FIRST LOOK: Dr. Rich Roberts releases 24-page brochure “Gedolim Letters on Vaccinations”; Prints 192,000 copies

Dr. Rich Roberts moments ago released a 24-page brochure, containing letters from Gedolim around the world with regards to vaccination.

“I felt compelled to do this project due to the massive Chillul Hashem, and the medical damage to people, that has resulted from the frum anti-vaxxers as well as their irreverent disregard for the directions from our Gedolim and their snubbing of Halachah,” Dr. Roberts told TLS.

“Frum anti-vaxxers can no longer say that they don’t know the directives of our Gedolim because I have consolidated these letters for them in this booklet.

Frum anti-vaxxers can no longer say that they can’t read the publications since I have had it translated into Yiddish and Hebrew.

Frum anti-vaxxers can no longer say that they don’t have access to the words of the Gedolim that are available electronically since I have had 192,000 copies of this booklet printed and delivered directly to their homes and Shuls.”

He added, “The frum anti-vaxxers’ Chillul Hashem, disregard for our Gedolim and Halachah, brazen defiance of public legal authorities, and medical endangerment of people in our society must stop now.”

Vaccination Initiative Brochure - Dr. Roberts, 5-30-19 LR Single Pages
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39 COMMENTS

  1. Kudos to Dr.Roberts! I’m sure it took a lot of time, effort and money putting this together but you’ve done a fantastic job. Thank you for protecting our communities and guiding us with all the accurate knowledge. Hashem should bless you and your family. May you be zoche to get all these anti vaxxers, vaccinated.

  2. Dr Roberts,
    where is the recent psak from R’ Shmuel kaminetsky? is it honest to say you’ve compiled all the letters but left off that psak? hmmmm

  3. Imagine a doctor who has made millions of dollars in pharmaceutics trying to promote the safety of drugs!
    He might be 100% right but he is surely biased.

    • His pharmaceutical company has zero to do with vaccines. Furthermore, Dr Roberts spends millions a yr on charity and community events which surely benefit his company in no way shape or form. He has proven over and over that he is 100% out there for others. An angel of a man! Thanks Dr Roberts for all that you do!!

  4. In every effective drug or prophylactic, there is a percentage of risk. That said, vaccinations have promoted the health and wellbeing of children in untold proportions. You have to have a very warped manner of thinking to focus exclusively on the statistically negligible risk and the few unfortunate instances of those who were adversely affected by vaccinations. It’s like saying you would never dream of driving or being a passenger in a car because car accidents occur. And yes, the incidence of car accidents is proportionately much higher a risk than harm from routine vaccinations. Conversely, the protection afforded by vaccinations, to the individual and society in general outweighs the risks immeasurably!

    • that is exactly where the point of contention is. do the benefits really outweigh the risks? are we sure that they do? has this even been looked at since they have added numerous vaccines to the MANDATED schedule? i don’t think this has been studied recently and frankly they have no reason to actually do that study.
      they are making billions and they are have legal immunity and can’t be sued

    • What about the individuals that suffered adverse side effects? Should they be forced to continue to put their life in danger for the sake of society in general?

    • Meira, your words are very hurtful. A very warped manner of thinking? Or perhaps, could it be, can we open our minds and our hearts to the possiblity that… you don’t have to have a very warped manner of thinking, just that you were one of the unlucky ones that unfortunately fell into that “statistically negligible risk” and were adversely affected by vaccinations?

      Perhaps it is warped to be so blind to the people around you and me that experienced that? Some with more than one of their very precious children?

      And that therefore, they cannot help society in general because the risks outweigh the benefits, immeasurably?

  5. Meira, your words are very hurtful. A very warped manner of thinking? Or perhaps, could it be, can we open our minds and our hearts to the possiblity that… you don’t have to have a very warped manner of thinking, just that you were one of the unlucky ones that unfortunately fell into that “statistically negligible risk” and were adversely affected by vaccinations?

    Perhaps it is warped to be so blind to the people around you and me that experienced that? Some with more than one of their very precious children?

    And that therefore, they cannot help society in general because the risks outweigh the benefits, immeasurably?

  6. Go rich go the amazing carnival and this your knowledge in this subject is on a new level you should continue to use your wealth for great things we could use a frum park in Lakewood with separate area for boys and girls what do you think

  7. Once again both sides are shouting over each other. L’maan Hashalom, can we all agree on one thing? Let’s demand studies that study the health and well-being of children who are fully vaccinated according to the CDC schedule and the health and well-being of children who are totally non-vaccinated. These studies should be done in every State of the USA that has had a measles outbreak – 23 States at least.

    • Perhaps studies can be conducted long term. but as history has shown, infant and child mortality, lo aleinu, reached staggering percentages until the not so recent past. The strides made in healthcare and preventative treatments have given most children the chance to live a full life. Much of that can be credited to vaccinations and access to modern medicine. That is an indisputable fact. Fluoride treatment and dental well care, has reduced child dental decay to levels that have almost put dentists out of business,,,,Should that also be called into question? Seatbelts and air bags have prevented automobile fatalities. Times have changed. People who didn’t have access to vaccinations sometimes became very ill and died. plain and simple. We don’t want to turn the clock back on that.

    • This question was asked in Monsey last night at the vaccine symposium which was for vaccines. The answer was that the ones who don’t vaccinate engage in “healthy behaviors” so they really cannot be compared!!

  8. Measles drains the body of vitamin A and death can result. That’s why so many children in Africa DIE from measles where they are vitamin A deficient to begin with. Don’t take my word for it, this is all from WHO The World Health Organization who wants to inject 200,000 IU of vitamin A in Africans to prevent measles death. In America very rarely do children die from measles. Let’s put it another way. 100 people die every year due to tylenol and very few have died of measles in the last few years. Why the hysteria?

  9. The Anti Vaxers seem to have a good argument. Perhaps we should take a serious look at what they are saying. With the proper studies etc.

    • You say “with the proper studies….”. Well, MANY studies have already been done which prove that there is no link between the MMR vaccine and autism whatsoever. And not one single single responsible medical study has been done, by any reputable medical group, that has shown the opposite to be true. Not one. So what more do you want?

      • you say many many studies have been done which prove there is no link between mmr and autism
        question: have you read ANY of the studies?? try reading one and let me know what you think of it.
        read the danish study and let me know what you think
        another question: have any studies been done to show that DTAP does not cause autism?
        or that HEP B does not cause autism?
        the answer is NO

  10. Isn’t it clear Halacha that in regard to medical questions, we follow Rov Deios of mumchim? (majority of opinions of medical experts) ;
    There is no doubt that the overwhelming majority of Drs. recommend vaccinations; Why are Rabonim trying to make their opinion count in this issue?

  11. It’s not the overwhelming majority of Dr.s that recommend vaccinations. It’s the CDC standard of care – one governing body that the world follows. Any individual doctor that has ever thought into it, and researched it, and did not want to recommend it, lost their job and/or license if they voiced their opinion as such. So halachically, this is not called majority of opinions.

    • @Beth:
      1.- Can you quote which section of the shulchan aruch mentions the exception to the rule of rov deios which you describe?
      2.- it is well know that a very respected pediatrician in lkwd is not provax, yet he didn’t loose any license; Can you give us any names of drs which lost their license because they do not recommend vaccination ; Medical licenses in the US go by State; Can you quote which section of any state code describes the penalty of loosing the med. license based on your scenario?

      The only Dr which i am aware of loosing his license is A. Wakefield in UK, for unethical behavior.

      If you can’t answer any of this two questions, maybe it’s time to really look into weather you have been mislead . The hardest part of doing tshuva is to recognize one was wrong.

      • 1. You can contact me and I will give you a printout of multiple detailed psakim on the topic.
        2. Did you ever speak with Dr. Daniel Naides vice chairman of Cleveland clinic – not just any doctor – he had a leadership position for years there. As soon as he hinted anything not pro-vaccination in a public forum, he was ousted. Lakewood very respected doctor is very careful not to be public. Did you ever speak with him?

        The hardest part of doing tshuva is to recognize that one was wrong.
        It is also hard to face being wronged.

  12. My fellow Yidden – our health, and the health of our kids, have always been guided by well-done, responsible research done by physicians and other scientists who care to find the truth. And “Daas Torah” and the piskei halacha about medical issues, has always been based on information gotten from responsible physicians and scientists.

    Well, here is the truth about the the anti-vaxxer movement – it is entirely based on the supposed “research” done by a British doctor, Andrew Wakefield. Where is Wakefield today? He has had his medical license revoked by the British medical authorities, and he was subsequently removed from the British medical register – for “unethical behavior”. Furthermore, the great and esteemed medical journal that originally published his “research” – The Lancet – has since retracted the article, and has apologized for publishing what was later found to be absolutely fraudulent. Doesn’t all this say anything at all to the anti-vaxxers? Even more – every single nationally and internationally recognized, responsible medical group, those same groups we rely upon to keep our children healthy, has come out STRONGLY in favor of the MMR vaccine. Here are just some of those groups – the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the FDA, the World Health Organization, the Center for Disease Control, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the Autism Science Foundation, The American Nurses Foundation, The American Public Health Association, the American Osteopathic Association, the National Association of County and City Public Health Officials, the Association of State and Territorial Health Officers, the National Medical Association, and the American School Health Association. That list includes every single major recognized medical group in the U.S. as pertains to public health policy issues involving our children, as well as the WHO, the single most recognized international medical group. EVERY SINGLE ONE. Where is the list of such recognized authorities against vaccination?

    It doesn’t exist…..because not one single recognized and responsible national or international medical group has come out against the MMR vaccine. Not one!

    So we have the anti-vaxxers spewing out their nonsensical “information” which is not based on any responsible scientific or medical research whatsoever. None at all! Are we going to risk the health of our precious children based on an article which has since been retracted by the esteemed journal which published it (which is very rarely done), written by a disgraced physician who has since had his medical license revoked? Are you kidding me? Are we going to risk our precious children’s health based on a nonsensical pamphlet being distributed in frum neighborhoods like Borough Park, Williamsburg, and Monsey, one which cites “conspiracy theories” and still quotes Dr. Wakefield’s disgraced research?

    Or are we going to do what we have always done – rely on the responsible medical authorities to guide us in what to do for our kinderlach. Folks, this is a no-brainer, as they say. Oh yeah, one last thing – I’ve heard that some have been purportedly quoting “Gedolim” saying that the MMR vaccine is a “conspiracy” against Jews, especially frum Jews. Again I ask – are you kidding me? The people in every single major medical group, groups that we have all relied upon for medical truth for decades – are suddenly all Nazis, trying to force Jews to vaccinate their kids just to do them harm? Seriously? L’Tsaari Harav, this “conspiracy” does not exist. It has never existed.

    People, please open your eyes! If every single major medical group involved in public health and medical issues has come out strongly in favor of vaccinating your kids – are we going to rely on them (as we have ALWAYS done, and our Poskim have ALWAYS done) – or are we going to rather rely on a pamphlet being distributed in frum neighborhoods, not written by any medical authorities, not quoting any recognized medical authorities – and which talks of “conspiracies” and still quotes the fraudulent research by a disgraced Dr. Andrew Wakefield?

    Like I said earlier – ARE YOU KIDDING ME? This one’s a no-brainer folks……

  13. Beth – it is certainly NOT only the CDC which backs the MMR vaccine. It is also the American Medical Association, The American Osteopathic Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics, as well as every single major medical group in the United States. Oh yeah – and the WHO (World Health Organization) too. As a matter of fact, there is not one single major medical group, held in high regard by physicians, that has come out against the MMR vaccine. The anti-vaxxers may make a lot of noise, but they have no major medical group, nor any reliable and responsible medical research, backing heir views. You say that halachically “this is not called the majority of medical opinions”. Are you kidding me? The exact opposite is true – I don’t think there has EVER been a medical issue that has had greater unanimity of medical opinions than vaccination with the MMR vaccine! And this is especially true since The Lancet, the single most esteemed British medical journal, retracted the original phony article published by the now disgraced Dr. Andrew Wakefield, and apologized for publishing it in the first place. Wakefield has since had his medical license revoked by the British authorities, and has been stricken from the national Register of British physicians!

    What you say is “not the majority of medical opinions” is, in actuality, the overwhelming majority of medical opinions worldwide. Maybe you should check your information a little more thoroughly before publishing comments which can potentially hurt our precious children.

  14. I personally know two pediatricians who looked into the topic very carefully (not just trusted the cdc but looked into it on their own) they came to the conclusion that vaccines are safe.

    • I personally know 2 pediatricians and 1 PA who looked into the topic very carefully and came to the conclusion that vaccines, in general, may have helped public health but not individual health.

      Specifically in the area of auto-immune diseases and neurological issues. And yes, their research only included real medical studies – as mainstream physicians they would not consider a single study that was not performed according to their “rules”.

      I read their research papers, and could not believe how their final conclusion completely discounts results of studies that were not performed 100% accordingly. You can see how “common sense” is not used in the medical world. Meaning, they do not draw conclusions from using “common sense”, only from studies performed according to the medical world’s criteria.

      But, even so, their conclusion clearly shows a statistically significant risk of auto-immune diseases and neurological issues from vaccines.

      And still, the medical world will tell us that “vaccines are safe”.

      As a yid, we are not mechuyav to risk our child’s health for the good of the public. But, anybody who does vaccinate, clearly has enough poskim to back them, so it seems they will not be held accountable halachically if their child gets an auto-immune disease or has neurological issues.

      And anybody who does not vaccinate, clearly has enough poskim to back them, so it seems they will not be held accountable halachically if someone else is hurt somehow as a result. B”H this is not a real issue like R’ Chaim Kanievsky said. We do not have dump trucks going around collecting the dead bodies like in Africa. But yes, there are people who are terrified that this may indeed begin to happen.

      • Talk about comment sense. A top dr. in Chop told something mind-boggling to someone I know. The child had a condition that was extremely rare for her age, and the dr. could not find a cause for it in all his usual testing.

        Parent suspected it was a side effect of a medication the child started taking before the condition manifested.

        Top dr. said this cannot be the cause. We have no data showing that this side effect occurs when the medication is taken over the short-term, we only have studies showing that this condition may occur if the med is taken for 2 years or more, and she was only taking it for 6 months before the condition manifested.

        Child is sitting right there – look at the data in front of you sir! But there were no medical studies performed yet so it cannot be?

  15. I appreciate everything Dr. Roberts does for the community. But honestly, if a family argues against the school and shul requests, searches for a psak to avoid vaccines, and ignores the major health organizations that recommend vaccines, I’m pretty sure that if the booklet had a million letters from Gedolim and the Rambam came back to tell us he knew it was safe, it still isn’t going to change that family’s mind.

    • Or if a family suffered from adverse reactions to a vaccine. Nothing will change that family’s mind. Not even if they have an immuno-compromised child within the same family.

  16. Now let’s see a booklet complied of all the gedolim that are against and don’t vaccinate their children. It’s sweet to just publish evidence to prove your one sided opinion.

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