Anti-vaxxer crowd should be careful what they wish for
By Lethbridge Herald on May 8, 2025.
Editor,
Along with many others, I remember the Convoy shutdowns when trucks with giant Canadian flags sticking out the backs of their boxes roared en masse up and down University Drive and Scenic Drive, shutting down various streets and roads. They were protesting vaccine requirements. Meanwhile, every year millions of people in third world countries die because of lack of vaccines. They would give anything to come to Canada with their families and enjoy our strong public health programs. I had a cousin who contracted polio prior to the vaccine being available – his left leg was withered and he had to wear a brace his whole life. My great-aunt developed TB before vaccines and spent time in an iron lung. Anti-vaxxers need to be careful what they wish for. Their children’s futures are at stake.
Leslie Lavers
Lethbridge
5-4
You only have to look at the clusters of measles across North America to realize , or should realize the value of MMR amongst others. Despite the evidence supporting vaccinations, the anti-vaxers believe the falsehoods propagated via the internet or their entrenched narrow minded beliefs in their holy scriptures. It takes a single infected kid to infect hundreds . Unless the vaccination rate is in the 90s the program falls apart as is the current situation in Alberta and Ontario. Exceptions are allowed based on religious or philosophical grounds. Therein is the problem. The answer is “non vaccinates” being prohibited in schools. Of course the libertarian crown will scream and holler, but sometimes the health of a child trumps that of adults personal ideals.
What has happened here I believe is the massive increase in distrust of governments and their various puppet agencies. Measles at one point was basically eradicated. The measles vaccine was first tested from 1958-1960 on a small group of children. Trials began on thousands in New York and Nigeria in 1961 and hailed as 100% effective and the first measles vaccine was licensed for public use in 1963 after FIVE years of development and testing.
And now we switch to covid. Has anyone even give it the slightest thought that after a couple of months the supposed vaccines and boosters was ready?? While reports are and should be questioned as to the value of the covid vaccine and the boosters many have decided that we don’t trust you and take all your vaccines and stuff it. To label those as truck driving, flag waving, Neanderthals is labelling those that have lost their faith in governments and their institutions. The apparent long term effects of covid and the alleged effects of an “unproven” vaccine by past science standards, have all contributed to people who no longer want to take the “risk” dictated by someone and some company that they no longer trust.
So there is my two bits, five years to develop one and one that was ready to go in less than 3 months. Who you gonna believe, ghostbusters. I see their point but the measles vaccine is proven and it works. Get it done. Name calling will only cement the resistance.
I wonder if there was some event that made the Covid vaccine more urgent? You know, the kind of thing that would let researchers have essentially unlimited funding, and access to a large population likely to come in contact with the disease to speed up testing?
Oh well, guess we’ll never know. Probably a conspiracy.
i hope your covid vaxes served you and yours well. i chose not to support pharma, as explained above. i wore a mask, but not the badge of honour that the vax was sold to be.
I bet you didn’t bother to mix with friends and relatives like we did and get the most out of life.
Ten of us got COVID after having 4 shots and we know they saved our lives because fools we knew who didn’t bother are all dead because of their stupidity.
Our retired doctor friends still warn it’s still out there and you can still get it. Of course these Reformers won’t warn you about it Danielle Smith found it smart to compare us to Nazis that’s how stupid she is. She is likely the fool behind not bothering to warn people about the measles until it was a real problem and doctors were furious with them. How much has it cost taxpayers with the 11 hospital visits?
You can be these Reform Party fools were all vaccinated as youngsters but parents who were a lot smarter than them.
moderna came out of virtually nowhere and its stock rose exponentially; ditto that little piece of scrap pharm that distributed under phizer, biontech. phizer stock did not fire like moderna, but biontech’s did.
your point that people do not trust is spot on, and those not trusting have so many reasons for their reticence. govt and big corp are full of it. somehow still so many people refuse to acknowledge that we are led by sociopaths and psychopaths. not all, perhaps, but enough that we and our planet is far more harmed than not.
sorry to big brit, but govt/society forcing their way into the bodies of another is fascist; using strong arm tactics to coerce, such as no school and no job is utterly disgusting.
if the vax works, being vaxed will work.
meanwhile, there are those of us that will not support the serial torture of animals to derive and determine the safety and quality of anything.
animal torture is a horrific process. that is not say we should not have meds, and meds only by choice of each. but the approach that we support is pathetic as it is ugly and cruel.
As usual the thought police show up with the references to conspiracy theories. Point was get vaccinated for measles, proven to work.
get vaxed for whatever and however one chooses is my position. but never force/coerce any body.
As regards vaccination hesitation, and leaving aside those opposed to vaccines for religious reasons (that group is a whole other story), the most difficult people to get through to are, in the words of Neil deGrasse Tyson, “people who know just enough about a subject to think they’re right but not enough to know they’re wrong.”
Tyson’s observation is especially applicable to people who don’t understand the scientific methodology in general or the science of vaccines specifically, but question scientific advances anyway.
to help us all be more understanding – regarding vaxes and compassion – here is a long read that may bring us more up to speed.
prior to the 1990s, only one adjuvant was used, alum. since, 5 additional ones, besides the long standing use of alum, have been in use. the new adjuvants provide significant example of pharma rolling stuff out without knowing enough: “Adjuvants are vaccine components that enhance the magnitude, breadth and durability of the immune response. Following its introduction in the 1920s, alum remained the only adjuvant licensed for human use for the next 70 years. Since the 1990s, a further five adjuvants have been included in licensed vaccines, but the molecular mechanisms by which these adjuvants work remain only partially understood.” https://www.nature.com/articles/s41573-021-00163-y
recalling the h1n1 scare provides a great window into what goes into vaxes. with regard to that h1n1 vax health canada approved, some utterly delicious substances were injected straight into our bodily system. in addition to the concern around newer adjuvant use, let us not overlook the further concerns regarding antigens. here is that health canada approved gunk; note mercury, which of course is widespread present in our vax system; also, that polysorbate 80 is injected into us, despite some significant health concerns related to that product. it is wise to be aware that polysorbate 80 is extensively used in all manner of products besides “medicines”, including a broad spectrum of food and cosmetics. first, a copy of the health canada info on that wonderful h1n1 vax; then, a snippet of the polysorbate related issues:
“Antigen:
Split influenza virus, inactivated, containing antigen* equivalent to:
A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)v-like strain (X-179A) 3.75µg HA** per 0.5mL dose
* isolated from virus propagated in eggs
** HA = haemagglutinin
Preservative content is 5µg Thimerosal USP per 0.5mL dose or 2.5 micrograms organic mercury (Hg) per 0.5mL dose
Adjuvant:
DL-α-tocopherol 11.86 milligrams/0.5mL dose
Squalene 10.69 milligrams/0.5mL dose,
Polysorbate 80 4.86 milligrams/0.5mL dose
The suspension and emulsion vials, once mixed, form a multidose vaccine in a vial. See section Nature and Contents of Container for the number of doses per vial.
For a full list of excipients, see section List of Excipients under 5.0.
and now for the polysorbate:
“InfertilityFor instance, this study suggests a link between the ingredient and infertility in mice.
As part of the research process, newborn female rats received injections of Tween 80 at concentrations of 1%, 5%, or 10% from days 4 to 7 after birth.
This treatment sped up their maturation, extended their estrous cycles, and caused a continuous state of vaginal estrus. It also reduced the relative size of their uteruses and ovaries compared to untreated rats.
There were changes in the uterine cells and the lining of the uterus that suggested ongoing estrogen stimulation. The ovaries lacked corpora lutea and showed signs of follicle degeneration.
Anaphylactic ShockA separate study suggested that Polysorbate 80 could trigger anaphylactic shock in pregnant women.
The study involved a patient who had a severe allergic reaction following the intravenous administration of a vitamin product during pregnancy, with Polysorbate 80 identified as the culprit. The tests showed that the response was not linked to immune system antibodies, highlighting the agent’s potential for causing non-immune severe reactions.
While this finding raises concerns, I would be wary of this study as it was based on a single pregnant woman. While doctors identified Polysorbate 80 as the cause, no other incidences of this type of reaction have been reported.
Bowel ProblemsA recent study has shown a real connection between the consumption of polysorbate 80 and the development of bowel problems – posing a significant concern for individuals predisposed to Colitis.
The study found that two emulsifiers, carboxymethylcellulose and polysorbate-80, can cause low-grade inflammation, obesity, and metabolic syndrome in mice. These substances also worsened colitis in mice predisposed to the condition.
The health issues were linked to changes in the gut microbiome, including altered microbial composition and increased inflammation. The use of germ-free mice and fecal transplants in the research confirmed that these changes in the gut bacteria were essential for causing the observed inflammation and metabolic problems.
Crohn’s DiseaseSimilarly, this study linked Polysorbate 80 to exacerbate Crohn’s Disease.
The study showed that E. coli bacteria moved more quickly through specific gut cells in people with Crohn’s disease and healthy individuals. Adding substances from plantain and broccoli reduced this movement significantly, but apple and leek had no effect.
A typical food additive, Polysorbate-80, increased the movement of bacteria. Plantain also helped reduce bacteria movement in a part of the gut’s immune system, while Polysorbate-80 increased it.
Polysorbate 80 has also been causally linked with an increased risk of blood clots, stroke, heart attack, heart failure, and tumor growth or recurrence in patients with certain types of cancer.”
https://thegoodhuman.com/what-is-polysorbate-80/
now, if these were the only significant health concerns we ingest/inject into our bodies coming from pharma/chem cos. it is all the more alarming that we are subject to an onslaught of sundry such chemicals which pose health concerns for us all. at the end of each day, month, year, in tandem and all together, well, it may be no wonder the likes of cancers and chronic diseases are so prevalent.
this is also worth a read. our best defence, as with all things consumer related, is to get informed and stop buying (thus, do not buy into) that which we do not ethically support.Products That Contain Squalene”Known as a natural lubricating oil with moisturizing properties, squalene can be found in the following beauty products:2
“Squalene, Shark Products and Vaccines.” Shark Stewards.
all magnificent stuff we so incredibly need, right?
Squalene From Sharks
Because deep-sea sharks have particularly fatty livers—needed to withstand the pressure of the ocean—these species are intensely hunted squalene jackpots. According to a 2012 survey by the marine conservation coalition Bloom Association, 2.7 million sharks are killed every year just for their livers.3
The survey, titled “The Hideous Price of Beauty,” found that the cosmetics industry accounts for an astonishing 90% of the global demand for shark liver oil. That’s an estimated 1,900 tons of squalene used for hair conditioners, creams, lipsticks, foundations, sunscreens, and more—some even audaciously labeled as “cruelty-free.”3
“The Hideous Price of Beauty: An Investigation Into the Market of Deep-Sea Shark Liver Oil.” .
Even worse, more recent reports say that demand for the ingredient has increased over the past decade.1
Today, the mass slaughtering of sharks for their prized liver oil is taking a major toll on certain populations.1 And when apex predators suffer, so does the health of the entire ecosystem.4
Oceana says deep-sea sharks—which are most coveted by the beauty industry—are especially vulnerable because they have such long lifespans and, therefore, slow reproduction rates.5 For example, the leafscale gulper shark that lives in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans doesn’t reach sexual maturity until about 35 years old.6 In 2019, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) elevated the species’ listing from vulnerable to endangered.7
Overfishing (for fins, meat, leather, and oil) is reportedly the leading reason why global populations of oceanic sharks and rays declined by 71% from 1970 to 2020.8 According to the Rob Stewart Sharkwater Foundation, there are at least 60 species that are fished for squalene—among them kitefin sharks, Portuguese dogfish sharks, and gulper sharks—and 26 of those are vulnerable to extinction.”
https://www.treehugger.com/what-is-squalene-5200471
it is also worth some reflection that the only “truth” we have with regard to pharm products, and big chem, come from pharm and big chem. that is to say, the “evidence” reviewed by various health agencies around the world rely on big pharm/chem studies.
recalls and prohibitions only arise once the damage has been done. we have a lot of serious such cases whereby pharma and chem cos have caused injury.
perhaps we are best to see science as a process, and not as a perfect god.
bad enough people that purport to believe in freedom somehow feel society and govt have a right to their body; further bad that those purporting to believe they dispel truth simply close their mind to information that contradicts their perception of truth.
all hail the downvote as truth enough in our digital-stupid society.
soon, and very soon indeed, one will no longer need to think to do much of anything anymore, as the masses hail the coming of ai. not quite jesus, but it will surely tell is it the superior creation.
get over yourselves, folks. you do not, did not, vax for others: you vaxed for you. and, if you vax and the vax works, you are spared. those not vaxing exercise their divine right to their body, just as do those that vax. heck, if an nth of you that think you vaxed for others and not to spare yourself forced food on our hungry and homes on our homeless…now that would be something.
if a vax works, one needs no other to vax; if a vax does not work, it is not going work because another is forced to take one.
thus, those having had a measles vax do not need sundry others to get one to make theirs work. that said, whatever negs coming from a measles vax seem to far less an issue than having the measles.
for those that believe in forcing/ceorcing vaxing, how do you square that with, say, a pro-choice outlook? or, do we all do like the social cons love: force one’s way into the body of another and still call it a free society, but only so long as the forcing aligns with one’s particular preferences.