I used to think homeopaths were crazy to oppose vaccination. Now, having seen serious adverse reactions to inoculations and the rise of immunologically-mediated diseases once relatively rare, I too am against routine vaccination, especially in children under two.

When my son was a baby, there were only three or four mandated vaccines. Now, during the first two years of life, 16 or more injections are administered, some immediately after birth. Each of these creates a different stress upon an immature immune system; cumulatively, the stress may be intolerable for some.

There are reasons for such childhood diseases as measles, chickenpox, and mumps: they provide a challenge needed by the immune system to develop properly. Without the stimulus of these diseases, we may be missing out on an important developmental stage.

The immune system has two components, cell-mediated immunity and humoral, or acquired, immunity. The latter is the immunity we develop after being vaccinated. When humoral immunity is overdeveloped – as it tends to be with massive vaccinations – there is likely to be a rise in allergic and autoimmune reactions. There is also a paradoxical state in which a child has immunity against specific but now relatively uncommon diseases like diphtheria, yet is constantly sick from colds, ear infections, and flu because his cell-mediated immunity is stunted. In other words, vaccinations actually prevent the development of a healthy and robust immune system.

Children of strong vitality respond vigorously and acutely, often with high healing fevers, then rebound quickly from illness. But children who have been vaccinated often develop chronic conditions with no strong symptoms but a tendency to easy relapse. Relapses after inoculation are so common that many homeopaths ask parents not to vaccinate children under homeopathic treatment until they are cured of their presenting complaint.

Vaccines are not developed or marketed with a view to their long-term effects. Often we see unintended consequences sooner in other species with shorter natural lifespans, such as the suspected link between canine distemper vaccine and the high incidence of torn cruciate ligaments in dogs. Homeopaths and naturopaths suspect vaccination is tied to soaring rates of childhood asthma, autism, and chronic illness. Such connections are difficult to prove, however, especially because so many factors, including pollution, poor diet, and overuse of antibiotics, may also play a role.

Whether or not your child should be vaccinated is a decision only you can make. But here are some guidelines to help:

1. To make an informed decision, read widely on the subject of vaccination. Your homeopath can suggest useful books and websites.

2. Certain vaccines, such as MMR (measles, mumps, rubella), and certain preservatives, such as thimerosal, have been linked to the development of autism and other neurological problems. Ask yourself if the potential immunity outweighs the risk of neurological damage. The same goes for the new smallpox vaccine, which can result in devastating vaccinia pox and has been associated with inflammation of the heart muscle and its protective membrane. Contamination with carcinogenic simian virus has been a problem for certain polio vaccines.

3. Other vaccines, such as tetanus, have a lengthy history of safety and efficacy. A soil-borne disease, tetanus does not help strengthen the maturing immune system, nor is it curable; treatment is strictly supportive. Inoculation against tetanus is a good idea.

4. Do not vaccinate any child under two. The immature immune and nervous systems of infants should not be exposed to a potent cocktail of foreign proteins and chemical preservatives. Since raising the minimum vaccination age to two, Japan has put an end to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS, or crib death).

5. If you choose to vaccinate, avoid multivalent vaccines. It is tempting to think that these combined vaccines will spare your child a few painful needle pricks – they do, but at the expense of subjecting his immune system to a massive influx of confusing signals. No one falls ill of measles, mumps, and rubella at the same time.

6. Space vaccinations at least two weeks apart to give the immune system a chance to recuperate. Give extra Vitamin C after each shot.

7. NEVER, EVER vaccinate anyone who is not 100% healthy. This goes for adults as well as kids. Do not vaccinate if there has been an adverse reaction, even one seemingly inconsequential, to a previous inoculation.

8. Remember that homeopathy can effectively treat childhood and other ailments. If your unvaccinated child is exposed to a childhood disease, the best course would be to let him or her develop and conquer the disease, with supportive homeopathic treatment if needed.

9. For childhood and other diseases, there are homeopathic remedies that can be used prophylactically, although these are generally used only in epidemics such as scarlet fever, influenza, and whooping cough. How long they confer immunity is not known, but this is something that can be discussed with your homeopath.

10. If your child does have an adverse reaction to a vaccination, homeopathy may be able to undo some or most of the damage, depending upon its severity.

[Reprinted from The New Beet, September 2003. © Dale C. Moss, 2003.]