Vaccine Industry Group Calls on Couric and Attkisson for CBS Retraction

By Kim Stagliano

"We call upon CBS to issue a retraction of Sharyl Attkisson's report...."

Lisa Randall of Voices For Vaccines has sent a letter to Katie Couric about Sharyl Attkisson's piece last week that questioned the financial ties of the AAP, Dr. Paul Offit and "Every Child by Two" to the vaccine industry. Even The Wall Street Journal picked up the report in its blog, (we wrote about it HERE.)

Here's the letter:

Voices For Vaccines
325 Swanton Way
Decatur, GA 30030

July 31, 2008

Katie Couric, Managing Editor CBS Television Network
524 West 57th Street
6th Floor
New York, NY 10019-2902

Via Facsimile

Dear Ms, Couric:

Voices For Vaccines objects to the defamatory allegations made by the CBS Evening News on Friday, July 25, against the American Academy of Pediatrics, Every Child By Two, and the Vaccine Education Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, with our colleague Dr Paul Offit singled out for baseless criticism.

It is our privilege to partner with these institutions in our mission to disseminate reliable information about vaccines. These groups advocate for immunization based on the overwhelming evidence for the lifesaving power of vaccination, and motivated by a sincere concern for the health of America's children. It is preposterous and deeply offensive for CBS to suggest otherwise by insinuating that the pharmaceutical industry improperly influences the views of these vaccine advocates.

An obvious starting point for an unbiased reporter assigned to investigate this possibility would have been to determine whether the advocates' recommendations were in accord with the scientific consensus on immunization, as articulated by neutral bodies such as the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (In fact, all three subjects of the CBS story do promote vaccination according to federal guidelines.)

In contrast, Sharyl Attkisson relied solely upon tangential observations in concluding that the judgment of these respected authorities has been co-opted by drug companies. Ms Attkisson's choice to pursue her story even after failing to uncover any evidence of malfeasance reveals not bias on the part of the story's subjects, but on the part of Ms Attkisson herself Professionalism required her to acknowledge that the targets of her story have done nothing other than emphasize to the public that which is well known to science. that vaccines allow children to grow up safe and healthy.

(page 2)

We call upon CBS to issue a retraction of Ms. Attkisson's report and an apology to the individuals and institutions whose good and honorable work in the field of immunization has been smeared. We further ask CBS to reflect upon the fact that it does not befit a user of the public airwaves to broadcast misleading claims about the most important public health measure of our time.

Sincerely,

Lisa H. Randall
Interim Executive Director
(404) 592-1.408
lrandall cr voicesforvaccines.org
cc: Katie Boyle, Senior Producer
Jonathan LaPook, MD, Medical Correspondent
Sharyl Attkisson, Reporter

Click HERE to find the "contact us" page for CBS (scroll down toward the bottom) so you can send an email to Ms. Couric and others at The Evening News.

J.B. Handley wrote about Voices For Vaccines last spring in his post titled, Fools Rush In.

You know the response is coming. For anyone watching the news for the last two months, the “other side” (aka, The Vaccine Lobby) has been getting annihilated in the press, online, in the coffee shops, schools, watercoolers, and, of course, on Larry King Live. There’s too much power, profits, and prestige at stake for the other side not to fight back, at least a little.

With that as backdrop I was delighted to get an email from a friend with a link to a new, curious website called Voices4Vaccines. 

The website is under construction, but the home page opens with this noble goal:

“Voices for Vaccines has only one goal to provide science-based, accessible, and clear information about the benefits and risks of vaccines and vaccine-preventable diseases. Our leadership consists of scientists and concerned individuals who are totally committed to supporting continued efforts to eradicate vaccine-preventable diseases.”

This new organization also makes a veiled reference to you-know-who and our movement in general:

“But we also know that the loud voices and famous faces are not necessarily giving the best information.”

We posted a few pieces about Ms. Randall and Voices For Vaccines, including a post by Kelly Ann Davis, Tracy Stewart and one about the The Immunization Coalition, which sent out an "alert" prior to Jenny McCarthy's Green Our Vaccines rally, in June.

Kim Stagliano is Managing Editor of Age of Autism.

Comments

[JGinger]

I'm confused about why Voices for Vaccines is being called an industry group. I don't know anything about them, but I'm not getting that from their Web site. Can someone explain?

[Tanners Dad]

Dr. Paul Offit Responds

Paul I feel it is time for you to stop talking… It might be time to start running. Parents will love the exact quote…“what I actually have said is at least 10,000. It’s probably closer to 100,000.” Why don’t you retire and use some of your money, ties, and influence to help the parents staying up all night with their autistic children. If you created an environment of partnership with the pharma and parents maybe they would be less vocal. I know I for one could be bought if you gave me some money for my vaccine injured sons therapy, respite, education, treatment, supplements, tests, assistive devices, tracking devices, fences, locks, GFCF foods, and more. Paul thanks for playing… Time to take your ball and go home. I think at this point I feel you are doing more damage to your cause than helping it. On second thought… Keep talking!

http://autism.freedomblogging.com/2008/08/04/dr-paul-offit-responds/

[Teresa]

Hi Kelly--

No problem. Ironically, Megan has been playing Raffi's, "He's Got The Whole World In His Hands" all day.... ;)

[Lauren]

Paul Offit is in Philadelphia, and Lisa Randall is either in Paul, MN or Decatur Ga... maybe it would be nice for their local papers (The Philadelphia Inquirer, for ex.) to have full page ads disclosing their "work".... the ties to pharma, whose payroll they're on, and for Offit, his reprimand by Congress.... then, we could organize local groups to rally, with signs outside of the hospital where Offit works... let his co-workers see the other side of his "reputation"... maybe hand out flyers, and call the local news- channel Action News

[Lauren]

Surely, Ms. Attkisson's next reort will mention Paul Offit's being reprimanded by Congress?

[Sandy Gottstein]

Here's an email you can use to contact CBS evening news directly:

Evening@cbsnews.com

And here is some other contact information:
Sean McManus, Pres. CBS News: 524 W 57th St. NY NY 10019
Linda Mason, Vice President CBS News: email LSM@cbsnews.com
Rick Kaplan, Exec. Producer CBS Evening News: 524 W 57 St. NY NY 10019
Katie Boyle, Sr. Producer CBS Evening News: kbs@cbsnews.com
Chris Isham, Washington Bureau Chief email: Isham@cbsnews.com

All the best,
Sandy

[Media Scholar]

Nothing CBS reported is untrue. Offit blew off his chance to appear in the report. He declined interview.

So why did the "expected cases" of telescoping bowels contemporary to Offit's vaccine trials suddenly multiply.

The number of anticipated cases clinically reported went from like 22 to over 50, right?

[Randy]

"I think Sheryl Attkisson's next move should be this...Run a segment regarding Voices For Vaccines' request for a retraction, then uncover who is behind Voices For Vaccines."

These guys must be in panic mode - otherwise you'd think they would have thought this through and realized that this "retraction" letter circulating in the public domain is as damning as the CBS story that sparked it.

Sharyl Attkisson tells us that Offit will not disclose his share of the $182 million sale of the rights to Rotateq, and Randall calls that defamatory. We are not supposed to know that directions in public health policy, influenced by these "unbiased" views, may have multi-million dollar consequences for certain players / proponents. We are expected to believe that they are all "above all that". Anything else is defamatory. Right.

Part II indeed - right on, Pamela - go Sharyll...

[Kelly Langston]

Thanks, Teresa. My apologies!

[Teresa]

Hi Kelly-

Just to clarify that it was Karenatlanta who made the comment regarding the world and God.

Teresa