Yes, I Am Opposed to Vaccines

Yes, I Am Opposed to Vaccines

I’ve been sort of hesitant to be so blatant about my stance on vaccines.

I’ve certainly said in the past that we don’t vaccinate. I’ve also said that I support a parent’s right to choose for their own children — and that hasn’t changed.

But, I haven’t come right out and said it, because of the culture we live in right now. People go a little nutty when you start talking about vaccines. These days, you can’t say you have so much as a concern about annual flu shots, or “too much too soon,” before you’re branded as an utter anti-science quack (even if you’re a doctor). I’ve tried to be more cautious in what I’ve said, so as not to upset these people, but…enough is enough. They already think I’m crazy and I’m not really here to prove anything to them.

So, in honor of Vaccine Injury Awareness Month (October)…here it is: I oppose vaccines.

Yes, I Am Opposed to Vaccines

What do I mean by, “oppose vaccines?”

I do not get them for my own family. I will never. There is not a single situation I can think of where I’d be okay with receiving vaccines. No, not if there were a Zika vaccine or an Ebola vaccine. No, not if there were some crazy global pandemic. No, not if I traveled to a third world country. True health is not found in a needle.

I’m up front about this. I think vaccines are a bad idea. That is — I think the premise was originally a good idea (hey! what if we introduce a tiny amount of virus/bacteria into our bodies to produce antibodies without getting a full-blown illness and therefore avoid the related complications? cool!), but it’s just not that simple now.

And yes, I think vaccines are pretty universally a bad idea, as they stand today. I’m not going to tell you you’re a bad person if you disagree with me, nor will I tell you that you can’t or shouldn’t get them…but I don’t recommend them. I’m not the kind of person who thinks everyone else has to agree with me. But I’m not going to hide my opinion, either.

How Could Anyone Oppose Vaccines?

You may already be on board with me, cheering that I said this. You may be scratching your head, truly confused as to why I’d say it. Or you may be breathing fire that I would dare say this when I have such a large audience I could influence. If you’re of the latter category, might I just suggest that this site isn’t for you and you just see your way out? You won’t convince me to change my mind about vaccines or talking openly about it, so, let’s just not try.

Vaccines are a super, super complicated topic. I couldn’t possibly cover it all right here, in a single post. There’s just far too much.

To simplify it, though — basically, we can’t “trick” the immune system into developing in a normal, healthy way. It would be nice if we could, but we can’t. There are unintended consequences that occur when the immune system avoids normal challenges (i.e. illness) and when it is introduced to aluminum, thimerosal, and a number of other chemicals that don’t belong in our bodies at such a young age. It primes us for chronic inflammation, which can lead to autoimmune disorders, cancer, neurological disorders, and more, down the road.

Beyond this…I am concerned about some of the ingredients in vaccines, namely, aluminum. It’s a known neurotoxin. It’s found in Pentacel, Pediarix, Hep A, Hep B, HPV, meningococcal, pneumococcal, Tdap (but NOT DTaP).

I cannot get into all my concerns here. Here are a few more posts to read on individual issues:

Make sure you click that last link. There are are a ton more posts that I didn’t link above that may interest you. Those posts are well-cited with research that I won’t rehash here.

There’s No Logic in Pro-Vax World

I’ve heard some really…interesting forms of “logic” from adamant pro-vaxxers that makes me really just question everything they say. How could it not?

They deny that vaccines could ever cause any injury, despite that anything can injure someone. People are allergic to peanuts. Of course some people can’t have vaccines. People react badly to antibiotics. Of course some people react badly to vaccines. Even when the reaction occurs within minutes to hours, it’s considered “coincidence.” In thousands of cases. There’s a huge blind spot here, obviously.

They believe that if fully-vaccinated children in highly-vaccinated communities get sick, that it was somehow all those anti-vaxxers that caused it. Which doesn’t even make sense — because if “herd immunity” works, then illnesses shouldn’t be able to circulate among a highly-vaccinated community. They ignore the very real, rational explanation of vaccine failure, and still blame “anti-vaxxers” (even if no unvaccinated kids are even sick…).

They think that healthy children get sick more than immunocompromised children, which doesn’t even make sense. Immunocompromised children (or adults) are always at greater risk of illness, any illness, than healthy people. That’s why they are considered immunocompromised! Anyone with common sense can see that this is not “logic” at all.

They think that vaccines boost the overall immune system. They think that vaccines can prevent illnesses they weren’t designed to prevent. Some think they can prevent colds or fevers or stomach viruses…even though we don’t have vaccines for these things. This is not how vaccines work…even if you believe they work as they’re supposed to.

There are many more examples. But these things make me think people have a poor understanding of health. That’s not a reason in and of itself to oppose vaccines, but it is a reason not to necessarily trust them for advice. My reasons for opposing vaccines have to do with my view of health and wellness, and the design and contents of vaccines, but I choose not to take health advice from people who make these basic mistakes.

Where Does This Leave Us?

Here’s the thing. It’s not my job to make this decision for you.

It’s not anyone’s job to make this decision for you. I’m being completely up front about my opinion. But I won’t call you names and I won’t judge you for your choices. I will not call you a “sheeple” or say you didn’t do any research if you choose to vaccinate. I won’t get nasty with you. Your decision is between you and your chosen medical professional and immediate family.

I will suggest that your decision shouldn’t be fear-based, though. Don’t vaccinate because you’re afraid of these diseases — ask more questions until you understand each one of them. Don’t skip vaccines because you’re afraid of a vaccine reaction — ask more questions until you understand the risks of vaccines vs. the risks of each disease. Fear has no place in this discussion. I won’t try to scare you into or out of vaccines.

And, you know what? I prefer, personally, to be part of a community where everyone lays their cards on the table as to what they believe, and they can have an honest discussion about it without rudeness and insults. I prefer to be able to discuss the issue with people who don’t automatically get condescending and insulting towards me because I have a different view on health. Wouldn’t you prefer to talk to people who are the same way — even if you end up choosing vaccines?

I simply do not and will not discuss the issue any further with people who think that all vaccines are great, all the time, and that anyone who questions them doesn’t have a brain and ought not to talk about the issue at all. I don’t care if people think that’s censorship, or a lack of transparency. I don’t have time in my life to waste justifying my choices to people who don’t care and won’t change their minds no matter what I say. It’s not edifying for me or anyone else.

Plus, I’ve found that people who feel that way start out with thinly veiled condescension and barely-restrained hostility. It’s clear from their words and mannerisms that they’re sighing over my sheer stupidity and their only goal is to make me see that I’m wrong — without ever understanding why I believe as I do. I really just will not discuss with these type of people anymore. I will openly delete and ban them. Even if they’re not rude. Why? Because no one’s changing their mind, and usually when I engage, it goes back and forth a couple of times before the insults and personal attacks come out. It’s just not worth it.

Now, if you have honest questions and you’re just confused, that’s totally different. We all want the same thing — healthy children. We all want to protect our children the best way we know how. We can have an honest discussion about what that looks like and what our options are, if we know that at the end of the day, we can agree to disagree if necessary and walk away without insults or rudeness.

That’s my stance. I’ve been reading for so long, and I continue to read new research that comes out, and there’s nothing that’s going to make me change my mind at this point and decide vaccines are good. (And if you are staunchly pro-vax, don’t sigh over that. You aren’t changing your mind, either.)

I’m hoping to open up a reasonable dialogue among parents who aren’t looking for a one-size-fits all answer. Who are tired of being branded as “crazy” just for questioning vaccines. Who want to know if vaccines are truly the best option or if maybe there’s another way. Who are truly interested in a rational, science-based, natural approach to parenting. That’s where we are. That’s what this community is about. In fact, you can join us in our private Facebook group if you’d like to be in on the discussion.

I just thought I’d be completely honest about my opinion and where I am on this issue. My cards are out of the table — are you going to lay yours down, too?

Are you opposed to vaccines too? Why or why not?

Original article and pictures take modernalternativehealth.com site