I am torn on this still, BUT to add to your post themes:With all due respect to dr. Peat but the story about eradicating smallpox with vaccines is so scientifically baseless it's amazing he (or anyone else for that matter) believes in it. Read Dissolving Illusions by dr. Humphries that demolishes this theory which is based purely on anecdotes and epidemiological guessing. In reality, the curve of smallpox deaths has been falling steadily long before the vaccination and vaccination campaigns did not change the trend a bit. Actually it was right after mass vaccination campaigns in England, at the point when almost the whole population was vaccinated (around 1870), that the worst smallpox outbreak took place. And there are numerous other contradictions that should never take place if this theory was correct.
The vaccines really ramped up in the 50's and 60's simultaneously these factors declined or improved and they were:
end of child slave labour, better hygiene/hygiene education and indoor plumbing, better food safety, and a few key vitamins added to the food I believe A and D (iron also but not sure if that is truly helpful ? ) So was it the vaccines or the improvements in general public life and health ??? or maybe both. What bothers me the most is vaccines are heralded as the savour and never any mention of the other factors. Maybe its all down to stress being the # reason for all illness.