What the Government's Not Telling You about the 'Measles Epidemic'

So, what would that be? First, the vaccines do not guarantee you won't get measles. That's rubeola measles, not to be confused with German measles, usually called rubella. In many of the outbreaks, the majority of the infected people are fully or partially vaccinated.

Second, the chance of getting measles in the next few months is much less than one in a million. Still, no one wants to get measles or the rare complications.

People with compromised immune systems especially don't want to get any virus that their bodies can't handle. Vitamin D is very helpful in boosting the immune system and providing some protection. Dr. James Dowd reccomends a rough guideline of 200 IUs of D per 10 pounds. Thus, a 60 pound child might need about 1,200 IUs daily.

Another fact: Measles and most other childhood infections were going down before the vaccines were introduced. Nutrition and sanitation apparently were the two real keys. Again, vaccines are not nearly as effective as the government would have you believe. They're given too much credit.

More importantly, the government isn't forthcoming about the side effects of vaccines. With so many vaccines being given, our children have more asthma, diabetes, autism, and learning disabilities. There may well be a connection. We need to be much more discriminating about what vaccines should be given to which individuals -- much more personalized and targeted.

So am I saying, don't get a measles shot? No, I'm saying go beyond the government party line and become an informed health consumer.

For instance, a woman considering pregnancy might want to get both measles and rubella shots well before getting pregnant. The reason: If you get these infections during pregnancy, the viruses could harm the child.

An interesting article on this current measles vaccine topic comes from Barbara Loe Fisher's blog. She heads the National Vaccine Information Center, a private organization.