ConFLUsion: How to sort out swine flu facts from fiction

It seems that swine flu has infected YouTube. When I was on the Brian Lehrer Show recently, a caller claiming he was a pediatrician announced that the H1N1 (swine flu) virus was "man-made" and another caller urged me to look into this on YouTube because "college students are all over it...". Dangerous rumors like this outlandish conspiracy theory are causing concern all over the country and may be one reason that our swine flu poll found that 43 percent of Americans are on the fence about getting the vaccine. Other ridiculous notions floating around cyberspace include: "there is no swine flu", "a girl got the swine flu vaccine last month and died an hour later", "and you’ll be fine if you don’t eat bacon".

To clear up the misconceptions and give you the facts, we collected a number of rumors we’ve heard on our blog and elsewhere in the media about the swine flu and the swine flu vaccine:

Rumor: It’s better to build up your own natural immunity than gain immunity from a vaccine.

Fact: That was the top reason almost two thirds of those who were unsure or said they would not get their children vaccinated gave for not getting a flu vaccine last year. But that logic misses the whole point of immunity—avoiding disease. When your body is exposed to a virus, it creates antibodies that help fight the disease, When you’re given the vaccine your body makes antibodies that help prevent the disease. In other words, vaccines produce the same antibodies that an infection does, without the inconvenience and misery of having the illness or its life-threatening complications.

Rumor: I’ve never gotten the flu before.

Fact: More than half of respondents who skipped their flu shot last year said they just don’t get the flu. And 62 percent of parents who don’t plan on vaccinating their children reasoned that their kids rarely get sick. That’s just plain luck. The CDC estimates that between five and twenty percent of us get the flu each year, so we can go for years without getting the flu, and then, suddenly get a bad one.

Rumor: The seasonal flu vaccine also protects against the H1N1 flu.

Fact: Don’t count on it. The viruses that cause seasonal flu are substantially different from the virus that causes H1N1 flu. Therefore, the protective antibodies in the two vaccines are different as well. Some preliminary evidence released in early October by the British Medical Journal suggested that there may be some protection against H1N1 flu from the seasonal flu vaccine, but it’s very difficult to say for sure. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention currently state that this years seasonal flu vaccine is not expected to offer any protection against the H1N1 flu strain. For full protection against both diseases, you need both vaccines.

—Orly Avitzur, M.D., medical adviser, Consumer Reports

For more facts and fiction go follow our swine flu coverage and recommendations.

Photo courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Comments

[Brad]

Regardless of what one chooses to believe about the safety and advisability of vaccines, it ultimately comes down to individual choice. I know plenty of people who are eagerly waiting H1N1 vaccine availability, and I know plenty of people who wouldn't get vaccinated if they had a gun to their heads. It's their choice. That said, employers have a vested interest in keeping their workforces healthy and productive, and by extension, a responsibility to pose as little risk as possible to their clients. An employer would be within its rights to require any employee who cannot provide proof of immunization to remain home - telecommuting if possible, or burning sick time and vacation time if not - in the interest of the general health of the other employees and the customers of the business. After all, with many infectious diseases, one can be contagious while not actively showing symptoms, so merely requiring those actually showing symptoms to stay home is rather like closing the barn door after the cows are already out.

Some might think such a policy this unfair or even discriminatory, again citing the individual's right to choose. Nonsense. Such a policy does not infringe on an individual's right to choose (and I know of no business even contemplating such a policy anyway). It does, however, serve as a reminder that whatever our individual choices happen to be, there are consequences - both positive and negative - to those choices.

[Rich]

Thank you for the informative article on the H1N1 virus vaccine. I find it sad that so many misinformed and ignorant responses fill your blog. These folks must lead a sad, panicky and paranoid existence. I already got the seasonal vaccine and have not had the flu since starting the shots a few years ago. Prior to that I got the flu most every season. And, yes. I eat natural foods in moderation and work out daily.

I seldom take ill, but believe me, if the H1N1 vaccine becomes available for seniors, I will get that too. For now, let's try to get the kids who are much more susceptible and more likely to die from H1N1 vaccinated.

[john]

I cannot debate the pros and cons of getting the swine flu shot, but all I can say is that if you eat fairly healthy, and if you are not health compromised, then your body should be able to deal with all types of flu. The scare tactics are out there, and I am not so sure that the shot is laced with mercury, or formaldahyde, or some other chemical that may do more harm than good. We will not get the swine flu shot.....

[PIT]

All I can say is I have a 31 year old daughter who today is in the hospital with swind flu and sicker than she has been in her life. Vomiting for 48 hours straight, now a throat infection and the flu - Iv drip for fluids, pain killers for her throat and antibiotics for the infection meanwhile riding out the fle.

Yet the lung specialist that I have tells me to get the flu shot but not the swine flu shot?

So I do what he says.

[Roger]

I had H2N2 (Asian flu) back in 1957. Does that give me double protection over H1N1 now? :o)

[jenny]

Uggghh........I can't decide what I should do, I have mild asthma, chronic dystonia, and severe depression. Up until just recently I have been opposing of any flu shots ever. But not being able to breathe is by far the worst ailment i've experienced. I don't trust the pharmaceutical industry at all and their ties and pressure on the medical industry, which means doctors who like to prescribe the bandaid but not the cure or preventative cure. Please, I need some real advice on this H1N1 flu vaccine from a professional that knows all the sides and issues???????

[Bill Bee]

The paranoia and misinterpretation of risk displayed here is either hilarious or pathetic, depending on one's perspective. To be sure, one takes a greater risk driving to work each day than is presented by the H1N1 vaccine.

Clearly, society will benefit if the paranoid skip the vaccine—Darwin wins.

[marvinlzinn]

I am just getting over the flu now! Yes, I know the difference, but whatever disease I have is rare for me, and of much less intensity and duration than most people. There is NO question that vaccination is the wrong way to go!

This is because as a child I was sick most of the time, I spent 40 years gradually eliminating all disease. It is by prevention, not correction. It comes from avoiding all junk food and additives, IOW eating as close as possible to the way God created them. With this, I had enough strength to survive an injury four years ago, with broken head and seven weeks coma, when no doctor expected me to live five minutes. I am back to excellent health.

[Scott Bruins]

Thank you for setting this information site up.
The first step to facing any problem is recognizing that it exists and this site does that.
I will develop some immunity from the H1N1 vaccine and then probably more when I get the disease from young health care professionals. From everything I know, I will get less symptomatic from this H1N1 pandemic flu having been exposed first to the vaccine than being exposed first to the wild type H1N1 flu virus.
Infectious Diseases Physician over 65 years old.

[Marta]

I'll take my chances and skip Big Pharma's toxic vaccines. Vaccines are made with diseased flesh of African Green Monkeys (look up U.S. patent No. 5911998). Vaccines ingredients include: mercury, formaldehyde, aborted fetuses tissues, phenoxyethanol (antifreeze), triton X100, a strong detergent, animal tissues and fluids, macerated (mashed) cancer cells, to name a few. The H1N1 vaccines was never tested. The ignorant individuals being vaccinated are the guinea pigs. As reported in Global Research on July 19, 2009 "The US Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius, has just signed a decree granting vaccine makers total legal immunity from any lawsuits that result from any new “Swine Flu” vaccine". " the major pharmaceutical company, Baxter, filed for a patent for H1N1 vaccine: Baxter Vaccine Patent Application US 2009/0060950 A1. Their application states, “the composition or vaccine comprises more than one antigen.....such as influenza A and influenza B in particular selected from of one or more of the human H1N1, H2N2, H3N2, H5N1, H7N7, H1N2, H9N2, H7N2, H7N3, H10N7 subtypes, of the pig flu H1N1, H1N2, H3N1 and H3N2 subtypes, of the dog or horse flu H7N7, H3N8 subtypes or of the avian H5N1, H7N2, H1N7, H7N3, H13N6, H5N9, H11N6, H3N8, H9N2, H5N2, H4N8, H10N7, H2N2, H8N4, H14N5, H6N5, H12N5 subtypes."

"The application further states, “Suitable adjuvants can be selected from mineral gels, aluminium hydroxide, surface active substances, lysolecithin, pluronic polyols, polyanions or oil emulsions such as water in oil or oil in water, or a combination thereof. Of course the selection of the adjuvant depends on the intended use. E.g. toxicity may depend on the destined subject organism and can vary from no toxicity to high toxicity."

"With no legal liability, could it be that Baxter is preparing to sell hundreds of millions of doses containing highly toxic aluminium hydroxide as adjuvant? Perhaps it is time to demand that all leading officials of WHO, SAGE and CDC, the US Obama Administration Cabinet officials all step up and be first to take the full dose of H1N1 vaccines being unleashed on the public. We should add to the list of suggested first receivers all members of Congress who voted the $7 billion H1N1 emergency funds and who have gone along with the declaration of pharmaceutical company immunity from subsequent prosecution for damage from their products. They not the general population should be the first human Guinea Pigs to take the new vaccine shots. We can then observe results. The same should apply as well for other national governments and relevant health agencies demanding its citizens take the H1N1 vaccine from GlaxoSmithKline or Baxter, to see if it is really safe".

Watch how this young woman’s life is ruined due to a vaccine:
http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/health/Redskins_Ambassador_Has_Serious_Health_Problems_After_Flu_Shot_Washington_DC.html

[Marsha]

My grandmother's brother died from influenza. In 1982 I had to help the family and friends of a 15 year old who died from influenza. I've been getting flu shots every year since a friend who had gotten influenza told me that every time she coughed it was like two razor blades fighting it out in her chest. I decided I'd rather get the vaccine. There are versions without mercury or formaldehyde--just ask for it. If you're under 50 you can get the live virus vaccine, which is the real influenza in a weakened form. So for those who want to build up their immunity naturally, use the live virus vaccine (which comes in a nasal spray, so you don't even need a shot). The live virus vaccines also have no preservatives. Influenza vaccines are not as effective in preventing getting sick from influenza in the elderly, but they are effective in preventing needing to go to the hospital and dying. And they are much more effective in younger people in protecting them from even getting sick at all.

[Alex Weingarten]

It's interesting to see how many crazies read CR. You would think that these people would be more interested in the postings of their favorite healer or homeopath. What kind of cars do they drive?

[Steven - medical researcher]

I have been a full-time medical researcher for 35 years, a director of research for several national corporations, and am the senior research scientist for an independent research institute. I base my opinions only on the peer-reviewed medical literature. From this I advise everyone to avoid all the flu shots and even the pneumonia shots. For example, hundreds of thousands take the pneumonia vaccine each year. One of the most carefully executed studies so far has found the vaccine ineffective [see Huss A, et al., Can Med Assn Journal 180: 48-58, 2009]. This meta-analysis of 22 high quality trials involving 101,507 participants found that the vaccine did not reduce pneumonia in the elderly or those at special risk, and the authors state the vaccine fails to help the intended population for which it was created. What is the CDC's response? Take the pneumonia shot. Is this the response of evidence-based medicine or vaccine cheerleaders? Even the journal editors of the article cited, after publishing the article, said just ignore it and take your shots like good girls and boys. As a researcher, I feel we are getting the best medical advice from the government that (big) money can buy ....

[feryl]

800 people per week die of flu during the flu season. One person gets dystonia. I'll take the odds and get the shot.

It's a shame that people can claim to be experts and post nonsense that gets spread all over the web. There are risks with anything, but vaccinations have almost wiped out diseases that used to kill tens of thousands of people a year. I know people who have died from preventable diseases. I don't know anyone who has died or gotten any serious reaction to a vaccination.

[Eugene Ulrich]

I have heard and read articles the the swine flu contains mercury which is harmful is this true?

[Iamlegend]

If the CDC actually posted easy access to the ingredients used in all FLU virus vaccines including H1N1 (BTW they are very similar to seasonal flu vaccines as they just change the virus strain), people would think twice before submitting to the flu media circus. They are still using Thimerosol (some but not all), chick embryos, formaldehyde, and of course the virus strain itself plus proprietary ingredients (that means we will never know what killed us).
Much like the writer of the CU article above, scientists of the highest caliber are clueless as to how the body immunity reacts after injection of vaccinations and the long term effects, except to keep saying it's safe (under personal immunity courtesy of the US government). However, faced with a patient confronting a doctor (or even this MD above) for a personal written guarantee of flu vaccine safety vs signing a document waiving mandatory flu shots (some states) for medical reasons the doc would sign the waiver, and that's not fiction.

[Pahoo Katawah]

How is it that when this strain "first" came out it was referred to as the H1N3 virus? I personally saw that on Euro-News in addition to domestic news. It was described as the concatnation of three viri into one strain, the human, the swine and the bird becoming the H1N3. What happened? Did the other two disengage themselves like cars from a train? No one has addressed this faux pas!

[H Clarke RST]

The h1n1 vaccine is an individuals free choice, there is no right or wrong decision as there is no definate outcome either way. Do your own research.

We will not get the vaccine due to the side effects and strain on the immune system. Our choice is to take precautions(hand washing etc.) without living in complete fear of the h1n1 virus.

If this was the only vaccine we were exposing our bodies too that decision may be different. These days we are injecting ourselves with numerous disease/flu vaccines several times over with absolutly no guarantee of immunity or how long the immunity will last. Those that had the regular flu shot last year are more likly to catch h1n1. Are we creating another "super bugs" with the h1n1 vaccine? Those over 65 aren't catching the swine flu as they've been exposed to it in the past.

My choice is to give my immune system a chance to fight this flu opposed to beating my immune system down by subjecting it to yet another dead virus injection, with more side effects, and increasing my risk of catching the next super bug.

[JayHub]

Lots of Darwin Award candidates above.

[Julie]

http://medicalconsumers.org/ -- click on vaccines on the right side of the page.

[Marie Flowers]

I will not be trusting Consumer Reports for my health news. They are better at vacuum cleaners and appliances. There are many Integrative medicine doctors who do not believe in this rush to vaccinate. Medical organizations like the American College for the Advancement in Medicine are a great resource.

A woman in northern Virginia, Desiree Jennings, has just been featured in many newscasts after developing a debilitating reaction to the seasonal flu vaccine. She is a cheerleader for the Washington Redskins. She can barely talk now and can only walk backwards. You can see videos of her on Fox News and other places. She has dystonia and doctors at John Hopkins says it is from the flu vaccine.

[R. Dugan]

Thank you for the very concise, informative and factual article regarding the swine flu.

We don't see enough information about how the people who refuse to become immunized threaten the well being of everyone else. For instance older people often are not immunized even when they get a flu shot because their immune systems are so compromised already. When they encounter the swine flu or regular flu infected child of a parent who is overly protective and totally wrong about getting immunizations for their child they die. Did the parent kill them? Some would say that her actions were just a effected a murder weapon as a gun. Please just suck it in and get your immunizations and stop paying attention to ignorant superstition and rumors.

[Dennis Perry]

According to Dr. Robert O. Young, a research
scientist at the pH Miracle Living Center,
"taking a vaccine or an antibiotic of any kind
will only prove that you can poison yourself
and then hopefully live through the experience.
There is no such thing as a safe or effective
vaccine. All vaccines and antibiotic are highly
acidic and have the potential to make one very
sick and very tired. True immunity can only be
found by maintaining the alkaline design of the
body fluids with an alkaline lifestyle and diet.
This is the best way to protect oneself from
an over-acidification of the blood and tissues
due to an inverted way of living, eating and
thinking that leads to ALL sickness and dis-ease."

To learn more about the dangerous acidic effects
of vaccines and antibiotics read, "Sick and Tired"
and "A Second Thought About Vaccines" by Dr. Robert
and Shelley Young.

[Allan]

Of course the H1N1 vaccine was "rushed" to market. All seasonal flu vaccines are likewise rushed due to the nature of the beast. They have to wait as late as possible to more accurately determine which viral strain is prevalent and only then begin the lengthy vaccine culture process. They are all "rushed" to market.

[jesse]

I have not had a case of the flu for decades until last month. I was very sick with a high fever for five days. Tami-flu saved me. I intend to take the H1N1 vaccine. If my experience with the seasonal flu was any indication of what I might face, I can only imagine what the H1N1 flu has in store for me.

[Gary]

Ok, so you are going to trust the CDC/Government on the safety of this vaccine. What about the possible side effects that could be much worse than the mild strain of H1N1 that has been going around? Sure, most will not experience terrible side effects, but do you want to take that chance? There are many doctors and nurses who will not be getting this vaccine unless they are mandated. I thought our Police Dept was going to be, but thankfully it's optional. I recieved life threatening effects form another vaccine (Hep B) several years ago that was not optional. I thought CR was smarter that that.

[Mom-to-be]

We can read what the CDC has to say, we can consult our doctor, and we can read blogs like these, but the reality is that in the end we all have to make our own decisions. It seems that many of the people who have posted here are uncertain of a) the need for the vaccine and b) whether or not to get it.

From what I understand, the H1N1 is more widespread and more dangerous for children and pregnant women. As a healthy young woman, pregnant and now at the end of my 2nd trimester, I work 6 days a week with preschoolers, kindergarten through 2nd graders, and middle schoolers across three different settings. The schools in my area are reporting more and more cases of H1N1 among students as the fall progresses, and children and pregnant women from my state have died or been in intensive care due to the virus. Yes, it's supposed to be a relatively mild virus, but the more widespread it becomes, the larger the number of deaths related to the virus grows too, including the likelihood that it could hit close to home.

Go ahead and talk bad about the CDC, but I for one am grateful that I at least will have the option to get a vaccine that scientists have made in an effort to protect me and my unborn baby girl.

In the end, the choice of whether or not to get the vaccine is yours - but hey, at least you have a choice.

[athar usmani]

The sad fact is they are comparing the benefits of swine flu vaccination to the benefits of being vaccinated for small pox, Polio or diptheria etc. Swine flu (for the vast majority of non immuno-compromised people) is a mild flu like illness not a virulent disease like small pox. Having said that, the vaccine should be as safe as any other vaccine and as the virulent strain of the virus is no where near the virulence of say Polio, expect the attenuated strain in the vaccine to be very safe.

A. Umani M.D.

[Mute]

How about the possibility of developing Guillane-Barre syndrome? Let's address that "rumor", and others like it. This article addresses good old American laziness and flimsy excuses, what does it offer for those of us who have bothered to read up on flu vaccines and found ourselves disturbed by what they've found?

[Teresastrinkets]

FACT: The Swine Flu vaccine was RUSHED to market! HOW can we be SURE it is SAFE??!!

[Jay]

Good facts, but this story does not address what I was hoping it would - is the swine flu vaccine safe?

Rumor: The swine flu is so new it could have long-term side effects.
Fact: ?

[Jeremy DiMartino]

Did you know that only 20% of the 200,000 flu-like illnesses reported by the CDC are actually caused by the influenza virus (according to their statistics)? This leads me to the next statistic; that flu vaccines are about 70 - 90% effective. This may be true but according to the numbers above 80% of the illnesses in the winter are not causes by the influenza virus thus making the vaccine ineffective for the 80% of the non-influenza illnesses. You must compare apples to apples not apples to oranges.

A second note the vaccine does not produce the same immune reaction that the actual virus does, this is evident by needing a booster shot in the future and not having life long immunity with a vaccine. The vaccines "trick" the immune system into thinking that it needs to fight the illness but the reaction is not a complete reaction. This is due to the bypassing of the first line of defense for the immune system, the gut associated lymph tissue. This is bypassed by the injection of the altered virus, our bodies are not stupid, you cannot trick them to work better.

[Erin]

I still can't help but to be reluctant on this vaccine. What you say is fact and fiction in your post another says is the opposite. It makes me nervous and it makes me sad that we spend all this time and money on something that could be focused more towards the common good of people like Alzheimer's/memory loss and breast cancer.

[Somebody]

"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention currently state that..." blah, blah, blah. Who trusts them?

"The viruses that cause seasonal flu are substantially different from the virus that causes H1N1 flu."

But they AREN'T.