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* ►September 6, 2008 - Truthfulness in reporting By Cynthia A. Janak - Renew America - "When I started on this journey of reporting about Gardasil, I knew that there would be some that would do their best to discredit my findings. That is typical of journalism. So I have been expecting the barrage that I am receiving from one source and his pro-better life through chemicals sect*."

* ►September 6, 2008 - Should I Vaccinate My Child? - NewsWithViews.com - "Rather than question the safety and efficacy of vaccines, most physicians and parents blindly 'immunize' children. Rarely do they ask the lifesaving question of, 'Will a vaccine protect my child?' As a pharmaceutical chemist and parent, I researched that question six years ago. The answer was an astounding no."

* ►September 6, 2008 - New Information on FBI's Case Against Ivins from NY Times and the FBI Briefing of Aug. 18 - Anthrax Vaccine -- posts by Meryl Nass, M.D.

* ►September 5, 2008 - Afghan refugee among two new polio victims - Daily Times, Pakistan - "They said in Peshawar, Muhammad, a nine-month-old Afghan boy, had been found suffering from type-3 polio, a contagious and dangerous form of the debilitating disease. They said the boy was administered seven doses of routine oral polio vaccine (OPV)....They said the Barkhan case involved a 24-month-old boy, Muhammad. They said the boy had been diagnosed with polio. He said the boy received three OPV doses."

* ►September 5, 2008 - Judge to Unseal Documents on the Eli Lilly Drug Zyprexa (requires registration) - The New York Times

* ►September 5, 2008 - Barack Obama dines with donors at Bon Jovi's house - The Star-Ledger via NJ.com - "As Obama's motorcade drove up to Murphy's house, he waved from his car to a group of about 50 people rallying on a nearby lawn to express their concern about what they consider excessive vaccination of school children....Louise Habakus said she began intensive research on vaccinations after both children as infants suffered severe inflammatory bowel disease. She and others in her group, New Jersey Coalition for Vaccination Choice, believe a host of childhood ailments could be side effects of vaccines."

* ►September 4, 2008 - Rubella and CRS - Exploring Vaccines - "As you can see, the Rubella vaccine has had little impact on reducing the number of CRS cases over the last 40 years since its introduction, yet it increased CRS cases in some years. There are even incidences were women had high levels of antibodies to Rubella before pregnancy, yet the babies had CRS. There are also some women who will never seroconvert (show positive antibodies) no matter how many times they are vaccinated."

* ►September 2, 2008 - MMR Vaccine - MMR vaccine is it safe or effective? You be the judge based on the medical literature that is available to you. - Explorning Vaccines

* ►September 1, 2008 - Measles - Exploring Vaccines - "If anyone should be wary of Measles transmission it is the unvaccinated from the vaccinated. Right in the package insert, it states that MMR vaccinated children can excrete Measles Virus and the Mumps virus into the environment. The Chicken Pox vaccine can also be excreted with the MMR-V or Varicella vaccine. Babies, unvaccinated, the immunodeficient, and even older persons can be at risk from newly vaccinated people. Why aren’t parents being told this?"

* ►August 30, 2008 - New polio case reported - Pakistan Daily Mail - "Dr. Santosh, a member of the team, said that the child’s father told them that his son had been administered drops more than once during previous campaigns."

* ►September 5, 2008 - Vaccine maker asks Mo. court to void $8.5M award - Vaccine maker asks Mo. Supreme Court to overturn $8.5M award for man who contracted polio - AP via CNNMoney - "Roger Yoerges, representing American Cyanamid, told the judges Thursday that based on the FDA's explanation of its own regulations, the company did the tests it was supposed to. He said the jury's verdict is based on a faulty interpretation of what tests are required and should be tossed out....Yoerges also argued that Strong's paralysis may have been caused by an adverse reaction to a normal vaccine and that he should have been forced to prove otherwise. If that were the case, Robertson countered, vaccine makers - who are protected from lawsuits if they follow all regulatory procedures - would have an incentive to skip testing. 'Why waste the money on testing when they can't prove that they wouldn't have gotten it any way?' Robertson said."

* ►September 5, 2008 - Study Fails To Clear MMR/Autism Link by Barbara Loe Fisher - Vaccine Awakening

* ►September 5, 2008 - Judge OKs class-action lawsuit against Eli Lilly - Indianapolis Star - "A federal judge has ruled that pension funds, labor unions and insurance companies may sue Eli Lilly and Co. as a group over its schizophrenia drug Zyprexa. Judge Jack Weinstein, of New York, certifies the class-action lawsuit against Lilly in a 295-page ruling issued today. He denied class-action status to individuals with claims against Lilly."

* ►September 5, 2008 - More taxpayer-funded Gardasil propaganda - Hilary's Desk via Beyond Conformity

* ►September 5, 2008 - The super vaccine that gives lifelong immunity to ALL types of flu - Daily Mail, UK - "The new vaccine will initially be used on volunteers to test the dose before further studies are done to check its effectiveness in people exposed to flu. Researchers led by Dr Sarah Gilbert say more tests are needed to ensure its safety and efficacy before it could be used routinely in as little as five years. She said a universal vaccine would drastically change the way flu vaccine is used."

* ►September 5, 2008 - Novartis Offers Republicans A Swanky Boat Ride - Pharmalot - "Novartis officials talked up the company’s new $600 million vaccine plant being built in Holly Springs, North Carolina, which is scheduled to start production in 2010. “We thank you for hosting this lunch,” Richard Burr, a Republcian Senator from the state. “But more importantly, we thank you for investing in North Carolina’s future in bricks and mortar and jobs created.”

* ►September 5, 2008 - I was a government guinea pig, and all I got was this lousy t-shirt - Gargantuan US child health study - all take? - The Register - "What will the US government owe the hundreds of thousands of Americans it will swab, prick, track and trace over the next 21 years, in the largest children's health study ever? So far, the answer from the National Children's Study is "not much".

* ►September 4, 2008 - Lilly Fights Release Of Zyprexa Documents In Alaska - Pharmalot

* ►September 4, 2008 - Medical law and protection of children - journal article (BMJ)

* ►September 4, 2008 - Pandemic Plans - 1410 AM - La Crosse - Dr. Julie Gerberding Tells a Pandemic Conference in La Crosse Today That Private Business and All Levels of Government Should be Prepared for Many Deaths and Long Illnesses.

* ►September 4, 2008 - Neurological Adverse Events Associated With Antipsychotic Treatment in Children and Adolescents - journal article (Journal of Child Neurology)

* ►September 4, 2008 - Autism study meets skepticism at Austin conference (includes video) - Texas Cable News via TXCN.com - "But not everyone agrees with the findings, including autism experts now holding their annual conference in Austin. Holly Robinson Peete served as the conference’s keynote speaker....'My study is my kid -- I took him to get this MMR shot, and he was never the same after that,' said Peete."

* ►September 4, 2008 - Liver-Damaging Effects of Cholesterol Drug Zetia Hidden by Merck, FDA Documents Reveal - NaturalNews.com

* ►September 3, 2008 - Bias alone could account for benefit attributed to flu vaccine, study finds - journal article (BMJ) - "The reduction in mortality seen among elderly people who have been given the flu vaccine could have more to do with a "healthy user" effect than any protective value of the vaccine itself, a study has found."

* ►September 3, 2008 - An alternative approach to combination vaccines: intradermal administration of isolated components for control of anthrax, botulism, plague and staphylococcal toxic shock (pdf) - journal article (Journal of Immune Based Therapies and Vaccines)

* ►September 2, 2008 - HTR2A variation and sudden infant death syndrome: a case–control analysis - journal article (Acta Paediatrica)

* ►September 1, 2008 - Immunization Uptake in Siblings of Children With Autism - journal article (Pediatrics)

* ►August 20, 2008 - Transmitted duplication of 8p23.1-8p23.2 associated with speech delay, autism and learning difficulties. - journal article (European Journal of Human Genetics)

* ►September 8, 2008 - Immunity To Reason - India plans to adopt a pneumonia vaccine that doesn't work and has ill side-effects - OutlookIndia.com - "How would you react if you were told that your child had contracted a lifelong ailment because of the side-effects of a vaccine that is part of the government's immunisation programme? And what if it's discovered that the vaccine didn't even offer protection in the first place against the disease it was meant to provide immunity from? It all sounds incredible, but may well be true if foreign donor agencies and pharmaceutical firms have their way with the government."

* ►September 4, 2008 - Polio vaccine maker asks Missouri Supreme Court to reconsider award - AP via Columbia Missourian - "A vaccine maker wants the Missouri Supreme Court to reject an $8.5 million verdict for a St. Louis man who contracted polio after being vaccinated as an infant. Cortez Strong got polio in 1987 and has limited use of his left arm and right hand. In 2005, a jury awarded Strong money for pain and suffering and future lost earnings. Strong contends American Cyanamid Co. didn't properly test his polio vaccine. But attorneys for American Cyanamid argued Thursday that the company complied with federal regulations....New Jersey-based pharmaceutical company Wyeth bought American Cyanamid in 1994."

* ►September 4, 2008 - "Conclusive" vaccination study? - Tampa Bay's 10 - "While several researchers said this study is 'conclusive' proof that there is no link, Tampa pediatrician, Dr. David Berger says the study is too small (38 children) to make that claim and not comprehensive enough to give parents 100 percent assurance. Dr. Berger says larger, longterm studies are needed. The Tampa board certified pediatrician advises parents to separate the live combination virus vaccine so they can tell if their child has had an allergic reaction to any of the vaccines."

* ►September 4, 2008 - Autism Researchers Comment on New Study and Welcome the Affirmation of Previous Measles Findings - press release - Thoughtful House - "In that this new study affirms the reliability of Professor O’Leary’s laboratory and therefore of his previous findings, a major impact upon the current hearings in vaccine court is likely, wherein the government’s defense relies largely on the claim that Professor O’Leary’s finding of measles in the intestinal biopsy of Michelle Cedillo (a child with severe autism and epilepsy) was unreliable. The historical reliability of the measles assay used in Professor O’Leary’s laboratory is now confirmed. The authors of the PLOS1 study make the erroneous claim that epidemiological studies have not supported an MMR-autism link, when in fact the CDC’s own study published in 2004 shows a significant association between autism and younger age at the time of MMR vaccination.(2) We are pleased to see that this new study provides further confirmation that children with autism suffer from gastrointestinal problems that deserve to be addressed as a priority."

* ►September 4, 2008 - Study firmly shows no connection between measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism - Focus on children with autism and gastrointestinal symptoms; findings show GI symptoms and autism onset both unrelated to MMR timing - Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health via EurekAlert!

* ►September 4, 2008 - Vaccine Watch Posted by Sharyl Attkisson - Primary Source Blog via CBS News - "Now, there's an indication that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) believes, like their former Director Dr. Healy, that there are still many important unanswered questions. The NIH recently posted a solicitation for grants to conduct new research on vaccine safety."

* ►September 4, 2008 - CDC Releases 'Very Good' Immunization Report for 2007 (includes Julie Gerberding, MD audio) - MedPage Today - "The U.S. gets top marks on its 'immunization report card' for 2007, said CDC Director Julie Gerberding, M.D., M.P.H. In a telephone press briefing, Dr. Gerberding said 77.4% of children got all their shots in 2007, according to figures from the National Immunization Survey."

* ►September 4, 2008 - Immunization Rates Remain Strong - Measles outbreaks highlight importance of adhering to recommended immunization schedule - press release - Every Child By Two via PRNewswire-USNewswire

* ►September 4, 2008 - Vaccine may have contributed to dog's death (includes video) - KXLY.com - "'I take in three dogs, perfectly healthy,' he says. 'Bring home three dogs, very ill.' Higgs filed a claim with Pfizer asking to be compensated for vet and travel expenses. He also wants Pfizer to give pet owners a mandatory disclosure form to sign before any vaccine is ever given. 'It should be required to list all drug reactions, all drug interactions,' he says, 'effects on pets with preexisting conditions, effects on pets of a certain size and weight and breed.'"

* ►September 3, 2008 - New Study: Measles Vaccine Doesn't Cause Autism - Researchers hope finding will encourage parents to vaccinate children - Scientific American - "Rick Rollens, who has an autistic son who suffers from a 'horrible bowel disorder,' called the new research sound science and praised it for calling attention to an underserved subset of the autism spectrum: those children who also suffer from GI problems. But he insists that it does not give the all clear to all vaccines. 'I'm totally convinced that a vaccine caused the autism my child suffers from,' Rollens says. 'This study by itself does not exonerate the role of all vaccines'—only the MMR."

* ►September 3, 2008 - Study: No link between measles vaccine and autism (includes video) - CNN - "'This really puts this issue to bed,' said Andy Shih, vice president for scientific affairs of 'Autism Speaks,' an advocacy group....But the Autism Society of America cautioned that the cause of autism is complex and more research is needed to fully understand the role, if any, of the vaccine. Another autism advocacy group, the National Autism Association (NAA), said the study is flawed."

* ►September 3, 2008 - Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine - Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, UK - "Only reactions that are suspected to be related to the vaccine (and not those associated with the injection process) should be reported via the Yellow Card Scheme. If having considered this advice, you wish to report a possible psychogenic response, please include only the main diagnosis or event as the suspected reaction (eg, ‘faint’, ‘vasovagal syncope’, or ‘panic attack’). Any signs or symptoms associated with these events (eg, loss of consciousness, injury, limb jerking or tingling, difficulty in breathing, hyperventilation) should not be reported as a suspected adverse reaction."

* ►September 4, 2008 - Drug Warnings That Can Cause Fits — Communicating Risks in a Data-Poor Environment - journal article (NEJM)

* ►September 4, 2008 - Lack of Association between Measles Virus Vaccine and Autism with Enteropathy: A Case-Control Study - journal article (PLoS ONE)

* ►September 3, 2008 - CDC Misses Target With Flawed MMR/Autism Study - NAA says:  Wrong Question Asked. Wrong Children Studied. Wrong Conclusions Reached. - press release - National Autism Association - "Public confidence in the safety of vaccines is at risk until safety studies are performed that are required by law, ethics, and science. NAA calls for a vaccinated vs. non-vaccinated study comparing all health outcomes including autism. The CDC is in charge of vaccine safety, owns patents to vaccines (according to a UPI Investigative Report from 2003) and is in charge of promoting vaccines. The public should demand that vaccine safety be taken away from an agency with such conflicts and support HR#1973, the Vaccine Safety and Public Confidence Assurance Act."

* ►September 3, 2008 - MMR Vaccine Not Linked to Autism (includes audio by Mady Hornig, M.D.) - PLoS ONE via MedPage Today - "'We are persuaded that there is no link,' according to Ian Lipkin, M.D., of the Mailman School of Public Health of Columbia University."

* ►September 3, 2008 - Study Finds Vaccine Not Linked to Autism - New Research Offers Strongest Evidence Yet on Controversy (includes video) - ABC News - "Dr. Marie McCormick of the Harvard School of Public Health said these results are definitive and significant. 'This is the nail in the coffin,' she said. 'The final bit of research we were looking for to finally discredit this link between the measles vaccine and autism' is proven....'This is exactly the type of study we've come to expect from the CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention],' said NAA Research Committee co-chair Laura Bono. 'One where a sweeping conclusion is made that can't be supported by the study itself.'"

* ►September 3, 2008 - HPV vaccine shows possible side effects in girls - KGW.com - "Breanna Barnard, 12, is your normal teenager....In July, Barnard was given the much-hyped HPV vaccine, otherwise known as Gardasil. It’s a popular vaccine to prevent cervical cancer in young girls....'She started walking really strange. At first it was funny because she couldn’t walk.' Her mom said. It got worse.  'I couldn’t feel my arms, I couldn’t talk,' said the young girl. When it lasted three hours, her mother had enough.  She took Breanna to a Washington state hospital, where a doctor became concerned.  Barnard said an EEG showed slow brain movement on one side of her brain.  If that wasn’t enough to concern to this mother of four, just wait until you hear what the doctor told her. 'She told me they get a lot of girls in here, with the same side effects.' What was the link?  Barnard claims the doctor says it was the HPV vaccine."

* ►September 3, 2008 - The Role of Lawsuits in Regulating the Drug Industry - New York Personal Injury Lawyers New, NYC

* ►September 3, 2008 - Gardasil - CBC News - "The catch with Gardasil, though, is that it has proved remarkably effective against two particular strains of HPV, which in themselves are said to be responsible for upwards of 70 per cent of cervical cancers. That means Gardasil will not prevent all cervical cancers and women are still advised to get Pap tests. But the important consideration here is that if young women have already been exposed to these two most popular strains, the vaccine has no effect. In fact, some early testing has suggested that women who take Gardasil who are already infected with HPV are more susceptible to developing the lesions that lead to cervical cancer. So the plan is to inoculate girls as young as possible, before they've had sex, hence the U.S. Food and Drug Administration decision to allow the drug on girls as young as nine, or when they are in Grade 4."

* ►September 3, 2008 - Senate Committee Conducts Hearing On Antimicrobial Resistance - U.S. Medicine - "Yet, Dr. Tenover added, 'even as the CDC surveillance system was recording this decline in pneumococcal infections, it also noted the rise of infections caused by a new multi-drug resistant strain of pneumococcus called serotype 19-A—a strain type not covered by [Prevnar].' Another example of taking one step forward, one step back, in terms of combating antimicrobial resistance, is the rates of MRSA infection in patients across the United States."

* ►September 3, 2008 - NJ Lawmaker Wants Probe Into Antipsychotics - Pharmalot

* ►September 2, 2008 - Public Workshop Rapid Methods for Detecting Mycoplasma Contamination in the Manufacture of Vaccines, Including Pandemic Influenza Vaccines, and Other Biological Products - FDA/CBER

* ►September 2, 2008 - Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, PATH Announce New Partnership to Produce Rotavirus Vaccine Candidate for Clinical Trials - Ascribe News via COMTEX via Trading Charts

* ►September 2, 2008 - Was The FDA Given A Secret Vytorin Report? - Pharmalot

* ►September 2, 2008 - The Unconvincing Thimerosal Epidemiological Studies: How and Why They Were Produced, Published and Protected by F. Edward Yazbak, MD, FAAP - Vaccine Autoimmune Project for Research and Education (VAP)

* ►September 2, 2008 - Court order remains for anti-vaccine couple - A Sydney court has refused a request by the New South Wales Department of Community Services (DOCS) to give up parental responsibility for a baby born to a mother with hepatitis B. - www.abc.net.au

* ►September 2, 2008 - Safe Vaccines Still Possible For Most Vaccine-Allergic Children - Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions via Medical News Today - "'We cannot reiterate enough that the vaccines used today are extremely safe, but in a handful of children certain vaccine ingredients can trigger serious allergic reactions,' says Robert Wood, M.D., lead author on the paper and chief of pediatric Allergy and Immunology at Hopkins Children's. ... Conflict of interest disclosure for Hopkins investigators: Halsey has received research support from vaccine manufacturer Wyeth and is a consultant for vaccine manufacturers GlaxoSmithKline and Merck."

* ►September 2, 2008 - Cervical cancer vaccine advertised on teen social networking sites - Teenage girls are being targeted through social networking websites with messages telling them to take up the new cervical cancer jab, it has emerged. - The Telegraph, UK

* ►September 2, 2008 - Revealed: The serious health concerns about the cervical cancer jab - Daily Mail, UK

* ►September 2, 2008 - Incidence of pneumonia is not reduced by pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (pdf) (letters) - WHO

* ►September 2, 2008 - Gardasil Is Safe And Usage Will Rise? Keep Reading - Pharmalot

* ►September 2, 2008 - Psych Journal Discloses Editorial Board Conflicts - Pharmalot

* ►September 1, 2008 - Incidence of pneumonia is not reduced by pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (pdf) (letters) - WHO - "The Cochrane database states that PCV does not reduce the incidence of clinical pneumonia, although it has been shown to reduce vaccine-serotype bacteraemic pneumonia and radiological pneumonia. The benefit of reducing bacteraemic pneumonia and radiological pneumonia is so minimal that it has no effect on “clinical pneumonia”. Poor nations will need to assess its cost utility carefully."

* ►September 2008 - Vaccine anxieties: global science, child health and society (book review) - WHO - "The “story”, the “frame”, gives meaning to complex and challenging experiences. In the United Kingdom, for example, attitudes towards vaccination are embedded into a context of personalized perspectives concerning parenting, child development and health. Whereas epidemiology takes a population-based approach to risk, parents facing the decision to have their child vaccinated might view the situation from a different perspective – that of the specific health history of the family and the child and of personal experiences with institutions. Parents do not assess risk on a population level, but in relation to their child. Public health practitioners and many citizens often have views of government, society and of the body that are at odds with one another and to describe those opposing views using concepts such as ignorance of “sound science” seems highly inappropriate to the authors of this book."

* ►August 31, 2008 - A shot of skepticism about vaccines won't hurt a bit (requires registration) - Chicago Tribune - "Vaccination, considered to be one of medicine's greatest achievements, is a personal decision that is often forced on people for the greater good. Parents who question vaccines are simply seeking information and advocating for their children. We have the right to question everything that goes into our children's bodies, whether it's food, herbs, over-the-counter medications or prescription drugs. Vaccines, which like any medical procedure carry both benefits and risks, should not be an exception."

* ►August 27, 2008 - The Politics of Merck’s Gardasil - The HPV vaccine is slammed by the New York Times. Expect some of those themes to recur during the presidential campaign. - The RPM Report

* ►September 8, 2008 - Time to get tough? States increasingly offer ways to opt out of vaccine mandates - Too many exemptions have been seen as a risk to public health. But a push to crack down might do more harm than good. - www.ama-assn.org

* ►September 8, 2008 - Shedding and immunogenicity of live attenuated influenza vaccine virus in subjects 5–49 years of age - journal article (Vaccine)

* ►September 2, 2008 - Gardasil lies, damned lies and more omissions - Hilary's Desk via Beyond Conformity

* ►September 1, 2008 - Anaphylaxis following quadrivalent human papillomavirus vaccination (pdf) - (Canadian Medical Association Journal) - "We performed intradermal testing (0.02 mL per injection) with HPV vaccines and polysorbate 80 (dilutions 1:100 and 1:10). The vaccine adjuvant (proprietary Merck amorphous aluminum hydroxyphosphate sulfate) was not available for inclusion in the protocol. Following investigation, we classified cases using the Brighton case definition of anaphylaxis and the level of diagnostic certainty2 (Box 1, Box 2). The Brighton definition refers to the level of diagnostic certainty but not the degree of severity of the case (i.e., a level 1 classification is associated with the greatest diagnostic certainty of anaphylaxis). For the purpose of applying the definition, we considered a rash that occurred at any site not contiguous with the injection site to be “generalized.” ..."Because the onset of symptoms occurred within 30 minutes of vaccination and because there was no alternate explanation, we determined that these cases were certain or very likely to have been caused by the vaccine. We considered and rejected the possibility that these cases could have been vasovagal episodes or somatic conversion disorder misdiagnosed as anaphylaxis. Of the 8 cases, 6 had generalized urticaria, 1 had angioedema and 1 had no dermatological signs but had stridor and hypoxia."

* ►September 1, 2008 - The human papillomavirus vaccine and risk of anaphylaxis (pdf) - (Canadian Medical Association Journal)

* ►September 1, 2008 - Human papillomavirus vaccine risk and reality (pdf) - (Canadian Medical Association Journal)

* ►September 1, 2008 - HPV vaccine 'remarkably safe' despite allergic reactions, new data shows - Canwest News Service via Canada.com - "The study of 114,000 girls aged 12 to 26 vaccinated in Australia last year found an estimated rate of anaphylaxis of 2.6 per 100,000 doses of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine - five- to 20-fold higher than rates reported for other vaccines. The rate of anaphylaxis in a 2003 school-based meningococcal vaccination program, by comparison, was 0.1 per 100,000 doses."

* ►September 1, 2008 - Will you give your daughter the cervical cancer jab? - Daily Mail, UK

* ►September 1, 2008 - Burning Issue: Is vaccinating school girls for cervical cancer the best strategy? - The Scotsman

* ►September 1, 2008 - How Will Sarah Palin Vaccinate Her Son Trig? By Mark Blaxill - Age of Autism

* ►September 1, 2008 - Autism Parents Seek Clout in Federal Election - In the crosshairs: Health Minister Clement Activists target ridings with thin margins. - TheTyee.ca

* ►September 1, 2008 - Drug Makers and Public Policy (requires registration) (opinion) - The New York Times - "The scientific evaluation of a new vaccine must be based on its merits and be limited to recommendations for use in the population. A recommendation for a school mandate should include the risk of contagion within the school-aged group rather than be based on the effectiveness of the vaccine in disease prevention. Those of us involved in state policy on immunizations have seen recent mandates initiated by pharmaceutical companies with limited scientific evidence for a school requirement. During this era of public questioning of vaccines, our public policy should be based on appropriate indications of threats to the public harm."

* ►August 31, 2008 - Doctors top county salary list - Competition from private sector drives high pay, officials say - Redding Record

* ►August 29, 2008 - Autopsy results inconclusive in baby's death - Quad City Times - "The 4-month-old boy died July 1, hours after receiving childhood vaccinations at a Genesis Health Group facility in the Illinois Quad-Cities. The hospital organization stopped its entire program for several days to investigate....Anderson said 'inconclusive' autopsy results occur sporadically. 'It’s unfortunate when we can’t pinpoint the cause,' she added. The infant, who was not identified, had received standard vaccines that protect children from eight diseases, including diphtheria, Haemophilus, influenza B, hepatitis B, pertussis, pneumococcal disease, polio, rotavirus and tetanus."

* ►August 29, 2008 - Flu Shot Benefits for Elderly Questioned - American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine via MedPage Today

* ►August 28, 2008 - Compulsory Vaccination - Australian Vaccination Network - "Having the freedom to make an informed choice about vaccination – indeed, about any medical procedure – should be considered a basic right for an individual living in a country that calls itself a democracy. No free society has the right to demand that one of its citizens place their life or the lives of its children at risk in order to protect others. Especially not when the means of protection – vaccination – is questioned by many, including a significant minority of health professionals."

* ►August 31, 2008 - Back To School Worries By Anne Dachel - Age of Autism - "I find it interesting that Fox News and Marc Siegel think that unvaccinated kids spreading the measles virus should be parents' number one worry.  Maybe Fox News would like to know what parents of children who have autism have on their minds every minute of the day as this school year begins. The list would be incredibly long, certainly a lot more than seven items.  I'm starting off with a couple of things I painfully remember from when my son was in school, before I ended up home schooling because I simply couldn't handle the stress."

* ►August 31, 2008 - Dr. Jay Gordon Responds to Dr. David Gorski and the Anons - Age of Autism

* ►August 31, 2008 - Flint teen becomes center of debate over Gardasil cervical vaccine - The Flint Journal via MLive.com - "Sammie and Matia White thought they were following the law when they got their 17-year-old daughter vaccinated with Gardasil. 'The doctor told my wife it was mandatory. She said our daughter had to get the shot,' Sammie White said....'She started having headaches, she was irritable,' Sammie White said. 'She just changed.' Willams received her first shot in December, and by February she had broken out with a rash all over her body and her hands and feet were swollen due to poor circulation, her father said. Since the shot, she's also been diagnosed with connective tissue disorder, a form of lupus. Sammie White recently said the family received news that Williams may lose her finger tips."

* ►August 31, 2008 - "Winning words" - Hilary's Desk via Beyond Conformity - "Much of what is presumed to be 'quality clinical evidence' with regard to children, is nothing more than a drug prescribed off-label, on the basis of anecdotal medical observation, and medical hunches.  Peer review is a sick joke. Ask the question as to why it is the influenza vaccine is still used."

* ►Informed Consent in Vaccination - VaccineEthics.org - "Informed Consent in Vaccination - The American Medical Association defines informed consent as 'a process of communication between a patient and physician that results in the patient’s authorization or agreement to undergo a specific medical intervention.'1 The principle behind this process arises out of respect for patient autonomy and is particularly relevant to the administration of vaccines. The Declaration of Helsinki, the highly regarded international guidelines for research on human subjects, states that 'considerations related to the well-being of human subjects should take precedence over the interests of science and society.'2 While this was written with respect to biomedical research, it has been argued that a similar principle should be applied to vaccine policy. Many bioethicists, clinicians, and others argue that the decision to vaccinate should always be left to patients (or parents, in the case of children), despite years of evidence that mass immunization confers additional protection to the communities by reducing the spread of infectious disease, a phenomenon known as herd immunity. The principle of informed consent requires that a patient understand the risks and potential benefits of a particular vaccine before receiving it.'
 1 American Medical Association website:
http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/4608.html  Accessed 20 July 2007.
2 World Medical Association. 1964, 2000. Declaration of Helsinki, as amended by the WMA 52nd General Assembly, Edinburgh, Scotland, October 2000."

Posted September 6, 2008

* ►September 7, 2008 - Controversial autism guru offers Scots a £7000 'cure' - Scotland on Sunday - "Raun Kaufman insists he 'fully recovered' from the condition and can show others how to do the same."

* ►September 7, 2008 - Teen measles vaccination rate under 40% - The Yomiuri Shimbun

* ►September 7, 2008 - Ministers ignored parents' fears over cervical cancer jab - Go-ahead for programme to give girls HPV vaccine, despite concerns it would be 'a licence for promiscuity' - The Independent, UK

* ►September 7, 2008 - Allergic reaction risk to cervical cancer jab - The Sun-Herald via Sydney Morning Herald - "The Federal Government's Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) said health-care professionals and patients should be aware as 'the occurrence of anaphylaxis and allergic reactions is not predictable and can occur in anyone regardless of whether they have a previous history of allergy or not'. The TGA has received 1013 reports of suspected adverse reactions to Gardasil, but has not changed its backing of the vaccine, which is given free to girls and women aged 12 to 26."

* ►September 6, 2008 - Truthfulness in reporting By Cynthia A. Janak - Renew America - "When I started on this journey of reporting about Gardasil, I knew that there would be some that would do their best to discredit my findings. That is typical of journalism. So I have been expecting the barrage that I am receiving from one source and his pro-better life through chemicals sect*."

* ►September 6, 2008 - Should I Vaccinate My Child? - NewsWithViews.com - "Rather than question the safety and efficacy of vaccines, most physicians and parents blindly 'immunize' children. Rarely do they ask the lifesaving question of, 'Will a vaccine protect my child?' As a pharmaceutical chemist and parent, I researched that question six years ago. The answer was an astounding no."

* ►September 6, 2008 - Things Come Around By Kent Heckenlively, Esq. - Age of Autism

* ►September 6, 2008 - Obama and Corzine Listen To New Jersey Coalition for Vaccination Choice By Kim Stagliano - Age of Autism

* ►September 6, 2008 - As autism cases grow in Ore., new laws may arise - AP via The Oregonian - OregonLive.com

* ►September 6, 2008 - Education Week Clears Up The Confusion On Palin and Special Ed Funding - Adventures in Autism

* ►September 6, 2008 - Former FDA Official Testifies that Eli Lilly Lied about Drug Side Effects - NaturalNews.com

* ►September 6, 2008 - FDA Declares Bisphenol-A Plastics Chemical to be Safe, Relying on Industry-Funded Studies - NaturalNews.com

* ►September 6, 2008 - That Plastic Baby Bottle - editorial (requires registration) - The New York Times - "What do you do when one arm of the government says everything is O.K. and another tells you to watch out? That is what is happening with bisphenol-A — a chemical used in many plastics and epoxy resins now found in baby bottles and liners for canned goods. The answer is a truism in every family rulebook — when in doubt, especially when it comes to children, err on the side of caution. That means it is a good idea to keep the young away from bisphenol-A, or BPA."

* ►September 6, 2008 - A question of ethics - Homeopaths are peddling so-called 'vaccines' without any evidence that they are effective - Comment is free via The Guardian, UK

* ►September 6, 2008 - Govt extends measles vaccination until tomorrow - DailyNewsOnline, Tanzania - "He said several children who attended the vaccination had no severe effects, proving the safety of the vaccine. 'In some areas like Morogoro and Rukwa Regions where some children collapsed because of the vaccine, the response has not been good as was the case in the previous campaigns ,' he said.  He added that poor health conditions of the schoolchildren could have been the cause for such incidents and that children must be well fed before going for vaccination."

* ►September 6, 2008 - Could an epidemic be looming in Idaho? (includes video) - KBCI CBS 2

* ►September 6, 2008 - Cancer vaccine ready for girls - Controversial medicine helps prevent cervical cancer - Canwest News Service via Canada.com - "Alberta is forging ahead with a program to immunize schoolgirls against the virus that causes cervical cancer, despite controversy among religious leaders about the plan and a recent study linking the vaccine with allergic reactions."

* ►September 6, 2008 - Seeking Details, Lawmakers Seek Anthrax Details (requires registration) - New York Times

* ►September 6, 2008 - New Information on FBI's Case Against Ivins from NY Times and the FBI Briefing of Aug. 18 - Anthrax Vaccine -- posts by Meryl Nass, M.D.

* ►September 6, 2008 - Building on 'Outstanding Questions' - The FBI has completed its disclosures, and the media, bloggers and scientists have spent a month discussing the anthrax letters case and putative guilt of Bruce Ivins. Where does the case stand, and what remains to be answered? - Anthrax Vaccine -- posts by Meryl Nass, M.D.

* ►September 6, 2008 - H5N1 Vaccine Effectively Prevents Bird Flu - Bernama - "The test of locally-made influenza A/H5N1 vaccine on humans has proved successful. The Military Medical Institute 103 in August reported that the first phase of the test of H5N1 influenza vaccine on humans was completed."

* ►September 5, 2008 - Exemptions from vaccines increase - Jackson Hole Star Tribune

* ►September 5, 2008 - District, state remind parents of the importance of vaccinations - The Casper Star-Tribune - "Noemi Amaro had no idea her daughter, Jocelyn, was missing part of her Hepatitis B shot series until the school nurse called....Amaro took her daughter to the Casper-Natrona County Health Department Wednesday for a free vaccine clinic. While they were there, Jocelyn also received vaccines for Hepatitis A and chicken pox, which aren't required but are strongly encouraged."

* ►September 5, 2008 - Vaccine Choice, or Risky Move? - Federal health authorities revealed yesterday that Chicago lags behind the state and the country in childhood vaccinations. Many kids don’t get their shots because parents decline them. Public health experts say that’s led to the resurgence around Chicago of a disease that had been nearly snuffed out. - City Room via Chicago Public Radio

* ►September 5, 2008 - Afghan refugee among two new polio victims - Daily Times, Pakistan - "They said in Peshawar, Muhammad, a nine-month-old Afghan boy, had been found suffering from type-3 polio, a contagious and dangerous form of the debilitating disease. They said the boy was administered seven doses of routine oral polio vaccine (OPV)....They said the Barkhan case involved a 24-month-old boy, Muhammad. They said the boy had been diagnosed with polio. He said the boy received three OPV doses."

* ►September 5, 2008 - Judge to Unseal Documents on the Eli Lilly Drug Zyprexa (requires registration) - The New York Times

* ►September 5, 2008 - Barack Obama dines with donors at Bon Jovi's house - The Star-Ledger via NJ.com - "As Obama's motorcade drove up to Murphy's house, he waved from his car to a group of about 50 people rallying on a nearby lawn to express their concern about what they consider excessive vaccination of school children....Louise Habakus said she began intensive research on vaccinations after both children as infants suffered severe inflammatory bowel disease. She and others in her group, New Jersey Coalition for Vaccination Choice, believe a host of childhood ailments could be side effects of vaccines."

* ►September 5, 2008 - Measles - Exploring Vaccines - "When considering the risks or benefits of the vaccine, consider this:  Once a population is exposed to measles in childhood, few infants or adults will contract it as they will have acquired immunity for life.  The vaccine simply can not do that. All it has done is decrease the virulence, the circulation cycle of the disease, and pushed the disease incidence to older persons and infants when the disease can be more harmful and deadly."

* ►September 4, 2008 - Rubella and CRS - Exploring Vaccines - "As you can see, the Rubella vaccine has had little impact on reducing the number of CRS cases over the last 40 years since its introduction, yet it increased CRS cases in some years. There are even incidences were women had high levels of antibodies to Rubella before pregnancy, yet the babies had CRS. There are also some women who will never seroconvert (show positive antibodies) no matter how many times they are vaccinated."

* ►September 4, 2008 - Mumps - Exploring Vaccines - "The Mumps vaccine program has essentially put all adult males at a greater risk, since it can be cause more complications in adulthood.  If the vaccine had only been offered to susceptible males and females after puberty, who had not acquired a natural case in childhood, we might very well see a different picture than we see today."

* ►September 4, 2008 - Anthrax: The Demon in the Mailbox - Anthrax Vaccine -- posts by Meryl Nass, M.D.

* ►September 3, 2008 - Remember When: Polio once spread fear through Rock River Valley - Rockford Register Star - "Photo 19 of 22 - Then-polio experts thought DDT was a 'miracle insecticide,' that would kill polio 'bugs.' Airplanes dumped DDT on Rockford’s east side, and hospitals were sprayed with the insecticide, Page 1 of the Aug. 8, 1945, Rockford Morning Star reported."

* ►September 2, 2008 - MMR Vaccine - MMR vaccine is it safe or effective? You be the judge based on the medical literature that is available to you. - Explorning Vaccines

* ►September 1, 2008 - Measles - Exploring Vaccines - "If anyone should be wary of Measles transmission it is the unvaccinated from the vaccinated. Right in the package insert, it states that MMR vaccinated children can excrete Measles Virus and the Mumps virus into the environment. The Chicken Pox vaccine can also be excreted with the MMR-V or Varicella vaccine. Babies, unvaccinated, the immunodeficient, and even older persons can be at risk from newly vaccinated people. Why aren’t parents being told this?"

* ►August 30, 2008 - New polio case reported - Pakistan Daily Mail - "Dr. Santosh, a member of the team, said that the child’s father told them that his son had been administered drops more than once during previous campaigns."