Reply #106: I haven't drawn conclusions, but I think think finding an obscure animal [View All]

[mzmolly]

virus in cancer is a bit different than the scenario you note.

From the book I'd like to read/discuss:

Between 1954 and 1963, close to 98 million Americans received polio vaccinations contaminated with a carcinogenic monkey virus, now known as SV40. A concerted government effort downplayed the incident, and it was generally accepted that although oncogenic to laboratory animals, SV40 was harmless to humans.

But now SV40 in showing up in human cancers, and prominent researchers are demanding a serious public health response to this forgotten polio vaccine contaminant. A gripping medical detective story, The Virus and the Vaccine raises major questions about vaccine policy.

Did we trade cancer for polio? I'm not drawing a conclusion, but I'd sure like to know, wouldn't you?