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Medical opinion by John F. Ruhland, ND
Do you have health-related questions for Dr. John, the Naturopathic
Doctor? Send them to the Free Press at 1463 E Republican #178, Seattle
WA 98112, or email to WAfreepress@gmail.com. Please keep questions short.
The opinions expressed below are on general issues of health. They
should not be construed as personal medical advice. Readers should
seek a variety of information about any health concern before deciding
on a treatment from a personal physician.
Should Your Child Get Vaccinated?
Dear Nature Doc,
I noticed how many immunizations my doctor recommends for my child. It
seems a lot more than when I was a kid, and I'm worried about side
effects. What are your recommendations regarding childhood
immunizations?
It's important for parents to seek a variety of resources in order to
make a decision based on the what they feel is the best possible
information.
Two excellent Internet sites on vaccinations follow.
The National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) at
www.909shot.com has
links to additional sources of information. It is a national,
non-profit educational organization founded in 1982. It is the oldest
and largest national organization advocating reform of the
mass-vaccination system.
Another site is from the Association of American Physicians and
Surgeons (AAPS), which two years ago called for an end to mandatory
childhood vaccines:
www.aapsonline.org. The following is an excerpt
from an AAPS news release, available on the AAPS website.
"'Our children face the possibility of death or serious long-term
adverse effects from mandated vaccines that aren't necessary or that
have very limited benefits,' said Jane M. Orient, MD, AAPS Executive
Director. Forty-two states have mandatory vaccine policies, and many
children are required to have 22 shots before first grade. On top of
that, as a condition for school attendance, many school districts
require vaccination for diseases such as hepatitis B--primarily an
adult disease, usually spread by multiple sex partners, drug abuse or
an occupation with exposure to blood. And yet, children under the age
of 14 are three times more likely to suffer adverse effects--including
death--following the hepatitis B vaccine than to catch the disease
itself. [In some cases], parents are threatened by Child Protective
Services with possible seizure of their children based on "education
neglect". "'It's obscene to threaten to seize a child just because the
parents refuse medical treatment that is obviously unnecessary and
perhaps dangerous," says Dr. Orient.
About ten percent of children in the US now have learning
disabilities. Many holistic physicians believe this is partly due to
immunizations.
There are excellent alternatives to immunizations. If parents have
done the basic research and want further information, they can discuss
specific alternatives with a naturopathic physician, based on each
child's unique circumstances.
For more information, contact Dr. Ruhland at mail@drruhland.com.
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