Dr. Tom Jefferson an epidemiologist from the prominent London School of Tropical Hygiene says they don't work.

Why doesn't Thomas Jefferson want you to get the Swine Flue vaccination?

Child receiving vaccination

How would the founding father who said, "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants," feel about the government forcing citizens to get vaccinated for H1N1? You can decide that one for yourself. But Dr. Tom Jefferson an epidemiologist from the prominent London School of Tropical Hygiene says they don't work. As far as the research that suggest the effectiveness of flu vaccines Dr Jefferson says "Rubbish is not a scientific term, but I think it's the term that applies." Thomas goes on to say that, "For a vaccine to reduce mortality by 50 percent up to 90 percent in some studies means it has to prevent deaths not just from influenza but also from falls, fires, heart disease, strokes, and car accidents. That's not a vaccine that's a miracle."

The basis for Dr. Jefferson's skepticism is that healthy people are usually the ones to go out and get vaccinated, while infants, the sick and frail elderly do not. Thus, if no one got vaccinated the very same people who would get sick and die from the flu would be the same. Evidence for this is backed up in studies by Dr. Lisa Jackson with the Group Health Research Center in Seattle. Dr. Jackson found that outside of flue season the risk of death among people who did not get vaccinated was around 60 percent higher then those that did. Remember this was after flu season. This lends support to the hypothesis that healthy people get the vaccine. Lone Simonsen a professor of global health at George Washington University in Washington DC rebuffed Dr. Jackson's studies stating that they were "Classic studies.....they are so carefully done."

Dr. Jefferson and Dr. Jackson are not alone in their beliefs. More then 50 percent of health care workers do not intend to get vaccinated for the H1N1 virus and routinely do not get yearly flue shots. These health care workers are not refusing to get vaccinated because of Dr. Jefferson and Dr. Jackson's studies but because they are on the frontline of health care and can see for themselves that the vaccines don't work.

There are many alternatives to the vaccination that your PDR-bound doctor may not be aware of. It is up to you to educate yourself and to diagnose the problem - not the symptom.