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Flu Shot
Unable to Combat Virus Strain
The above headline is from a December 15th
2003 Associated Press story that appeared in newspapers across the
country. The story reports that the strain of virus that is currently
running around the US is not the same one the flu vaccine was created
for. There are many who dispute the reasoning behind using vaccinations
for the flu or other diseases in the first place. However, these concerns
are from those who actually created the flu vaccine itself.
The story notes that the
flu virus mutates constantly. Each year the virus that causes flu is
different than the year before. The Food and Drug Administration, with the
help of its expert committee, must decide in late winter what varieties
will be the biggest threats in the upcoming year. The story admits that
picking the best combination is a mixture of science, luck and
seat-of-the-pants instinct. Dr. Michael Decker, head of scientific affairs
at Aventis, one of the three U.S. vaccine makers describes the creation of
flu vaccines by saying: "By the time you know what's the right strain, you
can't do anything about it." Dr. Theodore Eickhoff of the University of
Colorado added,
"For the first time in many years of participating in these deliberations,
I must add I am very uncomfortable with the recommendation."
Barbara Loe Fisher, president, National
Vaccine Information Center (NVIC), stated: "Public
health officials knew last spring that it was highly likely that the
A/Panama strain in the current vaccine was not going to protect against
the mutated, more dangerous A/Fujian strain of flu. If there is solid new
evidence that the vaccine is protective against Fujian, then it should be
released. If there is no such evidence, then it is not right to lead
people to believe that if they get vaccinated now, they will be protected
against it." Fisher, who was the consumer voting member of the FDA
Advisory Committee, abstained from the strain selection vote on March 18,
saying "I feel uncomfortable voting for inclusion of an A/Panama-like
virus, when what may really be needed is an A/Fujian-like virus. So I am
going to abstain and urge that the public be informed that next year's flu
vaccine may not be protective against an emerging strain."
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