I wrote this post about 2 years ago and have had dozens of questions about it, especially lately. So here is the whole post, with a few updates 
Our view on Vaccines
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When Caleb was born, I delayed giving him any shots for 6 months so that I could thoroughly research the topic of vaccines. So, here by popular demand is my research findings on Vaccines. This is the proposed schedule I am using for Caleb. I am not a doctor and don't pretend to be any sort of medical expert. What I found in my research is that there is indeed a risk associated with taking vaccines. (If your doctor insists there is NO risk, politely thank him and look for a new doctor) However, the risk is usually for smaller complications than those that would arise from actually contracting the disease for which the vaccine was created. Some minor complications include food allergies (wheat, dairy, nuts, etc) skin disorders (eczema) and attention deficit disorders. Major complications are much more rare and include mercury/aluminum poisining (which masquerades as Autism), severe allergic reactions, and (in very rare cases) death. The fact that some children suffer these symptoms should not keep you from vaccinating your child. Only 50 years ago, hundreds of children were dying of Diptheria and other horrible diseases which are now almost absolete in the civilized world. Whether minor or major complications occur, the fact still is that more children are living healthier lives and reaching adulthood than they did before vaccines. I do not recommend going entirely without vaccine. That idea only works in a world where you have herd immunity, where the majority of the population still vaccinates. With the public becoming more and more educated on the dangers of vaccinations, this 'herd immunity' will start to waiver and open our children up to even greater risks. This risk is heightened by the number of illegal immigrants who are introducing diseases that had been formerly eradicated in our country. While I do recommend getting vaccines, I suggest giving them on a modified schedule to minimize or prevent any possible side effects. Studies have found that most complications occur when any of the following three factors are involved: The most common complaint comes from parents whose children have received multiple shots in one setting. A baby's immune system is very weak during the first year. The very nature of a vaccine is to depress the entire immune system while building immunity to the one disease it is trying to prevent. While a baby may be able to handle the depressed immune system from a single vaccine, it becomes increasingly difficult for their immune system to rebound after multiple doses. During the days following vaccinations, the infant is very sensitive to any exposure to foreign elements. For example, a nursing mother may have milk or peanut butter and their child subsuquently devlops allergies to nuts and dairy. Food allergies often appear as early as two months or four months, right after the child has received their monthly shots. They continue to appear after six months as well, but it is the early allergies that are very alarming, as a child has not been formerly introduced to those foods except through a mother's breast milk or in formula. (Some children may be born with allergies, but the ones we are concerned with are those that develop allergies AFTER brith and more ironically, AFTER shots) Food allergies have increased ten fold over the past fifteen years and this is one explanation. Another allergic reaction is the development of Eczema -which is extremely common in young children. SIDS deaths are most common in two to four month olds. Infants are twelve times as likely to die in the two to three days following their vaccinations. I do not believe that SIDS is caused entirely by vaccines but I do think that, when other factors are present, vaccinations greatly increase the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Many people claim that it is simply a defect that the child is born with. But if that is the case, then why doesn't it affect them until two to four months? Why didn't it happen in the first few weeks of life? Clearly, SIDS cannot be solely contributed to a problem present at birth. The problem of receiving too many vaccines at once is easy enough to solve. Simply insist that your child receive no more than one vaccine at a time. Explain that you are willing to return to receive the other vaccines at a later time (it is usually best to wait a month between vaccines) Beware that many vaccines carry multiple doses in a single shot. If possible, try to have them separated -as in the case of the MMR, which I will explain later. A second cause for complications arising from the vaccinations is when the child is ill at the time they receive the shot. This introduces a new disease while the child is already fighting an illness. The combination of the two is enough to overwhelm the child's immune system and cause serious reactions. This is very easy to prevent. Always wait until the child is perfectly healthy and there are no other family members who are sick. Many doctors recommend giving Vitamin C the day before, the day of and the day after receiving a vaccination. This helps to boost the infants immune system in preparation for the vaccine. The third complication is caused by the preservatives used in vaccinations. Most doctors use a huge vat of vaccine. Every time they give a shot, they must reach into the vat and pull out a small amount. Each time they do this, they risk contaminating the entire batch. This is why a preservative is necessary. The preservative of choice have been aluminum or mercury, more commonly known as Thimerasol. Thimerasol was recently recognized as a serious health hazard and removed from all of the vaccines as of 2000. If you receive a vaccine that is older than this, it will almost certainly contain Thimerasol. I have no idea what preservative theyare using in place of this...I sincerely hope it is safer than Thimerasol (but I wouldn't count on it!). The best way to avoid this is to use a doctor who has separate vials. My doctor orders the individual vials, rather than a vat of vaccine. When done this way, there is no need for a preservative and this eliminates much of the risk. The complications that arise from Thimerasol (or other preservatives, including aluminium) are common to the symptoms of Autism. Autism is a genetic disorder. Ironically, this 'genetic' disorder has increased from every 1 in 100,000 children to 1 in 150 children today. This is very alarming! However, after researching the symptoms of Autism, the age at which it appears, and the possible links to vaccinations, many doctors are now realizing that many of these children are not suffering from Autimsm, but Mercury poisoning. Doctors will say that Autism cannot be caused by vaccines. They are absolutley right. But Mercury poisoning has many of the same symptoms (with a few distinct differences) and is often misdiagnosed as Autism. If you notice your child behaving strangely in the days following a vaccine, it is imperative that you act quickly. You can give your child vitamin A to help their body release excess mercury. Studies show that the children that develop Autism like symptoms are those whose bodies do not eliminate toxic waste as well as others. The Vitamin A (which I recommend giving the day before, the day of and the day after a vaccine) helps the body to release the mercury. If the symptoms continue, you must see a doctor immediately to get help. Caught early, these symptoms can be ENTIRELY reversed. If it continues too long however, the child will be permanently stunted. An infant needs to grow and learn many things in their first 18 months and if they suffer from mercury poisoning and are unable to stimulate their brain, the synapses in their brain will die off and they will suffer permanent damage. As adults, our livers produce bile, which is an agent that elminates toxic chemicals from the body. Infants' livers do not create bile until after the first year. This means that their bodies have a much more difficult time ridding themselves of the hazardous mercury injected into their bloodstream. In addition, the blood-brain barrier is not fully developed until after the first year. This barrier is meant to prevent foreign matter from entering the brain. Imagine the complications that can occur when this is not fully developed! I know this is a lot of information, but I will try to summarize it for you. Most problems can be prevented by waiting until the child is a bit older to give vaccines. I waited until 9 months before giving Caleb his first shot. Wait until they are healthy and always give Vitamin C and Vitamin A in the days preceding and following the shot. Never give more than one shot at a time. If possible, wait until fifteen months to give the MMR and then give it in three separate doses. You will have to special order this and I can give you the information if necessary on how to order it. The MMR is considered the most dangerous of all the shots and most (if not all ) problems can be prevented by giving three separate doses, rather than all at once. Try to find a doctor that orders separate vials of the vaccine, rather than using a general vat of vaccine. Check to be sure that your doctor does not have Thimerasol in their vaccines. Before your child receives any shot, ask for the lot number and batch number. Usually, this will include the year the vaccine was made and the year it expires. If it was made before 2000, it likely has Thimerasol. Ask your doctor to be sure. Below is the modified vaccine schedule I am providing for Caleb. I would like to reiterate that I am NOT a doctor and have no right to be making recommenations of a medical sort. I am simply telling you what I have found in my research and what I have decided to do for my own child. If you have any questions or would like to do your own research, I recommend reading "What your Doctor may not tell you about Immunizations" By Stephanie Cave. Dr Sears has also recently published a book and I have heard good things about it...I believe it is called "The Vaccine book" or something. Here is my Vaccine schedule:
I hope this helps answer some of your questions on vaccines! Do you own research. Pray about it. The important thing is to listen to God's prompting on this issue. If you feel strongly that you should give vaccines, then perhaps God is prompting you to do so to protect your children from something they will be exposed to. If you feel strongly opposed to giving any vaccines (after prayer, not personal opinion) then perhaps your child is one that would have harmful side effects. Seek God and trust him for guidance in this area. If you are going overseas, as missionaries, for work, etc, you will need to consider carefully the additional vaccines required. |
He screamed in agony, attracting the attention of the entire parking lot (and of everyone within a mile radius, I'm sure!) The door was locked and I had to fumble for my keys in the sling before I could unlock it and free his fingers. My poor dear boy! 
