Why Vaccines Aren't All They're Cracked Up to Be

This week I wanted to delve into the controversial realm of vaccination and immunization.  I think that the main reason that it's such a controversial topic is because we have been made to believe that vaccination is a necessary and vital part of our health.  I, however, beg to differ.

First off, let me state that I believe there is a place for some vaccines for deadly diseases such as smallpox.  But, there shouldn't even be a vaccine for a small, harmless disease such as chicken pox.

That's where our health society has gotten off track these days.  They want to vaccinate for every single microbe and virus that they can, just so we can avoid a little discomfort.  When I was a kid, I got chicken pox.  I don't remember it very much but I do remember that it was uncomfortable.  I wasn't in the hospital, I didn't need life support.  That's because chicken pox is so harmless.  In fact, my parents had me play with my older brother who had chicken pox so I could get innoculated the way that nature intended, by contracting, fighting off, and building up a natural immunity.

One reason that the chicken pox vaccine is such a bad idea (beside the fact that it's a harmless virus) is that it has been linked to an increase in a more serious condition, shingles.  Also, these people who are getting the vaccine aren't building up their immunity to the virus like they should.

With most vaccines, you get a shot.  How often, if you want to build up a natural immunity, are you going to get a shot of chicken pox or the rhinovirus (common cold)?  I would venture to say never.  That's because the majority of your immune system isn't even in your blood.

You see, your body is smart.  When you get sick, you usually inhaled or swallowed the microbe in question.  And for that reason, the majority of your bacteria and virus fighting immune system is actually in your digestive tract.  When you inhale or swallow microbes, your body has a much better opportunity to fight off those microbes because you have more capabilities to do so in your digestive tract.

Now, you may have noticed that I have only been referring to the topic as vaccination and not immunization.  This may be just semantics but, I don't call it immunization because your body is not building up a natural and full immunity to the virus.  Therefore, it is not immunization. 

My wife and I just had our first child, and after doing much research and self reflection, we decided to forgo the whole vaccination process.  The reason we decided to do so was because we believe that the risks of vaccination far outweigh the benefits.  Like I said before, since you are not getting a full immunity to the virus, you still have a good chance of contracting the disease at a later age, which is usually more serious.  Also, there are preservatives in all vaccines to make sure that they last longer.  These preservatives have been linked to serious health conditions such as Autism, Guillian-Barre syndrome, paralysis, and sometimes death.

So, once again, this is just me stating my opinion and trying to educate people about both sides of an argument.  What I want is for people to make an informed decision about their health and their children's health before jumping into doing something just because someone told you to.

Do some research.  Make an informed decision.