Safe?

This from the Knox County website.

The website and press release state that this is a "free" program. How is it free? The money is from a grant to administer the flumist to every child in public and private school in Knox County. The flumist is a LIVE virus. The picture that is on the Knox County website is quite disturbing as a live virus is being placed in the child's nostril.

This "free" program has actually created a mini government bureaucracy. For over the past four - eight weeks and throughout the winter, the "free" grant money is being used to employ individuals to administer and implement the program. There is a rumor that Brian's Blog is working to confirm concerning one of the Big Brother tactics being used by this mini bureaucracy. We will report it later when it is confirmed.

Some flumist is being administered this week and too early to have lasting effects, requiring a second dose of free flumist, later in the winter. The flu shot will not be available at most doctors offices until early - mid October, exposing the families that wait for the flu shot to the live virus in the nostrils of students.

In the section of the FluMist package insert labeled "PRECAUTIONS," the manufacturer states the following warning:

"FluMist® recipients should avoid close contact with immunocompromised individuals for at least 21 days."

The number of immunocompromised people in the United States is enormous:
It is estimated that at least 10 percent, or more than 28 million people have eczema. [11]
More than 8.5 million people have cancer. [12]
There are reported to be 850,000 individuals with diagnosed and undiagnosed HIV infection or AIDS [13]
Based on 2001 data, there were 184,000 organ recipients [14]

Some individuals are immunocompromised and not able to take a flu shot or flumist due to their condition and with classrooms of 20 - 30 students breathing the live virus because of a grant program is not on face value or with study a wise decision. This grant program should not have been readily accepted without extensive study. It would appear that one of the primary benefits is a 8 month employment opportunity for several individuals.

What is most troubling is that at a recent Knox County area High School PTSO meeting, a presentation was made by a non-school employee about the administration of the flumist. Any risk were brushed aside and in essence were said that were none. This "representative" used the motivation and encouraged everyone to have the flumist administered to your child, so that this particular school would be first in the county in participation of the administration of flumist to it's students.

As responsible parents of school aged students, Brian's Blog is hoping that you will communicate with your primary physician to determine if this is appropriate for your child before allowing anything in your child's nose.

Food can drives are fun to win. But do not risk exposing your child to potential harm, just to win the school pride award. The lady that made the presentation, NEVER said that you should communicate with your primary physician. She simply said go get your school spirit and get a flumist in the nose.

The following excerpted information is from this informative website.

Each 0.5 ml of the formula contains 10 6.5-7.5 particles of live, attenuated influenza virus. That means that between 10 million and 100 million viral particles will be forcefully injected into the nostrils when administered. The viral strain was developed by serial passage through "specific pathogen-free primary chick kidney cells" and then grown in "specific pathogen-free eggs." That means that the culture media was free of pathogens that were specifically tested for, but not a culture that was necessarily "pathogen-free." The risk that the vaccine may contain contaminant avian retroviruses still remains. In addition, a stabilizing buffer containing potassium phosphate, sucrose (table sugar) and nearly 0.5 mg of monosodium glutamate (MSG) is added to each dose. [18]

One of the most troubling concerns over the injection of this "chemical soup" is the potential for the viruses to enter directly into the brain. At the top of the nasal passages is a paper-thin bone called the cribriform plate. The olfactory nerves pass through this bone and line the nasal passages, carrying messenger molecules to the brain that are identified as "smells" familiar to us. The olfactory tract has long been recognized as a direct pathway to the brain. Intranasal injection of certain viruses has resulted in a serious brain infection called encephalitis, presumably by direct infection of the olfactory neurons that carried the viruses to the brain. [19] Time will tell whether the live viruses in FluMist will become linked to cases of encephalitis.

The pharmaceutical companies do not necessarily always do a reasonable job of considering the "down side" when they are pushing new drugs or new vaccines. FluMist has the potential for causing the worst, most severe flu epidemic seen in years. Parents tell their young children not to put things up their noses because they might cause them harm. It would be wise to consider that advice for adults. With all the risks involved, one should be extremely cautious about what one allows to be sprayed in one's nose.