The Truth About Vaccines
by Terri L. Saunders

It is common modern practice to vaccinate children beginning in infancy, supposedly to protect them against a variety of diseases which "threaten" mankind. In truth, however, it is these very vaccines that are threatening the health and genetic integrity of the human race. Before the advent of vaccines, many childhood diseases such as measles, mumps and whooping cough were adequately handled by the immune systems of children raised in a drugless society. It was not until the beginning of mass immunization of children in the 1950’s that these same diseases appeared to cause grave injury or death. In fact, in 1950, before routine vaccinations became a reality, the United States had the third lowest infant mortality rate in the world. By 1986, the U.S. infant mortality rate dropped to 17^th place and by 1995 the U.S. had fallen further to 24^th place.

There is a vast difference between natural immunity acquired as nature intended it and the invasive immunization practice derived from vaccination. Immediately after birth, newborn infants who are breast fed, receive antibodies through their mother’s milk. When a child or adult gets a disease naturally, the virus or bacteria travels through the nose or mouth into the lungs and into the circulatory and lymphatic systems, providing antibody and cellular protection. In contrast, when concentrated pathogenic microorganisms are injected directly into the body, they bypass the natural defense system and disease sets in. This challenges the immune system, and immunity is often short-lived.

When one understands what exactly is in these vaccines and how they are made, one would wonder how vaccines could possibly be of any benefit to health. Vaccines are produced from either dead or live attenuated (weakened) disease microorganisms. In the dead vaccines, viruses or bacteria have been have been inactivated by heat, radiation or poisonous chemicals. However, there is no guarantee that all of the microorganisms have been killed. If just one microbe survives it can multiply very rapidly and actually create the disease. This has been known to happen. In fact, every case of polio during the 1980’s was caused by the polio vaccine.

Vaccines created from live attenuated viruses and bacteria are made from the pus of animals that have been infected with disease and then butchered. In these vaccines, the live virus must be weakened by passing the virus through animal tissue several times to reduce its potency for human use. The measles virus is passed through chick embryos, the polio virus through monkey kidneys, and the rubella virus through the dissected organs of an aborted human (yes human!) fetus. The weakened germ is then stabilized by adding drugs, antibiotics, and toxic disinfectants such as neomycin, streptomycin, aluminum hydroxide, formaldehyde, and thimerosal (a mercury derivative). Studies have shown that even microscopic dosages of some of these substances can lead to cancer, neurological damage, and death.

Because of the way vaccines are prepared, additional contaminants may pose more serious concerns. During the serial passage of viruses through the animal cells, foreign genetic material (animal RNA and DNA) is transferred from one host to another. This biological matter is then injected directly into the human body. According to some researchers, this could change our genetic makeup.

The vaccine development process also allows undetected animal viruses to jump the species barrier. This actually happened during the 1950’s and 1960’s when millions of people were infected with polio vaccines that were contaminated with Simian Virus #40 contracted from the monkey organs used to prepare the vaccines. This virus is a powerful immunosuppressor and trigger for the HIV virus. It is said to cause a condition similar to AIDS, and has been found in brain tumors, leukemia and other forms of human cancer.

Are vaccines effective in preventing disease? The evidence proves that they are not. According to the international mortality statistics, there was at least a 95% decline in the incidence and severity of these diseases before the introduction of their vaccines. Measles has apparently returned, with a death rate twenty times higher than before the measles vaccine became available. Before England passed a mandatory vaccination law in 1853, the highest death rate from smallpox in any two-year period was 2,000 cases. However between 1870 and 1872 alone, 45,000 people died from smallpox. Not surprisingly, deaths from smallpox fell dramatically after people began refusing the shots.

The DPT (Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus) vaccine is perhaps the most controversial childhood vaccine. According to pediatrician Dr. Lendon Smith, nearly all doctors have seen whooping cough (pertussis) in children who have been fully vaccinated with this shot. Side effects for the DPT shot range from high fever, continuous high-pitched screaming, severe rashes, diarrhea, choking, apnea, seizures, mental and physical retardation, and in many cases, death. A study done by Dr. Michel Odent found that children receiving the pertussis vaccine were more than six times more likely to develop asthma than children not receiving the vaccine. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) was virtually unheard of until this vaccine was routinely given. The Japanese noticed this relationship and began delaying DPT vaccination until two years of age at which time SIDS disappeared. In the U.S., SIDS deaths average 8,000 per year. American babies still receive their first DPT shot at two months of age.

Other known vaccine-related side effects are attention deficit disorder and hyperactivity, arthritis, hydroencephalopy (fluid buildup on the brain), multiple sclerosis, meningitis, ulcerative colitis, crohn’s disease and chronic fatigue syndrome. Some of these diseases may not surface for up to forty years. The Gulf War Syndrome has also been linked to vaccinations and drug experimentation done on soldiers. It is interesting to note that, while military personnel from several countries participated in this war, only the U.S. military suffers from this syndrome.

Authorities will often warn of dangerous epidemics pending in a fear-based campaign to get parents to vaccinate their children. In 1991, newspapers in Placitas, New Mexico warned of a dangerous whooping cough epidemic, but only three cases of whooping cough were discovered, all in children who were vaccinated.

Because of the extensive cases of vaccine-induced injury and death, and related lawsuits against the companies who produced the vaccines, The National Childhood Injury Act was created in 1986 to compensate families whose children had been injured or died from vaccines. From July, 1990 to March, 1994 more than 34,000 cases of injury were reported, including hundreds of cases of brain damage and over 700 deaths. These numbers represent only 10% of actual cases, since according to the FDA, 90% of doctors do not report vaccine reactions. Compensation comes from a federal fund, not from the vaccine manufacturers. It is funded by a percentage of the cost of each vaccine, paid for by the patient at the time the vaccine is given. This practice effectively exempts both the government and vaccine manufacturers from taking responsibility for vaccine damage.

In spite of all the evidence against the efficacy and safety of vaccines plans are in the works for a "super vaccine" or "magic bullet" vaccine containing raw DNA from forty different kinds of bacteria and viruses. This vaccine would be given to all newborn infants and time-released in the body throughout life.

By now, it should be clear that vaccination is not an effective form of immunization. Only nature is capable of immunizing the body. Injecting vibrant healthy bodies with virulent microorganisms is an assault to the immune system. In countries such as Sweden and Australia where vaccination is not mandatory, parents are free to make the choice to vaccinate their children without hassle. In the U.S., where most people are not told that they have a choice, it is possible to refuse immunization based on religious exemptions or personal convictions. Each state has its own policy for waiving vaccinations. For children and even adults who have been vaccinated, there are natural therapies that can build the immune system and, in many cases, reverse the damage done by vaccines.

For a simply presented, yet highly informative book on vaccines, I highly recommend Immunization, Theory vs. Reality, by Neil Z. Miller. As more people realize the truth about vaccines, perhaps we can eradicate this practice altogether, and ensure a safe, healthy future for our children.