First of all this article does not present two sides to the issue: the benefits vs. the cost.  They tell you how many people die because of an infection and that it could have been prevented through vaccination, but they don’t tell you how many people died regardless of the vaccines (not because of the vaccines, rather they got the vaccine and still died of the infection). 

Secondly they intermingle the terms ‘vaccination’ and ‘immunization’ which leads the average reader to a false understanding.

Vaccination = the artificial process of inoculating your body with a foreign antigen

Immunization = the natural process of your immune system forming immunity to a foreign antigen

Just because one gets a vaccine does not necessarily equate to immunization.

Thirdly, basic microbiology states that an organism is dependent upon the terrain in order to thrive.  Notice how Streptococcus pneumoniae most commonly affects the very young and the very old.  Well these are the cohorts that have lowered immune resistance.  The bodily terrain is perfect for ‘growing’ these pathogenic organisms.  Here’s a statement from wikipedia (and you can find this in any standard microbiology text):

S. pneumoniae is part of the normal upper respiratory tract flora but as with many natural flora, it can become pathogenic under the right conditions (e.g., if the immune system of the host is suppressed). Invasins such as Pneumolysin, an anti-phagocytic capsule, various adhesins and immunogenic cell wall components are all major virulence factors.

Two key points here:

1. it is part of the normal flora of the respiratory tract
2. becomes pathogenic under the ‘right’ conditions

Okay…so what’s the ‘alternative’ you may be asking?

Well in my professional opinion, getting a vaccine for this stuff is the alternative, meaning that it shouldn’t be your first course of action.  Your first course of action is PREVENTION.  Keeping your immune system boosted through proper diet, supplementation, spinal balance, stress levels in check, enough sleep, exercise and water.

Suggestions:

• High Quality Multi-Vit, Multi-Mineral
• Vit D (5000 IU)
• Grape Seed Extract (180 mg daily)
• Find a great Chiropractor (www.123Chiropractors.com)
• Manage stress levels: use techniques like biofeedback (www.heartmath.com) and holosync (www.centerpointe.com)
• Get at least 7 hours of sleep per night with long REM (supplement with high quality Melatonin if needed)
• Exercise at least 30 minutes 5 times per week
• Do a detox program at least once per year
• Drink at least 2 liters of water per day (if you want to take it one step further, use alkaline water)

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They’re specifically talking about emergency situations that arise from natural disasters or other forms of conflict.  But this also shows the importance of breastfeeding for infant health even in everyday situations.  I’m no expert on breastfeeding, but I do know that it’s very important for infant health.  Typically in my practice, the children who come in with allergies and other ailments are those who were formula fed in lieu of being breastfed. 

So what do you think?  What’s your view on breastfeeding? 

What is HPV?

HPV is estimated to be the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States. Most sexually active men and women will probably acquire genital HPV infection at some point in their lives.  The American Social Health Association reported estimates that about 75-80% of sexually active Americans will be infected with HPV at some point in their lifetime. By the age of 50 more than 80% of American women will have contracted at least one strain of genital HPV.

It was estimated that in the year 2000, there were approximately 6.2 million new HPV infections among Americans aged 15-44; of these, an estimated 74% occurred to people between ages 15-24. Of the STDs studied, genital HPV was the most commonly acquired.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_papillomavirus

What is Gardasil and is it safe?

Gardasil is a vaccine to prevent HPV infections.  It is manufactured by Merck & Co. which is one of the largest pharmaceutical manufacturers worldwide.  The FDA granted approval in 2006 and till present day they claim that there is no evidence to support the claims that Gardasil caused any of the adverse reactions that were reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System.  What do you think?

What you have to ask yourself is, do the benefits outweigh the risks and how can you prevent infection from HPV other than a vaccine?

Get knowledge and be informed.

Autism cases on the rise

Over the past decade or so, we have seen a huge increase in autism cases, which many generalists will claim is due to childhood vaccinations.  As of 1995, 1 in 166 children have an autistic disorder and 1 in 6 have a developmental or behavioral disorder.

Each year we have seen an increase in the number of diagnosed cases of autism.  You have to be asking yourself: why is that?  Currently we are almost reaching 300,000 cases in the US alone.

Vaccine Schedules

Here is the current 2009 vaccine childhood schedule

So we’re looking at the following vaccines from birth to 6 years:

• Hepatitis B
• Rotavirus
• Diptheria
• Tetanus
• Pertusis
• H. influenzae b
• Pneumococcal
• Influenza
• Measles
• Mumps
• Rubella
• Varicella
• Hepatitis A
• Meningococcal

In the 1950’s there were 4 main vaccines:

• Diptheria
• Pertussis
• Tetanus
• Smallpox

And during each visit only 1 shot was given.  Currently, children can receive more than 4 or 5 shots per visit.  (Source: http://www.chop.edu/consumer/jsp/division/generic.jsp?id=75700) These statements were reviewed by Dr. Paul Offit.

Vaccines and their diseases…

Hepatitis B is transmitted by contact with infectious blood, semen, and other body fluids from having sex with an infected person, sharing contaminated needles to inject drugs, or from an infected mother to her newborn.  Causes liver disease which can lead to cancer.

Rotavirus is primarily transmitted through contact with contaminated stool.  Causes vomitting, fever, stomach cramping and mucus in stool.

Most of these vaccines are for diseases that are transmitted through uncommon routes such as sexual contact, blood borne or fecal-oral.  Also, in order for the majority of these diseases to become life-threatening, the host must have a compromised immune system.  Solution: boost the immune system and keep it at optimum through proper diet, lifestyle and supplementation.

Most of the infectious diseases have been eradicated because of proper sanitary measures.  Sterilization and hygiene (like taking a bath and washing your hands) has had the biggest impact upon the decrease in infectious diseases.

Vaccine contents

A vaccine is not just the vaccine, but it also comes with all sorts of stabilizing chemicals.  Some of the more commonly know ones are Thimerosal (mercury), Aluminum and Formaldehyde.  For a complete list done by the CDC click here.  If you haven’t guessed it, some of these ingredients are toxic to the body. If an infant receives all recommended vaccines they are possibly exposed to 240 micrograms of mercury before 18 months of age.

Newborn’s Immune System

The immune system at birth is still relatively immature.  A newborn is essentially dependent upon the mother’s immune system for protection.  The mother’s antibodies are passed on to the baby during pregnancy and also post-partum through breast milk.  This is called passive immunity.  When the immune system encounters a pathogen it will ultimately become immune to that pathogen through the process of active immunity.  This is the theory behind vaccination: present the body with the pathogen so that it can make antibodies toward that pathogen.  But not all vaccinations result in immunization.  This is where the problem occurs.  Viruses and bacteria can mutate, which is commonly seen with the “flu.”  Each year when people get the “flu” shot, they are getting last year’s strain.  But chances are that this year’s strain will be completely different than last year’s strain.

Vaccine Science

You see on the news that you need to get your annual flu shot and you think to yourself, yeah I don’t want to get sick.  What exactly are you getting in the shot?  Well we already know that you’re getting last year’s strain of flu.  Most vaccines contain what’s called attenuated organisms which are supposed to be non-virulent.  The problems arise when those organisms become virulent.  Have you ever heard of people getting the flu shot and then a few days later say “I have the flu?”  That’s just the flu and usually with older people who have more mature immune systems than newborns.  Think about how a newborn’s immune system will react to the barrage of vaccines thrown at it during it’s immature stage.  The problem is that the most effect vaccines are the attenuated ones, but the risk of infection is also greater.

The flip side of the issue…

Not all vaccines are evil.  Vaccines have helped quite a bit of people.

• Polio vaccine was licensed in the United States in 1955. During 1951 to 1954, an average of 16,316 paralytic polio cases and 1,879 deaths from polio were reported each year. As of 1991, polio caused by wild-type viruses had been eliminated from the Western Hemisphere. We have a goal that by the end of the year 2000, polio, like smallpox, will be a disease of the past.
• A physician entering practice today may never see a case of meningitis due to Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib). Before the introduction of effective vaccines, in 1988, approximately one in 200 children, under the age of five, developed invasive Hib disease. Hib was the leading cause of bacterial meningitis in children under age five– accounting for about 60 percent of all cases. From 15 to 30 percent of affected children became hearing impaired and about 420 children died every year despite antibiotic therapy. In addition, Hib vaccine has prevented the leading cause of acquired mental retardation in the U.S. By 1998, vaccination of pre-school children reduced the number of Hib cases by more than 99 percent.
• In the 1960s, many people witnessed first-hand, the terrible effects of rubella, commonly known as German measles. During an epidemic between 1964 and 1965, about 20,000 infants were born with deafness, blindness, heart disease, mental retardation, and other birth defects because the rubella virus infected their pregnant mothers. Today, thanks to nearly universal use of an effective vaccine, the rubella virus poses virtually no threat to the children of expectant mothers.

Source: http://www.hhs.gov/asl/testify/t990803a.html

Autism’s big culprit

Okay let’s start to tie things together here.  First, many researchers have found a commonality in autistic cases: decreased levels of glutathione.  Glutathione is primarily responsible for detoxification.  Autistic children have genetic mutations that disrupt the coding for glutathione and therefore have impairments to detoxification.

So vaccinations are increasing.  Vaccines contain lots of toxins.  Some children have genetic mutations that hinder them from producing glutathione and are unable to detoxify properly.  Hmm…sounds like logical science to me.  Basic molecular biology and biochemistry here folks.  If the gene for detoxification is impaired and you load up on toxins, the body will not be able to detoxify properly and toxins will be stored in the body primarily in fatty tissues such as the brain.

Dr. Mike’s comments & recommendations:

We’ve been too indoctrinated by the medical establishment to take a drug for every single thing that walks the face of this planet.  We often hold our doctors on a pedestal and go with every single recommendation they make without first consulting other outlets.  My recommendation is to do your research.  You may or may not go along with the doctor’s recommendations, but at least you’ve done your research.  There’s an old saying that the ‘lack of knowledge destroys many people.’

If you are concerned about your child getting infected with these diseases, but are also concerned with the safety issues with vaccination here are my recommendations.

• Hold off on immediately vaccinating your newborn.
• Get some genetic testing done to see if your child has an impaired gene for glutathione (www.23andme.com)
• If your child does have impaired glutathione production, load up on glutathione precursors which are: N-acetyl cysteine and alpha lipoic acid.
• If you plan to vaccinate your child use Dr. Sears’ vaccination schedule
• Contact me if you have any questions…

The families sought payment under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, a no-fault system that has a $2.5 billion fund built up from a 75-cent-per-dose tax on vaccines.

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE51B4AN20090212

Hmm…something is fishy here.  This statement is taken right from the VICP website:

The VICP is a no-fault alternative to the traditional tort system for resolving vaccine injury claims that provides compensation to people found to be injured by certain vaccines.

So if vaccines were safe, why would the US department of Health and Human services create this program that has accumulated $2.5 billion?  You make the call.

There have been numerous reports about adverse reactions such as death after the administration of the vaccine.  (See Post)

On the Merck website they state:

GARDASIL is contraindicated in individuals who are hypersensitive to the active substances or to any of the excipients of the vaccine.

Source: http://www.merck.com/newsroom/press_releases/product/2008_0708.html

How does one know if they are hypersensitive to the substances within the vaccine, if they’ve never had exposure to that substance?  Oh, yeah, if they have a reaction, then they know that they’re sensitive.

The CDC website contains a report about the adverse reactions to the vaccine:

As of August 31, 2008, there have been 10,326 VAERS reports of adverse events following Gardasil vaccination in the United States. Of these reports, 94% were reports of events considered to be non-serious, and 6% were reports of events considered to be serious.

Source: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/vaers/gardasil.htm

My Suggestions: do your research and form your own opinion.  Get all the information you can so that you can make a true informed decision.

Be well…

‘Generation RX’ addresses many of the alarming issues surrounding the growing use of ADHD drugs, antidepressants, and anti-psychotic medications among children and teenagers worldwide.

‘For decades, scores of doctors, government officials, journalists, and others have extolled the benefits of psychiatric medicines for children,’ said Miller, the film’s writer and producer. ‘Generation RX unveils ‘the rest of the story’ and explains how this era of unprecedented change in Western culture really occurred — and what price has been paid by society.’

By employing the expertise of internationally respected professionals from the fields of medicine, ethics, journalism, and academia, Kevin P. Miller investigates whether collusion between drug companies and their regulatory watchdogs at the FDA exists. He also focuses on the powerful stories of real families who followed the advice of their doctors — and faced devastating consequences for doing so.

‘Generation RX’ is a film about families who confronted horror and found nowhere to turn for help — and how scores of children have been caught in the vortex of mind-bending drugs at the earliest stages of their growth and development. This powerful documentary also examines whether we have forced millions of children onto pharmaceutical drugs for commercial rather than scientific reasons.

Ultimately, Miller says, ‘Generation RX may help parents decide whether the perceived benefits of these medications outweigh the serious risks to children.’

Critics and Hollywood insiders have already begun hailing ‘Generation RX’ as one of the best documentaries of 2008. Paul Haggis, the Academy Award winning Writer/Director said, ‘Generation RX is a powerful and often chilling eye-opener. Many of the stories stayed with me weeks after viewing, and continue to haunt me now.’ Mike Adams, publisher of NewsTarget and Natural News, says the film ‘delivers a jaw-dropping emotional ride,’ and ‘weaves a terrifying tale of criminal conspiracy. It is one of the best films of 2008.’

Jason Buchanan of the ‘All Movie Guide’ stated, ‘Generation RX is a film that every parent should see.’

‘Generation RX’ is being released by Common Radius Films, an Independent media company based in Vancouver, British Columbia. For more information — to view the trailer, or to obtain a copy of the film, visit the movie’s website at GenerationRxFilm.

Teens are complex youngsters – they’re driven by motives that include peer pressure and the latest fads among the top five. So when you have an overweight teenager who’s extremely conscious of her weight or a normal one who still obsesses about her (weight issues concern the female of the species in these seven years, so I’m going to go with the feminine pronoun throughout this article) figure and shape, you know you’re in a dicey position. In the former situation, you must encourage and help your daughter in tackling her weight problem in a sensible way, and in the latter, you must make sure she doesn’t let the way she looks rule her life.

Both situations though, call for the same measures to be undertaken – making sure that the girls don’t do anything stupid or extreme like resorting to popping diet pills, skipping meals and starving themselves, or throwing up as soon as they’ve eaten. They must be made to understand that they’re still in their formative years, and that a lack of the right nutrients and vitamins could end up doing irreparable damage to their physiology and also have an adverse effect on their ability to become mothers themselves. Read on for a few pointers to get your teen on the sensible path to health and fitness:

Lead by example: Don’t obsess about your weight incessantly in front of your daughter; if you’re overweight or could lose a few pounds, do something positive about it like eating the right foods and exercising at least three times a week.

Cook healthy meals: Rather than giving your child lunch money to buy food from the school cafeteria, make her a healthy meal like a sandwich on whole wheat bread with fruit for dessert. Ensure that she eats all her meals. Make your daughter understand that eating right during her teen years is important for a healthy life in the future.

Keep healthy snack options at home: Rather than stock up on chips and cookies when you shop, buy wholesome and low-fat foods like fresh fruits and raw vegetables that your kids can snack on when they feel like nibbling something. Get them to drink water or fruit juice instead of guzzling down calorie-laden sodas. This doesn’t mean that they must completely forgo all their favorite foods, just that they must limit the portions and eat them once in a while to satisfy their cravings.

Encourage her to take up a sport: While it may not be the cool thing to play a sport in high school (if you’re a girl), being active helps promote a healthier and fitter body and mind.

Talk to your child: Understanding what your child is going through and empathizing with her will go a long way in helping her to help herself. Don’t belittle her feelings, no matter how trivial they seem. Make her see that fads are just passing fancies and that the bodies that models display are not healthy because of the starvation diets involved. Getting involved in the process will make your teen open up to you and listen to what you say.

Losing weight is not a fad to be followed for a while and then dropped like a hot potato – it’s a way of life for as long as you live, and the sooner your child understands this, the healthier she will be.

By-line:

This article is contributed by Sarah Scrafford, who regularly writes on the topic of x ray tech schools. She invites your questions, comments and freelancing job inquiries at her email address: sarah.scrafford25@gmail.com.

www.healthsystem.virginia.edu

What causes scoliosis?

Essentially there are two types. One is due to a malformation of your spinal vertebrae which then leads to the abnormal curvature (congenital scoliosis). The other is most commonly due to an imbalance in the spinal muscles (idiopathic/functional scoliosis).

How can scoliosis be treated?

If the scoliosis is due to a malformation of the spinal vertebrae, bracing or surgery may be warranted, all dependent upon the severity. If scoliosis is due to an imbalance in spinal muscles, we first must determine what’s causing the imbalance. Functionally speaking, the imbalance is most commonly due to some altered function in the kidney’s or bladder. You’ll also see a functional weakness and tightness of the corresponding psoas muscle, which is on the front side (anterior) of the spine.

I commonly find that people with functional scoliosis have heavy metal toxicity and inability to utilize certain minerals. They are also dehydrated and stressed out to the max!

Here’s my recommendations:

• Find a chiropractor well trained in functional medicine who understands manual muscle testing (especially an Applied Kinesiologist). He or she will probably make nutritional recommendations as well as detoxification recommendations.
• Get your spine in alignment. By stimulating specific nerve pathways, your body can relax the spastic muscles and turn on the inhibited muscles.
• Get hydrated. Drink at least 1 liter of water for every 50 lbs of body weight.

Written by Dr. John Brimhall (3/17/2008)

One out of every 150 babies is born autistic. This number continues to increase by 10 to 17 percent every year. One of the few treatments that have shown promise is Detoxification and Total Nutritional Support.

No one claims to have all of the answers but researchers agree that genetics and environmental factors play a key role. Biomedical interventions get the body functioning better so it can respond to other autism therapies, according to Lauren W. Underwood, Ph.D. Dr. Underwood is a senior staff scientist for Science Systems and Applications, Inc. and a mother of a recovering autistic child. She says, “Things that go wrong biomedically can affect behavioral interventions.”

Many natural and medical treatments focus on removing environmental toxins from the body, such as lead, mercury, arsenic and other heavy metal and environmental toxins. Pediatrician, David S. Berger, M.D., states that, “Over 27 million toys have been recalled due to toxic lead paint and only a fraction of the toys being sold have been tested for lead.” There have been reports that up to 30 percent of inexpensive toys purchased at local retailers contain lead and have not been recalled.

To remove heavy metals, like lead and mercury, from autistic children, Dr. Berger uses IV chelation which involves administering EDTA by IV Therapy. It attracts toxins and excretes them through the urine or feces. This can be very effective but, of course, is an invasive and expensive treatment.

We use Total Chelate along with Nutri-West Homeopathics such as Total Lead, Total Mercury, etc. We have used Total Chelate successfully by giving one three times per day for one week, then increasing the amount to two three times per day for two weeks, then increasing to three tablets three times per day for three weeks, etc. This process should be repeated until the patient starts to get nauseated. Once a state of nausea is reached, reduce the patient’s dosage down one tablet per dosage for the nausea to subside. This is called the Cathcart’s titration method. One tablet, three times per day, would be a good preventive and maintenance dosage for most of us.

Mitochondrial uncoupling is a major factor to consider when dealing with this wide spectrum disorder. We have found it very helpful to use Total Mitochondria, Total Enzymes and Total Probiotics on each of these patients. Improper gut flora can cause many abnormal, total-body reactions and toxic states. We start our patients out on one Total Probiotics three times per day for ninety days and then one in the morning for life. I have already taken mine this morning! Have you?

There is also much controversy, lately, over inoculations and the increased incidence of autistic disorders. I encourage you to research the literature and form your own opinion. There have been genetic studies done on Autistic Spectrum Disorders and I think this will provide incredible insights over the next few years, with many new natural interventions moving to the forefront.

The far infrared sauna has also been successfully used in helping detoxification. I have spent time in my sauna three days in a row, now, doing a foot bath and using my laser, all at the same time.

Pictures of the Erchonia Ionic Footbath

Autism

I’ve seen many patients who have been affected by autism and it places a huge emotional and financial burden upon them. I must commend all parents who have autistic children. I only get to see a fraction of what it takes to care for them when my ASD patients come in. These parents are truly Angels!

Signs and Symptoms of Autism

• Delay in speech development or lack of speech development
• Repetitive behaviors
• Lack of interest in socializing
• Obsessions

Vaccination controversy: Is there a link between thimerosal and autism?

Many parents of children with ASD and those within the alternative medicine realms have a firm belief that there is a link between the preservative thimerosal (used in vaccinations) and autism. It is proposed that thimerosal causes a change in certain genetic expressions within the central nervous system. Thimerosal, in and of itself, is a toxic chemical compound that targets the nervous system and kidneys. It breaks down into ethylmercury and thiosalicylate. Both are highly toxic compounds to the body.

Whether or not to vaccinate is a personal choice. I recommend that you do your own research and gather all the facts. Don’t get caught up in the hype of “never” vaccinating your child without having the science to back it up. You need to understand why you’re making the decision.

Personally, my wife and I decided not to vaccinate our son at the time of birth. I truly believe that our body’s immune system (and our detoxification systems) are too fragile to deal with a vaccination shot. I’m not just looking at the chemically toxicity portion, but rather the entire notion of “vaccination.” We’ll leave this for another blog post or even a podcast discussion.

Here’s a good book to check out on the subject:

The Sanctity of Human Blood : Vaccination is Not Immunization (Fifth Edition) by Tim O’Shea Read more about this book…

Is there a treatment for Autism and other associated diseases?

I stand on the fence with this issue, because I truly believe that everyone is different (biochemically speaking). It has been shown that the majority of autistic children have low levels of glutathione and are therefore more prone to oxidative damage. There have been reports that alternative treatments such as chelation therapy and other forms of heavy metal detoxification programs help to improve the condition. There have been some great results for people using hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

In my clinic I use therapies such as ionic detoxification baths, cold laser therapy, homeopathy, cranial-sacral therapy and chiropractic adjustments to help balance the body. See Velocity Wellness Center

Another great resource is listed below at Autism Voice. They offer a 7-step mini course to aid parents in helping their autistic child.

Resources

Autism Society of America

Autism Voice

Autism Wikipedia Entry

A diagnosis of autism usually rests on three distinctive symptoms: difficulty with social interaction, problems with verbal and nonverbal communication, and repetitive actions or obsessive interests. These behaviors can range from mild to disabling

What Do We Know About Autism? – Page 1 – MSN Health & Fitness – Kids’ Health

Autism is becoming an epidemic in our society and many are blaming various sources such as environmental pollution to vaccinations. You may encounter various takes on autism…some favorable others not so much. What we know about autism has only come to surface over the last 20 years, before which it was not even heard of. So why are we facing an ‘epidemic?’ Has this ‘epidemic’ been here all along and it’s just that we now have a different classification system to bring it to light?