I don’t always agree with Bill Maher and I’m not sure if I agree with all of what he has to say here, but, when I found it on Common Dreams, I figured it was worth passing long.
“While America is still in the grips of swine flu mania, let me use this opportunity to clear up a few things about my beliefs concerning the flu shot, vaccines, and health in general. I do this because there is obviously a lot of curiosity about this subject of vaccines -- it comes up in every interview I do these days, and I've been finding that people, including doctors, are privately expressing a skepticism that is still not very prevalent in public. I feel like I've become a confessor for people who want someone to be raising questions about vaccines.
But I don't want the job. I agree with my critics who say there are far more qualified people than me -- its just that mainstream media rarely interviews doctors and scientists who present an alternative point of view. There is a movement to stop people from asking any questions about vaccines -- they're a miracle, that's it, debate over. I don't think its that simple, and neither do millions of other people. The British Medical Journal from August 25 says half the doctors and medical workers in the U.K. are not taking the flu shot -- are they all crazy too? Sixty-five percent of French people don't want it. Maybe its not as simple as the medical establishment wants to paint it.” (Click here for the rest.)
“While America is still in the grips of swine flu mania, let me use this opportunity to clear up a few things about my beliefs concerning the flu shot, vaccines, and health in general. I do this because there is obviously a lot of curiosity about this subject of vaccines -- it comes up in every interview I do these days, and I've been finding that people, including doctors, are privately expressing a skepticism that is still not very prevalent in public. I feel like I've become a confessor for people who want someone to be raising questions about vaccines.
But I don't want the job. I agree with my critics who say there are far more qualified people than me -- its just that mainstream media rarely interviews doctors and scientists who present an alternative point of view. There is a movement to stop people from asking any questions about vaccines -- they're a miracle, that's it, debate over. I don't think its that simple, and neither do millions of other people. The British Medical Journal from August 25 says half the doctors and medical workers in the U.K. are not taking the flu shot -- are they all crazy too? Sixty-five percent of French people don't want it. Maybe its not as simple as the medical establishment wants to paint it.” (Click here for the rest.)
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2 comments:
Here is a copy and paste of a UK Doctors opnions taken from a motorbiking forum.
"I'm going to stick my neck out a bit here.
Firstly, the press are very quiet about the fact that this pandemic of H1N1 is almost identical to the Asian H1N1 of the late 60s. Those of us who were affected by that will almost certainly have at least partial immunity to this current outbreak. In fact, most people over the age of 45 will be immune to a greater or lesser degree.
Secondly, it's influenza. It's not Lassa fever. It's unpleasant but in most healthy individuals it's not as bad as the media would have you believe.
Thirdly, it's being misdiagnosed by most GPs as the criteria for diagnosis are vague and based on presenting symptoms alone. Accurate diagnostic testing is not being performed in most cases.
And finally, would I have the vaccine? No. Categorically no. For all the above reasons but mostly because it's not been trialled properly. My colleagues here at the medical centre are similarly reticent about being given the vaccine.
Just my views."
I hate Bill Maher, who is a vacuous prig with just enough medical knowledge to sound as though he might know what he's talking about. I've never forgiven him for writing an article about how the drug companies "invented" restless leg syndrome so they could sell drugs - since I've had that condition all my life and so did my parents, I knew what he was saying was bullshit.
As part of my day job, I get the CDC bulletins on H1N1, and I agree that CDC are hyping this one up to the heavens. Most people with flu are not tested for H1N1, and the figures for flu don't seem out of the ordinary to me, but CDC calls unknown cases 'presumed H1N1', and then says that the figures prove H1N1increasing - no, flu of undetermined origin is increasing. It always does, after week 40 in any year, here in the north.
But vaccines...now that's another matter. They bring out the mad "They're trying to pollute our precious bodily fluids!" crowd, of which Maher is obviously one. His rant doesn't make sense, immune systems don't work the way he seems to think they do and vaccines save lives.
I've had a seasonal flu shot this year and I'll take the swine flu vaccine if anyone ever gets any out to us. I'd rather have my immune system boosted by a vaccine than by real flu. Partly because I might die of flu and I won't die of vaccine, but most importantly - and I think this point needs emphasizing - if I get flu, I could pass it on to a pregnant woman. Maybe that's your wife. Or to your HIV positive husband, or to your kidney-transplant parent - all of whom may die if I give them flu. One vaccination can protect hundreds of people.
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