Health Impact News Editor Comments:
Dr. Brownstein is one of those unusual doctors who does not take everything printed by the pharmaceutical companies as gospel truth, and does something that is quite rare these days among doctors: he actually reads the research before recommending a pharmaceutical product to his patients.
What would happen to the pharmaceutical industry if more doctors acted like Dr. Brownstein and put patient care above the interests of pharmaceutical profits? We would probably end up with far safer products than we have today!
In this article by Dr. Brownstein, he breaks down the research used to grant Fluzone approval by the FDA. This version of Fluzone is the flu vaccine designed for seniors over the age of 65, which is four times as strong as the regular flu vaccine. He shows how the results of their own published research reveals that this vaccine is not effective, and is basically worthless.
This is important to understand because injuries and deaths due to the flu vaccine are very real and cannot be denied. The U.S. vaccine court awards more damages due to injuries and deaths from the flu vaccine than all other vaccines combined. (See: Flu Vaccine is the most Dangerous Vaccine in the U. S. based on Settled Cases for Injuries)
The argument put forth to explain away flu vaccine injuries and deaths is that deaths and injuries due to influenza are even greater, and hence the vaccine is needed. The problem is that statistics do not back up the belief that the flu vaccine is actually effective in protecting one from any of the season’s range of influenza viruses. A comprehensive Cochrane review of the medical research used to justify flu vaccines reached the same conclusion (See: Flu Vaccines Offer No Benefit: Cochrane Review of Evidence).
The next time a physician recommends that you or someone you care for receive a flu vaccine, ask them if they have read the package insert and if they can explain to you all the risks and adverse effects associated with the flu vaccine. Chances are pretty good that they have not. Because the ones who do, like Dr. Brownstein, are not recommending the flu vaccine: they know it is dangerous and worthless!
It is especially sad to see flu vaccines forced upon senior citizens in some cases, and presented as “mandatory” when they live in managed senior care facilities. No senior should be forced to receive a vaccine that they, or their legal guardian, does not approve.
In addition to what Dr. Brownstein reveals below regarding the ineffectiveness of the high dose Fluzone vaccine for seniors, the package insert also reveals that 23 seniors died during the drug trials (See: 23 Seniors Died After Receiving This Year’s Flu Shot Sold by Pharmacies).
Case Closed: New Flu Vaccine Worthless
As a physician, I receive emails from Medscape. Medscape provides information and research articles for physicians. These emails contain news about drugs, medical procedures, and vaccinations. On January 3, 2014 I received an email titled, “High Dose Flu Vaccine: The Evidence Is In.” This interested me as I have done extensive research on the flu vaccine and know that it is ineffective at preventing the flu, especially in the elderly.
When I clicked the link, I was directed to a video by a well-known physician. I listened to the two-minute video and was shocked at what the doctor said. She stated, “In December, 2009, high-dose seasonal flu vaccine for seniors aged 65 years or older (Fluzone®) was granted accelerated approval by the U.S. FDA”. Fluzone® is four times as strong as the standard dosed flu vaccine.
Describing the results of the study, the doctor said, “The results: case closed. The high-dose shot was more effective in seniors. It was 24% better at preventing the flu than the standard flu shot.”
Case closed? Be still my beating heart. I have written about the problems with the flu vaccines in previous blog posts as well as my newsletter, Dr. Brownstein’s Natural Way to Health. There have been no good studies showing that the flu vaccine is effective for seniors.
Case closed? I decided to look at the study in more detail. Here are the results.
The trial encompassed 32,000 adults aged 65 years or older in the U.S. and Canada. It was performed during the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 flu seasons. Subjects were randomized to receive either the regular flu vaccine (Fluzone®) or the higher dosed flu vaccine (Fluzone High-Dose®). The rate of laboratory-confirmed influenza among subjects receiving the high dose vaccine was 1.43% compared to 1.89% for those receiving the regular flu vaccine.
When I saw these numbers, my first thought was, “You gotta be kidding me!” The 24% improvement with the high dose vaccine was accurate—1.43/1.89 equals a 24% improvement. However, as I teach other doctors and medical students, this is the relative risk difference. This number is not to be used when considering whether a particular therapy would help a patient. The more accurate number is the absolute risk reduction. The absolute risk reduction between the vaccines was 0.46% (1.89%-1.43%). The headlines should read, “New Flu Vaccine is 0.46% More Effective.” Going one step further, it takes 217 elderly people to receive the high dose flu vaccine to prevent one case of the flu. That is the number needed to treat based on this study. That means that 216 out of 217 elderly people received the flu vaccine for naught—it did not help them prevent the flu. They paid double the price and were exposed to possible adverse effects.
Case closed? I agree, case closed. This new flu vaccine is worthless and too expensive—it is double the price of the regular flu shot, which is also worthless.
Read the Full Article along with comments here.
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