[PROVE] Voices for Hiding Vaccine Risks: Follow the $

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[Dear PROVE Members,

On August 8th, before our email was back up, NVIC published

the following newsletter doing a great job exposing the money behind

those who downplay and deny vaccine risks. CBS News did an

excellent investigative report into the conflicts behind many of the well

quoted vaccine defenders – some of these individuals and organization

will be familiar to you, especially to those of you who have been on our

email list for a while.

We wanted to make sure you saw this because now that we are at back to

school time, the vaccine machine is in full swing pulling out all the

stops to try and scare, coerce, guilt, shame and even lie to you to get

you to fully vaccinate your child and not use a vaccine exemption for

your child regardless of your health concerns or even if your child has

already had a vaccine reaction. Over the next week, we will be

sharing with you some of this current coverage, and it is very revealing

to trace back the sources of criticism on parents making informed

decisions to decline or delay vaccinations right back to many of these

same individuals and groups with strong conflicts of interest.

Sincerely, Dawn ]

Voices for Hiding Vaccine Risks: Follow the $

by Barbara Loe Fisher

w ww.vaccineawakening.blogspot.com

www.NVIC.org

www.Stand UpBeCounted.org

When it comes to hiding vaccine risks from the people, all you have

to do is " follow the money " to find out who has always done it

the best. There are a number of influential non-profit organizations such

as the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Every Child by Two, and

Immunization Action Coalition (IAC) that have been funded by drug

companies selling vaccines and/or have been paid by federal agencies

using taxpayer dollars to push vaccine use.

On July 25,

CBS News reported on some of the financial ties between vaccine

manufacturers and non-profit organizations or individuals (i.e.,

rotavirus vaccine patent holder Offit, M.D.) who are aggressively

promoting vaccination and refusing to acknowledge vaccine risks. The

report infuriated a new " non-profit " organization,

Voices for Vaccines, that demanded CBS News retract its story and

" apologize " for informing the public about the money connection

between the pharmaceutical industry and individuals and organizations

urging people to buy and use vaccines. On August 1, CBS News issued a

statement defending the public's right to know:

" Our report last Friday represents one part of the extensive

reporting CBS News has done, and will continue to do, on the issues

surrounding vaccines and possible links to autism. That continuing

coverage has repeatedly reported on the critical importance of the

nation's maintaining a robust vaccination program for children. Reporting

on what critics, including members of Congress, believe to be potential

conflicts of interest for vaccine advocates who receive funding from

vaccine makers is also an entirely legitimate aspect of our overall

coverage. We believe our report was in no way defamatory of any

institution or individual, and that no retraction is

warranted. "

While parents are doing their own research so they can make educated

vaccine choices for their children that minimize vaccine risks,

celebrities questioning vaccine safety such as McCarthy are being

challenged by celebrities defending vaccine safety such as

Peet, Yesterday, Peet became the celebrity spokesperson for

Every Child by Two.

When you connect the dots in a " Follow the Vaccine Money "

exercise, you don't have to look very far to see who is paying who to

promote unquestioning faith in the safety of vaccines and one-

size-fits-all vaccine policies. It takes a lot of money for the drug

companies and their allies to persuade parents that it is necessary to

pump 69 doses of 16 vaccines into children from birth to age 18 to keep

them healthy.

Here are some of the major players:

* The Center, founded in 1984 by Jimmy and lyn

is affiliated with

Emory University and sponsors vaccination programs funded by drug

companies and operated by former employees of the CDC. (lyn

co- founded Every Child by Two with Betty Bumpers in 1991 with funding

from vaccine manufacturers.) Several vaccine manufacturers have donated

more than $1 million to the Center.

* The International Task Force for Disease Eradication is

sponsored by the Center and operates programs that are

funded by vaccine manufacturers (see " Health Program

Partners " at ) and directed by present and former

CDC officials for the purpose of eradicating infectious diseases

including polio, mumps and rubella through mass vaccination programs.

* The Center is a partner with the

Task Force for Child Survival and Development, which sponsors

programs funded by

vaccine manufacturers and directed by former CDC officials such as

Foege, M.D., M.P.H. and

Alan Hinman, M.D., M.P.H.

* The Task Force for Child Survival and Development is sponsoring

Voices for Vaccines, which has a

Steering Committee composed of individuals employed by an affiliate

of the Center or Every Child by Two and non-profit organizations,

many of whom receive funding from vaccine manufacturers such as the

American Academy of Family Physicians and

Immunization Action Coalition and

P-Kids and

Families Fighting Flu.

These are only some of the major players keeping the Vaccine Machine up

and running smoothly in the U.S. It is a machine powered by a national

and international web of individuals working for and with major

pharmaceutical corporations, government health agencies, non-profit

medical organizations, world banks, the World Health Organization and

wealthy philanthropic foundations such as the Bill and Melinda Gates

Foundation to make sure that people in every country continue to purchase

and use many vaccines without thinking about it.

The public health program that began with a mandate to eradicate smallpox

from the earth using smallpox vaccine has turned into a lucrative ATM for

the drug companies. It provides a kind of money laundering scheme for

" non-profits " who pretend to be free from conflicts of interest

with an industry whose products they are hawking. It has also become a

money pit for the American taxpayer feeding the insatiable Vaccine

Machine creating hundreds of new vaccines being tested in

more than 2,000 clinical trials that will no doubt be candidates for

future vaccine mandates.

Peet, who is being coached by doctors to tell parents to

" trust the doctors, " has learned her lines well but neither she

nor McCarthy will ultimately decide the fate of the vaccine safety

and informed consent movement begun by parents of vaccine injured

children in 1982. Because what is at stake is not the outcome of a

Hollywood celebrity face- off but the ability of the American people to

free themselves from the tyranny of the " medical experts " who

have betrayed the public trust by failing to do their job.

For nearly three decades, before and after passage of the National

Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986, parents have been calling on

doctors in charge of the mass vaccination system to find out how and why

vaccines injure and kill some children. We have been asking doctors to

give us a good explanation for why so many of our highly vaccinated

children are so chronically ill with 1 in 6 becoming learning disabled; 1

in 9 suffering with asthma and 1 in 150 developing autism. And the only

explanation we get or action we have seen is doctors and government

health agencies sticking their heads in the sand and twisting themselves

into pretzels yelling " it's a coincidence " every time a child

regresses into chronic poor health after vaccination.

The last thing we need to do is return to the dark ages when we allowed

ourselves to be treated like the infants whose lives we entrusted without

question to paternalistic pediatricians patting us on the head. You don't

have to have an M.D. or Ph.D. written after your name to become an

informed health care consumer and weigh the benefits and risks of

vaccination in order to make an intelligent, well considered vaccine

decision for your child or yourself.

Unquestioning faith belongs in a church and not in a doctor's office.

__________________________________________

" Tonight, on the

CBS Evening News, we dig into the allegations of financial conflicts

of interest among some widely-quoted " independent " voices in

the debates over vaccine safety. We weren't as lucky as Grassley: The

groups we approached refused to provide us with a full accounting of

their financial relationships. Although two of the groups receive tax

benefits for their non-profit status, they are not required to file such

details with the IRS and would not provide them to us, either. In the

case of a prominent vaccine specialist who is routinely offered up as an

" independent " voice to speak on vaccine safety, he, too, was

unwilling to disclose to us how much remuneration he's received from the

vaccine industry. And the vaccine companies we asked? They said they

would not, or could not give such information as: financial support they

give to educational institutions, physicians and research projects; a

list of outside physicians who are on the payroll as researchers,

speakers, advisors or consultants; and an accounting of funding provided

to non-profits, medical organizations and government entities such as

IOM, NIH, CDC and FDA. " - Sharyl Attkisson, CBS News Blog

(June 25, 2008)

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs /2008/07/25/couricandco/entry4295088.shtml?

source=search_story

" The vaccine industry gives millions to the Academy of

Pediatrics for conferences, grants, medical education classes and even

helped build their headquarters.... 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. " - Sharyl Attkisson, CBS News (June 25, 2008)

http://www.c bsnews.com/stories/2008/07/25/cbsnews_investigate

s/main4296175.shtml

" Voices For Vaccines objects to the defamatory allegations

made by the CBS Evening News on Friday, July 25, against the American

Academy of Pediatrics, Every Child By Two, and the Vaccine Education

Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, with our colleague Dr.

Offit singled out for baseless criticism. It is our privilege to

partner with these institutions in our mission to disseminate reliable

information about vaccines. These groups advocate for immunization based

on the overwhelming evidence for the lifesaving power of vaccination, and

motivated by a sincere concern for the health of America's children. It

is preposterous and deeply offensive for CBS to suggest otherwise by

insinuating that the pharmaceutical industry improperly influences the

views of these vaccine advocate.... An obvious starting point for an

unbiased reporter assigned to investigate this possibility would have

been to determine whether the advocates' recommendations were in accord

with the scientific consensus on immunization, as articulated by neutral

bodies such as the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention..... " - Randall, Voices for

Vaccines letter to CBS (July 31, 2008)

http://voicesforvaccines.org/Blog/wp-

content/uploads/2008/08/cbs-vaccine- letter1.pdf

" The new " Vaccinate Your Baby " campaign will address

misperceptions about vaccines that cause confusion among parents and put

children at risk. " When I was pregnant with my daughter ie, I

had all kinds of questions, including ones about immunization, " said

Ms. Peet. " There is a wealth of misinformation about vaccines out

there, particularly in Hollywood. My husband and I took the time to speak

to several doctors about our concerns. What became clear to us was that

delaying vaccines could jeopardize our baby's life. I have teamed up with

Every Child By Two to help parents get the facts straight on this very

important issue. " Ms. Peet added, " My main message to parents

is that they should not be taking medical advice from me or any other

celebrity. They should look to their pediatrician, the AAP and other

experts. " - Every Child by Two Press Release (August 5,

2008)

http://www.vaccinateyo urbaby.org/news/releases/2008/080805_peet_ecbt.cf

m

July 25, 2008, 4:56 PM

The " Independent " Voices Of Vaccine Safety

Posted by Sharyl Attkisson

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs /2008/07/25/couricandco/entry4295088.shtml?

source=search_story

(CBS)

Sharyl Attkisson is the Capitol Hill Correspondent for CBS News.

For years, members of Congress have been

investigating financial ties between pharmaceutical companies and the

government, doctors and researchers, research hospitals, colleges and

universities. Sen. Grassley, who has most

recently been digging into money links between drug companies and the

American Psychiatric Association, puts it this way: " I have come to

understand that money from the pharmaceutical industry can shape the

practices of nonprofit organizations that purport to be independent in

their viewpoints and actions. "

In a letter to its members, the APA says it supports complete

transparency and plans to provide Grassley with the information he's

requested: " a complete accounting of APA revenues, except from

advertising in our journals, from pharmaceutical companies, starting in

2003. " The APA notes: " We are not alone; recent public focus on

relationships between medicine and the pharmaceutical industry is a

challenge for the whole field of medicine. "

Indeed, the APA is not alone in being the subject of public focus and

scrutiny for its relationships with the pharmaceutical industry. Tonight,

on the CBS Evening News, we dig into the allegations of financial

conflicts of interest among some widely- quoted " independent "

voices in the debates over vaccine safety. We weren't as lucky as

Grassley: The groups we approached refused to provide us with a full

accounting of their financial relationships. Although two of the groups

receive tax benefits for their non-profit status, they are not required

to file such details with the IRS and would not provide them to us,

either.

In the case of a prominent vaccine specialist who is routinely offered up

as an " independent " voice to speak on vaccine safety, he, too,

was unwilling to disclose to us how much remuneration he's received from

the vaccine industry.

And the vaccine companies we asked? They said they would not, or could

not give such information as: financial support they give to educational

institutions, physicians and research projects; a list of outside

physicians who are on the payroll as researchers, speakers, advisors or

consultants; and an accounting of funding provided to non-profits,

medical organizations and government entities such as IOM, NIH, CDC and

FDA. With all of those refusals, you might be surprised to find we had

enough information to put together a story for tonight's CBS Evening

News. But you might be more surprised at what we did find. And we'll show

you tonight.

How Independent Are Vaccine

Defenders?

by Sharyl Attkisson

CBS-TV

July 25, 2008

http://www.c bsnews.com/stories/2008/07/25/cbsnews_investigate

s/main4296175.shtml

Washington, D.C. - For years some parents and scientists

have raised concerns about vaccine safety, including a possible link to

autism and ADD. Many independent experts have sided with government

officials and other scientists who say there's no possible connection.

But how " independent " are they?

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.

Letter from Voices for Vaccines to

Couric, CBS News

Couric, Managing Editor

CBS Television Network

524 West 57th Street

6th Floor

New York, NY 10019-2902

July 31, 2008

Via Facsimile

http://voicesforvaccines.org/Blog/wp-

content/uploads/2008/08/cbs-vaccine-letter1.pdf

Dear Ms. Couric:

Voices For Vaccines objects to the defamatory allegations made by the CBS

Evening News on Friday, July 25, against the American Academy of

Pediatrics, Every Child By Two, and the Vaccine Education Center at the

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, with our colleague Dr. Offit

singled out for baseless criticism.

It is our privilege to partner with these institutions in our mission to

disseminate reliable information about vaccines. These groups advocate

for immunization based on the overwhelming evidence for the lifesaving

power of vaccination, and motivated by a sincere concern for the health

of America's children. It is preposterous and deeply offensive for CBS to

suggest otherwise by insinuating that the pharmaceutical industry

improperly influences the views of these vaccine advocates.

An obvious starting point for an unbiased reporter assigned to

investigate this possibility would have been to determine whether the

advocates' recommendations were in accord with the scientific consensus

on immunization, as articulated by neutral bodies such as the World

Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

(In fact, all three subjects of the CBS story do promote vaccination

according to federal guidelines.)

In contrast, Sharyl Attkisson relied solely upon tangential observations

in concluding that the judgment of these respected authorities has been

co- opted by drug companies. Ms. Attkisson's choice to pursue her story

even after failing to uncover evidence of malfeasance reveals not bias on

the part of the story's subjects, but on the part of Ms. Attkisson

herself. Professionalism required her to acknowledge that the targets of

her story have done nothing other than emphasize to the public that which

is well known to science - that vaccines allow children to grow up safe

and healthy.

We call upon CBS to issue a retraction of Ms. Attkisson's report and an

apology to the individuals and institutions whose good and honorable work

in the field of immunization has been smeared. We further ask CBS to

reflect upon the fact that it does not befit a user of the public

airwaves to broadcast misleading claims about the most important public

health measure of our time.

Sincerely,

Randall

Interim Executive Director

cc: Boyle, Senior Producer

LaPook, M.D., Medical Correspondent

Sharyl Attkisson, Reporter

Actor Peet Joins with Every Child By Two

and the American Academy of Pediatrics to Urge Parents to Get the Facts

About Immunizations

August 5, 2008

http://www.vaccinateyo urbaby.org/news/releases/2008/080805_peet_ecbt.cf

m

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Amy Pisani, ,

amyp@...

August 5, 2008 (NEW YORK, NY): Every Child By Two (ECBT) and the American

Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) are launching a new campaign with actor

Peet to urge parents to immunize their children against

vaccine-preventable diseases. The new " Vaccinate Your Baby "

campaign will address misperceptions about vaccines that cause confusion

among parents and put children at risk.

" When I was pregnant with my daughter ie, I had all kinds of

questions, including ones about immunization, " said Ms. Peet.

" There is a wealth of misinformation about vaccines out there,

particularly in Hollywood. My husband and I took the time to speak to

several doctors about our concerns. What became clear to us was that

delaying vaccines could jeopardize our baby's life. I have teamed up with

Every Child By Two to help parents get the facts straight on this very

important issue. "

Ms. Peet added, " My main message to parents is that they should not

be taking medical advice from me or any other celebrity. They should look

to their pediatrician, the AAP and other experts. "

Myths about the safety of immunizations are resulting in real-life

consequences. The United States is now facing its largest measles

outbreak since 1997. According to the Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention, 132 people have contracted measles since the beginning of the

year - many of these cases are a result of parents choosing not to

vaccinate their children on time.

" The recommended schedule for vaccination of children was developed

to protect babies at the earliest possible opportunity, " said Dr.

Renée , president of the AAP. " Despite recent theories to the

contrary, spreading out vaccines over time can place your child at risk

of contracting serious and sometimes deadly diseases. "

In fact, ECBT was founded in 1991 in response to a similar outbreak of

measles during which nearly 150 people died, many of whom were young

children. This new campaign is part of ECBT's efforts to avert a similar

tragedy.

Amy Pisani, Executive Director of ECBT, said, " Vaccines are very

safe, but online rumors are needlessly jeopardizing the health of our

children. Few people realize just how rigorously vaccines are tested

before they are approved for use and how many safeguards are already in

place to ensure the ongoing safety of vaccines after they are licensed.

Our campaign aims to dispel these myths and remind parents to get the

facts before they make this critical decision regarding their children's

health. "

For more information on the safety of vaccines, as well as to view new

public service announcements featuring Ms. Peet, please visit ECBT's new

web site,

www.vaccinateyourbaby.org.

PROVE provides information on vaccines, and immunization policies and

practices that affect the children and adults of Texas. Our mission is to

prevent vaccine injury and death and to promote and protect the right of

every person to make informed independent vaccination decisions for

themselves and their family.

This information is not to be construed as medical OR legal advice.

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--------------------------------------------------------

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

Homeopath

Vaccination Information & Choice Network, Nevada City CA & Wales

UK

Vaccines -

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