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Tetanus reality and dangers of the tetanus vaccine



 
 
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  #1  
Old October 20th 06, 10:38 AM posted to misc.kids.health,misc.health.alternative
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Default Tetanus reality and dangers of the tetanus vaccine

There is NO DIAGNOSTIC test for tetanus - they just look at you and
decide because you have a certain set of symptoms that you have
tetanus.
Many things cause similar symptoms - poisonings of many
kinds...............

Tetanus - Hilary Butler on Tetanus


You will see that 'they' (science) don't have the answers, don't have a
clue
many poisoning symptoms resemble tetanus
some bug bite symptoms resemble tetanus

Do you get immunity with tetanus - do you even have tetanus?????

There is NO DIAGNOSTIC test for tetanus - they just look at you and
decide because you have a certain set of symptoms that you have
tetanus.



Here is a long post from Hilary Butler (many of you know her from
mothering.com board)
She has researched vaccines for MANY MANY years and testifies in court
cases and helps defened parents wrongly accused of harming their
children when it is vaccine damage, and helps in cases to try and prove
vaccine damage

Sheri


______________________________________________
By email

Hilary Butler on Tetanus

Tetanus is another one of those things which I spent years researching.
I have a long tome which is not in a format to put it into E, so you
will be spared another Sheri post. Instead you will get a tome of a
different kind. No, I would not have the vaccine, and in making that
choice, this is some of the information I would have thought about. I'm
not putting it all, otherwise I'd be here writing, in a weeks time...

FACTS

The first is that Australia did a study the results of which were
published in the New Zealand Doctor 18, March 1993, pg 23. This was the
first time a study like this had ever been done..., to see what the
antibody levels were in people 10 years after their last booster. Here
is what the medical article said:

quote:

Too many tetanus shots Some people having tetanus boosters already have
antibody levels more than 8,000 times (eight thousand) the protective
level needed, suggesting Australia's regime of a booster every 10 years
is in need of a change. Community physicians say Australia should adopt
the UK regime which advises after five doses, further boosters are
unnecessary.

So the first thing maybe, is go have a titre count done.

But lets look at this titre thing. Way back in the 80's there was a
study done in the Scandinavian J Infect Dis 1983: 15;303 -306, which
looked at soldiers who had been given heaps of tetanus vaccine. Their
antibody levels were way too high as well, and what they discovered was
that "repeated exposure to an antigen, or an overdose of antigen, will
not continually enhance the immune response and may lead to inhibition
or telerance at either T or B cells level.. in addition, a possible
feedback effect stimulated by the high level of toxoid antibodies may
suppress, as Stevens
and Saxon have illustrated, the production of more antibodies at a
later date"

Okay? Do you understand the implications of this?

It came out loud and clear in The Journal of Family Practice, 1997, Vol
44, No 3, pg 299 - 303 when a 29 year old man was admitted with severe
generalised tetanus despite having had a primary series and two booster
injections. And his levels were only 100 times that considered
protective, not 8,000 times as per the Australian study!!!.

Now, if you look at the New Zealand scene, where it was pointed out in
the New Zealand Medical Journal (24th November 1994)that most people
over 35 are unlikely to have had a vaccine, since it was only inroduced
in 1960, then you have to ask yourself why every over-40 year old,
isn't dropping
dead with tetanus. In 1987 a serum survey showed that just over 50% of
the 60-65 group had immunity to tetanus. 83% of the 20-29 year olds,
64% of the 30 -35 year olds. And the stats aren't that much better
today. I understand they are even lower for the USA than for here. So
where did the people with immunity get it from? Many were not
vaccinated...see later...

Now, if you have a look at Tetanus in America, one of the most
interesting articles is a 1969 one from the New England Medical
Journal, Volume 280, Number 11, March 13. And on pages 570 there is a
really interesting decline graph for mortality rates, which shows that
the mortality rate plummetted dramatically from 64/100,000 in 1900to
8/100,000. in 1940. By 1950, with most mothers still unvaccinated, it
was 4.5/100,000.

Not that Tetanus was ever a very common cause of death before hand
anyway, in relation to all the other things that historically could do
you in. Marasmus was a much more common killer of children than
neonatal tetanus ever was... for instance.

They say that it may have been the use of anti-toxin from 1923, but I
know far too much about antitoxin to believe that!!! Antitoxin can kill
all by itself, primarily because it is made in horses, and has
horrendous side-effects in its own right. And some people treated with
anti-tetanus toxoid, will die of the toxoid side-effects, but that is
the risk you take, if you think yu have a chance of dying anyway.....

But the article also recognises that the anti-toxin is not the only
reason, because they cover their bums by also talking about improved
obstetric techniques and neonatal care. And I would have to say wound
care also. But the graph is pretty amazing.

In interesting study in the American Journal of Public Health, August
1984, Vol 74, No 8, showed that in 1,900 adults over 20 years of age,
the overall percentage immunised was 38.6%. Now if, in 1979, in
american, only 38.6% of adults were immunised, what are the factors
which operated then to prevent thousands of adults daily dying from
tetanus?

And obviously there are people still around in USA who still have never
been vaccinated. and haven't died yet. But let's look at something else
as well. As to why tetanus has always been a rare disease in civilian
communities in places like America.

The medical profession has always stated that a person does not acquire
natural immunity to tetanus. But the funny thing is that in 1975 in
Dakar, in the proceeding of the 4th international symposium on tetanus,
they talked about "latent" natural immunity causing reactions to
primary immunisation. Then there was the study in JAMA Nov 19, 1982,
Volume 248, No 19, in which a large number of the unvaccianted Amish
showed serological evidence of immunity to both diphtheria and tetanus.

(Incidentally, the same was though about rabies (that there is no
natural immunity), until a recent study showed that in Alaskan trappers
who had never had any vaccine, they too had antibodies. Poof goes that
theory)

Now, New Zealand should be THE prime hot-bed for tetanus. Everywhere
you turn, you fall over horses, etc etc - cows, sheep dogs. opossums,
you name it. And even here, Tetanus occurs sometimes, but not often.
And what has been most interesting to me is in WHOM it occurs.
Recently, I was able to to a bit of poking into the lives of 4
self-confessed tetanus sufferers who were in the stats. And every
single one of them had factors in their lives which pre-disposed them
to tetanus. One had even had a 3 primary 1 booster schedule, and she
ate refined foods, drank, smoked, and did recreation drugs. Well, hey.
What state was her immune system in!!! didn't stand a
chance at doing its job...

The other three ate the usual white flour, white sugar, coke,
biscuits,very little fruit and vegetables.....

One one was what I would call reasonable healthy, but he smoked like a
train - which as I showed him from the med lit, suppresses the immune
system considerably, especially in the airways and gut area...

Now, someone here said tetanus is only a risk with rusty nails /horses
etc.

It would be wonderful if that were so, but it isn't.

For a start, 5% of us carry it in our guts, happily replicating. In
fact, at one time, the best way to get tetanus in the medical
literature was to have a hemorrhoid dealt with. Until they got wise to
that one..

Tetanus is ubiquitous in our environment. It is everywhere, on
everything.

Where do you think it comes from on the rusty nail? Why do you think it
is that the highest rate of tetanus in vaccinated people is in homeless
drug shooters?

Go get some dust from your mantle-piece tested and it will be there, 10
to the power 6. It is found in bullet wounds, human bite wounds (!!) on
your carrots - you likely eat it every day. There is nowhere that
tetanus is not. In your carpet, on your soil, and often, on your skin.
And if you don't believe me, read the medical literature.

And far from rusty nails being the most common cause of tetanus, that
is
not true. Rusty nails account for less that 40% of tetanus. Most
tetanus
comes where there is no discernable "portal of entry". It has even been
identified following ear-ache (which left me somewhat gob-smacked ---
did
the kid have grommets? and the thing shoved in the ear to "look see",
transfer Tetanus Clostridium? That wasn't even considered...)

Lets look at a bit more history from the medical literature. It has
always been known that war-time historically showed up the highest rate
of tetanus. Far higher than in civilians. Bullet/schrapnel wounds and
all, and the stress of fighting.

Boer war .28 of every thousand wounded got tetanus.
Crimean war 2.0 per 1,000
Am. Civil war 2.0 per thousand
Western front (Flanders horse country WWI average 1.47/thousand
wounded. 2nd world war varied from .06 - .43 per thousand. ( and not
everyone there was vaccinated either. In the paper on the American
Tetanus cases, most who got tetanus had been vaccinated....)

(The difference between the 2nd WW and the first has nothing to do with
the vaccine in my opinion. The second world war was in many ways, far
more hygienically fought. Where were all the mud-filled trenches, and
ghastly living conditions in the second world war, compared to the
first? Those who
know their history will see that right away...)

Now, the question should be, not why did the few actually GET tetanus,
but why didn't the other 998 per thousand wounded get it? Especially
when you realise that it was days, if not weeks, before those wounded
people got any serious attention. When you read about weeks in stinking
ships amongst the wounded from Gallipoli on their way to hospital in
EGYPT as well as the substandard treatment, you have to wonder why they
all didn't die.

The answer lies IMO in the unique susceptibility of the individual.
That a vaccine can confer immunity is not the question that needs to be
answered. The medical profession attributes the decrease in Tetanus
SOLELY to vaccination which is grossly misleading.

I mean, look at your family trees? Did all your great-grandparents die
of tetanus? Nope. Did they never get exposed to it? ACtually, they had
far more wounds likely to have harboured it, than we do today...

A good read of the medical textbooks of the 20's gives some idea as to
one chief reason..... In a study done in 1919-1920 by Dr Harriette
Chick of the lister Institute, and other working in Pirquets clinic in
Vienna, showed that "nearly all children in Central Europe were more or
less rachitic"

Remember Rickets? Remember being lined up with cod-liver oil and
black-strap molasses. (Last year, there was an article which shows that
rickets is rising again in the USA....)

Most older people living now can remember the free milk, cod-liver oil
by the spoon-full. One here has already made derogatory comments about
it.... Even in the rich communities in London in the 30's there were
still over 30% of children with definable nutritional deficiencies...

Now, its interesting in that light, to know that there are studies
which show that when you vaccinate people whose nutritional status is
not good, at least 30% do not respond to the vaccine, even when given
highly concentrated fluid toxoids (Med J Aust, Aug 7, 1976). Again the
work by Chandra shows that their rate of non-conversion to the vaccine
gets higher with the degree of malnutrition, and that malnourished
mothers pass on such low levels of IgG that the babies' passive
immunity is virtually nil.

There is no way around the blinding revelation of the obvious that

1) Bad nutrition is a very serious immune suppressor

2) Immune suppression, or malfunction, is the chief determiner of the
severity of tetanus.

And the work by Chandra et all, shows that obesity causes immune
changes similar to those caused by malnutrition, so nutritional status
is wide-ranging in its implications.

And then there is the hysteria factor which suppresses the immune
system as well, which was amply demonstrated in the USA in Johb Paul's
book "The history of Polio" where at times when the media hype was
bordering on the screaming paranoid, people would be admitted with what
they called
"pseudo-polio"

Talking of hysteria, rember that hysteria is one of the differential
diagnoses of tetanus, as is hypocalcemia, meningitis, rabies, drug
withdrawal, strychnine poisoning, and dystonic drug reaction.

"red streaks" may have nothing to do with tetanus at all. When I was in
USA in 1993, I got a chigger bite, which the chemist treated with what
looked like nail polish, and said it would be just fine. Well, it
wasn't. After 4 days, my legs ached, and I had red streaks up to the
groin. And while my hosts freaked their heads off, I plonked myself in
the bath, took a sterilised 3 inch needle, put a piece of wood between
my teeth, and opened it up in a Y shape. The rotten chigger, and pus
exploded everywhere....

And within three days, the red streaks had completely gone as had all
infection. And since I am fatally allergic to all antibiotics, no, I
didn't use them. I let my body do the job it is designed for, with
judicious help from vitamin quackery.....

Back to history

There is much made of the fact that the Japanese soldiers in WWII had a
lot of tetanus in comparison to the Americans. 14 per hundred.... But
when researching this, I was interested to read this "We embarked 284
wounded Japanese soldiers. We found them to be generally dirty,
emaciated and with wounds that had been improperly treated." By
contrast, the 384 wounded US
solders were described as clean, well-fed with wounds that had been
promptly treated.

Aparently this counted for nothing, and that the reason the USA
soldiers had escaped "in comparison" was the vaccine. Which makes me
very annoyed, because there is another factor they missed out, which is
integral to understanding the japanese-- What was not taken into
account was that to be taken captive was the ultimate in disgrace to
any japanese, and many lost the will to live, and died anyway. Imagine
the shape of the immune system of someone with no hope....

Now you would think too, that ALL the US personnel during WWII who got
tetanus would have been unimmunised, but not so. There were twelve
cases. 6 of them had completed an immunisation schedule, and one had
had one shot. And three of the 6 with a completed schedule, died. Three
of the unvaccinated suvived. The one who had had one shot, survived.
Seems sort of 50/50 to me. (Bull US Army Med Dept, Vol VII, no 4, April
1947). The British records are even stranger, with the immunized often
having a higher overall case mortality record than the unimmunsed. In
the Lancet, Jan 26, 1946, pg 116 looking at the case Mortality rates,
in the "protected" it was 50%, in the Unprotected it was 46.8%, and in
the incomplete or doubtful it was 42.1%.

The list of side-effects which I have for Tetanus vaccine is huge, but
I won't go into that. What I wanted to reinforce was nutritional
status, and some history, but finally to draw your attention to a most
interesting study. This is found in the Bangladesh medical Research
Council Bulleting, Volume 10, No 1, June 1984.

As I said, a differential diagnosis is Strynchnine poisoning. The first
part was to take two day old chicks divided into fur groups with 15
birds in each. Group one got 5 nanograms of strychnine sulphate (SS).
Group 2 got SS plus 30 mg of Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) Group 3 10
nonograms of SS, and group 4 got10 nanos SS and 30 mg Vitamin C. The
results we

Group one, Wings of all birds stretched, Some walked on toes, others
kept jumping but could not walk.

Group 2 - No symptoms

Group 3, Extensor paralysis of legs, opisthotonus and severe
convulsions,and all but three died.

Group 4, Extensor paralysis in 3 chicks. No neurological symptoms in
others. the affected bird recovered in about 30 minutes after the
appearance of symptoms.

Then they randomly assigned tetanus cases into four groups.

Ages 1-11

No Vitamin C = 72% mortality rate.

Vitamin C 0% mortality rate.

Ages 13 - 30

Vitamin C, 37% mortality

Non Vitamin C 67.8 % mortality rate.

But they made one mistake with this. All patients got 1,000 mg of
Vitamin C. They did not ADJUST UPWARDS the dose of vitamin C for the
bigger body weight. Had they done that, the results might have been
different. They did another study looking at the use of B 6, pyrodoxine
and found that that also reduced both severity an mortality.

Think on that. Tetanus is a toxin-mediated disease, rather like
diphtheria. It is determined by nutritional status, and immune function
more than anything else...

But there is another interesting fact. The body, with a wound, puts up
"road-blocks" to stop the toxin spreading. It is fascinating to me,
that it has long been known that "Wound excision should be delayed
until the antitoxin is given, as free tetanospasmin is mobilized into
the blood-stream during surgical manipulation." In other words,
debridement of wounds breaks open these road-blocks, and floods the
system with poison....

I also found in interesting that in the Am J Dis Child Vol 135, June
1981, Pg 571 it says "the mortality in reported cases of tetanus is
higher in the USA than in developing countries." Perhaps it is because
in the USA the methods of treatment are very invastive, include
debridement, tracheotomy - a whole host of things which just can't be
done in developing countries, not just because of cost, but also
because of infection risk.

  #2  
Old October 20th 06, 10:43 AM posted to misc.kids.health,misc.health.alternative
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Default Tetanus reality and dangers of the tetanus vaccine

Tetanus Vaccination by Dr Mendelsohn MD

Tetanus Vaccination by Dr Mendelsohn MD (The People's Doctor
Newsletter 1976-1988)

You have every right to closely question me on the tetanus vaccine,
since that was the last vaccine I abandoned. It wasn't hard for me to
give up vaccines for whooping cough, measles, and rubella because of
their disabling and sometimes deadly side effects. The mumps vaccine, a
high-risk, low-benefit product, struck me and plenty of other
doctors as silly from the moment it was introduced. Arguments for the
diphtheria vaccine were vitiated by epidemics during the past 15 years
which showed the same death rate and the same severity of illness in
those who were vaccinated vs. those who were not vaccinated. As for
smallpox, even the government finally gave up that vaccine in 1970, and
I gave up on the polio vaccine when Jonas Salk showed that the best way
to catch polio in the United States was to be near a child who recently
had taken the Sabin vaccine. But the tetanus vaccine exercised a hold
on me for a much longer time.

As you point out, I gave up belief in this vaccine in stages. For a
while, I still held onto the notion that farm families and people who
work around stables should continue to take tetanus shots. But in spite
of my early indoctrination with fear of "rusty nails," in recent years,
I have developed a greater fear of the hypodermic needle. My reasons
a

1) Scientific evidence shows that too-frequent tetanus boosters
actually may interfere with the immune reaction.

2) There has been a gradual retreat of even the most conservative
authorities from giving tetanus boosters every one year to every two
years to every five years to every 10 years (as now recommended by the
American Academy of Pediatrics), and according to some, every 20 years.
All these numbers are based on guesses rather than on hard scientific
evidence.

3) There has been a growing recognition that no controlled scientific
study (in which half the patients were given the vaccine and the other
half were given injections of sterile water) has ever been carried out
to prove the safety and effectiveness of the tetanus vaccine. Evidence
for the vaccine comes from epidemiologic studies which are by nature
controversial and which do not satisfy the criteria for scientific
proof.

4) The tetanus vaccine over the decades has been progressively weakened
in order to reduce the considerable reaction (fever and swelling) it
used to cause. Accompanying this reduction in reactivity has been a
concomitant reduction in antigenicity (the ability to confer
protection). Therefore, there is a good chance that today's tetanus
vaccine is about as effective as tap water.

5) Until the last few years, government statistics admitted that 40
percent of the child population of the U.S. was not immunized. For all
those decades, where were the tetanus cases from all those rusty nails?

6) There now exists a growing theoretical concern which links
immunizations to the huge increase in recent decades of auto-immune
diseases, e.g., rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, lupus
erythematosus, lymphoma, and leukemia. In one case, Guillain-Barre
paralysis from swine flu vaccine, the relationship turned out to be
more than just theoretical.

In preparing my courtroom testimony on behalf of a child who allegedly
was brain-damaged as a result of the DPT (diphtheria, pertussis,
tetanus) vaccine, I reviewed the prescribing information (package
insert) for the Connaught Laboratories product which was administered
to this child. The 1975 and.1977 package insert information which
measured seven-and-a-half inches long listed three scientific
references in support of the indications, contraindications, warnings,
cautions, and adverse reactions to this vaccine. By 1978, the length of
the insert had grown to 13 1/2 inches, and the number of scientific
references had increased to 11. By 1980, the package insert was 18
inches long, and the references numbered 14. Of those newly-added
references, seven (three from U.S. medical journals and four from
foreign medical journals) dealt specifically with reactions to the
tetanus DPT portion of the (toxoid) vaccine.

An article in the Archives of Neurology (1972) described brachial
plexus neuropathy (which can lead to paralysis of the arm) prom tetanus
toxoi Four patients who received only tetanus toxoid noticed the onset
of limb weak ness from six to 21 days after the inoculation. A 1966
article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association
reports the first case of "Peripheral Neuropathy .following Tetanus
Toxoid Administration." A 23-year- old white medical student
received an injection of tetanus toxoid into his rightupper arm after
an abrasion of the right knee while playing tennis. Several hours
later, he developed a wrist drop of his right hand. He later suffered
from complete motor and sensory paralysis over the distribution of the
right radial nerve (one of the major nerves innervating the arm and
hand) One month later, no residual motor or sensory deficit could be
found.

Reference is made to an article in the Journal of Neurology, 1977,
entitled "Unusual Neurological Complication following Tetanus Toxoid
Administration." The author reports a 36-year-old female who
received tetatus toxoid in her left upper arm following a wound to her
finger. Five days later, she noticed a weakness first of the right, and
then of the left and later of both legs. She complained of dizziness,
instability, lethargy, chest discomfort, difficulty in swallowing, and
inarticulate speech. S staggered when she walked, and she could take
only a few steps. Her EEG showed some abnormalities. After a month, she
was discharged without neurologic disturbance, but she continued to
feel weak and anxious. Examinations during the next 11 months showed
continued emotional instability and some paresthesias (numbness and
tingling) in the extremities. The medical diagnosis was "a rapidly
progressing neuropathy with involvement of cranial nerves, myelopathy,
and encephalopathy."

The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 1973, carried an
article entitled "Hypersensitivity to Tetanus Toxoid," and in a volume
entitled "Proceedings of the II International Conference on Tetanus"
(published by Hans Huber, Bern, Switzerland, 1967), an article appeared
entitled "Clinical Reactions to Tetanus Toxoid."

A 44-year-old article in the Journal of the American Medical
Association (1940) was entitled "Allergy Induced by Immunization with
Tetanus Toxoid." That same year, an article in the British Medical
Journal reported on "Anaphylaxis (a form of shock) following
Administration of Tetanus Toxoid." In 1969, a German medical journal
reported a case of paralysis of the recurrent laryngeal nerve (the
nerve to the voicebox) after a booster injection of tetanus toxoid. The
patient developed hoarseness and was unable to speak loudly, but the
nerve paralysis subsided completely after approximately two months.

Should your doctor reassure you that tetanus vaccine is completely
safe, or that "the benefits outweigh the risks," or that you should
have a shot "just in case," why not share these citations with him?

http://www.vaccination.org.uk/v/mend.html

  #3  
Old October 20th 06, 10:44 AM posted to misc.kids.health,misc.health.alternative
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Default Tetanus reality and dangers of the tetanus vaccine

Tetanus Vax Reaction - A SLOW-ONSET TETANUS VACCINE REACTION

Jan wrote to me early on in December of 2000 and I linked her up with
some others.
She is not alone in this story.

Sheri

MY STORY
A SLOW-ONSET TETANUS VACCINE REACTION AND
FILING FOR THE NATIONAL CHILDHOOD VACCINE COMPENSATION PROGRAM

By Jan DeGrandchamp



It was a beautiful fall day, the Friday after Thanksgiving 2000, and
the holiday was very enjoyable. A few months earlier, I moved to a
small town in California to be closer to my family. I started a new
job and purchased a small cabin. Most of my weekends were spent
camping, hiking, working on my house, or volunteering at the local
animal shelter. At age 54, I was very active and healthy. My hobbies
included singing, dancing, and cooking.

I was scheduled for an annual physical examination with a new doctor.
When I arrived for my physical, my name was not on the schedule.
Because I had my appointment card with me, they offered to "squeeze" me
in-sadly, I agreed. Then I had the fastest, high-speed, 15-minute
physical I have ever had in my entire life. The doctor barely touched
me. During a previous appointment, the Physician's Assistant (PA)
suggested that I have a Tetanus Td vaccine. I had an infection at the
time and felt I should wait until my annual examination. The PA
suggested I have a Tetanus shot because I couldn't remember when I had
the last one, and they were advised for people who lived in rural
areas.

During the physical, we revisited the PA's recommendation of a Tetanus
vaccine and the doctor stated emphatically that I should have one. I
didn't realize that she was simply selling me a product, very much like
cosmetics, rather than caring about my health. She knew that I had a
recent infection and that my father had passed away two months earlier.
The possibility that I could be physically susceptible to any toxic
substance should have been apparent. I had not stepped on a nail, cut
myself, or done anything to warrant a vaccine.

After the nurse gave me the Tetanus shot, I felt a strange tingling
going up the side of my neck, the same side as the injection. While
making my payment, I mentioned the tingling to the receptionist. She
did not answer me; she just took my money. No one told me anything
about vaccine reactions or what to do if they happened. I don't
remember getting any information or signing a release form. If I did,
it was a perfunctory task without any discussion about what to do if a
reaction occurred. No blood tests were taken or ordered. Twenty
minutes later, I was in my car heading home.

Over the weekend, I felt exhausted and ached all over. I stayed in
bed, assuming that the pain would go away. On Monday, even though
still hurting, I managed to go to work. My muscles became very stiff
with deep burning and stinging sensations, especially when I moved.
The pain felt as if I were being stung by wasps or set on fire. Even
though the pain was severe, I did everything possible to keep going. I
just moved very slowly. I took a lot of aspirin and very hot showers
for relief. The onset of my symptoms was slow and sporadic, which made
it very difficult for me to understand what was happening. I thought I
was having a temporary reaction to the vaccine or fighting a bug of
some sort. I am the type of person who rarely misses work and will
show up even when I feel sick, so I kept going in spite of how I felt.


During my morning break, I would take a 15-minute power walk around the
industrial complex. I stood up and noticed the burning sensation in my
thigh muscles had increased. My breathing became labored and I could
barely move. It was very difficult to walk a few steps and I couldn't
even make it to the end of the building.

I called the clinic and scheduled an appointment. During the
appointment, I asked the PA if the Tetanus shot could be the cause of
so much intense pain. He said that he had never heard of this
happening to anyone, as if it were impossible. He ordered some blood
tests and then I was sent home to wait for an answer. By this time,
turning over in bed or standing up was extremely agonizing. My body
was limp and I was absolutely exhausted. I knew that something was
terribly wrong.

I called the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and asked them for
information about vaccine reactions and if they could recommend any
treatment protocol. They referred me back to my physician and offered
no assistance. They said that they did not have any information or
data on vaccine reactions because they do not occur. This was not what
I wanted to hear! I wanted to be able to take something to my doctor
so that we could handle the problem together. I seemed to be bothering
them by asking for help.


After a few days, I called the clinic back and asked for the results of
my blood tests. I asked if someone could please call me back because
it was very important. The office staff said that the PA or a nurse
would get back to me right away and that my chart would be put at the
top of the call-back file. After seven polite phone calls, I realized
that no one was ever going to return my calls. The fact that I even
suggested the Tetanus shot may have caused my symptoms probably made
they flag my file. I called my HMO to let them know what had happened
and asked for a new doctor. Here's a news flash-company policy states
that a patient cannot see a new doctor until the beginning of the next
month. I had to wait three more weeks to see a new physician.


A few days later, the pain began to increase. I called the HMO again
to see if I could go to the Emergency Room near my job. Yes, I was
still trying to work. It sounds crazy, but I am very determined when
it comes to keeping my commitments. Actually, my employer was very
understanding and let me sit at my desk all day and do very little.
The HMO told me to call the administrative offices of the old clinic
and ask them where the nearest Emergency Room was located.
Technically, I was still under their care until the end of the month.
A clerk said that since my condition was not life threatening (how she
knew that, I will never know), I could not go to the Emergency Room and
I should go to Urgent Care instead. That was a drive of over an hour
to a different county. Even though I felt as if I was going to pass
out, I got in my car and drove the 80 miles and somehow found the
facility. My legs would seize up and become very stiff. I would have
to lift them with my hand in order to use the brakes or change gears.
It is a miracle that I didn't have a traffic accident.

In hindsight, I realize that I wasn't thinking very clearly, which was
a large part of my illness. Mentally, I was very confused and being
assertive took too much energy. The fatigue and exhaustion diminished
my ability to make logical decisions. All I knew was that I hurt, but
I didn't know what to do about it. I felt as if I was wandering
through a foggy maze of rules and regulations while totally
disoriented.

Foolish me-I thought the Urgent Care physician would see my pain.
After telling him how much I hurt, he said it was only stress and that
I should relax and maximize my food intake. Stress does not cause
excruciating, burning pain! He said that once I relaxed, the soreness
would go away. Since I still had not heard from the original clinic
about my blood tests, the Urgent Care physician called them for my
results. They were normal. He could not understand why the clinic
would not let me know the results without making another
appointment-and he did not understand why I was given a Tetanus shot.
There was absolutely no medical reason to give me one. His diagnosis
was "general malaise" - a catch-all phrase for tiredness and stress.
He prescribed a sleep aid and sent me home. I felt very discouraged
because this physician could not see how much I hurt. He seemed
oblivious to how I felt.

Several days later, I talked to a nurse from the original clinic about
my blood work. Her reply was, "Hon, if you were sick, the doctor would
have called you." I tried to explain to her that normal test results
and my symptoms could be two separate issues, but she was not
interested in my opinion. The following week, the doctor called me
because I had complained to the HMO about the seven unanswered phone
calls. She said that since I did not say I was in pain, no one
returned my calls-even though I was told that someone would. Not once
during this conversation did she ask my how I felt. I reminded her
that I was still in pain, but she never answered me. Each one of these
negative encounters was stressful and frustrating.

The slow-onset reaction to the vaccine was even more confusing. My
symptoms were sporadic, migrating throughout my body, primarily upward.
After a shower and aspirin, I could function. Once I had some
lipstick on, I only looked tired to most people. Bizarre sensations
began to show up all over my body. My jaw felt as if someone were
pushing it from underneath and applying pressure. Besides the deep
burning and stinging, it felt as if I was being stabbed by an ice pick
in different parts of my body. These stabbing sensations were rapid
and very severe. Noises would cause me to jump in alarm and I would
gasp for breath. My hands and wrists became limp and it was very
difficult to hold any type of object; my coordination diminished
rapidly.

When the pain subsided, I could move around and accomplish basic tasks.
Then, my muscles would seize up and I had to stop and rest. I would
improve slightly and then regress into a very weak, fatigued state.
The aches and pains evolved slowly throughout my body and it was very
difficult to explain these odd sensations. My clinic had no experience
with vaccine reactions, therefore, I was not diagnosed correctly-in
fact, I wasn't diagnosed at all.

By the end of December, my symptoms increased and they migrated upward
into my arms and shoulders. My hands would contract and they curled
toward my forearms. I would have to sleep on them to flatten them out.
I had a lot of difficulty doing anything that required coordination.
I could barely cut my food; my hands would flail, and I would drop
everything. Dishes and glasses seemed to fly out of my hands. I was
absolutely exhausted and I walked like a drunk-staggering, wobbling,
and falling down. Standing was very strenuous and my legs felt as if
they were made of cement and stairs became impossible to climb.
Sometimes, I would have to stop and try to catch my breath because I
felt winded.

At the beginning of 2001, I started to keep a journal of my physical
symptoms. Something told me that I had better write everything down
for future reference. I worked at a hospital for seven years and
understood the importance of documentation. The only pens I could use
had to have ink that flowed easily because I dropped them if I applied
too much pressure. It was hard to find the right words and I would
transpose them, much like dyslexia. My daily journal became a
repetitious log of agonizing symptoms, challenges, confusion, and
child-like writing.

Desperate for help, I looked on-line for information about vaccine
reactions. I found a web site that explained the Vaccine Adverse Event
Reporting System (VAERS). When I called my medical clinic and asked
them to report my reaction, they said they did not have a "protocol" in
place for filing the form. I had to get the form myself, fill out the
sections describing my symptoms and personal information, and then I
had to take it to the clinic so that they could compete their portion.
It is ridiculous when a patient has to initiate and carry out a medical
office function, especially when extremely ill.

In January 2001, I finally saw a new physician. He was a family
practitioner associated with a large clinic in Los Angeles County. He
did not have any vaccine-reaction experience, but at least he listened,
researched the web, and tried to find some answers. He really was not
sure what to do and tried his best to understand and observe my
progress. I had so many strange symptoms that it was difficult for him
to document all of them.

My on-line search put me in touch with a woman from Germany who had a
Tetanus reaction seven years earlier. We found a woman in Arizona who
had her vaccine in April (7 to 8 months before my shot), and then we
found others who had reactions either from a Tetanus shot or from other
vaccines. Many of our symptoms were the same, but with slight
variations.

The woman in Arizona suggested that I get a Tetanus Toxoid IgG test, so
I requested one from my doctor. Her results were elevated at over 7.0;
mine showed a level at 6.26. My physician, however, was unable to
explain to me what the results actually meant other than I had a
reaction to the shot. It is my understanding that after two weeks our
levels should have been closer to 1.0 rather than at these high levels
after a month or two. Our test results showed that we had high levels
of Tetanus Toxoid in our systems, much higher than normal.

What seemed clear to us was that physicians have a lot of difficulty
diagnosing these rare and complex disorders. I kept looking on-line
for more clues about Tetanus vaccine reactions so that I could get some
help. There were several cases that listed some of my symptoms, but no
one case had all of them. This one was the closest:

Reference is made to an article in the Journal of Neurology, 1977,
entitled "Unusual Neurological Complications following Tetanus Toxoid
Administration." The author reports a 36-year-old female who received
tetanus toxoid in her left upper arm following a wound to her finger.
Five days later, she noticed a weakness first of the right and then of
the left and later of both legs. She complained of dizziness,
instability, lethargy, chest discomfort, difficulty in swallowing, and
inarticulate speech. She staggered when she walked, and she could take
only a few steps. Her EEG showed some abnormalities. After a month, she
was discharged without neurological disturbance, but she continued to
feel weak and anxious. Examinations during the next 11 months showed
continued emotional instability and some paresthesias (numbness and
tingling) in the extremities. The medical diagnosis was "a rapidly
progressing neuropathy with involvement of cranial nerves, myelopathy,
and encephalopathy.

I showed this summary to my physician and asked for a consultation with
a neurologist.

In late January, I experienced a very frightening episode. My head
felt as if a brick were pressing on it and I became very disoriented.
The pressure was very strange and it threw me into a state of
confusion. That was my last day at work-I just couldn't continue to
struggle anymore and I was so dazed I barely knew where I was. My
attendance was getting worse; I was absent more than I was present. I
remember going to my doctor's office to get the disability forms, but I
do not remember much more than that. Months later, I realized that I
picked the wrong day to have this happen. It was my physician's day
off and it was the lunch hour. I told the clerk that I didn't know
where I was and that I was having trouble filling out the forms. She
helped me by correcting my mistakes. If I had known that Urgent Care
was only two doors away, I would have gone there and been evaluated. I
do not remember talking to my employer or the 45-minute drive home.
This was very dangerous. Truly, the "lights were on and no one was
home."

In February, I finally saw a neurologist. Was that upsetting! To say
that we did not communicate is an understatement. He ordered an MRI to
rule out Multiple Sclerosis and some of the other common neurological
disorders, which I did not have. When I asked if he had a prognosis or
diagnosis, or what he thought about vaccine reactions, he snapped at me
and said that I probably had some virus. Then, he stomped out of the
room. He prescribed a muscle relaxant and took some notes, but that
was all he did.

His disapproving attitude increased my stress level and eroded much of
my confidence. I could not understand why anyone would treat me this
way? I felt devastated. He was the "expert," but he talked down to me
as if I were stupid. I asked him if I needed additional tests for my
nerves because I felt as if they were "shot." He said that I did not
need any other medical assessments and I did not need to see anyone
else. I began to understand that he did not know how to manage my
case.

He prescribed Neurontin, an anti-seizure medication that is one of the
standard treatments for multi-symptom nerve pain. It seemed to reduce
the flailing and jerky motions, and some of the body aches. At that
time, I really did not like taking it. Adding medication on top of my
confusion made it difficult for me to know if the prescription was
working or not. It did not help with the staggering and wobbling. It
did not reduce the numbness or tingling in my limbs or the humming and
vibrating sensations that I experienced when I would lie down.

By this time, I could no longer lift my arms over my head. It seemed
as if my muscles stopped working and there was a lot of resistance
along with the pain. Washing my long hair was very taxing and I was
left with a tangled mess (dreadlocks, but not by choice). I had to cut
it very short in order to keep it clean. I felt alone and depressed.
Some nights were terribly frightening, especially in the beginning.
The one time I thought about calling 911, the snow was too deep for
anyone to get to me. I just stayed in my bed, coping the best I could.
I called my family for reassurance, but they really couldn't help very
much. Basically, I was on my own-I realized that being ill is very
lonely.

The other Tetanus victims were my biggest support-talking with someone
who understood how I felt was incredible. We all had a lot of
difficulty communicating with our physicians. It did not seem to
matter how often we said that the Tetanus shot caused our symptoms. If
the doctor or nurse did not agree, it would not be written in the
medical records. If these complaints were not documented, they did not
exist. This was a huge lesson. We had the vaccine-we got sick. Were
we missing something?

Using the Freedom of Information Act, I sent a request to the FDA to
get a list of the adverse reactions reported for my vaccine lot number.
The Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research sent me the results.
This information is available on-line as well, but only after two years
have passed. Anyone can request the results for their vaccine after
filing a VAERS form and submitting a written request. I was curious to
know if anyone else had experience a reaction, which they had, and I
knew that this information might be important in the future.

The National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) sent me a booklet that
describes the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Compensation Program
(Program) and a list of attorneys who specialize in vaccine cases.
Since vaccine cases are deliberated in the Federal Court system, the
attorney can be from any state. I wanted to find someone in California
because that was where I lived. If I had to meet with my legal
representative, it would be at least feasible.

The first attorney I called said that he would help me fill out the
forms, but he did not want to bother to submit the application or
represent me because these cases were too difficult to win. He said
that doctors and witnesses did not want to get involved in
time-consuming legal cases that were seldom won. Only a few law firms
accept vaccine cases because they are so complicated. From the start,
I knew that my chances of being compensated were very low. However, I
have a stubborn streak and was determined to prove that I had
experienced a vaccine reaction.

I persisted until I finally found an attorney who seemed to understand
what I was saying. He had years of vaccine litigation experience and
questioned me thoroughly before taking my case.

He was very compassionate and gave me a lot of personal attention
throughout the litigation process. This was a very emotional
experience and I felt fortunate to have someone who explained the
process to me. The government compensates the attorney once the case
has been decided, whether it is won or lost, as long as it was filed in
good faith. Therefore, I did not have to put up a large sum of money
to undertake this process. My first job was to prove to my attorney
that I really did have a reaction and that it lasted longer than six
months. This is where my journal was useful because it helped me
remember the timeline of my symptoms.

My primary-care physician agreed that I should get another neurologist,
especially since I fired the first one. Seven months after receiving
the Tetanus shot, in June 2001, I was finally able to see a qualified
neurologist. He was very kind and did his research regarding vaccine
reactions. My attorney advised me to take a summary of my symptoms
with me to the appointment. It described all of the symptoms that I
experienced within the first 72 hours after receiving the vaccine and
how I felt currently. I found this list of symptoms helped my
physician understand what I was trying to say. It was also very
important to have all of my symptoms documented in my medical chart.

After a thorough neurological examination, the doctor agreed that I had
experienced a vaccine reaction. He made the diagnosis of "autoimmune
peripheral neuropathy" due to the Tetanus shot. He described it as a
variant of Guillain-Barré Syndrome, a documented vaccine reaction that
is often misdiagnosed. He said that I had an "ataxic gait" and axonal
nerve damage. He explained that my nerves were damaged and that they
might regenerate in a few years. I just had to wait until my body
healed. Finally, I had a diagnosis! My attorney then had the
confidence to go forward and create the Affidavit needed to file for
the Program. He was very familiar with my symptoms, too, since he had
heard them from some of his other clients.

In 1986, the Program was set up by the Federal government to help
children who had vaccine reactions. Though Tetanus shots are listed as
a childhood vaccine, I could still file for the Program even though I
am an adult. Applying is not as simple as it sounds. It was a shock
to learn that it is such a difficult process with an enormous number of
requirements. Remember, I was not suing anyone-I was only applying for
a government program. This is total litigation-to the fullest extent.
Taking on the government is similar to playing in the major leagues.
That is why it is very important to have an attorney with vaccine
litigation experience.

The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) oversees the Program
and they are the "respondent" in the case. They have an arsenal of
attorneys who are hired specifically to prove a "petitioner" (the sick
person) wrong. A "Special Master" (judge), who is employed by the
federal government, is assigned to each case. The burden of proof is
on the petitioner-the person who is ill, or the parents of sick
children. I had to submit 10 years of medical records and countless
documents that described everything about me.

Most cases are automatically denied, no matter how severe the reaction.
After my initial denial, I had to gather more evidence. It was very
difficult for me to duplicate all the paperwork that was needed and
then go to the post office and mail it. Keep in mind I hardly knew
what planet I was on, and physical activity was very exhausting. Most
days, it was a challenge to get up and dressed. Some days folding a
blanket makes no sense to me, let alone assembling documents in any
logical order. It was a process intended to prove that I was wrong or
that I was lying. Believe me-the experience was very painful,
emotionally and physically.

The petitioner must be able to provide enough supporting documents so
that the attorney has sufficient evidence to prove the case. No
attorney can be expected to do all of the work necessary to win.
Litigation requires an incredible amount of work by both parties. The
petitioner must be prepared to expose his entire life to the courts.
All of the documents are read by a countless number of
people-attorneys, clerks, physicians, and judges. They knew everything
about me. I felt more like a criminal than someone who needed help.
It was not as if I were trying to steal their money. I have worked all
my life, paid my taxes, and sworn my allegiance to this country.

By August, my finances were getting desperately low. I was collecting
Unemployment Insurance, but no one would hire a cripple. I did what I
had to do to survive. It became necessary for me to sell my house,
which by some miracle I was able to accomplish. This was a terrible
loss to me. I had already lost my health, my job, my insurance, and
now my home. A few more months and I would have gone into foreclosure.
Thankfully, my mortgage broker and escrow officer did most of the
work. I left all my furniture and appliances behind and moved in with
relatives until my "trial" in October. Without the money from the
house or my family's help, I would have ended up in a homeless shelter.


The government has hired expert witnesses to help deny vaccine-injury
claims. These witnesses receive large medical grants from the
government to undertake their research, so I doubt that they want to
"bite the hand that feeds them." My neurologist decided to administer
a nerve conduction study, the results of which demonstrated
abnormalities due to nerve damage. In an attempt to discredit my
doctor, the expert witness for the DHHS said that the test should have
been performed in an academic setting rather than in a private office.
He denounced the test results, as if they were frivolous. Therefore,
the government's attorneys stated that they were unacceptable.

My attorney requested that the same test be performed at the University
of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). A world-renowned neurologist,
recognized for his expertise in nerve conduction studies, was asked to
administer the test. The government said that the ULCA physician could
not write a medical opinion about the results. Doesn't this sound a
little strange? One of the top experts in the field and his opinion
was not important. My attorney and I objected, of course. During the
examination, I was not allowed to volunteer any information about my
case; I could only answer questions if asked. I was so afraid that I
would say or do something wrong. The results of this test were
abnormal and confirmed my neurologist's conclusion. This was the
additional proof that we needed.

It seems very logical to have a second opinion or additional medical
tests so that a patient will receive appropriate medical care.
However, this test had nothing to do with medical care. This was legal
strategy. The government was determined to prove me wrong and it has
the money to do so. My attorney considered the UCLA test a very
high-risk tactic because he could not be sure what it might prove. I
was not going to UCLA get any medical care-I was going there as part of
a legal objective.

The trial was scheduled for October of 2002. The government made me a
pre-trial settlement offer of $5,000. I was stunned that they could
put such a low value on someone's life, so I turned it down. The trial
was conducted by means of a telephone conference call. The Special
Master assigned to my case flew from Washington, DC, to Los Angeles and
directed the proceedings from a conference room near the airport. My
attorney and neurologist were in attendance. We chose my neurologist
for our expert witness because he was familiar with my case and I knew
that he cared about me.

The other telephone-conference participants were the DHHS attorney and
the government's expert witness, a neurologist associated with a
well-known university. In reality, it was my doctor who was on trial
because he had to prove he knew what he was doing. Keep in mind that
he is a licensed physician with admitting privileges at an accredited
hospital. In order to have hospital admitting privileges, his
credentials were examined thoroughly. Under California State law, he
is required to participate in continuing-education programs so that he
knows the current medical treatments.

The trial took about four hours, during which time I was not allowed to
say anything. The judge asked me a couple of "off the record"
questions prior to the trial, specifically if I was the one who filled
out the top part of the VAERS form. He said that he knew the clinic
had not filled out that portion of the form because he could read it.
He laughed about it and I believe that he was concerned that the
information was correct. After that, I had to remain silent while
these people argued about the case. The PA at the original clinic had
written in my chart that I was neurologically intact. The government
used that statement as compelling evidence that I had not experienced a
vaccine reaction-a neurological assessment made by someone who admitted
he had never even heard of a vaccine reaction.

The trial was an expensive endeavor; in fact, I am sure the entire
process was expensive. I believe that it was very important for the
Special Master to see my witness and attorney face-to-face, but no one
was interested in seeing me. It was my doctor and attorney who had to
represent my physical condition and mental character to the Special
Master. No one else that was involved with these proceedings, even my
attorney, ever saw me. Fortunately, he and I had many long
conversations and I felt that he had taken the time to get to know me.
The other participants only reviewed my medical records and discussed
their impressions.

The Program was written so that specific vaccine reactions will be
compensated, which increases the difficulty to win these cases. The
narrower the definitions of possible reactions, the more cases will be
eliminated during the legal process. The Tetanus vaccine-related
injuries that may be compensated a

"Anaphylaxis or anaphylactic shock, brachial neuritis, and any acute
complication or sequela (including death) of an illness, disability,
injury, or condition referred to above which illness, disability,
injury or condition arose within the time period described."

Since physicians may have different interpretations or diagnoses for
the same symptoms, or they may not even recognize vaccine reactions,
the government is able to eliminate many of these cases.

Axonal nerve damage happens when the myelin sheath is injured, however,
I did not have any physical proof of this because my first neurologist
refused to conduct the appropriate tests, even when I asked for them.
Adequate health coverage does not guarantee high-quality results. Two
of the other Tetanus victims were being treated by a university medical
facility and a major health clinic and they received only minimal care.
By the time of the trial, I could no longer afford medical insurance
or expensive medical tests, such as a nerve biopsy, which could have
provided more proof of my nerve damage.

After the trial, the Judge recommended that a settlement be considered.
The DHHS attorney requested more documents-I could not seem to satisfy
them with enough paperwork. They said that we had not proven our case,
but they needed more information. While we were waiting for the
Judge's decision, the government made another offer of $15,000. I felt
that my life was worth more than the price of the average car and I
told my attorney that I thought the amount was insulting. He was a
little unsure about my decision. If we lost the case, I would get
absolutely nothing. If I accepted their offer, at least I would get
something.

My odds would have been better at a Las Vegas casino. This strategy
puts a petitioner at a very significant disadvantage. This is a very
adversarial relationship because the government does not work with a
petitioner to solve the problem. It tries very hard to prove them
wrong. The choice is to accept the pittance they offer or try for more
money. For most people, it takes years to get to this point, and it is
easier to give up rather than to continue to fight. Since we did not
agree on a settlement amount, the Special Master chose to resolve the
case and write a Decision.

The whole process is lengthy and intimidating, and when someone is ill,
it is even more difficult. The Vaccine Courts require very detailed
information about a petitioner and scrutinize all documents thoroughly.
I applied for Social Security Disability (SSD) because I was disabled
and entitled to assistance. I needed a back-up plan to survive
financially since there was no guarantee that I would win my vaccine
case. Money wasn't exactly falling from trees and there is something
about eating that I seem to enjoy. All my SSD documents had to be
submitted to the Vaccine Courts. My attorney suggested that I retain a
law firm that specialized in SSD applications because he was not
familiar with the process. This is another reason why so many
physicians and attorneys do not want to get involved in these drawn out
cases. Now, I had to duplicate everything so that both law firms and
DHHS were fully informed. SSD requires specific medical appointments
and psychological evaluations, the results of which had to be forwarded
to the DHHS attorney.

Under the Program, a claim must be filed within three years after
receiving a vaccine. The process can take years, but it must be
completed before suing a physician or the manufacturer. Then, it could
take another five years to finish those cases. Who has the time,
money, or energy for years of legal proceedings? How is someone
supposed to do this when their only goal should be to get healthy? To
me, this is an absolute crime. The government and pharmaceutical
companies have the time, resources, and attorneys to litigate these
cases. What does the patient have?

After the trial, I found a place to live and waited for the results. I
lived on the money from the sale of my home, but I still had not been
approved by SSD. The stress and tension was really starting to get to
me. In November, while walking in my apartment, my legs gave out and I
collapsed. I called a community medical clinic and managed to get an
appointment. They helped me get a grant for Neurontin, which I had
stopped using. It is an expensive drug that I could no longer afford.
They also recommended large doses of Motrin and Tylenol for the pain.
By now, I was taking too much aspirin, so it was time to stop before I
developed other complications. I was scared that I was getting weaker
and weaker. If I stayed calm and quiet, my pain and symptoms were less
intense, but when stressful situations arose, such as moving and legal
proceedings, my symptoms increased. My legs were very weak and it was
absolutely impossible for me to walk without a cane-I couldn't even
walk around one block.

My SSD was finally approved, but I still had to wait for the vaccine
case to be resolved. My attorney was starting to wean me in the event
we lost the case, which was highly probable. He kept reminding me that
very few people actually win. I was beginning to feel that it was time
for me to move on with my life and accept the consequences.

In May of 2003, my attorney called and let me know that I won my case.
He was practically doing cartwheels, but I had no idea what it meant.
Besides, by that time I was pretty numb emotionally. My feelings had
flat-lined after months of being in a constant state of disappointment.
He sent me a copy of the Special Master's Decision, which stated:

"The issue in this case is whether the injuries alleged by Petitioner,
Miss Jan DeGrandchamp, occurred as a result of her tetanus-diphtheria
(Td) vaccination administered on 24 November 2000. Specifically,
Petitioner alleged brachial neuritis, anaphylaxis and peripheral
neuropathy as sequlae to the Td vaccine. The Court finds that
Petitioner did not meet her burden by a preponderance of the evidence
concerning her claims of brachial neuritis and anaphylaxis. However,
the Court finds that it is more likely than not that Miss DeGrandchamp
did suffer peripheral neuropathy as a result of the Td vaccine.

Petitioner provides medically plausible mechanism, an autoimmune
response, for Miss DeGrandchamp's injuries. The onset of her maladies
was temporal to the administration of the Td vaccine. The medical
records indicate that doctors searched for other causes for
Petitioner's symptoms but found none. Although both medical experts
are eminently qualified, only Dr. H, Petitioner's expert, performed a
face-to-face evaluation of Miss DeGrandchamp. Finally, Dr. H's concern
that the medical records indicated only subjective findings was allayed
by the objecting findings of the two nerve conduction studies. Thus,
the Court finds that Petitioner has proved by a preponderance of the
evidence that the Td vaccine that she received on 24 November 2000 was
more likely than not the cause of the peripheral neuropathy she suffers
until this day."

This decision entitled me to an award under the Vaccine Act.

Then another roller-coaster ride started. There were more status
conferences with my attorney and the DHHS attorney. After the Judge
issued the Decision, DHHS said that we had not proven that I was
permanently disabled. According to Social Security, another division
of the federal government, I was permanently disabled and they were
sending me a monthly check for that disability. According to DHHS,
that was not adequate proof. It was a constant battle to stand up for
my rights and fight for my beliefs.

At first, my attorney thought that the judgment would make me whole, as
in most lawsuits. Therefore, he asked for a generous settlement.
Then, DHHS asked me to provide more documents about earnings and
expenses-ten years of taxes and medical expenses. These demands were
exasperating and frustrating. Jump-how high? They have the power to
ask for anything they want, and they always want it right now. They
asked for estimates of my current and future insurance expenses. Since
I am considered "disabled," I cannot be insured. My Medicare coverage
would not start until another year, so I had to be careful not to get
sick. SSD is considered taxable income, so the prorated amount was
deducted from my settlement.

In late September of 2003, I finally agreed to a figure that was much
less than the original amount my attorney requested. I was up against
another wall. My options were that I could continue to fight for more
money, which could take another year or two, or take the settlement.
If we continued, the Special Master could reduce the amount I was
offered if he felt like it. What choice did I have? I was too tired
to fight anymore-and that is exactly what they wanted. I did not have
the energy or finances to continue.

Even after agreeing to an amount, there was still more waiting. It
would take months for approval by a DHHS supervisor, followed by Court
approval. In January of 2004, I signed a "Stipulation" that re-stated
the agreed amount. I started to believe that I may finally get some
money, but I also knew that it would still take a long time. If
anything happened to me while waiting to be compensated, no one in my
family would have any claim to it. The government would just keep it.
I just had to be very patient. Finally, in April of 2004, I received a
check from the US. Treasury Department. By this time, my enthusiasm
was pretty low and I found it very difficult to understand and accept
the whole process.

After all of this, the only conclusion that I can make is that there
really isn't anything special about my case. It is a documented fact
that a certain number of people react to vaccines-and I was one of
them. My reaction is considered a statistical probability-the "one in
a million" that just happens. Of the small percentage of people who
experience vaccine reactions, an even smaller percentage will be able
to apply for the Program. They lack the appropriate medical assistance
and documentation. In my group, only one other woman filed. We both
gathered as much evidence as we could, however, I won and she lost.
Her case was denied because her medical records did not provide enough
evidence that the vaccine caused her injuries.

I won my case was because I refused to allow the federal government to
treat me as if I were worthless. I know that I have rights-the right
to choose, the right to be informed, and the right to be treated with
respect. After more than three years, I was compensated for my
reaction to a common inoculation. Many cases take much longer than
this, often without success.

I learned some valuable lessons, but they were lessons of pain and
struggle. I will never be the same. My muscles are still stiff and
always ache. I cannot raise my arms over my head without feeling pain,
and I wobble and lose my balance when I walk. I wear a medical alert
tag that says "no vaccines" so that I will not be given a Tetanus shot
if I am in an accident. I am getting stronger every day and I know
that I will eventually get better. Someday, I will dance again.

-------

Jan DeGrandchamp was born in Santa Barbara, California. After
attending local schools, she obtained an A.S. degree in Business and
Management. She was employed as an Administrative Assistant for
various businesses in California and Oregon, including a community
hospital and a major film studio.

Music has always been one of her favorite pastimes, especially gospel
music. She sang and danced with Della Reese's church choir in Los
Angeles, California, for over two years. Her other hobbies included
camping and hiking, all of which she has stopped.


Currently, she lives near Portland, Oregon, to be close to her son.
Her illness has forced her to move several times. Next year, she hopes
to find a more permanent residence. She spends most of my time trying
to improve her health and singing in a small, sit-down band.


http://www.redflagsweekly.com/confer...004_sept01.php

  #4  
Old October 20th 06, 10:55 AM posted to misc.kids.health,misc.health.alternative
[email protected]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 5
Default Tetanus reality and dangers of the tetanus vaccine

Magnesium as first line therapy in the management of tetanus: a
prospective study of 40 patients.

Anaesthesia 2002 Aug;57(8):778-817 Attygalle D, Rodrigo N.

A prospective observational study was conducted to examine the efficacy
and safety of magnesium sulphate for con*trol of spasms and autonomic
dysfunc*tion in 40 patients with tetanus. Magnesium was infused
intravenously, aiming to control spasms despite sup*pression of
patellar reflex or respirato*ry insufficiency. Spasms were
con*trolled in 38 of the 40 patients within a serum Mg2+ range of 2-4
mmol.l-1 with only two patients needing addi*tional neuromuscular
blocking drugs. Seventeen of 24 patients ( 60 years) and six of 16
patients (./=60 years) did not require ventilatory support. Thirty-six
patients were conscious and co-operative throughout their manage*ment.
Sympathetic over-activity was controlled without supplementary
sedation. Overall mortality was 12%; all five deaths were in patients
/= 60 years and no deaths were due to auto-nomic dysfunction. We recommend magnesium as possible first line thera*py in the routine management of tetanus.


  #5  
Old October 23rd 06, 03:06 AM posted to misc.kids.health,misc.health.alternative
David Wright
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 718
Default Tetanus reality and dangers of the tetanus vaccine

In article . com,
wrote:
Magnesium as first line therapy in the management of tetanus: a
prospective study of 40 patients.

Anaesthesia 2002 Aug;57(8):778-817 Attygalle D, Rodrigo N.

A prospective observational study was conducted to examine the efficacy
and safety of magnesium sulphate for con*trol of spasms and autonomic
dysfunc*tion in 40 patients with tetanus. Magnesium was infused
intravenously, aiming to control spasms despite sup*pression of
patellar reflex or respirato*ry insufficiency. Spasms were
con*trolled in 38 of the 40 patients within a serum Mg2+ range of 2-4
mmol.l-1 with only two patients needing addi*tional neuromuscular
blocking drugs. Seventeen of 24 patients ( 60 years) and six of 16
patients (./=60 years) did not require ventilatory support. Thirty-six
patients were conscious and co-operative throughout their manage*ment.
Sympathetic over-activity was controlled without supplementary
sedation. Overall mortality was 12%; all five deaths were in patients
/= 60 years and no deaths were due to auto-nomic dysfunction. We

recommend magnesium as possible first line thera*py in the routine
management of tetanus.


Gee, 12% mortality. That's pretty high. But I guess it's OK with you
to sacrifice a few people as long as they aren't vaccinated.

"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." -- Ben Franklin

(Since you seem to revere sources in proportion to how old they are.)

-- David Wright :: alphabeta at prodigy.net
These are my opinions only, but they're almost always correct.
"George Bush is a gruesome boob." -- Bill Maher



  #6  
Old October 20th 06, 11:13 AM posted to misc.kids.health,misc.health.alternative
Rich
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 112
Default Tetanus REALITY


wrote in message
ups.com...

Tetanus has a very high mortality rate, even with where medical intensive
care is available. It is a horrendously painful way to die; something you
would not wish on your worst enemy.

The tetanus pathogen is ubiquitous, particularly in soils, and reaches very
high levels in soils that contain animal manures. Because the disease is not
transmitted human-to-human, there is no "herd immunity" to protect
unvaccinated individuals. Tetanus can enter the body through ANY break in
the skin, no matter how minor. Even minute scratches to the cornea of the
eye as caused by a grain of sand can be an entry point.

Adverse reactions to tetanus immunization are very rare; almost non-existant
since horse serum is no longer involved in the manufacture.

The standard of care in hospital emergency departments is to administer
tetanus vaccine if the patient's last booster was more than ten years ago,
or more than five years ago if the patient has a dirty injury. (If the
patient has never been immunized for tetanus, tetanus immune globulin is
administered.) This protocol has proved so effective that most healthcare
professionals have never seen a case of active tetanus.

If it works, don't fix it.
--


--Rich

Recommended websites:

http://www.ratbags.com/rsoles
http://www.acahf.org.au
http://www.quackwatch.org/
http://www.skeptic.com/
http://www.csicop.org/


  #7  
Old October 20th 06, 11:35 AM posted to misc.kids.health,misc.health.alternative
Sheri Nakken RN, MA, Hahnemannian Homeopath
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 8
Default Tetanus reality and dangers of the tetanus vaccine

Tetanus vaccine adverse reactions
Tetanus


Adverse reactions to tetanus toxoid

Akama K, Yamamoto A. [Side effects of tetanus toxoid. II. Antigenic
materials derived from the constituents of the medium for toxoid
preparation] Nippon Saikingaku Zasshi. 1969 Nov;24(11):595-601.
Japanese. No abstract available. PMID: 5391905
Baust W, Meyer D, Wachsmuth W. Peripheral neuropathy after
administration of tetanus toxoid.J Neurol. 1979;222(2):131-33. PMID:
93631 Bensasson M, et al. [See Related Articles] [A case of
algodystrophic syndrome of the upper limb following tetanus
vaccination]. Sem Hop. 1977 Oct 23;53(36):1965-6. French. No abstract
available.PMID: 208165; UI: 78204280.

Blumstein GI, Kreithen H.Peripheral neuropathy following tetanus toxoid
administration.JAMA. 1966 Nov 28;198(9):1030-1. No abstract available.
PMID: 4288653 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Bolukbasi O, et al. Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis associated
with tetanus vaccination. Eur Neurol. 1999;41(4):231-2. No abstract
available.PMID: 10343155; UI: 99276501.
Bilyk MA, et al. [See Related Articles] [Anaphylactic reaction
following subcutaneous administration of tetanus anatoxin]. Klin Med
(Mosk). 1978 Sep;56(9):137-8. Russian. No abstract available.PMID:
703231; UI: 79030708.

Chanukoglu A, Fried D, Gotlieb A. [Anaphylactic shock due to tetanus
toxoid] Harefuah. 1975 Nov 16;89(10):456-7. Hebrew. No abstract
available. PMID: 1205376 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Crone, NE(1992); Reder, AT; Severe tetanus in immunized patients with
high anti-tetanus titers; Neurology 1992; 42:761-764;
Article abstract: Severe (grade III) tetanus occurred in three
immunized patients who had high serum levels of anti-tetanus antibody.
The disease was fatal in one patient. One patient had been
hyperimmunized to produce commercial tetanus immune globulin. Two
patients had received immunizations one year before presentation.
Anti-tetanus antibody titers on admission were 25 IU/ml to 0.15 IU/ml
by hemagglutination and ELISA assays; greater than 0.01 IU/ml is
considered protective. Even though one patient had seemingly adequate
anti-tetanus titers by in vitro measurement 0.20 IU in vivo mouse
protection bioassays showed a titer less than 0.01 IU/ml, implying that
there may have been a hole in her immune repertoire to tetanus
neurotoxin but not to toxoid. This is the first report of grade III
tetanus with protective levels of antibody in the United States. The
diagnosis of tetanus, nevertheless, should not be discarded solely on
the basis of seemingly protective anti-tetanus titers.

Dal Bo S. [Allergic reactions against anti-tetanus toxoid]Folia
Allergol (Roma). 1969 Jan-Feb;16(1):63-73. Italian. No abstract
available. PMID: 5772158 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
David D, et al. [Tetanus vaccination: adverse effects in diverse
vaccination sites and mode of administration]. Schweiz Med Wochenschr.
1971 Jul 24;101(29):1055-6. German. No abstract available.PMID:
5569014; UI: 71284876.
Dieckhofer K, et al. [See Related Articles] [Neurologic disorders
following tetanus vaccination. A case report]. Med Welt. 1978 Nov
3;29(44):1710-2. German. No abstract available.PMID: 713792; UI:
79052412.
Drago F, et al. [See Related Articles] Generalized morphoea after
antitetanus vaccination. Clin Exp Dermatol. 1998 May;23(3):142. No
abstract available.PMID: 9861750; UI: 99078743.

Eibl MM, Mannhalter JW, Zlabinger G. Abnormal T-lymphocyte
subpopulations in healthy subjects after tetanus booster immunization.N
Engl J Med. 1984 Jan 19;310(3):198-9. No abstract available.PMID:
6228737 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
"As reported in a letter to the New England Journal of Medicine in
1984, tests of T-lymphocyte subpopulations were done on 11 healthy
adults before-and-after routine tetanus booster immunizations. Tests
showed a significant though temporary drop in T-helper lymphocytes (a
class of white blood cells which helps govern the immune system) in all
of the subjects. Special concern rests in the fact that in 4 of the
subjects the T-helper cells fell to levels found in active AIDS
patients. (2) If this was the result of a single vaccine in healthy
adults, it is sobering to think of the consequences of the multiple
vaccines (twenty-one at last count) routinely given to infants with
their immature systems during the first six months of life. However, we
can only speculate as to the consequences, as this test has never been
repeated."--Dr Buttram MD

Ehrengut W, Staak M. [Anaphylactic reaction following injection of
tetanus toxoid] Dtsch Med Wochenschr. 1973 Mar 9;98(10):517. German. No
abstract available. PMID: 4691574 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE

Eicher W, Neundorfer B. [Paralysis of the recurrent laryngeal nerve
following a booster injection of tetanus toxoid (associated with local
allergic reaction)] Munch Med Wochenschr. 1969 Aug 22;111(34):1692-5.
German. No abstract available. PMID: 5820101
Fardon DF. Unusual reactions to tetanus toxoid. JAMA. 1967 Jan
9;199(2):125-6. No abstract available. PMID: 6071146

Facktor MA, Bernstein RA, Fireman P. Hypersensitivity to tetanus
toxoid. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1973 Jul;52(1):1-12. No abstract
available. PMID: 4268453 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Fenichel GM. [See Related Articles] Neurologic complications of tetanus
toxoid. Arch Neurol. 1983 Jun;40(6):390. No abstract available.PMID:
6847451; UI: 83203564.

Fischmeister M. [Letter: Acute reaction following injection with
tetanus toxoid] Dtsch Med Wochenschr. 1974 Apr 19;99(16):850. German.
No abstract available. PMID: 4828666 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Farbaky M. [See Related Articles] [Neurological complication after
vaccination by tetanic anatoxin]. Cesk Epidemiol Mikrobiol Imunol. 1981
Jan;30(1):10-2. Slovak. No abstract available.PMID: 6451302; UI:
81135899.

Griffith RD, Miller OF 3rd. Erythema multiforme following diphtheria
and tetanus toxoid vaccination. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1988
Oct;19(4):758-9. No abstract available. PMID: 2972761

Graham DR. Reactions to tetanus toxoid. JAMA. 1983 Sep
9;250(10):1273-4. No abstract available. PMID: 6876314
Gersbach P, Waridel D. [Paralysis after tetanus prevention] Schweiz
Med Wochenschr. 1976 Jan 31;106(5):150-3. French. PMID: 1251167
Grond M, Gibbels E, Schadlich HJ, Haupt WF. [Polyneuropathies
following administration of tetanus toxoid] Nervenarzt. 1988
May;59(5):309-12. German. PMID: 3405346 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Holliday PL, Bauer RB. Neurologic complications of tetanus toxoid.
Arch Neurol. 1983 Oct;40(10):659. No abstract available. PMID: 6615279
Holliday PL, Bauer RB. Polyradiculoneuritis secondary to immunization
with tetanus and diphtheria toxoids. Arch Neurol. 1983 Jan;40(1):56-7.
No abstract available. PMID: 6848095 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Harrer G, Melnizky U, Wendt H. [Accommodation paresis and swallowing
paralysis following tetanus toxoid booster inoculation] Wien Med
Wochenschr. 1971 Apr 10;121(15):296-7. German. No abstract available.
PMID: 5555154 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Hansson H, et al. [See Related Articles] Cutaneous reactions to
merthiolate and their relationship to vaccination with tetanus toxoid.
Acta Allergol. 1971 Apr;26(2):150-6. No abstract available.PMID:
5109839; UI: 72001961.
Hurwitz EL, Morgenstern H. Effects of diphteria-tetanus-pertussis or
tetanus vaccination on allergies and allergy-related respiratory
symptoms among children and adolescents in the United States. J
Manipulative Physiol Ther 2000;23: 1-10.
A new study in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological
Therapeutics1 supports the findings of three previous studies that
children who receive diphteria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP) or tetanus
vaccines are more likely to have a "history of asthma" or other
"allergy-related respiratory symptoms." The study reviewed data from
the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which was
conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics from 1988 to
1994. The survey data included interviews (by proxy with parents) of
13,944 infants, children and adolescents (2 months through 16 years
old). http://www.chiroweb.com/archives/18/07/05.html

Kiwit JC. Neuralgic amyotrophy after administration of tetanus toxoid.
J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1984 Mar;47(3):320. No abstract
available. PMID: 6707685 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Korableva NN, Protopopova II. [Complications after specific prevention
of tetanus] Khirurgiia (Mosk). 1987 Jan;(1):90-3. Russian. No abstract
available. PMID: 3560716 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Kittler FJ, et al. [See Related Articles] Reactions to tetanus toxoid.
South Med J. 1966 Feb;59(2):149-53. No abstract available.PMID:
5903351; UI: 66078441.
Lleonart-Bellfill R, et al. [See Related Articles] Tetanus toxoid
anaphylaxis. DICP. 1991 Jul-Aug;25(7-8):870. No abstract
available.PMID: 1949950; UI: 92056930.
Mandal GS, et al. [See Related Articles] Adverse reactions following
tetanus toxoid injection. J Indian Med Assoc. 1980 Jan 16;74(2):35-7.
No abstract available.PMID: 7381219; UI: 80205496.

Mansfield LE, Ting S, Rawls DO, Frederick R.Systemic reactions during
cutaneous testing for tetanus toxoid hypersensitivity. Ann Allergy.
1986 Aug;57(2):135-7. No abstract available. PMID: 3740557 [PubMed -
indexed for MEDLINE]

Olutade BO, Awotedu AA, Ukoli CO. Neurological complication following
tetanus toxoid immunization. A case report.West Afr J Med. 1992
Jul-Sep;11(3):221-2. Review. PMID: 1476968 [PubMed - indexed for
MEDLINE]
A 33-year-old Nigeria male developed fever, malaise, headache, muscle
weakness and polyneurutis 24 hours after administration of tetanus
toxoid. These manifestations however cleared within 72 hours. No other
identifiable agents or predisposing factors were identified to explain
this phenomenon.

Reinstein L, Pargament JM, Goodman JS. Peripheral neuropathy after
multiple tetanus toxoid injections. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 1982
Jul;63(7):332-4. PMID: 6284088 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
This case documents the 14th reported patient with peripheral
neuropathy following tetanus toxoid injection. A 33-year-old man
developed profound mixed sensorimotor peripheral neuropathy after
receiving 2 tetanus toxoid injections over a 5-month period. Periodic
serial electromyographic and nerve conduction studies performed over 2
years suggested both segmental demyelination and axonal neuropathy. The
patient experienced partial recovery. Analysis of this case and 13
others reported in literature indicates that in almost all cases (85%),
patients had received multiple tetanus toxoid injections. Also, it
appears that a prolonged interval of 14 or more days between the
tetanus toxoid injection and the onset of neurological symptoms is
associated with a poorer prognosis for complete recovery.

Schabet M, Wiethoelter H, Grodd W, Vallbracht A, Dichgans J, Becker W,
Berg PA. Neurological complications after simultaneous immunisation
against tick-borne encephalitis and tetanus. Lancet. 1989 Apr
29;1(8644):959-60. No abstract available. PMID: 2565447 [PubMed -
indexed for MEDLINE]

Sutter RW. Adverse reactions to tetanus toxoid. JAMA. 1994 May
25;271(20):1629. No abstract available. PMID: 8182821

Schlenska GK. [See Related Articles] Unusual neurological complications
following tetanus toxoid administration. J Neurol. 1977 Jul
20;215(4):299-302. No abstract available.PMID: 70523; UI: 77251623.

Steigman A. Allergic reactions to tetanus toxoid. J Pediatr. 1968
Oct;73(4):648-9. No abstract available. PMID: 4175803

Tezzon F, Tomelleri P, Ferrari G, Sergi A. Acute radiculomyelitis
after antitetanus vaccination.Ital J Neurol Sci. 1994 May;15(4):191-3.
Review.PMID: 7960672 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
We report the assessment by MRI of a case of radiculomyelitis after
vaccination against tetanus-poliomyelitis. In the acute stage the
appearance was an isolated myelitis of the conus medullaris with
contrast enhancement. The upper thoracic cord presented central areas
of high signal intensity on T2 weighted images. Rapid clinical recovery
was correlated with resolution of abnormal enhancement. Follow-up MR at
5 months showed persistence of slight T2 prolongation in the conus
medullaris and syringohydromyela of the thoracic cord. A single lesion
of the spinal cord is a rare presentation of acute disseminated
encephalomyelitis, the course of such lesions, to date not previously
displayed by MR, is unknown. Proper diagnosis should help prevent
administration of further vaccine doses.
Topaloglu H, Berker M, Kansu T, Saatci U, Renda Y. Optic neuritis and
myelitis after booster tetanus toxoid vaccination. Lancet. 1992 Jan
18;339(8786):178-9. No abstract available. PMID: 1346027

Ullberg-Olsson K. [See Related Articles] [Vaccination reactions after
injection of tetanus toxoid with and without diphtheria toxoid].
Lakartidningen. 1979 Sep 5;76(36):2976. Swedish. No abstract
available.PMID: 502666; UI: 80053529.
Vasoiu F, et al. [See Related Articles] [Considerations on tetanus in
vaccinated persons, with reference to 2 cases]. Rev Med Chir Soc Med
Nat Iasi. 1968 Oct-Dec;72(4):1023-5. Romanian. No abstract
available.PMID: 5731137; UI: 69233143.


Vellayappan K, et al. [See Related Articles] Tetanus toxoid
hypersensitivity. J Singapore Paediatr Soc. 1976 Apr;18(1):17-9. No
abstract available.PMID: 966737; UI: 77010357.

Wegmann A, et al. [See Related Articles] [Local reactions after
repeated tetanus vaccinations]. Schweiz Med Wochenschr. 1979 Oct
6;109(38):1409-10. German. PMID: 531542; UI: 80124006.

Wiseman TL. Anaphylactic reaction to tetanus toxoid. Ann Allergy. 1982
Nov;49(5):308. No abstract available. PMID: 7149344

Weisse ME, et al. [See Related Articles] Tetanus toxoid allergy. JAMA.
1990 Nov 14;264(18):2448. No abstract available.PMID: 2146409; UI:
91039702

White WG, Barnes GM, Barker E, Gall D, Knight P, Griffith AH,
Morris-Owen RM, Smith JW. Reactions to tetanus toxoid. J Hyg (Lond).
1973 Jun;71(2):283-97. No abstract available. PMID: 4515879
Zaloga GP, Chernow B. Life-threatening anaphylactic reaction to
tetanus toxoid. Ann Allergy. 1982 Aug;49(2):107-8. No abstract
available. PMID: 7103147

TETANUS

Shimoni, Zvi; Dobrousin, Anatoly; Cohen, Jonathan; et al. "Tetanus in
an Immunised Patient" British Medical Journal Online (10/16/99) Vol.
319, No. 7216, P. 1049;
Israeli researchers present the case of a 34-year-old construction
worker who was hospitalized after having a reported epileptic fit and
experiencing flu-like symptoms. The patient had a low-grade fever, but
was alert and coherent. Any attempts to speak or get up on the second
day resulted in attacks of risus sardonicus, opisthotonus, and trismus.
The patient was diagnosed with tetanus and given 2000 U of human
tetanus immunoglobulin. Further treatment was provided, and after 15
days, the patient had stopped taking diazepam and ventilatory support
was withdrawn. The man had been fully immunized against tetanus, and
had received booster shots five and two years before being
hospitalized. Antitetanus immunization has shown to be very successful,
and the researchers note that it is exceedingly rare--about four cases
per 100 million immunocompetent vaccinated people--for tetanus to
develop after being vaccinated.

http://www.vaccination.org.uk/vaccines/tetanus6.html

  #8  
Old October 20th 06, 11:37 AM posted to misc.kids.health,misc.health.alternative
Sheri Nakken RN, MA, Hahnemannian Homeopath
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 8
Default Tetanus reality and dangers of the tetanus vaccine

Girl aged 10 catches tetanus despite vaccination

August 14 2000 The Times

http://www.times-archive.co.uk/news/...snws01021.html

BY SAM TOWLSON

A TEN-YEAR-OLD girl is the first child in Britain to contract
life-threatening tetanus for more than a decade.

Tyla Green of Clifton, Nottingham, had been immunised but doctors
believe that she got tetanus when she cut her foot five weeks ago.

After four weeks in the Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, she has
returned home and is expected to make a full recovery in six months.
Her mother Halima, 34, who has three other daughters aged from 9 to 13,
said yesterday: "We are overjoyed to have Tyla home. We have gone to
hell and back, but even though she still can't speak she can laugh and
that means the world to us."

Mrs Green said that Tyla had been sent home from school ill and two
days later was found disorientated at home. "When I picked her up she
went rigid and started having a sort of a fit."

Her husband Shane, 39, called an ambulance and Tyla was taken to
hospital. Mrs Green said that doctors suspected that Tyla had
meningitis, then another brain virus, until she developed a locked jaw,
a classic sign of tetanus. "A doctor asked if she had cut herself. At
that time, I didn't think she had, but I learnt later that she had
trodden on something which really hurt her foot about a week before she
became ill.

"Because it wasn't pouring blood or needed stitches I dismissed it.
Tyla was always running around with nothing on her feet. I would advise
all parents to make sure their children have something on their feet
whenever they are outside."

Tetanus is caused by bacteria that attack the central nervous system.
It is extremely rare. There were only three cases, all in adults, in
England and Wales last year.

Tyla is the first child under 15 to contract the disease since 1989 and
hers is thought to be the first child case in Nottingham for more than
20 years.

Her consultant paediatrician, Martin Hewitt, said: "You can easily die
from tetanus but this young lady has made a remarkable recovery. She
was desperately ill but I expect her to make a full recovery."

He said it was rare for someone who had been immunised to get the
disease but it was possible. "It depends on whether the level of
antibodies you have are sufficient to fight the infection," he said.

Tyla would probably need speech therapy, physiotherapy and occupational
therapy in the coming months before making a complete recovery, Mr
Hewitt said.

Dr Richard Sack, consultant for communicable diseases at Nottingham
Health Authority, said that the chance of anyone developing tetanus
from a wound after being vaccinated was extremely low.

  #10  
Old October 20th 06, 11:55 AM posted to misc.kids.health,misc.health.alternative
Sheri Nakken RN, MA, Hahnemannian Homeopath
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 8
Default Tetanus reality and dangers of the tetanus vaccine

I'm sure you sincerely are interested and want to increase your
knowledge base

I have never had to treat tetanus in an unvaccinated person because
none of my patients, no one I know, has ever had tetanus. The is a
remedy used prophylactically in some cases, but who knows if they would
have gotten tetanus anyway.

I think it is a disease of dirt and filth as said above. Wound care is
the primary preventative.

I worked as an ICU nurse in San Diego at University Hospital and in SD
Children's Hospital, as well as various ICU's & ER's around the city.

Only saw 1 adult in 10 years working in SD, diagnosed with tetanus - a
woman transported from Tijuana. She recovered. I NEVER saw one child
admitted or diagnosed with tetanus and EVERY child with a serious
illness in Tijuana was transported to San Diego Childrens. Can't
imagine all those children in Tijuana, many living in poverty, are
vaccinated.

We have immune systems.

REMEMBER there is NO diagnostic test so we don't even know that someone
'has tetanus' if diagnosed with it
Wound care is #!1

Sheri

 




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