FluMist warning

[Guest guest]

>

> Now health officials, those in Colorado in particular, are urging healthy

> people under age 49 to use the new, and more expensive, FluMist nasal

> spray, which is still in abundance. The spray cannot be used by older

> people, infants or at-risk people with chronic ailments.

 

Shedding and spreading live viruses in this manner poses a problem to up

to 60% of the population. Colorado may be cavalier in their wisdom, but

some states have not let pharmacists dispense it.

 

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Flu vaccination campaign nets live virus warning

 

Body Electric

 

This season, the first nasal spray vaccine for the flu, FluMist,

contains three live virus strains; two types of influenza A, which

causes severe illness, and one type of influenza B, which is milder. The

live viruses in the vaccine have been weakened so that we may obtain

immunity to these three strains without causing illness.

 

FluMist has the potential to be a blockbuster for the company if they

can convince us to use it. Popular Science has named FluMist one of 10

products in its personal health category of 'Best of What's New.'

Hundreds of TV and hardcopy ads have been mounted in the biggest, most

intense, direct-to-consumer marketing campaign ever waged for a vaccine.

Television spots will harp on the inconveniences that your family,

friends and co-workers will endure if you don't get the flu shot and

subsequently contract the flu. Hardcopy ads and magazine articles in the

USA will use scare tactics that warn of the high possibility of a

bioterror attack using the flu. News media get involved with heart-

wrenching stories of people dying of it.

 

Theoretical benefits of vaccinated population there may be, but risks

centered on the deployment of live plague viruses are high for many

families, and perhaps 60 per cent of the general population, according to

some estimates. It's not surprising then, that in the middle of all this

fanfare one can hear the discordant sounds of some pretty dire warnings

from the experts.

 

When FluMist is administered, between 10 million and 100 million

viruses will be injected into the nostrils. One concern is over the

potential for the viruses to enter directly into the brain through the

thin bone separating brain from sinus, a known route for other

infections. In addition, the viral strains were developed using 'specific

pathogen-free primary chick kidney cells' and 'specific pathogen-free

eggs', which means that while they're free of specific pathogens, they

might not be 'pathogen-free.' Can you accept a risk that your dose of

vaccine may contain avian retroviruses? FluMist has not been tested in

chronically ill or immunocompromised patients either, so the exact risks

in these populations are unknown, but flu in the shots is known to be

severe even in healthy individuals.

 

The cause for concern related to spreading live flu strains are the

most prevalent side effects of the vaccine: 'runny nose' and 'nasal

congestion.' It has been documented that live viruses from the vaccine

can be shed (and potentially spread into the community) from recipient

children for up to 21 days, and even longer from adults. If you don't

care about spreading it in your community, you might care that there is

also a 2.4% chance that treated persons will spread the flu to others in

the household or to the elderly parents you might want to visit. Viral

shedding also puts breastfeeding infants at risk if the mother has been

given FluMist.

 

The virus can also be distributed by sneezing, the normal physiological

response when an irritant enters the nasal passages. Therefore, the risk

for shedding, and spreading, live viruses throughout a school, church,

workplace or store, especially one that is giving the vaccine, is high.

Such a clinic or store would indeed be a 'hot spot' for the deadly

strains. Where will you shop if your favourite store might infect you?

Number 1 global retailer Wal-Mart canceled plans to sell FluMist this

year after some states would not let pharmacists administer the vaccine.

Good plan.

 

Most people realise the ongoing release of live viruses throughout the

community may be a significant risk to the very young and very old, and

everyone who has a weak, or weakened, immune system. Ok, but here's a

kicker: people with weakened immune systems also include those who have

cancer, eczema, HIV and AIDS, organ recipients, and a staggering number

who are on corticosteroids, drugs that are prescribed for dozens of

conditions including asthma, allergies, eczema, emphysema, Crohn's

disease, multiple sclerosis, herniated spinal discs, acute muscular pain

syndromes, and all types of rheumatoid and autoimmune diseases. About 60

per cent of the population could be considered to be 'chemically

immunosuppressed'; once these influenza strains are well-distributed,

those who are unvaccinated can also spread it to each other.

 

Can you, in good conscience, help deploy severe live flu viruses (maybe

different ones every year), in uncontrolled conditions, to a population

with an immunocompromised majority? Spending a few million to realize

enormous profits by ensuring the next plagues coming down the pike are

huge might make perfect fiscal sense to the clever rotters involved, but

we don't have to help them distribute live viruses to our communities.

Those of us who would rather not consider contributing to the death of

another person can consider instead 3 or more week of quarantine while

we're contagious with any killer plague.

 

Duncan Crow