Food for thought…
I think it’s time we step back and seriously question why we continue to rely on a method with such a flimsy and often dangerous track record—one that attempts to “protect” us from a microbe presumed to be lurking outside, as though health is something that can be injected or imposed. The historical evidence tells a very different story. The real pathway to health was never about chasing pathogens with endless medical interventions, but about building resilience from within. It was through improved nutrition, sanitation, hygiene, and overall living conditions—not vaccines or antibiotics—that mortality from infectious diseases saw its most dramatic declines. In fact, many diseases, such as scarlet fever, saw mortality plummet without the aid of any vaccine at all. If we’re serious about health, it’s time to shift our focus from fear and pharmaceuticals to strengthening the individual—body, mind, and environment. That’s where true health lives.
I think it’s time we step back and seriously question why we continue to rely on a method with such a flimsy and often dangerous track record—one that attempts to “protect” us from a microbe presumed to be lurking outside, as though health is something that can be injected or imposed. The historical evidence tells a very different story. The real pathway to health was never about chasing pathogens with endless medical interventions, but about building resilience from within. It was through improved nutrition, sanitation, hygiene, and overall living conditions—not vaccines or antibiotics—that mortality from infectious diseases saw its most dramatic declines. In fact, many diseases, such as scarlet fever, saw mortality plummet without the aid of any vaccine at all. If we’re serious about health, it’s time to shift our focus from fear and pharmaceuticals to strengthening the individual—body, mind, and environment. That’s where true health lives.
Keep in mind the scale on the left (the Y-axis) as it is not linear.
By 1940, deaths among children aged 1-4 years had fallen from 2000 to 300. That’s an 85% decrease!
By 1960, deaths among children aged 1-4 years had fallen from 2000 to 100. That’s a 95% decrease!
By 1940, deaths among children aged 1-4 years had fallen from 2000 to 300. That’s an 85% decrease!
By 1960, deaths among children aged 1-4 years had fallen from 2000 to 100. That’s a 95% decrease!
“Childhood mortality rates by age at death: United States, 1900-1998.” Bernard Guyer, MD, MPH, et al., “Annual Summary of Vital Statistics: Trends in the Health of Americans During the 20th Century,” Pediatrics, December 2000, vol. 106, no. 6, p. 1314.
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