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Vaccines have saved millions of lives and millions of people from disabilities such as the crippling effects of polio and meningitis.
Infectious diseases used to be the leading causes of death in children and adults and vaccines have helped prevent these deaths.

Infectious diseases are no longer the leading causes of death in the western world, we now have, alcohol, cigarretes and chronic diseases such as cancer ,diabetes and heart disease as the major culprits.

So, do we need to still have all the vaccines out there ?

The CDC says that smallpox has been eradicated as there have been no new cases for some time, so we do not vaccinate for small pox anymore. Is it possible for it to come back ?

A common sense approach is probably the best - instead of a fear based approach :

1. If possible do the vaccine in the same route of administration as one would contract the disease- if it is contracted orally, then an oral vaccine would be better- this not possible for a lot of vaccines.

2. Do the vaccine at around the same age as the disease is prevalent or commonly seen.

3 .Spread out the vaccines so kids do not get 4-5 shots in the same day or week as this is very taxing on an immature immune system and may expose the child to a large amount of mercury or other vaccine preservative.

4. Ask for mercury ( thiomersol ) free vaccines.

5. Never vaccinate a child that is running a fever, has a cold or flu or has diarrhea.

To vaccinate your child or not or to do some vaccines and not others is a complexand personal decsion and should be researched by the parents and discussed with your naturopathic physician and your pediatrician

Dr Kareen O'Brien