We have been barraged with reports in the media (most of the reports below coming from the Wall Street Journal) of the deadly “swine flu,” with its attendant risks. Below are some brief synopses of the articles, followed by my comments.

April 25/26

Mexico Races to Stop Deadly Flu Virus

Sixty recent deaths in Mexico had flu-like symptoms, and 20 of those have been confirmed swine flu. Over a thousand people have probably been infected in Mexico. If is affecting young adults, in addition to the young and old, thus having some characteristics of the 1918 pandemic that killed millions.

April 24

Officials Identify Seven Cases of Mysterious Swine Flu

Seven people ranging in age from 9 to 54 years have confirmed ‘mysterious new swine flu’ in the U.S. “We don’t think this is time for major concern around the country,” said Anne Schuchat, a CDC respiratory diseases official.

April 30

In Hard-Hit Mexico, Virus is Compounding Effects of Recession

Mexico City has now experienced 150 deaths among its 24 million that live in the city. Stores and shops are closing or have markedly reduced sales. Restaurants provide take-out only, and cruise ships are being routed to different ports. Hotel reservations are down 1/3.

April 30

Officials Face Dilemma Over Whether to Order New Vaccine

Debate is mounting over the wisdom of creating a new flu vaccine against the swine flu. If production is put on the fast track, there may not be adequate safety studies or inadequate production. The swine flu may not even be an issue in the fall. In 1976, 40 million Americans were vaccinated with a swine-flu virus. This resulted in 500 cases of a neurological disorder and 25 deaths. The process of making a new vaccine will perhaps be done the ‘old’ way by injecting a version of the virus into chicken egg embryos. They are incubated for months; the white of the egg is blendered to create the vaccine. The vaccine can also be created by cell culture, but few facilities are capable of this faster procedure.

April 30

WHO Warns of Imminent World-Wide Pandemic

The UN has raised the Alert Level to Phase 5, now that confirmed transmission is occurring from person-to-person with the new swine flu. Some of the Mexican doctors are now saying there may have been many more persons affected by the flu virus who recovered, that had previously been considered.

April 29

Small Town Finds Itself Upended by a Public-Health Crisis

High school students in a small Texas town returned to school after recovering from a ‘flu’ that seemed no different than any other flu. They were found to have the swine flu, so the town has been turned upside-down. Schools are closing, SAT tests are cancelled, city parks are closed by the mayor, proms are restricting attendance, athletic events are being cancelled, and the list goes on.

My comments:

In recent weeks, media has been flooded with frightening accounts of the “swine flu” pandemic. As I flew to some medical meetings in San Diego, I observed six people wearing masks over their noses, theoretically to ward off any unwelcome exposures.

Our friends, neighbors, and my patients frequently ask me about my thoughts on flu vaccines. Although it may be too early to tell, there is no evidence that the efficacy of a “vaccine” specially created for this years’ flu season is going to be any different than any other year. A serious case of the flu will sometimes cause death to occur in people with poor immune systems, especially the elderly and young. However, selecting one influenza strain (out of the hundreds or more that exist) to develop into a vaccine is guesswork at best. The ‘vaccines’ being produced now (to be ready for the flu season) are just guesses about the projected strains. It wasn’t too many years ago that the people who received the vaccine had a higher chance of getting the flu than those who did not get the vaccine.

From a purely scientific standpoint, there are too many unanswered questions about any vaccine, including the vaccines that have been around for more than 50 years. Does the vaccine response mimic the immune response to the natural virus or bacteria? Nobody knows. Whether it does or does not has significant bearing on any perceived good the vaccine can create. Researchers only check the antibody system to determine a vaccine’s effects. Does the vaccine protect against exposure to the disease? There are too many examples that say it does not (see below).

Are vaccines responsible for the drop in the infectious diseases—polio, measles, diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), rubella, mumps, and tetanus? From Pediatrics by Guyer et al, 2000 edition pp.1307-1317: “Between 1900 and 1998, the death rate from the major infectious diseases declined 99.7%, from 466 to 0.7 deaths per 100,000.” “ … nearly 90% of the decline in infectious disease mortality among US children occurred before 1940, when few antibiotics or vaccines were available.” (italics mine).

So according to this study, which was reported at my recent medical meeting in San Diego, the decline in childhood mortality—oft cited as proof of the efficacy of vaccines—cannot be attributed to vaccines at all, since almost 90% of the decline took place before vaccines or antibiotics were available!

The Journal of Pediatrics, December 1999, vol 135; no 6: pp.661-664, indicates that “the largest historical decrease in morbidity and mortality caused by infectious disease was experienced not with the modern antibiotic and vaccine era, but after the introduction of clean water and effective sewer systems.”

The flawed but enthusiastic reporting of vaccine’s values raises questions in my mind: Is it possible that vaccines cause other diseases? Is it possible that the ingredients placed with the vaccine as adjuvants or preservatives cause other diseases? Are vaccines safe?

These statistics and concerns raise too many unanswered questions for me. Keep your immune system strong—eat the right food, avoid the toxins, take supplements. Use natural anti-infectious agents when ill, such as vitamin C: 6-10 grams per day, Echinacea, citricidal, homeopathic agents. I am not in favor of yearly flu vaccines.