Doctors insist that DPT vaccines, including the 6-in-1 used in the UK, are "entirely safe". Many doctors throughout the world want vaccination to become compulsory, and questioning the safety of vaccines is said to be false news, misinformation, and dangerous. So is there any evidence that this vaccine is unsafe, and if so, where can parents find it?
The 6-in-1 vaccine is given to very young babies 3 times, at 8 weeks, 12 weeks and 16 weeks old. It is supposed to protect them from diphtheria, hepatitis B, Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b), polio,
tetanus and whooping cough (pertussis).
The amazing fact is that the serious harm that can be caused by vaccines, including DPT vaccines, can be found in conventional medical literature. Indeed, it can be found in the patient information leaflets that come with the vaccine itself - but which doctors rarely show to parents.
So check it out for yourself! First go to the NHS website. This page tells us about the 6-in-1 vaccine, Infanrix Hexa, and confirms that it is safe.
"The 6-in-1 vaccine is very safe. It's killed (inactivated), which means it doesn't contain any live organisms, so there's no risk of your baby getting the diseases it protects against from the vaccination. The vaccine also has few side effects, although it's common for babies to be a little irritable afterwards. They may also have short-lived redness, swelling and a small bump at the injection site."
This is the message that conventional medical doctors usually give us, and left at this it might appear that 'anti-vaxxers' such as myself are trying to mislead you. But read on. It provides a link to this page, headed 6-in-1 side effects. This gives the 'common' reactions to the vaccine as follows:
Then they talk of the 'Rare' side effects' of the 6-in-1 vaccine (reported, they say, in fewer than 1 in 10,000 babies) which include:
The reporting of side effects
Many studies have calculated that only 10% of drug (and vaccine) side effects are ever reported. I wrote about this in this blog. This means that 90% are not reported, so these 'rare' side effects are not 1 in 10,000 but 1 in 1,000. Some studies indicate that 10% is an under-estimate, that a more accurate figure might be 1%, that 99% of these 'rare' side effects remain unrecorded. This would mean that they happen in 1 in 100 vaccinated children.
Allergy
The NHS then report that "very rarely" a baby may have a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) after the 6 in 1 vaccine, but this happens in fewer than 1 in 100,000 cases (or is this 1 in 10,000, or 1 in 1,000 cases. And if the vaccine causes anaphylaxis, what about allergy?
But parents are reassured by the NHS who states that this "can happen with any vaccine" (is this really reassuring?), and that although anaphylaxis "is a serious medical condition", all vaccination staff are "trained to deal with anaphylactic reactions on the spot, and babies recover completely with prompt treatment".
Now, go back to the first NHS page, referred to above. There was no mention here of high fever, fits, seizures, allergy, anaphylaxis! The vaccine is described as 'very safe'. Of course, 'safety' depends on the amount of risk that we, as parents, are prepared to take with our babies health!
But we need to go on. There is a link from the first NHS page to the 'Patient Information Leaflet' (PIL) that comes with the 6-in-1 vaccine. Most parents don't get to the second page, leave alone reading this PIL. And doctors rarely show parents the PIL before vaccinating their babies!
Now remember that these PILs only give information that has been proven, beyond doubt. Anything else, anything that is denied, is not mentioned in these documents, produced by the pharmaceutical companies themselves. But the 6-in-1 PIL takes our knowledge of the dangers of the vaccines to a new level. First, there is a list of 'warnings' and 'precautions', and what follows is taken directly from the PIL.
Infanrix hexa should not be given:
• if your child is allergic to:
- Infanrix hexa or any of the ingredients of this vaccine (listed in section 6).
- formaldehyde.
- neomycin or polymyxin (antibiotics).
Signs of an allergic reaction may include itchy skin, rash, shortness of breath and swelling of the face or tongue.
• if your child has had an allergic reaction to any vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B, polio or Haemophilus influenzae type b.
• if your child has had problems of the nervous system within 7 days after previous vaccination with a vaccine against whooping cough
• if your child has a severe infection with a high temperature (over 38°C).
A minor infection such as a cold should not be a problem, but talk to your doctor first.
Infanrix hexa should not be given if any of the above apply to your child. If you are not sure, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before your child is given Infanrix hexa.
Warnings and precautions
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before your child is given Infanrix hexa:
• if after previously having Infanrix hexa or another vaccine against whooping cough, your child had any problems, especially:
- a high temperature (over 40°C) within 48 hours of vaccination
- a collapse or “shock-like” state within 48 hours of vaccination
- persistent crying lasting 3 hours or more within 48 hours of vaccination
- fits with or without a high temperature within 3 days of vaccination
• if your child has an undiagnosed or progressive disease of the brain or epilepsy which is not controlled. After control of the disease the vaccine can be given.
• if your child has a bleeding problem or bruises easily
• if your child tends to have fits when they have a fever, or if there is a history of this in the family.
• if your child should become unresponsive or experience seizures (fits) after the vaccination, please contact your doctor immediately. See also section 4 Possible side effects.
• if your baby was born very prematurely (at or before 28 weeks of gestation) longer gaps than normal between breaths may occur for 2-3 days after vaccination. These babies may require respiratory monitoring for 48-72h following the administration of the first two or three doses of Infanrix hexa.
If any of the above apply to your child (or you are not sure), talk to your doctor or pharmacist before your child is given Infanrix hexa.
Other medicines and Infanrix hexa
Your doctor may ask you to give your child a medicine that lowers fever (such as paracetamol) before or immediately after Infanrix hexa is given. This can help to lower some of the side effects (febrile reactions) of Infanrix hexa.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if your child is taking, has recently taken, might take any other medicines or has recently received any other vaccine.
Infanrix hexa contains neomycin and polymyxin
This vaccine contains neomycin and polymyxin (antibiotics). Tell your doctor if your child has had an allergic reaction to these ingredients.
NOTE
* THESE ARE JUST THE PRECAUTIONARY WARNINGS!
* HOW OFTEN DO DOCTORS, OR NURSES DOING THE VACCINATION, CHECK ON ANY OF THIS BEFORE VACCINATING CHILDREN?
* BUT NOW FOR THE SIDE EFFECTS......
Possible side effects
Like all medicines, this vaccine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them. The following side effects may happen with this vaccine:
Allergic reactions
If your child has an allergic reaction, see your doctor straight away. The signs may include:
• rashes that may be itchy or blistering
• swelling of the eyes and face
• difficulty in breathing or swallowing
• a sudden drop in blood pressure and loss of consciousness.
These signs usually start very soon after the injection has been given. Talk to a doctor straight away if they happen after leaving the doctor’s surgery.
See your doctor straight away if your child has any of the following serious side effects:
• collapse
• times when they lose consciousness or have a lack of awareness
• fits – this may be when they have a fever
These side effects have happened very rarely with Infanrix hexa as with other vaccines against whooping cough. They usually happen within 2 to 3 days after vaccination.
Other side effects include:
Very common (these may occur with more than 1 in 10 doses of the vaccine): feeling tired, loss of appetite, high temperature of 38°C or higher, swelling, pain, redness where the injection site was given, unusual crying, feeling irritable or restless.
Common (these may occur with up to 1 in 10 doses of the vaccine): diarrhoea, being sick (vomiting), high temperature of more than 39.5°C, swelling larger than 5 cm or hard lump where the injection was given, feeling nervous.
Uncommon (these may occur with up to 1 in 100 doses of the vaccine): upper respiratory tract infection, feeling sleepy, cough, large swelling at the injected limb.
Rare (these may occur with up to 1 in 1,000 doses of the vaccine): bronchitis, rash, swollen glands in the neck, armpit or groin (lymphadenopathy), bleeding or bruising more easily than normal (thrombocytopenia), in babies born very prematurely (at or before 28 weeks of gestation) longer gaps than normal between breaths may occur for 2-3 days after vaccination, temporarily stopping breathing (apnoea), swelling of the face, lips, mouth, tongue or throat which may cause difficulty in swallowing or breathing (angioedema), swelling of the whole injected limb, blisters.
Very rare (these may happen with up to 1 in 10,000 doses of the vaccine): itching (dermatitis).
Experience with hepatitis B vaccine
In extremely rare cases the following side effects have been reported with hepatitis B vaccine: paralysis, numbness or weakness of the arms and legs (neuropathy), inflammation of some nerves, possibly with pins and needles or loss of feeling or normal movement (Guillain-Barré syndrome), swelling or infection of the brain (encephalopathy, encephalitis), infection around the brain (meningitis).
The causal relationship to the vaccine has not been established.
Bleeding or bruising more easily than normal (thrombocytopenia) has been reported with hepatitis B vaccines.
SO, TO QUOTE THE NHS WEBPAGE AGAIN (which is the information most doctors routinely give us), the 6-in-1 vaccines "is very safe". Do you agree? Given the information provided by the PIL, is this an accurate or honest description? Or is it deceptive? Dishonest?
Safety, perhaps, is in the eyes of the beholder! Perhaps it is an acceptable risk in the all-too-dangerous world of conventional medicine. But would most parents, who were given this information, and in a position to make an informed choice, take these risks with their young babies?
REMEMBER, THIS INFORMATION IS NOT MINE. IT COMES FROM THE UK'S NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE.
The 6-in-1 vaccine is given to very young babies 3 times, at 8 weeks, 12 weeks and 16 weeks old. It is supposed to protect them from diphtheria, hepatitis B, Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b), polio,
tetanus and whooping cough (pertussis).
So check it out for yourself! First go to the NHS website. This page tells us about the 6-in-1 vaccine, Infanrix Hexa, and confirms that it is safe.
"The 6-in-1 vaccine is very safe. It's killed (inactivated), which means it doesn't contain any live organisms, so there's no risk of your baby getting the diseases it protects against from the vaccination. The vaccine also has few side effects, although it's common for babies to be a little irritable afterwards. They may also have short-lived redness, swelling and a small bump at the injection site."
This is the message that conventional medical doctors usually give us, and left at this it might appear that 'anti-vaxxers' such as myself are trying to mislead you. But read on. It provides a link to this page, headed 6-in-1 side effects. This gives the 'common' reactions to the vaccine as follows:
- pain, redness and swelling at the injection site
- fever
- vomiting
- abnormal crying
- irritability
- loss of appetite
They say that these reported side effects happen in 1 in 10 babies.
Then they talk of the 'Rare' side effects' of the 6-in-1 vaccine (reported, they say, in fewer than 1 in 10,000 babies) which include:
- high fever
- fit
- seizures.
The reporting of side effects
Many studies have calculated that only 10% of drug (and vaccine) side effects are ever reported. I wrote about this in this blog. This means that 90% are not reported, so these 'rare' side effects are not 1 in 10,000 but 1 in 1,000. Some studies indicate that 10% is an under-estimate, that a more accurate figure might be 1%, that 99% of these 'rare' side effects remain unrecorded. This would mean that they happen in 1 in 100 vaccinated children.
Allergy
The NHS then report that "very rarely" a baby may have a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) after the 6 in 1 vaccine, but this happens in fewer than 1 in 100,000 cases (or is this 1 in 10,000, or 1 in 1,000 cases. And if the vaccine causes anaphylaxis, what about allergy?
But parents are reassured by the NHS who states that this "can happen with any vaccine" (is this really reassuring?), and that although anaphylaxis "is a serious medical condition", all vaccination staff are "trained to deal with anaphylactic reactions on the spot, and babies recover completely with prompt treatment".
Now, go back to the first NHS page, referred to above. There was no mention here of high fever, fits, seizures, allergy, anaphylaxis! The vaccine is described as 'very safe'. Of course, 'safety' depends on the amount of risk that we, as parents, are prepared to take with our babies health!
But we need to go on. There is a link from the first NHS page to the 'Patient Information Leaflet' (PIL) that comes with the 6-in-1 vaccine. Most parents don't get to the second page, leave alone reading this PIL. And doctors rarely show parents the PIL before vaccinating their babies!
Now remember that these PILs only give information that has been proven, beyond doubt. Anything else, anything that is denied, is not mentioned in these documents, produced by the pharmaceutical companies themselves. But the 6-in-1 PIL takes our knowledge of the dangers of the vaccines to a new level. First, there is a list of 'warnings' and 'precautions', and what follows is taken directly from the PIL.
Infanrix hexa should not be given:
• if your child is allergic to:
- Infanrix hexa or any of the ingredients of this vaccine (listed in section 6).
- formaldehyde.
- neomycin or polymyxin (antibiotics).
Signs of an allergic reaction may include itchy skin, rash, shortness of breath and swelling of the face or tongue.
• if your child has had an allergic reaction to any vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B, polio or Haemophilus influenzae type b.
• if your child has had problems of the nervous system within 7 days after previous vaccination with a vaccine against whooping cough
• if your child has a severe infection with a high temperature (over 38°C).
A minor infection such as a cold should not be a problem, but talk to your doctor first.
Infanrix hexa should not be given if any of the above apply to your child. If you are not sure, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before your child is given Infanrix hexa.
Warnings and precautions
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before your child is given Infanrix hexa:
• if after previously having Infanrix hexa or another vaccine against whooping cough, your child had any problems, especially:
- a high temperature (over 40°C) within 48 hours of vaccination
- a collapse or “shock-like” state within 48 hours of vaccination
- persistent crying lasting 3 hours or more within 48 hours of vaccination
- fits with or without a high temperature within 3 days of vaccination
• if your child has an undiagnosed or progressive disease of the brain or epilepsy which is not controlled. After control of the disease the vaccine can be given.
• if your child has a bleeding problem or bruises easily
• if your child tends to have fits when they have a fever, or if there is a history of this in the family.
• if your child should become unresponsive or experience seizures (fits) after the vaccination, please contact your doctor immediately. See also section 4 Possible side effects.
• if your baby was born very prematurely (at or before 28 weeks of gestation) longer gaps than normal between breaths may occur for 2-3 days after vaccination. These babies may require respiratory monitoring for 48-72h following the administration of the first two or three doses of Infanrix hexa.
If any of the above apply to your child (or you are not sure), talk to your doctor or pharmacist before your child is given Infanrix hexa.
Other medicines and Infanrix hexa
Your doctor may ask you to give your child a medicine that lowers fever (such as paracetamol) before or immediately after Infanrix hexa is given. This can help to lower some of the side effects (febrile reactions) of Infanrix hexa.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if your child is taking, has recently taken, might take any other medicines or has recently received any other vaccine.
Infanrix hexa contains neomycin and polymyxin
This vaccine contains neomycin and polymyxin (antibiotics). Tell your doctor if your child has had an allergic reaction to these ingredients.
NOTE
* THESE ARE JUST THE PRECAUTIONARY WARNINGS!
* HOW OFTEN DO DOCTORS, OR NURSES DOING THE VACCINATION, CHECK ON ANY OF THIS BEFORE VACCINATING CHILDREN?
* BUT NOW FOR THE SIDE EFFECTS......
Possible side effects
Like all medicines, this vaccine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them. The following side effects may happen with this vaccine:
Allergic reactions
If your child has an allergic reaction, see your doctor straight away. The signs may include:
• rashes that may be itchy or blistering
• swelling of the eyes and face
• difficulty in breathing or swallowing
• a sudden drop in blood pressure and loss of consciousness.
These signs usually start very soon after the injection has been given. Talk to a doctor straight away if they happen after leaving the doctor’s surgery.
See your doctor straight away if your child has any of the following serious side effects:
• collapse
• times when they lose consciousness or have a lack of awareness
• fits – this may be when they have a fever
These side effects have happened very rarely with Infanrix hexa as with other vaccines against whooping cough. They usually happen within 2 to 3 days after vaccination.
Other side effects include:
Very common (these may occur with more than 1 in 10 doses of the vaccine): feeling tired, loss of appetite, high temperature of 38°C or higher, swelling, pain, redness where the injection site was given, unusual crying, feeling irritable or restless.
Common (these may occur with up to 1 in 10 doses of the vaccine): diarrhoea, being sick (vomiting), high temperature of more than 39.5°C, swelling larger than 5 cm or hard lump where the injection was given, feeling nervous.
Uncommon (these may occur with up to 1 in 100 doses of the vaccine): upper respiratory tract infection, feeling sleepy, cough, large swelling at the injected limb.
Rare (these may occur with up to 1 in 1,000 doses of the vaccine): bronchitis, rash, swollen glands in the neck, armpit or groin (lymphadenopathy), bleeding or bruising more easily than normal (thrombocytopenia), in babies born very prematurely (at or before 28 weeks of gestation) longer gaps than normal between breaths may occur for 2-3 days after vaccination, temporarily stopping breathing (apnoea), swelling of the face, lips, mouth, tongue or throat which may cause difficulty in swallowing or breathing (angioedema), swelling of the whole injected limb, blisters.
Very rare (these may happen with up to 1 in 10,000 doses of the vaccine): itching (dermatitis).
Experience with hepatitis B vaccine
In extremely rare cases the following side effects have been reported with hepatitis B vaccine: paralysis, numbness or weakness of the arms and legs (neuropathy), inflammation of some nerves, possibly with pins and needles or loss of feeling or normal movement (Guillain-Barré syndrome), swelling or infection of the brain (encephalopathy, encephalitis), infection around the brain (meningitis).
The causal relationship to the vaccine has not been established.
Bleeding or bruising more easily than normal (thrombocytopenia) has been reported with hepatitis B vaccines.
SO, TO QUOTE THE NHS WEBPAGE AGAIN (which is the information most doctors routinely give us), the 6-in-1 vaccines "is very safe". Do you agree? Given the information provided by the PIL, is this an accurate or honest description? Or is it deceptive? Dishonest?
Safety, perhaps, is in the eyes of the beholder! Perhaps it is an acceptable risk in the all-too-dangerous world of conventional medicine. But would most parents, who were given this information, and in a position to make an informed choice, take these risks with their young babies?
REMEMBER, THIS INFORMATION IS NOT MINE. IT COMES FROM THE UK'S NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE.