Sunday, December 08, 2002 3:51 PM
The Belief in Vaccines
Dr. Sherri Tenpenny, DO
I always find it interesting that a discussion over the topic of
vaccination can become "heated" and "volatile". Why is that?....would the
same debate rage over an antibiotic or an antihypertensive medicine if
there was evidence that it was causing harm?
Highly doubtful. It would be removed promptly from the market if deaths
resulted from its use. Even if deaths were suspected to be caused by a
medication, we stop using it until we prove it is safe.
Not so with a vaccine. We keep using it until we can "prove" it is causing
harm.
Why the double standard?
The doublespeak occurs because vaccination is built around a "belief"
system, and challenging the validity of vaccines challenges long-held
foundational beliefs. We BELIEVE that vaccines are safe; we BELIEVE that
vaccines are important for our health; we BELIEVE that vaccines will
protect us from infection; we BELIEVE that vaccines were the reason
infectious diseases decreased around the world. And we really want to
BELIEVE that our doctor has read all the available information on
vaccines--pro and con--and that s/he is telling us the complete truth about
vaccines......
However, belief is based on faith; not necessarily on fact.
With only a cursory review of the literature and CDC documents, one will
find the following facts:
1. No vaccine has ever been proven to be completely safe. Safety studies
are small and only include "healthy" children. However, after a study is
completed, vaccines are given to ALL children, regardless of underlying
health conditions or genetic predispositions. We have a "one size fits all"
national vaccination policy; one that does not allow for personal choice or
individualized options; and one that has caused a myriad of health problems
for many.
2. Observations for side effects continue for a maximum of 14 days during a
"safety study". Complex problems involving the immune system can take weeks
or even months to appear. This arbitrary 14 day cut off set by the FDA and
the pharmaceutical industry stops the observation long before complications
are likely to appear. This is the basis for their "vaccines are safe"
mantra but the long term and relatively unknown complications from vaccines
reveal that no vaccine is safe.
3. A vaccine "safety" study compares a new vaccine to a "placebo" to
determine the safety of the new vaccine. When we examine the study a little
more closely, we discover that the "placebo" is NOT a benign, inert
substance, such as saline or water. The "placebo" is another vaccine with a
"known safety profile." So if the new vaccine has the same side effects as
the "placebo", the new vaccine is called "safe."
4. Vaccines are said to confer protection by causing the development of
antibodies. However, there are many references in CDC documents (the
Highest Authority in the land regarding vaccines) which reveal that
antibodies don't necessarily protect us from infection. Here are a few
examples from medical journals and CDC documents:
Pertussis: "The findings of efficacy studies have not demonstrated a direct
correlation between antibody response and protection against pertussis
disease." MMWR March 28, 1997/Vol.46/No. RR-7, p.4
H. Flu (HiB): "The antibody contribution to clinical protection is unknown."
---HibTITER package insert
"The precise level of antibody required for protection against HiB invasive
disease is not clearly established."
http://www.cdc.gov/nip/publications/pink/hib.pdf.
Smallpox: "Neutralizing antibodies are reported to reflect levels of
protection, although this has not been validated in the field." JAMA June
9,1999, Vol. 281, No. 22, p.3132
5. We want to "believe" that if we receive a vaccine, we will be protected
from the infection. Several medical journal articles document that this is
not necessarily so. Here are a few examples:
Pertussis Infection in Fully Vaccinated Children in Day-Care Centers, Israel
(Emerging Infectious Diseases Vol. 6, No. 5; Sep-Oct 2000)
Pertussis in the Highly Vaccinated Population, The Netherlands
(Emerging Infectious Diseases Vol. 6, No. 4 July-Aug 2000)
Pertussis in North-West Western Australia in 1999; all vaccinated.
(Communicable Diseases Intelligence 2000 Vol 2 4 No 12)
The debate surrounding the use of vaccines goes back and forth with "data"
and "studies" used to support both sides. But the bottom line is this:
Vaccination has been "accepted" as safe, effective and protective for
nearly 200 years. It is a "sacred cow" and with all "sacred cows", people
react with a visceral response when someone suggests that the "cow" should
be "sacrificed". There are many examples of this over the centuries:
Copernicus who insisted that the Sun is the Center of the solar system and
Semmelweiss who showed that doctors performing hand washing saved women's
lives. Both men were ridiculed in their day. It is heresy to suggest that
the "status quo" is wrong.
Statistics have shown that when presented with a new, different,
challenging idea, 96% of people will spend their time and energy defending
their current beliefs and only 4% will embrace the idea as something to
seriously consider.
When you research vaccinations and the vaccine industry, you will find that
your "foundational beliefs" regarding vaccines will be seriously
challenged. When you begin to study the negative effects--both actual and
theoretical--that vaccines have on the immune system, you will likely
become part of the 4% who understand that "truth" about vaccines is not
really "The Truth" and that the mandatory vaccination policies currently
being enforced must be changed.
Dr. Sherri Tenpenny
New Medical Awareness Seminars
www.nmaseminars.com
2002