A Personal Decision - Alan V. Schmukler The question of whether to vaccinate is a personal and often difficult decision.

One has to weigh the danger of the disease and the chance of contracting it, against the dangers of the vaccine. Neither side in the debate can guarantee 100% protection. On the one hand, a vaccine might protect you from a disease you were going to get and maybe die of. en!amin "ran#lin opposed variolation $smallpo% vaccination& and his unvaccinated son died of smallpo%. 'e subsequently changed his mind and e%pressed regret for his former position. On the other hand, vaccines have been associated with everything from autism, retardation and immune suppression to death. (n the ).*., the National +accine (n!ury ,ompensation -rogram $).*.& has paid out over a billion dollars to parents of children in!ured by vaccines. +accine manufacturers, while insisting on the safety of their product, have steadfastly demanded immunity from lawsuit. *o how does one ma#e this decision. The answer is, by becoming #nowledgeable about all aspects of this debate, including alternatives to vaccination. 'omeopathy has for many years been used to prevent illness $homeoprophyla%is&. 'ahnemann used elladonna successfully to prevent scarlet fever. /uring a smallpo% outbrea# in (owa, 1001, the homeopathic remedy +ariolinum proved 02% effective in preventing the disease. Thousands of people in uenos 3ires received the remedy 4athyrus sativa during a 1052 polio outbrea#. Not a single case of polio developed in those so treated. (n 1026, 17,860 children in ra9il were given :eningococcinum to prevent meningococcal meningitis. The protection rate was 02 %. 'omeopath and researcher (saac ;olden has developed protocols for preventing illness with homeopathy $see interview in this edition and lin#s to previous articles&. <hile there is some debate about the mechanism of homeoprophyla%is, it clearly wor#s. 'omeopaths also use constitutional treatment as an effective alternative to vaccination. 3side from prevention, childhood diseases li#e measles can be treated easily and safely with homeopathy, which also helps prevent the sequelae. 'aving said all this, there are still many people who don=t #now about homeopathy or have any practical access to homeopathic treatment. The first vaccine was developed by >dward ?enner $1208& who used cowpo% to prevent smallpo%. -asteur developed a post@ bite inoculation for rabies in 1775. <hile these first vaccines were rather simple, today=s vaccines contain many e%cipients that are highly to%ic and can cause more harm than the diseases they are intended to prevent. These ingredients include :ercury, 3luminum, "ormaldehyde, -henol, :*;, :on#ey #idney tissue, ,hic# embryonic fibroblasts etc. $see this month=s cartoon& The production of vaccines is a multibillion dollar business, where the bottom line of profits often conflicts with the desire to do good. ,onsider the issue of Thimerosal, the mercury added to preserve shelf life. (n the ).*., government hearings determined that it was harmful and forbid it to be added to any future vaccines $after

years of doing damage &. 'owever they permitted vaccine manufacturers to continue selling their stoc#piled Thimerosal laden vaccines, a supply which some estimate will last over a decade. (n the end, you must ma#e your own informed decision. <e hope this month=s commentary and resources will help you do that. In this issue:
/r. Aichard :os#owit9, homeopath and e%pert on vaccination discusses vaccination in

an interview and article $'idden in -lain *ight&. /r. (saac ;olden@ foremost e%pert on 'omeoprophyla%is, is interviewed by ;ina Tyler. >laine 4ewis ,'om B C+accinationsD ?ust *ay NoEF 3 must read e%pose of the connection between vaccines and other diseases. 3my 4ans#y -h/ @ discusses her son=s descent into autism and his remar#able recovery with homeopathy. "ran *heffield discusses the homeopathic treatment of 3utism and provides compelling case histories $Aeversing 3utismD 'omeopathy and the Treatment of 3utism *pectrum /isorders&. /r. *ubrata ?. aner!ea discusses vaccination and its effects. /rs. Aebello and ,hater!ee discuss vaccine dangers. Alan V. Schmukler 3ssociate >ditor