Re: Flu Shots: Not Me...

[Guest guest]

http://www.hsibaltimore.com/ea2004/ea_040908.shtml

Fear Factor

" You've probably heard the news by now: Doctors are running low on

flu vaccines and are expected to run out completely before the flu

season winds down. "

That was the opening of the e-Alert " Does This Smell Bad? " that I

sent you last December. Remember last year's flu vaccine crisis?

Dire predictions that we were in for " the worst flu season in 30

years " – a possible pandemic! – arrived right alongside hand-

wringing reports that there weren't enough flu vaccines to go

around.

And what actually happened? According to a recent Associated Press

(AP) article: " In the end, some vaccine was leftover, and the season

was no worse than usual. "

Gee, the sky didn't fall or anything.

The AP piece also notes that there may be a big demand for the

vaccine this year because of " memories of shortages " and worries

that are circulating about new flu strains.

Worries circulating? I haven't heard any worries circulating. But

you can be certain that we will. Because officials for the Centers

for Disease Control (CDC) National Immunization Program (NIP) have

developed a plan specifically designed to do one thing: circulate

worries about the flu season.

Yep – those are our tax dollars at work.

Overcooking it

Sherri J. Tenpenny, D.O., is an internationally known leader in

vaccine research. For many years, Dr. Tenpenny has cautioned

consumers about the dangers of blindly accepting flu, smallpox and

other vaccines, including the wide range of inoculations for

children.

This week I came across a Red Flags Weekly article written by Dr.

Tenpenny in which she reports on a communiqué from the NIP that

contains a " Seven-Step Recipe for Generating Interest in, and Demand

for, Flu (or any other) Vaccine. "

Here are some of the recommendations in the " recipe " :

* " Medical experts and public health authorities publicly (via

media) state concern and alarm (and predict dire outcomes) and urge

influenza vaccination. "

* These actions are intended to result in, " significant media

interest and attention " by " framing of the flu season in terms that

motivate behavior (e.g., as 'very severe,' 'more severe than last or

past years,' 'deadly'). "

* " Continued reports (from health officials and media) that

influenza is causing severe illness and/or affecting lots of people –

helping foster the perception that many people are susceptible to a

bad case of influenza. "

* " References to, and discussions of, pandemic influenza – along

with continued reference to the importance of vaccination. "

Obviously, the recipe for flu vaccination success calls for a large

portion of " alarm " to be blended with " dire outcomes " and then laid

on as thick as possible.

Get out your calculators

The CDC especially likes to bring up the possibility of a flu

pandemic. And the message is basic: This could be the year of the

big one, so you better get your flu shot.

Two weeks ago, the AP sounded the alarm that the U.S. might have to

close schools, restrict travel and ration scarce medications in the

event of a worldwide flu outbreak. And Dr. Gerberding – the

head of the CDC – gave the report a dramatic flourish with this

quote: " We're all holding our breath. "

It's been 36 years since the last pandemic. That's a long time to

keep up the amateur theatrics.

The August AP article noted that about 36,000 Americans die from the

flu every year. That number is a CDC estimate that was quoted again

and again last year, and it appears that we'll be seeing it often

again this year. There's just one little thing wrong with that

number: it's off the mark. In fact it's wildly off the mark.

How many American's died of the flu last year? Here's Dr. Tenpenny's

comment from the Red Flags article: " Less than 175 people actually

died from influenza in 2003. "

Less than 175! Now THAT's good news! They expected 36,000 to die,

and we lost less than 175. That's wonderful!

But it's not wonderful if you're trying to sell flu vaccines.

Where's the fear in 175 deaths? That's only half the number of

Americans who die by drowning in bathtubs each year! You won't even

get people off the couch, much less down to their doctor's office

with only 175 " dire outcomes " hanging over their heads.

So the CDC is sticking with the much scarier 36,000 estimate.

The rub

All of this would simply be annoying, if it weren't for the fact

that the CDC and NIP are basically using taxpayer dollars to conduct

a marketing campaign for the three drug companies that produce flu

vaccines for the U.S.

And add to that the little wrinkle that just last spring CDC reps

announced their new recommendation that children aged 6 months to 23

months should now receive flu shots (which contain the mercury-based

preservative thimerosal, associated with a high risk of autism).

Annoying? How about infuriating?

There are a couple of other flu issues " going around " right now. And

since this is the time of year when I start to receive requests for

advice on whether or not to get a flu shot, I'll fill you in on

those issues in upcoming e-Alerts. In the meantime, it will be

interesting to watch news reports over the next two or three months

to see just how easily the media can be led into rubber stamping CDC-

approved " information " (especially attention-grabbing SCARY

information) and passing it along without question.

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> Waymon,

> That is because the only ones they talk to are the ones standing

in line to get it.

> Suzi

Have you noticed that the only people they can find to talk to in

print or on screen are those who just " have " to get that poisonous

shot?> Waymon