The side effects of the flu vaccine have been causing many UK healthcare workers to question its safety. The latest figures show the uptake for the vaccine has been as low as 26%. Professor David Salisbury, director of immunization, told Nursing Times that the healthcare professionals were making a big mistake and risked not only their own lives, but the lives of their patients. (http://www.nursingtimes.net/nursing-practice…)
Salisbury, a firm believer in vaccines, represents the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunizations as the Medical Secretary for the Department of Health. The JCVI is an independent expert advisory committee that advises Ministers on matters relating to the provision of vaccination and immunisation services. This means that Professor Salisbury would have full access to all paperwork and studies relating to all vaccines recommend for use in the UK.
Professor Salisbury actively encourages ‘at risk groups’ to have the flu vaccination. The NHS website it clearly states:
“People in at-risk groups are urged to get vaccinated as soon as possible. Pregnant women are being offered the seasonal flu jab for the first time as they have been judged to be at greater risk from the H1N1 virus.
Professor David Salisbury, Director of Immunisation at the Department of Health said:
“The effects of flu are not to be underestimated. It is not the same as getting a cold and can seriously affect your health.
“If you are in a risk group, then I would urge you to visit your GP surgery and get the vaccination as soon as possible. It is not too late to get vaccinated for your protection and that of your family.”
In another article in the Nursing Times he makes his feelings crystal clear saying that there was no evidence that the vaccine was not safe. He called those in high risk groups who refused to be vaccinated “foolhardy”. He said:“It is putting yourself at unnecessary risk. That attitude is ignoring the reality of risk.” (http://www.nursingtimes.net/whats-new-in-nursing…)
One vaccinated grandmother who decided to take his advice actually died from the SWINE FLU! Eleanor Carruthers a grandmother from Merseyside went ahead with the flu vaccine because she was in the ‘at risk group’. Carruthers suffered from emphysema and lung cancer. Outlined on her death certificate as a main cause of death was the SWINE FLU! For the full story read the Daily Mail (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1347171…)
Ironically, the UK is currently using Fluvirin – the flu vaccine that is supposed to protect against three strains of flu, including the SWINE FLU! Obviously it was not effective in the case of Mrs Carruthers.
In 2007 the same vaccine caused an 18 year old to have a grand mal convulsion lasting 20 seconds within minutes of receiving the vaccination (http://www.patientsville.com/vaccines…)
In fact the website EmpowHer has a massive list of the side effect of this vaccine which include fever, sweating, shivering, fatigue (or flu) transient thrombocytopenia (which is a blood disorder), febrile convulsions, encephalomyelitis (inflammation of the brain) and Guillian-Barre-Syndrome.
EmpowHer also states that there is only limited safety data about the use of this flu vaccine in pregnancy. (http://www.empowher.com/wellness…)
Despite the apparent lack of data however, Professor Salisbury recommends that all pregnant women have the vaccine. The Telegraph reports him saying:
“I am not aware of any reason why pregnant women should not be vaccinated.”
He added that studies had shown infants of vaccinated pregnant women were protected against flu if they are born during or just before the flu season.”(http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health…)
Despite his assurances however, there have been reports of 3,587 miscarriages after H1N1 vaccines. Remember that Fluvirin includes the H1N1. See (http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/fighting…)
In the document aptly titled ‘Safeguarding Public Health’ issued by MHRA, you will find all you ever needed to know about the Fluvirin-H1N1 vaccine. It is not for the faint hearted. The ingredients alone is enough to make you run. These include Thimerosal and Formaldehyde. The document explains how the chicken eggs they use come from healthy batches of chickens. The eggs are sanitised using the machine immediately before incubation and the process occurs in three stages; wash, rinse and sanitise. The list of side effects again is impressive. (http://www.mhra.gov.uk/home…)
Despite all this, the USA has come up with an ideal solution to make sure that their healthcare workers have the vaccine. They have decided on the ‘get the vaccine or lose your job’ approach.
“No vaccine, no work.” is what hospitals staff throughout the USA are being told by their employers. This mandate is now becoming a condition of employment.
This, of course, is a backhanded way of force vaccinating large numbers of the population using emotional blackmail. This ‘condition of employment’ includes all members of hospital staff. This includes janitors, catering staff and even secretaries. One nurse who opted out of the vaccine found out that this was one rule not to be broken.
All health workers, including office staff at St Joseph’s Hospital in Ypsilanti, Michigan, were ordered to have both the flu vaccine and the whopping cough vaccine or face losing their job. Nurse Karen Bashista refused to have the vaccines and was immediately fired.
Bashista feels very strongly about her decision not to have the vaccine. She told ABC Action News that she had managed to reach the age of 60 without ever having a flu vaccine. She concluded that her mother, aged 95, was once vaccinated and ended up so ill she nearly ended up in hospital. Bashista is now convinced that her refusal to have the vaccine led to her being fired.
Spokesperson for St Joseph’s Hospital, Lakashmi Halasyamani, said that before bringing in the new rule the uptake for the vaccine was around 50%. She feels that the decision to make vaccines a condition of employment was the right one. Figures of those who have now been vaccinated has now reached around 95% she concluded. (http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news…)
Another article reporting on the story reported that Bashista had an unblemished work record. She had previously been a winner of ‘outstanding nurse of the year’ until her refusal to have the flu vaccine that is.
The reason that the hospital gave for the firing the nurse however, was misconduct. (http://www.annarbor.com/news/so…)
St Joseph’s is not alone in bringing in the new policy. The Abington Health System in Pennsylvania suspended over four dozen employees without pay back in October after they refused to be vaccinated. The health system includes Abington Memorial Hospital and Lansdale Hospital, who are both among the sixty U.S. healthcare systems that now require all employees to get the seasonal flu shot. (http://blogs.hcpro.com/osha…)
Utah, however, is using a different tactic. They have begun to refuse to employ people who have not had their routine vaccines. The board of health have argued that it is unbelievable why anyone would want to work in health sector if they did not believe in vaccinations. They have decided that all new workers are required to have a whole list of vaccines. These include the influenza, chicken pox, measles, mumps and rubella, as well as whooping cough.
Utah News said:
“The county wanted to tighten the rules for new employees, and include those rules in the job description so prospective employees will know what is expected.”(http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home…)
This is emotional blackmail. Healthcare employers are giving vast numbers of people no choice but to have the vaccine. In these times of financial hardship and diminishing work placements, employees have no choice. In effect this is a choice between losing their security and livelihood or having a the vaccine. A vaccine which has been found to be ineffective and potentially dangerous.