Merck, the pharmaceutical giant, is facing a slew of controversies over its Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) vaccine following numerous allegations of wrongdoing from different parties in the medical field, including two former Merck scientists-turned-whistleblowers. A third whistleblower, this one a scientist at the Centers for Disease Control, also promises to bring Merck grief following his confession of misconduct involving the same MMR vaccine.
The controversies will find Merck defending itself and its vaccine in at least two federal court cases after a U.S. District judge earlier this month threw out Merck’s attempts at dismissal. Merck now faces federal charges of fraud from the whistleblowers, a vaccine competitor and doctors in New Jersey and New York. Merck could also need to defend itself in Congress: The staff of representative Bill Posey (R-Fla) — a longstanding critic of the CDC interested in an alleged link between vaccines and autism — is now reviewing some 1,000 documents that the CDC whistleblower turned over to them.
The first court case, United States v. Merck & Co., stems from claims by two former Merck scientists that Merck “fraudulently misled the government and omitted, concealed, and adulterated material information regarding the efficacy of its mumps vaccine in violation of the FCA [False Claims Act].”
According to the whistleblowers’ court documents, Merck’s misconduct was far-ranging…
Medical researchers at Dartmouth have issued a dire warning about your doctor and the drugs he dishes out: They’re part of a system designed for profit not for improving your health.
Researchers at the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy & Clinical Practice have issued a report that puts the spotlight on significant ways that international pharmaceutical corporations have bought off doctors and slanted research to favor their bottom lines. The researchers say that the entire health care system, as a result, has been distorted by “obvious corruption.”
As the scientists note, when it comes to research: “finance dictates the activity.” In other words money talks and studies on how drugs work are designed to prove their effectiveness even if the pharmaceuticals are basically worthless…
Parents in California are distraught after losing their infant son after being vaccinated. He died in his sleep and was taken to the hospital already deceased. Hospital staff ruled his death as sudden infant death syndrome. The couple was told an autopsy was required to be performed on their son.
After returning home, waiting to get an update, they never received one. Numerous phone calls were made to get answers. Weeks went by. Finally, they received verbal confirmation and told their son was best not to be seen prior to being cremated, because of the condition he was in. Once cremated, they could pick up the remains of their child from the crematory. They were not given the chance to say their goodbyes.
More than one year and four months have passed and the family has yet to receive his autopsy report. It turns out their son was given a vaccine not approved for his age and an extra dose of the hepatitis B vaccine that he shouldn’t have received until later on.
Cervarix changed my life: now I would never be able to manage the sort of day I took in my stride as a thirteen year old. I can’t even remember what a day with energy feels like.
Before receiving the HPV vaccine at 14, I was an active, mostly healthy child. As we lived some distance away from my school, I had fairly long days: I would leave the house at 7.30 am and return at 5.30 pm, but always came back with lots of energy. I enjoyed walking, swimming, horseback riding etc. after school. No matter how long my day was, I certainly never experienced the complete exhaustion I felt after the Cervarix vaccine.
The difference in energy was particularly noticeable because it happened immediately. The day I got the first HPV vaccination Cervarix, on the 28th September 2009, I came home feeling sick and incredibly tired and had to go straight to bed. The next day at school was a struggle because I felt nauseous and so low on energy, and once again I ‘crashed’ when I got home and had to go straight to sleep.
This happened every day for a week or so. My mum rang up the local health service to talk to them, but they said this wasn’t a possible side effect of the vaccine and there was no way of registering any side effects.
Eventually mum managed to get through to a central line where she could register the nausea and fatigue I was experiencing. They also told her it wasn’t a known side effect of Cervarix and claimed there was no connection.
The same symptoms happened after the other two injections of Cervarix (on 13th November 2009 and 24th April 2010) but each time it got worse. After the second vaccination I experienced the same sickness and exhaustion but it lasted for a fortnight.
After the third vaccination I honestly don’t think life was ever really ‘normal’ again. The fatigue became more and more constant. I struggled with low energy levels at school, would fall asleep at lunchtime and on the way home and often had to go to bed as soon as I got back.
The constant exhaustion became very limiting. I had to stop swimming which I had done at a competitive level and greatly enjoyed. I also had to turn down a World Challenge Trip to Kenya despite having started fundraising because I realized I simply would not have the energy to walk each day. My fatigue now is sometimes completely debilitating and I spend much of my time in bed. I have become used to having to turn opportunities down because of it.
Not long after the third injection, the chest pain started. The first time it happened I was in a class at school and suddenly got a crushing pressure and pain on my left side. I felt faint and dizzy and was in so much pain I could barely talk.
I ended up going to a local A&E where they did an ECG and found that I had a very fast and slightly abnormal heart-rate accompanying the pain and so I was transferred by ambulance to Torbay Hospital. The pain eventually subsided and further ECGs came back normal and so I was discharged.
This was the start of an incredibly scary and difficult journey to getting diagnosed. I have experienced debilitating, severe and intermittent chest pain ever since. It has taken years and lots of time and energy to get a diagnosis.
The sickness and nausea is also something which started with the vaccine and has never really gone away. I spend most of the day feeling very queasy, sometimes to the point that I cannot eat anything. Despite trying many different anti-nausea medicines, I have yet to find one that works. I also started getting dizzy and fainting, particularly on standing or exertion, which has been very unpleasant and scary. Recently, my fainting has become significantly worse and now happens almost daily which is frightening and dangerous, and has led to several concussions.
Along with the horrible, debilitating symptoms of fatigue, nausea, chest pain, dizziness, fainting and gastrointestinal issues which are all linked, has come the struggle to get a diagnosis and adequate medical support.
I have been in and out of doctors’ appointments and hospitals since I was thirteen. There have been countless blood tests, ECGs and scans. Both my parents and I have had to spend so much time and energy researching and pushing for some help.
Despite the severity of my symptoms, they were initially dismissed as anxiety, then food intolerances, and later, because nothing was structurally wrong with my heart, the medical support became virtually non-existent and I was even told it was all in my head. One example of this treatment is when I went to a GP to ask for something to help with my frequent vomiting and was instead given the name of a book about ‘psychosomatic illness’. I can’t begin to describe how painful that is.
It was 4 years after my symptoms had started that I was finally put on a week-long heart monitor. This monitor picked up severe spikes in my heart rate. It showed times when my heart rate was quickly accelerating from 70 bpm to 180 bpm. These ‘spikes’ coincided with when I was experiencing chest pain or fainting. I was given a probable diagnosis of Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) which has since been confirmed by a specialist in Derriford Hospital following further testing.
I am now nineteen years old and despite finally being on various medication to help manage my symptoms, I am severely limited by my ill-health. I have no energy and often had to miss lectures, supervisions, social events and various opportunities because I am either too fatigued, too faint, or in too much pain to participate. Recently my ill-health has forced me into the incredibly difficult decision to drop out of my second year at Cambridge University, because studying has become impossible.
I have gone from enjoying exercise and loving long walks on the moors to sometimes fainting after a short flight of stairs, being reliant on taxis, and having to spend much of my time in bed.
I have gone from being a normal teenager to a disabled one, and it seems to have all been triggered by the vaccine.
Since the Cervarix injections and since developing POTS I have lost count of how many times I have been in hospital, experienced severe chest pain, fainted, missed important opportunities, and been sick.
In fact, I have actually forgotten what having a healthy day feels like as I am never symptom-free anymore.
Saskia, I am so sorry you are going through this painful time. It is a shame that the medical establishment has let you down in so many ways and the psychosomatic illness suggestion just adds insult to injury. Just a lazy, weak cop-out. It is so much more pleasant when a doctor just admits when they do not know what is wrong.
I have good news for you, there are doctors that are experienced in this area, and will take you under their wing. Distance is not an issue in most instances. The team at SaneVax Inc. has wonderful contacts, and I have some as well within the Featured Doctors menu option on my blog. There are many others that have received relief and healing from Cervarix and Gardasil injuries.
I hope you are soon to be able to receive better care and to resume your studies at Cambridge University.
You can tell you are strong and patient, and I know that as you remember who you are, that you will continue to be guided on this healing path.
Here is a musical gift that I hope lifts your spirits at this time. My ten year-old daughter was watching me work and I asked her which musical group I should pick a song from. She felt this would be a good group. Hang in there, your friend jen.
Vaccine injures and adverse reactions are massively under-reported, as admitted by the Centers for Disease Control. Estimates show that only one to ten percent of vaccine injuries and deaths are actually filed with the government.
In the United States, the government has created a database to keep track of hundreds of kinds of reactions to vaccinations, including fevers, soreness, seizures, swelling of the brain, arthritis, and death. Since its inception, this program has awarded over $2.5 billion to individuals and families who have suffered vaccine injury and death. These awards are funded by taxes on vaccines. [1]
Even though health care providers are required by law to report vaccine injuries, most of these adverse events are not made public in this database, known as the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). Parents may not know that common reactions to vaccines, including fevers, long bouts of crying, or rashes following vaccination should be reported to their child’s doctor. When a more serious adverse event occurs, parents may be too overwhelmed to make sure a report is filed.
Unfortunately, rather than educating doctors and parents about the importance of reporting all adverse reactions to vaccines to the VAERS database, the US government has just tightened the requirements for reporting an adverse reaction, making the process even more difficult…
My daughter Laura has just turned 17 and is without doubt another girl whose life is ruined as a result of the HPV vaccine Gardasil.
When Laura first brought home the consent form from school in 2010 I read it thoroughly. I also went on the World Health Organisation (WHO) website to educate myself about this vaccine as it was new here in Ireland and I didn’t know much about it.
After reading their information and that supplied by our Health Services, I felt not only reassured that this was a safe vaccine but also that this was something very important for ‘my little girl’ and her future health. I stupidly thought that all details good and bad had to be printed so parents and girls could make properly informed choices.
Let’s not forget this vaccine is being promoted by our schools, Department of Education, the Health Service Executive Ireland (HSE) and WHO so one would think it must be good for all our children. Surely these reputable organizations wouldn’t take any chances with the lives and health of our next generation. I was satisfied I had done my research and taken all necessary precautions.
On the day of Laura’s first vaccination and indeed the following two injections, I was called to the school as Laura was feeling weak. This was to be expected as Laura was always squeamish about needles. In fact I had to do a lot of talking with her about the necessity of this vaccination to convince her to go through with having ‘a needle’. On the day there was also a lot of scare mongering amongst the students so I probably took it for granted that this had raised their anxieties and caused several of the girls to feel weak and unwell.
The vaccinating nurse told me to take her home, let her rest and she would be fine.
In the months that followed, Laura started phoning from school complaining of feeling unwell, faint and dizzy. We thought she was starting to experience menstrual problems for the first time although her periods were well established and not problematic before. The family doctor prescribed medication.
Laura was becoming tired all the time, her short term memory and concentration were deteriorating. She also started to experience food intolerances for the first time, in particular, yeast, gluten and dairy. Laura suffered visual disturbances and noise sensitivity. Burning muscles and joint pain were her constant companion. She was unable to continue with sports.
Before all this happened Laura played basketball for Drogheda Ladies and the school team. She loved to Kayak at the weekends and during school holidays, Laura was super-fit, active and happy. All extra-curricular and social activity had by now become impossible for her.
Even friends stopped calling as she didn’t have the strength to go out with them. Slowly life as Laura knew it was changing.
To put things in perspective, my mother in her 80’s was going out to day-care and Laura was lying in bed or on the couch. In fact on many an occasion we had to use my mother’s wheelchair for Laura when she hadn’t the energy to walk. It was plain for anyone to see something was very seriously wrong.
We started to visit our GP more and more although whilst growing up Laura only visited our doctor on a few occasions. No one seemed to have any idea what was going on, tests and more tests, nearly every box ticked on the blood forms. Every kind of sample you could imagine was requested, yet none of the results showed up anything. They all came back clear, indicating Laura was in good health.
Therefore no help, advice, medications or supplements were recommended. On every occasion we returned home deflated and our hopes dashed again and again.
I could no longer sleep at night with stress and worry. Instead, I found myself up in the middle of the night logging on to google looking for answers. Night after night I lay in bed racking my brains trying to figure out what happened. When exactly had things all started to go wrong and why?
Then in early 2012 for some reason the HPV vaccine came back to my mind. Could it possibly be the cause of all Laura’s health problems, the vaccine that I was so reassured about? Laura had been an exceptionally healthy child before this. And maybe I was very foolish to dismiss her weakness after the injections. I thought things were now fitting into place, the timing of her Gardasil vaccinations and the onset of symptoms etc.
As soon as I brought my suspicions to our family doctor he wrote a letter referring us to a consultant paediatrician, who after 5 minutes of interview dismissed my fears about the HPV vaccine and reassured me yet again that this was a very safe vaccine, he diagnosed ME/CFS and told Laura she would be better in 6 months.
Thank God we thought, light at the end of the tunnel and wonderful news – it’s not long term vaccine damage.
Laura just about managed to sit her junior certificate exams a month after this diagnosis with special provisions made for her by the department of education. Her results were very good under the circumstances but definitely did not reflect the top honours student she always was.
Six months started to roll on to 12 months and Laura was definitely not getting any better. In fact, by September 2013 she was no longer able to attend school, only now and again for a half day or a couple of classes at a time.
Weeks at a time went by with Laura lying in her bed, exhausted, but unable to get any kind of rejuvenating sleep, racked with pain and barely able to communicate. The weeks became months, we saw less of her around the house as she was spending most of her days in her bed. At her lowest point I found her younger brother Conor spoon feeding her as she didn’t have the strength or energy to feed herself. She moved into a spare bed in his room as she was lonely and afraid in her room on her own.
Meanwhile I kept researching ME/CFS trying different supplements etc. to try to help her, not all of her symptoms fit under the ME/CFS heading. That HPV vaccination came back to my mind again and again as being the cause of all her problems.
One night I typed in ‘HPV vaccination injury’ – ‘injury’ being the all-important word. This search lead me to hundreds of articles and sites on serious adverse reactions and long term side effects caused by HPV vaccination and in particular Gardasil, the very one Laura was injected with.
There it was right in front of me on my screen, thousands of girls like my Laura with similar symptoms, some worse and some who had actually died. I can barely read any more of these stories as I find them so painful. I’ve cried more than I thought ever possible. My God, the immeasurable guilt I feel every day for signing that consent form.
It’s now four years since Laura received her Gardasil vaccination. Through educating ourselves with useful information posted by other vaccine injured girls and their families, Laura is making improvements.
She follows a very strict diet, is trying to detox her system of heavy metals found in this vaccine. She gets acupuncture and vitamin B12 when she feels these will benefit her. She also found very high doses of top quality Omega 3 EPA to be very helpful.
Laura says, every year she feels sick to her stomach when she hears the first years being called to the hall for their HPV injections. Who could blame her? If she does recover from this and please God she will, Gardasil has taken away years of her life and experiences that can never be replaced.
There’s also the added worry of her fertility. Many of the other girls have experienced ovarian failure as young as 16.
As for Laura’s future, it is still unclear. She has made some improvement and is into the final 18 months in secondary school but still missing an awful lot of classes and even several days at a time. Every week she prioritises what classes she needs to attend and when she can fit in rest periods. She has her sights set high in terms of college points.
At this stage she herself feels she may have to defer for a few years. This is yet another blow but Laura rarely complains, just tries to stay realistic and upbeat…. I’m her mother and I’m no fool. I know there are times when it’s all a front because she doesn’t want to see me upset.
If we have learned anything positive from this horrendous life altering experience, it is that there are some very good people out there eager to help who have taken a genuine interest in Laura’s plight. But unfortunately no one seems to have the cure.
Please God by sharing our experiences we can all help one another.
Karen and Laura, what strong woman you are and great examples to many others. I am sorry you have faced such a distressing and life-altering situation. Your strength and integrity shows through. No doubt, others will read your story and will be spared from a like trial. It is very kind for you to share such personal details.
I feel inspired and so will others to face life’s challenges head- on, and through working together we can minimize the hard effects. I know that as you place your burdens on the Lord, he will lighten the load and guide you on paths that you probably don’t even know exist.
I am grateful you are in touch with the team atSaneVax. They have huge hearts and have worked tirelessly to assist others in like situations. I also have a Featured Doctors section in my menu that has doctors who are familiar with vaccine damages and how to heal.
God bless and please enjoy the musical art below. Your friend, jen
January 2013, the government of India was ordered by their Supreme Court to file an answer to allegations put forth in a petition filed on behalf of Gramya Resource Centre for Women from Andhra Pradesh. This petition challenged the licensing of Gardasil and Cervarix for use in the private sector as well as attempts to introduce HPV vaccines for use in the public sector. The petition implicated the Drugs Controller for having licensed the vaccines without adequate research on safety and efficacy; the Health Ministry for not carrying out an enquiry into licensing of these vaccines as ordered by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare in April 2010 and not taking any action on the report of the internal enquiry committee despite all alleged irregularities associated with the PATH project being confirmed.
October 2014, India’s Supreme Court Justices issued instructions for all petitioners and respondents in the ongoing case against to either serve the opposition with copies of affidavits filed and/or file any affidavits and rejoinder affidavits pertinent to the case within the next four weeks. The matter was then set for what was supposed to be a final hearing on January 13, 2015.
When the ’final’ hearing date arrived, several respondents had still not complied with these instructions. At least one of them went so far as to hold their two-and-a-half-foot tall affidavit for presentation to the Court on January 13th. The Honorable Supreme Court Justices did not seem to be amused.
After hearing the evidence presented on January 13th, Justices Dipak Misra and Prafulla C. Pant issued an order reminding all participants of concerns raised in a prior hearing on 12 August 2014. Those concerns are as follows:
Did the Drugs Controller of India and the ICMR (Indian Council on Medical Research) follow proper protocol for the introduction of HPV vaccines prior to the use of said vaccines in the demonstration projects in India?
What actions were taken after the submission of the Parliamentary Committee’s 72nd report on August 30, 2014?
What were the reasons for choosing certain places in Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh for the HPV vaccine demonstration projects?
What actually caused the deaths and other ailments experienced after HPV vaccine administration in said demonstration projects?
What steps were taken to monitor the safety of HPV vaccines by the Union of India and the State Governments who have an equal role in guarding the health of the nation?
Was proper consent given by the parents/guardians of all girls who were administered HPV vaccines, as the Justices been apprised?
What protocol is required to be observed/followed when this type of vaccination program is conducted?
The Honorable Supreme Court Justices deemed it appropriate to grant permission for the State of Gujarat, State of Andhra Pradesh, and State of Telangana to be added as parties to the current case.
The Justices also agreed to M/S Glaxosmithkline Asia Pvt. Ltd. and MSD Pharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd., the companies responsible for manufacturing HPV vaccines, being served as respondents in the proceedings.
Justices Misra and Pant granted permission for the attorneys representing the petitioners to serve papers on the concerned Ethics Committees of all three States involved in the HPV demonstration projects.
In view of the fact that the above mentioned concerns had still not been adequately addressed, some respondents had failed to appear for prior hearings, and others had ignored requests for information or failed to submit affidavits in a timely manner the Justices included the following statements in the current order:
This Court hopes and trust(s) that on the next date of hearing, the Standing Counsel of all the States shall remain present and argue the matter.
The Union of India shall direct its competent authority to produce the file by which the Drugs Controller General of India approved HPV vaccines for use along with any other relevant documents to the Court and the Counsellors for the Petitioners in this case.
Learned Counsel for the Union of India shall apprise this Court what steps have been taken to comply with the recommendations put forth in the Parliamentary Committee’s Report on HPV vaccine demonstration projects in India.
Counsel for the State shall file their counter-affidavits within a period of four weeks.
The Union of India shall file their counter-affidavit (case #921/2013) within four weeks. Rejoinder affidavit, if any, within two weeks therefrom.
By the same time, rejoinder affidavit to the counter-affidavit filed by PATH International to be filed.
The Advocate for ICMR shall produce the file dealing with HPV vaccines by the next date.
Regarding the ’concept of consent’ and the resultant deaths: it has been submitted that though innovative explanations have been given stating that some girls in the States of Gujarat and Telangana expired due to snake bite and fever, in actuality, it is due to the administration of vaccinations.
It was noted that though HPV vaccines were administered for the purpose of experimentation, there is no data with regard to the adverse effects faced by the young girls.
Counsel for the Union of India, the State of Gujarat, and the State of Telangana shall state by way of affidavit what the procedure and protocols are to be followed while obtaining informed consent. The stand taken by the Union of India and the States shall be clear and in consonance with law, for the affidavit is not expected to be filed in contravention of that has been envisaged in law.
The present public interest litigation has to be perceived from the point of view of rectification and caution for the future.
The ’caution’ would convey what steps have to be taken in the future so that this kind of grievances do not arise.
In conclusion, the Supreme Court order states:
Learned counsel appearing for the Union of India and the States of Gujarat and Telangana shall file their respective affidavits keeping in view the directions given herein-above. To elucidate, the affidavit filed by the Union of India shall contain explicitly (i) what steps they intend to take on the basis of the report given by the Parliamentary Standing Committee, (ii) what is the procedure to be followed for the purposes of consent and what steps are required to be taken to find out the sufferings, if any, by the persons who were vaccinated, and (iii) the liability of compensation, if any, to be paid and whose liability it would be.
Justices set the next hearing date for April 21, 2015.
Original Supreme Court Documentation, go to this link – http://courtnic.nic.in/supremecourt/casestatus_new/caseno_new_alt.asp then select “Writ Petition (civil)” as the case type; 558 as the case number; and 2012 as the year. Then click submit. Follow links from there to access original documents.
There have been over 37,000. adverse events and 214 deaths from the Gardasil/Cervarix vaccines with no evidence of any benefit from the vaccine. These figures are off of the November 2014 VAERS report and estimated to be only 1-10% of actual cases.
Tribal girls were given shots of cervical cancer vaccines during trial
Children given Merck’s Gardasil and Cervarix vaccines
Petitioners also asked judges to investigate trials of new drug Gardasil 9
Drug has allegedly caused side-effects in children as young as nine
Investigation claims children were used as unwitting human guinea pigs
Supreme Court has given the government one month to provide answers
Judges in India’s Supreme Court have demanded answers after children died during a controversial cervical cancer vaccine trial.
Young tribal girls received shots of pharmaceutical company Merck’s Gardasil vaccine and Cervarix, manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline.
The vaccines are given to girls as young as nine in many countries – including the UK and the US – to protect against the human papilloma virus, one of the major causes of cervical cancer.
But the Indian court yesterday heard a challenge by campaigners who claim the study – funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation – failed to obtain the informed consent of the children or their parents.
They say that a ‘study’ carried out for the foundation by a US organisation was in fact an illegal drugs trial.
