Many Say We're Overdoing It
The
word "vaccine" has its root in vacca, or cow, the
original vaccine being taken from the lymph of a cow and used in humans
against cowpox or smallpox. Vaccines, as we learned in school, are
preparations of bacteria or viruses designed to cause the body to
produce antibodies. Antibodies are disease-fighting organisms created by
the
body's
immune system. In the history of human health, vaccines have been
considered a boon, virtually eliminating some diseases (like smallpox) and
bringing others under control (flu shots). In the pet world,
vaccinations against many diseases - from rabies to bordetella - have
become standard procedure.
But can
vaccinations actually harm us and our pets, as well as help? After all,
every vaccination causes the immune system to work overtime, creating
those antibodies. Can too many vaccinations actually damage the immune
system, leaving it vulnerable against diseases such as cancer? Many say
"yes." That is the heart of the current controversy.
We
brought the subject up the other day with a veterinarian friend. John
mentioned
that a vet who had years ago examined our Sparky's puppy shot
record had said that "breeders tend to over-vaccinate. I know. I
used to be a breeder." Our friend concurred and said "and the
vets also overdo the shots - because they make money on them."
Much of the
danger comes with the repetition of shots from year to year.
They're finding out more and more that vaccinations last a lot longer
than originally thought. Many believe we're giving unnecessary so-called
"booster" shots, and they are breaking down the immune systems
of our animals. The result is cancer and other diseases.
Our dog Sparky,
at six years old, underwent a one-year regimen of chemotherapy
when he came down with lymphoma back in 2000. Since then, our oncologist recommended that Sparky be given NO
vaccinations. ZERO shots. A strain on the immune system might mean opening
the door for his cancer to return. Sparky is now eleven, and we don't
feel he has been particularly at risk due to the lack of
immunizations.
A reader of
this newsletter wrote to say that NONE of his animals, which include
horses and dogs, ever received a single vaccination, and none had ever
contracted cancer. To be sure, these animals lived in the country, with
far less chance than city dogs of picking up communicable
diseases.
The case
against over-vaccinating is certainly clear. We advise that you express
your concerns about overdoing the shots to your veterinarian. Discuss
the possibility of minimizing the number and the frequency of shots.
This will at least let the vet know that you're aware of the problems,
and possibly he or she will think twice about giving anything over and
above what is absolutely necessary.
Determining You Dog's Immunity
Titer
tests measure the serum antibodies present in the body. Using the
titers test, a veterinarian can tell more about whether a booster shot
is necessary. Low titers indicate the necessity for re-immunization.
From this, you can see that if the test shows high titers, you can avoid
the booster shot.
Lauren M.
Silvesti, DVM, VCP has written a thorough report
on vaccinations and titers. She writes:
"Measure
antibodies through serum antibody titer tests and only vaccinate when
indicated by low titers. These tests are not going to save the pet owner
any money and they should still be performed annually until we know more
conclusively how long these antibodies last in the blood. However, these
tests give us peace of mind that we are not doing unnecessary procedures
as well as helping the veterinary community establish just how long
vaccinations actually protect the average dog or cat. This knowledge may
save many thousands of pets in the future from unnecessary
illnesses."
We highly
recommend the use of titers tests! Why vaccinate if it's unnecessary and
could harm your dog? More...
Overtaxing The System
The following
list is excerpted from an article
by Dr. Joseph Mercola. The focus here is on
humans, but most of it could apply to animals as well. There has been
much written of late about dangers due to presence of mercury in
vaccines. We think this has been greatly exaggerated. In fact, the
entire mercury conspiracy theory was pretty much debunked by Michael
Fumento, a senior fellow of the Hudson Institute (NY Post, July 3,
2005). Mr. Fumento notes that "Some of these fear mongers
mean well but are woefully ignorant...For example, they claim childhood
vaccines cause the (disorder) autism because they contain a
mercury-based preservative called thimerosal. Never mind that production
of childhood vaccines with thimerosal ended several years ago..."
Having noted
the above, we reprint the list (condensed here):
1) Vaccines contain many chemicals and heavy metals,
like mercury and aluminum, which are in themselves
immuno-suppressing.
2) Vaccines contain foreign tissues and foreign
DNA/RNA which act to suppress the immune system.
3) Vaccines alter our t-cell helper/suppressor ratios
... just like those seen with AIDS.
4) Vaccines alter the metabolic activity of PMNs.
PMNs are our body’s defenses
against pathogenic bacteria and viruses.
5) Vaccines suppress our immunity merely by
over-taxing our immune system with foreign material, heavy metals,
pathogens and viruses.
6) Vaccines clog our lymphatic system and lymph nodes
with large protein molecules which have not been adequately broken down
by our digestive processes.. This is why vaccines are linked to
allergies.
7) Vaccines deplete our body of vital
immune-enhancing nutrients, like vitamin C, A and zinc.
8) Vaccines slow the level of nervous transmission,
and communications to the brain and other tissues.
Lighten Up On The Shots!!
Our
holistic friend in Iowa, Dr. Gary VanEngelenburg - known popularly as
"Dr. Van" - has concerns about over-vaccinating. We met Dr. Van in Texas, when he, John and Sparky were guests on the same
television show - "Your Health." Dr. Van claims cancer
success rates comparable to traditional veterinarians. On his Web site,
Dr. Van writes:
"Does your
veterinarian still recommend annual vaccinations? The reasoning often
is that we give them simply because of habit. Some hint that they are
aware of some controversy but are “playing it safe”. The sad truth
is more one of economics to most practices as annual vaccinations
makes up a large portion of the income for many practices. I really
think many veterinarians don’t want to hear the truth about the
hazards of giving annual modified live virus (MLV) vaccines.
Fortunately, for our
pets’ sake, public awareness and medical awareness are starting to
surface and change is starting..."
We think Dr.
Van makes a lot of sense. Read the rest of his article here.
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