NVIC Vaccine E-NewsletterJuly 27, 2008



Vaccination, Ignorance, Prejudice & Greed

by Barbara Loe Fisher

w
ww.vaccineawakening.blogspot.com
(http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001fMvSY9K3CTQ2QMtsbDMT0luGCCm7iHoID-umcitFTc5ASd7apD2r\
-H-A3wQso3yHHchWE94dw4kuKe1dv8dNubO_mVV22yTrPKhKPT9JJoivhv3eGMQvQu2TCC2iS-s277K-\
DbhM8i4=)

www.NVIC.org
(http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001fMvSY9K3CTRASj4OztsXX_yNLxU6dnksPKYNSnrJZ09W_IeeAjn5\
sDnR7Fm2EATjotoeqQwPpGYPP2RWGhAwZCuzg2DZ5V5uI4MdV7gSf7w=)

www.Stand
UpBeCounted.org
(http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001fMvSY9K3CTSyPmvD3kRCzP_krZGuGcP-nvzKqk_6hIZfIKvKoc3a\
fW39F9M--jAjxjPh0MknFIAAibD4q3eWOSun0e6kB_Swlxgx2ufu-lptTPkjE5S-2Q==)
* Make a difference SUPPORT NVIC

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


...

Setting up the Unlocking Autism & NVIC

exhibit at Netroots Nation the morning

of July 17, 2008






__________________________________________





It has been a challenging week for
families living with the reality of autism
and for those educating Americans about the
need to institute vaccine safety and informed
consent protections in public health
programs. It was a week when individual
extremists from the political right and the
left revealed their capacity for ignorance
and prejudice, even as many enlightened
Americans demonstrated their capacity for
understanding, concern and compassion. It
was a week that ended with a revelation that
the American Academy of Pediatrics, Every
Child by Two and the pediatrician leading a
national effort to eliminate exemptions to
vaccination, Paul Offit, M.D., are all taking
big money from big Pharma.





Several months ago when Unlocking
Autism (UA) President Shelley Reynolds called
me and asked if NVIC would join UA in
mounting a major exhibit at the Netroots
Nation progressive blogger conference in
Austin, TX July 17-19, I knew it would be an
opportunity to reach out to several thousand
Americans blogging on important social and
political issues. We worked hard to create a
professional exhibit (the largest in the
Exhibit Hall) that would include
representatives from SAFEMINDS, TACA, and Age
of Autism contributing information and
helping to staff the booth.





The theme of our exhibit was "Vaccine
Safety: What's Choice Got To Do With It?" and
the buttons and t-shirts we wore said
"Vaccines: Our Children. Our Choice. Our
Vote" while the facts listed on the 16 foot
high tower exhibit included "Vaccine Market:
$21 Billion" and "Toxic Vaccine Ingredients"
and "One-Size-Fits-All Vaccine Policies" and
"No Vaccine Risk Research" and "Autism: 1 in
150 children; 1 in 94 boys; $3.2M per child"
and "Giving Mercury to Children on Purpose Is
Stupid." We were ready to answer questions
from the more than 2,000 bloggers showing up
to listen to Howard Dean, Nancy Pelosi, Al
Gore and other speakers talk about issues
important to Democrats as well as the nation.





While we were finishing setting up our
exhibit on the morning of July 17, Shelley
and I, along with Rebecca Estepp (TACA),
Theresa Wrangham (SAFEMINDS), Kevin Barry,
Paul Arthur (NVIC) and my son, Chris, started
networking with other exhibitors. (Later we
would be joined by Mark Blaxill from Age of
Autism and attorney Jim Moody). The booth
directly across from us was Media Matters.





As the bloggers came into the Exhibit
Hall and walked by our booth, we handed out
vaccine information. Suddenly, a middle-aged
woman with a scowl on her face appeared and
screamed "baby killer" at Becky but refused
to engage in a conversation. Later we were
told that several complaints had been lodged
with the convention organizers (to which the
organizers responded that Netroots Nation
welcomed open dialogue on such an important
health issue).





A few hours later we learned about the
obscene tirade that conservative shock jock
Michael Savage had let loose on children with
autism and asthma. We had a conversation with
our new blogger friends at the Media Matters
booth, who were quite familiar with his
rants.



By the end of the day, Media
Matters
(http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001fMvSY9K3CTRS-P2l7TmcTKaNe_ySGEAL3v-LGFw0MM9_IAlYM-wu\
TV1EGWNor7Uh_j9r8_fwHHMUtedNtNnWMkarL0HL5sF-Uv2KvO1um5rnEGiiXYQFDWWaA0rFoRcdK7hr\
fYlAs8OHFy32a4rnlAk8eNmgc45d),
had set their blogger sights on Savage. Their
quick action played a major role in
galvanizing
both the autism community
(http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001fMvSY9K3CTSH0p2BovmusRYZiPtRITMMQKkXWy1O-JEIDllQEMuw\
eSFYLolvpZqDkRwJLoubIJe399GAp7PBdYSMHsno05nAq-vjKfyWpMNbJKVa7Iglnue07gMAFBC0SRme\
Yv2-S8BaafhJAagOzgggAq-HTEiOphSdtMe6Fld-rdX0HIXzlZSVreHxo7zF)
and enlightened
Americans from both sides of the political
spectrum disgusted by the cruelty of mindless
prejudice against children and families
suffering with autism and asthma through no
fault of their own. Big advertisers
like Aflac, Radio Shack and Sears pulled
their ads
(http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001fMvSY9K3CTQWZ9aszyZmLkO6KSYZ1RcEDsl6FvpeYoUpXidgS07c\
g_3463mKqLBgE7PFZz13tXlTPX8rUU7Wrr-_vvC7-uHt8TPfNpZ4elr9AwebArWOAdeARTqw6c4mSLYY\
6ADKTun0DRWqhouvBqPWfsxUH0nxKeqnzeEm0tBlpN6nNjs_8z8fQT9KgJ3x)from
Savage's nationally
syndicated radio show. Radio stations in
Virginia, Ohio, Mississippi and elsewhere
canceled the show.



During the Netroots Nation convention,
we were approached by many bloggers who
either had a child with autism in their own





family or knew a family living with autism.
Pregnant women stopped by our exhibit to
learn more about mercury in influenza
vaccines. Others stopped by to describe
vaccine reactions they or a loved one had
suffered in the past. Several longtime NVIC
members came up to greet us, grateful that we
were there. My son, Chris, brought his camera
and filmed my interviews with several
bloggers and exhibitors expressing their
opinions on topics such as vaccine mandates

(to watch the video, go to


http://www.youtube.com/v/G_DHFWJpaxU
(http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001fMvSY9K3CTQHxevBGUz-0tSGYVvGWW9oV3WwYq41bT29vm8teSdg\
o00fHlrsWMPP44bS6NFWDyLsxm4ehyhl1GwSElnjRPOxybTUcMVvkMP7GvK--Es_leFchInRwn3SXeKm\
UeZhVTM=)
)
and diabetes and vaccination

(to watch the video, go to
http://www.youtube.com/v/tMiWFlCqJ9E
(http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001fMvSY9K3CTT6xHFE8mRwPQx9lv7-fwZIT5bbekEShWs0CMXZ0J1i\
-YIA8fLLcAdS1Xs3ixfay-YSO5QlBmKMwAv32QqceQ4JuJ3C38hpuF19zZXSBk1E_nKaFOyTnECY4qmJ\
xJZq6oA=)
)



On the last day of the convention, we put
our brochures on the luncheon tables. During
the final hour, the scowling woman reappeared
to hurl one last hateful insult at us. This
time she targeted my son, who has come so far
in the 28 years since the neurological
reaction to his fourth DPT shot that left him
with multiple learning disabilities and ADD.
She called Chris a "traitor" and shouted
"where are your double blind studies?" and
then, as he tried to bring me over to speak
with her, she ran away shouting "I didn't
think so!" before a conversation could take
place.





The events of the past week reinforce
the fact that ignorance and hate does not
belong to any one political party or
ideology. The extremists on the right and the
left meet at a dangerous intersection which
threatens freedom and diminishes the value of
individual life.





And when doctors and organizations
denying vaccine risks persuade naive
public figures
(http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001fMvSY9K3CTQVaNRPaLjd4T6wxLlWBeadDurDnmUTH7wKon2IRpm5\
CPg37M322-PU_XrPiVYCvsoaxtHnR46uYpSMtb2qjDYBk28qvEa0Cv9bd6zOmFXVcAVTtsnek7M1MGGV\
LTgLZfajyf2y2SRgreL7F6XcPpBfxBF62QjU8yc=)
to demonize others for making independent
vaccine choices, it contributes to an ugly
climate of fear and divisiveness. When it
turns out those same doctors and
organizations get
big
money from drug companies selling
vaccines
(http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001fMvSY9K3CTTnaRWGdnBFvZapfiFaE56c7-R2v2KrtIBCJDeIxWUj\
rzZxeuBaH7OskfteRtYcOkr11L6OFUS-5Pjsv-ETt4AwAwNsTPh1BRW0WpSBx1kzy3s1686uvPleMWzr\
pk57jaiG0RrbfQNzFxYCFCqSxwwjykz4bkzCVuUukR6W_W4LRifam6HbUOO8hbAsWTNiZCo=),
the public has no reason to
trust what they say or tell us to do.



Vaccination is a subject that elicits
emotional responses from both those promoting
forced use of multiple vaccines and those
defending the human right to informed consent
to vaccination. It involves a personal
examination of what we know, fear, believe
and value because what we choose to do can
profoundly affect the health and lives of
those we love the most.





Many of the conversations taking place
in private and public forums about
vaccination are civil and, hopefully, most
Americans will turn away from those letting
fear, prejudice or greed define who they are.
In any case, we should never let someone
else define who we are or dictate what we can
or cannot do when it comes to protecting the
health of our children.





__________________________________________








"What Michael Savage said was foolish,
mean-spirited, and hurtful," said J. Jioni
Palmer, spokesman for Media Matters. "It's
unfortunate he would use his radio program to
make fun of and belittle these kids. Instead
of ridicule and cheap shots, the children
suffering from autism and asthma and their
families need support and compassion." During
the July 16 edition of his show, Savage
claimed that autism is "[a] fraud, a
racket.... I'll tell you what autism is. In 99
percent of the cases, it's a brat who hasn't
been told to cut the act out. That's what
autism is. What do you mean they scream and
they're silent? They don't have a father
around to tell them, 'Don't act like a moron.
You'll get nowhere in life. Stop acting like
a putz. Straighten up. Act like a man. Don't
sit there crying and screaming, idiot.'
Savage also stated: "[W]hy was there an
asthma epidemic amongst minority children?
Because I'll tell you why: The children got
extra welfare if they were disabled, and they
got extra help in school. It was a money
racket. Everyone went in and was told [fake
cough], "When the nurse looks at you, you go
[fake cough], "I don't know, the dust got
me." "See, everyone had asthma from the
minority community." - Media Matters
(July 18, 2008)
http://mediamatters.org/items/200807180001
(http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001fMvSY9K3CTRNRo2jWpeElSfDPVyUcUYPzRJGDjytFiPE9PUV1YV_\
cTgGFXTML-pmaxLK8ez_bRzwI61vFjHg65RDftM0cV04JLgx9Iskr4mgC-U8_ers5kWYeuxRc4gw8195\
ur31Zow=)



"Conservative radio talk show jock
Michael Savage used his nationally syndicated
show Monday to defend his controversial
remarks on autism, even as outraged parents
protested outside the Manhattan offices of
his broadcaster, calling for his firing. "My
comments about autism were meant to boldly
awaken parents and children to the medical
community's attempt to label too many
children or adults as 'autistic,' Savage
wrote on his Web site and read on his
broadcast Monday. "Many children are being
victimized by being diagnosed with an
"illness" which may not exist in all cases.
.....Let the truly autistic be treated. Let
the falsely diagnosed be free.".....His
controversial remarks drove several dozen
parents and advocates Monday to protest
outside WOR-710 in Manhattan. "That isn't
just freedom of speech, it is hateful speech
when you say 99 percent of children with
autism are brats," said Evelyn Ain, whose
8-year-old son has been diagnosed with autism
and who organized the demonstration. "I'll
tell you, I wish I had a brat." -
Carol Polsky, Newsday (June 21, 2008)
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/am-sav0721,0,1239587.story
(http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001fMvSY9K3CTSH0p2BovmusRYZiPtRITMMQKkXWy1O-JEIDllQEMuw\
eSFYLolvpZqDkRwJLoubIJe399GAp7PBdYSMHsno05nAq-vjKfyWpMNbJKVa7Iglnue07gMAFBC0SRme\
Yv2-S8BaafhJAagOzgggAq-HTEiOphSdtMe6Fld-rdX0HIXzlZSVreHxo7zF)



Eventually her brother-in-law arranged a
series of phone calls between Peet and his
own mentor, Paul Offit, M.D., who is chief of
infectious diseases at the Children's
Hospital of Philadelphia, a co-inventor of
the rotavirus vaccine, and a board member of
Every Child by Two, a pro-vaccine
organization co-founded in 1991 by former
first lady Rosalynn Carter. "Once we had
spoken, I was shocked at the amount of
misinformation floating around, particularly
in Hollywood," says Peet, who quickly boned
up on the hot-button controversies
surrounding the topic, including the unproven
link between certain vaccines and autism; the
safety of preservatives like mercury-based
thimerosal; and the fear that the relatively
high number of shots kids receive today can
overwhelm young immune systems. Her
conclusion? Well, not only is Frankie
up-to-date on her vaccines (with no
staggering), but her mom will soon appear in
public-service announcements for Every Child
by Two. "I buy 99 percent organic food for
Frankie, and I don't like to give her
medicine or put sunscreen on her," says Peet.
"But now that I've done my research, vaccines
do not concern me." What does concern her is
the growing number of unvaccinated children
who are benefiting from the "shield" created
by the inoculated-we are protected from
viruses only if everyone, or most everyone,
is immunized: "Frankly, I feel that parents
who don't vaccinate their children are
parasites." - Jennifer Tung, Cookie
Magazine (July 12, 2008)
http://www.cookiemag.com/entertainment/2008/07/amandapeet
(http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001fMvSY9K3CTQVaNRPaLjd4T6wxLlWBeadDurDnmUTH7wKon2IRpm5\
CPg37M322-PU_XrPiVYCvsoaxtHnR46uYpSMtb2qjDYBk28qvEa0Cv9bd6zOmFXVcAVTtsnek7M1MGGV\
LTgLZfajyf2y2SRgreL7F6XcPpBfxBF62QjU8yc=)



"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..... 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." -
Sharyl Attkisson, CBS-TV News (July 25, 2008)
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/07/25/cbsnews_investigates/main4296175.shtm
(http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001fMvSY9K3CTTnaRWGdnBFvZapfiFaE56c7-R2v2KrtIBCJDeIxWUj\
rzZxeuBaH7OskfteRtYcOkr11L6OFUS-5Pjsv-ETt4AwAwNsTPh1BRW0WpSBx1kzy3s1686uvPleMWzr\
pk57jaiG0RrbfQNzFxYCFCqSxwwjykz4bkzCVuUukR6W_W4LRifam6HbUOO8hbAsWTNiZCo=)






~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Host Michael Savage Mocks Those Living with
Autism and Smears Minorities with Asthma

Media Matters


July 18, 2008



http://mediamatters.org/items/200807180001
(http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001fMvSY9K3CTRNRo2jWpeElSfDPVyUcUYPzRJGDjytFiPE9PUV1YV_\
cTgGFXTML-pmaxLK8ez_bRzwI61vFjHg65RDftM0cV04JLgx9Iskr4mgC-U8_ers5kWYeuxRc4gw8195\
ur31Zow=)

Washington, DC - Media Matters for
America today condemned nationally syndicated
conservative radio host Michael Savage for
incendiary comments directed at those who
live with autism and their families. During
the same broadcast, Savage, the No. 3 talk
radio host in America, also attacked those in
"the minority community" who suffer from
asthma.



"What Michael Savage said was foolish,
mean-spirited, and hurtful," said J. Jioni
Palmer, spokesman for Media Matters. "It's
unfortunate he would use his radio program to
make fun of and belittle these kids. Instead
of ridicule and cheap shots, the children
suffering from autism and asthma and their
families need support and compassion."



During the July 16 edition of his show,
Savage claimed that autism is "[a] fraud, a
racket. ... I'll tell you what autism is. In
99 percent of the cases, it's a brat who
hasn't been told to cut the act out. That's
what autism is. What do you mean they scream
and they're silent? They don't have a father
around to tell them, 'Don't act like a moron.
You'll get nowhere in life. Stop acting like
a putz. Straighten up. Act like a man. Don't
sit there crying and screaming, idiot.' "



Savage also stated: "[W]hy was there an
asthma epidemic amongst minority children?
Because I'll tell you why: The children got
extra welfare if they were disabled, and they
got extra help in school. It was a money
racket. Everyone went in and was told [fake
cough], "When the nurse looks at you, you go
[fake cough], "I don't know, the dust got
me." "See, everyone had asthma from the
minority community."



Talk Radio Network, which syndicates The
Savage Nation, claims that Savage is heard on
more than 350 radio stations. The Savage
Nation reaches at least 8.25 million
listeners each week, according to Talkers
Magazine, making it one of the most
listened-to talk radio shows in the nation,
behind only The Rush Limbaugh Show and The
Sean Hannity Show.




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Radio big mouth Michael Savage defends autism
remarks

by Carol Polsky

July 21, 2008


http://www.newsday.com/n
ews/nationworld/nation/am-
sav0721,0,1239587.story
(http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001fMvSY9K3CTSH0p2BovmusRYZiPtRITMMQKkXWy1O-JEIDllQEMuw\
eSFYLolvpZqDkRwJLoubIJe399GAp7PBdYSMHsno05nAq-vjKfyWpMNbJKVa7Iglnue07gMAFBC0SRme\
Yv2-S8BaafhJAagOzgggAq-HTEiOphSdtMe6Fld-rdX0HIXzlZSVreHxo7zF)

Conservative radio talk show jock Michael Savage
used his nationally syndicated show Monday to
defend his controversial remarks on autism,
even as
outraged parents protested outside the Manhattan
offices of his broadcaster, calling for his
firing.



"My comments about autism were meant to
boldly
awaken parents and children to the medical
community's attempt to label too many
children or
adults as 'autistic,' Savage wrote on his Web
site and
read on his broadcast Monday. "Many children are
being victimized by being diagnosed with an
"illness"
which may not exist in all cases. .... Let
the truly
autistic be treated. Let the falsely
diagnosed be
free."



The original remarks that stirred the
backlash
aired on the July 16 broadcast of his show "The
Savage Nation," which typically targets the
likes of
liberals, undocumented immigrants and feminists
and has more than 8 million listeners.



On his broadcast, Savage called autism "a
fraud,
a racket.... In 99 percent of the cases, it's
a brat who
hasn't been told to cut the act out. ....They
don't have a
father around to tell them, 'Don't act like a
moron. ....Act
like a man. Don't sit there crying and
screaming,
idiot.' "


His controversial remarks drove several
dozen
parents and advocates Monday to protest outside
WOR-710 in Manhattan.


"That isn't just freedom of speech, it is
hateful
speech when you say 99 percent of children with
autism are brats," said Evelyn Ain, whose
8-year-old
son has been diagnosed with autism and who
organized the demonstration. "I'll tell you,
I wish I had
a brat."









~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Amanda Peet

by Jennifer Tung

Cookie Magazine

July 12, 2008


http://www.cookiemag.com/entertain
ment/2008/07/amandapeet
(http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001fMvSY9K3CTQVaNRPaLjd4T6wxLlWBeadDurDnmUTH7wKon2IRpm5\
CPg37M322-PU_XrPiVYCvsoaxtHnR46uYpSMtb2qjDYBk28qvEa0Cv9bd6zOmFXVcAVTtsnek7M1MGGV\
LTgLZfajyf2y2SRgreL7F6XcPpBfxBF62QjU8yc=)

For a clear glimpse into Amanda Peet's psyche
as a
mom, ask her about Twilight Turtle. She
learned about
the $35 children's bedtime gadget-a furry
creature
whose shell lights up and projects stars onto
the
ceiling-in the pages of Parenting, Inc.,
Pamela Paul's
recent best seller about the rampant
commercialization surrounding modern
parenthood. "I
read about that turtle and totally had to
have it," says
Peet, who's always in search of bedroom
loveys. "So I
Googled it. Here I was reading about all the
suckers,
and I was a sucker! I was caught red-handed!"


The anecdote speaks volumes about Peet's
approach to motherhood: her insatiable hunger
for
child-rearing information; her eagerness to
envelop
her 18-month-old daughter, Frances (a.k.a.
Frankie),
in comfort and security, especially when
hotel-hopping
for work with her in tow; and, yes, her
unabashed love
of shopping. "According to the book, I'm a
narcissistic
consumer," declares the actress, who this month
appears on the big screen as an FBI agent
alongside
David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson in The X
Files: I
Want to Believe. "I'm the target market for the
onslaught of baby products: this sling, that
sling, Baby
Einstein, the idea that your baby will be
smarter if she
uses these learning toys at this milestone."


Peet's analytical urges are comical
when she's
talking about kids' gear, but not when she's
discussing a subject she feels is among
today's most
pressing public-health issues: infant
vaccinations. "As
soon as I was pregnant, the neuroses kicked
in," says
Peet, 36, who is married to screenwriter
David Benioff.


She began calling her older sister's
husband, a Philadelphia pediatrician, "every
five
minutes" with all kinds of questions,
especially about
shots. "I asked him, 'Why are all of these
necessary?
Why are some people staggering them?'?"


Eventually her brother-in-law arranged
a series
of phone calls between Peet and his own mentor,
Paul Offit, M.D., who is chief of infectious
diseases at
the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, a
co-inventor
of the rotavirus vaccine, and a board member
of Every
Child by Two, a pro-vaccine organization
cofounded in
1991 by former first lady Rosalynn Carter.


"Once we had spoken, I was shocked at the
amount of misinformation floating around,
particularly
in Hollywood," says Peet, who quickly boned
up on the
hot-button controversies surrounding the topic,
including the unproven link between certain
vaccines
and autism; the safety of preservatives like
mercury-
based thimerosal; and the fear that the
relatively high
number of shots kids receive today can overwhelm
young immune systems.


Her conclusion? Well, not only is
Frankie up-to-
date on her vaccines (with no staggering),
but her
mom will soon appear in public-service
announcements for Every Child by Two. "I buy 99
percent organic food for Frankie, and I don't
like to give
her medicine or put sunscreen on her," says
Peet. "But now that I've done my research,
vaccines do
not concern me." What does concern her is the
growing number of unvaccinated children who are
benefiting from the "shield" created by the
inoculated-
we are protected from viruses only if
everyone, or most
everyone, is immunized: "Frankly, I feel that
parents
who don't vaccinate their children are
parasites."




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


How Independent Are Vaccine Defenders?

by Sharyl Attkisson

CBS-TV

July 25, 2008



http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/07/25/cbsnews_investigates/main4296175.shtml
(http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001fMvSY9K3CTTnaRWGdnBFvZapfiFaE56c7-R2v2KrtIBCJDeIxWUj\
rzZxeuBaH7OskfteRtYcOkr11L6OFUS-5Pjsv-ETt4AwAwNsTPh1BRW0WpSBx1kzy3s1686uvPleMWzr\
pk57jaiG0RrbfQNzFxYCFCqSxwwjykz4bkzCVuUukR6W_W4LRifam6HbUOO8hbAsWTNiZCo=)

Washington, D.C. - For years some
parents and scientists have raised concerns
about
vaccine safety, including a possible link to
autism and
ADD. Many independent experts have sided with
government officials and other scientists who
say
there's no possible connection. But
how "independent" are they? CBS News
investigative
correspondent Sharyl Attkisson shares here's
what
she found.


_______________________________________
_


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.


· A $342,000 payment from Wyeth, maker
of the
pneumococcal vaccine - which makes $2 billion a
year in sales.


· A $433,000 contribution from Merck,
the same
year the academy endorsed Merck's HPV vaccine -
which made $1.5 billion a year in sales.


· Another top donor: Sanofi Aventis,
maker of 17
vaccines and a new five-in-one combo shot just
added to the childhood vaccine schedule last
month.




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."



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.








~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~National Vaccine Information
CenterNVIC E-News is a free service of the National Vaccine
Information Center and is supported through
donations
(http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001fMvSY9K3CTTzM9-7RuPRT8IXOOC1eoVd0I_CEPYVXEKmg-nAL08Z\
gyp6f58ex_Gr3obmtiMGq3nqyUJkeIKrjZ7ISz4NBy_oX5GqPXaYtxRy0MxXd8MLHIHmRRfY_xHfV7ZH\
BeooM5-n-1E7Tkcmmc5NSkPrQiLV).



NVIC is funded through the financial support of its
members and does not receive any government
subsidies. Barbara Loe Fisher, President and Co-
founder.



Learn more about vaccines, diseases and how to
protect your informed consent rights www.nvic.org
(http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001fMvSY9K3CTRg-nFlkCIhtXwFUxAl39YS4cMvr62yhWnknyMJ_XrQ\
f8dIWL6Ah0aMrN05eVnCCFxF-j8DyCA5i-EV6WscGCgYRyyH2_8lLFA=)


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Make a difference SUPPORT NVIC



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Quick Links...VACCINE AWAKENING
BLOG -
http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001fMvSY9K3CTThcekO-Q9tDExNOghNYhVpwkMRgiflMkC9ePrNSgstr\
KPbqgNZUCDRav3lvxR5PwuYgqwrkl4spM6fbEfH4oKFn_87cBRE9QOLuIkJqtPuVxKbw2sS3l_vX-5uy\
eoRnho=
WE OVERVACCINATING OUR CHILDREN? Vaccine Safety Bulletin -
http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001fMvSY9K3CTTou_eYOWo4x6qn8NeyGcJBvTt2du1mRjGgXnt2haSII\
n5eYByiZIq_-1rYQQXThR5XOTycgc5npWoYgi-iQKkyUw_9sg1SeIkpoo7CF96Ev-r6NtS6rkXrzpZeq\
M4a-Alv2cplo2XJHA==
LAWS AND EXEMPTIONS -
http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001fMvSY9K3CTSPVvE3uiRtqKiBBe3CQrQr3LOZ7aUCLSsmqnZHQyK06\
3n5VvJh9FJsk3FtppJ2GaX9dFRU-g67ZJHSS9A5kD8Dxfs8sx7V5ApvXXF7ofhgXcCouRqSKJfkoj9bT\
1mR9ybwv_y78Fta4A==

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
International Memorial For Vaccine Victims -
http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001fMvSY9K3CTSWppvyxWfBYaMBwbHRmRXCZPIJdWZtXYsvMGHC6EU03\
KAvc44wwbcwMbkCS09_DYAlAE89i3xwWDeCPr-JcXif75-oykgZl2i3wDUa0O2nqw==


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Military Biodefence Vaccine Project -
http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001fMvSY9K3CTS5905iUYqkyRRFHH7I_0PLQDEGGAX8jEbHBHaOZhOyB\
4UZOt-X_AhzilrU_TN6HQsf72YYKy6D4ZUZyHwHMwb1ZAM1Ltjt2M4QNEw0VJn2rSYyymJOPOCTnY067\
hl03H4=
HPV VACCINE FACTS -
http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001fMvSY9K3CTR_AyqRCfWcLQxvNak9FrzCPn885g12dhgL51ey5OMwu\
E6E82apgyQQWmE71pVPTzZLRCb5F4hrsnCNymUozlb13deOvBcAafreMejyjG2FSDFxIEyBKhYY6S3tT\
462i96RDUjPvgSAFA==

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Doctor's Corner -
http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001fMvSY9K3CTSl3mrxbbm4E_e-UrJw6kHagKeOnVBmQvfO0beaSz5ue\
HJ5S_kvJ8NFqllmI2_Ys9QPmfu33JXEWfXOQ79zqnGANTcHkcWNBj18YOisrdQ2Nlri23cMK6wwSa1ML\
RHlP93OB9CrQZkUs75jIK-YvweJ


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Stand Up and Be Counted Campaign -
http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001fMvSY9K3CTRRHwpighI5t2sUzuhmAyj4V9Hshp95nPxHNZsk4iLsP\
yRoQ9t5XRhGe_XiQuH98PUeCgGSwJwLP18AJ9U5SgZ1Dae6lx9vPeqwS9cHKOP3ywzKcfpF0-QR


Join our mailing list!
http://visitor.constantcontact.com/d.jsp?p=oi&m=1101335505966

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~email: news@...:
703-938-dpt3web: http://www.nvic.org



National Vaccine Information Center | 204 Mill St. | Suite B1 | Vienna | VA
| 22180