Were Vaccines the Real Hero? A Hard Look at History with Roman Bystrianyk (Ep. 89)

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Vaccines are often hailed as one of the greatest medical achievements of the 20th century, but what if that story is missing some key chapters?

I’m Dr. Jason Hall, and in this episode of The Trillium Show, I sit down with Roman Bystrianyk, co-author of Dissolving Illusions, for a conversation that made me question everything I was taught in medical school about disease, immunity, and the history of vaccines.

Roman’s research takes us beyond the standard “one germ, one drug” model and into terrain theory, which suggests that a healthy internal environment, not just microbial exposure, determines whether we get sick. We dig into historical data showing massive declines in infectious diseases like measles, scarlet fever, and whooping cough long before vaccines were introduced, thanks to improvements in sanitation, nutrition, and public health.

We also talk about:

• Why terrain theory might matter more today than ever
• How modern medicine’s financial incentives shape what we’re taught
• Why critical thinking is your most powerful tool in any doctor’s office
• The potential downsides of overrelying on vaccines as a cure-all
• And how you can take real ownership of your health and immune system

This isn’t a call to ignore science, it’s an invitation to ask better questions and take a deeper look at what health really means.

- Grab Dissolving Illusions or visit dissolvingillusions.com
- Check out Roman’s Substack for more independent research
- DM me @drjasonhall or leave a comment if this episode challenged your thinking

If you’ve ever wondered whether we’ve been oversimplifying complex health issues, this one’s for you.