some other articles re: immunizations

[Guest guest]

http://www.redflagsweekly.com/conferences/vaccines/2004_aug30.html

 

 

The Flu Season Campaign Begins

 

By Red Flags Columnist, Dr. Sherri Tenpenny

 

New Medical Awareness Seminars

 

 

 

 

As predictable as the return of yellow school buses and Monday Night

Football, the arrival of fall also brings the first fearful chatter about the

approaching flu season. But this year there is a twist: the Centers for Disease

Control (CDC) has devised a portentous new blueprint to ensure the economic

success

of this season’s flu vaccine.

 

Concerned over data documenting that almost 65% of people surveyed in 2003

did not receive the flu shot—including nearly 47% with chronic illnesses and

78%

of children aged 6-23 months—a new strategy has been devised. The plan is

fully disclosed in a 51 slide communiqué called “Planning for the 2004-05

Influenza Vaccination Season: A Communication Situation Analysis,†prepared by

Glen

Nowak, Ph.D., the Associate Director for Communications at the National

Immunization Program.

 

The most important part of the program, “The Seven-Step Recipe for Generating

Interest in, and Demand for, Flu (or any other) Vaccination,â€(1) is designed

to methodically manipulate the general public. Language within the

presentation reveals the intent of the government and their drug company

“partners†to

use major news media (newswires, TV) to send scheduled, fear-based messages in

an attempt to convince the unsuspecting public that not only is the flu shot

necessary, but to motivate them to demand it. This will amount to millions of

dollars of free adverting for flu vaccine manufacturers.

 

Here is a synopsis of the CDC’s plan:

 

Step 1: Start discussing the flu at the beginning of the “immunization season.

â€

 

Posters, fliers and media campaign materials are generally mailed to public

health departments and healthcare provider offices in mid-August, “planting

the

seeds†in the minds of patients so that they request the flu vaccine when it

arrives.

 

Step 2: The media will begin to make pronouncements that the “new†influenza

strains anticipated this year “will be associated with severe illness and

serious outcomes.â€

 

Right on cue, the government announced on August 25, that it is “preparing

for world's next big flu outbreak.†A report released to the Associated Press

suggests that a bad flu season could kill up to 207,000 Americans. To fuel the

hysteria, the CDC and the Department of Human Services announced that they are

jointly issuing a “The Pandemic Influenza Response and Preparedness Planâ€

which will stress “ways to speed up vaccine production, limit the spread of a

super-flu, and care for the ill.†(2)

 

Step 3: The build up will continue throughout the early fall, as local and

national “medical experts and public health authorities publicly (e.g., via

media) state concern and alarm (by predicting dire outcomes)–and urge

influenza

vaccination.†(3)

 

Here’s one example:

 

" We know we're going to have a pandemic because, historically, we're overdue

for one, " said Neil Pascoe, epidemiologist in the infectious disease division

of the Texas Department of Health. " When it happens, it's going to be huge. It

will be global, and everyone is going to be affected…it could be terribly

fatal. Imagine 4 million Texans [becoming] infected, and 20 percent of them

die. "

(4)

 

Be prepared for many similar statements in major newspapers and on national

TV stations as the weeks progress.

 

Step 4: Reports from medical experts will be used to “frame the flu season

in terms [that will] motivate behavior.†Language to be used includes, “very

severe,†“more severe than last or past years,†“deadlyâ€).†(5)

 

Last year, there were 1026 messages sent via the media between September

21-28. Phrases used included, “this could be the worst flu season ever,â€

“the

flu kills 36,000 people per year†and “the flu shot is the best way to

prevent

the flu.†(6) Even though less than 175 people actually died from influenza in

2003, anticipate exponentially more messages regarding the “deadly flu†will

be pushed through the news media this year.

 

Steps 5: Continue to release reports from health officials through the media

that influenza is causing severe illness and/or affecting lots of people “

helping to foster the perception that many people are susceptible to a bad case

of

influenza.â€

 

Step 6: Give visible and tangible examples of the seriousness of influenza

by showing pictures of ill children and affected families who are willing to

come forward with their stories. “Show pictures of people being vaccinated,

the

first to motivate, the latter to reinforce.â€

 

Step 7: List references to, and have discussions regarding, the influenza

pandemic. “Make continued reference to the importance of vaccination.â€

 

The language used to describe Steps 5, 6, and 7 was taken directly from Nowak’

s presentation.(7) This should leave little doubt that the government

intends to use the media to create hysteria that will increase the demand for a

pharmaceutical product.

 

Vaccine manufacturers often cry the blues about revenues lost by producing

vaccines. However, last year, Chiron, one of the two largest vaccine

manufacturers, made 38 million flu shots, accounting for nearly $230 million in

revenue.

And even though sales of FluMist, the intranasal flu vaccine, reportedly “

failed miserably,’ the company stillmarked $33 million in revenues from sales

of

the product.(8) Not exactly the stellar returns MedImmune had hoped for, but

clearly revenues were made.

 

Health officials are expecting that, through the publicity generated by last

year’s flu hype, coupled with a carefully planned and implemented new

strategy, record numbers will seek vaccination this year. Perhaps understanding

the

tactical maneuvers of the CDC-Big Pharma-Media partnership will result in

another “bust†year for the flu vaccines.

 

Many thanks to Mrs. Lujene Clark, President of NoMercury.org for her

research, bringing this to my attention.

 

[1] Nowak, Glen, Planning For The 2004-05 Influenza Vaccination Season. A

Communication Analysis

 

[2] “Government Preparing For World's Next Big Flu Outbreakâ€, August 25,

2004

 

[3] Nowak, slide 28

 

[4] “County To Offer Flu Vaccinations Early,†Sherry Jacobson, The Dallas

Morning News, August 26, 2004

 

[5 Nowak, slide 28.

 

[6] Nowak slide 16.

 

[7] Nowak slide 29.

 

[8] “Record Number of Flu Vaccines To Be Madeâ€, Paul Alias, AP Biotech

writer, San Francisco . July 23, 2004