Beyond the Vaccine Debate: Practical Solutions for Real Concerns
It’s late September 2025 at the time of writing. And the time of writing is an interesting time for a lot of reasons.
One of those many reasons is that the face of healthcare in the United States is changing - and in my view, it is not changing for the better. Health insurance premiums keep rising, while coverage gets slimmer and slimmer. Recent changes to federal funding mean that people are losing Medicaid coverage, and Medicare may be next. Americans are more stressed out and sick than ever. There aren’t enough healthcare providers to meet the needs of our populace.
And all at the same time, the rates of infectious diseases (like the measles) that were once considered eradicated have started to creep up as outbreaks begin anew.
There are a lot of complex social and political dynamics and play here, and we won’t address all of them with this post.
Instead, we’re going to narrow-in on just one aspect of this very complicated picture: vaccines and immunization practices.
We Need to Be Able to Hold Two Thoughts
I’ll cut to the chase, here:
As a colleague of mine recently put it, vaccination is one of the two most successful and impactful medical and public health advancements ever. (The other one is sewage control and water sanitation.)
And simultaneously, vaccine reactions do happen. Severe ones are very rare, but they also do happen. Those need to be acknowledged, addressed, and well cared for.
We have to be able to hold two thoughts in our heads at the same time. We need to be able to reconcile those two aspects of our medical reality.
And actually, let’s add a third thought to that:
Big Pharma is untrustworthy and takes unsafe shortcuts with many of their products, and they still produce life-saving vaccines. Their methods need to be cleaner, better, and more above-board, but their immunizations work.
We Can Make a Bad Situation Much Better
If we can reconcile these aspects of our personal and community health experiences, and if we can put the tools of Ayurvedic medicine to proper use we can achieve the remarkable: it is possible for us to reap the benefits of immunization - which humans have been practicing for at least hundreds of years, if not more than 1,000 years - and prevent the vast majority of vaccine reactions, however unlikely they may be. And we can effectively treat what reactions do occur, right there when they occur.
Measles, polio, rubella, whooping cough, diphtheria, and more; these infectious diseases can cause hospitalizations, permanent disabilities, and sometimes kill. As immunization rates across the US drop, we’re starting to see outbreaks take place. We don’t have to fall victim to these.
We can have balance. It is possible.
It is possible to live in a world with nearly zero measles, polio, whooping cough, diphtheria, and more. And it is possible for us to have enough health and well-being to withstand the intentional stressor of vaccines, and then to move forward with even more health and well-being.
Your Guide to Vaccination and Self-Care
That vision is why we put together our latest course - Ayurvedic Self-Care: Vaccines and Vaccine Reactions. Packed with modern science and Ayurvedic medicine-backed content, this offering will equip you to immunize safely and effectively. You’ll come away equipped with the tools you need to prevent and self-treat vaccine reactions, and to be able to offer informed consent.
Check it out below. You’ll be glad you did.
Interested in knowing more? Our on-demand course covers this topic in more detail, and is now available! See below:
Ayurvedic Self-Care: Vaccines & Vaccine Reactions
with Dr. Matt Van Auken, MD, MPH, ABOIM, DipABLM, E-RYT, YACEP
And as always, Dr. Matt is available to discuss the ins-and-outs for you! If you are curious about your constitution & health (or health of a loved one), you can book a cost-free, 15min Consultation, and we’ll discuss!
Professional disclaimer: please do not initiate any herbal or other medicinal interventions without the guidance of a knowledgeable provider.
Dr. Matt Van Auken, MD, MPH
Dr. Matt is an Ayurveda-trained, triple board-certified physician.
