[PookztA]

The following is the reply of my fellow Immunology, Microbiology, & Virology professors' replies in regards to a very biased, misleading email, regarding the H1N1 flu and its vaccine. This is the word-for-word email reply that was sent to our M1 medical student class, after they found out that the misleading email was circulating. These people know what they are talking about, so I thought I would share it with all of you.

“An e-mail was sent out on the M1 social listserv yesterday regarding the H1N1 vaccine.  Unfortunately, this e-mail was indicative of the rumor and innuendo that has circulated regarding the vaccine. You, however, are being trained as a medical professional and should be dealing with only evidence-based medicine. Given that you are scheduled to be vaccinated tomorrow, we felt compelled to give our overall opinion.

Here are the facts as we see them. We are in the midst of a bona fide H1N1 influenza pandemic.  This is not hysteria, this is real.  This virus is different enough from the flu viruses that have been in circulation over the last 50 years that it is spreading through an immunologically naïve population.  One manifestation of this is the fact that the “flu season” has begun early and the number of cases in North America this fall already exceeds what we would normally see in the beginning of winter.  The CDC reported today that 1 in 5 U.S. children had flu-like illness earlier this month, likely H1N1, and 7 percent of surveyed adults had a flu-like illness in the past week. There has indeed been much concern at all levels regarding this flu pandemic. We are fortunate that the current H1N1 virus is not more severe and deadly. But, as you well know, flu viruses change rapidly, and the virulence of this virus could indeed increase as the flu season progresses.  But “severity” is relative and 43 children have died in this country since August 30. (See the attached FluView document from the CDC.) The majority of these were confirmed to be H1N1 cases.  This is most certainly an underestimate.  You should know that these individuals did not die from the flu virus per se but almost certainly had a secondary bacterial infection as a complication of their H1N1 infection.

A college campus is an excellent environment for the spread of infectious disease and there have been hundreds of cases of flu this semester at the U of I.  Your chances of getting H1N1 flu are significant. If you do get it, you will likely miss at least a week of class and you will feel miserable. Your chances of dying from this infection are small but not infinitesimal.  

The H1N1 flu vaccine is formulated identically to the seasonal flu vaccines that have been administered to millions of individuals over the last several decades. This new vaccine has been deemed safe by the CDC and has already been administered to thousands of individuals.  Data from initial vaccination trials have been published (see attached article in the NEJM). The medical students are first in line to receive the vaccine on this campus because you are considered part of the response team in case the pandemic becomes more severe.

No one can guarantee that an individual will not have some adverse reaction COINCIDENT with receiving any vaccine.  But epidemiological data tells us that for the flu vaccines serious adverse reactions are extremely rare; usually so rare that no causal relationship can be established.  In other words, the risk of infection FAR outweighs the risk of vaccination.  Of course other seasonal flu viruses are also serious and yearly flu vaccination is encouraged.  

Good scientists rarely make definitive statements. Thus, the language used by the CDC and Health and Human Services is often nuanced and, to the uninitiated, could be viewed as equivocal. In contrast, it is easy to state anecdotal information and misinterpreted science as fact and post it on the Internet. Unfortunately, seemingly reputable news agencies also look for the sensational; good scientific data is often boring.  But as a health care professional, good science must be your guide.  I have also included a great article by Paul Offit on the data supporting the safety of the current vaccines administered to our children and I encourage you to read it.

I will close by saying that when the H1N1 vaccine becomes more available, the only people that I am letting get in front of me in line are my wife and children.  We encourage you to take advantage of the vaccine tomorrow.”

Jim Slauch (Microbiologist / Immunologist)

Co-signed:

Nora Few (Dean)
Jim Hall (Dean)
Janet Jokela (Professor)
Joanna Shisler (Virologist / Immunologist)
Richard Tapping (Immunologist)
Dixie Whitt (Microbiologist / Immunologist)

P.S. – Here is a very good, unbiased, informational link from one of the leading health-care clinics in the nation, the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, regarding H1N1 and vaccination:  http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/swine-flu-vaccine/MY00816

Take care,

-Abe

[edais]

Thanks for the info!  🙂

[PookztA]

the Immunology professors said that H1N1 is a very weak strain, so it is nothing to worry about at the moment. Yes, it is going to infect a lot of people because it is foreign to our immune systems, but since it is a very weak strain, it won't do much harm. Most of us are not much at risk, it is mainly young children, old people, and people with weakened immune systems.

The biggest fear is that it may mutate into a more severe form, which would be bad. still, it is nothing to freak out about.

the point though is, Flu Vaccinations are not a bad thing. the H1N1 vaccine is nearly identical to that of the regular Influenza vaccine, it just has different viral particles in it.

there are so many bullshit rumors going around, that it has mercury in it, that it has this harmful thing and that harmful thing in it… the truth is that it is no more risky than the regular seasonal Flu vaccine, so people should strongly considered getting vaccinated just to help stop spreading it.

anywho, i am just letting people know that it is deserving of our attention, but it is not deserving of fear or hysteria.

here is the most recent data regarding H1N1 from the CDC (Center for Disease Control): http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/

as you can see, the rate of infection and H1N1 hospitalization is at its highest rate ever, and is increasing steeply.

I am hoping it remains a weak strain! please do not lose sleep over this, but please set the rumor spreaders / mis-informers straight if you hear people saying that the vaccine is toxic or deadly, or if you hear people saying that the H1N1 threat is a lie. yes, the media blows things out of proportion, but that is why we are here, to tell our friends and family that it really is nothing to worry about, but it is something to pay attention to.

all the best to ya,

-Abe

[Ascension]

I'm gonna repost this in a bunch of places and email it out to everyone at work. Thanks Abe. I if this was more of a public address, they should stress the part where they talked about how scientists don't speak in very definitive (yes, no) terms, and the public sees this as them being more unsure than they actually are.

[Robyo]

Thimersal (ethyl mercury) is not a rumor.

The comparative toxicology of ethyl- and methyl mercury by Magos, Brown, Sparrow, Bailey, et al published in the Archives of Toxicology (1985) 57: 260-267., has stated:

“There was little difference in the neurotoxicities of methylmercury and ethylmercury
when effects on the dorsal root ganglia or coordination disorders were compared.”

and further:

“The neurological signs and symptoms of methyl- and ethyl mercury intoxication are identical…”

David S. Baskin, M.D., and his colleagues at Baylor College of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery published their findings regarding the Toxicity of Thimerosal  in Toxicological Sciences, 2003 74 : 361-368.  They concluded:

“We found that thimerosal in micromolar concentrations rapidly decreased cellular viability.”

Also a recent study, published by a group of Japanese researchers in Toxicology further attest to the toxicity of Thimerosal in a study titled Effect of thimerosal, a preservative in vaccines, on intracellularCa2+ concentration of rat cerebellar neurons whereby they conclude:

“Results indicate that thimerosal exerts some cytotoxic actions on cerebellar granule neurons
dissociated from 2-week-old rats and its potency is almost similar to that of methylmercury.”

In a 1977 study titled Organ mercury levels in infants with omphaloceles treated with organic mercurial antiseptic by Drs. Fagan, Pritchard, Clarkson and Greenwood refers to 10 deaths among 13 infants in which thimerosal was used as a topical treatment for umbilical hernias and states that:

“The results showed that thiomersal can induce blood and organ levels of organic mercury which
are well in excess of the minimum toxic level in adults and fetuses.”

The Russians have long studied Thimerosal and published numerous peer-reviewed studies on its acute toxicity.  We will discuss of few of those here. We appreciate Safe Minds sharing the translated versions.  In March 1977, Dr. Mukhtarova published Late After-Effects Of The Nervous System Pathology Provoked By The Action Of Low Ethyl-Mercuric-Chloride Concentrations.  They concluded:

“The pathology of the nervous system presented certain peculiarities by comparison with the early period.”

“In evidence were changes in the sympatico-adrenal system function, vascular lesions of the brain after the type of transient derangements of the cerebral circulation in the vertebro-basilar basin and angiospasms, diffuse changes in the nervous system with the predominant involvement of the hypothalamic cerebral structures and in some cases psychic disturbances were on record.”

The cytotoxic action of adsorbed DPT vaccine and its components on cells of the continuous L132 line raised concerns about the use of Thimerosal in another study by Kravchenko, et al from May 1982 when they state:

“The components of B. pertussis antigens and thimerosal solutions have been found
to produce the most pronounced cytotoxic effect on the cells”.

In March 1983, Kravchenko, et al again published about the toxic effects of Thimerosal in a Russian Epidemiology journal.  This one is titled The detection of toxic properties in medical biological preparations by the degree of cell damage and states:

“…thimerosal….has been found not only to render its primary toxic effect, but also capable of changing the properties of cells.

This fact suggests that the use of thimerosal for the preservation of medical biological preparations,
especially those intended for children, is inadmissible.”

In April 1986, Dr. Kravchenko and his colleagues published Use of a diploid cell line for detecting the toxic components in medical immunobiological preparations attesting to the acute toxicity of Thimerosal (merthiolate).

“Merthiolate had the strongest irreversible lethal effect”

So it was not surprising when Drs. Chervonskaia, Kravchenko, Runova, et al published yet another study in December 1988 titled Cytotoxic action of the chemical substances found as admixtures in medical immunobiological preparations where they noted:

“…merthiolate in admissible concentrations show the highest degree of CTA [cytotoxic action].”

But were those results seen at levels comparable to mercury-containing vaccines used in the United States?  Yes!
The study found:

“…merthiolate is toxic in a dose of 0.8 micrograms/ml”

More recently, in the year 2000, FDA scientist William Slikker states in the journal Neurotoxicolcogy:

“Thimerosal crosses the blood-brain and placental barriers and results in
appreciable mercury content in tissues including brain.”

Dr. Slikker was by no means the first to make such an assessment about ethyl mercury.  Perhaps the most recognized reference book found in many emergency rooms and poison control centers is The Clinical Toxicology of Commercial Products by Gosselin, Smith and Hodge, and in fact is part of our personal medical library.  In their 5th edition (1984), they made the following observations:

“…ethyl mercury derivatives are virulent neurotoxins on either acute or chronic exposure.”

“They are especially hazardous because of their volatility, their ability to penetrate
epithelial & blood-brain barriers & their persistence in vivo.”

Johanna Qvarnström and her colleagues at the Department of Chemistry, Umeå University in Sweden, published an article titled  Determination of Methylmercury, Ethylmercury,and Inorganic Mercury in Mouse Tissues, Following Administration of Thimerosal, by Species-Specific Isotope Dilution GC-Inductively Coupled Plasma-MS in Analytical Chemistry; 2003, 75, 4120-4124.  Their study analyzed the distribution of thimerosal into the tissues of mice using a novel technique known as inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) which uses radioactive isotope labeling of mercury (Hg199) to determine the distribution of mercury species transformed from standard ethyl mercury in the thimerosal.  The researchers concluded that:

“…thimerosal is rapidly taken up in organs as C2H5Hg+ [ethyl mercury] after oral treatment…In general, C2H5Hg+{ethyl mercury] is considered to be converted to Hg2+ [inorganic mercury] more rapidly than CH3Hg+ [methyl mercury].”

One reason, according to the authors, is that the ethyl mercury carbon bond is less stable than that of methyl mercury. This is good evidence of the enhanced toxicity of ethyl mercury (in thimerosal) as opposed to methyl mercury (found in fish, soil and water sources).

Thimerosal damages DNA. This fact has been well documented in lab samples (in vitro) and in animals (in vivo). A very good source which compiles much of this research can be seen in a study by Dr. Westphal and colleagues done in Göttingen Germany titled Thimerosal induces micronuclei in the cytochalasin B block micronucleus test with human lymphocytes.  This study published in 2003 in the Archives of Toxicology studied whether or not the known genotoxic (DNA damaging) effects of thimerosal were dependent upon any protective effect of individuals with higher levels of glutathione S-transferase (GST) which is one of the body's defenses against thimerosal.  Some individuals with genetic changes (polymorphisms) do not make as much GST and might be more susceptible to DNA damage from thimerosal.  However, this study concluded that:

“…thimerosal induced strong [DNA damaging] effects in…human lymphocytes.  Since thimerosal was repeatedly shown to be genotoxic in vitro and in vivo, there is reason for concern about its widespread use.”

Since vaccines with thimerosal have been known to contain up to 50 micrograms/ml, genotoxic effects could be seen at the injection sites. Westphal found toxicity to DNA occurs at 0.6 micrograms/ml.   This should be sufficient reason to ban its use in vaccines.

Thimerosal is also immunotoxic, meaning it can damage the immune system.  There is a plethora of scientific evidence of this, such as  Induction of Autoimmunity Through Bystander Effects – Lessons from Immunological Disorders Induced by Heavy Metals
by Gilbert J. Fournié and his colleagues at Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale in Toulouse, France which found:

“…compounds present in vaccines such as thiomersal …can trigger autoimmune reactions through bystander effects.”

One of the most respected researchers in Europe studying metal allergies and individual susceptibility to metals is Dr. Vera Stejskal, Associate Professor of Immunology in the Department of Clinical Chemistry at Danderyd Hospital and Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden.  Professor Vera Stejskal has developed MELISA®, a scientifically-proven blood test which can diagnose metal allergy.  She has also published extensively on the adverse effects of metals on the human body.  The MELISA® test is available in the United States. In Dr. Stejskal's 1999 paper published in Neuroendocrinology Letters titled The role of metals in autoimmunity and the link to neuroendocrinology she stated:

“In contrast to the toxic effects of metals, the concentration of the metal
in a sensitized individual is of minor importance.”

“Minute concentrations of an allergen can induce systemic reactions in sensitized individuals.”

”In such a situation, metal induced inflammatory reactions in the brain or elsewhere could be triggered despite low concentrations detected in body fluids or locally.”

Babies haven't yet formed the blood-brain barrier and thus are more easily affected by the toxicity of thimerosal., which is the basis of what is can cause autism in children. Also, it has been shown to be linked to allergies and auto-immune disorders. I trace my own autoimmune problems to regular vaccinations as a kid.

[PookztA]

i am getting the vaccine today because i have to be in a hospital setting where i am at very high risk of getting it from patients in the hospital.

for folks that don't work in the healthcare setting and that have healthy immune systems, i don't see a need for it.

just my 2 cents.

cya

Robyo: the ethyl-mercury is a preservative, and is ONLY found in multi-dose injection forms of the vaccine, to preserve the doses (and even then, it is in extremely small concentrations). Most doses of the vaccine are in single-dose, injection form, which does not contain the ethyl-mercury (Thimerasol) preservative.

single dose injections and the less-effective nasal-vaccine do not contain the ethyl-mercury.

see the link i provided to Mayo Clinic to verify this if you would like.

im about to go get my vaccine… only because i will be at a much much greater risk than most of you since I have to be in the hospital setting from time to time.

again, there is nothing to worry about, and most everyone really doesn't need the vaccine. even if you do get H1N1, the symptoms will most likely be mild, and you will gain an active, natural form of immunity that those that get vaccinated will not have. if it were up to me, i would just get sick from H1N1 naturally, so that i have natural active immunity against it, but unfortunately,  i can't risk missing even one day from school, as i am STILL trying to catch up from Earth Dance.

[Machi]

vaccinations against any influenza is pointless

[Machi]

I choose not to take flu vaccines, and here's why:

1) If they're safe: I'm at a good age to be able to fight off diseases.  I have a very good chance of survival compared to infants, children, and the elderly.  Therefore, considering possibilities that there may not be enough vaccine anyways, I choose not to take the vaccine.

2) If they aren't safe: Then there's no reason to take it.

Either way, for me personally, it makes sense not to take the vaccine, and just take all the regular health precautions.

Methods I use include:

• Sudafed: antihistamine
• Echinacea: good for immune system
• Alka-Seltzer (plain, non-aspartame kind): good for re-aligning alkali levels
• Orange juice (~2 cups a day, ~1-2 quarts when sick): vitamin C
• Herbal teas: like “Throat Coat” and “Breathe Easy”
• Avoid dairy: keep phlegm to manageable levels
• Comedy: keep spirits up
• Sleep: gives body a chance to fight back

[/list]

The Alka-Seltzer, Echinacea, and non-dairy ideas were from my Aunt Deej who swears by them.  She also recommends Airborne, but I'm not sold on that and that stuff has a lot of additives in it.

you should also include: garlic, ginger, spicey peppers, oregano, lemons and honey in you system 😉

[Ascension]

This link says that half those hospitalized are under age 25, and only about 7 percent are over age 65. Don't think that your youth is an automatic pass to staying healthy from this: http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/10/22/this-week-in-swine-flu-how-it-kills-lawsuits-and-a-pregnant-womans-story

I'm not getting a shot because there are more people out there who need it more than me (especially pregnant mother since their immune system is weaker).

[PookztA]

got my H1N1 vaccine at 11am today

again, the only reason i got it is because i work in a healthcare setting  8)

[Machi]

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/10/22/New-Study-Demonstrates-Significant-Harm-From-Just-ONE-Mercury-Containing-Vaccine.aspx

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/09/26/Flu-Vaccine-Exposed.aspx

[PookztA]

if you think critically while viewing Dr. Mercola's website, you see that they seem to have an agenda on there… mainly to sell his health care products, books, diets, articles, etc.

1st of all, Dr. Mercola graduated from Undergraduate college from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, so that is a small coincidence

2nd of all, Dr. Mercola is a Doctor of Osteopathic medicine, and has no specialty in immunology, microbiology, or virology

3rd of all, the only ethyl-mercurying preservative-containing vaccines are the Multi-dose injections, because they need the preservative to keep the multiple doses viable. to avoid getting mercury if you get the vaccine, just make sure you request a single dose vaccine, and not a dose from the multi-dose vials. today I made sure to ask that before getting my vaccine, and sure enough, all the doses being given were single-dose vaccines. i got the vaccine at 11am and i am perfectly fine, didnt even have arm pain…

4th of all, Dr. Mercola is all about his products and books, and not so much about being a doctor (what does that tell you)… he is well known for his natural supplements and products and diets, but not for any exceptional knowledge or healthcare practice techniques. Dr. Mercola has also received 2 warnings from the FDA for marketing products as cures for illnesses when in fact they were not cures, only general natural supplements for health, which is illegal (by taking advantage of people's fears and claiming that a natural product will specifically heal or cure something that it does not, is false marketing / advertising and is illegal). here is some supplemental information on him from wikipedia:

Joseph Mercola, D.O. (born 1954), is an osteopathic physician, health activist, and entrepreneur practicing in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.[1] He is the author of two New York Times bestsellers, The No-Grain Diet (with Alison Rose Levy), and The Great Bird Flu Hoax, together with several other books.

Mercola is best known as founder and editor of the alternative-medicine website Mercola.com, where he advocates dietary and lifestyle approaches to health and markets a variety of health-related products. Mercola criticizes many of the practices of mainstream medicine and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), particularly vaccination and the use of prescription drugs and surgery to treat diseases.[2] He is a member of the politically conservative Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, as well as several alternative medicine-related organizations.[3]

Mercola has received two warnings from the FDA for marketing nutritional products in a manner which violated the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.[4][5] A 2006 BusinessWeek editorial criticized Mercola's marketing practices as “relying on slick promotion, clever use of information, and scare tactics.”[6]

believe it or not, the H1N1 scare / anti-vaccine email that i sent to my professors and students here at the University of Illinois was from Dr. Mercola. 🙂 that is how i learned all this, because i bought into the hype and started to try and get students to boycott the free vaccines they were offering us. after being made to look like a fool by my professors who know much much more about H1N1 than i do, i looked more into him, and all the answers became clear 🙂

not trying to argue or discredit you Machi, i am actually telling you that i fell for the same mis-information that you just posted there…. in fact, i sent it to the entire M1 medical student list serve here at my school, which is how i learned all this stuff 🙂

here is the most recent data regarding H1N1 from the CDC (Center for Disease Control), which shows that this years H1N1 is spreading at an alarmingly high rate, much more so than the seasonal flu, or any influenza virus has in the past many years (again, keep in mind that although it is spreading fast, it is still much weaker than the seasonal influenza virus, so there is no need to panic or be afraid): http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/

and here are two links to results of the studies which tested the vaccine so far (more studies are being done, but here are the results of a few of the studies that have been done. No people showed serious adverse reactions, but a small percentage of people did get arm pain at the site of injection, headaches, or slight nausea):

http://www.highlighthealth.com/research/h1n1-vaccine-study-summaries-single-dose-provides-protection/

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/interim-clinical-trial-results-show-medimmunes-h1n1-vaccine-has-similar-safety-profile-as-seasonal-vaccine-in-eligible-children-and-adults-65615802.html

again, you don't really need the vaccine unless you are pregnant, work in a hospital, or have a weakened immune system! unless the virus mutates and becomes more severe, then i would encourage vaccinations. for now though, H1N1 is basically just a brand new, weaker strain of the seasonal influenza. so if you have anything to fear, it is the regular seasonal flu, NOT H1N1.

[Pauldo]

I plan on getting mine.

[Machi]

Abe, it's not like Mercola came up with all that stuff by himself. He does extended research on a subject reaching into several sources just like you do with the other stuff. You don't always have to be Ph.D. in particular field to have sufficient knowledge about the subject, right?

[PookztA]

ya i agree Machi, i am just saying that how do we know he has researched it extensively if he hasn't even gone to school extensively for research? most serious researchers have gotten their PhD in a research-based field, such as Immunology, or Virology, or Microbiology, etc…

PhDs are primarily focused around research in scientific fields.

what makes you think he has done so much research?

i am not saying he is totally uncredible, i am just saying he is not an expert on the topic despite the fact that he is acting like he is… and also, he has the motivation of selling his herbal supplements as well, which provides a conflict of interest.

the information my professors gave me comes at no advantage to them… the email they sent us had no extra links or no product-promotion attached… it was just straight up information from very credible, well-researched sources.

i have had absolutely no adverse side effects from my H1N1 flu-vaccine i got yesterday just fyi…

i am not here to convince ya that you should get the vaccine, i am just here to convince ya that there is NOTHING TO FEAR. if you get the vaccine, great, chances are you will be immunized with no adverse effects… and if you don't get the vaccine, great, the chances you will get sick are minimal, and if you do get H1N1 the effects will be more mild than the seasonal flu, so no big deal there either.

the point:  we must spread the truth to save people from needless paranoia and fear, especially now that Obama has declared this weak little flu as a National Emergency (lol).

[Author]

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