Chiropractors and naturopaths claim vaccines pose threat to immune system

[Guest guest]

Re-examining flu vaccines

Chiropractors and naturopaths among health professionals who claim vaccines

pose threat to immune system

Jeff Anstett - Imprint staff

University of Waterloo Imprint

Nov 5 2004

http://imprint.uwaterloo.ca/story.php?f=2 & t=5998 & i= & v=f & story=5998

 

Over the past few decades, certain groups have spoken out against

vaccinations, particularly the practice of mandatory vaccinations for

children and medical professionals. Many studies have questioned the

usefulness and safety of vaccines. With the United States facing a shortage

of flu shots, it is not only politicians who are urging the healthy not to

get a flu shot this year, there are a growing number of medical

professionals, some even in Canada where Health Canada is encouraging

universal vaccination, who are discouraging shots.

 

Many alternative medicine advocates, including chiropractors and

naturopaths, are speaking out against the use of flu vaccines because they

compromise the body's ability to fight the virus naturally; some even claim

vaccines poison the body.

 

In the past, these professionals have advocated a more natural approach to

medicine and have been openly opposed to supplementing the immune system as

it decreases the body's ability to fight diseases and viruses naturally.

 

Quite a few professions, as well as many school boards, require one form of

immunization or another. For instance, all staff working for Grand River

and St. Mary's General Hospitals are asked to get a flu shot. Most school

boards require a wide range of vaccinations in order to start kindergarten

including the measles/mumps/rubella shot and the

diphtheria/tetanus/pertussis/polio shot.

 

Students studying health science and nursing at Conestoga College are

required to get Hepatitis B, tetanus/diphtheria and flu shots as well as a

tuberculosis skin test in order to do any clinical work.

 

The university's Health Services also has a vaccination policy which states

that " anyone who wants protection from influenza should consider getting

the flu shot. " The university is even holding a free flu shot clinic from

November 9 to 12 in the SLC Multipurpose Room. Health Services admits " as

with any vaccine, it may not protect 100 per cent of individuals. However,

it has been shown to prevent illness in approximately 70 to 90 per cent of

healthy children and adults. "

 

Many chiropractors who disagree about the validity of vaccinations are

staying quiet this season because the Canadian Chiropractic Association

(CCA), which governs chiropractors' conduct, is very concerned about the

reputation it is getting from these outspoken individuals.

 

The CCA's formal position on vaccinations states, " The public

responsibility for vaccination and immunization is neither within the

chiropractic scope of practice, nor a chiropractic specific issue […]

Vaccination is well-established and widely mandated in public health policy. "

 

Chiropractors in the region either refused to express their opinion of

vaccinations or would discuss them only on the condition of anonymity,

because some have said they faced threats of a license suspension if they

speak publicly on the subject.

 

One chiropractor, Dr. X, who spoke on the condition of anonymity,

considered this a breach of his constitutional right to freedom of speech.

He says he still shares his views with his patients because, as a parent,

he believes he has an obligation to educate his patients, many of whom are

also parents.

 

According to a study given to Imprint by Dr. X, effectiveness of the

vaccine ranges from zero to thirty-six per cent. Studies looking at a type

A influenza vaccine, which is commonly used in nursing homes, had an

average effectiveness of 27 per cent while an influenza B vaccine had an

average of 21 per cent. Dr. X also explained that studies testing placebos

frequently have effectiveness rates of up to 30 per cent. Dr. X claims that

it is not the vaccine itself, but rather the widespread acceptance of it,

that produces the results commonly seen.

 

Some of the concerns Dr. X has with the flu vaccine is that each vaccine

combats only a specific strain of the virus. The government has to focus on

the three most common strains seen the previous year and guess whether they

will re-emerge this season. This proved to be quite a problem in the

1992--1993 season when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

distributed a vaccine and 84 per cent of the influenza cases were not

similar to those in the vaccine.

 

The only way to keep healthy every season, according to Dr. X, is to fight

the influenza virus each season naturally, developing a true immunity to it

and teaching your body to fight viruses in the future.

 

The Canadian Naturopathic Association has an information pamphlet that

includes information to consider before getting a flu shot. It warns,

" Vaccinations prevent the body from naturally responding to external

pathogens like viruses and bacteria. Individuals who regularly maintain a

strong healthy immune system will protect themselves from any adverse

effects of the flu will build permanent immunity and will decrease the

potential for developing unknown side effects from long term exposure to

vaccinations. "

 

Despite studies which say otherwise, it is still the position of the

government and many medical associations that the practice of vaccination

and immunization is safe.

 

According to Health Canada, " The benefits of flu shots far outweigh the

risks. The flu vaccine cannot cause influenza because it does not contain

any live virus. "

 

Health Canada defends the use of vaccinations as " the single most effective

way of preventing or attenuating influenza for those at high risk of

serious illness or death from influenza infection and related complications. "

 

Efforts have been made by some professionals to resist being forced to get

immunizations. Dr. X tells of Toronto paramedics who were asked by their

union to get flu shots. Sixty-five per cent of the paramedics refused to

get the shot. The union threatened to layoff any paramedics who didn't get

immunized. Even under the threat of losing their jobs, 40 per cent of

paramedics still refused to be immunized.

 

Many doctors, according to Dr. X, refuse to get the flu shot while their

nurses and support staff are forced. Dr. X reports that almost 90 per cent

of doctors working in hospitals have refused the flu shot.

 

How do flu shots tie into the chiropractic approach?

 

Dr. Michael White of the Chiropractic Health Centre in Waterloo describes

his approach to healing as looking at the body as " a natural healing

mechanism " which, when properly taken care of, can fight diseases on its

own. There are two approaches to healing, according to White. First, there

is what he describes as a " host " approach. The host is the body, which

chiropractors work to strengthen and heal. This approach includes getting

enough sleep, as well as keeping the body healthy and exercising muscles

and the immune system itself.

 

The second approach is the " environment " approach. The environment is

everything that affects the host. Medical doctors try killing the viruses

or bacteria that get to the host. This includes the use of antibiotics to

fight infections and painkillers to deal with pain.

 

Many chiropractors, however, believe the second approach prevents the host

from naturally fighting off viruses and bacteria. They would instead like

to see the body strengthened and the immune system developed so that it can

protect itself without the use of medication.

 

Dr. Paul Blaser of Blaser Chiropractic Clinic in Cambridge says that many

of his patients come in with a " choking of the nerve system " which he says

stops it from properly fulfilling its function of healing the body. He says

that most people would rather use a quick fix (medication) to fight the

symptom of the problem instead of working to solve the problem.

 

Dr. Blaser gives the example of a heavy smoker who gets a cold every

season. The smoker could both quit smoking and try to strengthen his immune

system, or he could take cold medication every year to get through it. The

difference is, cold medication only relieves the cold symptoms while

stopping smoking will decrease the chances of being afflicted with a cold

again.

 

Why is it, asks Dr. Blaser, that in a classroom there will always be a few

kids who never get sick? He goes on to say that some children have very

healthy immune systems that help them defend themselves against the

millions of bacteria we breathe in every day. Instead of trying to

eliminate the bacteria by using hand sanitizer or acetaminophen, we should

strengthen the body so that it can naturally kill the bacteria.

 

The chiropractic approach, according to Dr. Blaser, is to stop the root of

the problem. If someone is suffering from constant migraines because of

pinched nerves in the neck, they can either take codeine, which will

relieve the symptoms, or then can get a spinal readjustment, which will

prevent their migraines from happening in the first place by treating the

cause.

 

Although both doctors Blaser and White agree that strengthening the host is

the best approach to living a healthy life, neither is against vaccinations

altogether. They both agree that vaccines are an acceptable approach to

controlling infectious diseases for most people. However, both are adamant

that everyone should have the choice as to whether they are immunized or not.

 

Both sides in this debate are very passionate about the benefits and

dangers of using vaccines. There are hundreds of articles written by M.D.s,

Ph.D.s and doctors of chiropractic arguing for or against vaccinations. So

do yourself a favour and talk to your medical professional before getting a

flu shot. Or better yet, do some research yourself.