Posted on 11/12/2015 6:29:09 PM PST by upchuck
An important and definitive “mainstream” government study done nearly a decade ago got little attention because the science came down on the wrong side. It found that after decades and billions of dollars spent promoting flu shots for the elderly, the mass vaccination program did not result in saving lives. In fact, the death rate among the elderly increased substantially.
The authors of the study admitted a bias going into the study. Here was the history as described to me: Public health experts long assumed flu shots were effective in the elderly. But, paradoxically, all the studies done failed to demonstrate a benefit. Instead of considering that they, the experts, could be wrong–instead of believing the scientific data–the public health experts assumed the studies were wrong. After all, flu shots have to work, right? So the NIH launched an effort to do "the" definitive study that would actually prove, for the first time, once and for all, that flu shots were beneficial to the elderly. The government would gather some of the brightest scientific minds for the research, and adjust for all kinds of factors that could be masking that presumed benefit.
But when they finished, no matter how they crunched the numbers, the data kept telling the same story: flu shots were of no benefit to the elderly. Quite the opposite. The death rate had increased markedly since widespread flu vaccination among older Americans. The scientists finally had to acknowledge that decades of public health thought had been mistaken.
Read the government study that found no flu shot benefit in elderly
In 2006, lead author Lone Simonsen spoke with me on the phone and agreed to do an on camera interview with me on her study results, which she felt were very important. However, her bosses at the National Institutes of Health blocked the interview. I ended up finding one of her co-authors who was independent from the government and was able to interview him. These study authors who were honest, at their own career peril, should be commended.
After the Simonsen study, many international studies also arrived at the same conclusion. You probably haven’t heard much about these “incendiary” findings. Too much money being made promoting flu shots?
Read Simonsen’s commentary on her study
Read current CDC flu information
Always towing the party line...
{Much, much later. I’m middle-aged at 75}
Good news!
“Here in the Philippines, they start putting out the Christmas lights and displays in SEPTEMBER. “
The Filipinos are good Christians for the mostpart. They are one country that’s been an unshakable ally forever!
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bump for later
[[I got flu vaccine twice. I got sick both times within 2 weeks. I had the flu!]]
Just think how sick you’da been if you hadn’t got the shots- The flu shot doesn’t prevent flu- it lessens the effect
[[The claim that there was a higher death rate in elders following the increase of vaccination rates is easily interpreted by keeping in mind that there are more elders, and thus, more of them to die from these illnesses. It has nothing to do with vaccination; it most certainly does not mean that increased vaccination rates are *causing* higher death rates.]]
Exactly, the baby boomers are elderly now- and we’ve had a marked increase in elderly- so it would skew the study and should have been included in the report
[[It is a well-known fact that the immune system becomes weaker after about age 65, and that people in that age group do not respond well to vaccines. This is why some companies have developed special high-dose influenza vaccines for the elderly.]]
Exactly- The study Sherryl cited most likely only studied single flu shot cases
[[If fewer people in the low-risk groups become ill, then the people in the high-risk groups are less likely to be exposed.]]
Very good point
“Lets see....I’m 61 ...when does this “elderly†stuff begin?”
It begins at 89, that’s my age.
WTF All i did was put quote marks around your comment.
Never had a flu shot, and haven’t had the flu in abut 25 years (knock on wood). But people I know who dutifully get the shots seems to have at least one bad bout every year.
Yeah. There’s a problem with the forum and has been for a while now. I’ve looked up the issue and it seems to be an easy one to fix so I don’t know why it hasn’t been fixed yet.
About the flu shots; they have always been controversial. I think the Pneumo shot is more important. If you got sick from the flu last year or were exposed to it; you should already have the antibodies for that strain anyway. Flu shots don’t protect from this years strain; only those that have come before so I really don’t see how they can help.
Here’s my advice - in public places, when going out the door, don’t grab the door knob or handle, just push it open with your (clothed) arm. Good as a flu shot.
:-)
Freepers must not remember ‘Mother Abigail’ the retired CDC scientist who posted here. The flu and ebola were a couple of her interests and she thought they were both pretty dangerous.
I get the shot. Don’t particularly want to drown in a cytokine storm as my immune system goes berserk fighting a hybrid human/animal flu. A swine or bird flu, like the 1918 flu that killed people by the millions. Children who lived through it spoke of being kissed goodbye by their healthy parents as they left for school, and then coming home to find that they were orphans. That’s how dangerous a flu virus can be. I don’t think most people realize it.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/bloggers/2286992/posts?page=79
This old bag got her flu shot and pneumonia shot last month. They work for me.
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lol... I doubt that you’re an ‘old bag’.
I’m 73 and for the second year I’ve gotten the sooper-dooper flu shot intended for elderly people. Last year I only had the regular Winter sniffles and no flu symptoms, so I did the same this year. I get my flu shots at Albertson’s pharmacy.
Full disclosure: I have no ailments, am not obese and have never been on any Rx drugs. I do smoke and drink beer!
So medicare does not want to cover flu shots, another fake study is the result
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Medicare has always covered my flu shots. I haven’t paid a cent. ....I pay over $1200 a year to Medicare (deducted from my SS check) and the total billing to Medicare for my health care has only been about $300 in eight years, so the minor cost of a flu shot means nothing to them.
[[But people I know who dutifully get the shots seems to have at least one bad bout every year.]]
There are several flues that make the rounds each year, along with colds- some of them bad enough to be mistaken for flus- Just because someone gets a flu shot, and then sometime during the year gets sick does not mean the flu shot was ineffective against the flue that it was designed for
[[About the flu shots; they have always been controversial. I think the Pneumo shot is more important.]]
Just got my pneumo shot a year ago- 4 months ago I got pneumonia- go figure-
[[WTF All i did was put quote marks around your comment.]]
Your previous post got the flu- shoulda given it a flu shot before you posted it with quotes lol
Later
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