Did Flu Shot Cause Cheerleader's Rare Nerve Damage?

Opposing Views, Inc. ^ | 10-22-09

[kingattax]

A sad story out of Virginia, where a 25-year-old woman, who was training to be a Washington Redskins cheerleader, has come down with a rare neurological disorder days after receiving a seasonal flu vaccination. Now she can hardly walk forward without severe contortions or speak normally. But amazingly, she can walk backwards, run forward and speak just fine as long as she's running.

The question is, did the flu shot cause this? Watch the story from Inside Edition:

VIDEO AT LINK

[stumptalker]

I saw this woman on the tube. Whatever hit her it set in fast. Apparently, their is nothing they can do for her and she is really messed up. She just got married 2 years. This
sure is no hot coffee in the lap lawsuit, if she can legally sue at all.

[Caesar Soze]

Just for fun, I downloaded the 2008 VAERS dataset and searched it for cases of dystonia. (Dystonia is the diagnosis I've usually seen attached to this case.)

1. First case was post-Gardasil, but eventually tracked to an infection. Possibly occurred during deployment, and the patient didn't get treatment in time.
3. Second case followed a hepatitis vaccination. Diagnosed as Bell's palsy.
4. Third was a consumer report, concerning Pneumovax. Apparently the patient had pneumonia and was on a host of other medications, including valium and botox. He got better within a couple of days of the vaccination.
5. Flu vaccine, yay. This patient was also on antidepressants, so the doctors kept her overnight, decided it was pseudoseizures when she was better in the morning, adjusted her meds, and sent her home.

So, there you go. Given an entire year's worth of raw data, we see there is only one case of dystonia associated with the flu vaccine--and that was probably a psychological problem.

CDC studied flu vaccination coverage in 19 selected states for the 2008-2009 season. That's not an exact match for the VAERS reporting period, but it's close enough for generalizations. CDC found that about a third of people had been vaccinated. Extrapolating from that, we can guess there were maybe 100 million people vaccinated against the flu in the United States per flu season. Of those 100 million, only one--maybe--suffered dystonia. And she got better.

So, I'm not really worried about dystonia as a result of a flu vaccine. Guillain-Barre is a real (albeit very small) danger, this thing probably is not.

[Doc Savage]

I’m not sure if you’re referring to 6000 iu of Vitamin D, but just so you know, it’s a fat-soluble vitamin and taking large quantities can have many adverse organ effects. You should check with a doctor before taking large amounts of any vitamin.

As for the flu shots, they can be either attenuated or killed. The adjuvants included can cause reactions. G-B syndrome does occur. Frankly, natural immunity is best, but then you will have to go through the flu. I’m opting against this year. I think it’s been blown out of proportion by the Communist government we have and their willing slaves in the state-run media!

[Doc Savage]

Dystonia is a vague general term.

[Bronzy]

Does this help?
by Ingredient:
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/downloads/appendices/B/excipient-table-1.pdf

by Vaccine:
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/downloads/appendices/B/excipient-table-1.pdf

[TaxRelief]

No flu vaccines in the US are coming from China. These are the approved manufacturers:

Sanofi Pasteur
Novartis
CSL Limited
MedImmune (mist)
GlaxoSmithkline

[Bronzy]

Correction for one page:

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/downloads/appendices/B/excipient-table-2.pdf

[little jeremiah]

I have a very poor immune system, have for years. So I don’t get vaxes, and try my best to stay away from people who might be sick, or groups of people, during flu season.

I feel really junk right now - turns out a friend I picked apples with the other day may be sick.

[little jeremiah]

I should have started taking vit D. I just hate taking vitamins since they’re almost all made in China. Among other reasons.

Do you know where yours are made? The actual ingredients?

[little jeremiah]

Looks as though they might be, but I get a little window that says “A drawing error occured” and then no data - just an empty page.

[little jeremiah]

There we go.

[Scythian]

This is what I take, it's fish oil based ...

[little jeremiah]

Thanks. A few years ago I did hours of reserach into vitamins and found that about 95% of the basic ingredients were manufacture in China, regardless of what the label says. Do you know where the ings for yours are from? I think it was about 2 1/2 years ago.

I just don’t trust anything from China, if you know what I mean. Not that it’s all bad. Even if they are from China, the ones you take may be safe. I just like to know.

[Telepathic Intruder]

If you say I’ll trust my own imune system

[Principle Over Politics]

My wife got a flu shot a few days ago and they assured her there was no mercury in the formula.

[airborne]

My wife got a flu shot a few days ago and they assured her there was no mercury in the formula.

Not to seem like a wise guy, but who is "they", and is it at all possible that "they" were saying that to make your wife feel better about getting the shot, without actually knowing for certain?

[verity]

Lotsa ********* jumping on the fear mongering bandwagon.

[airborne]

You need to weigh the risks and benefits of any drug or procedure you have done.

Exactly!

That being said, I have never gotten the flu shot. I don't volunteer to have needles stuck in me! My Dr. has to tell me to!

[little jeremiah]

From everything I’ve read, the single dose vials don’t usually have thimerosol - mercury - since it is a preservative. The multiple dose vials always do. So she can check and see or ask (maybe she saw?) if it was a single or multiple dose vial.

[little jeremiah]

THey’re supposed to offer both kinds but the situation being totally bolluxed up that’s probably not going to happen.