Merck pushing second dose of risky shingles shot
Looks like Big Pharma is selling its lemons two at a time!
For years Merck has been using scare tactics — and terrifying commercials — to bully practically every senior into getting its shingles shot Zostavax.
And that’s after studies proving that the vaccine is a complete dud for people over 70.
But now even the CDC is admitting that Zostavax wears off faster than cheap mascara — and that has Merck hatching its most dangerous plot yet.
The company is asking millions of seniors to get a double dose of Zostavax.
It’s a crazy scheme that could leave you struggling to breathe — and that could give you a painful skin rash that may make a case of shingles feel like a walk in the park.
If you ask me, every prescription for Zostavax ought to come with a limbo stick.
Because every time our government issues a report on how much protection you’re really getting, the numbers keep getting lower and lower.
If you believe the latest update from the CDC, the shingles shot lasts, at most, five years (they used to claim six). And that’s a pretty generous estimate — earlier research put the number at four years.
But instead of admitting they sold you snake oil, Merck wants you to buy even more of it!
Merck is behind a new study that’s recommending seniors get a second booster shot of Zostavax for shingles. They can already hear the cash register ringing!
For what it’s worth, the FDA has never approved a shingles booster and your insurance probably won’t cover it. But trust me — these are the least of your worries.
Because there are a bunch of other problems with Zostavax that never seem to make their way into drug company research. For example:
- If you’re over 70, the shingles vaccine only works about 40 percent of the time. And if you’re 80 or over, well, the numbers drop down to the basement. For seniors in that age group, the shot is pretty much worthless.
- People over 60 have a 36 percent increase of “serious” adverse events in the first 42 days after the shot. These reactions include fevers, difficulty breathing, and a painful skin rash that feels just like shingles — maybe worse!
- You’re getting a lot more than the shingles virus in every dose of Zostavax. As I first told you last year, the shingles vaccine was developed using cells from a 14-week old baby boy aborted in 1966. Plus, the shot is made with MSG — that dangerous food additive you’ve been trying so hard to avoid.
Instead of doubling up on Zostavax, how about we finally tell seniors the real number of jabs they should be getting?
As in zero.
I asked Dr. Allan Spreen the best way to protect yourself from shingles without resorting to this horrible and ineffective shot. He said that supplementing with 500 mcg of vitamin B-12 a day can guard your nervous system and reduce your risk.
And to treat a shingles outbreak, you can get a B-12 shot.
That sounds a lot better than getting a single dose of Zostavax — let alone two of them.
Sources:
“A booster vaccine for shingles?” Nicholas Bakalar, November 12, 2015, The New York Times, well.blogs.nytimes.com
“The shingles vaccine — what you need to know” Dr. Sherri Tenpenny, DO, AOBNMM, ABIHM, Vaccine Research Library, vaccineresearchlibrary.com
