Interview With Suzanne Humphries: Dissolving Illusions (Part II)
Well, I have a few questions first. One is just to point out that we call it vaccinations. It might be more appropriate to call it immunizations because that’s what they’re seeking to do. But the term vaccination has come from smallpox actually, which is the name for the virus, the vaccinia…
Polysorbate 80: A Risky Vaccine Ingredient
The recent public conversation about the safety of vaccine ingredients has centered primarily around mercury (thimerosal), aluminum and formaldehyde. However, there are other concerning ingredients in vaccines that are not talked about as often, one of which is Polysorbate 80—also known as Tween 80 and polyoxyethylene-sorbitan-20 mono-oleate. Polysorbate 80 is a surfactant commonly used in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food industry. Surfactants are compounds that reduce the surface tension and increase the solubility between two liquids that would normally be unable to dissolve together, e.g. oil in water.
Interview With Suzanne Humphries: Dissolving Illusions (Part I)
Vaccines are one of the most controversial medical therapies, and it’s impossible to make an informed decision unless you know both sides of the story. In the process of knowing those both sides, the historical context is critical. Hi, this is Dr. Mercola, helping you take control of your health. To help us discover and appreciate the historical context, we have with us today Dr. Suzanne Humphries, who is a nephrologist and who has committed a large portion of her medical career to expose this history of vaccinations that you need to be aware of. Welcome and thank you for joining us today, Dr. Humphries.
Statins May Weaken the Effect of the Flu Vaccine
If you’re taking statin cholesterol-lowering drugs, you should know that this may weaken your body’s response to the flu vaccine. In those over 65 who received a flu shot, researchers found antibody concentrations were between 38% and 67% lower than those in people not taking statins. Among younger individuals a weakened response was also seen. Those who received a flu shot and were taking statins were 11% more likely to develop a respiratory illness that required medical attention compared to those not taking the drugs. It’s thought that statins’ anti-inflammatory properties may be responsible for lowering the immune system’s response to the vaccine.
NASA Studying Vaccination and Immune Response During Extended Spaceflight
NASA is conducting research to determine how the human immune system changes during extended crewed spaceflight missions and how to “counterbalance” these changes through vaccination. The study is led by investigator Emmanuel Mignot, MD, PhD, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University, as part of NASA’s Twins Study. It involves astronauts and identical twin brothers Scott and Mark Kelly—the former of which is currently aboard the orbiting International Space Station (ISS) on a one-year mission, which began on…
More People Opting Out of Flu Vaccine in the United Kingdom
Last year, the flu vaccine in the United Kingdom was even more of a failure than in the U.S. In the U.K., during the 2014-15 flu season the flu vaccine was only 3% effective. The Conversation described this as “one bad year,” but even during a good year the effectiveness is usually around 50%, which means whether or not it will protect you amounts to the flip of a coin. So it’s no wonder that this year the U.K. is seeing low uptake of the vaccine—influenza vaccination rates are down 6% compared to last year. Vaccination rates are even low among groups considered to be most vulnerable to the flu, such as the elderly, children under 5 and…