Scathing Article - Autism/Vaccines and the Govt Cover-up (Frist $$)

[cthrumatrix]

Deadly Immunity
By Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Salon.com

Thursday 16 June 2005

A Salon/Rolling Stone joint investigation.
When a study revealed that mercury in childhood vaccines may have caused autism in thousands of kids, the government rushed to conceal the data - and to prevent parents from suing drug companies for their role in the epidemic.



(Image: Salon.com)

In June 2000, a group of top government scientists and health officials gathered for a meeting at the isolated Simpsonwood conference center in Norcross, Ga. Convened by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the meeting was held at this Methodist retreat center, nestled in wooded farmland next to the Chattahoochee River, to ensure complete secrecy. The agency had issued no public announcement of the session - only private invitations to 52 attendees. There were high-level officials from the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration, the top vaccine specialist from the World Health Organization in Geneva, and representatives of every major vaccine manufacturer, including GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, Wyeth and Aventis Pasteur. All of the scientific data under discussion, CDC officials repeatedly reminded the participants, was strictly "embargoed." There would be no making photocopies of documents, no taking papers with them when they left.

The federal officials and industry representatives had assembled to discuss a disturbing new study that raised alarming questions about the safety of a host of common childhood vaccines administered to infants and young children. According to a CDC epidemiologist named Tom Verstraeten, who had analyzed the agency's massive database containing the medical records of 100,000 children, a mercury-based preservative in the vaccines - thimerosal - appeared to be responsible for a dramatic increase in autism and a host of other neurological disorders among children. "I was actually stunned by what I saw," Verstraeten told those assembled at Simpsonwood, citing the staggering number of earlier studies that indicate a link between thimerosal and speech delays, attention-deficit disorder, hyperactivity and autism. Since 1991, when the CDC and the FDA had recommended that three additional vaccines laced with the preservative be given to extremely young infants - in one case, within hours of birth - the estimated number of cases of autism had increased fifteenfold, from one in every 2,500 children to one in 166 children.

snip
But instead of taking immediate steps to alert the public and rid the vaccine supply of thimerosal, the officials and executives at Simpsonwood spent most of the next two days discussing how to cover up the damaging data. According to transcripts obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, many at the meeting were concerned about how the damaging revelations about thimerosal would affect the vaccine industry's bottom line.

"We are in a bad position from the standpoint of defending any lawsuits," said Dr. Robert Brent, a pediatrician at the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Delaware. "This will be a resource to our very busy plaintiff attorneys in this country." Dr. Bob Chen, head of vaccine safety for the CDC, expressed relief that "given the sensitivity of the information, we have been able to keep it out of the hands of, let's say, less responsible hands." Dr. John Clements, vaccines advisor at the World Health Organization, declared flatly that the study "should not have been done at all" and warned that the results "will be taken by others and will be used in ways beyond the control of this group. The research results have to be handled."

snip
The drug companies are also getting help from powerful lawmakers in Washington. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, who has received $873,000 in contributions from the pharmaceutical industry, has been working to immunize vaccine makers from liability in 4,200 lawsuits that have been filed by the parents of injured children. On five separate occasions, Frist has tried to seal all of the government's vaccine-related documents - including the Simpsonwood transcripts - and shield Eli Lilly, the developer of thimerosal, from subpoenas. In 2002, the day after Frist quietly slipped a rider known as the "Eli Lilly Protection Act" into a homeland security bill, the company contributed $10,000 to his campaign and bought 5,000 copies of his book on bioterrorism. Congress repealed the measure in 2003 - but earlier this year, Frist slipped another provision into an anti-terrorism bill that would deny compensation to children suffering from vaccine-related brain disorders. "The lawsuits are of such magnitude that they could put vaccine producers out of business and limit our capacity to deal with a biological attack by terrorists," says Andy Olsen, a legislative assistant to Frist.

snip

http://www.truthout.org/issues_05/061605HA.shtml

this is why ABC news canceled the segment with Kennedy.... the trail

leads to Frist and others in DC.

Every parent in America needs to know about this.

[LiberalEsto]

1. I believe the B*sh family may have financial ties

to the makers of Thimoserol

which explains a great deal.

[cthrumatrix]

3. it started before bush (1991) , it about $$$$ and poisoning our children

and the govt is covering up the facts

[LiberalEsto]

6. The B*shes had financial ties that go back a ways

probably long before Poppy got elected.

[cthrumatrix]

7. everyone - must be held accountable those that profited , those who

are covering it up and the whole meeting needs to be shared with America to see "how we are being served by our Govt"

The message is that your family can be "at risk" with the govt knowing about it --- and all they will do is "protect big $$$"


The American people will NOT tolerate this.

[cthrumatrix]

2. Frist protects Pharmaceutical's more than "children in America"

and these are the "compassionate conservative values"?

[cthrumatrix]

4. this what Imus keeps "crying about"....Sanctorum has been on several

times and only avoids hard questions.


This has HUGE implications..........HUGE.

[Daphne08]

5. Does Frist remind anyone else of a cadaver?

His eyes look dead, too. :scared:

[cthrumatrix]

8. he's scared shitless that this is coming out - his career is OVER

[Junkdrawer]

9. Ye shall know them by their coverups...

Let the lawsuits begin. Force the Supreme Court to uphold "Eli Lilly Protection Act".

[cthrumatrix]

10. IMUS should have Kennedy on his show and "demand an investigation"

it would rock DC and the corrupt ways of Pharmacautical companies to the core.

[4_TN_TITANS]

11. The wife is a teacher

and I've noticed that autistic/ADD/ADHD kids seem to be everywhere nowadays. I have ADD and there's been times my pharmacy was sold out of the medication for it.

[goclark]

24. In the last 13 years

it appeared to me that the number of school age children with Autism has grown tremendously!

I can remember the days when there were maybe two children in a school. My last assignment had two classes with about six children each if I recall. Total enrollment 600.

Now, that does not count the children in the area with autism going to private schools.

[SmokingJacket]

12. "Eli Lilly Protection Act"???

What??????????????

[cthrumatrix]

43. of course our "corporate CIA infested media" will HIDE this from the sheep

[Junkdrawer]

13. RFK Jr. should avoid small aircraft....

Just saying.

[Junkdrawer]

14. Kick

:kick:

[Junkdrawer]

16. .

[LynneSin]

15. Hell, I use to work for pharmacy lobbyists - I know the story

There is major bucks for pharmaceutical companies to have pro-vaccination laws passed because that's easy money for the Pharmacies. Mind you, I only did computer supports but I saw the presentations they put together and learned a great deal about the behind the scenes action.

[Jose Diablo]

17. How long have the Pharma's been using

mercury based preservatives in vaccines? Is this something new, within the last 20 years or have they been doing this since the 50's?

This would explain why children seem so different these days. The pharma's are poisoning the children. Thats bad enough now notice the schools now require vaccinations before entering school.

Do these people know what they are doing? No wonder speech delay, ADD, hyperactivity and autism cases are mushrooming.

There is no excuse whatsoever for those that have tried to keep this secret. Those government 'scientists' and top pharma executives that have attempted to cover this up, like a cat burying shit on concrete, they need some long prison time. And they are worried about litigation not the children. Crap.

These Republicans have got to go. Those Democrats also that continue to suck on the corporate tit, they can hit the door also. Fucking DLC, fucking Republicans.

Edit:No wonder the powers to be want immigration wide open, they have been poisoning every American already here.

I think we should do what Anthony Hopkins said he was gonna do to the bear in the movie "The Edge".

[Junkdrawer]

18. The big changes began in 1991 with the increase in federal recommendations

For Merck and other drug companies, however, the obstacle was money. Thimerosal enables the pharmaceutical industry to package vaccines in vials that contain multiple doses, which require additional protection because they are more easily contaminated by multiple needle entries. The larger vials cost half as much to produce as smaller, single-dose vials, making it cheaper for international agencies to distribute them to impoverished regions at risk of epidemics. Faced with this "cost consideration," Merck ignored Hilleman's warnings, and government officials continued to push more and more thimerosal-based vaccines for children. Before 1989, American preschoolers received only three vaccinations - for polio, diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis and measles-mumps-rubella. A decade later, thanks to federal recommendations, children were receiving a total of 22 immunizations by the time they reached first grade.

As the number of vaccines increased, the rate of autism among children exploded. During the 1990s, 40 million children were injected with thimerosal-based vaccines, receiving unprecedented levels of mercury during a period critical for brain development. Despite the well-documented dangers of thimerosal, it appears that no one bothered to add up the cumulative dose of mercury that children would receive from the mandated vaccines. "What took the FDA so long to do the calculations?" Peter Patriarca, director of viral products for the agency, asked in an e-mail to the CDC in 1999. "Why didn't CDC and the advisory bodies do these calculations when they rapidly expanded the childhood immunization schedule?"

But by that time, the damage was done. Infants who received all their vaccines, plus boosters, by the age of 6 months were being injected with levels of ethylmercury 187 times greater than the EPA's limit for daily exposure to methylmercury, a related neurotoxin. Although the vaccine industry insists that ethylmercury poses little danger because it breaks down rapidly and is removed by the body, several studies - including one published in April by the National Institutes of Health - suggest that ethylmercury is actually more toxic to developing brains and stays in the brain longer than methylmercury.

[donco6]

19. Just to be clear . . .

SCHOOLS do NOT require vaccinations. The STATE requires them before kids can enroll in school. We do not track vaccinations. We do not require them. But we're forced to ask for proof of them prior to enrollment. If they don't have proof, they have to get it from their doctor, or they can exempt themselves with a form.

Schools get blamed for everything.

[Jose Diablo]

21. Sorry, I was unclear who exactly it was that required the vaccinations

You say the State requires it, but yet schools are required to check but parents can then exempt the school with a form to the school. What happens to the parents then if they refuse to get their children vaccinated, do they then recieve a visit from the State Child Welfare Department with the state charging them with child 'abuse'.

Thus do the schools become a party to the states insistence on these vaccinations? If so, their your 'being clear' is just a smoke screen as the schools are also part of the system poisoning the children. And they are just as guilty as the state, and the pharma's.

[Junkdrawer]

23. OK. I'll be clear: it's not the vaccine, but its preservative that's...

at issue. And the preservative was added to cut costs, increase drug company revenues.

Vaccines in "single use", non-preserved vials are safe. Vaccines in "multiple use", thimerosal preserved vials are not safe.

[Jose Diablo]

26. Thanks for clearing this up

I mean the parents and the doctors office should know the thimerosal preserved vaccines are NOT safe, after all, look at how the state has taken up the call to warn parents and doctors about these vaccines.

This reminds me of PCB and how Monsanto being a 'responsible' citizen corporation and the state of Michigan warned the milk drinkers in the 70's about how dairy herds had been fed with PCB laced feedstock and it took 2 years for the information to be published and the dairy herds destroyed. And during these 2 years, well the people kept drinking the milk so the PCB moved from the dairy herds to people all the while various departments in government fretted over the wellbeing of Monsanto.

It is time to remove any citizen 'rights' from corporations and hold the heads of corporations responsible for the crimes corporations commit. Both in criminal and tort law. Put these guys behind bars if the corporation, with their knowledge commits criminal acts or through negligence, causes harm.

Then these corporate hucksters will find other safer things to do, like run dope.

[donco6]

25. That's ridiculous.

No the parents don't get a "visit" from Child Welfare. The opt out can be for any reason whatsoever. The only reason for a parent not to have a child in school is because they're too damn lazy to come in and register.

[Jose Diablo]

28. Well, maybe its ridiculous

you say the parents do not recieve a visit from Child Welfare, I will take your word for it. But how would you know? Are the opt out forms forwarded to the state?

But to quote what you said:

"The only reason for a parent not to have a child in school is because they're too damn lazy to come in and register."

Who said anything whatsoever about not having their child in school. I didn't. Are you implying that if a parent sends the opt out form to school, then the child cannot enter school?

Please explain more clearly what you mean by your above statement about not registering a child to enter school and how this relates to vaccinations.

Edit: Is this a strawman projecting blame back on a parent somehow? Yet not in any way related to the discussion.

[donco6]

29. NO THEY ARE NOT FORWARDED TO THE STATE!

You're obviously not rational enough to enjoin further.

[Jose Diablo]

30. Thanks for clearing up about the if the forms are forwarded to the state

Then why have them?

As for my rationality, I assure you, I am rational as anyone. I might question your rationality as you have not addressed my previous post asking about if the child is denied access to public education if they do not have all the vaccinations the state says are needed. And also your clarification of the quote in your previous post to that post. What did you mean by that statement:

"The only reason for a parent not to have a child in school is because they're too damn lazy to come in and register."

Thanks in advance for your clarity and cool headed approach to these questions.

Edit:"Enjoin"???

[denese]

40. Those are strong words

Three of my kids are not registered with a school and it has nothing at all to do with me being lazy.

[redqueen]

20. Recommended.

I can't even begin to express my outrage...

:grr:

[Junkdrawer]

22. Santorum involved in thimerosal coverup...

In an accompanying article, a parent/activist further discusses Santorum and Frist's response to the issue:

Although we met with Senator Rick Santorum briefly, his staff was condescending and patronizing, and made statements that were simply untrue, like there was no scientific evidence that linked mercury in vaccines to autism. And without telling us, they invited Senator Bill Frist's people into the meeting. They were observing the interaction very closely. Senators Frist and Santorum are co-sponsors of a new bill that, under the guise of protecting America in the war against terror, would go so far as to say that states cannot regulate vaccines or warn people of their potential dangers. It would shield vaccine makers from lawsuits.


http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2005/06/16/clark/index_np.html

[PA Democrat]

39. Santorum is a vile pig. When his wife was injured by a chiropractor

they SUED. But he doesn't feel that others should have the same access to redress via the legal system.

Sen. Santorum's wife wins lawsuit

Saturday, December 11, 1999

By Jack Torry, Post-Gazette National Bureau


WASHINGTON -- A Virginia jury last night awarded the wife of Sen. Rick Santorum $350,000 in damages after she charged in a lawsuit that a Virginia chiropracter's negligence caused her permanent back pain.

http://www.post-gazette.com/headlines/19991211rick2.asp

[The Backlash Cometh]

27. Can someone please give me some Cliff Notes:

In particular, which vaccines were involved and in what years were they distributed? Was it the MMR that had to be given once every month for a series of three?

I definitely noticed an altered change in my son when he went into first grade (after being required to take several vaccinations). By the fourth grade they were asking me to put him on ritalin. I resisted, and thank God, by Middle School, the problem seemed to resolve itself on its own.

Tinfoil moment: Hey, is it possible that the side-effects of those vaccinations are the reason why the Bush Administration is pushing for massive testing of kids to see which ones need to be drugged?

[Junkdrawer]

31. The RFK Jr. article is a must read:

http://www.truthout.org/issues_05/printer_061605HA.shtml

[WesClarkJr]

32. Prosecute and Incarcerate

Those involved in the coverup, both at big pharma and the CDC should serve prison terms (and not Martha Stewart prison terms). If Bill Frist knew of this and not only failed to warn the public but instead tried to cover Eli Lilly's ass (which appears to be the case), he should face serious jail time.

This isn't a minor corruption scandal, this is the destruction of hundreds of thousands of American lives to preserve the bottom lines for a few greedy corporations.

Please contact your elected reps and the press - these S.O.B.'s need to pay for what they've done.

[Junkdrawer]

34. Couldn't agree more...

Oh, and, just in case the Fundies are right, they should rot in Hell. :evilgrin:

[earth mom]

33. Glad to see this being discussed in GD...

There were a couple of threads about this in the editorial forum yesterday. I'm furious over what these bastards have done-there is NO excuse and NO justification for any of it. I am truly sickened by the lengths people will go for the love of money! :puke:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x132272


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x132444

[Junkdrawer]

35. .

[Junkdrawer]

36. .

[Junkdrawer]

45. .

[H2O Man]

37. One network canceled

three scheduled interviews with Robert yesterday. This morning on Imus, the old fellow spoke at length at least three times about how wrong it is to try to keep Robert from delivering his message. He said he is going to try to get Robert on his show next week.

As everyone who has read Robert's wonderful book "Crimes Against Nature" knows, there have been efforts to silence him in the recent past. We should be keeping a close eye on this.

[cthrumatrix]

42. we should call IMUS and ask that he DOES put on Kennedy

I think it will expose Frist, Santorum and the RW bill to prevent pharma lawsuits

[LibertyorDeath]

38. Well if this isn't a conspiracy with criminal intent I don't know what is

snip

"In fact, the government has proved to be far more adept at handling the damage than at protecting children's health. The CDC paid the Institute of Medicine to conduct a new study to whitewash the risks of thimerosal, ordering researchers to "rule out" the chemical's link to autism. It withheld Verstraeten's findings, even though they had been slated for immediate publication, and told other scientists that his original data had been "lost" and could not be replicated. And to thwart the Freedom of Information Act, it handed its giant database of vaccine records over to a private company, declaring it off-limits to researchers. By the time Verstraeten finally published his study in 2003, he had gone to work for GlaxoSmithKline and reworked his data to bury the link between thimerosal and autism."

[stickdog]

41. This is SO FUCKING HORRIFYING!!! (nt)

[Junkdrawer]

44. Here's the Simpsonwood Transcript (the embargoed report is at the end)...

The report starts at page 260 of the transcript. And man, it would explode into the headlines if it were ever published in a medical journal.


http://www.safeminds.org/legislation/foia/Simpsonwood_Transcript.pdf