Influenza: October 2006 Archives

AUSTRALIA - Labor Senator John Faulkner wants more to be done to check if parliamentary staff have become sick after being given a flu vaccination.

The head of the Department of Parliamentary Services (DPS), Hilary Penfold, says Comcare has accepted that a staff member's illness was associated with being given the vaccine in 2005.

Ms Penfold says there is at least one other case she is aware of that has been linked to that round of vaccinations.

The first article this fall which is asking a question - whether influenza vaccine is actually worth taking.

"Previous papers published by Jefferson found that the flu vaccine is only mildly effective in the population for which it is supposedly most critical, the elderly. He also concluded that there is no good science to back new American and Canadian policies of vaccinating children under the age of 2."

"Overall, Jefferson concluded, influenza vaccines have little or no effect on many influenza campaign objectives, such as hospital stay, time off work, or death from influenza and its complications."

Of course, this article wouldn't see the light unless this opinion wouldn't be opposed by another doctor. Read the article below.

by Andrew Bridges, AP, 24 Oct 2006

WASHINGTON -- Federal health officials won't put new restrictions on the use of a mercury-based preservative in vaccines and other medicines, denying a petition that sought the limits because of health concerns.

A group called the Coalition for Mercury-free Drugs petitioned the Food and Drug Administration in 2004 seeking the restrictions on thimerosal, citing concerns that the preservative is linked to autism. In a reply dated Sept. 26 but made public only Tuesday, the FDA rejected the petition.

Health officials rule out suspicions death of four patients was caused by flu vaccine.

The Health Ministry ruled out on Monday any link between vaccination against flu and the deaths of four patients who died within eight days of receiving the same flu vaccine.

ISRAEL - The Health Ministry ordered a halt of all flu vaccinations across the country after three people died on Sunday, days after being injected with the same flu vaccine.

The Ministry said an investigation has been launched.

The victims, aged 52, 70, and 72, were vaccinated at a Kiryat Gat Leumi clinic where they have been receiving the same vaccine for three years. They also suffered unnamed health problems.

No, I am not going to write anything either about how flu vaccine will be available for US citizens, or that there are delays in its delievery.

People, open your eyes. you don't need a flu vaccine.

If your immune system is already weak, this shot will only give your body unnecessary work.
Your immune sistem will only strain for nothing. The shot might protect you only from a few probable stamms of influenza. But we don't know which ones will actually come.

Unless (conspirologist mode on) someone evil will release "proper" influenza to start next flu season (conspirologist mode off).

By getting a flu shot you may protect you for a short period against some influenza stamms. This is uncertain. What is certain that you will contribute to pharma corporations' profit.

Think.

What is thimerosal?

Thimerosal is a very effective preservative that has been used since the 1930s to prevent contamination in some multidose vials of vaccines (preservatives are not required for vaccines in single dose vials). Thimerosal contains about 49 percent ethylmercury. There is no convincing evidence of harm caused by the low doses of thimerosal in vaccines, except for minor reactions like redness and swelling at the injection site. However, in July 1999, the Public Health Service (PHS) agencies, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and vaccine manufacturers agreed that thimerosal should be reduced or eliminated in vaccines as a precautionary measure.

BALTIMORE, Md. -- The Baltimore City Health Department is going to be offering free flu vaccinations to elementary school-age children over the next two weeks.

Health officials said the free FluMist vaccine will be available to healthy children ages 5 to 11 at the following elementary schools:

A large-scale action on vaccination of people against influenza starts in Krasnoyarsk Territory on October, 16. The action is a part of the national project "Health" initiated by President Putin. 300 thousand doses of the vaccine have already been delivered to the region and are being distributed among districts and towns now, as the agency of health service of Krasnoyarsk Territory reported.

Vaccination will be free for children who go to kindergartens and pre-school, teachers and doctors, retired people. The rest people will be able to be vaccinated with medicine made in Russia or abroad for $7-$16 in the local hospitals. Doctors also offer corporate vaccination.

It is worth mentioning that influenza strains are expected to be the same as last year.

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Most of us don't worry about catching the flu from other people, but we incorrectly fear getting the bug from the influenza vaccine. That's the word from a new survey that was released last week by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. NFID discovered many misconceptions about flu shots - which are supposed to be abundant this year. The government estimates that more than 110 million doses will be distributed nationwide. If you want a shot, call your doctor first to see if he or she has any in stock. No luck? Then visit this website and punch in your zipcode for a list of local retail stores that will be offering flu-shot clinics. Read on for more about the survey.

The University of Pittsburgh plans to work with the Pittsburgh Public Schools to investigate ways to battle the flu that do not involve vaccines or other pharmaceuticals.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced this week that Pitt is among eight centers that will share $5.2 million in grants to assess the effect of hand-washing, the wearing of masks, or other protective measures that could be used during a flu pandemic.

EAST BAY - From costumes to candy, a parent's to-do list may be the scariest thing about October. But getting your children vaccinated against the flu is one to-do that many parents may not realize is a must-do.

In fact, an overwhelming majority — 84 percent — of parents are unaware of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) new influenza vaccination recommendation for healthy children, according to a recent survey conducted by Families Fighting Flu, a non-profit organization of parents who have lost children to the flu.

Are you in fear that there will be not enough flu shots for you?
Are you still convinced that you need a flu shot?

If you are, then don't read this article - Winterproof Your Body.

However, if you consider that there are other ways than vaccination to stay healthy, I'm inviting you for a 2 minute interesting read.

Remember, not a single drug will keep you in a good health unless your food and lifestyle are healthy.

By Rebecca Vesely, InsideBayArea, 9 Oct 2006

Although there is expected to be plenty of flu vaccine this year, some health providers say their shipments of a special mercury-free flu shot for children younger than 3 and pregnant women is delayed.

On July 1, California became the first state to require that flu vaccine given to pregnant women and children younger than 3 years old contain little or no thimerosal, a preservative that contains mercury that has been used in vaccines since the 1930s to prevent bacterial contamination.

by Juan Ameen, 8 Oct 2006

People over 55 can go their family doctor to have the flu vaccine instead of at the health clinics and pay only the doctor’s fee.

The Association of Private Family Doctors spokesperson Martin Borg said that this year doctors will be given flu vaccines for their patients who are entitled to receive it for free from the State health services.

By Lauran Neergaard, Associated Press, 7 Oct 2006

WASHINGTON ---- For a half-century, flu vaccine has been brewed in chicken eggs. The government issued new guidelines last week that promise to spur a more modern recipe: using vats of cells instead.

By Du Xiaoli (chinadaily.com.cn), 8 Oct 2006

Domestic vaccine enterprises showed obvious advantages in China's flu vaccine market compared with their foreign counterparts this year, breaking the foreign enterprise monopoly of flu vaccines for the first time, according to the Beijing Business Today.

It is reported that 25 million doses of the flu vaccines will be put on the Chinese market this year, the largest supply in history. Domestically produced vaccines grasped two thirds of the market share and domestic pharmaceutical enterprises became the biggest winner on China's flu vaccine market this year.

"The development of global vaccine giants is restricted to a certain extent on China's market," said a person surnamed Fan from Jiangsu Yanshen Biological Technology Stock Co Ltd.

The full text is available in the Sept-Oct Issue of China Medicine.

YES, THERE'S ENOUGH FLU VACCINE.

If you want to fall for the mass advertisement and marketing programs, go ahead and get it.
If you want to make sure that your immunodefence will get compromised, go ahead and get it.
If you want to break your child's immune system, make sure he gets a vaccine shot.

Otherwise, if you believe that all this is nothing more but a huge hype, and if you are confident that your lifestyle allows your immune system to be in a proper shape, stay away from it.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved a new vaccine for this upcoming flu-season. FluLaval will be used to immunize people 18 years of age and older against the strains of influenza virus judged likely to cause seasonal flu in 2006-2007. With this addition of FluLaval there are now five FDA-licensed vaccines for the U.S. for the upcoming season.

With flu season just around the corner, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) is recommending that people with asthma and other chronic health conditions receive a flu vaccination as soon as possible.

Each year, millions of people in the United States get influenza. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 36,000 people per year in the United States die from influenza, and over 200,000 people have to be admitted to the hospital as a result of the flu.

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Research led by Professor Nigel Dimmock at the University of Warwick is developing an entirely new method of protecting against flu. This has been shown to protect animals against various strains of flu, and could offer protection against the full range of influenza A infections, including H5N1 and any new pandemic or epidemic strains infecting humans. The 'protecting virus' provides instant protection, and completely prevents flu symptoms developing by slowing influenza infection rates to such an extent that the harmful infection becomes a vaccine against that very form of influenza. It can also counter an actual infection and offer protection if given up to 24 hours after first infection (and possibly longer).

Existing vaccination methods depend on stimulating the body's immune system, so that white blood cells produce antibodies that attach to the surface of the virus and start the process of killing it. This works well for many diseases, such as smallpox, polio and measles, but is much less effective with influenza, as the coat of the flu virus is continually changing. Vaccination against one strain of flu, for instance H3N2, is totally ineffective against another, such as H5N1. This is especially problematic when a new pandemic strain emerges, as all existing vaccines are likely to be totally ineffective.

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The Washington Post,03 Oct 2006

How effective is flu vaccine in preventing the flu? Not perfect, but pretty good. Flu vaccine works by stimulating your immune system to recognize and attack specific strains of flu viruses. Because these viruses change fast, a yearly vaccination is required. The current vaccine is based on these changes.

Each year the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tracks flu virus strains worldwide in an attempt to predict which new strains will be circulating during the coming flu season. Based on this information, the agency recommends the makeup of that year’s flu vaccine. When virus strains in the vaccine are wellmatched to actual virus strains circulating about, the flu vaccine appears to be 70 to 90 percent effective in preventing the flu among healthy adults younger than 65.

Researchers are busy sequencing the genes in the human influenza virus. This information will enable scientists to quickly zero in on currently circulating virus strains and their variants, which should lead to more-effective vaccines.