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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.
"A foolish faith in authority is the worst enemy of truth."
-- Albert Einstein, letter to a friend, 1901
"I know of no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves, and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion by education."
-- Thomas Jefferson, letter to William C. Jarvis, September 28, 1820
Sandy's Scandals Column
Past and current Scandals
- columns by Sandy Gottstein (aka Mintz)*
For the entire free Picks of the Day
Sample Page click HERE
* ►March 19, 2010 - Mumps
vaccine associated orchitis: Evidence supporting a potential
immune-mediated mechanism - journal article (Vaccine) - "We report 3 cases of
orchitis following vaccination with mumps–measles–rubella (MMR)
vaccine, two with an onset within 3 days following vaccination.
Orchitis is a common complication of mumps infection, particularly in
post-pubertal males, and is also recognized as a very rare complication
of mumps vaccination. These cases, discussed together with a
comprehensive review of the existing literature regarding post-vaccine
orchitis, highlight uncertainty regarding the pathogenesis of
post-vaccine orchitis."
* ►March 14, 2010 - Four
infants die after anti-measles vaccine, nurse arrested
- PTI via The Hindu - "Four infants have died after anti-measles
vaccine was administered to them in Madhya Pradesh following which a
nurse was arrested by police and charged with culpable homicide not
amounting to murder. An auxiliary nurse and midwife (ANM), Durga
Tiwari, who had administered the vaccine to the infants was booked
under IPC section 304 (Punishment for culpable homicide not amounting
to murder) after her arrest, officials said on Sunday. Nine-month-old
Arman Vishwakarma, who was being treated with 11 other critically ill
children, breathed his last Sunday morning at the district hospital
here to become the fourth victim."
* ►March 14, 2010 - Ex-Pfizer
Worker
Cites Genetically Engineered Virus In Lawsuit Over Firing -
Hartford Courant - "Organizations involved in workplace safety and
responsible genetic research already have seized on the federal lawsuit
by molecular biologist Becky McClain as an example of what they claim
is evidence that risks caused by cutting-edge genetic manipulation have
outstripped more slowly evolving government regulation of laboratories.
McClain, of Deep River, suspects she was inadvertently exposed, through
work by a former Pfizer colleague in 2002 or 2003, to an engineered
form of the lentivirus, a virus similar to the one that can lead to
acquired immune deficiency syndrome, or AIDS. Medical experts working
for McClain believe the virus has affected the way her body channels
potassium, leading to a condition that causes complete paralysis as
many as 12 times a month."