Con: Forcing untested vaccines on any American directly violates everyone’s civil liberties
WASHINGTON — EDITOR’S NOTE: The writer is addressing the question, Should the federal government mandate swine flu shots for all key medical and armed forces personnel?
The rush to approve the vaccine for the H1N1 flu—also known as swine or “novel flu”—was based on a combination of the greed of the pharmaceutical industry and uninformed decisions by the awkward alliance of public health and federal emergency management officials.
At an international swine flu conference in the nation’s capital in September, some public health and medical officials expressed bewilderment over federal, state and local emergency personnel talking of implementing “riot control” at vaccination stations, mandatory quarantines, forced vaccinations of certain sectors of the population and even “mass fatality management.”
The rush of the Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Disease Control, Department of Health and Human Services and the National Institutes of Health in endorsing the swine flu vaccine has created fear, suspicion and angst among both the general public and the health provider community.
Not assuaging fears about the H1N1 vaccine are the results of President Gerald Ford’s 1976 order for a nationwide swine flu vaccination program after an outbreak of the flu at Fort Dix, N.J.
In subsequent years, reports surfaced of complications from the vaccine that resulted in cases of Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a neuromuscular ailment, and autism, the latter afflicting children who received the vaccine, which reportedly resulted from the presence of thimerosal—a preservative that contains mercury.
Added to the H1N1 vaccine is an oily concoction called squalene that has been shown to cause severe autoimmune conditions, including multiple sclerosis and lupus.
Four New York state nurses recently filed suit before the New York Supreme Court asking it to overturn an order that requires all health-care workers in the state to get both the seasonal and swine flu vaccinations. Even exemptions for religious beliefs were disallowed by the New York State Health Commission.
A British poll this past summer revealed that one-third of British nurses would resist taking the swine flu vaccine and a sizeable number of British doctors and health-care workers in Hong Kong agreed with the assessment of the British nurses that the vaccine was not properly tested.
An Associated Press-GfK poll taken in early October—as the autumn H1N1 pandemic wave began to peak—showed that more than a third of parents in the United States would refuse to have their children injected with the swine flu vaccine.
In the rush to approve the swine flu vaccine as “safe,” the Canadian federal government suspiciously decided to offer immunity from lawsuits to the manufacturers of the vaccine.
The Canadian action followed four Canadian research studies that concluded people who had received the seasonal flu vaccine were more likely to contract the H1N1/swine flu virus.
While New York was forcing health-care workers to receive both the seasonal and the swine flu vaccines, three Canadian provinces—Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan—delayed their seasonal flu vaccination program based on the Canadian studies.
European health experts were also quick to point out multinational pharmaceutical giants stand to make handsome profits from the sale of H1N1 vaccines.
Coupled with the fear associated with the swine flu vaccine is the mystery surrounding the genesis of the H1N1 virus.
Blossoming in several “hot zones” in Mexico in April of this year, the highly virulent influenza strain quickly spread to the United States and Canada. There were also reports from around the world—from Brazil to Denmark and Thailand to Hong Kong—that the H1N1 virus was rapidly mutating into forms that made it resistant to the anti-viral drug Tamiflu.
After all the reassurances about the safety of the H1N1 vaccine by senior U.S. government officials, including President Obama himself, the campaign appears to have fallen on deaf ears.
Increasingly Americans—asked to trust their government with their health—are resisting this wholesale violation of their civil liberties. When all is said and done, it’s likely they’ll be glad they “just said no.”
Wayne Madsen is a contributing writer to the progressive Online Journal (www.onlinejournal.com). Readers may write to him c/o National Press Club, Front Desk, 529 14th Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20045.
Oct 23, 2009 at 11:21 a.m.
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I also work in the health care field and some people have some facts mixed up. Getting the flu shot does not and I repeat does not prevent you from getting the flu it only prevents you from getting a sever case of the flu. Also getting the flu shot does not prevent spreading it. A person can have the virus and not know it and can still pass it on to someone else, but this is not the issue at hand. The issue is if mandated whether it is our workplace or the Government is this an infringement of our Civil Liberties and I would have to say yes. We all have the freedom of choice and mandating something that is not a law does go against our civil liberties. We have the right to choose and should be respected.
Oct 21, 2009 at 12:23 p.m.
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I understand your point, support_local_racing, but I think it's dangerous to assume that those who aren't getting the vaccination are more likely to engage in behavior that spreads the flu...I have no plans to vaccinate myself or any member of my family, but do practice safe behavior when in public. I hope everyone also behaves in a safe manner when out in public, regardless if they choose to get the vaccination.
Oct 21, 2009 at 12:02 p.m.
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If the government mandates flu shots, what else are they gonna mandate in the future. It's a start to taking our freedom away.
Oct 21, 2009 at 11:36 a.m.
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Not getting the shot is simply selfish. The danger of H1N1 isn't the symptoms, but rather the contagiousness. The secondary attack rate (passing the flu on to those around you) of H1N1 is at 30% and climbing, compared to 5-15% for seasonal flu.
Oct 21, 2009 at 10:52 a.m.
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H1N1 Flu Shot: 3 Major Fears Debunked
http://www.wired.com/magazine/2009/10/ff...
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It's very depressing to see a healthcare professional like sugarbear1 spread inaccuracies and myths. There have always been "swine" flus, but this strain is new -- the flu virus is always evolving. Having exposure to pigs probably has nothing to do with having immunity to the virus.
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This flu shot is manufactured the exact same way that every seasonal flu shot has been for decades. There is really nothing "untested" about that is any different from the seasonal shot, which has a new mix of strains every year to match what is circulating.
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Finally, the reason for widespread vaccination is not "profits". The vaccine protects not only those who receive it but those they come into contact with -- who could be in vulnerable populations, such as pregnant women. This is public health at its finest -- responding quickly to a rapidly spreading illness with the best tools available to us.
Oct 21, 2009 at 10:22 a.m.
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What a crock, if you work in healthcare get the shot or quit! I work in healthcare and I am not getting the H1N1 shot becasue it has not been tested or around long enough for me to feel safe getting it or giving it to my children. Swine Flu has been around for years and I grew up on a farm and never had a problem. SO be Smart wash your hands. Drug companies want you to get the shot for revenue. I am not quitting my job becasue I refuse to get the H1N1, I take risk everyday in healthcare and if its not the flu, its aids, or herpes, or something else that is contagious that I can get. Thats the price we pay to work in this field. SO DO NOT COMMENT ON HERE TO GET THE SHOT OR QUIT!
Oct 18, 2009 at 9:33 p.m.
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If you work in a hospital that requires the flu shot - then get it or quit. You're required by law to wash your hands when you see patients... doctors are required to "scrub" before they operate on you... and now they should be required to have a flu vaccine.
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You always have a choice.
Oct 18, 2009 at 3:56 p.m.
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ok, Wayne Madsen, don't get vaccinated. Perhaps you'll wind up like this unfortunate fellow.
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2...
Oct 18, 2009 at 8:31 a.m.
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Sadly, this article is long on accusations but short on any actual facts. Thimerosol does not cause "autism", it can cause mercury poisoning but that is not autism.
Oct 18, 2009 at 6:19 a.m.
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With any medication/vaccine, there are contraindications to receiving it. Some people may not be able to receive the vaccine.
Oct 18, 2009 at 6:02 a.m.
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For the concerned con-view to this wonderful option? I have been awaiting the shot/vaccine, and I am so glad that science has developed this far in the last centry.
Many of past illnesses that were devistating to the masses, have gone by the wayside now as a trivial prepratory step. It is our own mundane oversights that have proven false the hopes of prevention measures.
Me? I am upset in another direction. I go to college. My lifestyle at my later age now is a prevention measure of its own. There is no way to avoid being cast into the masses of ill-informed youth, when your in college. I have the flu. The prevention didn't come quickly enough for me. I am on day three of this, and I must say, the media only reports the nasty numbers. Rarely do they emphasize the importance of the symptoms. Yes I washed my hands as they said. Yes, I avoided large crowds when possible. Yes, I turned in the grocery store to find another isle when a gagging freely into the air woman and children were ahead of me. I used drive-up windows when possible.
My point is there is no way your going to avoid this Bug. If you think your SuperIndividual and have? Just wait. I avoided by vaccine all the others for many a years. As Mr. Bill would say, 'Ohhh Noooo'; no skating by this time. Sick is sick. But, let me tell you; this ones a wammo-bad-one. Get the Shot. Avoid the worry. If it doesnt work? Yah tried. Put a little faith in the system sometimes, even if you've heard otherwise from negative people for whom have false information. Get The Shot!
Oct 17, 2009 at 10:41 p.m.
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That is relatively true for they should make sure that the vaccine is 100% effective before using it to any American citizen.
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