WSJ Article on Flu Shots: Perfect Example of Fake News!
By David Brownstein, M.D.
The WSJ article starts by stating, “Each year, influenza sickens
millions of people. But typically, too few Americans get the flu shot to
shield everyone from the contagious disease.”
The article then states that babies and those who cannot be
vaccinated are put at risk when people decide to forgo the flu vaccine.
True News: Yes, millions do get the flu each year.
Fake News: The flu shot has NEVER BEEN SHOWN
to prevent transmission of the flu. The best it can do is to limit the
symptoms in an infected person. That person can still transmit the flu
virus to others.
The flu vaccine is not the only vaccine that fails to stop the spread
of disease. Diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio (injectable) and the
meningitis vaccines all fail to prevent the spread of the respective
illnesses, but that’s another article.
To claim the flu shot will protect the spread of influenza to those with immune systems that are vulnerable is…FAKE NEWS!
The article states, “…there are life-threatening conditions that the
{influenza virus} can trigger, including inflammation of the heart,
brain or spinal cord. A nursing expert stated, “It’s really the
complications related to the flu that we should be scared about. That’s
what the vaccine helps to prevent or reduce.”
True News: Influenza can cause serious complications including those
mentioned above. The greatest risk of complications from the flu do
occur in children and the elderly.
Fake News: The flu shot has NEVER BEEN SHOWN TO REDUCE
SERIOUS COMPLICATIONS SUCH AS PNEUMONIA OR HOSPTILIZATION FROM
INFLUENZA INFECTION IN CHILDREN, HEALTHY ADULTS AND THE ELDERLY!
Cochrane is an independent group of scientists who evaluate evidence
from research. They do not take funding from Big Pharm and other
commercial interests and therefore their reviews should be carefully
weighed.
A 2018 Cochrane Review on Vaccines for Preventing Influenza in
Healthy Children (1) reported that there was “…no data
on…hospitalisation{sic}.” The authors further reported limited evidence
for the treatment of lower respiratory tract disease (i.e., pneumonia).
The Cochrane authors further state, “To date no studies have adequately
measured or reported hospitalisation (sic) {benefits of the influenza
vaccine}.”
Another Cochrane review on influenza vaccines in healthy adults found
flu shots “…had no effect on hospital admissions or complication
rates.” (2)
In the elderly, a third Cochrane Review (3) found that there was
inadequate data available to assess whether flu shots decrease this risk
of pneumonia or hospitalization in the elderly.
Since the flu shot, at best, provides a one percent benefit for the
elderly at preventing the flu, I can assure you that there will never be
data that shows the flu vaccine prevents serious complications from
influenza infection in this population.
It is FAKE NEWS to state that the flu shot significantly lowers ones risk for serious complications from the flu.
The author of the article wrote, “At greatest risk of senior
citizens. People age 65 and older accounted for 86% of flu-related death
and 69% of hospitalizations in the 2017-2018 flu season. Altogether, an
estimated 960,000 people were hospitalized that season and more than
79,000 died.”
True News: The elderly are at greatest risk of influenza.
Fake News: As stated above, the flu vaccine has NEVER been shown to protect those aged 65 and older. And, 79,000 dying from the flu last year?
No way. The CDC annually gins up the number of deaths from the flu
by reporting pneumonia and flu deaths as one number. Then, the CDC
reports this number as the total dying from the flu.
However, the yearly number who actually die from the flu are tens of thousands lower than who die from influenza.
I have written about this shifty practice many times–see this blog post for more information: https://www.drbrownstein.com/the-truth-about-the-flu-vaccine/.
The number who die from the flu range from a few hundred to a few
thousand per year. Since the flu vaccine does not prevent pneumonia, and
pneumonia deaths vastly outnumber flu deaths sometimes 20-40x, there is
simply no reason to lump the numbers together unless you want to
unnecessarily scare the population into getting a flu vaccine. To
further confuse us, the CDC has recently stopped reporting the breakdown
between who actually died from the flu and who died from [pneumonia].
I have only covered about one-third of the WSJ article. But, that is
enough. The WSJ should research better before reporting Big Pharma
talking points.
The flu shot is not without adverse effects. Many flu shots contain
mercury which is the second most toxic substance known to mankind.
Mercury should never be injected into any living being. There are other
toxins in the flu vaccine.
The flu vaccine is the most common vaccine compensated by the Federal
Government for adverse effects. I could write a lengthy article about
the adverse effects from the flu vaccine, but that is for another time.
Should you get a flu shot? Hopefully you now have the information available to you in order to make an informed decision.
https://healthimpactnews.com/2019/dr-brownstein-exposes-fake-news-about-flu-shot-in-wsj/