[PROVE] Meningitis Vaccine Information for College Students

[Guest guest]

Dear PROVE Members,

This piece contains information that parents and college students need to know

about the meningococcal vaccine. Please share it widely and do your part to

make sure as many college students and their parents see it as possible. It was

written and submitted by Andy Schlafly, General Counsel,American Association of

Physicians and Surgeons - http://aapsonline.org. Thank you.

Sincerley,

Dawn

Parents Requesting Open Vaccine Education - PROVE

http://vaccineinfo.net

Meningococcal Vaccine

Incoming college students nationwide are being told to take the meningococcal

vaccine or else they may not be admitted. But here is what schools and

government are not telling parents and students. Less than 1 in 100,000 contract

the meningococcal meningitis disease annually in the United States and 50% of

those cases are in infants. Of those who do contract the disease, most recover

fully and fatalities are in less than 10% of the case.

The disease is not easily transmitted. The primary method of transmission is by

mixing saliva, as in kissing the mouth of an infected person. Even then, most

people have already been exposed, and are thereby immune, to the disease. Only

5-15 college students nationwide die from this disease and contributing factors,

which is far less than other risks faced by college students.

In September 2005, the FDA announced that five (5) recipients of this vaccine

reported serious symptoms of Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS) soon after receiving

the vaccine, a condition having similarities with Multiple Sclerosis. They were

ages 17 and 18, typical for the incoming college freshmen being urged to have

this vaccine. (http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2005/NEW01238.html)

Other reports of adverse reactions after the vaccine are highly disturbing. 41%

the recipients report having a headache subsequent to receiving this vaccine.

35% report fatigue after the vaccine; 24% report malaise; and 20% report aches

and pains in their joints after receiving the vaccine. One can only wonder what

the long-term harm is from the vaccine. The vaccine manufacturer does not report

in its package insert any study of long-term harm beyond six months. View the

package insert yourself at: http://www.fda.gov/cber/label/mpdtave102105LB.pdf

It is easy to test a vaccine in animals to see if it causes cancer or

infertility, but the vaccine maker failed to do that. Its package insert

expressly states that the " vaccine has not been evaluated in animals for its

carcinogenic or mutagenic potentials or for impairment of fertility. "

When long-term harm from the vaccine is combined with the short-term harm

indicated above, it is quite possible that the vaccine is causing more harm than

it is preventing. For a disease that can be largely avoided by not mixing saliva

with an infected person, or receiving prompt treatment if one is infected, the

insistence on vaccination rather than education is unfortunate.

And what benefits are truly provided by the vaccine? The meningococcal vaccine

does not even claim to protect against at least one-third of the strains of the

meningococcal disease, according to the above package insert. Of the remaining

strains, the vaccine provides no guarantee of immunity either.

Vaccination information is often more objective from state agencies than from

the federal government, because vaccine manufacturers can influence the federal

government and distort federal policy more easily than dealing with 50 different

states. This information from the Illinois Department of Health is useful, and

supports several of the above facts:

http://www.idph.state.il.us/public/hb/hbmenin.htm

Parents and students may not realize that all states have available exemptions

to decline this and other vaccines. Know your rights, and exercise them.

Andy Schlafly

General Counsel

Association of American Physicians & Surgeons

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Dawn

PROVE(Parents Requesting Open Vaccine Education)

prove@... (email)

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

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PROVE provides information on vaccines, and immunization policies and practices

that affect the children and adults of Texas. Our mission is to prevent vaccine

injury and death and to promote and protect the right of every person to make

informed independent vaccination decisions for themselves and their family.

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This information is not to be construed as medical OR legal advice.

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