PNEUMOCOCCAL DISEASE AND VACCINE

[Guest guest]

Lesson 14, Part 4 - PNEUMOCOCCAL DISEASE AND VACCINE

" Most children and adults harbor pneumoccocal organisms in their noses and

throats. It is not clear why some individuals will go on to develop severe

pneumococcal disease and others do not, although those with weakened immune

systems are at very high risk. Over-use of antibiotics during the past

quarter century has caused at least 7 strains of the pneumococcal organism

to mutate into antibiotic resistant forms and these 7 strains are contained

in the Prevnar vaccine. Whether the Prevnar vaccine will place pressure on

the pneumococcal organism to develop vaccine-resistant strains or make

other strains of the bacteria more virulent is unknown. "

http://www.909shot.com/Diseases/pneumoccoal.htm

This statement was originally prepared in response to planned legislation

to mandate the Pneumococcal 7-Valent Conjugate Vaccine (Prevnar) in some

states.

PNEUMOCOCCAL DISEASE AND VACCINE: Pneumococcal disease is a bacterial

infection that can cause serious illness, including inflammation of the

brain, blood infections and pneumonia. The Prevnar vaccine manufactured by

Wyeth Lederle Laboratories (of American Home Products Corporation,

Wyeth-Aherst Lab) is the one being considered for mandate in some states.

It contains only 7 of the more than 90 strains of the pneumococcal organism

that causes disease in humans and cannot prevent meningitis or blood

infections caused by other strains.1

Most children and adults harbor pneumoccocal organisms in their noses and

throats. It is not clear why some individuals will go on to develop severe

pneumococcal disease and others do not, although those with weakened immune

systems are at very high risk. Over-use of antibiotics during the past

quarter century has caused at least 7 strains of the pneumococcal organism

to mutate into antibiotic resistant forms and these 7 strains are contained

in the Prevnar vaccine. Whether the Prevnar vaccine will place pressure on

the pneumococcal organism to develop vaccine-resistant strains or make

other strains of the bacteria more virulent is unknown.

The CDC states that pneumococcal infections cause approximately 700 cases

of meningitis, 17,000 cases of blood stream infections and 200 deaths in

American children under age five every year, with 35 of these deaths being

caused by pneumococcal meningitis.2

WHY NVIC OPPOSES A PNEUMOCOCCAL VACCINE MANDATE:

· Flawed Clinical Trials Did Not Prove Safety: Wyeth Lederle and Kaiser

Permanente compared one experimental vaccine (pneumococcal) against another

(meningococcal)1, which seriously compromised the scientific validity of

the trial. Children in groups who got the pneumococcal vaccine suffered

more seizures, irritability, high fevers and other reactions. There were 12

deaths in the Prevnar group, including 5 Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

(SIDS) deaths. [since the vaccine was licensed in 2000, there have been

3,243 Prevnar-related adverse events reported to the federal government

(VAERS), including 476 serious events and 79 deaths.]3

· No Long Term Studies: There were no long term studies to evaluate whether

Prevnar vaccine given alone or in combination with other vaccines is

associated with chronic illness or disability, such as the development of

diabetes, asthma, seizure disorders, learning disabilities, ADHD, or autism.

· Vaccine Components Not Thoroughly Evaluated: Each 0.5ml dose of Prevnar

contains 0.125 mg. of aluminum, a metal that is neurotoxic. The vaccine

manufacturer states that " Prevnar has not been evaluated for any

carcinogenic or mutagenic potential, or impairment of fertility. " 4,1

· Efficacy Low For Preventing Ear Infections: Despite the suggestion by the

manufacturer and Kaiser Pemanente officials in pre-licensure press releases

that Prevnar vaccine is an ear infection vaccine, the vaccine has never

been licensed by the FDA to prevent ear infections. Clinical trials showed

that the vaccine decreases a child's chance of getting an ear infection by

only 7 percent.5, 6

· Prevnar May Interfere With Efficacy of Other Vaccines: The manufacturer

product insert indicates that when Prevnar is given at the same time as

HIB, pertussis and polio vaccines, it may lower the efficacy of those

vaccines for some children. There is no data on what happens when Prevnar

vaccine is given in combination with MMR or chicken pox vaccines.1

· Voluntary Use of the Vaccine Is High: Wyeth Lederle, the CDC and AAP have

done an excellent job promoting the mass use of this vaccine by children.

Prevnar topped the sales charts as the number one best selling new

pharmaceutical among all pharmaceuticals brought on the market in the year

2000, generating $461 million in sales.7 Voluntary uptake of the vaccine is

so high that there are Prevnar vaccine shortages and the CDC recently

temporarily revised its recommendations to urge that only high risk groups

of children should receive all four doses of the vaccine.2 This experience

shows that mandates are not needed.

References:

1. Wyeth-Lederle Product Manufacturer Insert (Pneumococcal 7-Valent

Conjugate Vaccine (PREVNAR). Issued February 2000.

2. Centers for Disease Control. Dec. 10,2001 press release: ACIP Votes to

Temporarily Revise Recommendations for Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine,

www.cdc.gov/nip/news/shortages/default.htm

3. Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) Data

4. Aluminum Toxicity in Infants and Children (RE9607). Pediatrics. Vol. 97,

No. 3 (March 1996).

5. Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories. Sept. 25, 1998 press release: New

Investigational Vaccine Demonstrates High Efficacy Against Pneumococcal

Disease in Children.

6. Kaiser Permanente. May 4, 1999 press release: Investigational Vaccine Is

First To Show Effectiveness Against Childhood Ear Infections.

7. O'Reiley T. Vaccine Tops Sales Chart. March 4, 2001. Daily Record

( County, NJ).

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

Sheri Nakken, R.N., MA, Hahnemannian Homeopath

Vaccination Information & Choice Network, Nevada City CA & Wales UK

$$ Donations to help in the work - accepted by Paypal account

earthmysteriestours@... voicemail US 530-740-0561

(go to http://www.paypal.com) or by mail

Vaccines - http://www.nccn.net/~wwithin/vaccine.htm

Vaccine Dangers On-Line course - http://www.nccn.net/~wwithin/vaccineclass.htm

Reality of the Diseases & Treatment -

http://www.nccn.net/~wwithin/vaccineclass.htm

Homeopathy On-Line course - http://www.nccn.net/~wwithin/homeo.htm