The Swine Flu Vaccine

The swine flu (H1N1 virus) is continuing to spread around the world, and in the United States has caused 436 deaths and 6,506 hospitalizations (as of August 6). As a result, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has “taken an important step in preparations for a voluntary novel H1N1 vaccination effort to counter a possibly severe upcoming flu season.”
The H1N1 vaccination is currently in production and may be ready for the public this fall. Government officials are also stressing that the H1N1 vaccine is not intended to replace the seasonal flu vaccine, but rather should be taken along with it for a total of three influenza shots in all (if you haven’t yet watched the first video above, please do so to learn why three shots will be recommended).
However, there have been many concerns expressed over the potential safety of the H1N1 vaccine, which has been fast-tracked and will not go through the same testing process most vaccines do.
Further, even though the World Health Organization has raised the swine flu alert to a phase 6 pandemic level, it continues to state that the overall severity of the pandemic is moderate. As reported on their site, the moderate assessment reflects that:
Most people recover from infection without the need for hospitalization or medical care.
Overall, national levels of severe illness from influenza A(H1N1) appear similar to levels seen during local seasonal influenza periods, although high levels of disease have occurred in some local areas and institutions.
Overall, hospitals and health care systems in most countries have been able to cope with the numbers of people seeking care, although some facilities and systems have been stressed in some localities.
For now the swine flu vaccination is still voluntary, however there is talk that it could become mandatory.
Is a Swine Flu Vaccine Necessary … and Safe?
As of August 6, swine flu has caused 436 deaths in the United States. This may sound like a lot, but consider this: The CDC states that 36,000 Americans die from the regular seasonal flu each year.
So why all the hype about swine flu?
The new virus appears to be a combination of human, bird and pig viruses, the likes of which most people have never been exposed to, and therefore no one has immunity. That said, according to the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC):
“There are signs those of us born before 1957, may be naturally protected and at LOWER risk of being infected. Why? Because we recovered from influenza caused by similar influenza strains that circulated in past decades and have long lasting antibodies that help us resist infection. So the aging baby boomers have something to be happy about.”
Today’s children, however, may not have the chance to develop such natural antibodies because public health officials are making plans to set up vaccine clinics in schools. To date, CDC officials are recommending that children, pregnant women and health workers be first in line to receive the shot.
The vaccine, meanwhile, will have only been tested for one to three weeks on a few hundred children and adults before being released.
Further, most doses of this experimental vaccine will contain thimerosal, the mercury-based preservative that has been associated with brain and immune system dysfunction, including autism.
You should know, also, that since swine flu has been dubbed a “public health emergency” you and your family are subject to federal and state public health laws that contain, according to NVIC, “provisions for isolation, quarantine and vaccination of citizens, [which] may or may not be enforced by government officials during a declared public health emergency involving outbreaks of communicable infectious diseases.”
So depending on whether these laws are enforced or not, you could be quarantined or isolated against your will for choosing NOT to get the swine flu vaccine.
Vaccine makers, meanwhile, will not be held liable for any deaths or illnesses that their experimental swine flu vaccine causes, because Congress took away liability for experimental drugs and vaccines that are released for public use under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA).
This becomes even more concerning when you look to history as an example.
In 1976, you may remember, there was a major push to get Americans vaccinated against a swine flu outbreak, and many did get vaccinated -- despite the fact that the swine flu epidemic never materialized.
Germs can spread easily from person to person, which is why it’s a good idea to wipe your hands frequently with PerfectClean Hand Wipes -- the hospital-grade microfiber cloth that can slough germs from your skin without any water or cleansers.
Of those who decided to get the swine flu vaccine, several hundred people developed Guillain-Barre syndrome, a condition that causes temporary weakness or paralysis. At least 30 people also died … not from the swine flu, but from the vaccine.
This incident from the past raises major questions and concerns about launching a similar vaccine program today.
Commonsense Approaches for Minimizing Your Risk of the Flu
Since flu viruses are transmitted the way many germs are ... from person to person or via infected object that you touch, then transfer the germs from your hand to your nose, mouth, eyes or ears ... commonsense approaches work well:
Wash your hands with soap and hot water for at least 20 seconds often. There has been no proof found that we are aware of that antibacterial soap is any more effective than regular soap.
Wipe your hands frequently with Hospital-Grade Microfiber Perfect Clean Hand Wipes when in public areas or after shaking hands.
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, then throwing away the tissue.
Avoid touching your eyes, mouth, nose or ears unless you've washed your hands just prior, especially if you've been out in public areas.
Reduce, when possible, being in contact with masses of people in public places -- but when you are carry PerfectClean Microfiber Hand Wipes to wipe hands frequently to remove possible bacteria and viruses as much as possible.
Avoid close contact with sick people.
If you’re sick stay home from work or school, limit close contact with others and wear a surgical mask (especially in public places) when you feel sick so you don't pass along the flu to others.

Swine Flu Vaccine Linked to Paralysis, Leaked Memo Reveals by Mike ...
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Many Health Workers Won't Take Swine Flu Vaccine
17 Sep 2009 ... The United States is set to receive as many as 600 million doses of swine flu vaccine, enough for 300 million Americans. ...articles.mercola.com/.../Many-Health-Workers-Wont-Take-Swine-Flu-Vaccine.aspx -

Swine Flu 1976 & Propaganda
16 min - 18 Jun 2009CBS " 60 MINUTES" documentary on the swine flu epidemics of 1976 in the US It went on air only once and was never shown again. Please look at ...www.dailymotion.com/video/x9mh9f_swine-flu-1976-propaganda_webcam - Related videos
Reflections on Swine Flu Vaccination Program CDC EID
14 Dec 2005 ... Reflections on the 1976 swine flu vaccination program. Emerg Infect Dis [serial on the Internet]. 2006 Jan [date cited]. ...www.cdc.gov/ncidod/eid/vol12no01/05-1007.htm -
CDC: H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu)
CDC H1N1 Flu Website. Stay informed and learn what you can do to stay ... Swine Flu Info ... Vaccination · Q & A · Latest Vaccine Recommendations (ACIP) ...www.cdc.gov/H1N1FLU/ - 1976 Swine Flu Propaganda

Follow the news and get alternative views at searchfortruth.homestead.comwww.youtube.com/watch?v=ASibLqwVbsk - Related videos
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History
Swine influenza was first proposed to be a disease related to human influenza during the 1918 flu pandemic, when pigs became sick at the same time as humans. The first identification of an influenza virus as a cause of disease in pigs occurred about ten years later, in 1930. For the following 60 years, swine influenza strains were almost exclusively H1N1. Then, between 1997 and 2002, new strains of three different subtypes and five different genotypes emerged as causes of influenza among pigs in North America. In 1997–1998, H3N2 strains emerged. These strains, which include genes derived by reassortment from human, swine and avian viruses, have become a major cause of swine influenza in North America. Reassortment between H1N1 and H3N2 produced H1N2. In 1999 in Canada, a strain of H4N6 crossed the species barrier from birds to pigs, but was contained on a single farm.
The H1N1 form of swine flu is one of the descendants of the strain that caused the 1918 flu pandemic. As well as persisting in pigs, the descendants of the 1918 virus have also circulated in humans through the 20th century, contributing to the normal seasonal epidemics of influenza. However, direct transmission from pigs to humans is rare, with only 12 cases in the U.S. since 2005. Nevertheless, the retention of influenza strains in pigs after these strains have disappeared from the human population might make pigs a reservoir where influenza viruses could persist, later emerging to reinfect humans once human immunity to these strains has waned.
Swine flu has been reported numerous times as a zoonosis in humans, usually with limited distribution, rarely with a widespread distribution. Outbreaks in swine are common and cause significant economic losses in industry, primarily by causing stunting and extended time to market. For example, this disease costs the British meat industry about £65 million every year.
1918 pandemic in humans
The 1918 flu pandemic in humans was associated with H1N1 and influenza appearing in pigs; this may reflect a zoonosis either from swine to humans, or from humans to swine. Although it is not certain in which direction the virus was transferred, some evidence suggests that, in this case, pigs caught the disease from humans. For instance, swine influenza was only noted as a new disease of pigs in 1918, after the first large outbreaks of influenza amongst people. Although a recent phylogenetic analysis of more recent strains of influenza in humans, birds, and swine suggests that the 1918 outbreak in humans followed a reassortment event within a mammal, the exact origin of the 1918 strain remains elusive. It is estimated that anywhere from 50 to 100 million people were killed worldwide.

The Food and Drug Administration approved the new swine flu vaccine Tuesday, a long-anticipated step as the government works to start mass vaccinations next month. Limited supplies should start trickling out the first week of October — about a week earlier than expected, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told Congress. Then about 45 million doses should arrive around Oct. 15, followed by more shipments each week.
She said they'll be available at up to 90,000 sites, including schools and clinics, across the U.S. that state health departments have chosen as best at getting the shots out fast.
Eventually, "we will have enough vaccine available for everyone," Sebelius said. Everyone who wants it, that is.
The government has ordered 195 million doses but may order more if there's enough demand, she said. Typically fewer than 100 million Americans seek flu vaccine every year, and it's unclear whether swine flu — what scientists prefer to call the 2009 H1N1 strain — will prompt much more demand. A recent Associated Press-GfK poll found 57 percent of people said they were likely to get it.
This year is unusual: Many people will have to line up twice for flu vaccine, once to be inoculated against regular winter flu and a second time for an H1N1 vaccination.
The new swine flu seems no more deadly than regular winter flu, which every year kills 36,000 Americans and hospitalizes 200,000. But there's an important difference: This H1N1 strain sickens younger people more frequently than the people over 65 who are the main victims of seasonal flu.
So the government wants certain people in line first for the H1N1 vaccinations: Pregnant women; the young, from age 6 months up through age 24; and people younger than 65 who have flu-risky conditions such as asthma, diabetes or heart disease; caregivers of the at-risk, including newborns; and health workers.
The vast majority of people who get swine flu "so far are not terribly ill," Sebelius noted, saying most will recover fine at home with some rest and fluids. And they shouldn't race to doctors' offices seeking tests to find out what kind of flu they have — H1N1 or the regular strains that circulate every winter — because treatment is the same.
"The flu is the flu is the flu right now," Sebelius said.
Nor should doctors hand out prescriptions for anti-flu medicines to be used to prevent flu, she added, because "it could make them sicker in the long run."
The drugs Tamiflu and Relenza should be used for treatment only, she stressed.
Sebelius announced the FDA's approval of vaccine made by four of the expected five manufacturers: CSL Ltd. of Australia, Switzerland's Novartis Vaccines, Sanofi Pasteur of France — which produces flu shots at its Swiftwater, Pa., factory — and Maryland-based MedImmune LLC, which makes the only nasal-spray flu vaccine.
London-based GlaxoSmithKline also was expected to supply vaccine. Sebelius said only that a fifth manufacturer's vaccine was expected to be approved soon, pending some final steps.
Getting licensing from the FDA means that the vaccine is made properly and meets specific manufacturing and quality standards.
What's the right dose? Figuring that out is the job of the National Institutes of Health, which last week announced studies showing that one dose appears to protect adults — and that protection kicks in just eight to 10 days after the shot, faster than scientists had predicted.
Studies in children and pregnant women are continuing to settle on the right dose for those populations.
The H1N1 vaccine seems just as safe as the long-used regular flu vaccine, the FDA said, not a surprise as it's made the same way. Side effects include soreness or redness at the injection site, and some fever.
The government will keep a sharp eye for any very rare side effects. The last mass vaccination against a different swine flu, in 1976, was marred by reports of the paralyzing Guillain-Barre syndrome; scientists never proved whether that link was real or coincidence.

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US to share 10 percent swine flu vaccine globally AP via Yahoo! News -
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Search results
CDC H1N1 Flu H1N1 Flu Vaccination Resources
2009 H1N1 Flu Vaccine. Antiviral Drugs. Facemasks & Respirators. PSAs. Background on Swine Flu ... A vaccine to protect against 2009 H1N1 influenza (flu) is ...www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination -
General Questions and Answers on 2009 H1N1 Influenza A ...
We expect the 2009 H1N1 influenza (swine flu) vaccine to have a similar safety profile as seasonal flu vaccines, which have a very good safety track record...www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/vaccine_safety_qa.htm -
Swine Flu Vaccine Timeline
Will swine flu vaccine arrive in time? WebMD looks at the deadlines for making crucial decisions -- and the key ... 2009 -- Pandemic swine flu ... August.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/news/20090720/swine-flu-vaccine-when -
Swine Flu Vaccine Fast Track
Pandemic swine flu vaccine should be fast-tracked, with vaccinations starting in mid-September, according to a recommendation by the National Biodefense Safety Board.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/news/.../swine-flu-vaccine-fast-track -
Debate over swine flu vaccinations for kids at schools
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Swine influenza - Wikipedia
Covers the flu viruses common to pigs and briefly describes notable outbreaks including the 1918 swine flu epidemic, the 2007 Philippine outbreak and 2009 Mexican ...
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Swine Flu Frequently Asked Questions - Washington St Dept of ...
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Swine influenza (also called swine flu, hog flu, and pig flu) is an infection by any one of several types of swine influenza virus. Swine influenza virus (SIV) is any strain of the influenza family of viruses that is endemic in pigs. As of 2009, the known SIV strains include influenza C and the subtypes of influenza A known as H1N1, H1N2, H3N1, H3N2, and H2N3.
Swine influenza virus is common throughout pig populations worldwide. Transmission of the virus from pigs to humans is not common and does not always lead to human influenza, often resulting only in the production of antibodies in the blood. If transmission does cause human influenza, it is called zoonotic swine flu. People with regular exposure to pigs are at increased risk of swine flu infection. The meat of an infected animal poses no risk of infection when properly cooked.
During the mid-20th century, identification of influenza subtypes became possible, allowing accurate diagnosis of transmission to humans. Since then, only 50 such transmissions have been confirmed. These strains of swine flu rarely pass from human to human. Symptoms of zoonotic swine flu in humans are similar to those of influenza and of influenza-like illness in general, namely chills, fever, sore throat, muscle pains, severe headache, coughing, weakness and general discomfort.

Classification
Of the three genera of influenza viruses that cause human flu, two also cause influenza in pigs, with influenza A being common in pigs and influenza C being rare. Influenza B has not been reported in pigs. Within influenza A and influenza C, the strains found in pigs and humans are largely distinct, although due to reassortment there have been transfers of genes among strains crossing swine, avian, and human species boundaries.
Influenza C
Influenza C viruses infect both humans and pigs, but do not infect birds. Transmission between pigs and humans have occurred in the past. For example, influenza C caused small outbreaks of a mild form of influenza amongst children in Japan and California. Due to its limited host range and the lack of genetic diversity in influenza C, this form of influenza does not cause pandemics in humans.
Influenza A
Swine influenza is known to be caused by influenza A subtypes H1N1, H1N2, H2N3, H3N1, and H3N2. In pigs, three influenza A virus subtypes (H1N1, H1N2, and H3N2) are the most common strains worldwide. In the United States, the H1N1 subtype was exclusively prevalent among swine populations before 1998; however, since late August 1998, H3N2 subtypes have been isolated from pigs. As of 2004, H3N2 virus isolates in US swine and turkey stocks were triple reassortants, containing genes from human (HA, NA, and PB1), swine (NS, NP, and M), and avian (PB2 and PA) lineages.
Surveillance
Although there is no formal national surveillance system in the United States to determine what viruses are circulating in pigs, there is an informal surveillance network in the United States that is part of a world surveillance network.
Veterinary medical pathologist, Tracey McNamara, set up a national disease surveillance system in zoos because the zoos do active disease surveillance and many of the exotic animals housed there have broad susceptibilities. Many species fall below the radar of any federal agencies (including dogs, cats, pet prairie dogs, zoo animals, and urban wildlife), even though they may be important in the early detection of human disease outbreaks

As the swine influenza A (H1N1) virus is a new virus, no swine flu vaccine was immediately available to prevent infections.
And unfortunately, the seasonal flu vaccine that many of us receive will not provide any protection against the swine flu virus.
A vaccine has been developed, tested, and now FDA approved and will be available in October to help prevent infections from the 2009 H1N1 strain of the flu.
Swine Flu Vaccine
Can the swine flu vaccine be combined with the seasonal flu vaccine? No, as vaccine companies had to be done making seasonal flu vaccine before they could get started on the swine flu vaccine.
Once the swine flu is ready, who will get it?
CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends that swine flu vaccine should first go to:
Pregnant women
Household contacts and caregivers for children younger than 6 months of age
Healthcare and emergency medical services personnel
All children and young adults from 6 months through 24 years of age, and
Persons aged 25 through 64 years who have health conditions associated with higher risk of medical complications from influenza
That will take up about 159 million doses of swine flu vaccine. If supplies of swine flu vaccine are limited, priority should go to:
Pregnant women
Household contacts and caregivers for children younger than 6 months of age
Healthcare and emergency medical services personnel
Children 6 months through 4 years of age, and
Children 5 through 18 years of age who have chronic medical conditions
Next, as swine flu vaccine improves to the point that all priority groups have gotten vaccinated, everyone from the ages of 25 through 64 years will get vaccinated too. Lastly, people 65 or older, who have the least risk from the swine flu will be offered the swine flu vaccine.
Finding Swine Flu Shots
Although five companies are making H1N1 swine flu shots, including Sanofi Pasteur, Novartis, GSK, Medimmune and CSL, doctors won't be able to directly order swine flu vaccine from them. Instead, the federal government is purchasing all of the swine flu shots and then is distributing them via a centralized distribution program. Pediatricians and other health care providers should begin to preregister now if they want to receive swine flu vaccine to give their patients.
Parents might also want to ask their pediatrician if they are going to participate in the swine flu distribution program to make sure they have a place to get their kids a swine flu vaccine when they first become available in October.
Although the swine flu vaccine will be free, pediatricians will likely charge a small vaccine administration fee to their patients.
Swine Flu Vaccine Trials
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, has conducted swine flu clinical trials to make sure the new swine flu vaccines are safe and effective. They were conducted at eight university research hospitals and medical organizations across the United States, including Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Children's Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati, and Emory University in Atlanta.
The first clinical trials tested whether one or two doses are needed and will test both 15mcg and 30mcg doses of vaccine. Although the trials started in adults, they were also tested in children.
1976 Swine Flu Vaccine
Although it is true that we don't currently have a swine flu vaccine, there once was a swine flu vaccine that was made to target the swine flu H1N1 strain that was found at Fort Dix, New Jersey. Because of fears that this swine flu strain was similar to the flu strain that caused the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic, a vaccination program immunized more than 40 million people in the United States between October 1976 to December 1976.
The immunization program was stopped early because the swine flu pandemic didn't occur, and the swine flu vaccine was thought to cause many side effects, including Guillain-Barre syndrome.
How many cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome were there? About 40, or 1 per million people vaccinated. Even that was considered too high though in light of the fact that there didn't seem to be any cases of swine flu that season.