----- Original Message -----
From: Mary Ueland
Sent: Saturday, January 13, 2007 10:57 AM
Subject: [fomm] Rally for midwifery in Jefferson City Feb. 14th! - MARK YOUR
CALENDAR!!

Hello, everyone!

The second annual "Homebirth Family Cookie Day" will be held at the Capitol
in Jefferson City on Feb. 14th (Valentine's Day).

Last year, over a hundred people participated, bringing over 200 dozen
cookies to their legislators in Jefferson City. It was a huge success and
legislators talked about it for weeks afterwards. (Even now, we get
approached by staff from offices who come up to us and say, "Are you
bringing cookies again?" or "Our office likes Rice Crispy treats"!!) Some of
the legislators' desks proudly displayed the little family pictures tucked
in with the cookies for months afterwards!

Our annual Cookie Day is a great way of raising awareness in the Capitol
that there really are real people out there who want to have their children
with midwives. It is fun and a great way to spread a positive message. Best
of all it is family friendly! If you have three toddlers, you can BRING them
and it looks great on Cookie Day!! : ) All the cute kids and red wagons
loaded with trays and bags of cookies made quite a stir!

Feb. 14th is also a crucial time for our midwifery legislation to be moving
and public pressure really helps! Last year, on cookie day, we were
pleasantly surprised to have our Senate hearing for the midwifery bill.
People were showing up with their trays and plates of cookies and we got to
tell them, "Come to the Senate Lounge at 2 pm for the hearing!"

This year, I would like to see 1,000 homebirth and midwife supporters at the
Capitol on Cookie Day. So, please, MARK YOUR CALENDAR! Take that day off
work if you have to. Tell your friends, and start thinking about baking
cookies in February! If everyone who came last year, could talk five friends
into coming as well, our crowd would grow very quickly!

We hope to have a rally of sorts that day, but details are still being
figured out. If you have any good ideas, or would like to volunteer to help
with the rally, please contact me at: better_birth@... or call me on
my cell phone: 417-543-4258.

We will keep you updated by email!

Thank you!

Mary Ueland

PS You can also watch for details on the Show-Me Freedom in Healthcare
blog -
http://www.showmefreedompac.org.

This study, by DK Cheuk and V Wong of the Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, at The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, P. R. China was published in the August 2006 issue of Neuropediatrics.

The objective of the study was to investigate the association between blood mercury level and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in Chinese children in Hong Kong. Fifty-two children with ADHD aged below 18 years diagnosed by DSM IV criteria without perinatal brain insults, mental retardation or neurological deficits were recruited from a developmental assessment center. Fifty-nine normal controls were recruited from a nearby hospital. Blood mercury levels were measured by cold vapor atomic absorption spectrophotometry.

The conclusion of the study was that high blood mercury level was associated with ADHD. The mean ages of cases and controls were 7.06 and 7.81 years respectively. Boys predominated (case = 44 [84.6 %], control = 44 [74.6 %]). There was significant difference in blood mercury levels between cases and controls (geometric mean 18.2 nmol/L [95 % CI 15.4 - 21.5 nmol/L] vs. 11.6 nmol/L [95 % CI 9.9 - 13.7 nmol/L], p < 0.001), which persists after adjustment for age, gender and parental occupational status (p < 0.001). The geometric mean blood mercury level was also significantly higher in children with inattentive (19.4 nmol/L, 95 % CI 13.3 - 28.5 nmol/L) and combined (18.0 nmol/L, 95 % CI 14.9 - 21.8 nmol/L) subtypes of ADHD. Blood mercury levels were above 29 nmol/L in 17 (26.9 %) cases and 6 (10.2 %) controls. Children with blood mercury level above 29 nmol/L had 9.69 times (95 % CI 2.57 - 36.5) higher risk of having ADHD after adjustment for confounding variables.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH NIH News
NIH Office of the Director (OD)
<http://www.nih.gov/icd/od/>
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
<http://www.nichd.nih.gov/>

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: Monday, December 18, 2006 5:00 PM ET

CONTACT: Robert Bock or Marianne Glass Miller, 301-496-5133
<e-mail: bockr@...>

MALARIA VACCINE PRIMES VICTIMS' BLOOD TO ELIMINATE PARASITE FROM MOSQUITOES

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have developed an
experimental vaccine that could, theoretically, eliminate malaria from
entire geographic regions, by eradicating the malaria parasite from an
area's mosquitoes.

The vaccine, so far tested only in mice, would prompt the immune system of a
person who receives it to eliminate the parasite from the digestive tract of
a malaria-carrying mosquito, after the mosquito has fed upon the blood of
the vaccinated individual. The vaccine would not prevent or limit malarial
disease in the person who received it.

An article describing this work was published on the Web site of
"Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences". The vaccine was developed
with conjugate technology, which joins or "conjugates" molecules the immune
system has great difficulty recognizing to molecules the immune system can
recognize easily. Primed by the conjugate vaccine, the immune system begins
making antibodies -- immune proteins that target specific molecules. The
antibodies then eliminate molecules the immune system would fail to detect.

"With conjugate technology, NIH researchers have developed effective
vaccines against such scourges as Haemophilus influenzae type B meningitis
and typhoid fever," said Elias A. Zerhouni, M.D., Director of the National
Institutes of Health. "The experimental malaria vaccine shows great promise
for combating a terrible disease that exacts a devastating toll on the
world's children."

The vaccine was developed by researchers in the National Institute of Child
Health and Human Development's Laboratory of Developmental and Molecular
Immunity, in partnership with researchers in the Malaria Vaccine Development
Branch of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID),
and the Biotechnology Unit of the National Institute of Diabetes and
Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).

The study authors wrote that malaria kills more than one million children
each year. The disease can result in severe headache, high fever, chills,
and vomiting. Malaria is caused by a single celled parasite, Plasmodium. In
all, four species of Plasmodium cause malaria in people, with Plasmodium
falciparum causing the most severe form. The malarial parasite spends part
of its life cycle in humans, and part in mosquitoes. The parasite is
injected into an individual by the bite of an infected mosquito. Numerous
experimental vaccines have been tried against the form of the parasite that
resides in humans, but have been unsuccessful or produced limited immunity.
The Plasmodium cells escape the human immune system by hiding in liver and
blood cells, making them difficult to target with a vaccine. During the
human phase of the infection, these cells, for the most part, exist in an
asexual form.

Some of the Plasmodium cells, however, transform into gametocytes -- the
sexual forms of the parasite that are equivalent to sperm and eggs.
Fertilization takes place in the mosquito gut, after which the parasite
imbeds itself in the gut lining. There, it passes through discrete stages,
before migrating to the insect's salivary glands, where it is passed on to
the next host through a mosquito bite.

The protein Pfs25 (Plasmodium falciparum surface protein 25) is found only
on the surface of the ookinette, a stage of the parasite living in the
mosquito gut, and does not appear on any other stage of the parasite. When
injected into human volunteers, Pfs25 fails to generate a sufficient level
of antibodies to target the parasite.

In their article, the researchers described several strategies for using
conjugate technology to make an effective vaccine based on Pfs25. These
consisted of chemically linking numerous Pfs25 molecules to each other and
to other proteins: Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A, a protein from a
species of bacteria that infects people with weakened immune systems, and
ovalbumin, a protein found in egg whites. All of the conjugates produced
high levels of antibodies in mice. Adsorbing the conjugate molecules to the
surface of molecules of aluminum hydroxide produced even higher levels of
antibodies. (Adsorption is a chemical process in which one molecule
accumulates on the surface of another, forming a molecular or atomic film.)

The researchers also discovered that the ability of the mice to produce
antibodies to the vaccine increased with time. In fact, the animals produced
higher levels of antibodies when they were tested three and seven months
after their initial set of immunizations than they did one week after their
immunizations were completed.

Next, the researchers fed serum containing the antibodies to mosquitoes
carrying Plasmodium falciparum. (Serum is the fluid from which blood cells
and clotting factors have been removed.)Microscopic examination of the
mosquito digestive tracts revealed that the antibodies were capable of
completely eliminating the ookinettes.

The study authors noted that Psv25H, a molecule similar to Pfs25, is found
on the surface of ookinettes of another species of Plasmodium that causes
malaria, Plasmodium vivax. They wrote that the conjugate technology could be
easily adapted to make a vaccine against Psv25H.

Additional information on Malaria is available from the NIAID Web site at
<http://www.niaid.nih.gov/publications/malaria.htm>.

The NICHD sponsors research on development, before and after birth;
maternal, child, and family health; reproductive biology and population
issues; and medical rehabilitation. For more information, visit the
Institute's Web site at <http://www.nichd.nih.gov/>.

NIAID supports basic and applied research to prevent, diagnose and treat
infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted
infections, influenza, tuberculosis, malaria and illness from potential
agents of bioterrorism. NIAID also supports research on basic immunology,
transplantation and immune-related disorders, including autoimmune diseases,
asthma and allergies.


NIDDK conducts and supports research on diabetes; endocrine and metabolic
diseases; digestive diseases, nutrition, and obesity; and kidney, urologic
and hematologic diseases. Spanning the full spectrum of medicine and
afflicting people of all ages and ethnic groups, these diseases encompass
some of the most common, severe, and disabling conditions affecting
Americans.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) -- The Nation's Medical Research
Agency -- is comprised of 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of
the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary Federal
agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational
medical research, and investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for
both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its
programs, visit <www.nih.gov>.

##

This NIH News Release is available online at:
<http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/dec2006/nichd-18.htm>.

To subscribe (or unsubscribe) from this list, go to
http://list.nih.gov/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=nihpress&A=1.

NAA E-NewsletterPRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release:
December 19, 2006Contact:
Rita Shreffler, NAA (Nixa, MO) 417-818-9030
Wendy Fournier, NAA (Portsmouth, RI) 401-632-7523
Lori McIlwain, NAA (Cary, NC) 919-468-6455

DOUG FLUTIE, JR. FOUNDATION AND SPEEDWAY CHILDREN'S CHARITIES GRANT NAA
$30,000 for BURBACHER/CHARLESTON STUDY
Funds to support research on effects to the brain following mercury exposure

Nixa, MO - The National Autism Association (NAA) announced today the receipt
of two grants for the Burbacher/Charleston study into the effects of mercury
exposure in the brain. The Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism, Inc.
awarded a $20,000 grant, along with 25 other grants to organizations
totaling over $357,000. Speedway Children's Charities (SCC) of Concord, NC,
will also support the research with a $10,000 grant from its national
charitable funding program. SCC awarded more than $2.8 million to over 470
organizations in 2006.

The mercury study's primary investigator is Dr. Thomas Burbacher, a
University of Washington researcher. Burbacher's earlier research found that
exposure to Thimerosal, the ethylmercury-based vaccine preservative,
resulted in inorganic mercury deposits in the brain that were twice the
amount of those following exposure to equal amounts of methyl mercury, the
type commonly found in fish. Previous research has documented that inorganic
mercury is associated with a neuro-inflammatory process, recently documented
to also occur in the brains of children diagnosed with autism. Inorganic
mercury has no discernable half-life and, once trapped in the brain,
continues to damage brain cells.

NAA has been assisting in funding the ongoing Burbacher research since 2005.
"Continuing this research will provide even more important clues into the
neurological effects mercury has upon our children, which we hope will lead
to better treatments and even a cure," said NAA board member Laura Bono. "We're
extremely grateful to the Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation and Speedway Children's
Charities for these wonderful grants."

"As parents of a child with autism, we are concerned about the possible
correlation between mercury and autism and are pleased to see NAA continuing
to support this very important research that may help resolve the mercury
issue," commented Doug and Laurie Flutie.

"SCC is proud to award the NAA a grant to enhance its Burbacher/Charleston
research study," said General Thomas Sadler, Executive director of SCC. "I
hope these funds will help them come closer to finding a cure and continue
to help the children affected by autism."

For more information or to donate to the Burbacher/Charleston research,
visit www.nationalautism.org
-30-


Think Autism. Think Cure.


National Autism Association | 1330 W. Schatz Lane | Nixa | MO | 65714

December 29, 2006
National Vaccine Information Center
e-news



  "The Pentagon is reviving its mandatory
anthrax vaccinations despite allegations that the
shots have contributed to as many as 23 deaths and
sickened hundreds, and perhaps thousands, of
soldiers....The Pentagon has been rocked by criticism
that it has failed to adequately track whether the
shots have caused diseases. Indeed, as occurred
with Francis, many soldiers are injected with several
vaccines on the same day, making it harder to
identify the cause of illnesses....Col. Randall
Anderson, who runs the Military Vaccine Agency, said
the Pentagon believes health risks from the anthrax
vaccine "are equal to those of other vaccines" that
cause illnesses in only a tiny percentage of those
vaccinated.....Numerous public health experts believe
BioThrax causes a range of problems, particularly
among women and people prone to autoimmune
diseases. They list Guillain-Barre, which can kill or
paralyze; other neurological disorders; diabetes;
arthritis; chronic fatigue syndrome; chronic muscle
and joint pain; respiratory ailments; vision problems;
memory loss, and depression....The afflicted soldiers
blame their government...."

Barbara Loe Fisher Commentary:

The M.D./Ph.D. government health officials employed
by the Departments of Defense and Health and
Human Services continue to try to cover-up the
casualties of anthrax vaccinations forced on U.S.
soldiers. The young military recruits, who enlist in
America's all-volunteer military forces, are among the
strongest and healthiest members of society. Far too
many are pushed into poor health after being injected
with multiple vaccines, including the notoriously
reactive anthrax vaccine, after they become
soldiers.



Meryl Nass, M.D., Medical Director for NVIC's
Military and Biodefense Vaccine Project (MBVP), has
treated more than 500 seriously ill men and women,
whose health problems began shortly after being
injected with anthrax vaccination during military
service. She has been in contact with many hundreds
more who have reported permanent brain and immune
system dysfunction.



Whether in a civilian or military setting,
government health officials continue to cover-up,
deny and minimize the casualties of vaccination. For
more information about anthrax vaccine and other
military vaccines, go to www.military-
biodefensevaccines.org
(http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=a5s6f8bab.0.pcgwfzbab.oblmlwbab.4352&ts=S0216&p=http%3A\
%2F%2Fwww.military-biodefensevaccines.org%2F)



   No forced vaccination. Not in
America.






  Mandatory anthrax vaccinations raise concerns

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

Retired U.S. Air Force Sgt. David Lyles is trailed by
his daughter, Ainsley, 3, as he walks with a cane at
home in Mentor, Ohio


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

McClatchy Newspapers


December 22, 2006



By Greg Gordon




  Click here for the URL:
(http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=a5s6f8bab.0.xci5f8bab.oblmlwbab.4352&ts=S0216&p=http%3A\
%2F%2Fwww.realcities.com%2Fmld%2Fkrwashington%2F16301061.htm)


  WASHINGTON - En route home from the Persian
Gulf on a military supply ship in 2003, merchant
seaman James Francis and his mates got an
ultimatum: Take anthrax and smallpox vaccinations or
lose your jobs.




Francis' Seattle attorney, Russell Williams,
described the shipboard scene the next day off the
isle of Crete as: "Wham, bam. 'Get in line. Take your
shots.'"




Within days of taking the two shots, Francis'
feet began to tingle and burn. When he later took the
second in a series of six anthrax shots, his health slid
downhill. Since then, the 45-year-old messmate from
Las Vegas has fought a rare nervous system disease
known as Guillain-Barre Syndrome, along with chronic
pain, pneumonia and a life-threatening blood clot.





Vaccine makers are immune from lawsuits, so
Francis sued the government, winning what his
lawyer calls a "substantial" settlement in December
2005. Others say Uncle Sam shelled out about $2
million.




But Francis' success is unlikely to be duplicated
by any soldier harmed in the massive anthrax
inoculation program that's set to get under way in
earnest early next year. Some 200,000 troops, who
unlike private employees are barred from suing the
U.S. government, will be required to take the
vaccine.




The Pentagon is reviving its mandatory anthrax
vaccinations despite allegations that the shots have
contributed to as many as 23 deaths and sickened
hundreds, and perhaps thousands, of soldiers.




On Tuesday, the Department of Health and
Human Services canceled an $877.5 million contract
with California-based VaxGen. Inc. for what would
have been a substitute anthrax vaccine. HHS said
the company missed deadlines for beginning tests on
humans.




That puts even more focus on the controversial,
decades-old vaccine, which has been used to
inoculate 1.5 million military personnel. The Pentagon
has been rocked by criticism that it has failed to
adequately track whether the shots have caused
diseases. Indeed, as occurred with Francis, many
soldiers are injected with several vaccines on the
same day, making it harder to identify the cause of
illnesses.




In 2004, lawyers for sick soldiers won a court
injunction blocking the mandatory shots until the
Food and Drug Administration reviewed the license of
Maryland-based vaccine manufacturer Emergent
BioSolutions. In December 2005, the FDA declared
the vaccine safe and restored the license.




But testimony from some military doctors
undercuts that decision.




Dr. Limone Collins, the medical director of the
Vaccine Healthcare Center at the Army's Walter Reed
Army Medical Center, testified that Francis had "a
rare, vaccine-associated, neuro-immunological
disease," according to court papers.




Dr. William Campbell, a neurologist at the center,
said the dual vaccinations afflicted Francis with a
Guillain-Barre variant in which the body's immune
system attacks the nervous system.




In another case, the medical director of a
Vaccine Healthcare Center at Lackland Air Force Base
testified last year on behalf of Nathan Torquato, a
senior airman being court-martialed for using cocaine
and methamphetamine to cope with muscle pain and
chronic fatigue syndrome, which he blames on his
anthrax shots. Helping Torquato win a lighter
sentence, Dr. David Hrncir said it "appears that we
are having higher numbers of people coming down
with chronic fatigue syndrome as a result of this
vaccine."




Despite such testimony, Pentagon health chief
William Winkenwerder announced on Oct. 16 that
safety questions had been resolved and that the
shots would soon resume - the Pentagon now says in
January - for troops deployed in the Middle East,
Korea and other areas at high risk of a terrorist
attack with germ weapons such as smallpox and
anthrax.




Col. Randall Anderson, who runs the Military
Vaccine Agency, said the Pentagon believes health
risks from the anthrax vaccine "are equal to those of
other vaccines" that cause illnesses in only a tiny
percentage of those vaccinated.




Robert Burrows, Emergent's vice president of
corporate communications, pronounced the vaccine -
sold as BioThrax - to be "safe and effective" and
vetted "more than any in history."




But on Dec. 13, lawyers who succeeded in
stalling the mandatory program in 2004 filed suit
seeking a new injunction, alleging that the FDA
manipulated data from a 1950s clinical study and
circumvented its rules in licensing a vaccine that was
modified multiple times.




Numerous public health experts believe BioThrax
causes a range of problems, particularly among
women and people prone to autoimmune diseases.
They list Guillain-Barre, which can kill or paralyze;
other neurological disorders; diabetes; arthritis;
chronic fatigue syndrome; chronic muscle and joint
pain; respiratory ailments; vision problems; memory
loss, and depression.




The afflicted soldiers blame their government.





Retired Army Capt. B. David Hodge, 54, of
Carlsbad, N.M., said he was serving as a chaplain
when he and his Tennessee-based Army reserve unit
were injected with half a dozen shots of anthrax
vaccine at Fort Bragg, N.C., in 1990 before being
deployed to Saudi Arabia.




Hodge said Army health care personnel refused
at the time to identify the anthrax vaccine, instead
calling it "Vaccine A." He said he burned with fever
for several days and permanently lost feeling in his
fingers. Now he fights an autoimmune disorder that's
destroying his lungs. "I love my country," Hodge
said. "It's my government I don't trust."




Retired Air Force Sgt. David Lyles, 32, of Mentor,
Ohio, said he was injected with the shot in October
2003 at Youngstown Air Force Base.




A few minutes later, Lyles said, he fell off a stool
in the base's avionics shop from anaphylactic shock
and hit his head on the cement floor. Lyles, who had
always been athletic, said that he recovered from the
concussion but that Guillain-Barre left him walking
with a cane.




"If there is a problem with the vaccine, why
subject people that are helping you defend what you
believe in?" asked Lyles, who also said he's lost some
of his short-term memory.




An FDA system that collects adverse reaction
reports for all vaccines has recorded more than 4,700
reports related to anthrax shots over the last 16
years. The number of cases, the agency says,
will "inevitably be underreported."




The FDA said it has received 23 reports of
anthrax vaccine-related deaths, but has seen no
proof that the shots were to blame. The FDA also
couldn't readily estimate the number of serious
illnesses associated with the vaccinations. In the
past, it has estimated 500 cases.




Dr. Meryl Nass, an internist in Bar Harbor, Maine,
who has specialized in anthrax vaccine-related
illnesses, says the estimates of health problems are
vastly understated.




Nass said she has treated more than 500
seriously ill patients and that at least 1,500 more
have phoned or sent e-mails.




Defense Department officials say several studies,
including analyses of soldiers' disability claims and of
post-vaccination hospitalizations, debunk the health
concerns. But as recently as May, the Government
Accountability Office said that the vaccine's long-
term safety "has not been studied."




The Pentagon also draws criticism for giving
anthrax shots with other vaccines. John Richardson,
a retired Air Force pilot who has crusaded against the
vaccine, charges that this is done "so they can hide
which vaccine is causing the problem."




He cites the case of Rachel Lacy, a 22-year-old
Army reservist who was awaiting deployment to the
Persian Gulf in early 2003 when she received an
anthrax shot and four other vaccinations at Fort
McCoy, Wis.




A month later, she died of a pneumonia-like
affliction at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. The
Pentagon called her death "a rare, tragic event that
may have been related to vaccination," but said two
expert medical panels couldn't identify any of the five
vaccines as the culprit.




Pentagon spokeswoman Ann Ham said each
reported death is similarly investigated, but none has
been "causally associated with anthrax immunization
alone." Anderson said a government immunization
panel found no reason not to give vaccines together.





Much Pentagon data remain out of the public's
reach, even though a Defense Medical Surveillance
System tracks all illnesses among troops. After the
National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine
found no proof of causal links between the vaccine
and illnesses in 2002, but urged more research, the
Pentagon stopped issuing quarterly analyses of
BioThrax's effects. "There isn't a need for that,"
Anderson said.




David Geier, vice president of the Maryland-
based Institute for Chronic Illnesses, and his father,
Dr. Mark Geier, have analyzed the FDA's vaccine
adverse reaction reports and published numerous
articles on vaccine safety. David Geier said the
reactions to BioThrax among healthy soldiers have
been "many orders of magnitudes higher" than
they've been for nearly all other civilian vaccines.





The Defense Department has said it's given the
vaccine to an estimated 175,000 troops involved in
the 1991 Gulf War, but said it didn't keep accurate
records of who was inoculated.




A Department of Veterans Affairs advisory
committee that investigated possible causes of Gulf
War Syndrome, clusters of illnesses that afflicted
some 200,000 war veterans, didn't rule out the
anthrax vaccine as a possible cause, said Steve
Robinson, a panel member and official of Veterans for
America.




While Anderson said that more BioThrax studies
are under way, Nass dismissed the Pentagon research
as "epidemiological garbage."




For example, she cited a military study of
vaccine links to optic neuritis that excluded troops
who developed vision problems in their first 18 weeks
in the military, even though many soldiers get their
shots in boot camp. The study also omitted other
soldiers not diagnosed within 18 weeks of
vaccinations - shots given just before they were sent
overseas where there were no ophthalmologists, she
said.




The mandatory anthrax vaccine program has
been beset with problems almost since deputy FDA
commissioner Michael Friedman granted a 1997
Pentagon request to expand its use from protecting
people against anthrax infection in skin wounds to
shielding those who breathe it.




In 1998, FDA inspectors halted production until
the vaccine's manufacturer, Michigan-based BioPort
Corp. (now an Emergent subsidiary), corrected
deficiencies. Its plant didn't reopen until 2002.




From 1998 to 2000, hundreds of active troops,
reservists and National Guardsmen risked courts-
martial by refusing to take anthrax shots for fear of
health problems. Then the 2004 court injunction
forced the Pentagon to shift to a voluntary program.
About 50 percent of troops have refused the shots.





Vaccine critics note that both the VA and the
Pentagon have routinely paid disability benefits to
soldiers who blame BioThrax for chronic illnesses, but
they list the ailments as "service-connected" without
mentioning the vaccine.




Virginia attorney Richard Stevens, who has
handled a number of claims, said that way, "they
always have plausible deniability."


*************************************************************

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

National Vaccine Information Center

------------------------------------------------------------
email: news@...
voice: 703-938-dpt3
web: http://www.nvic.org
------------------------------------------------------------

NVIC E-News is a free service of the National Vaccine
Information Center and is supported through membership donations
(http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=a5s6f8bab.0.8elt9wbab.oblmlwbab.4352&ts=S0216&p=https%3\
A%2F%2Fwww.nvic.org%2Fmakingcashdonations.htm).



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 at www.nvic.org

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

December 27, 2006
National Vaccine Information Center
e-news



"I sent out a blast fax to 700 physicians in the
Youngstown area offering to give it away if they just
come pick it up," said Mr. Stefanak, the health
commissioner of Mahoning County, Ohio, which
includes Youngstown. So far, he said, there have
been few takers..........While experts say an excess
is better than a shortage, too large a surplus could
hamper the government's goal of steadily increasing
the production and use of flu vaccines. Because
makers, distributors, doctors and health departments
lose money from vaccine they cannot sell to patients,
they may be discouraged from making or ordering as
much in coming years ? potentially leading to future
shortages." - Andrew Pollack, The Ledger

Barbara Loe Fisher Commentary:

What part of "no thanks" do CDC officials and drug
company execs not understand when it comes to
most Americans refusing to get a flu shot every year?
Despite all the hype about how 36,000 Americans die
every year from influenza and 200,000 more are
hospitalized, it is hard to find somebody who knows
anybody who was hospitalized or died from infection
with one of the three influenza viruses contained in
the flu vaccine. Yet, those figures keep getting
bandied about by public health officials, who
steadfastly refuse to produce the hard scientific
evidence to back up their numbers.



In light of the fact that only 20 percent of all
flu-like illness in any given flu season is actually
influenza, inquiring minds want to know the truth and
are asking for proof that backs up the rhetoric. So
far, the flu vaccine studies published in the medical
literature fail to give credence to any of the inflated
influenza mortality figures the CDC is using to try to
scare the people.



Guaranteeing Drug Company
Profits - Unable to frighten Americans into
getting an annual flu shot, public health officials have
taken to playing the sympathy card.  On behalf of
drug companies, they are pleading for the people to
roll up their sleeves, dig deep into their pockets and
shell out some bucks for the flu shot to guarantee
the drug companies big profits. It doesn't look good
on drug company stockholder proft/loss statements
when unused surplus vaccine has to be dumped after
the flu season is over. No, wait! Now public health
officials are saying that there is no such thing as the
beginning and ending of a flu season: the flu is
actually a killer all year round so everybody should
get vaccinated all year round!



Exercising the Immune System
- It wasn't so very long ago when the flu
vaccine was only recommended for those at very
high risk for suffering serious complications from
influenza infection, such as the elderly or those
already seriously ill.  The majority of healthy young
Americans accepted getting the flu every couple of
years as a part of life. It was a great excuse to take
a few days off from school or work and stay in bed
with plenty of kleenex, Vicks vapor rub, OJ, chicken
noodle soup and a good book. Then, after
experiencing the sore throat, chills, fever and other
symptoms of acute inflammation that are part of a
robust immune system exercise, often recovery from
influenza was followed by an extended period of good
health. And when that same strain of influenza came
around again, there was either no re-infection
(immunity) or fewer and milder symptoms of illness.




Superior Natural Immunity -
Experience with type A and type B influenza infection
has another bonus: immunological memory that could
help resist the ravages of a nastier version of type A
or type B influenza that comes around someday. Flu
vaccine only provides temporary immunity. So
pandemic flu planners are counting on the superior,
longer lasting immunity of those Americans, who have
actually recovered from influenza infection, because
drug companies won't be able to produce pandemic
flu vaccine fast enough to provide doses for
everyone for up to a year after the pandemic begins.




  If public health officials are depending upon
Americans with qualitatively superior cell mediated
immunity to influenza, which can only be obtained
from recovering from the flu the old fashioned way,
to limit morbidity and mortality from a future
pandemic flu - then why are they insisting that every
American get annual flu vaccinations from birth?



Dealing with the Flu - These days, many
Americans are taking steps to deal with influenza or
flu-like illnesses by enhancing the functioning of the
immune system through diet, exercise and other
positive lifestyle and health care changes. And if they
do get the flu, they are taking a common sense
approach. To prevent and treat influenza or flu-like
illness that does not involve a fever over 103 F,
pneumonia or serious complications which may require
special medical intervention, here are a few non-toxic
suggestions:




1. Wash your hands frequently.

    2. Avoid close contact with those who are sick.

    3. If you are sick, avoid close contact with those
who are well.

    4. Cover your mouth if you cough or sneeze.

    5. Drink plenty of fluids, especially water.

    6. Get adequate sleep.

    7. Eat a healthy diet rich in vitamins and minerals,
especially foods containing vitamin C (such as citrus
fruits) and vitamins A and D (such as cod liver oil)
and spend a few minutes a day in sunlight to help
your body make and store vitamin D.

    8. Exercise regularly when you are well.

    9. Lower stress.

   10. Consider including holistic alternatives in your
wellness or healing plan, such as chiropractic
adjustments, homeopathic and naturopathic
remedies, acupuncture and other health care
options.



There is little indication that CDC officials are
going to stop asking Americans to roll up their sleeves
and guarantee drug companies flu vaccine profits.
There is also little indication that Americans are
paying much attention to that request. In the wings:
most likely a CDC and drug industry plan to try to get
politicians to mandate the stuff.




   "No forced vaccination. Not in
America."






After Shortage, Flu Vaccine Is Unused

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


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

The Ledger, FL


December 16, 2006



ANDREW POLLACK




  Click
here for the URL:
(http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=6dwje8bab.0.77vke8bab.oblmlwbab.4352&ts=S0216&p=http%3A\
%2F%2Fwww.theledger.com%2Fapps%2Fpbcs.dll%2Farticle%3FDate%3D20061216%26Category\
%3DZNYT01%26ArtNo%3D612160439%26SectionCat%3DBUSINESS%26Template%3Dprintart)

Still need a flu shot? Matthew Stefanak has so many
left over he is giving them away by the carload.



?I sent out a blast fax to 700 physicians in the
Youngstown area offering to give it away if they just
come pick it up,? said Mr. Stefanak, the health
commissioner of Mahoning County, Ohio, which
includes Youngstown. So far, he said, there have
been few takers.



Two years ago, the nation was plagued by a
severe
shortage of flu shots, with huge lines at clinics and
many people going without. This year it looks as if
there may be a glut.



Yet, somewhat perversely, because of
distribution
delays earlier in the
season, this year?s abundant supply has not meant
that everyone who wanted a flu shot has received
one.



The situation underscores the fragile nature of
the
nation?s supply system for flu vaccine, a risky and
volatile business, in which the federal government
has a limited role.



While experts say an excess is better than a
shortage, too large a surplus could hamper the
government?s goal of steadily increasing the
production and use of flu vaccines. Because makers,
distributors, doctors and health departments lose
money from vaccine they cannot sell to patients,
they may be discouraged from making or ordering as
much in coming years ? potentially leading to future
shortages.



And there is little opportunity to stockpile for
lean
years, because flu
vaccine is good for only a single season. The
composition must be changed each year to match
the strains of influenza virus in circulation.



Some manufacturers dropped out of the flu
vaccine
business in the past, in part because they could not
sell all they made. That set the stage for the
shortage in 2004, when there were only two major
suppliers and one of them, Chiron, had to suspend
production because of sanitary problems.



This time around, experts say millions of doses
might
go unused, in part because production is at an all-
time high.



The four vaccine suppliers are expected to make
as
many as 110 million to 115 million doses, with more
than 100 million having already been delivered. The
most vaccine ever distributed in any previous year
was 83 million doses.



In Ohio, for instance, about 100,000 of the
roughly
250,000 doses the state health department acquired
for distribution to local health offices remain unused,
Mr. Stefanak said. His own department, as of early
this week, still had 2,700 of the 5,500 doses it
received from the state.



If drumming up demand for so much vaccine was
going to be a challenge in any event, the task was
made harder by manufacturing and distribution snags
that caused shortages in some places in September,
October and early November ? the months when
most people are accustomed to getting
vaccinated.



When millions of doses did finally get delivered in
late
November or earlier this month, it was too much, too
late, many health officials say. Holiday distractions
make it difficult to get people to come for
immunization in December.



Also, the flu season has been relatively mild so
far
this year, making a flu shot seem less urgent.



?There?s so many people out there that need it,
and
we know didn?t get it yet,? said Dr. Henry H.
Bernstein, a pediatrician at Dartmouth Medical School
and member of the infectious diseases committee of
the American  Academy of Pediatrics.



Under current medical guidelines, a yearly
vaccination
is recommended for 218 million of the nation?s
population of 300 million, a number that has been
steadily increasing. But many people in the
recommended groups decline to get vaccinated, in
part because they do not consider the flu a serious
enough disease, health officials say.



To avoid a glut health officials have embarked on
a
campaign to change the public assumption that flu
shots must be received before Thanksgiving to do
any good.



The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
proclaimed Nov. 27 to Dec. 3, the week after
Thanksgiving, the first ever National Influenza
Vaccination Week, telling people that vaccination in
December or January is still worthwhile because the
flu itself often does not peak until February.



?Catch the holiday spirit, not the flu,? Dr. Julie L.
Gerberding, the
director of the agency, says in a radio public service
announcement still
being broadcast.



And why stop at January? The American
Academy of
Pediatrics is considering a recommendation that its
members offer flu shots as late as May 1 each year,
said Dr. Joseph A. Bocchini, chief of pediatric
infectious diseases at Louisiana State University and
a member of academy?s infectious diseases
committee.



Children younger than 9 getting vaccinated for
the
first time, he said, need two shots separated by at
least a month, something hard to fit into the
traditional vaccination season.



But changing an entrenched mind-set can be
difficult.
That is why even
though many more people could still end up getting
vaccinated this season ? especially if a severe
outbreak of flu occurs soon ? some industry and
public health officials are already assuming there will
be leftovers.



The day after the national vaccination week
ended,
Henry Schein Inc., a major vaccine distributor, said
its profits would suffer because it would sell only 9
million doses, 4.5 million fewer than expected. Steven
Paladino, executive vice president, said that by the
time the company received several million doses, its
customers no longer wanted them.



Schein got those flu shots from a
GlaxoSmithKline
subsidiary in Canada that was entering the United
States market for the first time. It did not receive
Food and Drug Administration approval to sell its
vaccine until early October.



Another reason for the early season delay was
that
one of the virus strains in this year?s vaccine grew
more slowly than expected in the millions of chicken
eggs used to multiply the viruses. Because of that,
Sanofi-Aventis, the largest supplier of the vaccine,
did not begin shipping its first lots until Aug. 23,
about three weeks later than usual, Patricia Tomsky,
a spokeswoman, said.



The government has been trying to coax more
vaccine supply into the market, in part by speeding
approvals, to lessen the risk of a shortage like the
one in 2004. Having greater manufacturing capacity
also would make it easier to produce enough vaccine
if a pandemic should arise.



The authorities also say more people should be
immunized to reduce the estimated 36,000 deaths
and 200,000 hospitalizations a year from
influenza.



This year for the first time, for example,
vaccination
was recommended for children from age two until
their fifth birthday, having been previously
recommended only for children 6 to 23 months
old.



This year there are three manufacturers of flu
shots:
Sanofi-Aventis, which has shipped 50 million doses so
far; Novartis, which acquired Chiron and has shipped
at least 31 million doses; and GlaxoSmithKline, which
has shipped 24 million. MedImmune, which makes a
nasal spray vaccine, has sold 2.5 million doses so
far.



The companies say a single year of surplus will
not
deter them from
long-term commitments to increase output, but some
experts are worried. ?I?m concerned that we?ll throw
away 20 million doses,? said Dr. L. J. Tan, the co-
chairman of the National Influenza Vaccine Summit, a
group of 140 companies, nonprofit groups and public
agencies. ?If we keep on doing that, I can guarantee
that the following seasons we won?t have 115 million
doses anymore.?



The makers say that a single year of surplus is
not
likely to deter them
from long-term commitments to increase output.



Manufacturers lose money if they cannot sell all
they
make. But once they sell it, they generally do not
accept returns. So some health care providers say
they may order less next year if they are left with
unused vaccine this year.



?We will reduce our order by 1,000 doses next
year,?
said Terry L.
Brandenburg, health commissioner of West Allis, Wis.,
which ordered 3,500 do ses this year but could not
schedule vaccination clinics because it did not know
when its vaccine would arrive.



Some doctors are also questioning whether they
should continue to offer vaccines, for which they pay
$10 or more per dose. Besides the financial risk, they
say many of their patients are now getting
vaccinated at grocery stores, pharmacies or the
workplace.



?It?s really hard for your primary care doc who
might
need 1,000 doses to put out $10,000,? said Dr. Harry
Oken, an internist in Columbia, Md.



He said his practice ordered about 1,500 doses
but
had received only about 50 by early November. When
more became available at the end of November, the
practice took only 400, assuming that many of its
patients might have already gone elsewhere.



With problems seeming to occur nearly every flu
season, calls are rising for reform of a distribution
system that is left to numerous private
distributors. Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton,
Democrat of New York, and Pat Roberts, Republican
of Kansas, have introduced legislation that would set
up a centralized tracking system for flu vaccines.



Dr. Jeanne Santoli, deputy director of the
immunization services division of the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, said that as the
amount of vaccine being made each year continued
to increase, it would inevitably make vaccination
season extend further into the winter.



?We want to change the approach we have to
influenza vaccination in a fundamental way,? Dr.
Santoli said. ?That?s not something we can
accomplish in the first year.?

*************************************************************

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

National Vaccine Information Center

------------------------------------------------------------
email: news@...
voice: 703-938-dpt3
web: http://www.nvic.org
------------------------------------------------------------

NVIC E-News is a free service of the National Vaccine
Information Center and is supported through membership donations
(http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=6dwje8bab.0.8elt9wbab.oblmlwbab.4352&ts=S0216&p=https%3\
A%2F%2Fwww.nvic.org%2Fmakingcashdonations.htm).



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 at www.nvic.org

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

From: binstock@...



Thnx to Lyn Redwood for sharing this item.

- - - -

Comment: Recent news articles have described the epidemic of Ritalin
prescriptions, other articles, the profitability of Ritalin and similar
pharmaceuticals. A reasonable hypothesis is that the continued injecting
of thimerosal is seen (by industry insiders) as a way to sustain Ritalin
sales. In other words, we have yet another example of a financial
incentive for the continuation of a deliberate intoxination.

- - - -

Neuropediatrics. 2006 Aug;37(4):234-40.Click here to read Links

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and blood mercury level: a
case-control study in Chinese children.
  * Cheuk DK,
  * Wong V.
Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, The University of Hong
Kong, Hong Kong, P. R. China.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between blood mercury level
and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in Chinese
children in Hong Kong. METHODS: Fifty-two children with ADHD aged
below 18 years diagnosed by DSM IV criteria without perinatal brain
insults, mental retardation or neurological deficits were recruited
from a developmental assessment center. Fifty-nine normal controls
were recruited from a nearby hospital. Blood mercury levels were
measured by cold vapor atomic absorption spectrophotometry. RESULTS:
The mean ages of cases and controls were 7.06 and 7.81 years
respectively. Boys predominated (case = 44 [84.6 %], control = 44
[74.6 %]). There was significant difference in blood mercury levels
between cases and controls (geometric mean 18.2 nmol/L [95 % CI 15.4 -
21.5 nmol/L] vs. 11.6 nmol/L [95 % CI 9.9 - 13.7 nmol/L], p < 0.001),
which persists after adjustment for age, gender and parental
occupational status (p < 0.001). The geometric mean blood mercury
level was also significantly higher in children with inattentive (19.4
nmol/L, 95 % CI 13.3 - 28.5 nmol/L) and combined (18.0 nmol/L, 95 % CI
14.9 - 21.8 nmol/L) subtypes of ADHD. Blood mercury levels were above
29 nmol/L in 17 (26.9 %) cases and 6 (10.2 %) controls. Children with
blood mercury level above 29 nmol/L had 9.69 times (95 % CI 2.57 -
36.5) higher risk of having ADHD after adjustment for confounding
variables. CONCLUSION: High blood mercury level was associated with
ADHD. Whether the relationship is causal requires further studies.

PMID: 17177150

December 08, 2006
National Vaccine Information Center
e-news



  "Whereas many environmental factors have
been linked to GWI, the role of the anthrax vaccine
has come under increasing scrutiny. Among the
vaccine's potentially toxic components are the
adjuvants aluminum hydroxide and squalene.....
Aluminum-treated groups also showed significant
motor neuron loss (35%) and increased numbers of
astrocytes (350%) in the lumbar spinal cord....The
findings suggest a possible role for the aluminum
adjuvant in some neurological features associated
with GWI and possibly an additional role for the
combination of adjuvants." - Petrik, Wong,
Tabata, Garry & Shaw, Neuromolecular Medicine

Barbara Loe Fisher Commentary:

Aluminum is a metal which is neurotoxic when it
accesses the nervous system and it also has an
affinity for the bones, lung and liver. It can make the
blood brain barrier more permeable and cross it,
leading to neuron death and chronic inflammation of
the brain.



Aluminum is used as an adjuvant in many
vaccines, including the HPV vaccine (Gardasil)
targeting pre-adolescent girls.  Childhood vaccines
contain from 170 mcg to 625 mcg of aluminum per
dose. Children receiving multiple vaccines on one day
(pneumococcal, DTaP, hepatitis B, hepatitis A) could
receive as  much as 1250 mcg of aluminum.



Symptoms of aluminum poisoning include
personality changes, progressive speech disorder,
stuttering, tremors, seizures, abnormal EEG,
psychosis and dementia. Elevated levels of aluminum
have been found in the brains of those diagnosed
with Alzheimer's disease, who have symptoms
including memory lapses, mood disturbances,
agitation, aggression, disturbed sleep, confusion and
depression.



  There have never been any long term human
studies evaluating the pathological changes in brain
and immune function resulting from repeatedly
injecting aluminum into children and adults.

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


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


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

Aluminum adjuvant linked to gulf war illness induces
motor neuron death in mice.

  Neuromolecular Medicine


February 2007, Volume 9, Issue
1


Click
here for the URL:
(http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=lvmcv9bab.0.jijev9bab.oblmlwbab.4352&ts=S0216&p=http%3A\
%2F%2Fjournals.humanapress.com%2Findex.php%3Foption%3Dcom_opbookdetails%26task%3\
Darticledetails%26category%3Dhumanajournals%26article_code%3DNMM%3A9%3A1%3A83)

Petrik MS, Wong MC, Tabata RC, Garry RF,
Shaw CA.




Department of Ophthalmology and Program in
Neuroscience, University of British Columbia,
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.



Gulf War illness (GWI) affects a significant
percentage of veterans of the 1991 conflict, but its
origin remains unknown. Associated with some cases
of GWI are increased incidences of amyotrophic
lateral sclerosis and other neurological disorders.
Whereas many environmental factors have been
linked to GWI, the role of the anthrax vaccine has
come under increasing scrutiny. Among the vaccine's
potentially toxic components are the adjuvants
aluminum hydroxide and squalene.



To examine whether these compounds might
contribute to neuronal deficits associated with GWI,
an animal model for examining the potential
neurological impact of aluminum hydroxide, squalene,
or aluminum hydroxide combined with squalene was
developed. Young, male colony CD-1 mice were
injected with the adjuvants at doses equivalent to
those given to US military service personnel. All mice
were subjected to a battery of motor and cognitive-
behaviora l tests over a 6-mo period postinjections.




Following sacrifice, central nervous system
tissues were examined using immunohistochemistr y
for evidence of inflammation and cell death.
Behavioral testing showed motor deficits in the
aluminum treatment group that expressed as a
progressive decrease in strength measured by the
wire-mesh hang test (final deficit at 24 wk; about
50%). Significant cognitive deficits in water-maze
learning were observed in the combined aluminum and
squalene group (4.3 errors per trial) compared with
the controls (0.2 errors per trial) after 20 wk.



Apoptotic neurons were identified in aluminum-
injected animals that showed significantly increased
activated caspase-3 labeling in lumbar spinal cord
(255%) and primary motor cortex (192%) compared
with the controls. Aluminum-treated groups also
showed significant motor neuron loss (35%) and
increased numbers of astrocytes (350%) in the
lumbar spinal cord.


The findings suggest a possible role for the
aluminum adjuvant in some neurological features
associated with GWI and possibly an additional role
for the combination of adjuvants.



Neuromolecular Med. 2007; 9(1); 83-100.















*************************************************************

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

National Vaccine Information Center

------------------------------------------------------------
email: news@...
voice: 703-938-dpt3
web: http://www.nvic.org
------------------------------------------------------------

NVIC E-News is a free service of the National Vaccine
Information Center and is supported through membership donations


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 at www.nvic.org


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

December 20, 2006
National Vaccine Information Center
e-news



  "Between September 1998 and October 2004,
he received eight [anthrax] shots ? the
initial six-shot regimen and two boosters ? which he
said subsequently left
him with debilitating side effects. When he tried to
speak out about a possible link between his health
problems and the vaccine, he said, his chain of
command came down on him hard and
left a promising 14-year military career in
shambles." - Gayle Putrich, Army Times

  Officials at the Department of Health and
Human Services terminated the $877 million contract
Tuesday after VaxGen failed to start required clinical
trials, a delay caused by troubles with the [anthrax]
vaccine formula. VaxGen?s genetically engineered
vaccine was selected because it was expected to
produce fewer side effects and was effective with
fewer doses than the only alternative, a 1950s-era
vaccine now manufactured by Emergent BioSolutions
of Rockville, Md. [formerly Bioport]....." -
Eric  Lipton, New York Times

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


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

Vaccine ruined his health, career, former airman claims

  The Army Times

December 18, 2006



<By Gayle S. Putrich br>
Staff writer


Click here for the URL:
(http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=9lhy49bab.0.6ffma8bab.oblmlwbab.4352&ts=S0216&p=http%3A\
%2F%2Fwww.armytimes.com%2Fstory.php%3Ff%3D1-292925-2431511.php)


  When Staff Sgt. Jason Adkins joined the Air
Force, he never expected to end
up a pariah. Especially not when he followed orders
to the letter.



In 1998, Adkins, a C-5 flight engineer, was
transferred to Dover Air Force
Base, Del., and ordered to take the anthrax vaccine.
Other service members
and civilian employees refused the inoculations, but
Adkins wasn?t one of
them.




Between September 1998 and October 2004, he
received eight shots ? the
initial six-shot regimen and two boosters ? which he
said subsequently left
him with debilitating side effects.



When he tried to speak out about a possible link
between his health problems
and the vaccine, he said, his chain of command came
down on him hard and
left a promising 14-year military career in
shambles.



An untold number of troops were punished for
refusing the anthrax vaccine
from 1998 through late 2004 ? the exact number is
unknown, but certainly at
least hundreds ? but Adkins? case is an unusual twist
on the legal issues
related to the anthrax vaccine.



Adkins has fought back, suing the government in
federal court in Delaware to
have his records corrected and a letter put in his
personnel file stating
that his free-speech rights were violated.



Twice, the Defense Department has asked a
judge to throw out the case, and
twice the request has been denied, most recently in
August, said Stephen
Neuberger, Adkins? attorney.



Before taking the anthrax vaccine, Adkins was
the fitness monitor for his
flight squadron, able to bench-press 425 pounds and
the picture of health.



?I was the textbook person for the Air Force in
the flight suit,? he said.



When he was ordered to take the shots, Adkins
said he trusted that the
military was doing it for his own good. But symptoms
crept up on him, he
said, as he went through the shot regimen.



His lawsuit says six of his shots were ?tainted
with squalene,? a vaccine
additive that can boost immune response but can
cause serious side effects
and is not approved for human use by the Food and
Drug Administration.



In late 2000, the FDA found traces of squalene
in five lots of anthrax
vaccine delivered to Dover. The Pentagon has denied
deliberately adding
squalene to any stocks of the vaccine and said its
trace presence in the
Dover lots was an accident.



In an interview, Adkins said he experienced joint
pain, muscle loss,
migraines, ringing in his ears, memory loss, severe
headaches, body aches,
weight loss and an irregular heartbeat.



He was afraid to discuss any of his problems for
fear of being permanently
grounded. ?Flying was my world,? he said.



But on the night before a mission in October
2004, he came down with a
migraine headache so severe that ?he felt his health
would endanger the
lives of his crew, the mission and the aircraft,? court
documents state.



Adkins finally went to his flight surgeon, who
indeed grounded him. Within
hours, documents state, his commanders accused
him of dereliction of duty
and of faking his migraines so he wouldn?t have to fly,
banned him from
wearing his flight suit and wings and issued him a
written reprimand.



?They came down on him, and they came down
on him hard,? Neuberger said.



Lawyers for the government argued that Adkins
has not demonstrated that he
was singled out for retaliation and that he has not
exhausted all military
administrative options. On the question of the
violation of Adkins? free
speech, they argued that what he said was not a
matter of public concern and
that the military?s need to maintain ?the obedience of
its enlisted
personnel? trumped Adkins? right to free speech.



Defense Department officials declined to
comment on the case because it is
pending.



The Pentagon?s anthrax vaccine Web site,
www.anthrax.osd.mil, has an
?adverse events? section that instructs those who
think they are having a
negative reaction to the vaccine to ?go to their
health care provider as
soon as possible.?



According to the site, it is the patient?s
responsibility to ask the health
care provider to file a report with the Vaccine
Adverse Event Reporting
System, a Health and Human Services Department
database.



The FDA said in late 2005 that from July 1990
through March 2005, VAERS
logged 4,279 reports of health problems as a result of
the anthrax vaccine,
with 390 listed as ?serious.?



But critics claim the number of adverse events is
higher, and even the FDA
acknowledges the ?passive? nature of VAERS may
lead to underreporting. There
is no requirement that reactions to the inoculations
be reported, to VAERS
or anyone else.



The Pentagon has established a national Vaccine
Healthcare Centers Network,
with a hub based at Walter Reed Medical Center in
Washington, D.C.



The VHC is designed to act as a ?specialized
clinical support system for the
development and implementation of programs,
research and services that
enhance vaccine safety, efficacy and acceptability,?
according to its Web
site.



Despite repeated requests, officials at Walter
Reed would not make doctors
available to Navy Times to discuss documentation,
tracking and rates of
adverse reactions to the anthrax vaccine.



The VHC?s main Web page ?
www.vhcinfo.org/index.htm ? does not seem to have
been updated in almost a year. At press time, it
featured a Dec. 19, 2005,
announcement that the FDA had issued a final order
finding the vaccine to be
effective against all forms of anthrax, stating that
the vaccination program
would remain voluntary until further notice and that
the policy was under
review by ?senior civilian leaders.?



Meanwhile, the man whose world revolved
around flying now runs a lawn care
business in Delaware.



His problems are chronic, and while the
symptoms may become manageable over
time, Adkins said, they?ll never go away. Doctors
have told the 30-year-old
that he has the hip joints of a 50-year-old.



?You just learn to deal with it,? he said.



He also said he lives with deep disappointment at
how the military treats
those who dare to even suggest they may have been
sickened by a vaccine that
was supposed to protect them.



?Walk into any military hospital and say ?anthrax
vaccine,? and it?s like
you pulled a fire alarm,? Adkins said. ?I was their
textbook kid, a golden
boy ? until I mentioned that word.?

U.S. Cancels Order for 75 Million Doses of Anthrax
Vaccine

The New YorkTimes

December 20, 2006


By ERIC LIPTON

Staff writer


Click here
for the URL:(Registration required)
(http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=9lhy49bab.0.agfma8bab.oblmlwbab.4352&ts=S0216&p=http%3A\
%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2006%2F12%2F20%2Fus%2F20anthrax.html%3Fei%3D5088%26en%3D\
5b8a94e3840dec73%26ex%3D1324270800%26partner%3Drssnyt%26emc%3Drss%26pagewanted%3\
Dprint)

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 ? In a major setback to the
Bush administration?s biodefense efforts, the
government announced Tuesday that it had canceled
an order for 75 million doses of a new anthrax
vaccine, the single biggest purchase planned for the
nation?s antiterror drug stockpile.



Since VaxGen of Brisbane, Calif., won the
contract
two years ago, skeptics have questioned the ability
of the company, a small biotechnology business, to
deliver on such a large order, as well as the
administration?s capacity to properly manage the
overall $5.6 billion program, known as BioShield.



VaxGen, which has no other major customers
and has
never made a successful vaccine or drug, was
supposed to deliver enough vaccine to inoculate 25
million Americans after an anthrax attack, each with
three doses.



Officials at the Department of Health and Human
Services terminated the $877 million contract
Tuesday after VaxGen failed to start required clinical
trials, a delay caused by troubles with the vaccine
formula.



?With any type of scientific endeavor or
research, it
is always an unpredictable path that you will follow,?
said Bill Hall, a department spokesman.



VaxGen?s genetically engineered vaccine was
selected because it was expected to produce fewer
side effects and was effective with fewer doses than
the only alternative, a 1950s-era vaccine now
manufactured by Emergent BioSolutions of Rockville,
Md.



A modern anthrax vaccine had been under
development for a decade by Army scientists, before
VaxGen won its contract after lining up a licensing
agreement with the military researchers.



?This is a great disappointment and a very real
setback,? said D. A. Henderson, the former director of
the Department of Health and Human Services office
that helped create the BioShield program.



By the end of this year, VaxGen was supposed
to
have delivered its first 25 million doses to the
stockpile. But as it was testing the vaccine, the
company noticed that it was breaking down too
quickly, apparently because of an unexpected
interaction with an additive intended to bolster the
vaccine?s effectiveness, said Lance Ignon, a company
spokesman.



The Department of Health and Human Services,
under
pressure from Congress to reduce the risk of relying
on a single company, has separately bought nine
million doses of the Emergent BioSolutions vaccine,
which has been widely used by the military since
1998 to inoculate more than 1.5 million members of
the military. The mandatory vaccinations led to
lawsuits and complaints of serious side effects.



Mr. Hall said the Department of Health and
Human
Services was committed to finding a manufacturer to
develop the modern version of the vaccine. But he
said he could not predict how long that would
take.



The vaccine is not the nation?s only defense
against
an anthrax attack. The department has also bought
enough antibiotics to treat about 40 million
Americans, in the event that multiple cities are struck
at once. The recommended treatment after confirmed
exposure to anthrax is a combination of a vaccine
and antibiotics because anthrax spores are so hardy
they can outlive the 60-day antibiotic course and still
possibly threaten an exposed person.



VaxGen?s future is now in jeopardy, as the
company
was entitled to no compensation until it began to
make deliveries to the stockpile. The company, which
has about 230 employees, has invested more than
$150 million on the project, Mr. Ignon said.



This is the second high-profile failure for VaxGen.
The
11-year-old company?s planned AIDS vaccine was
abandoned in 2003 after it proved ineffective.



Project BioShield was created in July 2004 by an
act
of Congress at the request of the president. It was
supposed to greatly expand the nation?s stockpile of
a variety of drugs and vaccines to protect against a
biological, nuclear or chemical attack. But progress
has been slow, in part because large pharmaceutical
companies have shied from the venture and the
government has taken a long time to decide what it
wants.

*************************************************************

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

National Vaccine Information Center

------------------------------------------------------------
email: news@...
voice: 703-938-dpt3
web: http://www.nvic.org
------------------------------------------------------------

NVIC E-News is a free service of the National Vaccine
Information Center and is supported through membership donations
(http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=9lhy49bab.0.8elt9wbab.oblmlwbab.4352&ts=S0216&p=https%3\
A%2F%2Fwww.nvic.org%2Fmakingcashdonations.htm).



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 at www.nvic.org

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

December 15, 2006
National Vaccine Information Center
e-news



  " The lawsuit says that ?plaintiffs will suffer
substantial and irreparable
injury if they are forced to take the [anthrax]
vaccine,? which the suit says has not
been properly approved by the government, despite
the Food and Drug
Administration issuing its ?final rule? on the vaccine a
year ago. The suit also says the Defense Department
has failed to follow presidential orders and federal
laws that require the government to obtain informed
consent before giving an unapproved and
experimental vaccine to anyone." - Gayle
Putrich, Marine Corps Times

"Winkenwerder said in October that anyone
who refused the [anthrax] vaccine would be reminded
of its importance and safety. Then, if needed, their
supervisor
would get involved and the matter would be
resolved "like any other refusal
to follow a lawful order." ..... About 10 people were
discharged for refusing the vaccine in 2004, but he
said he did not know how many may have refused
and gotten other punishments. He was unsure what
would happen if a civilian employee or contractor
refused the vaccine." - Matt Apuzzo,
Associated Press

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


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

Troops Sue to Avoid Anthrax Vaccines

  The Washington Post

December 13, 2006



By MATT APUZZO

The Associated Press


Click here for the URL:(registration required)
(http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=icxh89bab.0.6p4j89bab.oblmlwbab.4352&ts=S0217&p=http%3A\
%2F%2Fwww.washingtonpost.com%2Fwp-dyn%2Fcontent%2Farticle%2F2006%2F12%2F13%2FAR2\
006121301694.html)

WASHINGTON -- Members of the military sued on
Wednesday to prevent the
Pentagon from requiring anthrax vaccinations, the
latest legal challenge
over the vaccine's possible health risks.



Dr. William Winkenwerder Jr., the assistant
defense secretary for health
affairs, announced in October that the military would
reinstate the
mandatory program for troops and Defense
Department civilian personnel and
contractors serving in the Middle East, Central Asia
and the Korean
Peninsula.



A federal judge suspended the program in 2004
after finding fault in the
Food and Drug Administration's process for approving
the drug. Sullivan
allowed the Pentagon to vaccinate on a voluntary
basis.



Last December, the FDA reaffirmed its finding
that the vaccine was safe.



"This is a safe and effective vaccine,"
Winkenwerder told reporters in
October. He said the possibility of an anthrax attack
is "very real and it
has not gone away."



"The threat environment and the unpredictable
nature of terrorism make it
necessary to include biological warfare defense as
part of our
force-protection measures," Pentagon spokesman Lt.
Col. Jeremy Martin said.
"The Food and Drug Administration has repeatedly
found, and independent
medical experts have confirmed, that anthrax vaccine
is safe and effective."



Lawyer Mark Zaid said in court documents that
the FDA designation was not
scientifically sound. He said the program should
continue to be voluntary.



The suit was filed by six military members and
defense contractors on behalf
of U.S. troops worldwide. The case has not been
assigned to a judge.



Winkenwerder said in October that anyone who
refused the vaccine would be
reminded of its importance and safety. Then, if
needed, their supervisor
would get involved and the matter would be
resolved "like any other refusal
to follow a lawful order."



He said that while significant numbers of troops
refused the vaccine in
1998-99, very few have objected to taking it since
then. About 10 people
were discharged for refusing the vaccine in 2004, but
he said he did not
know how many may have refused and gotten other
punishments. He was unsure
what would happen if a civilian employee or
contractor refused the vaccine.


Anthrax vaccine opponents file new lawsuit

MarineCorpsTimes

December 13, 2006


By Gayle S. Putrich

Staff writer


Click here for the URL:
(http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=icxh89bab.0.bq4j89bab.oblmlwbab.4352&ts=S0217&p=http%3A\
%2F%2Fwww.marinecorpstimes.com%2Fstory.php%3Ff%3D1-292925-2421027.php)

The legal battle over the military?s mandatory anthrax
immunization program
has been revived, with six unnamed plaintiffs filing a
class-action lawsuit
against the government Wednesday.



According to court documents, the basic premise
of the lawsuit is the
plaintiffs? claim that the vaccine is ?unapproved for
its applied/intended
use.?




The lawsuit says that ?plaintiffs will suffer
substantial and irreparable
injury if they are forced to take the vaccine,? which
the suit says has not
been properly approved by the government, despite
the Food and Drug
Administration issuing its ?final rule? on the vaccine a
year ago.



The suit also says the Defense Department has
failed to follow presidential
orders and federal laws that require the government
to obtain informed
consent before giving an unapproved and
experimental vaccine to anyone.



?FDA?s certification of the vaccine, which is
based on slipshod statistical
analysis and improper use of testing data, as well as
DoD?s alteration of
the vaccine dosing schedule, render the vaccine a
drug unapproved for its
applied use under current federal law,? said Chicago
lawyer John J. Michels,
Jr., co-counsel in the lawsuit. ?Under these
circumstances, the vaccine may
not be administered to service members without their
informed consent. It is
patently illegal.?



The new lawsuit is just the latest chapter in the
long and turbulent history
of the Pentagon?s anthrax vaccination program. Since
December 2004, the
six-shot anthrax vaccine has been optional for all
troops following the
decision of a federal judge for the U.S District Court
for the District of
Columbia to halt the mandatory program with an
injunction.



In December 2005, the FDA finalized its approval
of the vaccine and a
federal appeals court dissolved the injunction,
clearing the way for the
Pentagon to resume mandatory shots.



The Pentagon announced in October that
mandatory inoculations would resume,
but defense officials are still formulating some parts
of the vaccination
plan, which is now expected to begin early next year.
The policy announced
in October directs mandatory anthrax shots for
troops, emergency-essential
civilians and Defense Department contractors
carrying out mission-essential
services in the Central Command area or South Korea
for 15 consecutive days
or more. Others assigned to special mission units,
such as biodefense units,
are also expected to be vaccinated as needed under
the new policy.



As in the first anthrax vaccine lawsuit, the five
male and one female
plaintiffs are unnamed ? out of ?fear of retaliation by
the government,?
their lawyers say. Court documents claim they run
the gamut of those who
will be required to take the vaccine after the new
year: active-duty service
members, reservists, National Guardsmen, civilian
Defense Department
employees and contractors.



Robert Gates, who will be sworn in as defense
secretary Monday, replacing
Donald Rumsfeld, is named in the lawsuit, along with
Heath and Human
Services Secretary Mike Leavitt and Andrew C. Von
Eschnebach, commissioner
of the Food and Drug Administration.



The Defense Department had no immediate
comment on the lawsuit Wednesday
morning.



Pentagon officials have long maintained that the
anthrax vaccine is safe,
and say that the 2005 FDA ruling grants them the
legal authority to
administer the vaccine as they see fit. Only about
half of the troops
offered the vaccine during the voluntary phase of the
program have taken the
shots, and officials say it is a preventive-medicine
and military-readiness
concern for half of the force to be vaccinated and
half not to be, officials
have said.



?This rate of vaccination not only put service
members at risk but also
jeopardized unit effectiveness and degraded our
medical readiness,? said Dr.
William Winkenwerder Jr., assistant secretary of
defense for health affairs,
in announcing the resumption of mandatory shots in
October.

*************************************************************

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

National Vaccine Information Center

------------------------------------------------------------
email: news@...
voice: 703-938-dpt3
web: http://www.nvic.org
------------------------------------------------------------


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 at www.nvic.org


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

December 06, 2006
National Vaccine Information Center
e-news



  "Highlights of BARDA include the creation of a
new position within the Department of Health and
Human Services that would be solely responsible for
the oversight of vaccine production and decide what
medications would be distributed. Barbara Loe Fisher,
the president of the National Vaccine Information
Center, has been an outspoken critic of the bill. She
was unaware that the bill had been passed by the
Senate last night but said she's worried about the
effects "secret vaccine production" could have on
the American public. "This is an extremely dangerous
precedent that is being set," she said." -
Mary Shaffrey, Winston Salem Journal

Barbara Loe Fisher Commentary:

It is almost a done deal. The Senate has voted and
the House will soon vote on a bill to create BARDA, a
new and very powerful agency within the Department
of Health and Human Services that will partner with
drug companies to make experimental vaccines and
drugs. The actions of the agency and the way these
experimental drugs and vaccines are made, what
they will contain, and how reactive they are, will be
hidden from the public.  Under the guise
of "protecting national security," citizens will be
prevented through the Freedom of Information Act
(FOIA) from being able to obtain information about
most of what BARDA is doing.



In the future, when the Secretary of Health
and Human Services declares a public
health "emergency" under Bioshield and other federal
and state legislation passed since Sept. 11, 2001,
Americans could be quarantined and forced to use
experimental drugs and vaccines and have no
recourse to the civil justice system if they are injured
by them. Congress has already given complete
liability protection to drug companies and those who
order citizens to take drugs and vaccines during a
declared public health "emergency."



The individual appointed to head BARDA will be
one of the most powerful individuals in the U.S..
Congress has already given the Secretary of Health
and Human Services, also a political appointee,
unprecedented power. The militarization of the
civilian public health system with unchecked power
residing in the hands of unelected government health
officials, who have no accountability to or oversight
by the public, is a serious threat to freedom and
public safety.



For more information about the possible
consequences of the Bioshield laws and the pending
BARDA legislation, go to www.nvic.org
 
(http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=dxpft9bab.0.jcsy6wbab.oblmlwbab.4352&ts=S0216&p=http%3A\
%2F%2Fwww.nvic.org%2F)homepage("Liability Shield Given to Pharma") and read
NVIC'sletter to Senate staffer Col. Robert Kadlec, M.D.The House vote to approve
BARDA could takeplace before this Friday, Dec. 8.  If you want to letyour
Congressperson know how you feel aboutBARDA, call  him or her at 202-224-3121.
Go towww.house.gov
(http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=dxpft9bab.0.kon9b9bab.oblmlwbab.4352&ts=S0216&p=http%3A\
%2F%2Fwww.house.gov%2F)to find  information about
yourCongressperson.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Senate Approves Burr's bioterrorism billCritics
warn about the effects of 'secret vaccineproduction'Winston Salem
JournalWednesday, December 6, 2006By Mary M. ShaffreyJOURNAL WASHINGTON
BUREAUClick here forthe URL:(registration may
require)(http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=dxpft9bab.0.gmdht9bab.oblmlwbab.4352&ts=S0216&p\
=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.journalnow.com%2Fservlet%2FSatellite%3Fpagename%3DWSJ%252FMGAr\
ticle%252FWSJ_BasicArticle%26c%3DMGArticle%26cid%3D1149192037243%26path%3D%21loc\
alnews%26s%3D1037645509099)After almost two years of negotiations, the
Senatepassed a bill last night sponsored by Sen. RichardBurr, R-N.C., that would
create a new federal agencyto combat bioterrorism.The bill to establish the
Biomedical AdvancedResearch and Development Authority has been apriority of
Burr's since his first day in the Senate.After the vote last night, Burr said he
was "excited"that the bill had finally passed.Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., a
co-sponsor ofthe bill, agreed in a statement released yesterdayafternoon that
the bill was critically needed."Today, we face the possibility of a pandemic
orbioterrorist attack, which could be as bad asHurricane Katrina in every
community in America. Weknow that we are not yet ready for a catastrophe ofthat
scale," Kennedy said, indicating that this billwould help prepare for such
events.The bill, commonly referred to as BARDA, passedby unanimous consent.The
House passed a similar bill earlier this year.It isunlikely that the differences
between the two bills willbe ironed out in a conference committee by
Friday,Congress' target date for adjournment.The House could, however, decide to
take upthe billas a new, stand-alone bill, which means that Burr'sproposal could
be sent straight to the president. Ifthe House doesn't do that, the bill would
be dead forthis year, he said.Highlights of BARDA include the creation of
anewposition within the Department of Health and HumanServices that would be
solely responsible for theoversight of vaccine production and decide
whatmedications would be distributed.Barbara Loe Fisher, the president of the
NationalVaccine Information Center, has been an outspokencritic of the bill. She
was unaware that the bill hadbeen passed by the Senate last night but said
she'sworried about the effects "secret vaccine production"could have on the
American public. "This is anextremely dangerous precedent that is being set,"she
said.But Burr said that the majority of concernsregardingfreedom of information
had been dealt with and thatthere was little secrecy involved.? Mary M. Shaffrey
can be reached inWashington at202-662-7672 or at
mshaffrey@....********************************************************\
*****~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~National Vaccine Information
Center------------------------------------------------------------email:
news@...: 703-938-dpt3web:
http://www.nvic.org------------------------------------------------------------N\
VIC is funded through the financial support ofits members and does not receive
any governmentsubsidies. Barbara Loe Fisher, President and Co-founder.Learn more
about vaccines, diseases and how toprotect your informed consent rights at
www.nvic.orgNational Vaccine Information Center | 204 Mill St. | Suite B1 |
Vienna | VA| 22180