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Showing posts with label immunizations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label immunizations. Show all posts

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Flu Shots Failed To Offer Protection This Year!

Flu Shots Failed To Offer Protection This Year!
Interestingly, even the measly 50 percent efficacy rate touted in the CDC study is inaccurate. Just because roughly 50 percent of those vaccinated for the flu did not end up developing the flu does not mean that the flu shot was responsible for this reduction. As explained in the CDC study (but not necessarily by the mainstream media), a large percentage of those who did not get the flu shot also did not get the flu.

According to the data, fewer than 40 percent of all participants, both vaccinated and unvaccinated, contracted the flu, while the other 60-plus percent remained healthy. Of this 60 percent, roughly half were vaccinated, while the other half were not vaccinated. This means that among all those who did not contract the flu, there was virtually no difference in the infection rate between the vaccinated and unvaccinated.

At the same time, the alleged 50 percent success rate figure being thrown around by the CDC does not actually prove that the vaccine had anything to do with any sort of reduction in flu infections. Since half of all those who did not get the flu were not even vaccinated, there is no substantial evidence in the CDC study to prove that the flu shots in any way conferred protection.

Read more here--> http://Lifechangingcarehouston.com/flu-shots-fail-elderly
Flu Shots Failed To Offer Protection This Year!
Interestingly, even the measly 50 percent efficacy rate touted in the CDC study is inaccurate. Just because roughly 50 percent of those vaccinated for the flu did not end up developing the flu does not mean that the flu shot was responsible for this reduction. As explained in the CDC study (but not necessarily by the mainstream media), a large percentage of those who did not get the flu shot also did not get the flu.

According to the data, fewer than 40 percent of all participants, both vaccinated and unvaccinated, contracted the flu, while the other 60-plus percent remained healthy. Of this 60 percent, roughly half were vaccinated, while the other half were not vaccinated. This means that among all those who did not contract the flu, there was virtually no difference in the infection rate between the vaccinated and unvaccinated.

At the same time, the alleged 50 percent success rate figure being thrown around by the CDC does not actually prove that the vaccine had anything to do with any sort of reduction in flu infections. Since half of all those who did not get the flu were not even vaccinated, there is no substantial evidence in the CDC study to prove that the flu shots in any way conferred protection.

Read more here--> http://Lifechangingcarehouston.com/flu-shots-fail-elderly
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Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Vaccine Bombshell: Leaked Confidential Document Exposes 36 Infants Dead After This Vaccine



A confidential GlaxoSmithKline document recently leaked to the press exposed that within a two-year period, a total of 36 infants died after receiving the 6-in-1 vaccine, Infanrix Hexa.
According to the website Initiative Citoyenne who reported the news, the 1271 page document revealed that GlaxoSmithKline received a total of 1,742 reports of adverse reactions between October 23, 2009, and October 22, 2011, including 503 serious adverse reactions and 36 deaths.
Initiative Citoyenne stated:
“It’s not that 14 deaths were recorded by GSK between October 2009 and end in October 2011 as we had originally calculated but 36 (14 from 2010 to 2011 and 22 from 2009 to 2010).  

In addition to these 36 deaths at least 37 other deaths (sudden death mainly), bringing the total to at least 73 deaths since the launch of the vaccine in 2000, and again, this concerns only the death by sudden death, no further recovery of under-reporting.”
Click the link to read more:
Vaccine Bombshell: Leaked Confidential Document Exposes 36 Infants Dead After This Vaccine



A confidential GlaxoSmithKline document recently leaked to the press exposed that within a two-year period, a total of 36 infants died after receiving the 6-in-1 vaccine, Infanrix Hexa.
According to the website Initiative Citoyenne who reported the news, the 1271 page document revealed that GlaxoSmithKline received a total of 1,742 reports of adverse reactions between October 23, 2009, and October 22, 2011, including 503 serious adverse reactions and 36 deaths.
Initiative Citoyenne stated:
“It’s not that 14 deaths were recorded by GSK between October 2009 and end in October 2011 as we had originally calculated but 36 (14 from 2010 to 2011 and 22 from 2009 to 2010).  

In addition to these 36 deaths at least 37 other deaths (sudden death mainly), bringing the total to at least 73 deaths since the launch of the vaccine in 2000, and again, this concerns only the death by sudden death, no further recovery of under-reporting.”
Click the link to read more:
Vaccine Bombshell: Leaked Confidential Document Exposes 36 Infants Dead After This Vaccine

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Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Avoid virus-linked cancers, including cervical cancer, with shots

With a simple vaccine, you can avoid HPV-linked cancer, including cervical cancer and many cancers of the mouth, throat, anus and genitals, which constitute more than 3 percent of all U.S. cancer diagnoses. Vaccination against the human papilloma virus (HPV) thwarts the virus’s spread, wrecks its ability to jump between people and inhibits a virus that in 2009 led to a cancer diagnosis for 30,000 people in the U.S., according to the National Cancer Insititue. 

HPV infection is common. More than half of women between 14 and 59 catch a genital HPV. Many of these infections are low-risk, but when the body does not sweep out HPV intruders, high-risk HPV infected cells may lead to the unchecked growth of cancerous cells, according to Newswise, a research-reporting service.

HPV is actually a family of more than 150 viruses that infect human skin and mucosa, the moist membranes lining the nostrils, mouth and genital cavities. Two vaccines, Gardasil and Cervarix, prevent people from getting HPV infections by helping the body stockpile a medley of cellular defenses. Gardasil and Cervarix target HPV types 16 and 18, the two responsible for most cervical, anal, genital, and oropharynx cancer.  Blocking infection by types 16 and 18 also fights off other cancers, and the vaccines’ protection could last a lifetime. Gardasil also targets types 6 and 11.

It is important to complete the three-dose series for the vaccines; series completion rates are low for people in the Southern states, especially those that are poor and without private insurance, according to Newswise. Scientists are working to make a single vaccine that blocks infection by all HPV types, but today’s vaccines can prevent infection by two of the most common high-risk HPVs and may be the first step toward preventing HPV-linked cancers. (Read more)


With a simple vaccine, you can avoid HPV-linked cancer, including cervical cancer and many cancers of the mouth, throat, anus and genitals, which constitute more than 3 percent of all U.S. cancer diagnoses. Vaccination against the human papilloma virus (HPV) thwarts the virus’s spread, wrecks its ability to jump between people and inhibits a virus that in 2009 led to a cancer diagnosis for 30,000 people in the U.S., according to the National Cancer Insititue. 

HPV infection is common. More than half of women between 14 and 59 catch a genital HPV. Many of these infections are low-risk, but when the body does not sweep out HPV intruders, high-risk HPV infected cells may lead to the unchecked growth of cancerous cells, according to Newswise, a research-reporting service.

HPV is actually a family of more than 150 viruses that infect human skin and mucosa, the moist membranes lining the nostrils, mouth and genital cavities. Two vaccines, Gardasil and Cervarix, prevent people from getting HPV infections by helping the body stockpile a medley of cellular defenses. Gardasil and Cervarix target HPV types 16 and 18, the two responsible for most cervical, anal, genital, and oropharynx cancer.  Blocking infection by types 16 and 18 also fights off other cancers, and the vaccines’ protection could last a lifetime. Gardasil also targets types 6 and 11.

It is important to complete the three-dose series for the vaccines; series completion rates are low for people in the Southern states, especially those that are poor and without private insurance, according to Newswise. Scientists are working to make a single vaccine that blocks infection by all HPV types, but today’s vaccines can prevent infection by two of the most common high-risk HPVs and may be the first step toward preventing HPV-linked cancers. (Read more)


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Monday, January 14, 2013

It's not too late to get your flu shot, and getting it could not only help yourself and your family but your neighbors

It's not too late to get your flu shot, even though the flu has hit earlier and more broadly than usual, experts say.

It generally takes about two weeks for a flu vaccine to be most effective, said Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Getting the shot in mid-January might seem too late, but it's "better late than never," he said during a teleconference Friday.

The CDC says the flu has been widespread in Kentucky for more than five weeks, far more than last year. "Most of the country is seeing a lot of flu, and this may continue for several weeks," Frieden said. "We don't know if we are over the peak."

Getting a flu shot can protect your neighbors, too. The protection afforded by the current vaccine is an important tool in protecting the health of the general public. The flu can be serious, especially in senior citizens, those with other chronic health problems and children. This season's outbreak has led to the deaths of 20 children as of Friday.

The CDC has found that the current flu vaccine is 62 percent effective, meaning if you get vaccinated, "You are 62 percent less likely to get the flu," writes Mary Meehan of the Lexington Herald-Leader.

It is also important that people with flu symptoms seek treatment. Anti-virals such as Tamiflu can be effective in reducing the most serious symptoms, Frieden said. "If you get flu-like symptoms, it can really help you avoid serious illness, hospitalization or even death," he said.

Meehan's story includes advice for dealing with children and tips about how to avoid getting the flu. To read it, click here.

UPDATE: In response to the flu, the University of Kentucky today limited visitation at its hospitals: None will be under 18 or have any flu-like symptoms, and only two will be allowed in a patient’s room at a time. Visitors may be issued masks or other protective clothing, and other restrictions may be imposed in special care units such as women’s and children’s units, critical care and oncology units. "Compassionate visitation exceptions will be made on a case-by-case basis," a UK release said.
It's not too late to get your flu shot, even though the flu has hit earlier and more broadly than usual, experts say.

It generally takes about two weeks for a flu vaccine to be most effective, said Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Getting the shot in mid-January might seem too late, but it's "better late than never," he said during a teleconference Friday.

The CDC says the flu has been widespread in Kentucky for more than five weeks, far more than last year. "Most of the country is seeing a lot of flu, and this may continue for several weeks," Frieden said. "We don't know if we are over the peak."

Getting a flu shot can protect your neighbors, too. The protection afforded by the current vaccine is an important tool in protecting the health of the general public. The flu can be serious, especially in senior citizens, those with other chronic health problems and children. This season's outbreak has led to the deaths of 20 children as of Friday.

The CDC has found that the current flu vaccine is 62 percent effective, meaning if you get vaccinated, "You are 62 percent less likely to get the flu," writes Mary Meehan of the Lexington Herald-Leader.

It is also important that people with flu symptoms seek treatment. Anti-virals such as Tamiflu can be effective in reducing the most serious symptoms, Frieden said. "If you get flu-like symptoms, it can really help you avoid serious illness, hospitalization or even death," he said.

Meehan's story includes advice for dealing with children and tips about how to avoid getting the flu. To read it, click here.

UPDATE: In response to the flu, the University of Kentucky today limited visitation at its hospitals: None will be under 18 or have any flu-like symptoms, and only two will be allowed in a patient’s room at a time. Visitors may be issued masks or other protective clothing, and other restrictions may be imposed in special care units such as women’s and children’s units, critical care and oncology units. "Compassionate visitation exceptions will be made on a case-by-case basis," a UK release said.
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Sunday, January 13, 2013

America's Flu Epidemic Hits Those Vaccinated Against The Flu The Hardest

Flu Epidemic Strikes Millions Of Americans Already Vaccinated Against The Flu
The USA is in an official flu pandemic panic right now, with Boston declaring a public health emergency and hospitals setting up flu treatment tents as if cities were war zones. The CDC says it's the worst flu pandemic in a decade, and it's of course urging everybody to get injected with flu vaccines.

But here's the dirty little secret the vaccine industry doesn't want you to know: Most people getting the flu right now are the same people who were vaccinated with the flu shot.

The CDC refuses to release any statistics on this, of course, because then the total hoax of the flu shot would be exposed. But I've been making phone calls to a large network of friends and professional contacts, and they're all telling me the same thing: Of the people they know who are getting sick, about two-thirds routinely get flu shots!

Check with your own friends, family members or co-workers on this point. Ask the ones who got sick: Did you get a flu shot? See if the answers you get are about the same as mine: Two-thirds claimed yes they did get sick!

If this holds true across a larger data set, it means that flu shots actually make you MORE susceptible to the flu. That's because far less than two-thirds of the U.S. population takes flu shots. So if two-thirds of those getting the flu this year are the same people who got flu shots, mathematically it can only mean that flu shots INCREASE vulnerability to the flu.

In this way, people who get flu shots are acting irresponsibly because they increase their risk of spreading the flu to others. Instead of taking care of their health with nutrients like vitamin D, they act with neglect and seek out a flu shot that poses a very real increased risk to public health and safety.

What's In Flu Shots?

Aluminum, Mercury, MSG And Formaldehyde
The CDC openly admits that vaccines contain a toxic cocktail and metals and synthetic chemicals that we all know cause neurological damage. Those include aluminum and mercury.

These metals and chemicals also suppress the immune system, and that's the primary purpose of vaccines: To actually cause an epidemic so that more people rush out to buy more vaccines. The whole point is to sell more vaccines, not to improve public health. And the fastest way to sell more vaccines is to make sure the vaccines themselves contain chemicals and metals that make people more vulnerable to infection.
What, you don't believe me? You think Big Pharma is a collection of compassionate, loving angels who care about the people more than they care about profits? Wake up and smell the chemicals. Vaccine manufacturers are, on the record, criminal organizationsthat are repeatedly found guilty of felony crimes -- everything from price fixing to the bribery of doctors and the commission of marketing fraud.

Drug companies have zero ethics. They kill children to test their vaccines.They conduct medical experiments on prisoners and mental patients. Do you honestly think they wouldn't use vaccines as a way to make people sick and create an infectious disease scare that sells more vaccines?

Real Solutions To The Flu
If you really want to stay healthy this flu season, the answer is pretty simple. It all starts with the top three nutrients for flu prevention:

1) Vitamin D
2) More vitamin D
3) And yet more vitamin D

If you're not taking at least 5,000 IUs of vitamin D each day during the winter flu season, you're probably vitamin D deficient and that's making you a sitting duck for influenza.

In addition to vitamin D, there are all sorts of other herbal remedies, trace minerals (like zinc), and super-food nutrients that can help protect you.

And, of course, don't suppress your immune system with drugs that have not been proven to work, such as many forms of chemotherapy, vaccinations and immunosuppressives because these may just make you more vulnerable to infection thus making you a repeat customer for the "sick care" cartels that profit from human suffering. 


Dr. Walter K. Crooks, DM(P), DC 
http://LifeChangingCareHouston.com 

Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/038648_flu_pandemic_vaccines_shots.html 
Flu Epidemic Strikes Millions Of Americans Already Vaccinated Against The Flu
The USA is in an official flu pandemic panic right now, with Boston declaring a public health emergency and hospitals setting up flu treatment tents as if cities were war zones. The CDC says it's the worst flu pandemic in a decade, and it's of course urging everybody to get injected with flu vaccines.

But here's the dirty little secret the vaccine industry doesn't want you to know: Most people getting the flu right now are the same people who were vaccinated with the flu shot.

The CDC refuses to release any statistics on this, of course, because then the total hoax of the flu shot would be exposed. But I've been making phone calls to a large network of friends and professional contacts, and they're all telling me the same thing: Of the people they know who are getting sick, about two-thirds routinely get flu shots!

Check with your own friends, family members or co-workers on this point. Ask the ones who got sick: Did you get a flu shot? See if the answers you get are about the same as mine: Two-thirds claimed yes they did get sick!

If this holds true across a larger data set, it means that flu shots actually make you MORE susceptible to the flu. That's because far less than two-thirds of the U.S. population takes flu shots. So if two-thirds of those getting the flu this year are the same people who got flu shots, mathematically it can only mean that flu shots INCREASE vulnerability to the flu.

In this way, people who get flu shots are acting irresponsibly because they increase their risk of spreading the flu to others. Instead of taking care of their health with nutrients like vitamin D, they act with neglect and seek out a flu shot that poses a very real increased risk to public health and safety.

What's In Flu Shots?

Aluminum, Mercury, MSG And Formaldehyde
The CDC openly admits that vaccines contain a toxic cocktail and metals and synthetic chemicals that we all know cause neurological damage. Those include aluminum and mercury.

These metals and chemicals also suppress the immune system, and that's the primary purpose of vaccines: To actually cause an epidemic so that more people rush out to buy more vaccines. The whole point is to sell more vaccines, not to improve public health. And the fastest way to sell more vaccines is to make sure the vaccines themselves contain chemicals and metals that make people more vulnerable to infection.
What, you don't believe me? You think Big Pharma is a collection of compassionate, loving angels who care about the people more than they care about profits? Wake up and smell the chemicals. Vaccine manufacturers are, on the record, criminal organizationsthat are repeatedly found guilty of felony crimes -- everything from price fixing to the bribery of doctors and the commission of marketing fraud.

Drug companies have zero ethics. They kill children to test their vaccines.They conduct medical experiments on prisoners and mental patients. Do you honestly think they wouldn't use vaccines as a way to make people sick and create an infectious disease scare that sells more vaccines?

Real Solutions To The Flu
If you really want to stay healthy this flu season, the answer is pretty simple. It all starts with the top three nutrients for flu prevention:

1) Vitamin D
2) More vitamin D
3) And yet more vitamin D

If you're not taking at least 5,000 IUs of vitamin D each day during the winter flu season, you're probably vitamin D deficient and that's making you a sitting duck for influenza.

In addition to vitamin D, there are all sorts of other herbal remedies, trace minerals (like zinc), and super-food nutrients that can help protect you.

And, of course, don't suppress your immune system with drugs that have not been proven to work, such as many forms of chemotherapy, vaccinations and immunosuppressives because these may just make you more vulnerable to infection thus making you a repeat customer for the "sick care" cartels that profit from human suffering. 


Dr. Walter K. Crooks, DM(P), DC 
http://LifeChangingCareHouston.com 

Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/038648_flu_pandemic_vaccines_shots.html 
Read More


14 Babies Killed In Argentina During Vaccine Study


GlaxoSmithKline Fined For Killing 14 Babies During Illegal Vaccine Study 2007-2008

Gets Fined $6,643 Per Child!



GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Argentina Laboratories company was fined 400,000 Pesos (approx. 90,000 dollars) by Judge Marcelo Aguinsky following a report issued by the National Administration of Medicine, Food and Technology (ANMAT) for the killing of 14 babies during illegal lab vaccine trials conducted between 2007 and 2008 in Argentina.

Likewise, two doctors, Héctor Abate, and Miguel Tregnaghi- were fined 300,000 Pesos (approx. 70,000 dollars) each for irregularities during the studies.

The charges included experimenting with human beings and falsifying parental authorizations so babies could participate in vaccine-trials conducted by the laboratory from 2007 to 2008.

Since 2007, 15,000 children under the age of 1 year old from Mendoza, San Juan and Santiago del Estero have been included in the research protocol, according to a statement of regarding the study. All of the participates in the study were babies that were recruited from poor families that attended to public hospitals.

A Total Of 7 Babies Died In Santiago Del Estero; 5 In Mendoza & 2 In San Juan.

Pediatrician Ana Marchese, M.D., who reported the case through the Argentine Federation of Health Professionals (FESPROSA), and was working at the Eva Perón children's public hospital in Santiago del Estero when the studies were being conducted, said in a radio interview that “GSK Argentina set a protocol at the hospital, and recruited several doctors working there.”

“These doctors took advantage of many illiterate parents whom take their children for treatment by pressuring and forcing them into signing 28-page consent forms and getting them involved in the trials.”

“Laboratories can't experiment in Europe or the United States, so they come to do it in third-world countries.“

Colombian and Panama were also chosen by GSK as staging grounds for trials of the vaccine against the pneumococcal bacteria.

 Studies have shown, in the case of flu vaccines, that children increase their chances of contracting the flu if they were vaccinated.

Likewise, Marchese, explained the modus operandi: “Once an approved and chosen patient arrived, they would automatically disappear to be taken somewhere else in order to be treated by those doctors specifically recruited by GSK. These kinds of practices are not legal and occurred without any type of state control, plus they don’t comply with minimum ethical requirements.”

Marchese also offers that “laboratory trials on human beings are not legal in Argentina.”

Furthermore, the pediatrician explained “it is also known that in various particular cases, the doctors who had conducted the trials did not answer the calls made by the worried parents after witnessing their babies’ reactions to the vaccines.”

A recent study out of the University of Minnesota (UM) suggests that it the flu vaccine isn't necessary, having found that the two groups most at risk from developing serious complications from the flu, seniors and children, derive little to no benefit from getting flu shots!
 
Dr. Marchese called out the Governor of Santiago del Estero, Gerardo Zamora, because “he never ever came out to comment on the case, and the same happened with national deputies and senators that didn’t even bother discussing a hot topic that was echoed worldwide.

"I’m also ashamed of the scientific community that also kept its mouth shut" Ana Marchese, M.D.

History has shown vaccinations to be deadly and ineffective. 


GlaxoSmithKline is a global pharmaceutical, biologics, vaccines and consumer healthcare company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's third-largest pharmaceutical company measured by revenues after Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer.


Ironically, if one visits GlaxoSmithKline Argentina web site it welcomes the reader with a company disclosure that says: “We have a challenging and inspiring mission to improve the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer.”

Source: http://en.mercopress.com/2012/01/04/gsk-argentina-fined-for-experimenting-vaccines-in-babies-from-poor-families

GlaxoSmithKline Fined For Killing 14 Babies During Illegal Vaccine Study 2007-2008

Gets Fined $6,643 Per Child!



GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Argentina Laboratories company was fined 400,000 Pesos (approx. 90,000 dollars) by Judge Marcelo Aguinsky following a report issued by the National Administration of Medicine, Food and Technology (ANMAT) for the killing of 14 babies during illegal lab vaccine trials conducted between 2007 and 2008 in Argentina.

Likewise, two doctors, Héctor Abate, and Miguel Tregnaghi- were fined 300,000 Pesos (approx. 70,000 dollars) each for irregularities during the studies.

The charges included experimenting with human beings and falsifying parental authorizations so babies could participate in vaccine-trials conducted by the laboratory from 2007 to 2008.

Since 2007, 15,000 children under the age of 1 year old from Mendoza, San Juan and Santiago del Estero have been included in the research protocol, according to a statement of regarding the study. All of the participates in the study were babies that were recruited from poor families that attended to public hospitals.

A Total Of 7 Babies Died In Santiago Del Estero; 5 In Mendoza & 2 In San Juan.

Pediatrician Ana Marchese, M.D., who reported the case through the Argentine Federation of Health Professionals (FESPROSA), and was working at the Eva Perón children's public hospital in Santiago del Estero when the studies were being conducted, said in a radio interview that “GSK Argentina set a protocol at the hospital, and recruited several doctors working there.”

“These doctors took advantage of many illiterate parents whom take their children for treatment by pressuring and forcing them into signing 28-page consent forms and getting them involved in the trials.”

“Laboratories can't experiment in Europe or the United States, so they come to do it in third-world countries.“

Colombian and Panama were also chosen by GSK as staging grounds for trials of the vaccine against the pneumococcal bacteria.

 Studies have shown, in the case of flu vaccines, that children increase their chances of contracting the flu if they were vaccinated.

Likewise, Marchese, explained the modus operandi: “Once an approved and chosen patient arrived, they would automatically disappear to be taken somewhere else in order to be treated by those doctors specifically recruited by GSK. These kinds of practices are not legal and occurred without any type of state control, plus they don’t comply with minimum ethical requirements.”

Marchese also offers that “laboratory trials on human beings are not legal in Argentina.”

Furthermore, the pediatrician explained “it is also known that in various particular cases, the doctors who had conducted the trials did not answer the calls made by the worried parents after witnessing their babies’ reactions to the vaccines.”

A recent study out of the University of Minnesota (UM) suggests that it the flu vaccine isn't necessary, having found that the two groups most at risk from developing serious complications from the flu, seniors and children, derive little to no benefit from getting flu shots!
 
Dr. Marchese called out the Governor of Santiago del Estero, Gerardo Zamora, because “he never ever came out to comment on the case, and the same happened with national deputies and senators that didn’t even bother discussing a hot topic that was echoed worldwide.

"I’m also ashamed of the scientific community that also kept its mouth shut" Ana Marchese, M.D.

History has shown vaccinations to be deadly and ineffective. 


GlaxoSmithKline is a global pharmaceutical, biologics, vaccines and consumer healthcare company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's third-largest pharmaceutical company measured by revenues after Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer.


Ironically, if one visits GlaxoSmithKline Argentina web site it welcomes the reader with a company disclosure that says: “We have a challenging and inspiring mission to improve the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer.”

Source: http://en.mercopress.com/2012/01/04/gsk-argentina-fined-for-experimenting-vaccines-in-babies-from-poor-families
Read More


Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Annual health ratings of states still puts Kentucky 44th

Kentucky ranks 44th among the 50 states in overall health in United Health Foundation's America's Health Rankings. Darla Carter of The Courier-Journal reports that while this is the same rating Kentucky achieved last year, the state is not without some high points. Among them, Kentucky is 9th best nationwide for its low incidence of binge drinking. We are to be congratulated as well for our low violent crime, high immunization coverage and improved high-school graduation rate.

Smoking continues to be where Kentucky fails miserably. Still worst, with 29 percent of the population as smokers, the state also faces an uphill battle with more than 1 million obese adults and a high rate of cancer deaths. The state also needs to continue to improve its ability to control the nation's highest rate of preventable hospitalizations.

The rankings are published by the United Health Group's foundation, along with the American Public Health Association and the Partnership for Prevention. Kentucky’s challenges include having the nation’s highest smoking rate, more than 1 million obese adults and a high rate of cancer deaths. See more on Kentucky's ratings here. (Read more)
Kentucky ranks 44th among the 50 states in overall health in United Health Foundation's America's Health Rankings. Darla Carter of The Courier-Journal reports that while this is the same rating Kentucky achieved last year, the state is not without some high points. Among them, Kentucky is 9th best nationwide for its low incidence of binge drinking. We are to be congratulated as well for our low violent crime, high immunization coverage and improved high-school graduation rate.

Smoking continues to be where Kentucky fails miserably. Still worst, with 29 percent of the population as smokers, the state also faces an uphill battle with more than 1 million obese adults and a high rate of cancer deaths. The state also needs to continue to improve its ability to control the nation's highest rate of preventable hospitalizations.

The rankings are published by the United Health Group's foundation, along with the American Public Health Association and the Partnership for Prevention. Kentucky’s challenges include having the nation’s highest smoking rate, more than 1 million obese adults and a high rate of cancer deaths. See more on Kentucky's ratings here. (Read more)
Read More


Friday, October 26, 2012

Rural states with declining immunization rates have increasing incidence of whooping cough

In the state that once had the highest immunization rate, Vermont's medical community is not so proud of anymore. Fewer people are vaccinating their children in the nation’s most rural state, reports Dr. Wendy Mahoney, a private practioner in the state. But Vermont isn't alone. Stories about declining immunization have come in from across rural America, Mahoney writes in the Daily Yonder, and they "come in the midst of a pertussis outbreak the likes of which Vermont has not seen in years, if ever." Pertussis is whooping cough.

Mahoney says she can find one reason for the recent outbreak: a new law in her state, like some in other rural states, that allows parents to exempt their children from required vaccinations "because of a personal, moral, or other belief." Mahoney says many rural residents use the exemption, which she finds hard to fathom in the face of scientific advances that prove that vaccination has ended smallpox, wiped out polio in most of the world, and controlled measles, rubella, tetanus, diphtheria, influenza type b and other infectious diseases.

The top map shows the estimated percentage of children enrolled in kindergarten who have been exempted from receiving one or more vaccines in the 2011–12 school year. Comparison with the other map shows that states with large numbers of exemptions are those where whooping cough is making a comeback. (Centers for Disease Control maps)

A comparison between states with low vaccination coverage rates and those reporting higher numbers of whooping cough cases shows some, though not consistent, overlap. (Read more)
In the state that once had the highest immunization rate, Vermont's medical community is not so proud of anymore. Fewer people are vaccinating their children in the nation’s most rural state, reports Dr. Wendy Mahoney, a private practioner in the state. But Vermont isn't alone. Stories about declining immunization have come in from across rural America, Mahoney writes in the Daily Yonder, and they "come in the midst of a pertussis outbreak the likes of which Vermont has not seen in years, if ever." Pertussis is whooping cough.

Mahoney says she can find one reason for the recent outbreak: a new law in her state, like some in other rural states, that allows parents to exempt their children from required vaccinations "because of a personal, moral, or other belief." Mahoney says many rural residents use the exemption, which she finds hard to fathom in the face of scientific advances that prove that vaccination has ended smallpox, wiped out polio in most of the world, and controlled measles, rubella, tetanus, diphtheria, influenza type b and other infectious diseases.

The top map shows the estimated percentage of children enrolled in kindergarten who have been exempted from receiving one or more vaccines in the 2011–12 school year. Comparison with the other map shows that states with large numbers of exemptions are those where whooping cough is making a comeback. (Centers for Disease Control maps)

A comparison between states with low vaccination coverage rates and those reporting higher numbers of whooping cough cases shows some, though not consistent, overlap. (Read more)
Read More


Monday, October 15, 2012

Studies show that preteen girls who get the HPV vaccination are not more inclined toward promiscuity than those who don't

An electron micrograph of the
human papilloma virus.
(National Cancer Institute photo)

 

The most recent study of preteen girls who received the vaccine for the human papilloma virus (HPV) found that they were no more likely than unvaccinated girls to get pregnant, develop sexually transmitted infections or seek birth-control counseling. The findings in Monday's issue of Pediatrics are in line with recent studies on British teens, which also dismissed concerns that getting the vaccination might encourage promiscuity.  USA Today reporter Michael Healy writes that while the latest results were based on parental or self-reporting, the reports were corroborated by medical tests, clinical markers of sexual activity and other behavior markers.

Robert Bednarczyk, a clinical investigator with the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research-Southeast and an epidemiologist at Emory University in Atlanta., queried 1,398 girls, aged 11 and 12, and analyzed their medical records. He and colleagues divided the girls into two groups and followed them for three years. "One group of 493 girls received at least one dose of the HPV vaccine Gardasil, along with other recommended vaccines for tetanus and meningitis. A comparison group of 905 girls received the tetanus and meningitis vaccines, but not HPV," Healy writes. "There was a very similar rate of testing, diagnosis and counseling between both groups," with no increase in pregnancies, STIs or birth-control counseling, Bednarczyk reported. Fewer than 1 percent of all girls tested positively for a sexually transmitted infection, and fewer than 1 percent had a positive pregnancy test.  (Read more)
An electron micrograph of the
human papilloma virus.
(National Cancer Institute photo)

 

The most recent study of preteen girls who received the vaccine for the human papilloma virus (HPV) found that they were no more likely than unvaccinated girls to get pregnant, develop sexually transmitted infections or seek birth-control counseling. The findings in Monday's issue of Pediatrics are in line with recent studies on British teens, which also dismissed concerns that getting the vaccination might encourage promiscuity.  USA Today reporter Michael Healy writes that while the latest results were based on parental or self-reporting, the reports were corroborated by medical tests, clinical markers of sexual activity and other behavior markers.

Robert Bednarczyk, a clinical investigator with the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research-Southeast and an epidemiologist at Emory University in Atlanta., queried 1,398 girls, aged 11 and 12, and analyzed their medical records. He and colleagues divided the girls into two groups and followed them for three years. "One group of 493 girls received at least one dose of the HPV vaccine Gardasil, along with other recommended vaccines for tetanus and meningitis. A comparison group of 905 girls received the tetanus and meningitis vaccines, but not HPV," Healy writes. "There was a very similar rate of testing, diagnosis and counseling between both groups," with no increase in pregnancies, STIs or birth-control counseling, Bednarczyk reported. Fewer than 1 percent of all girls tested positively for a sexually transmitted infection, and fewer than 1 percent had a positive pregnancy test.  (Read more)
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Wednesday, September 5, 2012

State health department says 381 cases of whooping cough puts disease at epidemic levels

The state Department of Public Health says whooping cough is now at epidemic levels. Department officials told Amanda Stephenson of WTVQ-TV in Lexington that 381 cases of the virus have been confirmed so far in 2012.  The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department is reporting 50 cases so far this year. That's double the 26 cases they'd seen in the previous five years. Estill County health officials have seen a quadrupling of cases since July. (Read more)

Mary Meehan of the Lexington Herald-Leader reports that Three Rivers District Health Department in Owenton, which serves Owen, Carroll, Gallatin and Pendleton counties, will offer shots at fall festivals in the district to stave off the spread of the disease. After 86 cases were confirmed in the area, the Northern Kentucky Health Department, which serves Boone, Campbell, Grant and Kenton counties, is offering vaccines for $4.

The Fayette County department isn't planning special clinics at this time, so people who are worried about the illness should contact their family physicians. Some pharmacies, such as Walgreens, are offering the shots in their stores. There is an adequate supply of vaccine for children and adults, said Beth Fisher, a spokesperson for the state Cabinet for Health and Family Services.

For more information on pertussis, and its symptoms, go to the CDC website.
The state Department of Public Health says whooping cough is now at epidemic levels. Department officials told Amanda Stephenson of WTVQ-TV in Lexington that 381 cases of the virus have been confirmed so far in 2012.  The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department is reporting 50 cases so far this year. That's double the 26 cases they'd seen in the previous five years. Estill County health officials have seen a quadrupling of cases since July. (Read more)

Mary Meehan of the Lexington Herald-Leader reports that Three Rivers District Health Department in Owenton, which serves Owen, Carroll, Gallatin and Pendleton counties, will offer shots at fall festivals in the district to stave off the spread of the disease. After 86 cases were confirmed in the area, the Northern Kentucky Health Department, which serves Boone, Campbell, Grant and Kenton counties, is offering vaccines for $4.

The Fayette County department isn't planning special clinics at this time, so people who are worried about the illness should contact their family physicians. Some pharmacies, such as Walgreens, are offering the shots in their stores. There is an adequate supply of vaccine for children and adults, said Beth Fisher, a spokesperson for the state Cabinet for Health and Family Services.

For more information on pertussis, and its symptoms, go to the CDC website.
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Friday, August 17, 2012

First cases of flu reported in Kentucky; not swine-related

By Tara Kaprowy
Kentucky Health News

Kentucky has its first confirmed cases of flu for the year, and officials are urging residents to get their vaccinations. (WYMT-TV photo)

The Department for Public Health reports six confirmed cases in Boyd County of the H3N2 strain, which is included in this year's flu vaccine. No cases of flu that contain genetic material from swine flu have been reported in Kentucky this year.

Kristy Bolen, senior epidemiologist at the Ashland-Boyd County Health Department, said both children and adults have been affected. "We do know that when kids go back to school, we tend to see more influenza," she said.

The reports of swine flu in Ohio and Indiana have prompted physicians to test for flu more than they normally would this time of year, Bolen told Kentucky Health News. "Being right on the border with Ohio, our local providers and local community members are more aware," she said. "It doesn't necessarily mean it will be a bad flu season."

The best way to protect against getting the flu is to get a vaccine, which should be done annually. The vaccine is recommended for anyone over 6 months of of age and is especially recommended for:
• Children age 6 months to 19 years
• Pregnant women
• People 50 years old or older
• People with any chronic health problems
• People who live in nursing homes or other long-term care facilities
• Health care workers
• Caregivers of people who have high risk for complications from the flu
• Out-of-home caregivers of people who live with children less than 6 months old.

"Getting the flu can be debilitating and sometimes life-threatening, so it's extremely important to take simple preventive steps to avoid i," said Dr. Steve Davis, acting commissioner for the DPH. "You should also follow the advice your mother gave you to prevent flu and other illnesses that tend to circulate at this time of year — wash your hands frequently, cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze, and stay home when you're sick." (Read more)

For more information about the flu, click here.

Kentucky Health News is a service of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, based in the University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Telecommunications, with support from the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.
By Tara Kaprowy
Kentucky Health News

Kentucky has its first confirmed cases of flu for the year, and officials are urging residents to get their vaccinations. (WYMT-TV photo)

The Department for Public Health reports six confirmed cases in Boyd County of the H3N2 strain, which is included in this year's flu vaccine. No cases of flu that contain genetic material from swine flu have been reported in Kentucky this year.

Kristy Bolen, senior epidemiologist at the Ashland-Boyd County Health Department, said both children and adults have been affected. "We do know that when kids go back to school, we tend to see more influenza," she said.

The reports of swine flu in Ohio and Indiana have prompted physicians to test for flu more than they normally would this time of year, Bolen told Kentucky Health News. "Being right on the border with Ohio, our local providers and local community members are more aware," she said. "It doesn't necessarily mean it will be a bad flu season."

The best way to protect against getting the flu is to get a vaccine, which should be done annually. The vaccine is recommended for anyone over 6 months of of age and is especially recommended for:
• Children age 6 months to 19 years
• Pregnant women
• People 50 years old or older
• People with any chronic health problems
• People who live in nursing homes or other long-term care facilities
• Health care workers
• Caregivers of people who have high risk for complications from the flu
• Out-of-home caregivers of people who live with children less than 6 months old.

"Getting the flu can be debilitating and sometimes life-threatening, so it's extremely important to take simple preventive steps to avoid i," said Dr. Steve Davis, acting commissioner for the DPH. "You should also follow the advice your mother gave you to prevent flu and other illnesses that tend to circulate at this time of year — wash your hands frequently, cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze, and stay home when you're sick." (Read more)

For more information about the flu, click here.

Kentucky Health News is a service of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, based in the University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Telecommunications, with support from the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.
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Thursday, July 26, 2012

Whooping cough on the rise in Kentucky and nationwide

A resurgence of whooping cough in Kentucky and the nation has officials urging the public to get vaccinated. The state has already had 171 reported cases this year, making it "on track to beat our record from just two years ago," said Dr. Kraig Humbaugh, state epidemiologist with the Cabinet for Health and Family Services.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced recently there have been 18,000 cases nationwide so far in 2012, double the number of confirmed cases at the same time last year. "At that pace, the number for the entire year will be the highest since 1959, when 40,000 illnesses were reported," Mary Meehan reports for the Lexington Herald-Leader.

Washington and Oregon have been hit hardest. In Kentucky, Madison County has 24 cases. Estill County has 20, while the Northern Kentucky Health Department, which serves Boone, Campbell, Grant and Kenton counties, has reported 61 cases. In Lexington, there have been 15.

Whooping cough is spread by respiratory droplets transmitted person to person through close contact. It is sometimes characterized by a cough that ends with a high-pitched "whoop" sound during the next intake of breath. Immunization against the disease is required for school-age children, but many adults may not have gotten the vaccine or might need to get a booster shot. Officials urge them to do so. (Read more)
A resurgence of whooping cough in Kentucky and the nation has officials urging the public to get vaccinated. The state has already had 171 reported cases this year, making it "on track to beat our record from just two years ago," said Dr. Kraig Humbaugh, state epidemiologist with the Cabinet for Health and Family Services.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced recently there have been 18,000 cases nationwide so far in 2012, double the number of confirmed cases at the same time last year. "At that pace, the number for the entire year will be the highest since 1959, when 40,000 illnesses were reported," Mary Meehan reports for the Lexington Herald-Leader.

Washington and Oregon have been hit hardest. In Kentucky, Madison County has 24 cases. Estill County has 20, while the Northern Kentucky Health Department, which serves Boone, Campbell, Grant and Kenton counties, has reported 61 cases. In Lexington, there have been 15.

Whooping cough is spread by respiratory droplets transmitted person to person through close contact. It is sometimes characterized by a cough that ends with a high-pitched "whoop" sound during the next intake of breath. Immunization against the disease is required for school-age children, but many adults may not have gotten the vaccine or might need to get a booster shot. Officials urge them to do so. (Read more)
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