Homeopathic Vaccinations?
A couple interesting vaccination discussions have come up lately on one of my online mom support bulletin boards. One was about the MMR vaccine, and how it is apparently difficult to get it split up these days. Some women were going as far as ordering their vaccines from somewhere so they could take the separate shots to their doctors. It’s disheartening to read this kind of paranoid buzz. But the more surprising post was a query about homeopathic vaccinations.
I couldn’t imagine what a homeopathic vaccination could be. Homeopathy is well known quackery. That’s just the Wikipedia link, by the way, which says,
“Claims to the efficacy of homeopathic treatment beyond the placebo effect are unsupported by the collective weight of scientific and clinical evidence.”
If Wikipedia’s all over it, why does anyone believe this stuff would work? Science Based Medicine has several articles on the inefficacy of homeopathy, and here’s just one. Homeopathy claims to work on the “law of similars.” If you give a substance to an ill person that mimics the symptoms of the condition, that’s the best treatment for the problem. It’s…silly. And as it turns out, homeopathic preparations are so diluted that there’s just hardly anything of the “cure” in there anyway.
But I remember back before I knew all that, and just the word “homeopathic” sounded so reassuring, natural, and nice. So I guess I can see why people turn to it. They just don’t know any better. But come on, if Wikipedia knows, you should know by now.
So what could a homeopathic vaccination even be?
The only answers on my support group were about a homeopathic flu shot, and the name that kept coming up was Dr. Lauren Feder. And a quick search turned up her website. It looks like she is offering not actually homeopathic flu shots, but homeopathic flu treatments with an oral dosage.
But her website was alarming to me in terms of its overall stance on vaccinations. For example, she has an article entitled, “Vaccines: Pros and Cons.” Just the title gave me a sinking feeling in my stomach. What could the cons be? First of all, the list of cons is about six times as long as the only pro:
Most healthcare professionals believe that vaccinations are very effective. There is a widespread belief that vaccinations are responsible for the vast decline in many of our infectious and childhood illnesses. In comparison to the risks of the illnesses, it is commonly felt that vaccines are relatively harmless and pose very little risk.
The way this is stated is so absurd. “A widespread belief?” No, vaccinations ARE responsible for the decline of those diseases. It’s like she’s equivocating on this touchy issue, when really it’s just plain fact. “It is commonly felt” that vaccines are less harmful than the disease? What do you mean “commonly?” Just the use of the word common implies that those in the know–the uncommon–must feel that the vaccines are not harmless. What is going on here? This language is so wrong and misleading.
And then there are the cons, which just go on and on. Here’s one:
There are benefits from having an illness like chickenpox, measles mumps or rubella in that there is lifelong immunity following infection.
*Sigh.* That’s a hell of an experience to have in order to gain the benefit of immunity, especially since those diseases are potentially fatal. Is this doctor seriously advocating that children get the diseases rather than the vaccinations? I found an article linking the MMR with autism on her website. This article is not by Dr. Feder herself, and it’s from 2002. But the message is clearly that Dr. Feder believes vaccinations are risky. If you decide you’d like her as your pediatrician, she assures you that,
“We also have thimerosal (mercury) free vaccines for families who choose to vaccinate.”
Wait, “families who choose to vaccinate?” I remember when I asked my pediatrician about just an alternative vaccine schedule (before I did some reading and realized there’s no reason to do any alternative vaccine schedule). Our doctor must have to deal with these questions a lot, because she right away said, “When families tell me they don’t want to vaccinate, I tell them I can’t be their doctor, because I consider myself an advocate for the child.” We loved hearing that, and we reassured her that we were in no way anti-vaxxers. How can a doctor like Dr. Feder in good conscience respect the “choice” not to vaccinate and consider herself an advocate for kids?
It turns out Dr. Feder is “nationally recognized” and has appeared on TV and radio. So maybe some other bloggers or some of our readers have heard of her already. I didn’t know anything about her. She conducts workshops on “Vaccine Safety” in LA. I almost want to go to one, just to see what it would be like, but I’m afraid it would be too upsetting.
It doesn’t look like she actually has homeopathic vaccinations, but she has a whole bunch of other strange stuff on her website. There’s the page on “Non-toxic Environment and Feng Shui.” Really?
So this is where LA people are getting their odd ideas about what actually works. From doctors. Disheartening.
Stacy Said,
February 8, 2009 @ 11:00 am
I have a couple friends here in LA who haven’t vaccinated their kids. I quail at the thought. When you compare the risks, there is NO WAY this math-minded, non-lotto-buying mom would EVER not vaccinate. It makes no sense to me to avoid the incredibly rare in favor of getting the much more likely. Thankfully, my husband’s career being in the medical field gives us the very easy out of “Can’t not vaccinate – dad works in hospitals” when we know arguing rationally won’t make a difference.
Chris Said,
February 8, 2009 @ 12:33 pm
What do you think their response would be to this question:
Why would you rather risk the more than 1 in 1000 chance of something going terribly wrong with actually getting measles, mumps, pertussis, tetanus and Hib than the less than 1 in 100000 chance of a vaccine reaction?
Oh, and of course: Why would you trust the research of a man, Wakefield, who cooked his data (see recent articles in Sunday Times from the UK)?
Michelle Said,
February 8, 2009 @ 12:42 pm
That is SO depressing. I can’t stand the thought of these people being given any credence… a doctor??? I have to wonder where she got her “license”. It should be revoked. You know, someone who deliberately unleashes a disease into a community is considered a terrorist. Someone who deliberately chooses to not vaccinate their child, effectively is at risk for doing the same thing… yet they consider themselves “informed”. It boggles the mind.
chanson Said,
February 8, 2009 @ 10:21 pm
I was just about to ask the same question. This is only tangentially related to today’s topic (homeopathic vaccinations), but since we’ve been talking about the anti-vaccination crowd in general, did you see this article? “MMR doctor Andrew Wakefield fixed data on autism.”
Erica Said,
February 9, 2009 @ 3:32 pm
The only vaccine I’ve questioned at my doctor’s office so far is chicken pox. I had heard that kids could still get chicken pox later on. I figured what was the point? I’d rather my kid get it now than when she’s an adult because it’s worse as an adult.
Our very patient nurse told me that there are now two chicken pox shots and that reduces the risk of getting it after the shots. It’s now 99% effective. With only the one shot it was like 85%.
catgirl Said,
February 10, 2009 @ 7:36 am
It seems like people who believe in homeopathy should love vaccines, considering that a modified version of a disease is used to prevent that disease. The only difference is that vaccines actually contain something more than water, and they actually work.
Grandma Said,
February 12, 2009 @ 3:08 pm
Because of the number of people not allowing their children to be vaccinated. , Pertussis, Better known as “whooping cough” is making a comback. A disease that was almost eradicated is back.
So is measels, and mumps, but those diseases tend to strike children a little older. But of course, that can change.
Pertussis is a baby’s disease that, before drugs we now have available for treatment, was a life threatening disease. Now it’s back.
I wouldn’t mind if they were only endangering their own children, but they’re endagering my grandchildren. And that makes me want to petition, march, and write my congressman…alot.
SriMathe Said,
February 14, 2009 @ 6:43 am
Hello Guru, what entice you to post an article. This article was extremely interesting, especially since I was searching for thoughts on this subject last Thursday.
noelle Said,
October 8, 2009 @ 3:19 pm
you are all very ignorant people….. Go ahead and continue to poison your bodies with the potions of corporate drug companies and see what happens to yourself and your children. I bet your the same people that eat fast foods, boxed foods, and spend most of your time shopping at the corporate chains that produce a far off version of actual food. Your children and grandchildren are in danger because your killing their cells and immunity with drugs and crap and calling yourselves protected. Just so your know vaccinated children are the risk to un-vaccinated children because its your kids who are carrying around all the diseases……….
Julie Said,
October 9, 2009 @ 1:52 pm
Wow, Noelle, that was quite a storm of total craziness.
So Blessed Said,
October 15, 2009 @ 9:57 am
It’s unfortunate that people buy into the multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical hype and doctors DO get their cuts for promoting drugs which have horrendous side-effects and cause death!
There is absolutely nothing wrong with demanding an alternative to toxic-laden vaccines! The question is WHY are they filled with toxins – and why NOT ask for an alternative – why be SHEEP and not think to use your God-gifted intelligence?!
Martha Said,
November 9, 2009 @ 7:06 pm
My friend’s son was completely normal until he had his MMR shot. He stopped talking, stopped walking, and became autistic within a few days after his vaccine. Sure, some vaccines do prevent you from getting illness, but others have very dangerous side effects. It depends on the vaccine. You should not blindly do whatever the government tells you – that’s what they’re trying to train everyone to do. I waited to vaccinate my kids, until they were older, because the risks are higher when they’re little. I didn’t need to expose them to those risks because I kept them at home until kindergarten, which is what is best for children anyway. Daycare is bad for kids, developmentally, and as far as shots go, there are some effective natural, herbal immune boosters that work. Besides, I don’t just blindly trust any info that comes from our corrupt, dishonest government. The companies who produce the vaccines are paid millions by the government, and the government just wants to control everything we do and take away our parental rights to make choices for our own children!
Martha Said,
November 9, 2009 @ 9:02 pm
Another friend’s daughter got swine flu recently, and she gave her daughter this certain homeopathic vaccine made with dead viruses. She gave it once an hour, and her daughter was cured by the next day. I was very skeptical, but I tried the same brand of homeopathic flu vaccine. Before I took it, my nose was really runny & stuffy and I was beginning to have aches & flu symptoms. I sprayed it under my tongue 3 times, and did that 2 more times that day, and by the next day all my symptoms were gone. So, even though they don’t yet know why it works, certain brands of homeopathy do work! This brand DOES work – it’s called King Bio Homeopathic Influenza Multi-strain Flu Medicine. If you do a google search you will find it – I challenge you to try it. There may not be an explanation yet, but it works!