Posted by Green Diva Mom on Oct.05, 2009

by Barbara Loe Fisher, NVIC Administrator

Every day Americans wake up to news reports that warn us about the dangers of influenza, especially the new H1N1 “swine flu” and the need to roll up our sleeves and get vaccinated. We are witnessing a roll-out of the largest, most expensive mass vaccination campaign in the history of our nation. A rollout that is bigger than even the polio vaccine campaigns of the 1950’s.

How much do you know about the disease or vaccine risks so you can make an informed decision about whether to get flu shots for yourself or your children?¹

H1N1 “Swine Flu” Mild

First, the good news is that swine flu is mild for most people and the virus is not mutating into a more serious form. ² By the end of September, there had been about 600 deaths in America including about 50 deaths in young children. Complications from infectious diseases like influenza are more common in people with heart, respiratory and other health problems and that is true for swine flu. ²

Limited Testing of Swine Flu Vaccines

Swine flu vaccines have been tested on only a few thousand healthy Americans for a few weeks. ³ There is little or no information about how safe the vaccine is for pregnant women and chronically ill or disabled children because only a handfull were part of the testing. Nobody will know how safe the vaccine really is until it is given to millions of Americans this year and next year.

Drive-By Flu Shots Risky

Swine flu vaccine is not just being given to children and adults in clinics and doctors offices but also in non-medical settings like pharmacies, stores, schools and even at drive-by kiosks. ^{4 5} Getting vaccinated in a non-medical setting can be risky. Driving a car immediately after getting vaccinated, when you could suffer an unexpected a shock collapse reaction can be deadly.

No Compensation For Swine Flu Victims

If you or your child are injured from getting a flu swine flu shot, you are on your own. Because Congress shielded the vaccine manufacturers and any person giving swine flu shots from lawsuits if people get hurt. ⁶ There is no funded government vaccine injury compensation program for swine flu vaccine.

Swine Flu Reactions: “It’s a Coincidence”

But even if there was a funded vaccine injury compensation program - like the one that had to be created by the federal government in 1976 after that year’s swine flu vaccine paralyzed about 500 Americans and killed 25, there is little chance you would be compensated if you or your child does become vaccine injured.

Federal health officials are already pre-emptively warning Americans that most of the deaths and cases of brain inflammation, seizures, paralysis, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, strokes, heart attacks, miscarriages and other serious health problems that develop after swine flu vaccination will be considered a “coincidence” and not related in any way to the flu shots just given.^{7 8}

Prevent Vaccine Injuries

This makes it even more important for Americans to become informed health care consumers. If you choose to get vaccinated and you or your child do suffer a health complication, insist that the health care worker who gave the shot immediately files a report with the federal Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System. ⁹ If the person who gave the flu shot won’t file a vaccine reaction report, you can file it yourself.

Do NOT let a doctor or anyone else tell you that a serious health problem you or your child experiences after vaccination is a coincidence and allow more shots to be given until you know for sure. The most tragic cases of vaccine injury occur when vaccine reaction symptoms are dismissed as a ‘coincidence” and more vaccines are given that result in more severe symptoms and sometimes end with permanent brain and immune system damage or death.

Thimerosal in Multi-Dose Vials

Injectable flu shots in multi-dose vials contain the mercury preservative, thimerosal, and some come in single dose vials and do not contain mercury. If you get vaccinated, make sure you know what is in the vaccine you are getting because people can be very allergic to different components of vaccines. And some people can’t get the live virus flu vaccine.

FOUR Flu Shots for Young Children?

Doctors are telling some children under 10 years old to get 3 to 4 flu shots this year - 2 shots for seasonal flu and one or two more for swine flu. ^{10 11} We have never given young children 3 to 4 flu shots in a single year and there is no information about how safe it is to do that.

Government Spend Billions On H1N1 Vaccine Program

Swine flu shots are free for most Americans because the government has given $1 billion dollars to pharmaceutical companies to create the new swine flu vaccines and has given another $5 billion dollars to state and federal health agencies to promote and deliver the influenza vaccines to people. ¹² That is a lot of money. The push to get vaccinated is like nothing we have ever seen before.

Most People Recover From Swine Flu

The fact is: Millions of people around the world have recovered from swine flu and millions more will get sick with fevers, body aches, nasal congestion, cough and sometimes diarrhea and vomiting and recover from it this year and next year without any complications.

People who recover from influenza, including swine flu, get long lasting protection from the flu strain they recovered from. Actually, most people over 60 won’t get swine flu this year because they recovered from influenza caused by a similar swine flu strain in the past and still have protective antibodies. ¹³

Just the Facts, Not the Hype

So, here are the facts:

• The new swine influenza is mild for most people even though a small number have developed complications and died.

• The swine flu vaccine has been tested for only a few weeks on a few thousand healthy children and adults, including very few pregnant women. We don’t know how safe it really is for pregnant women or children and adults with chronic illness even though they are being specially targeted for vaccination by government health officials.

• There is very little information about how safe it is to give swine flu vaccine with other vaccines, including seasonal influenza vaccine.

• There is very little information about whether the swine flu shot will keep you from getting swine flu.

All Vaccines Come With Side Effects: Weigh Risks

All pharmaceutical products, including vaccines, come with side effects. The risk of having a vaccine reaction depends upon the vaccine you are getting; your personal and family medical history; whether you are sick or healthy at the time of vaccination; whether you are taking other medications; and whether you have reacted to vaccines before.

If you decide you or your children are going to get swine flu shots this year, you can learn more by visiting www.NVIC.org.

If Your Child’s School Has Vaccine Clinics

And if you have a child, whose school is going to be holding vaccine clinics and you do NOT want your child to get vaccinated in school, you can take the following actions:

Number One: Write a letter to the school principal stating you do not want your child vaccinated in school without your written consent.

Number Two: Ask to be notified in advance exactly when the in-school vaccine clinics will be held.

Support NVIC, Get Red “NO VACCINE FOR ME” Bracelets

Number Three: Support NVIC and raise awareness in your community by giving your child a red NO VACCINE FOR ME bracelet to wear to school. And wear one yourself.

Go to www.NVIC.org to donate and learn more about how to be prepared for the pandemic public health emergency that has been declared in your state. Learn about the public health laws that govern you. ¹⁴ Learn about how you can change them by becoming a citizen activist.

Health Workers Being Forced To Get H1N1 Vaccine

Right now, the government says that the swine flu vaccination program is voluntary. That nobody will be forced to get vaccinated. However, health care workers in New York and other states ARE being forced by law to get swine flu shots this year. ^{15 16}

Will that be true for all of us next year? ¹⁷

Stand Up For Your Informed Consent Rights

Please join NVIC and become a grassroots vaccine safety and informed consent advocate in your community. Stand up for the human right to make informed, voluntary health care choices, including vaccine choices, today - so your children and grandchildren and all Americans will have that right tomorrow.

17 CNN. Lou Dobbs Tonight. Forced Vaccinations. Sept. 29, 2009.

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Posted under Health & Fitness, Vaccines.