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proverbialwisdom

(4,959 posts)
Tue May 21, 2013, 06:09 PM May 2013

Johns Hopkins Scientist Slams Flu Vaccine

http://www.newsmaxhealth.com/Headline/influenza-virus-flu-vaccine-Peter-Doshi-Ph-D-/2013/05/16/id/504942

Johns Hopkins Scientist Slams Flu Vaccine

Thursday, May 16, 2013 06:34 PM
By: Sylvia Booth Hubbard


A Johns Hopkins scientist has issued a blistering report on influenza vaccines in the British Medical Journal (BMJ). Peter Doshi, Ph.D., charges that although the vaccines are being pushed on the public in unprecedented numbers, they are less effective and cause more side effects than alleged by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Further, says Doshi, the studies that underlie the CDC's policy of encouraging most people to get a yearly flu shot are often low quality studies that do not substantiate the official claims.

Promoting influenza vaccines is one of the most visible and aggressive public health policies in the United States, says Doshi of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Drug companies and public officials press for widespread vaccination each fall, offering vaccinations in drugstores and supermarkets. The results have been phenomenal. Only 20 years ago, 32 million doses of influenza vaccine were available in the United States on an annual basis. Today, the total has skyrocketed to 135 million doses.

"The vaccine may be less beneficial and less safe than has been claimed, and the threat of influenza seems to be overstated," Doshi says. Mandatory vaccination polices have been enacted, often in healthcare facilities, forcing some people to take the vaccine under threat of losing their jobs.

The main assertion of the CDC that fuels the push for flu vaccines each year is that influenza comes with a risk of serious complications which can cause death, especially in senior citizens and those suffering from chronic illnesses. That's not the case, said Doshi.

When read carefully, the CDC acknowledges that studies finding any perceived reduction in death rates may be due to the "healthy-user effect" — the tendency for healthier people to be vaccinated more than less-healthy people. The only randomized trial of influenza vaccine in older people found no decrease in deaths. "This means that influenza vaccines are approved for use in older people despite any clinical trials demonstrating a reduction in serious outcomes," says Doshi.

<>


Link from: http://www.ageofautism.com/2013/05/dachel-media-update-.html
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Johns Hopkins Scientist Slams Flu Vaccine (Original Post) proverbialwisdom May 2013 OP
Links to original articles. silverweb May 2013 #1
Agree, thanks. proverbialwisdom May 2013 #5
I hope your toes don't feel stepped upon. silverweb May 2013 #6
Absolutely not! Again, thank you. proverbialwisdom May 2013 #8
A one-sided article (with no counter-opinion) from NEWSMAX (a RW rag)... hlthe2b May 2013 #2
Simultaneous revision. nt proverbialwisdom May 2013 #4
Better links here, including BMJ article referenced. proverbialwisdom May 2013 #3
Age of Autism? Really? longship May 2013 #7
You are misinformed about AOA, totally, as I am fully confident time will tell. proverbialwisdom May 2013 #9
AOA's Anne Dachel, acting as news aggregator, cited a British Medical Journal article. proverbialwisdom May 2013 #10

silverweb

(16,402 posts)
1. Links to original articles.
Tue May 21, 2013, 06:16 PM
May 2013

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]Because I didn't find the sources in the OP particularly confidence inspiring, I went looking for the source data. The following article contains links to the original articles published in reputable medical journals.

Flu Vaccine Advice May Be Flawed, Expert Says

silverweb

(16,402 posts)
6. I hope your toes don't feel stepped upon.
Tue May 21, 2013, 06:34 PM
May 2013

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]I'm just very picky about what sources I consider reliable.

hlthe2b

(101,698 posts)
2. A one-sided article (with no counter-opinion) from NEWSMAX (a RW rag)...
Tue May 21, 2013, 06:17 PM
May 2013

Flu vaccine are far from perfect, but this article convinces me of NOTHING. (except that DUers should not be promoting RW "non-news" sites)


Newsmax is a far-right Republican-oriented rumour factory global news portal run by right-wing hack, conspiracy theorist[1] and Republican Party fan, Christopher Ruddy. Ruddy founded the company in 1998 in, appropriately enough, Florida.

Newsmax principally lives on the Internet. Its website is dominated by shock news,[2] moral outrage,[3] conspiracies,[4] and trashy advertising for dubious "get rich quick" schemes, quack medicines/workout programmes, and publications that feature ads for similar products.[5] Some of this is regurgitated monthly in print form, though is seldom seen at news stands.

Newsmax is popular with the type of people who read WorldNetDaily; both outlets feature similar world views of a idealised conservative God-fearing America besieged by godless libruls, filthy sodomites, evil terrorists, and diseased illegal aliens. However, they managed to even outwingnut WND when one of their contributors called on the military to overthrow Obama in a coup,[6] saying that it would "restore and defend the Constitution." Yes, removing a President elected by the largest margin in decades would restore the Constitution.

Distinguished contributors to Newsmax include David Limbaugh (brother of Rush), Michael Reagan (the adopted son of Saint Ronnie), "Doctor" Laura Schlesinger, (Quack) Doctor Russell Blaylock, and the cartoon-villainish Richard Rahn, chairman of SPECTRE the Institute for Global Economic Growth.[7]
http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Newsmax


proverbialwisdom

(4,959 posts)
3. Better links here, including BMJ article referenced.
Tue May 21, 2013, 06:20 PM
May 2013

Last edited Tue May 21, 2013, 07:31 PM - Edit history (1)

http://www.bmj.com/content/346/bmj.f3037

FEATURE
Influenza


Influenza: marketing vaccine by marketing disease

BMJ 2013; 346 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.f3037 (Published 16 May 2013)

Cite this as: BMJ 2013;346:f3037
Infectious diseases Immunology (including allergy) Vaccination programs Epidemiologic studies


Please note that the author uses a Harvard email address, btw. Link from article below.

http://www.everydayhealth.com/cold-and-flu/flu-vaccine-advice-may-be-flawed-experts-say-8759.aspx

Flu Vaccine Advice May Be Flawed, Expert Says

The CDC and other public health groups promote flu vaccination for just about everyone, but the assumptions underlying flu-shot guidelines may be flawed, argues one expert.

By Brett Spiegel, Everyday Health Staff Writer


FRIDAY, May, 17, 2013 — Public health officials at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have amped up their push for people to get vaccinated against the flu, saying that virtually everyone should get an annual flu shot.

But in a new article published in the British Medical Journal, Peter Doshi, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in comparative effectiveness research at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, questions whether flu vaccinations really offer the benefits the CDC claims.

<>

Either way, it appears that both the CDC and Doshi agree that flu is a potentially life-threatening plague the requires appropriate attention and intervention. Here are some simple steps you can take to stay healthy during flu season:

Keep your distance from those who are already sick. If you are sick, stay home from work or school to prevent others from falling ill.

When sneezing or coughing, cover your nose and mouth to prevent germs from spreading. Also avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth as germs can be transmitted from infected objects you touch.

Wash your hands often with soap and water or use hand sanitizer.

Clean your home or work space, especially if others around you are ill.

Manage your stress and make sure to load up on sleep and physical activity in addition to drinking plenty of fluids and eating nutrient-dense foods.



longship

(40,416 posts)
7. Age of Autism? Really?
Tue May 21, 2013, 06:37 PM
May 2013

This site is a known crank anti-vaccine Web site.

The source here is highly suspect.

I want to see the peer review on this. Until then, it is just a blog post of a well known quack site which still supports Andrew Wakefield who lost his license to practice medicine in the UK due to fraudulent research. Now he's here peddling his anti vaccine woo.

proverbialwisdom

(4,959 posts)
10. AOA's Anne Dachel, acting as news aggregator, cited a British Medical Journal article.
Tue May 21, 2013, 07:59 PM
May 2013

Please review that primary source, citation above. AOA, as the site of the OP link, is irrelevant.

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