Squalene or any other adjuvant (aluminum) supposedly is not in the current vaccine according to CDC. However, it, or some other adjuvant may be added in the future to make the vaccine more efficient especially in kids under 9 years of age.
The flu vaccine in 1987 caused 25 deaths and lots of cases of Guillain Barré Syndrome (GBS) beyond the regular rate (possibly due to squalene) – against one death due to H1N1.
Vaccine efficacy is not known as there have not been any studies; Norvatis is using efficiency studies from regular seasonal flu vaccines as the production process is exactly the same. However, there are some new production processes under way involving insect and animal cell cultures rather than egg, to see if the vaccine production can be accelerated – no studies what so ever on those processes.
According to Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews of 50 to 64 studies of healthy children, healthy adults and elderly living in nursing homes respectively, regular seasonal flu shots were effective in preventing the flu in 33% (children), 6% (adults), and insignificant in elderly. Several studies showed either aggravation or no prevention of aggravation in asthmatic kids.
According to recent CDC statement and the summary report from Australia, where the flu season has ended without the expected epidemic, actual flu cases and deaths from flu are the same or less than regular seasonal flu. They stopped testing for H1N1 in July so there really is no way of knowing how many cases have actually been H1N1 and how many cases of flu-like symptoms were due to the regular flu virus. A recent CBS news study evaluated state wide records (when they were still testing for H1N1) and the actual percentage of H1N1 out of all flu-like illness ranged between 2 and 19%. (CDC statements still falsely reflect the opinion that over 90% of all flu is due to H1N1)
Remember that the H1N1 virus has two genes that have to be turned for it to turn into a devastating epidemic – the infective one and the virulent one; so far there is only evidence that the infective gene is turned on. This virus is different in that it affects young children and middle aged adults in uncharacteristic seasonal waves. Understand that getting sick with a good fever exercises your immune system and provides long term immunity against this virus which is important in case it comes back with the second gene (the virulence one) turned on down the road.
Yours in health,
Pamela
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment