When I first started sharing essential oils, people would often ask me: “Do you vaccinate your children?” I thought this was a random question. What about our conversation lead people to think I would not get my children immunised? As time has passed however, I have seen that there is a large group of people who do not. Unfortunately, if the internet memes can be believed, it is the rise of essential oils and natural wellness to blame. I can now see why I was asked this – taking a natural approach to healthcare = disregarding modern medicine. Essential oils = Anti-Vax. It’s time to set the record straight.
I don’t speak for the whole oil community, but I certainly hope I speak for a large portion of it. I DO vaccinate my children. Why would I do such a thing when I am trying to protect my family? A: For the same reason I use oils and other natural products – BECAUSE I am trying to protect my family.
Embracing natural wellbeing is a lifestyle choice. It is not just sniffing oils, it is about a foundation of health. I do my best to feed my family home cooked food, and teach my children about nutrition. We are active, the kids run around & play, we walk/cycle/scoot to school whenever possible. We reduce the amount of toxins in our house, and therefore our bodies. We do this by using natural cleaners in our home, and natural products on our skin (shampoo, body wash, creams). We use oils to support our bodies natural systems. They can help when we are coming down with something, have “seasonal discomfort”, they can help our mood and so much more. We also protect our children from PREVENTABLE, very dangerous and potentially deadly diseases.
I’ll be honest & say I’m not a fan of modern meds. Some are quite dangerous, and some are just not nice. So… I will do whatever I can to reduce the need for them.
It’s actually rather frustrating, as these diseases were being beaten. If the trend had continued, a time was in sight where they were eradicated altogether. There was a chance my grandchildren would not even have needed to be vaccinated for some of them, as they no longer existed. Sadly, though, disease is fashionable again. So even more children will have to go through the pain & discomfort of vaccines.
Aren’t there risks to vaccines? Yes. I do believe there are. In fact, I know there are. When I was last at the doctors with my littlest, I asked the nurse for the inserts from the vaccine boxes. These little needles are full of potential side effects. It’s like a CCG* (you know, like Pokemon) – you get commons, uncommons, rares and ultra rares. As it happens, I think poor littlest got the whole pack of common & uncommon. I felt awful looking at her poor little body with it’s mini measles. But she was actually fine. And I could not live with the guilt if I had let her get actual measles. Apart from a few discomforts, she was not affected in any way. A month on, and the only remaining sign is a little lump on her thigh.
So, yes, it’s not all fun. If you wear a seat belt you are more likely to get whiplash, and other minor injuries – but you are also 45% less likely to die in the event of an accident. Do you buckle up? It’s a risk you know!
There are at least 14 different diseases that children in the UK are routinely vaccinated against. You may not even know what they are or even heard of them, but that goes to show that the vaccines work! Even if you have no idea what something like Pneumococcal Disease or Haemophilus influenzae type b is (or how to pronounce it!), the fact that enough of an effort went into developing a vaccine against them shows that they are not just a mild threat. Look them up, see what they do, the damage they cause, the pre-vaccine era rates of infection, and even the mortality rates. These are serious things – we’re talking damaged immune systems, brain damage, hearing loss and yes, death. A lot of these do not have treatments. Once you’ve caught it, that’s it! Roll the dice to see how you come out.
Just picking out one (Haemophilus influenzae type b), pre-vaccines 20,000 kids were infected each year. Of these, one in five suffered brain damage or became deaf. Even with treatment, one out of 20 with Hib meningitis dies. And in case you’re wondering, it’s main target is children under 5. I picked this one at random. Please pick another, look it up yourself and find the stats.
One more to mention, not at random. Let’s talk about measles. Measles is not a mild cold. It is a highly infectious disease and also dangerous. Did you know that you can catch measles from being in the same room as someone up to 2 hours after that person left? Before vaccines, more than 450 otherwise healthy children died from measles per year. Since the vaccine became available in 1963, there has been a more than 99% decline in the number of cases in the US. Sadly, numbers are on the rise again. Innocent children are at risk.
It’s not just about you – it’s not even about your own children. There are people out there who cannot have the immunisations. MMR can only be given after 13 months. Until that time they are still very susceptible to it and the effects are even more pronounced if they do get it. They rely on herd immunity to stay safe.
What is herd immunity? It means that if everyone who can be vaccinated is, the disease has fewer places to spread. It struggles to find a host and be passed on. If your child comes into contact with it, they don’t catch it. They therefore cannot pass it on to someone else’s cute baby when they stop to say hi or play together or even go to the same park or softplay or anywhere. So, herd immunity sounds awesome. Does this mean you can let your kid skip the fun of immunisations? No. It only works if we’re all in it. The more people who rely on herd immunity, the less effective it is. It’s not just babies who are at risk, people with low immune systems can’t be vaccinated. There are also people out there who genuinely are allergic to the ingredients. We need to stop thinking of just ourselves, and remember what it’s like to be communities.
Why did I pick out measles? Because it’s coming back. Why is it coming back? Because parents are CHOOSING not to protect their children. Why are they making that choice? Because of bad science and misinformation. I’m sharing a bit of what it’s like to live with my nearly 4 year old, but I hope you see my point.
So, I guess you can tell that my message this week is that #vaccineswork. But in this day & age, I’m asking you to do more than just vaccinate. I’m asking you to be a vaccine hero. We’ve just had World Immunisation Week at the end of April. Had I not been researching this blog, I may not have known that. It’s time to speak out, and answer the call to be a “vaccine hero”. How can you be a hero?
*Ensure you & your family are vaccinated on time, every time
*Travelling? Know before you go – ensure your family’s vaccines are up to date.
*Be a vaccine champion – Talk to people about the benefits of vaccines. Vaccines save lives, help children learn & grow, & prevent serious illness & disability.
*Know the facts. Any licensed vaccine has been rigorously tested before use to make sure it is safe and effective for you and your family.
*Health workers: Every check up is an opportunity to check in on vaccination, for ✓children, ✓youth, ✓adults, ✓the elderly
https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-immunization-week/world-immunization-week-2019/key-messages
There are many other resources available to find out more information. Just a few:
I am hoping that the internet is wrong, and it’s not “oilers” leading the anti-vax charge. But if it is, I have this special message to my fellow oilers. Please remember: Oils & other products are not intended to treat, diagnose, prevent, or cure diseases. You know this. Our products are amazing and do things we can not express in ways that we want. But they are not magic.
P.S. For the record, MMR does NOT cause autism.
*CCG- Collectible Card Game
Nicky Goes Natural 