .5%). In Germany, 11% of children suffer from this problem.
- Less than 1% of unvaccinated children had experienced sinusitis. This compares with over 32% of children in Germany.
- Only 4 unvaccinated children out of the 7,600+ total surveys reported severe autism. In all 4 cases, however, the mother tested very high for mercury. In the USA, approximately 1 in 100 children suffer this neurological illness and 1 in every 38 boys in the UK.
These results are no surprise to those who chose to not to vaccinate their children. While not vaccinating is no guarantee of health for your child, the odds are certainly in your favor of far fewer problems both in the short and long term should you forgo immunization.
It seems by quite a landslide that unvaccinated children are indeed healthier than vaccinated children.
For those parents on the fence or still contemplating their decision, the results of this survey should help bring into sharp focus the slam dunk of not vaccinating.
Still have questions? See all my posts on vaccination by clicking here.
To view the entire survey results, click here.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist.com
Source: The Health of Unvaccinated Children, Survey Results
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Comments (257)
My sister's paediatrician was lazier than mine when it comes to giving out vaccines. As a result, I was vaccinated up until I was 8 and she hadn't had a single shot ever since she was three. Does that explain why I grew up with ASD and ADHD while she remained completely neurotypical?
Also, despite my vaccines, I still got measles, mups and chicken pox. (I grew up in 2000s Indonesia.)
(For the record, I'm neither pro- nor anti-vax, just confused.)
We have four children, ages 12, 11, 9, and 5. None of them have been vaccinated. We are considering an overseas trip, requiring the Yellow Fever vaccine. Do you know anything about it or about exemption? Thanks, ~Margaret
Be wary of people who say this or that vaccine is "required". No one has the authority to force you to inject yourself with toxins that will potentially cause lifelong autoimmune disease and chronic fatigue.
What Sarah said is true, My co-worker went to Africa and didn't get any vaccines, his friend that he went with did though, and was miserable the entire time. it is not "required."
So all in all I take it we all agree on the following:
• breastfeeding is the #1 vaccine.. transfers mothers antibodies to babies and overall healthier nutrients for developing a stronger immune.
• no junk, gmo, tinned, packaged foods.
• more (thousands) cases of parents and professionals reporting vaccine damages, including many skin/behavioural/digestion reactions within hours of shots
• combined jabs such as MMR should be separated and delayed until child develops basic speech, personality. If must.
• drug & std related hep b shots for 1 day old new borns are. Really??
• all children should be tested for allergies and current levels of bodies Mercury etc before given a "one size fits all" medical shot. Since most vaccines are produced using animal ingredients I.e eggs my child might have a diary allergy!
• vaccinated children are "immune", so unvaccinated children can not affect them.. Right?
• an infants immune and body is to immature to manage or process such amounts of medicine directly into their blood stream when born free of illness
• let your child
Get chicken pox, the flu etc to excercise their immune and produce life long immunity.. How many cases of fatal measles again?
• very few cases of non vaccinated kids, whether breastfed or on organic diets, suffering fatal or neurological illnesses
• courts paying out millions pounds of compensation to vaccine damages kids
• SID's do not occur wth non vaccine babies!
I can not agree with some of what you say due to: • combined jabs such as MMR should be separated and delayed until child develops basic speech, personality. If must.—NO, absolutely no jab should be given either combined or single. They all have aluminun and a series of adjuvants that even without the aluminum will poison your children with simian virus cancer, etc.
• vaccinated children are "immune", so unvaccinated children can not affect them.. Right? No– no one is immune. Specially vaccinated children. Vaccines immunity is not natural immunity and dont protect you lifelong like natural immnunity does. A vaccine have a modified virus. Virus have been known and can mutate and actually become more dangerous. Virus have several strains and no vaccine cover for all of the strains, and even if they did, still the adjuvants and way it is administered is still more dangerous than not vaccinating and letting the body handle it. Best way is thru a lot of hygiene and natural foods with no GMO's or anything that would further poison your body.
Hallo, Sorry for my English.
I am searching for researches when mother, or pregnant woman has hepatitis B and what are the risks if i do not vax my newborn in 12 hours (usually when mom have B hep they do extra vax independent from that series which comes in later months).
I am already mom of 3,5 years old girl, and now im 8 month pregnant. My doughter was vaccinated from birth to 1 year. and then i'v stopped. after making some researches. and I am very happy for my decisions. But still it is big trouble to me to decide weather vaccinate my second child or not. it was difficult to find answers for my questions, How safe will be my second child from my hep B.
Hope You did understand my comment.
Salome from Georgia
Christina Mathewson
Thank you for sharing this Sarah and for all the great work your doing. Many Blessings.
Your link to the original survey goes to a louis vuitton bag survey. Can you change this please and send the original survey link.
Many thanks
Sarah TheHealthyHomeEconomist
It appears that the site where the survey results are has been hacked … here is an internet archive of the results prior to the hacking. http://web.archive.org/web/20130306034323/http://www.vaccineinjury.info/vaccinations-in-general/health-unvaccinated-children/survey-results-illnesses.html
sample sizes mean nothing if they are not the same size – there also many other factors that contribute . lifestyle etc , placing it all on the vaccines head is like blaming the sugar in one cup of tea for your diabetes. i am a well educated person who has done her rresearch on both sides and decided to vaccinate but in some cases later but still to vaccinate
Educated is a term that really doesn't mean much. Plenty of people consider themselves educated, but are not. Mainly speaking, people who promulgate vaccines as necessary. The whole of modern medicine including physicians think they are educated, and rightfully so after spending 200K+ on an education; however, what they do is only make people sicker by suppressing symptoms. Fact is, the "alternative health" movement which began decades ago is proof of the failing health care system. It's existence is proof that people are being failed by the health care system. Fact is, people are being helped all over the world outside the parameters of modern medicine. MD's across the nation are abandoning their taught philosophy of medicine and becoming more holistic. This illustrates how masses of people, and educated people at that, can be misled and misinformed. Since vaccines are big money, it is of not surprise that the false propaganda being spread is immense to keep both physicians and patients confused. There is no mistake that vaccines damage the developing body of any person. Whatever time you spent on doing research was spent on looking at the wrong info.
I totally agree! I have 4 children. My oldest who is now 9 since birth has been vaccinated acording to schedule. She is always sick and always has been. Runny nose her whole life. Stomach viruses, allergies, colds, and flus all year every year. Since being pregnant with my 2nd child I have been a stay at home mom who doesn't use babysitters or allow my children visitation anywhere with anyone without me. (we have done lots of travel though). My 2nd child had a horrible reaction to hep b at 1 month old that she didn't recieve any additional vaccines until the age of 4 (school pressure). During her time of unvaccination, I ran a home daycare (didn't require shot records) and she never got sick. My 3rd child got his first shot at 18months. During his 18 months unvaccinated he never got sick. My fourth and youngest is only 6 months old who started vaccines at 4 months has already had 2 rounds one of which they double vaccinated her with hib b with 2 different hib b shots, including dtap and prevnar (she had 3 injections that visit). My baby is sick with her second illness and she can barely breath along with the rest of my children, and my son (3rd child)got pneumonia after his 18 months vaccines and no one was in school at that time. My kids seem to cough with syncronicity and it's very weird!!!!! Like conspiracy theory weird. The fact that my baby is sick and my two that weren't vaccinated never got sick and all of the are miserable in illness now that they've all been getting shots makes me regret it.I mean they did get ill but not that i would even call it sick they had excellent immune systems and even the flu was mild! And they still felt great. Now i feel like they don't have strong enough immune systems to fight back. It could be just that my daughter is in pre- k now bringing home all kinds of junk. SO my question is how to optimse compromised immune systems! and immune systems in general.
The links for the survey results are going to a page headed with "Authentic louis vuitton outlet store europe Outlet Genuine"
Sarah TheHealthyHomeEconomist
It appears that the site with the survey results was hacked. Here is an internet archived copy: http://web.archive.org/web/20130306034323/http://www.vaccineinjury.info/vaccinations-in-general/health-unvaccinated-children/survey-results-illnesses.html
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You people better wake up…This is a play for play…you take the shots, THEY(PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY)get paid, YOU DIE. If people even had an idea what was in those shots, they would loose their minds and just think about how many people are waking up who toke the shoots in the 70's and 80's…wow. Go research AGENDA 21…UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT IS THEN YOU WILL UNDERSTAND BILL GATES IS NOT YOUR FRIEND…But the since the gov see humans as dumb down and useless eaters, who care only about sports, hot woman, material gain, sex, etc and less care on love and life…the dumb down public will get what they ask for. You can't blame this woman for saying..wait, this doesn't make sense and then turning a blind eye to the crooks trying to exterminate the public…I am sorry but people need to wake up…my choice to not vaccinate my children is going to harm vaccinated children? That is the most ridiculous, misinformed, non-scientific, non-researched argument I've ever come across….WAKE UP!!!!
I had my (now 9 year old) when I was 18 and he got all his vaccines because I didn't know better. He went from being an exceptionally bright and laid back baby to extreme tantrums, tics, and o.c.d. and oppositional behavior. He is now diagnosed with aspergers and ADHD. With my second I was wising up BUT our wonderful pediatrition relentlessly guilt-tripped us into getting his immunized as well. He has since developed severe eczema and anxiety. My 3rd we opted out (for obvious reasons). She is 2 1/2 and the picture of health. I feel horrible about vaccinating against my gut instinct and inflicting these problems on my children. I hope and pray for a change, that parents would wise up and tell big pharma to stick their vaccines where the sun don't shine!!
Sadly, all of my younger 8 have rarely received vaccines, we've done a tetanus for a few, and many have everything on this list. They had the ailments before any jabs. I can't be *certain* no one was given the ones in the hospital even tho I told them not to. Some home births. My most unhealthy child has *never* received any possible vaccines. But, my husband and I were both fully vaxed as children, he has asthma, arthritis, LD. I have psoriasis, arthritis, and allergies now. I've been pretty healthy, overall. It is creepy that it seems some of these ailments happened so shortly after boosters and such….
Rogue Naturopath.com
There are plenty of things you can do to help both your children. First, you have to detoxify the system. There are remedies to do this.
We are a group of volunteers and opening a new scheme in our community.
Your website provided us with valuable info to work on.
You've done an impressive job and our entire community will be grateful to you.
What I can't understand why responsible informed adults would take the advise of someone who is not a registered health professional but some paranoid conspiracy theorists (its all big pharma!!). If you have car troubles you go to a mechanic, plumbing questions- a plumber, hey for vaccination questions do you go to your doctor? immunologists? or trust the WHO, naaaw you put your faith in the pseudoscience of some untrained anonymous woman
"The information on The Healthy Home Economist â"¢ is provided for informational purposes only. It is not intended to substitute for the advice provided by your doctor or other health care professional."
Both my kids are vaccinated, and when there was a chicken pox outbreak at their school before summer vacation, mine were happily playing outside, while their un-immunized friends were sick at home.
THAT is the power of vaccines.
Apparently I'm a baaad father.
So i guess you are not aware of http://www.hrsa.gov/vaccinecompensation/index.html
If there is enough cause for the government to start a program with MILLIONS of dollars for children injured by vaccines then there is enough of a reason to NOT vaccinate. UNTIL you have been personally effected then how can you give an informed opinion? Its easy to say that your kids are fine… The rest of us who have been effected have a completely different outlook…. Be more considerate of those who have a different experience, and just because your kids are vaccinated does NOT guarantee they will have the immunity!!!! I got the chicken pox vaccine and had it TWICE as a child…………. So did my brother We came from a well vaccinated generation…….
yes and now your son will probably get chicken pox later in life after his vaccine wears off and those kids will have nothing to worry about because they have life long immunity. chickenpox is not a serious disease probably the least serious disease I can think off so why are we wasting so many resources vaccinating people for it. I think more people probably die of getting stabbed in the heart by a unicorn.dphil
No one is saying you're a bad dad. I hope your child and every child best of health. Please stop saying unvaccinated children get these disease alone, because even the vaccinated ones get them too. No one is telling the truth. If scientist were doing this in our best interest then they would make it so it's a one shot deal. Think about it? Every single year these children have to take several different shots which comes to billions of dollars. So these people who care for you so much couldn't make this a one shot deal. Please this is about money and more money. Be smart and don't put your children through this. By the time they are 20 they will have more drugs in their system than Elvis Presley. No wonder it's so easy to get addicted to cocaine.
Both my kids were not vaccinated . Both got the chicken pox from a little vaccinated neighbor girl when they were 4 & 10. {she was the very first one on the block to develop symptoms}. With in two weeks almost every vaccinated kid on the block got it. My daughter complained of a fever and itching. drank tea. Took oatmeal baths. Gave her some homeopathic drops. She really didn't do bad and was slightly less ill then the vaccinated neighbor girl. My son then 4, we'l he flew through it with so little symptoms, made my daughter envious and it was the talk of the neighbors for a long time. Me? I had chicken pox as a kid. Had never been vaccinated for it although I was for other diseases. I never did get the chicken pox from any of the kids as an adult, even though my kids had it and I had babysat 3 of the neighbor kids while they had it. Maybe I did indeed develop a lifetime immunity to it. Or at least a strong resistance to it.
Good point! Who here has NEVER had a plumber or mechanic LIE to them about fixing their problem JUST TO MAKE A BUCK OFF THEIR IGNORANCE?
You have just GOT to be kidding!!!!
I have a question: Is immigrating to germany with unvaccinated kids is a problem? Will they let us in (I have a German nationality) and notforce us to vaccinate them?
We moved there with the DOD, and all 3 of my children weren't vaccinated at all. It's possible we were allowed in under the "SOFA" agreement between Germany and the US. But, one of my German friends told me that only 1/3 German children get vaccinated. She asked me, "I thought the USA was the "Land of the Free"…. so, why do they force you to vaccinate your children, when Germany doesn't force people to do that?" I had to explain that we're not forced, but parents feel coerced. The first thing that happened to us, when we were getting our medical clearance to go to Germany, after they found out that we didn't vaccinate our children, and that neither parent was getting any more, was that they took us into another room with the "head nurse." Do you know what she told us? Did she try to educate us about the importance of vaccinations? Did she even try to scare us into doing it by telling us that our children would Die without them? No. She said, "You know, you won't be able to enroll your children into school without them getting vaccinated." Our reply: "No worries. We homeschool." What was her reply? SiLenCe. She didn't have Anything to say! At this moment, I realized as a young mother of 3 children, that I probably understood vaccinations better than most nurses.
Good luck! I *loved* living in Germany!!!
(btw- you can check online for required vaccinations for entering countries on the State Department's website. ***But*** understand that "required" is sometimes used instead of "suggested"! My hubby was coerced into taking a malaria vaccine… his memory has been Noticeably worse since then. Come to find out that this was one of the side-effects. Then, after he got in country, he found out that he didn't really need to take it. Why do they feel they need to Lie to get compliance?)
Sara Madison
Malaria vaccines are not yet on the market.
unfortunately, what we want to REALLY see, that last statistic about autism, they neglect to share how many children in the study DO have autism of those vaccinated. Instead they just give stats about other countries… which does not prove or disprove if vaccines cause autism. All it is stating is that autism is on the rise…
non vaxer over here btw
I have a 14 yr old unvaccinated child. He was breastfed until a yr old. He is now reaching 6'5″. People have always thought he was at least 2 years older than what he is. He has never been to a doctor. I can't remember him ever having an earache. Maybe he had a sore throat once or twice. Never anything that I felt I needed to take him to the doctor for. His few colds have been mild and over in a couple of days. He has had a couple of headaches which I felt were from bad diet choices. He has never been on an antibiotic or any type of medicine. I can only remember him throwing up once. When all the other kids are sick from the flu and missing school he has been fine.
I'm completely happy with my choice to vaccinate both of my children, now ages 10 and 12. I'm also happy to report that both were rarely sick as younger children and suffer from none of the ailments listed in the report. I put them on a delayed schedule, breastfed them until they were over the age of one and follow the nutritional guidelines of the Weston A. Price foundation. I also have a background in medical research and carefully read both sides of this debate bef ore making my choice.
I'm old enough to have parents who are in their 80s,who can recount horrific stories of polio affecting their loved ones and neighbors. I do believe that vaccines are beneficial to individuals and society as a whole. I think a lot of people who choose not to vaccinate have never watched a child die from a preventable disease.
I've seen children in my neighborhood with all sort of problem. They are vaccinated. They are medicated, so where does that leaves us. Most vaccinated children arte undeveloped and some are a little off. These children are totally medicated. Why aren't they fully healthy? More than 5 million Americans are diagnose with bipolar disorder. One of the symptoms is abuse of drugs, such as cocaine, pills, and alcohol. I wonder why that is?
Mrs. B
Wow, my son is an anomaly. Fully unvaxxed, breastfed for over 2 years, with a food allergy, hay fever and asthma.
Did you put him on a Weston A. Price diet tho
What I would like to know is the percent of SIDS victims whom have been Vaccinated?
Chris Hemmings
Practically every one, I should imagine – almost by definition, indeed.
I am a health advocate, healing touch level III practitioner, RN, BSN who believes that with proper research and application of basic tenets of a good healthy lifestyle we can forgo much of what is propagated by Big Pharm and our own government. It saddens me that flu shots and – if admitted to the hospital – pneumonia shots are 'highly encouraged' especially to our older patient population. Our kidneys and liver were not ever designed to detox all the toxins in our world today. Children's bodies are maturing yet and suffer when 'over-taxed.' Doctors Amen, Fuhrmann, Hyman, Gary Young and Mercola will provide a wealth of information for you to collect data which will educate you thus enabling you to make the best choices for you and your family. Stick to your guns. As long as you can provide rationales/data for your decisions your doctor(s) should respect you for it!
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Come on….I would rather have a child with sknuitis than a chikd with polio or tb .
There is no vaccine for tb!!
There IS a vaccine for tuberculosis, but it is not part of the standard vaccination schedule. I, unfortunately, was given this vaccine though, when I was one month old. I had a severe reaction (hospitalized) and have had lifelong ear and hearing problems (Operations on both ears, hearing aids, etc). I am the third child of seven and the only one of my family to receive this vaccine and the only one who has experienced these health issues.
I come from a family with serious tuberculosis issues. My brother, my 3 cousins and my aunt had that. I was the only one amongst them to have not received a vaccine "against" tuberculosis and still I was the one that didn't develop the disease. Makes you wonder….
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When I read the findings on autism, the study states: Of these 4 children one tested very high for metals(mercury, aluminum, arsenic), in another case the mother was tested very high for mercury.
How exactly does this equal to your post: in all four cases, however, the mother tested very high for mercury.
I'm confused to where you came to this conclusion. I am writing a paper discussing the benefits and risks of vaccinations versus the benefits and risks of not vaccinating. Any infirmation is greatly sppreciated. thank you for your time
There's a reason why meningitis, whooping cough, smallpox, and polio aren't as common as they used to be. Vaccinations.
And Sarah…. -_- The herd immunity DOES apply to vaccinations. And it's not a myth. Wow, do you even know ANYTHING?! Do more research on what vaccinations do before you keep your children from taking them and then say "oh, it's God's plan!" when they get sick/die.
Vaccinations are, yes, diseases. But the diseases given to your child are impaired and cannot attack as they normally would. Actually, they can't attack at all. And then the white blood cells in your body, the "defenders", take these diseases and they study them. What are their strong points? Their weak points? What would be the quickest way to shut them down? What would they attack? What would they leave alone? They take note of all of this, and then they destroy the vaccine so it is no longer in the body.
And then they wait until the actual diseases, completely healthy, come into the body. And look! They know what to do! So they kill off the diseases in record time compared to if they had never gotten those notes at all. And you don't even know that you were infected with polio.
There's a reason why Christian Science isn't mainstream. It's, unfortunately, killing more than it should.
I'd appreciate it if your unvaccinated kids stayed away from my completely vaccinated twins. Thanks.
Wow, "Alice", what a vicious diatribe! You wrote "Wow, do you even know ANYTHING?!" and "And you don't even know that you were infected with polio." A careful analysis of your comments reveals not a trace of factual knowledge on your part. No links, no study citations, no credentials being trotted out. I expected a better effort from a well-paid shill.
Perhaps you would benefit from researching the development of infant immune systems, particularly the thymus. Reconsider the wisdom of forcing diseases ("Vaccinations are, yes, diseases.") along with genetically-modified organism DNA and heavy metals – which describes a typical vaccination – injected directly into the bloodstream of an infant whose developing immune system is unable to respond to such a toxic cocktail. Examine the recommended schedule of vaccinations for newborn infants and recall that all those toxins and diseases will be circulating and causing damage until the baby's thymus and immune system develop enough to respond. By then the toxins have had their way throughout the baby's body, unimpeded by an immune response. The baby's best hope is that its mother is breastfeeding it.
I find it chilling to think that you would mandate all babies to be repeatedly stabbed and poisoned before their little bodies had a chance of defending them from such attacks. Do you encourage your twins to eat lead and play with knives?
I couldn't have said it better.
BTW, PP, the epidemics were on a steady decline (maybe even extinction), when the vaccines were introduced. Every. Single. Time. There was a resurgence of some *because* of the vaccine.
I wouldn't want your recently vaxed twins near my unvaxed children, shedding their live viruses onto mine. Patient zero is almost ALWAYS a freshly vaxed person.
Actually vaccines can cause your body to attack itself with all those wonderful antibodies that actually have been proven not to work. If you have an abundance of antibodies and you are not exposed to the antigen they are geared towards they can go after your myelin sheath. smh Someone needs to do more research. Making an educated guess here but it's probably why autoimmune disorders are skyrocketing.
Wow! That's amazing how your vaccine attacks and destroy. You sound rational. If you believe such bull that an unvaccinated child is hurting your child then why are you afraid if your vaccine will attack and destroy? If your doctors are so right why are you afraid of the unvaccinated children when you have all the power of vaccines? Makes your attack theory looks like crap now ain't it. My humble advice is to keep your vaccinated children in a vaccinated bubble.
What an ignorant imbecile ! If completely vaccinated, why are you scared of other children being near yours?…. Maybe the virus free children need to stay away from your virus infected children !!!
Is there any statistics or information on whether or not unvaccinated kids (or adults) actually DO get the diseases that vaccines are supposed to prevent, compared to the people who do get vaccinated against those diseases? I don't have kids yet, but when I do I'm opting to not vaccinate my children. But I'm scared that if I don't, they'll get whatever diseases the vaccines 'protect' against. Is there a very high risk of getting those diseases if not vaccinated?
Hello, a small group of parents have recently started a Facebook fan page titled Vaccine Injury Reports and we invite any of your users to participate. We ask people who have first hand experience with a vaccine injury to write their story on the wall. We hope to create a large cache of accounts to help others make choices for their families and to being awareness to how many vaccine injuries there are. People can even post anonymously if they choose.
Having this data on FB will rank well in search engines and keep our kids stories in the public eye. The page is constantly under attack but it is well moderated. Thank you for this excellent blog and for allowing me to post. You handle trolls very compassionately and logically. Well done!
The controversy over vaccines will never die. One is either for them, or against them. As the mother of seven children, my experience is as follows. First two had a few shots back in the late 80's. Being a young mom, I never had the courage to oppose my family doctor outright (never had a pediatrician). We were always late in the administration of the first couple of shots and were always behind. When #3 was getting her second shot, she grabbed the needle out the doctor's hand when he jabbed her leg and bent the whole contraption. The dr. re did the shot not being sure if she actually received the injection the first time. My daughter suffered much intestinal distress for weeks after and was my only one to ever have an ear infection. I have not vaccinated since then ('92) I had four more children after then and none have been vaccinated. They all contracted chicken pox naturally, with no issues, except #3 who had a bad case. They were all breast fed for at least a year, some two years…..I stilll have several who have never been to the doctor's. IMHO, they were healthier than their peers. With 10 people living in the house, there has only been one flu case in 25 years (me). The child that had the double vaccine, is the only one that had a touch of allergies (DH had allergies and asthma and his tonsils ripped out as a child – most of you can figure out the pathogenesis of that) My goal throughout raising my children has been to keep them as healthy as possible through diet and lifestyle. I considered myself on track and pretty successful until my youngest, never vacc'd child was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of four and had never ever been sick with anything before that…..we were devastated to say the least, yet I never lost the faith and conviction that, even in such a serious case, diet, lifestyle etc. would help him through this….it did. He had not one side effect from 1086 days of chemo and never looked, or felt like a cancer case. I worry every day about a relapse (two years off treatment), yet, even if someone were to tell me that they had a vax against it coming back, I would be hesitant to have it administered simply because it interferes with the body's natural processes which i believe can be supported and enhanced when addressed properly. My oldest daughter is now married and is a holistic nutritionist as myself….she will not vaccinate, does not use artificial birth control, and will also continue a Nourishing Traditions diet with which she was raised, cross her fingers and hope for the best just as I am.
The study cited is encouraging though naysayers will always highlight the "negative" control aspects. Sure, nothing is 100%, but is it not better to naturally stack your cards always in your favour? Healthy children recover from vaccine preventable diseases. During treatment, with so many in the home going to school and being unvaccinated, my cancer child never got sick once, yet we always hear about how vaccines are necessary to prevent transfer of disease to the immunocompromised. My experience questions this line of logic as well.
I'm so sorry to hear about what you and your child went through with the cancer. I was wondering if your child received the Vitamin K shot at birth as when I was researching for my 3rd (unvaxed) child, I read of a correlation between leukemia and the Vitamin K shot. I always wonder where something like leukemia comes from in an otherwise healthy child. I'm sure you have as well.
I hope he continues on with much good health! Lucky child to have such a wise momma!
Oops, sorry, I didn't see the date on these comments (and for some reason just received a notification on it). You can delete both this and my first reply. Thanks!
so i just decided not to continue to vaccinate my 5month old baby does anybody know what vitamins or supplements i should give my baby to boost his immune system besides probiotics? (i give him BioGaia for babies) also heard about Shakleebaby vitamins any feed back??
Vitamin D, we use Carlson's baby drops
Jennifer Allons
As a parent who has lost a daughter….I would rather vaccinate and prevent the things that can cause our children to get sick and die. I have lived it, and couldn't forgive myself if I had my other children came down with whooping cough or meningitis…i have a friend whose daugher is brain dead from meningitis.. I hear her say often, " if only that vaccine had been around when she was little". Now, don't get me wrong, I was nervous about vaccinating because of all the fears that surround it, but I would also be a paranoid mess if they weren't. I have fully vaccinated both of my other children who are healthy and happy and ADHD free! I am proud of what I did and have no regrets because that's one less thing that they could get sick from! Until you've lost a child, you don't understand that they could be here today and gone tomorrow…I am fine with the fact that some of you chose not to do it, but don't go out of your way to make those of us who did feel bad, or sound like we damaged our children's health and well being! I did what I know is best for our family and I feel good about it!
That is truly heartbreaking, but nothing is 100% effective, and vaccination does not mean that they cannot get the illness. That is just an illusion. There are other more natural ways to keep your children healthy. Parents make choices with the information they have at the time, and we do need to be respectful of where people are. There are also people with heartbreaking stories on the other side of the argument who will not make the same decision again. I agree though that no one is receptive to attacks on their personal decisions, but none of us mind receiving new information in respectful manners.
Exactly they aren't 100% effective that is why it is so important everyone get vaccinated so that the people that aren't immune (but have been vaccinated or are too immunocompromised to received the vaccine) to the disease don't get sick and die. There is no illusion it is everywhere in all studies. I recommend you find the information yourself from the primary source and listen to the people who can understand it if you can't. If I don't understand something I bring it to someone I trust that understands the lingo, but don't bring it to just one person you need a group. Don't listen to celebrities they aren't where they are today because of their IQ.
Ms. Allons, you state that you're proud of what you did; presumably you meant fully vaccinate your children. Why would the decision to follow standard procedure be something about which to be proud? Your contribution to this discussion seems to be carefully crafted to push emotional buttons of the unwary. Nice try.
It's been shown that dtp(dtap) causes whooping cough. It enhances the colonization of b parapertussis which is just another form of whooping cough. It causes the person that was vaccinated to be contagious for whooping cough.
Hello I just stumbled on to this website.. we have all wondered about vac's and I've always thought better to prevent then risk … but I'm not so sure now after reading this nor was I
after reading signing and agreeing to the side effects I think if a vac is suppose to be so healthy for your child why such serious side effects? yet I still wonder my son is almost 10months
his next lot is at 12months and I'm not sure what to do ? I;m defiantly feeling very sad about all these posts as now i feel like a bad mother and i have no idea on what to do where to look or what to read and we might be expecting and now I'm more worried then ever wish i had someone to guide me in the right direction
I wanted to know what you do, Sarah or others likeminded, when your unvaccinated kiddos come down with measles or whoop cough, WITH newborns in house. I beleive that these types of illnesses are normal and part of the human experience with LOTS of bennefits in having them. My dilema lies in what to do when you have a newborn or infant around the house when your older child gets whooping cough (another normal childhood disease producing life long immuntiy), or measles. I have the book Raising a Vaccine Free Child and Wendy Lydall has some really fantastic things to say although this question isn't answered explicitly.
This is why breastfeeding is so important Your body passes on antibodies to the illness that you are exposed to (including illnesses that your other children come down with). If your infant/child is nursing and comes down with something, his saliva (containing the virus or bacteria) enters your body through your milk ducts and your body produces antibodies to this particular form (as we know these things mutate). This is nature's way of "vaccinating" us and treating illness. It is not 100% effective, but neither is artificial vaccination (to be noted, when you give your child a shot, you are not immunizing them, but vaccinating. Immunization means that they cannot contract the illness, and you will not be able to test whether or not your child is immune, just whether they produce antibodies…another whole ball of wax). My advice and my practice has been to breastfeed (without introduction of formula if possible as this changes baby's gut flora completely) and base my and my children's diets around very nutrient dense foods, organically produced, and livestock fed and raised properly. There are no guarantees in life. Vaccinating, despite popular belief is not the be-all, save all, so not even the vaccinated crowd is safe. It's just a perception. Personally, I trust God to create my body and food, and messing with both systems has not made either one better. That is my opinion based on what I have researched and learned, as well as my motherly intuition. I have not always been skeptical of western medicine, and have practicing as an RN, BSN for 7 years. I did not receive the whole picture as a part of my education, and I doubt that any other western medical practitioners do either, at least not the ones that I've talked to. It is up to us to educate ourselves (as professionals and parents) and do what we feel is right. For you, if you feel that vaccinating is best for you, based on what you know, then you are as justified as those of us who chose not to. Not sure if this info will help or not, and I usually don't reply to these things, but this one somehow spoke to me.
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i would like to see some stats on children who were vaccinated at an older age. my two oldest are 4 and 3 and have just recently started receiving vaccines, and are getting fewer at a time than is recommended. i'd like to see a group like that added to this to see if vaccines are truly the problem on their own or if it's overloading infants with them that's causing most of the problems.
Hi, this may be a dumb question to those who totally understand all the vaccinate or not argument but here goes…. I have kids ages 8, 7, 5, and 3 I am wondering if they have gotten all 'required' vaccines up to this point is it ok to say 'NO MORE' and stop them or should they still get them? I am just learning some of these things and wish I would have learned it 9 years ago before my daughter was born. I guess I am thinking better late than never but wondering if that is a smart idea?? Any thoughts on this would be so helpful!! Thanks!
You can absolutely stop at any time. Better now!
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NorthgateChiro (@NorthgateChiro) (@NorthgateChiro)
Some interesting stats in connection to the post below. http://t.co/ATShxTDD
Valentine (@mrvals)
Survey Results: Are Unvaccinated Children Healthier? – The Healthy Home Economist http://t.co/kyPGAMTx
Wow, an anti-vaccine site does a survey on the health of non-vaccinated children, based on self-reporting by parents, and guess what, they are healthier than the average kids. Now all we need is a pro-vaccine site doing the same thing, and we'll be left with the conclusion that healthy children are the ones that received all the vaccines, or none of them.
Is is a big deal to see a study like this as there isn't any money in this side of the argument.
Herd immunity is a myth? Huh?
Well, i guess if you start out thinking that immunizations are a fraud, then yeah, all their social benefits would be frauds too.
No one starts out thinking that vaccinations are fraud- quite the contrary. Thinking people come to that conclusion.
Oh yeah, sure, lets just let our kids get polio, or the measles. Smallpox anyone? Tetanus is a good one, really fun to have I hear. Your entire body locks up and you die of massive muscle fatigue.
95 percent of the people infected with polio have no symptoms at all. 4-8 percent have flu like symptoms only 2 percent have bad effects and of that .5 percent become paralyzed. Polio vaccine is a scam. People use to have measles parties just like chicken pox parties yes a small handful became seriously ill or died but the vaccine also has severe effects. No one with any sense should get tetanus if they practice good wound cleaning and first aid. Tetanus can not grow in oxygen flush the wound really good and let it bleed a bit before you close it. No tetanus. Scare me some more but this time try at it.
Ben Johnson
Here's a short video showing in elapsed time what a brief 20 minute exposure to an proportionate amount of mercury for a newborn did to a nerve cell of a snail brain. How much more do we need to know? (And yes. Do your homework. Mercury is still used in current vaccines.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XU8nSn5Ezd8
Crunchy Beach Mama
Thank you very much for posting this. I FB shared and Tweeted for you
So glad to see that the majority of comments are thoughtful and respectful.
Up until a nasty compound fracture that my son suffered, both my children were completely unvaccinated. I would certainly not change my choice. However, I agree that there could be a large number of confounding factors in this study – the fact that parents often depended on homeopathic or alternative medicine would also contribute to their children's health, as would more breastfeeding and a better diet overall. But I am heartened to see an attempt to compare completely unvaccinate children with vaccinated children! This should be medicine's "gold standard" to prove the efficacy of vaccines, and yet it is never done… This study may be flawed, but no more so than the medical studies that everyone accepts without question.
Amy de Ridder (@adrbeads)
Survey Results: Are Unvaccinated Children Healthier? – The Healthy Home Economist http://t.co/cNnNPJHN
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My two children, now 23 and 26, a daughter and son, were raised without vaccinations, and each had a single visit to an md during their upbringing. My son at about age 5 was bumped by a truck backing out of a driveway while riding on the sidewalk, and we had him x-rayed and examined at the trauma center of the local hospital. My daughter, at age 2 with a persistent rash on her foot visited a dermatologist.
Our favorite resource while raising our children was Dr. Robert Mendelsohn's book How to raise a healthy child, in spite of your doctor. He was an early opponent of vaccination, and an advocate for the family bed, which we found to be better than letting a baby cry itself to sleep.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist
Hi Grant, I'll bet your children thank you frequently for your wisdom!
LOVE the title of Dr. Mendelson's book. Just fantastic!
I wish they would have included statistics about SIDS in the study. Does anyone know if such a study has been done?
I would like to see more information on this study, it is very vague how the study was carried out.. 2 % of kids have asthma, Where? in the world? or in the US.. Australia has a high percentage of kids with asthma, but I know of several people who have immigrated to australia and developed asthma, myself included. i think there are alot of eniromental factors that can come into play.. what about kids with cancer whose immune systems cannot protect them against the illnesses that we vaccinate against, they would simple die if they did not have protection against herd immunity.. i dread to think if we all stopped vaccinating, what the increase in infant and paediatric illness and deaths would be.. fully, i understand vaccinating is scary, but you should be greatful to those people who do believe in vaccination because they the ones protecting your kids against severe illness and possibly death…
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist
Briggs, the vaccinating population is not protecting those of us who don't vaccinate from anything. Herd immunity is a myth! There is an entire post on this blog about it written by an MD. This is Pharmacrat propaganda used to try and "shame" those of us who don't do vax into vaccinating due to peer pressure from the community to do so.
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Kelly Spezzano
This was such an interesting article! Thanks for posting. We chose not to vaccinate our son in any way and are amazed at how little he gets sick. He's almost 3 years old and he has run a fever ONCE (and at that it wasn't even above 101 degrees).
Here's my question, we had the pediatrician here in Lakeland "fire" us as patients because of this choice (they claim it's a new policy because the threat our non-vaccinated son is to infants who are unable to be vaccinated) Anybody know of a peds doctor in Polk county (or even Hillsborough County) that would be open to our decision to not vaccinate?
I chose TO vaccinate, and my child never gets sick either! She's pretty and the teachers say she's gifted! My research shows as much as yours does.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist
@Karlie – except that your research is put out by the fox guarding the henhouse. Your research is not research at all. Anyone who has TRULY done their "research" sees that vaccines are dangerous and won't choose to vaccinate. There is only one conclusion for the sane, open minded person who studies earnestly both sides of the issue to come to and that is not to vaccinate.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist
FInd a family doctor and ditch the pediatricians. Family docs are much more open minded generally speaking.
I would want to learn more about what other factors are controlled for in this study. It is well known that breastfeeding your child is much better for their health and development. All participants breast fed. Now, I am not saying that this is the reason their children are not having as many issues, but how can we be sure that the only factor at play for these kids is the lack of vaccinations? I would want to see the specifics of the study before making any decisions about withholding vaccinations from my child.
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I normally ignore this stuff but I have to comment. Regardless of whether you agree with vaccinating or not this "study" is fundamentally flawed. The survey does not take into account any environmental factors whatsoever. There is no accounting for nutrition as someone who chooses to not vaccinate may also be more vigilant in area. Most egregious is that all data is compiled from surveys with no proof required to back up their claims. If the tone of the blogger's article and many of the commenters is any indication, the non-vaccinating crowd has a HUGE chip on their shoulder and it's reasonable to believe that they would falsify their answers to skew the data to fit their beliefs. There is no credibility here.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist
@Brix I find it interesting that you would accuse those who filled out the survey of lying yet you do not question the pro-vaccine message of being misleading and untruthful while the corporations that promote this message have a motive (profit) to lie and yet those who filled out the survey have nothing to gain by doing so other than helping others.
And, regarding those of us who do not vaccinate, we do not have a chip on our shoulders, we simply wish to help others and stop innocent children from having their lives destroyed by chronic illness.
Tara McMillan
Too bad the doctors convinced me there was no link with Autism…my son suffered vaccine reactions with all of his shots- until age two and I never realized it- neither did the Dr's- they just didn't care that he was sick- and God forbid it would be related to vaccines- so now he has Autism, and we are in recovery to get his health back. We are doing some of the gaps- he just couldn't do the intro- and of course GFCF- we have had some progress..but its going to take years to get him back.
Alyssa Francis (@AlyssaLFrancis) (@AlyssaLFrancis)
Survey Results: Are Unvaccinated Children Healthier? – The Healthy Home Economist http://t.co/TCvTimx
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I appreciate every word you write on this blog. Thank you for spreading the good word. I vaccinated my 2 year old up until he was 18 months and vaccinated my 8 month old up until she was 2 months and we were "bullied" by a doctor into these vaccines when I had concerns from the day my 2 year old was born.
Recently, when we told our children's doctor that we were no longer going to vaccinate our children. We were kicked out of the entire practice of pediatricians because we decided not to vaccinate. I appreciate your strength and perseverance in standing your ground and having such great proof and evidence that vaccines are not the answer.
Kelly Spezzano
I didn't see this comment before I posted, but we too were "fired" from our peds office for our choice of not vaccinating. We very rarely have to see the doctor for illness, we take our almost 3 yr old in for well checks, but we haven't been able to find a doctor in the area that is open to this choice. Have you had any success?
Define "success" please.
Doctors "fire" vaccine-free children because they make unprofitable patients. Doctors (not all, but far too many) are in it for the money. To maximize income, they need patients who need their doctors and are willing to ingest whatever the substance-du-jour that the harmaceutical industry is pushing. Healthy people who rarely show up except for routine physicals and OKs on sports team forms do not help pay the mortgage.
I would define "success" as finding a talented TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) practitioner, a naturopathic doctor who is willing to sign vaccine waivers, and an osteopathic doctor (D.O.) in the event that hospital admission is required. Such a team would be "success" in my book. The TCM and/or naturopath would be there to guide your family through whatever preventive and cleansing/detoxing steps which might be needed; the naturopath can help keep the Big Brother bullies at bay, and the D.O. can take the place of a harmaceutical pusher for serious injury or acute illness.
For those of you still on the fence or questioning, here's some information to consider:
And this: http://www.immunitionltd.com/book/vaccination-is-not-immunization.htm
Here's some info for parents of unvaccinated children: http://www.thedoctorwithin.com/unvaccinated/Parents-of-Unvaccinated-Children/
To the parents of vaccine injured children: http://www.thedoctorwithin.com/autism/Psychology-of-Vaccine-Injury-Awareness/
Information on the Dr. Wakefield argument: http://www.thedoctorwithin.com/autism/andrew-wakefield/
He can explain all this stuff very well. Much better than I. It's a lot of reading, but you might come away with a much different outlook. Very enlightening stuff.
This is completey nuts. The results of your survey mean nothing. You are skewing the information to support your view. I have no opinion on which is better… vaccinate or not to vaccinate, but I sure do not let ANY propaganda influence me.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist
How is the information skewed? Please back up your statement with factual observation please.
Mary Siever (@freebirthingmum)
Survey Results: Are Unvaccinated Children Healthier? – The Healthy Home Economist http://t.co/hJCp4OV
It is true that more objective research needs to be done on this topic and actually reported. Although, there are too many variables involved in this survey to say that vaccination or the lack there of is a good predictor of a child's health. A you stated, the families involved in the survey were healthy minded individuals who made healthier choices for their families which would of course make them healthier. Objectively, it sounds to me that what we are talking about here is a casual relationship vs. a causual one. The point about autism though does strike a cord. We need to keep this argument about the facts though and not emotions argue. I don't care if some speech pathologists feels it in her "heart, it is linked to vaccines."
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist
I think what the speech pathologist meant by "in her heart" was actually "in her gut" – an intuitive sense for lack of a better word. Intuitive diagnosis is VERY IMPORTANT in medicine and is given short shrift. My father as a Family Practicioner, frequently made diagnosis based on intuition based on his survey of the symptoms and examination in his office without the aid of high tech equipment. Most of the time, with this diagnosis, he was able to refer the patient to a specialist where he was almost always proved correct.
You don't always need all the facts and a double blind study to come to a very very correct conclusion.
Hi Sarah,
I am familiar with that doctor. I looked through his website Home First to find out how he is doing without vaccines and low rate of autism…
Turns out that he is a big believer in vitamin D so he makes sure everyone take enough vitamin D. Do you know that vitamin D can be used by your innate immune system to produce natural antibiotics called antimicrobial peptides to fight most if not all strains of flu, cold, etc 24/7/365? http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/news-archive/2006/epidemic-influenza-and-vitamin-d/ While I can't find anything regarding vitamin D for chicken pox, polio, measles, rumps, etc, you have to wonder if vitamin D at right dosage or vitamin D level within optimal range would provide maximum protection. Depending on you ask, vitamin D experts believe that anywhere from 80% to 97% are not getting enough vitamin D to see full benefits.
There does not appear to be a strong link between autism and MMR but there appears to be a strong link between autism and vitamin D deficiency. http://www.foodconsumer.org/newsite/Nutrition/Vitamins/150820091227_vitamin_d_theory_of_autism.html I would say that babies were born with autism and severe vitamin D deficiency and MMR or other vaccines simply aggravated the symptoms of autism that got the parents' attention. It is only natural that parents would accuse MMR as a cause but I am thinking that vitamin D deficiency would be the root cause. Who knows? Dr. Cannell from Vitamin D Council published that theory in the medical literature in 2007 and slowly more and more studies are supporting that theory. More work is needed to prove it conclusively or not.
*Dr. Mayer Eisenstein MD* that I was referring to.
I see that you had already covered vitamin D for flu. Well, nevermind then!
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist
I love my sunshine and my fermented cod liver oil. No flu ever shows up at our house when vitamin D levels are optimal.
Erin Holston SinghND (@doctorerin)
Survey Results: Are Unvaccinated Children Healthier? – The Healthy Home Economist http://t.co/8cJElRI
Captain Mikee
Of course this is an observational study and there are lots of confounding factors, but it's very encouraging!
We have three kids. Our oldest got chicken pox at a chicken pox party, but after two or three attempts, we've been UNABLE to give the younger two chicken pox. They didn't receive any vaccines as infants, although two of them have now had DT shots after injuries, and we all got rabies shots after there was a bat in the house (felt like **** for weeks afterwards!)
I'm very interested in this blog post about herd immunity. I'd never heard that it was a myth before! Going off to find it now…
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist
Yes, definitely a step in the right direction! Not a double blind study like we all want, but this survey is very powerful in its message nonetheless. Parents needs answers NOW and a proper study can take years so getting this out piecemeal is fine and encourages those on the fence to delay shots and wait for further data at the very least.
I enjoy reading your blog, but I am alarmed at the conviction with which you profess your medical expertise. The topic of vaccinations comes up regularly and, disclaimer aside, some people are making decisions based on what you post.
Here in the United States, we have a choice over so many things (including vaccinations), I think it is very elitist for you as part of a rich, white family in the U.S. (and I say that not as a judgment but as a fact, you are not a low-income, African-American, single mother living in the crowded housing projects in NYC or a mother of 12 in Guatemala with who has no access to medical care and who lives in a village without adequate water or sanitation systems) to proselytize the gospel of no vaccinations. Maybe it is the case that your family can avoid Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Varicella, Polio, Typhoid and Yellow Fever, Rabies, Hepatitis A & B, HPV, Meningitis, Flu, Tetanus and/or Cholera, but so many others, in so many other places can't.
With regards to the study, as others have said, I wonder about the other factors that might influence the findings. Might it also be possible that people who choose not to vaccinate also have other factors that inherently make their children healthier, such as higher incomes, access to healthier, more nutritious foods, etc.? I am totally on board with the fact that there is a capitalistic motivation for Big Pharm to promote their "life-saving" drugs in general (of course that's more than just vaccinations), but globally (not only wealthy countries like US, UK, Canada, Australia and Germany) lives have been saved be vaccinations as people have limited other access to preventive measures or treatment.
Vaccinations can be one effort for the greater good. It reminds me of the message that even an HIV-infected mother in Africa should breastfeed because the benefits of mother's milk outweighs the risk that the baby might contract HIV, although some children do become infected; so it follows that some people will become sick from vaccinations, but overall the benefit may outweigh the risk. By individually deciding that my children deserve better, or that I want the healthiest life for my family, it presumes that others have that privilege — and they don't. Your message makes no distinction and that is the part to which I take offense.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist
I do agree with you Larissa that vaccinations were ORIGINALLY intended for the greater good but have been now warped into weapons for profit and for weapons of imperialism in third world countries.
I've become good at spotting a shill from just the opening statements. When a person goes after you as a person, makes no factual statements concerning vaccines, backs up nothing – then you can almost bet they are employed by the pharma-mafia. Shills are highly paid to seek out discussions such as this one. A dead giveaway is when they take cheap shots at people and/or change the subject.
I would love to see the stats on the benefits of vaccinations on low income populations versus the same population not receiving vaccinations. Do you have any unbiased links you can share?
If the money that is pumped into vaccinations were instead used to improve living conditions such as clean water and food and educating the population on proper preparation of food so as to get the most nutritional value, what would the stats be? Oh wait, no money to be made there, sigh.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist
What about the Amish? They are not rich or affluent (usually) and their sanitation is only as good as you could get in the 1800's. They have very low rates of autism in their mostly non vaccinated communities and I have read that most of the few cases were were vaccinted.
She professed her medical expertise? Where? I must have missed it. Let me express mine: I know more about vaccines than most any pediatric doctor you can put in front of me. I'm an accountant – had absolutely no science classes. But fortunately I have learned that not only is the medical profession bought and paid for – the workers are completely brainwashed and the textbooks completely controlled by the industry. And thankfully I'm a homeschool mom, so I don't have that mentality of *I can only learn if I have a teacher, a text and a classroom*.
There is no shortage of vaccination in under-developed countries. That is a myth. Bill Gates just gave 10 billion to vaccine companies to insure that those who are already under nourished get vaccines instead of what they really need – clean food, clean water, indoor toilets, sinks and showers. True that a white American with a job who feeds her children the correct diet will have healthier children but you forget — many affluent white Americans eat crap and do everything humanly possible to damage their child's immune systems. It's not hard to do these days…just find the nearest indoctrinated white coat and they will lead the way!
And those in third world countries who are getting vaccines INSTEAD OF nutrition – yes, they will continue to be unhealthy.
dione hayward
I have been struggling with this topic the past 3 weeks as I just had our 7th child. My other children have been vaccinated with the last two (before this new one) on a delayed schedule. I had actually debated about not vaccinating #7 but have been reading a lot about pertussis (whooping cough), and the issues that it causes newborns, particularly death, and have mixed feelings. If it can prevent a disease that my newborn could die from shouldn't I do it? All my other children are "healthy," with trips to the dr. only for injuries, and I have just started to incorporate traditional whole foods into our diet.
I know that you are against vaccinations, but can you give me some insight on the pertussis issue with new borns?
There is a whooping cough upswing in my area. I am concerned about the babies, because yeah it can be extremely serious for little ones or babies with weakened immune systems for whatever reason.
I did choose to vaccinate my daughter for this, and I also got the TDAP booster while I was in the hospital, at my request.
Vaccines screw up the immune system. Period.
People tend to forget that there is this thing called "Natural Immunity".
The human body is innately capable of healing itself. But they won't teach you that in med school. They won't teach you about nutrition either. Or the human brain. Or how the immune system is hardly understood…
No, in schools these days all of science is presented as factual when its actually nothing more than mere theory.
I keep asking myself – how did we get here?
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist
I'll tell you how: Money, Money, Money and Greed, Greed, Greed.
That's it in a nutshell! Greed.
Kacie – Ask yourself why in the world they would push that vaccine on newborns. Then take a look at the medical journals. I know that Pub Med alone offers at least a dozen published medical papers that discuss the waning of the Hep B. LONG before a baby is old enough to get a tattoo or have sex or share a needle – that vaccine has LONG BEEN WARN OFF.
So dwell on that…WHY does every hospital in this country now push that vaccine on babies?
"I don't understand why people are saying their unvaxed children are extremely healthy – is it because they're saying their bodies haven't been exposed to the chemicals in the vaccine? Or what is it?"
Has nothing to do with exposure. There's a lot of flawed science among doctors. It is very complicated but these two links may help:
But the bottom line is that everything going into the body will have an impact on the health of the body. Personally, I'm glad that my daughters immune system is left as it was created, the only exposures have been managed though the usual lines of defense. With vaccines, the disease/virus/bacteria along with the toxins are forced into the body while bypassing those first lines of defense. It makes no sense to vaccinate once you learn about the actual diseases and bacterias and learn how vaccines work…and then question the shedding of live virus vaccines onto the public and vaccinating infants for sexually transmitted diseases. I see a huge difference in my 12 yr old who got a total of 5 single vaccines on single visits past the age of two – and my never vaccinated daughter. I cannot express to you how differently those two manage sickness. I see it in other friends children too.
Oh – and lastly I wanted you to know that my kids were exposed to Pertussis. They did not get Pertussis vaccines, nor did they get whooping cough. Who did get it? Most the kids who were vaccinated and up to date on their schedules:
My husband never presented with symptoms of chickenpox either…but he was obviously immune when his three children got it. One was vaccinated against chickenpox just a few short months prior to the worse case of pox the doctors said they'd ever seen.
Because if they were exposed to measles or whooping cough or something of the sort, it's quite likely they will get it. Or am I missing something here?
"while vaccines have risks the clear and proven fact is — they have saved lives and ended needless epidemics and deaths. no matter what spin you put on it that's a fact."
The only thing factual about that statement is that you are clearly one who gets her information from one place and one place only. Some pharma-controlled textbook perhaps? I sit and laugh while watching those documentaries that medical students watch…HILARIOUS! Just like all textbooks, the truth is missing but agenda surely ain't! They did over an hour on just the smallpox vaccine alone and I could not believe all the facts that were missing…then they did another one on the TB vaccine…and not a single adverse reaction to that vaccine either! Hilarious! Sheeple will believe anything! Do some research. Look at the HISTORY to get the facts.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist
Medical students are little robots of Big Pharma these days. They only learn the Big Pharma agenda in medical school with token classes on "alternative" methods and "nutrition" which are a complete joke to fool the students into thinking they are becoming "well rounded" physicians. This is, of course, to be expected given that pharmaceutical companies donate so much money to medical schools which basically gives them control of the curriculum (indirectly of course with them calling the shots on how the money is used for research and so forth).
My sister in law works in the medical field. Awhile back her sister was questioning the HPV vaccine for her then preteen son. My SIL told her she absolutely recommends that he gets it. While her current job isn't even related to administering the vaccines, she was a recent graduate and was probably informed about how great vaccines are.
(the vaccination issue is never brought up because I clearly would never win with several in-laws in the medical field – all pro-vaccine)
Georgia White (@SumterShawHomes)
Survey Results: Are Unvaccinated Children Healthier? – The Healthy Home Economist http://t.co/QaJdIvo
Wendi (@mtmamahen)
Please retweet: Survey: Are Unvaccinated Children Healthier? http://t.co/zPXsEMs #retweet #vaccin #survey
Erin Farley Pfeil via Facebook
The human body has built in filters to protect against things in the environment. Directly injecting into the blood stream is a sure fire way to mess with anyones system.
I first looked through that study's questions. My children are completely healthy based on what the study was questioning, and then some. My son is 2 years old and my daughter is 8 months. I nursed my son until 18 months and my daughter is still nursing, so I do attribute that to a lot of their health.
They are fully vaccinated according to the CDC schedule. I did want to skip Hep B for my daughter (because really? An STD? for a newborn?) but it was a combo vaccine that I couldn't opt out of if I wanted the other ones, which I did.
I don't understand why people are saying their unvaxed children are extremely healthy — is it because they're saying their bodies haven't been exposed to the chemicals in the vaccine? Or what is it?
Because if they were exposed to measles or whooping cough or something of the sort, it's quite likely they will get it. Or am I missing something here?
Ann Marie @ CHEESESLAVE
@Kacie You are making the incorrect assumption that vaccines prevent disease. The evidence shows that the disease epidemics in question were in decline and/or were eradicated prior to the introduction of the vaccines: http://www.whale.to/a/graphs.html
What the survey shows is that children who are not vaccinated have lower rates of common modern childhood illnesses such as asthma and allergies.
Jennifer Zint via Facebook
I feel parents should make the best choices for their own children and themselves based on unbiased information and their own life choices which can change over time -but studies and real research need to be out there to find!
I'd also like to mention that vaccine "effectiveness" is not what most people think it is. For a vaccine that is considered 95% effective, it simply means that 95% of the people who were tested post-vaccine had the disease antibodies present. Antibodies do not guarantee immunity……therefore there cannot be an accurate measure of a vaccine's effectiveness.
Upon entering grad school, my husband had to get tested to make sure he had all his vaccinations in order to go to school (I don't know if this is standard, but he is in the medical industry where he has a higher risk of contracting disease so that might be why). He had all of the vaccinations, but showed immunity or antibodies for none of them. We ask ourselves if the risk is worth it for our children. I really don't know.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist
Wow – your comment is quite thought provoking and raises the question once again are vaccines even effective at all? I feel 100% confident that the risk of chronic illness from injecting poison is not worth it even if there was some immunity conferred by immunization, but your comment raises once again the specter that there is absolutely zero benefit and all risk to vaccination.
Pingback: Survey Results: Are Unvaccinated Children Healthier? — Yes – According to this Survey « The Vaccine Xchange
Anastasia @ Eco-Babyz
It's not surprising to me, great topic that people will always butt heads over. In my personal observations I can say that unvaccinated children are healthier, including my own. I know at least 5 unvaccinated kids, they are rarely sick and get over sicknesses quickly. Also no problems with asthma or ear infections, even though it seems like every other child I know gets them. Of course it is a very complex issue, there are a lot of reasons they are healthier.
Michelle Arzola (@MichelleArzola)
Survey Results: Are Unvaccinated Children Healthier? – The Healthy Home Economist http://t.co/gxrh8Kt
Pavil, the Uber Noob
I suspect that people have a difficult time dealing with the notion that modern Western medicine is profit driven and unsafe, and that the primary constituents of regulatory agencies are not the consumers but the producers. The revolving door between regulatory agencies and major pharmaceutical and agriculture producers is a scandal.
The industrial age has not been kind to Western health. It has gotten to the point where I have become suspicious and contemptuous of any health or food related product manufactured by a company that lists its stock on an exchange.
Anything that is ingested or injected into our bodies (and that of our children) is an intimacy that we have a right and a duty to closely guard.
Ciao, Pavil
Ann Marie @ CHEESESLAVE
"Anything that is ingested or injected into our bodies (and that of our children) is an intimacy that we have a right and a duty to closely guard."
Hear, hear!
Debbi Tippet via Facebook
Dr Eisenstein is who I bring my babies to after I have them at home. It's a 3 hour drive but well worth it!
Does he make sure you take vitamin D supplement?
Amy Owca Hinote via Facebook
I have a child with high functioning autism. I can promise you, it has NOTHING to do with shots! How about all the processed foods we feed them, the BPA and other chemicals in plastic that we cannot escape. Mothers smoke and worse during pregnancy. Get real, people! Let's look at your environment first, please!
Usually, autism is not a result of simply one vaccine. It is a mix of bad health issues and the vaccine is the "last straw" that breaks the immune system. Please read Gut and Psycholgy Syndrome. There is a wonderful explanation by Dr. Campbell-MacBride
Brooke L Allen via Facebook
Great article. My kids have had some vaccinations, but I've always been selective about which ones they receive. The more research that is out there, the better decisions parents can make.
Crystal Di Domizio PrenatalCoach via Facebook
I haven't read the article yet but thank you for continuing to post about this important topic! It's a tough one to tackle!
Hi Sarah, I appreciate this post. I was literally just at the urgent care with my son and the nurse asked me if he was "up to date with all his immunizations." I told her that we have chosen not to vaccinate. She then asked me a few moments later "can I ask you why you made that decision?" I wasn't sure if she was going to read me the riot act or what, but I answered her question simply by saying "there are risks to vaccination and risks to non-vaccination. I have researched this issue thoroughly and I personally feel that the risks of vaccination are higher than the risks of non-vaccination. Also, I would rather spend my energy strengthening my child's immune system Naturally, so that it is strong in the event that he comes into contact with a virus." She nodded and then told me that she has been trying to make a decision about whether or not to vaccinate her soon-to-be-born child. She has 3 other children and one had a very severe reaction to the varicella vaccine. He was hospitalized for 7 days and lost his speech and other functions. She said she appreciated my answer and that she is not going to let her friends and family pressure her into vaccinating her next child. I was relieved that she wasn't going to try to convince me to vaccinate my child. My boys are identical twins and have never been vaccinated. they are extremely healthy and I feel very good about my decision.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist
Thank you for this story, Beth. People ARE waking up, one at a time. You have helped that woman tremendously and possibly saved the health or even life of her child by giving her a heartfelt, truthful answer that was nonjudgmental and to the point.
thehealthyhomeeconomist via Facebook
Definitely more info is needed. One step at a time though. There is more momentum being gained with each passing year against this atrocity to our children.
Jennifer Zint via Facebook
Wish they would have done a study years ago –I do wish they had made points about which childhood illnesses the children had and recovery rates etc.
the German site is http://www.impfschaden.info
Andrea Smith (@JosieAK)
Survey Results: Are Unvaccinated Children Healthier? – The Healthy Home Economist http://t.co/dhg7Bmf
Erin Farley Pfeil via Facebook
Keep telling the truth! Thank you!
Neither of my children were vaccinated but my oldest spent her first 4 days on abx in the NICU. Also I had lots of vaccines myself as an adult for international travel and have 6 amalgams. My older dd has ADHD and some other issues. My younger dd has GI issues. Both are being healed with the GAPS diet. When I was first pg with my first I assumed I would vaccinate my kids. Only crazies did something else. Thankfully I was around others who didn't vaccinate and they got me to thinking and to researching the topic. By the time my dd was born I knew we wouldn't be vaccinating her. It turns out none of the health care practitioners in our life have vaccinated their kids either. Dr's, midwives, chiropracters, etc. None of them. And they are some very smart people! I started seeing all of them because they were good at what they did and found out later that they didn't vaccinate their kids. I have no doubt that my older dd would have much more serious issues if she had been vaccinated. I'll never know for sure of course and I have no need to find out. Even if she were vaccinated tomorrow and had no issues I'll never know what would have happened to her as an infant before all the healing.
For the woman who claims to have seen lots of kids dying of diptheria, If I recall correctly last I checked the rates in this country were about 10 cases a year if that and it has a 1 in 10 death rate. I haven't heard of a big upswing in diptheria cases lately but you never know. Most vaccine preventable diseases I would like my kids to get. Like measles and mumps and chicken pox. Not that I want them to suffer but I want their immune systems to function well and be fully developed.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist
Excellent take, PattyLA. As you put it, some VERY SMART people these days are choosing not to vaccinate. They are not crazy and they don't live on a commune somewhere. These are normal, tax paying citizens who have done their homework and discovered a masterful, ingenious, marketing plan of deception with our children as the helpless targets.
No one said they'd seen "lots of kids dying of diphtheria". Carolyn said that being a registered nurse she has seen the "ravishes of preventable diseases". There was no mention of "lots" or "kids" or "dying" or even that she had only seen cases in the U.S. Reading comprehension: It's a good thing.
thehealthyhomeeconomist via Facebook
@Michelle, I have to pace myself, that's for sure!
Anna Caltagirone via Facebook
My kids are completely unvaxed, and extremely healthy.
Hidden Treasures via Facebook
we almost lost a kid to vaccinations…never again! Thanks for getting the info out! <3
Michelle Merritt via Facebook
I would go insane dealing with the comments that you get. How do you do it!
Denise Robinson (@MyHolisticChef)
Survey Results: Are Unvaccinated Children Healthier? – The Healthy Home Economist http://t.co/r4jNgvC
@Carolyn: How on earth can you possibly compare inhaling smog with being vaccinated?? No comparison at all. The vaccine goes directly into your system, unimpeded. Directly impacts your blood, just for a start, on impact.
Ack. Nevermind. You're convinced vaccines are good, and some of us are convinced they aren't good. That's the way the world works and for now, at least, we are each entitled to our opinions. I prefered not to insult my children's bodies with toxins and germs and live virus vaccines. They are now grown, married and have children of their own. They are also healthy, hearty and happy. Can't ask for more, as a parent. I wasn't about to take risks with unknown "chemicals" being shot into their bodies, either. People tend to want to believe only what they can see. In that case, lead poisoning must only be attainable by getting shot with a bullet, right?
I appreciate your viewpoints, as well as the fact that you did post this survey. However, I would like to point out that it is an after-the-fact survey – not an actual empirical study exploring the long-term health of children who have or have not been vaccinated. Until you have a group of children who eat the same diet, live in the same environment (i.e., non-smoking home, no exposure to lead paints, etc.) and receive the same types of health care, you cannot say definitively that vaccines are the culprit for poorer health.
As Christy mentioned, we all have anecdotal stories – and being both a mother and registered nurse I have seen the ravishes of preventable (read: vaccines available) diseases such as meningitis, polio and diptheria on young children and it has broken my heart. Both of my children are fully vaccinated against the most deadly diseases (we didn't vaccinate over common and not truly devastating things like chickenpox or the flu), and I would do it again in a heartbeat. They are both incredibly healthy and have had significantly fewer illnesses than their peers, although they do attend that hotbed of illness called public school. I think many people here are not understanding how vaccines work in the body, which is contributing to their anecdotes and reasoning behind why vaccines are bad.
All a vaccine is is a germ, EXACTLY the same germs that would be in your blood if you contracted the illness, only in much smaller quantities and in a way that most often will not lead to you contracting the disease. It may be a live vaccine or a dead vaccine, but bottom line is that once your body is exposed to that germ it is prepared to fight it off if it ever sees it again. Your lymph nodes have excellent memories, and I fail to see how preparing your immune system to recognize and react quickly to a devastating or deadly disease has somehow compromised it.
The illnesses we're talking about aren't like HIV or hepatitis or other diseases that are spread through certain behaviors such as sex or uncleanliness. We're talking primarily about illnesses that are spread quickly through air or minimal contact and that easily become epidemic or even pandemic. These aren't the kinds of diseases you can avoid just with a healthy lifestyle – you'd literally have to sequester yourself from the rest of the world to obtain the kind of risk protection a vaccine provides. To me personally, the risk of being unvaccinated isn't worth the short-term, minimal effects it may have.
As for long-term effects, I find it incredibly difficult to believe that even the excipients can cause substantial damage as they are present in such small amounts. You are more likely to breathe in greater amounts of aluminum, mercury and formaldehyde walking around a large city and inhaling the smog than in what you receive in a vaccine.
I state again that I respect personal opinions and a person's right to choose what enters their body. However, let your choices by based on facts rather than anecdotal evidence. Do your own research using reputable and reliable sources that have numerous studies or surveys (not just one!) to back them up – and for goodness' sakes, don't believe everything you read on the internet! Thus far, I have to assert that the facts are that vaccines save lives by preventing illness that would otherwise debilitate or kill people. Beyond that, I can't say.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist
Unfortunately, what you have termed "reputable" and "reliable" is actually fudged data masquerading as science. The very studies or surveys you put so much faith in are conducted by the very companies seeking to profit from vaccines. The lack of objectivity makes them unreliable no matter where they are published. Don't you see how you're being duped?
Thanks, Carolyn, for being a voice of reason! I'm not a vaccine apologist. We opted for delayed vaccines and skipped the ones that weren't required by law (like flu and chicken pox). However, my children are older (the chicken pox shot was only even available for the youngest), so the list of vaccines they got was much shorter.
None of my kids has autism, ADD, ear infections, or any of the other myriad of things anecdotally linked to vaccines, nor were they frequent visitors to the doctor's office. They have all been remarkably healthy get with most doctor's visits being for injuries. I attribute their health to long-term breastfeeding and a healthy diet; as well as things like clean water and clean air–the same kinds of things the people who chose not to vaccinate in the study were doing.
I have no problem with people choosing not to vaccinate their children if they don't want to; people have a right to make decisions about their own bodies. But this after-the-fact study with no controls for lifestyle should not be a basis for that decision.
Carolyn, I think part of the reason parents such as myself choose not to vaccinate is that a vaccine isn't JUST a germ. The preservatives and adjuvants added are known poisons and carcinogens, not to mention the foreign human and animal DNA/RNA. – and like someone else mentioned, breathing in smog does not bypass the initial immune response in the intestine like an injection does.
And hepatitis B absolutely IS transmitted by the same methods as HIV. That fact alone was enough to make me question why it is given routinely to newborns.
Ann Marie @ CHEESESLAVE
"Thus far, I have to assert that the facts are that vaccines save lives by preventing illness that would otherwise debilitate or kill people."
You are not asserting a "fact" that vaccines have saved lives by preventing illnesses. This is not a fact, as it has not been proven. You are asserting an opinion, based on nothing.
Sarah, I appreciate your love of healthy living. I take a lot of your advice as well. I do, however, believe that vaccines have saved the world. I know people who got polio as a child and are on crutches for life. I also know of a person who died from tetanus. These are two vaccinations that could have given much different results. These are preventable diseases. I believe that the real damage in our society is caused from drugs such as birth control pills and unhealty diets of fast foods and pre-packaged food. My children have been vaccinated, and if I had to do it all over again, I would. I do also respect those of you who choose your own path.
Yeah, and my brother-in-law (who is now 68) acquired polio FROM the vaccine and was at Mayo in Rochester from age 7 to age 12 before he could walk again. When he was only 52 he started suffering from severe symptoms of Alzheimers and has been in a nursing home for the past 16 years. We (meaning his family and extended family) are all pretty sure it had something to do with his vaccinations as a child. He was a sickly kid until his Aunt took him in when he left Mayo – she lived and ran a farm/ranch and he worked hard and ate well and for many years was quite healthy because of it.
No we don't have any proof (and who would listen to it if we did?) – look how the pro-vaccination camps vilify any information that might even slightly tarnish the reputation of vaccines? I still say Andrew Wakefield is totally on the right track with his theory/hypothesis about gut imbalance and MMR shots being a player in the autism problems of today. Also a player is the fact that kids, starting at birth with HepB, get too many shots too close together. Also, I am not a fan of clustered shots like MMR, DPT, etc. One at a time would be a big enough insult to a child's body without piling on six or eight at one time. It's insane.
Remember, vaccination does not guarantee immunization. Not at all. Only a healthy gut can do that.
Also, Salk and Sabin both admitted that polio vaccines caused polio! Seriously they did. Also, they admitted, too, that polio was almost eradicated in the USA by cleaning up the disposal of waste materials and putting in sewer systems, indoor toilets and plumbing, etc. The information is out there if you're willing to look – but then you have to be willing to believe what you see and hear from the actual people who invented this stuff! It's all on YouTube.
And here's some stuff: http://ppjg.wordpress.com/2011/04/08/the-emergence-of-vaccine-induced-diseases/
This guy (Dr. Gordon) was supposed to appear on a PBS program concerning vaccinations and they were going to look at ALL sides of the issue. Uh huh. But they didn't. Read his short but powerful letter to PBS execs here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jay-gordon/pbs-frontline-show-about_b_554691.html
And he's not even against vaccinations, he's just against too many given at once (but he IS a doctor!).
Science is for sale. Always for the right price you can get the answers you want.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist
Vaccines have far from saved the world. If you analyze simple graphs of the death rate from infectious disease before and after vaccines arrived on the scene, this becomes very clear. I have a post which displays these graphs. This is objective data that no one can argue with. If you still believe vaccines saved the world after analyzing these graphs, I fear that your emotional investment in your beliefs have outstripped common sense. This is a common occurrence and it takes a few decades for it to wear off. Typically, it requires the next generation to dismantle the sacred cows of the previous generation.
Ann Marie @ CHEESESLAVE
Anecdotal evidence. Polio was in decline prior to the introduction of the vaccine.
"Before the first Salk vaccine trials, polio incidence had already declined greatly. Decline was even greater by the time the Salk and Sabine vaccines came into widespread use. The intensive use in 1958 was followed by more than a doubling of incidence. At no time after the introduction of the two vaccines against polio was decline greater than before vaccine introduction."
Please read more here (and view the graphs): http://www.vaclib.org/basic/polio.htm
Of course, there are other variables, besides vaccines, that increase the odds of damage occurring … like mercury amalgam fillings in mom, plasticizers, etc … but the overwhelming evidence is found in disecting each and every vaccine ingredient, active and inert. While mercury and aluminum (which babies are overdoses with in vaccines!) are proven to be neurologically toxic, so are the inert ingredients which are "designed" to be carriers and cross the blood brain barrier.
Christy, The Simple Homemaker
Over the years I have noticed that there is a lot of fear and hate being spewed by both sides on this issue. While many individuals claim they "know" the truth, there is no way to truly know. There is far too much "evidence" that is simply anecdotal. A lot of parents on the vaccination side have perfectly healthy children and are not even aware of this issue, so naturally don't contribute to anecdotal discussions. (Not choosing a side; simply weighing in on both.) Moms, if you have vaccinated your children because you believe(d) it was the best choice at the time, and your child is, say, allergic to cats, don't kick yourself for it. If you did not vaccinate because you believe(d) it was the best for your child at the time, and your child got whooping cough, don't kick yourself for it. There are stories on BOTH sides. We have personal family stories that can support either side, including an aunt who sure WISHES her family had vaccinated her against the polio that crippled her and stole her childhood. YOU CANNOT KNOW! Every single body is different, and the factors that contribute to health are numerous. Parents, don't kick yourself for decisions you made/make when you have sought to get as much information as possible and struggled to do the best for your child. Personally, this topic tears me up and gives me a lot of sleepless nights and unsubstantiated guilt. My children have informed me that the guilt and sleeplessness and worry and lack of joy are more hazardous to health than vaccinations/no vaccinations or even chocolate chip cookies!
The only point of contention is that, yes, there is TOO much anecdotal evidence, and no real, double-blind study(ies) to find out the facts.
That, and I think the occasional chocolate-chip cookie is GOOD for you
Amen!! couldn't have said it better
I wish I had been aware of these things before my son was born – Sally Fallon, real food, choosing to vaccinate or not. I used to be a sheep, not anymore! Still, I feel very bad about the crap food I fed my family. I never even realized that I didn't have to vaccinate my baby. When I started homeschooling my son I found a forum online and read about other parents who didn't vaccinate. This was totally new to me, but too late. Now I pass this info on to my nieces who are having babies. I don't know if they pay attention. All I can do is bring it to their attention.
I woke up this morning thinking about this. I have 4 children, the oldest is completely vaccinated (except for the recent additions of her 6th grade requirements, and the HPV). My second is mostly vaccinated. He hasn't had anything past his 4 year old shots. My third is almost completely un-vaccinated, and my 4th has never had anything except a lead test, and a bilirubin test. No needles touch that baby.
Recently, the whole family got a stomach flu. The youngest, unvaccinated, got a healthy fever, threw up ONE time, and was better. The partially vaccinated 4 year old suffered for about 6 hours, and was only able to muster a low fever. The two oldest, had no fever and threw up every 30-60 minutes for close to 24 hours.
Now, we all eat the same food, live in the same house, engage in the same activities. What is the difference??? It must be the vaccinations. My two older ones have had such a serious disruption in their immune process, that they can't seem to fight normal stuff. (My second, btw suffered terrible ear infections, is highly ADD, possibly low end of the Autism spectrum, and has to be home-schooled due to behavior issues.)
I also have a nephew, with basically NO immune system, and he is, due to his mom being bullied by a pediatrician, fully vaccinated. He recently had to visit an immunologist because of his asthma, allergies, and frequent upper respiratory infections. The results??? He is only "partially" immune to the disease he was given shots for. He isn't protected fully from any of the things he was poisoned in the name of preventing. I wonder, how many of us were vaccinated, to no avail? If we all went to an immunologist, to compare immunity to vaccines, what would be the result? Where is that study?
I know that my own personal experience can not be considered an adequate population sample. I also know that with everything my two older children suffered in the name of "protection" will NEVER happen to my younger two. I will go to ANY lengths to make sure that none of my children will EVER have another vaccine.
I should add that my Aunt (my mom's half sister) did not vaccinate her children. They rarely go to the Dr. at all and it is usually for injuries. I see too much "circumstantial" evidence, for it to be ignored.
Also, that my first suffered "side effects" for every series of shots she was given. Her Dr. sent me to the hospital three times for "side effects" that were basically life threatening. I had been fed the standard info. I was protecting my daughter…I thought.
I say "side effects" because they were all known, listed, possibilities right in the info packets with the vaccine vials. They were not considered a reaction, from my daughters immune system improperly dealing with the vaccine. It was things that the drug company and Dr's KNEW happened with these drugs. It was only a surprise to me.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist
April, this is very interesting anecdotal information. Thank you for sharing. The most powerful anti-vax testimonials I hear are from Moms with some children who are vaxed and others that are not and noting the extreme differences between them .. both in overal health and the ways they handle infections and other illnesses that come their way.
Thank you for the good info – I appreciate your newsletter.
One question: Some of the ads at the bottom of your articles seem inappropriate for the work that you do………..
why do you cooperate with publishing ads for immunization, BP oil, etc.?
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist
Hi Elizabeth, I do my best to block ads that are inappropriate, but it is an imperfect science unfortunately. I do trust that my readers understand that the advertising does not necessarily reflect my own views. There are plenty of good ads too and I don't want to remove all ads and hence throw the baby out with the bathwater.
I am still on the fence because I hear stories on both sides. I hear from mins who did not vaccibate and their children became quite ill from the very diseases these vaccinations are meant to protect us from. On the same hand, my hubby was vaccinated and still got measles 3 times! On the other hand all the other non vaccination stuff makes sense! Here is a question. My children have been vaccinate. Can I just stop vaccinating them? Or is it too late once you start, especially with the series shots?
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist
Hi Ladyscott, it is always better to stop. Continuing just piles on the damage deeper and thicker.
"pro- vaccine troll". so someone who cates to protect their child is a troll. Sarah, your so misinformed with this topic sometimes. really should stick to the nutrition end of things. while vaccines have risks the clear and proven fact is – they have saved lives and ended needless epidemics and deaths. no matter what spin you put on it that's a fact.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist
Not vaccinating is part of health and nutrition. If your body is messed up from vaccines, you can't absorb nutrition from all that good food you're eating!
What one person calls caring and protecting, another person calls poisoning and harming. And in fact, vaccinations as means to stamp out epidemics have been and continue to be refuted.
Do a little research, Barb. All of these "epidemics" you refer to were on a downward trend BEFORE vaccines were introduces. The introduction of the vaccines did NOT affect the downward trend in either direction, but we certainly have had an outrageous increase in auto-immune disorders and ADD/ADHD/autism spectrum disorders. This link will take you to a website that has some actual statistics and facts that people can use to make intelligent decisions.
Thanks for the info, Sarah!
I have done plenty of research, Justyn, no need to worry about that. Ive read your downward trend theory and it's just not sound. Hey, to each their own. Safety is #1 … I'm sure all your children will fare well while putting mine at risk.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist
What is not "sound" about the downward trend of infectious disease long before vaccines were introduced? It is obvious that improved sanitation, running water, the rise of the automobile (getting horses out of the streets), greater access to fruits and vegetables and improved living conditions overall eliminated sweeping epidemics NOT vaccines.
Is it not "sound" because Big Pharma and the AMA hasn't signed off on it? It is, after all completely and 100% objective data and can't be fudged to suit their profit motive. This really puts a crimp in their style, doesn't it? Amazing how so many Americans are so incredibly gullible on this subject and so emotionally attached to their opinions. Just like religion and politics it seems. Few people are able to think for themselves and a lack of critical thinking skills is the Real Epidemic.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist
Oh, and the "you're putting my kids at risk by not vaccinating" is bogus. You are referring to the myth of "herd immunity" with regard to a vaccinated population. This is propaganda spread for the sole purpose of getting folks to pressure their friends and family to vaccinate. It is not based in reality. I have a post on this blog written by an MD that debunks this myth. Please read and stop spreading this insanity that is completely untrue.
This type of thing is reminiscent of WWII when the government in Germany successfully spread propaganda against the Jews so that neighbor was turned against neighbor. While the results in WWII were obviously much more extreme, the concept of peer pressure to conform to some desired social outcome is exactly the same.
Ann Marie @ CHEESESLAVE
Logic, anyone?
Stating that an argument is not sound without providing evidence to back up the claim is illogical.
Justyn made the argument that epidemics of disease were on a downward trend prior to the introduction of the vaccines. (S)he linked to graphs to illustrate. (S)he is making an argument with evidence to back it up. (Sorry, Justyn, I don't know if you are male or female.)
You have made 3 claims in your most recent comment:
1. The downward trend theory is not sound. Where is the support for this claim?
2. Safety is # 1. Are you implying that vaccinating is safer than not vaccinating. Again, where is the support for this claim?
3. Unvaccinated children put vaccinated children at risk. Support for this claim?
If you're worried about unvaccinated children putting yours at risk, that must mean that you don't have confidence that those vaccines your children got will work.
Thank you! Finally, some sense in this whole thread! What everyone needs to understand is that while vaccinating children may be risky, what's terrifying are the instances of diseases like measles, mumps, and others that were on their ways to being eradicated; at least in the US. 2011 was the worst year for measles infections in the US in 15 years. The cases weren't "home grown" (meaning that travelers brought the disease into the US), but guess who got sick? The people who didn't get vaccinated. You're putting your children at a major risk, all for the sake of reducing their chance of getting ear infections or allergies, and helping yourselves sleep better at night. Doctors aren't trying to hurt you. They take a risk to do no harm. Please stop taking the name of science in vain because some day it'll save your goddamn lives.
Spin? Really? Well I'll use a more fitting word – lie. That's is what you've offered…a few of them. If you believe that vaccines save lives then prove it. All of the diseases were declining in mortality and incidence PRIOR TO the introduction and mass use of the vaccines.
They didn't end a single epidemic so I'd find it interesting to see you prove that one too.
Smallpox? We don't vaccinate for that one in the US anymore – when is the last time you had smallpox? The plague? Did you get your plague vaccine too? Is that why you have not had the plague?
Or could it SIMPLY be that with the introduction of indoor plumbing, bedrooms for each child instead of 6 kids and grandma all piled into one bed…dishwashers, carpet steamers, vacuum cleaners, washing machines, clothes dryers…and simply not defecating into the same water supply as you drink —– none of that had a thing to do with the lack of these diseases in today's environment huh?
And the word isn't TROLL in most cases, it's often SHILL instead.
We no longer vaccinate for small pox because it was eradicated thanks to major vaccination efforts. As of now, from a few different sources I've read, the only small pox virus in the world is found in a lab. I hate to think what could happen if it were ever brought out of the lab – think bio weapons.
MichelleTordoff (@MRTordoff)
Survey Results: Are Unvaccinated Children Healthier? – The Healthy Home Economist http://t.co/4wYKOMG
Its one of the main reasons I'm against vaccines as unvaccinated kids tend to be healthier than vaccinated anyways. They get far fewer infectious diseases to begin with. And yes nutrition can prevent infectious disease despite the propaganda spouted by medical establishment.
I highly recommend the book Gut and Psychology Syndrome by Dr Natasha Campbell-McBride. The GAPs diet is the way to go in my opinion for children with ADD, allergies etc. It's not too late for your little ones! Not vaccinating is an important first step for your child's health. In order to stand up for your rights to not vaccinate I highly recommend doing as much research as possible. If you educate yourself you'll be able to stand up to anyone that criticizes your decision! Children can be healthy happy and disease free given the proper nutrition. My children are a testimony to this. I do not vaccinate and never will based on extensive personal research. I do not regret my decision. Thank the Lord for people like Sarah that spread good
I only recently learned how harmful vaccines can be in the long run, so my boys are fully vaccinated (up to their 4 year boosters) and my 2 girls are partially vaccinated – the youngest only received a few needles and we started later – at 6 months of age. At this point I am no longer vaccinating. In Canada, Ontario at least, we can send in a form to the local Health unit (has to be notarized) stating that we do not wish to vaccinate, for either religious, medical or concious reasons. I am very fortunate for this!!
I found the ear infection stat interesting in how it relates to my kids. None of them get ear infections at all – both of my boys did once, I think, when they were younger, before we started eating whole, traditional foods. My girls, never – neither of them has had antibiotics, not even once – they are 4 and 2. It definitely makes a huge difference what you and your family eats.
While I agree that vaccinating causes unforseen and increased ill health, I also agree with an earlier poster, who says that families who choose not to vaccinate are likely eating healthier, using more homeopathic remedies instead of meds. This is also a large contributing factor to these children having increased health. In my case, that is most definitely true, since my children are mostly vaccinated and are way healthier than most other kids I know, both family and friends/schoolmates.
I think it's actually more important for families who eat junk to avoid vaccination as their bodies can't handle the stress of the vaccines, apparently. Unfortunately they don't tend to be the ones who take the time to learn about health and wellness.
I wrote concious reasons, but that is not the correct word – Conscience is the correct word, but for some reason it escaped me. As I wrote in concious, it didn't look or sound right – and it wasn't
Not sure if this one study is completely accurate. Could be more conscientious parenting with excellent diet/preventative healthcare skewing the results. Both of my children had the full series of vaccinations and have been healthier than most of their peers, including the home schooled non vaccinated ones. Neither have had allergies, cavities, diseases or infections, Praise God! I really think more studies need to be done before concluding that non vaccinated children are healthier than vaccinated ones. I am certainly not a fan of mass vaccinations and have stopped any further vaccinations but I have been blessed with very healthy children and not sure we can come to the conclusion yet on this issue.
Hi Juliann,
I was thinking the same thing. Sarah points out that those who did not vaccinate chose to breastfeef for longer than 6 months and preferred natural or homeopathic remedies. All of the problemls attributed to the vaccinations can also be attributed to an unhealthy gut.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist
Certainly, the health habits of the families that participated in the survey had something to do with it, but the data just keeps piling up about how much more sick vaccinated children are compared to their unvaccinated peers. If I were a new parent, this info would certainly give me pause and I would at the very least delay vaccination until additional data was gathered.
Katherine — usually an unhealthy gut either begins or is brought out BY vaccination. I think it covers that in the Gut and Psychology Syndrome book.
I'm not sure I can agree 100% with this. I have one fully vaccinated child, one that only missed her last set of boosters, and one unvaccinated child. I would say that they are all equally healthy. My unvaccinated child certainly isn't healthier than the others. She was also breasted the longest. Either way, I will. It be allowing any more vaccinations for my children.
Kate @ Modern Alternative Mama
The reason this study is valid — albeit, not ideal — is because it looks at a large group of children. Looking simply at your own children or a few that you know and trying to assess their health by observation and not specific measures does not negate what they found in this study. Individual cases never, ever negate large population studies. There are always anomalies and outliers but they don't change the overall data set.
Yes, it's likely that the parents' choices for healthier food and avoiding drugs play a role as well. But, that only makes the argument that the current "lifestyle" that most people are living (SAD diet, antibiotics every few months, vaccines, all of this put together) is NOT a good idea! Vaccines aren't the only factor but are part of the picture. Still, we're overlooking how valid it is because we don't want to face that these other important healthy choices parents are making clearly play a role as well.
While I did fold under doctor pressure to vaccinate, I stopped when it came to being told that the H1N1 vaccine was "necessary", but are there other measures I can take now to reverse any of the affects? I have one child who has ADD and both of my boys had an awful time with their ears when little as well as having some of the other health issues you mentioned. What can I do now or am I just stuck?
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist
A nourishing traditional diet high in the fat soluble activators A,D, and K ( from whole animal fats ) goes a long way toward alleviating the situation. You may need to consult with a doctor who specializes in vaccine detoxification however if the situation does not improve with diet alone. Many children are able to recover completely!
There are certain herbs which are helpful with "undoing the damage" from some of the adjuvants (like mercury based thimerosol) used in the vaccines. Cilantro is supposed to be a good one for getting the mercury out, I think.
Also, I know that iodine (white or nascent) is supposed to be excellent for ridding the body of preservatives in certain shots. Kelp tablets might be a good place to start, as you can usually pulverize them in a mortar and pestle and add them to warm liquids to dissolve (useful for children or people who aren't good at swallowing pills and tablets).
It might behoove folks to do an online search for other herbs, homeopathics and minerals which might be helpful in this regard.
Really important in my experience is that you have a game plan to eliminate heavy metals from the body. Make sure no metal fillings are still in the mouth and use a chelator (if using oral chelation it must be dosed per body weight. All of that.. work with a nutritionist. (Feel free to check out my website for one of the best in the country.. Kelly Calabrese, CCN)
The best part about eating a traditional diet like Sarah talks about is healing the gut which is crucial to do before pulling metals from the cells.. if you have a leaky gut.. any metals that are pulled from the body can re-distribute back into the blood and the brain.
Hi Sarah,
Is our health compromised if many of us have had our fair share of multiple vaccinations in the past?
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist
Unfortunately yes. I myself have been vaccinated although only with a few. I do feel it has harmed my health and that my children are stronger than me because they are not vaccinated.
Anastasia @ Eco-Babyz
Yes, I had some serious problems as a child myself following vaccination. 99.9% of mothers back then had no idea of the side effects, neither did my mom.
damaged justice
Only pointing out confounding variables: These parents were likely very health-conscious, and probably did a lot of things that contributed to the health of their children, just as most vegetarians and vegans tend to do other things that make them healthier than the average person (not smoking, engaging in regular physical activity, etc).
Erin: Home schooling. You don't want your child's body to be poisoned — the same goes for their mind.
Yes, this. I took the survey, so obviously my kid is unvaccinated, but we also do a lot of other things which contribute to her health, such as a really healthy diet. I would suspect the same is true for many respondents. The study really should be able to control for that kind of thing for it to be very informative.
I was thinking the same thing. Also, from a purely statistical point of view, self-selection such as this survey poses significant problems in terms of accuracy. Really, for the results to be considered scientifically valid it should be a random sample across a broad spectrum of people, both vaccinated and unvaccinated, to help rule out confounding factors.
It's a nice idea, having a study like this, but it will never be taken seriously as it is not well-designed and not a statistically accurate sample. Which is too bad, because there needs to be more hard data to back up what most of us here already intuitively know.
I have a vaccine-injured child, by the way, and don't vaccinate the rest.
Jessie Y
I agree with the points being made here. While a very encouraging survey, there isn't enough info in this post to say whether or not the other health issues are being controlled for. Also, self- reporting rather than a random sample is not best. However, it is a very good start.
Bayou (@Bayou619)
Survey Results: Are Unvaccinated Children Healthier? – The Healthy Home Economist http://t.co/zcXZJy8
Erin C
This is so sad. I hate thinking about giving my "future" children these awful shots. My state (WV) doesn't allow any exemptions to the required immunizations except for Medical reasons. I know I will refuse to give them shots, but I just don't know what to do about them going to school!
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist
This is a very personal decision, but I know without a doubt that I would move to another state no matter what the price to avoid shots for my kids if that were necessary.
Have you thought about homeschooling?
Or homeschool!
Homeschooling is a wonderful choice and allows you a lot of freedom when choosing not to vaccinate!
In some states like here in PA, even for homeschoolers shots are required except for religious exemption. I have to turn in my kids shot records every year with my intent to homeschool. Unfourtunately I go to the same church as the districts superintendant soooooooo I can't claim that. I hate that there is no exemption for being a well informed parent who chooses to not vaccinate with out some religious dogma attatched to it :(. The upside is that My pediatritcian knows my feelings and will only vaccinate my children with only those vacs that are required by the state instead of imposing them all onto me.Little satifaction indeed but I take what I can get out of the matter.
For Renee,
I live in PA and homeschool too, and you can claim either religious or philosophical reasons to not vaccinate. If you feel that God wants your children to remain unvaccinated you can use the religious exepmtion, it is not what your church believs, but what you believe.
Renee N.
(I'm a different Renee). I agree with Jessica. I know for certain I don't believe everything that everybody in my church does. We all have different convictions, and no one but God has any say in that.
Choosing not to vaccinate is ABSOLUTELY a religious conviction. I am a Christian, and know that it was God who revealed to me the dangers and consequences of vaccines. Just like I put healthy God-given foods over man-made foods in our bodies, I will choose to strengthen our immune systems through God's foods/essential oils/etc. rather than using man-made "medicines." Man cannot out-do God, and when we use man made (versus God given) there will ALWAYS be consequences. Additionally, my Christian beliefs do not allow me to just turn a blind eye to the use of fetal cells that are in many of the vaccines on the market today. Never is that okay, and Christians should be making a stand against that! Anyway I guess my point is, being a Christian really does qualify you for religious exemptions, regardless of whether other Christians have the same convictions as you or not.
If you choose not to have vaccinations administered to your children and can get by in pubic schools because it is following your religion, simply become ordained. Search the web for organizations that you can easily do this with – you can do it for free…
I consider it a "religious exemption" since a number of the vaccines are made with induced aborted fetal cells. How is this godly? How do godly pro-life docs/nurses/superintendents justify this one? The people in our churches need to be informed.
Can you point me towards any kind of scientific data proving the use of newly aborted fetal cells? I just recently read a blog post by a Christian scientist who refutes this claim.
Thanks for this information. I also decided not to vaccinate my children, but I've been wondering what will happen when they need to get official documents such as the USA visa. I've heard that they require you to have some vaccines if you want to get your visa. Have you ever faced this issue? Is there any alternative to get the visa and still don't vaccinate my children? If I decide to use homeopathy instead, does it have any validity before the consulate? Thanks!
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist
I have traveled overseas with my oldest and he had no trouble getting a USA passport.
Getting passports are not the same as getting visas.
Each country has its own specifications about visa requirements. I have traveled several times with my children (unvaccinated) to countries like Saudi Arabia and Pakistan where diseases like meningitis and polio are common. In Pakistan's case, there was no vaccine requirement for obtaining visas, but for SA, there was one for meningitis. I called the embassy and they said that all that was required was a letter from their doctor saying that it was safe for them to travel. It can be as short as one line! I had my midwife write a letter for myself, since I was also nursing (the previous year was not a problem since I was exempt due to pregnancy).
Essentially, you should check with that particular country's vaccine requirements and then go from there. In the majority of cases, you could just get a doctor's letter and that is sufficient. There are exemptions for diseases like Yellow Fever, but look into it.
BOTTOM LINE: There is NO law which says that makes vaccinations MANDATORY. That says a lot about what government think about the harmful affects of vaccinations. Click here for more information: http://www.vaclib.org/legal/immigration.htm
If you're talking about getting a visa to come to the US, yes my experience is they do require certain immunizations. I know that for an adopted child under a certain age (10 or 14, I can't remember) there is a waiver request that you can have a US doctor sign & notarize with the promise to test for immunity later & get required shots then. My adopted daughter was 17 so they refused to accept the waiver & required her to get 6 shots there on the spot.
Neither of my children are vaccinated (ages 15 & 13). We are US citizens who have lived in South Africa and now live in Kenya with appropriate visas/paperwork. We have never been questioned about vaccinations during any point in the passport or visa process. There were no questions about vaccination in our residency papers either. And, no, I've never been faced with needing to bribe anyone in regards to vaccines (or lack of them). Honesty has been the best policy for our family and we have had any issues, though I don't go about gushing TMI when it's not asked for either. Hope this helps!
* just as an after-thought, obviously laws vary from country to country. It sounds as if the poster above (Irene) has some especially good insight! It is certainly beneficial to plan ahead in regard to international travel as it pertains to "requiring" vaccines versus "suggesting" them. Being an informed non-vaccinator (I think I just made that term up) is much better than being a scared one.
Hi mamasara, I have a business trip scheduled to Nairobi soon. Since my 12 month old daughter is still breast fed, I consider to take her with me. Do you have any recommendations? She is fully UNvaccinated. Is it safe to take her there for 3 days?
Jeanne @soultravelers3
We have been traveling the world non-stop for 7 plus years with a child who has never had a vaccine ..to 45 countries on 5 continents and it has never been a problem at all! We've gotten visas for many countries. She was 5 when we began and is now 12 and never gets sick, rarely even a cold.
We mostly homeschool, but have dipped into local foreign schools in Spain, Malaysia and China ( for her Spanish and Mandarin immersion as she is a fluent trilingual now with monolingual parents) without ANY problems. Even when they give out vaccines to the other school kids at school (as they did in Spain and Malaysia), we just say no and it has been no problem.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist
The pro-vaccine lobby will likely descend on this post at some point and spout their "herd immunity" propaganda that those who are not vaccinated are only healthy because of all the folks who are vaccinated. Let's just nip that one in the bud .. herd immunity ONLY applies to natural immunity NOT vaccine induced immunity (which is inferior and very short term if at all).
Herd immunity is a myth when applied to the vaccinated population.
I was just thinking the Boneheaded portion of the Comment Spotlight next week will be an interesting read because of this article.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist
I'll try my best to be kind!
Blogging does tend to develop a degree of patience, I must say. I am not a naturally patient person when it comes to boneheaded comments but I am getting better over time!
Gapsdieet.nl (@GAPSDieet)
Please retweet: Survey: Are Unvaccinated Children Healthier? http://t.co/nz5gi1N #retweet #vaccin #survey