“I’LL TRUST MY DOCTOR,” you say?

So will I when that doctor investigates why babies are dying instead of blindly following the government-approved routine.

Dr Archie Kalokerinos worked in remote Aboriginal communities around Collarenebri and north-western NSW, where infant mortality was horrific.

In some communities, approximately one in every two Aboriginal babies was reportedly dying.

The official causes included pneumonia, gastroenteritis, malnutrition and sudden infant death. But Kalokerinos noticed a pattern.

Many babies were suffering repeated infections, diarrhoea, poor nutrition and serious vitamin deficiencies. In one group examined at Walgett, he reported that 70% had serious vitamin C deficiencies.

Then vaccination teams would arrive, line the babies up and vaccinate them.

Often without properly examining them, taking medical histories or checking whether they were sick, underweight or nutritionally depleted.

Kalokerinos concluded that these children had almost no reserves left.

He believed the additional biological stress of vaccination could push some into acute vitamin C depletion, shock and collapse, while later deaths were blamed on pneumonia, gastroenteritis or malnutrition.

So he changed his approach.

He concentrated on early detection, nutrition, correcting deficiencies, injectable vitamin C and carefully treating infections.

He insisted that sick, underweight or repeatedly infected babies should not be routinely vaccinated.

He reported that after changing his treatment, Collarenebri went two years without a single infant death.

His Sydney Morning Herald obituary later credited his preventative approach with reducing infant mortality in one Aboriginal community to zero.

He published his findings on Aboriginal infant mortality in the Medical Journal of Australia and continued speaking despite enormous professional opposition.

In 1978, he received the Australian Medal of Merit for outstanding scientific work.

That is a doctor I will trust.

Not one who blindly follows orders but one who investigates, changes course and places children’s lives above protecting the system.