Debunk this swine flu scare-monger

Factual Questions
1

Hi,

I received this email recently from a family member who has decided not to get the H1N1 vaccine because of it. It is from a “Dr. Russell Blaylock, MD”. It smacks of quackery, but I can’t find anything definitive about his claims - especially the MF-59 adjuvant he is talking about.

*FYI

Dr. Russell Blaylock is a retired neurosurgeon. I’d read what
He has to say about the swine flu vaccine if I were you…Scroll down to read
His article… Also go to his website (russellblaylockmd.Com) and read his
Research summaries on the general flu vaccine…

Dear all:
A colleague and friend just returned yesterday from a conference in Washington with the National vaccine Information Center. Please read this article and take it very seriously.

Dr. Jordan Plasker
201.5050.WELL(9355)

Please read and discuss with your doctor.

A friend sent me an email from Dr. Blaylock, which I have recopied below
Along with the link to his bio. I have also included the long article from
His web site.

His email regarding the swine flu read:

"No one should take this vaccine - it is one of the most dangerous vaccines
Ever devised. It contains an immune adjuvant called squalene (MF-59) which
Has been shown to cause severe autoimmune disorders such as MS, rheumatoid
Arthritis and Lupus. The newsletter for August covers this and it may not be
Out yet. This is the vaccine adjuvant that is strongly linked to the Gulf
War syndrome, which killed over 10,000 soldiers and caused a 200% increase
In the fatal disease ALS (Lou Gehreg disease). This virus H1N1 kills by
Causing a “cytokine storm”, which means that it causes the body’s immune
System to overreact and that is why it is killing young people and is a mild
Disease in the elderly. (The elderly have weakened immune systems) This
Vaccine is a very powerful immune stimulator and carries the real
Possibility of making the lethality of the virus much greater.

One’s best protection is vitamin D3…One should take 5000 IU a day now and
When the disease begins to spread increase the dose to 15,000 IU a day.
Vitamin D3 modulates the immune reaction, reducing the chance of an
Overreaction and stimulates the body to produce what are called
Antimicrobial peptides, which are powerful killers of viruses that does not
Involve immunity. This is dose related, which means the higher the dose of
D3 the better the protection. Fish oils (the best is Carlson’s Norwegian
Lemon flavored fish oil) also reduce immune overreaction. One teaspoon a day
Should be sufficient. For severe symptoms, one teaspoon twice a day.
Antioxidants of various kinds also help.

Feel free to spread this around. People need to know to protect themselves.

Russell

http://www.russellblaylockmd.com/ (this is his bio)

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Dr. Russell Blaylock: Vaccine Maybe More Dangerous Than Flu*

I checked out his website, more pseudo-science and also links to his Brain Tonic. Snopes says research is ongoing. Thoughts?

2

From Shodan’s link in this thread
Please help me confirm or deny this ‘list of vaccine ingredients’

Innoculation Misinformation

3

Adjuvants, such as the one discussed, ARE used in the pandemic A/H1N1 vaccine that is used in both Canada and the EU. Their regulatory bodies found them to be safe with the main side effect to be a possible increase in local reactions. The EU has been using ajuvants for years. That is one of the reasons they have less of a shortage than we do.

The shame is that we, for reasons that are not clear, have not approved them for use here.

4

I have been watching out for high casualties amongst the young versus the elderly as evidence of a cytokine storm, as this was a major component of the deadliness of the Spanish Flu. However, while deaths seem to have been high among the young, it seems to be more prevalent among the very young, i.e. children, which is not evidence of a cytokine storm, which hits teenagers and young adults more. Which is not to say that this isn’t the case as I have not seen a statistical study, it’s just that the media are reporting deaths among the “young” that are very different from the “young” that this email refers to. (and in good measure the deaths among the elderly part of the email might be wrong, too but I’d like to hear more on that.)

5

Of course, squalene COULD cause Gulf War Syndrome. So could tap water or sunlight, since Gulf War Syndrome doesn’t exist.

6

To the best of my knowledge, retired neurosurgeons are not routinely trained in virology, respiratory medicine, immunology, clinical trial methodology, vaccine methodology, pediatrics or the like.

An MD or DO or MBChB on face value does not convey specific knowledge in these areas. If he has credibility in vaccine medicine, he needs to cite the appropriate training.

7

It’s never lupus.

8

From what I read there is a one in ten thousand chance of getting Guillain–Barré syndrome, that’s a little scary in itself. I have also posted earlier in the above mentioned thread that, at least here in Canada, squalene is in the vaccine.

9

But you are aware that veterans of the gulf war are twice as likely to get ALS as other military personnel, right? Whether you call that gulf war syndrome or not, there is scientific evidence that something is going on.

10

I’d say capitalizing the first letter of every line without regard to sentence structure as well as hawking a particular brand of fish pills are two hallmarks of Not Quite Legitimate Medicine.

11

JFLuvly Influenza and other viral illnesses themselves can cause Guillain–Barré (indeed Influenza A infection is responsible for 1% of cases where the causative organism is known) and the risk of a 'flu vaccine-induced Guillain–Barré is more like 1 case per million, rather than 1 case per 10,000.

My cite is an article in the British Medical Journal by a British doctor who herself had Guillain–Barré and her reasoning on whether or not to have a 'flu vaccine for H1N1. She cites the studies and statistics which have helped her make a decision.

I got my H1N1 vaccine a couple of weeks ago- the EU, adjuvant containing, Pandemrix vaccine- as part of the NHS vaccination scheme for front-line health workers. The only issue was a slightly painful arm for a couple of days.

I have a young baby and will be returning from maternity leave to work in Paeds- as far as I’m concerned the more things I can protect myself, my child and my patients from, the better. YMMV.

12

And is it not true that american munitions used depleted uranium as an armor buster, thereby engaging in chemical warfare? I ask because I understand this to be true, but am prepared to be wrong.

13

Use of depleted uranium, last I heard, is not considered “chemical warfare” any more than lead bullets are. Both are toxic to human beings, after all. Granted, uranium tends to attack the kidneys more and lead the nervous system, but both will mess you up if you’re exposed to a lot of it.

People get scared because of the word “uranium”, and because they aren’t familiar with it.

There is no indication that depleted uranium is in any was connected to ALS. It IS strongly linked to kidney damage.

14

irishgirl

My cite comes from the product information leaflet on the Health Canada government website and it definitely says 1 in 10,000 chance.

15

They’ve given out well over a million doses of vaccine by now. If there were a significant increase in the incidence of Guillain-Barré Syndrome from the vaccine, Jenny McCarthy would be having multiple orgasms raving about it. She is not. There is no epidemic of Guillain-Barré Syndrome.

16

JFL, the format stops at the label of “Very Rare” which is defined as less than (“may occur with up to”) 1 in 10,000. Everything under that is in that group.

How much does occur? Well, the range through the years has been

I have been told, but cannot cite, that the risk of GBS after natural influenza infection is seven-fold higher. The closest to it is in irishgirl’s cite:

17

DSeid

I agree with what you are saying, but it could also be read as up to and including 1 in 10,000 for this particular drug. I am assuming that the different manufacturers are making different drugs.

18

Dr. Russell Blaylock is another of those M.D.s who thinks that his degree legitimizes his embrace of a wide range of quackery (not just antivax nonsense). There’s a good takedown of his nonsense here.

“The opening page of his website reads like a roster of denialism, quackery, and crankism. In the first few inches, titles of articles read, “Vaccines can kill”, “Cholesterol drugs are dangerous”, “Why fluoride is toxic”, and some other great ones like “Stop aging”…Blaylock argues that there is a vast conspiracy to hype this year’s flu season and claims that his ideas are supported by the mainstream literature. Even a cursory glance at the data he cites shows that his conclusions are creative at best, mendacious at worst.”

19

There is no specific information showing any greater or lesser risk of GBS with any particular flu vaccine, including those used in Canada and the EU which contain adjuvants. Understandably as even pooling all data together the best you can say is that there may (or may not) be an increased risk following vaccination. GBS is so rare and it so rarely occurs in the time period following influenza vaccination that even with large populations over many years we can merely say that the data is “consistent with a possible causal association”. What you need to watch is if the rate of GBS goes significantly over normal background rates.