Author: Wendy Lydall
First Edition: 2009
Published by: Emryss publishers
ISBN – 978-0-646-52417-7
Reviewer: Vatsala Sperling
To vaccinate or not is a loaded question staring every parent in the eye. It has been considered ever since 1796 when Edward Jenner developed a system of vaccination using pus from cow pox to inoculate children and found that they did not develop small pox. The medical industry claims that infectious diseases have been kept in check or eradicated because of mass vaccination, both routine and compulsory. However, parents of children who have been injured from vaccination question the usefulness and safety of vaccination. The National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) is a leading organization that maintains that health care consumers have the right to informed consent, including the right to choose which vaccine they and their children will use. Making an informed decision is not that easy. Some parents come under pressure and buckle…finding it easier to just go ahead, vaccinate and be done. Some parents decide to delay the vaccination schedule and subject their children to the mandated vaccines once the children are older. Several books have been written on the subject of vaccination, that can help parents make informed decisions about what vaccines to get and when, or to go for alternative approach such as homeoprophylaxis. “Raising a Vaccine Free Child” by Wendy Lydall is a welcome addition to this ever growing list of books that educate the parents about vaccination.
What I find most attractive about Wendy’s book is that she has focused on dispelling myths about vaccination. She has selected fourteen of the best known myths propagated by the medical establishment. With the calculated expertise of a sword yielding warrior, she has systematically de-mystified these myths and put them in their exact place. In analyzing and dealing with the fourteen myths, Wendy has used her experience of raising her children in three different countries and dealing with the various medical bureaucracies. She discusses the misinformation that is fed to the public when they are sold the idea of vaccination as the ultimate panacea for all infectious diseases and childhood illnesses. She questions the policy of not declaring all the ingredients of vaccines and points out how media promotes half-truths and untruths while actively suppressing reports of negative effects. Reading through all fourteen myths demystified by Wendy is a good education on the subject of vaccination. After reading this, I gained a thorough understanding of the truth behind each and every vaccine and each disease that they are supposed to “fight” or “eradicate”.
As homeopaths we constantly meet with parents who ask us if we recommend vaccination and if we offer any homeopathic alternative. Though we are asked these questions, our job is not simply to answer the parents, but also help them make an informed choice. For this purpose, I intend to recommend Wendy Lydall’s book, “Raising a vaccine free child” to all those who wonder whether to vaccinate or not.