Amidst outbreaks of Measles and the persistence of other diseases such as Polio considered to be all but eradicated in the Western world due to preventative vaccination schedules, vaccination is a very divisive topic at present, particularly when it comes to parents’ right to choose whether or not, or otherwise when to have their children vaccinated. As a health practitioner I am keen to stay on the periphery of the wider debate and instead offer food-for-thought related to the whole topic of vaccines as a preventative measure through the lens of personal experience as an adult.
When I first traveled and ultimately moved to Asia in my early 20’s, I enthusiastically embraced the extensive list of exotic sounding ‘travel’ vaccinations I was required to have (as well as some non-essential additions such as Yellow Fever) and considered my newly acquired vaccination booklet as ratification of my new life as a globe-trotter. In fact, I was flip-flopping between relief and dismay when it was determined that I did not need the BCG (Bacillus Calmette–Guérin) vaccination for tuberculosis (TB), as I already had immunity.
Relief, because I would not have to worry about the hallmark scar that I had seen on some peoples’ arm, dismay as I foolishly thought of it as a missing a rite of passage. I was proud to keep my vaccination booklet fully up-to-date, never missing a booster. When I began to travel extensively for business and the company was footing the bill for my ‘protection’, I happily added another unusual jab to my booklet – Japanese Encephalitis (JE), not really giving much thought to the fact that I was unlikely to be venturing into ‘high risk’ rural environments.
‘Safely’ living back in Europe and preparing to move to Africa in my mid-30’s I insisted on adding the Meningococcal vaccine to my impressive collection, alongside Yellow Fever -, JE – and several other boosters, despite being advised that Meningococcal disease and Japanese Encephalitis cannot co-exist so there was little value in having both. Furthermore, I was disappointed when the travel doctor suggested that after four sets of shots for rabies, I was likely to enjoy life-long immunity without the need for further boosters.
As I did not experience any adverse effects at the time, including following the only ‘live’ vaccine for Yellow Fever (often be associated with malaise thereafter), I was convinced that vaccines only had a protective effect. Nevertheless, I did forgo the regular ‘local’ vaccines which were offered in my work place including one against tick bites (routinely offered in Austria) and the annual flu vaccine, as even I considered these as ‘over kill’.
Living in Africa and travelling the continent extensively for work, I continued to be overly diligent in maintaining the booster schedule, in fact a few were completed a few months prior to being ‘due’ and with each visit to the travel clinic or a new African destination I enquired whether there was possibly any vaccine I was ‘missing’. I was often complimented on my exemplary adherence to the travel vaccine recommendations and ‘schedule’. At the time, I did not realise that I had become obsessed and what I would now refer to as a ‘VACCINE JUNKIE’.
It was only years later, when the subject of vaccines in general came up repeatedly in my clinic practice and during courses I attended for CPD (continuous professional development) that I slowly began to realise the burden I had possibly placed on my body and began to research the topic.
Whilst the contentious subject of the MMR vaccine and rumours of possible links to autism did come up during my Nutritional Therapy degree, we were firmly told that such subjects were beyond our ‘practice remit’, so I did not really give it a second thought. However, with a few years of clinical practice under my belt, I began to encounter children with developmental delays with some parents recounting ‘normal’ development of their children prior to the administration of certain combination vaccines and significant regression followed by the onset of both physical and developmental delays immediately thereafter.
Having a few children with developmental delays in my immediate circle and then hearing a similar story a few times from a few different parents in clinic, I was finally spurred into action and attended GAPS (Gut and Psychology Syndrome) training with Dr Natasha Campbell McBride, where I was fully aware that the topic would at least be discussed. I discovered that some non-live vaccines used to contain mercury as an adjuvant (substance to increase an immune response to a weak or dead antigen) and that many still contain aluminium.
It was at this point, that I started to read the labels on the vaccines to check the adjuvant contained and be a bit more selective about having boosters etc. For example, when I went for boosters for Hepatitis A & B, I noted that the adjuvant in both is aluminium and enquired whether I really needed both. Fortunately, I was advised to first check my titer (level of anti-bodies), which is a routine precaution for those working in the healthcare sector, as it was sufficient, there was no need to have a booster and I was only administered the Hepatitis A vaccine as a solo booster.
Curiously, I had done a hair mineral analysis (HMA) a few months prior which had detected some aluminium, following which all possible house-hold, personal care etc. sources of aluminium were removed. Expecting to see a reduction in the levels of aluminium detected, I repeated the test one month after the vaccination and was surprised to find that my aluminium levels had gone up versus down. I went through a mental checklist of possible sources I had failed to address, but could only surmise that the aluminium from the vaccine was the likely culprit.
Based on my own experience and that of the parents and clients I encountered in clinic, I finally began to research this topic in earnest and engage with colleagues in the field promoting ‘informed consent’ when it comes to vaccines, as well as those offering effective solutions in cases where so called ‘vaccine damage’ is suspected to be a component in some health pictures. Keen to inform myself, I watched the entire series of ‘The Truth About Vaccines’ which I found to be very insightful and raise some logical questions, with some of the doctors featured offering sensible advice, particularly for concerned parents. One such doctor is Dr Paul Thomas, author of ‘The Vaccine Friendly Plan’, a book I recommend to confused and concerned parents, particularly those with family members on the ‘autism spectrum’. Reports by health officials on alternative homeopathy-based prevention methods used in crisis situations in some countries were also features and a complete an eye-opener for me.
I am now an advocate of ‘informed consent’ believing that it is every individuals’ responsibility (including myself) to inform themselves as best they can and come to their own conclusions regarding vaccinations for themselves and their family, whether it is childhood vaccinations, the HPV vaccine for girls and now boys or the annual flu vaccine. And whilst I completely understand the whole ‘herd immunity’ argument surrounding topics such as the measles vaccine, I am also cognisant that mandating that parents with autism or other conditions in the family that may put their child at risk of an adverse reaction, should vaccinate on schedule with the standard option available, is akin to asking them to play Russian roulette with their child’s future. A more balanced approach to this very emotive topic would be to understand each other’s perspectives and accept that whilst on a collective level vaccination schedules appear to be effective, on an individual level and long-term across an individual’s lifetime, we just don’t know what the impact might be.
For my part, my next steps are to detoxify from all of the vaccines that I have had throughout my life and to inform myself of the pros/cons of any vaccines offered to me in the future, as well as evaluating the homeopathy-based alternatives for myself.
From experience, I would recommend the following steps when contemplating vaccinations:
- Look up what the vaccine is for and in the case of travel vaccines, the precise area/environment for which it is recommended – being informed allows you to be more selective
- For boosters, if possible check titers first, if sufficient there may be no need to vaccinate
- Always have an up-to-date vaccination booklet and carry it with you when travelling (you don’t want to get stopped at a border and jabbed on the spot!)
- Don’t be afraid to ask your doctor questions e.g. whether a certain vaccination is necessary or whether you have had enough boosters to confer lifetime immunity
- Be aware that vaccinations do evolve and boosters may no longer be required (e.g. as I discovered post my most recent HepA booster)
- If you decide to vaccinate, plan your vaccinations and if possible space them out
- Research and weigh up the pros/cons, making sure that you are aware of possible adverse effects
- Be pragmatic and be keep in mind that it is possible to detoxify from vaccinations if you believe that some of the vaccinations administered might have been problematic
- Bear in mind that prevention is better than cure, but also consider that there are other prevention methods or preventative habits and that vaccines may not reduce the risk of contracting a ‘preventable disease’ to zero e.g. a HepA vaccine is not a licence to go and eat raw food or drink tap water in countries where food hygiene standards are lacking…