Dr Vernon Coleman - Vaccines Are Dangerous - And Dont Work

`Thewhole apparatus for spreading knowledge, the schools and the press, wirelessand cinema, will be used exclusively to spread those views which, whether trueor false, will strengthen the belief in the rightness of the decisions taken bythe authority; and all information that might cause doubt or hesitation will bewithheld.' - F. A. Hayek

Oneof the most fashionable medical interventions today is undoubtedly vaccination.A generation or two ago children obtained immunity to childhood diseases(chicken pox, measles and mumps) by attending parties. If a child contractedone of the common (but relatively unthreatening) childhood diseases all thechildren in the neighbourhood would be invited round for tea and games. Thosechildren attending the party who contracted the disease would put up with spotsfor a week or so and then recover. Parents would, probably justifiably, assumethat a child who hadn't caught the disease had quite likely acquired immunityto it. The system was simple, uneventful and relatively safe and it workedbecause the human immune system is designed to learn from experience. When thebody produces special lymphocytes to fight pathogens those lymphocytes remainsensitised to specific infections and will respond to future infections byproducing antibodies. With the aid of these antibodies the body can wipe out anappropriate invading organism before the infection can take hold. When thishappens the body is said to be protecting itself by having developed immunity.

Thesedays, children have vaccinations. Loads of them. It is the fashion. It is ourway. Drug companies and doctors make huge amounts of money out of it.Vaccination is all about money. Drug companies make billions. Doctors makethousands. The big question is not `Is it safe?' or `Does it work?' but `Is itprofitable?'

Governmentsbelieve that by vaccinating whole populations they reduce the incidence ofillness and therefore ensure that people spend more time at work and less timeat home, wastefully tucked up in bed with a hot water bottle and a bottle of pills.

Thereare three main types of vaccine.

First,there are the live vaccines which contain an attenuated strain of amicroorganism. The hope with these vaccines is that they will produce asubclinical infection. Viral vaccines may contain attenuated strains of a virusor an inactivated virus. They are prepared in tissue culture, which may containantibiotics, or in chick embryos. These vaccines are, therefore, unsuitable forpatients who are allergic to the antibiotics concerned or to egg protein. (Sadly,many doctors do not bother to ask their patients if they have any allergieswhich might make vaccination especially hazardous. And so these vaccines arenot infrequently given inappropriately.)

Second,there are vaccines which contain killed micro-organisms. These vaccines maycontain an intact (but dead) organism or a sample pack of specific antigens.

Third,bacterial toxins which have been inactivated are also used in vaccinepreparation.

Vaccinescan be given by mouth, nasal spray or injection but these days most are givenby injection. Whatever the route or format, a vaccination is designed to givethe body enough exposure to a particular pathogen to develop defence cells, butnot enough of the pathogen to produce signs and symptoms of illness.

Unfortunately,this is a balancing act which the vaccine manufacturers don't always getperfectly right. And there are many potential hazards. For example, if a livevaccine is given to someone with an ineffective immune system the result can becatastrophic - and fatal.