A Vaccination Discussion

Patients are always asking whether they should or should not get a vaccination. Most recently of course, this was a CoVid vaccine, but before that it would always be the topic of conversation when school was starting up again each fall. There are people on both sides of this debate, all with conviction, their own experience and a philosophy about the use of vaccines.

Let me place vaccinations into their proper place in our health care. First of all, I believe vaccinations should never be mandatory and people should not be ostracized, nor penalized for choosing one way or the other on this issue. However, to insist that vaccinations cause large numbers of serious side effects is nothing new. This has been true of pharmaceutical drugs, surgeries and conventional medical care all along.

The question that needs to be asked is whether the risk is small enough that the benefits outweigh it. There is risk to every surgery, yet surgery can do miraculous things in repairing the damage that the body can sustain. Insulin is a life-saver for diabetics. Tetanus, diptheria and polio vaccines were miraculous in reducing the incidence and outcome of these illnesses. This is why I always suggest asking whether this vaccine is to prevent a serious or potentially fatal illness. A good example is the malaria vaccine which was just introduced in the last two years. If you live in sub-Saharan Africa, this would be something you should consider. Malaria is devastating, potentially fatal and is passed through the bite of an infected mosquito which is practically impossible to avoid running into on a daily basis.

Insect-born illnesses have skyrocketed in recent years including Zika, West Nile (which is now the leading mosquito-born illness in the US) and Lyme. But what if a vaccination was developed for one of these? All of us know someone that has had lasting and sometimes damaging symptoms from Lyme. If there had been a vaccine, would we want it? Do you question giving your dog heartworm medication?

So let’s just say that should you decide to get any vaccination, what are the chances that you will develop debilitating and damaging symptoms shortly after having the vaccination and is it due to the vaccination? The answer is that the vaccine, just like any forced change, is a challenge for the body and in some cases it is the straw that breaks your camel’s back.

I am talking about your body’s burden. The burden that your body manages and carries daily is the sum total of your stressors, your unresolved illnesses, your dormant and active viruses, your toxic exposure and accumulation, your organ function, your nutritional resources and your physical injuries. When you look at all of this you realize how much burden your body is carrying on a daily basis. So if you were carrying a 6 ounce envelope around with you every day, you wouldn’t even notice that as a burden. A pound weight would be noticeable, but you could manage it, although standing in line at the bank with it might make you a bit impatient. A five pound weight would really begin to limit what you would do. You might choose to use the drive-through instead of walking into the bank. You might avoid the longer hikes you liked to do. You might not feel like a weekend get-away if you’re having to carry it in your lap the entire drive to get there. I actually get uncomfortable when my 8 pound cat sits on me for too long…

Now imagine that on top of your daily burden you now get a flu or if your weight burden is a fifty pound weight it might be pneumonia. It could strain your heart, affect your breathing, increase your blood pressure. Now depending on the ingredients in the vaccination, you may have an undetected allergy or sensitivity which would make your reaction more severe. This, along with the underlying burden and unresolved illness your body is carrying, is what determines your reaction.

Checking out the ingredients in a particular vaccine can often help you to evaluate whether it is something you feel comfortable with. For instance, most single dose vaccines do not contain preservatives, while a larger vial from which multiple doses is taken would have to contain preservatives to prevent bacterial transmission. Adjuvants which can be aluminum salts, oils, emulsifiers and surfactants are included in vaccines to increase the immune response to the vaccine. These are not needed in live vaccines, so if you want to avoid adjuvants, then get a live vaccine option.

But preservatives and adjuvants are not just in vaccinations, they are in most prescription medications including anti-depressant medication, corticosteroids, muscle relaxants and sedatives, so if you are worried, you should be looking at what you are ingesting daily, not just in one injection.

The answer here is for you to evaluate your need, your risk and your reasons for receiving any vaccination. And if you decide to get vaccinated, you have options. For instance you don’t just have to take the standard vaccination that is offered to you. You can choose to avoid a combination vaccination such as CoVid and Flu or MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) and get an individual vaccination instead. This way you can avoid a vaccination for something you have already had or simply spread out the vaccinations. You can choose to have a vaccine with less preservatives/adjuvants such as a single dose vaccine (which may also make it more expensive). And don’t be afraid to ask to see the vial or to have them prepare the vaccination in front of you.

Whatever your decisions regarding vaccinations be sure to keep accurate records of your vaccinations and medications. Dates, purpose, manufacturer information and any reactions you have had. Be especially vigilant if you have had any serious allergic reactions to a medication or a vaccination, even to any single ingredient. The more aware you are, the less complications you will have.

Karen Clickner, C.C.H.,  is a Nationally Registered Naturopathic Physician. She provides natural evaluations and treatment at Conscious Body Natural Medicine clinics in central Massachusetts. She has been specializing in autoimmune disorders for more than 35 years. You can get more information at www.consciousbodynatmed.com