Hepatitis B Vaccine: Good for 'Newborn' Prostitutes and Drug Users, but Who Else?

Friday, July 11, 2008 by: Dr. Gregory Damato, Ph.D.
Tags: hepatitis B, health news, Natural News

(NewsTarget) The Hepatitis B (Hep B) vaccine is considered one of the most controversial vaccines in the pediatric vaccination schedule. Why are we giving it to newborns and what are the adverse reactions associated with such an early vaccination?

What is Hep B?

Hep B is a very rare disease caused by the Hep B virus which primarily affects the liver and is principally spread through the blood. Hep B may lead to chronic infection and cirrhosis (scarring) which may then progress to liver cancer. Approximately .2% of the population in America currently have Hep B, leaving 99.8% of the population free of this virus. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), approximately .001 percent of all infants under the age of one year will contract Hep B and 95 percent of them will recover on their own and never contract the virus again. In the U.S. in 2005, only five children under the age of five were reported to have been infected with Hep B (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, March 30, 2007). Furthermore, the U.S. continues to have the lowest recorded levels of Hepatitis in the world. According to the October 31, 1997 MMWR published by the CDC, "Hepatitis B continues to decline in most states, primarily because of a decrease in the number of cases among injecting drug users and, to a lesser extent, among both homosexuals and heterosexuals of both sexes."

How do you get Hep B?

Hep B is transmitted from bodily fluids that are contaminated with the virus. This can be done through unprotected sex, contaminated needles, blood transfusions or vertical transmission from mother to child.

What is the Hep B Vaccine?

In November of 1991, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the CDC recommended the universal vaccination of Hep B to every newborn in the U.S. There are currently two types of genetically engineered hepatitis B vaccines licensed for use in the U.S.: Merck's Recombivax HB® (each 0.5 mL dose contains 5 mcg of hepatitis B surface antigen with formaldehyde, and .5mg of aluminum (potassium aluminum sulfate)[1] and GlaxoSmithKline's Engerix-B® (each 0.5 mL dose contains 10 mcg of hepatitis B surface antigen adsorbed on 0.25 mg aluminum as aluminum hydroxide, sodium chloride, disodium phosphate dihydrate, and sodium dihydrogen phosphate dihydrate [2].

When is the Hep B Vaccine Given?

The Hep B vaccine is the first vaccine given to newborns and is injected within 12 hours of birth. The CDC then recommends a second injection at one to two months of age and a third vaccination between six and 18 months (regardless of manufacturer).

Why is the Hep B Vaccine Given?

This vaccine is given because of fear, lack of knowledge and corporate greed from the vaccine manufacturers. Merck generates over $1 billion worth of revenue from this vaccine alone. Most hospitals allow for screening of Hep B in mothers prior to birth, but many do not do this. Even if the mother tests positive for Hep B, there is only a 5% probability that the virus will be passed from mother to child. We are ostensibly injecting helpless newborns (nearly 1 million per year in the U.S.) with this vaccine with the false belief that every mother already has Hep B and if they don't, we will be protecting the future generation of promiscuous teens and drug users. The CDC and FDA know that drug users and prostitutes will not get the vaccine themselves and therefore it is better to vaccinate these potential drug users and hookers when they are born. The CDC and Merck have collaborated to misinterpret and skew the number of cases of Hepatitis B in the U.S. They say each year up to 320,000 new cases occur, yet the CDC documents report that only 10,000 new cases occur. Even of these 10,000 cases, 95 percent (or 9,500) will recover on their own and forever have natural immunity. This type of misinformation and fear tactics are nothing new to Big Pharma, for it is fear that allows one to control the masses and as a corollary, numerous infants and families have forever been harmed.

Adverse Reactions to Hep B?

Accurate data on adverse reactions to the Hep B vaccine are very difficult to come by due to scarcity or lack of reporting by many physicians as well as blocked reporting data from the CDC. The most recent and complete data from the VAERS (Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System) and government agencies (CDC, FDA) are from July, 1990 to October 1999 and include 24,775 adverse reactions. These reactions include 439 deaths and 9,673 emergency room visits. These reactions have included, arthritis [3, 4]; skin disorders [5]; compromised immunity and autoimmune disease [6]; neurological damage; vision loss and rare eye disorders such as optic neuritis [7] and epitheliopathy [8]; blood disorders [9]; diabetes [10]; damage to liver and kidneys [11]; severe vomiting, diarrhoea and death [12].

Because the reporting of adverse events to VAERS is completely voluntary, up to 96 to 99 percent of these reactions are never reported [13]. Realistically, the number of adverse events following Hep B vaccination from 1990 to 1999 would be somewhere around 2.5 million (24,775 multiplied by 99). In addition to the above adverse reactions, additional severe reactions have been reported from Merck and GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals which include: edema of the heart, chest discomfort, Guillain-Barre syndrome, fever, hearing damage, bronchial spasms, hair loss, encephalitis, multiple sclerosis, seizures, herpes zoster, Bells palsy, rash, visual impairments and anaphylaxis [1, 2]. In October of 1998, France became the first country to effectively ban the Hep B vaccine given to children due to an increase in child arthritis, multiple sclerosis symptoms and other serious adverse reactions.

From the above evidence we can conclude that if you wish to groom your children to become future drug users who share needles or prostitutes (or quite possibly both) then the risks of contracting Hep B may outweigh the risks of receiving one of the many adverse reactions. But, if you are a responsible parent and believe that your child is extremely unlikely to come in contact with Hep B through such risky behavior (especially as a newborn or infant), then clearly this vaccine is unwarranted. Furthermore, it is safe to say that this vaccine should be removed from the American Academy of Pediatrics infant vaccination schedule to prevent further damage and death to our children. Interestingly enough, up to 87% of pediatricians believe that the Hep B vaccine is totally unnecessary for newborns [14]. It seems that the Hep B vaccine may be warranted in only the most exceptional of circumstances much later on in life, but it has no place being anywhere near our 12 hour old children with a very immature and underdeveloped immune system.

References:

1.Merck & Co., I., Recombivax HB Hepatitis B Vaccine (Recombinant) Issued: December 2007. Product insert from vaccine manufacturer.

2.GlaxoSmithKline, Engerix-B [Hepatitis B Vaccine (Recombinant)] Issued: December 2006. Product insert from vaccine manufacturer.

3.Pope, J.E., et al., The development of rheumatoid arthritis after recombinant hepatitis B vaccination. Journal of Rheumatology, 1998. 25(9): p. 1687-1693.

4.Sibilia, J. and J. Maillefert, Vaccination and rheumatoid arthritis. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, 2002. 61(7): p. 575-576.

5.Usman, A., et al., Lichenoid eruption following hepatitis B vaccination: first North American case report. Pediatric Dermatology, 2001. 18(2): p. 123-126.

6.Biron, P., et al., Myasthenia Gravis after general anesthesia and hepatitis B vaccine. Archives of Internal Medicine, 1988. 148(12): p. 2685.

7.Achiron, L.R., Postinfectious hepatitis B optic neuritis. Optometry and Vision Science, 1994. 71(1): p. 53-56.

8.Brezin, A.P., et al., Acute posterior multifocal placoid pigment epitheliopathy after hepatitis b vaccination. Archives of Ophthalmology, 1995. 113(3): p. 297-300.

9.Ronchi, F., et al., Thrombocytopenic purpura as adverse reaction to recombinant hepatitis B vaccine. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 1998. 78(3): p. 273-274.

10.Classen, J.B., Childhood immunisation and diabetes mellitus. New Zealand Medical Journal, 1996. 109(1022): p. 195.

11.Islek, I., et al., Nephrotic syndrome following hepatitis B vaccination. Pediatric Nephrology, 2000. 14(1): p. 89-90.

12.Duclos, P., Adverse events after hepatitis B vaccination. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 1992. 147(7): p. 1023-1026.

13.Rosenthal, S. and R. Chen, The reporting sensitivities of two passive surveillance systems for vaccine adverse events. American Journal of Public Health, 1995. 85: p. 1706-1709.

14.Freed, G.L., et al., Reactions of pediatricians to a new Centers for Disease Control recommendation for universal immunization of infants with hepatitis B vaccine. Pediatrics, 1993. 91(4): p. 699-702.

About the author

Dr. Gregory Damato enjoys a raw vegan lifestyle and is the editor of www.wellnessuncovered.com which publishes the latest health and wellness news and information. The site attempts to facilitate in the expansion of human consciousness through unlocking our innate wisdom.