Shelley Ochs, originally from Louisville Kentucky, now practices as an acupuncturist in Beijing, and also teaches Traditional Chinese Medicine to American students. She’s a single mom to her 8-year-old daughter, Tuoya.
Has your child been vaccinated? If so, how did it affect her?
I chose to only do what’s called in Beijing “schedule 1”, so she’s minimally vaccinated. She didn’t have any adverse effects, not even a rash, or fever. But we didn’t do MMR [measles, mumps and rubella], because that’s one of the main ones in question. I always paid for imported vaccines, because of questions over safety of storage. I have friends at the Chinese CDC [Center for Disease Control] who say they always use imported vaccines for their children!
What advice did you take or research did you do before making the decision?
I looked at what diseases people really have in China that I thought would be a threat, so we did polio and smallpox.
How do you distinguish good medical or scientific advice from bad?
I look at whether it’s a peer reviewed journal – is it authoritative, is it by someone with credentials? I look at PubMed [a search engine for biological and medical research]a lot. I think you have to have some background knowledge. That’s part of the problem, for the public. You have to look at things critically.
Do you know anybody who has suffered an illness which vaccination could have prevented?
Yes. Friends of mine in England, both of their children had whooping cough, which the vaccination probably would have prevented, though there have been outbreaks in California in vaccinated populations. Whooping cough is pretty horrible in children. It’s hard to get rid of, and they had it for a month, but in the end they were fine, and the parents didn’t regret it.
Do you know anyone who has suffered adverse effects from being vaccinated?
There will always be questions because the ages when children are vaccinated are the ages when it’s difficult to diagnose autism. But I’ve met several moms who saw regression that couldn’t be explained by anything else.
The good news is children do respond to various kinds of therapy, they do see improvements as a result of acupuncture. Fine motor skills and speech improved in some children. Other kids didn’t respond at all.
Do you think the internet is helpful or unhelpful as a source of information for parents?
Both. I do think you have to read a site enough to evaluate whether it’s fair and accurate. You can’t just randomly look at sites. I do look at Dr. Mercola [an American doctor who supports alternative medicine], because what he says is reasonable, and I’ve seen that over time on different issues.
Do you think doctors and drug companies can be trusted?
Some doctors, yes… drug companies have, it’s been shown, have their interests at heart, not ours. Something a lot of people point to is that the regulations for testing vaccines are not as strenuous as for other drugs.
Do you think western medicine or Chinese medicine is better for your children?
I use Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for my child for everything. She’s 8, and she’s only had antibiotics three times. Children respond really well to acupuncture and Chinese herbs, better than adults, so for common ailments it’s effective and safe. But you need to go to someone with experience and not just use home medicines. I will take her to other doctors for a second opinion, because I’m not objective.
We’ve had good experience with powdered herbs, dissolved in water and drunk through a straw… with an orange juice chaser, because they’re bitter! TCM is very popular with parents, because all parents would prefer not to use drugs on their children. If you learn to do preventative care, adjusting their diet, based on their constitution, it can prevent ear infections and common colds.
Wendy Wong is an entrepreneur who lives in Bejing with her husband Bill and their 13 year old daughter Sophia, who attends the International School of Beijing (ISB).
Has your child been vaccinated? If so, how did it affect her?
Yes. Fortunately there were no side effects.
What advice did you take or research did you do before making the decision?
My daughter was born in Hong Kong and we took her to the same hospital for childhood immunization according to the guidelines of the Department of Health of Hong Kong. We took her to a private hospital for immunization so as to make sure she gets the best and the latest version of the vaccines.
How do you distinguish good medical or scientific advice from bad?
For those vaccines listed by the Department of Health, we simply follow the schedule specified by the Department. For optional vaccines, we discuss them fully with the doctors, and also do some research on the Internet so as to understand the benefits and side effects.
Do you know anybody who has suffered an illness which vaccination could have prevented?
Yes, a relative suffers from polio.
Do you know anyone who has suffered adverse effects from being vaccinated?
No one.
What advice would you give to other parents about vaccination?
Follow carefully the recommended or mandatory list from the government, be on schedule for vaccination, make sure the child is in good health on the day of vaccination. For optional vaccines, make sure to discuss with health professionals such as doctors, pharmacists, and do proper and thorough research.
Do you think the the internet is helpful or unhelpful as a source of information for parents?
Yes, very helpful, but try to use professional websites for specific topics.
Do you think doctors and drug companies can be trusted?
I would say in most circumstances, they are reliable; however, as parents, we need to fully understand what these vaccines are for.
Do you think western medicine or Chinese medicine is better for your children?
My daughter has never tried Chinese medicine, therefore I cannot know for sure.
