Are We Vaccine Addicted?

Not another addiction! First it was reefer madness; then cocaine, prescription drugs, opiates, heroin ... the list goes on and on. What’s this world coming to?

Vaccines

After being around these substances for my entire veterinary career, I’m certainly addicted to studying vaccines and their problematic consequences for our human and animal populations.

Is our flippant use of these powerful biological substances for humans, animals, and now even fish, reaching to the far corners of the world, our gold standard
for preventative care? But long before this powerful push to vaccinate the world, our “gateway” vaccines were here.

For humans the gateway was the polio vaccine, and actually small pox before that. For dogs, it was likely the distemper vaccine in the late ’50s, followed by parvo in the ’70s. And of course rabies was easily accepted as a yearly practice because of its public health hazard; and public health for humans is always more important than any animal health. Grrrr. However it started, the gate opened. And one addiction often leads to another.

This article is not meant to justify using or not using vaccines for your animals or to show the harm or safety of vaccines, but rather intended to illustrate from where we’ve come.

THE MYTHS

At the base of our vaccine addiction are a number of myths. Like all myths that explain customs, nature or history, there’s an element of truth rooted in fantasy.

The vaccine myths have been created and promulgated by Big Pharma, doctors of all types, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), public health agencies and just about anyone with a vested monetary interest or who’s adopted vaccination as what amounts to a religious practice.

Did I let slip the R word? Yes, I did; but more on religion later. First the myths...

MYTH #1 THE POLIO VACCINE SAVED THE WORLD

This could also be: The Small Pox Vaccine Saved the World. Same meme, different virus. And for many viruses, this myth has managed to survive, despite being completely false.

Now I realize I’m not talking about canine vaccines; but this myth is often the first rationale that echoes from the mouths of pro-vaccine folks. As I mentioned before, for dogs you can substitute distemper, rabies, or parvo for small pox or polio. When I hear this myth, it’s clear someone hasn't done their research.

Just to remind you: the polio vaccine campaign began in 1955, at least three years after the polio (aka infantile paralysis) disease peaked. I repeat - after the peak of natural polio. There was already a decline in polio cases when the vaccine was distributed to the masses, but the fear propaganda pushing us to vaccinate, vaccinate, vaccinate continued - even to the extent of spreading more polio from the vaccines themselves. Again, it was no different for parvo, distemper, feline leukemia or other pet vaccines.

Polio vaccines were injected into anything that moved - except for those educated folks who knew better than to experiment on their family members. They saved their families great suffering; but not everyone was so lucky- and the horror story continues to this day. The examples in human and veterinary medicine are endless.

This double standard is the same for veterinarians. They rarely vaccinate their own animals with the endless, overzealous assault for parvo, distemper, Lyme, bordetella, rabies, and now influenza. Not for their critters! But for you? Well, that’s a different standard.

And of course for all fear-based diseases - from polio to Zika - there’s always a back story. Polio has clearly been linked to the heavy use of pesticides like DDT and other toxicants sprayed mindlessly throughout the US in the 1950s and later. Zika’s back story coincides with the enormous use of glyphosate (Roundup) herbicide in Brazil, seconded only by the good old USA. History repeating itself? Insanity or addiction?

MYTH #2 HERD IMMUNITY PROTECTS

The concept of herd immunity was first coined when referring to measles in humans; but it sounds like it started with animals, doesn't it? Anyway - the new sanitized phrase is community immunity.

Studies now show that unvaccinated children rarely get diseases that are now becoming common in the general population — diseases such as autism (this one really gets people riled up), allergies, neurological problems, behavioral disorders, immune dysfunction, and cancer. I’m sure all of my truly holistic veterinary colleagues would agree with me that our unvaccinated patients are far healthier, live longer, and respond to natural medicines faster than their vaccine-assaulted counterparts.

If herd immunity was so great (it should really be called herd chronic disease) why are the outbreaks of diseases such as measles, kennel cough, polio, parvo and many more worse in vaccinated populations? The answer is clear - only natural immunity is really protective against the acute disease. Natural immunity does not commonly create the haven for chronic disease.

If herd immunity was all it’s purported to be, why do we keep vaccinating when the disease is not present? I’m afraid the only logical answer is: making Big Pharma and their stockholders happy. No scientific reason exists to keep vaccinating a population of animals or people without the eminent threat of disease. Is this the definition of insanity? Or addiction?

IF VACCINES WERE SO SAFE WHY ISN’T THERE AN INFORMED CONSENT DOCUMENT GIVEN TO EVERY PARENT AND PET OWNER BEFORE VACCINATION? IF PET OWNERS ACTUALLY KNEW WHAT WAS IN THE VACCINES, HOW THEY WORK OR DON’T WORK, THE RISKS OF ADVERSE REACTIONS AND CHRONIC DISEASE, IT’S UNLIKELY THEY WOULD OPT IN SO EASILY.

MYTH #3 VACCINES ARE HARMLESS, SAFE AND EFFECTIVE

This one really gets people marching their animals, kids and selves to the doctors, vets, pharmacies, pet stores and now even grocery stores. Grocery stores? Yes, pick up some cereal and get your shingles vaccine. How dangerous can they be if the grocery store carries them? Insanity or addiction?

Vaccines are not safe. Never have been. Never will be. They are not even legally considered safe. It took the Patriot Act to hold harmless the entire vaccine industry - hence the need for the government’s National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, otherwise known as the Vaccine Court. The vaccine manufacturers cannot be sued for any damage caused. The highest amount you can win in this court is $250,000 — a paltry amount if the vaccine injury is severe.

And just so you know, vaccine production has less rigorous safety standards than other drugs, making them easier to get to market. They are cheap, cheap, cheap
to make, but the profits are high, high, high! And with no liability attached to the product (making them the only pharmaceutical product without liability), they are even more profitable. And just to make it a triple home run, the states that mandate human vaccinations or rabies vaccines for our animals, are making big profits for Big Pharma. Insanity or addiction?

There is no vaccine court for animals damaged from vaccines. Animals are considered our property, we are their owners - and there’s no compensation for suffering or expenses. For that matter, there is no compensation for costs to the insurance companies should you purchase a policy for your animals. It might be a great idea for the insurance companies to connect the dots and see what they are paying for — otherwise known as common, typical, even “normal” diseases in our animals. But if animals weren’t contracting all these long term chronic diseases, the insurance companies wouldn’t sell policies; and they wouldn’t be making the money they now are on pets. Insanity or addiction?

If vaccines were so safe why isn’t there an informed consent document given to every parent and pet owner before vaccination? If pet owners actually knew what was in the vaccines, how they work or don’t work, the risks of adverse reactions and chronic disease, it’s unlikely they would opt in so easily.

THE RELIGION OR IDEOLOGY

Does this sound outrageous, blasphemous, heretical? It should. The use and abuse of vaccines is rooted in a mindset that’s not based on rigorous science, empirical observation or even common sense, but on fear, paranoia and a prevailing thought that the world is a big scary place. And it’s fueled by (what else?) money and greed.

Even questioning vaccine use sends out the trolls accusing caring folks of being crazy and educated doctors of being fraudulent quacks. Much like discussing religion with a zealot defending his blind faith, the abuse of vaccines requires all of us to self-educate, defend our ground, our animals and our families.

The vaccine issue has flown far too long on blind faith and the information provided by Big Pharma. Today many doctors (human and animal) are questioning their medical school indoctrination and the dismissal of vaccine dangers. Thankfully, wonderful doctors with a desire to know the truth are seeking it, often at great expense to their income, licensing and reputations.

TRUST THE BODY TO PROTECT US

How is it possible that we (humans and animals) survived for millennia without vaccines? Are we healthier or living longer? Is it smart to fear everything that is not considered us? And more importantly, are we satisfied with “preventing” common childhood and puppyhood diseases in exchange for a lifetime of chronic ailments?

It’s ironic that most terrified, vaccine-happy folks run straight ahead injecting themselves, their kids, and their animals with the very diseases they fear the most. Running away from parvo, hepatitis, herpes and Lyme might be a better survival option. Why inject pieces of the feared agent directly into your body? Is it logical to think that injecting small amounts of the viruses (and other toxicants) into your body will actually make you healthier? Oh, but it’s supposed to protect you, not make you healthier, right? Creating the foundation for a truly resistant and resilient body by using good nutrition, immune supportive foods, ample exercise, clean water, and social and psychological stimulation makes more sense, costs less, and is a lot more fun. And yes, the body can protect itself if allowed to do so.

THE TWELVE STEPS

Maybe our only hope is a revised set of the Alcoholics Anonymous 12-Step Recovery Program to help rid of us of our dysfunctional or addictive behaviors. Imagine a world where there is no pressure, fear or big money to push an agenda that could harm anyone. Imagine a medical model that would give you, the owner, full disclosure, informed consent and transparency of information so that you can make the best decisions possible whether to vaccinate or not. Imagine the myths vanishing and being replaced with logic, scientific evaluation, and the complete education of our doctors.  Imagine a 12-Step Program that, like one of the goals of Alcoholics Anonymous “results in a growth of freedom and happiness.” And I would add — health for us and our animal families.