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| -Signs, Portents, and the Weather- |
| What to know about getting H1N1 vaccine |
| 2009-10-02 |
| For those who are concerned, some forms of the vaccine do contain thimerosol. Next week, the long-awaited H1N1 vaccine is expected to arrive. At least three of the four vaccine makers have begun shipping their products to undisclosed distribution centers. There are two types of the vaccine available: the flu shot, an inactivated vaccine containing fragments of killed influenza virus, and a nasal spray, which is made using a weakened live flu virus. The nasal spray will most likely be the first to be widely distributed, however certain groups, including pregnant women, young children and people with compromised immune systems, cannot receive the nasal spray. So far officials of the National Institutes of Health say that in clinical trials they've seen no serious side effects and that study subjects who have been immunized have generated a good response. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the vaccine for certain high-priority groups because they are more likely to have serious complications if they develop swine flu. These groups include: pregnant women; caregivers and household contacts of children younger than 6 months; everyone between the ages of 6 months and 24 years; and people ages 25 to 64 with existing health problems. Even people who are not in these groups can get the vaccine. But now the vaccine is almost here, the question is, "Do you want it?" We looked through our Empowered Patient inbox and it turns out that many of our readers still have questions. We consulted a team of experts to get their answers, which are edited for brevity and clarity. While the first supplies of the H1N1 vaccine are due out next week, that doesn't necessarily mean it will be available in your city. Since only 6 million to 7 million doses are expected next week, you might have to look around for it at the beginning. However, federal health authorities have stressed that within the next few months there will be plenty of vaccine to go around; 75 million doses will be produced before the end of the year. Check with your doctor, your children's school and your local public health department. Right now there's no central list of locations where swine flu vaccine will be offered, but the Department of Health and Human Services plans on putting information on Flu.gov as soon as possible. It's not a crime to say no to the H1N1 flu vaccine. You won't go to jail, nor will you be fined by the federal government if you decide not to get it. If you're in the military, however, you will be required to get the vaccine, according to the American Forces Press Service. In New York, the state government is requiring the vaccine for health care workers, but there are no penalties built into the law if a worker doesn't comply. Some workers fear they'll lose their jobs if they don't get the vaccine. Technically, you, as a parent, don't "need" an H1N1 vaccine because you don't fall into one of the five high-risk groups designated by the CDC. However, the team of experts we consulted were unanimous that if there's enough vaccine available, go ahead and get one if you want -- they say it won't hurt you, it will protect you from the flu, and it could help protect your child as well because you won't be bringing the virus home to your child. "If there's plenty of vaccine, it just makes sense to get it," said Dr. Aaron Glatt, a spokesperson for the Infectious Diseases Society of America, and president and CEO at New Island Hospital in Bethpage, New York. Some H1N1 shots will contain the preservative thimerosal, and others won't, according to the CDC. You'll have to ask your doctor (or the clinic administering the shots) which type you're getting. Some people worry about thimerosal for children because it's mercury-based, but the CDC says there's no scientific evidence the preservative is harmful. So far, the NIH has vaccinated more than 60 pregnant women as part of a study to see whether the H1N1 vaccine is safe and effective. There have been no reports of serious side effects, according to Linda Lambert of the Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The NIH plans on vaccinating a total of 120 women in its study. Every pregnant woman needs to decide for herself whether she wants the H1N1 vaccine. The swine flu virus has been particularly dangerous for pregnant women; 6 percent of the people who've died from H1N1 since April have been pregnant women, while pregnant women make up only 1 percent of the U.S. population, according to Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. Why are pregnant women more vulnerable to H1N1 flu? "It's partly because pregnant women have some degree of compromise of their immune system, and their ability to fight off even fairly common illnesses such as the flu appears to be much lower," said Dr. Neil Silverman, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of California-Los Angeles School of Medicine. In addition to protecting pregnant women, studies show vaccines give immunity to a newborn for at least a few months as antibodies cross the placenta and reach the fetus. This is especially important since babies cannot get an H1N1 vaccine themselves until they're 6 months old. By the way, pregnant women and children under age 2 can't get the nasal spray -- the shot is their only option. Our team of experts is divided on this one. Some say since the CDC had designated only pregnant women as being at high risk, your daughter should wait until she's actually pregnant to get the shot. "It's hard to predict when she and her partner might actually have a successful pregnancy, and there's plenty of time to vaccinate when they do conceive," Silverman said. "The key here is targeting risk groups appropriately, and her risk wouldn't begin to increase until she was actually pregnant." Others, however, disagree. They say your daughter might as well get the shot now, since she'll never know exactly when she'll become pregnant, and she might as well be protected against H1N1 from the very start. "Your daughter can receive the H1N1 vaccine as soon as it becomes available," said Dr. William Schaffner, chairman of the Department of Preventive Medicine at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. "There is no benefit in waiting until she is pregnant. The H1N1 vaccine [as well as the regular seasonal vaccine] is safe for both the mother and the future fetus." Perhaps Dr. Peter Palese, a professor of Medicine and Infectious Diseases at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, summed it up best. "Any which way is fine" is his advice for your daughter as far as whether she should get it while she's trying to become pregnant or after she conceives. A flu shot is a flu shot is a flu shot, according to the Food and Drug Administration, which licenses companies to make vaccines. "All flu vaccine manufacturers use essentially the same technique to produce the seasonal and H1N1 vaccines. They each produce a slightly different version of the vaccine, but all versions adhere to the FDA's stringent standards for safety and effectiveness," said Pat El-Hinnawy, a spokeswoman for the FDA. According to the CDC, of these 56 children, 31 had a pre-existing medical condition such as spina bifida or cerebral palsy before they became infected with H1N1, 17 did not, and health authorities don't have data on the eight other children. Among the children for whom the CDC has information, 35 died in a hospital's intensive care unit, four died in the emergency room, three died on an inpatient ward in the hospital and five died outside the hospital, such as at home or on the way to the hospital. The average age of the children who died is 10 years old. A September 4 CDC report has more details on the pediatric deaths. A flu-like illness could be caused by a wide array of viruses, not just H1N1. Unless the doctor actually tested your children for H1N1 and the test came back positive, your child should get the H1N1 vaccine. Most people who've had flu-like illness since April have not been tested. |
| Posted by:gorb |
| #1 A flu shot is a flu shot is a flu shot, according to the Food and Drug Administration, which licenses companies to make vaccines. "All flu vaccine manufacturers use essentially the same technique to produce the seasonal and H1N1 vaccines. Not exactly true. One ingredient of concern is squalene, not used in the US, but approved for use in Europe, including those made in the UK and used in Canada. Apparently, it was also used for those made for the military: The experimental H1N1 vaccine was created just like past vaccines and that the technology was well established. Requests for package inserts for the ingredients of the experimental H1N1 vaccine were denied on the grounds that this was a study and that information is privileged. However, we can still piece together some of the ingredients based upon the parental consent form. “MF59 is an adjuvant which is used in influenza vaccines licensed for the adults and/or elderly in many countries worldwide, but it is not contained in any vaccines currently approved in the United States.” (page 2) Isn’t it interesting that the study states it is licensed for adults and elderly? This study is designed for children between the ages of 3 and 8 and they plan on shooting up newborns and pregnant women with this stuff? Buyer beware. Here is what the World Association for Vaccine Education had to say about Squalene (MF59): Squalene:C30H50 an Adjuvant Too dangerous for human use, Squalene is not licensed for use in the United States. Oil adjuvants like squalene have been ordinarily used to inflict diseases in animals – for experimentation and study. According to anthrax vaccine expert Gary Matsumoto and other reliable sources, the US military used an unlicensed, experimental anthrax vaccination laced with squalene, with disastrous consequences, including Gulf War Sydrome. Chemical descriptions: Unites States National Library of Medicine: PubChem http://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/summary/summary.cgi?cid=638072 Toxicity: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?CMD=search&DB=pubmed&term=%22Squalene%2ftoxicity%22[Mesh%20Terms%3anoexp Adverse effects: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?CMD=search&a mp;DB=pubmed&term=%22Squalene%2fadverse%20effects%22[Mesh%20Terms%3anoexpMust read: Matsumoto, Gary. Vaccine A; The Covert Government Experiment That's Killing Our Soldiers – and Why GI's Are Only the First Victims. Basic Books, 2004. Present in these vaccines: Anthrax (experimental, used on military personnel) Dr. Sherri Tenpenny also elaborates on the deleterious effects of the Squalene Adjuvant in a 2006 article entitled, "FLU SHOTS AND THE NEW ADJUVANTS: BEWARE!" and can be found in its entirety here. An excerpt from Dr. Tenpenny's article can give a better appreciation and understanding of what squalene is capable of in the body... "On first blush, squalene seems like a good choice for an adjuvant. Manufactured naturally in the liver, squalene is a precursor for cholesterol. In addition, squalene can be purchased at health food stores in its more commonly known form, “shark liver oil.” However, ingested squalene has a completely different effect on the body than injected squalene. When molecules of squalene enter the body through an injection, even at concentrations as small as 10 to 20 parts per billion, it can lead to self-destructive immune responses, such as autoimmune arthritis and lupus. Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain this reaction. Metabolically, squalene stimulates an immune response excessively and nonspecifically. More than two dozen peer-reviewed scientific papers from ten different laboratories throughout the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Australia have been published documenting the development of autoimmune disease in animals subjected to squalene-based adjuvants. A convincing proposal for why this occurs includes the concept of “molecular mimicry” in which an antibody created against the squalene in MF59 can cross react with the body’s squalene on the surface of human cells. The destruction of the body’s own squalene can lead to debilitating autoimmune and central nervous system diseases." “Carcinogenicity, we (Dr. Deborah Novicki of Novartis, another pharmaceutical company) have done no testing for the carcinogenicity of MF59 adjuvant or any of our preventive vaccines. We haven’t done it and we don’t plan to.” This information is found on a workshop on adjuvants and adjuvanted preventative and therapeutic vaccines hosted by the FDA. This gem of a quote is on page 391. |
| Posted by: Lumpy Elmoluck5091 2009-10-02 11:56 |