WASHINGTON, July 25, 2008
How Independent Are Vaccine Defenders?
Sharyl Attkisson Investigates Vaccine Advocates Taking Funding From The Companies Whose Vaccines They Endorse
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Pediatrician, Vaccine Scrutiny
Government officials and some scientists say there's no link between vaccines and autism ? and they're often backed by independent experts. But how "independent" are they? Sharyl Attkisson reports.
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They're some of the most trusted voices in the defense of vaccine safety: the American Academy of Pediatrics, Every Child By Two, and pediatrician Dr. Paul Offit.
But CBS News has found these three have something more in common - strong financial ties to the industry whose products they promote and defend.
The vaccine industry gives millions to the Academy of Pediatrics for conferences, grants, medical education classes and even helped build their headquarters. The totals are kept secret, but public documents reveal bits and pieces.
Every Child By Two, a group that promotes early immunization for all children, admits the group takes money from the vaccine industry, too - but wouldn't tell us how much.
A spokesman told CBS News: "There are simply no conflicts to be unearthed." But guess who's listed as the group's treasurers? Officials from Wyeth and a paid advisor to big pharmaceutical clients.
Then there's Paul Offit, perhaps the most widely-quoted defender of vaccine safety.
He's gone so far as to say babies can tolerate "10,000 vaccines at once."
This is how Offit described himself in a previous interview: "I'm the chief of infectious disease at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and a professor of pediatrics at Penn's medical school," he said.
Offit was not willing to be interviewed on this subject but like others in this CBS News investigation, he has strong industry ties. In fact, he's a vaccine industry insider.
Offit holds in a $1.5 million dollar research chair at Children's Hospital, funded by Merck. He holds the patent on an anti-diarrhea vaccine he developed with Merck, Rotateq, which has prevented thousands of hospitalizations.
And future royalties for the vaccine were just sold for $182 million cash. Dr. Offit's share of vaccine profits? Unknown.
There's nothing illegal about the financial relationships, but to critics, they pose a serious risk for conflicts of interest. As one member of Congress put it, money from the pharmaceutical industry can shape the practices of those who hold themselves out to be "independent."Read more about this story at Couric & Co. Blog
The American Academy of Pediatrics, Every Child By Two and Dr. Offit would not agree to interviews, but all told us they're up front about the money they receive, and it doesn't sway their opinions.
Today's immunization schedule now calls for kids to get 55 doses of vaccines by age 6.
Ideally, it makes for a healthier society. But critics worry that industry ties could impact the advice given to the public about all those vaccines.
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See all 101 CommentsIt is so refreshing to finally see unbiased media!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
thank you
thank you
thank you
thank you
I only wish I knew before my daughter was injured!
My daughter never had a single thimerosal containing vaccine. However, she did have an underlying immunodeficiency that was NOT diagnosed prior to vaccination. This should have contraindicated her for vaccination.
She suffered a severe adverse reaction at 17 mos (rash, high fever and seizures)after receiving vaccines against measles, mumps, ruebella, varicella, diptheria, tetanus, pertussis, and haemophilus influenzae. Not only did she stop developing behaviorally after this event (and was dx''d severely autistic 4 months later), she also stopped growing for a yr, and has pituitary damage.
She now has a permanent medical exemption to ALL vaccinations.
We are in the process of testing her for mito dysfunction, as preliminary testing shows that she does have markers for this.
I hope the government does something, and QUICKLY!
Kudos to CBS for having the guts to report this story!
Although this is not to those of us who try to stay informed (from unbiased sources), it''s important for investigative journalists to do their digging and report this to the public. So hats off to CBS Evening News staff for a job well done!
For those of you who want more (unbiased) details, checkout the book "The Vaccine Guide: Risks and Benefits for Children and Adults" by Neustaedter. I recommend it every parent, or soon-to-be parent. My husband works in the medical field and he''s quite a skeptic, but after reading this book, he soon realized the incredible amount of deception and riskS surrounding vaccines. Parents - It''s just not worth it. Let''s not forget that MANY scientists are convinced of this!
I hope/pray you keep it up CBS! If you do, I have no doubt that you be ranked #1 sooner than you think!!
By the way there is no proof that any vaccine--mercury containing or not--causes autism.
Perhaps you may want to speak with the special master who ruled on the Hannah Poling case before you make such blatant idiotic statements on a public forum.
btw, when was your last MMR, tetanus, DTaP, etc? You know, adults should get them, too, as immunity wanes with age, and you can spread VPDs. If you are not caught up, you are putting many of our children in danger.
(mind you, many immunodeficient autistic children cannot create antibodies to vaccines)
I don''t see how asking for truth, change, and JUSTICE for our children is putting ANY child in danger.
I''m sure there are conflicts of interest - on both sides - but the studies - no matter from where - all tell the same tale.
Hmmmm. Every time there is a story about vaccines on CBS or stories about the Medical community there you seem to be...But on another note--the jury is still out on what does or does not cause autism. But one thing is certain, within the past 10 years the rate of autism among children has risen over 1000% and doctors and health officials do admit that is very alarming.
Please stop saying what you think does or does not cause autism as the correlative clinical trials to underline or deny a connection have never been done. They can''t be done as it is illegal to perform drug experiments of that nature of people and the variables appear to be too many to isolate or provide a credible control group or a credible challenge group. But your denial is not helping--I hope you are being paid for the role you have slated for yourself to play on these boards--it would be even more frightening to realize you champion an entire industry and health methodology just based on personal zealotry.
M.D.''s will sell their signatures on research they''ve never read, let alone participated in.
Posted by marge235 at 09:34 PM : Jul 25, 2008
Vaccines are not invented. They are simply wild strains of viruses or bacteria usually discovered or cultivated by a university that are procured by a company who then starts either weakening, or killing the virus to produce seed stock. They are trying to create a strain of the wild virus that is not as virulent but that will cause the body to produce antibodies after being exposed to it. To do this, they try to combine the virus with different chemicals or products (called adjuvants, excipients or preservatives) and they try to grow the microbe via recombinant DNA, using Chick embryos or Tissue culture origin. Once they have isolated what they think is a viable bug and they try it on a test group, they can market it. Sometimes strains revert back--meaning the Scientist think they have tamed it but it really still turns wild--this often means it does the same damage as the actual disease would have, also, what seems to be a factor is immunodeficiency or suppression. Those who have problems with their immune system usually cannot take vaccines especially if they have auto immune diseases. Asthma is considered an auto immune disease, as is arthritis, lupus, etc. If you have a compromised immune system then the reason vaccines are given will not usually work in you anyway.
Granted they make mistakes but to think that vaccines cause autism, or that they''re hiding the cure for cancer so they can make more money is simply insane.
I''ve seen people die of cancer rather than see a doctor.
One of them was Joe Mckenna, Neil Young''s bus driver, one of the most pleasant man I''ve ever met. What a beautiful smile and attitude he had.
But unfortunately he died in the most painful way because he just refused to see a doctor. He traveled the world over trying all kinds of stuff and nothing worked.
According to his sister surgery could have saved his life.
And this autism conspiracy is also ridiculous. There have been countless studies done with thousands of people and there''s simply no connection between it and vaccines.
Now look at the cases of measles and whooping cough grow because some parents refuse to vaccinate their children.
We''re killing ourselves by worrying way too much.
Layer, Mr. S, takes on many vaccine injury cases, he often calls expert witness Dr. G, who researches the vaccine-autism connection. Mr. S is paid if he wins or loses cases; Compensated (7):$330,158.04, Dismissed (15): $254,291.25, TOTAL (22): $584,449.29.
Mr. S founded in September 8, 2005 with Dr. G and several others, The Institute of Chronic Illnesses, Inc., that researches the causes of autism (Delaware Department of State Division of Corporations file #4027230). The Institute%u2019s address has:
"....an Olympic sized tennis court, a lap pool, a green house, a hot tub, and granite countertops throughout along with wall-to-wall carpeting, granite floors and expensive faux wood paneling. A quick peek at sales in the neighborhood shows comparable properties to be selling at around $1.8 million."
Dr. G holds two patents (20060058271 and 20060058241) concerning the use of Lupron as a cure for autism (Lupron causes chemical castration in males); hypothesising that mercury in vaccines combined with testosterone causes autism.
ps did it help the ratings?
sorry about that: the way it works is we have nasty diseases. Scientist try to find out what kind of bug causes the disease. To do this, they test it on animals--they then try to find a host or a natural resevoir for the microbe. If they find that, they may find antigens to the microbe, if they can''t do that, they then at least want to id the microbe. This is called the "wild strain" meaning the nasty bug that occurs in the wild. When companies buy this seed stock they try to "pass" or keep growing the microbe until they make it weaker and weaker. EAch time they make it weak in some way, they call this a passage. After many passages (usually) they end up with a microbe they think they can control- They call this their master seed-they then have to find out the best way to get their subjects to produce antibodies. next post
Every credible and independent study shows no scientific basis linking vaccines and autism. One would have to believe in the most extreme conspiracy theories imaginable to ignore the science. I am happy we live in a society that allows a diversity of opinion and it is good to ask questions. However, not all views, regardless of how strongly held, are correct. On issues that we can study %u2013 we must rely on the science to dictate policy decisions.
Frankly, it makes me sick that a major news organization would write an article like this and not even mention actual science. Trying to infer the worst intentions about people without even discussing the science and facts is the lowest form of journalism. I don%u2019t blame any of the supposed %u201Cconflicted%u201D party for not agreeing to be interviewed for a story that may allow them one quote, but clearly has a pre-disposed, one-sided view.
Just as I recognize that my daughter became severely autistic after an adverse vaccine reaction (to a vaccine she should have been contraindicated to), I also recognize that there other causes of autism.
United States Congress (Mr. Burton''s grandson became suddenly Autistic after receiving 9 vaccinations on the same day )
2002 Governmental Reform Investigation-Mercury/Vaccines/Autism
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Y1VTYzLYy4
Robert Kennedy Jr.
http://www.health-reports.com/RobertKennedyJrarticle.html
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. comments on the American / CDC vaccination program.
part 3 covers his key points....
http://www.ageofautism.com/2008/06/post-1.html#more
"This is the expertise of pharmaceutical companies and research institutions and I would expect them to have financial interests helping promote products that they believe better human lives."
Have you even READ any news about Merck lately? Vioxx and Vytorin bettering human lives? Considering Merck makes a number of childhood vaccines (including the ONLY MMR, and chickenpox vaccines sold in our country among others), how the heck can we trust them?
Oddly enough, Gardasil is not used in India!
Should we all demand payment of wages in cash to avoid taxes and qualify for benefits we are not entitled to? Just so all the honest people can pay our way?
Where is the outrage and action?
This is not about who makes the vaccines, but who promotes them!
Please pay attention to the news lately. Have you seen anything about Merck? Do you think they should be supporting "non-profits" who encourage the use of Vioxx, or now Vytorin?
Katie Couric is taking a brave stand, as well as Sharyl Atkisson. So refreshing to see in today''s industry led media. They should be applauded for their honesty and integrity in reporting the facts!
This is not about who makes the vaccines, but who promotes them!
Please pay attention to the news lately. Have you seen anything about Merck? Do you think they should be supporting "non-profits" who encourage the use of Vioxx, or now Vytorin?
Katie Couric is taking a brave stand, as well as Sharyl Atkisson. So refreshing to see in today''s industry led media. They should be applauded for their honesty and integrity in reporting the facts!
Thank you for your polite and thoughful reply. I think I get so frustrated because of what I personally went through. There are so many people who take the religious exemption just so they don''t have to vaccinate and it frustrates me when I almost lost my child.
Your comments are appreciated. It''s nice to know that people with different experiences with the onset of Autism can talk and compare notes with maturity. I hope one day, no matter what the cause, they can find an answer.
So then why run a story suggesting that a conflict of interest does exist?
Here is a sure-fire way to get through this...let the evidence dictate policy. Not individuals, and certainly not the media.
It''s not just the AAP, Every child by two, or Dr. Offit...it is the position of every major science and medical organization in this country and around the world. Are the scientific, medical, public health, and regulatory agencies of EU members, Japan, heck even communist China, all influenced by vaccine manufacturers? No.
Let the facts speak for themselves. CBS (particularly Ms. Attkinson), you''ve been beating this dead horse for a while now. Why don''t you find another conspiracy theory to propagate before more parents are scared into buying into this manufacture-versey and leave their children susceptible to the ravages of diseases that killed and debilitated millions of children before the advent of immunizations.
"It''''s not just the AAP, Every child by two, or Dr. Offit...it is the position of every major science and medical organization in this country and around the world. Are the scientific, medical, public health, and regulatory agencies of EU members, Japan, heck even communist China, all influenced by vaccine manufacturers? No."
Yes, actually, they are. For years, they have been influenced by pharma. Have you read anything about what congress is attempting to do to stop this?
Excuse my skepticism. I find that impossible to believe, but I guess if you are fully convinced of a massive global conspiracy, then I suppose why not pull ALL governments, doctors, and scientists into the mix. That makes perfect sense.
I''m wondering...all these people in on this conspiracy...do they not give their children vaccinations? That works out to millions of co-conspirators world-wide that have not vaccinated their children.
I can''t wait to hear somebody address this little inconvenient tid-bit.
Best leave health care under the authority of those you can hold accountable. And not some.. god damned worthless politician.
..............................
Nail.
Head.
Direct hit.
Thank You
Daniel Faiella
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