On Thursday, May 29, 2003, at 07:15  AM, ginny wilken wrote:

>>
>> In terms of developing healthy immune systems in children how do
>> childhood
>> immunisations fit in with a paleo lifestyle? Anyone have any thoughts
>> or
>> ideas?
>>
>> Leonie
>
> NO immunization fits in anywhere in a discussion of health.

And here is the dissenting voice ;-)

The modern world is far  and away different from the paleolithic. At
that time there simply were very few transmissible diseases, because
humans were so few that few diseases could find enough new victims to
continue spreading. Disease at that time was very rare. Since the
neolithic, humans have changed radically in our immune structure,
similar to that of the herd animals we live with, where large numbers
of the same species live together.

We are faced with more bacterial and viral challenges in a day than
paleo man would have faced in a year. This is the result of our urban
lifestyles. The number of bacteria and virii that infect humans is now
vast, and we encounter the gamut of diseases from all around the world.

Vaccines have some potential negative effects. Sure. But the choice is
between these effects and the actual diseases they prevent. Ever seen a
polio survivor? The father of a friend of mine is one. He walked with a
cane his whole life. He was lucky, they had told him he would never
walk again, but he forced himself up and relearned. He is back in a
wheelchair now. Remember Helen Keller? A simple measles vaccination
would have saved her sight and hearing. And they were the survivors!

I respect parents need to make these tough decisions, but to deny your
child protection from very real deadly diseases because of a remote
fear of side effects is grotesque. People who rant against vaccinations
forget the much much greater danger of the disease. Not autism, not
side effects, but death.