My patients frequently ask my opinion on vaccination and because the question of vaccination will come up while or after you have read this book, I include this short commentary here on the vaccination controversy. I do not advocate for or against vaccines. Though such a position does not ultimately resolve the difficult dilemma of whether to use vaccinations or not, the following information may help you make wiser decisions.
Routine medical vaccination has been performed for more than half a century, during which time standards and safety have improved immensely. Principles of immunization through vaccines have been known for hundreds of years, or longer, but even so, controversy remains active to this day.
In light of the material contained in this book, the most pressing questions related to vaccination are these: Have the mass vaccination programs of previous decades contributed to the AIDS epidemic and other diseases? Though safer vaccines are now available, do they contribute to neurological damage and immune system dysfunction? Does the use of live-virus vaccines cause yet-to-be determined biological alterations of the genetic material?
There is clear scientific evidence validating the effectiveness of immunization through vaccination, but there is also a growing body of evidence challenging its safety. It is not my intention to go into this issue in detail, but it is my clinical opinion that the disruption of the immune system is potentially a very serious problem, one which could affect every individual on this planet, and until clear, unbiased, and well-documented data is available, individuals and parents should approach the vaccination issue with caution.
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Coulter, Harris with Barbara Fisher. DPT: A Shot in the Dark. New York: Penguin, 1991.
Coulter, Harris. Vaccination, Social Violence, and Criminality. Berkley, Calif.: North Atlantic Books, 1990.
Neustaeder, Randall. The Vaccine Guide, Making an Informed Consent. Berkley, Calif.: North Atlantic Books, 1996.
O'Shea, Tim. “Vaccination is not immunization.” Alternative Medicine. July 2001: 70–89.