Natural News Spreads Misinformation About Flu Epidemic

Natural News continues to spread misinformation about vaccines to readers.  In a recent post, writer Mike Adams declares that most people with the flu are those that received the flu vaccine.

Using the very unscientific method of “…making phone calls to a large network of friends and professional contacts…” has led Natural News to state that two-thirds of people vaccinated against the flu, have the flu.  Natural News uses this “data” to deduce that the flu shot makes people more susceptible to the flu.

Natural News continues that vaccinated people are acting irresponsibly, and that drug companies have zero ethics and are trying to make people sick.  Natural News urges readers to prevent the flu through Vitamin D supplements.

Using the article in Natural News as a source, World Truth TV published a similar article.  World Truth TV stated that the study by the Lancet that is used to determine effectiveness is being misinterpreted by world health organizations.  World Truth TV failed to note the final sentence of the Lancet study, which states:  “New vaccines with improved clinical efficacy and effectiveness are needed to further reduce influenza-related morbidity and mortality.”

In yet another article, Health Impact News Daily blasts the flu shot as only 10% effective while causing harm to the heart, infant and fetus.  Vaccine Watch checked the sources linked to the article and found that some of the scientific articles being referenced were published as far back as 1975, while others were from foreign countries.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported that this year’s vaccine is 62% effective. Widespread illness reached 47 states, partly due to a lack of vaccination.    As of early January, twenty children had died from the flu epidemic.   Adults aged 65 and older have been hardest hit by the flu this season. The flu virus changes quickly and is therefore difficult to create a 100% effective vaccine for.

According to CDC researchers:  "…these early [vaccine effectiveness] estimates underscore that some vaccinated persons will become infected with influenza.  Therefore, antiviral medications should be used as recommended for treatment in patients, regardless of vaccination status."

Blatant misreporting like the articles on Natural News, World Truth TV, and Health Impact News Daily serve no purpose except to scare people and create an atmosphere of fear and mistrust.   Epidemics like the 2011 measles outbreak are caused by fear-based propaganda leading to a lack of vaccination.  Sound research has proven that vaccinations are effective.

Flu Epidemic

This year, the flu has reached epidemic levels earlier than usual across the United States.  Sarah Kliff posted a blog on the Washington Post website about why 64.8 percent of Americans didn’t receive a flu vaccine.

The Washington Post points out that while 95 percent of students that entered kindergarten last year were vaccinated for measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated that only 36.5 percent of Americans received flu vaccinations by November 2012.  That percentage has been rising over the course of the flu season.

This statistic is not new or shocking to researchers.  The Washington Post spoke with Lori Uscher-Pines from the RAND Corp., who has studied flu vaccine rates.  Uscher-Pines points out that adults are not in constant contact with their health-care system like children are, and other than getting the flu; most Americans face no negative consequences if they aren’t vaccinated. But the flu itself can be serious, especially in the very young, elderly, and chronically ill.

The Rand Corp. also found negative perceptions about the flu vaccine in their 2011 study.  Statements like “I don’t need it” and “I don’t believe in flu vaccines” were used by over half of unvaccinated adults in the study.

The flu vaccine does have a lower efficacy than other vaccines; this year’s flu vaccine is 62% effective, whereas the MMR vaccine is 95 percent effective.   This year the flu vaccine is a particularly good match to the season’s influenza virus. There is a much better chance of not getting the flu when vaccinated, so why aren’t more people vaccinated?

Wake Forest University researchers studied flu vaccine trends by having participants play a video game that simulated the spread of the flu.  They earned points by staying healthy, and could use some of those points to buy a vaccine.  If the price of the vaccine was lower, participants were more likely to buy it.  As more people in the game became infected with the flu, vaccination rates increased.

According to the Financially Digital blog, coming down with the flu will cost the average person between $180 and $200.   That cost will rise if a small child is sick with the flu. This figure takes into account: missed work, medicine and other variables.  Neither blog mentioned how miserable being sick with the flu really is.  The protection that high vaccination rates bring to entire communities was also not highlighted. Vaccine Watch recommends making an informed decision about the flu vaccine; the odds are in favor of the vaccine.