From Senator Ben Shenton.
I REFER to your Editorial dated 18 November and I concur with the opinion that the Island is as ready as anyone can be. While Health Minister I ensured that both the vaccine and Tamiflu would be available, together with the logistical mechanisms to ensure delivery.

I did disagree with the Medical Officer of Health on two points. The first was that I thought that her predictions of death and disruption were a little hysterical, and, secondly, I felt that the population should be able to make an informed choice rather than be treated like sheep.

The reason for the second point is that vaccines for new strains of flu do not undergo the stringent testing of other pharmaceutical products, due to the time constraints between development and delivery.

Under normal circumstances, the drug company would accept liability for any adverse effects from taking the vaccine. However, they will not take any liability in respect of this vaccine. Insurance proved to be hugely expensive and unaffordable.

A mass immunisation for swine flu in the USA was stopped after the vaccine caused a number of deaths and this may be why few countries are following the Jersey model.

Tamiflu is a treatment and not a vaccine. Under no circumstances should Tamiflu be given to healthy children as it would have no benefits, only side effects.

Researchers from the University of Oxford called on the Department of Health urgently to reconsider its pandemic strategy after an analysis of four studies published in the British Medical Journal showed that the benefits for children with seasonal flu were slight.

The Japanese and US authorities have major concerns following a spate of suicides in young people shortly after taking the drug.

The funding for the vaccination and treatment were put in place on the understanding that the public would be given the facts and be allowed to make their own rational decision. The decision to hand out Tamiflu like sweets is, in my opinion, negligence beyond belief.

I raised these matters with Dr Geller. Her resonse was that explaining the risks to the public would have a ‘detrimental impact on the number of individuals choosing to receive the vaccine’.

I appear to have a little more faith in the intelligence of the public than Dr Geller and I believe that they are entitled to exercise their judgment based on fact. If anyone has experienced adverse side effects, or if their children are acting strangely after taking Tamiflu, I suggest that they contact Dr Geller for an explanation.