Is Health Canada bringing measles back by approving ineffective homeopathic remedies?

I'm still a bit nervous that they don't give polio shots; I have good friends living with the aftermath of that disease.

A number of homeopathic nosodes, promoted by many homeopaths as vaccine “alternatives”, are currently approved by Health Canada for sale under the Natural Health Products Directorate. Their approval implies efficacy similar to vaccines, when the really provide no protection at all, and it contradicts Health Canada’s own clear pro-vaccination policies.

Homeopaths and naturopaths that use homeopathy in their practice offer preparations called “nosodes” that they claim, among other things, are capable of preventing infectious diseases. Using homeopathy for this purpose is known as “homeoprophylaxis”. Some homeopaths even claim that nosodes can serve as effective replacements or alternatives to standard vaccinations. Currently there are over 179 different nosode products that have been approved for sale by Health Canada under the Natural Health Product Regulations. At least 82 of these contain nosodes being used for the prevention of diseases like influenza, pertussis, measles, and polio.

However, the scientific evidence shows that people that choose a homeopathic alternative to standard vaccinations are not protected from infectious diseases. Even worse, because these products do not provide protection, relying on their use would actually increase the risk of contracting and spreading infectious disease.

In addition to ignoring what a weakened immune system looks like, and imagining that nutrition is the source of “strength” of the immune system, advocates of alternative medicine have another naïve belief about the immune system. They appear to think that the immune system can be overwhelmed by too much information. Ignoring the fact that each individual faces hundreds, thousands or more immune challenges each day, alternative medicine afficianados argue that vaccines, particularly those designed to immunize against more than one disease at a time, “overwhelm” the immune system, particularly what they imagine to be the “underdeveloped” immune system of small children.

Ironically, the truth is exactly the opposite. Vaccines are one of the few things, if not the only thing, that can strengthen the immune system by giving it a head start against a microscopic invader. Humoral (antibody) immunity takes time to ramp up if the body has never seen the invader before. It’s as if the body can’t start making weapons until it has already been invaded. Vaccines act like a picture of the enemy. Vaccines allow the body to “see” what the invader looks like before the invasion, and to stockpile weapons for the coming fight. When the assault ultimately occurs (when the person is exposed to the disease), the counterattack can begin without delay, and therefore it is much more likely to be successful.

Through the Natural Health Products Directorate, Health Canada assures that all Canadians have ready access to a wide range of natural health products that are safe, effective and of high quality.

We assess all natural health products before letting them be sold in Canada. We also check that NHPs are properly manufactured (without contamination or incorrect ingredients). And we do post-market monitoring to make sure that NHP Regulations are being followed.

A 2010  Ipsos-Reid survey shows that 73% of Canadians regularly take natural health products (NHPs) like vitamins and minerals, herbal products, and homeopathic medicines.