07-08-2003, 04:12 PM | #1 |
Knight of the Rose
Join Date: April 8, 2003
Location: Arkansas
Age: 48
Posts: 4,442
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Health Sciences Institute e-Alert
July 8, 2003 ************************************************** ************ We hope you enjoy this free subscription to the Health Sciences Institute e-Alert. You have received this e-mail because you have signed up for our newsletter through one of our website promotions. Our e-mails are never sent unsolicited. If, however, you wish to permanently remove yourself from this mailing list, follow the unsubscribe instructions at the bottom of this page. ************************************************** ************ Dear Reader, What do drug companies have in common with fashion designers? They start working on the next season long before it arrives. With most of the warm days of summer still ahead of us, the very last thing most people are thinking about is the flu. But for drug companies that manufacture flu vaccines, this is their busy season, getting ready for the autumn rush. But this year there's going to be a twist. Because this year one company will be offering a brand new flu vaccine. And like anything new, "guinea pigs" are needed for testing. Want to sign up? Sure, it'll be expensive - but the side effects are free. -------------------------------------------------------------- You know...for kids -------------------------------------------------------------- A couple of weeks ago the FDA gave its official stamp of approval to FluMist, the first nasal-spray flu vaccine available in the U.S. This may sound familiar. I first told you about FluMist months ago in the e-Alert "Quicksilver" (12/19/02). At that time, an FDA panel had recommended that FluMist receive a final approval, but only for those between the ages of 5 and 49. MedImmune (the manufacturer of FluMist) had hoped the approved age range would be 5 to 65, but FluMist had proven neither safe nor effective for people over the age of 50. In addition...well, there are several additional concerns about FluMist: * FluMist increases the risk of asthma attacks in kids under the age of 5. * Typical side effects of FluMist include sore throat, coughing, nasal congestion, and runny nose. * Clinical trials show that FluMist stops flu-like symptoms in only half the people who take it. * FluMist costs about five times more than a traditional flu vaccine administered by injection. That added cost creates other possible stumbling blocks. For one thing, there's a very good chance that insurance companies won't cover the extra expense because the only apparent benefit of choosing FluMist over a traditional vaccine will be to avoid the needle. And one more thing - doctors are advised that kids aged 5 through 8 (the very age group that tends to hate needles more than anyone) will need TWO doses of FluMist to be effective. So the total price for vaccinating each child will be just under $100 (not including the cost of two visits to the doctor). Ka-ching! Ka-ching! Next! -------------------------------------------------------------- It's alive! -------------------------------------------------------------- The absence of a needle isn't the only difference between FluMist and an injection vaccine. Unlike traditional flu vaccines (which use dead flu virus), FluMist will contain three live flu viruses. That's right - MedImmune wants to put 3 strains of living flu virus into your head. But don't worry. The FDA says everything's going to be just fine. The FluMist viruses are "modified" so they won't grow at body temperature. Has MedImmune conducted long-term studies to make absolutely certain that these "modified" viruses won't find a way to work around the modifications? No. Which is part of the reason why many are concerned that FluMist may be harmful for anyone with a compromised immune system. So the long- term "study" will, in effect, be conducted on the general population. Meanwhile, MedImmune (and its parent company Wyeth) are investing $100 million to advertise FluMist. But that's a small investment compared to what they hope will eventually be a $1 billion a year product. ........ummm, anyone else see the irony in this new drug?
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07-08-2003, 04:15 PM | #2 |
Symbol of Moradin
Join Date: June 5, 2002
Location: Slovenia,Ljubljana
Age: 36
Posts: 8,554
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Yes...someone like me!
What people imagine...shees! |
07-08-2003, 04:22 PM | #3 |
Galvatron
Join Date: January 22, 2002
Location: california wine country
Age: 60
Posts: 2,193
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here is a link to some less sensationalistic information on FluMist:
http://www.sph.umich.edu/news_events/flumist/
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07-09-2003, 04:41 PM | #4 |
Fzoul Chembryl
Join Date: March 2, 2001
Location: Chaotica (london,england)
Age: 37
Posts: 1,798
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i get the flu once a year with or without injection, i'd rather just have the flu then pay $50 for a runny nose for a few days then getting the flu...
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