Immunization Newsbriefs (c) Copyright Information Inc., Bethesda, MD. Brought to you by the National Network for Immunization Information (NNii). Visit NNii's new website at http://www.immunizationinfo.org.
------------------------------------------------------------
June 26, 2002
U.S. IMMUNIZATION NEWS
"Burton Opts Not to Subpoena Vaccine Safety Datalink Records" Infectious Diseases in Children (www.idinchildren.com) (06/02) Vol. 15, No. 6, P. 19; Bechtel, Bryan
Rep. Dan Burton (R-Ind.) has dropped threats to subpoena health-maintenance organization (HMO) records from the Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD). The issue of whether vaccines with the thimerosol preservative causes autism fueled his desire to have public access to the records. HMO officials opposed releasing the private records because they would have made people averse to participating in vaccine safety research in the future. Public health officials were concerned that Burton's insistence could provoke HMOs to end the VSD system. The two sides agreed to allow VSD data to be viewed by independent researchers when an HMO's institutional review board approves the action, the study has clear protocol, and the research is carried out on the grounds of the National Center for Health statistics. Burton does reserve the right to subpoena records in the future. Safe Minds unsuccessfully attempted to use the Freedom of Information Act to access VSD records in 2000.
ALL INFORMATION, DATA, AND
MATERIAL CONTAINED, PRESENTED, OR PROVIDED HERE IS FOR GENERAL INFORMATION
PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS REFLECTING THE KNOWLEDGE OR OPINIONS
OF THE PUBLISHER, AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED OR INTENDED AS PROVIDING MEDICAL OR
LEGAL ADVICE. THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO VACCINATE IS AN IMPORTANT AND
COMPLEX ISSUE AND SHOULD BE MADE BY YOU, AND YOU ALONE, IN CONSULTATION WITH
YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.