It all began on October 17, when vaccine maker Crucell, a unit of U.S. drugmaker Johnson & Johnson, suspended delivery of 2.36 million doses of their seasonal flu vaccine, Inflexal V, destined for Italy and other European countries, after discovering “problems” with two of the 32 lots.
A week later, on October 24, Italy banned the sale and use of four flu vaccines manufactured by Novartis.7 The Italian Health Ministry issued an advisory stating that use of Agrippal, Fluad, Influpozzi and adjuvanted Influpozzi was suspended until further notice, following the discovery of white particles in the vaccines. The following day, the ban on Novartis’ flu vaccines spread to a number of other countries:
- Switzerland
- Spain
- Germany
- Austria
- France
On October 27, Canada also suspended sale and use of Novartis’ flu vaccines sold under the names of Fluad and Agriflu, both of which are manufactured in Italy.
According to a report by the Wall Street Journal:
“Problems with its flu vaccines represent a new blow for the Swiss drug maker [Novartis], which has struggled with a series of manufacturing problems recently. The Basel-based company is still trying to resume production at its troubled facility in Lincoln, Nebraska, which was shut down in December because of manufacturing flaws, and recently had to recall a birth-control pill because of a packaging error.
Novartis Chief Executive Joe Jimenez in a call with journalists sought to reassure that its flu shots are safe, adding that the company is cooperating with health authorities. ‘We are confident that the safety of the vaccines is assured. The lot in question had a deviation, it has been identified and put on hold and has not been released to the market,’ he said. ‘The manufacturing of vaccines is a complex procedure. Italian authorities are free to continue investigating,’ but there is evidence that such deviations wouldn’t affect safety or efficacy, Mr. Jimenez said.”
Should you get vaccinated?
With flu season just around the corner, health agencies are telling Americans to just “get your flu shot,” assuring everyone that it’s safe and effective.
Many, like MedicineNet.com, chalk up any and all safety concerns as “myths.”
“It’s the time of year when you should be thinking about flu vaccinations for yourself and your family,” they write. “Some people, however, decide not to get the flu vaccine and put themselves and others at risk of getting sick just because they believe long-held myths about the vaccine.”
Myths? I think not.
Vaccine Claims are Not Based on Science-Backed Medicine
The only myth here is the unscientific claim that the flu vaccine is safe and effective and “the best way” to protect yourself against the flu. Nothing could be further from the truth. Numerous studies have shown that the flu vaccine is NOT an effective way to prevent influenza and the real-life experiences of vaccine victims offer a window into the indisputable reality that flu vaccines are NOT without serious risks.
Most recently, a University Of Minnesota study2 published in January found that flu vaccines may not offer as much protection as previously thought. The elderly, in particular, do not appear to receive measureable value from the flu shot, which is the same conclusion reached by several previous studies. Trivalent inactivated influenza vaccines also didn’t offer much protection to children over the age of seven.
The study differs from other meta-analyses in that it assessed efficacy and effectiveness of licensed influenza vaccines in the US by including only those studies that used sensitive and highly specific diagnostic tests to confirm cases of influenza. Eligible articles were published between Jan 1, 1967, and Feb 15, 2011, and used RT-PCR or culture for confirmation of influenza. According to the authors, “Influenza vaccines can provide moderate protection against virologically confirmed influenza, but such protection is greatly reduced or absent in some seasons. Evidence for protection in adults aged 65 years or older is lacking.”
In essence, if you’re a senior, you’re taking a health risk for a theoretical health benefit that can’t be confirmed and, if you’re a healthy adult, it’s a shot in the dark. According to this analysis, at best you’ll have up to 59 percent protection IF the selected type A and B influenza strains included in the vaccine are exactly those you happen to be exposed to. If not, you’ll have no protection at all. So, again, you’re taking a health risk for little or no benefit. Lead researcher Osterholm told WFMY News, “We found that current influenza vaccine protection is substantially lower than for most routine recommended vaccines and is suboptimal.”
Even the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, Michael T. Osterholm, is questioning the effectiveness of the vaccine. “We have overpromoted and overhyped this vaccine, it does not protect as promoted. It’s all a sales job: it’s all public relations” said Osterholm.
Powerful Profile of a Vaccine Victim
While the efficacy of flu vaccines may be “suboptimal” or missing altogether, the same cannot be said about the potential health risks, so a calm, level-headed risk versus benefit analysis is crucial before you decide to get vaccinated.
I urge you to watch the profile of a flu vaccine victim below, and weigh the potential of such an outcome against the potential of having to spend a week in bed with the flu… Remember most deaths attributed to the flu are actually due to bacterial pneumonia. But these days, bacterial pneumonia can be effectively treated with advanced medical care and therapies, like ICUs, respirators and parenteral antibiotics.
Continue reading at Mercola.com
