I found this book to be very informative in regards to diseases and the history of vaccines.

I think that Wendy Lydall has a wonderful, inviting way of writing, which would walk any new parent through this contentious issue. She seems to combine the rigour of a researcher with the wisdom of a mother, who has lived out the issues discussed on the book. This book is as much about Wendy's journey as it is about vaccination. I totally recommend this book to anyone who has ever doubted the claims of Western, modern medicine.

Wendy Lydall has a wonderful, non-intimidating way of writing - she takes you through the issues with the rigour of a meticulous researcher, combined with the wisdom and common-sense of a mother. I found it an easy, very informative read - challenging only in its content! I totally recommend Wendy Lydall's Raising a Vaccine Free Child for any new parent.

I highly recommend this book to any parent who is seeking information about vaccination. I found Raising a Vaccine Free Child to be well researched, well written and easy to read. It is exactly the book I needed when my first child came along. Wendy Lydall provides a scientifically referenced case against vaccination as well as providing helpful information about infectious diseases. Not only has this book given me a great insight into the scientific, social and financial history of vaccination, but it has given me confidence in my decision not to vaccinate.

I was also very disappointed in the poor writing/editing. There is some good scientific information in this book but it's very poorly organized. Most of the book talks about the harmful effects of vaccinations and not about "raising a vaccine free child" as the title suggests. The author gives no credentials or BIO. She only covers a few of the vaccine preventable diseases. She is obviously extremely anti vaccination so this would not be a suitable book for someone who is still undecided or coming from the mainstream.

If you are questioning vaccines this is a wonderful book. The author does not think vaccines are the worst thing ever- some books out there are SO overboard. She is very insightfull and the book is refrenced. Her daughter had whooping cough and the author explains what she went through. It tells you what to do if your child gets one of these illnesses. It is a wonderful book. I loved it.

If you are questioning vaccines this is a wonderful book. The author does not think vaccines are the worst thing ever- some books out there are SO overboard. She is very insightfull and the book is refrenced. Her daughter had whooping cough and the author explains what she went through. It tells you what to do if your child gets one of these illnesses. It is a wonderful book. I loved it.

This is the best book on vaccination I have read because it not only explains what is wrong with vaccination, it also helped me lose my fear of the diseases that my children could catch by giving me information about each disease. The advice is not flighty, it is backed up with evidence from scientific studies. People who do vaccinate also need this advice because their children can get the diseases.
I found the historical section amazing. We have been taught to believe untrue myths, and every parent needs to know the true historical facts, especially about Pasteur and Jenner.
I liked the amusing anecdotes about the way believers in vaccination behave, and after reading it I am better able to cope with the anger that my decision not to vaccinate provokes.

What happens when you child contracts tetanus?


"The natural reservoir of C. tetani is soil, where it is a ubiquitous resident..." (Madigan & Martinko. Pg. 904)


"Treatment of acute symptomatic tetanus involves administration of antibiotics, usually penicillin, to stop growth and toxin production by C. tetani; administration of antitoxin to prevent binding of newly released toxin to cells, and supportive therapy such as sedation, muscle relaxants, and mechanical respiration to control the effects of paralysis. Treatment at this level cannot provide a reversal of symptoms, since toxin that is already bound to tissues cannot be neutralized. Even with antitoxin, antibiotics, and supportive therapy, tetanus patients have SIGNIFICANT MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY." (Madigan & Martinko. Pg. 904)

"To cause tetanus, spores must be deposited deep in tissues, where oxygen is unavailable. This occurs in deep cuts and puncture wounds. Stepping on a rusty nail has a reputation for leading to tetanus, but it is tetanus endospores, not rust, that cause the disease--a shiny new nail can be just as dangerous if spores are present." (Black. Pg. 732)

So what are you going to do once your kid cuts themselves outdoors and tetanus is a grim possibility? Give them herbs and orange juice? Your child will die more than likely. Better keep them in a bubble!

SOURCES:

Black, Jacquelyn G. Microbiology: Principles and Explorations. 6th ed. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2005.

Madigan, Michael T., and John M. Martinko. Brock Biology of Microorganisms. 11th ed. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2006.

This is a must have book for those raising or planning on raising (or even wanting to know about raising!) a vaccine free child.

I learned a great deal about all of the VPDs (vaccine preventable diseases) and how to properly treat them - something most people aren't aware of anymore!

This is well laid out, researched, and cited. I highly recommend it!

Who is Wendy Lydall anyway? The so-called expertise in this loopy book appears to have come from People magazine. You can bet that Ms. Lydall was vaccinated as a child. Why in the world would she want her children (and yours) to remain susceptible to some of the most awful and crippling diseases that can today be easily prevented.
She makes whooping cough sound like a bad case of the flu. She doesn't tell you that it has a 1% death rate with seizures and brain damage in 5%.
She says that vaccines have not caused the decline in incidence of pertussis, diptheria, polio, smallpox, yellow fever, tetanus, tuberculosis, hepatitis,hemophilus, meningitis, influenza, measles, mumps, rabies, rubella, typhoid and chickenpox. She says the declines in incidence were caused by some natural "cycle". She gives no evidence for this extraordinary claim, but expects you to swallow it.
She berates "callous irresponsible medical officials", but overlooks the fact that medical people are responsible for producing the huge improvements in public health over the last century.
This book would be funny if it wasn't so dangerous.

Lydall's book provides tons of great information on vaccinations from the history to homeopathic cures for childhood diseases. She tells of her experiences with childhood diseases and the effects of vaccinations.

I would also like to add that I have done a little research beyond this book and for those that are interested in natural health for their children check out Sharon Broer's book "Train Up Your Children In the Way They Should Eat." Breastmilk all the way! If you for whatever reason can't breastfeed she gives you a great homemade formula! Also check into cod liver oil - they use to give it to children all the time to help protect them from childhood diseases. My grandparents never had a vaccine, but took cod liver oil as children and they never had a childhood disease! My husband and I take cod liver oil and I now give it to our 6-month-old daughter.

If it was made by God it's good. If it was made by man check the label and check it twice.

God bless you!

While I would like to rate this book more highly because of the good information that it contains, I cannot recommend it. It is extremely poorly written, and there is no bio of the author. This is a controversial topic and non-vaxers are bucking the mainstream, which means that they need to be extra meticulous when making the case against vaccines. There are better resources out there, skip this one.

End the fear campaign that vaccines bring about. Learn how to treat the childhood diseases and do it w/o fear and w/o intimidation. Vaccines aren't the best thing since sliced bread and childhood diseases do have a purpose.

There is more and more information coming to light on the topic of health risks and damage associated with vaccines - the mercury/autism issue is only one of many.

It can be a frightening road for concerned parents to navigate when trying to decide for themselves if there is indeed risks associated with vaccines, and if those risks exceed the benefits or not. Traditional healthcare practitioners, having never researched the topic themselves and believing what they've been told during their training and by the drug reps, often take a hostile view towards those parents who would "dare to question" vaccines.

This book is a great resource with a wealth of knowledge for those progressive parents who want to decide for themselves about vaccines and whether or not they want their kids to receive them. It is well thought out, easy to read, and has strong references to back up the various claims.

Unfortunately, much of the "accepted" research that physicians, nurses, and the media often cite has been performed by individuals with a conflict of interest and/or funded by companies/organizations who profit from vaccines. The following statement by the author is quite pointed:

"Governments have a moral responsibility to ensure that vaccines are properly tested for side effects before they foist them on their subjects, but all governments fail dismally in this duty. They prefer to take the easy option of just believing what the manufacturers say..."

I have pretty much every book written on this topic, "The vaccine guide", "Vaccinations a thoughtful parents guide", Vaccines - are they really safe and effective", "Vaccination roulette", "What your Dr. may not tell you about childrens vaccines", etc. They are all great & even having read them all there was still new information in this book that enabled me to learn even more on the topic.