Yesterday morning the minister of health, Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeah publicly got himself and one of his daughters vaccinated at a launch ceremony for the H1N1 vaccine campaign. This was reported in today’s newspapers. So I went through the comments posted on the article and just as I suspected many if not most doubted that what was in the needles used on the minister and his daughter was the vaccine or just water or vitamins. I’ve heard this so many times and now it’s posted for everyone to see; our obsession with conspiracy theories.
Logical arguments have no power at all in these cases. Just last night I was on the phone with a friend who had kept her daughter out of school this year and absolutely refuses even the idea of the vaccine. She touts around a newspaper article about an official from New Zealand being fired from the WHO because he/she has voiced objections to the vaccine.
I agree that the H1N1 might be over-hyped in the media and that drug companies are making good money out of the vaccine. But that the Saudi health minister would be in on a conspiracy to vaccinate Saudi citizens?! Some of the rumors going around are that it makes people sterile and that its effects do not become evident until five to ten years later. And so the minister would know this as a fact and like a villain out of a movie, he would push the vaccine on the Saudi population. We watch way too much TV.
Besides the CDC and the WHO websites for those with vaccinating, there are two websites that I found that are against the vaccine but base their arguments more on science rather than conspiracies: Dr. Meryl Nass’s blog and NVIC.
Saudiwoman's Weblog 
Sorry, but vaccines are guilty until proven innocent, especially for a minor illness. Swine flu is not as big a deal as the media makes it out to be, and using an unproven vaccine is unnecessary.
It is too much to say the Minister of Health is pushing the vaccine on us knowing it is harmful, but the fact stands that he is pushing the vaccine without fully knowing the harm – nobody does.
Haitham, that is nonsense. Countries all over the world are giving this vaccine to their citizens. It has been very well tested, as are all vaccines. I have been receiving seasonal flu vaccines for years with no ill effects and as a frequent traveller have had so many shots for different diseases I’ve lost count. Would you refuse to have your children vaccinated against polio or TB? This sort of scare mongering is dangerous.
Excellent article!
An MD surgeon of the calibre of Dr Al-Rabeah would hardly compromise his reputation on such a charade. He is to be commended for his approach to the whole issue, particularly with the Haj complications in Saudi.
I find the CDC and WHO sites reliable.
Canada has been giving the vaccine for over a week now, with no incidents except more demand than expected, because of the well-publicized death of a boy who SEEMED healthy prior to contracting H1N1. Deaths are unlikely and especially in those without an underlying chronic condition. My guess is this boy had something that was not yet manifesting at a clinical level.
People forget that a new flu vaccine is made annually and the only thing different about the H1N1 vaccine is that developing it, testing it, and distributing it was made a priority, so that over the 6 months that scientists world wide have been at it they were able to have the vaccine out this fast WITHOUT compromising safety. Since it is not a live vaccine the risks are even less.
I am very sure I had H1N1 in June but since I didn’t have myself tested for it I will follow the recommendations of the CDC and other responsible public health agencies and officials and get the vaccine, as well as the regular flu shot, in part to protect myself, and in part to protect others. My father got the vaccine 3 days ago because of underlying conditions, and at the recommendation of the renal specialty clinic at a teaching hospital he attends.
Keeping your child out of school is a greater harm than vaccine and flu combined. My 10 year old nephew also had H1N1 in June (based on symptoms, not tested, but most likely), and will be vaccinated on his GPs, sports body’s, and school’s recommendation. His mother, an elementary school teacher will be vaccinated by the same GP at the same time.
Judy–I agree that this sort of scaremongering is dangerous. For all the H1N1 hysteria, flu is unpleasant, this one more so, and those with underlying medical conditions are at risk of compications and death–not at the rates of regular flu, but one only dies once!
I think the N1H1 scare is grossly overrated. All flu’s are dangerous because they open your system to secondary infections. It’s these infections which kill btw. Swine flu doesn’t kill you.
I don’t get the conspiracy theory, unless its this ”pandemic scare” so we all get inoculated.
On the other hand, vaccines are not safe. They can cause many very serious side-effects worse than the disease they inoculate against. They include some serious poisonous ingredients in order to preserve the vaccine. There have been more deaths by the vaccine for whooping cough in America, as in the same number of children in England which weren’t inoculated and caught the disease. They tried a mass vaccination against influenza in the seventies in America and the effort had to be aborted due to the serious side-effects, including many deaths, the vaccine caused. The American population was therefore not vaccinated, and the predicted deadly epidemic did not happen
If you are healthy I would seriously get information and make an informed decision if you are willing to get inoculated or not.
Healthy people, who eat a healthy diet, and take lots of vitamin C, are in no serious danger from catching flu’s. Including swineflu.
we will never stop being cynical – one of our amazing traits.
I couldn’t agree more – loved your post 🙂
my wife commented ” how we can be sure that it is the same vaccine!!”
smart question, I could not answer it.
Cynical is the word.
Saudiwoman and immaturely mature… I couldnt agree with you more.