JEDDAH: A wave of panic has settled over people in the past weeks following rumors that H1N1 vaccines destroy the immune system and reduce fertility rates by 80 percent.
Parents are being advised not to allow their children to take the vaccine. Some, however, say that the rumors are just conspiracy theories lending weight to the claim that swine flu is manmade.
One text message warned people against the H1N1 vaccination, which would be available next month. “But please, before you take it or give it to your children, watch Al-Jazeera tonight at 10 p.m. There will be a show about the vaccination and its side effects. Please inform your friends and relatives,” it read.
On Oct. 7, Ahmed Mansur, presenter of Al-Jazeera English’s Bela Hodoud (Without Borders) program interviewed consumer health expert Dr. Leonard G. Horowitz who spoke about the suspicious emergence of H1N1 and vaccinations. Horowitz further described the harmful side effects of H1N1 vaccinations as “pangenocide,” and accused vaccine makers and famous investors of genocide.
He also called on nations to suspend vaccination programs until an independent court examines evidence he and investigative journalist Sherri Kane have gathered.
Lamia Al-Otaibi, a 39-year-old banker and mother of three, said that the concerns of her colleagues and friends over the safety of the vaccine are far greater than their fear of the disease itself.
“Everyone watched Dr. Horowitz on Al-Jazeera with interest. I received over 10 messages warning about the vaccine that day. Some women are even asking me for advice. The controversy is really alarming,” said Al-Otaibi.
One chain e-mails claims that the swine flu vaccine is a freemason conspiracy organized by Baxter Labs. “Baxter Labs makes 158 pounds of pure poison vaccine and sends it out to all European countries,” the e-mail read. “The vaccine creators refuse to take it. Don’t take the swine flu vaccine.”
Responding to these allegations, Musaed Al-Salman, dean of the medical department at King Saud University in Riyadh, told Al-Arabiya channel that the vaccine is not new and was tested on human, many years ago.
“We’re used to rumors and skepticism with the emergence of any new drug,” said Al-Salman. He expressed regrets that people focused on some of the vaccine’s side effects, neglecting its many benefits.
Al-Salman refused to comment on the claims saying they are just rumors and nonscientific. “The US started a campaign to vaccinate about 300 million American citizens and Britain began its campaign a week ago. Japan also launched a vaccination campaign,” he added.
A concerned father and cancer survivor told Arab News that he is against vaccinations in general. “I will never take any vaccine as long as I live. How can one substance provide immunity against viruses or sicknesses? Logically, it can’t work for all people,” he said.
The Saudi Ministry of Health website mentions that there are no vaccinations to protect human beings from being infected by the virus. “The vaccine for seasonal influenza could help provide partial protection against the H3N2 virus but not against H1N1,” it states.
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported in September that preliminary research suggests seasonal flu shots may place people at greater risk from swine flu.
According to the World Health Organization’s latest statistics on Influenza A in Saudi Arabia, there have been 4,119 confirmed cases of swine flu and 28 deaths in the Kingdom so far.
