The Fallacy of the Hepatitis A Vaccine
The following was
provided by Dawn Richardson from PROVE.
Hepatitis A viral infection is acquired
primarily by the fecal-oral route by either person-to-person contact or
ingestion of contaminated food or water. Proper sanitation and hand washing are widely recognized as the most effective and least expensive means of prevention of
hepatitis A virus.
Hepatitis A vaccine proponents claim that
giving the vaccine to children will break the cycle and prevent them from
getting the infection as adults, but the most recent package insert for Smith
Kline Beecham's Hepatitis A Vaccine, Inactivated Havrix claims no guarantees:
"At present, the duration of
protection afforded by Havrix has not been established. Therefore it is
unknown if the protection provided to immunized children will last until
adulthood."
However, "while 67% of cases occur in
children, over 70% of the deaths occur in those over the age of 49."
Even with those risks for adults, complications are rare and infection from
hepatitis A is generally followed by complete recovery.
There are
only around 100 deaths per year in the entire United States from hepatitis A
virus amongst all modes of
transmission in all age groups. Hepatitis A infection is asymptomatic in 70%
of young children and natural immunity acquired is often lifelong.
The concentrations of hepatitis A
antibodies produced after vaccination are 10 to 100 times lower than those produced after natural infection.
The diagnostic assays to measure lower
levels of antibody had not been reviewed by the FDA by the time Hepatitis A
vaccination policies were adopted by the CDC in October 1999. The absolute
lower limit of antibodies required to prevent HAV has not even been defined.
The manufacturer's package insert admits that the duration of protection from
the vaccine is unknown.
The CDC's Advisory Committee on
Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommendations on the prevention of hepatitis
A through immunization focus "primarily on vaccinating persons in groups
shown to be at high risk for infection (e.g., travelers to countries with
high or intermediate disease endemicity, men who have sex with men,
injecting-drug users, persons with clotting-factor disorders), persons with
chronic liver disease because they are at increased risk for acute liver
failure from hepatitis A, and children living in communities with high rates
of disease."
(See MMWR, October 01, 1999 /
48(RR12);1-37: Prevention of Hepatitis A Through Active or Passive
Immunization: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization
Practices (ACIP) at http://www.cdc.gov/epo/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr4812a1.htm)
It is irresponsible
of the CDC and TDH to recommend adding this vaccine the schedule because
there have been NO long term studies on the cumulative effect on the child's
developing immune system of
combining this vaccine with all the required vaccines together, the
biological mechanism for why some children react to this vaccine is not
understood, and there are no genetic or other lab screening tests available
to determine which children will react to this vaccine.
The disease incidence is highly
disproportionate amongst different ethnic groups, and this one-size fits all
policy makes all children take the risk of the vaccine when the risk of
contracting the disease is much lower amongst some ethnic groups than others.
According to the vaccine manufacturers'
own product inserts, the hepatitis A vaccine has NOT been "evaluated or
tested for its carcinogenic potential, mutagenic potential, or for impairment
of fertility" or "reproductive capacity".
More than 1,200 head of Texas cattle are
under quarantine because a small amount of ruminant meat and bone meal was
accidentally mixed into 22 tons of feed, in violation of an FDA rule. The
rule was implemented in 1997 as a precautionary measure to prevent mad cow
disease (bovine spongiform encephalopathy or BSE).
The hepatitis A vaccine is manufactured
using in human diploid (fetal or embryonic) cells . The vaccine contains
residual fetal DNA and protein. This proposed directive to a mandate ignore
and disrespect the moral conflicts many families may have with the production
of these vaccines and use in their children. The current religious exemption
will not service these families.
14% of adults receiving this vaccine reported
experiencing a headache after vaccination.
Other adverse events following vaccination
indicated by the manufacturer are:
induration, redness,
swelling, fatigue, fever (>37.5°C), malaise, anorexia, nausea, hematoma,
pruritus, rash, urticaria, pharyngitis, other upper respiratory tract
infections, adominal pain, diarrhea, dysgeusia, vomiting, arthralgia,
elevation of creatine phosphokinase, myalgia, lymphadenopathy, hypertonic
episode, insomnia, photophobia, vertigo, anaphylaxis/anaphylactoid reactions,
somnolence, syncope, jaundice, hepatitis, erythema multiforme, hyperhydrosis,
angioedema, dyspnea, convulsions, encephalopathy, dizziness, neuropathy,
myelitis, paresthesia, Guillain-Barre syndrome, multiple sclerosis, and
congenital abnormality.
Vaccination is a medical procedure that
carries the risk of injury and death and there have been hospitalizations,
serious permanent injuries and death occurring in individuals after receiving
the Hepatitis A vaccine reported to the FDA's Vaccine Adverse Events
Reporting System. To view almost 700 of these reports, link to http://www.fedbuzz.com/vaccine/vac.html
and select Hepatitis A.
The current restrictive vaccine exemptions
do not service parents with any of the above concerns.
Dawn
Richardson
President and Co-founder, PROVE
PROVE
provides information on vaccines, and immunization policies and practices
that affect the children and adults of Texas. Our mission is to prevent
vaccine injury and death and to promote and protect the right of every person
to make informed independent vaccination decisions for themselves and their
family.
DR. MERCOLA'S
COMMENT:
Fortunately hepatitis A is not one of
the mandated vaccines yet. The CDC currently recommends for areas that have a
high endemic rate of hepatitis A.
If this vaccine does ever come up to be
mandated for your state like it is in Texas then you will want to team forces
with Dawn Richardson's group, PROVE,
so you can educate the legislators at to the truth about this vaccine.
Related
Articles:
Dr. Mercola's Favorite Vaccine Links Page
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