Do Vaccines Disable the Immune System?

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Do Vaccines Disable the Immune System?

Randall Neustaedter OMD, LAc

Parents watch with proud satisfaction as their infant, just a

few months old, begins to reach out into the world—tiny hands

grasping at toys and gently twirling locks of their mother's hair.

Just when they have begun to take a lively interest in the world,

rolling-over, cooing, and smiling, the first illnesses strike.

The baby's runny nose develops into a fever, fussiness, and

night-waking. Her previously placid demeanor suddenly changes to

obvious discomfort—crying, clinging, refusing to leave her mother's

arms. The pediatrician sees red eardrums and prescribes antibiotics.

That first infection starts a seemingly endless battle against viral

and bacterial illnesses that persists despite repeated treatment

with a barrage of different antibiotics. Something is dreadfully

wrong. Frequent visits to the pediatrician do nothing to prevent the

continuous pattern of illness—antibiotic—illness.

Why do these illnesses begin when babies are three or four

months old? What event triggers this frustrating scenario? What

happens to babies at two to four months that could initiate this

relentless course of symptoms? Perhaps maternal antibodies are

beginning to wear out, making babies susceptible to these

environmental microbes. But why don't these babies develop their own

antibodies in response to the initial viral or bacterial infections?

What prevents the immune system from mounting a vigorous response?

And why does this pattern of illness with recurrent ear infections

occur now, a pattern that seldom occurred prior to thirty years ago?

What is weakening the immune function of today's infants?

The only event that all infants routinely encounter at two

months of age is vaccination with at least five different vaccines

(Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis-Polio-Hemophilus). They are repeated

at four months. Could this simple fact explain the onset of the

recurrent illnesses that plague so many infants? If vaccines

stimulate antibody production to fight diseases, why would they

weaken the immune system? Is there any evidence that vaccines do

cause illness and immune system dysfunction?

One answer came in a careful study of illness patterns observed

in babies before and after vaccination. If vaccines cause a weakened

immune system, then we would expect to see a higher incidence of

illness following vaccination. In that study the incidence of acute

illnesses in the 30 day period following DTP vaccine was compared to

the incidence in the same children for the 30 day period prior to

vaccine. The three-day period immediately following vaccine was

excluded because children frequently develop fever as a direct

response to vaccine toxins. A total of 82 healthy infants received

DTP, and their symptoms were reported by parents and observed by a

pediatrician at weekly intervals. Those babies experienced a

dramatic increase in fever, diarrhea, and cough in the month

following DTP vaccine compared to their health before the shot

(Jaber et al., 1988).

The incidence of asthma has steadily increased in the

modern era. During the period 1980 through 1989 the prevalence rate

of self-reported asthma in the United States increased 38 percent,

and the death rate for asthma increased 46 percent (Centers for

Disease Control, 1992). In the five years from 1985 through 1990,

projected estimates for asthma's medical costs increased 53 percent.

The total estimated cost of asthma rose from $4.5 billion to $6.2

billion, or 1 percent of all US health-care costs (Weiss et al.,

1992). This dramatic increase has been attributed to increased

exposure to environmental pollutants, and to the toxic effect of

asthma medications themselves. Could vaccines be weakening the

immune system of our populations and causing asthma and allergies at

unprecedented levels? A recent study suggests the answer is yes. A

team of New Zealand researchers, found a greater rate of asthma and

allergy episodes among immunized children. Of 1,265 children born in

1977, the 23 who did not receive the diphtheria/pertussis/tetanus

shot had no recorded asthma or allergy problems before age 10. Of

the children who were vaccinated, 23.1 percent had asthma episodes,

and 30 percent had consultations for other allergic illnesses (Kemp,

et al., 1997).

How do researchers investigate immune system reactions to

vaccines? First, they can observe the incidence of serious disease

onset soon after vaccination. They can also study immune functions

following vaccines given to children and adults. Two research models

have been used to discover the possible adverse effect of vaccines

on the immune system. Laboratory researchers observe whether

vaccines have any negative effect on white blood cells, the body's

primary immune defense system. Clinical researchers study illness

patterns preceding and following vaccination. All of these

investigative channels have reached the same conclusions—vaccines

can trigger immune system suppression.

Vaccines are destroying our immune systems. Amazingly, the

medical profession ignores the incriminating evidence against

vaccines, and continues to inflict more unnecessary and harmful

vaccines on our nation's infants. A recent study from the New

England Journal of Medicine reported by Time magazine and the

Associated Press revealed that tetanus vaccine disables the immune

system in HIV patients. Tetanus vaccination produced a drop in T

cells in 10 of 13 patients, a classic sign of immune deficiency. HIV

viral replication increased dramatically in response to tetanus

vaccine. Finally, white blood cells from 7 of 10 uninfected

individuals became more susceptible to HIV infection following

tetanus vaccination. Despite these findings, the authors made no

comment about the immune depleting effect of the vaccine (Stanley et

al., 1996).

Why is the public unaware of these findings? Why has the

medical profession kept these reports hidden from the public eye?

With typical condescension, Dr. , president of the

American Academy of Pediatrics, explained that the inclusion of this

type of information in vaccine brochures " would confuse many parents

and could even needlessly alarm them " (AAP News, 1989). An

uninformed patient is compliant.

The cover-up of immune system failure following vaccination is

reminiscent of the tobacco industry's continuous denial and

disinformation campaign about the dangers of cigarettes. In both

instances huge profits are at stake in multibillion-dollar

industries. Vaccine manufacturers cannot afford to have their

product maligned in a public forum.

Doctors have often stated that broadcasting adverse effects of

vaccines to the public would hinder the vaccine campaign. This

attitude emerged in congressional hearings more than thirty years

ago.

It is hard to convince the public that something is good.

Consequently, the best way to push forward a new program is to

decide on what you think the best decision is and not question it

thereafter, and further, not to raise questions before the public or

expose the public to open discussion of the issues (Intensive

Immunization Programs, Hearings, 1962).

The medical profession has been aware of the damaging effects

of vaccines on the immune system since their introduction. For

example, the ability of pertussis and DTP vaccines to stimulate the

onset of paralytic polio was first noted in 1909. In every polio

epidemic since then DTP injections have caused the onset of polio

disease.

In 1950, two careful studies were conducted in the state of New

York to evaluate the reports of an association between the onset of

paralytic polio and recent injections. Investigators contacted the

families of all children who contracted polio during that year, a

total of 1,300 cases in New York City and 2,137 cases in the

remainder of New York State. A history of vaccinations received in

the previous two months was obtained on each child and from a group

of matched controls in the same population. Those studies discovered

that children with polio were twice as likely to have received a DTP

vaccination in the two months preceding the onset of polio than were

the control children (Korns et al., 1952; Greenberg et al., 1952).

The association of vaccines with the onset of polio continues

in the modern age. During a recent polio epidemic in Oman, DTP

vaccination again caused the onset of paralytic polio In that

epidemic, 70 children 5 to 24 months old contracted paralytic polio

during the period 1988-1989. When compared to a control group of

children without polio, it was found that a significantly higher

percentage of these children had received a DTP shot within 30 days

of the onset of polio, 43 percent of polio victims compared to 28

percent of controls (Sutter et al., 1992). The DTP vaccine

suppresses the body's ability to fight off the polio virus.

The destructive effect of vaccines on the immune system can

persist over an extended period of time. One study documented a long-

term depressive effect on interferon production. Interferon is a

chemical produced by lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell) that

renders the host resistant to infection. Interferon production is

stimulated by infection with a virus to protect the body from

superinfection by some other organism. In this study, vaccination of

one-year-old infants with measles vaccine caused a precipitous drop

in the level of alpha-interferon produced by lymphocytes. This

decline persisted for one year following vaccination, at which time

the experiment was terminated. Thus, this study showed that measles

vaccine produced a significant long-term immune suppression

(Nakayama et al., 1988)

Autoimmune Reactions to Vaccines

· An 11 year old girl received a routine tetanus booster dose

and three days later developed blindness in the right eye and light

perception only in the left eye. Her optic discs were swollen on

exam. Two days later she had partial paralysis of her legs and loss

of bladder control, then more widespread sensory loss including a

lack of vibrational and positional senses. Seven weeks later she

still had some vision loss and decreased muscle power. Within one

year she recovered (Topaloglu et al., 1992).

· A 20 year old woman experienced pain and swelling of her

right wrist and fingers 4 days after a hepatitis vaccination. The

pain and swelling resolved, but returned again 6 months later with

more severe swelling and pain, following a second hepatitis

vaccination. Nine years later, X-ray of the hands showed destruction

of the bones throughout her wrist joints (Gross et al., 1995).

· A 4 year old girl developed progressive weakness of the

legs, pain in the legs and feet, and gradual inability to walk 10

days after Hib vaccination. On the fifth day she had swallowing

difficulties, facial weakness, and a monotonous voice. Her symptoms

gradually improved, and within 3 weeks she could walk with help

(Gervaix et al., 1993).

· A 42 year old man received tetanus toxoid on three separate

occasions over a period of 13 years. Following each vaccination he

developed acute nerve symptoms diagnosed as Guillain-Barré syndrome,

a disease of the nervous system characterized by rapid onset of

motor weakness and loss of sensation. (Pollard & Selby, 1978). A

nerve biopsy revealed destruction of the myelin nerve sheath.

Following his last injection he continued to experience multiple

recurrences, and continued to show abnormal findings on examination

15 years later (Pollard, 1993).

What is the effect of long-term immune suppression? Some

investigators are concerned that vaccines could be disabling our

body's ability to react normally to disease, and creating the

climate for autoimmune self-destruction. The many reports of

autoimmune phenomena that occur as reactions to vaccination provide

incontrovertible proof that tampering with the immune system causes

devastating disease.

Federal legislation of 1986 commissioned the Institute of

Medicine to establish a Vaccine Safety Committee. The purpose of

that committee was to search the medical literature for reports of

adverse events associated with the vaccines routinely administered

to children, and report their findings. Computer searches revealed

1,800 relevant articles. However, the committee's rigid criteria for

establishing a causal relationship between vaccine and adverse event

made it nearly impossible for a disease condition to make their

short list. Without a case-controlled study proving a relationship,

the hundreds of case reports of immune system destruction following

vaccines were relegated to coincidence. Case-controlled studies are

expensive. They must include tens or hundreds of thousands of

children.

Even the Vaccine Safety Committee acknowledged the onset of

several autoimmune diseases as a result of vaccination (Guillain-

Barré syndrome following tetanus and polio vaccines, that causes

muscle weakness and paralysis; thrombocytopenia, destruction of

blood platelets responsible for blood clotting, following MMR; and

chronic arthritis following rubella). These types of symptoms have

occurred following every vaccine routinely given to children—the

suppressed immune system begins to attack the body's own cells,

usually the nerves and joints. Thousands of autoimmune incidents

following vaccines have been reported in the medical literature and

adverse event reporting systems (Neustaedter, 1996). These

autoimmune responses to vaccines have resulted in permanent, chronic

disease conditions—deforming arthritis and muscle wasting and

paralysis.

In their attempt to explain the repeated occurrence of

autoimmune diseases that attack and destroy the myelin sheaths of

nerves as a direct result of vaccines, the committee members

explain:

It is biologically plausible that injection of an inactivated virus,

bacterium, or live attenuated virus might induce in the susceptible

host an autoimmune response by deregulation of the immune response,

by nonspecific activation of the T cells directed against myelin

proteins, or by autoimmuniity triggered by sequence similarities of

proteins in the vaccine to host proteins such as those of myelin

(Institute of Medicine, 1994).

Since the committee's report, a large ecological study in New

Zealand revealed that an epidemic of diabetes followed a massive

campaign to vaccinate children against hepatitis B. This report,

published in the New Zealand Medical Journal in 1996 revealed that a

60 percent increase in childhood diabetes occurred in the years

following the 1989-1991vaccination program of chidren aged 6 to 16.

The widespread use of the new Haemophilus meningitis vaccine has

similarly resulted in diabetes epidemics. Diabetes is an autoimmune

disease that has been frequently observed to occur as a consequence

of mumps vaccine (Fescharek et al., 1990; Helmke et al., 1986). The

dramatic rise in vaccine-induced diabetes has led researchers to

raise a warning flag. " We believe the effects of vaccines on

diabetes are of tremendous clinical importance and that trials need

to be started immediately to address the effect of vaccines on

diabetes and other autoimmune diseases (Classen & Classen, 1996).

Vaccines have become a sacred cow of our culture, unassailable

to criticism. Now that we know their devastating effects on the

immune system, perhaps we need to take a more cautious approach to

the vaccine campaigns. The zealous rush to bring new vaccines to

market may be setting the stage for the unwitting destruction of our

population's immune system integrity.

References

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