The last of the letters
The letters are still trickling in but if I don't get this lot up now, they will never go up so please have a good read and remember, if you feel like writing to the Herald Sun, Tanya Plibersek or Change.org - its never too late!
Dear Editor,
In response to article ‘kids need jabs’ dated 31/1/12 by Susie O’Brien.
Honestly, has your reporter been paid by someone to be so one sided and defamatory against the AVN and parents who chose not to vaccinate?? Oh, not to mention home birth.
Both of my children are not vaccinated and guess what, they are extremely healthy kids. They have never had whooping cough etc.
Yet I know of other children, who have been vaccinated and they have contracted whooping cough etc. In my local community, I have friends who have chosen to vaccinate and others who have chosen not to vaccinate their children. ‘Amazingly’, we all let our children play together and we respect each others’ democratic rights.
Also, how dare Susie declare that our democratic rights to public education be taken away from our children!! Let alone the choice to vaccinate or not, or even to home birth. I could have sworn we were a progressive modern country, not living in the Middle Ages.
If immunisation works so well, why do people who immunise their children feel so threatened by non-immunised children??
Please Editor, do the right thing!!! Show that there are two sides to every story!
Regards,
CH
To Whom it may concern, ( I sent this one to the Herald sun )
Regardless on how much money is created from vaccination, it is absolutely imperative that we as a human race, respect and embrace the difference of opinions of people, if we were all the same then this would be a very boring place to have a spiritual journey on.
The AVN is an outstanding organisation that provides us with well-documented information regarding vaccination, and the way in which it reacts in our body. I find it extremely hard to watch the consistent childish behaviour the media is displaying by trying to shut down an organisation that is clearly motivated by passion and wellness for our future children.
I will consistently support them for who they are and the amazing peace of mind they give me on a daily basis. I challenge you to look into the communication system of the body and what it needs to regenerate, then look at the interference that any foreign substance does. If you can see what is required to be truly healthy then you will easily be able to support the amazing efforts of Meryl Dorey and her team of passionate families.
As a mother of a boy vaccinated at birth and then again at 2 months of age, I am shattered that I did vaccinate him, and the only reason I did is I was not given any proper information in hospital for my first birth except fear, I was told if I did not vaccinate him then he could die, and could I live with that? Horrified and recovering from a 24 hour labour and c section I said yes!!!!! I am now working overtime as a mother to educate myself and my children on how to remove these terrible toxins from the body and support it to restore it. There are an enormous group of professions that support this I would love to see this explored so that parents can really get a sense of what the body needs for wellness and proper brain function.
Dr Joe Dispenza - Chiropractic
Dr Mercola - Nutrition
Cyndi O’meara- Food and Nutrition
The Chiropractic Profession
The Primal Diet- AAJONUS VONDERPLANITZ, PHD Nutrition
I urge you to be proactive and find out that what the lady represents is clearly what we need in today’s society.
She should be nominated for Australian of the Year for what she has done for us, not condemned, she has done the human race a great service, and for that I thank her from the bottom of my heart.
Kind Regards
KV
I read with interest the article on suggested mandatory vaccination for children and I would like to make some comments. Firstly, vaccination should not be looked upon as a one size fits all medicine. It is not and the media should not be overlooking this. Like any drug, which vaccines also are, they come with risks and for some, those risks can be fatal or permanent.
Parents have a right to seek further information on the risks of vaccination, to be fully informed on what those risks are. The media is not telling the full story on vaccination, so it leaves parents with no choice but to seek other reliable avenues for unbiased vaccine information.
Whether they get that information from the AVN or not, there is plenty of information in books and on credible web sites that contain scientific proof written by professionals that vaccines are not safe and effective. However, there is still a lot of misinformation in the media. People are starting to realise this. The vaccine sites that offer unbiased information such as the AVN are nothing more than pro information and pro choice, so the attacks made against the AVN are disgusting and totally unjust. No authority should control the information that parents are entitled to get access to. After all, these are our children.
JB
Dear Susie,
Sadly, you've got it terribly, terribly wrong. Please take a minute to read the following.
Firstly, you don't drop your new born baby on its head to make it 'immune' to falling over and you shouldn't inject it with poison to prevent it from getting sick. I hope that makes sense.
Secondly, there is no scientific evidence to prove that vaccination works but there 'is' plenty which proves conclusively that it doesn't!
You are part of a majority who choose to be completely fooled by the overbearing and overwhelming propaganda, lies and deceit thrust in our faces by the pharmaceutical 'drug barons' who have unlimited power simply because they have 'unlimited access' to money. (our money).
Try convincing Stephanie Messenger that the jab is safe and effective. Her baby was killed by the Jab. see Stephs story at www.naturematters.info
She is one of many thousands of mothers whose baby was killed or permanently maimed as a result of this evil plot against humanity. In fact, I dare you to have a public debate with Steph, Vera Scheibner, Judy Wilyman or Meryl from the AVN. They are just a few of the (according to you) ignorant conspiracy theorists. In fact they are intelligent ,courageous very well read and qualified women who are dedicating their lives to expose this hideous crime against humanity. You are the one who is ignorant Susie, so come out from behind your pen, lets take the gloves off and clear this matter up once and for all .
Concerned,
TS
To whom it may concern:
I am commenting on the statement made by an Australian doctor, Sue Ieraci, in one of your articles. I cannot understand why unvaccinated children would be a threat to vaccinated children. Does she believe vaccines do not work? Surely the unvaccinated child would be the only one at risk? Is it also true that doctors receive a kick-back in money from the government each time a child is vaccinated? I am increasingly alarmed that freedom of choice is being taken away from parents.
AF
Dear Herald Sun
I would appreciate it if you would forward this email to the author of the article entitled 'Kids Need Jabs' - Herald Sun – 31 January 201
I have numbered the paragraphs with my comments in bold below. I am more than happy to discuss the issues raised in greater depth either by telephone or further email communications since I believe the views of the author indicate a willingness to blindly accept a totalitarian dictatorship and I am not.
1] Parents Must Ignore Conspiracies About Childhood Vaccination
What kind of moronic statement is that? It sounds like ‘stick your head in the sand’ or ‘have blind faith in Big Pharma they only have a couple of hundred years track record of killing and injuring for profit don’t worry it’ll be fine’. It’s hardly reassuring, particularly when you actually have a look at the trail of dead bodies on top of the permanently injured. Gardasil is a recent example where it has been pushed as safe yet when you look at the numbers injured in addition to deaths following the HPV jab it is the height of ignorance to just dismiss any evidence that doesn’t support vaccination, just because the author of the pro vaccine hit piece says so. Ignoramus.
2] CHILDHOOD vaccination should be mandatory for all children. Children who are not immunised should not be allowed to attend state funded schools and preschools because they’re risking the health of all kids.
Again I ask who on earth is this wanna be totalitarian dictator that wants mandatory anything? Mandatory means no rights. There is another word for it. Enslavement. So the Herald Sun is all for promoting a system of totalitarian rule then, thanks to the ignorance of the author?
3] Standard vaccinations are safe, and essential to protect our kids from preventable deadly diseases such as whooping cough, diphtheria and even influenza.
Clearly that is a false statement. Everyone is different and besides, If vaccines were ‘safe’ there would be no evidence of anyone being harmed ever by vaccines. If I am wrong then the definition of ‘safe’ means something else perhaps?
4] So why are ignorant conspiracy theorists endangering our children by peddling crazy theories about the dangers of childhood vaccination?
Have a look in the mirror ignoramus. Better still have a look at some evidence for yourself instead of burying your head in the sand. Let’s just go over this again. If I am a parent with a child that is not vaccinated, and yours is, then you have nothing to worry about since your child allegedly has immunity – so mind your own affairs and stay out of mine. Additionally you will note that with the recent hype regarding whooping cough that it has occurred in several areas where the level of vaccination was over 90 percent and who got the whooping cough? The kids that had been vaccinated. How do you explain that? If the vaccine worked it would have protected that 90+% wouldn’t it? But it didn’t and that should help to highlight that there’s something very wrong with the authors theory. In fact how many examples can you find that show people who got vaccinated for something then got the very same thing that they were vaccinated against?
5] A vicious online row has emerged between doctors who want all parents to vaccinate their kids, and a bogus group called the Australian Vaccination Network (AVN), which pretends to be pro-choice but is actually an anti-vaccination front.
Bogus? What on earth is bogus about informed consent? What? Whether it is to selectively vaccinate or not at all, is besides the point. The point is medical tyranny is around the corner and idiotic one sided attacks against anyone who wants the right to decide for themselves is entirely unfair and un-Australian.
6] It’s a fight between a handful of uninformed quacks with a personal agenda, and just about every doctor in Australia — who have medical science on their side. The AVN’S Meryl Dorey has started a campaign on change.org calling on the Federal Government to stop penalising families who do not vaccinate by withholding $2100 of family benefits.
Oh no you don’t! Don’t you dare claim that insisting on the right to choose is all a result of ‘quacks’ pushing their own agenda. It is the Big Pharma companies that have pushed their soft kill bioweapons which have been thoroughly promoted by people with financial conflicts of interest. (Eg 2009 Swine Flu pushed by a load of advisors that had financial ties to Big Pharma.)
The people who want the right to choose are people that want to stay living in a free country (well some freedom at least)
7] In response, a leading Australian doctor, Sue Ieraci, has put her own petition on change.org warning people about AVN.
Leading Doctor? As in leading the Stop the AVN? Why should we give any credibility to anyone that wants to eliminate our freedom, our right to choose for ourselves? Why because she is a Doctor? So what? For every Doctor you find pushing this scientific medical dictatorship approach, I can find one that is opposed to it.
8] As Dr Ieraci explains, in areas where people have stopped vaccinating kids, there have been dangerous outbreaks of whooping cough and measles.
As I pointed out above a little bit of research and you will see that there have been multiple outbreaks in areas where almost everyone had been vaccinated; If there was an outbreak and no-one had been vaccinated perhaps that would be a reasonable assumption to make that it was the unvaccinated that spread it but of course further research shows the reasons why vaccinated kids also got sick – the vaccine causes the vaccinated to walk around shedding the virus all over the place, and so much for the so called ‘immunity’ since if the vaccine had ‘immunised’ then they would be immune from it. Time and time again we see that is not the case. Something doesn’t add up if you believe the ‘all vaccines are safe’ brainwashing program.
9] It’s true Australia has one of the highest vaccination rates in the developed world — 94 per cent — but misinformation peddled by the AVN and others is causing parents unnecessary angst.
How about the direct correlation between number of standard vaccinations and cancer then? What about that that across the world the incidence of cancers directly correlates to the number of vaccines. In Countries with the lowest number of standard vaccines, the cancer rates are lowest. In countries with the largest number of vaccines, the cancer rates are the highest. I suppose if the author of the attempted ‘anti-choice’ hitpiece had a look at some of the standard vaccines they might have noticed ingredients such as formaldehyde, a known carcinogen being present and then maybe the author would be less gung ho about handing over all your rights so easily.
10] Doctors are also worried that immunisation rates are declining because of such misinformation.
Any look back through history will reveal some remarkable facts – emerging epidemics have had a similar trend and that is that the incidents reduce over time. In many cases once epidemics almost disappeared over time before any vaccine became available. Following the introduction of the vaccine, the rates shot back up again.
11] My biggest beef with the AVN’S approach is the way they have set themselves up as an impartial group that wants to educate parents about both sides of the debate, but in fact they are totally anti-vaccination.
My biggest beef with the author is the hypocrisy of being outraged about anyone having a different opinion whilst unreservedly pushing a pro-vaccination stance all throughout the article. So what if the AVN were totally anti vaccination (which they are not) even if it were true and the AVN was totally opposed to vaccination, at least it does allow for some balance in the argument, since the pathetic media continues to push the pro-vaccine – anti-freedom con job. Good on the AVN, shame on you Herald Sun for pushing Big Pharma lies.
12] On their website they urge parents to ‘‘investigate before you vaccinate’’ and that it’s ‘‘a parent’s right to choose what’s best for their child’’.
Again, what is wrong with a bit of informed consent, some research, some investigation? Apparently the author would either like the authorities to take away the parents right to choose ?
13] Yet the rest of the website is little more than an antivaccination rant. Parents, don’t be fooled. Like homebirthers, parents who choose not to vaccinate their children are letting their own ideological beliefs get in the way of the safety of their children — in fact, all children.
Don’t be fooled by someone who is trying to help people make an informed choice? Again the author is quite content to have blind faith when it comes to pushing the soft kill bioweapons known as vaccines. Obviously the author has not got even the faintest idea about the track record of medical tyranny. Go and read ‘Journey into Madness’ by Gordon Thomas.
14] Medical science is pretty united on immunisation.
Haha. Are you kidding me? United as in that’s the myth peddled by the Big Gangster Pharma Cartel and their paid minions and repeated like parrots by the mainstream media who often like to talk as though they are also the authority on such matters when they clearly haven’t got a freaking clue about the nonsense they are promoting.
15] As Dr Steve Hambleton from the AMA said recently, immunisation has meant two generations free from deadly diseases such as diphtheria and polio.
Yes and have a look at the number of polio outbreaks in Nigeria admitted to by the WHO following extensive immunisation…. ‘Polio vaccine causes polio outbreak..’ and again look at the history of the natural decline in diseases prior to the introduction of any vaccine and then note also in many cases that after years of natural decline, that an upwards spike occurred after the vaccine was introduced.
16] The best federal experts say side-effects commonly cited as being caused by immunisations are co-incidental, and not caused by vaccines at all.
I wonder which ‘best federal experts’ that the author is talking about? The reason I ask is because they have no basis to make that statement. If I am wrong, then please would someone direct me to the studies that have examined the impacts from the combined toxicity from all the ingredients in the ‘standard’ vaccination schedule. There is not one (as far as I have been able to determine – correct me please if I am wrong) and therefore if no study has been undertaken ask why not? And then ask why are the unnamed ‘federal experts’ cited by the author allowed to make such remarks without having actually checked out with a scientific study?
17] As schools and kinders go back this week after the summer break, it’s up to all parents to ensure their children are fully immunised.
No vaccines here, thanks and by the way keep your vaccinated walking virus shedders away from me. I don’t want your live attenuated viruses.
18] Kids whose parents deny them this basic right should not be mixing with the rest of us, and should not be allowed to attend state-funded schools and preschools.
Once again it is completely moronic to claim that unvaccinated should stay away from the rest of us for the simple reason that if the vaccine worked there would be immunity and hence nothing to fear from someone who had not been vaccinated. Wake up out of your congnitive dissonance please before we are all shoved into an Orwellian nightmare.
If you hand over our rights to choose for ourselves we open the door for the most unimaginable brutal dictatorship the world has ever known which is what I have been trying to warn for several years now.
WAKE UP!
Sincerely
SE
The Editor:
Herald Sun
Dear Sir / Madam,
I have never been vaccinated,
My children have never been vaccinated and until the vaccine companies and or medical fraternity can prove to me beyond all doubt that the cocktail of vaccinations given to children are CUMULATIVELY safe with no long-term negative effects then I will fight to keep my right of choice as a parent for my children until they are old enough to inform themselves and make their own choices.
Articles like that detailed below convince me that my choices for my children are correct.
GJ
An Argentine court has fined drug monolith GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) a piddling $90,000 for conducting illegal vaccine trials on third-world babies between 2007 and 2008 that resulted in 14 of those babies being killed. GSK's shocking and utterly horrific crimes against humanity are topped only by its heartless appeal of the fine, which is the financial equivalent of a small slap on the wrist, and is hardly a proper punishment for crimes of this magnitude to begin with.
The Buenos Aires Herald (BAH) reports that a paper issued by the National Administration of Medicine, Food and Technology found GSK to be in violation of the law when it rounded up babies from around Argentina to participate in vaccine experiments that are illegal in both the US and Europe. GSK recruited doctors to lure in unsuspecting victims, who convinced parents of young children to sign consent forms that would bind them into complying with the entire experiment.
"These doctors took advantage of many illiterate parents whom (sic) take their children for treatment by pressuring and forcing them into signing these 28-page consent forms and getting them involved in the trials," said Ana Marchese, a pediatrician who worked at the Eva Peron Children's Public Hospital in Santiago del Estero during the trial period. Various doctors, including Hector Abate and Miguel Tregnaghi, both of which were also fined as part of the ruling, carried out the dirty work of GSK by deceiving trial patients.
"Laboratories can't experiment in Europe or the United States, so they come to do it in third-world countries," added Marchese. "These kind of practices are not legal and occurred without any type of state control, plus they don't comply with minimum ethical requirements."
Many of the babies involved with the trial, which was testing a pneumococcal bacteria vaccine, ended up experiencing severe adverse reactions, while others actually died. Doctors involved in the experiment reportedly did not answer requests from parents about the conditions of their children after receiving the vaccine.
Those parents that tried to withdraw their children from the trial while it was still taking place were threatened, according to Julieta Ovejero, a great aunt of one of the babies who died. Ovejero told BAH that all participants were told they would never receive another vaccine for their children again if they tried to leave the trial early.
Several years after this whole fiasco took place, a court in Argentina ruled against GSK with a small $90,000 fine, which is nothing for the multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical company. However, GSK denies any wrongdoing, or any connection between its vaccines and the child deaths, and is actually now appealing the fine in court.
Sources for this article include:
http://www.buenosairesherald.com/article/88922/gsk-lab-fined-over-vaccine-tests-that-killed-14--babies
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/034821_GSK_vaccine_trials_dead_babies.html#ixzz1lClxGMbF
Dear Editor,
The report "Kids Need Jabs" dated 31 January 2012 by Susie O'Brien article is so extremely one sided, biased and inaccurate that I feel compelled to write in responses to some of her statements.
1. "Standard vaccinations are safe, and essential to protect our kids from preventable deadly diseases such as whooping cough, diphtheria and even influenza"
- I would like to draw the author’s attention to a published article in the Australian newspaper (http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/features/virus-in-the-system/story-e6frg8h6-1226063484330) about Saba Button who suffered global brain damage after the influenza vaccine last year.
2. "a fight between a handful of uninformed quacks with a personal agenda, and just about every doctor in Australia — who have medical science on their side"
- There is a number of extremely well educated scientific researchers with published research who also question vaccination, I reference 2 out of many books that could be read on the subject "The Virus and the Vaccine contaminated vaccine, deadly cancers and Government neglect" which is a fascinating story of the known contamination of the Polio virus with a monkey virus SV40 which has been widely linked to cancers in humans which sites many qualified people and their investigations and the second reference is "The Vaccine Safety Manual" by Neil Z Miller. It has detailed cross-referencing of published material by qualified people. If Susie can take her blinkers off and read these books she may have a slightly better understanding of why there is debate on the topic.
3. "in areas where people have stopped vaccinating kids, there have been dangerous outbreaks of whooping cough and measles."
- Which areas? Statistics supporting evidence? Same strains that are contained in the vaccine or variants? I was under the impression that Australia had one of the highest vaccination rates against Whooping cough in the World and yet we also have one of the highest number of cases each year. I recall working with a Father and Son 15 years ago who were both fully vaccinated who both had fully fledged whooping cough – this in my mind raises questions as to the effectiveness of the vaccine itself.
4. "Dr Steve Hambleton from the AMA said recently, immunisation has meant two generations free from deadly diseases such as diphtheria and polio."
- Polio has declined, which is great but could you ask Dr. Steve Hambleton about the SV40 contamination in the Polio vaccine and it's association with various aggresive cancers in humans.
5. "The best federal experts say side-effects commonly cited as being caused by immunisations are co-incidental, and not caused by vaccines at all"
- Which experts? Now ask Saba Button's family to give a comment about that, tell them that their daughter co-incidentally suffered global brain damage and it was nothing to do with the Fluvax.
6. "Kids whose parents deny them this basic right should not be mixing with the rest of us, and should not be allowed to attend state-funded schools and preschools."
- So tax payers who exercise their right to choose in a country where vaccination isn't compulsory should be punished for having a different point of view? What next, should we burn the books that Susie doesn't approve of?
Readers of your paper should be entitled to read comprehensively researched, fair and balanced articles of a much higher standard than this.
Regards
CS
Dear Editor,
I totally oppose any attempt to mandate vaccination in this country and this is why.
Firstly, there is no compensation scheme for those who are permanently damaged from a negative reaction.
Secondly, all the information available in doctors' surgeries is published by the vaccine manufacturers, and I question why? The Government's own Immunisation Handbook should be read by everyone before they submit themselves or their child to a vaccination.
I have researched the whole issue of vaccines over twenty years since I manifested with a monkey virus-contaminated polio vaccine osteosarcoma bone cancer!
In my opinion, the information that is kept from the public about vaccines is a disgrace. The corporate power that stands over governments and uses them to further their vested interests is truly shocking. It is a human right to choose whatever healthcare one feels is best for oneself and to continue the ridiculous assumption that unvaccinated people are somehow disease-carrying pariahs, is disgusting.
I have never had a flu shot and have never had the flu. I have two elderly friends who have lost 25% of their heart muscle function after a terrible reaction to a flu shot!
There is no way that I would ever take any chemical medication let alone have a toxic vial of chemicals and viruses punctured straight into my bloodstream. How anyone can think that this will keep them healthy is just beyond me!
There has never been any research done to compare the health of the vaccinated as opposed to the unvaccinated; the stories about safety and efficacy are all anecdotal.
In my opinion, the diatribe from John Dwyer as he lashes out at the teaching of alternative healthcare modalities, is positively breathtaking! I believe that the giant pharmaceutical manufacturers are out to stop people's choices of alternative healthcare because people are turning away from their products in droves.
AH
To whom it may concern
It is with great sadness that articles like "Kids need Jabs" (Published on 31/01/2012, Page 13) are published in the media today.
I'm surprised The Herald Sun, a very reputable newspaper, allowed such an article filled with demoralizing phrases like "ignorant conspiracy theorists", "peddling crazy theories", " bogus group", "uninformed quacks" and "My biggest beef" to be published. This is not an article filled with facts; it should have been in the editorial column.
You have an obligation; a duty to the public to provide non-biased facts.
If you do not do your due diligence on a subject, then you should not be writing or publishing articles at all.
Where are the facts in the article "Kids need Jabs"?
The only thing I've read is an article written by an emotional, off-centered person. This is not a journalist nor is it journalism.
It is a sad era when vaccinated children are damaged, injured and killed by an injection all in the name of money and greed.
Do you write or publish articles about these facts? No.
Do you write or publish articles about how much money pharmaceutical companies donate to the Labour and Liberal Parties? No.
Do you write or publish articles about how many and how much the vaccination claims are against pharmaceutical companies? No.
There is your proof that you are not doing your due diligence.
Tell me why should I as the consumer continue reading The Herald Sun?
Perhaps I won't.
KM
Dear Editor,
I am writing to express my absolute disgust with some of the articles recently published regarding home birth, withholding of financial benefits and compulsory vaccination. The articles were completely one-sided and inaccurate, promoting unquestioning compliance without regard to personal circumstances, beliefs or philosophies- sounds to me like a return to the dark ages where the masses had no right to choice and were burnt at the stake for daring to have an opinion.
It's disappointing that you insult the intelligence of your readers by publishing articles which promote one-sided, intolerant and discriminatory behaviour. It would be refreshing to see a truly balanced article or addressing the issues of how our freedom is being gradually eroded but I'm sure that wouldn't go down too well with your financial sponsors.
We are privileged to live in a country where free speech is legal and choices are a right but this needs to be protected. Home birth may not be desired or appropriate for some families but neither is a highly, medicalised hospital birth- each individual's choice should be protected. The same applies to vaccination and parenting.
To say that children who are not vaccinated should not be allowed to mix with vaccinated children is outrageous and ridiculous, what if a child has a serious allergy to an ingredient in a vaccine?
What next, put armbands on all the unvaccinated and create segregated areas for them, withhold financial benefits, education and basic humanity- sounds familiar?
I may not agree with other parents about many things but I respect their right to do as they believe is right. I think this is an appropriate time to remember what happened with Nazi-occupied Europe and the stolen generation. There is a difference between genuine child protection, where a child is genuinely at risk of abuse or neglect and living a lifestyle with a natural or alternative philosophy. Confusing the two would have an inhumane and disastrous outcome.
Although I respect the work of the medical profession, let's not forget that one of the biggest causes of death and harm in hospitals is actually medical error, a fact that is poorly acknowledged and addressed.
Disappointed but not surprised,
Freedom fighter.
MS
Dear Editor,
I am an intelligent, responsible and skeptical adult who made my own enquiry with local and state health departments, medical journals, books, drug companies and local hospitals about vaccine safety and effectiveness. On what authority do you assume all new parents are mindless sponges incapable of adult decisions? We alone made quiet and deliberate enquiry and arrived at our own, educated conclusions. Why the fixation with 'AVN'? There are dozens more throughout Australia and hundreds the world over, and not one of them 'preyed' on me. I scrutinised them! Do you know that vaccine safety and effectiveness has been questioned and debated since it was first introduced over 100 years ago? A vaccine is a man made 'product' with inherent risks like all other pharmaceutical drugs. How can one rationally compare seatbelts (an external, tangible device) to something that is injected or swallowed? Yes, one can take the seatbelt off if it is causing damage, but can one remove all traces of a vaccine? The vaccine manufacturers readily list mild to fatal adverse reactions in their vial inserts. You can download this from all the vaccine manufacturers websites. A vaccine does not guarantee protection from a disease - it never has! Fully vaccinated people contract these diseases every other day - some even die. Vaccination provides peace of mind for many, but for conscientious objectors and those who cannot be vaccinated, there is no reason to debate it at all - vaccination is not a moral issue - just medical. Your knowledge of this topic (and homebirth) is poor and presents as fear based opinion, not to mention just childish responses. I am astounded it was approved by such a well respected newspaper.
http://www.healthyskepticism.org/global/quotes/list/science
RI
To the Editor,
It is with absolute disgust that I write to you after reading an article published in the Herald Sun on the 31st of January, 2012 ('Kids Need Jabs').
A more belligerent and biased piece of journalism, if it could be called that, I have not seen. I am shocked that such amateuristic tripe would even be considered suitable for your newspaper's pages.
The statement
"On their website they urge parents to ‘‘investigate before you vaccinate’’ and that it’s ‘‘a parent’s right to choose what’s best for their child’’, in the context of the article implies that the author is absolutely against parents taking an informed interest in health care practices and the welfare of their children, not to mention that they also believe a parent has no right to choose what is best for their child. That paragraph alone is evidence enough that such an article, in this day and age, has no place in any form of widely circulated media as it flies in the face of what Australians consider a fundamental freedom, the freedom to choose.
The freedom of choice of where a woman births her child is an inviolate right, and homebirth is a natural response to what both statistics and nature tell us, birthing is a natural process the female race are designed for, and that the medicalisation of birth has resulted in an increase of not only infant mortality but also of the deaths birthing mothers. This article from 2007 is worth a read - http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20427256/ns/health-pregnancy/t/more-us-women-dying-childbirth/#.Tye11_k0N8E
In the future please consider articles of this ilk more carefully before publishing them, as they are not only offensive, but also highly inaccurate.
Regards,
TN
Minister Plibersek,
I recently read an article in the Herald on 31/1/12 entitled Parents Must Ignore Conspiracies About Childhood Vaccination. It seems to be a direction the Government is keen to support. I have no issues with telling you where I personally stand on the vaccination issue and my experiences as a parent to date.
After many months of researching vaccination safety and efficacy issues my wife and I made an informed decision not to vaccinate our daughter, rather we followed a natural, proven and effective approach to protection (see Dr Isaac Golden’s Homeoprophylaxis protocol which has around 80% protection rate, similar to allopathic approaches). Our decision was based on mounting efficacy and safety concerns. For example, some babies in Australia administered the flu vaccine in April 2010 died, 60 plus were hospitalised and there was a national flu vaccine ban for little ones.
It is assumed that Medical science is pretty united on immunisation, but are they? My sister, an experienced and popular GP in Northern Sydney & mother of three, recently advised me that she has been investigating her own vaccination efficacy and safety concerns (evidenced through her work). She concluded that she would not have vaccinated her own children had she had the decision again. Specifically, her concerns are around the connection between vaccination, deteriorating digestive health and food intolerances. This is substantiated by journal published research from Dr Andrew Wakefield and supported by other international studies.
It is stated that the AMA said recently, immunisation has meant two generations free from deadly diseases such as diphtheria and polio. Our protection against any disease is based solely on the capability of the immune system. Since a lot of us are better nourished than those during and after war times, (look up charts of death from diseases post 1944 and then map out when vaccination was commenced) disease deaths dropped off before mass vaccination was introduced.
It is reported that the best federal experts say side-effects commonly cited as being caused by immunisations are co-incidental, and not caused by vaccines at all. Yet, Governments around the world settle multi millions dollar claims from families with seemingly healthy children pre vaccination, then post vaccination health is affected and a law suit ensues. If you read the vaccine inserts they tell you the potential horrendous side effects that inevitably some kids will experience, including, Guillain-Barre syndrome a serious disorder that occurs when the body's defence (immune) system mistakenly attacks part of the nervous system. This leads to nerve inflammation that causes muscle weakness called ascending paralysis.
If you make childhood vaccination mandatory for all children then I will be fined or possibly sent to jail, because I simply couldn’t agree to it knowing that it is likely to hurt my daughter at some level. Please note I have never been arrested or fined for any other reason.
It is reported that Children who are not immunised should not be allowed to attend state funded schools and preschools because they’re risking the health of all kids. What you are actually supporting is isolation, more vaccine injuries and a greater exposure to Government settlements (from your tax payer's money).
One of my main personal concerns is the lack of long term medical studies supporting efficacy and safety claims. Just stop to think for a minute, if you ran a multibillion dollar business's with an endless debate about vaccine effectiveness/safety why wouldn;t you complete a study and publish the result that would end the debate. Such a long term study has never been conducted, why? Strange given we are told that the results are a foregone conclusion? The study would need to be credible and follow accepted protocols e.g double blind, ramdomised, placebo controlled and include vaccinated vs non vaccinated kids over a long period, say, 10 to 15 years.
There is a concern that like homebirthers, parents who choose not to vaccinate their children are letting their own ideological beliefs get in the way of the safety of their children — in fact, all children. Well, I personally know of 5 families who chose not to vaccinate their kids and all, like our daughter, lead strong, healthy and vibrant lives. Small sample but 100% success rate nonetheless. On the flip side, I personally know of three families in the last 6 months who have fully vaccinated kids that have had whooping cough. It seems that each year more people are vaccinated (you quote 94% for Australia), so it can’t be for lack of immunisation. Maybe it’s because vaccinations aren’t totally effective or the immune systems are impeded through vaccination?
Finally, there have been many, many cases where people trusted the pharmaceutical industry and paid too big a price with their lives or capabilities as a result e.g Thalidomide and VIOXX. Pharma companies have a history of getting some things badly wrong, so can they be trusted without more evidence?
Please review the facts provided before pushing for removal of your nation's right to choose. Don't you think it's time for a balanced public debate?
Regards,
AM (BSc Hons)
Hello Tanya and 'Change.org'
It is with a great sadness and disillusionment that I have read the latest bureaucratic and the supposedly innovative and accepting 'change' agent organisation's (Change.org) take on the AVN, an organisation which is asking only for a full investigation and regulation of an industry allowing no avenues of review, no thought of human rights, and holds no maturity in operation.
When innoculation reactions are reported on with an open and honest scientific responsbility over a set period of time, where each vaccination is regulated and relevant batch numbers are issued to receivers allowing for investigation into discrepancies, and where comparative options in the homeopathic medicine field are tested with this same requested level of recording, then maturity in function and application would be accepted. At present the fact that these methods are not employed speaks volumes in levels of ignorance or secrecy, or both. There is the great probability that innoculations are causing as many, if not more, deaths than illicit drug use in our society - a section of society which is considered by the general populace to be in need of law enforcement regulation.
It was interesting to watch the ABC show The Drum this evening, with information on how prohibition on opium in the early 20th century was the precursor to regulation of the non-pharmaceutical drug market, and that this came about mostly through racial intolerance of an 'unknown' substance introduced by an 'unknown' race. This precedent now appears to extend to Asian, Indigenous, and American Indian medicinal/homeopathic options which have been in use for thousands of years, rather than the couple of hundred years (if that) of vaccination. It is also comparative to our acceptance of tobacco and alcohol over illicit drugs, and the disproportionately high number of deaths attributed to our own 'accepted' forms of drug use.
Propaganda has become endemic in society, and many of us are fully aware of the skewed and biased perspectives supported by this insidious brand of 'information sharing'. Although the majority of us tend to be apathetic to the effects of propaganda, we are still aware of it. Fear mongering by way of exacerbating viral deaths, and yet not reporting vaccination deaths must be one of the most incredulous bluffs of our 'modern' times. Hopefully it won't be too long before there is a mature, standardised, and robust method developed to prevent this level of societal brain washing from continuing.
I will be very surprised if either yourself (Tanya), or anyone willing to reveal their name (Change.org) even read this email, let alone consider what it is saying with any level of humanity, intelligence, or honesty. If nothing else, could you please advise if you have read any of the information on AVN's website, or the information contained within their newsletter or magazines?
Regards
LS
Dear Tanya Plibersek
I do not know what you may or may not know about vaccination, or what research you have done, but I have done some. I am a mother, a health professional with two university degrees and have for the last decade studied vaccination intensively.
I have not vaccinated my child and am 100% confident in my choice which is extremely informed. I feel to try and force parents to vaccinate their children is against basic human rights. Vaccinations have enormous and numerous side effects and down falls which need to be openly revealed to parents. Any medical procedure should be explained to the patient- both the benefits and the risks. Why is this not so with vaccination?
The AVN is an excellent source of vaccination fact and information. It does not tell anyone what to do, only to inform themselves of information that is available, but not given by the government, medical profession or media. The Stop the AVN and alike seem to be opinion, not factually based, and perhaps have financial stakes or even ego interests ahead of any child's health.
Regards
Dr PM
To all concerned,
As a highly educated (masters qualified), incredibly caring mother of three, I am appalled at the recent incredibly biased and uninformed article published in the Herald Sun regarding vaccination, and the ridiculous, anti-democratic movement against freedom of speech and freedom of choice, which is what any push for forced vaccination represents!
I am personally insulted at the accusation of the author that because I have chosen not to risk my children’s lives by not vaccinating them that I am an “uncaring” mother. On the contrary, mothers who choose not to vaccinate or have home births in my experience are far more conscious and informed parents than many others who merely follow the crowd and do what the establishment tells them to in relation to their children. It was exactly that kind of mentality that saw millions of Jews slaughtered in WWII by people “just following orders”! Are we truly advocating that people stop thinking for themselves and just follow the dictates of uninformed or bought so called “experts” or politicians. I studied the research into effects of immunization (both sides of the argument rather than just what the medical and drug establishments will give you) from the time I discovered I was pregnant until the time I gave birth and finally made my choice not to immunize and use a homeopathic program instead. It was a tough choice, one made in the face of great family and expert pressure to “do what everyone else was doing” and despite the struggle it represented I don’t regret my choice for an instant. My children are all incredibly healthy, have been exposed to numerous contagious illnesses that we are constantly bombarded to vaccinate against and yet have never contracted any of them despite their vaccinated peers being the ones carrying the illness around. They have had no respiratory illnesses, no gastrointestinal illnesses, and very few fevers or even the mildest illnesses of any kind. You might choose to think we have been incredibly lucky, I do too, but I am absolutely certain beyond all doubt, that my choice NOT to immunize has had a huge impact on their constitutional health, especially since their immunized cousins with many of the same genes have had significantly more illness than they have!
Having worked in Hospitals and the Health Care system for 15 years prior to having my children I know exactly how dangerous hospitals and immunization can be and also how powerful and influential drug companies can be using large sums of money to influence the medical profession, clinical testing and trials and public policy. Hence my decision to have home births and not immunize. I am not anti hospitals or the medical profession and they certainly have their place but influencing freedom of speech and freedom of choice shouldn’t be one of them. How ironic is it that hospitals push how “dangerous” they are to unimmunized children only to in the next breath push that brand new infants at the height of their vulnerability should be born in such an environment.
Why does the immunized community have so much fear of those who are unimmunized if immunizations are so effective? I suggest, having spoken at length to numerous doctors following the birth of my third child (as I reassessed my decision with the birth of each infant) that it is because the medical profession is increasingly nervous about the ongoing efficacy of these immunizations as the diseases we are increasingly being driven by fear or force to immunize against mutate. Are parents told when their children are immunized against whooping cough that it is only roughly 70% effective as I was told when I pushed the physician who was pressing me to immunize? Are they also told that immunization sometimes only lasts about 5 years! If whooping cough is “making a comeback” as touted by some scaremongers it is more likely to be from lack of reliable and full information than lack of immunization, particularly when so many immunized kids are catching it and many unimmunized are not! Shouldn’t we question, with a great deal of scepticism, any body of professional advice or evidence that only represents part of the information and argument? Could it be that this anti-democratic pressure to remove freedom of choice and civil liberty and force immunization is being driven by a most powerful industry, reliant for its economic survival and expansion on a population of people who immunize and have a mentality of drugs and injections to take care of their health, rather than healthy lifestyle choices and personal responsibility. Could it also be that this industry does not want a valid “control” group in the present day of unimmunized kids with healthy lifestyles against which to compare their claims about the need to immunize?
If we are truly concerned about the health of the nation, I suggest it would be far more effective to outlaw smoking which kills thousands of people in one form or another every day and whose resultant illnesses place a huge burden on the health system and society in general than it is to insist we spend money forcing immunizations on those who don’t want them. How is it we cannot take away the “civil rights” of people to choose to smoke (despite evidence that smoking also effects the health of those around the smoker and not just the smoker themselves) but we can take away people’s choice not to have foreign substances injected into their own or their children’s bodies? Could it be because so many industries actually thrive on smoking and the illnesses created by smoking, just as so many industries thrive on population wide immunization? Where will we draw the line once we cross the threshold about freedom to choose not to have injections forced upon our children’s little bodies? Forced sterility of the intellectually disabled or tattooing of Jews.... I mean criminals?
After the recent spate of child deaths from incompletely tested immunizations (about 1 year ago), where perfectly healthy children fronted for “harmless” immunizations only to die in the ensuing hours afterwards, I can’t believe the push against people choosing not to immunize continues! Has anyone spoken to the parents of these trusting souls who took the medical advice, immunized their children and then left the health care centres without their children only to go and organize funerals? Yes the instances may be considered by some to be relatively rare but that is cold comfort to those who lost their loved ones! And if the unthinkable should happen and forced immunization (GOD FORBID) should come about in our progressive democratic society, what will the payout be and who will fund it, to those who lose children, or whose children become intellectually or physically “impaired” for life as a result of such an archaic dictatorial “public policy”?
I urge individuals, the media, experts, and politicians alike as a minimum, to fairly evaluate and accurately represent ALL information and sides of the debate so we can put an end to the idea that forced immunization represents anything other than a move to a dictatorship with “big brother” or is that big industry in control and finally regain our democratic freedom of choice and civil liberty.
Regards,
JC
Herald Sun – 31 January 2012
I have never seen my, or other parents who choose to not vaccinate their children or to birth at home, let their own ideological beliefs get in the way of their children’s health. This kind of comment shows a complete lack of understanding of how many parents take on decisions, choices and responsibility for their family’s health.
On the contrary, many of us who have made these choices are very conscious and engaged in the health of our families. Furthermore, we should have a choice as to what we inject into our children. As for the AVN, they are providing information that is certainly questioning compulsory vaccination, but where else do parents go for this info? Certainly not the mainstream medical system which only offers pro-vaccination choices……
DD
Dear Tanya Plibersek,
Please don’t attack the AVN Network and parents who decide not to vaccinate their children . The AVN provides a service by informing those – who wish to be informed – about vaccination research, information, risks etc. There needs to be a freedom of choice in this issue. Most people who don’t vaccinate are not hippy, uninformed, anti-establishment types, they are in fact mostly well read, informed and only want the best for their children. After reading about the side effects of vaccines and a number of other vaccine related issues (not thru the AVN), we decided not to vaccinate our children. The people I know who haven’t vaccinated have actually read quite a bit about vaccinations for and against. Most people who vaccinate, only know about the for. Therefore, we non-vaccinators are making an informed choice. What’s everyone else doing? Believing the drug companies? Sorry if I sound cynical but I know someone whose child “became” autistic after a vaccination. Would you go ahead and take your kids to the doctor after the conversation I had with these distraught parents? This needs to be discussed. We need to have mature conversations about this issue not try and make a black and white us against them argument. We all want the same thing. Happy, safe and healthy children. Can we not have a discussion about this instead of banning a group who is asking quite legitimate questions, or taxing parents who are, if anything, more concerned about their children’s wellbeing, by at least researching the options?
I do hope you will take notice of this and understand that we all need to make informed choices. It would be incredibly unfair, not to mention against civil rights, to take away this choice.
Yours sincerely,
JM
Dear Editor,
The fact that such a malicious and one sided article was able to be printed is an absolute disgrace to your publication and the integrity and quality of the journalists therein. This is scare mongering and propaganda by Sue Ieraci who is a Ministerial Appointee to the NSW Medical Board as well as a very active member of the organization, Stop the AVN (conspiracy theorists endangering our children by peddling crazy theories about minority groups within Australia) – which renders her absolutely void of any impartial commentary.
There are many in both the medical profession and the community who do not believe in vaccination, quite the contrary.
It is a fundamental human right to choose the substances we inject into our own bodies. Australia is a democracy and compulsory vaccination is a policy of an authoritarian government. If this policy cannot be presented to the population on the risk of disease and not by bribing doctors and parents to support it then it is not an evidence-based public health policy. This is clearly the case when a government relies on the explanation of a ‘coincidence’ for the adverse reactions to vaccines. If the policy was evidence-based you would do the science to prove which reactions are causally related. Until this science is complete there should be no compulsory vaccination in Australia. The key issue is that every parent should have the right to choose what is right for their child.
Printing a story like this, that is based on the ‘opinion’ of a one sided person with an agenda is amateur, unprofessional and disgraceful. Certainly, it is not the kind of article that represents the Heralds apparent Mission Statement of “The Herald Sun is dedicated to accurate, fair and fearless publication of news and commentary.” This article might be fearless, but it is neither accurate nor is it fair.
Moving forward, I hope you aim to live up to your Mission Statement and act with integrity and professionalism.
KR
Dear Herald Sun and Susie O'Brien,
I am writing in response to an article on the 31st January written by Susie O'Brien. I appreciate that everyone, should have an opinion on Vaccination and I appreciate you raising it in the public domain as I do think it is something that all parents should take seriously and really research before making any decisions on the best course of action.
I also feel in the interest of freedom of speech we should not try and stop any one else, such as the AVN from having their opinion either. I find it interesting that the AVN need to always site references for any comments they make regarding vaccination, but as a journalist you can write what ever you like without having to stipulate it is just an opinion or back it up with any references to scientific data.
We have chosen to use a Homeopathic method to cover my daughter against the diseases listed on the Immunisation register. I do feel that more parents should be aware that there are safer options that have been studied and proven to be effective. Some resources I could recommend if you would like more information on the topic, just so you can be fully informed are the following books, Vaccination and Homeoprophylaxis? A Review of Risk and Alternatives 7th edition by Dr Isaac Golden and also Choosing Not to Immunise Our Children, The Reasons Behind the Decision by Dale Frazer D.O.,B.Sc.
With regards to un-vaccinated children spreading disease, I have never understood this argument. If your child is fully vaccinated and you have done this believing that it will protect your children from these diseases, then you really should not be concerned about other children. You should consider you child covered and safe.
I would also like to add I am a member of the AVN, and would like to say all the dealings I have had with them have been very professional. At no stage has any one ever told me not to vaccinate my child. I have always been forwarded to reference information where I can do research and come to my own conclusions. I am disappointed people are putting so much effort into stopping an organisation who is merely providing information for the community. If we had not had people taking the alternate view in many historical instances we would be worse of today. Using the Tobacco debate as an example which is similar to the Pharmaceutical debate now, large corporations, large amounts of money and all doing their own research and publishing their own findings. We finally saw the truth in the Tobacco debate. I sincerely hope the fear mongering can stop and we can look at Vaccination in a more measured way and agree it has it's advantages, but it could also be altered to make it much safer as well as look at the alternatives.
I am available at the above email address if you would like to contact me further and I would like to hear from you if you do go ahead and read the books I have mentioned.
Thank you for time.
Kind regards,
SF