Florida Swine Flu Vaccine Lawsuit

National Vaccine Information Center Calls Out AAP for Using Public Intimidation to Censor NVIC Flu Prevention Video Offered to Delta Travelers

2011-11-18T14:55:00.000-08:00

http://eon.businesswire.com/news/eon/20111115005674/en
November 15, 2011 07:48 AM Eastern Time

WASHINGTON--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--The non-profit National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) is calling public pressure placed on Delta Air Lines by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to censor an NVIC video about flu prevention an “act of intimidation” to block public access to full and accurate health information about influenza.

NVIC was offered the opportunity to be a paid sponsor of a video about staying well during the flu season that would be included in Delta’s in-flight programming during November 2011. On Nov. 7, Forbes magazine published an article with a copy of a letter signed by the AAP President Robert Block, MD, accusing Delta of “putting children’s lives at risk” by showing travelers the NVIC sponsored video because it contains “harmful messages.”

In the AAP letter, the Pharma-funded medical trade association alleged that “The [NVIC] ad urges viewers to become informed about influenza and how to stay well during the flu season without resorting to the influenza vaccine.”

NVIC co-founder and president Barbara Loe Fisher responded, “Without cause, the AAP has used their considerable financial resources and political influence to intimidate Delta for simply showing a video that offers accurate information about ways to stay healthy during the flu season, including talking with doctors about getting a flu shot. Censorship and attacks on consumer advocacy groups working to institute informed consent protections in public health policies should not be tolerated in this or any society that cherishes free speech and the right to self determination.”

The AAP letter stated that “influenza vaccine continues to be the best way to protect against the disease,” without acknowledging that a recently published scientific study found that the flu vaccine is less than 70 percent effective in preventing influenza, which confirms previous studies questioning influenza vaccine efficacy and effectiveness. A top flu expert at the CDC has said that about 80 percent of flu-like illness reported in the U.S. every year is not influenza but is caused by other viruses and bacteria.

“The AAP’s leadership is clearly threatened by educated consumers, who have every right to engage in critical thinking when making choices about how to stay healthy,” said Fisher. “Why is the AAP so afraid to admit that washing our hands, covering our mouths when coughing, eating nutritious foods, getting enough sleep, exercising, and lowering stress are also important ways to stay well during the flu season and all year around?”

In the letter to Delta, the AAP alleged that NVIC “opposes the nation’s recommended childhood immunization schedule and promotes the unscientific practice of delaying or skipping vaccines altogether.” During NVIC’s three-decades of work to secure vaccine safety and informed consent protections in U.S. public health laws, NVIC has criticized one-size-fits-all vaccine mandates and advocated for more and better quality vaccine safety science but has not told individuals to use a particular vaccine schedule or told them not to get vaccinated.

“NVIC is a non-profit charity led by educated health care consumers. We are not doctors and do not tell people how or when to vaccinate or advise people not to vaccinate,” said NVIC’s Fisher. “We have a long public record of promoting well-informed, voluntary health care decision-making.”

This is the second time this year that the AAP has publicly attacked NVIC and taken action to censor information NVIC has made available to the public. In April, the AAP publicized a similar letter sent to CBS in an unsuccessful attempt to strong arm CBS into removing NVIC’s 15-second message shown on the Jumbotron in Times Square through the month of April.

Parent co-founders of NVIC worked with Congress on the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 and were responsible for securing historic informing, recording and reporting safety provisions in that law. The AAP and vaccine manufacturers lobbied Congress to secure a shield from civil liability for vaccine injuries and deaths in the 1986 law.

“Twenty five years ago, the AAP got liability protection for their pediatrician members, who are no longer accountable in a court of law when the liability-free vaccines they give ending up hurting a child,” said Fisher. “Almost immediately following the 1986 law’s passage, the AAP narrowed medical contraindications to vaccination so that, today, almost no child qualifies for a medical exemption to vaccination. Now, the powerful AAP is lobbying in states like California and Washington to strip parents of the legal right to exercise informed consent to medical risk taking for their children or file non-medical vaccine exemptions. This is becoming a civil and human rights issue involving censorship, inequality, discrimination and persecution of citizens by medical doctors wielding too much power.”

The National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC.org) is a 501C3 charity founded in 1982 by parents of vaccine injured children and is dedicated to preventing vaccine injuries and deaths through public education and protecting the informed consent ethic in medicine.

Contacts
NVIC
Barbara Loe Fisher, 703-938-0342

K.N.O.W. Press Release re: Wakefield

2011-01-14T14:58:00.000-08:00

PRESS RELEASE January 2011 – Wakefield
http://www.know-vaccines.org/?p=988

Depending on who you talk to these days, Dr. Andrew Wakefield is either a saint or a demon.

The British Medical Journal (BMJ) now accuses British gastroenterologist Dr. Andrew Wakefield of falsifying data in his landmark 1998 Lancet article wherein he hypothesized a possible vaccine-autism connection. Not just heresy, mind you, but purposely undermining the public trust!

BMJ Editor Fiona Godlee, in an editorial reference to the accusation against Dr. Wakefield, laments that without trust, research cannot function and evidence-based medicine becomes folly. KNOW Vaccines (Vaccine Awareness of Florida) agrees that ethics in science matters. Scientific study rigorously scrutinized (with all data published) is trustworthy. Scientific research influenced by political agendas, conflicts of interest or financial ties to vaccine manufacturers is folly and must be exposed.

The persecution of Andrew Wakefield is about restoring the public trust in vaccinations. Make no mistake: the vaccine establishment needs the public trust in order to continue its policy of mandatory vaccination.

Despite the latest attacks on Dr. Wakefield’s research and integrity, the question remains as to why 1 in 110 American children are diagnosed with autism. And why the growing epidemic of auto-immune diseases in vaccinated children? Thus, research into the autism-vaccine connection must continue, and it must be conducted by independent medical researchers not linked to pharmaceutical companies or government agencies.

Meanwhile, the censure and denunciation aimed at those who question vaccine safety distracts us from the fundamental issue in the vaccine debate, which is the right to informed consent. The public deserves truthful data about vaccines and the right to make their own healthcare decisions. A public health policy that denies informed consent rights, dictates medical procedures, discriminates against religious freedom and that negates the doctor/patient relationship violates the legal rights of all people.

KNOW Vaccines promotes informed consent rights in all medical matters, including the right to choose or decline one, some or all vaccines.

New British Medical Journal Report Questions Legitimacy of H1N1 Pandemic, & Other Recent News

2010-06-14T15:01:00.000-07:00

New British Medical Journal Report Questions Legitimacy of H1N1 Pandemic:
http://www.foxcharlotte.com/news/top-stories/95924084.html
FOX Charlotte | A new joint report from the British Medical Journal questions the H1N1 pandemic and alleged conflicts of interest between confidential WHO advisors and pharmaceutical companies that produce the vaccines.

WHO probe to examine handling of flu pandemic:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hCUstbULTU5f-MTiorAgfrGjs7Bw
AFP | Harvey Fineberg, chairman of the WHO’s Review Committee of external experts, welcomed the reports published on Friday by the British Medical Journal and a Council of Europe parliamentary committee.

WHO scandal exposed: Advisors received kickbacks from H1N1 vaccine manufacturers:
http://www.naturalnews.com/028936_WHO_vaccines.html
Mike Adams | Anything you’re likely to hear from the World Health Organization originates with a profit motive rather than a commitment to public health.

VACCINE CONTAMINATION: A THREAT TO HUMAN HEALTH:
http://www.nvic.org/NVIC-Vaccine-News/May-2010/VACCINE-CONTAMINATION--A-THREAT-TO-HUMAN-HEALTH.aspx

[FL] Woman suing over vaccine has 60 days to find attorney

2009-10-02T17:08:00.000-07:00

http://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/vaccine-21177-attorney-woman.html

October 02, 2009 8:15 AM Mathew Pelligrino

Florida Freedom Newspapers

MILTON — Carmen Reynolds has 60 days to find a civil rights attorney to handle her lawsuit against the state of Florida.

Santa Rosa County Circuit Judge Ron Swanson on Thursday granted the continuance and denied the state’s motion to dismiss the case.

Reynolds has named Gov. Charlie Crist, Attorney General Bill McCollum and Florida Surgeon General Ana Viamonte as defendants in her complaint that challenges a section in a new statute that allows law enforcement officers to vaccinate a resident in an emergency situation.

The statute says a resident can be forced to be vaccinated, treated or examined if they signify mortality and present a severe danger to the public.

Reynolds, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel who has health issues herself, said the statute infringes on her constitutional rights.

“I have health issues, and with this statute in place, that is not a good thing. This goes against our rights at life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” Reynolds said.

READ ENTIRE ARTICLE HERE:
http://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/vaccine-21177-attorney-woman.html

JUDGE GIVES 60-DAY CONTINUANCE IN MANDATORY VACCINATION LAWSUIT

2009-10-02T06:15:00.000-07:00

http://www.weartv.com/newsroom/top_stories/videos/wear_vid_4245.shtml

WEAR-TV 3, PENSACOLA:

SANTA ROSA - Follow up to a story we told you about last week.

A Navarre woman, who is fighting a vaccination law, had a court hearing in Milton Thursday afternoon.

Carmen Reynolds is suing Florida's governor, attorney general and surgeon general. She is fighting a law that says if there's a severe public danger, the state can force people to be vaccinated. The law makes no exceptions for health conditions or religious objections. The only alternative is quarantine. The statute says law enforcement officers can be called in if necessary. The attorney general's office has filed a motion to dismiss, saying that Reynolds hasn't been directly affected by the law.

Carmen Reynolds: "I served my country for 22 years not to be told that I am a criminal, a 2nd degree misdemeanor offender because I raised my hand and said this isn't right. I don't want toxins in my body because it jeopardizes my health."

ABC TV-3: Pensacola, FL: Woman Fights Law That Could Force People To Get Vaccines

2009-09-24T05:35:00.000-07:00

LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1FVd1kMjh

SEE ALSO:
WEAR ABC 3 TV, Pensacola: TEXT OF THE VIDEO REPORT HERE:
http://www.weartv.com/newsroom/top_stories/videos/wear_vid_4042.shtml

*** HEARING ON PLAINTIFF'S OBJECTION TO DEFENDANTS' MOTION TO DISMISS:

2009-09-21T00:50:00.000-07:00

http://floridaswinefluvaccinelawsuit.blogspot.com/2009/09/hearing-on-plaintiffs-objection-to.html

Scheduled for Oct. 1, 2009; Please spread the word! PLEASE ATTEND IF YOU CAN.

A hearing has been set for Oct. 1, 2009 at 3:45 p.m. in First Judicial Circuit Courtroom Room 110, Milton, with Judge Swanson.

WHERE: Circuit Court of the First Judicial Circuit of Florida in and for Santa Rosa County, General Jurisdiction Division:

Santa Rosa County Courthouse

6865 S. W. Caroline St.

Milton, FL 32570

WHEN: Oct. 1, 2009 at 3:45 p.m. in First Judicial Circuit Courtroom Room 110, Milton

WHAT: Hearing re: Defendant Crist's and McCollum's Motion to Dismiss

------

Support needed:

Your attendance at the hearing

Amicus briefs

News coverage; radio interview opportunities

Getting the word out about this lawsuit.

Thank you.

Mandating vaccinations: APIC

2009-09-21T00:45:00.000-07:00

http://anthraxvaccine.blogspot.com/2009/09/mandating-vaccinations-apic.html

[FROM MERYL NASS, M.D.]

APIC is the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology. Its President and most officers are RNs, but no particular qualifications are required for membership, apart from a $175 annual fee. An August 31, 2009 APIC announcement says, "The association's more than 12,000 members direct infection control programs that save lives and improve the bottom line for hospitals and other healthcare facilities around the globe."

APIC's announcement further states: "All healthcare workers, including those who are pregnant, need to be immunized against seasonal influenza and 2009 H1N1 virus when vaccines become available... Current rates of healthcare worker immunizations are appallingly low and must not be tolerated. It's time for hospitals to require flu shots--and hold employees accountable for declining the vaccine."

Why is it so important to be immunized this year?

"Immunization will be especially critical for healthcare personnel during the 2009-2010 flu season because we will have more than one virus circulating,” said APIC 2009 President Christine J. Nutty, RN, MSN, CIC.

Pardon me, Ms. Nutty. Do you understand the facts upon which your assertions are based? There are multiple influenza viruses circulating every flu season, and sometimes outside the season. That is why seasonal flu shots contain antigens from 3 different strains. Frequently the circulating strains change mid-season. Therefore, having more than one virus circulating is not and has never been unique or critical. Here is the composition of this year's vaccine.

According to CDC's Anne Schuchat, 2% of currently circulating influenza virus is of the seasonal type, and 98% is swine flu. This suggests the population should be eligible to receive swine flu vaccines, but if seasonal flu remains at 2% it would hardly be necessary to vaccinate for it.

However, the swine flu vaccines have not completed safety testing. Nor do we know how effective they really are: the only data available currently concern antibody levels generated, not cases of flu prevented, and even these data are not available for children and pregnant women.

Why do you want to mandate vaccines whose safety and effectiveness are not yet known? Did one of your strategic partners, a partner in prevention or other corporate relationships suggest it? APIC should be held accountable for providing information on where this idea for mandating vaccinations really originated, and whether, how much and by whom APIC was paid to produce and disseminate it.

[Wall Street Journal] CDC Mixes H1N1, H5N1 Viruses in Tests:

2009-09-20T23:44:00.001-07:00

More Deadly Swine Flu? CDC Mixes H1N1, H5N1 Viruses in Tests:

http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2009/09/17/more-deadly-swine-flu-cdc-mixes-h1n1-h5n1-viruses-in-tests/

By Betsy McKay

Public-health officials are breathing a small sigh of relief that the H1N1 swine flu virus hasn’t mutated to become more deadly since emerging last spring. But what are the chances it will?

To find out, scientists at the CDC recently launched experiments in the agency’s labs in which they infected ferrets with both the new H1N1 virus and the highly lethal H5N1 avian flu virus to see if they might “reassort” to create a new hybrid.

The scientists want to know whether a combination of the H1N1 virus -– highly transmissible, but not terribly deadly -– and the H5N1 flu virus could create an easily transmissible, deadly scourge. The H5N1 virus has only sickened 440 people world-wide since 2003 and generally isn’t transmitted from one person to another. But it has killed 262, or about 60%, of those people, according to the World Health Organization.

READ ENTIRE ARTICLE HERE:

http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2009/09/17/more-deadly-swine-flu-cdc-mixes-h1n1-h5n1-viruses-in-tests/

Lawsuit Legal Documents:

2009-09-20T23:31:00.000-07:00

1. Florida Dept. of Health Declaration of "Public Health Emergency":

Dated: May 1, 2009

http://vaclib.org/pdf/florida/DOH-Declaration-Public-Health-Emergency-5-1-09.pdf

2. Plaintiff's MOTION FOR TEMPORARY INJUNCTION:

Dated: August 18, 2009

http://vaclib.org/pdf/florida/Motion-for-temporary-injunction.pdf

3. DEFENDANT CRIST'S AND MCCOLLUM'S MOTION TO DISMISS:

Dated: August 26, 2009

http://vaclib.org/pdf/florida/Defendants-Motion-to-Dismiss.pdf

4. PLAINTIFF'S OBJECTION TO DEFENDANT'S MOTION TO DISMISS:

Dated: September 8, 2009

http://vaclib.org/pdf/florida/Plaintiffs-Objection-to-Defendants-Motion-to-Dismiss.pdf

5. PLAINTIFF'S MOTION FOR CONTINUANCE TO FILE AN EXTENSION OF TIME IN ORDER TO OBTAIN COUNSEL AND TO AMEND OBJECTION TO MOTION TO DISMISS:

Dated: September 29, 2009

[page 1] http://vaclib.org/pdf/florida/MotionforContinuancetoAmendObjection-1-001.jpg

[page 2] http://vaclib.org/pdf/florida/MotionforContinuancetoAmendObjection-2-001.jpg

6. JUDGE SWANSON'S ORDER GRANTING CONTINUANCE:

Dated: October 1, 2009

http://vaclib.org/pdf/florida/OrderGrantingContinuanceSettingHearing-001.jpg

* Hearing scheduled for Oct. 1, 2009; Please spread the word! *

2009-09-20T21:01:00.000-07:00

A hearing has been set for Oct. 1, 2009 at 3:45 p.m. in First Judicial Circuit Courtroom Room 110, Milton, with Judge Swanson.

WHERE: Circuit Court of the First Judicial Circuit of Florida in and for Santa Rosa County, General Jurisdiction Division:

Santa Rosa County Courthouse

6865 S. W. Caroline St.

Milton, FL 32570

WHEN: Oct. 1, 2009 at 3:45 p.m. in First Judicial Circuit Courtroom Room 110, Milton

WHAT: Hearing re: Defendant Crist's and McCollum's Motion to Dismiss

------

Support needed:

Your attendance at the hearing

Amicus briefs

News coverage; radio interview opportunities

Getting the word out about this lawsuit.

Thank you.

Excerpt from “PLAINTIFF’S OBJECTION TO DEFENDANT’S MOTION TO DISMISS”:

2009-09-20T20:57:00.000-07:00

Excerpt from “PLAINTIFF’S [C. Reynolds'] OBJECTION TO DEFENDANT’S [Florida's] MOTION TO DISMISS”:

<<<

Plaintiff Reynold’s objects to the Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss as follows:

1. The Plaintiff is not a licensed attorney nor a person representing an artificial entity. The Plaintiff, a free Floridian, is entitled to redress to the government and access to the courts as a matter of right. The change of venue to Leon County would be a denial of access to the courts. It would be a deliberate and oppressive burden upon the Plaintiff, who would be forced to travel and to pay additional expenses to pursue a basic right.

“All political power is inherent in the people. The enunciation herein of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or impair others retained by the people.”

Constitution, Article 1, Section 1.

“The people shall have the right peaceably to assemble, to instruct their representatives, and to petition for redress of grievances.”

Florida Constitution, Article 1, Section 5.

2. Plaintiff Reynolds objects to the assertion that she has no standing to challenge a law which allows the state to disregard her basic rights as a sovereign Floridian. A reading of the statute clearly assumes that the state may seize, incarcerate and forcibly medicate anyone it wishes. There is no due process before the denial of inalienable rights. Clearly, such actions could be taken by the state against anyone within Florida. Either the people of Florida are sovereign over their own bodies or not. If they are not sovereign over their own bodies, by what authority does the state claim ownership? By what authority does the state have the right to injure and possibly kill by forced medication and physically force a sovereign Floridian?

>>>

NOTE: PDF’s of the legal documents will be posted shortly.

Navarre woman takes on Gov. Crist:

2009-09-20T19:26:00.000-07:00

http://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/navarre-20754-crist-gov.html

September 19, 2009 4:27 PM

Mona Moore

Daily News

NAVARRE — A woman wants to take Gov. Charlie Crist to court.

Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Carmen Reynolds has named Crist, Attorney General Bill McCollum and Florida Surgeon General Ana Viamonte Ros in a lawsuit in Santa Rosa County Circuit Court that challenges a state statute governing public health.

“I am retired military, so I understand about following orders and towing the line and falling in,” she said. “But, this is very troubling.”

Reynolds, who is serving as her own attorney, is opposed to a section of the statute that allows law enforcement to use any means necessary to vaccinate a resident in case if an emergency.

Chapter 381.00315(1)(b)4 says a person can be forced to be tested, vaccinated, treated, examined or quarantined for communicable diseases that have significant morbidity or mortality and present a severe danger to the public.

“I’m not against all vaccines, but I’m against any provision in any state statute that says we must forego all of our rights and, at the arbitrary whim of either our state government or our federal government, be subject to any and all force necessary to subject us to a vaccine. We’re talking physical force,” Reynolds said.

READ ENTIRE ARTICLE HERE:

http://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/navarre-20754-crist-gov.html

PRESS RELEASE: Florida Citizen Files Lawsuit Against Mandatory Vaccines:

2009-09-20T19:16:00.000-07:00

Florida Citizen Files Suit Against Mandatory Vaccines:

http://floridaswinefluvaccinelawsuit.blogspot.com/2009/09/press-release-florida-citizen-files.html

(Navarre) A retired Air Force lieutenant colonel has filed a lawsuit requesting a Temporary Injunction from mandatory vaccines in the state of Florida, declaring the use of any means necessary to subject citizens to mandatory vaccines is unconstitutional, according to the Florida Constitution. Named in the lawsuit are Gov. Crist, Attorney General McCollum and State Surgeon General Ana Viamonte Ros.

Carmen Reynolds states in her lawsuit that FL Statute Section 381.00315 (1) (b) 4 declares that if the individual cannot be quarantined, the State Health Officer may use any means necessary to vaccinate or treat the individual. The order is immediately enforceable by a law enforcement officer.

"Either the people of Florida are sovereign over their own bodies or not," Reynolds said. "If we are not sovereign over our own bodies, by what authority does the state claim ownership? By what authority does the state have the right to injure and possibly kill by forced medication and physically force a sovereign Floridian," she continued.

A hearing has been set for Oct. 1 at 3:45 p.m. in First Judicial Circuit Courtroom Room 110, Milton, with Judge Swanson.

Point of Contact: Carmen Reynolds, Lt Col (Ret), USAF, 850-939-0150 or 850-803-5150

====

BACKGROUND:

In 1976, the mandatory Swine Flu vaccine gave almost 500 people Guillain-barre syndrome and killed 25. Thousands of others suffered from side effects, and the program was discontinued.

Almost 32 young women have died from the Gardasil vaccine used to treat cervical cancer and there have been more than 32,000 adverse incidents. Judicial Watch is currently investigating this phenomenon. Originally, Merck moved to make this vaccine mandatory for young women, ages 9-14. Recently, one of its own researchers (Dr. Harper) has come out to state it is only effective for five years, which makes greatly reduces its long-term preventive effects.

The polio vaccine contained a cancer-producing monkey virus – as the vaccine was grown on the kidneys of monkeys.

It was identified because it was producing unusual cancers in young children, yet it continued to remain in the vaccine for 40 years! Again, this was to preserve profits.

This fact contributed to the exorbitant cancer rates seen in the American population over the last decades.

This information has been kept from the American public but is the reason our cancer rates have grown so rapidly.

There is MUCH more info like: profits, nano-chips, cancer-causing agents in previous vaccines, Gardasil, Baxter, whistleblowers, no testing, quality control, toxic additives/adjuvants, side effects, immune system impact, etc. that could be discussed.

It is because of examples such as these and below that I do NOT want to be subjected to a Mandatory Vaccine.

--Carmen Reynolds

Phone: 850-939-0150

============================

Serious reasons to skip the H1N1 vaccine, Part II

This summer, Americans across the country lined up in droves to become the first human guinea pigs to receive the H1N1 flu vaccine. I don't believe for a second that the vaccine will effectively protect you or anyone else against H1N1. On the contrary, I'm more concerned about how much harm the vaccine may cause when millions more men, women, and children get it this fall.

As you'll remember from last week's Guide to Good Health, the last time the government hastily pushed through an untested vaccine, disaster ensued. Five hundred people came down with a paralyzing condition called Guillain-Barre Syndrome and 25 people died.

Government officials swear a repeat of 1976 will not happen. But they also admit they don't really know for sure.

In fact, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, “No clinical trial in the world is going to be large enough to be able to detect an event that occurs one in every 100,000 people. The only way to pick that up is after the fact, when a lot of people get vaccinated and good surveillance picks it up."

In other words, we won't know if the stuff is really bad until we give it to a million people.

Well, thanks Dr. Fauci. Good to know you've thought this one through a month before injecting millions of toddlers, pregnant women, and immuno-compromised adults.

Plus, there's something else that's got me worried...

Secret Ingredients

I'll make no bones about it: the 2009 swine vaccine is bad news, especially if it contains an ingredient called an adjuvant. An adjuvant is added to a vaccine to make it stretch. It basically supercharges the vaccine to create a stronger immunological response. So instead of each person getting one full dose of the H1N1 virus, each person might only get ? of a dose along with an adjuvant supercharger.

This is the government's secret ace in the hole. If Uncle Sam thinks he's running low on the vaccine, he can just add an adjuvant and make the supplies stretch much further.

But an adjuvant can cause your immune system to go haywire. Case in point: the anthrax vaccine given to Gulf War soldiers. An adjuvant called squalene was added to that vaccine to make it stretch further. But many blame squalene for causing the so-called Gulf War Syndrome (GWS).

Now, don't get me wrong. Squalene isn't always toxic. In fact, it's a natural substance found in most plants and animals. Your body uses it to help synthesize cholesterol as well as vitamin D. You'll also find squalene in personal care products as well as nutritional supplements. In those instances, squalene is not a health hazard. However, when commercial squalene is injected into the bloodstream (as with a vaccine), it appears to disrupt the body's immune system. The body identifies it as a threat and creates antibodies to attack it.

In fact, when scientists from Tulane University tested blood samples from vets suffering from GWS, they found that 100 percent of them contained abnormal antibodies to squalene. This backs up the theory held by many in the medical community that squalene triggered GWS in these vets.

Now, here's the thing...symptoms of the Gulf War Syndrome were subtle to start: headaches, fatigue, and generalized aches and pains. And they didn't show up immediately. It took a while for the men and women to start feeling bad. (Side note: this is what worries me about the H1N1 vaccine as well. Reactions to medicines or vaccines can take years to appear, making it difficult to connect the dots. But we've only been working with the H1N1 vaccine for mere months, not years. How do we know how the H1N1 vaccine will act in the body years from now?)

As a result, it took a while for military docs to figure out that GWS was linked to a bad reaction to the anthrax vaccine. Instead, everyone in the government initially got away with labeling the vets' immunological problems as post-traumatic stress.

So what's Gulf War Syndrome got to do with the H1N1 vaccine? Well, squalene is exactly the same adjuvant at least two drug companies have been playing around with adding to the H1N1 vaccine. In fact, they've already been paid millions of dollars by Uncle Sam to develop stores of the vaccine containing the adjuvant.

Keeping their options open

The Department of Health and Human Services is holding its cards close regarding the use of adjuvants in the H1N1 vaccine. Officials won't say for certain whether or not they plan on using them. But I can tell you one thing, they're keeping their options open.

Here's how I know...

On June 15th, Department of Health and Human Services chief Kathleen Sibelius basically issued a carte blanche to Big Pharma when it comes to the H1N1 vaccine. She's invoked the PREP Act of 2006 (Public Readiness and Emergency Readiness Act). This law gives the five drug manufactures complete immunity against lawsuits for their vaccines, even if the vaccine contains an adjuvant.

According to the HHC website, immunity has been granted to the manufacturers “in all stages of 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine development, testing, manufacture, distribution, prescribing, administration, and use.”

In other words, no matter how bad things get, even if the vaccine contains a known hazardous ingredient, the drugmakers can't get in trouble!

Money, money, money

All along, I've suspected this whole swine flu pandemic isn't about saving lives. To date, the swine flu has been linked to a little over 500 deaths in this country. Heck, the regular seasonal flu is six times more deadly than H1N1.

So what's all the fuss about? Money, of course!

The five drug companies handed H1N1 vaccine contracts are set to make a boatload off their largely untested products. In fact, the Department of Health and Human Services has already spent $2 billion dollars to purchase 195 million doses of the vaccine and adjuvant.

In addition Congress passed and President Obama recently signed a supplemental appropriation bill for $7.5 billion to cover the additional costs of preparing for H1N1. That figure doesn't even include the money spent on clinical trials or marketing of the vaccine.

All told, we could spend up to $10 billion dollars on a vaccine for something that may cause fewer deaths this year than accidental falls at home.

Protecting yourself sensibly this fall

Here's the bottom line about the H1N1 vaccine: You don't need it.

Instead, be smart. Wash your hands. Get lots of rest. Eat healthy. And take 2000 to 4000 IUs of vitamin D-3 during the winter months. That's the best way to fight off any virus, even the absurdly over-hyped money-sucking H1N1 virus!

Until next time,

Allan Spreen, M.D.

NorthStar Nutritionals