Hiding the truth

October 19, 2006

Reuters

By Matthew Jones

The teenage girl who died shortly after being immunized against cervical cancer was killed by a malignant chest tumor and not by a reaction to the vaccine manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline, an inquest heard on Thursday.

Natalie Morton, 14, fell ill on Monday after being vaccinated at her school under a national immunization program against the sexually transmitted human papilloma virus (HPV).

She died a few hours later after being admitted to hospital.

“The pathologist has confirmed today at the opening of the inquest into the death of Natalie Morton that she died from a large malignant tumor of unknown origin in the heart and lungs,” said Dr Caron Grainger, joint director of public health for the Coventry area where Natalie died.

“There is no indication that the HPV vaccine, which she had received shortly before her death, was a contributing factor to the death, which could have arisen at any point,” Grainger said in a statement.

In paying tribute to Natalie, her stepfather Andrew Bullock said she was “kind, fun-loving and had a beautiful smile.”

“We will miss her very much,” he told reporters.

The Department of Health said the immunization program was continuing and that to date more than 1.4 million doses of Cervarix have been administered.

Manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline had recalled the batch of vaccine used at the school pending an investigation.

“GSK’s deepest sympathies lie with the parents at this very sad time,” said a spokeswoman on Thursday, adding that she did not want to comment further.

The program to vaccinate girls aged 12 to 13 began in September 2008 to fight cervical cancer, which is the 12th most common women’s cancer in Britain, killing more than 1,000 each year.

News of Morton’s death came shortly before U.S. health regulators again delayed a decision on whether to allow Glaxo to sell Cervarix in the United States where a panel of specialists has recommended its use.

An advisory panel to Japan’s Health Ministry backed the vaccine earlier this week.

Click here for the full report.

Is Big Pharma Covering Up Deaths?

October 5, 2009

LewRockwell.com

By Karen De Coster

A precious, innocent child’s life came to a cruel, sudden end. The Wall Street Journal reports that Natalie Morton, who died in England shortly following a Cervarix injection, did not die from the vaccination.The WSJ, in fact, almost appears to be swaggering behind its words. So you see, says the WSJ, no need to fear or stop the H1N1 vaccination program. There are pathology reports that absolve the vaccination and its maker. The HPV vaccinations are perfectly safe, as are the swine flu jabs. Thank goodness—I feel better already.

The pathology report states that she had an undiagnosed condition that was “so severe that death could have arisen at any point.” What was that condition? A “tumour in her chest involving her heart and her lungs.” A tumor (don’t like the Brit spelling) that just suddenly lashed out at her and attacked and killed, after producing no symptoms of a cancer tumor whatsoever? Is there a single person who is dumb enough to swallow this very inadequate version of her death?

I mentioned the other day that GlaxoSmithKline is working to get approval to sell Cervarix in the U.S. to compete against Merck’s Gardasil. Of course they wouldn’t allow a truthful report of this death, caused by the vaccination, to be revealed and thus deny its approval in the U.S., causing the loss of billions of dollars in revenue streams. As Mike Adams says, “This explanation is obviously a cover story to protect the vaccine industry; and it’s not even a convincing cover story at that.” Remember, this is a global vaccination program, with mandates growing and billions at stake. This is from the Wall Street Journal piece:

That sad case is a reminder to be wary of confusing proximity in time with cause and effect — a concept public-health officials have been citing in advance of the imminent roll out of the swine (H1N1) flu vaccine.

Ahh yes, coincidence! People, you see, may now fear the massive swine flu forced vaccination program the government is trying to shove down our throats. Can’t have that—declaring a worldwide pandemic and triggering hysteria means the growth of government control and a healthy, wealthy pharmaceutical industry.

Click here for the full report

Girl Dies from Cervical Cancer Vaccine

September 29, 2009

Reuters

Matthew Jones

GlaxoSmithKline’s cervical cancer vaccine Cervarix probably did not cause the death of a British teenager shortly after she was given the drug, a health official said on Tuesday.

“I think it is unlikely that will be the case,” said Dr Caron Grainger, joint director of public health in the area where the 14-year-old girl died, when asked about the possibility of any connection between the death and Cervarix.

News of the death came shortly before a possible decision by U.S. health regulators on whether to approve Cervarix for sale in the United States.

“I think once we get into the investigation … we may discover there is another cause of her death,” Grainger told the BBC.

“The message for parents at this moment in time and for young girls receiving this vaccine is that you should go ahead with the vaccination,” said Grainger, who works for the National Health Service in the central English city of Coventry.

Police are treating the girl’s death as “unexplained” and said a post-mortem was taking place on Tuesday.

The teenager, named by a police source as Natalie Morton, fell ill on Monday after being vaccinated at her school under a national immunization program against the sexually-transmitted human papilloma virus (HPV).

NO PLANS TO HALT PROGRAM

Britain’s Department of Health said there were no plans to halt the program under which more than 1.4 million doses of Cervarix have been administered. “The vaccine has a strong safety record so precautionary measures are focused on the batch,” it said in a statement.

Grainger said only about 2,000 people had suffered any adverse reactions to the immunization program and that these were mostly minor. GlaxoSmithKline said on Monday it was working with regulators to understand the case better.

Sudden teenage deaths, in general, are not unknown. “Unfortunately, some young people do die suddenly for a variety of reasons, including cardiac causes. Sometimes they have been entirely well before their death,” said Dr David Elliman of London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children.

A small number of other girls at the Blue Coat Church of England School reported suffering from dizziness and nausea but were not admitted to hospital, health officials said.

The drug is given in three shots over six months.

The program to vaccinate girls aged 12 to 13 began in September 2008. Cervical cancer is the 12th most common women’s cancer in Britain, killing more than 1,000 women each year.

Should Cervarix gain U.S. approval it would compete with Merck & Co’s Gardasil, which has been on the U.S. market since 2006 and had sales of $268 million in the second quarter.

GlaxoSmithKline won support for its cervical cancer vaccine from an advisory panel to Japan’s Health Ministry on Tuesday, putting it on track to be the first company to offer such a vaccine in the world’s second-biggest drug market.

GlaxoSmithKline shares were trading 0.4 percent lower in London at 1223 GMT, down slightly more than the broader market.

Click on this link for the full report.

Is Merck Overselling a Cancer Vaccine?

August 27, 2009

Business Week

By Arlene Weintraub

Fresh controversies are heating up over the marketing of products to prevent cervical cancer

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration is gearing up to make critical decisions about two controversial vaccines. On Sept. 9 an FDA advisory committee will consider whether Merck (MRK)’s Gardasil, given to girls to prevent cancer-causing human papilloma virus (HPV), should be approved for use in boys, who can be HPV carriers. The same panel will also advise the agency on whether it should allow a new HPV vaccine, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)’s Cervarix, to enter the U.S. market. The FDA doesn’t have to follow its panels’ recommendations, but it usually does.

Sales of Gardasil to prevent cervical cancer hit a respectable $1.4 billion last year, but they are already starting to slump, and fresh controversies could pour more cold water on this whole class of vaccines. Ever since Gardasil was approved in 2006, health-care watchdogs have griped that Merck has been overselling the vaccine’s cancer-beating power without having a full understanding of potential long-term risks. On Aug. 19, Columbia University professors Sheila M. and David J. Rothman published an article in the Journal of the American Medical Assn. blasting the company for paying grants to medical organizations that are strong advocates for vaccination. “Telling every mom she needs to get her daughters vaccinated to protect them from cancer is creating a market out of thin air,” David Rothman says. “They’re already protected” through regular pap smears, he adds.

Such criticisms mark a stark turnabout for a product once hailed as a breakthrough. Cervical cancer is a scourge: 11,000 cases are expected to be diagnosed this year, and 4,000 women will probably die of the disease, says the National Cancer Institute. The vaccine could prevent more than 70% of such cases. But from Day One, Merck has been lambasted for tactics such as lobbying lawmakers to make vaccination mandatory. After a strong start in the first two years, Gardasil sales fell 5% in 2008 and second-quarter sales are down 18% from a year earlier.

Dr. Richard M. Haupt, who heads the Gardasil research program for Merck, defends the company’s marketing. “Our goal is to act in the best interest of public health,” he says, noting that many organizations have spent money to promote the cause. Should boys be vaccinated? Merck has given the FDA data showing Gardasil prevents 90% of HPV symptoms in men, but since related male cancers are rare, the main justification is to protect their partners from cervical cancer. (Gathering data is also dicey because even if there were a drop-off in cases after widespread male vaccination, Merck could never prove its vaccine deserved more of the credit than, say, improved screening.)

Glaxo, for its part, doesn’t plan to market Cervarix to boys because it doesn’t think the strategy would be worth the expense. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that vaccinating males would cost the health-care system at least twice as much per year of added life as it costs to vaccinate females.

As for payments to medical organizations, Glaxo, Merck, and their beneficiaries say their disclosures are adequate. Two recipients, the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists and the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists, say they put the money to many uses beyond endorsing a specific vaccine. Meanwhile, Merck’s Haupt says the scandals are drawing attention away from what could be a public health boon. “I vaccinated both my daughters,” says the father of four. And if Gardasil is approved for boys, he says, “I plan to vaccinate both my sons.”

Click here for the full report from Business Week