Flu vaccine warning.

[Guest guest]

http://www.redflagsweekly.com/conferences/vaccines/oct03_Tenpenny.html

Risks of FluMist Vaccine

An Investigation By Dr. Sherri Tenpenny

www.nmaseminars.com

 

" MedImmune, the manufacturer of FluMist, recently announced that it signed

an agreement that makes FluMist, the new intranasal influenza vaccine,

readily available to people as they shop at Wal-Mart, the worlds biggest

retailer. " [1]

 

As the physician in charge of a bustling Integrative medical clinic,

questions about vaccines frequently arise. After reading about the

MedImmune-Walmart joint venture, I felt compelled to warn our patients and

our internet rs of the potentially serious complications that may

come from direct and passive exposure to this new vaccine. I also wanted to

give a " heads up " to everyone regarding the onslaught of advertising that

is about to besiege them.

 

Hundreds of TV and print advertisements have been designed to persuade

everyone into taking the FluMist plunge. The campaign will be the " most

intense, direct-to-consumer marketing campaign ever waged for a vaccine, "

costing an estimated $25 million over the next 2.5 months [2]. In addition,

Wyeth, MedImmune's partner, plans a three-year, $100 million campaign to

encourage use of the nasal flu vaccine among physicians.[3]

 

The television arm of the blitz campaign will focus on the " inconveniences "

that your family, friends and co-workers will endure if you don't get the

flu shot and subsequently contract the flu. Print advertisements and

magazine articles apparently will use scare tactics—similar to those that

were used while promoting the smallpox vaccine—which warned of the high

possibility of a " bioterror attack using the flu virus. " [4]

 

Apparently, the goal seems to center around frightening—or inducing enough

guilt—that everyone would begin to demand the vaccine as soon as it is

available. And at nearly $70 a dose, this will be a financial bonanza for

MedImmune and Wyeth, who are expecting the vaccine to become the

blockbuster new drug that will push MedImmune's revenues to more than

$1billion/year. [5]

 

However, there are many reasons for caution. FluMist contains live

(attenuated) influenza viruses that replicate in the nasopharynx of the

vaccine recipient. The most common side effects include " cough, runny

nose/nasal congestion, irritability, headaches, chills, muscle aches and

fever > 100° F. " [6] These symptoms are nearly identical to those the flu

vaccine is designed to prevent. [7]

 

A cause for significant concern is the vaccine's most prevalent side

effects: " runny nose " and " nasal congestion. " It has been documented that

the live viruses from the vaccine can be shed (and potentially spread into

the community) from recipient children for up to 21 days, [8] and even

longer from adults.[9] Viral shedding also puts breastfeeding infants at

risk if the mother has been given FluMist. [10]

 

In addition to shedding via nasal secretions, the virus can be dispersed

through sneezing. What is the normal physiological response when an

irritant enters the nasal passages? A sneeze...sometimes a big

sneeze...sometimes several big sneezes. Therefore, the risk for

shedding—and spreading—live viruses throughout a school, church, workplace,

or store — especially one which is administering the vaccine.

 

In the section of the FlumMist package insert labeled " PRECAUTIONS, " the

manufacturer states the following warning:

 

" FluMist® recipients should avoid close contact with immunocompromised

individuals for at least 21 days. "

 

The warning is specifically directed toward those living in the same

household with an immunocompromised person, but the on-going release of

live viruses throughout the community may be a significant risk to everyone

who has a weak, or weakened, immune system.

 

The number of immunocompromised people in the United States is enormous:

It is estimated that at least 10%, or more than 28 million people have

eczema. [11]

More than 8.5 million people have cancer. [12]

There are reported to be 850,000 individuals with diagnosed and undiagnosed

HIV infection or AIDS [13] and

Based on 2001 data, there were 184,000 organ recipients [14]

An even more extensive list of at-risk people includes the untold millions

on drugs called corticosteroids. Prednisone®, Medrol®, and a variety of

similar medications are given to both adults and children. These drugs are

prescribed for dozens of conditions including asthma; allergies; eczema;

emphysema; Crohn's disease; multiple sclerosis; herniated spinal discs;

acute muscular pain syndromes; and all types of rheumatoid and autoimmune

diseases. As much as 60% of the entire population could be considered to be

" chemically immunosuppressed. " It is important to realize that FluMist is

CONTRAINDICATED for people who are immunocompromised. People who receive

FluMist and are living with an immunocompromised person put their loved

ones at risk.

 

Will this make stores that administer the vaccines—like Walmart and the

other pharmaceutical chain stores that have announced they will carry

FluMist [15]—risky places to shop for large segments of the population?

What measures will be taken in these stores to ensure that the virus will

not become commingled with food? What hand washing policy is going to be

enforced in the stores for all Walmart employees and customers who have

received FluMist? These are reasonable questions that deserve answers.

 

The target market for FluMist is " healthy children and adults, ages 5 to 49

yrs. " Some believe that by vaccinating these people, a type of " herd

immunity " will occur that will protect the very young and the elderly who

are excluded from getting this vaccine. However, it is these very " at-risk "

populations who may suffer the most from the flu by being exposed to people

who are given FluMist.

 

According to information presented at the May, 2003 National Influenza

Summit,[16] approximately 85% of Americans between the ages of 20 and 50 go

unvaccinated, and nearly 66% between the ages of 50 and 64 do not receive

the flu vaccine. Have there been " raging epidemics " across the country due

to lack of flu vaccinations? It appears that the massive campaign to

vaccinate everyone this year appears may be motivated, in part, by

economics.

 

The viruses suspected to be the most likely cause for the flu this season

were negligibly different from the strains used in last year's flu vaccine.

Therefore, the influenza vaccine produced for the 2003- 2004 season is

identical in composition to the one used last year. This marks only the

second time that the same strains have been used during two consecutive flu

seasons.[17] Consider that antibodies from other viral vaccines—such as

MMR, polio and chickenpox vaccines—last at least 3 years, and in some

instances, up to 15 years. If the viruses used in the vaccine are the same

as last year, why is this year's vaccine even necessary?

 

An ever greater concern about FluMist is the contents within the vaccine.

Each 0.5ml of the formula contains 10 6.5-7.5 particles of live, attenuated

influenza virus. That means that between 10 million and 100 million viral

particles will be forcefully injected into the nostrils when administered.

The viral strain was developed by serial passage through " specific

pathogen-free primary chick kidney cells " and then grown in " specific

pathogen-free eggs. " That means that the culture media was free of

pathogens that were specifically tested for, but not a culture that was

necessarily " pathogen-free. " The risk that the vaccine may contain

contaminant avian retroviruses still remains. In addition, a stabilizing

buffer containing potassium phosphate, sucrose (table sugar) and nearly 0.5

mg of monosodium glutamate (MSG) is added to each dose. [18]

 

One of the most troubling concerns over the injection of this " chemical

soup " is the potential for the viruses to enter directly into the brain. At

the top of the nasal passages is a paper-thin bone called the cribriform

plate. The olfactory nerves pass through this bone and line the nasal

passages, carrying messenger molecules to the brain that are identified as

" smells " familiar to us. The olfactory tract has long been recognized as a

direct pathway to the brain. Intranasal injection of certain viruses has

resulted in a serious brain infection called encephalitis, presumably by

direct infection of the olfactory neurons that carried the viruses to the

brain.[19] Time will tell whether the live viruses in FluMist will become

linked to cases of encephalitis.

 

The pharmaceutical companies do not necessarily always do a reasonable job

of considering the " down side " when they are pushing new drugs or new

vaccines. FluMist has the potential for causing the worst, most severe flu

epidemic seen in years. Parents tell their young children not to put things

up their noses because they might cause them harm. It would be wise to

consider that advice for adults. With all the risks involved, one should be

extremely cautious about what one allows to be sprayed in one's nose.

 

REFERENCES

 

 

DowJones Business News. Sept. 12, 2003. FluMist Available In Pharmacies

This Fall. http://biz./djus/030910/0017000011_2.html

Washington Post. Nasal spray for flu to get big media launch. Sept. 10,

2003, pg. E01

Washington Post. Spray vaccine for flu wins FDA clearance. June 18, 2003.

pg. A01.

Mohammed, Madjid. Influenza as a bioweapon. J.R.Soc.Med. 2003;96:345- 346.

Just when you thought they couldn't sink any lower.

-Shelby

 

 

Adler, Neil. MedImmune awaits the $1 billion mark and a new flu drug. The

Business Gazette. Feb. 7, 2003.

http://www.gazette.net/200306/business/news/143250-1.html

FluMist package insert.

Vesikari T., et al. A randomized, double-blind, placebo- controlled trial

of the safety, transmissibility and phenotypic stability of a live,

attenuated, cold-adapted influenza virus vaccine (CAIV-T) in children

attending day care. Presented at the 41st Annual Interscience Conference on

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, (Chicago, IL). 2001

ibid. (Chicago, IL). 2001

Zangwell, Kenneth. Cold-adapted, live attenuated intranasal influenza virus

vaccine. The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal 2003; 22 (3):273-274.

Drug information.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/uspdi/202297.html

Diepgen TL. Is the prevalence of atopic dermatitis increasing? In: Williams

HC, ed. Atopic Dermatitis: The Epidemiology, Causes and Prevention of

Atopic Eczema. New York: Cambridge Univ Pr; 2000:96- 112.

National Cancer Institute. CanQues. Available at http://srab.

cancer.gov/Prevalence/canques.html. Accessed January 3, 2002.

Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS. Epidemiological Fact Sheets on

HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infections: United States. Available at

www.unaids.org/ fact_sheets/index.html. Accessed January 14, 2002

United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS). All Recipients: Age at Time of

Transplant. Available at www.unos.org /. Accessed January 14, 2002.

Allan and Harold Rubin, MS, ABD, CRC. September 26, 2003. Vaccinations and

the Elderly. http://www.therubins.com/aging/vacine.htm

May 20-21, 2003, the National Influenza Summit. Chicago, IL.

http://www.partnersforimmunization.org/meetingupdates52021.html

ibid.

FluMist package insert.

Knipe, David. M. Ed. Fields Virology. Philadelpthis: Lippincott, 4th ed.

2001. pg. 1057