FluMist®,
THE NASAL SPRAY FLU VACCINE,
MAY BE CAUSING THE FLU?
By
Dr. Sherri Tenpenny
The
major media outlets are escalating the push for the flu shot
to near hysteria, especially since the CDC announced that the
flu vaccines “may” provide some protection against
the A/Fujian strain. With the supply of flu vaccine running
out, there is now new media-produced promotion for FluMist,
the nasal spray flu vaccine. However, what is not being explored
is the possibility that cases of flu may be caused by FluMist.
An overview of the CDC’s most recently available data
regarding flu virus testing brings this question to the forefront.
Viral
types and “antigenic drift”
Each
year, the CDC incorporates antigens from the three major strains
in circulation: an Influenza A-type strain from the H1N1 subtype;
a second Influenza A-type strain from the H3N2 subtype; and
a third virus from the Influenza-B strain.
Influenza
B viruses circulate widely only among humans and are not divided
into subtypes. Influenza B is known to be the cause of sporadic
outbreaks of illness, especially in residential communities
such as nursing homes.
The
Influenza A strains are the most common cause of annual, widespread
influenza outbreaks. Influenza A viruses are divided into subtypes
based on the type of protein located on the surface of the
virus. There are many subtypes of Influenza A viruses and some
of these viruses can be found in animals, including ducks,
chickens, pigs, whales, horses, and seals. Although unusual,
an Influenza A type of virus from an animal can be transmitted
to people.[i]
The
Influenza A subtypes most commonly found in people are (H1N1)
and (H3N2) A virus from each of these subtype strains is selected
each year for inclusion in the flu vaccines. The specific viral
strains selected for this year’s flu vaccines are A/New
Caledonia/20/99 (H1N1), A/Panama/2007/99 (H3N2) and Hong Kong/1434/2002
(Type B). Both FluzoneÒ and FluMistÒ are made
to protect against these three viruses. [ii] [iii].
Influenza
viruses can change in two different ways. One way is called "antigenic
drift." These are small changes in the proteins on the
surface of the virus that happen over time. Antigenic drift
produces new viral strains. The new strains may not be recognized
by a person’s antibodies developed from a previous flu
episode, or by antibodies induced by a previously given flu
shot. This is the reason why new viruses are selected each
year to correspond with viruses thought to be commonly circulating.
The
other way that flu viruses can change is by a mechanism referred
to as "antigenic shift." Antigenic shift is an abrupt,
major change in the influenza A viruses, resulting in a completely
new influenza A subtype. While influenza A viruses morph via
antigenic drift all the time, antigenic shift happens only
occasionally.
The
CDC has announced that the viral strain, A/Fujian/411/2002
(H3N2) is the most prevalent virus being identified in the
community setting. The A/Fujian strain was the predominate
virus in Australia and New Zealand during the recent Southern
Hemisphere influenza season and is a classified as a “drift
variant” related to the A/Panama virus found in this
year’s vaccines. Because they are antigenically “related”,
antibodies produced against the A/Panama virus will cross-react
with the A/Fujian virus, but much less strongly.
Will
the current vaccine protect against the A/Fujian strain? The
CDC says that “vaccine effectiveness depends, in part,
on the match between vaccine strains and circulating viruses
and cannot be determined by laboratory testing.”[iv]
Despite a degree of effectiveness suggested by a laboratory
testing, clinical effectiveness from the flu shot—or
from FluMist—cannot be presumed, and neither should it
be assured.
The
CDC’s Numbers
Since
September 28, the WHO and NREVSS[v] laboratories have tested
a total of 19,469 specimens, finding 25.6% of these samples
to be positive for influenza virus. Among the 4,992 samples
identified to contain influenza viruses, 99.6% of the viruses
were Influenza A (and 0.4% were influenza B viruses). The CDC
serotyped 20.4% of the Influenza A viruses (1016 samples) finding
99.9% of them to be Influenza A (H3N2) viruses.
When
subtyping was performed on 157 of the 1016 viral samples, 45
(29%) were found to be antigenically similar to vaccine strain
A/Panama, and 112 (71%) were found to be similar to the drift
variant, A/Fujian. Of note, one sample contained an Influenza
A virus that was similar to the vaccine strain A/New Caledonia/20/99.[vi]
Downplaying
the numbers
The
CDC performed identification on only a small number of samples
that were isolated. In fact, of 4,992 positive samples, only
1016 were found to be Influenza (H3N2) viruses. What were the
other serotypes?
In
addition, only 3% (157) of the H3N2 viruses were indentified
as subtypes. This is an extraordinarily small test sample.
Even though the A/Fujian strain has been found in 71% (112)
of this sample, what is being downplayed is that nearly 30%
of the viruses have been identified as “antigenically
similar” to viruses found in FluZone and FluMist: 45
samples (29%) had A/Panama strain viruses and 1 sample had
the A/New Caladonia virus.
What
is of great concern it that the CDC has subtyped so few samples.
What if 50% or 60% or 80% had been subtyped? Would more A/Panama
and A/New Caladonia viruses have been found? Would further
testing implicate FluMist as a source of influenza?
Does
the A/Panama virus come directly from FluMist? Is it possible
to use this technology to differentiate vaccine-type A/Panama
flu virus from an A/Panama wild-type virus?
Technology
is available to differentiate wild virus from vaccine virus.
For example, when a case of acute flaccid paralysis is identified
in a Third World Country, PCR testing is used to differentiate
wild poliovirus vs. vaccine-induced poliovirus vs. other types
of viruses known to cause paralysis. Why are we not using this
technology to determine community-acquired influenza from vaccine-induced
influenza?
In
addition to “finding” these strains within the
community, it is known that FluMist contains the viral strains
identified by the CDC. The question that demands an answer
is this: Is FluMist shedding live viruses and infecting others?
Could this nasal spray vaccine be a cause of the flu that is
spreading throughout regions of the U.S.?
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[i]
CDC. Influenza Viruses. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/flu/viruses.htm
[ii]
Fluzone 2002-2003 package insert.
[iii]
Flumist package insert
[iv]
CDC. Influenza Summary Update, Week ending November 29, 2003-Week
48. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/flu/weekly.htm
[v]
NREVSS is The National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance
System, a division of the CDC. This is a laboratory-based system
that monitors the detection of respiratory syncytial virus
(RSV), human parainfluenza viruses (HPIV), respiratory and
enteric adenoviruses, rotavirus and influenza.
[vi]
CDC. Influenza Summary Update, Week ending November 29, 2003-Week
48. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/flu/weekly.htm
SHOULD
YOU GET THE FLU SHOT?
RISKS
OF FluMist VACCINE
Hundreds of TV and
print ads have been designed to persuade everyone into taking
FluMist. The campaign will cost an estimated $25 million over
the next couple of months. And a three-year, $100 million campaign
will be launched to encourage use of the nasal flu vaccine among
physicians. But there are many reasons for caution.
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