VACCINATION
This Pharmaceutical Company Used NSA-Like Tactics to Monitor Parents’ Concerns About Vaccines
Imagine you are about to be a new mother in three months and you want to learn more about vaccines. You read information on a website discussing the different toxic chemicals and dangerous biological agents contained in vaccines. (Get the list here.)
Reading about viruses cultured on monkey kidneys, mouse brains, and aborted fetal tissue makes you sick to your stomach. You decide to post the following question, “How do I tell my doctor I don’t want this stuff injected into my new baby? I’m scared and don’t know what to do. Please help!”
Fast forward three months after having your child.
You take your newborn into the pediatrician’s office, armed with your research and facts. You expect confrontation from a nurse or doctor, as so many other parents have reported. What you hear next surprises you and sounds very familiar.
Your doctor repeats back to you, in parrot-like fashion, all of your concerns about vaccines. He has all of the exact studies and counter-arguments that ultimately convince you to vaccinate your child. How can this be?
Is your doctor some sort of mind reader?
No.
He has been given your online posting profile. We’re actually closer to George Orwell’s novel 1984 than you think. If you want to know more, read on.
Pharma Collects Data on Your Vaccine Concerns All of the recent news of the National Security Administration (NSA) illegally monitoring your communications and personal life may bring this information into a different perspective for you.
According to a recent news article, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) hired a text analytic software company, called Luminoso, to find out what parents were most concerned about with vaccines. [1]
The news article stated information on two websites were collected, BabyCenter.com and WhattoExpect.com. One of the main purposes was to learn what factors motivate parents to delay vaccinating their children.
In similar NSA-like-fashion, neither the website owners nor parents were aware of their information being anonymously collected. Additionally, the rationale given in the article for doing such an act is because current laws restrict how Big Pharma can interact with consumers (parents) of their products (vaccines).
However, unlike the NSA, GlaxoSmithKline and others are probably not doing anything illegal – even though their behavior is still very chilling. But, private companies have been known to share information with governments in the past and I think we shouldn’t forget that.
Let’s take a look at how Big Pharma will likely use this information …
A Slip of the Tongue Every year, pharmaceutical companies spend billions of dollars more on their marketing campaigns than actual research and development of new products. [2]
Looking a bit closer into the original article, marketing is indeed how GSK will most likely be using the data collected.
As mentioned above, Pharma can’t interface directly with patients. Regarding this law, one spokeswoman for GSK stated, “That’s why it’s important for us to have this research directly from patients, so we can hear what they’re saying and address it through doctors.”
Still, another GSK representative communicated, “It has led us to question whether we are doing enough to help pediatricians having this discussion.”
If you can read between the lines here, GSK recognizes the “authority” and “shame” cards doctors learned in medical school to play on parents aren’t working so well anymore. If doctors were equipped to address the concerns from parents, GSK and others wouldn’t be doing this research, in my opinion.
Also understand – doctors are the main targets for pharma marketing dollars. A good book I recommend on understanding the topic in detail is called Our Daily Meds, by Melody Peterson.
What Can You Do About it? If pharmaceutical companies are eavesdropping and collecting data on your concerns, you might feel intimidated and helpless. However, this feeling should be a signal to you!
The message is quite clear: You have the power and they want to influence your decision!
Next, I’ll give you some very specific actions to radically increase your personal power.
1. Remove fear. In this day, many people think their problems can be fixed with a pill or a magical injection. This is a fear-based mindset. Take personal responsibility for your own health by educating yourself at websites like NaturalNews.com.
2. Ask doctors to cite their source(s) of information. There are volumes of books written on how pharma uses ghost writers or “consultants” to write published papers to support a new drug. Make sure to check the references and who paid for the study.
3. Take time to make an informed decision based on evidence. Don’t make a decision on the spot because you’re being pressured. Making an intelligent decision takes time and research to consider the data.
4. Understand the power and influence the Pharmaceutical Industry has. Understanding their methods and marketing tactics negates their effect. A fantastic source of information can be reviewed in the following report entitled The Influence of the Pharmaceutical Industry. [3] In it, you will discover gems like these:
“The pharmaceutical industry’s promotional efforts are relentless and pervasive. The evidence presented showed the lengths to which the industry goes to ensure that promotional messages reach their targets, and that these targets include not only prescribing groups, but patients and the general public.” (page 76)
“It is clear that PR activity is vital and part of a coherent strategy, both reactive and proactive, for many pharmaceutical companies. Specifically, this activity is consistently designed to tap into and exploit the target audience’s emotions and deliberate efforts are made to build emotional elements into campaigns.” (page 79)
“The documents highlighted the tactics employed by pharmaceutical companies to create a need among the medical profession before the launch of specific brands. For example, one company devised a five-stage mail-out to doctors for the launch of a new brand. The first two stages were used to create a need for new treatments and did not include any information about, or branding of, the new product. The remaining three stages were used to introduce the new brand and outline its safety and efficacy and the impression that it was being widely prescribed.” (page 60)
“[Public Relation] activities may include placing articles in the lay press, TV documentaries, soap operas etc.” (page 61)
5. Pharma companies spend many millions of dollars targeting doctors. [4] There is good reason for this. They know your doctors will prescribe their preferred brand to you. Next time you are in your doctor’s office, look to see if they have pens, posters, or any other pharma-branded items lying around. This may be evidence pharmaceutical representatives are frequently visiting the office.
6. Investigate vaccine adverse reactions. Remember, vaccines are the exception – by law, no vaccine manufacturer or doctor can be sued if your child is killed or maimed by a vaccine. Just so you know, according to the FDA, there are over 2 million Adverse Drug Reactions (ADR) per year. [4] This is currently the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. Vaccines are also drugs. Think about it.
Look at what has happened to other children by reviewing the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) database. [5]
7. Know what is being injected into your child. Get a list of vaccine ingredients here.
8. Be aware of psychological triggers. [6] If your doctor is insecure, he or she may use psychological triggers to get you to vaccinate your child. Don’t fall for them. Learn how they operate ahead of time and you will be able to withstand any attack.
Conclusion In today’s digital age, it is difficult to be one hundred percent anonymous. Data is literally everywhere on the web. This article is a good reminder to you to be careful with what information you have made available on the web.
GlaxoSmithKline hired a third party to anonymously collect data regarding parents’ concerns on vaccines. Expect this type of activity to become more ubiquitous and accepted practice. Another expectation you can anticipate is doctors, especially pediatricians, will become better “Vaccine Salesmen.”
Lastly, remember regardless of how polished a message from your doctor sounds, it doesn’t take away the fact vaccines can injure and maim your child.
Source : VACTruth
Link to Source
Vaccines Do Irreparable Harm: Study from Poland
The authors of this powerful new review wrote: “It is not reasonable to assume that manipulation of the immune system through an increasing number of vaccinations during critical periods of brain development will not result in adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes.” Here’s what they found.
A new scientific review from Poland discusses irreparable harm done by vaccines. This review addresses the issue in terms of adverse effects, immune system effects, neurological symptoms following vaccination, and a history of vaccines demonstrating little benefit. It centers mostly on studies not often referenced in the western world, providing fresh and broad-ranging information. An honest reading of the study can leave little doubt that harm done may be extensive and often permanent.
Adverse Effects Different systems of defining types of vaccination adverse events include dividing between immune system and nonimmune system, or classifying according to whether they’re local, general, shortly after vaccination, or develop more slowly. Regardless of how they’re distinguished, the authors state:
Reports in many Polish and foreign medical journals lead us to conclude that postvaccinal complications among children can be observed in sporadic cases and that they are disproportionate to the benefits of vaccination in the elimination of dangerous diseases in childhood.
Their study leaves little doubt that vaccines produce serious risks that are entirely out of line with any benefits gained.
They first point out that several adverse effects that occur shortly after vaccination are acknowledged by Polish law. These include:
- Local reactions, including:
- local reactions after the BCG (tuberculosis) vaccine
- swelling
- lymphadenopathy
- abscess at the injection site
- Postvaccinal adverse events of the central nervous system:
- encephalopathy
- febrile convulsions
- non-febrile convulsions
- paralytic poliomyelitis caused by vaccine virus
- encephalitis
- meningitis
- Guillain-Barré syndrome
- Other adverse events following immunization:
- joint pain
- hypotonic-hyporesponsive episode
- fever above 39°C
- thrombocytopenia
- continuous inconsolable crying
Immune System Effects A neonate’s immune system does not function in the same manner as an adult’s, and it does not reach maturity until about age 3 years. The neonate’s humoral immune system—the part that functions through antibodies—comes directly from the mother. Associated with the immunoglobulin IgG that’s provided by the mother, it starts about 6 months before birth, and disappears by about 6 months after birth.
Autonomously-produced antibodies are called immunoglobulins. While the fetus starts to develop some immunoglobulin before birth, it takes time, in most instances more than a year, to reach maturity. The graph to the right shows the pace at which IgG from the mother increases and decreases, and the rate at which a neonate starts to produce its own, plus IgM, IgA, and IgD. Because of a neonate’s existing antibodies from the mother, vaccination against some microorganisms simply does not provide any lasting protection for newborns. The authors state:
It is well established that early-life immune responses are weaker and of shorter duration than elicited in immunologically mature hosts. Consequently, vaccine efficacy in early infancy (particularly in the first 6 months of age) is limited.
They go on to state that:
[E]xperimental evidence clearly shows, that simultaneous administration of as little as two to three immune adjuvants, or repeated stimulation of the immune system by the same antigen can overcome genetic resistance to autoimmunity.
The common practice of administering more than one adjuvant at a time or repeatedly injecting the same antigen can produce autoimmune disorders.
They further point out that the toxicity of adjuvants can produce a range of adverse reactions.
The manner in which the body responds to vaccines is not well understood. It is, though, believed that the Th1 pathway is sacrificed in favor of the Th2 pathway. This is believed to lead to development of allergies in infants. Allergy, a life-threatening condition that was once rare, is now known to exist in at least 35%, possibly as many as 40%, of children. It has become one of the most serious health concerns in Europe.
The authors cite a study documenting that a natural chicken pox infection protects against asthma and atopic dermatitis in children, but the vaccine does not.
They state that:
[A]nnual vaccination against influenza has been shown to hamper the development of virus-specific CD8+T-cell immunity in children.
And then point out:
[I]t appears that the necessary Th1/Th2 balance is better provided by natural challenges (i.e., in a form of relatively benign childhood diseases such as chickenpox and mumps) rather than vaccination.
Recent research by Singh of the International Institute for Brain Research in the USA confirm the veracity of this statement. In the study, serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were analyzed in terms of viral and autoimmune markers in patients with autism compared with a group of healthy children
The table to the left (go to source - bottom article to see table) which the authors reprinted from the Singh study, shows differences in antibody levels they found between normal and autistic children. Notice that autistic children have a significantly higher vaccine measles virus antibody load than normal children, though the differences in mumps and rubella antibodies does not reach a significant level, and the high p-values for them bear that out.
A p-value approaching 1.0 indicates that the results could readily have been reached accidentally. (Note: HHV-6 refers to human herpes virus-6.)
Singh et al also found significantly elevated levels of the IL-2, IL-12, and IFN-γ cytokines, indicators of an elevated inflammatory response, along with acute phase proteins, also indicative of inflammation.
These raised inflammation profiles are significant because subtle changes in the developing brains of autistic children have been found to be caused by autoimmune reactions leading to changes in the myelin sheath (a protective layer around nerves). This could lead to impairment in the brains of autistic children, resulting in problems with speech, communication, social action, and other neurological problems.
Partial Conclusion At this point in their review, the authors point out that vaccines, which are used to “train” the immune system, lower its threshold of defense responses against development of infectious diseases. This leads to questions, including:
- How can the immature, still developing immune and central nervous systems of a healthy child respond to such intense stimulation?
- Can these immature systems respond with the same protective effect to so many different stimuli?
- Do multi-antigen vaccine side effects change as compared to single-antigen vaccinations, and if so, how?
{A] burgeoning body of evidence shows that immune molecules play integral roles in CNS development, affecting processes such as neurogenesis, neuronal migration, axon guidance, synaptic connectivity and synaptic plasticity. Despite the dogma that peripheral immune responses do not affect CNS function, substantial evidence points exactly to the contrary. Thus, it is not reasonable to assume that manipulation of the immune system through an increasing number of vaccinations during critical periods of brain development will not result in adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes.
“[I]t is not reasonable to assume that manipulation of the immune system through an increasing number of vaccinations during critical periods of brain development will not result in adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes.”
Clearly, these authors are stating that vaccines carry the potential to do tremendous harm.
These are the first two sections of the powerful Sienkiewicz, Kulak, Okurowska-Zawada, and Paszko-Patej review. The next article will discuss the last two areas they covered: neurological symptoms following vaccination and a history of vaccines demonstrating little benefit.
Source:
- Neurologic adverse events following vaccination; Progress in Health Sciences; Sienkiewicz D., Kulak W., Okurowska-Zawada B., Paszko-Patej G.
Link to Source
VACCINATION NOT SAFE FOR CHILDREN
Video - Robert F Kennedy Jr. - Shocking vaccination cover up
LINK TO VIDEO
The West Australian government has launched an inquiry into the flu vaccinations that caused adverse reactions in hundreds of children across the nation.
WA Health Minister Kim Hames said the inquiry would scrutinise systems used to identify public health risks, including vaccine side-effects and disease outbreaks, after criticism of the government's slow response.
Last month, seasonal flu shots caused adverse reactions in 251 children under five in WA, with 55 suffering convulsions and 196 suffering fevers and vomiting.
The West Australian government has launched an inquiry into the flu vaccinations that caused adverse reactions in hundreds of children across the nation.
WA Health Minister Kim Hames said the inquiry would scrutinise systems used to identify public health risks, including vaccine side-effects and disease outbreaks, after criticism of the government's slow response.
Last month, seasonal flu shots caused adverse reactions in 251 children under five in WA, with 55 suffering convulsions and 196 suffering fevers and vomiting.
WA was the first state to suspend the vaccination program, which was put on hold nationally the next day after children in other states and territories reported severe side-effects.
However, parents and health professionals have criticised the time it took the WA government to react.
"There has been concern expressed by members of the public regarding the process and the time taken by the Health Department in reaching a conclusion that there was a problem with the vaccine and proceeding to closing that vaccination program," Dr Hames said on Tuesday.
"I have been reassured that everything was done in the correct time frame."
However, Dr Hames admitted there were communication problems and that the inquiry would focus on them.
He said the inquiry would be completed in about a month and would be conducted by former WA chief medical officer Bryant Stokes.
"He will do an investigation into the circumstances surrounding problems with the vaccine, the timing that it took us to close that program down ... and mechanisms that we can put in place that will make calls to the public Health Department work better," Dr Hames said.
The WA health minister said he had informed the federal Department of Health of the inquiry.
"We've also informed (Federal Health Minister) Nicola Roxon that we're undertaking this review because the actual management of reactions to vaccinations (is) the responsibility of the commonwealth, not the state," Dr Hames said.
"Concern has been expressed about the reaction of the commonwealth department, particularly with the Brisbane case, where I understand a young child died following the vaccine, and nobody was notified."
WA opposition health spokesman Roger Cook said questions remained about the level of co-ordination within the Health Department.
"Parents need to know what went wrong and how the Barnett government will stop it happening again," Mr Cook said.
Two-year-old Queensland girl Ashley Epapara was found dead in her cot on April 9, the day after she and her twin sister were given the seasonal flu vaccination by a private Brisbane GP.
Queensland Health Minister Paul Lucas last week stressed that so far there was no evidence to show the vaccine caused the girl's death.
Source Sydney Morning Herald
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Vaccine Contamination: Pig Virus DNA Found in Rotarix
On March 22, 2010, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials adhering to the precautionary principle advised American doctors to suspend use of Rotarix 1 vaccine until the agency finds out why DNA from a swine virus (porcine circovirus 1 or PCV1) was found in the live rotavirus vaccine. The FDA said there is “no evidence at this time” that the vaccine manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline and given to babies at 2,4 and 6 months of age to prevent diarrhea poses any safety risk. 2
Independent Lab Using New Technology Found Contamination The discovery that viral DNA is contaminating Rotarix vaccine was made by a team of scientists at an independent research lab in San Fransisco, California, where they used new technology to detect fragments of viral genetic material in vaccines using genetic sequencing. 3
More testing confirmed that many copies of DNA from the pig virus were present in all Rotarix vaccine lots released since the vaccine was licensed in 2008 because the pig virus DNA also contaminated the working cell bank and the original viral “seed” stock, from which Rotarix vaccine was first produced. 4
Two Other Live Virus Vaccines Contaminated
The surprising discovery reportedly was made after the independent lab used new technology to evaluate the purity of eight live virus vaccines for polio, rubella, measles, yellow fever, human herpes 3 (varicella or chicken pox), rotavirus (Rotarix and RotaTeq) and MMR. In addition to pig viral DNA found in Rotarix vaccine, low levels of DNA fragments from avian (bird) leukosis virus (a retrovirus) was found in measles vaccine and DNA fragments of a virus similar to simian (monkey) retrovirus was found in RotaTeq vaccine. 5
FDA Looking For Answers
After the team double checked their findings, researchers notified GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) on February 9, 2010 and GSK notified the FDA on March 15, 2010, which prompted the FDA’s action on March 22, 2010 to suspend use of Rotarix. The FDA says it “does not know how DNA from PCV1 came to be present in Rotarix” or whether “this means that intact virus is present. Additional studies are being conducted.” 6
Rotavirus Vaccines Use Monkey, Cow, Pig Materials for Production
Rotarix is a genetically engineered vaccine that GSK created by isolating human rotavirus strain infecting a child in Cincinnati and using African Green monkey kidney cells to produce the original viral seed stock from which all Rotarix vaccine has been made. 7 In the FDA licensing process, Rotarix had to meet certain FDA standards, that included demonstrating the vaccine was not contaminated with, for example TSE(Transmissable Spongiform Encephalopathy or “mad cow” disease, a brain wasting disease) 8 or with cow viruses because bovine (cow) serum was used to prepare the original viral seed stock. Porcine trypsin, an enzyme in the pancreatic juice of a pig, was also used to make the viral seed stock. 9
RotaTeq is a genetically engineered vaccine containing five human-cow reassortment strains of rotavirus that were created at the Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania (CHOP), where strains of rotavirus that give cows diarrhea were combined with strains of rotavirus that cause diarrhea in humans. The reassortment viruses were transported to Merck, where master seeds were produced using African Green Monkey kidney cell cultures. Fetal bovine (cow) serum and porcine trypsin was used to make the “seed” stock. 10 There are small amounts of bovine serum and cell culture media (monkey viral DNA) that remain in RotaTeq vaccine. 11 12
FDA Suggests Drug Companies Test for Vaccine “Purity”
In a February 2010 FDA document, Guidance for Industry: Characterization and Qualification of Cell Substrates and Other Biological Materials Used in the Production of Viral Vaccines for Infectious Disease Indications, the FDA lists “non-binding recommendations” for drug companies making vaccines using animal and human cell substrates. 13 Under the heading “Testing for Adventitious Agents,” the FDA states “assurance that products are free of adventitious agents is a critical component of meeting the [FDA regulations] requirement for purity.” Under the heading “Testing for Residual Cellular DNA,” the FDA states, “Residual DNA might be a risk to your final product because of oncogenic (cancer causing) and/or infectivity potential.”
Déjà Vu: Monkey Viruses Contaminated Polio Vaccines
Contamination of vaccines with animal viruses is not new. In the 20th century, polio vaccines given to tens of millions of people worldwide were contaminated with simian virus 40 (SV40), which was found to cause cancer in animals and is associated with human brain, bone and lung cancers but the government denies SV40 is causing those cancers in humans. 14 15 16 17
There has been controversy about the link between experimental polio vaccines tested in Africa in the 1950’s and 1960’s that were contaminated with a monkey virus, simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV). Soon after the polio vaccine trials in Africa, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) emerged. 18 Many questions about the failure of researchers and technology to screen for monkey viruses in those vaccines remain to this day.
Using Cancer Cells to Produce Vaccines?
Vaccine manufacturers have long used cell material that comes from the bodies of mammals, including humans, monkeys, cows, pigs, dogs and rodents, as well as birds or insects to make vaccines now in use or to make experimental vaccines. There is an inherent risk of contamination with viruses and other microbes (or DNA from those microbes) that can escape detection during the vaccine development, testing, licensing, manufacturing and oversight process. 19 There has even been discussion among vaccine manufacturers and the FDA in the last decade about using neoplastic (cancer)cell substrates to make vaccines but the risk of contamination with cancer cell DNA is a big risk. 20
New Influenza Vaccines: Is Contamination Possible?
In searching for ways to make seasonal influenza vaccines in a faster, easier and less expensive way than relying on chicken eggs for production, drug companies have experimented with using dog kidney cells and human fetal retinal cells. However, these cell lines have been documented to cause tumors in animals, especially dog kidney cells (MDCK). 21
At a November 19, 2009 meeting of the FDA Vaccines & Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, a vaccine manufacturer asked for permission to use insect (caterpillar) cells to make pandemic influenza shots. But insect cells can be contaminated with insect viruses that are hard to detect. The FDA Committee, on that day, voted “no.” 22
Unanswered Questions about Rotarix Contamination
There are lots of questions about how the manufacturer of Rotarix vaccine and the FDA both missed the pig virus DNA contaminating the original seed stock and all doses of Rotarix vaccine given to more than one million American children in the past few years. 23
Is there state-of-the-art technology that is being used by private laboratories but not by drug companies and the FDA?
Why did the independent team of scientists, who found the contamination, notify the vaccine manufacturer first rather than also immediately reporting their finding directly to the FDA?
What about the significance of finding bird viral DNA in measles vaccine and the monkey viral DNA in RotaTeq vaccine?
Wake Up Call for Industry & Government
The contamination of Rotarix vaccine is only the latest in a long history of vaccine contamination issues that require a re-examination of the way vaccines are made and tested. It is a wake-up call for industry and government
The big question people are asking is: why do drug companies making vaccines continue to use cells from animals, birds and insects that can be contaminated with viruses and other adventitious agents that are hard to detect?
The FDA was right to suspend use of Rotarix vaccine until they know more. Hopefully, this serious vaccine production and testing issue will be addressed immediately by vaccine manufacturers. If not, the next pandemic or serious health problem affecting large populations may be one that comes out of a vaccine lab.
SOURCE: NATIONAL VACCINE INFORMATION CENTRE
LINK TO SOURCE + VIDEO
HEALTH-CHINA : Wave of Anger Rises Over Vaccine Scandal
By Mitch Moxley
BEIJING, Apr 6, 2010 (IPS) - Shortly after Liu Yan’s four-year-old son, Liu Yi, was bitten by a dog, he did what any responsible parent would do: took his child to the hospital for a vaccination. Two weeks later, after the fourth injection, Liu Yi became violently ill.
The next morning, on Aug. 27, 2008, the boy was taken to First People’s Hospital in Yangquan city in central China’s Shanxi province, where he was diagnosed with viral meningitis. Liu Yi’s condition quickly deteriorated and he died later that afternoon.
Liu Yan blamed the rabies vaccination for his son’s death, and according to a searing media report last month, he might not be alone.
"My son was in good health before he got the rabies vaccine," Liu Yan told IPS. "Nobody could clarify why my child got sick."
On Mar. 17, the Beijing-based ‘China Economic Times’, a business and finance newspaper published by the state-run Development Research Centre, reported on alleged irregularities and safety concerns within Shanxi’s immunisation programme.
The expose said that improperly stored vaccines administered by the provincial Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for encephalitis, hepatitis B and rabies between 2006 and 2008 had killed four children and made more than 70 others ill. People were exposed to the faulty vaccinations as late as March 2009.
The six-part series, which took six months to compile and includes interviews with families of 36 victims, has snowballed into a nationwide scandal involving children’s health. The ‘Times’ alleged that the vaccine provider, Beijing-based Huawei Shidai Co, began charging citizens for vaccines that should have been administered for free, and raised the price of other vaccines.
The report also charges that Li Wenyuan, former Shanxi CDC director, used more than half of the funds from Huawei’s initial deposit to buy a new car for his private use.
The scandal came to light after Chen Taoan, a former CDC information office official, told ‘China Economic Times’ he had seen vaccines provided by Huawei exposed to high temperatures before they were distributed across the province. In one case, Chen saw boxes of vaccines left in a room with no air conditioning while workers labelled them.
"I was shocked," Chen said in an interview with IPS. "It was so hot. The vaccines should be stored in a freezer. How could they be exposed to high temperatures for so long? It’s very dangerous."
Chen said he initially filed a report to the Shanxi Provincial People’s Procuratorate in May 2007, which was ignored. He was removed from his post and put on cleaning duties in early 2009.
Provincial authorities have denied that the vaccinations were unsafe.
On the day of the ‘China Economic Times’ story, state-run Xinhua news agency quoted Li Shukai, the local deputy health director, as saying the allegations were "basically untrue." (The next day, the ‘Times’ responded with a published announcement on its website stating that the publication "stands by all the facts written in the report.")
On Mar. 22, the provincial government maintained that the vaccines were safe, but admitted that the provincial CDC and Huawei had violated rules.
The local government launched an investigation into the scandal, which was assisted by a group sent by the Ministry of Health and experts from other provinces. A week later, the Chinese Medical Association sent a team of eight experts to Shanxi, Xinhua reported. Meanwhile, the provincial food and drug administration launched an inspection campaign on vaccine quality and safety in late March.
Ju Xianhua, deputy secretary general of the Shanxi government, said at a press conference that vaccines in the province were being "strictly monitored and their quality is guaranteed." He said the province had sent experts to examine the cases of all 15 children named in the news reports.
In response to the Shanxi scandal, the Ministry of Health issued notices defending the quality and safety of vaccines manufactured in China. The country’s top health authority encouraged the public to follow the vaccination programme, which it said was the best way to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
China has been hit by several vaccination scandals in recent weeks. Disease control and prevention authorities in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, found after an initial investigation that some children became ill or paralysed after receiving an H1N1 flu vaccine. (Officials said a further investigation was needed for a thorough assessment).
According to the Hong Kong-based ‘Mingpao’ magazine, one of Jiangsu province’s top vaccine producers, Jiangsu Yanshen Biological Stock Co Ltd, had produced contaminated vaccines that over the years had sickened over one million people. The company has halted production and seven top executives have been arrested on charges of producing and selling fake vaccines.
In Shanxi, parents of six alleged victims travelled to Taiyuan, the provincial capital, to demand an explanation from the local health bureau, the ‘Guangzhou Daily’ reported. After a meeting with officials was denied, some parents engaged in a brief confrontation with bureau staffers.
"I have not received any compensation," said Jia Haibo of Changzhi city, whose three-year-old daughter, Jia Xiaonu, fell ill with a mysterious case of necrotising fasciitis after receiving a vaccine for mumps in July 2008. She recovered, but still struggles to use her left hand. "I can do nothing but wait for the final results," the father said.
According to media reports, Chen and parents of some of the affected children received threatening text messages in the days following the ‘China Economic Times’ report. Some messages offered bribes of 50,000 to 100,000 renminbi (7,324 to 14,648 U.S. dollars) for keeping quiet.
Chen confirmed that he has received threats, but does not fear for his safety. "I’m happy more and more people are starting to pay attention to this problem."
SOURCE:IPS NEWS
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Baby in Britain is overdosed with BCG vaccine and is now being treated for TB
Christina England March 11, 2010
A catalogue of horror stories in our newspapers may leave many parents feeling anxious as to whether those vaccinating our children are really fit to do so, especially after one baby became ill after being overdosed with ten times the amount of tuberculosis vaccine.
The baby who is currently being treated in Sheffield children's hospital in England UK, with antibiotics used to treat tuberculosis is now said to be out of danger.
Dr David Elliman consultant in community child health at Great Ormond Street Hospital told the Telegraph that
"It is not possible to catch TB from the BCG vaccine."
I find this very difficult to believe considering the fact that this newborn is now being treated with drugs for TB. The law firm Irwin Mitchell is calling for a hospital to investigate why a newborn baby has been left receiving treatment for a potentially serious illness, after it was discovered that it was a junior doctor who prescribed and administered ten times the required dose of a BCG vaccine.
Medical error involving vaccines is not uncommon. Also reported this week is another shocking account of children in Pakistan receiving a batch of out of date vaccines. It transpired that a quantity of expired vaccines for measles was given to children in one area of Pakistan leaving 33 children with adverse reactions. The Daily Times for Pakistan say that the health department staff administered the expired vaccine to the children during the anti-measles campaign and at least 33 children experienced serious reactions such as fainting diarrhoea and skin diseases.
SOURCE: American Chronicle (12 March 2010)
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An investigation is under way after a newborn baby was given 10 times the normal dose of a tuberculosis vaccine at Scunthorpe General Hospital.
The boy was injected with 0.5mg of the BCG vaccine instead of the usual 0.05mg dose, lawyers for his family said.
The boy, who was born on 5 February, is now being treated for tuberculosis by immunology specialists at Sheffield Children's Hospital.
The Scunthorpe hospital trust said it had "launched a full investigation".
Law firm Irwin Mitchell, which has been instructed to act on behalf of the baby's parents, said the vaccine was prescribed and administered by a junior doctor.
This case raises important questions about basic systems in hospitals to ensure the safe administration of drugs David Body, Irwin Mitchell medical law specialist It was also investigating reports that other children had been given vaccine overdoses.
David Body, a medical law specialist at the firm, said: "It is unclear how many people have been affected but we have received reports that others may also have been given the same overdose.
"This case raises important questions about basic systems in hospitals to ensure the safe administration of drugs, including vaccines."
A spokesman for the Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: "As soon as we were made aware of the incident we launched a full investigation which is ongoing.
"We continue to keep in touch with the parents, providing them with updates as to the results of the investigation."
No further details would be released because of patient confidentiality, the trust said.
Mr Body said: "This is a difficult time for the baby's family.
"Their baby is receiving treatment for TB, which has its own side effects, but they are hopeful that the treatment will be successful with no long term damage to their baby's health."
The four-week-old boy is in a stable condition at Sheffield Children's Hospital where doctors are working in conjunction with the National Poisons Information Service.
SOURCE BBC NEWS
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Teen Paralyzed After Getting H1N1 Vaccine Doctors Say Boy Developed Rare Condition
A 16-year-old boy in Maryland was paralyzed from the chest down after getting the H1N1 flu vaccine at school, a doctor said.In December, Robert Beckham lost feeling in both his legs and was rushed to Baltimore's Sinai Hospital, Baltimore station WBAL reported."Under very heavy treatment, not only did he not improve, he even got slightly worse," said Sinai pediatric neurologist Dr. Yuval Shafrir.Shafrir said Robert is being treated for a rare condition called transverse mylitis in which a segment of Robert's spinal cord was destroyed by his own immune system.Transverse mylitis is a disease that can occur after infection, but in this case, Shafrir said it was a medically unpredictable reaction to a vaccination that's being given in schools all over the country."The only obvious cause was the H1N1 vaccination," Shafrir said."I kept pestering my parents to get me this shot. I got it, and a month later, it went bad," Robert said."I'm still in shock from it. I can't believe that this happened to him," his mother, Belinda Beckham said.Robert's parents are disabled and financially unable to bring him home from the hospital."If he had received the regular flu vaccine, the family would be able to file a claim with the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program," said attorney Clifford Shoemaker. "But because it was the swine flu program, which falls under the same bill as terrorism … the family will get very little in compensation for what's happened to this child."The family needs help making their home handicapped-accessible for Robert. There's a fundraiser this weekend at the Porters Grover Baptist Church. All donations can be made at Cecil Bank in care of Robert Beckham.Meanwhile, Maryland Health Department officials are aware of Robert's case."Certainly, there are instances of adverse events -- they're very rare -- and it's something we want to monitor closely," said DHMH Deputy Secretary Fran Phillips.While Robert Beckham's paralysis is heartbreaking, Shafrir said it shouldn't deter anyone from getting the vaccination.
SOURCE: 5WPTZ.COM
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Journal reports teenager nearly blinded following vaccination against HPV virus
Kathlyn Stone Print version
A 16-year-old girl developed near complete visual loss after being immunized against human papilloma virus (HPV), according to a case report published in the March issue of the Journal of Child Neurology.
Report authors Mirna Hajjar, MD, a neurologist, Thomas Ciesielski, MD, a pathologist, both of Hartford Hospital in Hartford, Conn., and pediatrician Francis DiMario, Jr., MD, with Connecticut Children's Medical Center, described the injury as chiasmal neuritis (inflammed nerves) with a tumefactive (swollen) demyelinating lesion that were observed through brain biopsy and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
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The vision loss occurred about 10 days after the girl had received the second of three courses of the Gardasil vaccine.
The previously healthy girl had gone to the emergency room after experiencing progressive acute vision loss and a gradually worsening headache over a 48-hour period. She had no other symptoms and no family history of demyelinating disease, collagen-vascular disease, or rheumatological disorders. The authors wrote: “It is tempting to speculate whether there may be a specific immune mechanism initiated with human papilloma virus not yet identified, which resulted in not only acute demyelinating encephalomyelitis but also in an unusual clinical course that resulted in persistent visual loss.”
Eighteen months after her initial symptoms the girl continued to experience “persistent profound visual impairment” but had no additional neurological problems, according to the authors.
The authors noted that only four other cases showing an association between central nervous system demyelination and the HPV vaccine have been published and that larger epidemiologic studies are needed to confirm HPV virus immunization plays a role in demyelinating disease.
SOURCE: Flesh+Stone (9/3/2010)
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