The Great Immunisation debate

Yesterday I commented on a friends page on a matter I feel very strongly about and got some comments back that I feel I have to blog on.

In a country like New Zealand, the majority of the population are immunised.  Sure there are complications with some immunisations but the majority of these complications are pain and swelling associated with the injections, occasional irritability and crying.

Yet some people ride the herd immunisation wave and quote the worst case scenario complications which are few and far between.

I commented on having come from South African and the reality of the situation there, however,

One comment was:

“I have been known to enjoy research for a while. Herd Immunity is an ideology propagated by vaccine companies and their scientific lackeys. From my own research it would seem the peoples on the continent of Africa have been cruelly experimented on by governmental and multinational contingencies. Add to that the drastic changes in living conditions, agriculture, health and spirituality of tribal communities post colonization, and you have a recipe for damage on a huge scale.
Compare this to the relatively stress-free (and I do mean relative) environment of a ‘normal family’ in Aotearoa, who’s biology and homeostasis is fortified by ‘sufficient’ food, water and medicine, who’s living conditions, hygiene and access to a broad spectrum of healthcare is adequate and who can chose from multiple forms of treatment (homeopathics, naturopathy, cranio, herbalism, bach flower, western etc), and we can conclude there may be a higher chance of combating certain diseases and illness.”

Firstly, do we really think that almost every medical practioner that we know, is subject to being duped by vaccine companies and their scientific lackeys. We all immunise our kids.
Ask yourself why this is?

I have been brought up in South Africa and have witnessed first hand the devastation that these illnesses we are trying to prevent have caused. In South Africa, there are lots of different classes but 2 distinct classes stand out, the impoverished, poor, malnourished, African society and the wealthy, healthy, overindulged Indian and White communities. There is no lack of access to the best healthcare in the world in these communities, but because of the lack of “herd Immunity” unimmunised children from these “privileged” communities still get the disease. And frequently enough that very few South Africans from those communities now risk their childrens health by letting them go unimmunised.

My learned colleague above quotes research that he had done to prove the opposite. Anecdotal stories are not research. It would be totally unethical to research the benefits of immunisation in any Western country. The numbers needed to truly conduct a **double blind, placebo controlled trial to see the benefits versus the risks of immunisations would be huge. I would love him to present his research to any valid scientific magazine so that it can be adequately tested.

Say what you want to about immunisation, think what you want to, but the truth is, Fail to immunise and you put your child and the health of nation at risk.
This isn’t scare mongering. It is the simple hard truth. I fear that we will have to reach that critical threshold when some of these illnesses start to rear their ugly heads in New Zealand again before people come to their senses.

• ** double blind placebo controlled trial would involve having 3 groups, 1 not immunised
• group 2 and group 3, given something.
• group 2 will be given a placebo i.e. just water maybe
• group 3 will be given the actual vaccine
• neither the givers or the receivers in group 2 or 3 will know what they are giving or being given.
• Finally the results are assessed by people who don’t know which was placebo and which was vaccine. This is done to eliminate any bias.