[AVN press release] Chicken pox vaccine: Unhealthy, unnecessary, useless

For Immediate release - 5/1/05

Prof. Peter McIntyre has admitted that prior to Chicken Pox vaccination in
Australia, 90-95% of all children developed this illness and were therefore
immune. The experience from overseas where the vaccine has been used
however, has shown that vaccine-based immunity, only short-lived at best,
leaves vaccinated adults susceptible to infection with Chicken Pox at a time
when this normally benign disease of childhood can have serious
ramifications.

The federal government is considering  subsidising the Chicken pox
(Varicella) vaccine for all Australian toddlers and 10 year olds. "I am very
hopeful that Minister Abbott will consider the following information in
making his decision on this most important issue," said Meryl Dorey,
National President of the Australian Vaccination Network, a health lobby
group:

1- Chicken pox is a benign disease of childhood. The only people who are at
risk of complications from this illness are those with serious immune
suppression. Almost all of those who have died from chicken pox had been
treated prior to their deaths with steroids, anti-virals or other
immune-suppressive drugs.

2- The experience in Japan, the country which has used this vaccine for the
longest time, has been that rather than preventing Chicken pox, vaccination
has simply moved the disease from children into adults - a time when this
normally benign disease can be more dangerous.

3- The Chicken pox vaccine is one of 3 childhood vaccines (including
injected polio [IPV] and rubella) which are cultured on the cell lines of
aborted human foetuses. During its production process, this vaccine is
actually passed through 3 different human foetal cell lines and one cell
line of an embryonic guinea pig.

4- Use of this vaccine has led to an increase in Herpes zoster (shingles)
infections in children. This painful illness used to be unheard of in young
people but is now becoming more and more common in countries where this
vaccine is used.

5- This vaccine contains Neomycin produced by Merck Sharpe and Dohme.
According to the manufacturer
(http://www.merck.com/mrkshared/mmanual/section13/chapter153/153c.jsp),
Neomycin should only be used topically or orally - never injected because of
the high toxicity of this drug when injected.

There are too many questions and not enough answers about this vaccine. In
addition, there does not appear to be a need to vaccinate against Chicken
pox  - prevention of such a mild disease with a vaccine which is unproven
and contains such toxic ingredients is taking too great a risk for the
supposed benefits we would gain.

For further information or to arrange an interview, please contact Meryl
Dorey on:

Ph - 02 6687 1699

FAX - 02 6687 2032

Mobile - 0414 872 032

E-Mail - meryl@avn.org.au