What you should know about vaccines

In our March article,”Vaccinations: Know Your Options,“ we discussed your right to decline Covid-19 vaccines and how best to go about it. Based on the comments and questions we’ve received since, it’s become clear that pharmaceutical companies are not always forthcoming in helping you make informed decisions about vaccinations. In this article, we’ll attempt to clarify the often-conflicting facts on the vaccine.

WHAT IS A VACCINE?

A vaccine is a biological and chemical preparation created to stimulate the immune system to create antibodies against specific infectious diseases. Most preparations contain weakened or dead forms of the microbe at the root of the disease along with other chemicals to stabilize and preserve the vaccine. The vaccine is then either injected underneath the skin, in the muscle, or given orally or intranasally (in the nose).

Vaccines are then intended to treat contagious diseases, such as chicken pox, polio, or currently, Covid-19. In 2020, the coronavirus pandemic claimed the lives of millions of people around the world. In a rush to mitigate the crisis, companies like Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson each worked feverishly to research and create viable vaccines. Over a year later, more than 200 million people have been vaccinated. However, millions more have declined to take the vaccine. Below are some valid reasons for their decisions (1).


REASONS PEOPLE ARE SAYING NO

Lack of research time

Pfizer and Moderna both created their Covid-19 vaccines in under a year. The Food and Drug Administration approved both for emergency use, although research on the long-term effects, side effects, and other reactions from the vaccine was critically lacking. By comparison, the mumps vaccine required four years of research before it was authorized for widespread use, and that was considered fast! Most vaccines take upwards of 10 to 15 years to receive approval. (2)(3). The lack of time is cause for concern. It is common knowledge that rushing medical research can result in critical errors.

Lack of proper human trials

The Covid-19 vaccine is the first to be made with mRNA technology that has been used on humans outside of clinical trials. This means that other vaccines made with the same proteins haven’t made it past the stage of laboratory animal trials. In fact, most vaccine trials never make it to human clinical trials.

Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine was recalled in April, just as quickly as it was introduced, due to six post-inculcation deaths (4). The FDA and CDC put out a joint statement claiming that the conditions which presumably resulted in death were extremely rare; however, without proper trials and research, it can’t be ascertained. Learning about those deaths caused anxiety for some who were already vaccinated and changed the minds of others who were considering it.

The incentives

For the first time in history, companies are offering employees and customers cash incentives to get vaccinated (5). Many people who exercised their right to turn it down are now  either feeling coerced into getting the vaccine by their employers, or are tempted to do so because they are enticed by what is being offered. Some local judges are even going as far as offering sentence reductions for offenders who agree to get vaccinated. Even the White House is offering incentives, like basketball tickets and gaming systems. Our own government is asking us to choose temporary entertainment over our own body autonomy(6).

This can disproportionately influence those in lower economic strata because they may have more at stake. Getting a vaccine can seem like an easy tradeoff for a free game system to either enjoy or to sell for additional cash. The motive here is to encourage more individuals to become vaccinated; however, doing so seems akin to incentivizing someone with diabetes to eat a cupcake! Rewards should not be used as an enticement if health is considered a personal choice.

Companies are asking people to put their own beliefs aside, impressing upon their own right to choose what is best for themselves and their families. If you have chosen not to vaccinate, it is your right to say “no.” Period.

The narrative changed

It is safe to say many media outlets have changed their narrative when it comes to the fatal impact of Covid-19. At first, reports stated that people with “underlying health conditions” were amongst the highest percentages of people that have succumbed to Covid-19. This has now shifted solely to the “unvaccinated” being at fatal risk, further molding the narrative that the unvaccinated, as a whole, are at risk or is the risk.

Staying abreast to the ever changing data, one cannot help but see the underlying focus geared towards using fear to coerce mass vaccinations. 

The truth is, most deaths occurred in individuals with pre-existing and untreated health conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, asthma, weakened immune systems, cancer, and obesity--to name a few. As we shouldn’t take these deaths lightly, the reality is, many of these health conditions were left unchecked long before the start of the pandemic due to a lack of proper accessible healthcare; and the lack of proper action and information on how to improve it. The CDC even states that these conditions can make it more likely that you’d have difficulty with Covid-19 if you were to contract it. 

This shift in narrative may seem insignificant but it has led to thousands of people feeling as if they have no choice but to become vaccinated, disregarding their own personal stance on the matter. It is of course up to every person to do what is within their best interest. However, a close eye on media reports makes it even more challenging to distinguish reality from a hidden agenda.


“I don’t know what’s in it!”

While reading the questions asked about prior allergic reactions, one of our customers reported being oblivious to the list of ingredients. This is a common concern. Many are uninformed about the ingredients and frustrated from a lack of proper explanation.

“I didn’t know if I was allergic to the ingredients because I’ve never heard of them and they didn’t explain it to me.”  said on concerned customer. 

We visited the CDC’s site for a copy of Moderna’s and Pfizer’s ingredient list (7). This list did not explain what each ingredient was, nor reveal its use. All of the ingredients are listed by their scientific name and one would have to copy and paste each into a search engine in hopes of finding a more user-friendly site, although even this presents a challenge. Considering that the public are being coerced into receiving injections, its ingredients, at the very least, should be easily accessible. When registering for a vaccine, customers are asked if they are allergic to polyethylene glycol and polysorbate. Most people check ‘no’ because they do not know what these terms mean, nor would they know if they were allergic! Polyethylene glycol is a petroleum product used as a moisturizing carrier agent. It can be used to easily allow other toxic ingredients to enter the body. It is most often found in drug-store lotions and baby wipes although it is not always listed as such.

Polysorbate is an emulsifier; a chemical compound used to aid in combining liquids that wouldn’t normally do so on their own. It is commonly found in cleaning and skin products. Polysorbates are known carcinogens (cancer-causing properties). Other risks include problems with allergies and reproduction. The active ingredient in both vaccines is mRNA. This is an entirely new kind of vaccine that has not been administered to humans. There are still a lot of unknowns about how it works, and for how long. For all we know currently, this vaccine’s efficacy may be short-lived.

As to the rest of the ingredients—sugar, fat, and lipids round out the list, each used as a stabilizer. While these three ingredients sound harmless enough, it is the combination of ingredients that create a toxic cocktail. Receiving a complete list of all ingredients is challenging, even from the pharmaceutical companies themselves.

If you haven’t guessed yet, we are clearly not fans of vaccines— particularly the Covid-19 vaccine. Why is the government so insistent on having us insert foreign chemical concoctions into our bodies before having conducted enough research to know their effects across an array of different bodily constituents, pre-existing health conditions, and medication/supplement intakes. The unknowns are far too vast. But more importantly, as a well-informed herbal company, it is our job to focus on providing information that helps you make informed choices for your health and for quality products that will help you focus on promoting a solid immune system.

We believe that Mother Nature has provided potent plant medicine solutions that support optimal health in a way that is gentle yet amazingly effective. Whether vaccinated or not, you can still support your immune system and organ function against any possible unknowns that the vaccine may impart.

In either scenario, the best way to maintain good health is to:

• Practice good hygiene.
• Upgrade your diet by eating more organic raw high quality plant-based foods that are rich in nutrients. Eat less denatured foods!
• Support your body with organic herbal supplements (e.g. goldenseal and Echinacea, camu camu, cayenne pepper, bittermelon, yellow dock root, osha root, garlic, olive leaf, astragalus, neem, elderberry, zinc, vitamin D3, carbon (activated charcoal), are a few important herbs/supplements to take right now.)
• Get plenty of exercise. (Don’t overdo it; just keep your body moving.)
• Get plenty of rest when needed.
• Be mindful of your mental health.

Vaccinated or not, we are here to lend support for your health edification, whichever route you decide to take.