VACCINES

I've just read an exhaustively researched book by Neil Z. Miller called Vaccines - Are They Really Safe & Effective? I recommend this book to everyone. The information it contains shocked me.

Since the Swine Flu Hoax of 2009, I've been sceptical about vaccines and wanted to learn more about them. By trawling through the Internet I found out about adjuvants - the toxic preservatives and 'vaccine boosters' added to vaccines - and I read many articles by both pro-vaccinators and anti-vaccinators.

The problem always was with the studies.

There are copious studies (paid for by drugs companies) that show vaccines are effective - if not always entirely safe. There are 'independent' academic studies (indirectly funded by drugs companies) that also present vaccines as a health benefit. There are genuinely independent academic studies showing some vaccines to be ineffective but others (such as polio and tetanus) to be worthwhile. And there are privately-financed studies demonstrating that vaccines are both ineffective and dangerous.

So what are we supposed to believe?

Then I came across Neil Miller's book. Here was a man who had made it his mission to find the truth and had spent many years comprehensively researching the subject. Did I already say I was shocked? Well, I was. And what Neil Miller discovered is so important that I feel it's my duty to précis the book's main discoveries and chuck them out here in this blog.

POLIO

In 1935, in the United States, the average number of polio cases was 5.8 per 100,000 people.

In 1940 diphtheria and pertussis vaccines were introduced. Almost immediately, polio cases shot up. By 1945 they had more than tripled. By 1950 they had more than quadrupled to 24.8 per 100,000.

(Source: National Morbidity Reports taken from U.S. Public Health surveillance reports; Lancet April 18, 1950, pp659-63.)

In 1953 the polio vaccine was introduced and guess? Cases of polio increased further. For example, in the state of Vermont, in the year before the introduction of the polio vaccine, there were 15 polio cases. In the year after the introduction of mass inoclulations there were 55 cases. Rhode Island reported 22 cases the year before the polio vaccine was introduced and a year after it was introduced reported 122 cases - a 454% increase. In New Hampshire the figures were 38-129; in Connecticut they were 144-276, and in Massachusetts they were 273-2027 - an increase of 642%.

The figures show unequivocally that the famous Salk polio vaccine did not immunise people against getting polio - it did the opposite (as did the later live virus vaccines). However, the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, and drug companies with large investments in the vaccines, have coerced the U.S. Public Health Service into falsely proclaiming the measles vaccines are safe and effective.

TETANUS

About 85% of those who contract tetanus will recover. About 15% will die. Perhaps due to mass tetanus vaccinations the number of tetanus cases in the United States is now very small - only 47 cases per year on average. Neil Miller has found solid evidence that anti-tetanus injections (unlike polio vaccinations) do work.

The downside is the side-effects.

The authors of a study of 14,000 children between 1988 and 1994 (published in 2000 in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics) summarised that "Fifty per cent of diagnosed asthma cases (2.93 million) in U.S. children and adolescents would be prevented if the DPT (Diptheria Pertussis) and tetanus vaccination were not administered."

Studies show that between 23 and 30% of those receiving anti-tetanus shots develop asthma or allergy related respiratory symptoms.

MEASLES

In 1900, there were 13.3 measles deaths in the United States per 100,000. By 1955 - eight years before the first measles shot - the death rate had declined on its own by 97.7 percent to .03 deaths per 100,000.

Prior to 1970, most children in the U.S.A. contracted measles and healthy children recovered without incident. Complications from the disease occurred in malnourished children with compromised immune systems living in areas with poor sanitation and inadequate healthcare.

Unless you are malnourished with a dysfunctional immune-system, living in insanitary conditions (probably in a Third World country) measles is no threat; in fact it is a boon. Why? Because once you've had measles you have life-long immunity. A vaccination provides only temporary protection and can cause other problems down the road.

Measles in babies under one year of age used to be unknown - but, by the 1990's, more than 25% of all cases were occurring in babies. Why? Because mothers who were vaccinated in the 70's and 80's (denying them life-long immunity) could not pass protective maternal antibodies to their children.

And because vaccinations deny life-long immunity, epidemics of measles occur in vaccinated populations.

Neil Miller quotes Dr. William Atkinson, senior epidemiologist with the Center for Disease Control, saying: "measles transmission has been clearly documented among vaccinated persons. In some large outbreaks…over 95% of cases have a history of vaccination."

(Source: FDA. 'FDA workshop to review warnings, use instructions, and precautionary information on vaccines.' Rockland, Maryland: FDA, September 18, 1992, p. 27.)

In 1988, 69% of all school-age children who contracted measles in the U.S. had been vaccinated.

In 1989, 89% of all school-age measles victims in the U.S. had been vaccinated.

In 1995, 56% of all measles cases in the U.S. occurred in people who had been vaccinated.

(Source: Infect Med 1997; 14(4):297-300, 310. Several CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports.)

All the evidence shows that healthy children benefit from contracting measles because measles vaccines don't work and deny you life-long immunity.

They can also cause adverse effects.

These include: encephalitis, subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, Guillain-Barré syndrome, febrile convulsions, seizures, ataxia, anaphylaxis, angioneurotic edema, bronchial spasms, panniculitis, vasculitis, leukocytosis, pneumonitis, retinitis, optic neuritis, intestinal ulcers, bowel disease, deafness and death. That's right - death.

MUMPS

Contracting mumps in childhood is a good thing. Yes, mumps is good because it's a relatively trivial disease when contracted in childhood and getting it gives you life-long immunity. Mumps vaccines, however, deny you life-long immunity and if you get mumps as an adult it can be serious.

Prior to the introduction of the vaccine, most children under 10 years of age contracted mumps. However, the vaccine shifted incidence rates from young children to teenagers and adults. Mumps in children is a mild, benign disease. When contracted by older age groups it can cause orchitis (inflammation of the testes), hearing loss, transient meningitis and, in rare cases, sterility.

Can the mumps vaccination have side-effects? Yes. A large body of studies quoted in Neil Miller's book link mumps vaccines with the onset of Type-1 diabetes and a long list of ailments including aseptic meningitis, encephalitis, anaphylaxis and death.

In 1993, Japan removed the MMR vaccine (measles, mumps and rubella) from the market because it was causing encephalitis in 1 out of every 1044 people vaccinated.

(Source: Sawada , et al. Lancet 1993; 342;371.)

RUBELLA (GERMAN MEASLES)

When contracted by children, rubella is such a mild disease it escapes detection or passes for a cold. Getting rubella as a child is a good thing because it confers life-long immunity.

However, Rubella can be dangerous to pregnant women who have either 1) received a rubella vaccination or 2) never had rubella. The illness can cause birth defects. Cases of Congenital Rubella Syndrome in newborn babies doubled after introduction of the vaccine in 1969.

Before the introduction of the vaccine, most children were lucky enough to get rubella and develop permanent protection. As a result, about 85% of the adult population was naturally immune.

(Source: Cherry, J. D. 'The new epidemiology of measles and rubella' Hospital Prac. July 1980;56. Spika, J.S., et al. 'Rubella vaccination:a course becomes clear."Canadian Medical Association Journal (July 15, 1983;129(2);106-110).

The adverse effects of rubella vaccination (a strain of the live rubella virus named Wistar RA27/3) include arthritis, arthralgia, myalgia, Guillain-Barré syndrome, polyneuritis, polyneuropathy, anaphylaxis and death. Yes, death.

It's very rare but people have died as a result of being vaccinated for this harmless disease.

The chief side-effect of the inoculation in adults is arthritis. In one study of adult women vaccinated against rubella, 55% developed arthritis or joint pain within four weeks.

(Source: Annals of Rheumatic Diseases 1986;45:110-114).

DIPHTHERIA

The diphtheria death-rate plummeted long before the introduction of the vaccine.

Mortality from the disease decreased from 7.2 deaths per 10,000 in 1911 to 0.9 deaths per 10,000 in 1935 - an 88% decline.

In 1979, authorities changed the medical definition of diphtheria. This resulted in an instant 95% decline in cases the following year. Since then, the number of cases have declined even further. Diphtheria is now so rare in North America and Europe that vaccinating against it is probably unnecessary. Although, during the mid-1990s, there were some outbreaks in Eastern Europe.

However, so many of the cases occurred in persons who'd been properly vaccinated, that questions were raised about the merits of diphtheria vaccination programs. The efficacy of the diphtheria vaccines have not been established.

PERTUSSIS (WHOOPING COUGH)

Pertussis (unlike measles, mumps and rubella) can be a serious illness. This respiratory disease, although rarely fatal, is unpleasant and it can take two to three months to recover. Moreover, when infants under 6 months of age contract pertussis, it can be life-threatening.

The problem with the pertussis vaccine is that it doesn't appear to work. Also, it has been linked to many adverse effects.

Read Vaccines - Are They Really Safe & Effective? to get the details.

I'll quote just one study from the book: during a pertussis outbreak in Ohio, 82% of younger children stricken with the disease had received regular doses of the vaccine.

(Source: New England Journal of Medicine July 7, 1994: 16-20).

Adverse effects associated with the vaccine include: Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, allergy-related respiratory disorders, epilelpsy, fever, convulsions, pain, swelling, diarrhoea, projectile vomiting and brain damage.

HEPATITIS B

Hepatitis B is a sexually transmitted disease that can also be contracted blood-to-blood. The groups at highest risk of getting it are prostitutes, sexually active gay men and intravenous drug users. Yet this vaccine is routinely given to babies. Why?

Authorities claim the Hep B shot provides immunity for 10 years but the data contradict this. One study showed 48% of the vaccine recipients had inadequate antibody levels after just four years. A similar study of 773 subjects (published in the New England Journal of Medicine) found that, after five years, antibody levels declined sharply - or no longer existed - in 42% of them. What's more, 34 of these subjects actually contracted Hepatitis B.

Adverse reactions to the shot are legion and can be very serious. They include: multiple sclerosis, arthritis, fever, herpes zoster, Bell's palsy, diabetes, central nervous system demyelination, lumbar reticulopathy, optic neuritis, transverse myelitis, Guillain-Barré syndrome, anaphylactic shock and death.

Surveys in medical journals indicate that up to 87% of paediatricians and family practitioners do not believe the hepatitis B vaccine is needed by their newborn patients.

(Source: Pediatrics 1993;91:699-702. Journal of Family Practice 1993; 36:153-57.)

Here's a quick boil down on Neil Z. Miller's study of other vaccines. Get the book to learn all the facts.

CHICKENPOX.

Chickenpox can be itchy and uncomfortable for a few days but is not life-threatening. Efficacy rates for the vaccine have not been established. Children given the vaccine become mobile carriers of chickenpox and can infect others. Serious adverse reactions include blood disorders, brain inflammation, neurological disorders, seizures and death.

HIB (Haemophilus Influenzae Type B)

A nasty illness but uncommon. Only 144 cases in the United States in 1996 and 1997 combined. Ninety percent of Hib cases occur in children less than five years old. Kids are at risk of contracting Hib following their vaccination. Hib vaccinated children are six times more likely to get Hib than non-vaccinated children.

In one study of children who got Hib after their Hib vaccination, more than 70% developed meningitis.

PNEUMOCOCCAL DISEASE

Studies show the vaccine to be ineffective at preventing pneumococcal infections. Side effects include Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, pneumonia and diabetes. Most common reaction: vomiting and diarrhoea.

MENINGOCOCCAL DISEASE

The British Department of Health has stated: "Meningococcal infection is relatively rare, affecting approximately 5 in 100,000 people a year in the United Kingdom." And: "No adverse effects of the vaccine have been seen."

However, the British Committee on Safety of Medicines had received 7,742 Yellow Card reports following administration of this vaccine, including at least 12 deaths.

The vaccine does not contain the B strain of meningococcus - the most frequent cause of the disease.

There are anecdotal reports of meningococcal vaccinations causing meningitis.

RESPIRATORY SYNCYTIAL VIRUS

This virus is associated with bronchiolitis and pneumonia and also causes severe respiratory illness in the elderly.

The clinical trial data suggest that children receiving the vaccine are more likely to experience upper respiratory tract infections than children who do not receive it. The vaccines have been found to increase the likelihood of otis media (an ear infection), liver-function abnormalities, fungal dermatitis, anaemia and hernia.

HUMAN PAPILLOMA VIRUS (HPV)

This 'anti-cervical cancer' vaccine is designed to protect against four of the more than 100 different HPV strains.

There is no proof this vaccine protects against cervical cancer.

Adverse reactions include: Guillain-Barré syndrome, loss of consciousness, seizures/convulsions, swollen body parts, heart/kidney disorders, arthritis/joint pain, severe rashes, vomiting, miscarriages/birth defects, genital warts/vaginal lesions, HPV infection, death.

ROTAVIRUS

This causes diarrhoea, vomiting and middle ear infections in children. Trials found the vaccine actually caused these symptoms.

SHINGLES (HERPES ZOSTER)

This can be a painful rash that usually lasts 2-4 weeks, usually in the elderly. Side effects of the vaccine include: diarrhoea, congestive heart failure and pulmonary edema.

FLU

Serious reactions to the flu vaccine include Guillain-Barré syndrome - a severe paralytic disease. GBS can occur several weeks following a flu vaccine and is fatal in every 20 victims. Other adverse reactions to the vaccine include: brain stem encephalitis, encephalopathy, arthritis, polyneuritis and thrombocytopenia - a serious blood disorder.

The effectiveness of flu vaccines is problematic.

If the vaccine manufacturers guess right and the flu strain in the vaccine matches the flu circulating in the environment, the vaccination is 35% effective, which also means 65% ineffective. But if, as often happens, the vaccine manufacturers guess wrong, the vaccination is 0% effective.

Do doctors and nurses get flu shots? Yes - 30%. No - 70%.

SUMMARY

To be informed and protect the health of your children and loved ones, I urge you to buy Vaccines - Are They Really Safe & Effective? by Neil Z. Miller. You can buy a second hand copy for £1 at Amazon.com.

If you want detailed vaccine safety and efficacy data in a book containing over 1000 scientific citations - a comprehensive guide to vaccine risks and benefits - buy The Vaccine Safety Manual (2nd Edition).

Make an Informed Vaccine Decision by Dr. Mayer Eisenstein is another good book. Vaccine information is also available at www.thinktwice.com.