I (Joanna Karpasea-Jones) recently recieved a letter from my GP surgery asking me to go in for a flu jab. Here's what the letter said:
The doctors recommend that all patients in the following groups be 'immunised' against this serious illness -
Long term chest problems, including asthma
Long term heart problems
Kidney disease
Diabetes
Lowered immune system
Patients over the age of 65
As a patient in one of these categories you are more vulnerable (written in bold). Should you develop flu you are at risk of contracting really serious illnesses, including pneumonia, which in many cases requires hospitalisation. The best line of defence is vaccination (written in bold).
As you will know from recent press, hospital based bugs, ie MRSA are becoming more prevalent and infections are becoming resistant to antibiotics, making them harder to treat.
The injection is given free of charge and will cover you for a whole year. The vaccine does not cause flu (written in bold).
Drs L, T and G.
Firstly, I don't have chest or heart problems, kidney disease or lowered immune system. I am not asthmatic, I don't have diabetes and I'm only 31. So I'm not even in their catchment group of people they want to vaccinate. It made me wonder how many other times a surgery makes a mistake like this?
According to Dr. Trishna Macnair, from BBC's 'Ask the Doctor', flu has the following symptoms:
Fever
Chills
Muscle Aches and Pains
Severe headache
Weakness and tiredness
Loss of appetite
Sore throat
Chest pain
Cough.
Okay, so everyone knows it's not nice to have flu and you feel lousy, but it's not a 'serious' disease in the majority of cases.
Symptoms last about a week.
The illness usually lasts about seven to ten days, with the fever and aches improving after two to three days and the cough and sore throat lasting longer.
Dr. Macnair goes onto say that some people get depression lasting for weeks. Out of the dozens of flu documents and books on flu I have read, this is the first time I've seen 'depression' listed as a flu symptom. If this is the case, I would guess that it is not related to flu and you should seek a counsellor or good friend or just slow down and give yourself some TLC if you're feeling depression or 'down' feelings.
Rest is best
Until just recently, there were no specific medicines for flu. Most people got better on their own with simple relief for their symptoms. For example:
Rest. The most important thing in flu is to give your body a chance to heal itself by resting. Lie down and sleep if possible.
Keep well-hydrated with plenty of warm fluids.
Remedies for sore throat, headache and blocked nose.
She also recommends paracetamol but there are medical studies which have shown that anti-pyretics during an illness can worsen it and cause complications (VAN is planning a web page on this subject).
Remember, the vaccines are based on the types of flu that were causing problems among the human population the previous year. The flu virus constantly changes and the vaccine may be ineffective against new types of flu that have just appeared.
Indications and Usage:
This indication is based on immune response elicited by FLULAVAL, and there have been no controlled trials demonstrating a decrease in influenza disease after vaccination with FLULAVAL.
LULAVAL is a trivalent, split-virion influenza virus vaccine prepared from virus propagated in the allantoic cavity of embryonated hens’ eggs. Each of the influenza virus strains is produced and purified separately. The virus is inactivated with ultraviolet light treatment
9
followed by formaldehyde treatment, purified by centrifugation, and disrupted with sodium deoxycholate.
FLULAVAL is a homogenized, sterile, colorless to slightly opalescent suspension in a phosphate-buffered saline solution. FLULAVAL has been standardized according to USPHS requirements for the 2006–2007 influenza season and is formulated to contain 45 micrograms (mcg) hemagglutinin per 0.5-mL dose in the recommended ratio of 15 mcg HA of each of the following 3 strains: A/New Caledonia/20/99 (H1N1), A/Wisconsin/67/2005 (H3N2), and B/Malaysia/2506/2004. Thimerosal, a mercury derivative, is added as a preservative. Each dose contains 25 mcg mercury. Each dose may also contain residual amounts of egg proteins (≤1 mcg ovalbumin), formaldehyde (≤25 mcg), and sodium deoxycholate (≤50 mcg).
FLULAVAL has not been evaluated for carcinogenic or mutagenic potential, or for impairment of fertility.
(They don't know whether it causes cancer, can mutate into other illnesses or if it causes infertility).
No controlled trials demonstrating a decrease in influenza disease after vaccination with FLULAVAL have been performed.
Animal reproduction studies have not been conducted with FLULAVAL. It is also not known whether FLULAVAL can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman or can affect reproduction capacity.
It is not known whether FLULAVAL is excreted in human milk.
Pain, redness, headache, swelling, fatigue, myalgia, fever, malaise, sore throat, reddened eyes, cough, chills, chest tightness, facial swelling, Pharyngolaryngeal pain, upper respiratory infection, Arthralgia, Nasopharyngitis, back pain, Injection site erythema, diarrhoea, nausea, nasal congestion.
Mmmm, a lot of those symptoms sound like flu, don't they?
The data sheet further goes on to say:
Blood and lymphatic system disorders: Lymphadenopathy.
Eye disorders: Conjunctivitis, eye pain, photophobia.
Gastrointestinal disorders: Dysphagia, vomiting.
General disorders and administration site conditions: Chest pain, injection site inflammation, rigors, asthenia, injection site rash, influenza-like symptoms, abnormal gait, injection site bruising, injection site sterile abscess.
Immune system disorders: Allergic edema of the face, allergic edema of the mouth, anaphylaxis, allergic edema of the throat.
Infections and infestations: Pharyngitis, rhinitis, laryngitis, cellulitis.
Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders: Muscle weakness, back pain, arthritis.
Nervous system disorders: Dizziness, paresthesia, hypoesthesia, hypokinesia, tremor, somnolence, syncope, Guillain-Barré syndrome, convulsions/seizures, facial or cranial nerve paralysis, encephalopathy, limb paralysis.
Psychiatric disorders: Insomnia.
Respiratory, thoracic, and mediastinal disorders: Dyspnea, dysphonia, bronchospasm, throat tightness.
Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders: Urticaria, localized or generalized rash, pruritus, periorbital edema, sweating.
Vascular disorders: Flushing, pallor.
Anaphylaxis has been reported after administration of FLULAVAL. Although FLULAVAL contains only a limited quantity of egg protein, this protein can induce immediate hypersensitivity reactions among persons who have severe egg allergy. Allergic reactions include hives, angioedema, allergic asthma, and systemic anaphylaxis (see CONTRAINDICATIONS [4]).
The 1976 swine influenza vaccine was associated with an increased frequency of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS).
Guillain-Barré syndrome after influenza vaccination in adults: a population-based study.
Whether influenza vaccination is associated with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) remains uncertain. METHODS: We conducted 2 studies using population-based health care data from the province of Ontario, Canada. In the first study, we used the self-matched case-series method to explore the temporal association between probable influenza vaccination (adults vaccinated during October and November) and subsequent hospitalization because of GBS. In the second study, we used time-series analysis to determine whether the institution of a universal influenza immunization program in October 2000 was associated with a subsequent increase in hospital admissions because of GBS at the population level. RESULTS: From April 1, 1992, to March 31, 2004, we identified 1601 incident hospital admissions because of GBS in Ontario. In 269 patients, GBS was diagnosed within 43 weeks of vaccination against influenza. The estimated relative incidence of GBS during the primary risk interval (weeks 2 through 7) compared with the control interval (weeks 20 through 43) was 1.45 (95% confidence interval, 1.05-1.99; P = .02). This association persisted in several sensitivity analyses using risk and control intervals of different durations. However, a separate time-series analysis demonstrated no evidence of seasonality and revealed no statistically significant increase in hospital admissions because of GBS after the introduction of the universal influenza immunization program. CONCLUSION: Influenza vaccination is associated with a small but significantly increased risk for hospitalization because of GBS.
GBS occurs after flu vaccination in 1 in 100,000 cases.
Arch Intern Med. 2006 Nov 13;166(20):2217-21.
Hypersensitivity
FLULAVAL should not be administered to anyone with known systemic hypersensitivity reactions to egg proteins (eggs or egg products), to chicken proteins, or to any component of FLULAVAL, or who has had a life threatening reaction to previous influenza vaccination.
4.2 Acute Neurologic Disorder
Immunization should be delayed in a patient with an acute evolving neurologic disorder but should be considered when the disease process has been stabilized.
5 WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS
5.1 Guillain-Barré Syndrome
If Guillain-Barré syndrome has occurred within 6 weeks of receipt of prior influenza vaccine, the decision to give FLULAVAL should be based on careful consideration of the potential benefits and risks.
5.2 Persons at Risk of Bleeding
FLULAVAL should not be given to individuals with bleeding disorders such as hemophilia or thrombocytopenia, or to persons on anticoagulant therapy unless the potential benefit clearly outweighs the risk of administration. If the decision is made to administer FLULAVAL to such persons, steps should be considered to control the risk of hematoma following the injection.
Altered Immunocompetence
If FLULAVAL is administered to immunocompromised persons, including individuals receiving immunosuppressive therapy, the expected immune response may not be obtained.
5.4 Preventing and Managing Allergic Vaccine Reactions
Prior to administration, the healthcare provider should review the patient’s immunization history for possible vaccine sensitivity, previous vaccination-related adverse reactions and occurrence of any adverse event-related symptoms and/or signs, in order to determine the
existence of any contraindication to immunization with FLULAVAL and to allow an assessment of benefits and risks. Epinephrine injection (1:1,000) and other appropriate agents used for the control of immediate allergic reactions must be immediately available should an acute anaphylactic reaction occur.
1. Flu feels horrible but is rarely serious and usually clears up in a week to 10 days.
2. Rest and recuperation is the best tonic for flu.
3. There has been no double-blinded scientific study proving that flu vaccine reduces flu.
4. Flu vaccine can cause symptoms identical to flu and also additional symptoms more severe than flu.
5. There is a recognised increased risk of Guillain-Barre Syndrome after flu vaccination (a paralysing disease).
6. Flu vaccine injection contains thimerosal which is 50% pure mercury. This has been proven dangerous and removed as an added ingredient from childhood vaccines (although it is still used as an expicient and may be present in trace amounts in childhood vaccines).
7. Flu vaccine injection contains formaldehyde which is a class 1 carcinogen proven to cause throat and nasal cancers.
8. Flu vaccine injection is recommended for people with weakened immune systems, yet the vaccine may not work in people who are immuno-compromised.
9. Flu vaccine injection is recommended for people who are asthmatic, yet it is known to cause allergic asthma as listed in the side-effects.
Source: GlaxoSmithKline Fluaval vaccine data sheet, 2006.
The data sheet lists 3 types of live flu virus, monosodium glutamate, porcine gelatine (pig bones), sucrose, dibasic potassium phosphate, monosodium phosphate, gentamicin.
In children aged 6-23 months, wheezing requiring bronchodilator therapy or with significant respiratory symptoms occured in 5.9% of flu mist recipients, compared with 3.8% of the control.
(It wasn't a real control as according to the data sheet the control had been given an injectable flu vaccine by Sanofi Pasteur, rather than a harmless sugar pill or nothing at all).
Hypersensitivity, including anaphylactic shock has occured post-marketing.
In babies aged 6-23 months: there were 4.2% who required hospitalisation after flu mist vaccine spray and 3.2% after injectable flu vaccine.
In children aged 24-59 months there were 2.1% who required hospitalisation after flu mist vaccine spray and 2.5% after injectable flu vaccine.
In babies aged 6-23 months there were 5.9% who suffered wheezing after flu mist vaccine spray and 3.8% after injectable flu vaccine.
In children aged 24-59 months there were 2.1% who suffered wheezing after flu mist vaccine spray and 2.5% after injectable flu vaccine.
Runny nose/nasal congestion:
51% of children vaccinated with flu mist vaccine spray and 42% of children vaccinated with injectable flu vaccine developed runny nose/nasal congestion.
13% of children vaccinated with flu mist vaccine spray and 12% of children vaccinated with injectable flu vaccine suffered decrease in appetite.
12% of children vaccinated with flu mist vaccine spray and 11% of children vaccinated with injectable flu vaccine suffered irritability.
7% of children vaccinated with flu mist vaccine spray and 6% of children vaccinated with injectable flu vaccine suffered lethargy (decrease in activity).
5% of children vaccinated with flu mist vaccine spray and 6% of children vaccinated with injectable flu vaccine suffered sore throat.
3% of children vaccinated with flu mist vaccine spray and 3% of children vaccinated with injectable flu vaccine developed headaches.
2% of children vaccinated with flu mist vaccine spray and 2% of children vaccinated with injectable flu vaccine developed chills and muscle aches.
6% of children vaccinated with flu mist vaccine spray and 4% of children vaccinated with injectable flu vaccine had a fever of 100-101 F
4% of children vaccinated with flu mist vaccine spray and 3% of children vaccinated with injectable flu vaccine had a fever of 101-102 F.
A trial was conducted on adults aged 18-49, but it wasn't a true scientific trial as the placebo was flu mist as well!
The control group had regular refridgerated flu mist and the placebo had FROZEN flu mist.
44% of adults vaccinated with flu mist vaccine spray and 27% vaccinated with the frozen variety experienced runny nose.
40% of adults vaccinated with flu mist vaccine spray and 38% vaccinated with the frozen variety developed headache.
28% of adults vaccinated with flu mist vaccine spray and 17% vaccinated with the frozen variety developed sore throat.
26% of adults vaccinated with flu mist vaccine spray and 22% vaccinated with the frozen variety suffered from weakness and tiredness.
17% of adults vaccinated with flu mist vaccine spray and 15% vaccinated with the frozen variety developed muscle aches.
14% of adults vaccinated with flu mist vaccine spray and 11% vaccinated with the frozen variety got a cough.
9% of adults vaccinated with flu mist vaccine spray and 6% vaccinated with the frozen variety developed chills.
Exacerbation of mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, gastrointestinal disorders - nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.
Immune system disorders, hypersensitivity reactions, anaphylactic shock, facial edema, urticaria.
Nervous system disorders, Guillain-Barre Syndrome, Bell's Palsy.
Respiratory, thoracic, and mediastinal disorders, epistaxis.
Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders, rash.
You shouldn't be vaccinated if:
1. You have a history of anaphylactic shock after vaccines.
2. Allergy to egg or egg proteins.
3. Allergy to gentamicin (antibiotic).
4. Allergy to gelatine or arginine or with life threatening reactions to previous flu vaccines.
5. Children aged 2-17 who are taking asprin should not have flu vaccine because of the risk of Reyes Syndrome.
6. Flu mist should not be administered to any individuals with asthma.
7. It should not be given to children under the age of 5 who have a history of recurrent wheezing.
8. It should not be given to anyone with an underlying illness or disorder.
9. Administration of flu mist, a live virus vaccine, to immuno-compromised individuals should be based on careful consideration of the benefits and risks.
(VAN UK'S COMMENT: In all other medical documents we have read, live vaccines are absolutely contraindicated in immuno-suppressed people).
10. If you have had Guillain-Barre Syndrome within 6 weeks of a previous vaccination, flu mist should only be given based on careful consideration of the benefits and risks.
(This is because there is a higher rate of Guillain-Barre Syndrome cases occuring after flu vaccination).
Flu mist vaccine has not been evaluated for it's carcinogenic or mutagenic properties or it's potiential to impair fertility (ie, they haven't studied whether it causes cancer, can mutate into other illnesses or cause infertility).
It is not known whether the flu mist is excreted in human milk. There is a possibility of shedding of vaccine virus. Care should be taken with nursing mothers and infants.
It is not known whether flu mist can cause fetal harm or affect reproduction capacity.
Flu mist is not indicated in this age group.
Subjects in this age group who had underlying medical conditions which would predispose them to the risks of flu, were studied for safety and they were found to have much higher rates of sore throat after vaccination.
It is also not indicated in people aged 50-64 because it is not effective in that age group.
Influenza vaccines may save fewer elderly people's lives than generally claimed.
The reason is that estimates of a 50% or greater reduction in all-cause mortality have emerged from cohort studies fraught with selection bias, asserted a review article in the October issue of The Lancet Infectious Diseases.
But the real effect with flu shots for those 65 and older during December through March could not have been any greater than 5% to 10%, said Lone Simonsen, Ph.D., of George Washington University here, and colleagues. That's the flu-related mortality burden found in studies of excess all-cause mortality.
Aside from these cohort studies, the evidence is too weak to show any mortality benefit in older adults, who account for 90% of influenza deaths each year, Dr. Simonsen and colleagues added.
Vaccination policies may need to be revisited, commented Tom Jefferson, M.D., and Carlo Di Pietrantonj, Ph.D., both of the Cochrane Vaccines Field in Alessandria, Italy.
"We must never again allow layers of poor research to mask substantial uncertainty about the effects of a public-health intervention and present a falsely optimistic view of policy," they wrote. They called for placebo-controlled trials.
The "illusory" estimates arose primarily from methodologically weak cohort studies, the GWU researchers said.
These studies used nonspecific endpoints, typically all-cause mortality and non-laboratory-confirmed influenza outcomes, while attempting to adjust for selection bias in multivariate models with health-status covariates defined by diagnostic codes.
Source: Medpage Today, 25 September 2007.
Studies cited were:
Simonsen L, et al "Mortality benefits of influenza vaccination in elderly people: an ongoing controversy" Lancet Infect Dis 2007; 7: 658-66.
Jefferson T, Di Pietrantonj C "Inactivated influenza vaccines in the elderly-are you sure?" Lancet Infect Dis 2007; 7: DOI:10.1016/S0140-6736(07)61389-0.
Just over half of patients aged over 65 have received their annual flu vaccination, according to the first uptake figures published for this season’s campaign.
Provisional data released from NHS Immunisation, derived from 7,139 (86%) of the 8,330 GP practices in England, shows that by then end of October 55.9% of patients aged 65 years and over had received their flu jab – up slightly from 54.7% at the same time last year.
30.6% of patients aged under 65 and in a clinical risk group had received their flu jab by the end of October, another modest increase from last year’s figure of 28.4%.
So far the flu vaccination campaign has not been dogged by the shortages of vaccine seen in previous years. But the latest weekly report on influenza, compiled by the HPA and including data up to December 7th, warns that 'influenza activity across the UK appeared to be increasing.'
The more recent data included in the HPA's weekly report puts flu vaccine uptake at 71.4% in the over 65s and 43.4% in the under 65s.
Click here to find out more!
The HPA report also states threshold for NHS direct have been exceeded, and the service has seen a 200% increase in the volume of cold and flu-related calls to their hotline.
From September 8 to December 7 NHS Direct experienced a 206% rise in callers ringing to seek medical advice about colds, flu, coughs and fever.
Source: Pulse doctor's magazine, 11th December 2008.
Providence Alaska Medical Center has implemented a new policy telling its employees to either get a flu shot or get fired, and some workers are fighting it.
According to Providence, the Centers for Disease Control said it is unethical for health workers to not get a flu vaccine.
Providence said flu vaccination rates among its employees were not as high as they should have been, so a new policy has been put into place, forcing all employees to get a shot.
But the new rule has caused controversy, especially among nurses, and the nurses' union has filed a grievance protesting the policy.
"It is a basic right to say what is and isn't put in your body," said Debbie Thompson, president of the Alaska Nurses Association. "There is so many mixed studies on the flu vaccination study right now that it's hard to say what its success rate is."
Source: 2 News, KTUU.com, by Lori Tipton, 10 December 2008.
VAN UK'S Comment: Nurses say it's a right to decide what is put in the body yet in the States parents cannot choose until they file exemptions, some of which are denied, so it seems as if there is one rule for parents and another for the medical profession.
the truth is, some doctors and nurses might talk the talk without walking the walk.
According to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a significant chunk of health care professionals declined to get vaccinated against the influenza virus during the 2006-07 flu season, with only about 40 percent opting for a jab. It's an "abysmal and profoundly sad" statistic, according to Dr. William Schaffner, chairman of the department of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt Medical School in Nashville, Tenn.
"Both the professional and ethical responsibility of all health care workers is to be vaccinated annually against influenza," Schaffner said.
Vaccination serves to protect both patient and health care provider from becoming infected with influenza, as well as from transmitting the contagious virus to others.
There are legitimate reasons to steer clear of the needle. People with an egg allergy might avoid getting the vaccine because viruses for the flu shot are grown in eggs. People with Guillain-Barre syndrome -- a disease that results in nerve damage -- should avoid getting vaccinated as well, since respiratory illnesses can trigger an episode.
Source: ABC News, 9th December 2008.
1.The flu viruses in the spray vaccine are live. As well as live viruses it contains antibiotics which depress the immune system, harmful food additives and pig bones, making it unsuitable for vegetarians.
2. 4.2% of children vaccinated are hospitalized with breathing difficulty and upto 5.9% have wheezing.
3. The flu vaccine (both mist and injection) has side-effects identical to flu and other affects more serious than flu, in both adults and children.
4. The flu mist spray has a rate of side-effects higher than the injection.
5. The flu mist spray can cause anaphylactic shock and death.
6. The flu mist spray can trigger Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a paralysing disease.
7. It is not known whether flu mist spray causes cancer, affects unborn babies, mutates into other illnesses or causes infertility.
8. There has never been a placebo-controlled, double blinded trial of any flu vaccine to see if it works.
9. The flu vaccine is ineffective in the elderly - the very group who are at heightened risk from flu.
10. 60% of doctors and nurses refuse to get the flu shot or spray and many think it does not work, yet they still recommend it to the public.
Is the flu shot really worth it for babies? To some, this may seem a ridiculous question. Chief among flu shot supporters is the Centers for Disease Control, which recommends an annual flu shot for children from six month to 18 years. Yes, I know the folks at the CDC are super smart. That’s why they’re the CDC. But after three days of dealing with a feverish baby, whose body became racked with coughing and mucus after getting round two of her flu vaccine – yes, first timers get two shots one month apart -- I’m beginning to wonder about the wisdom of this shot business.
Perhaps there’s a better way. A new study out this week shows an alternative to the flu vaccine may be on the way. But it’ll be at least three years before this new treatment is available.
So, until then, I’ll whine on. My daughter’s first flu shot also laid her low with soaring temperatures –- though not high enough to call the doctor -- lethargy and general irritability. And there’s the issue of the stuffy nose. A humidifier only does so much when one doesn’t know how to blow one’s own nose. (I’d welcome any tips on helping my girl learn to blow her nose.) We depend on saline drops, random sneezes, vapor rub and a syringe to help provide relief. When we try to clear her nose with the syringe or saline drops, you’d think we were plucking her toenails. In general, she doesn’t sleep well because she’s irritable. I can’t sleep because I’m checking her temperature every 30 minutes.
This isn’t a gripe. Well, maybe it is. I do know that babies have such weak immune systems that they can have serious complications from the flu and, in rare cases, could die from it or flu-related sicknesses such as pneumonia. So, we got the shots. No questions asked. We trust the studies that say the vaccine is safe for children.We’re also up to date on all of our vaccinations.
But I’m a nervous newbie Momma who worries about everything. The pediatrician says my daughter’s reactions are normal. But what’s normal about being feverish for days and days? I sure hope researchers find a healthy alternative.
Source: Whoa Momma! Tampabay.com, 25 February 2009.
A new report discloses that fewer than one in seven front line NHS staff received a flu vaccine last year despite a recommendations that they do so.
The Department of Health is to release figures next week, which show that only 14 per cent of front line workers had a flu jab before the 2008-09 season.
This comes despite warnings from Sir Liam Donaldson, the Chief Medical Officer for England, that immunisation rates had to improve.
Under the code of practice for health-care-acquired infections issued by the NHS, and monitored by the Healthcare Commission, trusts are required to "ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that health care workers are free of, and protected from, exposure to communicable infections".
However, a study of NHS attitudes conducted by the Government last year found that most staff did not view flu as a serious illness and thought the vaccine unnecessary because they were not at risk.
Source: The Telegraph, 28 February 2009.
Researchers at the Mayo Clinic set out to determine whether the flu vaccine was effective in reducing the number of hospitalizations for all children, and especially the ones with asthma. The study involved 263 children who were evaluated from six months to 18 years of age, each of whom had had laboratory-confirmed influenza between 1996 to 2006. The investigators determined which children had and had not received the flu vaccine, their asthma status, and who did and did not require hospitalization. Records were reviewed for each subject with influenza-related illness, for flu vaccination preceding the illness, and hospitalization during that illness.
"They found that children who had received the flu vaccine had three times the risk of hospitalization, as compared to children who had not received the vaccine. In asthmatic children, there was a significantly higher risk of hospitalization in subjects who received the TIV, as compared to those who did not (p= 0.006)."
So, will these disturbing findings--namely, ineffectiveness of the TIV vaccine coupled with evidence of harm--lead the the Center for Disease Control and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to rescind their recommendation for annual influenza vaccination for all children aged six months to 18 years?
Or will our public health policy continue to be guided by the entrenched pharmaceutical industry?
When evidence suggests that current vaccine recommendations are harming children it is unethical to delay issuing a cautionary advisory by invoking "more studies are needed" to delay action. Public health policy should be guided by the precautionary principle--"Above all, do no harm"--not by business interests.
Source: Alliance For Human Research Protection, 22nd May 2009 - also reported on the Diseases in the vaccinated page 2.
An Apache Junction woman claims the Arizona Heart Hospital violated her right to religious freedom by demanding she be immunized as a condition of employment.
Melissa Allen, a licensed nurse, applied at the Phoenix hospital two years ago as a patient care assistant and was told by the "charge nurse" that she would be a good hire, court records state. At the time, Allen says she told the charge nurse about her religious beliefs.
Allen "professed her belief that her body is created in G-d's image and must not be defiled. As the divine architect, G-d designed the body to have an immune system, which must not be defiled by immunizations because they are a violation of G-d's supreme authority and, therefore, unholy."
Allen claims the nurse agreed to hire her despite those beliefs. (However, a letter of conditional employment signed by Allen and hospital staff states clearly she was required to show proof of hepatitis B and MMR vaccinations).
The hospital has a policy that allows religious exemptions for employees, but Allen says she was later told that she couldn't get an exemption. Though she was qualified in every other way, court records state, the hospital staff gave her an ultimatum: Get immunized or get lost.
Allen claims she turned down other job offers at the time, thinking she was going to be employed by the Arizona Heart Hospital. She filed suit last week, seeking compensatory pay -- and a job.
Source: Phoenix New Times, 2nd June 2009.
I'm curious.
Has anyone out there gave any serious thought to these vaccinations they offer us for all the various strains of flu that seem to pop up every year?
I was in the Air Force for 13 years, and it was mandatory that we all take an annual flu shot.
Every time I got that shot, I got sick as a dog.
Every year when I was fortunate enough to be gone when they were given, I was flu free.
Ever watch TV and see all those ads for high blood pressure, cholesterol, and a host of other ailments?
Ever pay attention to the disclaimers at the end?
If so, you will have noticed that every one of these medications they offer all have a string of side effects, some of which are very serious and life threatening.
Yet these vaccinations they offer us, we never hear about any possible side effects.
Why is that?
I have done some research on these vaccines, and what is in them.
After doing so, I have decided that I will never again allow them to stick a needle in my arm for any reason.
If the people offering these vaccines were required to list all the ingredients, and their possible side effects, you too might come to the same conclusions as I have.
Neal Ross.
Source: appealdemocrat.com, 12 August 2009.
A woman paralysed after a flu jab is one of 53 people to get ACC payouts for injuries related to the seasonal flu vaccine in the past four years.
Sxity-two claims were rejected.
The Christchurch woman in her 60s was struck down with the life-threatening condition Guillain-Barre Syndrome, or GBS, after receiving a seasonal flu inoculation.
Within a couple of days, she began suffering neurological symptoms and was admitted to hospital, where she spent three weeks in intensive care.
GBS Society spokesman Tony Pearson said the rare disorder, which affects the central nervous system, causing temporary paralysis and respiratory problems, usually followed a viral or bacterial infection, but in rare cases had been associated with vaccinations. Sometimes weeks could elapse between the "trigger" and the onset of symptoms, which made it difficult to pinpoint the cause. "That's why it's hard to prove it to ACC's satisfaction."
British health authorities have asked doctors to watch out for symptoms of GBS during the swine flu pandemic and mass vaccination programme.
The British Health Protection Agency said GBS had been identified as a potential adverse event, which would require enhanced surveillance following the introduction of a pandemic vaccine.
A swine flu vaccination programme in the United States in 1976 resulted in multimillion-dollar lawsuits after 500 people one in 80,000 developed GBS.
Twenty-five people died of GBS, while just one person died of swine flu.
Source: stuff.co.nz, 25 August 2009.
Yearly vaccination against seasonal influenza viruses is recommended for certain individuals at high risk of complications associated with influenza. It has been recommended in some countries, including the USA, that all children aged 6—59 months are vaccinated against seasonal influenza. However, it has been shown—mainly in animals—that infection with influenza A viruses can induce protective immunity to influenza A viruses of other unrelated subtypes. This so-called heterosubtypic immunity does not provide full protection, but can limit virus replication and reduce morbidity and mortality of the host. This type of immunity might be relevant to human beings when a new subtype of influenza A virus is introduced into the population, such as the new influenza A H1N1 virus responsible for the present influenza pandemic and the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 viruses that are causing an ever increasing number of human infections with high mortality rates. Preventing infection with seasonal influenza viruses by vaccination might prevent the induction of heterosubtypic immunity to pandemic strains, which might be a disadvantage to immunologically naive people—eg, infants.
Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases, Early Online Publication, 30 October 2009
doi:10.1016/S1473-3099(09)70263-4
Background: There is a lack of clinical evidence that annual vaccination against influenza prevents asthma exacerbations in children.
Methods: Retrospective cohort study of 800 children with asthma, where one half did, and the other half did not receive the influenza vaccine. The two groups were compared with respect to clinic visits, emergency department (ED) visits, and hospitalisations for asthma. In multivariable analyses, adjustment was made for baseline asthma severity, prior utilisation of health services, receipt of vaccine in the previous year, and demographic variables.
Results: After adjusting for other variables, the vaccine group had a significantly increased risk of asthma related clinic visits and ED visits (odds ratios 3.4 and 1.9, respectively).
Conclusion: This study failed to provide evidence that the influenza vaccine prevents paediatric asthma exacerbations.
Source: Arch Dis Child 2004;89:734-735 doi:10.1136/adc.2003.030999
The Western Australian Government has suspended all flu vaccinations for children under five while it investigates a spike in admissions to Princess Margaret Hospital in Perth.
The Health Minister, Kim Hames, says 45 children have been taken to hospital suffering high temperatures and febrile convulsions after receiving the vaccination.
Dr Hames says the program will be suspended until the department finishes its investigation.
He says parents who have had their children vaccinated should take precautions.
"If it's longer than 12 hours ago then there is no risk," he said.
"But if it's in the last 12 hours they should make sure that they give their child paracetamol and then take every effort to make sure that the temperature of their child is settled."
Source: ABC News, 22nd April 2010.
* Vaccine to stop seasonal and swine flu
* Has caused vomiting, fits and convulsions in children
* Was never tested clincally
CLINICAL tests were never carried out on the latest seasonal flu vaccine - a first-time combination of seasonal flu with the feared swine flu H1N1 - that has left a baby girl fighting for her life in a Perth hospital and sparked fits, fevers and vomiting in up to 60 toddlers across the country.
Health officials were last night trying to determine what had caused the reactions in the children, mostly in WA.
The country's chief medical officer, Jim Bishop, yesterday ordered doctors in all states to stop giving the flu vaccine to children under five.
Professor Bishop said non-swine flu strains in the vaccine may have caused the reactions.
For the first time in the world, the flu shot rolled out in Australia last month combined two strains of seasonal flu, as well as H1N1.
Professor Bishop said the Panvax vaccine - the swine flu jab - was "safe", but said the combined flu shot had been suspended for young children as a "precautionary measure" pending investigation by the Therapeutic Goods Administration, which approved its use last month.
Panvax was tested on 400 children before its release last year, but the combined shot was not subjected to any clinical trials.
CSL, which manufactures both vaccines, has stopped distributing children's doses nationally "to reduce the risk of inadvertent administration in this age group".
One angry West Australian mother, who only wanted to be identified as Sharon, said if officials had acted earlier, the one-year-old girl in critical condition in hospital may never have become sick.
Sharon had three of her four children vaccinated two weeks ago and all three needed hospitalisation after suffering from fevers, vomiting and fits.
She said it was a frightening experience after her three-year-old, Alivia, turned purple and began shaking.
One of her one-year-old twins, Lateesha, later started convulsing.
Peter Richmond, associate professor at the University of Western Australia's school of pediatrics and child health, said the vaccine was not subjected to trials.
"As with each year's seasonal influenza vaccine, this year's seasonal influenza vaccine isn't subject to specific trials in children before it's used," he said.
Source: http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/flu-jab-fears-grow-as-toddlers-rushed-to-hospital/story-e6frg12c-1225857730304
* Twins given flu job; Ashley dies
* Authorities caution jab for under-5s
* Girl, 2, was fine 12 hours earlier
A FAMILY is in mourning after their toddler unexpectedly died less than 12 hours after receiving a seasonal flu vaccination.
Two-year-old twin Ashley Jade Epapara had been "perfectly fine" before dying at her Upper Mt Gravatt home, on Brisbane's southside, on April 9. Parents David and Nicole are shattered by the mysterious death of their baby girl. "It's dreadful, it's a very hard time," Mr Epapara said yesterday.
National health authorities have ordered doctors to stop giving seasonal influenza vaccinations to children under five after dozens of serious reactions, including convulsions.
Ashley's death is being investigated by police and the office of the coroner. A spokesman for Brisbane coroner John Lock confirmed yesterday that a report was being prepared.
Mrs Epapara told The Sunday Mail that "tests are being carried out" on her little girl. But the young mother didn't want to comment further as she began shaking and her eyes welled with tears. Ashley's twin sister, Jaime, also received the flu jab at the same time and is believed to have been vomiting the night before her sister died.
Asked whether he or his wife thought the influenza vaccine had anything to do with their child's death, Mr Epapara said: "It's very coincidental."
More than 45 children experienced convulsions and fever, with some having to be taken to hospital in intensive care after receiving the vaccine in Western Australia.
Queensland chief health officer Jeannette Young confirmed 15 children in Queensland had been recorded as having an adverse reaction to the vaccine.
Australia's chief medical officer Professor Jim Bishop said in a statement that the West Australian events were being "urgently investigated by health experts and the Therapeutic Goods Administration".
The World Health Organisation last year said a "small number of deaths" had occurred in people vaccinated for influenza, with 65 million people vaccinated globally.
Source: http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/national/flu-shot-fatality-toddler-dies-12-hours-after-having-vaccination/story-e6frea8c-1225857872979
The free vaccine program for children under five has been suspended across Australia after a spike in admissions to Princess Margaret Hospital in Perth.
WA's Chief Health Officer Tarun Weeramanthri says in the last month, 44 children under the age of 10 have presented to PMH with febrile convulsions, and 23 of those cases have been linked to the vaccine.
He says a further 40 possible cases have been identified across the metropolitan area and Bunbury.
"Now what we are doing is chasing those down to see how many of those had flu vaccine."
Dr Weeramanthri says the number of affected children is expected to rise.
A West Australian woman says her three children had convulsions and vomiting after receiving the vaccine.
She says it was a frightening experience.
"We got home and they were all fine, no symptoms at all, asked the doctor if there would be any, he said there wouldn't be, and then when I was getting ready for bed Olivia all of a sudden went purple from head to toe and just started shaking uncontrollably."
Parents have criticised the the time it took for the department to stop the vaccine.
Janine Hadfield had her child vaccinated just hours before the program was suspended.
"I've never experienced anything like that, you're hopeless and knowing full well from the news, everything coming across on the news that something could happen and it was beyond your control, it was too late for us, it was just awful," she said.
Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/04/23/2880702.htm
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