With mandatory vaccinations now being enforced in one of Australia’s major company’s & one of the major employers in my home town of Moranbah, it is my job as a Naturopath to support all of my patients in the best way I can, and that’s EDUCATION!
Fortunately, as a Naturopath I am able to offer complimentary therapies such as natural medicines to provide immune support for my patients who wish to enhance vaccine efficacy, however for those who decline vaccination or for those who are unable to vaccinate due to medical reasons, I can increase the resistance against infectious occurrence & severity of symptoms.
Diet & lifestyle recommendations have been found to enhance general immune function & therefore may increase vaccine immunity. Lets look at diet first. The European Food Safety Authority has formally noted that an effective host (that’s you!) immune response requires adequate nutrition, this includes Vitamins A, B6, B9, B12, C & D, plus minerals such as Zinc, Selenium, Iron & Copper, with Vitamin E also able to support the immune system & reducing the risk of infections & I have a wonderfully informative list of foods high in essential nutrients.
Studies show that around 5 serves of fruit & vegetables per day is associated with an increased anti-body response to pneumococcal vaccinations compared to those who only have 2 serves per day. And we know very well that consuming high amounts of refined starches, sugars, saturated & trans-fatty acids along with a poor diet in natural anti-oxidants & fibre from fresh fruit & vegetables, wholegrains & poor in good quality omega-3 fatty acids can alter the function of our innate immune systems. This kind of diet promotes excessive production of pro-inflammatory cytokines that are associated with a reduced production of anti-inflammatory cytokines.
All current evidence suggests that a Mediterranean Diet (which I have written about in an earlier post) provides us with protection against many diseases associated with the immune & inflammation activation, & it’s also been found to improve inflammatory load plus balancing our gut microbiota (good bacteria). So, if you’ve been in my clinic you will know that I am always raving on about the Mediterranean Diet-but what is it? Well, quite simply it’s a high amount of fruits & vegetables, lean protein, quality essential oils, wholegrains (but limiting starchy grains & vegetables), with increasing our intake of microbiome-enhancing foods to nourish our gut & enhance our immunity-and, I have another lovely list of microbiome enhancing foods for you!
Now, let’s explore lifestyle & alternatives that may help you manage some of the common side-effects following vaccinations. Applying a cold pack to the injection site can ease discomfort. Increasing our fluids & avoiding over-dressing (especially our babies & little-ones) if you feel warm or hot. SLEEP! Make sure your getting about 8 hours per night. EXERCISE-this not only improves your fitness, but also your health & well-being, but it also reduces stress!! Not only does regular exercise enhance our immunity, competency & regulation but it also may delay our immunological ageing-now that’s got to be a positive!
Adverse effects following any vaccination should be reported by the vaccination provider (your GP or vaccination Nurse) to the relevant State or Territory, BUT ALTERNATIVELY you can (and should) report directly to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) using the National Adverse Event Following Immunisation (AEFI) reporting form, or via online submission using the Report a Side Effect of a Medicine Form. This is a crucial way of collecting data on any side effect that you or your family might experience!
I have spent considerable time researching & I have now formulated my treatment recommendations to support you and your family to promote resilience against infections & enhancing immune response to any infection. For more information, or to make an appointment, you can call me on 0427 616 430, or email Sharon at holistichealthandhealing@yahoo.com
Yours in Health,
Sharon – Naturopath
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