- People often wonder where the federal government get numbers for statistics
In a recent article titled “Flu vaccine statistics don’t add up” authored by J L Craig, BSN, PhD, influenza statistics are taken to task for glaring misinterpretation by none other than the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the CDC. So what else is new? (http://www.bclocalnews.com/opinion…)
Citing statistics published in a recent Lancet article (thelancet.com/journals) that flu shots prevent flu in only 1.5 out of 100 adults, the CDC considers that proof that flu vaccines work and are 60 percent effective. Hold the phone! What are they smoking? What happened to the 98.5 percent of those who were vaccinated for flu and for whom it supposedly did nothing, according to the mega analysis?
This short but enlightening article about how CDC and probably other government health agencies mess with vaccine statistics ought to make parents of children—and everyone—wonder about the spin put out by the feds and Big Pharma as to the demographics, facts, and studies regarding vaccine safety and efficacy.
Here’s where we caught them either with their knickers down or their hands in the cookie jar. But this most likely is not the first time, and probably won’t be the last. It’s probably their standard MO—modus operandi. Now do you believe them?
If that’s not convincing enough, consider this about the 2009 H1N1 ‘swine’ flu:
“Ninety-one percent of those autopsied had underlying medical conditions, such as heart disease or respiratory disease, including asthma, before becoming ill with 2009 H1N1 influenza. Seventy-two percent of the adults and adolescents who died were obese. This finding agrees with earlier reports, based on hospital records, linking obesity with an increased risk of death from 2009 H1N1 influenza.” [Emphasis added] http://www.nih.gov/news/health/dec2009/niaid-07.htm
And one more thing! How do the feds ‘prepare’ for a flu season campaign? Just take a gander at this ‘promotional’ material created for the 2004-05 Influenza Vaccination Season by Glen Nowak, PhD, Associate Director of Communications, National Immunization Program:
Quiz Question Number 2 cites a figure of 200,000 people that can be killed from complications from flu. Don’t you remember that the CDC had to downgrade their flu death figures from 36,000 to 24,000 in an average flu season? Here’s The New York Times article of August 27, 2010 that discussed the CDC’s action,
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday substantially lowered its often-quoted estimate of how many people die in a typical flu season, to 24,000 from 36,000. The previous estimate, the agency said, was based on a study of the years 1990 to 1999, during which the H3N2 strain of flu predominated, and H3N2 is far more deadly to the elderly than the other two common seasonal strains, H1N1 and B.
Here’s another ‘gotcha’ moment! If the estimated number of people to die in a typical flu season was based upon the years 1990 to 1999, then what is the scare tactic being used in Quiz Question Number 2 citing 200,000 for the 2004-05 influenza campaign all about? Tsk, tsk, tsk!
And take a look at this, which seems to tell it like it is, and probably is the reason why the feds want to get sales campaigns going for flu vaccines—not everyone buys into vaccination mythology:
Many People Don’t Get an annual Influenza Vaccination
- Overall, 35% (of 1,001 surveyed) said they got or planned to get a flu vaccine, while 65% did not (AP/Ipsos survey)
- 40% of respondents age 50-64 said they had received a flu vaccination in the past three months (Harvard)
- About 47% with chronic illnesses did not get a flu vaccination (Harvard)
- Seven in ten parents said they did not have their children vaccinated (AP/Ipsos)
- 78% of parents with children 6-23 months had not had their child vaccinated, although 74% said they were aware of the recommendation (Harvard).
- http://www.scribd.com/doc/19212191/2004flunowak Centers for Disease Control and Prevention / Department of Health and Human Services
Are you prepared for this coming flu season’s lampooning of health statistics? Now that you know the public relations side and spin on flu vaccines and the feds marketing campaigns, how about sharing this information. Do you think such tactics apply to other vaccines?
Photo Credit: Pearls of Jannah