CONFLICTS OF INTEREST ABOUND IN THE VACCINE DEBATE: Is Your Child Safe from the Scoundrels of Medicine?
By: Paula Rothstein
In response to a court case regarding Michelle Cedillo (one of thousands of families attempting to establish the connection between vaccines and their child's autism), Dr. Paul Offit, chief of infectious diseases at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania claims the apparent connection between vaccines and autism is "nothing more than a sad coincidence".
Imagine being the parent (and there are many!) who watched their child's fast retreat into silence and disability following a round of vaccinations upon hearing this incomprehensible dismissal of their reality!
Should all parents of children, believed to be vaccine damaged, accept that this remarkable timing of disease onset and their child’s “wellness visit” is a mere coincidence? Should they stop sifting through the thousands of pages of research by reputable doctors and scientists exposing the darker side of vaccines simply because Dr. Offit declared this epidemic to be nothing more than a SAD COINCIDENCE?
As a parent who has been researching vaccine damage for years, I say let's look at the man, Dr. Offit, chief of infectious diseases at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. His title would lead us to believe his knowledge should be greater than our own but is he to be trusted?
Without digging too deep into the heart and soul of this individual, we know that he is someone who makes outlandish statements on the issue of vaccine safety in order to make parents feel small and silly for questioning safety. In addition to the "sad coincidence" statement, Dr. Offit once stated that "an infant can safely receive up to 10,000 vaccines at once". Perhaps Dr. Offit would like to prove his theory by allowing himself to be injected with 10,000 vaccines! In fact, line all the scoundrels up who wish to play Russian roulette with our children's health and give them a dose of their own medicine.
Here's just a little professional background on Dr. Paul Offit. He is not just a doctor who firmly believes vaccines save lives and will stand by medicine no matter how much conflicting evidence gets in the way. No, Dr. Offit is actually one of the patent holders of the rotavirus vaccine (Patent Application number 353547) and the recipient of a $350,000 grant from Merck for its development. Additionally, he is a consultant to Merck Pharmaceuticals.
Additionally, he is a member of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) which is comprised of a 15 member panel of "immunization experts" (so knowledgeable on the subject of vaccine safety as to have concluded that your infant would be safe receiving 10,000 vaccines at one time!). The ACIP is responsible for providing advice and guidelines to the Secretary for Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on vaccine-preventable diseases. Would you have imagined that an individual who profits from vaccines is one of 15 who will vote on vaccine safety? Nothing should surprise us anymore.
As a member of the ACIP, starting in 1998, Dr. Offit voted “yes” three times out of four on issues pertaining to the ACIP’s rotavirus statement, including a vote for his own vaccine to be included in the immunization schedule. I would call that a conflict of interest and a moral individual would excuse himself from voting on a vaccine from which they are to receive financial benefit. But then again we are talking about pharmaceutical drug profit here so morality does not play a role in the decision making process.
When presented with information regarding safety of vaccines, it would be nice if we could trust and believe the medical profession. Unfortunately, Dr. Offit is not just an exception to the rule but the standard bearer. Conflicts are everywhere you look in this hotly debated topic, as profits are quite extraordinary.
In the meantime, thousands of parents each year will continue to experience the "sad coincidence" of witnessing their child's health dramatically deteriorate following a "wellness visit" at their pediatrician's office.
As parents, it is acceptable and encouraged that we research the safety of all products that our children are to use, car seat safety, food they will be eating, chemicals used in the home, etc., etc., but dare we question the safety of a vaccine schedule that inflicts over 20 injections in the first two years of their lives - at a time when their immune system is the most vulnerable – we will be met with belittling comments from a know-it-all medical professional who has profited greatly from the very products we dare to question.
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For more information on vaccine safety:
World Association for Vaccine Education (WAVE)
Studies on Vaccine Safety
Vaccine Exemption Letters and Forms – Know your rights!
