Gary Null: Flu Vaccines.. Are they effective and safe?

A central principle of democracy is freedom of choice. We can choose our political party, our
religion, and the food we eat, but this does not seem to be the case when it comes to our medical
choices and our freedoms to make them. The underlying foundation upon which the entire
vaccine program rests is that they have been proven to be safe and effective. So much so, that if
people choose not to be vaccinated they are criticized for making irresponsible and unscientific
choices that will not only adversely affect themselves, but could also cause others—co-workers,
family and classmates—to become infected with the pathogens their bodies harbor.
The US Public Health Service and its various agencies—the FDA, CDC, NIAID, NIH and
CBER—oversee the distribution of information and the scheduling of vaccines, both voluntary
and mandatory, is. These Federal agencies are the guiding light for the primary information and
resources provided to Congressional oversight committees, and professional medical
organizations, such as the American Medical Association and the National Academy of Sciences.