Flu Vaccine a Failure 2003!

center for disease control | 12/15/03 | ABC news

[chicagolady]

Flu Vaccine Not Working--CDC Admits. What are Your Options?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had two choices when it came down to which flu formula to use for winter 2003. Should they stick with the same formula used last year in 2002, knowing that a new strain of the bug was developing? Or should they attempt to make a new vaccine that could possibly come with complications or delays and that could result in a shortage?

The first sign of the new flu bug showed up just two weeks before the committee was scheduled to meet. The scientists who track the flu had noticed a new strain was gathering mass. The overall decision to bring back the older version was decided on the fact that there wasn’t enough time to produce a new flu vaccine.

The committee met this past February and was told that the current vaccine might not work in protecting people from the new strain.

Even though the committee voted 17-1 to bring back last year’s version, they all have admitted that they made the wrong decision.

ABC News

[gcruse]

The flu has not taken God by surprize.

Apparently he didn't see SARS coming.

[Jim Noble]

Thanks for the ping-I saw it, but I didn't want to play.

[mtbopfuyn]

As for the efficacy of flu shots, the best way to study is to look at rates of infection and morbidity of hospital personnel, who are generally either required or strongly encouraged to get the shot.

Or, most likely, they have built up their immune systems from being exposed to so many germs and viruses.

[gcruse]

. I've had the flu shot almost every year for the past 10 years, and I've never had the flu. Go figure.

I''ve had a flu shot once in the last thirty-five years.  Never had the flu once.  Still figuring.

[EGPWS]

Both my wife and I got flu shots and we are just recovering from the flu.

I have never voluntarily received a flu shot, and it has been 25 years since I have had symptoms bad enough to think I have had the flu, and then I don't know for sure if that was the flu.

We had free flu shots at work this year and I declined the offer of taking one. I missed 1 1/2 days of work within 2 weeks of declining, however a dozen people that did take the shot wound up with the same symptoms as I did and missed work also.

[bonesmccoy]

You're seriously misinformed.

I'm a board certified physician and use the vaccine yearly on myself.

The Congressional investigation needs to be launched because the vaccine manufacturers are not producing sufficient quantities to create immunity in our nation.

[bonesmccoy]

You are correct. I was probably acting hastily jumping in the sand box.

After a while, it is really tiring to deal with the sand throwing bullies in threads like this.

It is particularly saddening when the sand throwing bullies are harming themselves and healthcare professionals need to intercede to limit the damage being CREATED BY these misinformed people.

[Clara Lou]

My point was that I, with the flu shot, had not had the flu just as she, without the flu shot, had not had the flu. Still figuring? [My point being that the flu shot does NOT cause the flu. The viruses in the vaccine are dead.]

[netmilsmom]

The idea that I contracted the virus prior to the vaccine sounds good but NO one in my house got any symptoms. None. I have a three and six year old. My hubby and I are very kissy people. No one got anything. I think that we in lower MI got a bad batch. One of the girls from my daughter's dance class ended up in a hospital after this shot. Everyone I know who got it, ended up sick not with flu like symptoms but the runny eyes and blocked ears. No cough, no lung problems.
I know that doctors want one to have a flu shot, but I doubt that I will ever get them for myself or my kids.

[gcruse]

the sand throwing bullies

Are we reading the same thread?  Someone disagrees with you in the mildest terms and that is your response?
Maybe FR  isn't you bag...

[deport]

The Congress needs to investigate why only enough vaccine for 1/3 of the nation was made.

---

What do you do with the left over 1/2 or 2/3rds in a normal year that isn't used? Who eats the cost?

How many doses did they make and what's the normal usage pattern for each year? That would be good info to know regarding why they only make a certain amount each year.

I take the vaccine each year and have for many years now. A couple years ago we had trouble finding the vaccine but it was available if one searched.

[Barnacle]

Lot to be said for hand washing

Indeed. So much of disease is spread through hand to mouth or hand to eye contact. Now that we live in a fast food world, think about how few people wash their hands before eating lunch.

I heard about the results of multiple studies showing that the Purell is more effective than hand washing in health care settings.

http://www.purell.com/consumer.htm

[templar]

My doctor tells me that had I not taken the shot, it would have been much worse

The ultimate CYA answer. I never get a flu (or any other kind) immunizing shot and I never get the flu. The occasional cold I get is generally so mild that I am never really sure if I caught one or if I'm just mildly allergic to something or over stressed. I think all the years of letting my immune system work the way it was intended has given me a lot of natural resistance and cross immunity to these things.

[bonesmccoy]

THERE IS NO WAY TO GET THE DISEASE FROM THE VACCINE!

There IS NO VIRUS IN THE VACCINE!

OK?

[Barnacle]

Better than the wrong vaccine

[bonesmccoy]

Our medical office received directive from Blue Cross that we were being encouraged to NOT USE Wyeth's intranasal vaccine for influenza because of COST.

The gov't needs to intercede when greed overtakes sound public health policy.

Vaccinating 75% of the US population should be goal of each year's influenza campaign.

Only producing enough vaccine for 25% of the population is totally inadequate.

Regarding the unused dosages, that is the fault of the manufacturers for not moving inventory to the clinic site appropriately.

It is also the fault of the insurance companies who choose to PREVENT distribution through letters such as the one we got from Blue Cross.

[bonesmccoy]

It's NOT CYA.

25% of the vaccinated people who actually become infected with the wild virus have enough cross-reactivity to limit contagion or disease.

[templar]

The Congress needs to investigate why only enough vaccine for 1/3 of the nation was made.

Only the government has the nescessary wisdom to protect our health. Congress should create an agency that makes the vaccine. It could slowly grow to encompass all phases of health care. That is the only way to be certain we have a healthy nation.

Or, maybe not.

[bonesmccoy]

NO.

Gov't should investigate why private financing is not driving the vaccine production process. Competition should exist, but it doesn't because Clinton-ite trial attornies were suing the vaccine companies to stop vaccine production in the US.

[deport]

I agree that getting ppl innoculated at a high of rate as possible is an admiral goal.... I think it's just smart as an individual to take the precaution if it's available...

I read somewhere that there were some 80 million doses manufactured in a normal year there are some 70-75 million doses used... I maybe wrong on those numbers as I'm going from memory. The point being making more doeses doesn't do any good if ppl don't use them. This year more may have been used because of the scare.....