So we know that vaccines don’t cause acute flaccid myelitis.
Consider a five-year-old in Maryland who recently came down with symptoms of AFM.
Was he recently vaccinated?
Nope. It had been some time since his four-year-old vaccines. Almost a year. And he had not gotten a flu vaccine yet.
What he did have were worsening symptoms about two weeks after he had seemed to get over a cold, something he has in common with most other kids with AFM.
“To try to pin a tragic yet uncommon neurological condition caused by enteroviruses on vaccines is dangerous and puts more kids at risk.”
Scott Krugman, MD
As with this case, the CDC reports no correlation with vaccines in the cases that they have investigated.
And remember, some of these kids have been unvaccinated!
That makes you wonder why some folks actually think that vaccines are associated with AFM, doesn’t it?
Why Do Some People Think That Vaccines Cause AFM?
That’s right, as you are likely suspecting, the usual suspects are pushing anti-vaccine propaganda and promoting the idea to scare parents away from vaccinating and protecting their kids.
“…there are many other reasons to suspect vaccine-related mechanisms of causation for AFM in the U.S., a primary one being that the scientific literature has documented paralysis as an adverse reaction to vaccination for decades!”
The Non-Polio Illness That “Looks Just Like Polio” by Lyn Redwood, RN, MSN, President, Children’s Health Defense
If any of these kids had recently gotten the oral polio vaccine, then sure, an adverse reaction to the vaccination would be at the top of the list of possible causes. After all, we know that VAPP can occur after OPV, but that vaccine hasn’t been used in the United States since 2000, when we switched to IPV.
Why do these folks think that they have it all figured out?
The AFM outbreaks happen at the beginning of the school year, when kids are all getting their shots, right?
Nope. They happen during the summer and early fall, peaking in August. And despite what some folks think, most parents don’t wait until the end of summer, just before school starts, to vaccinate their kids. Plus, most kids don’t even need vaccines before the start of the school year. Kids typically only get vaccines before starting kindergarten and middle school.
But the outbreaks do coincide with the when kids get their flu shots, right?
How many kids get flu shots in June and July?
If it was flu shots, the peak would be in October and November, when most kids get their flu shots and we would continue to see cases through December and January.
Of course, there is absolutely no evidence that flu vaccines, or any other vaccines, cause AFM.
What about the journal article that Brandy Vaughan posts as evidence?
“By reviewing vaccine-associated inflammatory diseases of the central nervous system, this study describes the current knowledge on whether the safety signal was coincidental, as in the case of multiple sclerosis with several vaccines, or truly reflected a causal link, as in narcolepsy with cataplexy following pandemic H1N1 influenza virus vaccination.”
Vaccine-associated inflammatory diseases of the central nervous system: from signals to causation
Even if you just read the abstract, as many folks do, you get a good idea where they are going with the article. It talks about how the claims of an association between multiple sclerosis and vaccines were proven to be purely coincidental.
Remember, correlation does not imply causation.
With AFM, you don’t even have much correlation to imply causation though!
Most cases occur just before we start giving flu vaccines and they don’t occur every year or in every state.
But doesn’t the article mention myelitis?
“Most of the published associations are based on individual case reports or small series of patients.”
Vaccine-associated inflammatory diseases of the central nervous system: from signals to causation
It does mention myelitis, just like it mentions MS – where an association has been shown to be purely coincidental.
Remember, case reports are not good evidence.
“…there are many other reasons to suspect vaccine-related mechanisms of causation for AFM in the U.S., a primary one being that the scientific literature has documented paralysis as an adverse reaction to vaccination for decades!”
The Non-Polio Illness That “Looks Just Like Polio” by Lyn Redwood, RN, MSN, President, Children’s Health Defense
But isn’t acute flaccid myelitis listed as a possible side affect in the package inserts for our vaccines?
While it should be clear that AFM isn’t the same as ADEM and TM, it is very important to understand that even when those other conditions are listed in a package insert, it is in the section that is marked “without regard to causality.”
This isn’t evidence that vaccines cause AFM!
But didn’t the BMJ publish a study about Vaccines and the U.S. Mystery of Acute Flaccid Myelitis?
Nope. What they did is let someone publish what is essentially an online letter to the editor. And anti-vaccine folks are spreading it around like it is an actual BMJ study…
Surprised?
You shouldn’t be.
This is how anti-vaccine propaganda works.
It’s no coincidence that anti-vaccine folks are trying so hard to associate the outbreaks of AFM with vaccines. What better way to scare folks and make them think that vaccines are dangerous?
How are ‘we’ working on a vaccine for AFM if we don’t even know what causes AFM???
But that’s how many anti-vaccine folks think. Everything is a vaccine injury. Everything is a conspiracy.
Don’t believe them. Vaccines are safe and necessary.
More on Anti-Vaccine Propaganda About AFM
- Acute flaccid myelitis
- Why health care providers & public health professionals say vaccines are not the cause of recent acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) cases
- Polio-like syndrome – blame enterovirus 68 not vaccines
- AAP – Acute Flaccid Myelitis in Children
- Study – Enterovirus D68 and acute flaccid myelitis-evaluating the evidence for causality.
- CDC – About Acute Flaccid Myelitis
- CDC – AFM Investigation
- Recent Spike in Cases of Acute Flaccid Myelitis
- CAPTURE: Collaborative Assessment of Pediatric Transverse Myelitis; Understand, Reveal, Educate
- A.F.M.- Acute Flaccid Myelitis Awareness & Other Polio-Like Virus Side Effect
- Parents of Children with Polio Like Syndrome / Acute Flaccid Myelitis
- Maryland parents warn others to be aware of AFM symptoms
- Study – Vaccine-associated inflammatory diseases of the central nervous system: from signals to causation
I am an AFM family member. One thing that is important to note is that no AFM parent is denying that vaccine injuries are a thing. there have have been cases where vaccines have caused illnesses, or Transverse Myelitis, as you mentioned above. People just read the “Myelitis” and see that AFM is a type of myelitis and think it’s the same thing. It’s not! AFM is not TM, and AFM families have been pushing to get AFM removed as a sub-type of TM and into its own category. But yes, TM is an EXTREMELY RARE side effect of vaccines. It happens. No one is denying that it can occur. But AFM is not TM.
Also important to note is the fact that a paralyzed child is much better than thousands of dead children. Yes?! Anyone going to disagree with me there?
Greater good argument?? that is callous at best I have no issue with you or thought process because we make opinions based on our information. We were put in this place with an immune system …. Ill take my chances!
I definitely agree we should try to avoid thousands of dead children. Which is why we shouldn’t vaccinate since thousands of children die EVERY YEAR from vaccination! At it’s height the children dying of measles, and etc. was under 1000.
You make a major mistake in trying to convince an antivaxxer that dead children are something to be avoided. Until you realize that antvaxxers want children dead, you’ll never understand the antivax movement. They celebrate the fact that unvaccinated children die of natural diseases – and praise (like Andrew Wakefield did) the “parents” who murder their children. Their goal is dead children.
Its silly to see so many people pushing a corporations products (for free). Even knowing that vaccines have been shown to deteriorate our nerve protective coatings. Which we all know that nerves losing their protective sheath leads to things like myelitis, ALS, MS, on and on and on. Autoimmune disorders earn 100 BILLION in the U.S. alone per year in services and treatments. What is the only line of corporate products that targets one’s immunity? Hmmmm…. Doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out. Vaccines inserts do state: “This vaccine has never been evaluated for carcinogenic potential, mutagenicity or fertility”. I even called Merck and asked why don’t they test their product for cancer causing agents. The lady said she didn’t know. Wake Up fools. Poison+Remedy=$$$$$$$$. 600,000+ Americans die from cancer a year. We test water bottles, couch cushions, every other pill, but not the all mighty, no legal liability-having, vaccines.
BULLSHIT! FLU VACCINES ARE OFFERED IN THE SUMMER NOW BECAUSE OF YOU MONEY HUNGRY BASTARDS!!!! AND THAT IS WHY THE NEW DISEASES ARE SURFACING!!!! TAKE MORE MONEY! MERCO AND YOU GOVERNMENT ASSHOLES LIKE YOU!! MY FAMILY WILL NEVER HAVE THAT SHIT IN THEIR BODY AND YOU WILL BURN IN HELL FOR THAT
Technically, Dottie, you are correct. Fly vaccines are offered in the summer. Because they are offered all year round. However, the vast majority of people get the vaccine September – November because that’s when cold and flu season starts.
I do wish you luck in surviving the flu season. Remember last year? 80,000 people died. The vast majority elected not to be vaccinated. Those who could not be vaccinated died because others decided to take the word of undereducated celebrities and snake oil salesmen with homeopathic sugar water to sell. People with cancer. People with compromised immune systems. People allergic to eggs who couldn’t get the egg-free version yet.
As for those “new diseases”, sure there are man-made diseases. They are developed as weapons. Perhaps you’ve heard of biological weapons? And I can guarantee, your neighborhood doctor doesn’t give the vaccines for them. Want to know why? Because there aren’t any. Most “new diseases”, including antibiotic resistant ones, come from individuals not properly caring for themselves. They do get their vaccines, and if they catch a vaccine preventable disease, it reproduces so fast it mutates. Or if someone doesn’t finish their course of medication, it can allow the disease to foothold and mutate resistance. Or diseases can evolve together when someone lacks medical care. This is why medical care is so important.
As for the money. Damn, you anti-vaxxers love that. Let me ask you, what costs more? A shot, that at most is a couple of hundred dollars (the most expensive I’ve seen is the shingles shot at $165. Not saying it is the most expensive, just the most expensive I’ve seen.) Or a hospital stay and medication (at the very least) for thousands a day? Also, consider this, most insurances would rather pay for a vaccine than a treatment. Why? Could it be that prevention is less costly than cure?
But I do hope you and your family is able to steer clear of those vaccine preventable illnesses. Being sick sucks. Dying or suffering life long effects is terrible as well. And I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.
ok Dotti if you or any your family members get cancer, Malaria, Tuberculosis, etc be sure to tell yourself and them not take treatment because they’re made by those scary “Money Hungry Bastards” oh and by the way see you in hell! <3
I am not an antivaxxer just PRO-INNATE IMMUNE system. If you Pro-vaxxers like the chemical have at it! You shouldn’t worry that I don’t take it. You’re protected right??? HAHAHAHAH
Lol as some one who’se sister went through AFM i cam comfirm that vaccines did not cause this by the time i took my flu shotshe was in the hospital also if you anti-vaxxers are so against “Big Pharma”, thenthe next time you or your child get severely sick or horribly don’t take medicine or treatments because that’s made by the scary “Big Pharma” oooh!
“VAPP or vaccine-associated paralytic polio are cases of polio that are actually caused by the polio vaccine.
Very rarely, the attenuated (weakened) virus in the oral polio vaccine can revert to a form that can cause the person who was vaccinated or their close contact to actually develop polio.
****It should not be confused with cVDPV or circulating vaccine-derived polio virus. With cVDPV, the original strain of attenuated vaccine virus reverts to a form that can not only cause polio, but can also spread from one person to another, causing outbreaks.”
It’s not hard to understand that a disease that even doctors admit look exactly like polio from the 1940s is actually polio, just renamed so that vaccine manufactures and the CDC can still claim that vaccines are safe and effective… If you guys are too dumb to figure it out, then that’s on you. I have a degree in Biology and I’m in support of vaccines, but they definitely need to be tested and we need assurances that they are safe. Vaccine manufactures should not be immume to lawsuits and scientists with ties to vaccine manufactures and drug companies should not be allowed to work at the CDC and affect policy.