CDC: Despite Vaccination Measures, Influenza Outbreaks Can Still Occur In Highly Vaccinated Military Populations
By Teresa Conrick
In 2014, CDC reported this information in their Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). I don't recall reading about it in any new reports or seeing it on any news stations:
Influenza Outbreak in a Vaccinated Population — USS Ardent, February 2014
On February 10, 2014, the USS Ardent, a U.S. Navy minesweeper, was moored in San Diego, California, while conducting training. Over the course of 3 days, 25 of 102 crew members sought medical care because of influenza-like illness (ILI). Nasal swab specimens were collected from each patient, and initial rapid influenza testing indicated 16 cases of influenza A. Ultimately, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing conducted by the Naval Health Research Center determined that 20 specimens were influenza A, of which 18 were subtype H3N2. Two specimens could not be subtyped. The HA gene sequence of an outbreak isolate was 99% identical to strains circulating during the 2013–14 influenza season and antigenically similar to the H3N2 component of the 2013–14 influenza vaccine...This outbreak highlights the risk for an H3N2 influenza outbreak among vaccinated and otherwise healthy young persons.
... Ninety-nine of 102 USS Ardent crew members, 24 of the 25 with ILI symptoms, and 17 of 18 crew members with confirmed influenza A (H3N2) infection had received the 2013–14 influenza vaccine ≥3 months before the outbreak. Vaccinations had been administered at local naval health clinics and at a vaccination fair conducted by Naval Medical Center San Diego. Of the 25 crew members with ILI symptoms, 16 were vaccinated via intradermal injection, eight via intranasal mist, and one had not received vaccination.
...Since the 1950s, a policy of mandatory annual vaccination against influenza for active duty personnel has been largely successful in limiting influenza epidemics in the military (8). The current U.S. Department of Defense influenza vaccination policy mandates that all uniformed personnel receive seasonal influenza vaccination, unless medically exempt, or face punishment under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. The policy specifically directs all Navy operational units to be at least 90% vaccinated. However, despite vaccination measures, influenza outbreaks can still occur in highly vaccinated military populations (9,10).
I need to repeat that last sentence and post those two references:
However, despite vaccination measures, influenza outbreaks can still occur in highly vaccinated military populations.
And from another source on this vaccine failure: The virus was antigenically similar to the H3N2 component of the 2013-2014 vaccine, and 17 of the 18 with confirmed H3N2 had been vaccinated at least 3 months earlier (overall, 99% of the crew had been vaccinated).
Here too, are the other vaccine failure incidences. These cases represent failure to protect but also evidence that vaccine recipients may be the carriers of these viruses.
Reference 9 - Earhart KE, Beadle C, Miller LK, et al. Outbreak of influenza in highly vaccinated crew of U.S. Navy ship. Emerg Infect Dis 2001;7:463–5.:
This outbreak demonstrates the potential for rapid spread of influenza A throughout a confined population despite appropriate vaccination. The efficiency of human-to human transmission is emphasized by the fact that there was no discernible difference in attack rates between various areas of the ship by the end of the outbreak. Although over 95% of the Arkansas crew were appropriately immunized with the 1995-96 influenza vaccine, at least 42% became ill with influenza; when definite and probable cases were included, the attack rate was 54%, for an estimated 46% efficacy of the 1995-96 influenza vaccine.
Reference 10 - Cosby MT, Pimental G, Nevin RL, et al. Outbreak of H3N2 Influenza at a US Military Base in Djibouti during the H1N1 pandemic of 2009. PLoS One 2013;7:e82089:
Despite high vaccination rates, influenza outbreaks with significant operational impact do occur [2]. It has been shown that deployed military personnel played an important role in the global spread of disease during the influenza pandemic of 1918-1919 [3].
In 1918 children would skip rope to the rhyme:
I had a little bird
Its name was Enza.
I opened the window
And in-flu-enza.
During the H1N1 influenza A pandemic of 2009 [A(H1N1)pdm09], outbreaks among military personnel were quickly identified [4-6], reflecting the rapid global spread of disease......as deployed US military members typically have vaccination rates exceeding 90%, ongoing surveillance among this population helps gauge vaccine effectiveness.
Recently, I reported on these statements from CDC:
CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) today voted that live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV), also known as the “nasal spray” flu vaccine, should not be used during the 2016-2017 flu season. ACIP continues to recommend annual flu vaccination, with either the inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV) or recombinant influenza vaccine (RIV), for everyone 6 months and older...
...How well the flu vaccine works (or its ability to prevent flu illness) can range widely from season to season and can be affected by a number of factors, including characteristics of the person being vaccinated, the similarity between vaccine viruses and circulating viruses, and even which vaccine is used. LAIV contains live, weakened influenza viruses. Vaccines containing live viruses can cause a stronger immune response than vaccines with inactivated virus. LAIV VE data before and soon after licensure suggested it was either comparable to, or better than, IIV. The reason for the recent poor performance of LAIV is not known.
It is all a mystery....like so many others from the CDC. No matter what, the message is to VACCINATE.
Teresa Conrick is Contributing Editor to Age of Autism.
New evidence is raising the specter that the more influenza vaccinations you receive in your lifetime, the less protection you have from the virus in subsequent seasons. Dr. Danuta Skowronski, an epidemiologist at the British Columbia Center for Disease Control published a study earlier this year showing that people who were vaccinated consecutively in 2012, 2013 and 2014 appeared to have a higher risk of being infected with new strains of the flu.
http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/annual-flu-shots-reduce-body-s-ability-to-fight-virus-in-future-researchers-1.3147903
Posted by: Rachael | November 06, 2016 at 12:36 AM
Maybe influenza and flu vaccines circulate similarly to the following observations, kind of like life imitating (dark) art in a way, don't ya think?:
"Implication of vaccination against dengue for Zika outbreak"
http://www.nature.com/articles/srep35623
combined with this:
"Dengue vaccine enters phase 3 trial in Brazil"
https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/dengue-vaccine-enters-phase-3-trial-brazil
Posted by: Jenny | November 04, 2016 at 08:37 PM
I have not had the flu in at least 10 years. Getting a flu shot from a strain that has been cultivated in a lab would not exactly keep me healthy. Besides why not get the flu naturally? It gives better immunity and is more likely a lasting protection.
Posted by: Birgit Calhoun | November 03, 2016 at 09:52 PM
When my husband was in the military, we used to all get the flu every year about the same time that they were vaccinating all the troops. We almost always lived on base, and of course always used the commissary and exchange, bank, etc, so we were constantly exposed to soldiers who had just been vaccinated (including my husband!). People scoff and blame "coincidence" but when it happens year after year, and it happens to many other families too, just "coincidentally" around that same time... you really aren't thinking very critically if you don't start to question what you're told.
My husband eventually learned to get around the shot without voicing an objection, and I'm not going to say how because it did involve some subterfuge which he theoretically should not have done. Interestingly, after he stopped getting the flu shot every year, our family also stopped getting the flu. We didn't change our habits in terms of use of the base facilities, but it seemed to make a difference that we weren't constantly exposed to a recently vaccinated person in our own home.
Fortunately my husband is now retired from the military and none of us would take a flu shot for a million dollars. We-- my husband, myself, and all of our children-- have not had the flu in decades.
Posted by: Shekinah013 | November 03, 2016 at 02:43 PM
In the face of obvious harm the drum beat goes on regarding vaccines.
Now is the military listening to the CDC or are they following another source? Surely they must be aware of this information and for reasons known only to them decided to continue the practices of mass vaccination of our armed forces.
One person who calls herself a whistleblower believes that maybe the military wants the enlisted men to end their tours so sick that they die early and don't end up a burden on the military when they are old.
Posted by: Nora | November 03, 2016 at 12:41 PM
Flu-like illnesses strike every winter all winter long in our community (and sometimes early summer here too) and yet so many talk about getting their flu shot like it's a must. It's not like the flu was significantly worse years ago when few were getting flu shots (or even aware they existed) and we are not observing now an improvement of anything now IMO. (I'm pretty sure we are observing a loss of general health and life expectancy overall--a lot more people who feel vulnerable to the flu, I guess--but most don't consider if the conditions involved are associated with medical exposures.)
I wonder if this training ship particularly experienced many days of cloudiness reducing vitamin D levels (or some other immune system impacting exposure) before docking in San Diego and having so many of its crew come down with, it sounds like, various flu-like infections at once.
Posted by: Jeannette Bishop | November 03, 2016 at 12:01 PM
all in the head as always or so they would want everyone to believe.That's how stupid they think we all are That's why we fight and keep on fighting because these fighters cant fight no more but we fight for them we fight on...no surrender.
MMR RIP
Posted by: Angus Files | November 03, 2016 at 11:46 AM
Sure sounds suspiciously to me like these outbreaks are either caused by or exacerbated by the vaccine, or am I missing something here?
Posted by: Gary Ogden | November 03, 2016 at 09:54 AM
MF59
http://naturalsociety.com/new-flu-shot-fluad-novartis-vaccine-danger/
Thanks Gary .
Posted by: Hans Litten | November 03, 2016 at 08:27 AM
http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=92318&page=1
By GARY MATSUMOTO ·Oct. 16
Gulf War syndrome all over again ?
Posted by: Hans Litten | November 03, 2016 at 08:19 AM
'It is all a mystery....like so many others from the CDC. No matter what, the message is to VACCINATE.'
Maybe the CDC ought to adopt Autism Speak's "puzzle piece" as THEIR official logo? Instead of the piece being all blue .. the CDC's could be little red dots covering a white background?
Posted by: Bob Moffit | November 03, 2016 at 06:47 AM