From VRAN Newsletter May, 2001
Since the beginning of the meningitis outbreak in Alberta over a year ago, VRAN has been inundated with phone calls and emails from worried parents seeking information about the disease, and the quadrivalent polysaccharide vaccine, Menomune which contains 4 groups of meningococcal organisms (A,C,Y &W135), and is preserved with the mercury derivative thimerosal. Worried parents want to know the risks associated with the vaccine, alternative ways to protect their children without going the vaccine route, and are concerned whether exposure of their unvaccinated children to vaccinated schoolmates can increase their risk of contracting the disease. One London, Ontario father who contacted us recently told us that he discovered that the regional health department is using another new bivalent polysaccharide meningococcal vaccine that contains only serogroup A & C and is purportedly thimerosal free.
In response to the deluge of information requests, we published a lengthy article in VRAN’s Janurary-March, 2000 newsletter addressing some of these questions. Since then, new information has emerged indicating that the meningococcal organism is mutating, possibly in response to mass vaccination programs undertaken in various parts of the country. There is an undercurrent of anxiety emanating from health officials that the current vaccine may not only be completely ineffective in dealing with the outbreaks, but may be fueling them. Some regions have asked that Health Canada allow the introduction of a new as yet unlicensed “conjugate” vaccine that has been widely used in Britain, and has also been widely criticized for record amounts of adverse reactions. In this newsletter, we have reprinted British physician Dr. Jane Donegan’s critique of the new type C conjugate meningococcal vaccine; her article offers a concrete perspective of the disease, the vaccine, and what makes children vulnerable to meningitis
Of all infectious diseases, perhaps none grips parents with greater fear than meningitis. Meningococcal disease can strike like lightning with potentially devastating consequences. A bacterial infection that causes an inflammation of the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord, it can also lead to hearing loss, kidney failure, brain damage and in extreme cases limb amputation. Symptoms can include high fever, severe headaches, nausea, rashes and neck stiffness. The disease is primarily relegated to the late winter months and often hits teen populations. According to Health Canada, 200-300 cases of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) occur each year. Mortality can range from 5%-15%.
Quebec experienced outbreaks of IMD in the early 90’s. The province spent $30 million to vaccinate 1.6 million people of all ages, including 110,00 infants under two. It was the largest vaccination effort since the polio campaign of the 1950’s and health officials have only recently admitted that they knew the vaccine given to children under the age of two risked making them more susceptible to meningitis. In fact eight infants who were vaccinated later developed meningococcal disease. Despite the sweeping vaccination campaign, outbreaks of meningitis continued to occur.
The Alberta outbreak first started in the Edmonton area in late 1999. Despite the injection of 168,000 children ages 2 to 19 over a 2-week period in Feb 2000, the disease continued to spread, seemingly unthwarted by the diligent and costly vaccination efforts of public health officials. Cases continued to occur through the spring and summer months of 2000, and well into 2001 in all age groups but primarily in those 19 years or less. According to Dr. Marcia Johnson, Deputy Medical Officer of Health in the Edmonton area, “The case occurrence accelerated in the Fall of 2000, resulting in a rate of 10.6/100 000 in the 20-24 year age group. In Oct 2000 quadrivalent vaccine was again offered to unimmunized 2-19 year olds and the vaccine campaign was expanded to all 20-24 year olds. A further 60,000 young people were immunized resulting in a coverage rate of 87% of 2 to 25 year olds.” (1) Recent outbreaks have also been reported in Manitoba, British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec.
A disturbing twist to the Alberta outbreak is the discovery of a new strain of invasive meningococcal disease. Dr. Johnson says “The region has experienced significantly increased rates of invasive meningococcal infection since Dec. 1999 associated with a novel serogroup C clone……. previously unrecognized in this province.” The “novel strain” of neisseria meningitidis has been identified by the Alberta Microbiology & Public Health Laboratory as the “causative organism in 92.9 percent (39/42) of the recovered serogroup C isolates.” (1) The lab also compared meningococcal isolates from four previous years in Alberta and could not find a similar strain of the organism.
Even more disturbing is the possibility that eradication attempts through mass vaccination programs is exerting biological pressure and forcing the meningococcal organism to evolve into new entities – just as the indiscriminate overuse of antibiotics has caused the emergence of new and deadly microorganisms that are now completely antibiotic resistant. There is a growing awareness in the research community that the mass use of the meningococcal vaccine may also precipitate serogroup conversion from type C to B for which no vaccine is available.
In a letter to the editor of the New England Journal of Medicine, January 20, 2000, German researchers had this to say. “The rapidity of the serogroup switching arouses concern about the induction of herd immunity against single serogroups by vaccination programs in which capsular antigens (e.g., serogroup C polysaccharides) are used. Without lowering the incidence of meningococcal disease in the long run, such programs may rapidly increase the incidence of serogroup B meningococcal disease, for which no vaccine is available.” (2)
Another abstract from the Journal of Infectious Diseases (June, 1998) emphasized a similar concern. “The appearance of serogroup B:ET15 was related temporally and geographically to mass immunization campaigns designed to control serogroup C meningococcal disease in Canada. Since there is no vaccine available to control serogroup B meningococcal disease, the appearance of this variant may have public-health significance if it demonstrates the same epidemic potential as its serogroup C counterpart.” (3)
In a letter to Dr. Marcia Johnson on May 1/01, we asked the following questions:
- It is known that the meningococcal organism can rapidly switch serogroups, and that there is concern in the medical community that mass vaccination programs such as have been employed in Alberta recently and in Quebec a few years ago, can actually fuel the switching of serogroups, and/or stimulate the emergence of new serogroups. What reasons can you offer for the emergence of this new serogroup C clone?
- What scientific evidence can you offer to reassure the public that the emergence of this new clone is not related to the recent mass vaccination program undertaken in your province, and other provinces in Canada?
- How effective is the polysaccharide quadrivalent vaccine currently in use in Alberta in preventing further outbreaks of meningococcal disease caused by this new type C clone?
- Please refer me to any studies you know of that show the effectiveness of the vaccine in preventing meningococcal disease caused by this new organism.
To date (May 30/01), we have not received a response from Dr. Johnson. The specter of meningococcal disease continues to randomly terrorize Canadian communities – most recently Abbotsford in British Columbia, where a small outbreak has resulted in two deaths. B.C’s Centre for Disease Control has appealed to Health Canada to permit the use of an unlicensed new meningococcal conjugate C vaccine that has been widely used in Britain since late 1999. A Vancouver Sun article reported that “It is believed to be one of the first times in Canadian history a yet-to-be licensed vaccine will be used in a mass immunization program. The CDC will be allowed to acquire up to 28,000 doses of so-called Conjugate C meningococcal vaccine.” (4)
Manitoba and Quebec health officials have also expressed an interest in obtaining the stronger, more aggressive Conjugate C vaccine. The decision comes as Health Canada considers licensing Conjugate C for regular use, with the strong possibility that it will be added to the early infancy vaccine schedule. “The advantage of the vaccine over polysaccharide vaccines now in use is that it can be used on children under the age of two” said Dr. Mark Bigham, a physician epidemiologist at the CDC.(4) Health Canada would not comment on the request for permission to use the new vaccine, invoking it’s usual stance of protecting the “privacy” and “proprietary rights of manufacturers”.
Fueled by accusations of government cover-up of adverse reactions, and conflicts of interest, a storm of controversy has erupted in Britain over the new Conjugate C vaccine. The U.K.’s Sunday Observer has published updates of bad reactions to the new vaccine as reported by GPs and nurses. There have been 16,527 reported adverse reactions from 7,742 patients, and 12 deaths in people who had recently been vaccinated. (5, 6) Adverse reactions associated with the Conjugate C vaccine, range from headaches and dizziness to nausea, vomiting and convulsions.
“Four of the medical experts advising the Government on whether the new meningitis C vaccine is safe have links to one or more of the drug companies that produce it, The Observer has discovered.” Britain’s Department of Health confirmed that Professor Janet Darbyshire, a member of the Government’s Committee on Safety of Medicines, had received support for academic research from US firms Wyeth and Chiron, producers of the two main meningitis products being used on children in Britain: Meningitec (Wyeth) and Meninjugate(Chiron). Darbyshire is professor of epidemiology at London University and director of the Medical Research Council. This revelation, following a report of a cover-up of suspected adverse reactions to the drug, has prompted concern among parents and MPs about conflicts of interest in the medical profession. (5)
On August 27, 200, The Observer reported that “The Department of Health believes that reactions to the new meningitis C vaccination could have killed 11 schoolchildren, but has decided on a cover-up. Doctors and parents must be told what effects the vaccination could have, so that they can cope with the few bad reactions. Parents, if they are exposing their child to a risk, have an absolute right to know what that risk is.” (7)
“There are also serious concerns for young babies who are now vaccinated against meningitis C, when they receive their other jabs at the ages of two, three and four months. Of the 11 deaths reported to the Medicines Control Agency, six involved sudden infant death syndrome, and GPs are reporting thousands of cases of reactions among babies.”(7) A statement from the Committee on Safety of Medicine insists that none of the deaths reported after vaccination by GPs was found to be connected to the vaccine. The deaths are unfortunate coincidences, no doubt!
While the reported numbers of adverse reactions are high, the actual numbers may be much higher. “The British Department of Health estimates that only 10-15 percent of reactions are reported using their Yellow Card scheme. Based on that estimation, the actual number of people experiencing adverse reactions to the meningitis vaccine could be in the tens of thousands. Health officials have downplayed those numbers, insisting that the vaccine has saved lives and prevented disabilities.”(6) Worried parents across the U.K. are calling for a halt to the vaccination program until more tests have been conducted.
Government claims that the vaccine has reduced the number of meningitis cases by as much as 85 percent, particularly among children aged 15-17 and infants less than a year old are being challenged. Figures compiled by The Observer appear to contradict those published by the government. “According to their statistics, there has been only an 18 percent drop in the total number of meningitis cases, from 713 cases during the first eight months of 1999 to 587 through the same time frame this year. Moreover, in parts of London, East Anglia and the West Midlands, there has even been a rise this year in the number of people diagnosed with the disease.” (6)
“I am not convinced by government reassurances,” said Isabella Thomas, a member of JABS (Justice Awareness Basic Support), a vaccination support group. “We are receiving daily calls from parents whose children have had serious reactions. We believe the government introduced it far too quickly.” (6)
VRAN has not been able to obtain a product monograph on the Conjugate C vaccine to determine what adjuvants and preservatives are contained in the vaccine. The following contraindications list is published by Lifespan Healthcare NHS Trust, and was sent to us by Catherine Diodati. (8)
* Hypersensitivity to any constituent of the vaccine including:
Meningococcal C polysaccharide,
CRM197 carrier protein
* Immunisation should be postponed in individuals suffering from an acute febrile illness.
*Although there is no information to suggest that Meningococcal C Conjugated Vaccine is unsafe during pregnancy, it should not be given unless there is a high risk of the individual developing the disease.
VRAN has compiled numerous articles on meningococcal disease. These are available free on request via email. We also plan to have most of them posted on the VRAN website in the near future. The meningitis article published in the Jan-March 2000 newsletter offers dietary and lifestyle suggestions to enhance immune system health and thus prevention from infectious diseases like meningitis.
As we face the emergence of new and virulent disease organisms, evolving and mutating in response to the overuse of vaccines and antibiotics, we must broaden and deepen our concepts of health and wellness. Juxtaposed to the pharmaceutical/allopathic “war on disease” and its arsenal of toxic drugs, are the time honoured wholistic modalities that give us a blueprint of true health and prevention.
We urge you to seek out your local practitioners of complimentary medicine and alternative health, the chiropractors, herbalists, nutritionists, naturopaths and homeopaths who will enable you to learn about the many diverse and effective ways you can protect your family and build true health and strong immune systems.
- Dr. Marcia Johnson – letter from ProMED Jan.18/01– an internet program of the International Society for Infectious Diseases
- New England Journal of Medicine – January 20, 2000 – Vol. 342, No. 3.
- Journal of Infectious Diseases, 1998 Jun;177(6):1754-7
- Vancouver Sun – B.C. Wins Approval For New Vaccine April 13, 2001
- Martin Bright and Tracy McVeigh – Sunday Observer, UK September 3, 2000 “Fresh Controversy Surrounding Britain’s Meningitis C Vaccination Programme”.
- Michael Devitt – Chiroweb: “Agency Finds More than 16,000 Adverse Reactions Since Last Year” (Feb/01)
- A fatal cover-up?
Life, death and the meningitis vaccine – The Observer – August 27, 2000.
- Lifespan Healthcare Trust