[PROVE] Polio Non-Outbreak Among the Amish

[Guest guest]

E-NEWS FROM THE NATIONAL VACCINE INFORMATION CENTER

Vienna, Virginia http://www.nvic.org

http://www.newswithviews.com/Tenpenny/sherri3.htm

NewsWithViews.com

December 2, 2005

POLIO " NON-OUTBREAK " AMONG THE AMISH

Dr. Sherri Tenpenny, DO

On October 14, the major media outlets shrieked a report of " the first

outbreak of polio in the United States in 26 years, " occurring in an Amish

community in central Minnesota. The specter of hundreds of children in

braces and iron lung machines lining the halls of hospitals immediately

danced through the air, and directly into the minds of parents who have

chosen to not vaccinate their children.

More than a month later, phone calls and emails from concerned parents

continue to pour in. The fears surrounding this " outbreak " need to be put to

rest.

First of all, there wasn't an " outbreak of polio. " There was only the

discovery of an inactivated polio virus in the stool of four children. The

first confirmation was in a 7-month old Amish infant, presumably

hospitalized, with severe immune deficiency. The " find " prompted screening

of other children in the community; four children were confirmed positive.

None experienced any type of paralysis.

Part of the panic can be blamed on inaccurate reporting. The virus that was

identified was not " wild polio. " It was a virus that is found only in the

oral polio vaccine (OPV). Oral vaccine-strain viruses are inactivated with

formaldehyde and are generally considered by the CDC " too weak " to cause

disease. Even though the OPV is still used extensively in Third World

countries, it has not been used in the United States since 2000. How did

children in an isolated Amish community, with no exposure to foreigners,

become exposed to vaccine-strain polio virus? That remains a mystery.

The unasked question is why was finding this strain front-page news? My

suspicion is that it was because it was an Amish child; a large number of

the Amish choose to not vaccinate their children. A confirmation would serve

a dual purpose: to make an " example " of the Amish and scare parents into

believing polio still being " in circulation, " when in fact, it is not.

A review of polio is important to alleviating the fears about the disease.

Keep in mind that the last case of " wild type " polio virus in U.S was in

1979; the last case the Western Hemisphere was in the Peru, in 1991.

Polioviruses are transient inhabitants of the gastrointestinal tract. Up to

95% of all polio infections are completely asymptomatic. Approximately 5% of

polio infections consist of a minor, nonspecific illness consisting of an

upper respiratory tract infection (sore throat and fever) and

gastrointestinal disturbances (nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and

diarrhea). This influenza-like illness, clinically indistinguishable from

the myriad of other viral illnesses, is characterized by complete recovery

in less than a week with resultant life time immunity.

Less than 1% of all polio infections result in paralysis. Most importantly,

the vast majority of individuals who contract paralytic poliomyelitis

recover with complete-or near complete-return of muscle function. Any

weakness that is still present 12 months after onset of paralysis is usually

considered permanent.[1]

The take home message from the " Amish outbreak " is this:

1. Polio is not a synonym for paralysis.

2. The presence of vaccine-strain polio identified in the stool of 4

asymptomatic children is not a " polio outbreak. "

3. There have been no wild polio viruses identified in the Western

hemisphere since 1991.

4. The WHO certified the Western hemisphere " polio free " in 1994.

For parents who choose not to vaccinate, assessing the risk of contracting

polio, based on the facts of this so-called outbreak and the truth about the

disease, needs to be put in perspective. Here are some things to think

about:

In 1997 alone, 112 children died from falls.

In 1999, in Georgia alone, 53 children died in drowning accidents; 4 drowned

at home in a bathtub.[2]

Would you stop bathing your children or prohibit swimming and playing due to

these small risks?

What is the real risk of contracting polio? Certainly, it is zero from this

Amish " outbreak. " The entire vaccine industry is based on fear. Learning the

facts about polio will dissipate personal fears and so will putting the

risks in perspective.

REFERENCES:

1. To read this for yourself: CDC: The Pink Book, pub. 2005, Chapter 8, page

90

2. 1999 Report on child welfare and safety.

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Dawn

PROVE(Parents Requesting Open Vaccine Education)

prove@... (email)

http://vaccineinfo.net/ (web site)

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