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> " HSI - Jenny Thompson "

> <HSIResearch

 

> Fear Factor

> Wed, 08 Sep 2004 00:34:14 -0400

>

> Fear Factor

>

> Health Sciences Institute e-Alert

>

> September 08, 2004

>

>

************************************************************

>

> Dear Reader,

>

> " You've probably heard the news by now: Doctors are

> running low on flu

> vaccines and are expected to run out completely

> before the flu season

> winds down. "

>

> That was the opening of the e-Alert " Does This Smell

> Bad? " that I sent

> you last December. Remember last year's flu vaccine

> crisis? Dire

> predictions that we were in for " the worst flu

> season in 30 years " – a

> possible pandemic! – arrived right alongside

> hand-wringing reports

> that there weren't enough flu vaccines to go around.

>

>

> And what actually happened? According to a recent

> Associated Press

> (AP) article: " In the end, some vaccine was

> leftover, and the season

> was no worse than usual. "

>

> Gee, the sky didn't fall or anything.

>

> The AP piece also notes that there may be a big

> demand for the vaccine

> this year because of " memories of shortages " and

> worries that are

> circulating about new flu strains.

>

> Worries circulating? I haven't heard any worries

> circulating. But you

> can be certain that we will. Because officials for

> the Centers for

> Disease Control (CDC) National Immunization Program

> (NIP) have

> developed a plan specifically designed to do one

> thing: circulate

> worries about the flu season.

>

> Yep – those are our tax dollars at work.

>

>

---------------------------

>

> Overcooking it

>

---------------------------

>

>

> Sherri J. Tenpenny, D.O., is an internationally

> known leader in

> vaccine research. For many years, Dr. Tenpenny has

> cautioned consumers

> about the dangers of blindly accepting flu, smallpox

> and other

> vaccines, including the wide range of inoculations

> for children.

>

> This week I came across a Red Flags Weekly article

> written by Dr.

> Tenpenny in which she reports on a communiqué from

> the NIP that

> contains a " Seven-Step Recipe for Generating

> Interest in, and Demand

> for, Flu (or any other) Vaccine. "

>

> Here are some of the recommendations in the

> " recipe " :

>

> * " Medical experts and public health authorities

> publicly (via media)

> state concern and alarm (and predict dire outcomes)

> and urge influenza

> vaccination. "

>

> * These actions are intended to result in,

> " significant media interest

> and attention " by " framing of the flu season in

> terms that motivate

> behavior (e.g., as 'very severe,' 'more severe than

> last or past

> years,' 'deadly'). "

>

> * " Continued reports (from health officials and

> media) that influenza

> is causing severe illness and/or affecting lots of

> people – helping

> foster the perception that many people are

> susceptible to a bad case

> of influenza. "

>

> * " References to, and discussions of, pandemic

> influenza – along with

> continued reference to the importance of

> vaccination. "

>

> Obviously, the recipe for flu vaccination success

> calls for a large

> portion of " alarm " to be blended with " dire

> outcomes " and then laid on

> as thick as possible.

>

>

---------------------------

>

> Get out your calculators

>

---------------------------

>

>

> The CDC especially likes to bring up the possibility

> of a flu

> pandemic. And the message is basic: This could be

> the year of the big

> one, so you better get your flu shot.

>

> Two weeks ago, the AP sounded the alarm that the

> U.S. might have to

> close schools, restrict travel and ration scarce

> medications in the

> event of a worldwide flu outbreak. And Dr. Julie

> Gerberding – the head

> of the CDC – gave the report a dramatic flourish

> with this quote:

> " We're all holding our breath. "

>

> It's been 36 years since the last pandemic. That's a

> long time to keep

> up the amateur theatrics.

>

> The August AP article noted that about 36,000

> Americans die from the

> flu every year. That number is a CDC estimate that

> was quoted again

> and again last year, and it appears that we'll be

> seeing it often

> again this year. There's just one little thing wrong

> with that number:

> it's off the mark. In fact it's wildly off the mark.

>

>

> How many American's died of the flu last year?

> Here's Dr. Tenpenny's

> comment from the Red Flags article: " Less than 175

> people actually

> died from influenza in 2003. "

>

> Less than 175! Now THAT's good news! They expected

> 36,000 to die, and

> we lost less than 175. That's wonderful!

>

> But it's not wonderful if you're trying to sell flu

> vaccines. Where's

> the fear in 175 deaths? That's only half the number

> of Americans who

> die by drowning in bathtubs each year! You won't

> even get people off

> the couch, much less down to their doctor's office

> with only 175 " dire

> outcomes " hanging over their heads.

>

> So the CDC is sticking with the much scarier 36,000

> estimate.

>

>

---------------------------

>

> The rub

>

---------------------------

>

>

> All of this would simply be annoying, if it weren't

> for the fact that

> the CDC and NIP are basically using taxpayer dollars

> to conduct a

> marketing campaign for the three drug companies that

> produce flu

> vaccines for the U.S.

>

> And add to that the little wrinkle that just last

> spring CDC reps

> announced their new recommendation that children

> aged 6 months to 23

> months should now receive flu shots (which contain

> the mercury-based

> preservative thimerosal, associated with a high risk

> of autism).

>

> Annoying? How about infuriating?

>

> There are a couple of other flu issues " going

> around " right now. And

> since this is the time of year when I start to

> receive requests for

> advice on whether or not to get a flu shot, I'll

> fill you in on those

> issues in upcoming e-Alerts. In the meantime, it

> will be interesting

> to watch news reports over the next two or three

> months to see just

> how easily the media can be led into rubber stamping

> CDC-approved

> " information " (especially attention-grabbing SCARY

> information) and

> passing it along without question.

>

>

************************************************************

 

> ...and another thing

>

> Pink M & M's is a clever idea. But I've got a better

> one.

>

> You may have heard that M & M's is (are?) observing

> National Breast

> Cancer Awareness Month (October) with a special

> promotion. Whenever

> you purchase specially marked bags of M & M's

> throughout September,

> October and November, 50 cents will be donated to

> the Susan B. Komen

> Breast Cancer Foundation.

>

> Although I don't agree with the Komen Foundation's

> blanket

> recommendation on the subject of mammography (see

> the e-Alert " Easy as

> 1...2...3 " 8/5/03), this is a worthwhile

> organization, dedicated to

> fighting breast cancer through research, grants and

> education.

>

> But... M & M's?

>

> Just last week I told you about a Harvard study that

> revealed how

> carbohydrate intake raises the risk of breast cancer

> ( " Positions of

> Power " 8/31/04). But more specifically, the elevated

> risk was

> associated with the highest intake of the worst type

> of carbs: refined

> simple carbohydrates (such as pastry, soft drinks,

> cookies, etc.).

>

> A 3.14 oz bag of M & M's contains 31 grams of sugar,

> and 34 grams of

> carbohydrates. That's three times as much sugar and

> a third more carbs

> than you'll find in a single Krispy Kreme doughnut.

> So, nutritionally

> speaking... 'nuff said.

>

> M & M's has pledged a minimum donation of $250,000 to

> the Komen

> Foundation, and my hat's off to both of those cute

> little M & M cartoon

> characters. But rather than purchase a bag of M & M's,

> which, let's face

> it, SOMEONE will end up eating, here's my idea: Go

> to komen.org, find

> " Support the Cause, " and read about how you can

> contribute directly to

> their organization or volunteer for breast cancer

> awareness

> activities.

>

> Because 31 grams of sugar and 34 grams of carbs

> won't do anyone any

> good. Especially women.

>

> To Your Good Health,

>

> Jenny Thompson

> Health Sciences Institute

>

>

************************************************************

>

> Sources:

>

> " The Flu Season Campaign Begins " Dr. Sherri

> Tenpenny, Red Flags

> Weekly, 8/30/04, redflagsweekly.com

> " Planning for the 2004-05 Influenza Vaccination

> Season – A

> Communication Analysis " Glen Nowak, Ph.D.,

> ama-assn.org

> " Government Preparing for World's Next Big Flu

> Outbreak " The

> Associated Press, 8/25/04, usatoday.com

>

> Copyright ©1997-2004 by www.hsibaltimore.com,

> L.L.C. The e-Alert may

> not be posted on commercial sites without written

> permission.

>

>

************************************************************

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