Bill Maher Is Still Wrong About Swine Flu Vaccine

Friday night a week ago on Real Time with Bill Maher, Bill made some strong assertions about the H1N1 vaccine without any evidence to back up his opinions. He was wrong then and he was wrong again Friday night. He reiterated his unsupported opinions on the last episode of his show for this season. Clearly, Maher is defensive on this issue. He claims he is only asking people to think about it, but that is not what he has advocated. It's quite legitimate to ask about the evidence for the importance of vaccinations. It is not as legitimate to use your "star" status to influence others, when you have no facts to share. Getting vaccinated or not is not just a personal decision, like whether or not to take vitamins or eat organic food. Flu affects your family and everyone you associate with.

So let me repeat what I wrote last weekend -- what is the evidence about the H1N1 vaccine? Here is a VERY good source about the flu. Check it out. Public health officials state that the vaccine was developed the same way flu vaccines have been developed for decades, with very few adverse effects. And, this particular flu really can be dangerous. H1N1 (which I will refer to as "swine flu", although it is different from the swine flu of the 1970s) can potentially kill many more people than other pandemic flus we have experienced.

First, let's try to separate fact from fiction.

1. Swine flu or H1N1 is a real strain of influenza, and it has killed and sickened many people around the world.

2. Ordinary flu kills thousands of people every year. One of the differences between ordinary flu and H1N1 is that the latter strain seems to affect younger people more severely.

3. The cases of H1N1 (swine flu) in the U.S. are on the rise and certain parts of the population are at more risk than others.

4. The Centers for Disease Control have recommended vaccination for certain parts of this population -- younger people, people with immune deficiency, children, and pregnant women.
Pregnant women are significantly more likely to have complications or death from swine flu, for a variety of reasons.

5. Many people question the effectiveness of vaccines in general, and there are legitimate questions that can be raised. How effective was the regular flu vaccine during the 2007-08 season? Below is some factual information about the effectiveness of vaccines.

The effectiveness of the vaccine depends in part on the match between the viruses in the vaccine and influenza viruses that are circulating in the community. If these are closely matched, vaccine effectiveness (VE) is higher. If they are not closely matched, vaccine effectiveness can be reduced. During well-matched years, clinical trials have shown VE between 70% and 90% for inactivated influenza vaccines in the prevention of serologically confirmed influenza infection among healthy adults.

6. There is a lot of fear-mongering about the dangers or effectiveness of vaccines, particularly swine flu vaccine. But if you look at the sources of this information, they come from less than credible sources. People who warn against vaccinations do so most often with very little evidence that can be corroborated. News articles and individual physician opinions are not always accurate or based on more rigorous scientific evidence.

This is where Bill Maher is absolutely wrong and actually dangerous. He is suggesting that pregnant women should not be concerned, but he has given no evidence to support his assertions other than his assertion. We are supposed to believe him because he has a show on HBO?

This flu season there will be illness and death. There always is. But if you are in a high risk group, not to be vaccinated seems like a big risk to take. However, whatever you decide, don't base it on Bill Maher. Base it on whatever good information you can get from sources you can trust. Hopefully those sources will be from physicians, clinicians and people who understand data and evidence. Not entertainers.

UPDATE: Apparently both Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh agree with Bill Maher about the dangers of swine flu vaccine. Strange bedfellows indeed.

NEW UPDATE: There is an excellent description of the whole H1N1 vaccine issue on today's Daily Kos website. If you are serious about thinking your options through, and not just someone whose mind has been made up, please read this. It is filled with thoughtful comments and facts and helps explain what the real risk are to the vaccine as well as to the flu itself. http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/10/16/794202/-Flu-Data-Shows-Concerned-Health-Officials,-Skeptical-Public

 

Comments

[MicheleCA]

"Getting vaccinated or not is not just a personal decision, like whether or not to take vitamins or eat organic food. Flu affects your family and everyone you associate with."

Ms. Bergthold making a decision on whether or not to be vaccinated is personal.

A patient has the right to refuse. Your statement is contrary to that right. No healthcare professional would mandate injection.

Our bodies, our choice.

[Linda Bergthold - Huffpost Blogger]

Please read my wording carefully. I wrote it's not "just" a personal decision. Of course it's a personal decision. But the point I was making is that this particular choice affects others in ways other decisions do not.

[VicDaring]

Wow. The discussion is thoroughly polluted by the usual suspects, emlpoying scare tactics to sperad dangerous misinformation.

I'm sure it's maddening, Dr. Bergthold, but please continue to correct them as they pop up.

Also, for those interested in actual, useful inforamtion, WebMD has excellent Flu vaccince FAQ and Flu Myths sections.

The bottom line:

1. The Flu is, and can be, quite dangerous.
2. Vaccination is your best weapon against the flu.
3. No medical procedure is 100-percent safe. But the benfits FAR outweight the risks with the H1H1 vaccine.


As always, it's important to keep and open mind. Just not so open that your brain falls out.

[Idytme]

No, if you are over about twenty years old, your best weapon against the swine flu is being healthy. That means moderate exercise, being out and about, and eating a healthy diet. If anytime we encountered an organism, it made us sick then we wouldn't even have an immune system. There are obvious exceptions, the people who conquered the Americas had all kinds of diseases (that did not kill them) that the indigenous population had no immunity to and wiped them out. But Pasteur said on his death bed that *it is not the seed but the soil*.
That is why so many dog owners who are into natural feeding and holistic health focus so much on nutrition - feeding their dogs raw meaty bones, raw veggies and offal. I had a friend, a breeder who took her dogs to not only a lot of dog shows but also got titles for her dogs in her breed's working events, who did not believe in vaccination, yet she titered her dogs and they had high titers to Parvo, distemper, etc.
Vaccination is not the only method to immunity, encountering an organism does not mean that you will get sick, getting sick isn't always a bad thing - my old vet's allergies only went away when he started getting a cold. What one has to look at is the specific disease, the specific individual - which is not easy to cover in a sound bite.

[Linda Bergthold - Huffpost Blogger]

In response to some earlier comments about what the Canadians are doing -- or not doing -- about H1N1 vaccine, today the Canadian government will announce that it is releasing the vaccine for distribution to the provinces, hopefully within the next few weeks. The deaths from H1N1 in Canada are higher than usual for this time of year, but the government had delayed the release to investigate some questions about the use of adjuvants in the vaccine. There will be NO adjuvants in the vaccine because of lingering questions about their impact on pregnant women. That also means that the vaccine may not be quite as effective, but the tradeoff is a sensible one.

Read more at http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/10/18/swineflu-vaccine.html

[Sheldon101]

Linda, the CBC story was a bit confusing. Canada is not changing what's in the vaccine. I'll top post the details very soon.

[Linda Bergthold - Huffpost Blogger]

I did not mean to imply they were changing anything in the vaccine. They delayed implementation because of questions raised, that's all.

[Linda Bergthold - Huffpost Blogger]

There have been a number of comments and questions on this post related to whether or not adjuvants like "squalene" have been added to the current H1N1 vaccine. They have NOT. The URL below explains why not, and goes further to recommend that, had there been enough time, these vaccines should have had adjuvants added to them, because adjuvants increase the efficacy of the vaccine. The tradeoff for public health officials was trying to get a reasonable amount of vaccine to market in time for the winter 2009 flu season.

Warning: this URL contains science and data and is honest about the benefits and risks of vaccines.

http://scienceblogs.com/effectmeasure/2009/09/swine_flu_vaccines_adjuvants_e.php

[amyhasopinions]

Linda, thank you for all of these links and sources to information. I'm a parent of a 12 month old girl, and I've really relied on resources from people on both sides of the issue to make my decision about vaccinating. After reading and thinking and talking with my pediatrician, we've chosen to vaccinate. There's a lot of information out there; some of it good, some of it not good, and some of it just crazy and maniacal sounding. I spent a lot of time looking for professionally written, researched information by people who were able to give me straightforward facts (pro and con) about vaccinations.

We'll most likely get the H1N1 vaccine if/when it becomes available at our pediatrician's office. I work with young children and my daughter attends a daycare (where they already have one suspected swine flu case). I love Bill's viewpoints on just about everything, but when it comes to something this personal, I really wish people would let scientists answer their questions.

Thanks again...

[Linda Bergthold - Huffpost Blogger]

I appreciate your thoughtful approach to this and think you made the right decision. If you haven't had a chance to read the Daily Kos piece I mention in my "update" above, please do. It will bolster your decision. Additional good information is available on other sites like http://www.fluwiki.info/pmwiki.php?n=Science.Science#Influenza .

[mofmars333]

PHONE CALL PROOF MANDATORY VACCINATIONS USA Part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Msdj6HL-XRw&feature=related

PHONE CALL PROOF MANDATORY VACCINATIONS USA Part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmxpgN2dRjk&feature=related

[Conk]

The author is quoting public health officials??!?! Too funny. Bill is spot on correct about vaccines. Watch the video Vaccination Nation. Watch any of the other countless, convincing videos and documentaries on YouTube or Google. It's enough to turn your stomach.

NO VACCINES!

[Independent1969]

Linda and anyone else who reads this know this much. The responsiblity does not fall on the people or anyone else to prove vaccines are dangerous are ineffective. The responsibility falls on those pushing the vaccines to prove that they are both safe and effective. Remember that. Until you can provide sufficient proof of safety and efficacy don't expect the public to believe that injecting ourselves and our kids with toxic chemical concoctions is good for us just because you are a so-called "authority" or "expert". So again, the reponsibility falls on those pushing vaccines to prove that they are safe and effective and none of you have done so. It's your product therefore it's your responsibility.

[mofmars333]

Thanks so much for that very good point, Independent.

That puts perspective where it belongs.

[speakupnow]

This is an excellent article, filled with fact, not conjecture. Many seem to be unaware that the FDA has strict regulations for safety and data on effectiveness before approving for use.

[cobaltbluedog]

seconded

[Independent1969]

lol. Good one.

[mofmars333]

Vaccination & The Hidden Truth;

http://www.informationliberation.com/?id=13924

One third of doctors do not want swine flu vaccination;

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/swine-flu/6084234/One-third-of-doctors-do-not-want-swine-flu-vaccination.html

[dugmaze]

"Apparently both Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh agree with Bill Maher about the dangers of swine flu vaccine. Strange bedfellows indeed."

Why would that be strange? Vaccine damage isn't political.

[mofmars333]

Read or scan this report but be sure to scroll down at the second link to see the important video concerning what is said to be the worst cover up in the history of the military.

It was stated when this comes out, it will make the Walter Reed scandal pale in comparison.

NBC reports on secret shots leaving many on the brink of death in the military & it was found the mystery shots were flu vaccine.

A highly praised Department of Defense Medical Officer disclosed that thousands are having severe reactions & he believes they are being used as guinea pigs in experiments.

"The ‘big lie’:

H1N1 coincidences, contradictions and conspiring"

Part 1

http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-10438-Peace-Studies-Examiner~y2009m8d27-The-big-lie-H1N1-coincidence-contradiction-and-conspiring

Part 2

http://www.examiner.com/x-10438-Peace-Studies-Examiner~y2009m8d28-The-big-lie-H1N1-coincidence-contradiction-conspiring-part-II

[mofmars333]

Hazardous Injections Rally - Atlanta. Oct 2009

"Sick and tired of all the lies about how safe the flu shot is? Tired of all the lies that there are no toxic ingredients in flu shots like mercury? Scared about the fallout from the mercury and squalene in the H1N1 shot? Moms Against Mercury, National Autism Association, and SafeMinds, invite you to join them"

http://www.momsagainstmercury.org/rally-hazardousinjectionsrally.htm

[mofmars333]

Watch this doctor try to sell flu shots, especially H1N1, saying the neurological disorder a former Washington Redskin cheerleader developed after receiving the seasonal flu shot was in her head.

The doctor in the video tries to say it had nothing to do with the shot she'd gotten ten days earlier & she tries to convince us it's psycho genetic.

This unfortunate beautiful young lady has seizures & can barely talk as you can see.

Be very careful with all flu shots, especially fast tracked H1N1, which basically is untested for safety as well as effectiveness.

Before you offer up your children or roll up your sleeve, willingly, know the odds of being one of the unlucky has better percentage in it for you than winning the lottery does.

http://www.foxnews.com/video/index.html?playerId=011008&streamingFormat=FLASH&referralObject=10731546&referralPlaylistId=949437d0db05ed5f5b9954dc049d70b0c12f2749

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/16/mandatory-flu-vaccines-fo_n_323923.html?show_comment_id=32978013#comment_32978013

[Linda Bergthold - Huffpost Blogger]

MofMars333 - you're starting to repeat yourself. Please try to comment only with new information.

[mofmars333]

It was buried so far back, I felt it important enough to repost so new people looking in don't miss it.

[dugmaze]

Did you watch the video? You would understand how important this video is if you just watch it.

Perfectly healthy cheerleader getting vaccine damaged.

Then the doctors are saying she's faking her speech loss, siezures, and neurological damage.

[Independent1969]

Is that really your greatest concern with the information being presented by MofMars333? I'd prefer you comment on this adult who came down with a neurological disorder after being vaccinated like so many other adults and children have. You say information is being spread about the dangers of vaccines from less than credible sources. Do you consider the person in the video who was damaged as less than credible also?

[manicore]

Anyone who Thinks that the Swine Flu. Vaccines are safe should ask Two questions of there Doctor..One. what is in the Vaccine and Two do they and there Own Family take them. You might be surprised at there Answer. Until then go to Youtube and type in "The Truth about Vaccines."

[Sheldon101]

You're guilty of the appeal to authority logical fallacy.. Doctors may be experts in cardiology or GI.. Family doctor is expert in family medicine stuff. None of them are experts on vaccination or viruses. Therefore what they say or do on vaccination or viruses isn't relevant. Unfortunately, on Huff-Po, you can see MDs opposed to vaccination who aren't expert enough to describe the views of both sides. I think they should be prohibited from blogging on vaccines unless they can provide proof of credentials. or they have a disclaimer saying they're not an expert and this is their personal opinion.

Salk had his kids vaccinated very early. Millions of kids took part in the great Salk vaccine trial. Parents knew half the kid got placebo, half got vaccine. That was a risk they could avoid by waiting a year for the results to come out. They didn't. Schools clamored to get in. That's how much people feared polio.

Taking a flu shot today is as risky, for serious events lasting more than a couple of days, as getting a shot of water.

[Poster99]

I find it funny and kind of fitting that Bill Maher is so eager to proclaim that "science is settled" on AGW while asking audiences to open to discussion on merits of inoculation.
He might be one of the sharpest comedians around but he should leave science alone.