MS, Hepatitis Vaccine Links Found

People who are vaccinated against hepatitis B are at an increased risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study of UK patients.

American public health experts discovered a link between the vaccine and MS when they examined records of more than 1,500 people. The research team does not know if the vaccine causes MS of those already susceptible to the disease or if it speeds up the onset.

Hepatitis B is a virus that could lead to liver problems, and possibly, liver failure. It usually is passed by blood contact, but the virus also is present in saliva and other bodily fluids. UK doctors encourage patients who are at an increased risk for the disease to get immunized. Medical professionals, prison staff and inmates, people who share drug needles and those with several sexual partners are among those at the highest risk of getting hepatitis B.

In the 1990s, there was some evidence that supported the link between the vaccine and MS; however, other studies disputed this. Still, the idea spurred further research. In this study, researchers looked at UK patients diagnosed with MS from 1993-2000 and compared hepatitis B vaccination records of the 163 MS patients to about 1,600 control group patients without the disease. Investigators estimated there was a three-fold increase in the incidence of MS within three years of being administered the shot.

Liver disease groups warn that the study' results may have holes because vaccination records for the control group may not have included workplace vaccinations. If so, then the incidence of MS would go down significantly.

Despite the controversy, experts say that this is an important study that needs to be considered in future research.
BBC News, 14th September 2004

Further Resources
Concerned about vaccines and wish to know more?
Wake up to Health in the 21st Century by Steven Ransom
For multiple sclerosis, see The ABC's of Disease by Phillip Day
Available through www.credence.org

DR. MERCOLA'S COMMENT: The so-called experts will use fear and the power of the media to spread the message that vaccines really are good for you and your family. But, if you read my free eHealthy News You Can Use with any regularity, you know better than that!

Some researchers who conducted studies of hepatitis B vaccine and MS incredulously found no link between the two. One thing to keep in mind about those earlier studies: Both were partially funded by drug companies. These pharmaceutical giants care more about the dollar than common health sense.

Plenty of other research points to the opposite -- that hepatitis B immunization and MS are linked. In fact, vaccinations are linked to other serious health problems, including:
Autism
Cancer
Monkey Virus
Heart Problems
Asthma
An essential resource for anyone interested in finding out more about the vaccine issue is "Vaccines: What CDC Documents and Science Reveal," a two-hour video by world-renowned vaccine expert Dr. Sherri Tenpenny. The video is the culmination of Dr. Tenpenny's three-year investigation into the real story behind vaccines. The facts on several crucial areas are covered including:

· How vaccines can cause illnesses including autoimmune diseases, allergies, ear infections, and more
· The very real link between vaccines and developmental learning and behavioral disorders in children
· How vaccines have never been proven safe
· The ingredients and contaminants in vaccines and why they're detrimental to your health
· How vaccine studies are seriously flawed
· Related Articles:
· The Challenge to Mass Vaccination
· Shoot First and Ask Questions Later
· Shots in the Dark
· Five Common Toxic Metals to Avoid, and Where You'll Find Them
· Tell the Truth About Vaccines -- or Keep Away From my Children

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