dod & cdc

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-kirby/dod-and-cdc-our-study-sug_b_147792.htm\

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Kirby

Posted December 2, 2008 | 02:14 PM (EST)

DOD and CDC: Our Study Suggests a Possible Link Between Multiple Vaccines and

Injury

It looks like the CDC may have missed a memo to itself on vaccine safety.

One very contentious issue in the vaccine-autism debate has been whether a

certain subset of genetically susceptible children is unequipped to handle the

early and intensive US immunization schedule -- including kids like Hannah

Poling, who developed autism after receiving nine vaccines at once.

The theory is that some people with abnormal immune or metabolic systems might

become overtaxed by the fever, inflammation and/or other stresses sometimes

caused by multiple vaccines.

Many doctors and scientists scoff at the notion that someone could be injured by

getting too many shots at once. They say that people of all ages, including

babies, can handle multiple exposures at any given moment.

For example, the CDC's website says that simultaneous multiple immunizations are

safe for children with " normal " immune systems. And Dr. Offit, a prominent

pediatrician and wealthy vaccine co-inventor, says that kids can handle

simultaneous exposure to the antigens contained in 100,000 vaccines -- without

any harm coming to them.

So, the CDC says that multiple vaccines are safe for everyone (at least in

infants).

But now, we learn that a collaborative program between the CDC and the

Department of Defense says that multiple vaccines may not be safe for everyone

(at least in adults being inoculated for military service).

" We have preliminary findings from one of our many on-going research studies

that suggest a relationship between adverse events and multiple vaccinations

exist. These findings will require validation, but heighten our concern for the

current clinical practice of multiple vaccinations. "

That rather remarkable statement came from US Army Colonel Renata J. M. Engler,

MD, director of the Vaccine Healthcare Centers Network (VHCN) a " collaborative

network " of the Defense Department - and the CDC. She went on to say this:

" The more drugs one is exposed to, the greater the likelihood of having an

adverse event so as vaccine numbers increase, and (sic) we will see more people

who have efficacy or safety issues. "

And later, this:

" The standard of care (in the context of mixing vaccines) is to minimize drug

exposures because of the recognition that the more drugs being used, the greater

the chance of a reaction and potentially a serious adverse event. "

Col. Engler's candid statements (I've never heard anything like them from any

other senior vaccine official), were included in a November 26 letter to Rep.

Carolyn Maloney (D-NY). Maloney had written to inquire about a 2007 VHCN

presentation suggesting that 1-2 percent of all service members were suffering

serious adverse effects from their shots.

I first reported on this presentation in August, when someone alerted me to a

Government Accounting Office report saying that VHCN and CDC officials " estimate

that between 1 and 2 percent of immunized individuals may experience severe

adverse events, which could result in disability or death. Some of these events

may occur coincidentally following immunization, while others may truly be

caused by immunization. "

I had never heard of the VHCN, so I went to their website, where I found this

Power Point presentation.

The slides suggested that, among active duty and reserve service members, up to

48,000 individuals may have sustained serious vaccine injuries which might need

to be classified as " casualties, " and may require teaching " new skills " to some

of those injured.

But Col. Engler wrote that the slides had been misinterpreted.

" Our program is not in a position to provide incidence data but rather to refine

case definitions and research questions to address the serious and the rare

adverse events questions, " she wrote.

The 1-2% figure was merely an estimate of " who may need an immunization

healthcare consultation to address clinical questions raised, " she said.

" The consultation does not prove or disprove causality association but it is

from these consultations that we have refined our understanding of the

questions, a critical first step to future refinement of research agendas. It is

our firm belief that increased research into side effects that are more severe

but may be short duration, may help us understand more severe adverse events

(more rare at 1 in 10-100,000). However, our work over the past years has been

humbling in relation to the knowledge gaps. "

And what about the slide mentioning that up to 48,000 service members might

require " new skills " following vaccine injury?

" This statistic refers to the potential number of service members, experiencing

more serious side effects (not serious disease with prolonged duration), that

may need a medical consultation about next dose and/or pre-treatment to reduce

the severity of the side effects, etc., " Col. Engler explained, (I think).

So what does any of this have to do with autism? Perhaps nothing. As Col. Engler

herself wrote: " The belief that vaccines are safe to mix is based largely on

pediatric experience and with a much more limited spectrum of vaccines. " (In

other words, apples and oranges, here folks).

Now, it's hard to imagine how 35-to-40 or more shots in the US childhood

schedule could be " much more limited " than the military's regime. But then

again, babies don't get vaccinated against anthrax and smallpox.

But it's also hard to imagine that there might be a " relationship between

adverse events and multiple vaccinations " in adults healthy enough to fight a

war, and yet, among babies and infants with immature immune systems and

developing brains, the practice is universally harmless - even for kids like

Hannah Poling who had an underlying mitochondrial dysfunction.

In the meantime, let's hope the DOD and the CDC and get their message straight.

If they want to convince parents that multiple vaccines might be risky for some

soldiers but safe for all little kids, well, good luck.

Or maybe, the government is finally going to look into the percentage of people

(however small) who might be genetically programmed against the ability to

withstand more than one or two shots at any given time.

As Col. Engler notes, more work is needed in this regard: " The recommendation

for more research on subpopulation risk factors in relation to multiple vaccine

combinations has been included in the Institute of Medicine Report on Multiple

Vaccines. "

a.. Autism

b.. Health

It looks like the CDC may have missed a memo to itself on vaccine safety. One

very contentious issue in the vaccine-autism debate has been whether a certain

subset of genetically susceptible children...

It looks like the CDC may have missed a memo to itself on vaccine safety. One

very contentious issue in the vaccine-autism debate has been whether a certain

subset of genetically susceptible children...