The BBC is at it again, pimping for vaccine manufacturers. As usual an “impartial” and caring charity is presented fronting the idea that we all need to be taking the Meningitis B vaccine at 2 months old upwards. The BBC also forgot to add any special interest disclaimers when interviewing the charity which, as usual, with a modicum of investigation (about a half hour) shows clear signs of conflict of interest.
Additionally, the old marketing psychology routine of artificial scarcity was used to stampede the public into demanding the vaccine be made available. On the face of it, this is just another corporate PR campaign to sell vaccines.
The organisation fronting this push is Meningitis Now. This organisation cites in its report and financial statements
“We are grateful to all of our corporate partners who have raised funds or provided “in-kind” support through the year including Caroline Gardner Cards, First Great Western, Just:: Health PR, Novartis Vaccines, Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline plc, Connexus, Irwin Mitchell LLP, Foot Anstey LLP, Michelmores LLP, Pannone LLP, Renishaw plc, HSBC Bank plc, Galliford Try plc, Bristows LLP, A Shade Greener Ltd and Brightside Group plc.
Looking deeper into the report we find the following funding
- Funding from GSK for our work with adolescents (£20,000)
- Funding from Novartis Vaccines towards Volunteer Programme (£25,000), Partnership Programme (£10,000), postmerger costs (£17,972), Conference (£4,000), Awareness and Education (£22,500)
- Funding from Pfizer towards awareness and education (£5,000)
That is £80,000 in funding from Novartis alone, who also happen to be the Vaccine manufacturer and marketer.
The EU Community register document for Bexsero (The vaccine name) quote some of the following which is worth reading.
“Bexsero is not expected to provide protection against all circulating meningococcal group B strains”
Adverse reactions
Very common: (≥1/10)
Common: (≥1/100 to <1/10)
Uncommon: (≥1/1,000 to <1/100)
Rare: (≥1/10,000 to <1/1,000)
Very rare: (<1/10,000)
Within each frequency grouping, undesirable effects are presented in order of decreasing seriousness.
Infants and children (up to 10 years of age)
Metabolism and nutrition disorders
Very common: eating disorders
Nervous system disorders
Very common: sleepiness, unusual crying
Uncommon: seizures (including febrile seizures)
Vascular disorders
Uncommon: pallor (rare after booster)
Rare: Kawasaki syndrome
Gastrointestinal disorders
Very common: diarrhoea, vomiting (uncommon after booster)
Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders
Very common: rash (uncommon after booster)
Uncommon: eczema, urticaria
General disorders and administration site conditions
Very common: fever (≥38°C), injection site tenderness (including severe injection site tenderness
defined as crying when injected limb is moved), injection site erythema, injection site swelling,
injection site induration, irritability
Uncommon: fever (≥40°C)
Adolescents (from 11 years of age) and adults
Nervous system disorders
Very common: headache
Gastrointestinal disorders
Very common: nausea
General disorders and administration site conditions
Very common: injection site pain (including severe injection site pain defined as unable to perform
normal daily activity), injection site swelling, injection site induration, injection site erythema, malaise
Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders
Very common: myalgia, arthralgia
THE ANTIREPTILIAN IRATION 