Questions Abound over Efficacy of Flu Vaccines

Posted on by

Analysis Finds Flu Vaccine Efficacy Lacking, as Flu Vaccines are Suspended Across Europe and Canada

By Dr. Mercola

With flu season just around the corner, health agencies are telling Americans to just “get your flu shot,” assuring everyone that it’s safe and effective. Many, like MedicineNet.com,1 chalk up any and all safety concerns as “myths.”

“It’s the time of year when you should be thinking about flu vaccinations for yourself and your family,” they write. “Some people, however, decide not to get the flu vaccine and put themselves and others at risk of getting sick just because they believe long-held myths about the vaccine.”

Myths? I think not.

Vaccine Claims are Not Based on Science-Backed Medicine

Story at-a-glance

  • A recent review found that flu vaccines may not offer protection as previously thought. The elderly, in particular, do not appear to receive measureable value from the flu shot. Trivalent inactivated influenza vaccines also didn’t offer much protection to children over the age of seven
  • While infants and young children are at greatest risk, no one is exempt from the potential serious complications of flu vaccination, one of which is Guillaine-Barre syndrome. Early symptoms of GBS include sudden muscle weakness, fatigue and tingling sensations in the legs, eventually ending with either partial or total paralysis
  • A unit of U.S. drugmaker Johnson & Johnson, recently suspended delivery of their seasonal flu vaccine, Inflexal V, destined for Italy and other European countries, after discovering “problems” with two of 32 lots
  • Two weeks ago Italy banned the sale and use of four flu vaccines manufactured by Novartis, following the discovery of white particles in the vaccines. Over the next two days, Switzerland, Austria, Spain, France, Germany and Canada also suspended use of Novartis’ flu vaccines
  • ACIP recently changed their recommendation on Tdap during pregnancy. According to new recommendation, a Tdap booster vaccine is to be given to pregnant women during each consecutive pregnancy. The vote was unanimous despite the fact that neither safety nor efficacy data exists for women given multiple consecutive Tdap vaccinations during every pregnancy.

to read the rest, go to:    http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/11/06/flu-vaccine-efficacy.aspx?e_cid=20121106_DNL_art_1