From the February 1999 Idaho Observer:

One doctor's excuse is an informed parent's decision

Pro-vaccination propaganda that provides one-sided and dangerously misleading information is commonly supplied to concerned parents through the offices of their children's pediatricians and family practitioners. The following pro-vaccination questions and answers document was found at a general practitioner's office in Bonners Ferry. The original questions are in boldface, the original “answers” are in normal type. North Idaho Chapter of Vaccination Liberation President Ingri Cassel has added her responses to the statements which have been italicized.

What's your excuse?

Seven reasons parents give for not taking their children for their shots

1. My baby is healthy. There's no reason to take him/her to the doctor.

Just because your baby is healthy now does not mean he or she won't get a childhood disease. Immunizations are protection against diseases such as measles, mumps, polio and chickenpox. Some of these diseases can be a serious threat to your baby and other family members.

Yes, my baby IS healthy and I want him/her to stay that way. Childhood diseases, if acquired naturally, are part of the challenges the immune system encounters as it is developing and has actually been shown to benefit the immune system. Friends who have succumbed to the pressure to get their children vaccinated, now deal with chronic ear infections and consistent, low grade infections.

2. My baby won't get the measles. Nobody gets it anymore.

Failure to immunize leads to new outbreaks of disease. In 1989-1991, a measles epidemic in the United States resulted in more than 55,000 reported cases, 11,000 hospitalizations, and about 130 deaths. Half of these deaths were in young children.

A child who receives the MMR vaccine can still get measles. The state of Texas reported that in 1987, 96 percent of measles cases were considered non-preventable, i.e. they were fully vaccinated or had a religious or medical exemption (less than one percent take the exemptions in this state). What people need to realize is these statistics that are reported in the dominant media neglect to divulge that these cases are among the vaccinated, including deaths.

3. Childhood diseases aren't serious.

Most vaccine-preventable diseases are potentially fatal. Tetanus kills 3 of 10 people it strikes. Diphtheria kills 1 of 10. Polio, pertussis, measles, mumps, rubella (German measles), hepatitis B, and spinal meningitis are also deadly but preventable.

These diseases are preventable. Thinking that disease can somehow be prevented by injecting toxic substances and foreign protein/viruses (RNA and DNA from other animal species) into our bodies as the only means available to prevent disease is ludicrous. Natural healing teaches us that germs and viruses thrive on toxic debris which accumulates in our body through poor lifestyle habits. Cleansing our bodies periodically keeps our bodies free of the toxins upon which anaerobic bacteria thrive.

4. I can't take time off from work to take my baby to the doctor.

Taking the time now to immunize your children can save you much more time later if your child becomes ill. Childhood illnesses such as measles can put a child in bed for weeks -- or even in the hospital.

The assumption here is that vaccinations can “immunize” our children from acquiring the specific disease for which they are vaccinated. Our experience locally is quite different. During the last pertussis outbreak in North Idaho, Panhandle Health District records show that among the laboratory-confirmed cases of pertussis, 85 percent had four out of four of their DPT shots and 15 percent had three out of four of their DPT shots. The Panhandle Health District had no reported cases of pertussis among unvaccinated children.

5. I can't afford to go to the doctor.

Most private and public health plans pay for childhood immunizations. Free or low-cost vaccinations for children are available through the Vaccines for Children program. Public Health Clinics are required by law to provide vaccinations to people unable to pay. There is no charge for the vaccine; however, an administration fee may be charged.

If you have no regular health care provider, call the National Immunization Program Hotline to locate the nearest place to get life-protecting shots. The numbers are 1-800-232-2522 (English) and 1-800-232-0233 (Spanish). Vaccines save money in the long run. A child with a preventable disease can cost parents/caregivers 30 times more than the vaccine. Vaccines save money on both direct and indirect costs of disease. For example, for every dollar spent on Measles/Mumps/Rubella immunization programs, as much as $21 can be saved.

There are absolutely no scientific studies that support these figures. My child has never been vaccinated or been to a physician. We have found that doctors are not only expensive but ineffective in their methods of disease treatment and prevention. Taking the time to study natural health therapies and incorporating organic foods, herbs and vitamins into our health regimen has saved us a lot of time and money. Being empowered with the knowledge to attain optimal health and well-being is priceless.

6. I'll take them for shots when they're old enough for school.

Children need most of their vaccines by the age of two years. For some diseases, children younger than age two are at the greatest risk. For example, between 1992 and 1994, 78 percent of deaths due to pertussis (whooping cough) were in children younger than six months of age. One of four American two-year-olds lack one or more recommended vaccination. Most child care providers and schools will not accept children who do not have all their shots. Don't wait -- keep your children up to date.

Pertussis is not a deadly disease if treated naturally. I had pertussis as a baby and this was before we knew the value of vitamin C and oxygen therapies. The progress we have made in natural healing therapies just in the past 20 years is phenomenal. Anyone who is well-versed in these treatments sees disease not as an enemy which must be fought with drugs but as the body's attempt to throw off toxins and regain balance. Any daycare or school who turns away a child for lack of vaccinations is violating state law if the parent qualifies for one of the three exemptions available in both Idaho and Washington.

7. My doctor didn't tell me my baby needed shots.

It's up to you to make sure your child is protected. Your doctor may forget to discuss shots with you. Keep a record of your child's shots in a safe place. Bring it with you to every health care visit. Ask your doctor or other health care provider to look at the record and tell you whether your baby needs vaccinations.

If vaccinations are needed at a later date, write it down. Make an appointment and be sure to keep it.

This is only statement on this patient handout I can agree with: “It's up to you to make sure your child is protected.” We would add that we need to protect our children from all government policies that dictate how we must raise our children.