| Canadian Health Officials Struggle
To Counter What They Consider H1N1 Myths
Just as the second wave of the H1N1 pandemic influenza has peaked
in Canada, public health officials are desperately rushing to
debunk what they consider myths about the virus.
Canada's chief fear mongerer and public health officer, David
Butler-Jones, came out swinging Friday against the claims of those
who dare oppose the vaccine. The federal regulator approved Arepanrix
this week, a vaccine developed by GlaxoSmithKline against the
pandemic H1N1 flu virus, which has statistically killed less people
than any other seasonal flu in Canadian history.
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“We risk losing ground if we start doubting … or taking
the myths as fact,” he said. “Immunization is the only
thing which will stop the pandemic and prevent however many people
from needlessly becoming ill.” He went on with additional
fear provoking statements claiming that "Canadians have a
choice: Immunize themselves or face a real risk of disease."
Butler-Jones still refuses to answer the real questions asked
by Canadians on what evidence is available to suggest that Arepanrix
will protect the population from the virus. He simply asserts
that the adjuvanted vaccine is "very safe and effective"
despite documented evidence which proves that the squalene adjuvants
generate unremitting immune responses over long periods of time
as reported in the American Journal of Pathology.
A full analysis of adjuvants and the Arepanrix vaccine is available
here which details the toxicity and detrimental health effects
of its ingredients.
Canada, which has ordered 50 million doses of the swine-flu vaccine
from GlaxoSmithKline, embarks on its largest ever immunization
campaign next week. But on websites and in online comments, many
have raised questions about the vaccine with strong arguments
against its toxicity. A recent Yahoo poll in Canada showed that
55% of Canadians will not get the vaccine and 19% are unsure.
There are currently no licensed flu vaccines containing adjuvant
that are officially regulated in Canada. Yet, only 1.8 million
of the 50 million doses do not contain adjuvants. The supplies
suggest that potentially 95% of the Canadian population will receive
adjuvanted vaccine which would be illegal according to Canadian
health regulations.
Perry Kendall, B.C.'s health officer, assured Canadians in a conference
call this week that the government is looking out for their safety.
“We've gone through extensive safety tests with this vaccine.
… We would not be recommending a vaccine that we did not
think was safe. Will that convince absolutely everybody? No, I
don't think it will. But I hope the number of people who remain
skeptical remain small,” he said.
Federal health officials continue to propagate myths stating
that the virus is in its second wave. "There are more people
testing positive for H1N1 because every Canadian now being diagnosed
with the seasonal flu is being diagnosed with H1N1," stated
public health epidemiologist Kathy Jackson.
This stems from policies the World Health Organization (WHO) demanded
from every country in July which stated that data collection of
individual confirmed and probable cases was no longer necessary
to ascertain the spread of swine flu (see How
To Orchestrate An Effective Pandemic Campaign For The Flu).
"This is certainly a push to not only increase the sales
of anti-viral drugs but also enforce WHO recommendations,"
stated Jackson.
Although high profile public health officials in Canada are promoting
the safety of the Arepanrix vaccine, it remains officially remains
untested in Canada and no data has been submitted to health officials
on its safety, efficacy and how it will affect the health of Canadians
in the long-term. "There seems to be a concerted effort to
insist that this vaccine is safe without actually providing the
evidence to the public," said public health specialist Marco
Torres.
GlaxoSmithKline initiated 16 clinical trials in Septemeber with
9000 voluntary participants in Europe, the United States and Canada.
According to spokesperson Megan Sporre from GSK Canada, Canadian
clinical trials only started on October 1st.
"That's how we know that Canadian public health officials
are grasping at straws when they talk about how safe this vaccine
is....the trials just started and they simply won't know how safe
it is until the trials, reports and conclusions are submitted,"
Torres added.
The reality is that the majority of H1N1 myths that health officials
are struggling to counter are actually facts. They must broadcast
to the population that they are myths to encourage complacency
and demonize the flurry of online protests against the vaccine,
which are growing exponentially. It's a sure sign that the truth
is piercing through the flu hype about a pandemic that just isn't.
Dave Mihalovic is a Naturopathic Doctor who specializes in
vaccine research, cancer prevention and a natural approach to
treatment.
* A
full list of h1n1 vaccine ingredients, alerts and warnings.
Reference Source: www.theglobeandmail.com
October 26, 2009
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