Jewish Vaccine Stories

Prior to the advent of vaccines, there was no synagogue in the world that had a policy, "Unless you've already had [fill in communicable disease] you are unwelcome here." Nowadays, someone who gets measles is a pariah, even though after the fact, the person has the best immunity for measles. Natural immunity. Those who have not had measles - either they have immunity or they do not (many adults have waned immunity if they haven't received boosters, and even vaccines and boosters are not 100% guaranteed). So now we are establishing a new rule! Being part of the Jewish community is contingent on being fully compliant with the CDC recommended schedule. Of course this rule only applies to children! Adults who are not up to date are welcome. We think. We're not sure. We don't want to tell adults what to do - even though we are happy to treat them like children, and assume things about their intelligence.

Shulem Lemmer was stopped on a Jet Blue flight because his kids look Hassidic and they had lots of bug bites. And some ignorant flight attendant thought "Hassid! Jew! Measles!" Here's the thing: I don't care whether Shulem Lemmer vaccinates his children. It's none of my business. If you think anyone else would have been stopped over this business, you are fooling yourself. Jews - we are drawing too much attention to ourselves by turning this into the biggest issue. We should stop with the bans of our own people, we should stop with the policies that kick our own people out of the community. We should go back to how things were not 12 months ago, when whether you vaccinated or didn't vaccinate was a personal choice and people might have disagreed with you, rolled your eyes at you, or thought you were being irresponsible, but they didn't destroy your life or think you were a highly contagious critter and cretin. This is disgraceful on the part of

Thanks Jewish Vaccine Stories People know we do not vaccinate. It's not a secret. Not that we publicize it. It really isn't a conversation we ever start. We actually don't talk about it with anyone. About a year ago people started talking about us. Some of our friends are fine. They respect we have a different approach to vaccines. Never mind that one of our children was injured by a vaccine, and that that was a very long road to recovery. We simply can't risk it anymore! So what happens now? Our shul has been contacted - and our rabbi (though I'm not sure how we can call him "our rabbi" - more like "the rabbi of the shul") told us we are unwelcome. Our kids are not allowed in school. A young woman who sometimes watches our kids was "ratted on" by a neighbor, telling her employment that as long as she associates with us, she is a danger to everyone she works with. So of course she had to stop babysitting for us (the pressu

What an interesting insight from the author of the Aruch Hashulchan. https://www.sefaria.org/Arukh_HaShulchan%2C_Yoreh_De'ah.335?lang=bi Yoreh De'ah, Siman 335 א דיני ביקור חולים • ובו י"ב סעיפים גרסינן בשבת ( שבת לב א ): לעולם יבקש אדם רחמים שלא יחלה. שאם יחלה אומרים לו: "הבא זכות והפטר וכו'". אדם יוצא לשוק – יהא דומה בעיניו כאילו נמסר לסרדיוט. חש בראשו – יהי דומה בעיניו כאלו נתנוהו בקולר. עלה למיטה ונפל – יהי דומה בעיניו כמו שהעלוהו לגרדום לידון. שכל העולה לגרדום לידון אם יש לו פרקליטין גדולים – ניצל, ואם לאו – אינו נצול. ואלו הן פרקליטין של אדם: תשובה ומעשים טובים. עיין שם. ולכן יתן כל אדם אל לבו ובפרט בעת חליו, ולא יסמוך על הרופאים לבד, כדכתיב באסא: "וגם בחליו לא דרש את ה'" – רק ברופאים. ויקבל עליו להטיב דרכיו, ויחלק צדקה לפי ערכו, כדכתיב: "וצדקה תציל ממות". ויבטח בה' כי יקימנו מחליו. ורוב חולים לחיים. ואפילו תשע מאות ותשעים ותשעה מלמדים עליו חובה, ואחד מלמד עליו זכות – ניצול, שנאמר: "אם יש עליו מלאך מליץ

You don't trust pharmaceutical companies for anything. But you believe their dogma regarding vaccines. If you think vaccines are safe for everyone, you (sadly) know very little about how medicine works and how the body works. Can everyone take penicillin? Can everyone take any pharmaceutical company that is advertised on television? "Ask your doctor if (whichever drug) is right for you." Prove it is safe for everyone, then we can talk. But the proof is not there. Too many people are injured by vaccines, some with life altering injuries, and some even die. The only people who get lifelong immunity from vaccine harm is the makers of vaccines. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Childhood_Vaccine_Injury_Act It's crazy, but it's true.

Here is a nice (and scary!) list of what are referred to as "communicable diseases." When a disease is "contagious," that means that when a person has the disease, the person has the ability to infect others. (See after charts for continuation) http://www.acphd.org/communicable-disease/disease-reporting-and-control/reportable-diseases-conditions.aspx REPORT IMMEDIATELY BY PHONE During Business hours:  (510) 267-3250  After hours:  (925) 422-7595 Anthrax, human or animal Botulism (Infant, Foodborne, Wound, Other) Brucellosis, human Cholera Ciguatera Fish Poisoning Dengue Virus Infection Diphtheria Domoic Acid Poisoning (Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning) Escherichia coli: shiga toxin producing (STEC), including E. coli 0157:H7 Flavivirus infection of undermined species Foodborne Disease (when two or more cases or suspected cases of foodborne disease from separate households are suspected to have the same source of illness) Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome In

One of the accusations hurled at those who don't vaccinate is that "You want my child to die!" Um, no. I actually care very much about your child. "You want your kid to die!" Are you paying attention to what you're saying? Then the accusation is this: "Since you don't vaccinate, you want everyone to get infected." No. Not being vaccinated does not mean I or my children are sick. It means we don't carry manufactured immunity. If and when we get sick a few things will happen. 1. We will deal with it. 2. We will quarantine our own children. 3. We will not expose our kids to anyone (except those looking to similarly build natural immunity) Rare is the parent that chooses to not continue vaccinating their child (or their siblings) absent a personal experience with vaccine injury, either directly or in a close relative or friend. It is simply against human nature to break from powerful social norms and adopt a view that will only

Got your attention. This is not Jewish at all. https://sharylattkisson.com/rep-posey-to-facebook-blatantly-false-information-on-vaccine-safety/ THANK YOU SHARYL FOR SAYING IT LIKE IT IS The following is a news analysis It was an earth-shattering revelation from the government’s world renowned pro-vaccine medical expert: in a sworn statement, Dr. Andrew Zimmerman said science proves vaccines  can cause autism , after all, in “exceptional” cases. What’s worse, he claims, government officials  misrepresented  and covered up his findings after he informed them a decade ago. Read Dr. Zimmerman’s full affidavit on vaccines-autism here Dr. Zimmerman’s  testimony  adds to a growing body of scientific evidence focusing attention on vaccine safety issues. Read Dr. Zimmerman’s curriculum vitae and list of published studies here Pharmaceutical interests portray such evidence, and efforts to study or report on vaccine safety issues, as “anti-vaccine.” Scientists and advocates o

I decided to talk to my rabbi. My husband and I made the decision, because the rabbi is a nice man. He is warm, he smiles, he seems reasonable. Maybe we can get through to him to realize that we are not the way media and social media and others depict us. We are not crazy. We are not dumb. We have done our homework. We know what we are doing. We are taking a route of health for our children which nowadays sounds unconventional, but once upon a time is what everyone did.  Why are we doing this? Because we know too many stories of people harmed by vaccines. We don't think the reward or benefit outweighs the risk. We went to the rabbi and told him, because we were hoping he'd see us for who we are. We hoped he'd respect that we are informed and have done lots of research. We hoped he'd consider reversing the policy the shul just made.  He became distraught. He actually started berating us. Calling us bad parents. Calling us irresponsible people. He started to say &

The biggest push for vaccines in the Jewish community has been coming from Rabbis. That's right. Rabbis. Not doctors. Why? I have a theory. Jews, especially Orthodox Jews, have a habit of asking a rabbi for advice and guidance. Of course sometimes this is warranted! When it comes to understanding Halacha (Jewish law) or any Jewish text, the rabbi is supposed to be the expert. That is how he became a rabbi - through studying Jewish texts! Medical care is serious business. Jews have always been big fans of doctors (well, except for the Talmud which says the best doctors are going to hell). Medical care is also very personal. Every person is different. Every body type, every genetic makeup, every DNA configuration is different. Medical textbooks can teach generalizations and specifics, but in the end of the day, doctors have to deal with what they know and what they are dealt.  Healthcare is an imperfect system. Some doctors come to rabbis and say "Do we care about

Many shuls in the United States put out a statement of some kind regarding measles, some extending to say the unvaccinated should not come to shul. Others were a little less draconian, suggesting that while measles is a concern for all, no one will be barred from coming in to the shul.  So here is the reality check Unvaccinated people are not contagious! I know it's hard to believe!  Unvaccinated people do not carry the plague!  Unvaccinated people do not have rabies! Vaccinated and unvaccinated people alike are dangerous (as in, capable of spreading disease) when they have the infection in them.  (See conclusion below) The fact that people are turning on their neighbors, friends and relatives, and telling them they are dangerous just goes to show how much misinformation is out there.  Lashon Hora is pervasive. Talking about people who do not vaccinate as if they are lepers would be laughable if it weren't so sad. Final thoughts. Go ahead and

The notion that Jews are to blame for all that's going on with measles is one of the oldest anti-Semitic tropes out there. Yes. There is a narrative. Yes. Choosing not to vaccinate is unpopular. But when schools say "You must vaccinate or you're not welcome in school," some people prefer the measles, which can be dealt with, over the possible unknown outcomes of a full swath of vaccines. Which means that some people ended up exposing their kids to get the measles, just so they can have the necessary immune titers to be allowed to go to school. It is true that measles can be devastating. But statistically that has not been the case in 1st world countries for over 50 years (even before the introduction of the measles vaccine). Childhood is the best time to get the measles, and like those born before 1957 know, those who get measles get lifetime immunity from it. There was a big to-do about Rockland County, NY which has seen over 150 cases of measles over the l

If the unvaccinated were black, we'd cry racism. If the unvaccinated were Japanese, we'd cry discrimination. If the unvaccinated were transgender, we'd cry bigotry. Here is a reality. Stores don't put up signs saying "unvaccinated not welcome here." Public buildings don't put up signs saying "unvaccinated not welcome here." Libraries don't put up signs saying "unvaccinated not welcome here." Stadiums don't put up signs saying "unvaccinated not welcome here." Restaurants don't put up signs saying "unvaccinated not welcome here." Churches don't put up signs saying "unvaccinated not welcome here." There is no way to actually know this about people unless laws are made that people need to carry around their vaccination papers. Is this the America we want? Only Jewish institutions discriminate against Jews. Schools: "unvaccinated not welcome here." Shuls: "unvacci

Lashon Hora. If you want proof that the Jewish people haven't learned anything, look at ALL the Lashon Hora surrounding this issue. Forget Notre Dame. The Beit Hamikdash is still burning. To the dear Rabbi/Infectious Disease Specialist. The only infectious disease you are an expert in is Lashon Hora. You should be ashamed at how much Lashon Hora has been spoken at your say so and under your watch. Many more souls and neshamas are dying because of you than anyone dying from the Measles. You have no idea what you have unleashed. The Jewish people will never see a Geulah. Great job!

Some rabbis we have spoken to have shown empathy in private. Some have shown antipathy and disdain. I guess it boils down to their own personal stance about vaccines. As well as how they view or judge other Jews. If you are at the very least interested in hearing what "the other side" is, as well as why no one wants to have a debate with anyone who questions vaccine safety, read the contents of the link below. It's only 4 pages. And the science is definitely not settled. Some doctors claim to those who question vaccine safety, "Vaccines are a victim of their own success." The claim is that vaccines saved humanity (smallpox and polio are the big talking points - maybe we'll talk about it in the future). The thing is it's hard to argue that when every stat chart of vaccine-targeted illnesses shows how the mortality rate of the illness had gone down to a statistical ZERO even BEFORE the vaccine came to market. Which means that vaccines jumped on the t

Dear Rabbi Glatt I know I wrote to you earlier today. This just came across my desk though, so I couldn't help wondering... You have been arguably the most vocal proponent for kicking children out of schools for not vaccinating. Yet here you write something which recommends vaccination for those who come to your shul, but you fall shy of banning children and adults who are not up to date. Be consistent! If you believe unvaccinated people are indeed dangerous, then take a stand! Convince your colleagues to ban all undesirables from the premises of your shul. Then again, since you continue to emphasize below that there "is no cause for concern at this time" then why are you so strong in kicking kids out of yeshiva even in places where "there is no cause for concern"? "THE LETTER" We genuinely look forward to welcoming you to our neighborhood and shul for iy"H what will be a wonderful Pesach. We thank Rabbi Aaron Glatt and Dr. Eddie Rei

Dear Rabbi Glatt Your passion is understood.  But you are not my doctor.  You do not know my child.  You do not know what we have been through. All I see is you calling me names: "anti-vaxxer" All I see is you blaming me for causing a Chillul Hashem , when you seem to not understand that those who hate Jews don't need an excuse. (Is the State of Israel a Chillul Hashem? Its existence seems to anger a lot of anti-Semites. Do we stop Bris Milah because anti-Semites don't like it? Do we stop shechting animals because of anti-Semitic activists? Should we stop eating Matzah on Pesach because there are some crazy anti-Semites who still perpetuate blood-libel claims? Is it a Chillul Hashem when Jews move into a town in New Jersey and try to build an Eruv?) A Chillul Hashem happens when Jews do illegal activity, or hide behind their frumkeit to justify criminal behavior (which most often happens in finances). Here, there is no crime. Here, there are justifiabl