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ALLIANCE FOR HUMAN RESEARCH PROTECTION Promoting Openness, Full Disclosure, and Accountability http://www.ahrp.org and http://ahrp.blogspot.com
FYI
When a pharmaceutical company "contributes" money --whether the recipient is a doctor, a non-profit organization such as, a professional medical association, university, or advocacy group--a binding relationship is established with the funding corporation.
Doctors and non-profits alike always deliver the promotional services for which they are paid.
CBS reporter Sharyl Attkisson has uncovered a portion of the multi-million dollar cash flow from pharmaceutical / vaccine manufacturers to childhood health experts who profess to be "independent." The cash "contributions" bind these "independent" medical experts to vaccine makers. Specifically, she has nailed three of the most influential promoters / endorsers of mandatory childhood vaccines in the U.S. to cash kickbacks from manufacturers. http://wwwimage.cbsnews.com/common/images/v3/button_play.png
1. The American Academy of Pediatrics: $342,000 payment from Wyeth, maker of the pneumococcal vaccine. Wyeth makes $2 billion a year in sales. $433,000 payment from Merck, the same year the academy endorsed Merck's HPV vaccine. Merck made $1.5 billion a year in sales. Undisclosed amount from Sanofi Aventis, maker of 17 vaccines and a new five-in-one combo shot just added to the childhood vaccine schedule last month.
2. Every Child By Two, founded in 1991 by Rosalynn Carter, President, and Betty Bumpers, Vice President. Both have been credited with the passage of U.S. laws mandating school-age vaccination requirements. [Rosalynn Carter is an active promoter for increased Mental Health services. No coincidence that the Carter Center is a beneficiary of pharmaceutical industry "donations." See, http://www.cartercenter.org/donate/partners/index.html
The ECBT website states: "Every Child By Two has assisted in the development of programs and coalitions throughout the nation that seek to increase immunization coverage rates." American children receive 55 vaccine doses by age 6. ECBT admitted to CBS that the group takes money from the vaccine industry - but wouldn't disclose how much.
ECBT board of directors includes: Paul Offit, MD, Chief, Section of Immunologic and Infectious Diseases, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Craig Engesser, Senior Director, Professional Affairs, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals... Therese Hoyle, Past President, American Immunization Registry Association; Patti Mitchell, MPH, RD, Treasurer, who is Senior Program Analyst of the USDA Food and Nutrition Services. ECBT works in conjunction with the Center for Disease Control to enforce compliance with mandatory vaccinations. Indeed, Anne Schuchat, MD, Director, CDC/Div. of Respiratory and Infectious Disease is an ex-officio board member. See: http://www.ecbt.org/aboutecbt/boardofdir.cfm
ECBT prides itself on its electronic surveillance registries: "Much of our efforts focus on ensuring that electronic immunization registries are fully developed and implemented throughout our country. This electronic medical record helps physicians ensure that their patients receive all their vaccines on time and help parents keep track of their children's vaccines."
3. Dr. Paul Offit, the most widely-quoted defender of vaccine safety who declared that babies can tolerate "10,000 vaccines at once," regularly writes opinion pieces railing against legal action brought on behalf of vaccine-injured children. Though Dr. Offit presents himself as an academic authority, he is, in fact, a vaccine industry insider.
Not only does he fail to disclose that Merck finances his $1.5 million research chair at Children's Hospital, University of Pennsylvania, he does not disclose that he holds a patent for the rotavirus vaccine (Rotateq) which he developed with Merck. Nor does he disclose his future royalties for the vaccine which, CBS reports, were just sold for $182 million cash.
None of the above paid vaccine promoters agreed to be interviewed by CBS.
All of the above have served their own financial interest and that of their corporate benefactors--but have they served children's best interest?
>From all indications the health of US children is in crisis
Contact: Vera Hassner Sharav veracare@ahrp.org 212-595-8974
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/07/25/cbsnews_investigates/main4296175.s html?source=search_story CBS World News How Independent Are Vaccine Defenders? WASHINGTON, July 25, 2008
(CBS) 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. Paul 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 Paul 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. ~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2008/07/25/couricandco/printable4295088.shtml July 25, 2008
The "Independent" Voices Of Vaccine Safety
(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. Charles 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.
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