Reviews

Review by Prof. Romain K. Gherardi: "You should use this clearly and elegantly written book to balance official discourses on vaccination and seek the truth"

I would like to recommend the highly stimulating book of Mateja Cernic that describes vaccination as an ideological construct, i.e. as an “interest-driven construct of reality that is realized by means of social power at the expense of other and different constructs”. Her starting point was the often largely overstated benefit and systematically understated adverse effects of vaccines by policy makers and scientific institutions.

Mateja Cernic’s methodology consisted in collecting the statements made by the official health institutions and analyzing them in light of scientific studies and official state statistics. This huge effort has been made on a systematic basis, for all aspects of vaccination, debunking an impressive number of classical arguments supporting “the excellent benefit/risk balance of vaccines”. I must say that these critical analyses are sound, even for a doctor like me that strongly believes that, until now, vaccines have been globally useful and safe and, thus, merit to be defended. Like any other drug, however, vaccines may be detrimental in a minority of individuals, and, as a scientist, I have been working on aluminum adjuvant safety for more than 20 years. This allows me to testify that analyses of the different aspects of vaccine adjuvants have been conducted in depth and are perfectly exposed. I have no reason to believe it was not the case in the other sections. 

After the systematic review of the different vaccines and adjuvants and their side effects, Mateja Cernic investigated the means by which an ideological discourse on vaccines has been set up to pave the way for vaccination policies and legislations. Most interesting chapters explore the work of pediatricians, the inadequacy of adverse effects monitoring systems, the questionable integrity of state institutions, and the nearly complete merging of oligopolistic vaccine industry with both science and medicine establishments.

Mateja Cernic states that after long history and as a result of an ideological construction, vaccination has gained the status of a “sacred cow”. It is sad, but true, that the vaccination temple guardians and the industrial lobby supporting them do not accept criticism, refuse to carry out necessary investigations (e.g. on long term vaccine safety), persecute researchers in vaccine safety science, and push media to make black and white dichotomy between “normal’ pro-vaccination and “dangerous/irresponsible” anti-vaccination positions.

Times are changing. In the setting of massive expansion of vaccine-based strategies announced worldwide, with 295 new vaccines currently being in the pipelines of the industry, vaccine legislations tend to set up compulsory vaccine programs as the unique answer to an increasing reluctance to vaccines in the population and among scientists and doctors. If, like me, you feel that both pro-vaccine and anti-vaccine activism do a disservice to science, you may aspire to more subtle positioning and mainly require safer vaccine products and practices. In that case, as a citizen, you should use this clearly and elegantly written book and its highly relevant bibliography to balance official discourses on vaccination, and seek the truth.

Professor Romain K. Gherardi

Former Head of the Expert Neuromuscular Pathology Centre, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Henri Mondor Paris-Est University hospitals, Créteil, France

Former Head of INSERM/ Paris Est University research Unit (U955E10, Créteil, France)

Professor Romain K. Gherardi was the Director of the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm) U955 E10 Unit of the University of Paris and was the head of the Histology-Embryology department of the Henri Mondor Hospital (Creteil) of neuromuscular diseases.
He is a graduate in neurology and pathology, and Professor of Universities - Hospital Practitioner since 1990. From 1983 to 2010, he wrote 300 research articles, more than 250 of which were published in journals such as the Lancet, New England Journal, Annals of Neurology, Annals of Rheumatic Diseases, and Arthritis and Rheumatology. He has also been invited as a speaker at the CDC of Atlanta, the WHO of Geneva, and in various national or international learned societies of Neurology and Myology. His research concerns the field of cellular interactions in the normal neuromuscular system and inflammatory or toxic diseases.

"There are many books describing the problems linked to vaccination. Most of them present good information but are quite limited in scope or focused on a few methodologies of research and very argumentative, I would even say emotional, with good reasons.

Mateja Cernic’s book presents most if not all different ways to look at vaccination. Although her own final opinion and frustration with the system surfaces at times, her use of the freely available scientific material from the conventional medical world itself, from the manufacturers of vaccines, from the commercial aspect of vaccination, from the legal standing of different nations and from the reports provided by parents, medical practitioners, laboratories, autopsies and comments by highly regarded scientists provides the reader with an inescapable amount of cold, unemotional and objective information, which reveals the reality of a dark side of medicine none of us, healing professionals, is comfortable contemplating. It took me a long time reading her book: I could not stomach more than a few pages every day, asking myself 'How is that possible? How did we allow this to happen?' Many times, my instinctive repulsion at the facts presented told me to close the book and not dwell deeper; and, fortunately, on the other hand, I had that compulsion to know and to understand.

To know a book you need to know its author. So I asked her. Mateja gave me permission to copy her answers:

'I got my PhD in sociology in 2014 at the School of Advanced Social Studies - SASS (Slovenia, EU). Since 2011, I have worked at the same faculty as an Assistant Lecturer covering various subjects. My main research interests lie in the areas of power, control, ideologies and discourses in everyday life and medicine.' This book is the extended version of her PhD thesis.

'As for what triggered my interest in researching vaccines: I became interested in the topic in 2006 when I bought my mare Dasha. I had no previous knowledge or opinion about vaccination; I have even vaccinated my mare twice. I didn't even know that this is a hot topic. However, when I bought Dasha, I immersed myself in researching how to best care for her (at that time, I had enough time, enthusiasm and money to dedicate to her). I studied everything, diet, hoof care, gear, stabling, healing, etc. etc. Naturally, the topic of vaccination eventually popped up. I bought my first "anti-vaccine" book (from Catherine O'Driscoll, What vets don't tell you about the vaccines) and the rest is history. I then started to truly research vaccination, buying more and more books, reading articles, etc. I never had illusions about the system (medical or other), but I didn't expect such a pile of lies, such manipulation, censorship, repression. I kept digging and of course, I couldn't keep quiet about the horrors of vaccination. I just HAD TO write, talk and educate about it. It was a perfect theme for a doctoral dissertation, as I could really dedicate myself to researching it. I also wanted to show that "anti-vaccine" stance is scientifically sound, that anti-vaxxers aren't a bunch of crazy hippie mums and Google doctors. I also had more personal reasons to pick that theme for the dissertation. Once I have realized how horrendous and damaging vaccines really are, I wanted to be prepared as best as I could to fight the system. I didn't have children at the time (my daughter was born a year after I got my PhD), but I wanted to be equipped with as much knowledge as possible so that I would be able to fight doctors, inspectors, courts, etc., to be able to protect my child. And also to be 100% sure what a right decision is.  So, this book is primarily written for me, for my personal needs. It is my handbook and my weapon. I just wish more parents would use it as such.'

Now let us go through the book.

After a short introduction, Chapter 2 deals with the social aspects of medicine and vaccination: in other words the many methods one has to manipulate information and population, in general, then more specifically for vaccination, ending with examples of abuse of medical and state power. The sociologist brilliantly emerges here, which is at times difficult to read for a medical professional. I would have put that chapter at the end of the book, but who said one has to read the chapters in a specific order?

Chapter 3 is the bulk of the work. Titled “The ideological constructs of vaccination” it is divided into fascinating sections: The decline in mortality from infectious disease shows the natural evolution of most of the disease we are pushed into protecting ourselves from and why the vaccines had almost no influence on their trend. Adjuvants deals with the side-effects (rather the effects!) of the substances used to increase the potency of the vaccines, and the cost we pay for that. Side effects of the vaccines is self-explanatory. Safety and efficacy studies illuminate how poorly those especially important aspects of any therapy are dealt with. Vaccine contamination does not need any comment. The work of paediatricians is extremely unsettling for a health professional to read and does not make one proud of belonging to that world. Adverse effect monitoring system exposes how skewed and incorrect the follow-up of the vaccinated patient is, how it seems to be designed specifically not to register problems...and I wrote “seems” as I still cannot believe and admit that medical practitioners could be consciously part of what appears to be a worldwide conspiration...I simply cannot. Integrity of state institutions illuminates the participation of states and governments. ”Herd immunity” and “harming other people” is one of the most beautiful and convincing argumentation showing the fallacy of those concepts that attempt to vilify those who refuse to vaccinate: if you cannot take the time to read the whole book and want only a sample, this chapter is the one you need. Merger between science an pharmaceutical industry illustrates the well-known adage “follow the money”.

After the conclusions chapter, we have appendices with the vaccination schedules of different countries and the mortality statistics, then the list of the references, which might be one of the most important part of the book: each fact, each affirmation, each number or statistic is taken either from an official source or from a well-conducted, peer-reviewed study that no one should be able to dismiss lightly. The sheer accumulation of converging facts and conclusions leaves no doubt whatsoever.

Every health practitioner should have this book as a reference; then another copy to lend to patients; and another copy to donate to their local library; and another copy to replace the one that will not be returned. Even if the reader is still offering and promoting vaccinations, which are everyone’s choice, at least it will be done with a full knowledge of what is done, why, what can happen: it is called having fully disclosed information and making an informed decision. Isn’t that the type of freedom millions of people died defending?

Doctor Joseph Rozencwajg, MD, PhD, NMD, HMD, DO, OMD, DAcup, DIHom, DHerbMed, DNutr, HbT, FBIH, RCHom, MNZIA, MNZAMH, MNNZ, MNZSN. He started his medical career as a surgeon, first specializing in general surgery, then thoracic and cardiovascular surgery. For many years he worked as a surgeon in Belgium and Israel, then went on to study various fields of natural medicine, obtaining a staggering amount of diplomas and certificates. 

"5 stars! Must-read caliber. Kudos to Dr. Cernic for writing this thorough, well-referenced review of a subject that affects everyone. Her book is a great gift and legacy for those who will live after us. Young parents-to-be would otherwise not be equipped to make an informed choice as to whether to vaccinate. I'm reminded of the late Dr. Mayer Eisenstein, MD JD MPH who once stated 'Educate before you vaccinate'. This book should be required reading for all physicians, scientists, lawyers, law-makers, and the public at large. The ideological constructs  upon which public health policy is made are propaganda-based, not science-based. Scientists are often silent for fear of retribution on discovering and disclosing the truth. Vaccine mandates are appalling deprivations of parental decision-making authority and God-given right to autonomy over our bodies. Those who oppose them should not be demonized. Physicians should abide by their Oath of Hippocrates to 'do no harm'. At very least, informed consent should be inviolate. Conscientious objection should trump man-made law. By way of disclosure, I was raised in a heavily-vaccinated military family. The harms suffered by my siblings are undeniable."

Robert Michael Davidson, MD PhD, is an independent physician and medical researcher, who has published more than 30 papers in peer-reviewed journals. He completed his PhD in Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the age of 26 from UCSF, NSF postdoctoral fellowship at the National Bureau of Standards, Center for Analytical Chemistry, MD degree at St Louis University School of Medicine, Nuclear Medicine residency at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, and Internal Medicine residency in Phoenix, Arizona. 

"Although written with a swift pen, this book cuts deep into the myths surrounding alleged vaccine safety and efficacy. Mateja Cernic builds her case with arguments that are solid as a rock, and with figures that are completely verifiable. On top of offering a treasure of information on the risks and adverse effects of vaccination as such, her book offers a lot of insight into the mechanisms behind them. Quite unique is the way she explains the sociological mechanisms that allow blatant lies to persist as the basis for official guidelines on vaccination, and allow governments and official health organisations to continue a policy which threatens public health and, in its effect, I consider nothing short of criminal. Probably the most comprehensive and up to date book on the issue today. A must read for everyone, lay or professional, who has the courage to be confronted with the tragic story of vaccination and it’s devastating effect upon our society". 

 Kris Gaublomme, MD is a general medical practitioner and homeopath from Belgium. He has been the chair of the “Preventie vaccinatieschade” (“Vaccine damage prevention”) since 1989 and the chair of the European Forum for Vaccine Vigilance since 2012.

"I started reading immediately. It is a magnificent study. Of course I did already know all the ideological constructs, but you describe everything in such a good way. I enjoyed your explanation how and why ideology and doctrine is a big problem in the vaccination discourse. I admire the lot of work you did with good contents-overview and with the 461 references. So the book is very useful for everyone who wants to know. Every politician must read what is going on".

Dr. Jannes Koetsier is a general practitioner, medical advisor and chair of the foundation Shakenbaby.nl.  Dr. Koetsier has conducted research into vaccination for many years. More recently, he has prepared second opinion reports for more than thirty parents accused of shaking their babies. In approximately 25% of these cases, he discovered that childhood vaccination was the most likely cause of the so-called ‘shaken-baby’ injuries sustained by the babies. His work on the issue is published on http://www.shakenbaby.nl/.

"Ideological Constructs of Vaccination should be a must-read for all practicing health care providers. The book is well organized and fully cited. Dr. Cernic reviews the literature surrounding vaccines and presents a strong case that accepting the statement that "vaccines are safe and effective" may be incorrect.

"This book is proof that the anti-vax movement is science-based! This new book is a masterpiece that presents detailed scientific arguments for why vaccines are not the panacea that they are claimed to be. It is a much welcomed addition to the growing body of literature revealing the damage the vaccination program is doing to our children.

It is particularly effective in its portrayal of the ideological constructs that are used without basis to defend vaccines and keep the general population uninformed of the reality in terms of risk/benefit tradeoffs. It draws upon the social power of the pharmaceutical industry and the financial perks that corrupt the regulatory agencies and the physicians to explain how those who become aware of the reality are so easily dismissed, and why we have been misled for such a long time. Specific stories of vaccination damage recounted by mothers offer compelling evidence of harm, reinforced by detailed summaries of the relevant research literature and statistical trends. The chapter on general immune system function and its disruption by vaccines is scholarly, yet particularly clear and disturbing, pointing to vaccines as a major driver in autoimmune disease. 

The arguments are well supported by an extensive bibliography. You should buy extra copies of this book ready to hand out to any of your friends who claim that there's no science behind the anti-vaccine movement!"

Dr. Stephanie Seneff is a Senior Research Scientist at the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. For over three decades, her research interests have always been at the intersection of biology and computation. She has published over 170 refereed articles on these subjects, and has been invited to give keynote speeches at several international conferences. In recent years, Dr. Seneff has focused her research interests back towards biology. Since 2011, she has published over two dozen papers in various medical and health-related journals on topics such as modern day diseases (e.g., Alzheimer, autism, cardiovascular diseases), analysis and search of databases of drug side effects using NLP techniques, and the impact of nutritional deficiencies and environmental toxins on human health.

"This book is an expanded and updated version of Dr Cernic’s 2014 Doctoral thesis of the same name, for which she was awarded a PhD by the School of Advanced Social Studies in Nova Gorica, Slovenia where she currently teaches.

It is a minutely researched, scholarly and very readable piece of work that will not disappoint the most thorough researcher or parent who is wanting to have the multiple topics and references to do with vaccination and health policy in one logically ordered resource.

Information and views on vaccination can be very polarised. The author, having researched the topic has her own views but these are not what form the basis of the book. The information she presents is based on hundreds of current studies and graphs constructed from official statistics in the USA, UK and Australia, which she uses to take the reader on a journey through what is the actual state of vaccination, vaccinatable diseases and scientific evidence, as opposed to the unevidenced statements of safety, efficacy and reduction in mortality rates from infectious diseases for which there are vaccines, since the vaccines were introduced in the nineteenth through the twentieth and onward into the twenty first century.

Having done a large amount of reading and research into vaccination and disease ecology myself, there are two aspects of Dr Černič’s’s work that I find particularly interesting:

1. The inclusion of figures, studies, policies and views of scientists from countries which might loosely be called central or eastern European. So much of what is generally cited is centred on the USA, UK and the loud voice, even if not evidenced based, of Australia. To anextent this is because some the papers and books are not written in English, but Dr Černič has read and translated them and presented them in her book for viewing, and how very interesting are the writings and thoughts of this group of thinkers from the medical and social sciences to whom I had never previously had access.

2. The inclusion of social science paradigms to explain both the powerful place of vaccination and current health ideologies in society today and the relationship between who is acceptable to be regarded as an expert: study, qualifications, prestigious position in the medical community and what removes them from this elite group: questioning any part of the narrowly defined dogma that is the current orthodoxy.  This ‘discourse’, as she quotes Foucault (1981), “is in every society controlled, selected, organised and redistributed by a certain amount of procedures whose rôle it is to ward off powers and dangers.” This is the experience of any medical doctor or scientist, no matter how eminent. Once their investigations lead them to question the prevailing orthodoxy – vaccination or otherwise -  they are immediately reclassified as ‘quacks’ by their less enquiring, more subservient, and possibly lazy colleagues who close ranks to protect themselves, their practices and their jobs.

Dr Cernic takes each of the accusations with which questioning parents who have not yet vaccinated their children are lambasted, by Governments (especially in Australia) and shows that they are not based on science or reality, particularly the idea that unvaccinated children are the germ carriers endangering all good, vaccinated citizens. She shows European and USA marketing authorisationsthat state specifically that the vaccines for which they are granting product licences are not developed to stop people getting infections, only to produce certain levels of antibodies, though it is well established in science that antibodies do not equal ‘protection’.

There are no immune correlates for pertussis (whooping cough) or human papillomavirus infection, tetanus is not an infectious diseases, you can’t ‘catch it’ from anyone and in addition, both tetanus and diphtheria vaccines are toxoid vaccines, designed to give antibodies to toxin from the organisms, not to stop carriage in the case of diphtheria or transmission. People vaccinated with measles and pertussis vaccines become infected, silently, so others do not even know that the vaccinated people are carrying and spreading the infectious organisms, not to mention the recipients of live vaccines like ‘flu, measles, mumps, rubella and oral polio vaccines who spread the viruses through the community (read the package inserts which tell you to keep away from immunocompromised / cancer patients if you have been vaccinated). It is the vaccinated children of whom one should be aware, not the unvaccinated!

In addition to minute inspection of mortality rates from vaccinatable diseases and vaccine constituents, the actual meaning of the oft repeated mantra, ‘vaccines are extensively tested and are shown to be safe and effective’, is gone through with a fine toothed comb, completely referenced, brimming with examples and studies published in peer reviewed journals, she also tackles head on the big question: WHY?

From her background in sociology she dissects the notion that the ‘authorities’ always have our best interests at heart. She takes us through the American eugenics movement (forerunner of the Nazi’s), “The principle that sustains compulsory vaccination is broad enough to cover the cutting of the Fallopian tubes.” (Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes 1927), through experimentation on orphans in children’s homes in the USA with HIV drugs in the 2000’s, to 2012 in England where an Italian mother was ordered by the Court to have a Caesarian section, and her child adopted, forcibly, against her will, because she had the misfortune to be in the UK on a conference when she was 35 weeks pregnant and had a psychotic episode, from which she fully recovered – beware of social workers. The last few chapters also look at the close intertwining, or stranglehold, of multinational pharmaceutical companies with the development and practice of medicine, the numerous times pharmaceutical companies are found guilty of malpractice and how their penalty fines, though millions of dollars, are as but a drop in the ocean compared to their profits.

For anyone wanting to have a comprehensive, one volume, reference work to read about every aspect of vaccination science and policy, this is the one to get. I cannot recommend it too highly. Buy it and read it. You will be pleased that you did."

Dr Jayne LM Donegan

MBBS DRCOG DCH DFFP MRCGP MFHom

London NW4 1SH, UK

jaynelmdonegan@yahoo.com

jayne-donegan.co.uk/

Dr Donegan is a GP & Homoeopathic Physician with Certified Specialist Accreditation in Medical Homeopathy from the Faculty of Homeopathy, London.