You would expect that vaccine manufacturers would thoroughly test the vaccines for safety and effectiveness before they inject millions of Americans with them. Unfortunately this is not the case. Read the actual package insert for Fluarix 2009-2010 Influenza Vaccine manufactured by Glaxo Smith-Kline, which admits that “No controlled trials demonstrating a decrease in influenza disease after vaccination with FLUARIX have been performed.”
FLUARIX® Influenza Vaccine is typical of all Influenza Vaccines. Likewise, the Swine flu vaccines are all made in the same manner with the same excipients. Fluarix is made by Glaxo Smith-Kline (GSK), one of the six vaccine manufacturers making the 2009 H1N1 Swine flu vaccine.
The U.S. has purchased 250 million doses of the Swine flu vaccine for approximately $9 billion dollars. You would hope that the vaccines would be proven safe and effective before two-thirds of the entire U.S. population is pressured into taking them.
Influenza Vaccines Proven Toxic
More than half of the Swine Flu vaccine doses scheduled to be injected into 200 million Americans contain Thimerosal, a preservative and adjuvant that contains ethyl mercury, a known neurotoxin. The overwhelming preponderance of scientific evidence links Mercury with the cause of the dramatic rise in autism seen in children over the past decade.
Twenty-five micrograms of Mercury are included in the preservative Thimerosal in every dose of the multi-dose vials of all the injectible H1N1 Swine Flu Vaccines. There are a few vaccines that are made without mercury for use in young children. However, there are still others that say they are “Preservative Free” yet actually contains ≤1 mcg mercury per dose, which is still enough to cause neurotoxicity and autism.
Even this trace amount of ≤1 mcg of mercury can be very damaging to the nervous system, especially in young children. (1 mcg mercury = 2000 parts per billion [ppb]) As little as 20 ppb will destroy nerve fibers in the brain similar to the pattern seen in autistic children.
What Other Toxins are in the Influenza Vaccines?
Each 0.5-mL dose also contains the detergent octoxynol-10 (TRITON® X-100) ≤0.120 mg, α-tocopheryl hydrogen succinate ≤0.1 mg, and polysorbate 80 (Tween 80) ≤0.380 mg. This oil is an adjuvant that boosts the immune reaction, it has been linked to miscarriage and infertility and according to Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, Volume 95, Number 6, December 2005 , pp. 593-599(7), “it is of current relevance as a ‘hidden’ inductor of anaphylactoid reactions.”
Each dose of Fluarix may also contain residual amounts of hydrocortisone (a steroid) ≤0.0016 mcg, gentamicin sulfate (an antibiotic) ≤0.15 mcg, ovalbumin (egg protein) ≤1 mcg, formaldehyde ≤50 mcg (In 1995, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) concluded that formaldehyde is a probable human carcinogen. In June 2004, after evaluating all existing data, the IARC reclassified formaldehyde as a known human carcinogen) [International Agency for Research on Cancer (June 2004). IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans Volume 88 (2006): Formaldehyde, 2-Butoxyethanol and 1-tert-Butoxypropan-2-ol.] and sodium deoxycholate ≤50 mcg (detergent / bile salt used to break virus cell membranes).
Influenza Vaccines Not Proven Very Effective!
CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY: Here is an exact quote from all five of the injectible Swine Flu Vaccine package inserts: “Specific levels of hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) antibody titer post-vaccination with inactivated influenza virus vaccines have not been correlated with protection from influenza illness but the HI antibody titers have been used as a measure of vaccine activity.”
In plain english, this means that after a person gets the flu shot, antibodies against the flu virus have not been shown to be correlated with protection against the flu, nevertheless, the antibody levels have been used anyway as the only measure of vaccine effectiveness.
They base their claim on the fact that “in some human challenge studies, HI antibody titers of ≥1:40 have been associated with protection from influenza illness in up to 50% of subjects.” 1,2
This means that only a few human studies have shown a positive antibody response and that the best result seen was an antibody level of 1:40, which is not very high. This antibody level is associated with a dismal protection from the influenza virus of less than 50% of the individuals vaccinated. This does not inspire a great deal of confidence in the vaccine since a placebo is typically 40% effective.
Even though the antibody levels have not been correlated with protection from influenza illness, they are used as the measure to claim effectiveness and are considered adequate when a seroconversion rate of 40% is achieved or when 70% of the vaccinated individuals produce an antibody level of ≥1:40. The bottom line is this statement from Glaxo Smith-Kline regarding the flu Vaccine:
“No controlled trials demonstrating a decrease in influenza disease after vaccination with FLUARIX have been performed.”
Influenza Vaccine No Better than Placebo
According to the 2006 Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 51 separate studies concluded the flu vaccine worked no better than a placebo in 294,000 children ranging in age from six months to 23 months.
The review authors found that in children over the age of two, the Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine nasal spray made from weakened influenza viruses, was better at preventing illness caused by the influenza virus (82% of illnesses were prevented) than injected vaccines made from the killed virus (59%).
Neither type was particularly good at preventing ‘flu-like illness’ caused by other types of viruses (33% and 36% respectively). Vaccines for preventing influenza in healthy children. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2007, Issue 3. Art. No.: CD004879. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD004879.pub3. first published online: January 25. 2006
Vaccinated Children Have 3 Times Higher Risk Of Hospitalization
The inactivated influenza vaccine (TIV) does not appear to be effective in preventing influenza-related hospitalizations in children, especially the ones with asthma.
In fact, children who get the flu vaccine are at 3 times higher risk for hospitalization than their peers who do not get the vaccine, according to new research that was presented on May 19, 2009, at the 105th International Conference of the American Thoracic Society.
The study found that in asthmatic children, there was a significantly higher risk of hospitalization in those children who had received the Vaccine as compared to those who did not.
Influenza Vaccine Does Not Prevent the Flu in the Elderly
In a review of 64 studies over 98 flu seasons of elderly living in nursing homes, flu shots were non-significant for preventing the flu. For elderly living in the community, vaccines were not (significantly) effective against influenza, ILI or pneumonia. Reference: “Vaccines for preventing influenza in the elderly.” The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 3 (2006).
A randomised trial showed the effectiveness of vaccination against laboratory confirmed clinical influenza to be 58%. (JAMA. 1994;272(21):1661-1665)
Flu vaccine Only Reduces Risk of Flu by 6% in Healthy Adults
In a review of 48 reports (more than 66,000 adults), “Vaccination of healthy adults only reduced risk of influenza by 6% and reduced the number of missed work days by less than one day (0.16) days. It did not change the number of people needing to go to hospital or take time off work.” Reference: “Vaccines for preventing influenza in healthy adults.” The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 1 (2006).
Are Pregnant Women at Greater Risk?
Reports that pregnant women are at increased risk of complications and death due to influenza are concerning. The basis of these data come from a January 2008 Lancet Review article, which predominantly bases its conclusions on Tennessee Medicaid data from 1974-1993.
In the Tennessee Medicaid study 4,369 women with influenza were compared to 21,845 population controls. Women in their first trimester and women during the post-partum period had virtually the same rate of hospital admissions as healthy non-pregnant women. However, women in their second trimester had a 3 times higher rate of hospital admissions than healthy non-pregnant women, while women in their third trimester had a 5 times higher rate than healthy non-pregnant women. The authors conclusion states:
“The data suggest that, out of every 10,000 women in their third trimester without other identified risk factors who experience an averge influenza season of 2.5 months, 25 will be hospitalized with influenza-related morbidity.” (Am J Epidemiol 1998; 148:1094-102). That’s 25/10,000 or 0.25 percent.
There are approximately 1.5 million pregnant women in their third trimester in the U.S. Therefore, if we use the above calculation we would expect that the flu might send an extra 3,750 pregnant women to the hospital.
However, The Lancet study then summarized a larger and more accurate study which was calculated by similar methods in a 1990-2002 population of 134,188 pregnant women from Nova Scotia. This study excluded hospital admissions for asthma attacks that were not associated with the flu. The influenza-attributable rates of hospital admissions in this study were virtually identical to those of healthy non-pregnant women. (Canadian Medical Association Journal 2007;176:463-68)
Is the Influenza Vaccine Safe for Pregnant Women?
Because safety studies with vaccines cannot be done on pregnant women, data on influenza vaccine safety for the mother and the baby cannot be known. The FluMist Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine is not recommended for pregnant women because it contains live virus. Most of the injected flu vaccine currently available in the U.S. contains 25 micrograms (mcg) of mercury in the form of Thimerosal (ethylmercury thiosalicylate).
The EPA Maximum Contaminant Level for Mercury in drinking water is 2parts per billion (ppb). Each 25 mcg dose of mercury equals 25,000 ppb Mercury. Even the so called “Preservative Free” vaccines contains 1 microgram (mcg) of Mercury, which equals 2000 ppb injected directly into the blood stream.
According to the EPA, the maximum acceptable daily risk level is 0.1 mcg/kg body weight. The current Thimerosal containing flu vaccine will inject the average child with 12-17 times the EPA maximum level of mercury and the average adult with 3.5 times the maximum amount. However, most concerning is the fact that the vaccine will expose the unborn fetus of a pregnant women to 250 times the maximum allowable exposure level of mercury.
Does the Influenza Vaccine Protect Pregnant Women?
According to the authors of the January 2008 Lancet Review article, “The few serological studies on pregnant women suggest that antibody response to influenza vaccine is similar in pregnant and non-pregnant women.” (J Infect Dis 1993; 168: 647–56; J Clin Microbiol 1979; 10: 184–87).
Does the Influenza Vaccine Protect Anyone?
The available research indicates that at best the Influenza Vaccine produces a four fold boost in antibodies to approximately 70% of those vaccinated and is “associated with protection from influenza illness in less than 50% of those vaccinated. It works best for healthy adults with a mature immune system. It does not work very well for children under 10 or adults over the age of 60 years.
The Swine Flu Vaccine: Too Little, Too Late
The vaccine manufacturers are having difficulty producing sufficient quantities of the Swine flu vaccine. The virus is grown in chicken eggs, and vaccine companies are getting 30% fewer doses per egg than the normal yield for regular winter flu vaccine, according to the FDA’s Dr. Jerry Weir.
The U.S. government has purchased 250 million doses of the Swine Flu vaccine for $9 Billion dollars. Approximately only 45 million doses will be available by the end of October. The six pharmaceutical companies making the vaccines for the US hope that they will be able to collectively provide an additional 20 million doses per week from mid October through December. This would deliver approximately 240 million doses, enough for about 200 million Americans or tow-thirds of the population since two shots will be required for children under 10 year of age.
Any possible immunity from the vaccine is not expected to occur for approximately 30 days after the vaccine dose. This would make it the end of November before the first Americans vaccinated can expect any possible immune protection from the vaccine.
Researchers from Purdue University are now saying that current trends of the H1N1 pandemic indicate that 8% of the U.S. population will be infected during the last week of October and 63% of the population will have been infected by the end of 2009. They also estimate that due to the mildness of the H1N1 flu, although 63% of Americans will be infected, only about 25% will experience symptoms.
What Can You Do to Boost Your Immunity Naturally?
Your best defense against the flu is your own immune system. Even in the worst pandemics of the world, only 25-30% of the population becomes ill and only 1% or less of that group dies. The typical seasonal flu infects only 5-20% of the population (15-60 million Americans). That means that 80-95% of the population escapes untouched (240 to 285 million Americans) every year.
The take home message is that there is no need to panic. Your own immune system is the key to preventing the flu. That is why although 63% of the U.S. population might be infected only 25% will get sick. Although the 2009 H1N1 flu is a novel flu and very contagious it is not very virulent and most will recover within in one week without serious consequences.
The mass vaccination program may have started with good intentions, but the vaccine contains many toxic substances that can cause serious long-term consequences and chronic illness. The most important question to ask is, “Are the risks worth taking for this flu?”
Parents need to be given all of the information about all of the contents of the vaccines, as well as the full disclosure of the safety and efficacy studies, as well as the risks vs the benefits so that they can make a rational and intelligent decision about whether or not to get a vaccine.
Additionally, parents would benefit from learning about alternate ways to boost their immune system and that of their children. There are safe and effective natural herbal alternatives that work like Tamiflu to prevent the spread of the flu virus, as well as oral homeopathic immunizations that boost the immune system without injecting mercury, formaldehyde, or other toxins into the body.
Dr Hansen says “There are safer more natural ways of preventing the flu that every parent can implement, for themselves and their families, without any fear of dangerous side effects.”
To learn more about active steps you can take to boost your immunity to prevent the flu or to insure a rapid and full recovery read Dr. Hansen’s article: The Top Ten Natural Treatment Alternatives for the Flu,
Additional Resources:
To read Dr. Hansen’s article: Should You Get the Swine Flu Vaccine? click here.
Click here to read the entire Glaxo Smith-Kline Fluarix package insert for yourself.
Click here to read the Sanofi Pasteur Fluzone / H1N1 Vaccine insert.
Click here to read the Novartis Fluvirin / H1N1 Vaccine insert.
To read the National Cancer Institute Fact Sheet about Formaldehyde and Cancer, click here.