Vaccines - Friend or Foe?

Hey friend!

l hope this finds you well.

Well, it's time again... time to talk about one of the most controversial topics in the world - vaccines. Just like politics in cancer, politics in vaccines are no fun to talk about! Yet, I believe the conversation must be had. It affects the health of children and adults all over the world, and I suspect it even plays a role in cancer development.

Just this past weekend I was at a friend's house and the use of vaccines came up. I was in the midst of a couple conventionally trained health professionals - an RN and a med student - and the med student mentioned that the flu vaccine this year was only effective 20% of the time. When asked if he was in favor of vaccine use, he said "Yes." Then a non-medical friend said that every time her dad got the flu vaccine, he got sick. I almost let the conversation pass by without commenting, because I didn't want to cause a stir and I didn't think I had a lot of information to defend my cautious and skeptical viewpoint of vaccine safety and effectiveness. But, I knew I had to say something - maybe the little knowledge I had would help my friends and acquaintances think critically about claims made by the government and health officials that all vaccines as they are administered today on the recommended CDC schedule are undeniably safe and effective for everyone? It is these authorities that are supposed to protect our health; yet, I'm sure just about everyone would agree that they don't always protect us, right? (Think back to the days of, "Cigarettes a great for you!")

I brought up a few things in our conversation that no one seemed to be aware of - the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), where families and doctors have reported thousands upon thousands of adverse reactions after administration of a vaccine, including very serious injuries and deaths; the fact that billions of dollars have been paid by the US government (using taxpayer dollars) to families of loved ones who claim to have been injured by vaccines, with a cap of just $250,000 for death; and the fact that pharmaceutical companies cannot legally be held responsible for injuries caused by their products. Fortunately, though the opinions in the room were different, the atmosphere was respectful and the conversation ended amicably.

Unfortunately, discussions about vaccines don't always go well; they are often emotional and people get frustrated with each other for being "hard-headed." Yet, when it comes down to defending what they believe, many can't go very deep. I admit that I haven't yet done enough research to figure out what I would do if I had my own child, but due to my concern about my young nephews and niece I have a strong desire to learn more.

I think the question is, what do we really know about the vaccines that are being used today? In composition? In frequency? Compared to older vaccines? And how do other factors like environmental toxins, diet, antibiotic use, gut health, genetics, etc. affect how our bodies react to the vaccines?

Fortunately, The Truth About Vaccines series airs beginning today, January 25th at 9pm EST. I watched some of the series the last time it aired and I believe that the interviews with the medical experts provide a good starting point to doing one's own research to find truth (which is often suppressed) about vaccines.

Watching one, or even a couple, of the episodes in the series will not make a person fully informed, but doing so would provide guidance for how to approach one's own research. The key concept here is: doing your own research!

We can't form our opinions solely based on information from people we are supposed to trust, who have close ties to this very, very profitable, powerful and influential pharmaceutical industry. Too much is at stake - our short- and long-term health, and especially the health of our precious children, who are the future.

I hope that if you haven't done so already, you'll develop a well-informed stance on how vaccines should (or shouldn't) be used in our society.

Please let me know how your research goes. Let's be humble to learn and listen, but also beware of deception and think critically. Let's be courageous to share what we learn, and take a stand for what we believe in!

Blessings,

Bailey