Updated News About The Flu And The Vaccine

[Tessa]

Dear friends.

For all of us with POTS, reactions to drugs, immune system def. and other diseases... I think that the following information is important as it affects us directly...

I came across this information with regard to the Flu and thought I had to share this with you. I do not know if you had access to this kind of information, but It is worth reading it.

The video is in Spanish, but I have been able to find a summary of the content in English for you.

I post the link to the video for those of you who understand Spanish enough: Link to the video

Summary of the content in English Click here (it?s a pdf)

OMS Revised the Definition of Pandemia click here

Teresa Forcades is a Doctor and she explains the origins of the Flu, the vaccines, the politics, the risks, etc.

Don?t you feel impressed about all this?

I really doubt now that I will ask for the Vaccine... Taking into account all the side effects, allergic reactions, etc. I?ve had with drugs and with such a difficult Immune system I have, I do not want the risk...

I am really worried that my family can get the shot. I am going to ask them not to do it.

Had you known about this?

What do you think about all this?

Thank you for your comments.

Tessa

[MomtoGiuliana]

Tessa

All I can say is that I would be careful about any claims or statements on websites that are not reflecting peer-reviewed science.

Some of the claims in this piece are inconsistent with published information. You might take a look at this NYT piece:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/12/opinion/...H1N1&st=cse

I think bottom line is that you need to talk to your doctor about the best course of action for your situation. Hopefully you have a dr you trust who can guide you.

Katherine

[Angelika_23]

Hi Tessa,

I am still going along with my original thinking on this. From what my doctor(s) have said,

1. If you have underlying health issues, you should get the H1N1 shot, not the nasal mist

2. The H1N1 shot is made exactly the same way as the "regular" flu shot. There is nothing "new" or "experimental" in it.

3. If we get the "regular" flu shot and tolerate it, then we should have no problem with the H1N1 shot.

4. In the next year or so, the "regular" flu shot will contain the H1N1 as well.

5. Here in the US, they are not using adjuvents

Like I said, this is from my primary doctor and the boys' asthma specialist at Children's.

Our family gets the regular flu shot every year. We tolerate it well, so I don't expect any different from the H1N1 vaccine. My kids are at higher risk for respiratory issues. I'm not taking any chances. However, my youngest just tested positive for it, so if we all end up with this I guess it negates the necessity of getting the vaccine this year. And my oldest alreay had H1N1 earlier in the summer.

Angela

[MomtoGiuliana]

Angela--from all I have read and learned from physicians, I agree with you 100%.

[Jan]

My advice

Don't get it if you are allergic to eggs and ask for a dose without mercury.

WHY do they still use that as a preservative, is there really nothing better?

[Tessa]

Hi

Thank you all for your answers, but I am still worried about this as I have been surfing the net and found information that confirms the statements made by this doctor (at least, what I have been looking for up to now).

Furthermore, most of our physicians, nurses and GP?s in Spain are not getting to an agreement on the vaccine. Some are against, others say you should... And they always say it is our decission... As they are not sure if we could have side effects.

According to what I?ve found, it is true that Baxter Laboratory contaminated vaccines with deadly live H5N1 avian flu virus and distributed it to 18 countries last December... It was only providence that the batch was first tested on ferrets in the Czech Republic, before being shipped out for injection into humans. The ferrets all died and the shocking discovery was made.

This news was confirmed by the Austrian Ministry of Health. The Austrian health ministry reported the incident to the European Union and is conducting its own audit.

The World Health Organization ?is aware of the situation and is consulting with the ministers of health of the countries involved to ensure that all public risks arising from this event have been identified and managed appropriately,? said Gregory Hartl, a spokesman in Geneva.

The European Medicines Agency has no immediate comment.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which distributes seasonal flu viruses to companies for vaccine manufacturing, isn?t investigating or providing consultation.

The CDC is staying in touch with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control regarding the incident.

Initially, Baxter attempted to stonewall questions by invoking ?trade secrets? and refused to reveal how the vaccines were contaminated with H5N1. After increased pressure they then claimed that pure H5N1 batches were sent by accident.

And it is Baxter who is working with the World Health Organization on a potential vaccine to curb the deadly swine flu virus...

Article published by the NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE (NEJM) about the virus: Virus History

US President?s Daughters not vaccinated

The news that a fourth person has died after taking the "swine flu" jab in Sweden is focussing attention on the failure of the Swedish Medical Products Agency (MPA) to halt the "swine flu" programme even as reports of serious side effects flood in.

October 25th:

According to a report by Marc Badertscher in the Swiss newspaper, the Tagesanzeiger, the Swiss authorities have decided not to authorise the use of Novartis's swine flu jab "Celtura" on the grounds that there are insufficient studies to show it is safe, especially for women and children.

Arkansas DHS vaccinates 36 children with swine flu vaccine against parents objections

See full article: link

Germany:

Fredrich Hoffmann, the head of Germany's national vaccine commission, has told doctors that they should give the untested "swine flu" jab to their patients no matter what their opinion about it might be, but German doctors are refusing to bow down and be bullied.

Another interesting article I?ve found:

The Swedish doctor Annika Dahlqvist, who lost her job for speaking out about her scepticism ragarding the mass vaccinations against "swine flu" in Sweden, has on her blog further explained her doubts regarding WHO, the disease and its "cure".

This is from her blog:

"As you can imagine, I get many emails about influenza and vaccination. Some of them contain information about how the new swine flu virus and the vaccine was created. This virus consists of genetic material from seasonal flu, swine flu and avian flu viruses. Viruses can not mix in this way in nature. Viruses can mutate, but they have no sexual reproduction that can mix genetic material. This means that the new virus was made in a laboratory, probably by pharmaceutical companies. The virus is then planted in strategic places around the world to cause an epidemic outbreak. After that, manufacturers persuade contacts in the WHO to issue a pandemic declaration. The unsuspecting politicians in countries around the world start mass-vaccinations of the population. And vaccine manufacturers makes billions off the whole thing, with relatively little input.

And this only looking for more information about all this for about 1 hour...

Make the investigation yourself. You will be surprised with all the confirmations that you can find (some of them from doctors, physicians, journalists, etc.).

I do not think I will get the vaccine, but thank you for your inputs.

Love

Tessa

[MomtoGiuliana]

Thanks Tessa. Again, just suggest that the website from which any info is obtained is scrutinized for credibility. There are a lot of websites right now with all sorts of info and opinions on this topic. Anyone may publish any statements they wish on the internet, not subject to any review for accuracy. I think it is great to have conversations on the forum on this topic and share information, but ultimately it is probably best to talk individually to our doctors to get the advice best for each of us.

Regarding Obama's daughters, this is what the article says:

President Obama?s school age daughters have not been vaccinated against the H1N1 flu virus. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs says the vaccine is not available to them based on their risk.

[erik]

This virus consists of genetic material from seasonal flu, swine flu and avian flu viruses. Viruses can not mix in this way in nature. Viruses can mutate, but they have no sexual reproduction that can mix genetic material.

I have read just the opposite... that they do mix this way specifically... though it obviously isn't "sexual reproduction" in the biological sense. They do so in our bodies while we host them... meaning the more people that are infected (even if not deadly so), the greater probability of cross-mutation that could end up with catastrophic effect on others.

[sarahmarie43]

Erik,

You are absolutely right. The main reason why they are worried about H1N1 is because it is so contagious. It infects the upper respiratory system causing it to easily spread human to human. The avian flu, however, infects deeper into the lungs and is therefore much more likely to cause pneumonia. But the avian flu is very difficult to pass from human to human. If someone somehow caught both of these viruses at the same time, they could very easily mutate into a new virus that takes the severity of the avian flu and combines it with the ease in which H1N1 is spread. That's when things would get bad.

My father's non-profit did the report for the Arizona governor's office on the possible avian flu pandemic a few years ago and he has done a lot of research on pandemics, and I edited the report myself, so that is how I am familiar with this stuff.

H1N1 by itself is no more harmful than the seasonal flu except for the fact that it can cause serious illness in otherwise healthy adults, which is a population that is usually not at risk for serious illness with other strains of the flu- another reason why it would be a danger if it mutated. The reason why the government has declared it a national emergency is precautionary. They know that the same amount of people will get the regular seasonal flu as happens every year, but then there will be millions of others with H1N1 on top of that and hospitals have the potential to become over-crowded. So they are just putting measures in place to make sure that they can treat as many people as possible in case it becomes a bigger problem.

I also agree with Angela's statements about the vaccine. It is the same exact vaccine as the regular old seasonal flu vaccine, only the actual virus is switched out.

I really don't think it's anything to get too worried about, but it is okay to be cautious. I will probably get the vaccine when it becomes available here. I got the flu vaccine for the first time last year and had no problems. But everyone is different. It is definitely something you and your doctor should discuss, especially since H1N1 seems to be hitting people with underlying conditions (including nervous system disorders) pretty hard.

And I read somewhere else on the forum that someone didn't believe that H1N1 was a pandemic. I honestly am not trying to call anyone out or anything (I don't even know who said it), but it actually does qualify as a pandemic because of how widespread it is, the fact that it is a new virus, and the amount of deaths it has caused. But "pandemic" is a scary word, and I think the media has gotten out of control about their reports without accurately explaining what the risks really are.

Anyway, I hope that helps. I don't want anyone to be scared, but I also don't want anyone to get sick (or sicker, I guess).

Sarah

[erik]

Yeah. There are a few meanings & connotations to "pandemic". The technical meaning which is arguably of minimal use, the political meaning (how agencies define & respond, etc.), and the "OK, we're all going to die so everybody run around like a Chicken Sans Cranium" meaning. There are few if any promoters of the latter... though perhaps it could come in handy as a pick-up line in a bar... as in convincing someone to make a decision they might not make otherwise!

Sadly, it seems that these things operate on a "cusp" or "critical mass" basis. They hum along looking like a total dud, making fools of anyone who advocated caution... right up until the moment they explode into true catastrophe. That is the nature. It is a scary nature. It does not mean that scary things will happen, just that they can happen. Acknowledging this observation is not over-hyping... it is establishing a context, a full context. To do less is a luxury not available for anyone in a decision making role. As new info comes in, we all hope that alarm can be lowered. For some this makes prior alarm look foolish, but it's best to remember risk is/was there, despite how things happen to play out.

But any way, accusation of mass murder for simple profit is a lofty charge, and one which should be made only with strong specific evidence and reason... which I find suspiciously lacking. I assert that there is more evidence of underlying paranoia and active fueling of such on the side of conspiracy accusers than on the side of those warning of potential escalation of the virus' impact. But that is just my observation and interpretation of what I see on news and whatnot. Things could be different elsewhere or for others.

As many others have said, a critical piece of information is being an "at risk" individual. This changes the equation drastically for some. As with most all things, one rule cannot be applied identically to all or applied universally to explain a large complicated circumstance. The definition of "at risk" is evolving as we speak, based on hospital admissions, observations and outcomes. Last I heard, 80% of those having poor outcome had one of the "at risk" conditions... so it does seem logical to let that influence decisions... even if this were a man made conspiracy of some sort.

[Tessa]

Hi

Thanks for your comments, they have been very interesting.

I will ask my Endo next month to see what he has to say about it as we are having different answers depending on the physician we ask to...

Take care,

Tessa

[skyblu]

US President?s Daughters not vaccinated

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/20...n1-vaccine.html

ABC News' Sunlen Miller reports:

The White House announced today that the president?s daughters received the H1N1 vaccine after it became available to Washington, D.C. schoolchildren.

The vaccine was administered last week to Malia, 11, and Sasha, 8, by a White House physician, who applied for and received the vaccine from the D.C. Department of Health, ?using the same process as every other vaccination site in the District,? according to the first lady?s Press Secretary Katie McCormick-Lelyveld.

The president and first lady have not yet received the vaccination. The White House said they will wait until the needs of priority target groups -- young people under 24, pregnant women, and people with underlying conditions -- receive theirs first.

?I suspect that I may come fairly far down the line,? The president told CNN last month. ?We want to get vaccinated. We think it's the right thing to do. We will stand in line like everybody else. And when folks say it's our turn, that's when we'll get it.

On Friday President Obama signed a proclamation declaring H1N1 a national emergency.

All four members of the first family received the seasonal flu shot last week.

-- Sunlen Miller

[lthomas521]

Beware of the "antivaccination" arguments you read over the Internet.

As the "Pathguy" has shown, antivaccination zealots often lie: http://www.pathguy.com/antiimmu.htm

Of course, we wouldn't have to worry so much about new strains of influenza if we'd simply stop growing poultry and swine for food. What's really nuts is that people are growing these animals in huge "factory farms" and even feeding them antiviral drugs. You couldn't come up with a more effective way of developing dangerous new strains of treatment-resistant flu. http://birdflubook.com/

[shelby]

I work at a hospital somedays doing registration so I was one of the few at the moment in our county and state to be able to recieve the H1N1...I recieved mine a couple weeks ago and I am doing great, no problems at all... I will keep you all posted if I experiance some difficulty, but so far all is well.

[MomtoGiuliana]

lthomas--oh you are so right. This is one of many reasons I am vegetarian. There is so much wrong with the way and the volume of meat produced on factory farms, yet I don't know what some of the answers are unless demand is reduced.

Here's another article on the subject.

http://www.jhu.edu/~jhumag/0609web/farm.html

H1N1 mist will be available next week or so to children here. My daughter will get it, unless she gets sick. We've already had a wave of probable H1NI at her school.

[Karla343]

I guess I don't use the internet enough, or at least not the way others do because I didn't know this anti-vacc thing "on the internet" was a thing.  I don't know what websites people go to to read anout this "hot stuff".  It took me years to learn about the flat earth stuff (was that an "internet thing"?) and I didn't learn about it through the internet.  I knew people who were cautious about vaccines years and years ago but only because they had children with weak systems that were predisposed to problems given the right set of circumstances.  Though none of them ever claimed that vaccines were the root cause or sole cause of their problems.  Is the popular internet thing that that vaccines are the sole cause?  Because that's what I heard.  I don't blame these people because eds was obviously not the cause of dysautonomia otherwise everyone with eds would have dysautonomia.  I realize there's multiple factors involved in these things. Have no idea why people would lie intentionally unless making a profit.  Perhaps misinformed or some disagreements over what is truth.  Even if everyone else's kids ends up with health issues or cognitive problems, why should they care?  It's not their own kids, and there's little you can do or care about anymore to be wirried about the happiness or well-being of others.