Written by Elisabeth P   

The pharmaceutical company Glaxo Smith Kline ordered a recall of its 4 in 1 vaccine against certain types of flu named Flulaval, about 15 days ago.
GSK stated that “the vaccine might cause more harm than good because it is not good enough to protect someone from the current flu strains present in the US”. Because Flulaval is ineffective, the remaining 1.7 million doses are being recalled while GSK conducts testing on the product to prove efficiency.

The recall, although for the benefit of public health, will possibly contribute to the increase of widespread skepticism and opposition to vaccination, worldwide.

According to reporting of Guardian on April 21st:
“A major study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), one of the world’s leading medical journals has concluded that there is no link between the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccination and autism in children”.
The study disproves the research of 1998 of Andrew Wakefield that there is a link between MMR vaccine and the appearance of autism and bowel disease, but “the belief that autism and vaccinations are linked continues to cause many parents to decide against having their children immunised”, according to Guardian.

Though it is rather common for citizens of other countries in Africa or Asia to oppose vaccination -with good reasons and fears-, there is also a strong anti-vaccination movement (AVM) which attributes to vaccination diseases (as above) in Western countries, mostly among conservatives or because of religious beliefs.
“Some American families who fear vaccines may cause autism, and others who don’t trust the federal government are choosing not to vaccinate.
In some places diseases once thought to be conquered are making a comeback”, comments USA Today which also reports: “Recent measles outbreaks in New York, California and Texas are examples of what could happen on a larger scale if vaccination rates dropped, says Anne Schuchat, the CDC’s director of immunizations and respiratory diseases.”

In Australia, where the vaccine-deniers risked to be exempted of health services, “on 19th April, Social services minister Scott Morrison announced the exemption the religious group that calls itself Christian Scientists ‘is no longer current or necessary and will therefore be removed’.
Children of members of the religious organisation enjoyed exemptions from being vaccinated from 1998.
‘Having resolved this outstanding matter, the government will not be receiving nor authorising any further vaccination exemption applications from religious organisations,’ Morrison added”, reports the australian edition of International Business Times.

The distrust to big pharmaceuticals is based on facts and of many past “accidents” either from vaccines or from other drugs.
The phantom of thalidomide and the near 60 year-old drama of its victims won’t stop to haunt big-pharma.

Elisabeth Petridou
https://theworldthepeople.wordpress.com/