To jab or not to jab, that
is the question....
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To jab or not to jab,
that is the question....
The flu, the vaccine, the treatment
options - January 2004
by Mary Aspinwall, ISHom, PCHom
Published in Homeopathy Today January 2004
As I’m sure the Three Wise Men would have agreed, when
it comes to deciding whether to submit yourself or a loved
one to any medical procedure, it is vital to weigh the risks
and benefits of what is being offered. Immunologists, medical
shepherds all, promote the concept of “herd immunity”
when it comes to vaccinations, but are you so keen to
be a docile member of the herd?
It makes sense to seek advice
on the risks and benefits of the flu shot from independent
sources that will neither profit nor lose from your decision.
In the days before the Internet this was a tedious, time-consuming
business, but the World Wide Web gives you a chance to make
a truly informed decision. A quick trawl of the Internet may
give you pause and make you think twice about meekly rolling
up your sleeve—or Grandma’s, for that matter.
Benefits?
Gathering information about the benefits/efficacy of the flu
vaccine wasn’t encouraging. Here’s a brief selection
of results that I found of particular interest:
• In a “systematic
review of 20 randomized trials of
the effects of the vaccine in healthy adults,” Dr. Demichelli
found that among healthy individuals, “only 1 of 4 vaccinated
adults” will acquire protection against the clinical
illness. 1
• Dr. J. Anthony Morris,
formerly Chief Vaccine Control Officer at the FDA, is quoted
as saying: “There is no evidence that any influenza
vaccine, thus far developed, is effective in preventing or
mitigating any attack of influenza.” 2
• Randall Neustaedter,
OMD, pulls no punches: “The flu vaccine gets the most-useless-vaccine-of-all-time
award. Now the CDC is recommending the vaccine for children
under 2 years old and all adults over 50. Don’t fall
for it.” Neustaedter goes on to neatly summarize the
case against: “Flu vaccine manufacturers are notoriously
inaccurate at predicting the appropriate viruses to use in
an individual year’s vaccine, rendering the vaccine
largely ineffective.” 3
Flu vaccine is relatively ineffective
in those patients most at risk of flu complications because
of the inherent weakness of their immune systems (see “Flu
Vaccine Facts”, January 2004). Those most at risk of
developing the flu’s complications have a higher risk
of adverse reactions to the flu vaccine as well. Moreover,
neither flu vaccine this year contains the mutated Fujian
strain that is causing the most severe flu in the U.S. this
season.
Flu—not to be sneezed at
The bottom line is this: the flu vaccine sells successfully
because flu is scary. We are talking about an illness that
could be our modern-day equivalent of the Black Plague. The
recent SARS epidemic gave us just a foretaste of the havoc
a cleverly adapted virus can wreak in these days of the itty-bitty
global village.
The last big epidemic
The influenza outbreak commonly called “Spanish flu”
(but known in Spain as the “Naples soldier”) killed
more people than all those who died in combat during World
War I. Estimates put the worldwide death toll at 21,642,274.
One billion people were affected by the disease—half
of the total human population. It came at a time when 19 nations
were at war, and the disruption, stress, and privation of
war certainly aided the flu’s spread. It killed people
on every continent except Antarctica, with the most lives
lost in Asia and the highest percentage of the population
killed in India. From August 1918, when the incidence of flu
began to seem abnormally high, until the following July when
it returned to about normal, 20 million Americans had become
sick and more than 500,000 had died. In October 1918, the
flu reached its peak, killing about 195,000 Americans. About
57,000 American soldiers died from influenza during World
War I; about 53,500 died in battle. 4
It should be noted that homeopaths
were very successful in treating the 1918 flu. While the death
rate for those who sought treatment from conventional physicians
was about 30%, the death rate for those who sought homeopathic
treatment was 1.5%.
If not the shot, then what?
If the flu shot is proving to be ineffective, how else can
we protect ourselves and our families, when the flu hits town?
Influenza A arrived in Ireland a few weeks ago, and it is
perhaps the most vicious virus I have prescribed for in all
my time as a homeopath. My phone was much busier than usual,
with at least half a dozen sufferers describing the same symptoms.
They felt absolutely freezing, although running high fevers.
They were in bed with all their clothes on, extra sweaters,
piles of blankets and quilts heaped on top of them. They had
very painful sore throats with pain shooting up into the ear.
This is a perfect match to a homeopathic medicine, Hepar sulph,
and they all made quick recoveries after taking the remedy.
(Others who presented different symptom pictures received
different remedies according to their symptoms.)
One advantage of a true flu,
or indeed any truly acute episode, is that it often presents
a clear set of symptoms that can be more easily matched to
a homeopathic medicine than the symptom pictures in chronic
conditions. If you do fall ill with flu, contact your homeopath
for advice as soon as you can clearly describe your symptoms.
In any event, teach yourself the basic homeopathic rules and
keep a broad selection of medicines and a good prescribing
guide available at home. [See “The Flu: What you can
do”, January 2004 for homeopathic home prescribing suggestions.]
Dealing with the next big epidemic
Homeopaths can greatly help one another by sharing information
on symptom patterns and remedies they have found effective
in their patients. The homeopathic literature of old describes
this being done very effectively during a major cholera epidemic
and a scarlet fever epidemic. The concept, known as finding
the “genus epidemicus,” has the potential to greatly
reduce suffering and save lives. The idea is to build up a
picture of an epidemic as it is being expressed in a large
number of different cases. By drawing all of these cases together
“as if one person,” one or two homeopathic medicines
can be identified that can be used to treat almost everyone.
These same medicines could even be prescribed to protect people
from contracting the illness at the height of an epidemic.
Once again, the Internet could be our saviour, permitting
the speedy exchange of this information through special-interest
mailing groups and message boards. [The NCH is facilitating
this via “The NCH Influenza Project” on its website,
www.homeopathic.org. See “Flu vaccine facts”,
January 2004.]
Your best defense
Remember too, that the best defense against illness is a healthy
immune system. It will reduce your chances of catching anything,
and if you do fall ill it will spring into action. Our immune
system is weakened by drug use, alcohol abuse, and smoking.
It is strengthened by good, fresh, pesticide-free food, unpolluted
air and water, exercise, deep sleep, and relaxation. Like
all systems it benefits from a good work out, so don’t
automatically suppress acute symptoms with over-the-counter
medications, be they conventional or homeopathic, unless your
system really can’t cope. If your energy levels, sleep
pattern, and appetite are not upset, then it is probable that
you can recover without any type of intervention at all, provided
you rest and drink plenty of fluids.
Footnotes:
1. Demicheli V, Rivetti D, Deeks
JJ, Jefferson TO, “Vaccines for preventing influenza
in healthy adults,” Cochrane Review. In: The Cochrane
Library; Issue 4, 2000.
2. Makela MJ, Puhakka T, Ruuskanen
O, Leinonen M, Saikku P, Kimpimaki M, et al., “Viruses
and bacteria in the etiology of the common cold,” J
Clin Microbiol 1998; 36:539-42.
3. Neustaedter, R, www.cure-guide.com
4. PBS Online, www.pbs.org. Influenza
1918 is a PBS film; the transcript is available online at
the PBS website: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/influenza
Teachers may be interested in the Teacher’s Guide which
includes these suggestions for classroom study: “According
to the film, many people used home remedies to combat the
flu. Have students choose different types of non-traditional
medicine to research, including folk remedies, acupuncture,
homeopathic remedies, biofeedback, or herbal remedies. They
should look at the history of the practice, its strengths
and weaknesses, and evidence of effectiveness. They might
want to visit or interview staff at alternative medical establishments,
homeopathic drugstores, acupuncture clinics, etc.”
A case of post-vaccination blues
A woman aged thirty-five came for an appointment saying she
had been ill since having a flu vaccination nine months earlier.
Immediately after the shot she
developed chest pain. When she came to see me, she had a shooting
pain behind her left breast and pain in her right breast extending
down her right arm. At the same time, she had developed a
strong fear of cancer and of what would happen to her children
if she died. She was generally anxious and bit her nails.
She also had a history of mouth ulcers, stiff knees, and a
blocked nose with post-nasal drip. She was very prone to catching
colds and was generally a chilly person.
Silica is a remedy with indications
that include painful shooting sensation behind the left breast.
It can also be an excellent remedy for someone who has never
been well since vaccination. It is indicated in anxious, chilly
people who are prone to catching colds. I gave one dose of
Silica 30C.
Initially the pains in her breasts
worsened and some old symptoms reappeared briefly: mouth ulcers,
a blocked nose and sticky eyes, stiffness in the leg. She
then began to feel much better. Two months after taking the
homeopathic remedy, she reported that the pains had disappeared,
her mind felt more focused, her fear of death had diminished,
and she was generally less anxious. She felt stronger and
was much less susceptible to the cold. Her health continued
to improve, and eighteen months later she continues to be
well.
About the author:
Mary Aspinwall studied at the London College of Homeopathy
and is a Dynamis School graduate. She is a Registered member
of the Irish Society of Homeopaths. In 1992 she designed the
best-selling Helios Double Helix homeopathic medicine kits
for home use, foreign travel, and childbirth and wrote A Basic
Guide to Homeopathy. She now has a large, busy holistic health
center in the South West of Ireland, teaches for the Irish
School of Homeopathy, and together with her saintly husband
runs www.homeopathyworld.com. You can read more of her cases
and articles there.
© Mary Aspinwall
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