1604 Lamons Lane , Suite 202, Johnson City TN 37604

Vaccine-Friendly Clinics in Bristol, VA

Vaccine Friendly Clinics in Bristol, VA

Questions.

If you've landed on this page, you probably have a lot of them. Your confusion or concern about your child's vaccinations may even have caused you to procrastinate scheduling required check-ups with a traditional doctor.

You're not alone. A recent study found that about 77% of parents in the US reported having vaccine hesitancy.1 You're likely here not because of what you know or believe, but because of what you don't know.

Questions.

Not usually expected by doctors who automatically follow the CDC-dictated vaccine schedule, including the aggressively marketed flu shot. That immunization schedule is no longer automatic for many American parents who are seeking alternatives.

We understand.

If you're interested in delaying or refusing your child's vaccines, vaccine-friendly clinics offer alternative immunization schedules and lots of listening. Vaccine-friendly health care providers are highly informed and flexible with this delicate and highly personal decision.

To find a Vaccine-Friendly clinic in Bristol, call (423) 482-8711 or contact Dr. Dalal Akoury online today.

What are vaccines?

Vaccines are dead or weakened forms of a disease's microbes, toxins, or surface proteins that are introduced to the body (usually through injections) to allow its immune system to identify and destroy diseases if it encounters a live or stronger version of the pathogens.

Diseases like whooping cough, diphtheria, tetanus , mumps , measles, rubella , rotavirus, polio, hepatitis A  and B , meningitis have been prevented by vaccines worldwide.

So, why would you worry about vaccinating your child? Seems like a no-brainer on paper.

In the world of vaccine manufacturing there are techniques and ingredients that pose questions - some more controversial than others.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), any vaccine can cause "serious problems, such as severe allergic reactions. One out of 4 get temporary pain and stiffness in the joints (mostly teenage or adult women), 1 out of 6 get a fever, 1 out of 20 get a rash, 1 out of 3,000 suffer a seizure, and "several other severe problems have been reported after a child gets MMR vaccine, including deafness, long-term seizures, coma or lowered consciousness and permanent brain damage."

Statistically small as it may be, an immunization shot isn't without risk. What is being done to mitigate that risk and at what pace? Good question.

What we know and what we don't know

In 1980, Congress started to review toxicity levels of thimerosal in over-the-counter products containing. It wasn't until 1999 that is requested vaccine manufacturers to "eliminate or reduce" the amount of mercury in vaccines.2 Why? Because some infants could have been exposed to cumulative levels of mercury during the first six months of life that exceeded EPA safe methylmercury levels. Only after that did a CDC researcher report a relative risk of 1.69 for autism in children who receive thimerosal-containing vaccines.

But now, what other minute toxins may be present in vaccine solutions?

Take aluminum. New England Journal of Medicine studies report that IV solution containing certain levels of aluminum showed impaired neurological development in toddlers. Yet no studies inform us about aluminum levels in vaccines. Why?

The journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology asked that question after analyzing accepted aluminum levels in vaccines and found:3

  • safety inferences of vaccine aluminum doses relied solely on dietary exposure in rats
  • vaccine aluminum levels are not adjusted for weight
  • hours after being born, infants are given 17 times more aluminum than would be allowed if doses were adjusted for body weight

Another study analyzed HPV DNA vaccine fragments found in the body of a teenage girl who died in her sleep after getting 3 intramuscular injections of the quadrivalent HPV vaccine.4

Although FDA requires safety testing of constituent ingredients in drugs, it does not require component safety testing for vaccines. Why? Another good question.

Other potentially toxic materials contained within vaccines include:

  • formaldehyde: a carcinogen known to cause upper respiratory tract problems and harm the lymphatic and hematopoietic systems
  • monosodium glutamate (MSG)
  • sorbitol: potential liver and gastrointestinal toxin
  • ammonium sulfate: neurotoxin and potential liver, gastrointestinal, and respiratory toxin
  • detergent: Triton x100
  • diploid cells: aborted fetus cells
  • macerated cancer cells
  • animal tissues: rabbit brain, horse blood, and pig blood

Questions you may want to ask a vaccine-friendly health care practitioner:

  • How and where is each vaccine made?
  • What ingredients does it contain?
  • Which of those ingredients are controversial?
  • What are the possible side effects?
  • How can we decrease the possible side effects?
  • Which brand has the safest ingredient profile?
  • Which vaccines should not be administered simultaneously?
  • What's the safest possible way to vaccinate children?
  • At what age is it safest and most important to get each particular vaccine?

Vaccine alternatives

As with any medical procedure, vaccine alternative efficacy will vary from patient to patient depending on age, genetics, general health, condition severity, follow-up care, and environmental factors. Consult your healthcare provider before embarking on your immunization journey. The following treatments may present contraindications with one another, and/or with other medical conditions. Always consult your health care professional before deciding which treatment to try first.

Homeoprophylaxis

Homeoprophylaxis (HP) is the homeopathic use of potentized substances in a systematic manner to prevent the development of the characteristic symptoms of disease.

This natural treatment trains the immune system to stimulate its own immunity with highly diluted frequencies of the disease made into homeopathic tinctures that are an energy equivalent of a given disease.

Clinical studies have shown this method has a 90% efficacy rate.6 The Brazilian government successfully reduced the incidence of meningococcal disease and prevented polio in those who were given homeoprophylaxis. It's also been used to fight fever and flu epidemics in Cuba, India, Thailand, Tanzania and many other countries.

Nutritional supplements:

  • probiotics: these naturally boost your immune function; side effects include mild stomach upset, gas, diarrhea, or bloating
  • vitamin D supplements: can help protect your body from infectious diseases; side effects of taking too much vitamin D include weakness, fatigue, headache, loss of appetite, dry mouth, metallic taste, nausea, and vomiting
  • red reishi: taken by mouth, this restores your immune system's and organ's functionality; side effects include dry mouth, throat, and nasal area, along with itchiness, upset stomach, nosebleed, and bloody stools; avoid powdered or liquid forms
  • maitake mushrooms: restores your immune system's and organ's functionality; not enough information on side effects are known
  • manuka honey: its antibacterial qualities support the immune system; possible side effects include a rise in blood sugar; not for people with bee allergies
  • healthy diet: eat probiotic-rich foods like yogurt and sauerkraut, healthy foods like fruits and vegetables, and grains to detox your intestinal system

Always discuss these and all treatment options with your medical provider. Certain conditions or medications may interact with foods or supplements.

Breastfeeding also passes a mother's immunity to her child; do not take these medications or herbal substances if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Also, do not take reishi or maitake mushrooms if you have low blood pressure.

What to expect at a Vaccine-Friendly Clinics

Choices. Vaccine-Friendly Clinics are open and informed about all of them.

You may want to delay your child's vaccination because your child is sick on the scheduled immunization appointment date.2 You may want to space out vaccinations to give your child time to recover from each one individually and spend ample time observing him or her for side effects. You may feel the risks of contracting the disease are equal to the risks of dire side effects. You may prefer organic immunity. You may have religious reasons for inquiring about vaccine alternatives.

Vaccine-friendly clinics welcome you no matter what your reason is.

When practicing patient-centered medical care, your highly-informed healthcare provider will inform you of your choices. These professionals want to help each patient make the vaccine decision he or she is comfortable with – whether it's to delay, decline, administer alternatives, or investigate further to discover how research and Congress proceed. Vaccine-Friendly clinics can adjust these schedules to fit your child's specific needs. They are also updated occasionally to reflect new research to stay as safe as possible.

Please know that not every physician will be comfortable with the decisions you make, so be sure to find the right clinic for you.

What are the potential risks of not following the CDC's Vaccination schedule?

Through exposure to viruses, bacteria, and fungi, your children's immune systems develop antibodies to protect them from disease, sometimes providing permanent immunity. Vaccines aim to provide this same kind of exposure without risk of a full-blown infection.

An alternative immunization schedule may under-prepare your child for diseases and viruses, increasing chances of infection. When many children are vaccinated, unvaccinated children are partially, indirectly protected because these viruses are not circulating through the community (herd immunity); alternative vaccination schedules may reduce herd immunity.

If you have an allergic reaction to the vaccine, which can include wheezing, hives, swollen throat, and dizziness, don't wait - call 911 or go to the emergency room right away.

Reserve your appointment

If too many unanswered questions are making you hesitate about the CDC vaccination schedule, find a vaccine-friendly clinic in Bristol by calling (423) 482-8711 or contact Dr. Dalal Akoury online.

Sources:

1. McKee, Chephra, and Kristin Bohannon. "Exploring the Reasons Behind Parental Refusal of Vaccines." The Journal of Pediatric Pharmacology and Therapeutics: JPPT 21.2 (2016): 104–109. PMC. Web. 10 Aug. 2018.

2. https://www.fda.gov/biologicsbloodvaccines/safetyavailability/vaccinesafety/ucm096228#action

3. Aluminum neurotoxicity in preterm infants receiving intravenous-feeding solutions. Bishop NJ, Morley R, Day JP, Lucas A.,N Engl J Med. 1997 May 29;336(22):1557-61.

4. Lee, S. (2012) Detection of human papillomavirus L1 gene DNA fragments in postmortem blood and spleen after Gardasil® vaccination—A case report. Advances in Bioscience and Biotechnology, 3, 1214-1224. doi: 10.4236/abb.2012.38148

5. Smith, Philip J. et al. "The Association Between Intentional Delay of Vaccine Administration and Timely Childhood Vaccination Coverage." Public Health Reports 125.4 (2010): 534–541. Print.

6. "Homoeoprophylaxis – A Fifteen Year Clinical Study: A Statistical Review of the Efficacy and Safety of Long-Term Homœoprophylaxis", 2004.

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Hours and Directions
AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center
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Address

1604 Lamons Lane
Suite 202
Johnson City, TN 37604
(423) 482-8711
www.awaremed.com

Hours

Mon: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Tue: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Wed: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Thu: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Fri: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

Areas We Service:

Asheville, NC, Granite Falls, NC, Hudson, NC, Lenoir, NC, Hickory, NC, Boone, NC, North Wilkesboro, NC, Wilkesboro, NC, Greenville, SC, Morristown, TN, Knoxville, TN, Gatlinburg, TN, Kingsport, TN, Bristol, VA, Abingdon, VA