Awhile back "Inside Edition" ran a story concerning one Desiree Jennings,
who supposedly developed a case of dystonia after receiving a seasonal flu vaccine. Despite the fact that there have been no cases linking dystonia to vaccines "Inside Edition" ran the story without consulting any experts. When experts were consulted (such as
Dr. Stephen Grill, Parkinson's and Movement Disorders Center) we come to find that her symptoms are not those seen in dystonia; in fact according to Dr. Grill Ms. Jennings symptoms are more likely the result of a psychogenic movement disorder, something generally brought about by anxiety.
This is not the first expert to come out against Jennings previous diagnosis. Dr. Leigh Vinocur, speaking on the behalf of Neurology expert Dr. William Weiner, went on Fox News (I know, amazingly they're the only ones who consulted with an expert) to
address the misinformation concerning Desiree's case. I made comments on healthkicker earlier in the week
concerning Vinocur's statements.Vinocur did a very good job stating that there is a minor risk when it comes to taking the vaccine but that risk is out weighed by the risk of possible flu complications, the worst of course being death which seasonal influenza accounts for 36,000 of every year in the US alone. To put that number in perspective that is approximately the same number of US deaths due to car accidents (approx. 40,000) and more than double the amount of hand gun deaths during the US record high year (approx 14,000).
Neurologist Dr. Steven Novella wrote an
excellent critique on Desiree's case and how the anti-vaccination community has already begun to take advantage of her --I held off on posting this until I had some written statements from a Neurologist.
Comments (27)
Sure, when someone gets sick it's because they didn't get vaccinated
BUT
When someone gets sick after being vaccinated, it's never the fault of the vaccine
NO THANK YOU TO H1N1 VACCINE, I'm Good
So says StrangeBrain, the apologist and spokesperson for the money-hungry Big Pharma industry, the corrupt FDA, and greedy physicians. LOL.
@mathematicalbagpiper@xanga - You can continue with all the childish name calling you want, but it doesn't invalidate the fact that several professionals --with specialties relevant to these areas of medicine--have come out and spoken against Ms. Jennings self diagnosis.
@Strangebrain@xanga - I don't trust anyone with a MD degree, sad to say.
@mathematicalbagpiper@xanga - That is sad, but it's your prerogative.
My understanding is she has recently been "cured" by some bullshit does-nothing hyperbaric oxygen treatment, which further lends credit to the thought that it was psychogenic.
I'm always happy to see stuff like this. I have some friends caught up in this sort of nonsense, and the less the myth that vaccines cause this stuff spreads the better.
@Strangebrain@xanga - It's like banging your head against a brick wall, isn't it? I told my physician the other day that I was really disappointed they didn't have the H1N1 vaccine available at their clinic yet - I told her how I see so many people online who adamantly refuse to get the vaccine, so shouldn't there be just one available for me, lol. Keep up the good work, you never know when you'll get through to someone. :)
@Melissa___Dawn@xanga - Thanks for the words of encouragement. I know I've gotten through to a few people that were on the fence, which keeps me in good spirits.
Sometimes, I think it's safer to avoid pills and vaccines.
lol i understand the frustration trying to do damage control with the general public. But it's because they don't have an extensive or even basic education in health care and epidemiology. They can't comprehend the difference in risk, because the only tangible effects they have are the effects on themselves and family.
I sometimes debate with myself over it. As a student in student housing, the flu spreads like wildfire. Personally, I'd rather fight it off with my own immune system... but I have to consider everyone else and my own family back home. Once you weigh it out, I guess I'd rather get the shot.
I'm having some difficulty just convincing my housemates to get the flu shot...
You still didnt convince me to get the H1N1 shot. If nature wants me to die from it, oh well, better luck next time.
@lg_11x@xanga - Exactly.
@mathematicalbagpiper@xanga - I agree. Too much money-grubbing going on. I'll just take care of myself, and when something bad health-wise pops up, I'll handle that, too.
money-grubbing? Arent the H1N1 vaccines being given out for FREE?
i got both the seasonal and H1N1 without any cost, and so did the rest of my family. and no, i dont have insurance.
thanks, but i'm still not getting either vaccine. Let nature run its course.
obviously I knew that was a joke the minute I saw it
I am not against the vaccines, but I just don't get why we can't let our bodies develop immunities themselves.
still not up for this vaccine.
i'm still healthy without it, and i intent to stay that way.
The research I've come across generally agrees there's a link to vaccines and dystonia. The thing is, the chances of contraticing it are infinitesimal compared to the chances of dying of the flu you're beng vaccinated against. Absolutely everything has a risk -- I had a laparoscopic procedure last week and I had to sign a sheet about the anesthesia potentially causing storke, death or perhaps more eerily, "awareness." That doesn't mean it's GOING to happen, just that it has in extremely oddball cases.
It's basically like saying, "I shouldn't cross the street because a car might hit me." You don't then decide to never cross the street, especially if staying on the side you're currently on has a high risk for getting hit by the flu car anyway.
There's actually more of a chance of a car hitting you as you cross the street than contracting dystonia from a vaccine.
@MyBoysRMyLife@xanga - Your history teachers have failed you. I can give you a reason to not let bodies devleop their own immunities: Polio. Never heard of it? Yeah, you have vaccines to thank for that. Widespread epidemics have been reduced to near-annihilation thanks to the 1950's vaccine.
@MyBoysRMyLife@xanga - That's a good question. The body is still developing the immunity itself, and in the same way it would if you were contaminated with the actual virus. What differs is that when you're getting the vaccine you're getting the antigen (the thing that generates the production of antibodies) without the biological byproducts that produce the disease, which can be harmful --the biological byproducts that is.
@Ovy - I'd be interested in seeing any research that does link vaccines to dystonia as from what I understand there is none. If you could send a link I'd sincerely appreciate it (peer-reviewed work only please).
@Ovy - Like I said, i am not against vaccines, my kids have all of theirs, but it just seems like they are trying to come up with vaccines for every illness! Next you know, they are going to try to stop the common cold by giving people a vaccine. I think there are some times when it's OK to let our immune system do their job.
I am still very on the fence with the H1N1 vac. though..it scares me that so many people have died, but I worry about it's newness and how they could possibly had enough time to test in every situation with it being so new....which leaves me feeling completely torn...I don't want to give my kids something that could harm them, but I don't want them getting sick because I didn't give them the vac..
@MyBoysRMyLife@xanga - Personally I don't think they'll ever create a vaccine for the common cold. We(for the most part) have had the technology, it's just such a low risk infection. When you get a vaccine the immune system is doing its job. It's no different than the infection (from an immunological perspective) except that you don't actually get the disease.
Sorry, I didn't mean to high-jack your response to Ovy here, but I did want to clarify that the H1N1 vaccine is not as new as people make it out to be. It's made the same way every flu vaccine is. A typical seasonal flu vaccine takes about 9 months to make, 3 of those months are spent researching which strains are going to be the most prevalent within the population. With the H1N1 vaccine the manufactures did not have to do the first 3 months of research because they already knew which strain to make. The vaccine went into production after the first outbreak and was not released until about 7 or 8 months after, so if anything it is less "new" than most other flu vaccines. I have some of the research that was done (printed in medical journals) prior to its release if your interested.