CNN "Mother lives with Regret"

[mamakah]

Little use of details, lots of use of scare tactics.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/04/26...ex.html?hpt=C1

[elmh23]

Well the ultimate "scare tactic" is death, which is what happened in this case. I completely understand why the mother would want her story told.

[mamakah]

We can all understand why she would want her story heard. The question is: Is this responsible journalism? No details, just a simplified story with the message "She didn't think it would happen to her, she didn't vaccinate, he died, she regrets it, don't be her! go get a shot." It's just bad journalism plain and simple.

[Bokonon]

And what about the people who died after getting the shot? Or the people who got the H1N1 vaccine and still died of H1N1? Or the thousands of unborn babies who died right after their mothers got the shot?

Bad journalism, biased journalism.

[peainthepod]

Does CNN have a lot of pharmaceutical ads, by any chance?

[heathergirl67]

Originally Posted by mamakah

We can all understand why she would want her story heard. The question is: Is this responsible journalism? No details, just a simplified story with the message "She didn't think it would happen to her, she didn't vaccinate, he died, she regrets it, don't be her! go get a shot." It's just bad journalism plain and simple.

Those are valid points, but I agree with a PP that describing a mother telling a story about the death of her child as a "scare tactic" is in bad taste.

[WildKingdom]

Originally Posted by Bokonon

And what about the people who died after getting the shot? Or the people who got the H1N1 vaccine and still died of H1N1? Or the thousands of unborn babies who died right after their mothers got the shot?

Bad journalism, biased journalism.

Where are these reports of all these people who died from the flu shot? Where are the reports of thousands of miscarriages being caused by it?

[elmh23]

Originally Posted by peainthepod

Does CNN have a lot of pharmaceutical ads, by any chance?

I read CNN daily and I don't think I've ever seen a pharmaceutical ad. Probably some, but I'm sensitive to those things and I mostly see car ads.

Describing a mother sharing her painful story as "a scare tactic" is incredibly insensitive. And maybe the journalist didn't do a great job, but I've noticed that is true with just about every news story I've ever read/heard.

[Bokonon]

Originally Posted by WildKingdom

Where are these reports of all these people who died from the flu shot? Where are the reports of thousands of miscarriages being caused by it?

Search "FLU" H1N1 for the vaccine, and select "Yes" for death.

There are 89 VAERS-reported deaths from the H1N1 shot, just in the US.

http://www.prisonplanet.com/cdc-alle...1-vaccine.html

Just because we haven't heard about it on CNN doesn't mean it's not happening.

[Bokonon]

Originally Posted by heathergirl67

Those are valid points, but I agree with a PP that describing a mother telling a story about the death of her child as a "scare tactic" is in bad taste.

The woman's story in and of itself isn't a scare tactic; the article as it was written is a scare tactic.

[Otto]

Originally Posted by Bokonon

Search "FLU" H1N1 for the vaccine, and select "Yes" for death.

There are 89 VAERS-reported deaths from the H1N1 shot, just in the US.

I'm getting 55 with these VAERS criteria. The first is due to DVT and morbid obesity. The second has no data. The third is a heart attack in the presence of lung cancer. And so forth. Number 8 was a car accident. VAERS reports do not allow inference of causality.

[Bokonon]

Originally Posted by Otto

I'm getting 55 with these VAERS criteria. The first is due to DVT and morbid obesity. The second has no data. The third is a heart attack in the presence of lung cancer. And so forth. Number 8 was a car accident. VAERS reports do not allow inference of causality.

There are 89 under H1N1 and the H1N1 nasal mist.

"High risk" people are strongly encouraged to get the shot. They aren't expendable just because they are high risk.

Google "H1N1 shot deaths" and you'll see reports from many countries.

[Otto]

Originally Posted by Bokonon

There are 89 under H1N1 and the H1N1 nasal mist.

Nope. Combining all three H1N1 categories (FLU/FLUN/FLUX) with primary report of "death" yields 62. The issue of properly interpreting VAERS reports remains, Googling "H1N1 shot deaths" notwithstanding.

[Bokonon]

Originally Posted by Otto

Nope. Combining all three H1N1 categories (FLU/FLUN/FLUX) with primary report of "death" yields 62. The issue of properly interpreting VAERS reports remains, Googling "H1N1 shot deaths" notwithstanding.

OK, well, the two times I ran it, I got 89. Not sure what you did differently.

Does that really change the fact that several people died after getting the vaccine, that either their loved ones or doctor thought was directly attributable to the vaccine?

[BeckyBird]

First of all, I am so sorry the mother lost her son. That is the worst.

Now, on to the CNN article. Ok, I want to know--was the boy diagnosed with H1N1? It does not clearly say. "Joey Holt, was sent home from school with a 103-degree fever. He complained of a stomachache. Two days later, she took him to see a doctor, who sent them home with a prescription for antibiotics and a recommendation for fluids and rest."

Next--why was he given antibiotics for the flu? Was he also given some kind of fever reducer along with it? Are we even sure he really had H1N1? (I know there was controversy last year, over doctors properly diagnosing H1N1.) Is it possible he had complications from the medication, the illness, or both?

In no way am I criticizing the mother. If this happened to my son, I would feel the exact same way. I would kick myself every day for not vaccinating him. I wish this kind of thing never happened to anybody. But, we all need to get to the truth. Maybe the flu did tragically cause his death. But, is it possible something else did?

Also, one more thought....You don't see many of these horror stories until the flu season rolls back around. That's probably why the OP called it a scare tactic. Because now is the time for the vaccinations to start, so they want to remind everybody why we should get the shots.

[Otto]

Originally Posted by Bokonon

OK, well, the two times I ran it, I got 89. Not sure what you did differently.

Does that really change the fact that several people died after getting the vaccine, that either their loved ones or doctor thought was directly attributable to the vaccine?

I'm using the CDC "WONDER" interface, so that might be part of it. But the fact is that the adverse event reports compiled in VAERS for these cases do not actually imply any such direct attribution, as the AERs clearly illustrate.

[BeckyBird]

Bokonon--I like your Prison Planet link!
So, you mean to tell me that a drug, that was not tested on pregnant women, might have possibly harmed thousands of unborn babies? Surely you jest!

Seriously, why is it so hard to believe that these unborn babies might have been harmed by the shot? Is it really so unbelievable? Just because the CDC does not report it, I guess it must not be true.

[13Sandals]

Originally Posted by BeckyBird

First of all, I am so sorry the mother lost her son. That is the worst.

Now, on to the CNN article. Ok, I want to know--was the boy diagnosed with H1N1? It does not clearly say. "Joey Holt, was sent home from school with a 103-degree fever. He complained of a stomachache. Two days later, she took him to see a doctor, who sent them home with a prescription for antibiotics and a recommendation for fluids and rest."

Next--why was he given antibiotics for the flu? Was he also given some kind of fever reducer along with it? Are we even sure he really had H1N1? (I know there was controversy last year, over doctors properly diagnosing H1N1.) Is it possible he had complications from the medication, the illness, or both?

In no way am I criticizing the mother. If this happened to my son, I would feel the exact same way. I would kick myself every day for not vaccinating him. I wish this kind of thing never happened to anybody. But, we all need to get to the truth. Maybe the flu did tragically cause his death. But, is it possible something else did?

Also, one more thought....You don't see many of these horror stories until the flu season rolls back around. That's probably why the OP called it a scare tactic. Because now is the time for the vaccinations to start, so they want to remind everybody why we should get the shots.

There isn't a controversy about doctors misdiagnosing H1N1...there is absolutely no question. Some weeks, only 3% of the strains of suspected H1N1 came back as positive for any flu at all. Some weeks, 97% of the people being told they had H1N1 had no flu at all! This is on the CDC website. The samples testing charts give a much clearer picture of what really went on last season than the H1N1 and 'influenza-like-illness' cases all lumped together. ... I too would have liked more information on the story. Its odd though.....so much more effective as a scare tactic if concrete evidence accompanies it....just sloppy reporting more than anything.

[EVC]

This is truly, truly heartbreaking. When he said "I love you, mama. Hold my hand" I burst out in tears. I can't imagine this poor mama's pain and I completely understand her mission in getting her son's story out

I do agree, however, with sloppy reporting on CNN's part. For example, I believe the boy had underlying medical conditions not mentioned here (I think I read asthma?). Maybe that wasn't relevant, maybe it was. Who knows--it certainly doesn't diminish the tragedy of his death. As for the anti-biotics, I imagine it was to prevent a secondary bacterial infections (again, maybe because of his asthma?). Hard to say.

[mamakah]

I should clarify: I never meant to give the message that the mother's story was a pure "scare tactic." I meant the article in general.

I thought it was interesting that the Dr. prescribed antibiotics too. I think that leaves a huge question mark that needs to be addressed.