On Nov. 19, 2018, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the creation of the Acute Flaccid Myelitis (AFM) Task Force aimed at looking for the cause of AFM—a mysterious polio-like illness that involves inflammation of the spinal cord and primarily paralyzes healthy children—and improving treatment and outcomes for individuals suffering with AFM. This new group will bring together individuals from different “scientific, medical, and public health disciplines” to address the growing number of AFM cases in the United States.1
Earlier this week, the CDC confirmed a total of 116 cases of AFM in 31 states and another 170 possible cases are being investigated. That is 10 more AFM cases than the agency confirmed last week and 26 more cases than it confirmed two weeks ago.2 3 4 5
The states with the most number of confirmed AFM cases are Colorado with 15 and Texas with 14. The states of Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Washington each account for eight confirmed cases. Illinois has seven confirmed cases. New Jersey and Wisconsin each have six confirmed cases. The remaining states with confirmed cases of AFM include Alabama (3), Arkansas (3), Georgia (3), Maryland (3), Iowa (2), Kentucky (2), Massachusetts (2), New York (2), North Carolina, South Carolina (2), Arizona (1), Indiana (1), Louisiana (1), Mississippi (1), Missouri (1), Montana (1), Nevada (1), New Mexico (1), Oklahoma (1), Rhode Island (1), Virginia (1) and Wyoming (1).2
According to the CDC, “The Task Force will convene under the CDC’s Office of Infectious Diseases’ Board of Scientific Counselors (BSC), and will make key recommendations to inform and strengthen CDC’s response to this urgent public health concern. It will be coordinated by the Office of the Director and is scheduled to submit its first report at the BSC’s December 6, 2018, public meeting in Atlanta.”1
“This Task Force will ensure that the full capacity of the scientific community is engaged and working together to provide important answers and solutions to actively detect, more effectively treat, and ultimately prevent AFM and its consequences,” said CDC director Robert Redfield, MD.1
While the cause of AFM remains a mystery, Nancy Messonnier, MD, director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases recently said that AFM “seems to be more of an autoimmune syndrome, as opposed to a direct result of a virus.” She has also compared AFM to what happens with the autoimmune neurological disorder known as Guillain-Barré Syndrome, in which the immune system attacks healthy nerve cells in the peripheral nervous system.7 8
References:
1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (press release). CDC Establishes AFM Task Force. CDC.gov Nov. 19, 2018.
2 CDC. AFM Investigation. CDC.gov.
3 Goldschmidt D. AFM: CDC identifies 31 states with 116 confirmed cases of polio-like disease. CNN Nov. 26, 2018.
4 Welch A. CDC confirms more cases of rare, paralyzing illness AFM in kids. CBS News Nov. 13, 2018.
5 Cáceres M. Under Siege by Critics, CDC Moves to Blame a Virus for Polio-like Cases of AFM. The Vaccine Reaction Nov. 14, 2018.
6 Sun LH. Experts chase the cause of a paralyzing childhood disease spiking this year. The Washington Post Nov. 13, 2018.
7 Cáceres M. AFM Compared to Guillain-Barré Syndrome. The Vaccine Reaction Nov. 21, 2018.
7 Responses
From the article: “While the cause of AFM remains a mystery, Nancy Messonnier, MD, director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases recently said that AFM “seems to be more of an autoimmune syndrome, as opposed to a direct result of a virus.”
Yes, dear reader, it’s a mystery ….a riddle wrapped in an enigma. It’s rather amusing, in a very dark way, that an extremely well-funded bureaucracy like the CDC can’t seem to find its way out of a paper bag.
This will be an interesting investigation(by the famous and trusted CDC).Sure they will bark at every tree leaving no stone on stone but of course the real suspect, the vaccine’s failure will be completely ignored.After all this is how they conducting their modus operandi -No?
Going out on a limb here….”we do not know what is causing AFM but, we definitely know it is not from vaccines.
Interesting connection to Guillian-Barre… Connect another link – one that has already been observed. How many of these kids received the flu shot within a couple weeks of the onset of AFM???
OK – so I’m fallible – I could be wrong.
However, comparing those results, if there is a connection, would save a lot of time and money. OH WAIT…. That is NOT what government does! And the back-stepping from Nancy is amusing.
I don’t imagine we will ever hear that any of these people received any vaccinations Before the onset of their illness.
I refuse the Flu, Pneumonia, Shingles, all the vaccines.
I may get ill during the winter, with a cold, or even the flu, but I am not going to be the Guinea Pig anymore. I took my last vaccination when I was 18 yrs old, am not 68 so, I don’t think I have done too bad for myself.
So sad that our Gov. thinks that these people who are taking these vaccines are expendable. That is how I see it anyway.
I don’t trust them unless they remove themselves, as well as members of the FDA and Big Pharma from their task force. Not only is it a conflict of interest, the FDA and Big Pharma are corrupt to the core.
Read Forrest Maready’s Moth in the Iron Lung: a Biography of Polio. It will give you a whole new understanding of the disease. Highly readable. https://www.amazon.com/Moth-Iron-Lung-Biography-Polio/dp/1717583679