CONFLICT OF INTEREST / WITCH HUNT / THE REAL STORY ON WHY THERE WAS A MEASLES OUTBREAK!!!!!!!

Did you know the former head of the CDC Dr. Julie Gerberding was named president of Merck & Co Inc's vaccine division back in 2009????  I don't know about you but this says conflict of interest and should make people think twice. All of it gets more twisted as the story goes on and should make everyone stop and think because none of us have the whole story!

http://www.reuters.com/article/2009/12/21/us-merck-gerberding-idUSTRE5BK2K520091221

It is a well known fact that MERCK kept a hit list of doctors that spoke out against their product VIOXX. For those who don't already know MERCK is the maker of the MUMPS, MEASLES, and RUBELLA vaccine aka the MMR...

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/merck-created-hit-list-to-destroy-neutralize-or-discredit-dissenting-doctors/
WHERE AM I GOING WITH THIS YOU MIGHT ASK???

Well, it is pretty simple I am saying that a few cases of the MUMPS and MEASLES have deliberately been turned into mass hysteria by folks who all have an agenda to sell a product. Fear is a great seller and if you look around online or at the media it is working pretty well.
There is an eerie similarity between the witch hunt for doctors who spoke out against VIOXX and the doctors who are now speaking out against vaccines. Doctor Sherri Tenpenny had to cancel her Australian tour because the media helped whip up a frenzy and there were very real concerns for her safety.

http://www.smh.com.au/national/health/us-antivaccination-campaigner-dr-sherri-tenpenny-cancels-tour-of-australia-20150128-130qa4.html

IT DOES NOT END THERE!!!!

There is now a call for any doctor who questions vaccines or speaks out to have their licence to practice medicine revoked. The media seems to be championing this agenda and both FORBES and CNN have stepped away from journalism to play judge, jury, and executioner.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/peterlipson/2015/01/30/anti-vaccine-doctors-should-lose-their-licenses/

CNN has made Dr. Jack Wolfson a target after he spoke out on the MEASLES outbreak and not only said vaccines were bad but encouraged natural immunity.  The Arizona Medical Board has since opened a case against him. I am sure the media bias had nothing to do with this...

http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/12-news/2015/01/23/12news-doctor-dont-vaccinate/22200535/

http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/05/health/anti-vaccine-doctor-jack-wolfson/

WHAT WOULD MOTIVATE THEM????

First off there are millions upon millions of parents who are questioning vaccines, it has become fashionable to disrespect those who question non vaxers and it is pretty much at the point that they are encouraging violence and harm towards us. I will be posting more about this in another post and hope I can stay on topic. The parents refusing to be vaccinated and to have their kids not be subjected to vaccines is a huge loss of revenue. VACCINE INJURIES ARE VERY REAL AND THEY KNOW IT!!!!!

There is also another thing that is fuelling the witch hunt towards vaccine refusers and anyone who questions vaccines and vaccine polocy. In 2010 virologists Stephen Krahling and Joan Wlochowski accused the pharma giant in 2010 of faking the efficacy of its MMR vaccine. According to them Merck infused a blood sample with animal antibodies to make it look like the vaccine had elicited increased antibody production, the scientists claimed." This is a startling claim, and if true could cut into profit because in order for a vaccine to approved by the FDA it must show 95% effectiveness.

http://medcitynews.com/2015/02/natural-news-stirring-pot-merck-whistleblower-suit-falsified-mumps-rubella-measles-vaccine-data/

Adding to the motive to lie is the fact the CDC already had strong ties to MERCK and it is easy to believe that former head of the CDC Dr. Julie Gerberding already had her eye on a job with the pharmaceutical giant.
SO CHECK THIS OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!


http://www.naturalnews.com/048569_vaccine_fraud_Julie_Gerberding_cover-up.html

AND THE FOLLOWING!!!!!

MERCK back in December of 2014 named Dr. Julie Gerberding as Executive Vice President for Strategic Communications, Global Public Policy, and Population Health.
 

http://www.pharmacytimes.com/market-news/Merck-Announces-Appointment-of-Dr-Julie-Gerberding-as-Executive-Vice-President-for-Strategic-Communications-Global-Public-Policy-and-Population-Health

SO, THERE YOU HAVE IT FOLKS!!!!! THIS IS WHY THERE HAS BEEN SO MUCH FOCUS ON A NON EVENT SUCH AS MEASLES, IT WAS TO TURN US ALL AWAY FROM THE REAL STORY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

$$$VACCINES ARE A BILLION DOLLAR INDUSTRY$$$

One of the BIGGEST LIES used to push vaccines is that vaccine manufacturers make little or no money and that lack of revenue and profit has caused vaccine shortages. HERE IS WHAT THE VACCINE MAKERS MADE IN 2012. Even if they made far less in other years this is billions of dollars in revenue!!!!!!!!! Next time anyone says there is no money in vaccines ask the how billions of dollars in revenue is NOT a lot of money. This is a product, they are trying to sell it, and lets face it FEAR SELLS!!!!! BTW, The vaccines market will be worth $57.8 BILLION by 2019!


http://www.fiercevaccines.com/special-reports/top-5-vaccine-companies-revenue-2012

Merck 2012 Vaccine revenue: $5.27 BILLION

Sanofi 2012 Vaccine revenue: $5.54 BILLION


GlaxoSmithKline 2012 Vaccine revenue: $5.26 BILLION

Pfizer 2012 Vaccine revenue: $4.11 BILLION


Novartis 2012 Vaccine revenue: $1.38 BILLION


http://www.statista.com/statistics/314562/leading-global-pharmaceutical-companies-by-vaccine-revenue/


http://www.statista.com/statistics/265102/revenues-in-the-global-vaccine-market/


http://www.sys-con.com/node/3285724

IT’S F#CKING CHICKENPOX FOR GOD SAKES!!!!!!!!!!!!

WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU EVEN CONSIDER VAXING FOR CHICKENPOX???? The sad thing in all of this is in just a few years suddenly everyone, including those who should know better think of chickenpox as a deadly disease, I really have no words to describe how insane and weak we have become as a whole. I see parents all the time posting online that they will get the vaccine for their kids, or that chickenpox is magically somehow deadly after age 11... UGH! This vaccine was made so parents would not have to miss work to deal with a sick kid, and that kids would not miss time away from the brainwashing machine known as the public school system!

Here is a clip from the documentary "Bought" discussing the issue!!!!!!!!!!

SYRIAN CHILDREN MURDERED VIA MEASLES VACCINE :-(

THIS IS GENOCIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 15 kids here, 7 there, 2 or 3 some place else...

Vaccination is one of the worst atrocities that mankind has ever known so it is not much of a stretch to think they would knowingly murder people with vaccines. Already they use vaccines to deny natural immunity to minor illnesses that build the immune system, and they have been caught using vaccines to promote population reduction.


http://rt.com/news/188580-syria-children-dead-vaccinations/

The UN has halted a measles vaccination campaign in northern Syria after at least 15 children died after receiving shots, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed in a joint statement.
“UNICEF and WHO have been shocked and saddened to learn of the deaths of at least 15 young children in Idlib, Syria,” the statement said. “The deaths of the children occurred in areas where a measles immunization campaign had been under way.”
The children were all under the age of two, Reuters reported, citing aid workers.
Around one hour after being given a second round of the measles vaccine in Idlib on Tuesday, the children demonstrated signs of “severe allergic shock,” said Abdullah Ajaj, a physician administering the vaccinations at a medical center in Jarjanaz, according to AP. The second round of vaccinations began in Idlib and Deir Ezzour on Monday.

Reuters / Karoly Arvai

Following the vaccine, some of the children’s bodies swelled and they suffocated to death.
“There was shouting and screaming, it was hard for the parents. You get your child vaccinated and then you find your child dying, it’s very hard,” Ajaj said.
Conflicting statements from the Syrian opposition and reports from rights groups have put the number of vaccine-related deaths between 34 and 50.
The WHO said it is sending a team of experts to investigate the incidents, adding that “establishing the precise cause of the children’s deaths is vital.”
The immunization campaign has been suspended in both Idlib and Deir Ezzour provinces. However, UNICEF and the WHO are hopeful that the campaign could resume “as soon as possible.”

Reuters / Hosam Katan

While it is believed that measles outbreaks can effectively be contained by vaccinations, they can be very dangerous in undeveloped areas. The disease is transmitted through bodily fluids, coughing, and tears from the eyes.
UN agencies and other non-government organizations have been providing medical services in Syria since the uprising against President Bashar Assad began in March 2011.
The Syrian conflict has since turned into a full-scale civil war, with more than 190,000 people killed, according to UN.
On Tuesday, Assad said the fight against terrorism must begin by placing more pressure on countries which are supporting and financing insurgents in Syria and Iraq.
READ MORE: Assad calls to stop funding armed groups in Syria, Iraq
Meanwhile, the US announced that it has plans to take “targeted actions against ISIS (Islamic State/ISIL) safe havens in Syria,” including striking infrastructure. US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel unveiled a plan to boost Iraqi forces with 1,600 US “military advisers.”
The US will also train and equip 5,000 members of the Syrian opposition to fight militants from the Islamic State group.

YES!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU DO WANT YOUR KID TO CATCH MEASLES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Measles, mumps, chickenpox, and rubella ALL have positive health benefits unlike the vaccine. The CDC knows this as does pharma, they also know people are waking up so they are amping up the fear and the propaganda against anyone who dares to question vaccines. Measles along with the other childhood diseases are a big deal because they build the immune system. Check out the following information which is just the tip of the iceberg! These minor illnesses of childhood build and prime the immune system for much worse things! Seek out the childhood diseases, have them, and be immune for life!

MEASLES:

http://vaxtruth.org/2015/01/informational-articles-on-measles/

In the majority of children the whole episode has been well and truly over in a week, from the prodromal phase to the disappearance of the rash, and many mothers have remarked “how much good the attack has done their children,”as they seem so much better after the measles. . . In this practice measles is considered as a relatively mild and inevitable childhood ailment that is best encountered any time from 3 to 7 years of age. Over the past 10 years there have been few serious complications at any age, and all children have made complete recoveries. As a result of this reasoning no special attempts have been made at prevention even in young infants in whom the disease has not been found to be especially serious. (Vital Statistics, British Medical Journal, February 7 1959, p. 381)
http://www.vaccineriskawareness.com/Childhood-Diseases-Can-Be-Good-For-Your-Child-

Measles Cures Psoriasis!

A 6-year-old girl suffering from severe psoriasis had been treated unsuccessfully by various conventional methods. She developed measles and, on recovery from measles, the psoriasis soon cleared up and now, 6 months later, she still has had no further recurrence. The basic defect in psoriasis, basal cell hyperplasia and defective keratinization, may well be immunologically mediated. Measles virus, by its immunosuppressive effect can lead to remission of psoriasis.
Source: Chakravarti VS, Lingam S. Measles induced remission of psoriasis. Ann Trop Paediatr. 1986 Dec;6(4):293-4.

Kids Who Have Measles Have Less Allergies!

OBJECTIVE: Viral and bacterial infections in childhood decrease the likelihood of allergic diseases in later life. The frequency of allergic diseases in patients with a history of measles has been reported to be low but some studies still suggest that measles can increase the frequency of allergic diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of allergic diseases following measles in childhood. METHODS: Fifty-two children hospitalized in our clinic with measles were compared with 51 children without measles. Allergic diseases were investigated in both groups by using the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire. In all children, allergy skin tests were performed with the four most common allergens. RESULTS: Sensitivity to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus was less frequent in children with measles than in those without (p < 0.05). A history of nebulized salbutamol use in the emergency room in the previous 12 months was also less frequent in the measles group (p < 0.05). Inhaled corticosteroid use was more common in the group without measles (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that findings of allergic disease are less frequent in children with a history of measles. These children were less sensitive to D. pteronyssinus.

Allergol Immunopathol (Madr). 2006 Jul-Aug;34(4):146-9.

Measles Stops Allergy To Dust Mite!

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological studies have led to speculation that infections in early childhood may prevent allergic sensitisation but evidence to support this hypothesis is lacking. We investigated whether measles infection protects against the development of atopy in children of Guinea-Bissau, West Africa. METHODS: We conducted a historical cohort study in Bandim, a semi-rural district of Bissau, the capital of Guinea-Bissau. 395 young adults, first surveyed in 1978-80 aged 0-6 years, were followed up in 1994. Our analyses were restricted to 262 individuals still living in Bandim for whom a measles history, documented in childhood, was judged to be reliable. We defined atopy as skin-prick test positivity (> or = 3 mm weal) to one or more of seven allergens. FINDINGS: 17 (12.8 percent) of 133 participants who had had measles infection were atopic compared with 33 (25.6 percent) of 129 of those who had been vaccinated and not had measles (odds ratio, adjusted for potential confounding variables 0.36 [95 percent CI 0.17-0.78], p=O.O1). Participants who had been breastfed for more than a year were less likely to have a positive skin test to housedust mite. After adjustment for breastfeeding and other variables, measles infection was associated with a large reduction in the risk of skin-prick test positivity to housedust mite (odds ratio for Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus 0.20 [0.05-0.81], p=0.02; D farinae 0.20 [0.06-0.71], p=0.01). INTERPRETATION: Measles infection may prevent the development of atopy in African children.

Measles and atopy in Guinea-Bissau. Lancet. 1996 Jun 29;347(9018):1792-6.

MUMPS:

Mumps can be much more painful as an adult however sterility is usually not a consequence.

http://www.whale.to/v/mumps.html

"The mumps vaccine, a high-risk, low-benefit product struck me and plenty of other doctors as silly from the moment it was introduced........the chance of sterility from mumps is overrated since in practically every case of mumps orchitis (inflammation of the testes) only one testis is affected, and a man could repopulate the entire world with the other one."--Dr Mendelsohn MD

Mumps has been shown to reduce some cancers.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2951028/
"Epidemiologic studies found childhood mumps might protect against ovarian cancer. To explain this association, we investigated whether mumps might engender immunity to ovarian cancer through antibodies against the cancer-associated antigen MUC1 abnormally expressed in the inflamed parotid gland."

CHICKENPOX:

Not only is chickenpox milder for kids, it also has been sown to reduce cancer risk!

www.mdanderson.org/newsroom/news-releases/2006/04-02-06-research-suggests-that-immune-response-protects-against-brain-tumor-development.html

"The researchers also asked participants about their history of chicken pox. A latent infection is known to promote low level inflammation in the brain, which could also provide an immune response that protects against tumor development. They found that a history of chicken pox significantly reduced the risk of developing AA tumors. The risk of developing the other two kinds of tumors studied was also reduced (40 percent for GMB and 22 percent for LGG), but not significantly so."

GERMAN MEASLES / 3 DAY MEASLES / RUBELLA:

Rubella also known as German measles and 3 day measles is a very mild illness in children BUT can be devastating for expecting mothers who catch it because it can cause birth defects. Before the vaccine parents would make sure little girls and even boys would catch it be sick for a few days and be done with it. Along comes the vaccine and what do you know it has a pretty high failure rate!

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3968452

"immunologic and virological studies were performed in 13 adults (12 women and one man) who failed to seroconvert (as shown by rubella hemagglutination-inhibition [HAI] techniques) after single or repeated courses of HPV-77 DE/5 or RA 27/3 rubella virus vaccine. Immunologic sensitization to rubella virus was assessed from six months to eight years (mean, 3.0 years) after the last course of rubella virus vaccine by using HAI, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), single radial hemolysis (SRH), neutralization, and virus-specific lymphoproliferative techniques. Despite HAI seronegativity, 11 of 13 subjects demonstrated significant sensitization to rubella virus proteins, as indicated by ELISA (10 of 13), neutralization (9 of 11), SRH (4 of 11), and rubella lymphocyte stimulation techniques (9 of 13). In addition, rubella virus was isolated from three individuals by using cocultivation techniques with peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Failed rubella immunization in adults may have more significance than previously recognized in view of altered patterns of virus-specific immunity and the association of this failure with the rubella virus carrier state."

 

DOCTORS DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT MEASLES LOOK LIKE…

WHY SHOULD THIS SHOCK ANYONE??? THEY DON'T KNOW BASIC NUTRITION, THEY DON'T KNOW THE RISK OF OR WHAT IS IN MOST THINGS THEY PRESCRIBE... SO WHY WOULD YOU EXPECT THEM TO KNOW THIS??? MEASLES IS OFTEN MISDIAGNOSED AS A VIRAL RASH OR AN ALLERGIC REACTION AND IS ALMOST NEVER CALLED MEASLES IN A VACCINATED PERSON!

http://www.scpr.org/news/2015/01/28/49505/younger-doctors-need-a-measles-crash-course/

HPV VACCINE & POSSIBLE MANDATED CIRCUMCISION FOR BOYS!

This is just sick! Next the CDC will be using the HPV excuse as a way to push and possibly mandate circumcision of males. Mark my words on this, they are going to try it! They will use HPV, HIV, or some other hair brained excuse.

This is not the 1st time that a vaccine protecting females was later pushed on boys--They did it with the rubella vaccine.
PLEASE NOTE: While the safety of the HPV vaccine is generally established and still remains recommended by the government health agency, it has been shown in some studies to be associated with anaphylaxis, blood clots and fainting, and linked with some deaths.

*****

HPV Vaccine For Boys? CDC Considers Recommending Vaccinations For All

Vaccinating just half the population against human papilloma virus (HPV) only solves half the problem.

Now that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that girls and young women be vaccinated against the disease that can lead to cervical cancer, the treatment's effectiveness with regard to the male population is beginning to come into the limelight. In fact, the CDC is now considering recommending the shot for boys as well, according to Health Day.
From Health Day:

A debate that's been simmering over whether males also should be vaccinated for human papillomavirus, or HPV, could come to a head in October at a meeting of a key advisory committee of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said CDC spokesman Tom Skinner.

Previous studies have shown that the HPV vaccine could even have a more powerful effect than simply immunizing males against the disease and protecting women. According to Science Daily, one study showed that giving the vaccine to men could prevent as many as 90 of genital warts cases.

A study published in March also said that almost half of the male population of the US could be infected with HPV.

The issue of immunizing girls to the virus has returned to the limelight recently amidst the GOP Presidential debates. Notably, Texas Governor Rick Perry's 2007 mandate to require young girls to be vaccinated against the disease has drawn criticism from fellow conservatives.

According to Everyday Health, the measure was overridden in 2008.
While the safety of the HPV vaccine is generally established and still remains recommended by the government health agency, it has been shown in some studies to be associated with anaphylaxis, blood clots and fainting, and linked with some deaths.

Calls for calm amid flu jab scare

SPIN, SPIN, SPIN! The sad part in this is there are too many people stupid enough to get this vaccine despite the fact it is killing and crippling people.

*****

Calls for calm amid flu jab scare


Updated 10 hours 3 minutes ago
The AMA is concerned general immunisation rates will fall

The AMA hopes people will not be put off immunising their children despite suspension of the flu shot program. (ABC News)

The Australian Medical Association in WA is hoping a nation-wide ban on flu shots for small children will not affect overall immunisation rates.

Australian doctors have been warned not to give the seasonal flu vaccine to children under the age of five, after a child fell critically ill and dozens more suffered serious adverse reactions after receiving the vaccine in Western Australia.

Other states, including Queensland and South Australia, are also reporting incidents of children being hospitalised and having adverse reactions such as fevers and convulsions.

The vaccine supplier, CSL, has stopped its distribution while it investigates the matter.

Gary Geelhoed from the AMA says while he understands parents' concerns, it is important to remember the benefits of immunisation.

"We would certainly continue to advise parents to have the appropriate vaccination of their children," he said.

"At the same time we need to investigate any possible side effects or downsides, and that's what's happening at the moment.

"But we have to remember that the benefits of vaccinations far, far, far outweigh any side effects."

Mr Geelhoed says he hopes the temporary ban will not affect overall immunisation rates.

"We must remember now that we don't see things like whooping cough, diptheria, tetinus, measles, mumps and rubelle," he said.

"All those things have essentially gone from our community, they've largely gone because of vaccinations."

Health authorities say it is still safe for older children and adults to receive the flu vaccine.
More harm than good?

But one expert urged health authorities yesterday to consider whether rolling out vaccinations to millions of people around the country causes more harm than good.

Peter Collignon, a professor in infectious diseases from the Australian National University, says an effective surveillance system should monitor thousands of people for one or two weeks after vaccination before the vaccine is rolled out to the entire population.

"If you're in a risk group everybody agrees you need to be vaccinated," he said.

"But the majority of the population don't have risk factors, including children.

"Before we roll out a vaccine to millions of people, in my view, we need to do studies of thousands of people over a period of time to make sure we are always going to do more good than harm with the vaccine."

He says the seasonal flu vaccine has three components - one of which is swine flu - and children may be reacting badly to receiving a second exposure to part of the flu virus.

"If you were infected with swine flu itself last year or had been given the swine flu vaccine last November or December or January, if you then get exposed again to a part of the virus, you've already got antibodies and white cells that are turned on to try to fight the virus," he said.

"Therefore if you get exposed to it again you may have a brisk reaction, where you produce more antibodies and more white cells, which gives you a fever and an inflammatory reaction."

He says about 20 per cent of Australian children who received the swine flu vaccine had moderate to severe side effects in the form of a fever of more than 38.5 degrees Celsius and severe muscle aches and pains.

But he says last winter, the risk of someone under the age of 40 getting swine flu and dying from it if they had no risk factors was less than one in a million.

"You have to start weighing this up because you may actually produce as much influenza-like illness with a vaccine as you prevent with people not getting influenza," he said.

"That's been my concern about rolling out this vaccine to the entire population. I don't think we've got enough data to know how effective it's going to be."

NY: ALL FEDERAL SHOTS WILL BECOME MANDATORY

NY is planning to tighten the rules regarding vaccines, if you are
reading this please be aware this police state mentality will not stop
with NY! The CDC and big pharma will not stop until they inject every
last human with poison.

http://www.assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?bn=A10942&sh=t

Below is a really good explanation of the requirements I got from
a yahoo group I belong to.

NY: ALL FEDERAL SHOTS WILL BECOME MANDATORY

Act now to stop the worst vaccine law ever proposed in New York since
the invention of the mandatory schedule. Assembly Bill 10942 would
make all vaccines recommended by the CDC mandatory for all children
to attend school and, and for the first time vaccines would become
mandatory for infants and toddlers.

The bill was introduced in Rules Committee at the request of Richard
Daines, the Commissioner of the New York State Department of Health.
The Rules Committee in the personal committee of the Assembly Speaker
Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan).

A-CHAMP is calling for rejection of this bill and is demanding the
passage of A5468/S3031, a bill that would give individuals a right to
a philosophical exemption from vaccine mandates. This is no time to
transfer vaccine decisions away from individuals and elected
officials answerable to the voters and give it to obscure bureaucrats
with financial ties to the vaccine industry.

Here are a few features of the proposed bill:

· Our elected New York representatives would no longer determine
the mandatory schedule of vaccines to attend school; decisions made
by the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices would
automatically become mandatory.

· All children, infants and toddlers included, in New York would
be required to get all vaccines recommended by the ACIP according to
the ACIP schedule

· All children in New York up to age 18 would be required to get
annual flu shots.

· All girls in New York would be required to get a human papilloma
virus shot.

· All junior high school children and college students would be
required to get meningococcal shots.

· Doctors would be required to issue certificates for every shot
given and parents would be required to maintain the records and
provide them to school and other authorities.

· The rules committee claims that the new laws would have no
fiscal impact on the state despite the necessity of the state to
spend tens of millions on purchasing new vaccines, a vast increase in
mandatory record keeping and enforcement for schools, and a huge
increase that could be expected in the number of cases of
neurological damage, Guillian Barré syndrome and other vaccine-caused
injuries.

We only have a few weeks to defeat this bill. Let your Assembly member
and State Senator know immediately that a vote for this bill
guarantees that you will do everything you can to get them un-
elected. In addition to emailing and calling your local
representatives, please call Speaker Sheldon Silver and let his staff
know, politely, that this is a disastrous idea. While you are at it
please call Governor David Paterson and let his staff know, politely,
that this is a horrible law.

Governor David Paterson (518) 474-8390

Speaker Sheldon Silver (518) 455-3791

US Government Report Answers Who Lives, Who Dies in Flu Pandemic

http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_story/0,3566,354135,00.html

Government Report Answers Who Lives, Who Dies in Flu Pandemic

Monday , May 05, 2008

Should doctors be allowed to play God?

In the case of a flu pandemic — yes, say government officials in a new report.

Doctors know some patients needing lifesaving care won't get it in a flu pandemic or other disaster. The gut-wrenching dilemma will be deciding who to let die.

Who will die in the event of a pandemic? The very old, seriously hurt, severely burned and those with severe dementia, according to an influential group of physicians.

The group has drafted a grimly specific list of recommendations for which patients wouldn't be treated.

The suggested list was compiled by a task force whose members come from prestigious universities, medical groups, the military and government agencies. They include the Department of Homeland Security, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Health and Human Services.

The proposed guidelines are designed to be a blueprint for hospitals "so that everybody will be thinking in the same way" when pandemic flu or another widespread health care disaster hits, said Dr. Asha Devereaux. She is a critical care specialist in San Diego and lead writer of the task force report.

The idea is to try to make sure that scarce resources — including ventilators, medicine and doctors and nurses — are used in a uniform, objective way, task force members said.

Their recommendations appear in a report appearing Monday in the May edition of Chest, the medical journal of the American College of Chest Physicians.

"If a mass casualty critical care event were to occur tomorrow, many people with clinical conditions that are survivable under usual health care system conditions may have to forgo life-sustaining interventions owing to deficiencies in supply or staffing," the report states.

To prepare, hospitals should designate a triage team with the Godlike task of deciding who will and who won't get lifesaving care, the task force wrote. Those out of luck are the people at high risk of death and a slim chance of long-term survival. But the recommendations get much more specific, and include:

— People older than 85.

— Those with severe trauma, which could include critical injuries from car crashes and shootings.

— Severely burned patients older than 60.

— Those with severe mental impairment, which could include advanced Alzheimer's disease.

— Those with a severe chronic disease, such as advanced heart failure, lung disease or poorly controlled diabetes.

Dr. Kevin Yeskey, director of the preparedness and emergency operations office at the Department of Health and Human Services, was on the task force. He said the report would be among many the agency reviews as part of preparedness efforts.

Public health law expert Lawrence Gostin of Georgetown University called the report an important initiative but also "a political minefield and a legal minefield."

The recommendations would probably violate federal laws against age discrimination and disability discrimination, said Gostin, who was not on the task force.

If followed to a tee, such rules could exclude care for the poorest, most disadvantaged citizens who suffer disproportionately from chronic disease and disability, he said. While health care rationing will be necessary in a mass disaster, "there are some real ethical concerns here."

James Bentley, a senior vice president at American Hospital Association, said the report will give guidance to hospitals in shaping their own preparedness plans even if they don't follow all the suggestions.

He said the proposals resemble a battlefield approach in which limited health care resources are reserved for those most likely to survive.

Bentley said it's not the first time this type of approach has been recommended for a catastrophic pandemic, but that "this is the most detailed one I have seen from a professional group."

While the notion of rationing health care is unpleasant, the report could help the public understand that it will be necessary, Bentley said.

Devereaux said compiling the list "was emotionally difficult for everyone."

That's partly because members believe it's just a matter of time before such a health care disaster hits, she said.

"You never know," Devereaux said. "SARS took a lot of folks by surprise. We didn't even know it existed."

— The Associated Press