Guest guest Posted April 7, 2003 Report Share Posted April 7, 2003 Mon, 7 Apr 2003 16:10:01 -0500 HSI - Jenny Thompson A Forest Full of Trees A FOREST FULL OF TREES Health Sciences Institute e-Alert April 7, 2003 ************************************************************** Dear Reader, Andrea Deerheart Cornitcher had a wonderful idea. The 55 year-old registered nurse was planning to move from Maryland to a Navajo reservation in New Mexico where she looked forward to incorporating her knowledge of conventional medicine with traditional Native American healing techniques. Sadly, she won't have a chance to pursue that dream. Andrea suffered a fatal heart attack on March 23, just five days after receiving a smallpox vaccine as part of the U.S. government's plan to inoculate emergency and healthcare workers. Three others have had heart attacks following their smallpox vaccinations - two of those were fatal. These cases, coupled with several complaints of chest pain and heart inflammation soon after inoculations, have prompted the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to direct health departments to not allow vaccinations for those who have heart disease or risk factors for the disease. The truly sad part of all this is that these deaths never should have happened, because the vaccinations are unnecessary. ----------------------------- Slightly underestimated ----------------------------- We knew this vaccine would be fatal to some. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist stated last August in the New York Times that two to four people out of every million inoculated might die. So far, 326,000 people have received vaccinations. Three have died. To be fair, this heart failure side effect was not foreseen. In fact, the CDC has not yet officially recognized the side effect, insisting that studies will need to be conducted to draw a direct association. Nevertheless, in response to this new development, 10 states have now suspended their smallpox inoculation programs, with others almost certain to follow. Will this leave America vulnerable to a bioterrorist attack with smallpox? No. Not in the least. ----------------------------- Ineffective " weapon " ----------------------------- Of all the nasty weapons available in the bioterrorist arsenal, smallpox is only one - and it's not even a very good one. First of all, it would be extremely difficult to expose a large number of people to smallpox with acts of terrorism. Because, contrary to what you may have heard, smallpox is not highly contagious. This is not an opinion -- it's a fact, stated by Joel Kuritsky, M.D., the director of the CDC's National Immunization Program and Early Smallpox Response and Planning division. During the 3 to 17 day incubation period of the disease, a smallpox victim will run a high fever and become extremely ill with flu-like symptoms. In this state, the patient will almost certainly become bed-ridden. But even then (sick in bed and not in contact with the general population) the patient is not contagious until he's developed the smallpox rash. ----------------------------- Doesn't add up ----------------------------- Okay, so you have a very sick person, they've developed the rash, and at this point they're probably in a hospital. In anticipation of this event, doesn't it make sense then to take the precaution of inoculating all hospital personnel? Still, the answer is " No, " for three reasons. Reason One: Once a smallpox patient becomes contagious, it's actually difficult to spread the disease, which is transmitted by droplet contamination. In fact, according to a report in the American Journal of Epidemiology, constant exposure in close proximity to the patient for a period of several days is required for transmission. In other words, when strict precautions are taken, caregivers can avoid transmission. (These precautions will be necessary anyway because those who are vaccinated are not guaranteed complete immunity from smallpox.) Reason Two: According to plans already in place, once a single case of smallpox is diagnosed, a regional vaccination program will be launched immediately. Meanwhile, other suspected cases can be easily identified and quarantined. Reason Three: We don't know if any terrorist groups even possess smallpox. And if they do (to get back to the original point), why would they use such an undependable weapon when far more lethal and easier-to-deploy bioweapons are available? ----------------------------- Hard to justify ----------------------------- I'm all for taking action to protect ourselves from realistic threats. But it's ludicrous to go to the extreme of sacrificing lives to protect ourselves from a threat that at this point is not even a real threat - it's only a suspicion of a possible threat. This coming summer, Andrea Deerheart Cornitcher will not be in New Mexico researching new ways to treat disease. This is a tragic loss that should never have happened. The worst of it is that the prevention program that led to her loss is simply unnecessary. ************************************************************** ************************************************************** ....and another thing The role that fats play in our diet is a source of ongoing confusion - largely due to the mainstream media's stubborn focus on the idea that " low-fat " equals good health. Add to that the misguided mindset that cholesterol must be lowered at all costs, and it's easy to understand why confused consumers often make dietary choices that are anything but healthy. For instance, an HSI member named DJL recently sent an e- mail with these questions about a dietary dilemma: " Is there a truly effective - not harmful to the body - over- the-counter product that blocks fat absorption by the intestines? I've noticed that my blood pressure is in direct proportion to my cholesterol count (but not the other way around). If I need to reduce the blood cholesterol level, my blood pressure is also up - though not into the danger zone. I would really really like to be able to use a fat blocker to aid with weight reduction. Can you help? " Yes we can. I asked HSI Panelist Allan Spreen, M.D., if he had any advice for DJL, and he came through with some very specific recommendations that manage to cut through the confusion about the importance of dietary fats. " The agent called chitosan, derived from chitin, blocks absorption of fat in the intestines, no question about it. The agent itself is not toxic, is not a drug, and remains basically inert within the system. However, in few circumstances would I personally use it. " Blocking fat absorption sounds like a neat idea. Unfortunately, you run into two other problems when you try it: 1.) It also blocks absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K); and 2.) It blocks intake of essential fatty acids. These are nutrient deficiency risks I personally don't want to toy with. If I were going to a fish fry or something, and I knew I was going to go nuts eating a large intake of unnatural, hydrogenated oils, if I had some natural fat blocker handy I might take it under those circumstances. " There are fats we want and need in the body. Concerning cholesterol levels I have not found lowering fat intake to be the answer. In fact, when I put people on the Atkins diet (high fat, low carbohydrate) I found the majority with high cholesterol levels ended up with them lower (in many cases a lot lower). This is not universal, but occurred about two- thirds of the time. Serum triglycerides, on the other hand, came down on the same diet almost all the time, and I found this level more related to blood pressure, and I also consider it more related to true cardiovascular risk (along with serum homocysteine levels, which are even more important, in my opinion). " Policosanol, niacin (vitamin B-3), vitamin C, low carbohydrate intake (and other non-toxic efforts) tend to be far more powerful tools against cholesterol levels than blocking fat, anyway. Usually, blood pressure tends to drop when they're used. When these tools aren't enough, the addition of calcium and magnesium, along with avoidance of allergic foods and anything that stimulates insulin release (sugars, refined flours) often makes up the difference. " As hard as many people work to keep their weight down and manage their blood pressure and blood sugar levels, they certainly deserve some sort of short cut to help them out. But, as Dr. Spreen has made clear (once again), the only real way to achieve optimal health is to stick with the fundamentals. To Your Good Health, Jenny Thompson Health Sciences Institute ************************************************************** Sources: " It Was a Sore Spot in Our Heritage " Johnathon Briggs and Erika Niedowski, Baltimore Sun, 4/3/03, sunspot.net " Researchers Seek What Links Smallpox Vaccine, Heart Ills " Erika Niedowski, Baltimore Sun, 3/29/03, sunspot.net " Deciding Who is Protected Against Smallpox " Bill Frist, The New York Times, 8/9/02, nytimes.com " Smallpox Outbreak " Sherri Tenpenny, D.O., 7/10/02, mercola.com " Deaths Put Smallpox Shots on Hold Again " Kathleen Longcore, The Grand Rapids Press, 4/1/03, mlive.com " Partisan Bickering Erupts Over Smallpox Vaccine " Ceci Connolly, The Washington Post - The Star Ledger, 4/3/03, nj.com Copyright ©1997-2003 by www.hsibaltimore.com, L.L.C. The e-Alert may not be posted on commercial sites without written permission. ************************************************************** Before you hit reply to send us a question or request, please click here http://www.hsibaltimore.com/ealert/questions.html ************************************************************** ************************************************************** If you'd like to participate in the HSI Forum, search past e-Alerts and products or you're an HSI member and would like to search past articles, visit http://www.hsibaltimore.com ************************************************************** To learn more about HSI, call (203) 699-4416 or visit http://www.agora-inc.com/reports/HSI/WHSIC313/home.cfm. ************************************************************** Gettingwell- / Vitamins, Herbs, Aminos, etc. To , e-mail to: Gettingwell- Or, go to our group site: Gettingwell Tax Center - File online, calculators, forms, and more Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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