What is as powerful as the doubts? Once scattered, you can’t keep him. Riko Muranaka know probably better than others, the small petite woman is a Doctor and journalist, and came to Berlin to tell their story. A story that is also, but first Person, but from Japan, cancer, Doctors, and policy. But above all, it is the doubt that is so powerful that evidence, and scientific get no Chance. Muranaka has not yet given up hope. She believes that the truth can change anything. Not least for themselves.

the story starts out very sober. Tens of thousands of Japanese women are diagnosed every year with cervical cancer. Thousands die from it. The risk for this cancer is particularly high in Japan, almost twice as high as in the United States. Most of the cases are preventable: cervical cancer is almost always caused by sexually transmitted viruses, the Human papilloma virus (HPV), and against which you can vaccinate. At best the girl before you have Sex for the first Time. In 120 countries, the HPV vaccine today.

This is the beginning of 2013 in Japan. The Ministry of health in Tokyo, has introduced the vaccine almost exemplary. Since the national approval of vaccines, information campaigns achieve an impressive vaccination rates. In some cities, in 2012 received up to 80 percent of 13 – to 16-year-old girl, all three doses of the vaccine. Studies will later show that these young women are only extremely rarely to precursors of cancer. In April 2013, the government receives the vaccination ultimately, into the national immunization program. But then the phone suddenly videos. Riko Muranaka shows some of the movies in their presentations.

Videos of children with seizures are circulating in social media: According to the Impfgegnern vaccinations are to blame. Photo: Youtube

There are blurry shots of twitching feet, and of the house of the corridors of the tottering girl. “The parents and lawyers for the children say that the symptoms are a result of the vaccination,” says the Doctor. “Reputable studies have shown that such symptoms occur in unvaccinated girls.” The government is however, and excludes the vaccination already in June 2013, out of the vaccination programme. Also, a notification of the world health organization does not change this.

2015 begins Muranaka, who has also worked for the WHO to reports in the press about the vaccinations. The television power on, the interest in the lurid tales. Even more picks up the story but, as in March, 2016, doctors in the television speaks: Shuichi Ikeda is at the time, a neurologist at the Shinshu University in Matsumoto and the government officer, expert on the possible side effects of the HPV vaccination. The doctor presents a colorful film on the television. In the figure, mouse brains can be seen, he says. The animals should be immunized with the HPV vaccine or other vaccinations. In the case of HPV vaccination, a destroyed brain structure is clearly visible. The doubt gets new food.

“It was an attempt at a single mouse. A single!”Riko Muranaka, Doctor

A Name that is not in the show, but in Ikeda’s presentation probably plays a role, Hans (HPV-Associated Neuro-immuno pathetic Syndrome), an alleged side effect of vaccination, which, however, is described only in Japan. In November 2016, a particularly poor study appears to Hans, protest, researchers around the world. The study will be withdrawn, but it is too late. Hans is now in the world – so, as the image of the mouse brain.

Muranaka, after coming into the game, you will have to research. “I wanted to know what is behind this figure,” says Muranaka. She asks Ikeda to the shipment of the scientific data. The declines, however, allegedly because a publication is in preparation. Muranaka takes instead, contact a staff Ikeda’s. “He told me that this is not been no attempt in mice,” recalls Muranaka. “It was an attempt at a single mouse. A single!” According to the testimony of the man Ikeda has not shown on TV, however, once this mouse says Muranaka. The employee got sprayed in another attempt immune substances prepared brain unvaccinated mice tissue, Ikeda went to then to the Public – although it was preliminary, the results of another experiment.

you can trigger cervical cancer: Human papilloma virus (HPV) under the microscope. Photo: Reuters

As Muranaka your Research in Japan, beginning in her personal Drama. In August 2016, Ikeda sued you for defamation. While his University conducts an investigation and alleges the doctor for the hasty presentation of the undecided data. A fake but is not detected allegedly. Ikeda’s lawyers insist, meanwhile, to speak in court about science. Muranaka says that you have lost due to the court proceedings, work orders, your book will not be able to publish on the Impfskandal in Japan for a long time and had even been by E-Mail threatened.

in 2017, she gets a prestigious award for services to scientific facts fidelity in their Reports, and for your perseverance. In Japan, however, you will be brought through the court procedures to Silence. Since last year, she lives in Germany. In Japan, she stands there in front of the competent district court as a defendant, but the burden of proof and to the process in March with almost empty hands. The original data of Ikeda’s presentation is not yet published. In addition, the Whistleblower has changed in the meantime, the pages. He Muranaka, as a witness Ikeda’s. You should be condemned, can you call a higher court. “My fear is that a guilty verdict of Impfgegnern is regarded as a confirmation of the fact that there is alleged, by the HPV vaccine caused a syndrome really.”

But the dramatic crash of the HPV-vaccination Coverage in Japan is solely on the media’s spreading of Fear, on the scientific misconduct of the Individual and, in consequence, presumed to make the following critical attitude towards vaccination behaviour, as it is known now from many countries? A Central role the policy plays well. Basically, the Japanese can maintain impffreudig – if the abuse from the government can be officially advised. So are vaccinated according to the OECD, 95 percent of Japanese children against measles, 98 percent of the offspring against diphtheria, Tetanus and whooping cough protected.

“not to repeat The Ministry of health in Japan should be its errors of the past.”From a contribution of doctors of the Osaka University

but Where the political pulse is missing, it comes in Japan, outbreaks of preventable diseases. The rubella is to be eliminated according to the WHO actually, by 2020. However, in Japan, the combined measles-rubella vaccination for children only since 2006 Routine. A substantial part of adult men remains unvaccinated and spread the Virus – even under unprotected Pregnant women, whose unborn children can be damaged by an infection difficult. In 2013, there is an epidemic, 20’000 people are diagnosed, more than 40 babies with damages to be born. To immunize unvaccinated adults later, but, apparently, only individual companies in mind. They offer their employees free Vakzinierungen.

as regards the HPV vaccination, confirmed by Japan’s government at the end of 2013, that there is no scientific evidence of serious side effects. The HPV vaccination is not yet incorporated back into the national vaccination programme. Parents need to seek the vaccination since then, from their own Initiative, and not know often that the immunization will continue to be paid. Because HPV vaccination also protects against a disease that is only after many years, the Use of the Vaccine for many not obvious. All of this will make it difficult for the Coverage increase.

Muranaka, however, is not to happiness alone, as it makes a impression. Many experts of Japanese research institutions and universities, to criticize, in the meantime, the part of the hesitant, then again rushed and, above all, irrational behavior of the authorities in the case of HPV. “The Ministry of health in Japan should not repeat its mistakes from the past and show that it understands the importance of immunizations,” write physicians at the Osaka University for example in a contribution by 2017. At the end of it comes that it is imperative that governments recognize reliable scientific results, to respect and to implement them accordingly – instead of reacting to hysterical individual case reports and irresponsible doctors to operate freely. However, this is not only in Japan.

(editing Tamedia)

Created: 05.04.2019, 19:07 PM