----- Original Message -----
From: "NVIC" <news@...>
To: <email@...>
Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2008 2:49 PM
Subject: [NVIC] Forced Flu Vaccination and Freedom


NVIC Vaccine E-NewsletterOctober 22, 2008



Forced Flu Vaccination and Freedom

by Barbara Loe Fisher


www.vaccineawakening.blogspot.com
(http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001iUv9H0rs71ihpq4dZZjL3-urTKlZYD9mP7HmhXa9lsjRA4gLe_qU\
7Hq0jyP5d2IVs5lVJWD6HyogK1RdAshFTYBxrKFhpn-7AA5IFUH1I9f6JuoAiAobdTmHUJVo-d3dKdkU\
o8RwWgg=)

www.NVIC.org
(http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001iUv9H0rs71iIhwoAQmopl8HjvwFknSYCuMrY3By6kcoxVCtwfGQn\
0VaMB0GLuDKU7tLeUcrB4WF0h9i91tdNOI-pV1ITG-aqmLnZOW8CoRc=)


www.StandUpBeCounted.org
(http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001iUv9H0rs71jz36FdCEwHFyqU4rHzaRZTzqhYC98Z8InN-7RYhKYF\
Jo5D5UETinWTWz35kC1jQ0BKDBZPrL7eNlQoSv2ky9-5lTXOwiTtuOZSYH9ToHlGkA==)

It is no wonder parents in New Jersey are protesting in the
streets
(http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001iUv9H0rs71gXdiYEpU48LJYtnYSlOTxcoTKCINe3pAjevKkgcuzs\
445nVu7GgoKX9RegSitSAGS0Z4V307welvnOUGyOwtoial9492TUCIoa9k-GO32GBrECfU7dhJ6WfFdN\
yqa6DkWu25UOgIwBDHRcMruoqu5Gjc9Rb4ii_8ozBm8Gk-rJ7__Fa5CZ5zWz)
in opposition to a mandate by the state health
department that all children entering daycare and
school have to get an annual flu shot. The mandating
of the notoriously ineffective and risky influenza
vaccine is turning out to be one vaccine too many for
parents. Rightfully, they are calling for scientific
evidence that obeying CDC officials and giving
children 69 doses of 16 vaccines from birth to age 18
will keep them healthy while demanding the right to make informed,
voluntary choices about vaccination
(http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001iUv9H0rs71jd8lJXr8cAaapzjuW0Xno3EhI6-OgJcDtVh_gHDnT7\
sAUPCE1tkd1Tk9EN8SS_zuF_zuw6b4og2PzhGCa_pK48KKupvOfZA8QJP2MlbbWW1iFyINuiQjpfgeN8\
Q2ZoXKe2iqBvlkLhppzKzZudCeGD).




October 2008 has been a busy month for those
who want to force all Americans - especially children -
to get a flu shot every year. It doesn't matter if scientific studies have
failed to prove
(http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001iUv9H0rs71jjiFtNSZy471we1hlFaSs7G7gCvJz6Jq_IbiFHM7eR\
oiqcmM8_ywpzIkrnYrzW3OrtoxwuMBLFVey2qTPtphYTrMf9Jr5gh3sc5LnPAI3kNwXzLASU69DKcTei\
01YiDnrVduOxybLtAez6Mo74kFEQ)
that
influenza vaccine is effective in children or many
adults. It doesn't matter that flu vaccines during the
past few years have been essentially worthless
because they have not matched circulating strains
of Type A and B influenza viruses
(http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001iUv9H0rs71jv_FBOi_pfwUr4tv3HP6p7XISpW4o8_4kxmQ_GjnlV\
FOiDle8kQknp58VmlsYUcO9xe-cxcGiyD4yRowbFPpTTjZ8eSvxq_cxFJ4WOmQMPo-LYg7NkWfrbtQ_d\
YXhfduzR1OgJ19TD5GFcc7N-oszGZx3rvcWCQ_M=).
And
apparently it also doesn't matter if the mortality
statistic the flu police cling to - "36,000 annual deaths from influenza
(http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001iUv9H0rs71j6mavmzAfweBPoHVsjcBNfDITsCRDJszN0z2DFihj5\
CvIffxHzxfFRPZoAxWNCdAL1YllDszO-Ae41GHDaSTKCtSLdTHzAn211jh9sAs9k_IujZbJM_RTwyIFq\
-QPChG2Gh29CpqR9g7RB35nveQu7)"
- is
scientifically correct or just hype, especially in light of
the fact that only about 20 percent of all flu-like
illness
(http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001iUv9H0rs71iSgaA6Im3WF38DFOj3w78_uS1M7BdsJN_fVyUWnwrV\
orxgkJUCwG6WqtWG6uXSoJdFM9pp7CidOJn8kdesIQbJr_q7Xd-mn8GDmRPn8i0bmzv3t76C_EfgaF4V\
2ozF36i1-cmj-1jzWgBVmGp3YrE_kiYWav0oDfQ68-zSn691Wg==)
is actually caused by "influenza."



Bottom line: the flu you thought you caught last
year might not actually be "influenza" and, even if it
was, the chances that you got a strain of influenza
actually contained in the flu vaccine out on the market
was slim to none.



But that isn't stopping the pro-forced vaccinators
from pushing mandatory flu
vaccination on all health care workers
(http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001iUv9H0rs71hdemrAhqCKSipElbAGnLT_GAU0LgrC1QCWv63iGBeF\
VgWrMVMV6DgK4mlBmqVHyEH4IU6-w0H0PrYaLyMF5FMlzHDvghFdGd2X0KgL8z5hYjNz1sz4BSKhxiCs\
Tn2ZsUumgZY4hZ5tf-cgzFfVGPi_5_K_XCoT262aUxqAB-mWLM-WGu-AiiZx9aTseVWHIM4=),
who have
an historically low uptake (about 40 percent) when it
comes to getting an annual flu shot. So if you are a
nurse, doctor, social worker, minister or any other
professional who interfaces with "patients" in a
medical setting, you are going to be rolling up your
sleeve every year and getting that flu shot or you could
be forced to divulge your vaccination status to patients,
wear a mask or be denied contact with patients.



And what about influenza vaccine injury victims?
A quick look at the federal Vaccine Adverse Events
Reporting System
(VAERS) influenza vaccine reaction reports
(http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001iUv9H0rs71iwICofigOVPUM5e1Rl5dtLTKqC-0LxOkLobzmInyrH\
t-0NqITW4ZftVNhZJrTGEC8IffuCUgBDmDg0rsLjV9R52WgYn4J4p3zAl4O8uFxWj2K9xmF_C7QLZBFK\
D4RWn-Y=)
that
now number between 24,000 and 34,000 (depending
upon if the flu vaccine was given alone or not),
illustrate the disturbing similarity of the report
descriptions: inflammation of the brain; Guillain-Barre
syndrome; chronic joint and limb pain and numbness,
chronic fatigue, and permanent neurological
damage.



On NVIC's
Memorial for Vaccine Victims
(http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001iUv9H0rs71gDo2tIORFW-ZyZs3sYWVAHqu_2m6iTVrt1Z9nEMHBj\
avjlhf-CJ-mI8XXkTsLLnOnykmTFnkmbZ-KgtIxGa9BXvGmdLSasIVm0KHo-EGIECw==),
there is a report of
two children in the same family who regressed after
influenza vaccination. Born in 2003, their mother
reports that her baby son got a flu shot at seven
months and her baby daughter at one year old. They
both had behavior changes and regressed
developmentally. Their mother said:



"Both stopped sleeping, lost the few words they
had at seven months and our daughter developed
night terrors. Our son lost eye contact after each vax
round, finally truly regressing at three after milk was
added to their diet. He was diagnosed with autism;
our daughter was diagnosed with "benign" language
delay." Although their Mom reports that diet changes
(gluten/casein/soy free diets) helped them partially
recover, she said they still show "all the immune
suppression and inflammation of efflux disorder and
will have to be treated."



At the end of her report she includes the
following quote by Rabelais: "Science without
conscience is but the ruin of the soul."



Yes, indeed.




</a>



__________________________________________





"New Jersey is the first state in the nation to
require a flu shot for all children before they enroll in
preschools and daycare centers.....But the mandate
has infuriated many parents, hundreds of whom
gathered in protest Thursday outside the statehouse
in Trenton. Parents have formed advocacy groups and
enlisted support online for fellow residents to sign
their petition against the law. They've banned together
to demand what they see as their right to choose what
is injected in the bodies of their children. "I have a
really big problem with mandatory flu shots in this
country," said Louis Kuo-Habukus, a mother of three
from New Jersey. "We need to have a choice." Parents
flooded the statehouse, carrying signs with slogans
like "Parent Power" and "My Child, My Choice," and
chanting "No American should be forced to play
vaccine roulette with their child." They rallied for
support of a "conscientious objectors" clause, which
they want added to the bill. It would grant exemptions
for children and parents who have a moral objection to
the vaccination." - Sharyn Alfonsi, ABC News

(http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001iUv9H0rs71gXdiYEpU48LJYtnYSlOTxcoTKCINe3pAjevKkgcuzs\
445nVu7GgoKX9RegSitSAGS0Z4V307welvnOUGyOwtoial9492TUCIoa9k-GO32GBrECfU7dhJ6WfFdN\
yqa6DkWu25UOgIwBDHRcMruoqu5Gjc9Rb4ii_8ozBm8Gk-rJ7__Fa5CZ5zWz)andABC World
NewsTonight(http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001iUv9H0rs71gXdiYEpU48LJYtnYSlOTxcoTKCINe3p\
AjevKkgcuzs445nVu7GgoKX9RegSitSAGS0Z4V307welvnOUGyOwtoial9492TUCIoa9k-GO32GBrECf\
U7dhJ6WfFdNyqa6DkWu25UOgIwBDHRcMruoqu5Gjc9Rb4ii_8ozBm8Gk-rJ7__Fa5CZ5zWz)
(October 16, 2008) "Parental informed consent is "a civilright, ahuman right to
be free to make intelligent, rationaldecisions about using pharmaceutical
products thatrisk their children's lives," Fisher told the HolisticMoms Network
fifth annual Natural LivingConference. "What the entire debate comes down tois
freedom" of choice, said Fisher, a mother, andpresident of the National Vaccine
Information Center.Fisher co-founded the non-profit grass-roots group
inWashington in 1982. Health officials and physicians inthe past three decades
have tripled the number ofshots that children are required to have,
withoutadequately studying the possible long-term effects,Fisher charged....From
birth to age 18, childrencurrently receive 69 doses of 16 vaccines,
includingannual flu shots, she said. In 1982, 23 doses of sevenvaccines were
required, she said. "Today, twice asmany children are chronically ill and
disabled than inthe 1970s and 1980s, when half as many vaccineswere given,"
Fisher said." - Bob Groves,BergenCounty Record (NJ), (October 19,
2008)http://www.northjersey.com/news/health/31244264.html(http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?\
e=001iUv9H0rs71jd8lJXr8cAaapzjuW0Xno3EhI6-OgJcDtVh_gHDnT7sAUPCE1tkd1Tk9EN8SS_zuF\
_zuw6b4og2PzhGCa_pK48KKupvOfZA8QJP2MlbbWW1iFyINuiQjpfgeN8Q2ZoXKe2iqBvlkLhppzKzZu\
dCeGD) "In the face of chronic low influenzavaccination ratesamong healthcare
workers, the leading US society ofinfection control professionals says it's time
to requiremedically eligible workers to either get theimmunization or sign a
form saying they understandthe risks to patients if they skip it. "As part of
acomprehensive strategy, we recommend thatinfluenza vaccine be required annually
for allhealthcare personnel with direct patient care," theAssociation for
Professionals in Infection Control
andEpidemiology(http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001iUv9H0rs71ihpq4dZZjL39_O9qmupzp1pQ7ja\
UuKzx3uuSwDLwma1HlAa9SXHlVUepy-LF9qw2wEPP93Ex8S8lhFayb9xz6dAk_IGLbMJDkQ_KG4CO-eP\
rVc675h3xE2iRhjU5KKaHzgbh5bk7-DSdxOIyD9aN4Mgfp3LnqRmZCbB2dM397UEWoKhn0Y7IDq040Gy\
gBYC1AbG0r1VYA-vbum2yx4DtiGix5dnm5_VRX_hkqgmVYLUw7rpJCbSLg5FAAGQzYsmko=)
(APIC)said in a policy statementreleased yesterday. "Organizations should adopt
a system in which aninformeddeclination is obtained from employees that
declinefor other than medical reasons," the statementcontinues. "This
information should be utilized by thefacility to develop improvement strategies
for thefollowing vaccine season." - Robert Roos,CIDRAPNews (October 10, 2008)
"Over the past two flu seasons,vaccinating childrenfive and younger did not
reduce the number of childhospitalizations or doctor's visits linked to
influenza,according to results of a new study....In the study, ateam led by Dr.
Peter G. Szilagyi, from the University ofRochester School of Medicine and
Dentistry andStrong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, N.Y., looked at414 children
aged five and younger who developed fluin the 2003-2004 or 2004-2005 flu
seasons......afterthey adjusted for flu risk factors -- such as a
child'slocation, sex, insurance status, chronic healthconditions or timing of
the vaccine -- the effectivenessof the vaccine could no longer be shown.
Theeffectiveness of the flu shot ranged from 7 percent to52 percent for 6- to
59-month-old children who hadbeen fully vaccinated, the researchers found. The
less-than-perfect match between the strain of flu in thevaccine during the two
seasons studied and the fluthat was actually circulating may have
contributedsubstantially to the poor effectiveness of the vaccine,Szilagyi's
team speculated. In 2003 to 2004, 99percent of circulating flu was influenza A,
but only 11percent of the influenza A strain in the United Stateswas similar to
the strains included in thevaccine." -Health Day News (October 6,
2008)http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_70107.html(http://rs6.net\
/tn.jsp?e=001iUv9H0rs71jv_FBOi_pfwUr4tv3HP6p7XISpW4o8_4kxmQ_GjnlVFOiDle8kQknp58V\
mlsYUcO9xe-cxcGiyD4yRowbFPpTTjZ8eSvxq_cxFJ4WOmQMPo-LYg7NkWfrbtQ_dYXhfduzR1OgJ19T\
D5GFcc7N-oszGZx3rvcWCQ_M=)* Make a difference SUPPORT
NVIC~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~N.J. Mandatory Flu Shots for
Preschoolers CauseOutrageFirst Preschool Flu Vaccination Rule ShocksParentsby
Sharyn AlfonsiABC NewsOctober 17,
2008http://www.abcnews.go.com/Health/ColdandFluNews/story?id=6051917&page=1(http\
://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001iUv9H0rs71gXdiYEpU48LJYtnYSlOTxcoTKCINe3pAjevKkgcuzs445nV\
u7GgoKX9RegSitSAGS0Z4V307welvnOUGyOwtoial9492TUCIoa9k-GO32GBrECfU7dhJ6WfFdNyqa6D\
kWu25UOgIwBDHRcMruoqu5Gjc9Rb4ii_8ozBm8Gk-rJ7__Fa5CZ5zWz)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Health advocate, Gary Null, center foreground,addresses a
large crowd in front of the statehouse inTrenton, NJ. during a rally for
vaccination choice.(Mel Evans/AP Photo)New Jersey's Public Health Council
stoppedcomplaining last year about parents who don'tvaccinate their children and
took action. Now, NewJersey is the first state in the nation to require a
flushot for all children before they enroll in preschoolsand daycare centers.The
compulsory vaccination for preschoolers isintended to promote public health, a
move based on arecommendation from the national Centers forDisease Control and
Prevention, which identifiedchildren under age 5 as a group particularly in need
ofvaccinations.But the mandate has infuriated many parents,hundreds of whom
gathered in protest Thursdayoutside the statehouse in Trenton.Parents have
formed advocacy groups andenlisted support online for fellow residents to
signtheir petition against the law. They've banned togetherto demand what they
see as their right to choose whatis injected in the bodies of their
children.Click
here(http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001iUv9H0rs71gXdiYEpU48LJYtnYSlOTxcoTKCINe3pAjevKkg\
cuzs445nVu7GgoKX9RegSitSAGS0Z4V307welvnOUGyOwtoial9492TUCIoa9k-GO32GBrECfU7dhJ6W\
fFdNyqa6DkWu25UOgIwBDHRcMruoqu5Gjc9Rb4ii_8ozBm8Gk-rJ7__Fa5CZ5zWz)towatch October
17, 2008 "World News with CharlesGibson" report"I have a really big problem with
mandatory flushots in this country," said Louis Kuo-Habukus, amother of three
from New Jersey. "We need to have achoice."Parents flooded the statehouse,
carrying signswithslogans like "Parent Power" and "My Child, MyChoice," and
chanting "No American should be forcedto play vaccine roulette with their
child."They rallied for support of a "conscientiousobjectors"clause, which they
want added to the bill. It wouldgrant exemptions for children and parents who
have amoral objection to the vaccination.Existing state law provides for medical
andreligiousexemptions to mandatory vaccinations, but parentssay that requests
are not frequently granted byauthorities. They also point to legislation that
offers asimilar conscientious belief exemption from vaccinesin 19 other
states.But New Jersey officials oppose any lawsallowingparents to opt out of the
vaccine."If we allow parents to pick and choose whatvaccinesto give kids, we
will potentially run the risk ofweakening the public health of the entire
community,"said Dr. Tina Tan of the New Jersey State Departmentof Health.By not
getting your toddler vaccinated, the stateargues, you risk the spread of
disease."Vaccines not only protect the child beingvaccinatedbut also the general
community and the mostvulnerable individuals within the community," the
NewJersey Health Department said in a statement.The state cited evidence from
medical studies,whichfound that those who opted out from measles andpertussis
vaccines were 22 times more likely to getthe measles and six times as likely to
getpertussis.The flu kills about 86 children, from infants toteens,each year,
according to the CDC.The state is backed by the CDC, which insiststhat theflu
vaccine is safe. Still, some parents believe thatvaccines are overused and not
sufficiently proven tobe effective or safe.Suspicions linger that compounds
withinvaccines areresponsible for autism and other disorders whengiven to
children early in life.Children 6-months to 5-years-old enrolled in adaycare or
preschool have until Dec. 31, 2008, toreceive both the flu and pneumococcal
vaccine. NewJersey requires the most childhood shots for day-careand school
admission among all states in the
nation.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Parents asked to study
perils of vaccinationsby Bob GrovesBergen County Record (New Jersey)October 19,
2008http://www.northjersey.com/news/health/31244264.html(http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e\
=001iUv9H0rs71jd8lJXr8cAaapzjuW0Xno3EhI6-OgJcDtVh_gHDnT7sAUPCE1tkd1Tk9EN8SS_zuF_\
zuw6b4og2PzhGCa_pK48KKupvOfZA8QJP2MlbbWW1iFyINuiQjpfgeN8Q2ZoXKe2iqBvlkLhppzKzZud\
CeGD)MAHWAH - Americans have a basic right to decidewhether their children
should be vaccinated, BarbaraLoe Fisher, a veteran crusader against
government-mandated immunizations, said Saturday.Parental informed consent is "a
civil right, ahuman right to be free to make intelligent, rationaldecisions
about using pharmaceutical products thatrisk their children's lives," Fisher
told the HolisticMoms Network fifth annual Natural LivingConference."What the
entire debate comes down to isfreedom" of choice, said Fisher, a mother,
andpresident of the National Vaccine Information Center.Fisher co-founded the
non-profit grass-roots group inWashington in 1982.More than 300 people, many of
them youngwomen with infants and toddlers, attended theconference at a Mahwah
hotel, co-sponsored bymothering Natural Family Living Magazine, andOrganic
Valley Family of Farms. The event includedworkshops on parenting, ecological
activism,managing stress and healthy home greening.Vendors exhibited organic
food, holistic healthand "eco-friendly" products.Fisher's group successfully
lobbied Congress in1986 to pass the National Childhood Vaccine InjuryAct, "that
confirmed for the first time that vaccines caninjure and kill," she said. The
law created acompensation fund which, to date, has paid out $2billion to vaccine
victims, she said.Still, health officials and physicians in the pastthree
decades have tripled the number of shots thatchildren are required to have,
without adequatelystudying the possible long-term effects, Fishercharged."So
nobody knows the true background rates inan unvaccinated child population for
seizures,learning disabilities, ADHD [attention-deficithyperactivity disorders],
asthma, autism, diabetes,juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory
boweldisease, peanut allergies, bipolar disorder and muchmore," she said.From
birth to age 18, children currently receive 69doses of 16 vaccines, including
annual flu shots, shesaid. In 1982, 23 doses of seven vaccines wererequired, she
said."Today, twice as many children are chronically illand disabled than in the
1970s and 1980s, when halfas many vaccines were given," Fisher said.Drug
companies and federal health agenciesrepeatedly have said that vaccines are
adequatelytested in clinical trials before they are approved foruse. Industry
and government interests were notrepresented at the conference.Fisher began her
activism in 1982 after her then-2-year-old son, Christian, suffered a
severeneurological reaction within hours of receiving hisfourth DPT [diphtheria,
pertussis, tetanus] inoculation.He had numerous infections, personality
disordersand, by age 6, was diagnosed with multiple learningdisabilities and
attention deficit, she said, and wasplaced in class for the learning disabled
throughouthis public school education.Christian, now 30, recovered, attended art
schoolin Seattle and was present with a video camera,recording the conference
for his mother'sorganization. "Things started to snap into focus by myearly
20s," he said.Fisher said she wanted to empower mothersbecause they "are most
often on the front lines when itcomes to raising a child on a day-to-day
basis."Fisher's lecture was "fantastic, enlightening, veryinspiring," said
Cynthia, a 36-year-old social workerand mother of four children in Summit, in
UnionCounty. Cynthia, who asked that her last name not bepublished, cradled her
4-month-old son, Douglas, in ablue sling. Her oldest child is 4 years old."When
you first have a baby and go to a pediatrician,they just inject," she said.
"They don't talk to you, theyjust do it. I feel much more informed now,"
saidCynthia, whose older children received all their shots.Now, she will not get
additional shots forDouglas "until I am entirely educated," she said.E-mail:
groves@...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Candice
O'Grady, above, holding 7-month-olddaughter Violet Perez at the Holistic Moms
Networkconference Saturday in
Mahwah~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Donna Iachini with nephew
Joaquin Duratz.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~APIC seeks mandate
for flu shots in healthworkersCenter for Infectious Disease Research &
Policy(CIDRAP)October 10,
2008http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/content/influenza/general/news/oct1008apic.\
html(http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001iUv9H0rs71hdemrAhqCKSipElbAGnLT_GAU0LgrC1QCWv63i\
GBeFVgWrMVMV6DgK4mlBmqVHyEH4IU6-w0H0PrYaLyMF5FMlzHDvghFdGd2X0KgL8z5hYjNz1sz4BSKh\
xiCsTn2ZsUumgZY4hZ5tf-cgzFfVGPi_5_K_XCoT262aUxqAB-mWLM-WGu-AiiZx9aTseVWHIM4=)Oct
10, 2008 (CIDRAP News) - In the face of chroniclow influenza vaccination rates
among healthcareworkers, the leading US society of infection
controlprofessionals says it's time to require medicallyeligible workers to
either get the immunization or signa form saying they understand the risks to
patients ifthey skip it."As part of a comprehensive strategy, werecommendthat
influenza vaccine be required annually for allhealthcare personnel with direct
patient care," theAssociation for Professionals in Infection Control
andEpidemiology
(APIC)(http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001iUv9H0rs71ihpq4dZZjL39_O9qmupzp1pQ7jaUuKzx3uuS\
wDLwma1HlAa9SXHlVUepy-LF9qw2wEPP93Ex8S8lhFayb9xz6dAk_IGLbMJDkQ_KG4CO-ePrVc675h3x\
E2iRhjU5KKaHzgbh5bk7-DSdxOIyD9aN4Mgfp3LnqRmZCbB2dM397UEWoKhn0Y7IDq040GygBYC1AbG0\
r1VYA-vbum2yx4DtiGix5dnm5_VRX_hkqgmVYLUw7rpJCbSLg5FAAGQzYsmko=) saidin a policy
statementreleased yesterday."Organizations should adopt a system in
whichaninformed declination is obtained from employees thatdecline for other
than medical reasons," the statementcontinues. "This information should be
utilized by thefacility to develop improvement strategies for thefollowing
vaccine season."APIC urges vaccination for all medical andnonmedical personnel
in contact with patients orpatient samples, including physicians,
nurses,physical therapists, dieticians, religious workers, andcleaning, kitchen,
and laboratory personnel.Voluntary programs haven't workedRecent national survey
data show that only 42% ofhealthcare workers receive an annual flu shot, and
therate has not risen significantly in the past decade, theAPIC statement notes.
Long-standingrecommendations from APIC, the Centers for DiseaseControl and
Prevention, and other nationalorganizations have made little
difference."Voluntary efforts are clearly not effective-it's timeforhospitals
and other healthcare facilities to requireinfluenza immunization," said Linda R.
Greene, RN,MPS, CIC, lead author of APIC's position statement, ina press
release.The policy statement notes that health workerscantransmit the flu virus
to others before they have anysymptoms. Further, it says multiple studies show
that70% of health workers continue to work even whensick with the flu.A
multifaceted approachAPIC has strongly advocated flu shots for healthcareworkers
for years, along with a variety of strategies topromote them, but this is the
first time the organizationhas used the word "require," Greene told CIDRAPNews
in an interview.She said the declination form is the major newelement in APIC's
recommendation, but emphasizedthat it should be just part of a broad strategy
forencouraging immunization."This isn't just a declination that says, 'I don't
wanttoget it and here's the reason.' It's an informeddeclination, where the
employee really understandsthat by refusing to get the vaccine for other
thanmedical reasons, they're not only putting their patientsat risk, but also
themselves and their family and thecommunity as a whole," said Greene, who is
directorof infection prevention for Rochester General HealthSystems in
Rochester, N.Y."This is the idea of active declination-it's not just aform
that's floating around and you're supposed tosign it sometime; you actually have
a conversationabout why this is important for you," she added.But other measures
must be linked with informeddeclination, she said.There is only limited evidence
on how welldeclinationforms work, she said. "But what we see is thatdeclination
alone, if you're not going to employ theother measures, has not necessarily been
particularlyeffective," yielding only modest increases inimmunization rates.For
example, her institution used a declinationapproach last year, but it was not
coupled with "atremendously proactive statement about puttingpatients at risk."
The result was that the immunizationrate increased about 10%, she said.Getting
administrators' buy-inGreene hopes for much better results with a
morecomprehensive approach this year. "This year ourapproach is very robust. The
administration isencouraging it, the CEO sent a letter to employees,we're going
to post our [immunization] rates weekly.Managers must ensure that employees who
didn't getthe vaccine are told of the risks to patients."Our goal is at least
75% and hopefully higher;butwhat we're seeing already is
tremendousinterest."Greene said a key part of promoting fluimmunizationis
enlisting the support of a facility's administrationand other departments, so
"it's not just sitting inoccupational health." Administrators can promote
theeffort by using the flu immunization rate as animportant indicator of safety
and quality for the facility,she said.In New York state, informed declination
has beenused successfully with hepatitis B vaccine forhealthcare workers, Greene
said. "We've found thatwe have a very, very high acceptance rate for
thehepatitis vaccine." The vaccine is offered to direct-careworkers when they
are hired, and they see it as abenefit for protecting themselves, she added.Some
institutions now require workers to get a flushot as a condition for being
hired, but APIC decidednot go that far in its recommendation, Greenesaid.Taking
a stronger stanceAs for the timing of the new policy, Greene said acombination
of factors was at work. They includedmany new studies about flu and flu
immunization inrecent years. Also, some other professional societieshad taken
much stronger positions on the issue thanAPIC had."Some of my colleagues here
said it would reallyhelpus if APIC had a much stronger statement," she said.At
the same time, the Joint Commission onAccreditation of Healthcare Organizations
haschallenged facilities to exceed the 42% immunizationrate."I think we're going
to see some results," Greenesaid. "I think we'll be surprised and pleased to
seethat vaccine rates will increase and continue
toincrease."~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Kids' Flu Shot Largely
Ineffective Over Past FewYearsStudy finds it didn't keep them from
hospitals,doctors' officesHealth Day NewsOctober 6,
2008http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_70107.html(http://rs6.net/\
tn.jsp?e=001iUv9H0rs71jv_FBOi_pfwUr4tv3HP6p7XISpW4o8_4kxmQ_GjnlVFOiDle8kQknp58Vm\
lsYUcO9xe-cxcGiyD4yRowbFPpTTjZ8eSvxq_cxFJ4WOmQMPo-LYg7NkWfrbtQ_dYXhfduzR1OgJ19TD\
5GFcc7N-oszGZx3rvcWCQ_M=)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~MONDAY,
Oct. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Over the pasttwo flu seasons, vaccinating children
five and youngerdid not reduce the number of child hospitalizations ordoctor's
visits linked to influenza, according to resultsof a new study.Given the poor
match between the flu vaccine andcirculating strains during the last two years,
"thisfinding is not surprising," said Dr. Robert Belshe, aprofessor of medicine
and pediatrics and director ofthe Center for Vaccine Development at the Saint
LouisUniversity Medical Center, who was not involved in thestudy."We know that
the inactivated vaccine -- the flushot --doesn't work real well in children,
particularly when thevirus has evolved and drifted away from the type that isput
in the vaccine," he said.In contrast, the live attenuated vaccine given as
anasal spray is far more effective, Belshe contended. "Arecent study showed that
it is 50 percent moreeffective at protecting against flu, including thesedrifted
viruses that don't match," he said.Another study, this time in the October issue
ofPediatrics, found that deaths caused by flu-linkedstaph infection are climbing
among U.S. children, sothe flu shot may still be important.In June 2006, the
Centers for Disease ControlandPrevention (CDC) recommended for the first time
thatall children 6 months of age or older receive annual flushots.The new report
was published in the Octoberissue ofthe Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent
Medicine.In the study, a team led by Dr. Peter G. Szilagyi,fromthe University of
Rochester School of Medicine andDentistry and Strong Memorial Hospital in
Rochester,N.Y., looked at 414 children aged five and youngerwho developed flu in
the 2003-2004 or 2004-2005 fluseasons.Among these children, 245 were seen
inhospitals oremergency departments, and 169 were cared for in adoctor's office
or clinic. The researchers compared thevaccination status of these children with
more than5,000 children from the same area who did not get theflu.Szilagyi's
group found that children who got the fluwere less likely to have been
vaccinated, comparedwith children who didn't get sick.However, after they
adjusted for flu risk factors --suchas a child's location, sex, insurance
status, chronichealth conditions or timing of the vaccine -- theeffectiveness of
the vaccine could no longer beshown. The effectiveness of the flu shot ranged
from 7percent to 52 percent for 6- to 59-month-old childrenwho had been fully
vaccinated, the researchersfound.The less-than-perfect match between the strain
offluin the vaccine during the two seasons studied and theflu that was actually
circulating may have contributedsubstantially to the poor effectiveness of the
vaccine,Szilagyi's team speculated.In 2003 to 2004, 99 percent of circulating
flu wasinfluenza A, but only 11 percent of the influenza Astrain in the United
States was similar to the strainsincluded in the vaccine."The 2004-2005 season
was less severe, andthevaccine was a better match to circulating strains thanin
2003-2004, but still only 36 percent of virus isolateswere antigenically similar
to vaccine strains," theauthors noted.From September 2007 to April 2008, the
CDCreported a total of 72 deaths from flu among childrenwith many more
hospitalized.Belshe said that, for children over two, the nasalfluvaccine should
be used instead of an injection. "It isrecommended for children and adults, aged
2 to 49who do not have asthma or recurrent wheezing --that's about 80 percent of
children," he said.For younger children, "you're stuck with a flu shot -- nopun
intended," Belshe said. "The flu shots should stillbe used. It probably modifies
the severity of theillness, even though it doesn't protect completelyagainst the
illness itself -- it is important to take," hesaid.Dr. William Schaffner,
department chairman ofthedivision of infectious disease and professor
ofpreventive medicine at Vanderbilt University, noted thatto be fully protected,
young children need two doses offlu vaccine, which many don't get."Adults have
had much more experience withbothinfluenza and influenza vaccine,"
Schaffneradded. "The likelihood that the vaccine is going to giveyou a boost in
immunity is stronger in adults than it isin children," he said.Schaffner noted
that over the past 20 years, thematchbetween the vaccine and the circulating flu
virus hasgenerally been good."In about four-fifths of the time, the experts
havebeenpretty much on target, including the appropriatematerial in the vaccine.
Occasionally, because the fluis fickle, it outfoxes those of us who select
what'sgoing to be in the vaccine," Schaffner said.As for the coming flu season,
the CDC inSeptemberannounced that it was "optimistic" that the vaccinecreated
this time around will be a closer match tocirculating viruses."It's not a great
vaccine, [but] it's a good vaccine.Thebest tool we have is the influenza vaccine
--recognizing that every once in a while, getting yourinfluenza vaccine is not
going to give you perfectprotection," he said.And any protection may be vital,
according to thestudyin Pediatrics. In that work, researchers at the CDCanalyzed
data on pediatric flu deaths from the 2004-2005 season through to the 2006-2007
season.They found that the number of kids who died of the fluover the three
seasons rose from 47 and 46 in the firsttwo years, to 73 in the 2006-2007
season. Many of thedeaths were attributed to tough-to-treat staphinfections.
More than half of the children who diedwere between 5 and 17 years of age and
hadpreviously been healthy, the team noted.The overall risk to an individual
child is still verylow, "but it's an important message to say evenhealthy
children develop complications and diealmost before anything much can be done
for them,"one vaccine specialist, the Mayo Clinic's Dr. GregoryPoland, told the
Associated Press.Schaffner stressed that vaccination is stillimportant,but he
agreed with Belshe that the nasal sprayvaccine is better for children."The nasal
spray vaccine provides broader protectionagainst influenza virus variants than
does theinjectable vaccine," Schaffner said. "There are many ofus who would like
to see more children vaccinatedand more nasal spray vaccine used. Any vaccine
isbetter than none. Nasal spray vaccine should be usedmore
frequently."~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~National Vaccine
InformationCenterNVIC E-News is a free service of the National
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