The Problem of Evangel Immunization

http://your.sydneyanglicans.net/mission/missionthinking/the_problem_of_evangel_immunisation/

[your.sydneyanglicans.net] 6 Nov 2007--Last month I was exposed to a number of life-threatening diseases. My body came into direct contact with Typhoid, Hepatitis A and B, and Tetanus. Yet, this exposure was carefully initiated for my health, not my harm.

This dangerous encounter occurred during immunisation in preparation for a short fact-finding mission to rural Fiji in preparation for next year’s Year 13 Gospel Gap Year trip. To prevent my body from falling ill to a number of tropical diseases, my doctor gave me a tiny dose of the bacteria so that should I be normally exposed, my immune system would be ready to recognise the disease and prepared to fight it. The tiny dose was too small to harm, but large enough to educate.

Immunisation is great when the disease is life-threatening. But immunisation can be an issue when the foreign object is life-saving.