NYT Editorial on vaccines - Response of Dr King.

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To all,This is the body of the email I sent to Byron Calame, the NY Times "public editor" (public 06:30 8/9/06 -0400 Re: 09 Aug 2006 Opinion Piece: 'The Measles Vaccine Follies') early today: > >Byron Calame, > >I read this "opinion" piece with interest >hoping to find something of value in it. > >However, as usual, the information presented >was calculated to instill fear rather than >to report the factual realities concerning >the incident. > >Factually, 34 people out of "500" contracted >the measles virus and 2 of these had been >vaccinated -- one 16-year-old twice. > >Theoreticaly, at least one of the 2

vaccinated >should have been protected from the measles >BUT was NOT. > >Three were hospitalized, but no one died and >none were reported to have any serious >long-term adverse effects! > >Thus, your statements about the world: > > > >Measles is a highly infectious viral > >disease that can cause a rash, fever, > >diarrhea and, in severe cases, pneumonia, > >encephalitis and even death. Worldwide, > >it infects some 30 million people and > >causes more than 450,000 deaths a year. > > >obviously have no bearing on this incident >and are, therefore, designed to fearmonger >rather than inform. > >Your editorial forgot to mention that for >some of those vaccinated with MMR are not >so lucky BECAUSE they die or, worse still, >they are permanently maimed -- and you did

>NOT even report the risks for harm and >death from the MMR vaccine -- if you were >interested in being fair, you would have, >at least, reported these risks. > >On balance, the MMR vaccine does protect >most BUT at the unnecessary cost of lives >and maimed children BECAUSE an equally >effective INACTIVATED measles-virus vaccine >could have been developed and deployed but, >because they can't be sued for the harm the >current MMR vaccine does and the development >costs would have cut into their profits, >Merck has NOT attempted to reduce the adverse >reactions to their MMR vaccine by changing >the most damaging component to an equally >effective but lower-risk-of-adverse-reactions >inactivated measles-virus-component vaccine >that would reduce, if not eliminate the harm >being done by the current all live-virus MMR

>vaccine. > >Moreover, though compelled by statute to do >all he can to reduce the adverse reactions to >childhood vaccines by statute (42 U.S.C. 300aa-27(a)), >Secretary of HHS Mike Leavitt has also KNOWINGLY >failed to compel Merck to safen this vaccine. > >Given the preceding realities and the reality >that, absent an inactivated measles component >in the MMR vaccine, the separate component >vaccines are safer and, if the first dose of the >measles vaccine is delayed until the child's >immune system is fully developed (after 2 years >of age), it is easy to see why there is some >reluctance by some parents to vaccinate their >child with the MMR vaccine at 12 months of age. > >Finally, your opinion piece's closing statement, > > > >Families that evade vaccination put themselves > >and their neighbors at

risk. All young children, > >not just those attending school, should be > >required to get immunized. > > >indicates that your paper supports a Facist state >that compels parents rather than the Democratic >Republic, which the United States of America is >supposed to be. > >Parents have and should continue to have the right >to choose what they feel is best for their children >and NO ONE should be asked, much less compelled, to >risk harming his children for the good of others, >UNLESS, contrary to the current reality, >1. Each parent is informed of the TRUE risks for > each vaccine and NOT, as they are today, > continually lied to, and >2. The manufacturers and the government are doing > all that they can to reduce the risks of harm > from the vaccines -- which is

NOT the case > today. > >Hopefully, your paper will take my remarks to heart >and stop being the blind apologist for the government >and the healthcare establishment that this "opinion" >clearly indicates it is. > >Hopefully, this editorial and its sentiments willbe helpful to those who are engaged in trying tobring responsibility and accountability to those in any facet of the healthcare establishment who,by their actions or inactions, have KNOWINGLYcontributed to the risk of harm from vaccines and/or the harm that Thimerosal-preserved vaccines have and are continuing to cause as well as the other unnecessay harms inherent in:1. the current vaccines (like the hepatitis B and MMR vaccines),2. the current wrongheaded national childhood vaccination programs that "recommend" vaccination BEFORE the child's natural

immune system has "fully" matured, and3. the inclusion of other vaccines in the national vaccination program that, IN MY VIEW, are: a. NOT EFFECTIVE (e.g., the current inactivated human influenza vaccine even when Thimerosal free); b. NOT COST EFFECTIVE (e.g., the varicella vaccines), c. NOT TRULY SAFE (e.g., the now withdrawn LymeRix and RotaVax vacines, and hepatitis B, the live oral polio vaccines, the Thimerosal-preserved vaccines, and the new rotavirus vaccine); and/or d. ONLY PROVIDE INCOMPLETE PROTECTION (e.g., Menactra, Menomune, Gardasil, and the

pneumococcal vaccines) which, IN THE LONG TERM, ONLY profit the healthcare establishment and NOT the public as a whole -- in general, the colective harms, and the costs of those harms, that these vaccines do SEEMINGLY outweigh the "cost savings" in the U.S. that they are purported to provide.Respectfully,Dr. Kinghttp://www.dr-king.com++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ At 19:13 8/9/06 -0000, dpowell605 wrote:>The Measles Vaccine Follies >>Irrational fears of vaccination seem to >have been responsible for an outbreak >of measles in Indiana last year. It was >a sad example of how parents who think >they are protecting their children by >shunning a

vaccine can end up doing >them harm.>>Measles is a highly infectious viral >disease that can cause a rash, fever, >diarrhea and, in severe cases, pneumonia, >encephalitis and even death. Worldwide, >it infects some 30 million people and >causes more than 450,000 deaths a year. >In this country, measles was once a >common childhood disease, but it had >been largely eliminated by 2000, thanks >mostly to development of a vaccine and >compulsory immunization of schoolchildren. >The introduction of a second dose of >vaccine to bolster the first proved >especially effective. >>The outbreak in Indiana last year, which >was detailed in a recent report in The >New England Journal of Medicine, provided >evidence of what can happen to a triumph of >public health when a community lets its >guard down. A 17-year-old

unvaccinated girl>who visited an orphanage in Romania on a >church mission picked up the virus there. >>When the girl returned, she attended a >gathering of some 500 church members that >included many other unvaccinated children. >Most had been schooled at home and thus >avoided compulsory shots. Their families >had access to the vaccine but declined the >opportunity because of reports that it might >cause autism or other problems. Their fears >overrode assurances by health authorities >that the vaccine is extremely safe and has >no link to autism. >>By the time the outbreak had run its course, >34 people had become ill. Three were >hospitalized, including one with life-threatening >complications. No doubt the toll would have >been considerably higher had not most of the >community been protected by vaccinations. The

>vaccine isn't foolproof — two of the Indiana >victims had been vaccinated — but it protects >the vast majority of recipients. >>Families that evade vaccination put themselves >and their neighbors at risk. All young children, >not just those attending school, should be >required to get immunized.> "Our ideal is not the spirituality that withdraws from life but the conquest of life by the power of the spirit." - Aurobindo.

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[Guest guest]

To all,This is the body of the email I sent to Byron Calame, the NY Times "public editor" (public 06:30 8/9/06 -0400 Re: 09 Aug 2006 Opinion Piece: 'The Measles Vaccine Follies') early today: > >Byron Calame, > >I read this "opinion" piece with interest >hoping to find something of value in it. > >However, as usual, the information presented >was calculated to instill fear rather than >to report the factual realities concerning >the incident. > >Factually, 34 people out of "500" contracted >the measles virus and 2 of these had been >vaccinated -- one 16-year-old twice. > >Theoreticaly, at least one of the 2

vaccinated >should have been protected from the measles >BUT was NOT. > >Three were hospitalized, but no one died and >none were reported to have any serious >long-term adverse effects! > >Thus, your statements about the world: > > > >Measles is a highly infectious viral > >disease that can cause a rash, fever, > >diarrhea and, in severe cases, pneumonia, > >encephalitis and even death. Worldwide, > >it infects some 30 million people and > >causes more than 450,000 deaths a year. > > >obviously have no bearing on this incident >and are, therefore, designed to fearmonger >rather than inform. > >Your editorial forgot to mention that for >some of those vaccinated with MMR are not >so lucky BECAUSE they die or, worse still, >they are permanently maimed -- and you did

>NOT even report the risks for harm and >death from the MMR vaccine -- if you were >interested in being fair, you would have, >at least, reported these risks. > >On balance, the MMR vaccine does protect >most BUT at the unnecessary cost of lives >and maimed children BECAUSE an equally >effective INACTIVATED measles-virus vaccine >could have been developed and deployed but, >because they can't be sued for the harm the >current MMR vaccine does and the development >costs would have cut into their profits, >Merck has NOT attempted to reduce the adverse >reactions to their MMR vaccine by changing >the most damaging component to an equally >effective but lower-risk-of-adverse-reactions >inactivated measles-virus-component vaccine >that would reduce, if not eliminate the harm >being done by the current all live-virus MMR

>vaccine. > >Moreover, though compelled by statute to do >all he can to reduce the adverse reactions to >childhood vaccines by statute (42 U.S.C. 300aa-27(a)), >Secretary of HHS Mike Leavitt has also KNOWINGLY >failed to compel Merck to safen this vaccine. > >Given the preceding realities and the reality >that, absent an inactivated measles component >in the MMR vaccine, the separate component >vaccines are safer and, if the first dose of the >measles vaccine is delayed until the child's >immune system is fully developed (after 2 years >of age), it is easy to see why there is some >reluctance by some parents to vaccinate their >child with the MMR vaccine at 12 months of age. > >Finally, your opinion piece's closing statement, > > > >Families that evade vaccination put themselves > >and their neighbors at

risk. All young children, > >not just those attending school, should be > >required to get immunized. > > >indicates that your paper supports a Facist state >that compels parents rather than the Democratic >Republic, which the United States of America is >supposed to be. > >Parents have and should continue to have the right >to choose what they feel is best for their children >and NO ONE should be asked, much less compelled, to >risk harming his children for the good of others, >UNLESS, contrary to the current reality, >1. Each parent is informed of the TRUE risks for > each vaccine and NOT, as they are today, > continually lied to, and >2. The manufacturers and the government are doing > all that they can to reduce the risks of harm > from the vaccines -- which is

NOT the case > today. > >Hopefully, your paper will take my remarks to heart >and stop being the blind apologist for the government >and the healthcare establishment that this "opinion" >clearly indicates it is. > >Hopefully, this editorial and its sentiments willbe helpful to those who are engaged in trying tobring responsibility and accountability to those in any facet of the healthcare establishment who,by their actions or inactions, have KNOWINGLYcontributed to the risk of harm from vaccines and/or the harm that Thimerosal-preserved vaccines have and are continuing to cause as well as the other unnecessay harms inherent in:1. the current vaccines (like the hepatitis B and MMR vaccines),2. the current wrongheaded national childhood vaccination programs that "recommend" vaccination BEFORE the child's natural

immune system has "fully" matured, and3. the inclusion of other vaccines in the national vaccination program that, IN MY VIEW, are: a. NOT EFFECTIVE (e.g., the current inactivated human influenza vaccine even when Thimerosal free); b. NOT COST EFFECTIVE (e.g., the varicella vaccines), c. NOT TRULY SAFE (e.g., the now withdrawn LymeRix and RotaVax vacines, and hepatitis B, the live oral polio vaccines, the Thimerosal-preserved vaccines, and the new rotavirus vaccine); and/or d. ONLY PROVIDE INCOMPLETE PROTECTION (e.g., Menactra, Menomune, Gardasil, and the

pneumococcal vaccines) which, IN THE LONG TERM, ONLY profit the healthcare establishment and NOT the public as a whole -- in general, the colective harms, and the costs of those harms, that these vaccines do SEEMINGLY outweigh the "cost savings" in the U.S. that they are purported to provide.Respectfully,Dr. Kinghttp://www.dr-king.com++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ At 19:13 8/9/06 -0000, dpowell605 wrote:>The Measles Vaccine Follies >>Irrational fears of vaccination seem to >have been responsible for an outbreak >of measles in Indiana last year. It was >a sad example of how parents who think >they are protecting their children by >shunning a

vaccine can end up doing >them harm.>>Measles is a highly infectious viral >disease that can cause a rash, fever, >diarrhea and, in severe cases, pneumonia, >encephalitis and even death. Worldwide, >it infects some 30 million people and >causes more than 450,000 deaths a year. >In this country, measles was once a >common childhood disease, but it had >been largely eliminated by 2000, thanks >mostly to development of a vaccine and >compulsory immunization of schoolchildren. >The introduction of a second dose of >vaccine to bolster the first proved >especially effective. >>The outbreak in Indiana last year, which >was detailed in a recent report in The >New England Journal of Medicine, provided >evidence of what can happen to a triumph of >public health when a community lets its >guard down. A 17-year-old

unvaccinated girl>who visited an orphanage in Romania on a >church mission picked up the virus there. >>When the girl returned, she attended a >gathering of some 500 church members that >included many other unvaccinated children. >Most had been schooled at home and thus >avoided compulsory shots. Their families >had access to the vaccine but declined the >opportunity because of reports that it might >cause autism or other problems. Their fears >overrode assurances by health authorities >that the vaccine is extremely safe and has >no link to autism. >>By the time the outbreak had run its course, >34 people had become ill. Three were >hospitalized, including one with life-threatening >complications. No doubt the toll would have >been considerably higher had not most of the >community been protected by vaccinations. The

>vaccine isn't foolproof — two of the Indiana >victims had been vaccinated — but it protects >the vast majority of recipients. >>Families that evade vaccination put themselves >and their neighbors at risk. All young children, >not just those attending school, should be >required to get immunized.> "Our ideal is not the spirituality that withdraws from life but the conquest of life by the power of the spirit." - Aurobindo.

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