ARNICA UK Parents' Support
We hope to meet some of you at our local Forest Row Arnica meetup, which takes place on the third Friday morning of each month (except Easter, August and December), 9.30-11.30am. We regularly have local respected health practitioners and community members give our group interesting talks on various aspects of health, nutrition, lifestyle and environmental topics. Babies and children are very welcome.
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If you'd like to come, please get in touch or book here
You can also join our Facebook page.
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A bit more about Arnica:
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Formed in 2007 by parents interested in the role of natural health in disease, the Arnica Network now has over 100 groups nationwide and internationally, reflecting the strong interest in natural immunity and the need for a like-minded friendship and support system.
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At Arnica we believe in the importance of Natural Immunity. Parents and health practitioners meet up regularly, formally and informally and also use the Arnica Facebook page to discuss a wide range of health issues; these include natural alternatives to vaccinations, medications, as well as wider health and immunity concerns. Arnica members share good practice and evidence on how we can support our children naturally when they are sick (wisdom and skills seldom passed down from our parents any more).
Most parents vaccinate their children relying on the advice of their GP, the Department of Health, the JCVI (Joint Committee on Vaccination & Immunisation), the WHO (World Health Organization) and the HPA (The Health Protection Agency)! As a result, it can be difficult to find alternative viewpoints and people to discuss them with. Despite a lot of published information and research, parents and health practitioners may still feel isolated in their decision-making and sometimes are even ridiculed for seeking natural alternatives to medication practices.
When compared to possible vaccine adverse reactions and longer-term health problems viz complications from childhood disease in healthy children, in most cases, it is the non-vaccinated child who is healthier. It is concerning that no official scientific studies have been done to compare the health of these groups. Currently around 40 vaccines are recommended in the current UK vaccination schedule (before a child reaches school age) and there has been a sharp rise in trends of autoimmune diseases and behavioural issues. The current vaccine schedule has never been tested for safety and efficacy. There is even scientific evidence that vaccinated individuals become asymptomatic carriers of diseases like pertussis (whooping cough). It would be sensible, therefore, to examine the role of vaccines and other environmental factors in children's health.
There are nearly 2 million children in the UK unvaccinated against measles, yet the death rate from this disease is nearly zero. It appears that too much emphasis is being placed on vaccination rather than prevention, disease education and management. And, as there are up to 500,000 totally unvaccinated children in the UK, Arnica is a way of finding and connecting with like-minded parents locally.
The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union states clearly: 'Free and informed consent must be respected in the fields of medicine and biology’.
Approximately 40% of EU citizens do not however have this basic right when faced with the medical act of vaccination. This is a breach of our Universal Human Rights. In 2011, the US Supreme Court ruled that vaccines are ‘unavoidably unsafe’, so mandatory vaccination as imposed on these citizens is not medically or ethically acceptable, especially where medical, religious or philosophical exemptions are not allowed.