Learn more before getting a swine-flue vaccination

The current campaign to scare people into getting flu shots reminds me of Toxic Sludge Is Good for You — the book that exposed some of the deceptive tactics used by the public-relations industry. According to Dr. Sherri Tenpenny, author of Saying No to Vaccines, the seasonal flu shot contains thimerosal, which contains mercury and has been linked to autism; formaldehyde, a known carcinogen; and several other ingredients that can cause severe allergic reactions.

Another ingredient in the vaccine is squalene, which some studies have linked to Gulf War syndrome. Of course, not everyone agrees with these studies. However, according to "Deadly Immunity," a Rolling Stone article written in 2005 by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., "When a study revealed that mercury in childhood vaccines may have caused autism in thousands of kids, the government rushed to conceal the data — and to prevent parents from suing drug companies for their role in the epidemic."

Does that sound to you like the proper role for a supposed watchdog agency like the Centers for Disease Control to be taking when public safety is at risk?

This controversy, like so many others, boils down to which side you trust — drug companies and government agencies, or doctors and scientists with no financial interest in the issue. On her web site, sayingnotovaccines.com, Dr. Tenpenny alleges there is no proof vaccinations are safe or effective, and that the high rate of adverse reactions is being ignored and denied by conventional medicine.

But one health official who isn't denying this is Prof. Elizabeth Miller, head of the Health Protection Agency's Immunization Department in Great Britain. In a letter that was recently leaked to the Daily Mail in London, she warned neurologists to watch out for complications from the swine-flu vaccine this fall. She went on to say that the 1976 flu vaccine has been linked to a neurological disorder called Guillain-Barre syndrome, which attacks the lining of the nerves, causing paralysis and inability to breathe. She pointed out that more people died from the vaccination than from the swine flu that year.

So far, the available evidence indicates the current version of the swine flu is no more dangerous than a typical seasonal variety. People of all ages who have a healthy immune system should have no trouble fighting off the virus. You owe it to yourself to investigate this subject further before putting your health and your children's health at risk by blindly following the instructions — or possibly the orders — of government officials.

— Matt Beal
Arden