It used to be that 1/10,000
died from the measles. (Around 500,000
cases reported, 500 deaths, but even the CDC admits that only about 10% of the cases
were reported - it was THAT routine.)
So now we have outbreaks with death rates of 3/3,000 and
2/700!!!!!!! As I have stated many
times, I believe it is the vaccination, redistributing the cases to high risk
groups like adults and infants, which has resulted in this significantly higher
death rate from the measles. Reports
have stated that infants and adults are getting the measles in higher
proportions, if lower numbers at this point.
However, it still means that if there are any major outbreaks, we may be
able to expect to see some serious numbers of deaths.
Even Dr. Samuel Katz in an article on the measles and measles vaccine admits revaccination doesn't
necessarily work. And it is well-known
that the measles virus continues to circulate, boosting vaccine-induced
immunity. But what are adults with
waned immunity going to do when vaccination no longer works for them? There is, in my mind, a significant danger of huge
outbreaks in the future, as naturally immune adults die (decreasing the
"herd immunity"), the vaccine wanes, and revaccination doesn't
reliably work. If so, we will see how vaccination
has wrought havoc on what had become a fairly benign relationship between the
measles virus and those of us living relatively healthily in developed nations.
And what have the actually
learned from the abuse of antibiotics?
What about overuse and abuse of vaccinations? Maybe its not so easy to fool Mother Nature. - SM
http://www.newsmax.com/articles/?a=2000/6/5/231757
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AMA Briefing Details Threat of Infectious Diseases
Washington File
Tuesday, June 6,
2000
Washington As some
infectious diseases become resistant to antibiotic attack and new threats like
AIDS emerge, health professionals worldwide are faced with serious challenges.
American Medical Association (AMA) trustee
Dr. J. Edward Hill said at an AMA briefing June 1, "Infectious diseases
appear to be attempting to return to their original potency and domination over
human life." The briefing explored how medical science is working to
understand and quell this resurgence of infectious disease as a health threat.
James Hughes, director of the Center for
Infectious Diseases at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC), warned against complacency in the face of the rising incidence of
infectious disease. The increase in U.S infectious disease mortality rates from
1980 to 1995 and recent outbreaks of the West Nile virus, the latest occurring
in New York City, "are vivid reminders of the threats these infectious
diseases pose," Hughes said.
Current threats, Hughes continued, include
bioterrorism, food-borne disease, re-emergence of infectious diseases once
thought controlled, and emergence of new strains. The possibility of a
"new influenza pandemic" is made more serious by increasing microbial
resistance to drugs most frequently used to combat the flu in the past. Hughes
said Latin America and lesser developed countries are especially vulnerable to
microbial outbreaks.
Hughes said that strengthening infectious
disease surveillance around the world is critical to detecting outbreaks,
changing public health practice and improving treatment. Improving biomedical
science is another important step toward containing natural outbreaks of
disease.
The CDC official said that the same
practices will be useful in countering the threat of bioterrorism. The 1995
sarin gas attack in a Tokyo subway made health officials around the world
keenly aware of the risks.
In order to muster the best defense against
disease, the CDC recommends creating an international health infrastructure
that will allow concerned agencies to communicate effectively. This will be
used to promote better health care and prevention against disease.
Parental neglect of childhood vaccinations
represents a lapse in preventive health care that was especially worrisome to
panelists at the Washington briefing. Bruce Gellin, executive director of the
National Network for Immunization Information (NNII), focused on parents'
doubts and misconceptions regarding childhood immunizations.
Although most parents still have their
children immunized, many have unfounded fears over the safety and efficacy of
vaccines. Gellin said, "If enough people refuse vaccination and it can
take a decline of only a few percentage points in the immunization rate all
children in the community are placed at greater risk."
In Ireland, what Gellin described as
unfounded fears of a link between the measles, mumps, rubella vaccine and
autism have led to a measles outbreak. Seven hundred cases have resulted in two
deaths. Similarly, the Netherlands experienced an outbreak of 3,000 cases of
measles in 1999, with three deaths among the 500 who were hospitalized.
The Infectious Diseases Society of America,
the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society, the American Academy of Pediatrics,
and the American Nurses Association formed the NNII to search for solutions to
these problems. The organizations are developing a "resource kit" and
other educational tools for doctors, nurses and other health care clinicians.
Another threat to the health and well-being
of people everywhere is the increasing resistance of some bacteria to
antibiotic treatments. Stuart Levy, director of the Center for Adaptation
Genetics and Drug Resistance at Tufts University, said that certain strains of
bacteria are becoming resistant to antibiotics and that a few have already
proven immune to every antibiotic available to the medical community.
There is wide agreement in the medical
community that this is caused in large part by overuse of the drugs. The CDC
estimates that 50 million of the 150 million outpatient antibiotic medications
prescribed annually are unnecessary. Levy said the problem has been exacerbated
by the recent explosion in consumer demand for antibacterial materials in the
home.
Levy said that antibacterial cleansers,
detergents and personal care products that "simultaneously kill
susceptible bacteria and promote growth of resistant strains" are also to
blame. He added that these products, for which there is a booming market, are
often not used properly or do not contain proper antibacterial materials in
amounts large enough to be effective.
While over-prescription to human patients is
partially to blame for strengthening many bacteria, agricultural use of
antibiotics is also a major cause for concern. Levy said that more that 40
percent of the antibiotics manufactured in the United States are given to
animals. Some are administered to treat and prevent infection, but the majority
of the drugs are added to animal feed to speed livestock growth. This
long-term, low-dosage antibiotic use promotes the development of resistant
strains of bacteria, which can be passed on to humans via contact with living
animals or undercooked meat.
Levy recommends a number of corrective
measures. Cutting back on agricultural use is important, while consumers can
help by not demanding antibiotics for colds or viral infections, washing raw
fruits and vegetables thoroughly, and avoiding antibiotic cleaners and soaps.
Levy adds, however, that people should still use antibiotic ointments on small
cuts. Health care professionals can cut back on prescriptions, separate
hospitalized patients, and use disease-specific antibiotics. Levy also
encourages the pharmaceutical industry to reinvest in antibiotic development
and research.
The Washington File is a product of the
Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web
site: http://usinfo.state.gov
ALL
INFORMATION, DATA, AND MATERIAL CONTAINED, PRESENTED, OR PROVIDED HERE IS FOR
GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS REFLECTING THE
KNOWLEDGE OR OPINIONS OF THE PUBLISHER, AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED OR INTENDED
AS PROVIDING MEDICAL OR LEGAL ADVICE. THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO
VACCINATE IS AN IMPORTANT AND COMPLEX ISSUE AND SHOULD BE MADE BY YOU, AND YOU
ALONE, IN CONSULTATION WITH YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.