The influenza A (H1N1) of 2009 has left sequelae, not from a pathological point of view but in terms of the negative image that now sticks to vaccination.

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A flu shot

A poll earlier this week announced that 70% of French people have no intention of getting vaccinated against the flu this year. The reasons given are uselessness for 52% and risk for 22%. It must be said that last winter, the vaccine was only 30% effective because of the bad strain it contained...

So, as if the public authorities were coming to support the pharmaceutical industry, the Health Insurance launched a campaign of com' in favor of this vaccination, relayed by television spots that give the floor to the hosts of France Télévisions (curious !...): "Flu: to avoid hospitalization, switch to vaccination"... And that's not all, the French called "at-risk", that is to say, aged over 65 years or suffering from specific diseases, will receive a personalized mail, sesame to get vaccinated free of charge: it still represents 10 million people!

Last year, the Institute for health surveillance (InVS) recorded 18,300 deaths due to influenza (90% of whom were over 65). At the same time, if vaccination coverage reached 75% (the rate recommended by the WHO), this would prevent only 3,000 deaths, which is not so huge, proportionally.

After the older ones, here is that the "specialists" invoke the need to vaccinate pregnant women to protect the newborn until its 6 months, children because they would contribute strongly to the spread of the virus and because the flu can be strong in those under 1 year. And then who's next ?!...

Vaccination, a lab scam?

Professor Henri Joyeux, the former surgeon and cancer scientist, has just released a book " vaccines how to get there?", in which he claims that the influenza vaccine is a "scam of the laboratories" since we are faced with an Opacity of their side effects in particular.

Admittedly, it becomes difficult to make a difference and to form an opinion: after the huge upset of the vaccination against influenza A (H1N1) in 2009, the controversy exists about the vaccine against papillomavirus, as well as for the vaccine against hepatitis B suspected of a link with multiple sclerosis. Not to mention the controversy created by the shortage in the pharmacy of the DT-polio vaccine without adjuvant that would allow it to be replaced by a hexavalent combined vaccine (DTP + pertussis + Haemophilus influenza type B + hepatitis B) that the professor considers "dangerous" for babies.

Far from endorsing the various - and sometimes well - reacted-positions of this doctor, it should be recognized that the lobby of international pharmaceutical laboratories does a little what it wants in the face of sometimes interested doctors and politicians who are not health experts, and who are often their spokespersons.

We are now waiting for the report on vaccine policy that Marisol Touraine, Minister of Health, commissioned this summer 2015, Sandrine Hurel, former deputy PS of Seine-Maritime (PS). In any case, vaccination is a considerable step forward provided it is used wisely, disregarding any commercial interest.