Page 53 - Spring2020

allergist. Both agreed that there [was] too little gelatin in the shot • “My doctor says I wasn’t bit by a tick. About
to cause a reaction. Perhaps because of direct injection into tissue, I 2 months before my first severe [alpha-gal]
had my fastest reaction ever—1 hour after receiving the vaccine the reaction I’d received a vaccine which I had
stomach cramping began, followed by the itching, then full-blown a bad reaction from.”
hives. Because the reaction was so fast, I went to the ER because I • “I have had the alpha gal syndrome for
was concerned about how it would progress. Perhaps the most frus- almost two years. I was undiagnosed for 8
trating part of this was that my Dr. insisted I wait for 30 minutes after months and almost died from a flu shot.”
getting the vaccine to be sure I wouldn’t react. I tried to explain that • “My husband has a reaction to the flu vac-
if I was going to have a reaction, it wouldn’t be in 30 minutes. The cine. His arm sweats and gets hot for about
misunderstanding of this allergy, even in the medical community, 4 days and he can hardly lift it. Also we
can be very frustrating. 36 have found out that he does have the alpha
gal problem as well.”
Around 2012, alpha-gal experts belatedly started connecting some • “My biggest fear with this allergy is the
of these dots, exploring the relationship between red meat allergy, sen- lack of knowledge by care providers that
sitization to gelatin, alpha-gal and vaccines. In studies published in any medication with mammalian meat
37
2012 and 2017, researchers acknowledged the ubiquitous presence of products should not be used to treat alpha
gelatin and mammalian-derived products such as BSA in vaccines and gals. For example, gelatin is used in many
proposed that “alpha-gal allergic patients might react to these vaccines,” medicines as a heat stabilizer. I wonder
particularly because of their parenteral (injected or intravenous) mode of what other mammalian meat products lurk
delivery. Reinforcing this point, they stated, “Most reports of serious in our pharmaceuticals. I have a severe
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allergic reactions to gelatin implicate parenteral exposure, either to gelatin reaction to the flu vaccine and have had no
colloids used as plasma expanders [a form of intravenous therapy] or to acknowledgement by any medical practitio-
gelatin-containing vaccines.” ner or pharmacist that my symptoms could
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In the 2017 study, the researchers described a patient who devel- be related to this allergy.” 40
oped anaphylaxis after receiving a zoster (shingles) vaccine containing
both porcine gelatin and BSA, and they also identified fourteen cases COMING FULL CIRCLE
“of adverse reaction to zoster vaccine consistent with anaphylaxis” in In the modern era, allergies are a boon for
the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), five of which the pharmaceutical industry—the “engine of a
had a “known associated beef, pork, gelatin, or alpha-gal allergy.” multinational, multimillion pound [or dollar]
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Unfortunately, as some vaccine researchers have noted, “The true rate business in pharmacotherapy.” On the other
41
of allergic reactions [to vaccines] is unknown because most reactions side of the health care aisle, however, they are
are not reported.” 39 a major cause of workplace absenteeism and
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It is interesting to find that in the comments section of a 2015 People’s have significant quality-of-life implications, as
Pharmacy show about alpha-gal allergy, vaccines come up repeatedly in well as sometimes fatal consequences.
the online discussion: With the steady increase in the number of

DOCUMENTING HOPE PROJECT SEEKS PARTICIPATION BY WAPF PARENTS
Epidemic Answers has an important initiative called the Documenting Hope Project (@documentinghope). Part of
the project is a study called the Children’s Health Inventory for Resilience and Prevention Study a.k.a. the “CHIRP Study.”
The study is an IRB-approved private online survey that asks what children in the U.S. are eating, their chemical
exposures at home and school, EMF exposures, industrial sites nearby, their medical history, consumption of medical
products, preconception and prenatal health of parents, family medical history, etc.
Epidemic Answers is asking U.S. parents of children 1-15 years old to volunteer a few hours of their time (between 3
and 6 hours) to protect the health of current and future generations of children. The survey can be saved and completed
at your own pace in the comfort of your home.
The organizers are especially interested in participation by WAPF parents. The survey includes questions about
consumption of raw milk, cod liver oil, fermented foods, bone broth, etc.
Parent participants will receive a free comprehensive health report on their child upon completion, as well as
discounts to various natural and healthy-living focused companies.
Learn more and volunteer today: DocumentingHope.com/CHIRP-Study

SPRING 2020 Wise Traditions 53