Prevnar Vaccination

The New Pneumonia Jab

PREVNAR VACCINE (FOR PNEUMONIA AND PNEUMOCOCCAL MENINGITIS)

This vaccine is for use against pneumonia and pneumococcal Meningitis and has previously been in use in the United States.

THE DISEASE

The annual incidence for pneumonia in the US is approximately 10 cases per 100,000 people. Incidence for pneumococcal meningitis in young children is approximately 7 cases per 100,000. The death rate for the diseases is 8%, with 25% suffering neurological problems (the data sheet failed to say whether this was permanent or temporary). (1).

WHAT ARE THE RISK FACTORS FOR THE DISEASE?

Children who aren’t breast fed get more pneumonia and meningitis. Bottle sharing also heightens the risk. Those in organised day care centres are at greater risk, those with a history of middle ear infections and those with a history of prior antibiotic use. It should be noted there are antibiotics in vaccines.

The reason for introducing vaccination is that children are now becoming resistant to antibiotics. (1).

WAYS TO PROTECT YOUR CHILD FROM PNEUMONIA

1. Breast feed! (see ‘Breast Milk: A Natural Immunisation’, from VAN UK shop, www.vaccine-info.org, or right here at Novel Book Shop).
2. If giving your baby bottles of juice, DON’T share them round with other babies or let your baby drink from another baby’s bottle.
3. Sterilise any soothers/dummies used.
4. Don’t share plates of food, knifes, forks, spoons etc
5. Avoid antibiotics except in the case of life-threatening emergency.
6. If your child has suffered from ear infections, strengthen his immune system with vitamin supplementation, breast milk, a healthy whole grain diet and homeopathic treatment instead of repeated antibiotic use.
7. Avoid day care facilities. If you work, pick a childminder instead as there will be less children in a more homely environment, which lessens the risk of pneumonia.

THE VACCINE – COMPOSITION:

Ingredients of the vaccine are: Streptococcus pneumoniae, diphtheria CRM protein, casamino acids, yeast extract, ammonium sulphate, aluminium.

SCHEDULE: It is intended to be given in 5 doses, at 2 months, 3 months, 4 months, 12 months and 13 months.

SIDE-EFFECTS:

50% of recipients will get redness and soreness at the injection site, 21% get a fever (over 100.3 F), chills, general malaise, irritability, drowsiness, decreased appetite, arthritis. 1 in 10,000 cases involves a serious reaction including trouble breathing, hives, having a fast heartbeat and becoming dizzy. Seizures also occurred in 1 in 10,000 – almost all seizures occurred within 4 days of vaccination. (2 and 3).

According to the manufacturer, Wyeth, the following reactions may also occur:
Vomiting, diarrhoea, injection site redness, fever over 38 Degrees C, drowsiness, irritability, swelling interfering with movement, seizures, hypotonic hyperesponsive episode, dermatitis, face oedema, angioneurotic oedema, dyspnoea, bronchospasm, anaphylactic shock.
As with other aluminium-containing vaccines, a nodule may occasionally be palpable at the injection site for several weeks
As the rate for pneumonia is 10 in 100,000 and the rate for serious vaccine side-effects is 1 in 10,000, this makes the risk from the vaccine the same, if not more, than the risk from the disease.

SAFETY TRIAL
Of the 17,066 children involved in the Prevnar safety trial, there were 24 hospitalisations, including 2 cases of pneumonia and 1 case of otitis media (the very things they are supposed to be immunising against) and 1 case of congestive heart failure. In addition to this there were also 162 visits to the emergency room department including 20 cases of seizure, 15 cases of otitis media, 6 cases of pneumonia and 1 case of sepsis.
12 cases of SIDS death also occurred in subjects receiving Prevnar and 1 SIDS like death in a child over 1 year old. This included 1 death within 1 week of vaccination, 2 deaths 2 weeks after vaccination, 2 deaths one month after vaccination and 4 deaths in the year following vaccination. (4).
There have also been 217 DEATHS reported to Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System in the US since 2000.
E.G. VAERS case number 167703 states: ‘Information has been received from an investigator regarding a 3 month old female who received her first dose of Prevnar as part of a post-marketing safety surveillance trial. At 39 days, post vax, the infant died due to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.’ (5).

CONTRAINDICATIONS (people who should not receive the vaccine)

Hypersensitivity to any part of the vaccine
Illness with fever
Seizure disorder
Latex allergy (since the vaccine is packaged in latex)
Thrombocytopenia or any coagulation disorder
Adults – especially pregnant and lactating women

Prevnar has not been evaluated for any carcinogenic or mutagenic potential, or impairment of fertility (i.e. they don’t know if it causes cancer, mutates into other illnesses or impairs people’s ability to have children). (4).

SOURCES:
1. National Network For Immunization Information, a PRO-vaccine organisation.
2. NTW Information Series – Health Information Leaflet.
3. Walgreen’s Pharmacy.com
4. Wyeth Lederle Vaccine Manufacturer’s Data Sheet for Prevnar vaccine – Lederle Laboratories.
5. Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, Database.


By Joanna Karpasea-Jones.