The Risks of FluMist

[Guest guest]

(same risks as for flumist h1n1 version)

written several years ago but same dangers

" 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. "

" 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. " "

" 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. "

full article below

http://www.whale.to/a/ten13.html

Risks of FluMist Vaccine

An Investigation By Red Flags Columnist, 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

subscribers 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 tactics­similar to

those that were used while promoting the smallpox

vaccine­which warned of the high possibility of a

" bioterror attack using the flu virus. " [4]

Apparently, the goal seems to center around

frightening­or inducing enough guilt­that

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 shedding­and

spreading­live 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

vaccines­like 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 vaccines­such as

MMR, polio and chickenpox vaccines­last 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

1. Dow Business News. Sept. 12, 2003.

FluMist Available In Pharmacies This Fall.

2. Washington Post. Nasal spray for flu to

get big media launch. Sept. 10, 2003, pg. E01

3. Washington Post. Spray vaccine for flu

wins FDA clearance. June 18, 2003. pg. A01.

4. Mohammed, Madjid. Influenza as a

bioweapon. J.R.Soc.Med. 2003;96:345-346.

5. Adler, Neil. MedImmune awaits the $1

billion mark and a new flu drug. The Business Gazette. Feb. 7, 2003.

6. FluMist package insert.

7. Vesikari T., et al. A randomized,

double-blind, placebo-controlledtrial 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

8. ibid. (Chicago, IL). 2001

9. Zangwell, . Cold-adapted, live

attenuated intranasal influenza virus vaccine.

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

10. Drug information.

11. Diepgen TL. Is the prevalence of atopic

dermatitis increasing? In: HC, ed.

Atopic Dermatitis: The Epidemiology, Causes and

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

12. National Cancer Institute. CanQues.

Available at http://srab.

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

13. 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

14. United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS).

All Recipients: Age at Time of Transplant.

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

15. Allan and Harold Rubin, MS, ABD, CRC.

September 26, 2003. Vaccinations and the Elderly.

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

17. ibid.

18. FluMist package insert.

19. Knipe, . M. Ed. Fields Virology.

Philadelpthis: Lippincott, 4th ed. 2001. pg. 1057

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

Vaccination Information & Choice Network, Washington State, USA

Vaccines -

http://www.nccn.net/~wwithin/vaccine.htm or

http://www.wellwithin1.com/vaccine.htm

Vaccine Dangers, Childhood Disease Classes &

Homeopathy Online/email courses - next classes start September 30 & October 1

http://www.wellwithin1.com/vaccineclass.htm or

http://www.wellwithin1.com/homeo.htm