The Influenza A (H1N1) virus, dubbed the “swine flu” by the international media, has caused a major stir ever since it was identified on April 2009. Those who were identified as high risk groups most likely to contract the virus are the ones with pre-existing medical conditions, adults over 65 years old, pregnant women, and children below five years old. The main symptoms of the swine flu-coughing, headache, fever, chills, and runny nose-are similar to those of the common flu. However, when deaths were reported, these prompted the world to track its progress. Similar with any other influenza virus, anyone can contract the swine flu through coughing, sneezing, and coming in contact with a contaminated surface and then touching the nose or mouth.
That this new strain of virus can easily be passed on from one person to another has caused global panic, especially in the early days of its evolution. Earlier this year, the whole world watched as cases of swine flu infections rose by the thousands and seem to have reached all corners of the world. Two months after its discovery, it was officially declared a flu pandemic by the World Health Organization on the 11th of June, 2009, adding fuel to the global media frenzy that has evolved from this curious virus. A day after this declaration, known Swiss company, Novartis AG, announced that it has produced the first batch of swine flu vaccine at its Marburg, Germany plant. On September 15th of this year, the US food and Drug Administration approved the vaccine, essentially lending credence to this new product.
Since it came out, thousands have lined up to have their shot. Is this a good medical decision on the part of the government? Let’s take a look at some of the related facts:
Point 1. At present, the largely untested swine flu vaccines are being prepared for mass inoculations across the US and Europe. In fact, the European Medicines Agency has allowed pharmaceutical companies to skip the testing process altogether. However, some allege that production was “rushed” and it was never tested on humans.
Point 2. The swine flu vaccine contains dangerous adjuvants that could lead to inflammatory response, leading to autism and other neurological disorders. Growing evidence all point to the fact that, indeed, adjuvants are being added to stretch production.
Point 3. Public support for the swine flu vaccine has significantly decreased since news that it was unsafe cropped up in the media. Leading the campaign against the use of the vaccine are some nurses and other health practitioners from the US and the UK who have all voiced their strong opinion against it. In addition, a recent study conducted indicates that over fifty percent of mothers refuse to have their kids vaccinated.
Especially now that the swine flu scare seem to have died down, more and more people have begun to realize that this vaccine may not actually be safe in view of the fact that it has yet to undergo stringent tests, which is an important process for it to be fully fit for human use. As with any important medical decision, one has to be fully armed with the right set of information to make the decision an informed one. The same is true in this case.
