Are you getting a Swine Flu shot?
My family WILL NOT be getting them.
I wonder how many of these people, after getting the Swine Flu shot will come down with Guillain Barre' Syndrome?
In 1976 President Gerald Ford ordered a National Campaign to get the whole country immunized against the Swine Flu, in fear of a national Swine Flu outbreak. The US ordered 40 million doses of the vaccine and on October 1, 1976 started immunizing people. In December of 1976 a halt was put on the immunizations, no more were to be administered.Why?
Because more people were being diagnosed with Guillain Barre' Syndrome than the Swine Flu. The feared Flu epidemic never came, only 1 person died, but more than 532 people came down with GBS, 25 of them died.
I have been doing some research on this issue for obvious reasons, and it's interesting what I have found out. Some articles down play the severity of GBS while others give it the credit it deserves.
Here are some tidbits of what I have found;
CBC Canada
Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), a form of paralysis that is usually temporary and can occur after some common infections, may be associated with seasonal influenza vaccine in about one per million recipients. It is expected that a similar pattern may be seen for the H1N1 influenza vaccine, say health officials.
CBC News, Canada
(Is this seriously all they could say about GBS? For some reason they are trying to downplay the severity of GBS. I hope people in Canada do a little more research and find out the truth about GBS.)
The Reporter Online
Glen Beck, a conservative talk show host for Fox News, raised the possibility that the neurological disease Guillain-Barre Syndrome would break out. "How much do you trust your government?" Beck asked. "I think that's the main question."Think about it for a moment. Glenn Beck? Bill Maher? Or the best scientists in the country?
The Reporter Online.com
Washington Post
Why did the previous swine flu vaccine cause Guillain-Barré Syndrome?
A complex question! First, its not clear how much of an increased risk of Guillain-Barré Syndrome was associated with influenza vaccination, partly because its not really certain how many cases of GBS occur annually in the United States. Most rigorous studies have suggested there was either a low or no risk of developing GBS after immunization with the 1976 H1N1 vaccine when compared to the general population. GBS has not been convincingly or consistently linked to any other influenza vaccine before or since. So the link between GBS and influenza vaccines remains controversial but it is a relatively low risk, if any.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/29/AR2009092902800.html
New York Times
The feared swine flu epidemic of 1976 never materialized. And several hundred people, including Ms. Kinney, who is now 68 and lives in Gig Harbor, Wash., developed Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare neurological condition that causes temporary muscle weakness or paralysis. More than 30 of those people died.
Many experts say they do not think a vaccine for the new flu strain, called H1N1, would raise a similar risk for Guillain-Barré. But answering that question is difficult because to this day, no one has figured out why the 1976 vaccine caused the disease, in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the nerves.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/09/health/09vaccine.html
This is not meant to scare anyone, more to inform. It is just something that has been in the forefront of how we approach vaccines these days.
In my opinion, getting the Flu/Swine Flu is better than getting Guillain Barre'. If a family member ever dies from the Flu I may change my mind, but after weighing the risks and having been through the GBS experience with my own child, I'll take the Flu.
It will be interesting to see the statistics on the side effects of this new H1N1 vaccine. I won't be surprised to see an increase in GBS. We were told that Cameron can never again have a flu shot or many other vaccines because they all carry a potential risk of GBS. While I know that the risk of any of the rest of us getting Guillain Barre' is very very small, it still makes me nervous to vaccinate my kids for anything, not just the flu.
You weigh the risks for yourself, Guillain Barre' vs. The Swine Flu.
The Reporter Online
Glen Beck, a conservative talk show host for Fox News, raised the possibility that the neurological disease Guillain-Barre Syndrome would break out. "How much do you trust your government?" Beck asked. "I think that's the main question."Think about it for a moment. Glenn Beck? Bill Maher? Or the best scientists in the country?
The Reporter Online.com
Washington Post
Why did the previous swine flu vaccine cause Guillain-Barré Syndrome?
A complex question! First, its not clear how much of an increased risk of Guillain-Barré Syndrome was associated with influenza vaccination, partly because its not really certain how many cases of GBS occur annually in the United States. Most rigorous studies have suggested there was either a low or no risk of developing GBS after immunization with the 1976 H1N1 vaccine when compared to the general population. GBS has not been convincingly or consistently linked to any other influenza vaccine before or since. So the link between GBS and influenza vaccines remains controversial but it is a relatively low risk, if any.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/29/AR2009092902800.html
New York Times
The feared swine flu epidemic of 1976 never materialized. And several hundred people, including Ms. Kinney, who is now 68 and lives in Gig Harbor, Wash., developed Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare neurological condition that causes temporary muscle weakness or paralysis. More than 30 of those people died.
Many experts say they do not think a vaccine for the new flu strain, called H1N1, would raise a similar risk for Guillain-Barré. But answering that question is difficult because to this day, no one has figured out why the 1976 vaccine caused the disease, in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the nerves.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/09/health/09vaccine.html
This is not meant to scare anyone, more to inform. It is just something that has been in the forefront of how we approach vaccines these days.
In my opinion, getting the Flu/Swine Flu is better than getting Guillain Barre'. If a family member ever dies from the Flu I may change my mind, but after weighing the risks and having been through the GBS experience with my own child, I'll take the Flu.
It will be interesting to see the statistics on the side effects of this new H1N1 vaccine. I won't be surprised to see an increase in GBS. We were told that Cameron can never again have a flu shot or many other vaccines because they all carry a potential risk of GBS. While I know that the risk of any of the rest of us getting Guillain Barre' is very very small, it still makes me nervous to vaccinate my kids for anything, not just the flu.
You weigh the risks for yourself, Guillain Barre' vs. The Swine Flu.
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Cameron, February 2009.
To see more pictures and read about Cameron's experience with Guillain Barre' you can click here, here & here.
Or just go back in my archives to Feb. 09. There are too many posts to link to all of them.
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8 comments:
We aren't getting the Swine shot either! And I'm with you..I'm nervous about any type of shots, but still haven't come to the conclusion what I'm going to do about the "rest" of the immunizations. But as for the Swine Flu shots-we won't be getting them.
Three of my five kiddos got the H1N1 (Swine Flu) this year. Can I just say what a hype the media has made out of this? Aside from the high fever 104 + or -, there are no other abnormal or strange symptoms from the regular flu. If you suspect your child or you have the H1N1 flu...get to the doctor within 48 hrs. of onset and they can prescribe Tamiflu. It is not a cure for the flu, but lessons the severity of the symptoms and duration. Just have a good supply of Children's Ibuprofen and Children's Acetominophen (or adults) and some good liquids and I think that is all you will need to get yourself through it. BTW.....do not give luke-warm baths for high fever. Warm baths (not hot) are best. Cooler water tends to tighten up the pores and trap the fever inside. Just a little FYI.
We are not getting the vaccine. It's not tried and tested for decades like other vax's are and I don't want my kids getting it.
And after I had the regular flu shot and felt horrible for days, I decided not to get my kid's vaxed for that either. Vaccines are good, and have their place. But not everything needs a vaccine.
Oh, and I think we may have had the swine flu anyway last week. WE all got sick, DArrell had it the worst, and his symptoms were very swine-y. And it wasn't that bad. Hopefully that's the worst of it for us this year (knock on wood.)
It's a lot to think about, and I myself have still not decided. I know two people who have gotten it and become severely ill, then contracted Pnuenmonia and one had to be hospitalized and one had two weeks of down time. So it can be pretty bad, but you don't know the risk of the shot either.
April,
First off, I SO remember Cameron in the hospital, and I'm SO glad he's o.k.! I felt so bad for him, and your family, it just broke my heart.
Secondly, I'm COMPLETELY on board with you about the "shots" issue. I won't get my kids vaccinated/ immunized for anything, (unless it's something simple, like an updated tetanus). I did the basic baby/kids shots, but that's "it" for us.
Also, just an FYI, because I've had autoimmune problems (thyroid/white blood cells), the research I've done said that if you've had autoimmune problems in the past, to avoid ANY flu shot or flu nasal spray.
Of course, if something tragic happens to one of us because of the flu, I may be kicking myself. Yet, I'm with you: I think taking a chance with the flu is better than GBS (or some other autoimmune disorder). Thanks for your informative post!
All I know is that being pregnant and in the healthcare field, I will be the first one in line to get the vaccine. There are several studies that show how fatal the H1N1 virus is in pregnant women. I was just reading a post by the New York Times:
"In measuring the risk of the vaccine, there is general consensus among doctors that serious adverse reactions are rare and that pregnant women and young people, in particular, are better off with the vaccine than without it. While most people who get H1N1 experience mild symptoms, a recent New England Journal of Medicine study showed that among Americans hospitalized with swine flu last spring, one in four ended up in intensive care and 7 percent of them died.
The illness, unlike other flu strains, has been particularly tough on children and young adults and appears to have a disproportionately high fatality rate in pregnant women."
Meanwhile the CDC website stated "That study suggested that one person out of 1 million vaccinated persons may be at risk of GBS associated with the vaccine."
I'm not saying to get vaccinated, I'm just saying be careful and don't let public opinion scare you.
April,
Interesting post. I'm not getting vaccinated either. I'm willing to take the risk. I am leery and just have to follow my gut. Did Cameron's GBS come after an immunization or the flu?
BTW, I'm so impressed with the list of books you've read. WOW!
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