Doctor Profit caught lying again

[Guest guest]

Offit – “Doctor of Vaccine Profit” Caught Lying – Again – Orange

County RegisterPosted on April 19, 2011 by childhealthsafety

The Orange County Register has published: April 18, 2011 the following

correction regarding lies told by Dr Offit the “Doctor of Vaccine

Profit” of the Childrens’ Hospital of Philadelphia [emphasis

added].

An OC Register article dated Aug. 4, 2008 entitled “Dr. Offit

Responds” contained several disparaging statements that Dr. Offit of

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia made about CBS News Investigative

Correspondent Sharyl Attkisson and her report.

Upon further review, it appears that a number of Dr. Offit’s

statements, as quoted in the OC Register article, were unsubstantiated

and/or false. Attkisson had previously reported on the vaccine industry

ties of Dr. Offit and others in a CBS Evening News report

“How Independent Are Vaccine Defenders?” July 25, 2008.

Unsubstantiated statements include: Offit’s claim that Attkisson

“lied”; and Offit’s claim that CBS News sent a “mean spirited and

vituperative” email “over the signature of Sharyl Attkisson” stating

“You’re clearly hiding something.”

In fact, the OC Register has no evidence to support those claims.

Further, Offit told the OC Register that he provided CBS News “the

details of his relationship, and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s

relationship, with pharmaceutical company Merck.”

However, documents provided by CBS News indicate Offit did not

disclose his financial relationships with Merck, including a $1.5 million

Hilleman chair he sits in that is co-sponsored by Merck.

According to the CBS News’ documentation recently reviewed by the OC

Register, the network requested (but Offit did not disclose) the entire

profile of his professional financial relationships with pharmaceutical

companies including: The amount of compensation he’d received from which

companies in speaking fees; and pharmaceutical consulting relationships

and fees.

The CBS News documentation indicates Offit also did not disclose his

share of past and future royalties for the Merck vaccine he co-invented.

To the extent that unsubstantiated and/or false claims appeared in the OC

Register and have been repeated by other organizations and individuals,

the OC Register wishes to express this clarification for their reference

and for the record.

The CBS News revelations about OffitAnd his undeclared

financial interests in promoting vaccines on behalf of the drug

industry:

For years some parents and scientists have raised concerns about

vaccine safety, including a possible link to autism and ADD. Many

independent experts have sided with government officials and other

scientists who say there’s no possible connection. But how “independent”

are they? CBS News investigative correspondent Sharyl Attkisson shares

here’s what she found.

They’re some of the most trusted voices in the defense of vaccine

safety: the American Academy of

Pediatrics, Every Child By Two,

and pediatrician Dr. Offit.

But CBS News has found these three have something more in common –

strong financial ties to the industry whose products they promote and

defend.

The vaccine industry gives millions to the Academy of Pediatrics for

conferences, grants, medical education classes and even helped build

their headquarters. The totals are kept secret, but public documents

reveal bits and pieces.

A $342,000 payment from Wyeth, maker of the pneumococcal vaccine –

which makes $2 billion a year in sales.

A $433,000 contribution from Merck, the same year the academy

endorsed Merck’s HPV vaccine – which made $1.5 billion a year in

sales.

Another top donor: Sanofi Aventis, maker of 17 vaccines and a new

five-in-one combo shot just added to the childhood vaccine schedule last

month.

Every Child By Two, a group that promotes early immunization for all

children, admits the group takes money from the vaccine industry, too –

but wouldn’t tell us how much.

A spokesman told CBS News: “There are simply no conflicts to be

unearthed.” But guess who’s listed as the group’s treasurers? Officials

from Wyeth and a paid advisor to big pharmaceutical clients.

Then there’s Offit, perhaps the most widely-quoted defender of

vaccine safety.

He’s gone so far as to say babies can tolerate “10,000 vaccines at

once.”

This is how Offit described himself in a previous interview: “I’m the

chief of infectious disease at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and a

professor of pediatrics at Penn’s medical school,” he said.

Offit was not willing to be interviewed on this subject but like

others in this CBS News investigation, he has strong industry ties. In

fact, he’s a vaccine industry insider.

Offit holds in a $1.5 million dollar research chair at Children’s

Hospital, funded by Merck. He holds the patent on an anti-diarrhea

vaccine he developed with Merck, Rotateq, which has prevented thousands

of hospitalizations.

And future royalties for the vaccine were just sold for $182 million

cash. Dr. Offit’s share of vaccine profits? Unknown.

There’s nothing illegal about the financial relationships, but to

critics, they pose a serious risk for conflicts of interest. As one

member of Congress put it, money from the pharmaceutical industry can

shape the practices of those who hold themselves out to be

“independent.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics, Every Child By Two and Dr. Offit

would not agree to interviews, but all told us they’re up front about the

money they receive, and it doesn’t sway their opinions.

Today’s immunization schedule now calls for kids to get 55 doses of

vaccines by age 6. Ideally, it makes for a healthier society. But critics worry that

industry ties could impact the advice given to the public about all those

vaccines.

Source -

http://childhealthsafety.wordpress.com/2011/04/19/offit-lying-again/

Sheri Nakken, former R.N., MA, Hahnemannian

Homeopath

Vaccination Information & Choice Network, Washington State, USA

Vaccines -

http://vaccinationdangers.wordpress.com/ Homeopathy

http://homeopathycures.wordpress.com

Vaccine Dangers, Childhood Disease Classes & Homeopathy

Online/email courses - next classes start April 22