Quote:
The Public Health Agency of Canada recently issued a notice regarding a surge in cases of measles in many parts of the country. At the time of the notice, 30 cases had already been reported, five times as many as in the previous year. Why is a disease that was so well controlled for many years slowly making this insidious comeback? The answer may lie with Health Canada and its consistent decisions to allow and even add “nosodes” — homeopathic vaccines — to its list of products approved for sale.Nosodes offer no protection against disease. They are not effective in preventing, treating or curing any of the maladies for which they are marketed. There is no sound, peer-reviewed evidence that they help stop the spread or progression of disease. This is so well known that the British Homeopathic Association has said the following: “There is no evidence to suggest homeopathic vaccinations can protect against contagious diseases. We recommend people seek out the conventional treatments.”
With that grim fact out of the way, what is Health Canada doing approving ineffective vaccines for sale.
Read it [url=http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2013/09/06/is_health_canada_ai....
I agree with the author's concerns, but it's a bit carelessly written. You can't conclude that the approval of nosodes by Health Canada - regrettable though that is - has resulted in a resurgence of measles.
It would be the same as saying that in this case the outbreak was caused by prayer.
http://www.nbcnews.com/health/measles-outbreak-tied-texas-megachurch-sic...
In fact it is a case of if you don't get the shot, you take your chances.
(edit)
We didn't exactly follow the recommended regime with our kids, but they got most of them. I'm still a bit nervous that they don't give polio shots; I have good friends living with the aftermath of that disease.
??
Polio is part of the routine immunization schedule. Are you sure your kids didn't get it?
http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/public/programs/immunization/docs/schedul...
Anyway, back o/t. The Canadian organization Bad Science Watch has been fighting Health Canada's decision to licence nosodes.
What nosodes are:
I don't think, however, that any vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks in North America are due to nosodes, but the Jenny McCarthy effect, whereby people aren't using replacements for vaccines, but no vaccines at all.
Well they got it when we went to Cuba.
Though sorry... I'm thinking of smallpox.
Yeah, I thought maybe you meant smallpox, Winston.
There's tons of stuff debunking nosodes, but here's a recent article by a retired physician that gives an overview of popular misconceptions regarding the immune system.
http://www.skepticalob.com/2013/09/lets-review-strengthening-the-immune-...
The real problem revealed by the opening post is the lack of leadership from Health Canada with regard to alternative health products. A friend who used to work with the Therapeutic Products Directorate described all the big brain power, scientists with phDs who review drugs for licensure in Canada. These people do not countenance their employer giving a stamp of approval to nosodes or homeopathic remedies, and often express their frustration anonymously at places like Science Based Medicine.
The government's take:
So the government is careful to state that they are not saying these products are effective. Here's the rationale:
The trouble with Health Canada's neutral stance on alternative medicine is that it isn't really neutral. If the government licences homeopathic products, it puts upon them a stamp of legitimacy that the government's own scientists are not allowed to refute because they are not permitted to speak to the media.
Yes, thanks. Actually my confusion was because my partner and I had also had the discussion around polio, because it is usually delivered along with diptheria, tetanus, and pertussis
Well yes, but the problem you refer to there isn't the approval, but rather the overarching policy of the PMO. I know it plays a big role when it comes to environmental research and even archaeology. Are you aware that that is the case here?
And even if it is, it is not the fault of those who want more alternatives that our PM is a control freak.
And secondly, it seems to me there's no lack of voices critical of some therapies and medicines. Some of it is valid, IMO. Some of it is not.