Vaccinations

Debates

This subject is a highly contentious one, and every family makes their own decision. Some parents decide to have all immunisations; some not to immunise at all; some feel that immunisations are given too early and so delay vaccination; and some choose which ones to have and which to forego. Whichever you decide, there is certainly a lot of thinking and research to be done first!

Books

Vaccinations: a thoughtful parent’s guide – how to make safe, sensible decisions about the risks, benefits and alternatives by Aviva Jill Romm. A balanced viewpoint, including lots on building natural immunity.

The Vaccine Book (Sears Parenting Library) by Robert W. Sears is from an American perspective, so has a few different schedules. However it contains information about all the vaccines administered, including two sections for each: reasons to get the vaccine and reasons some people choose not to get it.

The Truth About Vaccines: how we are used as guinea pigs without knowing it by Richard Halvorsen (also available from Oxfordshire libraries) Extensively referenced, this book offers a measured, critical look at all the medical evidence on the vaccines that are being given to children in Britain.

Vaccination: A Guide for Making Personal Choices by Dr Hans-Peter Studer, ed Dr Geoffrey Douch (Floris Books 2010)
Review from an oxford parent: “It’s short (about 100 pages), very readable, written with the UK vaccination schedule in mind and the revised edition has been published this year so is nicely up-to-date. Apart from discussing immunisation in general, it details each childhood disease and illness with (to us) sensible conclusions about the relevant vaccination(s). The book’s conclusions chimed with our views (current UK programme starts way too early at two months, some childhood illnesses are very probably of benefit to the child, fever can be a good thing in the long term). £5.24 new on Amazon too “

Links

JABS website Official site of a support group for ‘vaccine-damaged children’, including a forum and various information pages.

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/arnicaparents/ A forum created by Arnica, which is a UK Parent Network supporting Natural Immunity Issues and Vaccination choices.

Key words for search engines to find clinics where single vaccines can be obtained: ‘single vaccines’ or single vaccines MMR’.