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How flu vaccine caused narcolepsy.... autoimmune disease

Firestormm

Senior Member
Messages
5,055
Location
Cornwall England
Yup. But why is it still a numbers game? Why do we have to gamble and play the odds when scientific research could hold the answers if anyone cared to look?

Time and cost I suppose. And the desire to save lives. I would imagine the early vaccines had far more serious side-effects than those that are produced these days - though I can't prove it of course. Hard quantifying risks such as side-effects even of pharmaceutical medication.

They list just about everything on a pill packet, including the very symptoms you are trying to escape. It can seem a hard choice, can't it? I have had the flu vaccine in recent years, I didn't this year because I forgot and was lazy, or too busy - I forget which.

But if you believe your ME was triggered by a vaccine it must be a hard decision to have further vaccines and there is a lot of fear being attached to them in general - also a lot of nonsense I think - if you choose to seek it out.

If I had kids of my own, I would have them vaccinated, no question. I think childhood vaccinations are very important. But the flu vaccine remains one considered only necessary for 'at risk' groups:

Flu jab for people with medical conditions
The injected flu vaccine is offered free of charge on the NHS to anyone with a serious long term health condition. That includes these types of illnesses:

This list of conditions isn't definitive. It's always an issue of clinical judgement. Your GP can assess you individually to take into account your risk of flu exacerbating any underlying illness you may have, as well as your risk of serious illness from flu itself. The vaccine should always be offered in such cases, even if you are not technically in one of the risk groups above.

If you live with someone who has a weakened immune system, you may also be advised to have a flu vaccine. Speak to your GP about this.

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/pages/who-should-have-flu-vaccine.aspx

About this year's flu jab: http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/pages/flu-influenza-vaccine.aspx
 

natasa778

Senior Member
Messages
1,774
Yup. But why is it still a numbers game? Why do we have to gamble and play the odds when scientific research could hold the answers if anyone cared to look?

Could be something to do with the industry being worth many billions of dollars annually. Lack of stringent legal requirements coupled with no financial responsibility should things go wrong equals blanket license to print money.
 

MeSci

ME/CFS since 1995; activity level 6?
Messages
8,231
Location
Cornwall, UK
But as can be seen here, and despite the low prevalence or risk, they didn't check hard enough and the marketed benefits for a vaccine seen as desperately needed at the time - exceeded any concerns.

or they just decided not to publish any findings of adverse effects, which is common and a reason for the 'AllTrials' campaign.

I frequently see pieces in Physician's First Watch about the inefficacy of some flu vaccines too.
 

Snow Leopard

Hibernating
Messages
5,902
Location
South Australia
Funny how some are now desperate to slap this genetic 'disclaimer' onto findings and blame the victims. I predicted this a while ago...

Agreed. It is more non-science. It's unexplained, but lets call it 'genetic' anyway so that people don't get worried about the fact that they have no control as to whether they'll get sick from the vaccine or not.

It should not be considered genetic unless gene associations have been found with very high specificity.

But if you believe your ME was triggered by a vaccine it must be a hard decision to have further vaccines and there is a lot of fear being attached to them in general - also a lot of nonsense I think - if you choose to seek it out.

To put my personal experience out there: I know my case was caused by a vaccine as I had continuous symptoms (swollen glands, had trouble eating/swallowing) for a few weeks straight after a vaccination, then came full-blown ME (I couldn't walk) which developed over about 3 days.

Several doctors were worried, I was investigated for Guillain Barre syndrome after a few months (waiting list), but they lost interest when I tested normal on the neurological functioning tests.

Luck of the draw? Who knows. I think it just triggered ME in the same way that a virus does. But it certainly makes me weary of vaccines.
 
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Firestormm

Senior Member
Messages
5,055
Location
Cornwall England
@Snow Leopard thanks for that. What was the vaccine you received - if you don't mind my asking - and would your experience stop you having other vaccines? If not, then I wonder under what circumstances you might be persuaded to have one?

I know vaccinations - and there seems to be quite a few different ones but some of distinct note e.g. hepititus B I think - have been grouped as possible triggers for ME. In relation to Hep B and ME I am fairly sure they even did a study, though I can't for the life of me remember what the nature of it was (or the results). I do know that Dr Shepherd has a particular interest in vaccines as triggers should you ever what to tap his brain over such things.