Hawaii Lt. Governor Hypocritical On Flu Shots.

Abraham Aiona, the Lt. Governor of Hawaii recently made the following statement regarding flu vaccinations.

I have read the literature on it, I have read the science on it and I say it has some merit to it and I am not convinced that vaccines are more beneficial that harmful. But I don't think in any way my personal views hamper our efforts to get people to get vaccinated. I encourage people to get vaccinated."

www.kitv.com...

He believes that the vaccines may be more harmful than beneficial. He does not get vaccinated himself. Yet he encourages others to do so. Is this typical of elected officials or is he just a (rather dim) aberration?

reply to post by Phage


Phage.....

He sounds a little like me.

I believe vaccination technology has been hugely beneficial for mankind.

On a more local note.....

I ensure flu vaccinations are available for all people in my company.

On the other hand, I never bother to have flu vaccinations myself.

In case it is of interest, I also thought from an early stage that the danger of Swine Flu was always overstated.

Kind regards
Maybe...maybe not

I will never ever get a flu shot...nope!

reply to post by Phage


I don’t think he is being too hypocritical.
Perhaps unlike some he is giving his honest opinion.
Most politicians will advice you to take it,
And not declare their own private thoughts on the matter.

With regard, to loved ones, it is a catch 22,
Damned if you take it, damned if you don’t.
I have a six year old grandson, he is mildly asthmatic.
My daughter depends on my advice on this issue.
What do I say? What can I say?
‘Read the literature and look at both sides of the argument’

I did notice however, that when the swine flu hype was at it’s highest,
Here in Scotland, no one seemed to die from the ‘normal’ seasonal flu.
Which before then, always had its quota of death published in the media,
It just disappeared!

My grandson did not have the vaccination,
My daughter followed my advice, and her GP was none too pleased.
He said ‘well he’ll be getting it next year anyway,
It will be included in the normal compulsory vaccinations’

It’s an issue that concerns me.

reply to post by KIZZZY


Nobody can claim they made the conscience decision not to get a flu vaccination. That decision has already been made for you. You can be unknowingly vaccinated through Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccines and viral shedding.

FluMist, for example, is required by law to include a package insert that states that a person can shed the LAIV cocktail within the vaccine for up to three weeks. The CDC says that the live virus cocktail contained within the FluMist vaccine can be shed by up to 50% of those who receive it. The CDC also states on its website that those shedding the virus can then infect up to 2.4 percent of people whom they have contact with. Get out your calculators.

Maybe he just doesn't know what the word 'encourage' means.

Or he may just be trying to please everyone; playing politics to keep his job.

to my knowledge, inventor of vaccination Edward Jenner also never vaccinated HIMSELF against smallpox. Though a probable excuse was that he was "variolated" at the age of 8.

reply to post by Phage


I think that's a more than fair statement. He voiced his opinion without displaying quackery. Politics....

reply to post by DevolutionEvolvd

Politics or no strength of conviction? In his opinion vaccines may do more harm than good yet he recommends that people receive them.

Probably won't help his campaign for governor very much.

Just an FYI:

I told my doctor last week I would not be getting the H1N1 shot this year. Last year I received it and ended up with a Frozen Shoulder from which I am sitll recovering. My own fault, I admit.

My doctor informed that this years flu shot has the H1N1 vaccination in it - how many people are aware of this? So many people had bad reactions I'm suprised they would just slip it in. I would have had no idea had I not brought it up. I'm sure the flu shot changes from year to year but this is a big modifier in my opinion.

reply to post by Phage


He said he doesn't feel that they're more beneficial than harmful. Seems to me like he's taking an objective position politically, which he should, while holding a personal subjective stance that should not influence his decisions as an elected official.

Honestly, political jumping-the-gun has interfered with objective reasoning in science (see nutrition science, global warming) for quite some time. It's ok to admit that the data isn't conclusive...

Originally posted by Phage
Abraham Aiona, the Lt. Governor of Hawaii recently made the following statement regarding flu vaccinations.

I have read the literature on it, I have read the science on it and I say it has some merit to it and I am not convinced that vaccines are more beneficial that harmful. But I don't think in any way my personal views hamper our efforts to get people to get vaccinated. I encourage people to get vaccinated."

www.kitv.com...

He believes that the vaccines may be more harmful than beneficial. He does not get vaccinated himself. Yet he encourages others to do so. Is this typical of elected officials or is he just a (rather dim) aberration?

Phage do you believe officials are under any pressure to support vaccination?

Vaccination is big business. What influence might vaccine manufacturers be able to use on the political system?

reply to post by Kailassa

But wouldn't a personal "endorsement" be more effective?

He seems to be saying "do as I say, not as I do". Wouldn't his statement tend to discourage vaccination?

Why not just lie or say nothing. It's just such a stupid contradiction. Not that I wouldn't expect it.

reply to post by Phage


Well, I'll agree that he probably should have just kept his personal opinion to himself. But, as you say, it's not surprising.

I really don't think he's being hypocritical. It shows, to me, that he is willing to make an edcuated guess for himself (just as we all do), based on data, without letting his personal bias interfere with the policy/research by remaining professionally objective.

If there's one thing I hate it's political influence on scientific fronts. And I like that an elected official can set aside his personal opinions on a matter and let the scientists do their jobs.

reply to post by Phage

Phage, you have failed to even attempt to answer the questions I asked you.

- which leaves me starting to wonder if this is a thinly disguised attack on the Hawaiian official for not believing the vaccination does more good than harm.

As for why he didn't lie, are you aware that some people have a strong aversion to lying?

reply to post by Kailassa

I thought I did answer your question. I'll clarify.

Aiona's statement, taken as is, would not seem to indicate any influence from vaccine manufacturers. If there were, why would he say:

I am not convinced that vaccines are more beneficial that harmful.

When he could have easily have said, "I am convinced that vaccines are beneficial." That is what a salesman would say.

The Governor sounded very hypocritical in my opinion.

I call it fence straddling.

Thursday I had the flu shot with the 3 strains of flu protection.

With fourth stage kidney failure I felt it best to get all the help I can to fight any type of infection that might require treatment with antibiotics. I could have complete kidney failure with the use of strong antibiotics.

I refuse to recommend the flu vaccine to my friends or family. They will get no ya or nay from me. It's a personal choice.

So far I feel well and have had no ill effects from the injection.

reply to post by dizziedame


.....but you're saying the same thing he is, just vice versa.

It's basically political jargon, so that he can choose to jump off the fence, to the majority, when election time hits.

On a side note, I chose to have my child with weak lungs, (since he was a baby), vaccinated with the controversial H1N1 vaccine. I think that was two years ago now, or so. He is fine, made it through flu season without a scratch. He has no third arm, or eye...or has not developed any other weird degenerative diseases or defects. Knock on Wood.

He is awesome.

a reply to: Phage


I don't know his age, but he is probably old enough to remember what happened back in the '70's.
When I lived in Hawaii, I remember flu shots being given out in the Ala Moana Mall,
in I believe 1976.

I thought it was weird at the time. Who gets sick in Hawaii where there is abundant sunshine & the weather is great?
I know, I know, tourists could bring in all kinds of things.

But I also remember reading in the paper not long after, that 26 people had died from reactions to the flu shot! What I don't remember is, if that was a local number or US wide.
Imagine if that was the headline in a newspaper today!
Unfortunately, when I tried to look into it awhile ago, I found out that the newspaper archives online don't go back that far!

Strangely enough, when I developed Guillain-Barre in 2006, one of the first questions the neurologists asked me, was if I had had the flu shot in 1976!

I think certain vaccines are probably life saving,
but I also think that the huge amount that are given to infants & children, especially multiples at one time, cause as yet not fully understood problems!

WOQ