Saying No to the Flu Shot
By Cathy Jameson
Last week, my son received a phone call. Ronan is non-verbal and couldn’t answer the call himself, I spoke on his behalf as I have done for years now. I tried to speak on his behalf when the phone rang again. But I was not given the option.
“This is Care Line. We’d like to speak to the parent or guardian of Ronan Jameson. If you are the parent or guardian of Ronan Jameson, please press 1.”
1
I hung up after hearing the next prompt.
“You may be aware that flu season is just around the corner. We’re calling you today to share some life-saving information, but first, we need to know if Ronan Jameson has had his flu shot this year. If Ronan has had his flu shot, please press 1. If he has not had a flu shot, please press 2.”
I wanted more options. But was given only two.
Bye-bye.
I don’t usually hang up on people. I’ve never hung up on anyone from Care Line (not the real name) because they have been helpful in the past. They’re available to me 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. I receive immediate guidance from someone on their medical staff. They provide support and never judgement. One staff member in particular has been extremely helpful. She and I have spoken several times over the last few years. She knows Ronan’s extensive medical history to include the reactions he had from vaccines. She also knows my opinion about vaccines. But each year around this time, she’s asked to discuss the flu shot with her caseload. So each year around this time, we “discuss” it by me once again politely declining the shot before she has a chance to read whatever statement that Care Line has drafted her to read.
Care Line was checking in with Ronan as they do every few months, but the call I’d just received was not from this kind, caring person who understand and respects us. It was a robocall that I imagine all of the Care Line customers got. While other customers may be okay with providing personal medical information on an automated line, I chose not to. Plus, I wanted more options.
I had questions. I wanted clarification, too, about whatever this supposed life-saving information was before being required to supply an answer. Since the options that I was provided were limited, I ignored the call and tried to dismiss the flu shot propaganda they and so many others are selling this time of year.
Apparently, ignoring the call wouldn’t do. I didn’t just get one robocall; I got five more.
I hung up again on calls 2 and 3. But, then I thought, No, they do not get the last word. I have questions. They should at least attempt to offer to answer them. I waited for Care Line to call me back.
They did.
Anticipating it would be like previous personal phone calls where our dedicated Care Line staff person has helped educate me on important topics like how to control seizures, how to find dental care for a special needs child, and how to advocate for Ronan when he’s hospitalized, it wasn’t. I’m not sure why. I only had a few questions and wouldn’t take up too much of their time. But my questions remained unanswered and their message remained perfectly clear:
Don’t worry. Don’t think. And don’t ask any questions.
I do have questions, though, and important ones about a vaccine that is pushed on practically everyone and what now feels like all year long. I’m sure that other people within the Care Lines’ membership database also have similar questions. Too bad we were not offered more prompts beyond press 1 or 2. If more prompts were offered, I’d suggest that they sound like this:
If you would information about which ingredients this year’s flu shot contains, press 3.
If you would like information about live-virus vaccines or information about which vaccines are manufactured with thimerosal, press 4.
If you would like to know if this year’s flu shot will be more effective than last year’s flu shot, which was reported to be a dismal 19% effective, press 5.
If you would like information about mild, moderate, or severe vaccine reactions and how to report them should opting for this year’s flu shot result in a reaction, press 6.
If you would like information about vaccine injury or about secondary illnesses resulting from an adverse reaction, press 7.
If you’d like information about the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program and how $3 billion has been awarded to those injured by vaccines, press 8.
If you’d like us to stop pestering you to get a flu shot and to instead work on securing vaccine choice for all Americans, press 9.
Since those options were not available to me in the first few calls I received, I tried to summon an operator the next time Care Line called. Because they called me again.
During call number 4, I pressed 0 expecting that an Operator would answer.
Nothing.
Thinking that maybe the call was voice activated, I said “Representative.”
Nothing.
I repeated myself a little bit louder, “Representative!”
Again, nothing.
So again, click. I hung up.
For call number 5, I didn’t press or say anything. Hoping that someone would come on the line to find out why I was unresponsive and to ask me if everything was okay, the line remained silent. No matter how long I waited, I could not get a live person to respond.
Click.
Care Line tried one more time. Call number 6 began as that others did:
“This is Care Line. We’d like to speak to the parent or guardian of Ronan Jameson. If you are the parent or guardian of Ronan Jameson, please press 1.”
1
“You may be aware that flu season is just around the corner. We’re calling you today to share some life-saving information, but first, we need to know if Ronan Jameson has had his flu shot this year. If Ronan has had his flu shot, please press 1. If he has not had a flu shot, please press 2.”
I’d be lying if I pressed 1, and I know, because I’ve gotten it before, I’d be setting myself to be on the receiving end of some “vaccines are safe, effective, and life-saving” propaganda if I pressed 2.
Click.
I guess they, like me, have something important to say about the flu shot. But unlike me, Care Line, like so many other vaccine-dependent establishments, only wishes to state one side of the vaccine story.
Vaccines!
Protect the herd!
Save lives!
Safe!
Effective!
Citing statistics that only glamorize. Claiming benefits that are only positive. Advertising potential benefits and never ever factual negatives. Enticing customers with shopping discounts, gift cards, and in-store incentives. It’s nauseating, but I’ve come to expect that from the vaccine industry and from those who eagerly push their agenda.
Now, if I could paint a different picture…
Our story is different. And it isn’t pretty. The vaccine story I can tell is far different than the ones I hear, see and am subjected to in television commercials, on glossy magazines pages, and listen to during relentless, automated phone calls.
The flu shots and other vaccines that my son got years ago didn’t help. They didn’t save his life. I do not believe that they were safe. And I do not believe that those vaccines were effective. They actually made things worse and ushered in seizures, developmental delays, the loss of speech, and the loss of life skills. Those results were unexpected and have remained long after the vaccines were administered. So when I see the advertisements and the lawn signs, and when we get the mailers and now the phone calls about vaccines—and specifically the flu shot, because of what that shot did to my child, when I’m asked if Ronan is getting one, I have only one thing to say:
Get the flu shot? No.
Cathy Jameson is a Contributing Editor for Age of Autism.
That's it Barry at best they make it up!!
MMR RIP
Posted by: Angus Files | October 20, 2015 at 07:22 PM
Thanks, Jeanette, for the context.
Not sure if one should stay and fight or leave the way the Jews left the Warsaw Ghetto. This is pure evil.
Where to go though.
Posted by: Linda1 | October 20, 2015 at 03:03 PM
Linda1,
This may have been what I was thinking of (it involves government assistance which I did not remember):
http://www.nvic.org/NVIC-Vaccine-News/November-2012/Under-Attack,-NVIC-Helps-Americans-Stand-Up-Spea.aspx
No Vaccinations? No Prescription Medications.
Americans needing public assistance are being coerced into getting many vaccines against their will or be cut off from prescription medications. This is what one American suffering financial hardship had to say:
“During this past recession, I had to seek medical care from the county public health program. I had high blood pressure, probably due to stress. My last and final visit to that place was to refill the [blood pressure] prescription, which was denied until I allowed myself to be injected with three vaccines: tetanus, flu and pneumococcal. At first I refused but finally consented because I was afraid of what would happen if I suddenly stopped taking the medicine. I was sick for nine days after receiving those shots. Being forced to accept vaccines under duress as an adult is a horrible feeling, a sense of loss of freedom. Using coercion by withholding medication is just plain evil.”
No Vaccinations? No Medicare Benefits.
The elderly are being bullied, too. A couple on Medicare described their frightening experience:
“My wife and I are in our mid-sixties and on Medicare. We saw our primary care physician today for a routine "well care" visit and were shocked to hear what our physician for over 26 years had to tell us! The doctor made it clear that he was referring to "new" [federal health care program] mandates that, if we did not voluntarily receive the pneumonia vaccine, we would be terminated from his practice! My wife and I have never felt so violated.”
Posted by: Jeannette Bishop | October 20, 2015 at 01:30 PM
Jeanette,
Re mining data, for those on the inside of the system. Excludes family members and other nosey people who might be trying to connect dots. First HIPPA keeps prying eyes off data, then ACA's computerization presents it on a silver platter to for profit industry, which partners with and includes our government agencies.
Re the pharmacist refusing to fill a prescription - I don't see how that could legally happen under a pharmacist's license, unless the doctor's prescription is written that way, that the med is not to be given without the vaccine, and that is highly unlikely to happen (unless it was from that crazy *ss ped in Arizona - what's his name - he's nuts enough to do something like that). I believe that you read it and I believe that it was reported to NVIC, but the story isn't believable. If that happened to me though, that pharmacist would have a legal problem and I'd definitely report him/her to the licensing board.
Posted by: Linda1 | October 20, 2015 at 10:12 AM
Flu situation 2015-2016 all below expected levels....but hurry it is best to get your vaccine before levels start to rise in "October"? .... the rise caused by the shots perhaps?
********************
How can anyone believe ANYTHING that these people say ???
They are incapable of telling the truth, about anything.
Everything they say is completely made up, even this annual "flu numbers" crap.
Posted by: Barry | October 19, 2015 at 09:14 PM
To: go Rand-Excellent! To: david m burd-how right you are, how right you are. But there is a glimmer of hope: I haven't met a soul over the past couple of years who trusts the government, and when I was gathering signatures for the SB 277 Referendum, I met a whole lot of thoroughly pissed-off people.
Posted by: Gary Ogden | October 19, 2015 at 06:29 PM
Linda1,
I can't get into the NVIC site today to search, and I can't recall if any specific identifying information was given with the alert I remember.
I do know that moving to electronic health record keeping for everyone is one of the goals of the ACA (it saves costs as well as increases power for some who want to mine such data) and I wouldn't be surprised if some entities were already keeping their own records with permission granted (maybe in fine print somewhere or other of prescription drug plans or...?) before the ACA...
but I can't really answer your questions.
Of course, some situations may have simply involved someone being asked when they've had such and such vaccines...
Posted by: Jeannette Bishop | October 19, 2015 at 06:09 PM
Angus, Thanks for your ref of our U.S. Govt. promoting "Flu Fear."
Their propaganda never stops.
Posted by: david m burd | October 19, 2015 at 05:46 PM
Flu situation 2015-2016 all below expected levels....but hurry it is best to get your vaccine before levels start to rise in "October"? .... the rise caused by the shots perhaps?
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/summary.htm
MMR RIP
Posted by: Angus Files | October 19, 2015 at 04:39 PM
On one side, Pharma spends in the U.S. over $100 Billion EACH YEAR to promote products as exampled by the Flu Vaccine. Abetted by the hopelessly corrupt Centers for Disease Control also spends huge dollars - maybe Scores of $Millions of taxpayer dollars to specifically promote the toxic, barely-matched (even they admit year after year) Flu Shots
On the other side, we who advocate HEALTH have not enough $$ to buy Public notices, such as advocating good nutrition (Vitamin D, etc.), and common sense - as counter to toxic vaccine shots.
Face it: The American Public are the most gullible, naive, trusting, brain-washed people on Earth.
It's up to those who insist on Constitutional values such as freedom to make our health decisions for our children to never give in, and to REFUSE such toxic crimes inflicted upon our children.
Posted by: david m burd | October 19, 2015 at 04:31 PM
Jeanette,
How do pharmacies get personal medical/vaccine records? Who is this happening to and where?
Posted by: Linda1 | October 19, 2015 at 03:42 PM
Directions for the Flu shot or Flu mist;"Take one at 6 months but do NOT take one if less than 2 years old.."https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10153291648489611&set=a.10150591230239611.386130.666094610&type=3&theater
Posted by: Shelley Tzorfas | October 19, 2015 at 02:16 PM
L1nda L,
NVIC has also reported cases of pharmacies withholding prescriptions until vaccines are up-to-date...I fear you're right that "No Shots, No Service" is going to be the nationwide "health" policy.
Posted by: Jeannette Bishop | October 19, 2015 at 01:08 PM
Friends, this automation is your golden opportunity. Press 1 ! Lie! Then they'll leave you alone!
Posted by: Grace Green | October 19, 2015 at 10:30 AM
The pharmacist was correct in stating you could have a stroke. I do know one woman who had a stroke from birth control pills, she only took them for a short time. Consequently, she has a grand son with autism and knows nothing about MTHFR mutations. I have an MTHFR mutation 677T, that I passed to my son, I found out too late as both my son and I are vaccine injured. I believe I have read that there are contraindications with birth control, nitrous oxide, sulphur based drugs and vaccines with this type of mutation. It took me years and my own sons vaccine injury to put the pieces together; I couldn't not take birth control pills, same type reaction as you, cannot take sulphur based drugs, always have had an extremely difficult time with nitrous oxide and had seizures from two DTP vaccines. I shouldn't wonder why doctors are not looking for this sort of thing prior to vaccinating, that may entail education and fully informed consent, God knows our medical industrial complex is not concerned with that! Also, it may implicate that the precious vaccine program can do far more damage than what people have been brainwashed to believe. 1 in a million my ass!
Posted by: For Judy | October 19, 2015 at 07:36 AM
This past Tuesday, my daughter, a graduate student, went to her university student medical center with a sore throat and sinus pain. The nurse practitioner told her she needed a flu shot. She said she was sick and wanted to be treated for her illness. She could not get antibiotics unless she got a flu shot. She left. She came home this weekend and I took her to the urgicenter today. She has a rash. Turns out to be Scarlett fever. The school center tried to coerce her into a flu shot while she had strep throat and would not treat her unless she got a flu shot and now her strep infection turned into a serious illness. I am furious to say the least. I am just grateful that my 22 year old daughter had the ability to stand up for herself and say no. This is the future of our so called health care system.
Posted by: LInda L. | October 18, 2015 at 07:36 PM
One again labeling for the flu shot remains unchanged for 2015.
The “mercury free” version is called the ...FLU shot... with an L. The L is for "the love" they have for you and your family.
The shot which contains mercury / (no love)... of course is still labeled the FU shot.....
Posted by: go Rand | October 18, 2015 at 07:12 PM
Saying no to medication:
In 1970, a few months before my wedding, I went on the birth control pill. I was a flight attendant and asked my in-flight supervisor to allow me to go home to JFK in the middle of a 6-day international rotation, as I was unwell.
This supervisor was also a registered pharmacist in NJ and took this 2nd airline job to travel. He asked my symptoms and I said I hadn't been able to sleep the last 2 weeks, I had a constant migraine and my heartbeat was extremely fast and it felt like my heart wanted to jump out of my chest. Then he asked what had changed and I said I had gone on the birth control pill in anticipation of my marriage in a few short weeks. He said "Good God, girl, do not take another pill! You are someone who can have a stroke from taking it." Then he approved my sick leave. I believe his knowledge of my symptoms and the pill's side effects saved my life.
Perhaps we should all be talking to our pharmacists and not just our physicians.
Posted by: Judy | October 18, 2015 at 04:58 PM
In response to yet another ad urging us to "Get YOUR flu shot!" Someone I know replied, "Why don't you go jump off YOUR cliff!"
***********
I would say " Why don't YOU take mine, and stick it up YOUR a**!".
Posted by: Barry | October 18, 2015 at 03:26 PM
Great points Jeannette, and funnily enough, less vaccines would actually mean the insurers would have less payout on illness costs because of all the problems caused by vaccines!
Posted by: Reader | October 18, 2015 at 02:14 PM
Do you find it as tempting as it is to me to just put your son on the phone? I think it would be HILARIOUS! But.....I wont do it to him.
Posted by: KFuller | October 18, 2015 at 01:50 PM
It's such a waste of time to try to educate those with the weapon in their hand. I now just say.....We've had everything we need. It works. It's true. It stops the assault. I suppose they may figure it out soon and ask more questions but maybe not. My answer sounds like compliance and I get to move on from the question.
Posted by: KFuller | October 18, 2015 at 01:49 PM
I first assumed the call you wrote about came from insurance, as I recently got an insurance robo-call asking me if I "was up-to-date on my care" followed by asking (while I was trying to answer) if it was ok to ask (that's when I realized the call was automated) ...as someone trying to find health resources that are less robotic and automated than the current system already seems (in terms of what can or can not be considered care), movement towards more automation is somewhat unappealing (though maybe it will be more automatically transparent this way?), and I don't think it's a cost reducing move that will be passed on to us "consumers"...assuming WE are the "consumers" ...
I personally want to see a free market system where maybe 1 in 5 pharmacists/health companies post notices saying "We never ask about vaccination status" to attract those customers that would like that way of doing business.
Posted by: Jeannette Bishop | October 18, 2015 at 12:53 PM
In response to yet another ad urging us to "Get YOUR flu shot!" Someone I know replied, "Why don't you go jump off YOUR cliff!"
Posted by: Twyla | October 18, 2015 at 12:03 PM
"YOUR flu shot," "HIS flu shot" ...I can't completely finger why these words are so irksome, sometimes infuriating...does any other industry get away with deciding that you are going to purchase their product (at least in the way they talk), even if whatever other industry is sure it's product is the most wonderful thing in the world for all and sundry ... this whole approach to vaccination is not coming from nice, morally upright people, and in this cases it's an industry promoting some other industry product (or is it?), "health" insurance spending resources promoting a product that they must know does not decrease any healthcare costs--maybe they even have data suggesting the opposite. I'm left to think that, at least for the major shareholders of the world's corporations in general, each widely taken vaccine is a major resource reallocation (to them) tool, and they're making it pretty clear they want to mandate it in some way or other.
Posted by: Jeannette Bishop | October 18, 2015 at 11:32 AM
A few years ago I was making polite conversation with an acquaintance who brought up the subject of vaccines, no doubt expecting that I would share his great disdain for those who question the common wisdom. He began mansplaining about "people" who don't understand...something, he wasn't sure what. He said that he got a flu shot every year. A few minutes later he mentioned that every year he got a terrible case of flu. I asked him why he got a flu shot every year if it didn't prevent flu, to which he replied, "Think how bad it would be if I didn't get it!"
We all have our superstitions.
Posted by: Carol | October 18, 2015 at 09:13 AM