Logan College of Chiropractic – $40,000.00 

2009 was quite a year with the health care reform debacle and the Swine flu fiasco taking up so much of the public discussion on health care. As we sink deeper into 2010, Swine flu seems to be an after thought now and Obama vows he’s not done with health care. We’ll see…

According to the Center for Responsive Politics, health care and insurance company lobbyists spent more than $648 million in 2009. A spokesman for the Center stated that the money spent last year on health care dwarfs the amount spent on any other single issue in a single year. In fact, he said, it was the most money ever spent by a business sector for federal lobbying.

Drug companies spent more than $245 million on lobbying last year alone with Pfizer contributing $22 million. $245 million is more than the combined budgets of all chiropractic institutions in the United States.  The money spent by drug companies was more than any other single industry has ever spent on lobbying on behalf of any issue. One report stated this was $90 million more than the oil and gas industry spent on lobbying last year.

In addition to this $648 million another $210 million was spent on television advertising, according to Campaign Media Analysis Group. This amount also set a record for money spent on a single issue in a single calendar year.

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America spent $26 million on lobbying and another $130 million for a television campaign and the American Hospital Association spent $16.3 million on lobbying.

The United States Chamber of Commerce spent $144 million on lobbying and an additional $50 million on commercials.

Just to put this all in perspective, the chiropractic profession spent a whopping $525,000.00 on lobbying in 2009. Yes siree - half a million bucks. Here’s a breakdown of who spent what:

• American Chiropractic Association – $365,000.00
• Association of Chiropractic Colleges – $80,000.00
• Logan College of Chiropractic – $40,000.00
• Texas Chiropractic College– $40,000.00

The David and Goliath story of chiropractic versus the medical pharmaceutical industrial complex was true 100 years ago and it’s still true today. Though the spirit of the profession seems crushed and we’ve gone from a movement to a bunch of old white guys making sure their golden years remain – well, golden. All the while the profession as a whole remains stuck in the lower levels of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs just trying to survive.

It would be nice to know what this half a million was spent on so we could see what the priorities of the profession really are but given the fact that a “United Profession” put forth the document The Path to Change in the US HealthCare System: The Chiropractic Perspective. A Joint Policy Statement on Healthcare Reform Presented by a United Chiropractic Profession as our two cents in the health care reform debate, its pretty clear where the cartel is taking us. For more on this see:  Please Sir, I Want Some More. 
   

As always I look forward to your feedback, comments and suggestions.

Matthew McCoy DC, MPH

matthewmccoy@comcast.net

Editor – Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health – Chiropractic

http://www.chiropracticpediatricresearch.net

Not too long ago I officially declared swine flu a fiasco. And while I did get some hate mail suggesting this meant I didn't care about those who did actually die from the disease, most agreed it was indeed a fiasco. In fact, at this point the agreement out there on just how mild it was is so widespread that anyone suggesting otherwise has not only drunk the Kool Aid but is mixing up batches of their own. 

Nevertheless, I'll continue to post updates on swine flu happenings since Walgreens, CVS and a host of other doc in the boxes are now trying to unload their stockpiles of vaccines that finally arrived AFTER the worst was over. Interesting to me that these for profit companies can charge people for the vaccines considering that our tax doallrs paid for them to begin with - I suppose its a needle sticking fee?

Yes, from a governmental bailout of vaccine production and distribution to the dissolution of personal autonomy brought on by changes in federal and state laws - it is quite shocking and quite encouraging how people both functioned as automatons on the one hand and resisted the government and pharmaceutical propaganda on the other.

But we'll see. Flu season is not over and there's always next year - and with a re-tooled and re-energized vaccination industry.

Click here for recent headlines related to the flu and vaccines.

As always I look forward to your feedback, comments and suggestions.

Regards,
Matthew McCoy DC, MPH
matthewmccoy@comcast.net
Editor - Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health - Chiropractic
http://www.chiropracticpediatricresearch.net

Its official and I’m declaring it. The 2009 Swine flu “pandemic” is a bonafide fiasco. A fiasco is a complete failure - an ignominious, humiliating and disgraceful failure.  All the evidence at this point clearly shows that from the government to public health to the pharmaceutical industry - nothing panned out the way they predicted it would.

In a recently released report:

Presanis AM, De Angelis D, Hagy A, Reed C, Riley S, et al. 2009 The Severity of Pandemic H1N1 Influenza in the United States, from April to July 2009: A Bayesian Analysis. PLoS Med 6(12): e1000207. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1000207

According to these researchers (which include scientists from Harvard, the UK Medical Research Council and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) H1N1 swine flu won't be as severe as was feared and when the fall and winter wave of H1N1 swine flu is over, it will have been no more severe than an average flu season.

In fact, according to one of the researchers - Dr. Lipsitch “The good news is that ... the severity of the H1N1 flu may be less than initially feared."

Let's not forget that the White House predicted as many as 90,000 dead and such dire predictions set the stage for the rolling back of all sorts of civil liberties along with the spending of billions of dollars of taxpayer money that went directly into the pockets of drug companies that were absolved of any risk from adverse reactions from the vaccines they manufactured.

We are just getting the first reports of those adverse reactions. Of course there have been the multiple reports on the internet of anaphalactic reactions and neurological disorders immediately following vaccination but now we have more “authoritative” reports from the CDC and the Vaccine Adverse Events Reportiong System (VAERS).

According to this report:

•  CDC and FDA staff members searched the VAERS database to identify all U.S. reports of adverse events after vaccination with H1N1 vaccines and 2009--10 seasonal influenza vaccines during July 1--November 24.
• 3,783 reports of adverse events were received through the U.S. Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System through November 24 after receipt of H1N1 vaccine. Of these 204 were categorized as serious. In addition, 4,672 adverse events reports after receipt of seasonal influenza vaccines were received, of which 283 were serious.
• VAERS data indicated 82 adverse event reports per 1 million H1N1 vaccine doses distributed, compared with 47 reports per 1 million seasonal influenza vaccine doses distributed.
• They excluded 62 reports due to “insufficient” information.
• During October 5--November 20, a total of 46.2 million doses of H1N1 vaccines and 98.9 million doses of seasonal influenza vaccines were distributed to U.S states and territories. (The government was originally hoping to vaccinate 100 million Americans with H1N1).
• The serious adverse event reporting rates were 4.4 and 2.9 serious adverse events per 1 million doses distributed for H1N1 vaccines and seasonal influenza vaccines, respectively.
•  VAERS received 13 reports of deaths occurring after receipt of H1N1 vaccine. In nine of these deaths, significant underlying illness was reported.
• There were 10 reports of Guillain-Barré syndrome, and two additional reports of possible Guillain-Barré syndrome identified by medical officers reviewing other reports to VAERS describing neurologic events.
• VAERS also received 11 reports of anaphylaxis, and an additional eight reports of possible anaphylaxis were identified by medical officers reviewing reports to VAERS of serious allergic events.
• Three of the Guillain-Barré syndrome cases and 15 of the anaphylaxis cases were coded as serious adverse events, in accordance with federal regulation.
• The remaining 173 nonfatal serious adverse events after vaccination with H1N1 vaccines are under chart review. These reports fall into the following diagnostic categories: neurologic or muscular condition other than Guillain-Barré syndrome (49 [28%]); pneumonia or influenza-like illness (27 [16%]); other noninfectious conditions, including multiple medical symptoms (19 [11%]); respiratory or ear, nose, and throat condition (17 [10%]); allergic conditions other than anaphylaxis (16 [9%]); pregnancy complications** (15 [9%]); other infectious symptoms (10 [6%]); gastrointestinal (eight [5%]); cardiovascular (six [3%]); and psychiatric (six [3%]). 

Remember all those news conferences where they told us how safe the vaccine was?

Adding to the evidence that H1N1 fears were overblown can be found in a report just published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Surveillance of the 2009 H1N1 virus in China shows that the majority of those infected had a mild illness.

Adding salt to the wounds is an Editorial in the NEJM on the need for science in the practice of public health. The author states that to date H1N1 has not been as lethal as first feared.

Luckily, for the most part, the public didn’t buy into the fear and manipulation churned out by the media, the government and the drug companies. Thankfully we also have the internet and unconventional forms of information distribution. If all we had were the big three networks, cable news and Sanjay Gupta to rely on to give us the truth, no doubt many more would have died or been permanently injured from this fiasco.

The only thing that’s left to do is to hold the congressional hearings on why this was allowed to happen and which heads need to roll. Considering that they spent taxpayer dollars to investigate baseball players taking steroids, one could assume that something so much bigger, so much more damaging to the public health and trust and something people actually care about could warrant congressional hearings.

Don’t worry – I’m not holding my breath.       

As always I look forward to your feedback, comments and suggestions.

Matthew McCoy DC, MPH
matthewmccoy@comcast.net
Editor - Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health - Chiropractic
http://www.chiropracticpediatricresearch.net/

What if you had a pandemic and no one came?

Just change the way you measure those infected. In a remarkable development the CDC has announced that they are going to change the way that Swine flu cases are defined. It seems the grand total of 1200 deaths from H1N1 wasn't sufficiently scaring the hell out of people enough to go out and get vaccinated so why not bump up the numbers to put a chill in the air?

While the news media is widely reporting long lines at clinics for the vaccine other sources suggest a different story. In New York last week officials were prepared to administer 31,500 vaccinations a day at seven free clinics throughout the city. The total vaccinations administered on Saturday was 1,701. The New York Times reported vaccine workers standing around with nothing to do and officials perplexed by the low turnout.

Meanwhile government officials and vaccine manufacturers were hauled before Congress which was investigating why so little vaccine had made it to the public and here we are dead in the middle of the season. Everyone blamed those slow virus growing chicken eggs, the public’s fear of vaccines and regulatory hurdles that won’t allow them to use adjuvants. Only 49 million doses had been delivered by this week.

All of this doesn’t seem so much a mystery to me. The drug companies were paid ahead of time to produce the vaccines, surveys of your average earthling revealed that more than half would not get the vaccine, low turnouts materialized so why would the vaccine manufacturers spend any more money to produce more vaccine when they probably won’t be able to get what they will produce off their shelves by the end of the season?

$1.5 billion was paid by the US government for Swine flu vaccine – that’s $600 per taxpayer. In what seems incredible Glaxo won’t tell what they are getting from the UK government for its H1N1 concoction and Baxter settled out of court after accusations of fraud for overcharging for their Swine flu vaccine. Despite this Britain still went ahead and contracted with them for 132 million doses!

Its like getting vaccine out of the back of a panel van in the alley from your local neighborhood criminal. 

And these are the people we are supposed to trust when they tell us to just roll up our sleeve and get in line? I'm sure such criminal behavior would never spill over into the science or manufacturing of the vaccine - right? 

Despite the changes in definitions to bump up the numbers some experts don’t seem to think there is anything to worry about. Ira M. Longini Jr., a flu epidemiologist at the University of Washington and Michael T. Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, both said the new figure doesn’t come close to the 90,000 people Obama said would drop dead this flu season. 

In fact according to Dr. Longini deaths were likely to be in the 30,000-to-40,000 range, and Osterholm said they would “have a long way to go to even get there.”

Sounds like a typical flu season to me.

As always I look forward to your feedback, comments and suggestions.

Matthew McCoy DC, MPH
matthewmccoy@comcast.net
Editor - Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health - Chiropractic
http://www.chiropracticpediatricresearch.net

There is no doubt a great deal of information being thrown at us every day in regards to the Swine flu. Just deciding what is important to focus on takes a great deal of time and effort. For this update I am going to focus on the news widely reported in the media that results from a clinical trial indicates that the vaccine is safe in pregnant women. As soon as this came out the media were all over it and public health officials were once again making a mockery out of those women who were choosing not to vaccinate themselves out of concern for the untested vaccine.

Let’s walk slowly through the data as reported by the National Institutes for Allergy and Infectious Disease.  

1. This clinical trial is studying only 120 women
2. There are two groups with only 60 subjects in each group
3. They are getting two doses of the vaccine with one group getting a larger dose than the other.
4. They are 18 to 39 years of age
5. They are in their second or third trimester (14 to 34 weeks) of pregnancy
6. The vaccine is a candidate 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine manufactured by Sanofi Pasteur.

In order to be in this study these women must be in good health. They determine good health as follows:

By vital signs (heart rate 100 beats per minute; blood pressure: systolic 140 mm Hg; diastolic less than or equal to 90 mm Hg; oral temperature 100 degrees Fahrenheit), medical history to ensure any existing medical diagnoses or conditions are stable and not considered clinically significant, and targeted physical examination based on medical history. A stable medical condition is defined as health outcomes of the specific disease are considered to be within acceptable limits in the last 3 months.

• Has a known allergy to eggs or other components in the vaccines (these may include, but are not limited to: gelatin, formaldehyde, octoxinol and chicken protein).
• Has a history of severe reactions following previous immunization with influenza virus vaccines.
• Has participated in a novel influenza H1N1 2009 vaccine study in the past 2 years or has history of novel influenza H1N1 2009 infection prior to enrollment.
• Has received any other live licensed vaccines within 4 weeks or inactivated licensed vaccines within 2 weeks prior to vaccination in this study prior to vaccination or plan receipt of such vaccines within 21 days following the last vaccination (except for seasonal inactivated influenza vaccine which may be received 2 weeks post either vaccination). Measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine and tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis vaccine are permitted post-partum.
• Has received an experimental/investigational agent (vaccine, drug, biologic, device, blood product, or medication) within one month prior to vaccination in this study, or expects to receive another experimental/investigational agent during the study period (prior to the Day 201 follow-up call - 180 days after the second vaccination).
• Has an acute illness and/or an oral temperature greater than or equal to 100.0 degrees Fahrenheit, within 72 hours of vaccination (This may result in a temporary delay of vaccination).
• Has immunosuppression as a result of an underlying illness or treatment, or use of anti-cancer chemotherapy or radiation therapy within the preceding 36 months.
• Has an active neoplastic disease (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer), a history of any hematologic malignancy, current bleeding disorder, or taking anticoagulants.
• Long term use of glucocorticoids, including oral or parenteral, or high-dose inhaled steroids (>800 micrograms/day of beclomethasone dipropionate or equivalent) within the preceding 6 months (nasal and topical steroids are allowed) or has received betamethasone or dexamethasone to accelerate fetal lung maturity.
• Has a history of receiving immunoglobulin or other blood product (with exception of Rhogam) within the 3 months prior to enrollment in this study.
• Has a diagnosis of a current and uncontrolled major psychiatric disorder.
• Has been hospitalized for psychiatric illness, history of suicide attempt, or confinement for danger to self or others, within the past 10 years.
• The subject is receiving any of the following psychiatric drugs: aripiprazole, clozapine, ziprasidone, haloperidol, molindone, loxapine, thioridazine, thiothixene, pimozide, fluphenazine, risperidone, mesoridazine, quetiapine, trifluoperazine, trifluopromazine, chlorprothixene, chlorpromazine, perphenazine, olanzapine, carbamazepine, divalproex sodium, lithium carbonate or lithium citrate. Subjects who are receiving an antidepressant drug (not listed above) and are stable for at least 3 months prior to enrollment without decompensating are allowed enrollment into the study.
• Known active human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B, or hepatitis C infection.
• History of alcohol or drug abuse in the last 5 years.
• Has a seizure disorder or is on an anti-seizure medication.
• Has a history of Guillain-Barré Syndrome.
• Plan to travel outside of North America in the time between the first vaccination and 42 days following the first vaccination.
• Has an acute or chronic medical condition that, in the opinion of the investigator would render vaccination unsafe, or would interfere with the evaluation of responses (this includes, but is not limited to, known cardiac disease, chronic liver disease, significant renal disease, unstable or progressive neurological disorder, transplant recipients or uncontrolled diabetes, juvenile diabetes (Type I) or advanced diabetes with renal disease or eye disease, diabetes controlled by diet or insulin is acceptable.)
• Has any condition that would, in the opinion of the site investigator, place the subject at an unacceptable risk of injury or render the subject unable to meet the requirements of the protocol.

In terms of adverse outcomes they are looking at:

• The occurrence of solicited local and systemic adverse events within 8 days post vaccination.
• The incidence of maternal and neonatal complications at the time of delivery. (Emphasis added)

So what does the data from the study show so far?

• In 25 women who received a single 15-microgram dose of the vaccine, the H1N1 flu vaccine elicited an immune response likely to be protective in 92 percent, or 23 of 25, of these women. 
• In 25 women who received a single 30-microgram dose of the vaccine, the H1N1 flu vaccine elicited an immune response likely to be protective in 96 percent, or 24 of 25, of these women.

So in 8 and 4 percent of women an immune response likely to be protected was not illicited - extrapolate that to the millions who might get the vaccine. They also note that the vaccine appears (emphasis added) to be well-tolerated, and no safety concerns related to the vaccine have arisen.

So what do we really know at this point? We know that in a small group of 50 healthy, pregnant women in their 2nd or third trimester an immune response to the vaccine was illicited in the majority of these women - some did not.

The report did not reveal whether or not there were local or systemic adverse events within the 8 days following vaccination – they just said no safety concerns had arisen.  And they either have no data on maternal or neonatal complications yet or they just didn’t report on them, or they lump these into their “no safety concerns” statement. Note that they are not going to follow these women and children after delivery to see what if any long term effects occur months or years afterwards.   
 
Interestingly the NIAID quotes Anthony Fauci MD stating: “For pregnant women, who are among the most vulnerable to serious health problems from 2009 H1N1 infection, these initial results are very reassuring,”

What Fauci leaves out is that the best data we have on how H1N1 effects preganant women is from studies just published based on data from the United States, New Zealand and Australia.

These data show that 30% of the pregnant women who died from H1N1 were either obese or morbidly obese and 60% had underlying medical conditions that put them at greater risk of overwhelming viral and bacterial infections.

So how can Facui make a blanket statement that all pregnant women are the most vulnerable when the data says otherwise?  And then to recommend the vaccine to every single pregnant woman in the country based on the response in a healthy cohort of an incomplete study? Science at its best – or perhaps worst.

The best advice I can give at this point is: In God we trust – everyone else has to bring data.

As always I look forward to your feedback, comments and suggestions.

Matthew McCoy DC, MPH
matthewmccoy@comcast.net
Editor – Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health – Chiropractic
http://www.chiropracticpediatricresearch.net

If you are not a subscriber - we need your help and support - the situation is critical. In order to make your decision easier please take advantage of this special Fall offer to become a subscriber. If you subscribe to the journal now I will send you absolutely free a PowerPoint presentation titled: The Flu: Sorting Fact From Fiction.
 
This presentation covers the reality and the facts about the seasonal flu, the flu vaccine, chiropractic and immune function. It can be used as a stand alone lecture or as part of an already existing lecture to educate your patients and community about the facts surrounding this issue.
 
The debate about the flu and vaccines will be going on for awhile and you should be informed about the facts so that you can answer your patient's questions as an authority on the issues.
 
The crucial need for chiropractic research alone should compel you to subscribe and support the efforts of those in the profession trying to gather the data to support what you do day in and day out but hopefully this added special offer will make it a no brainer. Your actions today help support needed research for the future.
 
Subscribe today and receive the free PowerPoint presentation: The Flu: Sorting Fact From Fiction as a free gift.

Had you not been paying attention to the real news and events occurring around the world prior to last week and awoke from that slumber you’d be left to believe that all was well in the world since all the media outlets were transfixed by a non-news story, news story. The balloon boy was everywhere…

What was not everywhere was any in-depth reporting of swine flu vaccine side effects, the stripping of our rights as free citizens when it comes to what goes into our bodies or the desperately needed “other side of the story” to counter Rear Admiral Anne Schuchat MD.

I cringed during her interview on 60 minutes as she sat deadpanned, staring straight into the camera and without hesitation told an anxious nation that the Swine flu vaccine has been tested, is safe and children and pregnant women should get it immediately. Her recommendations followed heart wrenching images of a high school teenage football player who had succumbed to H1N1 and was battling for his life in the hospital as distraught parents held on to hope.

As I watched I thought to myself that the strongest parent with the deepest conviction and ability to think critically could not shield themselves from the doubt that was being instilled by our nation’s undisputed expert on infectious disease with a young boy clinging to life in the background.

Shame on 60 minutes, shame on Anderson Cooper, Sanjay Gupta, Larry King and every other media outlet that refuses to tell the other side of the Swine flu story. Shame on them for not interviewing those with a different analysis of the data. Shame on them for blindly accepting everything we are being told by the government and its experts. What happened to their responsibility to find the truth?           

This week the CDC reported another 10 deaths in children from H1N1 adding to the previous report from August of 36 deaths. The following is from the CDC website: 

Eleven influenza-associated pediatric deaths were reported to CDC during week 40 (Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana [2], North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, and Tennessee [2]). Ten of these deaths were associated with 2009 influenza A (H1N1) virus infection and one was associated with an influenza A virus for which the subtype is undetermined. These deaths occurred between August 30 and October 10, 2009. Since August 30, 2009, CDC has received 43 reports of influenza-associated pediatric deaths that occurred during the current influenza season (three deaths in children less than 2 years, five deaths in children 2-4 years, 16 deaths in children 5-11 years, and 19 deaths in individuals 12-17 years). Thirty-nine of the 43 deaths were due to 2009 influenza A (H1N1) virus infections. A total of 86 deaths in children associated with 2009 H1N1 virus have been reported to CDC. Among the 43 deaths in children, 28 children had specimens collected for bacterial culture from normally sterile sites and seven (25.0%) of the 28 were positive; Staphylococcus aureus was identified in five (71.4%) of the seven children. One S. aureus isolate was sensitive to methicillin, three were methicillin resistant, and one did not have sensitivity testing performed. All seven children with bacterial coinfections were five years of age or older and four (57.1%) of the seven children were 12 years of age or older.

In the report issued on the deaths of 36 children form H1N1 we learn that the majority of those deaths occurred in children with very significant neurodevelopmental disorders. According to the data some of these children also had chronic pulmonary disorders and some were obese. In fact, most who died had multiple, severe, chronic health conditions.  Interestingly, the CDC found that 13 (52%) of the children who died had received at least 1 dose of the 2008--09 seasonal flu vaccine including 11 children who had these high-risk medical conditions. Of further interest is that 15 of those who died and who had chronic medical conditions had also received antiviral treatment. What role, if any, these two factors had in the deaths was not discussed in the CDC report.

The most recent reports from the CDC on children’s deaths associated with H1N1 fails to provide the in-depth characteristics previously provided in their August report. If we are to assume all things are equal then the more recent deaths would display similar characteristics. Yet Schuchat looks into that camera and tells parents that all children are at risk and that the vaccine has been tested and is safe for them.

How could that be when the package insert dated September 2009 for Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics Limited Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine states: 

Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine is an inactivated influenza virus vaccine indicated for active immunization of persons 4 years of age and older against influenza disease caused by pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus.

Under the adverse reactions section Novartis notes they base this off the seasonal flu vaccine: 

Adverse Reaction information is based on studies conducted with seasonal trivalent Influenza Virus Vaccine manufactured by Novartis (FLUVIRIN). 

Obviously they don’t have enough information on the H1N1 trials to even discuss adverse reactions for that specific vaccine.

In discussing its use in specific populations Novartis states it has not been tested in pregnant or nursing women: 

Safety and effectiveness of Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine have not been established in pregnant women, nursing mothers or children less than 4 years of age.

The Novartis package insert states that three clinical studies were carried out on a total of 520 pediatric subjects (age range 6-48 months) but they do not report on any data from those studies – that seems strange doesn’t it?

Even better (or worse) is Sanofi Pastuer’s package insert for their H1N1 vaccine relying on data for its seasonal flu vaccine which states its only been tested on 31 children! 

According to the package insert for Australia's CSL, which is distributing 21 million doses of their H1N1 vaccine, it has also not been tested in these populations and in fact, unlike their competitors, their seasonal flu vaccine has also not been tested on children: 

Neither Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine nor AFLURIA has been evaluated in children. Safety and effectiveness in the pediatric population have not been established.

Here’s what the CDC has to say about its use in pregnant women and children: 

What studies have been done on the 2009 H1N1 flu shots and have any been done in pregnant women?

 

Studies to test the 2009 H1N1 flu shots in healthy children and adults and pregnant women are being done now. These studies are being conducted by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). More information can be found at http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/news/QA/vteuH1N1qa.htm.

So after review of initial safety data from just 500 adults in three trials of H1N1 vaccine, additional trials of similar design began in children in mid-August of 2009 and won’t be completed until May 2010. You can see for yourself what they are doing in these studies of children (take a close look at the exclusion criteria):

Under the heading Preventing and Managing Allergic Reactions in the package insert, Novartis stresses the importance of reviewing the patient’s history and to assess benefits and risks prior to giving the vaccine. It also states that treatment and supervision for possible anaphylactic reactions MUST be available: 

Prior to administration of any dose of Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine, the healthcare provider should review the patient’s prior immunization history for possible adverse events, to determine the existence of any contraindication to immunization with Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine and to allow an assessment of benefits and risks. Appropriate medical treatment and supervision must be available to manage possible anaphylactic reactions following administration of the vaccine.

Funny, I didn’t see any of that going on in those videos of the drive through flu shots.

Keeping in mind that they are using data from the regular seasonal flu vaccine its interesting to note the following for the Novartis vaccine:

• Safety data have only been collected on a total of 2768 adult and geriatric subjects since 1982.
• Nine clinical studies have been conducted since 1997 with only 1261 subjects
• 96% of those subjects were white
• All studies were conducted in the UK

After they were injected with the vaccine the subjects were followed for 3 days (yes - just 3 days) to see if they had any reaction.

So let’s get this straight - about 3000-4000 adult white people in the United Kingdom were followed for three days after getting a seasonal flu vaccine and we are supposed to feel safe now that its being used on hundreds of millions of people just because the vaccine for H1N1 is being manufactured in a similar fashion? This is for a virus whose antigenic characteristics indicate that it is only distantly related antigenically and genetically to seasonal influenza.

It’s as if everyone woke up and decided to suspend all manner of critical thinking.

According to Novartis the following adverse reactions were uncovered during post marketing surveillance of the regular seasonal flu vaccine: 

Body as a whole: Local injection site reactions (including pain, pain limiting limb movement, redness, swelling, warmth, ecchymosis, induration), hot flashes/flushes; chills; fever; malaise; shivering; fatigue; asthenia; facial edema.

• Immune system disorders: Hypersensitivity reactions (including throat and/or mouth edema). In rare cases, hypersensitivity reactions have lead to anaphylactic shock and death.

• Cardiovascular disorders: Vasculitis (in rare cases with transient renal involvement), syncope shortly after vaccination.

• Digestive disorders: Diarrhea; nausea; vomiting; abdominal pain.

• Blood and lymphatic disorders: Local lymphadenopathy; transient thrombocytopenia.

• Metabolic and nutritional disorders: Loss of appetite.

• Musculoskeletal: Arthralgia; myalgia; myasthenia.

• Nervous system disorders: Headache; dizziness; neuralgia; paraesthesia; confusion; febrile convulsions; Guillain-Barré Syndrome; myelitis (including encephalomyelitis and transverse myelitis); neuropathy (including neuritis); paralysis (including Bell’s Palsy).

• Respiratory disorders: Dyspnea; chest pain; cough; pharyngitis; rhinitis.

• Skin and appendages: Stevens-Johnson syndrome; sweating; pruritus; urticaria; rash (including non-specific, maculopapular, and vesiculobulbous).

Note to Anderson Cooper and every other supposed “investigative reporter” – next time you have the Admiral on why not ask her about these data and how she can look at anyone with a straight face and say its been tested and found to be safe.

If you want more information check out our Swine Flu website set up to try and keep track of the constant changes in this very serious issue.

As always I look forward to your feedback comments and questions.

Regards,
Matthew McCoy DC, MPH
matthewmccoy@comcast.net
Editor - Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health - Chiropractic
http://www.chiropracticpediatricresearch.net

Well, the Swine flu season is now under way, vaccine has been distributed, the first shots have been given with much fanfare, Tamiflu has been shipped, dentists and pharmacists have been deputized to give shots, health care workers in New York are protesting a mandate to get the shots, Emergency Health Powers have been enacted and the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (PREP Act) has been implemented to shield drug companies from any responsibility if things go wrong.  

Despite all the hype from the government the majority of people surveyed don’t trust the shots or what the government is telling us and the government is in full media mode characterizing anyone who even questions this “pandemic” as lunatics who are putting children’s lives at risk.

On October 2nd Dr. Anne Schuchat, the CDC’s director of immunization and respiratory disease, said there was “significant flu activity in virtually all states,” which, she added, was “quite unusual for this time of year.”

Interestingly just today the New York Times reports that public health officials say there appears to be a pattern of areas that had big outbreaks in the spring, like New York, Boston and Philadelphia, seeing less swine flu now. Is it any wonder no one trusts those like Dr. Schuchat?

And in an insult to our collective intelligence Dr. Schuchat and others argue that “the vaccine was neither new nor untested” because it is attached to the same “genetic backbone” of weakened flu virus as the 100 million seasonal flu injections given each year, grown in the same sterile eggs and purified in the same factories. And test injections done in September found that it had the same side effects, most of which were sore arms and mild fevers.

Given that Dr. Schuchat probably has more credentials related to infectious disease than any other person on this planet one can understand how intimidating it would be to disagree. However, a high school biology student can see the flaws in her arguments about whether this is a new vaccine or not and whether it’s been tested to an extent that should make everyone feel comfortable.
And if the vaccine is really nothing new and it really has been tested as much as it needs to be then why was the PREP Act implemented by the HHS Secretary? 

The truth is nobody knows what’s going to happen - not even Dr. Schuchat with all of her credentials - because they are just making educated guesses and everyone is now involved in a massive epidemiological study of the H1N1 vaccine. 

Click here for the latest Swine Flu Updates including:

• Areas Hit Hard by Flu in Spring See Little Now
• Swine Flu Vaccine Reaches an Anxious Nation
• N.Y. Health Care Workers Revolt Over H1N1 Vaccine
• Health-care workers often shun seasonal flu shots
• Swine flu: H1N1 vaccine skepticism spreads among young parents
• Special Report Reveals The Truth About Flu Vaccines
• Nanotechnology and Swine Flu Vaccine
• Swine flu spreading widely worry over pregnant women
• U.S. Braces for Long Flu Season
• US: Swine flu school closings could cost billions
• Early estimates of 2009 pandemic influenza A(H1N1) virus activity in general practice in France:
• Majority of U.S. Parents Wary of H1N1 Vaccine
• Nurses File Suit Over Flu Shots
• Seasonal flu shot may increase H1N1 risk
• Timing of H1N1, seasonal flu shots debated
• Map of Swine Flu Cases
• The Questionable Efficacy of Flu Vaccines... and the Pandemic That Wasn't
• Flu View - Current Flu Activity & Surveillance
• H1N1 Situation Update
• The World Bank H1N1 Update Press Briefing

As always I look forward to your feedback, comments and suggestions.

Regards,

Matthew McCoy DC, MPH
matthewmccoy@comcast.net
Editor - Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health - Chiropractic
http://www.chiropracticpediatricresearch.net

Federal health officials just reported that doses of Swine flu vaccine will be double what they expected, officials in Washington state have lifted the limits on the amount of thimerosol allowed in H1N1 vaccines, dentists and pharmacists in Massachussetts have been deputized to administer the vaccine, legal immunity has been granted for swine flu vaccine manufacturers…

The list goes on and on. The amount of information coming out on a daily basis about the upcoming Swine flu “season” is nearly impossible to keep up with.

But you have to keep up.

Your patients are going to be looking to you for rational information and advice on what to do. The White House is predicting 90,000 deaths – think about the fear this is going to instill in your patients this coming fall and winter.

In an effort to help keep you up to date we have put together a website for Swine Flu Updates.

http://swineflu.mccoypress.net

Please tell your patients about it, tell your fellow chiropractors about it and check in regularly yourself for new items. Use them in your newsletters and health talks, post a link on your website, get the information out.

Please also feel free to forward anything you come across so we can add it to the archives.

Your patients will need you more than ever in the coming months – be prepared.

As always I look forward to your feedback, comments and suggestions.

Matthew McCoy DC, MPH

matthewmccoy@comcast.net

Editor – Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health – Chiropractic

http://www.chiropracticpediatricresearch.net

In one of his best (or worst) sidestepping of a direct question President Obama avoided a direct answer to whether or not he and his family would be vaccinated against Swine flu.

The President’s answer also shows both his ignorance and knowledge about certain aspects of the vaccine and the Swine flu itself.

In the actual video of his interview with CNN’s John King the President mistakenly asserted that his children were not in the first line of priority recipients for the largely untested vaccine. He stated that children with neurological conditions were first priority and that his children would come in after that. Unfortunately the text of the story posted on CNN does not add the caveat about neurological disorders and in an obvious error uses children in general as in the first line of recipients. Watch the video.

What President Obama is referring to is a little known study released by the CDC that reports on the deaths of 36 children attributable to complications from the Swine flu. The majority of those deaths occurred in children with very significant neurodevelopmental disorders.

According to the data some of these children also had chronic pulmonary disorders and some were obese. In fact, most of the children who died had multiple, severe, chronic health conditions. So the majority of these children were not normal healthy children but instead had neurological, neurodevelopmental and pulmonary disorders and ended up with complications from the H1N1 flu and ultimately died from these complications.

Interestingly, the CDC found that 13 (52%) of the children who died had received at least 1 dose of the 2008--09 seasonal flu vaccine including 11 children who had these high-risk medical conditions. Of further interest is that 15 of those who died and who had chronic medical conditions had also received antiviral treatment. What role, if any, these two factors had in the deaths was not discussed in the CDC report.

If the President of the United States is aware of what the real high risk groups are why hasn’t the CDC changed their recommendations?  

Currently the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has recommended that target groups for vaccination include:

• Pregnant women,
• People who live with or care for children younger than 6 months of age, healthcare and emergency medical services personnel,
• Persons between the ages of 6 months and 24 years old, 
• People ages of 25 through 64 years of age who are at higher risk for 2009 H1N1 because of chronic health disorders or compromised immune systems, or those who have medical conditions that pout them at higher risk for influenza related complications.

President Obama was quick to point out that he would ask his HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and his CDC Director Thomas Frieden to instruct him on what to do and that he would follow their recommendations. Well, it appears he is getting different advice than the rest of the country.

While most of the media that picked up on the story chose to go with an Everyman slant that the President and the First Family would “wait in line like everyone else” to get their shots, it really appears they are trying to go to the back of that line.

While the President suggested that he was probably far down the line of recipients, perhaps he should give Sebelius and Frieden another call and remind them that he is a long time smoker and that smokers fall into the category of vulnerability.

In fact, data shows this increased vulnerability resides in former smokers as well.

After weeks, indeed months, of increasingly conflicting information about the Swine flu and the vaccine this most recent display by the President does nothing to instill any confidence that anyone knows what the hell they are talking about. Just a few weeks ago Frieden (who the president says he will listen to when told what to do on the flu) came out in complete disagreement with the President’s own report on the Swine flu and its potential to wreak havoc. Frieden and Sellius disputed the White House’s notion that 90,000 people were going to die from it.

The only way the President is going to be able to redeem himself on this one is to cut to the front of the line, roll up his sleeves and get his two Swine flu shots. While he’s at it he should also get the regular seasonal flu shot at the same time. His daughters, of course should be right in front of him in that line according to the CDC.

This is going to be an interesting flu season for sure.

As always I look forward to your feedback, commnets and suggestions.

Matthew McCoy DC, MPH
matthewmccoy@comcast.net
Editor
Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health - Chiropractic
http://www.chiropracticpediatricresearch.net

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Chiropractic Part of Swine Flu Prevention Program in Children

ATLANTA, Georgia – September 8, 2009

A recent update on the Swine flu released by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention reports on the deaths of 36 children attributable to complications from the viral infection. The majority of those deaths occurred in children with very significant neurodevelopmental disorders.

According to the data some of these children also had chronic pulmonary disorders and some were obese. In fact, most who died had multiple, severe, chronic health conditions.

“The number of children with neurological, neurodevelopmental and pulmonary disorders who ended up with complications from the H1N1 flu and who ultimately died from these complications point to the need to make sure that children with such disorders, and in fact all children, have as little interference to their nervous systems as possible” stated Matthew McCoy DC, MPH a public health specialist, health researcher and editor of the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health - Chiropractic.

McCoy added “It also shows that the majority of children who ended up with complications from H1N1 infection were not normal, healthy children. So, if you have normal, healthy children - rather than panic from these media reports its better to consider the things you can do to make sure that your child’s immune system remains functioning at its best.” 

In addition to a healthy diet, exercise and proper sleep one crucial way to make sure your child’s immune system is functioning at its best is to make sure their nervous system is free from interference. Since the nervous system has a direct effect on the immune system and because the spine houses and protects so much of the nerve system it is important to have your child’s spine checked for any interference.

“Nerve interference can result from spinal misalignments or abnormal motion in the spine called vertebral subluxations and because the nervous system affects immune function it is important to reduce or correct any vertebral subluxations if found” advised Dr. Christopher Kent, chiropractic researcher and President of the Foundation for Vertebral Subluxation.

Interestingly, the CDC found that 13 (52%) of the children who died had received at least 1 dose of the 2008--09 seasonal flu vaccine including 11 children who had these high-risk medical conditions. Of further interest is that 15 of those who died and who had chronic medical conditions had also received antiviral treatment. What role, if any, these two factors had in the deaths was not discussed in the CDC report.

“The lesson in all of this is to go back to the basics” stated Kent, “The best defense against viral and bacterial diseases, in addition to the recommendations for hand washing and covering your mouth, is a highly functioning immune system. Chiropractic should be part of an effective flu prevention strategy.”    

Chiropractors specialize in the identification and care of vertebral subluxations. Through examination of the spine they can determine if subluxations are present and if found can recommend the necessary care to reduce or correct them. Both McCoy and Kent urge all parents to have their children checked for nervous system interference as soon as possible before and during the upcoming flu season.

Contact Information:

Matthew McCoy DC, MPH

Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health – Chiropractic

http://www.chiropracicpediatricresearch.net

matthewmccoy@comcast.net

404.247.2550

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