H1N1 Shots’ Benefits Outweigh the Risks
By SHELLEY HANSON Staff WriterArticle Photos
WHEELING - Public health officials have learned a few things about immunization over the years - especially since 1976.
That's the year when a national campaign to inoculate the country against the swine flu began and then stopped at 40 million doses.
What officials know now is the disease was not as widespread as they believed. There was one swine flu-related death at Fort Dix, N.J., but 23 other deaths in Philadelphia, officials later learned, actually were caused by a new disease - Legionnaires' - not swine flu as suspected, said Dr. William Mercer, Wheeling-Ohio County health officer.
Five hundred other soldiers at Fort Dix had swine flu antibodies, but none actually developed any symptoms of the disease. The chain of events set off the national campaign, named the National Influenza Immunization Program - or NIIP.
"They were afraid it was going to be the start of the 1918 great influenza," Mercer said of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Gerald Ford administration. "Back then, they thought the great influenza was more of a swine virus. Turns out ... it was more of a bird in 1918," Mercer said. "There were never anymore cases."
"It was a little bit of a panic. We've learned our lesson from that. But now we definitely have this pandemic, this virus," Mercer said of the current strain of swine, or H1N1, flu virus, which he noted is different than the 1976 strain.
The 1976 campaign was stopped after health officials believed cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome were on the rise. They thought there may be a connection between the vaccine and the syndrome, which led to the campaign's cancellation. Public health officials now believe the cancellation of the vaccination program was an overreaction, much like the program itself ended up being an overreaction.
"There were reports of (Guillain-Barre) so they were concerned. ... And there were some reports of people in Pittsburgh who died the same day they got the swine flu vaccine. It was probably not related, but the fact that they were seeing more cases, they decided to suspend the program," Mercer said. "In hindsight, it probably should have never been started. There wasn't a pandemic. It was kind of a black eye for public health, but they've learned a lot. ... The difference is now there is a pandemic. That's why they went ahead with the vaccinations. It's markedly different."
Mercer noted of the 1.7 million military personnel who were vaccinated in 1976, 13 developed Guillain-Barre. And of the 40 million Americans vaccinated, about 525 developed Guillian-Barre.
"Was (Guillain-Barre) something that really happened more in the people that got the swine flu vaccine then? From my standpoint, I would say 'no.' I think when they looked back at this there was probably not more of an increase. ... Normally, Guillain-Barre follows some type of infection. It triggers an autoimmune response."
According to the National Institutes of Health, Guillain-Barre causes the body's immune system to attack part of the peripheral nervous system. Mercer said it typically begins in the feet and legs and moves upward.
Where people get into trouble, he noted, is if it reaches their lungs, hindering breathing. Though it can be fatal, most people recover, he said.
"I'm not foreseeing that we see more cases of Guillain-Barre than we normally do, but we are watching for it. The government is very concerned about side effects from the vaccine," he added.
For example, the CDC is monitoring for spikes in cases of heart attacks, miscarriages and other health issues.
"Are we worried this current swine flu vaccine is going to cause Guillain-Barre? I would say no more than we have since 1976. With the regular seasonal flu we have not seen an increase," Mercer said.
Mercer estimates the swine flu will be around for at least a year, based on past pandemics. He noted the risk of developing Guillain-Barre syndrome is so low that not to get vaccinated against the swine flu is not advisable. "Infection with H1N1 is much more risky," he said.
According to the CDC, the risk of developing Guillain-Barre "is estimated to be no more than 1 case ... per 1 million persons vaccinated. Pregnant women should tell the person giving the shots if they have ever had GBS."
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goodboy
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11-03-09 4:28 PM
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countryroads, I've given you the facts about thimerasol and autism. There is no link. there is a risk of GBS associated with vaccines, but it is extremely low and extremely rare. This article that you're posting comments to, states: "According to the CDC, the risk of developing Guillain-Barre "is estimated to be no more than 1 case ... per 1 million persons vaccinated." 1 in a million. What do you think your chances are, of getting swine flu? Believing there's a connection between vaccines an autism doesn't make a connection. The science is not there. Your friend is searching for something that's not there. you said, "The mother of the autistic child believes he developed it after the vaccination. She is the one who keeps me informed on these issues and give me websites to research about vaccines. " the websites she gives you are wrong. the information she gives you is wrong.
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countryroad
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11-03-09 3:35 PM
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I work in a hospital and have personally worked with people who came down with GBS after receiving a flu shot. I was in shock that a simple vaccination could cause such a devastating effect.I did not believe the patient when he told me how he contracted GBS from the flu vaccine, so I asked the physician in charge. It was the physician that confirmed the patient's story. Yes, there is a correlation between the vaccine and GBS. I also know of twins who had there vaccines at the same time. One developed autism, one did not. Now there has to be something to this, and I will admit I do not have the answers. The mother of the autistic child believes he developed it after the vaccination. She is the one who keeps me informed on these issues and give me websites to research about vaccines. Seems to me that there is something going on. Now don't get hostile towards me, I am just trying to make you aware of some of these things. I do not have the answers but willing to read info on both sides
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goodboy
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11-03-09 1:39 PM
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troll, "and the problem is that vaccination occurs without the type of testing to see who should not get a particular shot due to underlying medical frailty." Can you tell me, how many people have died from the H1N1 vaccinations, since they started this year?
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goodboy
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11-03-09 1:38 PM
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countryroad, "I guess I should have used the terminology that the mercury can contribute to these problems. I don't understand why you are so offended by the people who have contracted these problems after receiving a vaccine" Nobody "contracted" autism as a result of a vaccine. EVER! " Hospital and other records indicated that virtually all of the children had begun developing symptoms of autism well before the shot" That idiot doctor LIED. also, when I said, "So if you believe the vaccine, you're an idiot." I meant, if you believe the H1N1 or other vaccine causes autism, you're an idiot.
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GETACLUE
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11-03-09 1:35 PM
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countryroad..... A genetic predisposition is not the fault of the vaccine. If one has a genetic predisposition then they would most likely contract the disease with or without any outside factors. It is just very convenient to blame a vaccine fore poor genes.
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goodboy
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11-03-09 1:34 PM
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countryroad: THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT THIMEROSAL CONTRIBUTES TO NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS IN ANY WAY. Dr. Andrew Wakefield, the British physician who jump-started the scare about a link between the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism, manipulated and changed data to make his case in the 1998 Lancet paper, according to an investigation by the Sunday Times of London. The purported link has subsequently been REFUTED by a large number of epidemiological studies. HE'S A LIAR. FDA, in conjunction with the other members of the US Public Health Service (USPHS), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), CDC and Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) in a joint statement with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), concluded: "Our review revealed no evidence of harm caused by doses of thimerosal found in vaccines, except for local hypersensitivity reactions" So if you believe the vaccine, you're an idiot. You get more mercury eating a tuna fish sandwich.
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goodboy
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11-03-09 1:21 PM
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troll, "The oilio vaccine was never halted and is still being used today." After the success of the field trials, the Salk vaccine was put into widespread use. Unfortunately, one improperly manufactured batch of the vaccine caused polio in a number of children, and the vaccination program was TEMPORARILY HALTED. Salk was at once lionized by the public and the media and criticized by other scientists, who felt that he had rushed the development of the vaccine for the sake of personal glory (and to beat Sabin). It was Sabin who demonized Salk... how would you feel if someone reading this thread decided that they believed your advice..and their child got sick with H1N1, and died as a result.
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countryroad
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11-03-09 8:07 AM
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GETACLUE I guess I should have used the terminology that the mercury can contribute to these problems. I don't understand why you are so offended by the people who have contracted these problems after receiving a vaccine. It is just to help people become more informed. I have a feeling that if one of your loved ones or friends came down with a devastating neurological disorder, you would want to know why and try to prevent it from happening to others. Thats all I am saying, not trying to make anyone mad.
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trolll
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11-03-09 7:22 AM
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getaclue, for the same reason that 30 million people can smoke in this counry, but only a hundred thousand get lung cancer as a result. for the same reason that only a fraction of the people who are obese come down with diabetes. for the same reason that millions of people have high blood pressure and hypertension but only a fraction suffer a stroke as a result. some people are more susceptible to the damage than others, and the problem is that vaccination occurs without the type of testing to see who should not get a particular shot due to underlying medical frailty.
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trolll
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11-03-09 7:19 AM
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goodboy you are talking out your keyster. The oilio vaccine was never halted and is still being used today. and it truly shows the limit of your ability to use logic and reason in critical thinking to try and argue one medical product's efficacy and safety with another. this discussion is about the flu vaccine, not the polio.
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GETACLUE
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11-03-09 6:58 AM
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Countryroad........What a bunch of B.S. if the vaccine causes all that you say it does then why is it not more wide spread? Why if a few people get some kind of illness that they most likely would have developed anyway is it the fault of some vaccine? What about the people that get the mentioned illnesses that never got the vaccine? WHAT A CROCK OF HORSE SHAT!!!!
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Shark88
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11-02-09 10:44 PM
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So why even get a regular flu shot then if this is all the swine flu?
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countryroad
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11-02-09 9:35 PM
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There are some good articles about the dangers of vaccines in natural news. (You can google this.) This particular website was given to me from a friend of mine whose son became autistic after receiving a vaccine. She has now gone all over the world looking for answers to help her autistic son and others who have suffered devastating neurological effects from the "mercury" that is laced in most vaccines. This is what is causing the GBS, dystonia, autoimmune diseases, autism, tourettes, and other neurological problems associated by vaccines. If you decide to get the vaccine, ask for the ones not laced with mercury. I think it is the therosil that is making people come down with the neuro problems.
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walksabout
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11-02-09 7:17 PM
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forste gumb addressed the vaccine issue early on. The discussion was like this here. " Momma " es Forste ? " Are we gonna get that shot ? " no forste we are not why ? " Well Momma, I was a thinking, one less monkey never stopped no show did it ? " No forste and it is clear the healthcare carnival is a rummin' unattended. " For real Momma ?" Shush, just run forste run .
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walksabout
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11-02-09 7:11 PM
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N1H1 numbers can be directly attributed to the work of Henry Ford, The Wright Brothere, Robert Fulton. You are really dumb if you don't imediately get the connection and find it humorous.
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beach1
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11-02-09 6:36 PM
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i got my regular flu shot at the v.a. wednesday and the nurse there said her 6 year old has the flu and the doctor told her they are diagnosing all flu as swine flu because they don't have the time or money to take cultures and tests to determine the type of flu!
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beach1
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11-02-09 6:33 PM
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ohio county seems to be doing a good job of getting the swine vaccine out,but i have heard a thing about belmont county,have you?
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goodboy
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11-02-09 2:47 PM
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trolll, "Perhaps the British Medical Journal is also just another crazed conspiracy theory rag?" The Global Vaccine Institute is a wacko conspiracy site, that recommends "holistic" i.e. FAKE medicine. Remember that the polio vaccine was halted by idiots like you. People died.
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trolll
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11-02-09 2:14 PM
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goodboy, the US govt. is NOT in the habit of suspending their operations or paying damages over "associations". Both happened in the '76 swine flu campaign. The vaccine then was attributed by medical experts to have caused 25 deaths and thousands of cases of GBS. The total payout to the victims was in the tens of millions, and the vaccination effort was halted long before the implied threat petered out.
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trolll
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11-02-09 2:11 PM
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thinktwice DOT com/BMJ_Flu.pdf Perhaps the British Medical Journal is also just another crazed conspiracy theory rag?
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GETACLUE
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11-02-09 1:56 PM
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well stated goodboy
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goodboy
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11-02-09 1:45 PM
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popeye, "You have to be out of your mind to take this vaccine.' FACTS? Anything, other than a conspiracy theory? Don't take it. If you get sick and die from H1N1, nobody will miss you.
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goodboy
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11-02-09 1:44 PM
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trolll, "the govt. found that it DID cause GBS " "In 1976, vaccination with the swine flu vaccine was associated with getting GBS. Several studies have been done to evaluate if other flu vaccines since 1976 were associated with GBS. Only one of the studies showed an association. That study suggested that one person out of 1 million vaccinated persons may be at risk of GBS associated with the vaccine." from the CDC website.
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popeye
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11-02-09 1:40 PM
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You have to be out of your mind to take this vaccine.
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goodboy
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11-02-09 1:35 PM
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justmytake, "The swine flu "pandemic" is a media and drug company driven uban ledgend." 19 more kids died this past week from H1N1. Now 114 children are dead since April. 1/3 of them with NO underlying conditions. "uban ledgend?" Learn to spell. justmytake, ". There is no reliable way to descerne the swine flu from other strains even though we are told there is" Yes we can discern the different strains of viruses using something called:SCIENCE! We look through things called "MICROSCOPES"
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