From Russia with Flu Vaccine Reactions.

November 25, 2006

"Eight children were hospitalized over the past week after suffering acuteallergic reactions to Grippol, the flu vaccine selected for a nationwidevaccination drive. About 180 more children were also reported to havesuffered allergic reactions after their shots. "http://www.moscowtimes.ru/stories/2006/11/23/021.htmlTo Vaccinate or Not to VaccinateBy Maria AntonovaSpecial to The Moscow TimesVladimir Sayapin / Itar-TassArguments AgainstAs flu vaccines are prepared before an epidemic hits, they might not beeffective against the virus that actually circulates.Whether flu vaccines are safe and necessary is the subject of debate.Eight children were hospitalized over the past week after suffering acuteallergic reactions to Grippol, the flu vaccine selected for a nationwidevaccination drive. About 180

more children were also reported to havesuffered allergic reactions after their shots. The vaccination of childrenwas suspended in the Stavropol region and in Dagestan, and the Grippolseries that had been used was recalled in nine regions.Galina Chervonskaya, a virologist and member of the Bioethics Committee ofthe Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, has long been a voice of oppositionto mass vaccinations. Her book "Flu Shots, Myths and Reality" explains why:"It's impossible to obtain total public health by immunizing all childrencollectively without negative consequences for specific individuals," shewrites, adding that any vaccination should be supervised by an immunologistrather than a nurse who isn't aware of individuals' needs.Also, there has been an ongoing controversy about whether there is a linkbetween such diseases as autism and Alzheimer's and vaccines containingthimerosal or thiomersal. Although

pharmaceutical companies have beenphasing this mercury-based preservative out of their vaccines, some stillcontain it. Grippol does; Influvac does not; Vaxigrip has trace amounts inmultidose vials but not in individually packed doses.Also, the effectiveness of flu shots is debated since the vaccine is usuallydeveloped a year before the epidemic hits. The vaccine formulated for2003-04 did not protect against the strain that circulated that season, asthe recommendations for the vaccine composition were wrong."I don't recommend the flu shot," said a pharmacist in a drugstore at 87Leninsky Prospekt. "There are dozens of different varieties of the virusthat are constantly mutating, and the shot only covers a couple. It's betterto strengthen your immune system naturally and to stay healthy by othermeans."Other means can range from over-the-counter anti-viral medications toprotective masks (230 rubles for

100).It seems that we may almost have a double standard as far as medical theories are concerned. As long as man does something, it's science. When nature does something, it's quackery. - Dr G E Poesnecker, (Nature Cure 2000).

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