Coerced Vaccination "Unacceptable"
The situation in West Auckland, where approximately 100 children have been barred from attending Oratia School because
they have not been vaccinated against measles is symptomatic of what happens when public health policies are highjacked
by corporate interests, says Katherine Smith. Smith is the spokeswoman for the group No Forced Vaccines set up to oppose
coerced or forced vaccinations.
"Measles is usually a benign childhood disease that poses little risk to normally healthy children. In fact, it is
generally beneficial to have measles in childhood, as measles is generally more serious in adults than it is in children
and because after a natural measles infection most people have lifelong immunity thereafter," says Smith. "It is
ridiculous to treat children who have been exposed to a normal childhood illness like the measles as social pariahs and
bar them from attending school."
Such a policy, she asserts, is not likely to prevent the spread of measles – given that children who have been exposed
to the measles may continue to have contact with other people outside the school environment who may not have had
measles and be susceptible to the infection.
"I believe the policy has been instituted to pressure parents who have decided not to give their children the
controversial MMR vaccine to their children into vaccinating them – as the Ministry of Health knows that most parents of
school age children work in paid jobs outside the home – and will be hurt economically by the edict banning their
healthy, unvaccinated children from school." Smith says.
Moreover, she asserts, this is not a decision based on health, but corporate profits. "Ministry of Health policy when it
comes to vaccinations is heavily influenced by pharmaceutical companies." Smith continues, "In fact, the Ministry of
Health is so cosy with the pharmaceutical industry that it continues to fund the Immunisation Advisory Centre (IMAC)
even though the organisation has acknowledged pharmaceutical companies supplying vaccines to NZ as "sponsors" [1] and
its website states that receives funding from 'private industry'." [2]
Information about vaccination on both the Ministry of Health and IMAC websites is misleading Smith says, as the pages
intended for parents omit most of the potential side effects of the vaccines on the NZ childhood vaccination schedule.
[3]
Unfortunately, Mrs Smith says, most people do not realise that IMAC receives funding from "private industry" and believe
that its website and spokespeople, such as Dr Nikki Turner, who appeared on TV3's Campbell Live on June 8, offer
reliable advice about diseases and vaccines.
Advice from the Auckland Regional Public Health Service in leaflets sent home to parents of children at Oratia School,
Mrs Smith says, has not been accurate. A leaflet sent home with children stated that there "is not specific treatment
for measles. Supportive treatment includes rest, plenty of fluid and paracetamol for fever."[4]
Smith expresses concern about the leaflet, citing research that showed that using drugs to lower fever during infections
may prolong the illness and, in the case of severe infections, increase the risk of death.[5]
"The recommendation for children with measles to rest and have plenty of fluids is good advice. However, these helpful
supportive treatments are not the only options for people with the measles. It has been known since the 1930s that
vitamins A and D can be helpful treatments for the measles, and have the potential to reduce the risk of
complications.[6] Vitamin C is also an important nutrient which helps the immune system to function efficiently during
an infection, [7] and vitamin C supplements may be useful for children with measles."
Smith adds that because too much vitamin A and vitamin D can be toxic and high doses of vitamin C can cause problems for
some people with rare genetic conditions, [8] advice from a health professional with training in nutritional medicine is
important to ensure children receive the correct doses.
In the case of rare but serious complications of measles, such as encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) Smith says,
megadoses of vitamin C given by injection can be potentially lifesaving, noting that Dr Thomas Levy's book about vitamin
C called Curing the Incurable describes how a boy who was suffering from measles encephalitis recovered quickly and suffered no lasting ill effects
after being given vitamin C by injection. [9]
"Knowledge of these treatments is empowering for parents and can put their mind at ease that if their child does develop
measles, there are treatments which can be helpful," Smith comments, adding that in her opinion "Given the excellent
access to medical resources available in modern New Zealand, no one should die from measles." The exception, she stated,
might be people who were already suffering from life threatening medical problems at the time of developing the
infection.
She also expressed concern about the claim in information sheets given to parents that the MMR vaccine is "safe and
effective" given that the numerous adverse effects, some very serious, listed by the vaccine manufacturers' datasheets
[10] [11] and the large amount of scientific evidence linking MMR vaccination to autism. [12]
References:
[1] A screen shot of the relevant page of IMAC's website will be emailed upon request: please contact the coordinator of www.noforcedvaccines.org
[3] You can prove this assertion for yourself by comparing the information about vaccine side effects on the MoH website
and the pages on the IMAC website intended for parents with the information on the manufacturer's datasheet (available
on Medsafe's website) for the relevant vaccine.
[4] A copy of this leaflet will be emailed upon request: please contact the coordiator of www.noforcedvaccines.org
[5] http://www.australianprescriber.com/magazine/18/2/33/5/
[6]http://www.whale.to/a/ellison1.html (Modern research has focused on vitamin A. See:
[9] Curing the Incurable by Thomas Levy, MD, JD. 2002 edition ISBN 1 - 4010 - 6963 - 0
[12]A few examples should suffice: http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Society/documents/2003/05/20/MMRresearch.pdf
ENDS
This press release has been produced on June 10, 2009 as a public health service by No Forced Vaccines www.noforcedvaccines.org