July 28, 2007
A secret medical experiment that injected soldiers with the anti-anthrax vaccine, run over eight years beginning in 1998, raises alarming questions about the army authorities' conduct. To read the rest of the article, click here.
This blog began in 2007, focusing on anthrax vaccine, and later expanded to other public health and political issues. The blog links to media reports, medical literature, official documents and other materials.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Friday, July 27, 2007
Testimony of Meryl Nass at House Veterans Affairs Health Subcommittee
On July 26, 2007 I spoke to the Committee on Veterans Affairs Health Subcommittee about the role of anthrax vaccine in Gulf War illnesses, and the role of the Department of Veterans Affairs in researching, diagnosing, treating and compensating ill veterans.
My written testimony is a 9 page summary of the science on anthrax vaccine safety and Gulf War illnesses, with recommendations for the Committee to improve the care of veterans who have been injured by anthrax vaccine or other Gulf War exposures.
My spoken testimony quickly summarized the information in the written testimony, and pulled no punches about why and how VA and DOD created a smokescreen around these illnesses to avoid caring for soldiers and veterans through a $260 million dollar portfolio of corrupt research.
My written testimony is a 9 page summary of the science on anthrax vaccine safety and Gulf War illnesses, with recommendations for the Committee to improve the care of veterans who have been injured by anthrax vaccine or other Gulf War exposures.
My spoken testimony quickly summarized the information in the written testimony, and pulled no punches about why and how VA and DOD created a smokescreen around these illnesses to avoid caring for soldiers and veterans through a $260 million dollar portfolio of corrupt research.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
670 SERIOUS Adverse Events Reported to FDA (includes 44 deaths)
FDA released its compilation of 670 SERIOUS adverse event reports filed with the VAERS system for anthrax vaccine.. This includes 44 deaths that were reported as suspected vaccine-related adverse events. You can review the entire list. Reports that FDA has designated serious comprise 12.5% of the total anthrax vaccine VAERS reports filed. The list is complete as of June 26, 2007. The total list of VAERS reports is also available. Click here.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
US has stockpiled treatments for anthrax infections
- The availability of treatments for anthrax after an exposure eliminates the need for pre-exposure vaccination. The National Strategic Stockpile now contains both antiserum and monoclonal antibodies for anthrax, in addition to a range of antibiotics that were added prior to the Project Bioshield acquisitions. General Russell, former commander at Fort Detrick, wrote the following:
- Clin Infect Dis. 2007 Jul 15;45 Suppl 1:S68-72.
Project BioShield: what it is, why it is needed, and its accomplishments so far.
Albert B. Sabin Vaccine Institute, Washington, DC 20005, USA. pkrussell@aol.com
Project BioShield is a comprehensive effort involving the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), its component agencies, and other partner federal agencies to speed the research, development, acquisition, and availability of medical countermeasures to improve the government's preparedness for and ability to counter chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threat agents. The legislation authorizes use of the Special Reserve Fund, which makes available $5.6 billion over 10 years for the advanced development and purchase of medical countermeasures. This appropriation is intended to provide an economic incentive to the pharmaceutical industry to develop medical countermeasures for which the government is the only significant market. Acquisitions under Project BioShield are restricted to products in development that are potentially licensable within 8 years from the time of contract award. In exercising the procurement authorities under Project BioShield, HHS has launched acquisition programs to address each of the 4 threat agents, including Bacillus anthracis (anthrax), smallpox virus, botulinum toxins, and radiological/nuclear agents, originally deemed by the Department of Homeland Security to be threats to the US population sufficient to affect national security. At the time of writing, 7 contracts have been awarded: (1) recombinant protective antigen anthrax vaccine, the next-generation anthrax vaccine (contract terminated in December 2006 for default); (2) anthrax vaccine adsorbed, the currently licensed anthrax vaccine; (3) anthrax therapeutics (monoclonal); (4) anthrax therapeutics (human immune globulin); (5) the pediatric formulation of potassium iodide; (6) Ca- and Zn-diethylenetriaminepentaacetate (DTPA), chelating agents to treat ingestion of certain radiological particles; and (7) botulinum antitoxins. Additional acquisition contracts are expected to be awarded in 2007.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Major Study into Long-Term Health Effects, 4/2000: Where are the Results?
DepSecDef Rudy deLeon testified to Congress on April 13, 2000 that federal agencies were working together to study the long-term effects of anthrax vaccine. Seven years later, where is the study? See National Guard Association report below:
Anthrax study conducted as supplies run low
"Federal agencies are collaborating in a major study into long-term health effects of the anthrax vaccine used by the Defense Department, Deputy Defense Secretary Rudy de Leon testified April 13 before the Senate Armed Services Committee...
The Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta is in charge of the $20 million, multi-year study and is working with the DOD, the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health, de Leon said in a prepared statement. The study will document possible long-term effects and examine risk factors for adverse reactions and dosing for the vaccine.
"The DOD leadership ... [is] aware of and respects the concerns expressed by a small number of service members about possible long-term health effects," de Leon said. At least 12 studies involving more than 16,000 vaccine recipients have been conducted and show common short-term side effects include local injection site reactions, headache, slight fever, joint pain and fatigue..."
Anthrax study conducted as supplies run low
"Federal agencies are collaborating in a major study into long-term health effects of the anthrax vaccine used by the Defense Department, Deputy Defense Secretary Rudy de Leon testified April 13 before the Senate Armed Services Committee...
The Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta is in charge of the $20 million, multi-year study and is working with the DOD, the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health, de Leon said in a prepared statement. The study will document possible long-term effects and examine risk factors for adverse reactions and dosing for the vaccine.
"The DOD leadership ... [is] aware of and respects the concerns expressed by a small number of service members about possible long-term health effects," de Leon said. At least 12 studies involving more than 16,000 vaccine recipients have been conducted and show common short-term side effects include local injection site reactions, headache, slight fever, joint pain and fatigue..."
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Monday, July 2, 2007
GAO Report: 1-2% have adverse events which may result in disability or death
On June 29, 2007 a Government Accountability Office report was issued regarding the military Vaccine Healthcare Centers, which were formed in 2001 to take care of injuries from anthrax vaccine. They have treated 2,400 ill soldiers, the vast majority for illnesses developing in close proximity to anthrax vaccinations.
Page 4 of the report says, "Officials from the VHC Network and CDC estimate that between 1 and 2 percent of immunized individuals may experience severe adverse events, which could result in disability or death." The text does not specify anthrax vaccine here, in an attempt to downplay the anthrax vaccine connection. However, on page 3 of the report, in a footnote, GAO makes clear that the only vaccine reactions evaluated for this report were those from anthrax, stating: "We consider the efforts of the VHC Network to address the needs of those receiving the anthrax immunization under both mandatory and voluntary circumstances to be within the scope of this report."
This quote from: Military Health: DOD's Vaccine Healthcare Centers Network. GAO-07-787R, June 29.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-787R
Who would willingly agree to such odds? Yet this vaccine is what we continue to force on our soldiers, Coast Guard members, some merchant mariners and many civilian contractors to the military.
The GAO report says that the VHCs are working with the Military Vaccine Agency (MILVAX) to research adverse reactions--but no studies have been reported in the medical literature. It also notes the VHC Network spent $500,000 to build a clinic at Landstuhl, Germany in 2004--but the Army made no funds available to operate it. Landstuhl is where soldiers go first when they are medically evacuated from Iraq and Afghanistan. The VHCs apparently expected that vaccine-injured soldiers would be arriving at Landstuhl in sufficient numbers to warrant a clinic.
How many of the non-combat-related serious illnesses and deaths are due to anthrax and possibly other vaccines? Although the military has not released any data that would permit an independent assessment, I have heard from ill soldiers that several percent of their units were medevaced home prior to seeing any combat--due to heart attacks, gastrointestinal illnesses, and sudden development of autoimmune disorders.
Page 4 of the report says, "Officials from the VHC Network and CDC estimate that between 1 and 2 percent of immunized individuals may experience severe adverse events, which could result in disability or death." The text does not specify anthrax vaccine here, in an attempt to downplay the anthrax vaccine connection. However, on page 3 of the report, in a footnote, GAO makes clear that the only vaccine reactions evaluated for this report were those from anthrax, stating: "We consider the efforts of the VHC Network to address the needs of those receiving the anthrax immunization under both mandatory and voluntary circumstances to be within the scope of this report."
This quote from: Military Health: DOD's Vaccine Healthcare Centers Network. GAO-07-787R, June 29.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-787R
Who would willingly agree to such odds? Yet this vaccine is what we continue to force on our soldiers, Coast Guard members, some merchant mariners and many civilian contractors to the military.
The GAO report says that the VHCs are working with the Military Vaccine Agency (MILVAX) to research adverse reactions--but no studies have been reported in the medical literature. It also notes the VHC Network spent $500,000 to build a clinic at Landstuhl, Germany in 2004--but the Army made no funds available to operate it. Landstuhl is where soldiers go first when they are medically evacuated from Iraq and Afghanistan. The VHCs apparently expected that vaccine-injured soldiers would be arriving at Landstuhl in sufficient numbers to warrant a clinic.
How many of the non-combat-related serious illnesses and deaths are due to anthrax and possibly other vaccines? Although the military has not released any data that would permit an independent assessment, I have heard from ill soldiers that several percent of their units were medevaced home prior to seeing any combat--due to heart attacks, gastrointestinal illnesses, and sudden development of autoimmune disorders.