Homeopathic alternatives to vaccinations

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Homeopathic alternatives to vaccinations

by Cassandra Marks RSHom

Remedies instead of immunisations?

A reader has asked whether homeopathic remedies can be used in place of

immunisations. I have given this matter some thought over the years, and

when I did my degree in medical anthropology I researched travel

immunisations - which are just as dubious to my mind as those

recommended

for children. For this article, I contacted homeopathic colleagues about

their views on giving homeopathic remedies as prophylactics

(preventative

strategies), and have found the consensus view is the same as my own.

You can use homeopathic remedies to prevent childhood illnesses - but it

is

not the same as taking a vaccine. Some people have the impression that

you

can take a homeopathic remedy against an illness at the same time

intervals

as you might give conventional immunisations. I will explain in some

detail

the way remedies work because of the complexity of the answer to this

question. Homeopathy acts by virtue of a resonance between the energy

pattern of the remedy and the person's energy body.

They do work if your child is brewing up an infection.

Remedies work by rebalancing your energy body when it is already

destabilised by coming into contact with an illness. When you are in a

particular pattern of illness, then the correct remedy will help you.

But

if your pattern does not match the curative pattern of a remedy (we call

this a 'proving') - then taking a particular remedy will do nothing for

you. The art of homeopathy is that of matching the remedy patterns to

your

own. If the remedy is not properly matched, it will have no effect on

you.

(Incidentally, that is why you could safely take a whole bottle of a

homeopathic remedy and it will have no harmful effect on you. If it is

not

appropriate to your condition it is like taking unmedicated lactose

tablets).

My view on using homeopathic remedies to protect you from infectious

illnesses, is that they only have a chance of working if your child

takes

them during the period that a childhood illness is incubating. When you

are

'incubating' an illness, your body has already been exposed to the

virus,

and your immune system is attempting to deal with the infection -

usually

between 10-20 days before symptoms are observable for most childhood

illnesses. During this period, if you were developing whooping cough and

took the homeopathic remedy Pertussin, you might be able to prevent the

illness from progressing, or coming out. Or it might still appear but in

a

mild form compared for example to other children who do develop the

illness.

What is a nosode?

In homeopathy there are a class of remedies prepared from disease

products

- these are called nosodes. Some homeopaths use nosodes to try and

protect

your child from illness, as an alternative to conventional

immunisations.

There is good evidence that nosodes have been used successfully to ward

off

infectious illnesses used in this way. These are described in Dr Dorothy

Shepherd's book Homeopathy in Epidemic Diseases. (CW , first

published in 1967 and in print again).

Examples of such remedies are Pertussin, made from sputum infected with

whooping cough bacteria; Haemophilus B made from the influenza type

virus

responsible for the haemophilllus influenza infection that can affect

young

children, and Meningitis C , made from secretions csarrying the

meningitis

infection is a risk for adolescents, or very young children in day-care

environments.

An example of homeopathic use would be taking (a dose of) Rubella, the

nosode for german measles infected sputum - in order to ward off an

attack.

Although nosodes sound disgusting, their preparation in the pharmacy

(which

involves a lengthy process of successive dilutions and potentisations of

the original material) means that no molecules of the crude substance

remain in any homeopathic remedy diluted higher a 12c.

Homeopathy is non-toxic

(The pharmaceutical preparation of homeopathic remedies is aimed at

transferring the energy of a source material rather than modifying its

chemical constituents. We safely use manyremedies that would be

poisonous

in crude form; like Arsenic, Mercury and Belladonna. The preparation of

homeopathic remedies renders the most toxic substance non toxic.

Some people assume that homeopathic nosodes must work rather like

vaccines

since they are made from disease products. However, whilst conventional

vaccines work by exposing the immune system to the specific virus,

thereby

alerting immunological cells to attack any disease cells they later

encounter, homeopathic remedies do not contain a single molecule of the

disease product but work on an energy level - correcting the energy

imbalance in the individual that results in the symptoms of illness.

The question is, what kind of protection can a homeopathic remedy give

you?

Some homeopaths take the position that it may be worth giving a nosode

even

when your child has not come into contact with the disease. Savage

suggests: " Giving nosodes when no disease is present is bad theory but

may

work in practice. I use them for people going to India and though people

who've done nothing have had diseases like typhoid, no-one who's used

the

'preventives' has caught any of the dread diseases. Whether this is due

to

the wonderful potent action or whether to their good fortune is an

imponderable! Children who have these nosodes may be helped specifically

or

may be boosted generally or perhaps just weren't ever going to have

those

diseases anyway. So this isn't any kind of proof, merely suggestive of

the

kind of peripheral help homeopaths can provide. "

However, when I researched travel vaccines I found that the statistical

likelihood of developing cholera, typhoid, yellow fever etc is so

minimal

that travel vaccines are redundant. There is no evidence that giving

nosodes to ward off infectious illnesses when travelling abroad works,

Likewise, there is no evidence that giving your child homeopathic

nosodes

at routine intervals will have any protective effect if they come into

contact with tetanus, whooping cough, or meningitis. months, or years

later. My view is that homeopathic remedies given to prevent a

particular

illness cannot provide any lasting protection.

Homeopathic Alternatives to Vaccines

If you treat an illness just before the onset of symptoms you can

moderate

or prevent its progression. The nosode will work in a majority of cases,

but because the methodology of homeopathy involves matching the

individuality of the person's response to illness to the patterns of

different remedies there will always be occasions when another remedy

might

be more appropriate.

I have described a range of homeopathic remedies (in earlier issues) for

treating measles, mumps, whooping cough and chicken pox.

So, when would you give your child a nosode?

… In the case of measles, mumps, rubella and chicken pox you probably

would not give anything. If needed, you can treat the child wiht

homeopathic remedies once they become ill, according to their particular

symptoms.

… If your child has had surgery or serious health problems you would

give them a nosode if they came into contact with any child with an

infectious illness.

… If your child has been exposed to something nastier, like whooping

cough- say someone at their crèche or nursery has succumbed.

BOX

In her book Homeopathic Alternatives to Immunisation Curtis

describes

the preventative remedies used to ward off childhood illness, as well as

remedies that can be used to treat the illness once your child gets it.

The incubation period for childhood illnesses such as measles, german

measles, mumps, chicken pox and whooping cough is between one and two

and

half weeks. Accordingly you would give your child a dose of the relevant

nosode once a week for 3-4 weeks. Homeopathic nosodes;

whooping cough - Pertussin .

Chicken pox - Variolinum

Measles -Morbillinum

Mumps - Parotidinum

German measles - Rubella

The incubation period for Hib, meningits is much quicker. Curtis

recommends 3 doses of the relevant nosode over the first 24 hours - and

then repeating the remedy in a week

The Haemophilus Influenza nosode is called Hib. The meningitis C nosode

is

called Meningitis C

Tetanus, polio and tuberculosis;

Tetanus - Curtis recommends givingLedum 30 three times a week as

long

as any wound is heabng poorly.

For polio, she suggests giving Lathyrus 30 once a week

In the case of contact with tuberculosis you should consult a

homeopath.

We would probably prescribe the nosodebacillinum.

END BOX

Whooping cough

In my 21 years as a homeopath I have used Pertussin to ward off whooping

cough. I usually recommend that your child takes a dose of Pertussin 30

potency, if he or she has been in contact with another child with the

characteristic barking cough. The child should take another dose a week

to

10 days later. I have also successfully treated a good number of cases

of

whooping cough with remedies such as Drosera and Coccus cacti described

in

my article in issue ? of the Informed Parent.

I have treated many cases of chickenpox, using remedies such as Rhus

tox.

(as described in issue ?) I have treated fewer cases of measles because

the

illness is not so frequent since the introduction of immunisations. It

usually responds well to remedies such as Pulsatilla or Euphrasia.

Tetanus

Homeopath Curtis comments that current practice of immunising

toddlers against tetanus is ineffective because the immunity conferred

by

the vaccine is of limited duration - up to a year. since most toddlers

are

not running around at the age that the vaccine is given, if you do want

to

vaccinate it makes more sense to only do it when your child sustains a

deep

punctured wound. You will be routinely offered it then.

Curtis recommends Ledum as an alternative to immunisation for

suspicious punctured wounds. Since the inception of homeopathy

homeopaths

have used Ledum for the prevention of tetanus - It has a good track

record

for cases of tetanus successfully treated before the introduction of

tetanus vaccine.

Tetanus is not a common illness nowadays because of improved standards

of

sanitation, so I do not have any experience of treating patients with

tetanus.

Meningitis

meningitis develops so rapidly that you giving a nosode would only be

indicated in the other members of the family or people in close contact.

There are many cases of meningitis, described in homeopathic texts,

which

have been successfully treated with remedies like Belladonna. However,

meningitis is a serious disease for which treatment in hospital is

necessary. In case of suspected meningitis the general homoeopathic

advice

would always be to take a dose of Belladonna 200 on the way to hospital

and

every 20 minutes until conventional treatment is started. Belladonna is

a

remedy you may have in your homeopathic home treatment kit because it is

a

common remedy for a range of illnesses that start with a high

temperature.

Mumps & Rubella

In the case of childhood illnesses such as Mumps and Rubella, it is much

better to get them as a child than as an adolescent, as they have

serious

consequences if you contract them once you are of reproductive age. It

is

safe to use nosodes in pregnancy for instance if you have been in

contact

with German measles. Likewise for measles, researcher Veira Scheibner

has

documented how the widespread use of measles vaccine has delayed the

incidence to adults, when the form the disease takes is far more

serious,

and is known as atypical measles. Homeopath Curtis recommends

using a

nosode for illnesses such as measles only if your child is weak or there

is

a medical reason why it would be inadvisable for your child to get ill.

For

instance, if your child had a compromised immune system because of a

more

serious health problem which might make infections more risky for them.

End- note

Many naturopaths and homeopaths have observed that childhood illnesses

are

an important process in building your immune system - putting your

defence

mechanisms through their paces so that they are more effective against

more

serious illnesses. This is part of the rationale given for immunising

your

children, but obviously if your child has a simple illness without any

complications this is much better for them than having an injection with

all the well documented risks that that entails.

Further reading

Randall Neustaedter The Vaccine Guide, North Atlantic Books 2002

Homeopathic alternatives to Immunisation by Curtis, Winter Press,

1994.

Both books are available from the pharmacies listed below.

The Society of Homeopaths has a register of trained and experienced

homeopaths, practising throughout the country obtainable from their

office

or on the website:

www.homeopathy-soh.org

The Society of Homeopaths

11 Brookfield

Duncan Close

Northampton

NN3 6WL

Tel: 0845 4506611

Fax: 0845 4506622

Homeopathic Pharmacies

Ainsworths London 0207 935 5330

www.ainsworths.com

Freemans, Glasgow 0141 644 1165

www.freechem.co.uk

Helios, Tunbridge Wells 1892 536393 (orderline) or 537254 &

www.helios.co.uk

Helios London 0207 379 7434

www.heliospharmacy.co.uk

Galen Dorchester: 01305 263996

Goulds North London: 0207 387 1888 (open Sunday mornings)

From

http://www.emotionalhealing.co.uk/alternatives_to_immunization.htm