Many people are concerned over the safety of vaccinations and the potential long-term and short-term effects. Mandatory vaccines have been required by law in the past for disease outbreaks. Currently, there are vaccinations required by schools, for health care workers, and in emergency situations. Immigrants are often required to be vaccinated for a number of conditions. This is also the case in the military where some enlistees may or may not know what they are even being vaccinated for.
Perhaps the biggest concern is school vaccinations because our children may have the most vulnerable immune systems. The last time there was a true “mandate” for vaccinations (legalese) was during World War I. For those looking to NOT be vaccinated there are a number of exemptions that can be used:
- Medical exemptions
- Religious exemptions
- Philosophical
And how these exemptions can be used is going to depend on the state you are located in. Failure to vaccinate can result in denial of the ability to attend school, civil fines or penalties, and even criminal penalties (very rarely).
In Canada, vaccines cannot be made mandatory because of their constitution. In situations where the school is private it may be required for enrollment. My opinion is that vaccinations should be optional as trying to “force” someone to inject a foreign dead virus or bacteria into their body is against our civil liberties.
So why vaccinate at all?
Herd Immunity
The benefits are biased towards the group and not the individual. In college I took a public health course and even the instructor stated that she would not vaccinate her children. The vaccines are to protect us from getting sick from others in most cased. My opinion is that proper nutrition and exercise for our youth would go a lot further to benefit society. However, exercise and nutrition are harder to enforce than an injection.
Tetanus vaccines don’t apply as they only protect the individual and tetanus is not contagious. Tetanus is more of a problem in areas where there are horses but getting tetanus is certainly a problem when it happens. I have been vaccinated for this several times but as I live in the city now it is unlikely I will be coming in contact with it any time soon.
Informed Consent or Lack Of
Soldiers and students alike are not presented the dangers as well as they should be, in my opinion. Aluminum in vaccines used for soldiers has been linked to Gulf War Syndrome (Petrik et al.) and our babies are injected with aluminum far before they are fully developed. Perhaps if a person knew the potential risks better they would think twice about getting that shot. Considering the amount of money involved in the vaccine industry there is no surprise to me that vaccines are being marketed and pushed so heavily. Consider reading “Vaccinating for Profit – From Cradle to Coffin” by Evelyn Pringle.
Safety of Vaccinations
There are many concerns that vaccines have effects on our immune systems that may lead to disease. Some vaccines even contain mercury as a preservative. There has been allegations that vaccines increase the risk of autism but whether or not this is true is still unclear. Also, getting sick may provide more benefit such as in the case of childhood chicken pox. I have heard anecdotal reports that chicken pox contributed to the child’s intellectual development. However, getting sick always has its risks. We know the risks of getting chicken pox pretty well but I am not sure we know the risks of getting vaccinated for chicken pox as research can take decades.
When we look at the data there are appears to be correlations with vaccines and increased risks for neurological problems and other diseases. A lot of the safety assessment is done post-marketing via VAERS which is, in my opinion, quite disturbing.
Conclusion
Medical exemptions have a history of NOT holding up in court. Vaccinations should be the decision of the individual or parents of a child. I hope someday we realize that proper nutrition, exercise, and decreasing pollution are the safer way to go to improve the health of, and protect our society. Vaccines certainly may still have their place for outbreaks but determining the safety and efficacy is essential.
Getting the flu vaccine can give you the symptoms of the flu. People have been getting the flu for a long time. Consider consulting a naturopath before doing this because there are many things that can help prevent and treat the flu. If you get sick easily that is a sign that you may have a nutritional deficiency. Is there such a thing as a vaccine deficiency?
Disclaimer: These just my opinions and will not likely hold up in court. I suggest you contact your elected officials if you feel mandatory vaccinations are unfair.
