Some Notes on Dr. Feder’s Essay About H1N1 Vaccinations

This was meant to be part of a little series I was writing called, “The Good, the Bad, and the Frustrating.” I was covering a lot of H1N1 information. But honestly, I got pretty burnt out on H1N1. Not to mention, the entire discussion among parents about whether or not to get the vaccine is kind of pointless when it’s so difficult to get the vaccine in the first place. Our pediatrician still doesn’t have it, and the local clinics are screening carefully now to only give shots to those in high risk groups without regular medical care.  Our son is prone to getting croup, and since we fly every winter for the holidays, I just really wanted him to get that immunity. I would have gladly foregone getting shots for myself, but a month ago, the LA clinics were just doling them out to anyone. It didn’t seem like a big deal.

So the main side effect of my own H1N1 nasal spray has been a lingering sense of guilt that I took someone else’s dose.

Still, even when the vaccinations are hard to get, I hate to hear misinformation that scares parents away from getting them. So I wanted to go ahead and post this article, which I started a while ago, in response to an essay by Dr. Lauren Feder.

This essay by Dr. Feder popped up on my mom support board recently, posted by someone trying to be helpful and informative.  I went and grabbed it from Dr. Feder’s website, and here it is, with my comments.

H1N1 Flu Vaccine: Will history repeat itself?

by Lauren Feder, M.D

On October 1, 2009 I attended the International Public Conference on Vaccination in Washington, D.C. where renowned experts spoke to approximately 600 participants from health professionals to families who had been affected by vaccine reactions. Although the theme centered on, “Show Us the Science & Give Us the Choice,” the timing of this meeting coincided with the beginning of the flu season and the major concerns about the H1N1 flu (Swine Flu) and the new vaccine.

To begin with the NVIC conference is an anti-vaccine conference. You can tell from a brief glance at their website.   Luminaries like Andrew Wakefield, the author of the original (and now totally, completely debunked) study that started all the mayhem about the MMR in the first place, speak there.  So in establishing her credibility at the beginning of this letter, Dr. Feder is stating up front that she is an anti-vaccine doctor. She actually gives lectures about “vaccine safety” quite often in LA.

As a holistic physician and homeopath, I strive to offer my patients broad spectrum health information and prescribe natural and standard medicine when needed with the aim of doing no harm. I also acknowledge and respect a patient’s right for freedom of choice in this matter.

While this language is appealing and very nice, a few red flags should go up here, the main one being the homeopath thing. Sure, I admit that back in the day, before I started becoming a bloggy geek who read up on all this stuff, I used to think homeopathic translated into “gentle.”  If you had said to me, “Hey Julie, try this headache medicine; it’s homeopathic,” I probably would have thought, “Why not?”

But here’s the most amazing thing about homeopathy: it’s nothing. Seriously.   It’s water.   This isn’t a shock to any skeptics reading this, but I’m talking to my mommy board moms now.   Maybe, like the old me, you just never thought about it that much.   Go read a little bit about it now, and you might find yourself pretty amused, like I did.   Homeopathy is water.   Whatever plant substance is in the solution you get is so ridiculously diluted that it is actually just nothing at all.   So if you buy homeopathic sleep aids, or homeopathic teething tablets for your baby, you are buying nothing.   You could actually fill a little bottle with tap water and get the same therapeutic value.

Here’s a great video on homeopathy by Dr. Ben Goldacre.   Please go watch it if you doubt me.   Because the thing is, Dr. Feder is basing her professional opinion here on the fact that she is a professional homeopath.   In other words, she sells her patients water.   Once you really understand what homeopathy is, maybe you will see why this casts suspicion on all the rest of her advice.

For the past few months our office has been inundated with visits and calls from concerned families about the H1N1 flu and the vaccine.   After reviewing the literature and listening to the opinions of my colleagues from the vaccine conference, I have come to a conclusion: there are more risks than benefits to the H1N1 vaccine.   Despite this, I am offering this new vaccine in my office in an effort to serve those who want it. However, I am encouraging all to make an informed choice regarding this matter.

The rhetoric in this paragraph is again appealing. Dr. Feder presents herself as responsive to her patients, considered in her opinions, and open to the idea of choice.   She’s willing to give you the vaccine, if you want it, even though she believes it’s risky.   This is all very nice, but it’s just wrong.   There aren’t more risks than benefits to the H1N1 vaccine. If you just do the math, that is instantly clear.   Take a look at the CDC count of hospitalizations and deaths from H1N1, and then try to find a listing of deaths or serious side effects from the vaccine.   You won’t find such a listing from a reputable source.

“Informed choice” is kind of an anti-vaccine code word.   It’s sort of a brilliant rhetorical device, because it implies that in order to be informed, you need some insider knowledge.   And moreover, it implies that you’re not truly informed if you’re following mainstream advice.

The swine flu and its vaccine are not new.   In 1976, an army recruit based in Fort Dix died following a mysterious illness. In addition, four of his fellow soldiers were hospitalized. Health officials disclosed to America that the illness was swine flu.   Without knowing much about the details of their medical history and why they were susceptible to severe reactions to this illness, people became anxious that this could lead to a flu pandemic similar to 1918, and a vaccine was quickly prepared to be given to the masses.   In the end, the illness never transpired.   It came to be known as the swine flu fiasco of 1976 after twenty five people died and five hundred became paralyzed all from the vaccine.   In other words, more people suffered from the effects of the vaccine than the illness itself.

Yep, this part is all true.   However, keep in mind that this year’s swine flu is already worse than the 1976 flu.   In 1976, only one person died. There have been more deaths from this swine flu already, and we’re not even deep into flu season.   Quite a few of those have been pediatric deaths. And also keep in mind that this vaccine is not the 1976 vaccine.

One of the medical conditions that resulted from the 1976 swine flu vaccine was a condition called Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) an autoimmune condition characterized by the rapid onset of paralysis. I became alarmed when I recently received a memo to physicians in which it was written, “In anticipation of widespread vaccination this fall, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is conducting enhanced surveillance for GBS.” Does this mean that we will be seeing increased cases of GBS this fall following the H1N1 flu vaccine?

In 1976, there was an increased incidence of Guillain Barre syndrome, which paralyzed many people and killed 25, and yes, it was linked to the vaccine.   Since 1976, there has not been an increased incidence of Guillain Barre syndrome related to flu shots.   Every year, people get Guillain Barre syndrome for various reasons.   You might get it from actually getting the flu.   I posted about this recently.    The risk of getting GBS from a flue shot is about one in a million.

It seems prudent for the Dept. of Public Health to conduct enhanced surveillance, but that does not mean that there will be increased cases of GBS.  But that’s what Dr. Feder asks here, and she clearly links the fear of GBS to the H1N1 vaccine.

Another concerning aspect of this vaccine is the use of dangerous ingredients. In addition to mercury and aluminum contained in many routine vaccinations, a fast tracked vaccine such as the new H1N1 will most likely contain squalene an oil-in-water adjuvant used to stimulate the immune system. Squalene is not licensed to be used in the United States, unless it is approved by the FDA in cases of a “public health emergency.”

There is no adjuvant in the US vaccines.   As for the other “dangerous ingredients,” there is thimerasol in multi-dose vials of the vaccine. Dr. Feder does not say here what the danger is, but the fear that has been instilled in people is that thimerasol causes autism.   People have a hard time letting go of this fear, but the truth is that it has not been proven. There is not a causal link between thimerasol and autism.  (I’m linking to just one blog post from Dr. Amy about this, because she discusses thimerasol specifically and very clearly, and she cites her sources. This information is available all over the place.   But for anyone who wants an easy to understand article about thimerasol, this is a great one.)

During the Gulf War many people in the military received the anthrax vaccination due to the threat of bioterrorism. Currently numerous vets are suffering from an array of severe and debilitating autoimmune diseases collectively known as Gulf War Syndrome (GWS) which is linked to the anthrax vaccine also containing squalene. According to Meryl Nass, M.D., an authority on the anthrax vaccine, “A novel feature of the two H1N1 vaccines being developed is the addition of squalene-containing adjuvants to boost immunogenicity and dramatically reduce the amount of viral antigen needed. This translates to much faster production of desired vaccine quantities.” Although Squalene may aid vaccine efficiency it can come at a cost.

I don’t want to waste too much time on this, because there isn’t any adjuvant in the US vaccines.   So I haven’t researched Gulf War Syndrome.  If anyone can enlighten me, please do.  But I’m not going to delve into this claim here, because it’s just not pertinent to a discussion of the H1N1 vaccine in the US.

On a positive note, the swine flu has been considered mild in places where winter has already occurred, Australian Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon reassured parents in July 2009 the swine flu is no more dangerous than regular seasonal flu.   “Most people, including children, will experience very mild symptoms and recover without any medical intervention,” According to pediatrician Dr. Jay Gordon, “Swine flu does not pose a realistic risk to your family: There will be millions of cases reported and rare fatalities highly publicized.”   In addition, having the flu stimulates the body to develop protective antibodies.   As human beings adapt to the new influenza virus, it will become less virulent (harmful) over time.   “By the end of September, there had been about 600 deaths in America including about 50 deaths in young children. Complications from infectious diseases like influenza are more common in people with heart, respiratory and other health problems and that is true for swine flu. (NVIC)

The main thing about H1N1 is that it kills younger people.   It has killed young and healthy people, and this is different than the seasonal flu, which usually kills the elderly.   Dr. Feder quotes Jay Gordon here, who is another anti-vax LA doctor.   And he’s just completely wrong.   Even if the flu has been mild, to predict that it’s no threat to your family, when there have been a disproportionate number of pediatric deaths, seems a little irresponsible.   It certainly is some threat.  There probably is not a reason to panic over it, but let’s face it:  there are deaths among younger people.  That’s enough of a threat for me.

Also, while having the flu stimulates the body to produce protective antibodies, getting the flu vaccine does the exact same thing, without the risk of illness.  That’s the whole point of vaccines.  The idea that natural immunity is somehow better is just mistaken.  It may be true that vaccines made from killed viruses offer a less permanent immunity than actually getting the disease, but you have to get the disease to acquire that permanent immunity.  And really, when you’re talking about flu, permanent immunity is useless anyway, since the flu will mutate every year.

In order to produce vast amounts of this vaccine in a short amount of time, clinical testing has been limited.   Not only has it been tested for a few weeks on only a few thousand healthy Americans, there is no data out on the safety for pregnant women and people with health conditions.

There is data. Here it is.   The vaccine is safe.  The “new vaccine” fear is the most prevalent among my friends and colleagues.  This vaccine is basically made the same way as the seasonal flu vaccine, which has been around for a long time.  The main difference is the viral strain.  So the vaccine isn’t really new, in that sense.

Currently there are governmental agencies such as the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program available for people who have suffered from the effects of a vaccine.   However, the swine flu vaccine is different because under federal legislation passed by Congress in 2001 any vaccine that is to be used under the Emergency Use Authorization allows companies to be protected from liability.   According to Barbara Loe Fisher of the National Vaccine Information Center, “Federal health officials are already pre-emptively warning Americans that most of the deaths and cases of brain inflammation, seizures, paralysis, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, strokes, heart attacks, miscarriages and other serious health problems that develop after swine flu vaccination will be considered a “coincidence” and not related in any way to the flu shots just given.”   In other words, you are on your own if you suffer a complication following this swine flu vaccine.

This paragraph suggests that all these terrible things are going to happen when you get a vaccine.   It’s very frightening.   But none of it is true.  Barbara Loe Fisher is a notorious anti-vaccine crusader.

And I have to wonder here that Dr. Feder is giving these vaccinations at all in her office if she believes they will lead to such catastrophic consequences.

We live in a time of vast technological advancements in medicine. We have witnessed the wonders that modern medicine has contributed to our level of health and treatment of disease.   However, success can lead to excess.  The overuse of antibiotics has led to antibiotic resistance and the advent of infections such as MRSA.   By overusing the flu vaccines and anti-flu drugs such as Tamiflu, researchers are concerned that this may cause viruses to change into more dangerous strains.

A vaccine doesn’t work like Tamiflu.  It won’t create a more resistant strain. The flu virus changes every year, and it does most of its changing in the lungs of pigs.   Correct me if I’m wrong about this, but I believe Dr. Feder is conflating concerns about Tamiflu and the vaccine.  While there might be concerns that flu medicine will create resistant strains, I’m not sure the vaccine would create the same problem.  Take for example, the smallpox vaccine.  It didn’t create a more resistant strain of smallpox.  It just eliminated smallpox.  The flu, however, mutates constantly anyway, so all a vaccine would do would prevent you from getting it one year.

I encourage you to make an informed decision in this matter for you and your family.  Whatever your decision, it is always prudent to keep your immune system strong.  Use common sense measures such as frequent hand washing, gargling with warm salt water, get ample rest and exercise, eat a healthy diet avoiding refined sugars, drink plenty of water and broths, and consider using homeopathic medicine, herbs, vitamins and supplements for boosting the immune system.

In good health,

Lauren Feder, MD

There’s the “informed choice” thing again.  Making an informed choice is just blanket good advice.  But it’s how you get informed that is the issue.  I don’t think just reading this letter from Dr. Feder is going to give you all the information you need. 

I doubt avoiding refined sugar will do much for you, but sure, wash your hands and get some rest.   That’s fairly standard advice.  I like that Dr. Feder, again very, very nice, appeals in a gentle way that we “consider” homeopathic medicine.   You can buy it on her site.   She’s not a hard sell; I’ll give her that.   Oh, except that she terrifies you into not getting the vaccine!

This Sunday, we will go and wait in line again at one of the local clinics to see if we can get our son the second dose of vaccine.  At this point, many of our friends have already gotten and recovered from a flu that was most likely H1N1.   If the vaccine doesn’t kick in fast enough, our son will get it, too.   And this doesn’t frighten me too much.   I’d just rather he not get it, since even mild colds tend to put him in the ER.

So my message to any moms reading this, who might be visiting from my mom board or anywhere else, would just be fine, get your kids the vaccine, or don’t get it.  Just understand the actual risks and benefits, and don’t be frightened by stories about 1976 or untrue claims about “dangerous” chemicals.  And I wouldn’t waste my money on homeopathic cures, either.