Parents with concerns about vaccinating their children should educate themselves on the issues involved and bring their concerns to the attention of the Government, says a spokesperson for the Rastafarian community.

David Chapman, who is spearheading efforts to have the Government fully recognise the Rastafarian community, said that immunisation was one of the concerns brought up at a Rasta conference last weekend.

?Most people who have concerns are already educated to the process and are already doing what?s necessary to make sure their children are protected from the diseases or illnesses that the vaccinations are targeting, so really it?s about educating others that might not be informed as to the possible dangers of vaccination.?

Mr. Chapman said education on natural health care was particularly important because some parents were now questioning its merits in the wake of a recent high profile court case.

?A lot of people are questioning due to their own lack of awareness of the great health benefits. And they are ignoring the countless examples that come before these one off cases ? in which children as well as adults have not only prevented disease but treated diseases of all types using natural methods or natural health care professionals.?

School support rules on parental responsibility already give parents the right to refuse to allow their children to be vaccinated on religious or moral grounds.

?From my perspective it is the right of the system to require what they want because it?s their school and it?s really up to people concerned with that, ideally, to have their own school but in Bermuda that?s not necessarily possible for all segments of the population to have their own schools as of yet because if we had our own school that would not be a requirement,? Mr. Chapman said,

?However, parents have to educate themselves as to the ins and outs of vaccination so they can, if need be, make representation to have concessions for their children.?

Mr. Chapman added: ?It?s real hypocrisy, on behalf of the Government, to promote something like vaccination in terms of sustaining life, while at the same time promote things like cigarettes, alcohol and not educating the children about more harmful foods that are available in the schools already.?

And he pointed out that the major causes of disease in Bermuda are cancer and heart disease, ?not polio, not chicken pox, not malaria?.

Asked why vaccinations were considered dangerous by some, Mr. Chapman said that the topic was controversial with ?even arguments on both sides?.

?There have been cases of children who have been vaccinated having brain disease or coming down with the disease,? he said.

?That?s not the issue for Rastas, the issue is even if the vaccine is effective, the vaccine is made from remnants of a disease which is injected into you as well as other miscellaneous chemicals and industrial by products and also the main factor is that we feel that God has provided us with a natural way of protecting ourselves, which is called our immune system.?

Mr. Chapman added that the promotion of vaccination as an essential health requirement was ?really more of a propaganda, capitalistic driven, campaign by the pharmaceuticals to get you to consume the vaccine. It?s really a capitalistic push, rather than humanitarian pushed?.

Many people were put off travelling to Africa because they are told to get a cocktail of vaccines, he said.

?They make it seem like, if you don?t, the minute you step off the plane you will die,? he said.

But he added that the Rasta community should not be seen as attacking the Government on the issue but was seeking ?mutual cooperation?.