from Belgium - influenza vaccine fails
Posted: Sat Feb 16, 2013 3:49 am
Most interesting experience with influenza vaccine in Belgium !
Kris Gaublomme, MD
Influenza vaccine fails completely
Source: Artsenkrant, February 12, 2013 page 2
After some Cochrane publications proved influenza vaccination is not
evidence based, except perhaps in COPD patients, a recent experience
proved the complete failure of the vaccine in the field.
In a residential care centre in Vilvoorde, Belgium, between mid
January and mid February 2013, 48 people fell ill with influenza. All
of them had been vaccinated. Subsequently, the cafetaria was closed,
and residents were served in their rooms. Yet, the number of ill
people kept growing until 48 were affected, and 6 of them needed to
be hospitalised.
Because of concern about this situation, the national influenza
Commissionar Van Ranst was contacted. First they checked whether the
patients had been vaccinated. This was the case with no exception.
Then the virus responsible for the epidemic was identified because it
was expected that it was not present in the vaccine used. But the
influenza A H3N2 virus which was isolated was indeed present in the
vaccine used.
Conclusion: full coverage with a perfectly matching vaccine did not
offer any protection !
Being asked about the reasons for this failure, the commissionar
blamed the personel and the nurses for not being fully vaccinated,
and also the visitors were held responsible for the epidemic.
Complete nonsense, of course, because a) vaccinated persons are
supposed to be protected against the disease anyway, and b) even
vaccinated individuals can spread the infection, since vaccination
does not offer mucosal protection and, hence, does not prevent
droplet infection.
Kris Gaublomme, MD
Kris Gaublomme, MD
Influenza vaccine fails completely
Source: Artsenkrant, February 12, 2013 page 2
After some Cochrane publications proved influenza vaccination is not
evidence based, except perhaps in COPD patients, a recent experience
proved the complete failure of the vaccine in the field.
In a residential care centre in Vilvoorde, Belgium, between mid
January and mid February 2013, 48 people fell ill with influenza. All
of them had been vaccinated. Subsequently, the cafetaria was closed,
and residents were served in their rooms. Yet, the number of ill
people kept growing until 48 were affected, and 6 of them needed to
be hospitalised.
Because of concern about this situation, the national influenza
Commissionar Van Ranst was contacted. First they checked whether the
patients had been vaccinated. This was the case with no exception.
Then the virus responsible for the epidemic was identified because it
was expected that it was not present in the vaccine used. But the
influenza A H3N2 virus which was isolated was indeed present in the
vaccine used.
Conclusion: full coverage with a perfectly matching vaccine did not
offer any protection !
Being asked about the reasons for this failure, the commissionar
blamed the personel and the nurses for not being fully vaccinated,
and also the visitors were held responsible for the epidemic.
Complete nonsense, of course, because a) vaccinated persons are
supposed to be protected against the disease anyway, and b) even
vaccinated individuals can spread the infection, since vaccination
does not offer mucosal protection and, hence, does not prevent
droplet infection.
Kris Gaublomme, MD