- DPT and Tetanus Vaccinations Double the Prevalence of Asthma and Allergy Symptoms1 - This is another paper that confirms our fears that vaccinations do have their price. The authors found that infants who were given these vaccinations are twice as likely to suffer from asthma and other allergy symptoms. They suggest that: "50% of diagnosed asthma cases (2.93 million) in U.S. children and adolescents would be prevented if the DTP or tetanus vaccination was not administered." Our reliance on drugs to solve certain problems usually has the capacity to create greater problems.
- Prescription of Psychotropic Drugs for 2-4 Year Olds Has Increased 140% from 1991 to 19952 - Mommy and Daddy can't control Johnny. They have already given him 21 vaccination shots before he was two. To keep Johnny from being a behavior problem in daycare or preschool, mommy and daddy give Johnny more drugs, despite the absence of clinical studies on preschoolers and no real understanding of the long-term consequences. According to this study, the number of preschoolers on drugs increased from 27 per 1,000 to over 65 per 1,000 in just five years. What is it now, five years later?
- New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) Admits to Violating Conflict of Interest with Authors of Drug Therapy Articles3 - In what some won't find too surprising, NEJM editors admitted that they published articles in which some of the authors "received major research support through their institutions from relevant companies or served as consultants for those companies at the time they were invited to prepare their articles." While I must commend the editors for their admission, I can't help but be a little critical on two counts:
- They tell their readers that there were 18 cases of these conflicts of interest in 1997-1999 involving articles reviewing the latest drug treatments in their "Drug Therapy" series. What they don't say is that this means approximately 50% of the "Drug Therapy" papers were tainted with these conflicts. What about the MDs and their patients who have already built an entire product market based on this information?
- What the editors also didn't address was the vast amount of drug company money the NEJM enjoys. That same issue contained over 50 pages of drug company advertising, almost all of them full-page color advertisements, many on special paper. (Is the NEJM being just a little hypocritical, or am I just jealous?)
- They tell their readers that there were 18 cases of these conflicts of interest in 1997-1999 involving articles reviewing the latest drug treatments in their "Drug Therapy" series. What they don't say is that this means approximately 50% of the "Drug Therapy" papers were tainted with these conflicts. What about the MDs and their patients who have already built an entire product market based on this information?
The drug industry appears to have a three-step marketing plan:
- "Get'em" when they're young (preferably before birth).
- For every human condition there is a drug.
- Don't worry about the side effects, we have drugs for them.
Sadly enough, most of our society has bought into the lies. We all heard the jokes when Viagra was introduced. What we didn't hear was the thought process that spawned this billion-dollar seller:
"My body doesn't function like it did when I was in my 20s. If there is a drug that can give me back some of my virility, I'll take it."
The need for doctors of chiropractic to tell the world about a better way has never been greater. There is no other health care profession to do it. We are the ones. This is especially true for the older segment of the population. These are the people who cherish their health the most. The seniors in your community are the ones most concerned about staying functional as long as they can.
As it was in BJ Palmer's day, so it is today. The snake-oil salesmen have just incorporated. But with all their "science," they still don't comprehend wellness. That's what people want. It's the genuine article. It's something for us to shout about and take pride in.
1. Hurwitz EL, Morgenstern H. Effects of diphteria-tetanus-pertussis or tetanus vaccination on allergies and allergy-related respiratory symptoms among children and adolescents in the United States. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2000;23.
2. Zito JM, Safer DJ, dosReis S, Gardner JF, Boles M, Lynch F. Trends in the prescribing of psychotropic medications in preschoolers. JAMA 2000;283:1025-1030.
3. Angell M, Utiger RD, Alastair JJW. Disclosure of authors' conflicts of interest: a follow-up. N Engl J Med 2000;342:586-7.
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