Vaccines and the Good Old Days

Written by Harold McNeill on April 17th, 2014. Posted in Tim Hortons Morning Posts



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If you have a child, it is your decision whether or not to vaccinate. But, you might stand by the strength of your conviction and stop taking your own preventative medications. Why would you want to risk falling prey to one of the side effects of those medications even if the danger is minimal?  There is no better way to show you love your child than standing side-by-side with them if your decision is to not vaccinate.

November 27, 2014  I bring this post back to the top to demonstrate how little we fear once common killers that have made a return, yet becomes panic-stricken over one “ebola” case in Texas. Calls for travel bans, additional airport screening, isolation of passengers, quarantines, cruise ships in a state of lockdown, aircraft placed in hangers for decontamination, passengers not allowed to board aircraft even after being screened, people wrapped in bubble wrap on flights, etc.  How is it that government and media can so easily push us into a panic state at the drop of a pin, yet when an outbreak of a disease that at one time killed thousands in our country and around the world appears, we just shrug our shoulders? In the face of all this fear about ebola, there is no rationale explanation as to why it has taken so long to begin the ‘War” on that dreaded disease that is killing thousands in West Africans. We could really make a difference, but six CF-18’s to fight ISIS – that’s just symbolic.

May 17, 2014.  An excellent article on “A Failure to Vaccinate” begins on Page 1, of the  Vancouver Sun. An 80-90% vaccination rate is needed to prevent a widespread outbreak.  Check the details on page A6 and A7 of the Sun or read the Post below. Think it over folks. (Link Here to the Sun Article)

Children of the 1940’s

My sister and I grew up at a time when many childhood communicable diseases such as measles, whooping cough and others were feared by every parent.  While vaccines had been developed for polio, scarlet fever and others, many killers still remained.  In PolioCrusade_t614every community, children were dying for lack of effective vaccines and over the course of the 18th  and 19th  centuries, millions of children and adults around the world died. Millions more were left with debilitating, lifelong scars. Except for Chicken Pox, my sister Louise and I luckily escaped the most serious.

Photo (Web): In this polio campaign photo a nurse stands with a recovering child.  Millions of children were afflicted with that dreaded disease and while many died, just as many were left with lifelong after effects.

After decades of careful medical research, more and more vaccines (and safer, more effective vaccines) were being developed. By the 1980’s most childhood killer diseases, including measles, were on the brink of extinction. Many others had already been taken out of existence.

Was the world was safe? Well, almost.  It did not take many years after the rate of infection had dropped to very low levels, for a few to begin to question the possible side effects. It was then parents stopped vaccinating because they feared the side effects more than the disease. Most families who refuse have never seen communities devastated by various communicable diseases. It seemed that a few pseudoscientists and celebrities carried more weight than mainstream doctors and scientists.

I do not think any caring parent today would bundle their baby into a car without carefully tucking them into a baby seat.  Baby seats and seat belts have become so common that most people feel rather naked without them being cinched up.  Helmets have followed the same path for cyclists and are now making their way into sports where the danger of head injury is high.  After initial resistance, most people now think this all makes good sense.

While everyone still has a choice to belt up or put on a helmet, there is the risk getting a fine if you fail to do so. Cell phones have children-biking-carmel-closeup-017joined the ranks. But, everyone still has a choice on vaccines and we are beginning to see the consequences in British Columbia and around the world.

My bet is that many parents who decided to skip the vaccination for their child are taking dozens of drugs for some reason or another, perhaps to reduce the chance of cardiovascular problems, to combat depression and other mood disorders, or simply as a means to enhance the sexual experience. Pfizer alone reported $2.05 billion in Viagra sales in 2012. Check the footnote for a list of possible side-effects of a single dose of Viagra.

The list of regularly prescribed drugs that come with dangerous side effects, is massive. Most of these side effects are far more dangerous than those posed by vaccinations for childhood diseases.  With your next prescription, take a moment to read the list that comes with your prescription (or even an ‘off the shelf’ drug). Also remember, many of those drugs are being taken because of poor lifestyle choices.  It seems a lot easier to pop a pill than change a lifestyle. Check the list of the 10 most commonly used prescription drugs below. Also, remember, none of the related conditions involve a communicable disease.

If you have a child, it is your decision whether or not to vaccinate. But, you might stand by the strength of your conviction and stop taking your own preventative medications. After all, why would you want to risk falling prey to one of the serious side effects of those medications even if the danger is minimal?  There is no better way to show you love your child than standing side-by-side with them if your decision is to not vaccinate.

If I could bring back my mother or father or any of our grand-parents or great grand-parents who lived through the epidemics of the 18th and 19th century, they would think you’re absolutely crazy not to vaccinate.  Link Here to the list of diseases and the time frames involved in seeking ways to defeat those diseases.

Also, take a moment to scan the attached photos as a further reminder of the ‘good old days’ before vaccines became widely used (LINK HERE)

The Ten Most Prescribed Drugs

It shouldn’t be a surprise that these generic drugs are not the ones bringing in the big bucks for pharmaceutical companies. The drugs on which we spend the most money are those that are still new enough to be protected against generic competition. It should also be remembered that these drugs, for a large part, are often (but not always) prescribed because of poor lifestyle choices. Also, none of the conditions related to use of these prescribed drugs is contagious.

The IMS reports that Americans spent $307 billion on prescription drugs in 2010. The 10 drugs on which society spent the most are listed below, and each has a long list of very serious side effects. I bet it has not stopped anyone from taking one or more of these drugs…

  • Lipitor, a cholesterol-lowering statin drug — $7.2 billion
  • Nexium, an antacid drug — $6.3 billion
  • Plavix, a blood thinner — $6.1 billion
  • Advair Diskus, an asthma inhaler — $4.7 billion
  • Abilify, an antipsychotic drug — $4.6 billion
  • Seroquel, an antipsychotic drug — $4.4 billion
  • Singulair, an oral asthma drug — $4.1 billion
  • Crestor, a cholesterol-lowering statin drug — $3.8 billion
  • Actos, a diabetes drug — $3.5 billion
  • Epogen, an injectable anemia drug — $3.3 billion

 Now Check the Possible Side Effects of Viagra

Dizziness, lightheadedness, headache, flushing, heartburn, nosebleeds, trouble sleeping, or swollen hands/ankles/feet (edema) may occur. Vision changes such as increased sensitivity to light, blurred vision, or trouble telling blue and green colors apart may also occur. If any of these effects persist or worsen, notify your doctor or pharmacist promptly.

To minimize dizziness and lightheadedness, get up slowly when rising from a sitting or lying position.

Remember that your doctor has prescribed this medication because he or she has judged that the benefit to you is greater than the risk of side effects. Many people using this medication do not have serious side effects.

Rarely, a sudden loss of eyesight in one or both eyes (NAION) may occur. This may or may not be due to sildenafil. Stop taking sildenafil and get medical help right away if this occurs. You have a slightly greater chance of developing this serious eye problem if you have heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, certain other eye problems (“crowded disk”), or high blood pressure, or if you smoke or are over 50.

Sexual activity may put extra strain on your heart, especially if you have heart problems. If you have heart problems and experience any of these serious side effects while having sex, stop taking sildenafil and get medical help right away: severe dizziness, fainting, chest/jaw/left arm pain, nausea.

In the unlikely event you have a painful or prolonged erection lasting 4 or more hours, stop using this drug and get medical help right away or permanent problems could occur.

Rarely, sildenafil may cause sudden hearing problems (such as decrease/loss of hearing in one or both ears, ringing in the ears). Stop taking sildenafil and get medical help right away if these effects occur.

A very serious allergic reaction to this drug is rare. However, get medical help right away if you notice any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction, including: rash, itching/swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat), severe dizziness, trouble breathing.

This is not a complete list of possible side effects. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor or pharmacist.

In the US – Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

In Canada – Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to Health Canada at 1-866-234-2345.

Read the entire patient information overview for Viagra (Sildenafil Citrate)

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Comments (2)

  • maggie
    April 18, 2014 at 4:28 pm |

    Wow! Just a great article, Harold McNeill! This is a subject very dear to my heart. When I was in grade 1 I missed half the year! I had whooping cough, then about a month later I had measles (I still remember my mom making me stay in a dark bedroom because she was afraid I’d go blind), went back to school for less than two weeks then had chicken pox and right after that the flu and bronchial pneumonia! I had curtains that had farm animals on them, and I still remember being delirious with fever with one of those illnesses and the animals came jumping out of the curtains and started stampeding towards my bed – frightening!!!

  • Harold McNeill
    April 18, 2014 at 6:14 pm |

    Thanks Maggie. I wish more people who went through those times and who either had first hand experience with one of those childhood diseases, or had a family or friend go through the trauma, would speak up as you have. Parents need to be made aware of the real dangers. Harold

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Comments

  • Harold McNeill

    October 10, 2024 |

    Comments are reduced to 15 words.

  • Mike Fedorowich

    September 1, 2023 |

    I have gone through the above noted text and have found it quite informative.
    I am a former member with several law enforcement agencies from across Canada.
    I worked in the First Nations service under the authority of the RCMP with the over sight of the OPP. My law enforcement service was conducted under the authority of the Nishnawbe – Aski Police Service in North West Ontario the Louis Bull Police Sevice in Hobbema AB, the Kitasoo Xaixais Police Service in Northern in side passage on Swindle Island, the Lac Suel Police Service North West Ontario and the Vancouver Transit Authority Sky Train Police Service. I’m presently dealing with an RCMP member for falsifying a report against me for a road rage event. Court case is finished and the charge was dropped but I have an on going complaint with the member and have forwarded to the WATCH DOGS IN OTTAWA FOR the RCMP review and consideration. I believe the said officer is in violation of his oath of office and should be held accountable for falsifying his RTCC all the while dragging me through the court system here in Nanaimo. RCMP continue to stonewall the appeal but Ottawa and the crowns office are still looking into the matter. if your able and find the time or the interest in this very brief introduction, I would very much like to speak with you and would be grateful to hear any wisdom that may come across from your end. I served with First Nations Police Services for ten years in isolation and six years with Transit Police out of New West Minster. I do value and appreciate any time you could spare to chat for a bit on this particular subject matter. Respectfully with out anger but an open mind, Mike Fedorowich Nanaimo BC 250 667 0060

  • Harold McNeill

    February 28, 2022 |

    Hi Robert, I do remember some of those folks from my early years in Cold Lake (Hazel was my aunt and our family spent many fond times with Uncle Melvin, Aunt Hazel and Family. I knew Lawrence and Adrian. Having read a half dozen accounts it is clear their were many false narratives and, perhaps, a few truths along the way. I tried my best to provide an even account from what I read. Cheers, Harold. (email: Harold@mcneillifestories.com)

  • Robert Martineau

    February 25, 2022 |

    Its been a long time since any post here, but its worth a shot. My Grandfather was Hazel Wheelers brother Lawrence, and son to Maggie and Adrien. Maggie Martineau (nee Delaney) is my great grandmother. The books and articles to date are based on the white mans viewpoint and the real story as passed down by the Elders in my family is much more nefarious. Some of the white men were providing food for the Indians in exchange for sexual favors performed by the Squaws. Maggie was the product of one of those encounters. Although I am extremely proud of my family and family name, I am ashamed about this part of it.

  • Julue

    January 28, 2022 |

    Good morning Harold!
    Gosh darn it, you are such a good writer. I hope you have been writing a book about your life. It could be turned into a movie.
    Thanks for this edition to your blog.
    I pray that Canadians will keep their cool this weekend and next week in Ottawa. How do you see our PM handling it? He has to do something and quick!
    Xo Julie

  • Herb Craig

    December 14, 2021 |

    As always awesome job Harold. It seems whatever you do in life the end result is always the same professional, accurate, inclusive and entertaining. You have always been a class act and a great fellow policeman to work with. We had some awesome times together my friend. I will always hold you close as a true friend. Keep up the good work. Hope to see you this summer.
    Warm regards
    Herb Craig

  • Harold McNeill

    November 26, 2021 |

    Hi Dorthy, So glad you found those stories and, yes, they hold many fond memories. Thanks to social media and the blog, I’ve been able to get in touch with many friends from back in the day. Cheers, Harold

  • Harold McNeill

    November 26, 2021 |

    Well, well. Pleased to see your name pop up. I’m in regular contact via FB with many ‘kids’ from back in our HS days (Guy, Dawna, Shirley and others). Also, a lot of Cold Lake friends through FB. Cheers, Harold

  • Harold McNeill

    November 26, 2021 |

    Oh, that is many years back and glad you found the story. I don’t have any recall of others in my class other than the Murphy sisters on whose farm my Dad and Mom worked.

  • Harold McNeill

    November 26, 2021 |

    Pleased to hear from you Howie and trust all is going well. As with you, I have a couple of sad stories of times in my police career when I crossed paths with Ross Barrington Elworthy. Just haven’t had the time to write those stories.