What the GAPS Books Say About Vaccination Timing

The GAPS books give two connected parts of Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride’s vaccination approach. The expanded Gut and Psychology Syndrome book says that babies in families following GAPS should not be vaccinated until they are 3 to 5 years old and have developed a strong immune system, good physical competence and the ability to communicate verbally. Gut and Physiology Syndrome adds her preparation advice for a vaccination that must happen: be absolutely healthy and well, use single vaccines and space them as widely as possible.^[1][3]

When the same topic appears in two books, it can be hard to keep the passages straight. I’ve put the age statement from the expanded first book beside the preparation advice from the 2020 book, so you can compare what each one says.

These are Campbell-McBride’s recommendations, not the routine childhood immunization schedule. Delaying recommended vaccines leaves children vulnerable to preventable infections. Discuss the book’s advice with your child’s clinician before changing vaccination timing; age 3 to 5 and verbal communication are not general requirements for beginning childhood vaccination.^[4]

The Three Markers Behind Age 3 to 5

The paragraph gives those three descriptions first, then the 3-to-5-year age range. They belong to the same statement in the New Baby chapter. The same paragraph also says that, even then, the child should be completely healthy and doing well at the time of vaccination.^[1]

The exact age range comes from the expanded first GAPS book’s New Baby chapter. The 2020 book does not repeat that number in its vaccination-preparation section. It adds more detail about the condition of the child, nutrition, single vaccines and spacing when vaccination is required.^[3]

What “Absolutely Healthy and Well” Means in the 2020 Book

The 2020 book explains what Campbell-McBride means by “absolutely healthy and well.” Campbell-McBride names no cold, runny nose or inflammation anywhere in the body, no medications, no particular stress or strain and no sleep deprivation. She also says there should be no nutritional deficiencies, especially in animal protein, animal fat and the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.^[3]

For the period before and after vaccination, she directs the reader to eat plenty of high-fat animal foods, including gelatinous meat stock. These are the preparation details she names in that passage. The age range and developmental markers are described separately in the earlier book.^[3]

The same passage says babies should be breastfed during vaccination and directs families who cannot breastfeed to its wet-nursing discussion.^[3]

For an actual appointment, a mild cold or antibiotics for a mild illness usually do not require postponing vaccination. Do not stop prescribed medication to meet the book’s preparation list; ask the prescribing clinician about the particular medicine and vaccine.^[5]

Breastfeeding can help comfort a baby during vaccination, but it is not a requirement for receiving vaccines. CDC also describes comforting alternatives, including feeding expressed breast milk or formula.^[7]

Single Vaccines, Ingredients, and Spacing

The Books’ Preference for Single Vaccines

The Baby GAPS passage says to try to avoid combination vaccines and look for single vaccines. The 2020 book states the point more strongly: Campbell-McBride tells the reader to insist on single vaccines rather than vaccines against several diseases combined in one injection.^[1][3]

The books’ preference should not be read as a finding that licensed combination vaccines are unsafe. CDC describes combination vaccines as carefully tested products that protect against several diseases with fewer injections.^[6]

Ask which products are actually available. CDC notes that, in the United States, not every component of MMR and DTaP can be obtained as a separate vaccine.^[6]

Request the Full Ingredient List

The expanded first book says to ask for the vaccine’s ingredient list and ask for those ingredients to be explained. Keep that question with the exact product being considered rather than relying on a general vaccine name.^[1]

How the Books Describe Spacing

The 2020 book says to space vaccinations as widely as possible so the body has time to recover and the family can observe what changes after the previous vaccination. It specifically asks parents to watch whether a young child’s development, eye contact, eating, growth and overall appearance continue normally.^[3]

The expanded first book gives a more specific interval within a proposed assessment framework. In the route for children initially not vaccinated, Campbell-McBride describes reassessment after a few years. If testing then finds no immune deficiency, she says individual vaccines can be considered, at least six weeks apart. She closes the framework by calling it a set of ideas for guidelines that still need further development.^[2]

Keep the Other Vaccination Questions Separate

The age range does not contain the whole GAPS vaccination chapter. Baby GAPS Beyond Food places vaccination timing beside the book’s skin, bath, bedding and household guidance. The expanded first book discusses a family-health questionnaire, stool and urine analysis, and an infant immune-status test in its separate assessment proposal. She proposes that these questionnaires and tests be reviewed by an appropriate panel before deciding how to proceed.^[2]

The older book also discusses MMR and autism and describes unvaccinated children with autism in Campbell-McBride’s clinic.^[2] CDC’s research summary states that scientific studies and reviews show no relationship between vaccines and autism.^[4]

Questions to Bring to an Appointment

If you are comparing these passages before an appointment, use this list to organize questions for your child’s clinician:

• The child’s age and the three developmental markers.
• Any cold, runny nose, inflammation, medication, stress, strain or sleep loss.
• The nutrition points named in the 2020 book.
• The full ingredient list for the exact product under discussion.
• Whether the product is a single or combination vaccine, and which versions are actually available.
• The date of the previous vaccination and the interval being considered.
• The child’s development, eye contact, eating, growth and general appearance since the previous vaccination.

Keeping your questions together can make the appointment easier to follow. Your child’s clinician can explain the recommended schedule, any actual contraindications, and which details apply to your child.

How I Read These Passages

Here, I have kept the two book passages alongside each other so their differences are easier to see. I want you to know which book contains each statement and to have the wording in front of you when you ask questions. I am sharing a reading of the books, not a vaccination history or outcome from our family.

Your Next Step

Bring your child’s vaccination record and the questions you want answered to their clinician. If you want to discuss a GAPS passage, note its book and section so you can review the actual wording together. Keep the recommended schedule and any individualized medical advice clear before making changes.

References

1. Campbell-McBride, Natasha. Gut and Psychology Syndrome, second German edition (2015), “New Baby,” vaccination timing and preparation. The English summary here is translated from the supplied edition, based on the expanded English edition (2013).
2. Campbell-McBride, Natasha. Gut and Psychology Syndrome, second German edition (2015), chapter on vaccinations: proposed assessment and single-vaccine intervals. The English summary here is translated from the supplied edition, based on the expanded English edition (2013).
3. Campbell-McBride, Natasha. Gut and Physiology Syndrome (2020), “Detoxification for People with Gut and Physiology Syndrome,” “Reduce Your General Toxic Load”: vaccination preparation, single vaccines, spacing and observation.
4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About Vaccines for Your Children.
5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Vaccines When Your Child Is Sick.
6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Combination Vaccines.
7. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Pink Book, Chapter 6: Vaccine Administration, comforting techniques.

The personal beliefs, opinions, philosophies, and/or views shared in this article are solely based upon my own GAPS experience and may not align with nor reflect the views of GAPS or Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, or the content in Dr. Natasha’s GAPS books, podcasts, blog posts, social media posts, or training courses.