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.

------------------------------------------------------------

May 8, 2002

U.S. IMMUNIZATION NEWS

"Patient Privacy Issues at Heart of Vaccine Safety Inquiry"

Los Angeles Times (www.latimes.com) (05/06/02); Kemper, Vicki

Scientists say a major attempt by Rep. Dan Burton (R-Ind.) to investigate whether there is any connection between autism and childhood vaccines could jeopardize a private-public research partnership called the Vaccine Safety Datalink Project, which is designed to protect Americans from deadly diseases.  Burton wants access to the medical records of 8 million HMO patients in the database, and he has threatened to subpoena the project's enormous database "if events warrant such action."  One of Burton's grandchildren suffers from autism, and the congressman has held a number of hearings on vaccine safety in his role as chairman of the House Government Reform Committee.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has offered a compromise solution, whereby independent researchers could analyze the project's data at the National Center for Health Statistics in a way that would not breach patient confidentiality.

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.