What If Vaccines Were Mandatory?

Miss Critter, I looked into your comments as I recently read somewhere (I can't remember where) that physicians were doing a lousy job of encouraging patients to get enough vitamin D (in regard to preventing osteoporosis). I have never heard anything about vitamin D and the immune system. I found one review article from two months ago, but it does not seem the authors found convincing evidence from available studies that vitamin D substantially boosts the human immune system. Vitamin D for treatment and prevention of infectio...[Endocr Pract. 2009 Jul-Aug] - PubMed Result

I am also really open minded, but I have a problem with this Dr Mercola you have linked to. He plays the ever popular 'toxins in vaccines' card, points out that influenza doesn't kill people, the pneumonia people develop when they have influenza kills them (no kidding! HIV doesn't kill people either by that logic) then confidently gives out both preventative and curative doses of vitamin D to beat the flu with (which, per the article cited above, have not been established). After a little digging I have found out that Dr Mercola has a history of such fantastic claims landing him in hot water FDA Orders Dr. Joseph Mercola to Stop Illegal Claims

Here's an interesting site that is anti-Vitamin D. It also has links to studies regarding Vitamin D (Matter of fact, they do not even call D a Vitamin, but instead an immunosuppressive steroid) Vitamin D tutorial

They opine that lack of Vitamin D is not linked to rickets or osteoporosis. All this information is on a site about the Marshall Protocol which basically avoids Vitamin D in the case of certain inflammatory diseases like RA , Lyme infections, etc. Vitamin D levels are measured by Doctors familiar with the protocol and a drug Benicor is used along with avoidance of sunlight and foods with Vitamin D.

I've heard about it, discussed it with a Physician who wanted to charge me insane amounts of money, not covered by insurance, to check my vitamin levels, but there is not substantial evidence in either direction--less or more Vitamin D-- as far as I am concerned, to warrant excessive intake or avoidance.

All I do know is that I feel much better when I get some sunshine--which gives you all the Vitamin D you need-- and I am at the beach (with sunscreen of course).

As far as vaccinations are concerned, my doctor, who treats many immunosuppressed patients with Lyme and its friends, gives the flu vaccine, especially to the elderly. My Grandfather, who is going to be 102 yrs. old this Halloween, faithfully gets his flu shot yearly and currently now B-12 shots- since he was found to have a deficiency. He'll be the first to say, when asked his secret to longevity and youthful looking skin, " Everything in moderation".

I am, however, a little concerned about the Swine flu shot and the dangerous statistics resulting from it back in the 70's. I would hope it was studies more intensively since then.

"During the "swine flu" scare of February 1976, millions of Americans were urged to take a vaccine against it. The swine flu pandemic never happened, but the extensive vaccine program was halted in January 1977 after 500 cases of Guillain-Barre sydrome, a serious polio-like syndrome, occurred in vaccine recipients. There were 25 deaths from the syndrome and the federal government had to eventually pay out $90 million dollars in damages from the lawsuits." Alan Cantwell, MD

Should I get the flu shot? Vaccines? TB test? - Marshall Protocol FAQs (Required Reading) - ABOUT THE MARSHALL PROTOCOL - The Marshall Protocol Study Site

Skunky, I appreciate your input and realize that some people take issue with Dr. Mercola. Here are just a couple of papers on vitamin D and its effect on the immune system. It truly does not matter to me if others up their vitamin D intake or not. My point is that - as in so many instances in western medicine - the natural, common-sense, low-cost way of disease prevention is overlooked (or even derided) in favor of the pharmacological treatment of symptoms without regard to the underlying problem.

Example: Had I not been doggedly persistent in identifying the cause of Critter Jr's chronic fatigue, he would no doubt be on some sort of "chronic fatigue" medication to the enrichment of some pharmaceutical company and to the detriment of my beautiful son's long-term health. Dr. Tommy John at Sacred Heart was instrumental in his diagnosis of gluten sensitivity, thinking to check for the gluten antigen in his bloodwork. And I am eternally grateful to Dr. John for that. BUT, not one but two gastroenterologists we saw as a result of that test assured us that gluten was not the cause of his fatigue and mental fog. To gauge his reaction to gluten, both encouraged him to have an upper sigmoidoscopy to biopsy his small intestine, which would only be accurate if we re-introduced gluten (I had eliminated most gluten following his blood results) to his diet for six weeks prior to the test.
After a few days ingesting gluten, C Jr. was nearly zombie-like, so my internet quest for a better alternative began. I found it in EnteroLab, a Texas lab run by a gluten specialist gastro doc, which measures for gluten, casein and dairy in a simple stool sample. The lab was also able to do DNA testing for gluten and celiac genes - all for under $400. The bottom line is that both local gastro docs were wrong. Gluten and casein were indeed causing my son's chronic fatigue. And we found out that his father and I each contributed a gene to said sensitivity, putting us in the gluten-sensitive category, as well. We modified our diets to eliminate gluten and casein and my son is once-again vibrant, funny, talkative and alert. As an added bonus, I lost weight and the mild arthritis I had in my hands completely disappeared. I shudder to think what would have happened had I not been a pro-active proponent of our health.

I know you get frustrated with patients questioning doctors' authority, and using the internet for research, and I understand that. There will always be those who simply refuse to take responsibility for their own health, and who want a pill to make the symptoms go away. That's fine. Give them all the pills they want. But DO NOT force me, in a purportedly free country - to have a foreign substance injected into my or my son's body - the safety of which HAS NOT been proven - to "prevent" a disease which is no more serious than the yearly seasonal flu. The internet is a godsend to those of us with the intelligence to discern valuable and useful information, and I am grateful that my physician is receptive to, and not threatened by, my efforts to keep my family healthy.

Vitamin D and Autoimmunity: Is Vitamin D Status an Environmental Factor Affecting Autoimmune Disease Prevalence? -- Cantorna 223 (3): 230 -- Experimental Biology and Medicine

http://www.direct-ms.org/pdf/VitDMS/HayesImmuneReview.pdf

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTEQLSzsOPI"]YouTube - Doctor Admits Swine Flu Vaccine is more Deadly Than Swine Flu Itself, Will Not Give It To His Kids[/ame]

Miss Critter I love you, but I've lost a little respect since you used a Fox News clip to support your arguments.

I guess I just don't understand WHY anyone who routinely spends their days working with vast numbers of sick people WOULDN'T want a vaccine against a highly communicable and potentially fatal disease.

I don't think we need to be vaccinated against everything in the world - my chicken pox "vaccine" was being sent to the sick neighbor's house and being told to drink out of their glass - or all in the same day, but there is a valid medical reason WHY these vaccines were created and why certain people need certain ones.

As always a little common sense goes a long way - but I've yet to hear a doctor (whose opinion I respect anyway) advise against a basic course of vaccinations and additional vaccinations for those in certain fields or going to certain countries.

P.S. Those same doctors also advise against us anti-bacterial-izing everything in our worlds and overdoing the meds.

Miss Critter I love you, but I've lost a little respect since you used a Fox News clip to support your arguments.

Doesn't it carry more weight that the wacko, anti-vaccine doc is on Fox? Btw, I don't watch ANY news stations, but I do listen to NPR sometimes.

I guess I just don't understand WHY anyone who routinely spends their days working with vast numbers of sick people WOULDN'T want a vaccine against a highly communicable and potentially fatal disease.

Congratulations, SB. You are their perfect consumer. And frankly, I don't care if you understand WHY I don't want this or any other vaccine. I just don't want you or anyone else forcing it on me.

This is EXACTLY the conversation I was hoping to draw in. Thank you! Fascinating about your mom and I guess I totally never knew about the 70's and swine flu. That's very interesting. I suppose you are correct in that health care workers and military expect that they will be called upon to lead the way so to speak and to be in ready mode. But some health care workers (see link) are concerned and I wonder if it is because there haven't been enough trials. I'd be interested in skunkape's opinion. I wonder if he has had it - I imagine so.

Thanks again - it is nice hear other's opinions on the subject.
G

And thanks for the quote from wiki

I had the 70's swine flu shot. I don't get flu shots now. I was required to be vaccinated agianst hepatitis A & B for two different health care related jobs. It didn't bother me at all.

I don't think flu shots should be mandatory for the general public but employers are free to require what they will, in my opinion.

Mandatory vaccines would be the start of the hypodermic industrial complex. The vaccine industry would flourish. You'd be getting stuck with needles constantly. They wouldn't even call them vaccinations. They'd be referred to euphemistically as "updates". You could save money by buying subscriptions. It would be a lot like antivirus updates for your computer. Occassionally it would get so bad they'd shoot you up with a service pack. (And those don't go in the shoulder). The idea is to get everybody running the same version.

Congratulations, SB. You are their perfect consumer. And frankly, I don't care if you understand WHY I don't want this or any other vaccine. I just don't want you or anyone else forcing it on me.

You better keep looking over your shoulder for I may just vaccinate you in publix while you scan the gluten free products.

You better keep looking over your shoulder for I may just vaccinate you in publix while you scan the gluten free products.

Sir, consider it on like Donkey Kong.

well, i'm all vaccinated and ready for flu season. bring it on H1N1.

Me too! Have the smiley sticker to prove it!