Re: Re: Offit's Afactual Menactra Pronouncements

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the informative response Dr. King. If the vaccine may only be effective for 5 years, we may be seeing outbreaks, and, booster recommendations in the next decade. Especially now with the recommendation for adolescents 12 years and up.

In a message dated 8/31/05 1:53:56 PM Pacific Daylight Time, drking@... writes:

FOR INFORMATION ONLY

Factually, Menactra may be 70 % effective against

the "A," "C," "Y," and "W-135" variants of bacteria,

Neisseri meningitidis, for which it was developed,

but it is NOT protective for the "B" variant - the

variant in the U.S. that is responsible for about

50% of the "typed" cases each year.

Thus, if 70% effective for 50 % of cases, the net

avearge effectiveness would be about 35 %.

Further, though Aventis' previous meningiococcal

vaccine, Menomune, was not used universally (mostly

used by military and some colleges), the variant-

prevalence data seem to clearly indicate that

population-wide vaccination will promote the survival

of the "B" variant over the other variants so that

the vaccine will become increasingly less effective

as its use continues.

In addition, there are serious mode-of-administration

issues because N. meningitidis is a dust/dirt-borne

organism with inhalation as a major infection pathway

but the injected vaccine does not provoke the inhalation

components of the immune system.

Given the preceding realities, I have yet to find

an objective "cost (~$50 - 100/dose) & risk vs.

benefit" analysis that indicates that this vaccine

should be recommended for addition to the U.S.

recommended immunization schedule for from 1 to

4,000,000+ children per year.

Based on the preceding, the U.S. would probably be

better off spending 10 to 30 million dolars a year

in promoting better hygeine in children than in

recommending the vaccination of the population

with a vaccine, Menactra, that provides no protection

against the most-prevalent, "B," variant, and, if

Dr. Offit is correct, is only "70 percent effective

at preventing meningitis."

[Note: For biological reasons, no SAFE "polysaccaride"

or "polysaccaride conjgate" vaccine can be made for

the "B" variant BECAUSE it has the same polysaccaride

in its cell membrane that humans have in the membranes

coating their nerves.]

Moreover, BASED on the data Aventis publicly presented

when the decision was being made to license the

Menactra vaccine, the duration of the "effective

protection" provided is probably no more than 5 years.

Hopefully, this information will be of help to you

in your endeavors.

Respectfully,

Dr. King

http://www.dr-king.com

PS: The preceding ONLY addresses

the issues you raised.

In addition, a copy of this

e-mail was posted to nbc10's

healthwatch page (w/o this

postscript and your e-mail).

[Guest guest]

,

SCIENCE-BASED VIEW FOR INFORMATION ONLY

Even if all were vaccinated, we would still have

the same, if not higher, risk of outbreaks of

the " B " variant:

a. Which, without mass vaccination, currently

causes about half of the cases and,

b. For which, the vaccine provides NO protection

whatsoever.

Moreover, if Dr. Offit's claim of 70% effectiveness

is true, then about 30 % of those vaccinated will

also be ineffectively protected from the " A, " " C, "

" Y, " and " W-135 " variants of the disease.

Given the preceding realities, these vaccines can

ONLY provide a false sense of protection to the

population (much like locking 70% of the front

doors and NONE of the rear doors in a 2-door

dwelling would provide protection from an unwanted

visitor simply opening the unlocked doors and

walking into dwellings " protected " in this manner)

even if that population were 100% " immunized " by

these vaccines.

Based on the preceding, and absent any general mass

exposure risk to those having this type of meningitis,

it would seem to be more effective and prudent (in

terms of disease prevention and cost) for our

government to teach our children and, for ourselves,

to enforce better hygeine practices as well as to

have all wear a suitable mask when they have a " cold "

(respiratory infection) to minimize the risk of

contaminating others (as those in other countries do)

than to mass vaccinate ourselves and our children with

either the Menactra or Menomune ® meniningitis

vaccines.

Respectfully,

Dr. King

http://www.dr-king.com

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

At 09:20 9/1/05 EDT, Hjfasufi@... wrote:

>Thanks for the informative response Dr. King. If the vaccine may only be

>effective for 5 years, we may be seeing outbreaks, and, booster

>recommendations in the next decade. Especially now with the recommendation

>for adolescents 12 years and up.

>

>

>

> In a message dated 8/31/05 1:53:56 PM Pacific Daylight Time,

>drking@... writes:

>

> FOR INFORMATION ONLY

>

> Factually, Menactra may be 70 % effective against

> the " A, " " C, " " Y, " and " W-135 " variants of bacteria,

> Neisseri meningitidis, for which it was developed,

> but it is NOT protective for the " B " variant - the

> variant in the U.S. that is responsible for about

>

>

> Thus, if 70% effective for 50 % of cases, the net

> avearge effectiveness would be about 35 %.

>

> Further, though Aventis' previous meningiococcal

> vaccine, Menomune, was not used universally (mostly

> used by military and some colleges), the variant-

> prevalence data seem to clearly indicate that

> population-wide vaccination will promote the survival

> of the " B " variant over the other variants so that

> the vaccine will become increasingly less effective

> as its use continues.

>

> In addition, there are serious mode-of-administration

> issues because N. meningitidis is a dust/dirt-borne

> organism with inhalation as a major infection pathway

> but the injected vaccine does not provoke the inhalation

> components of the immune system.

>

> Given the preceding realities, I have yet to find

> & risk vs.

> benefit " analysis that indicates that this vaccine

> should be recommended for addition to the U.S.

> recommended immunization schedule for from 1 to

> 4,000,000+ children per year.

>

> Based on the preceding, the U.S. would probably be

> better off spending 10 to 30 million dolars a year

> in promoting better hygeine in children than in

> recommending the vaccination of the population

> with a vaccine, Menactra, that provides no protection

> against the most-prevalent, " B, " variant, and, if

> Dr. Offit is correct, is only " 70 percent effective

>

>

> [Note: For biological reasons, no SAFE " polysaccaride "

> or " polysaccaride conjgate " vaccine can be made for

> the " B " variant BECAUSE it has the same polysaccaride

> in its cell membrane that humans have in the membranes

> coating their nerves.]

>

> Moreover, BASED on the data Aventis publicly presented

> when the decision was being made to license the

> Menactra vaccine, the duration of the " effective

> protection " provided is probably no more than 5 years.

>

> Hopefully, this information will be of help to you

> in your endeavors.

>

> Respectfully,

>

> Dr. King

> http://www.dr-king.com

>

> PS: The preceding ONLY addresses

> the issues you raised.

> In addition, a copy of this

> e-mail was posted to nbc10's

> healthwatch page (w/o this

> postscript and your e-mail).

>

>

>

>