H1N1 could possibly be the biggest news at Miami University right now. Hearing about friends catching swine flu and how quickly it's been spreading across campus certainly has students and faculty worried.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a vaccine is currently in human test trials and should be released by mid-October. The CDC also states that only select groups will be receiving the vaccine at first, due to the limited number to be released in the first batches of the vaccine. One group is individuals ranging from 6 months to 24 years old. This means Miami University students could be among the first in line to receive the vaccine.
On its Web site, the Miami University Student Health Services states, "Miami will institute a vigorous immunization campaign as soon as the vaccine is available."
They also send this note, "Parents and students: We strongly encourage this immunization! Parents, please encourage your student to get this vaccination. This needs to be a priority in the student's busy life, because immunization is the single most reliable method to stay free of this infection and to slow its spread in our community!"
A vaccine seems like the perfect solution to this World Health Organization classified pandemic, but there's resistance against it just like any other vaccine. Many people believe that vaccines are unnatural, that our body is supposed to fight off diseases on its own. Vaccines are intended to build immunity to harmful organisms that can cause disease, but some of the ingredients included in vaccines have proved harmful in the past. Ingredients called "adjuvants" are added to some vaccines in order to quicken the response the body has to the injected vaccine. The adjuvants used by the companies contracted by the government to create a H1N1 vaccine have not been approved by the FDA. Also, when tested on rats, they have caused a type of arthritis.
These adjuvants may cause several different autoimmune diseases, in which your cells began attacking normal-functioning organs and tissue.
The Times Online reported that a warning about the swine flu vaccine was leaked to the press July 29. Written by Elizabeth
Miller, head of the Health Protection Agency's Immunization
Department, the article warns neurologists the influenza vaccine of 1976 was linked to a devastating neurological condition called Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS).
She stated, "the vaccines used to combat an expected swine influenza pandemic in 1976 were shown to be associated with GBS and were withdrawn from use."
Hilary Wilkinson was stricken with GBS and had to be fed through a drip while requiring a tracheotomy just to breathe. It took her three months in the hospital to learn how to walk and talk again. She said, "It makes me feel wary that the government is rolling out this vaccine without any clear idea of the GBS risk, if any. I wouldn't wish it on anyone ... I'm frightened to have the swine flu vaccine if this might happen again - it's a frightening illness and I think more research needs to be done on the effect of the vaccine."
A second letter has also surfaced with a warning about the swine flu vaccine, which was reported by Natural News. This warning from Association of British Neurologists is authored by Dr. Rustam Al-Shahi Salman and Professor Patrick Chinnery. It states, "Following the 1976 program of vaccination against swine influenza in the US, a retrospective study found a possible eight-fold increase in the incidence of GBS."
Australian officials seem to have a completely different idea about H1N1. Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon is reassuring parents in Australia that swine flu is no more dangerous than the regular flu. "Most people, including children, will experience very mild symptoms and recover without any medical intervention," she said.
According to http://www.PreventDisease.com, in both Canada and the United States, it takes a little over a decade for a drug to move from preclinical development to the marketplace.
Before a vaccine enters human testing, the developer conducts laboratory (in vitro) and laboratory animal (in vivo) testing to determine whether the product will be safe enough for researchers to proceed to clinical trials. With the H1N1 vaccines, the FDA never even approved the use of the vaccine in human trials.
Vaccine production has been rushed, and of course no long-term effects have had time to surface since it's been in only short trials thus far.A statement from the National Biodefense Science Board (BDSD) said the reason the flu vaccine has been developed so fast is because they have already developed many like it. They claim it's a type A H1N1 virus, and that it's already included in the seasonal flu every year, they just need to determine the appropriate dosage.
For now, just follow the precautions, which can be found on almost any news or medical Web site, and do what you can to stop the spread. Sanitation and maintaining a strong immune system are two of the most common recommendations listed.
I recommend everyone do at least a little of research into this disease and its upcoming vaccine before letting yourself be injected.
Aaron Merten mertenar@muohio.edu
