A healthier person or companions animal is one who has sound nutrition and avoids a plethora of jabs.
CDC: Too few adults get their vaccines
By LAURAN NEERGAARD, AP Medical Writer
Thu Jan 24, 2008
Vaccines aren't just for kids, but far too few grown-ups are rolling up their sleeves, disappointed federal health officials reported Wednesday.
The numbers of newly vaccinated are surprisingly low, considering how much public attention a trio of new shots — which protect against shingles, whooping cough and cervical cancer — received in recent years.
Yet many seem to have missed, or forgotten, the news: A survey by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases found that aside from the flu, most adults have trouble even naming diseases that they could prevent with a simple inoculation.
"We really need to get beyond the mentality that vaccines are for kids. Vaccines are for everybody," said Dr. Anne Schuchat of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who called the new data sobering. "We obviously have a lot more work to do."
The new CDC report found:
_Only about 2 percent of Americans ages 60 and older received a vaccine against shingles in its first year of sales.
There are more than 1 million new cases a year of shingles, an excruciating rite of aging that causes a blistering skin rash. Up to 200,000 of them develop a complication, severe nerve pain that can last for months or even years. Anyone who ever had chickenpox is at risk, especially once they hit their 60s, because the chickenpox virus hibernates for decades in nerve cells until erupting again.
"Many people describe the shingles pain as the worst pain they've ever endured," said Dr. Michael Oxman of the University of California, San Diego.
The shingles vaccine, Merck & Co.'s Zostavax, isn't perfect, but it cuts in half the risk of shingles — and those who still get it have a much milder case.
_About 2 percent of adults ages 18 to 64 got a booster shot against whooping cough in the two years since it hit the market.
The cough so strong it can break a rib is making a big comeback, because the vaccine given to babies and toddlers starts wearing off by adolescence. Older patients usually recover, but whooping cough can cause weeks of misery. Worse, those people can easily spread the illness to not-yet-vaccinated infants, who can die from the bacterial infection, also called pertussis.
The pertussis booster was added to another long-recommended shot, a booster against tetanus and diphtheria that adults should get every 10 years. The new triple combo is called "Tdap." Sanofi-Aventis's Adacel brand is for ages 11 to 64. There also is a version for 10- to 18-year-olds, GlaxoSmithKline's Boostrix.
_About 10 percent of women ages 18 to 26 have received at least one dose of a three-shot series that protects against the human papillomavirus, or HPV, that causes cervical cancer.
There are more than 100 different types of HPV, the most prevalent sexually transmitted infection. Usually, the body gets rid of HPV without symptoms. But certain high-risk strains can persist and cause genital warts or cervical cancer.
The vaccine, Merck's Gardasil, protects against four of those high-risk types. That's not complete protection — so even the vaccinated still need regular Pap smears — but those strains are responsible for about 72 percent of cervical cancer and 90 percent of genital warts, said Dr. Stanley Gall of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
Stay tuned: The government is considering whether even more women should get the vaccine — those up to age 45 who aren't yet infected, Gall said. And studies are under way to see if it works in men.
Price may play a role in these low vaccination rates. The shingles shot costs around $150, and the three-shot HPV vaccine about $300, and insurance coverage varies. There's no national program to guarantee access for adults who can't afford vaccines as there is for child vaccines.
But adults aren't taking full advantage of some cheap old standby vaccines, either. Among people 65 or older, a high-risk age, CDC found only 69 percent get an annual flu shot; just 66 percent have had a one-time pneumonia vaccine; and 44 percent had received a tetanus shot in the past 10 years.
It's not too late for a flu shot this year — and Oxman urged getting some of the other adult shots in the same doctor visit.
Copyright © 2008 The Associated Press.
VACCINATION TOXICITY CAN CAUSE INJURY
by Mary Tocco, January 16, 2008
Vaccinations can cause toxic injury in children and adults in several ways. Live or attenuated virus vaccines can actually produce the infection that the vaccine is supposed to prevent. Because vaccines are usually injected into muscle tissue, the major organs of the body may be exposed to the additives and preservatives in vaccines that are toxic as well as the viruses. When we change the method of exposure to the illness, we also change the way the immune system responds to that illness. Normal infectious illnesses do not get into the blood system. Hugh Fudenberg is one of the world's leading immunologists and 13th most quoted biologist of our time who studied the Flu vaccine given to adults. He found that the aluminum and mercury in the flu shot can accumulate in the brain and lead to Alzheimer disease.
Boyd Haley from the University of Kentucky has done extensive research on the brain and mercury exposure. He believes that the childhood vaccines given up to 2004 with mercury are directly related to the autism epidemic in this country. The live polio vaccine has been known to cause polio in recipients and care givers of children recently vaccinated. That is why since 1999, the live polio vaccine is no longer recommended. The chickenpox vaccine, Virecella Zoster, has shown to cause family members to break out in shingles or herpes simplex. The new rotavirus vaccine for infant diarrhea, RotaTeq has been associated with intussusception of the colon which is a swelling, inflammation of the colon causing restriction and many times results in immediate surgery to correct. Fifty-two babies died in the trials before the vaccine was released and they say the cause was SIDS. Many vaccines can cause shock, seizures, type 1 diabetes, asthma and death. There are also possible, but unproven links between the MMR vaccine and juvenile diabetes and autism. Vaccines are linked to Gulf War syndrome and much, much more.
The second, and probably the most important theory of vaccine injury relates to allergic reactions and the development of an auto-immune response, stimulated by the vaccine and its adjuvants, which assist in stimulating the immune response. Vaccines always contain adjuvants, which are substances known to amplify the body's response to the vaccine. These adjuvants are known to sometimes cause allergic and auto-immune responses on their own. How would a parent know if their two month old infant is allergic to any of the products in a vaccine? Unfortunately, most vaccine reactions are overlooked and dismissed by the doctors. As the child gets more shots the problems get worse and often the injury is in process and takes many months to discover. I personally know medical doctors whose own children were injured by vaccines and they did not see it coming.
Consider this extensive list of vaccine ingredients listed on this very informative web site called WAVE, World Association for Vaccine Education by far the most complete list of vaccine ingredients available to the public. Click here to see this extensive list of vaccine ingredients, not all are listed.
Questions you need to ask yourself before considering vaccinations: Have I thoroughly researched all the ingredients in the shot and do I understand the toxic risks? Is there a history of auto immune problems in the family because many researchers believe children may be genetically hyper sensitive to the adjuvants in the vaccines? Do I understand the difference between natural immunity and vaccine immune response? Is my child at risk for the illness I am vaccinating for? Is that illness really a health threat?
Congress passed the Immunizations Assistance Act in 1965, assisting the drug companies in mass vaccine programs. At that time they recommended that all 5-6 year olds be vaccinated before going into school. They start vaccinating infants day 1 immediately after birth and continue until adolescents. Now, if you or your child suffers any injury from the vaccines, the vaccine manufacturer is protected from any litigation. As you know, we have an epidemic of autism, learning problems, and chronically sick children in the country and the government refuses to fund the necessary research that could prove the vaccine connection. The CDC and the FDA admits that mercury is one of the most toxic elements known on Earth and yet they claim that the mercury in vaccines is not related to the catastrophic increase off neurological problems plaguing the children of this country. (The amount of mercury "thimerosal" in childhood vaccines until 2004 was 40 to 60 times the EPA safety level. By 6 months, the average child received 187.5mcg of thimerosal from their vaccines. FDA Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research)
Every new vaccine recommended and mandated by the CDC exposes your child to more toxic ingredients increasing the risk for toxic injury. According to Barbara Fisher, President of The National Vaccine Information Center and Vaccine Advisory Committee Member, between 1964 and 2002, the U.S added eight new vaccines totaling 23 doses of 13 diseases. Now almost every year, new vaccines are added including the Flu shot which still contains 25 mcg of mercury, RotaTeq the rotavirus vaccine and the HPV Cervical cancer vaccine for young girls, totaling 18 different diseases given in multiple vaccines. Ted Koren, chiropractor and vaccine researcher, analyzed the vaccine cocktails and states that our children get 74 injected bacterial/viral components by age of 6. This does not even consider all of the un-natural, carcinogenetic ingredients found in vaccines.
We live in a very toxic environment and it is our responsibility as parents to protect our children and to try to reduce our toxic load. There is much that we do not have personal control over, but vaccinations are one area where we can take control and make informed decisions. If we do not get actively involved in making these decisions, we will eventually lose our rights. How will you feel when you no longer have the right to say "NO" and the government forces vaccines or you go to jail like a common criminal? The vaccination program in this country is not about health, it is about profit. Greed and power have been fueling this industry for many years. We must wake up and realize that as long as we passively allow the government to make our healthcare decisions; we do not own our bodies.
Parents must understand that they have the last say as to what gets injected into their children. All states allow exemptions to vaccines but most parents are not informed of their rights. In fact, we are told that our children cannot attend school unless they are fully vaccinated. That is only part of the story. Each state has its own vaccine requirements and most have religious exemptions, medical exemptions and some have philosophical exemptions available. Your local health department will have a copy of the written law which is available for you by request. If you do not know your rights, you are no different than a slave! Education is the key to making sound decisions and our children are counting on us to make health decisions that will affect them for the rest of their lives. Please, do not make vaccine decisions out of fear!
Parents note: If any mandatory vaccine will cause injury or serious side effect, you will be responsible for the medical bills. Laws have been passed and signed making the vaccine manufactures, doctors, federal, state and county health departments immune from prosecution. In other words, you will be stuck paying the bills.
