We Ask You To Say No, To Prove You Really Care

ANOTHER FLU VACCINE PUSH COMING SOON

Dear Friends -

When connecting with family and friends it would be a good time to discuss the flu vaccine. CDC is gearing up for a new event -- National Influenza Vaccination Week -- slated for November 27 - Dec. 3.

Writing letters to the editor or simply sharing with those you love the following is a good way to show you truly CARE.

We are continually receiving stories of people dying or being hospitalized shortly after receiving this year's flu vaccine....

FMI - VACLIB

Following are some flu vaccine facts -- most people have no idea!

A few flu vaccine facts
* Approximately 115 million doses of flu vaccine will be available during the 2006-2007 flu season from 4 different vaccine manufacturers
* Studies show that flu vaccines do not prevent the flu in both children and the elderly. To determine the value of flu vaccines to children, Tom Jefferson, MD, and colleagues at the Cochrane Collaboration, an international organization that evaluates medical research, looked at over a thousand studies. They selected 14 high-quality clinical trials in which vaccinated children had been compared with unvaccinated children. The combined results of these 14 trials were reported in the British journal The Lancet (2/26/05). Their conclusion: “We recorded no convincing evidence that vaccines can reduce mortality, [hospital] admissions, serious complications, and community transmission of influenza.”
* The CDC now recommends flu vaccines for babies 6-23 months because they tend to suffer more complications once they get the flu, however no evidence supports the recommendation. The Cochrane reviewers found that vaccines had little effect on bronchitis, ear infections, and hospitalizations, compared with the babies given placebo vaccines. In short, the CDC recommendations are irresponsible given the fact that the only two studies that involved babies found no benefit and little is known about adverse effects of these vaccines for babies.
* The review follows on the heels of a study that looked at three decades' worth of data and found that vaccines for the elderly are not as effective as previously thought. And contrary to conventional medical wisdom, vaccines do not reduce flu-related deaths in elderly people.
* More than 90% of this year's flu vaccine supply will contain 25 micrograms of mercury, which means there is not enough mercury-free flu vaccine available for children under the age of 3 and pregnant women (8 million being made versus a 15-20 million estimated need)
* A Sanofi-Pasteur spokesman, the only vaccine manufacturer making thimerosal-free flu vaccines, confirmed that enough vaccine to supply all children could be made, and he was quoted as saying "he had no idea why health officials were not ordering more mercury-free vaccine."
* The CDC's cost for a mercury-containing vial of flu vaccine is $9.71. A comparable mercury-free package (each with 10 doses) costs $12.02
* Thimerosal (49.6% ethyl mercury) has never been tested for safety and no proof exists that it is safe. On the contrary, there are thousands of documents in the literature that discuss its extreme toxicity, starting with Thimerosal's own Material Safety Data Sheet that, amongst other things, states:
"Exposure Guidelines: Thimerosal - no known occupational limits established... Exposure to mercury in utero and in children can cause mild to severe mental retardation and mild to severe motor coordination impairment... Target Organ Effects: Mercury - Nervous system effects (insomnia, tremor, anorexia, weakness, headache), liver effects (jaundice, digestive effects (hypermotility, diarrhea)."
* A single mercury-containing flu vaccine given to a 6-month old child will exceed the EPA's safe daily limit for mercury by 33-fold
* The Centers for Disease Control released a study in Pediatrics that cited a correlation between Thimerosal-containing vaccines and both "tics" and "language delay" in children
* On Friday, October 27, 2006, the Coalition for Mercury-free Drugs (CoMeD) filed an amended complaint in U.S. Federal Court, disputing the FDA response it received on September 26, 2006, defending the use of mercury in medicine. CoMeD is asking the court to compel the FDA to: comply with the law, follow existing regulations, and provide proof of the safety and efficacy of mercury in drugs. The lawsuit was originally filed in August 2006 because the FDA had failed to answer the issues raised in a CoMeD citizen petition (FDA Docket: 2004P-0349), filed on Wednesday, August 4, 2004, by representatives from CoMeD. Of concern is that mercury, which is second only to plutonium in toxicity, remains in at least 45 different prescribed and
over-the-counter drugs (according to the FDA), including various eye ointments, ear solutions, nasal sprays, vaccines, biologics, and perhaps most importantly, in flu vaccines currently being administered to millions of pregnant women, children, and the elderly.
* The record 115 million flu vaccines available for this year’s flu season has CDC officials worried they will have more vaccines than people willing to receive them. The previous record of 95 million vaccines produced for the 2002-2003 flu season left 12 million unused vaccines at the end of the season that had to be disposed
of [in a hazardous waste dump??] CDC officials said they want to prevent a repeat of that experience and are promoting Nov. 27 – Dec. 3 as “National Influenza Vaccination Week.”

Facts: from PutChildrenFirst.org and VacLib.org

Flu Shots -

Necessity, Luxury or Detriment?

Do you know that over 90 percent of this years' 115 million flu shots contain mercury? Only eight million mercury free shots were manufactured which are about half of what is “recommended” for the nations' children under 2 years plus pregnant women.

Health officials are afraid several million shots of flu vaccine will “go to waste” this year and are pushing to sell this “excess” but is there any scientific evidence that a flu shot is beneficial?

From 1900 to 1979, deaths associated with flu and pneumonia declined by about 90 percent. Because flu vaccine was little used in that era, it is obvious that natural immunity to influenza exists and the primary way we protect natural immunity and thus decrease death from flu and pneumonia is through a combination of sanitation and nutrition.

Does vaccination boost natural immunity to the flu? Or do we need more improvements in sanitation and especially nutrition? From 1980 to 2000, several related events occurred: The number of all US seniors over age 65 increased about 40 percent. Yet deaths from flu and pneumonia in the over 65 almost doubled. And flu vaccine usage in this time more than tripled.

Obviously, the flu vaccine is ineffective in the older age group, but what about the other end of the age spectrum? An international organization that evaluates medical research found two studies involving 1000 toddlers that indicated that the flu vaccine is no more effective in this age group at preventing the flu than does a placebo.

Research flu vaccine issues at: www.vaclib.org/fluindex.htm.
Paid for by: DRD, MT

Dr. Sherri Tenpenny, DO
November 20, 2006
NewsWithViews.com

Just as busy shoppers start scrambling to put together their Christmas lists, the government will be urging them to add one more thing to their packed "to do" list: Get a flu shot.

CDC officials are planning a massive media blitz during the week of November 27 to December 3, 2006 to promote "National Influenza Vaccination Week." The flu shot campaign, which usually begins in August, has once again been derailed by delivery delays. Shots are normally given in September ostensibly to allow time for people to develop the antibody that is to protect them throughout the flu season. But the CDC has apparently rationalized that any time to get the shot is better than not getting it at all.

The director of the Centers for Disease Control, Dr. Julie Gerberding has gone on record saying, "We are concerned that we're going to have more doses of flu (vaccine) than we might use."[1] With all the hype that occurred earlier this year over the potential of a bird flu pandemic, manufacturers anticipated an unprecedented demand for the shot. In preparation, a record 110 million doses were produced for the 2006-07 season. Fearing that millions of those vials will be tossed in the trash-literally money down the drain-the CDC is pulling rank and pushing for a massive vaccination campaign to inject us will begin right after Thanksgiving.

The previous record, 95 million doses, was manufactured for the 2002-03 season. When 12 million flu shots went unused, one manufacturer quit making them. To prevent manufacturers from backing out of the flu shot business-the government will need them if a human form of bird flu arrives in the US-the CDC and other medical establishments, such as the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics, will push hard to get everyone to roll up their sleeves and get in line. The organizations that claim to put public health first are showing their hands: Their role is to protect the profits of the pharmaceutical companies at the expense of the health of general public.

Guillian Barre: A real risk

A report was released on October 9, 2006 by the American Association of Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine (AANEM) called, "Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) After Vaccination in United States." Of the 54 cases of documented GBS that occurred in 2004, 57% (31) of the patients had developed the condition after receiving an influenza vaccine.

GBS is an inflammatory disorder of the peripheral nerves (those outside the brain and spinal cord) characterized by an acute onset of weakness and paralysis. Called "ascending paralysis," it starts in the legs and moves up the body eventually attacking the muscles that aid in breathing. The result is often respiratory failure. Treatment frequently involves long term hospitalization in the intensive care unit, with most patients needing the assistance of a respirator. Residual neurological deficits can remain in up to 40% of people, and mortality ranges from 5%-10%.[2]

While officials downplay the actual risk, stating that the risk is negligible compared to the number of shots administered, if you happen to be the unfortunate one to contract this illness, the results can be horrific. An excerpt from a story reported on November 18, 2002 in The Public Health Reporter, published in Canada,[3] brings the vivid details to light:

"A 47-year old executive, Brain Claman, thought he was too busy to bother with the flu, so when his company offered the shots on site, he was one of the first in line. Two weeks later, he woke up with a severe headache and leg weakness, and by that same afternoon, he was placed in the intensive care unit and on a respirator, completely paralyzed. After eight months in the hospital, he had to relearn to walk. The report said that, in his own words, "Never in my wildest dreams -- or maybe I should say nightmares -- could I have imagined almost losing my life to the flu shot."

Like the expression "all politics is local," the reality of a vaccine reaction is personal. Vaccine research is designed to look for injury trends in large populations. One has to wonder if the epidemiological studies are specifically designed to dismiss the significance of an injury when it occurs in an individual. The VAERS database reportedly logs more than 12,000 injuries from vaccines per year. This does not prove causality; in fact, causality is difficult to prove. In my opinion, that is because the medical literature and the Vaccine Injury Compensation Table are stacked against identifying causality.

Injuries such as GBS are dramatic, and fortunately, they are uncommon overall. But knowing what comes through the needle of a flu shot should make each person pause. What is the bigger risk, the possibly getting the flu or the flu shot itself.

Flu Shot Production: What's In That Needle?
(The following information is excerpted from Chapter 9 of FOWL! Bird Flu: It's Not What You Think entitled "What's Coming Through That Needle.")

After the influenza viruses are separated from the eggs they are grown in, they are inactivated (killed) with formaldehyde, a known carcinogen. The surface antigens, (H) and (N) are then "split" by a detergent called Triton® X-100. The process spreads the surface antigens apart, increasing the probability of developing an antibody response. Traces of Triton X-100, made by Dow Chemical, can remain in the vaccine solution. Product information on this compound states the following: "Excellent detergent, dispersant and emulsifier for oil-in-water systems. Uses: Household & industrial cleaners, paints & coatings, pulp & paper, textile, agrochemical, metal working fluids, oilfield chemicals.[4]

The suspension of viruses and chemicals is further concentrated in a centrifuge using a sucrose (table sugar) solution and then suspended in sodium phosphate-buffered isotonic salt solution. In one of the final steps, a 0.05 percent concentration of gelatin is added as a stabilizer, and in many cases, thimerosal, the mercury-based preservative, is still added to the multidose vials of the flu vaccine.[5] Some types of influenza vaccines also include 500 micrograms of gentamicin, a broad-spectrum antibiotic, added during the production process to inhibit the growth of bacteria that may be in the suspension.

Two other chemicals, tri-butylphosphate and polysorbate 80, then become part of the "chemical soup" of the vaccine. Tri-butylphosphate, a detergent and polysorbate 80, also known as Tween80™, is an emulsifier. Both are used to disrupt the surface of the virus, making the (H) and (N) antigens more accessible to the immune system. Polysorbate 80 is also found in ice creams and other "fake foods." Resin is added to ostensibly eliminate "substantial portions" of these chemicals, but undoubtedly, residuals of these chemicals remain in the vaccine when injected.

By the time the flu shot is ready for packaging, the solution contains the following: various egg proteins, viral contaminants from the eggs, Triton-X100, formaldehyde, resin, gelatin, tri-butylphosphate, polysorbate 80, and in some instances gentamicin. To preserve this chemical brew, in doses of up to 25 micrograms thimerosal (a mercury derivative) is still added to some of the shots. After detailing this vivid description of the manufacture of the influenza vaccine, the thought of injecting this into your body-or the body of your baby-should be repugnant.

For those not repulsed by the idea of injecting the previously described solution into your body, perhaps knowing that the vaccine won't prevent you from getting the flu will add to your perspective.

The fact that the flu shots are ineffective in every age group hardly seems to matter to CDC and others who continually promote their use. Multiple studies published in highly reputable publications have documented that flu shots are ineffective in all ages. For example, The Cochrane Collaboration produced a series of articles in 2005-and again an additional article published in the British Medical Journal, October 28, 2006[6] -that reviewed the published literature to evaluate the effectiveness of the flu shot. Nothing substantiating its usefulness was found. (Read the full story behind the lack of flu shot effectiveness here.

People across the country are waking up and speaking out against what they are allowing to be injected into their bodies, and the bodies of their children. They are no longer accepting that injecting viruses, bits of bacteria and traces of chemicals into their infants is a way to keep them well. Too many have personal experience with adverse effects to continue to accept that high vaccination rates and low infection rates are the only measure of Public Health.

After the Thanksgiving holiday, when the news blares stories about the importance of the getting the flu shot and dutifully lists locations of local flu shot clinics, don't let it interrupt your day. Keep shopping and stay on task with your holiday chores. Both are much more productive uses of your time.

Footnotes:

1. CDC Urges More People to Get Flu Shots. By Mike Stobbe. November 11, 2006. Associated Press
2. Fanion, David. Guillain-Barré Syndrome
3. "Flu shot left executive paralyzed," by Andre Picard. Public Health Reporter. Monday, November 18, 2002, Page A1.
4. "Octyphenol Ethoxylate," The Dow Chemical Company. (http://www.dow.com.)
5. "Influenza Virus Vaccine Fluzone 2005-2006 Formula," package insert. Aventis Pasteur (company name has since changed to Sanofi Pasteur MSD. Update 14 February 2006).
6, Jefferson, Thomas. Influenza vaccination: policy versus evidence. BMJ 2006;333:912-915 (28 October)
© 2006 Sherri Tenpenny - All Rights Reserved
Dr. Sherri Tenpenny is respected as one of the country's most knowledgeable and outspoken physicians regarding the impact of vaccines on health. Through her education company, New Medical Awareness, LLC, she spreads her vision of retaining freedom of choice in healthcare, including the freedom to refuse vaccination. A portion of this article is an excerpt from her new book, FOWL! Bird Flu: It's Not What You Think, released in April, 2006. For daily updates on the bird flu, including the real reasons behind the hype, and a bi-weekly e-Newsletter with Dr. Tenpenny's commentary go to www.BirdFluHype.com

Know the facts and save your health.
Read our post on vitamin C in this BLOG for healthy help against the flu.