Alan Yurko

This past week I received an email from a prisoner at a Florida correctional institution. Accused of "Shaken Baby Syndrome", that is shaking his own infant son, "Baby Alan?", to death, Alan Yurko is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole. But Yurko insists that the true cause of death was a vaccination reaction, the result of 6 vaccines given simultaneously two months after his birth. Since the baby was born prematurely, the age since conception - or ?gestational age? - at the time he was immunized with a cocktail that included DPT, Hib, OPV, and hepatitis was 43 weeks. As two medical doctors who have reviewed the case in some detail reported, "Within 24 hours of the immunizations the baby developed intermittent diarrhea, irritability, and feverishness, a pattern which progressed into the terminal illness."

As related by the mother, about 10 or 11 days following the vaccines the baby developed a high-pitched cry, and its skin became warmer to the touch. Having been forewarned during the previous office visit that these things might ensue following the vaccines, she did not become overly alarmed. However, she also noticed an increasing lethargy and a falling off of the baby's feeding patterns, which had been a combination of breast and formula.

This pattern continued for 3 days until the morning of November 24, when the father was alone at home with the baby and his 4-year old sister. In rapid succession the father observed that the baby began wheezing, then spit up, then stopped breathing. In efforts to restart breathing the father first lightly slapped the baby's face, then began spanking the baby's bottom while holding him by the heels, all without success.?

Alan rushed his son to the hospital where he was initially resuscitated - but his condition was very critical. 75 hours after being admitted to the emergency room, Baby Alan was dead.

When first reading about this tragic story, I was filled with many somewhat contradictory feelings: horror at what had happened to this child and his family, sympathy for the victims, anger at the medical and pharmaceutical establishment for the widespread, compulsory vaccination policies that expose infants and children - those with most fragile and vulnerable immune systems - to profound toxic insults, and also skepticism about the validity of the father?s claim... How could I be sure that, in fact, I wasn?t being taken in by a clever con?

But subsequently, several things have all but convinced me that Alan Yurko?s claim is indeed true. First, a careful reading of the information on a website that has been established to assist Alan in his legal struggles is rather convincing. There are detailed medical reports about the baby?s reaction and death along with relevant information on vaccination side-effects. Hundreds of healthcare professionals along with many layperson have come together to form a support network for Alan and his family. They are providing medical expertise for the defense, financial support for the legal battles as well as the family, publicizing his case and facilitating communications between Alan and the outside world.

Secondly, and more subjectively, several colleagues have followed the case for some time and their initial skepticism has all but disappeared. One has even been in contact with his wife and become a strong supporter.

However poignant the tragedy that has befallen the Yurko family, hopefully it will ultimately serve a purpose by raising the awareness of the general public about the dangers of immunizations.

Below is a partial text of the email that I received:

Vaccines are licensed for use in healthy individuals only. My son Alan was vaccinated despite several contra-indications. He was a premature baby weighing only 5lb 9oz at birth. My wife's pregnancy was complicated with maternal gestational diabetes, and group B streptococcal infection (which in itself poses a high risk of infant death). My son suffered in his short life from pneumonia, respiratory distress syndrome, and hyperbilirubinemia. Despite all of this he was given a cocktail of vaccines at eight weeks of age.

The day after he was vaccinated, my baby developed a fever and started to fuss. Ten days later he elicited a high pitched scream. We were told to expect this and not to worry. A couple of days later he stopped breathing. I rushed my baby to the hospital where he died after several severe iatrogenics took place (iatrogenic diseases are those caused by physicians). Because we could not explain his injuries, and because I was the last adult alone with him, I was charged with aggravated child abuse and first degree murder. We could not afford counsel; our lawyers were public defenders.

If that wasn't enough, our four-year-old daughter was taken by the authorities to 'protect her' from I - the accused who was in a maximum security facility without bond. She was used by the police and authorities to threaten and blackmail my wife to help them fabricate evidence and testify against me. My wife adamantly refused to do this. She was charged as an accessory to murder and our daughter was placed in extended custody. Here, she was sexually battered and molested when her 'protectors' left her unsupervised with two boys who had a history of deviant behavior. My wife's charges were dismissed after great effort and cost and our daughter was returned. They both fight every day to bring our family together and have been fighting since 1997.

More recently, we discovered that one of the vaccines given to my son - DTAP - was from a batch of vaccines that stands as the number one ranking in deaths, the number one ranking in non-recoveries, and the fourth ranking in total events reported. DTAP 7H81507, which was given to my baby was a Hot Lot.

Since my conviction, I have rallied the support of an armada of scientists, doctors, and organizations which support my innocence. Doctors and scientists from 15 countries, including the US, have stood up to support us... We have numerous reports from experts whom after record review, have declared my innocence. Many are up in arms at the iatrogenic implications shown in the records...

In addition, groups and organizations involved in health freedom and awareness are taking a stand to help us show this injustice and maybe prevent it from happening to others. There are many other families, like mine, who are being destroyed.?

In earnest, Alan R Yurko Family and Supporters

For the full text of his letter , medical reports related to the baby's death and other relevant information go to www.freeyurko.bizland.com.

UPDATE - 2007, 7 years later:

Alan Yurko and thousands of supporters worldwide are rejoicing. After winning a landmark legal battle in Orlando, Florida last August, Alan was freed after seven years in prison. Yurko was convicted of murdering his newborn son by the so-called Shaken Baby Syndrome. However, hundreds of doctors, scientists, and health-freedom activists were able to overturn Yurko’s conviction as new evidence uncovered proved his baby was killed by bad vaccines (hot-lots), hospital overdoses of heparin, other drugs, and bad medicine. Equally disturbing was the fact that the coroner, Dr. Shashi Gore, cross-contaminated the autopsy with other cadavers, body parts, and data. Orlando Judge Alan Lawson threw out the murder conviction and gave a strong televised oral opinion noting five separate issues, which included prosecutorial misconduct, ineffective assistance of counsel, new evidence, and of course the disturbing medical issues. “I don’t know how you can maintain public trust in a system of justice if you let stand a conviction obtained through the reliance of an autopsy that’s so later thoroughly discredited,” said Lawson to the court and the public. A special plea-bargain was arranged, and Yurko was released hours later into a sea of TV cameras and dozens of supporters who flew to Orlando to witness the event, some from as far away as Australia and Great Britain.

http://www.thenhf.com/the-final-yurko-update-great-news/

Immunizations - A Matter Of Course Or Choice? Part I & II

PART I

It has almost become a rite of passage. Whether soon after birth, on beginning school, entering college, travelling to a foreign country, or after joining the ranks of senior citizens - immunizations have become a nearly automatic procedure repeated throughout the lives of most people in the modern world. They were devised as a method to protect us from many common epidemic diseases which spread through the population, leaving its victims weakened, crippled or dead. Today, perceived as an act of commonsense, good citizenship and intelligent parenting, they are close to a mandatory exercise, demanded by medical authorities, schools and government.

But there is another side to the issue. Doubts have been raised about the long and short term effects of immunizations. Some types are being associated with the possibility of negative reactions that vary from mild fevers to chronic seizure activity to death. There have been suggestions that perhaps some may have outlived their usefulness.

In the face of conventional medical beliefs and education, any discussion that might challenge conventional ideas concerning immunization no doubt will be controversial. It is precisely because this procedure has gained a widespread, non-discriminating acceptance that I dare to risk raising the ire of some. If one looks at the issue with open eyes, there indeed is much cause for concern.

Inevitably, the question arises as to just what is the effect of injecting a killed or weakened microorganism directly into the bloodstream. Modern medical science states that it stimulates the immune system to create a type of memory in the form of antibodies that will protect the organism when it is invaded by the infecting agent. Although serious side affects are recognized in some cases, it is claimed that the risks involved in contracting the disease are much greater than the risks of getting immunized itself.

Undoubtedly, many lives have been saved through vaccinations. I remember a conversation I had with a physician from China who practiced both western and chinese herbal medicine. I was curious about his attitude towards immunizations in light of his background in orthodox and natural healing. He responded by saying that when the measles came to his town, thousands of children died from it. He was adamant that given the hygenic conditions in China, immunizations were indeed necessary. Under those circumstances there was no leeway for him to contemplate unknown or theoretical long term effects that the shots might have.

While immunization programs have generally been credited with controlling or eradicating many such diseases, some researchers claim that other factors are more important in understanding why epidemics diminish in frequency and virulence. For one, when hygenic and nutritional standards are low in an impoverished nation, epidemics run rampant (as in Peru today). As the standard of living rises in a society, nutrition and hygiene also improve. Consequently, the resistance of individuals in the general population toward a bacteria or virus is greatly enhanced while the spread of the disease carrying agents is checked.

Another possibility is that diseases seem to have a "lifetime". Historically, contagions are particularly active over a certain period of time and then tend to disappear. At a later time, it is possible that another cycle of the same contagion will reappear. Or else, a different contagion will arise.

Long before the implementation of immunizations, whooping cough,TB, cholera, typhoid had diminished dramatically in the United States. For instance, statistics show that in the ninety years from 1850 to 1940, before compulsory immunizations were instituted, deaths of children under the age of 15 from scarlet fever, whooping cough, diptheria and measles had already declined by about 90% (1) On the other hand, "in Germany, where compulsory mass immunization was introduced in 1940, the number of cases (of diptheria) increased from 40,000 to 250,000 by 1945, virtually all among immunized children."(2)

The basic question is whether it benefits us as individuals or as a society to have immunization shots. Although it has been assumed that the positive aspects outweigh the negative ones, the answer is not as black and white as some would like to believe.

(1) James, Walene. "Immunization: The Reality Behind the Myth". (Bergin & Garvey, New York, 1988) pg.25 (2) Ibid. pg. 31

PART II

Everyone would like to to protect their children and themselves from the possibility of contracting a crippling or fatal disease. Immunization shots are commonly held out as our best bet to do so. But, contrary to the commonly held orthodox views of this procedure, there is evidence that such shots may not always be in the best interest of the recipient.

A thinking person will ask two basic questions: (1) Are vaccinations effective?, and (2) Are they safe ? Last week we touched on the possibility that the credit for eliminating many diseases which has been claimed for immunization programs might as well be given to improved living conditions and the natural "life-time" of diseases. That is, there is documented evidence that the virulence of epidemic diseases was reduced by improvement in nutrition and hygiene before the implementation of widespread immunizations in many cases. Moreover, these diseases seem to have a peak period of contagion which gradually reduces overtime without any medical, hygenic or nutritive intervention.

Another piece of research quoted in the book The Immunization Decision by Randall Neustaedter, OMD (North Atlantic Books, Berekely, 1990) suggests immunization might not be as effective for many current diseases as we might expect. For instance, it is possible that the result of vaccinating young children is to protect them from contracting a disease for a period after they are vaccinated but making them more susceptible when they are older. Statistics show that while twenty-five years ago, 23 % of the population over the age of fifteen contracted rubella (German measles), five years ago it was 40%. Richard Moskowitz, MD, in the article Immunizations: A Dissenting View published in various journals, sights a study of an outbreak of whooping cough in Britain where over 50% of the supposedly immunized children contracted the disease. Another study show that 75% of children immunized for measles nevertheless contracted it during an outbreak in New Mexico.

But even if we assume that vaccinations protect a majority of people from a certain disease, the more disturbing question concerns the safety of vaccinations. Is it possible that we are subjecting ourselves and our children to a dangerous procedure? Conventional wisdom maintains that the side-effects experienced by a minority does not outweigh the vast benefits to the great majority of immunized persons.

There are dissenting points of view. Janet Levitan, MD, a Boston area pediatrician, writes in a recently published article (Resonance, Sept-Oct. 1992)," As a pediatrician I have seen a number of children suffering from both the acute and chronic sequelae (i.e. results) of vaccinations....I do not believe that the immature immune systems of the two-month-old infant is capable of responding effectively to vaccines...In addition to the fact that the vaccines many not 'take' well in young infants, I also have concerns about the possible deleterious effects of exposing such tender, young, delicate organisms, our newborns, to such an onslaught of bacterial and viral particles, as well as the potentially toxic chemicals with which they are processed (including mercury and formaldehyde."

What are the possible acute side-effects? These would be fevers, allergic reactions and convulsions. Mostly, these subside without further complications. But sometimes they don't. Joanie Blaxter, a Brattleboro resident, writes of two sisters Laureli and Melissa who "were hospitalized as babies after their second DPT shot, for high fever and meningitis-like symptoms. When Melissa 's son Jamie was eight or nine weeks old he received his first pertussis immunization. His colicy symptoms worsened and within 48-72 hours he was found dead in his crib. The death certificate read "SIDS"." The side-effects of the pertussis vaccination is the most well documented and recognized.

Dr. Moskowitz writes of a three-year-old boy who began to suffer from appetite loss, swollen glands, stomachaches, indigestion and dairrhea two weeks after the MMR (mumps, measles, rubella) vaccination. The child also exhibited "wild" behavior and irregular sleep patterns along with the syndrome. The boy was seen one month after the shot, and Dr. Moskowitz antidoted the vaccination with a homeopathic remedy. His symptoms disappeared in 48 hours.

In my own practice, I have seen, among other cases, a healthy eighteen year old develop acute mononucleosis one week after vaccinations. In another case, extreme exhaustion with anxiety developed immediately after vaccination in a young man. It lasted for nearly half a year until being antidoted by homeopathic treatment. Both persons were forced to take the shots as a prerequisite to enter college.

Next week, chronic effects of immunizations.