Dr. McDougall's thoughts on H1N1 Vaccine

[Gramma Jackie]

Just a note about school vaccinations.

I was in one of the first scool groups to get polio vaccinations at school way back in 1954.

My parents were thrilled that a vaccine had come out because my cousin had polio and was paralized from the waist down for life.

In 1952, over 50,000 people came down with polio. After the Salk vaccine became available the number was down to around 100 people just 10 years later.

I am a firm believer in modern vaccines. You do have to weigh the risk, but history has shown that the risks of getting diseases is far greater than the risk of having a reaction to the vaccines.

Today, many people who live in the U.S. have not seen the ravages of polio, diptheria, whooping cough, or smallpox. They have virtually been irradicated in modern countries even though some still persist in third world countries. Thanks to modern vaccines, we do not have to fear the diseases that killed off thousands in the past. However, flu viruses mutate quickly and the H1N1 virus also passed the blood barrier from one species (swine) to another (humans). This happens several times a century and can and does cause pandemics. While I personally believe my own immunity is built up enough (according to my doctor)to withstand this particular flu, I don't know if the younger members of my family have enough resistence, especially my grandchildren and my 32 year old son who has very low resistence to this type of thing.

[nonyabizz]

But I think that the influenza vaccines are pretty well tried and tested.

[Gramma Jackie]

I am a firm believer in modern vaccines. You do have to weigh the risk, but history has shown that the risks of getting diseases is far greater than the risk of having a reaction to the vaccines.

And there's the rub. Some vaccines may be very helpful (with some small but acceptable risk). Unfortunately, the big pharmaceutical companies have, for many years, been using that as a platform to create and market numerous vaccines for diseases that don't really need them, vaccines that do not work as advertised, and most importantly, "damn the public and full speed ahead" using toxic preservatives and adjuvants that have not been adequately tested or are already well known to be very dangerous. It has become up to each of us to do our own research and, as best we can, come to our own conclusions for each vaccine.

Here's a excellent overview:

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-10-27/the-united-states-of-hysteria/full/

Well I am not sure exactly who publishes The Daily Beast, but I doubt it is without bias considering the rest of the stuff I read on there.

[Gramma Jackie]

EVERYthing and EVERYone has bias. There no getting around that!




Even the most biased can be correct at times.

That is very true, but if I were going to trust information on the internet, I think I would trust a true medical website rather than just any and everything else.

According to the American College of Rheumatology website, the H1N1 nasal vaccine and the single dose innoculation do not contain mercury. That is what they are giving here in my city as I write this. My two year old grandson will be recieving the H1N1 vaccine administered nasally today.

[Gramma Jackie]

Unfortunately, as we have seen in the ongoing "debate" about medical insurance, much of the medical profession is controlled by big money interests that do not care about your best interests. Their only concern is profit, and maybe protecting power. Just because a site is "medical" does not mean that its information is complete or accurate. Bias, remember. The key is to ferret out exactly what the bias is in any given situation. That is not necessarily an easy task.

The medical insurance debate notwithstanding, it doesn't change the fac that at least two types of the accine does not contain maercury.

You know I just wish I could get on a website once without politics being discussed.

[Gramma Jackie]

Unfortunately, as we have seen in the ongoing "debate" about medical insurance, much of the medical profession is controlled by big money interests that do not care about your best interests. Their only concern is profit, and maybe protecting power. Just because a site is "medical" does not mean that its information is complete or accurate. Bias, remember. The key is to ferret out exactly what the bias is in any given situation. That is not necessarily an easy task.

The medical insurance debate notwithstanding, it doesn't change the fact that at least two types of the accine does not contain maercury.

[Gramma Jackie]

How about squalene? Pretty hard to even have a life devoid of politics unless you become a totally self-sufficient hermit in some remote, mostly uninhabited area.

Sounds good to me, as long as there is Internet access (or NOT).

[Gramma Jackie]

p.s. I am not against politics per say and have been quite active in politics at the grassroots level myself, but I like to keep my websites separate, that's all.
If I want to talk about politics or government I go to websites that are dedicated to those subjects.

[ruupyet]

The medical insurance debate notwithstanding, it doesn't change the fac that at least two types of the accine does not contain maercury.

You know I just wish I could get on a website once without politics being discussed.

Try as I may, I have NEVER been able to find a seasonal flu vaccine in my area that does not contain thermisol. I know they say that they exist but finding a needle in a haystack would be easier.

[Ritske]

I know some scientists not tied to the CDC or FDA ordered mercury-free flu vaccines and tested them only to find they did have mercury. I have also heard from parents who ask their pediatricians for a specific brand of each vaccine to avoid mercury and aluminum and find the doctor gave their child the brand with one or both instead. I've come to realize the only person I can trust with our health is me.

My naturopath is NHAA certified and I do have faith in him, but he also believes we should eat eggs everyday. So I know on some things we do disagree. I don't think he'd sneak an egg into my meals though. He has at least shown he respects my decisions even when he doesn't agree with them. I'm grateful to have that much from a professional. For what it's worth, he strongly advised against vaccination and his own daughter has not had any.

My family is from the Caribbean and a polio vaccine was never offered there. Apart from my relative, I have never met another person with it. Vaccines obviously did not eradicate it there, but natural decline did. Healthy food and cleanliness are what I believe in.

[delabeaux]

I just got the H1N1 vaccine a few days ago (being a healthcare worker).

I can say, dealing with 12+ H1N1 patients a day, frequent AND long hand washing is important. At LEAST 20 seconds is what JCAHO recommends and I try to do at least 30 seconds.

Using a hand sanitizer frequently, and ... not touching your face... have kept me H1N1 free for the past two months.

I would say the not touching your face part is the hardest... its amazing how hard it can be and how many little itches you get throughout the day... and how you (I) notice everyone else touching their face.

[Gramma Jackie]

I would also like to make the suggestion that people hand out Halloween candy to trick-or-treaters rather than have them dip their hands into a candy bowl or cantainer. We have as many as 50-75 tick-or-treaters each year and that is a lot of little hands going into one bowl.

[nonyabizz]

I would say the not touching your face part is the hardest... its amazing how hard it can be and how many little itches you get throughout the day... and how you (I) notice everyone else touching their face.

I guess picking your nose is a bad idea, eh?

[delabeaux]

I would say the not touching your face part is the hardest... its amazing how hard it can be and how many little itches you get throughout the day... and how you (I) notice everyone else touching their face.

I guess picking your nose is a bad idea, eh?

Ha! You'd be surprised how many people actually do that in public and try to be inconspicuous about it!

[delabeaux]

1.) It would be nice if the lay public had to take the hard sciences... chem 1-2, ochem 1-2, physics, anatomy, physiology, biochem, pharm, immunology. It would definitely open some eyes.

2.) It would be nice if something other than mercury was used, many health professionals realize this.

3.) Many people do get diseases even with the vaccines, but often much less severe than they would have. Vaccine does not equal absolute immunity. It may mean the difference between a mild flu and death however.

4.) There are side effects. Yes, some people have them. Making educated informed decisions helps. Often the choice is between a reaction or death from the disease.... allergic reactions sometimes happen, permanent reactions sometimes happen, and these are now mandated to be disclosed to the patient. Still, if you asked me if I would rather have my daughter have to have some benadryl for some hives, or have to bury her because I did not get her vaccinated, the answer is obvious... hives please. Most adverse reactions are relatively rare.

5.) In my state, CO, there are many people who don't vaccinate (hello Boulder). These are areas in the state where one can see an abnormally high incidence of disease that can be prevented with vaccination.

6.) This topic is kicking a dead horse that has been kicked and kicked and kicked.... to date, there are no peer-reviewed studies showing a link between vaccination and most of what those against them claim (autism etc). No one is really going to change anyone's mind... all the stories are scary but until people start dropping the reputable science to back it, it is just another forum discussion going nowhere.

7.) I think all would agree that a vegan diet does help support the immune system. This does not mean that we are immune to everything, and can handle everything. While we're the minority eating fruits and veggies, ranchers are dosing their cattle with Vancomycin prophylactically... it wouldn't surprise me if they start doing that with anti-viral drugs as well. So, yes, while the diet may make one have a stronger immune system that only goes so far.