Warning: Long post.

Topic: Luanda Epa’s humble two sene on vaccinations (03 March 2019)
Ok, let me start over.

But before I do, I must qualify myself first; Am I an expert? On methamphetamine analysis, yes! Vaccinations;
far from it! So as a fellow lay man (but very analytical and critical thinker), here’s my humble two sene on why
me-myself-and-I support getting vaccinated (backing will follow). Remember, I am no expert.

My position on vaccination:

I believe in the science and principle behind vaccinations and how they have been our friends in our fight against
diseases, rather than foe.

Why am I for it?

Well I’ve asked myself; “Why were vaccines invented in the first place? And if they are really BAD as some (very
few) have claimed, why then are they even still around?!”.

After having done a bit of…digging…I understand just exactly why and how the experts and big guys haven’t
moved to ban or cease all MMR vaccinations and a whole lot of other vaccinations. Because they have been
proven to work! This medical breakthrough has greatly contributed to global health and it has saved and
continues to save lives today through the prevention (not cure) of several serious and life-threatening illnesses.
Again, I’m not an expert, but I have reached the conclusion to support it because of the scientific data that will
follow.

Edwin Tamasese’s response to my amazingly mind-boggling question as to why vaccines are still being used in
light of all the evidence supporting how risks outweigh the benefits and how they don’t work at all, was a
Youtube video of a Real Truth About Health conference hosted by an Emmy Award-winning film-maker, Del
Bigtree ; - a very active “anti-vaxxer”. Yeah nah I just stopped when the disclaimer rolled up. What’s dodgy about
the disclaimer though is that if you’re not paying attention or if you’re pressing on the screen, you won’t see it.
Here’s my attempt at capturing with a screenshot. I couldn’t catch the beginning (fast dodgy bugger) but it
begins with a statement saying (paraphrasing) that the information therein should not be viewed as an expert
opinion …yeah along those lines. Lol. Here’s the other portion.

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But you have a listen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJh3TiCFJH4&feature=share...

That disclaimer is there for the obvious reason; he’s no expert! Should anyone hold him accountable in the
absence of said disclaimer, he’s got no scientific backing to cover his culo in Court the claims he so confidently
asserts in this video.

Ok, dry joke time. Listening and reading what the Real Truth About Health group of what <20 ish wanna-be
experts, reminds me of a certain infamous group here in Samoa with actual lawyers spreading misinformation
(that will easily be quashed in Court by the actual practicing experts – you heard it here first). Lol.

Ok serious issues.

I understand and respect the concerns and fear amongst parents and the community due to heartbreaking
personal experiences of adverse reactions and deaths following the administration of MMR vaccination. I get it,
and it’s totally fair.

But it should not take away the fact that this vaccination, along with all other approved vaccinations, work and
have facilitated good health by preventing a wide range of illness in the billions alive today. We need to
recognize that.

But what about the risks? Yes all vaccinations have associated risks and potential negative effects, but there is
available information on them. But the experts (I’ll touch on that a bit later) have assured us, that the benefits
far outweigh the risks:

A vaccine is a medication. Like any medicine, vaccines have benefits and risks, and although highly effective,
no vaccine is 100 percent effective in preventing disease or 100 percent safe in all individuals. Most side

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effects of vaccines are usually minor and short-lived. For example, a person may feel soreness at the injection
site or experience a mild fever. Serious vaccine reactions are extremely rare, but they can happen.

“Parents should know that the risk of being harmed by a vaccine is significantly smaller than the risk of serious
illness from infectious diseases," says Marion Gruber, Ph.D., director of the Office of Vaccines Research and
Review in CBER. "Vaccination is a very important step to get children off to a healthy start."

(https://www.fda.gov/BiologicsBloodVaccines/ResourcesforYou/Consumers/ucm345587.htm#benefits)

Yes the public deserves answers for the cases of deaths and other adverse effects following MMR vaccinations,
because while rare, they did and will still happen. But substantiated answers!

We are allowed to question the accuracy and validity of information we receive! Please do! Critical and analytical
thinking is so crucial and encouraged! But how do we know what information is reliable and what isn’t? In our
line of work (no not vaccinations), again, as I’ve mentioned earlier, we rely on information and data from trusted
sources such as peer-reviewed journal articles that are scrutinized by a cohort of experts in an area (not just
10 ish Paediatricians, GPs, Kidney specialists, etc), internationally standardized and peer-reviewed text books,
internationally recognized and accredited bodies/organizations who are experts in an area of research, to
name a few. Then we decide what information is to be accepted or used.

You Tube? Not really. For background information to set the scene…and leisure, yeah I guess. Unless of course
it’s recorded footage/interview with an expert.

So an expert huh? I’m not talking about any expert (because being a licensed nephrologist (kidney function
expert) doesn’t make one an expert on vaccination work if they are not actively researching (in the lab or clinics),
and definitely not an Emmy Award-winning producer of a daytime talk show/film maker.

I’m referring to scientists who are currently practicing in the field of vaccinations (researching, experimenting
and publishing materials). And no not just any material (go back to my list of trusted sources of information).

It would be really hard for me to trust information disseminated by these people, because, well, they are medical
professionals and doctors, yes. But are they experts in the area of vaccination (refer back to my version of what
an expert is)? Are they actively conducting any lab/clinical trials or studies to back up their anti-vaxxer mindset
(because it’s really lacking at the moment).

1. Professor Alvin H Moss, MD, Nephrologist, West Virginia University

2. Dr. Ramon Ramos, Paediatrician
3. Dr. Bob Zajac, MD, Pediatrician
4. Dr. Paul Thomas, Paediatrician
5. Dr. Franz, Paediatrician
6. Dr. Patricia Ryan
7. Dr. Terry Wahls, MD, Professor (US)
8. Dr. Jim Meehan, MD, Former Medical Journal Editor
9. Dr. Rachael Ross, MD (US)
10. Dr. Sam Eggertsen, MD (US)
11. Dr Toni Bark, MD (US) - She holds a Masters Degree in Medical Disaster response, a Leadership in
Environmental and Energy Design (LEED) accreditation as well as her Medical Degree and many
certificates in Classical homeopathy training and Aesthetic medicine. She has a focus on environmental
triggers and epigenetics and uses this knowledge to abate disease processes. Cute!
12. Dr. Sheri Tenpenny - osteopathic physician. Big title but again, show me your relevant publications
dude!

I just can’t find a single scientific publication backing their anti-vaccination claims. Help me out if you do have
links to such publications please (again, reliable sources only).

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And Dr Suzanne Humphries who authored Dissolving Illusions and one other book, well I can’t comment on the
book because I haven’t read it. BUT one look at her 2-page CV is enough for me. It just lacks all the relevant
…stuff…needed to qualify her as an expert on the subject.

Anyone can write a book and publish if you have financial backing to do it. And you can be a damn good science
writer and reference gazillions of scientific publications, but that won’t make you an expert in the area. Key
word, reference. Unless you’re actively involved in that research topic; you’ve carried out peer-reviewed
experimental trials, made (and continue to make) relevant peer reviewed (again?!) scientific publications that
are dissected by a gazillion other experts on the topic…unless you’re doing that, sorry just writing a book alone
without real life practice just won’t cut it.

I mean judging by her CV; http://drsuzanne.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/CV-website-2017-1.pdf (this was

from her website). Only two publications and none of it has to do with her anti-vaccination research. You do the
math!

Try and find out how difficult it is to get information published in a Peer reviewed Journal. Trust me know. But
it’s good that it’s so damn hard. If it were easy, any tom dick and harry could fabricate results or make false
claims and get a publication.

Compared to the above listed “experts” you’ve relied on, here are just two of CDC experts (will add more after
toanai hehe)
1. A. T Kroger (9 relevant publications); https://www.researchgate.net/scientific-
contributions/11280538_AT_Kroger
2. Mark Freedman (18 relevant publications: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mark_Freedman2

Remember, the US and CDC are not the only experts. There are others around the world.

AND here are some of my sources (please also read with an open mind as I have with yours):

To start off I would recommend reading the Pink Book on the benefits of vaccinations and the dangers of
vaccine-preventable diseases (https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook (only 11 pages)

Then;

• https://www.who.int/emergencies/ten-threats-to-global-health-in-2019
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4024226/
• https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/04/vaccines-trial-us-court-separates-fact-fiction
• https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(13)00144-3/pdf?ext=.pdf
• https://medium.com/the-method/8-common-arguments-against-vaccines-5d45ad9c1e29
• https://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/concerns/autism.html
• Vaccines are not associated with autism: An evidence-based meta-analysis of case-control and
cohort studies
• https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264410X14006367
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5557224/
• https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264410X13015387
• https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264410X11012977
• https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264410X16307320
• https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264410X18305887
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4599698/
• http://www.immune.org.nz/resources/home-truths

And then look up the publications cited and referenced in the above journal articles combined!

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ALSO visit the following websites (it’s ok you can trust them):

• https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/index.html
• https://www.fda.gov/biologicsbloodvaccines/vaccines/default.htm
• https://www.who.int/topics/vaccines/
• https://www.unicef.org/immunization
• https://www.health.gov.il/English/Topics/Pregnancy/Vaccination_of_infants/Pages/default.aspx

(Israel has also been brainwashed into supporting vaccinations too? What?! Don’t they have some of the
world’s most brilliant minds in science, yet they can’t refute the debunked usefulness of this vaccination??!
Hmm, it is definitely the money they’re after!)

• https://www.jpeds.or.jp/modules/en/index.php?content_id=7

(Japan even? What? But haven’t they nurtured and produced several Nobel Prize winners?!! They’re supposed
to speak up and say vaccinations are a scam! Ok, yep, they don’t care about children’s health or saving lives.
They’re only after awards)

• https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/
• http://www.immune.org.nz/vaccines
• http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/MC14-004203-Immunisation

The UK, NZ and Australia even? What is going on?

Incase you didn’t get my sarcastic drift, what I’m saying is, the majority of big nations global wide are PRO
VACCINES, not just the US!

Why I wonder?

Well, logical reasoning would encourage one to put a little more faith on information that has been
substantiated by experts (the real experts) rather than the weak and unfounded opinions of a very small portion
of the population that are NOT EVEN EXPXERTS on the topic!

I mean can you imagine the instability and volatility of nations around the world if we lived in a society where it
is the norm to accept unverified claims over fact!!

In response to the articles you’ve shared to support your assertions;

Article 1:

And yet the same article reports that the response was ramping up the vaccinations? Increasing vaccination
coverage and maintaining high 2-dose??

I like the summary right at the bottom of article, pretty straight forward:
What is already known on this topic?
Measles outbreaks occur when the virus is introduced into a population with inadequate immunity, and are almost
always caused by failure to vaccinate a high proportion of susceptible persons. Although measles is typically a disease of
childhood, persons of all ages can acquire measles, especially in small, isolated, island populations like the Federated
States of Micronesia (FSM), where measles has not circulated for many years.

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What is added by this report?
After 20 years with no reported measles cases, FSM experienced a moderately large outbreak in 2014 with 393 cases
reported. Vaccinated adults accounted for more than half of all cases, demonstrating that in rare circumstances vaccine
failure can play a role in measles susceptibility. The cause of the vaccine failure in adults was not determined, although
historical cold chain lapses might have reduced vaccine potency and resulted in accumulation of susceptible persons.
Moderately high routine 2-dose coverage among children limited transmission in this age group, with the exception of
infants who were too young to be vaccinated.

What are the implications for public health practice?

Sustained high 2-dose measles vaccination coverage through routine immunization programs and supplemental
immunization activities is needed to prevent the spread of measles outbreaks, even where vaccine failure is a key
component of the outbreak. Rapid mass vaccination campaigns can be effective in limiting outbreak spread and should
be tailored to the pattern of susceptibility revealed by the outbreak.

Article 2:

Well, I need $200USD to access it. As much as I’d love to read it and comment, well, not only can’t bank
account afford lol..but it’s a 32 year old article that concluded with “We conclude that outbreaks of measles
can occur in secondary schools, even when more than 99 percent of the students have been vaccinated and
more than 95 percent are immune”. Vaccinations today are definitely not the same as those that existed 32
years ago.

Article 3:

Again, an article from 32 years ago, that also suggests single-dosage to be the likely cause of higher attack rate:
“Students vaccinated more than 4 years before the outbreak appeared to have a higher attack rate than those
vaccinated more recently (relative risk (RR)=4.3; 95% confidence interval (Cl)=0.6, 30.0); however, this
association did not exist when risk was evaluated based on number of vaccine doses received. Students who
had documentation of receiving only one dose of vaccine were at greater risk than those who had received
two doses (RR=5.2; 95% Cl=1.0, 206.2). Overall, vaccine effectiveness among Douglas County junior high school
students was estimated to be 83% (95% Cl=57%, 94%). These data suggest that mumps vaccine failure and the
failure to vaccinate have contributed to the relative resurgence of mumps observed in the United States since
1986. The recent change in immunization policy to recommend a two-dose schedule of measles-mumps-rubella
vaccine should help reduce the occurrence of mumps outbreaks in highly vaccinated populations”.

Article 4:

The news article is very brief and doesn’t even go into detail to discuss how vaccine failure could be attributed
as the cause of the incidence. If the 30 were vaccinated, was it administered correctly? Was the right dosage
used? Etc etc. No strong real evidence, very weak

Anyway to conclude,

Yes, I recognize that there have been cases of adverse reactions following vaccinations. Though rare, they have
happened and will continue to happen. Therefore it NEEDS to be understood fully.

What about the effectiveness and efficacy of vaccines that are not even at 100%!

Or the fact that risks and side effects exist?! We demand a zero-side-effects vaccine!

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The possibility of that even happening is well…again, I’m no expert….but I’ll bet my life on that it will not be
achieved tomorrow or the next year.

But wouldn’t it be better and safer if we just cease vaccinations altogether and wait until 100% effectiveness is
proven? Or when they produce vaccines with absolutely zero risks and side effects and no associated deaths?

Look around us; the billions of people who are still alive today because of boosted immune systems and disease
prevention that vaccinations have allowed? (Please have a read again:
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook and ALL other links above).

Look at the influenza flu pandemic of 1918 and the progress achieved through vaccinations!
(https://www.cdc.gov/features/1918-flu-pandemic/index.html)

Yes there is still much to be learned in the realms of vaccination as with every other discipline of science. That
is no lie. We have yet to learn, for example, exactly how the fatal cases and adverse reactions to MMR
vaccinations occur. But I know for a fact (after having read all the information I could find and share with you
today) that the real experts are working on it! Studies (please go onto the websites I just gave you and do some
digging!) and the strive for answers are well underway. Answers that will not come overnight. Answers that rely
on accumulation of proven knowledge. Trial and error. Answers that will be facilitated greatly if the spread of
misinformation ceased.

For me, yes one injury or death from vaccines is one too many, but it is also important to keep perspective.
The benefits of vaccination to the individual, our local society and the world as a whole far outweigh the risks.

BUT the choice is yours. Every individual should have the freedom to choose whether to get vaccinated or not.
But make sure it’s an informed one!

Look out for unsubstantiated claims and weak scientific data. Always read, process and analyze with an open
mind. But rely on supported claims. That’s when the skill of critical and analytical thinking becomes your ally.

So, until and only when the real experts (not the 10 ish Pediatricians, Homoeopaths, Kidney experts with no
related scientific publication) publish information to substantiate what all anti-vaxxers are saying, I will remain
a firm supporter of vaccinations.!

That said, I leave you with some blog readings (all with links to reliable data) to summarize the anti vaxxer
movement (please don’t take offense, you might even like it) and William W Thompson’s whistle blowing
incident claiming CDC cover up of information re: possible connection between autism and MMR vaccinations.

• https://respectfulinsolence.com/2016/01/05/the-cdc-whistleblower-documents-a-whole-lot-of-
nothing-and-no-conspiracy-to-hide-an-mmr-autism-link/
• https://medium.com/the-method/8-common-arguments-against-vaccines-5d45ad9c1e29

Yours truly,

Luanda Epa.

Supporter of Vaccination.
Not an Expert on Vaccinations but have read enough [substantiated] information to justify my position.

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