>Friday, March 05, 1999 - > >WHY IS THE GOVERNMENT TREATING OLDER AUSTRALIANS LIKE CHILDREN? >A child usually relies upon their parents to make vital health choices >for them. Once they are grown, however, they are in a position to make >those decisions themselves. The Federal Government seems to be >indicating that adults are not capable of making their own health >choices by withholding vital information about the influenza vaccine >which they are urging all Australians over the age of 65 (and others) to >take. All potential vaccine recipients are entitled to know the basic >facts about the influenza vaccine. >For instance: > >… A study published in the Medical Tribune [38(13): 1997] by Haim >Dannenberg, MD of Hadassah University Hospital in Jerusalem questioned >the value of flu shots in the elderly after discovering that there is a >decreased immune response to some influenza strains following repeated >annual vaccination. In fact, CDC officials have confessed that >„influenza vaccines are still among the least effective immunising >agents available, and this seems to be particularly true for elderly >recipients.¾ [Arden NH et al. Experiences in the use and efficacy of >inactivated influenza vaccine in nursing homes. Kendal AP, Patriarca >PA, Options for the Control of Influenza, Alan R. Liss, >1986: 155-68 > >… Since the contents of the åflu vaccine are determined before >the season starts, it is a game of roulette as to whether or not the >vaccine strain will match the strain circulating. This leads to the >following situation: „On Jan 30, a US Food and Drug Administration >advisory panel voted unanimously that it did not have enough data to >determine which influenza strains to incorporate into the 1997/-98 flu >vaccine.¾ If the strains do not match exactly, the vaccine will be less >than useless to those receiving it ‚ leaving them at risk of serious >side effects without any hope of protection from illness. > >… Even when the strain does match exactly, the vaccine efficacy >is only between 30%-40% in the elderly ‚ the very groups being >„targeted¾ by these campaigns. [Arden NH et al. Experiences in the use >and efficacy of inactivated influenza vaccine in nursing homes. Kendal >AP, Patriarca PA, Options for the Control of Influenza, Alan R. Liss, >1986: 155-68] Four other studies among nursing home patients have >demonstrated a vaccine efficacy at 0%, 2%, 8% and 9% even when the >vaccine virus is „essentially identical¾ to that causing the outbreak. >[Dowdle, WR, Influenza immunoprophylaxis after 30 years¼ experience, In: >Nayak DP, ed. Genetic Variation Among Influenza Viruses, New York: >Academic Press, 1981: 525-34] > >… Since the Swine Flu debacle in 1974 in the United States where >an epidemic was predicted which never occurred and hundreds of elderly >people died or were seriously injured unnecessarily by the vaccine, >there have been reports of serious reactions and deaths following the >influenza vaccine. > >… To justify the government¼s recommendation that all elderly >persons receive flu shots, they make the claim that even though the >vaccine does not prevent the åflu very well, it is „highly effective in >preventing the severe consequences of infection in at risk groups as >measured by the reduction in pneumonia, hospitalisation and death.¾ >[Alan Hampson, Media Release, 5/3/99] The actual fact is that according >to a Medicare Influenza Vaccine Demonstration Project, „Medicare >payments wereäsignificantly higher for those who had been vaccinated.¾ > >… Several other studies confirm that, with or without a åflu >shot, pneumonia and influenza hospitalisation rates for the elderly are >less than 1% during the influenza season. This means that, regardless >of vaccination status, more than 99% of people weather a bout of flu >without requiring hospitalisation. [Flu prevention campaign underway. >Health Care Financing Administration press office, HHS News, 10/16/95, >US Department of Health and Human Services.] > >… The åflu vaccine has been associated in the medical literature >with quite serious side effects including Guillain-Barre Paralysis, >Arthritis and Arthralgia, Lupus, Polymyositus and death. People are not >being informed of these possibilities before agreeing to the shot. > >It is clear that the government and the medical community have misled >the elderly, indigenous Australians and those who are considered to be >at risk by overstating the effectiveness of the vaccine and totally >ignoring the very real risks to those who are vaccinated. Whilst this >vaccine may come free of charge to those whom the government is >targeting, the price these people may pay as a result of getting >vaccinated cannot be calculated in terms of dollars and cents. > >*************************************************************** >Karin Schumacher >Vaccine Information & Awareness (VIA) >12799 La Tortola >San Diego, CA 92129 >619-484-3197 (phone/voicemail) >619-484-1187 (fax) >via@access1.net (email) >http://www.909shot.com (NVIC website) >http://www.access1.net/via (VIA website) >*************************************************************** >We Must Have The Freedom To Choose & Respect Everyone's Choice >*************************************************************** >Any information obtained here is not to be construed as medical >OR legal advice. The decision to vaccinate and how you >implement that decision is yours and yours alone.