By now most of us are inured to the sight of long articles and multiple websites pointing out the inadequacies, perceived and real, of allopathic ('normal' medicine) treatments.
This is both good - and bad. It's good because it is testament to a healthy scepticism along with the power to probe the meanings behind the hype we hear in the advertising some drug companies foist upon us. It's bad because healthy scepticism, when taken too far, can 'inhabit us' - meaning we turn our backs on some pretty amazing advances just us we want to be right - or righteous.
Here at ION LIFE we've been subject to rapacious and apparently scientific scrutiny from one competitive company over the years and I'm guessing that without the sustained negative campaign this company waged against us, there would be thousands more people in Australia enjoying the health benefits of our ION LIFE water. But on the other hand, perhaps we are all the stronger because we did investigate fully every claim thrown at us and we can still hold our heads high and look our customers in the eye.
So when I read the report in the Australian newspaper about rates of side effects from the cervical cancer vaccine, I decided that it was time to lay to rest any fears I may have had about yet another unproven new cancer modality.
The Australian reported a study in the British Medical Journal that checked 380,000 doses given in 2007 to young girls in South Australia and Victoria. Of those, 35 girls experienced a 'suspected' reaction. Of these, 25 thought it important enough to agree to further testing. Of these THREE had probable allergic hypersensitivity to the vaccine.
Now let's compare this with what is already known about allergic reactions and vaccines. Another study showed that if we were to inject 80% of all girls in the US who were eligible for the cervical cancer vaccine with saline rather than the real thing, we'd still get 3 per 100,000 needing emergency hospital care for asthmatic or allergic reactions.
So 25 allergic reactions out of 380,000 vaccinations seems a very, very small 'price' to pay for cervical cancer protection for a whole generation of kids. Especially when (if my maths are correct) we'd get three times the reaction from a pure saline placebo!
What do you think?
2 comments:
Vaccination ,I believe is a serious issue, that warrants careful scrutiny. There is enormous pressure applied to parents to have their young ones vaccinated and many find it hard to resist this pressure. And now this, young women being targeted for this new wonder product. Can I suggest that people considering this or any other vaccination process, be prepared to view the other side of the story.There are numerous arguments against vaccination worthy of consideration. One of these may be found on Robert Kennedy Jnr. website. A disturbing report on a widely distributed vaccination called Thimerosal. All is not as it seems, be prepared to consider that your best interests may not be the primary driving force behind new medical wonders.Drug companies are big business.
Additionally there are people who have written extensively on vaccination who have differing views to the so called norm.Please google Isaac Golden and start your own research.
Hi, Alan, I agree that vaccination warrants careful scrutiny. We have a 28-year old strapping young son as proof that a no-vacc policy works. But I am at a loss - or incapable of - being able to sufficiently scrutinize the vaccination argument on a vaccine-by-vaccine basis, which alone would take me to realms I truly cannot understand. At the same time I remain healthily skeptical of many anti-vacc activists when i look at the lives they lead and the sacrifices they ask their loved ones to make for their cause.
I feel that we have gne way beyond the time when we could competently decide based on available evidence, simply because there is too much 'available evidence', most of it requiring rigorous substantiation, on the net.
So when I see good news about one vaccine and report it, my reporting has nil to do with my attitude to or judgment of other vaccines.
Thank you, Alan, for your erstwhile comments,
Ian
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