83 Deaths on VAERS System Listing Merck's RotaTeq
By Kim Stagliano
The National Vaccine Injury Center has a search program called MedAlerts to search the CDC/FDA's Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, or VAERS site.
A search of Dr. Paul Offit's RotaTeq from Merck, turned up 83 adverse events that resulted in death and include RotaTeq as one of the adminstered vaccines. Click HERE to see the reports. (Thank you to Lenny Schafer's Environment of Harm list for the link. If you don't already read Lenny's Schafer Autism Report (SARNET), click on his name to subscribe.)
This is the definition of the VAERS:
The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System is a cooperative program for vaccine safety of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). VAERS is a post-marketing safety surveillance program, collecting information about adverse events (possible side effects) that occur after the administration of US licensed vaccines.
This Web site provides a nationwide mechanism by which adverse events following immunization (AEFI) may be reported, analyzed and made available to the public. The VAERS Web site also provides a vehicle for disseminating vaccine safety-related information to parents/guardians, healthcare providers, vaccine manufacturers, state vaccine programs, and other constituencies.
Every death is tragic - but take note of the eighth listing down, on December 9, 2006. Twins. Dead five days after vaccination. I had a hard time continuing to read after that point.
Kim Stagliano is Managing Editor of Age of Autism.
@ Theresa O - "Why is this still on the market?"
Good question. Chalk up a few more victims to "Offit's disease". It's still on the market because the FDA and pharma have decided to leave it on the market.
http://bipolar-stanscroniclesandnarritive.blogspot.com/2010/03/big-pharma-wants-fda-to-create-seal-of.html
It's still on the market because the world is now taking ethics lessons from Paul Offit.
http://centerforvaccineethicsandpolicy.wordpress.com/about/
Where is Inspector Closeau when you need him? “The crooks never sleep and neither does Clouseau.” :>)
Actually, I'm crying...inside. Healthcare is so conflicted and corrupt. Once scarcely knows where to begin, when thinking about how to fix it. The image of a rotting fish, which stinks from head to tail, comes to mind.
Posted by: patrons99 | September 23, 2010 at 02:39 PM
...and we've got more data on bowel obstructions from Rotarix. Why is this still on the market?
http://in.reuters.com/article/idINTRE68L3A420100922
Posted by: Theresa O | September 23, 2010 at 11:54 AM
I like your suggestion, Sign Lady.
God knows I was never informed as to how great the risk of death might be, or the real risks of brain damage, including autism, or any other risks associated with vaccines; why inform people of risks when the goal is to get them to take the shot?
Anyway--Dan, Kim--can this be done?
Terri Lewis
Posted by: Terri Lewis | October 01, 2008 at 12:01 PM
Suggestion: Age Of Autism should keep a running tally - always on the homepage - of deaths associated with vaccines, according to VAERS.
RotaTeq's association with death is up to 88 now. Here's one new entry:
After administering vaccines child became very fussy and over tired, would not wake to eat and passed away a little over a day later. Autopsy could not say that vaccines did not play role in death.
Posted by: sign lady | October 01, 2008 at 10:16 AM
So sick. I can't believe the twins. Wonder which vaccine they had an adverse reaction to? Sad knowing no one is going to bother to find out.
btw, the Naltrexone- worked miracles for my daughter. She never created antibodies to Prevnar. But afer being on Naltrexone for 2 months, the immunologist gave her a shot of Prevnar (to test her response), for the 1st time in her life, she created a perfect antibody response (although she did break out in hives, and now has a permanent medical exemption for vaccination).
So, not only did we see improvements in communication, eye contact, comprehension, we also saw awesome immune improvements as well!
Posted by: Monica | August 18, 2008 at 11:57 PM
Yes Josh that jerk has put us thru the ringer so to speak. I have spoken to a lawyer and he has already informed me that we do have a case against this doctor. If only for negligence. He (the doctor) completely stomped on my child rights as a human being and when the results didn't turn out the way he wanted he booted us on May 24th. Too say the least, I'm angry. The funny thing is, I keep being told I don't have a right to be angry because I made the choice to vaccinate him (family member). I feel I was lied to all the way around, from our doctor to the FDA, the CDC. Who pays for this? My son does, for the rest of his life and it's my fault. I'm sure I'm preaching to the choir here,lol. I'm not usually this whiney of a baby, I swear!! Tomorrow will be better. I did get a kick out of Barbie's story because sometimes I laugh because if I didn't I would probably be in a straight jacket by now!!!
Posted by: Riley's mom | August 18, 2008 at 09:44 PM
Riley's Mom:
No, no, please, no offense taken. I kinda shot my mouth off too. I wanted to put out there that there are many reasons to partake in a clinical trial, some better than others.
There is a yahoo group; Autism_LDN, that you may want to check out. Both my boys were helped a lot in the *fluky wacky immune system* department by LDN (low dose naltrexone). I definitely saw a happier overall mood and some nice social gains too for my older, ASD, kiddo. But the big bang really was in the *rebalancing* T1 vs. T2 modulated immune system response. It IS a medication, so please read all the information (positive and negative) posted in the yahoo group carefully before making a decision. (Disclaimer: I'm not an MD, and what I write about here is my experience with my two boys, and should not be construed medical advice; yada, yada).
And I'm right there with ya in having stopped vaccinations (although I do NOT feel good about the fact that my boys are NOT up to date on their polio, and DTP shots), and having a general distrust for mainstream docs.
Posted by: Petra | August 18, 2008 at 08:55 PM
By coincidence, FORBES today published, FDA: Amylin's Byetta Killed 2.
http://www.forbes.com/markets/economy/2008/08/18/amylin-byetta-death-markets-equity-cx_lal_0818markets30.html
And what was the important point for FORBES?
"The worst thing that you can tell a pharmaceutical investor is that the company's biggest revenue driver might be more harmful than the disease it is meant to treat.
"This was the news that Amylin Pharmaceuticals shareholders received Monday when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a warning to doctors and patients via its web site stating that six patients taking the company's diabetes treatment, Byetta, have been affected by hemorrhagic or necrotizing pancreatitis since the agency last reviewed the post-marketing material in October. All of the patients required hospitalization; two died."
Anne Dachel
Media editor
Posted by: Anne Dachel | August 18, 2008 at 07:50 PM
Petra,
Andrea is right and I might have jumped off the deep end with the whole clinical trial thing. What is Naltrexone? How did it help your son? I would like to look into it. I have a daughter that I stopped vaccinating at 7 months because vaccines scare the hell out of me.
What I was wondering about people being in their "right freaking mind" when it comes to vaccines. I now have a general distrust and dislike for "most" doctors. They scare me in many ways so I avoid them as much as possible. I ended up taking my 2 youngest to our family doctor. Andrea might actually have heard of him...Mark Davis DO from Vienna? I went in there about 2 wks ago with my "guns" drawn and ready to fight back about vaccinating my kids. I was just getting ready to lay it on him and told him I refuse to vaccinate my kids because......he looked at me and said "Good, I stopped vaccinating out of this office about tens years ago." I sorta just stood there mouth open...HUH??? Really??? He is willing to work with our DAN! and everything. I could just kick myself in the ass for not taking them there in the first place.
I guess I'm still angry that that other Ped., the one Andrea "knows" was doing clinical trials on my kid without informing me or even asking my consent. So, no I'm not into trials of any kind at the moment. But I'm interested in hearing your experience with the Naltrexone and what it is and does.
I hope you didn't take offense to it. I'm sorry, I'm just a little gun shy now.
Posted by: Riley's mom | August 18, 2008 at 07:45 PM
I think it is safe to say we know what causes Sudden Infant Death Syndrome at least some of the time.
Vaccine reactions = SIDS
Posted by: Richard | August 18, 2008 at 07:05 PM
Hmmm....This is the guy that says kids can handle 100,000 vaccines , right? Maybe this is what the news shows should be showing regarding Offit and vaccines. This is truly disgusting.
Posted by: KristinB | August 18, 2008 at 04:46 PM
Petra,
I am guessing Riley's mom was wondering who in their right mind enrolls a baby into a vaccine trial. I know I have wondered where they have been able to find people to offer up their beautiful healthy newborn. "Hey, we got this brand new vaccine, never been tested on humans before.... can we try it out on your bundle of joy just to see what happens and if we can say it works?"
Posted by: Andrea | August 18, 2008 at 04:16 PM
Riley's mom:
"Who in their right freaking mind VOLUNTEERS their child for a clinical trial."
Uhm, I did. Both my boys. In a clinical trial run by Dr. McCandless on the effects of Low Dose Naltrexone. Have never regretted it (as if it hadn't been for Dr. McC slapping me upside the head and shaking me awake on what was starting to happen to my younger son, he would have been autistic too - and much more so that his big brother)
Enrolling a child in a clinical trial is not a decision that anybody makes lightly. As with anything, thorough research into the purpose of the clinical trial, the what and why of the treatment, the background of the PI (Principal Investigator) and risks/benefits is needed. And I was very much *in my right freaking mind* (tongue in cheek, tongue in cheek) when I signed the paperwork enrolling my boys into Dr. McC's study.
Posted by: Petra | August 18, 2008 at 02:07 PM
Riley's Mom,
That doctor is reprehensible.
ratemds.com is a great venue to alert other parents about these types. You can also file a complaint with your state's medical board, but likely they'll just throw it out (as it's doctors policing doctors), though it's possible it could mar his record just by the existence of such a complaint.
With ratemds it's important to post only precise and true information, which you can defend if need be, as some docs, showing once again what upstanding citizens they are, have sued parents for millions in libel suits.
Sorry state of affairs but it seems things have gotten to a point where we have to protect ourselves and our children against our "caregivers..." for future doc visits, you may want to look into the recording laws of your state and see if it's legal for you to record a conversation. In my state it's legal to record as long as one party of the conversation gives consent, that party being ME.
Luckily the pediatrician we have now is good, seems to listen, and she doesn't press hot issues with us, though I still wouldn't trust her as far as I could throw her, and I always cover every one of my bases when we have to deal with medical people for our son's "check-ups" and "physicals."
Posted by: Josh | August 18, 2008 at 01:05 PM
Note another term: Volvulus - it means intestinal twisting and blockage as well. It turns up in this report.
Here's the wiki on it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volvulus
KIM
Posted by: Stagmom VOLVULUS | August 18, 2008 at 12:55 PM
Kim,
The one that got me was the third one down. The child was in Phase III of clinical trials. OMFG!!! Who in their right freaking mind VOLUNTEERS their child for a clinical trial. The thing that scares me is our Dr. The jerk that used my kid as a study subject then booted us from his practice when I told him we had filed our VICP, tried to get me to give this Rotateg to Riley. He told me it was in trials and Riley would be one of the "lucky" few to have protection from rotavirus if it worked!!! I told him No my child is not a guinea pig" Little did I know, he already was but the doctor didn't bother to tell me.
Posted by: Riley's mom | August 18, 2008 at 12:30 PM
This report is disgusting.
There was constant reporting about food poisoning on tomatoes and peppers and in the past huge coverage when adults and children become ill or die from ecoli from fast food.
It seems the media and even our physicians are afraid to say outloud that vaccines are not as safe as they are telling everyone.
Posted by: Karen Fuller Yuba City | August 18, 2008 at 12:20 PM
Hi, Pink Dove. If those babies had died with the syringed in their precious arms, many many many pediatricians would still deny any link at all. Dr. David Tayloe, with the AAP, said on Larry King that he had never had an adverse injury report. Decades as a pediatrician and not one adverse report? Improbable at best. Thanks for commenting.
Kim
Posted by: Stagmom | August 18, 2008 at 10:15 AM
In six years, 100 American children died from RotaVirus, using this older data. I'm trying to find something more up to date than the mid 80's.
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00001905.htm
From 1979 through 1985, an average of 500 children died annually from diarrheal disease in the United States (5); an estimated 20% of these deaths were caused by rotavirus infection (3). Death rates for diarrheal disease were highest in the South and among black children less than 6 months of age (5). Patterns of childhood mortality related to diarrheal disease reflect the winter seasonality of rotavirus (3).
Posted by: Stagmom | August 18, 2008 at 10:10 AM
And, kudos to whoever came up with the photo above. So true.
Posted by: heidi | August 18, 2008 at 10:08 AM
I think Rota-teq may have already killed as many deaths as occur from wild Rotavirus in the US in a year. There is a special place in Hell for Offit and every pro-vaccine zealot who can't understand the need to slow down, back up, reduce the risk and alter the vaccine schedule.
Posted by: Heidi | August 18, 2008 at 10:05 AM
wait a second...TWINS???
twins both dying on the same night after getting their shots is sort of like 100% proof something is up isn't it???
i can't believe that twins dying on the same night doesn't get more attention.
Posted by: pinkdove | August 18, 2008 at 09:50 AM
Some of the research used to justify the continued use of Rotateq:
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/118/2/e258
More on RotaShield and intussusception: the role of age at the time of vaccination.
Simonsen L, Viboud C, Elixhauser A, Taylor RJ, Kapikian AZ.
J Infect Dis. 2005 Sep 1;192 Suppl 1:S36-43.
Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2004 Apr;23(4):363-5. Links
Intussusception and rotavirus vaccines: what is the background risk?Sáez-Llorens X, Guevara JN.
(study done in Panama)
Intussusception-associated hospitalization among Venezuelan infants during 1998 through 2001: anticipating rotavirus vaccines.Pérez-Schael I, Escalona M, Salinas B, Materán M, Pérez ME, González G.
and finally:
Pediatrics. 2008 May;121(5):e1125-32.
Trends in intussusception hospitalizations among US infants, 1993-2004:
implications for monitoring the safety of the new rotavirus vaccination program.
Tate JE, Simonsen L, Viboud C, Steiner C, Patel MM, Curns AT, Parashar UD.
Division of Viral Diseases, Epidemiology Branch, National Center for
Immunizations and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. [email protected]
OBJECTIVES: In 2006, a new rotavirus vaccine was recommended for routine
immunization of US infants. Because a previous rotavirus vaccine was withdrawn in
1999 after it was associated with intussusception, monitoring for this adverse
event with the new vaccine is important. The objectives of this study were to
assess intussusception hospitalizations trends among US infants for 1993 to 2004;
provide estimates of hospitalization rates for intussusception for 2002-2004; and
assess variations in background rates by age, race/ethnicity, and surgical
management. METHODS: By using the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project's State
Inpatient Database that captures US hospital discharges from 16 states
representing 49% of the birth cohort during 1993-2004 and from 35 states
representing 85% of the birth cohort in 2002-2004, we examined hospitalizations
among infants (<12 months of age) with an International Classification of
Disease, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification code for intussusception (560.0).
Incidence rates were calculated by using census data, and rate ratios with 95%
confidence intervals were calculated by using Poisson regression data. RESULTS:
Annual intussusception hospitalization rates declined 25% from 1993 to 2004 but
have remained stable at approximately 35 cases per 100,000 infants since 2000.
Rates were very low for infants younger than 9 weeks (<5 per 100,000) then
increased rapidly, peaking at approximately 62 per 100,000 at 26 to 29 weeks,
before declining gradually to 26 per 100,000 at 52 weeks. Compared with rates
among non-Hispanic white infants (27 per 100,000), rates were greater among
non-Hispanic black infants (37 per 100,000) and Hispanic infants (45 per
100,000); however, rates did not differ by race/ethnicity for infants who were
younger than 16 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: This assessment of US hospitalizations
provides up-to-date and nationally representative prevaccine rates of
intussusception. Because rates varied almost 12-fold by week of age and to a
lesser extent by race/ethnicity during the age of vaccination, adjusting baseline
rates to reflect the demographics of the vaccinated population will be crucial
for assessing risk for intussusception after rotavirus vaccination.
Posted by: MinorityView | August 18, 2008 at 09:42 AM
What would Amanda say? Does she know Offit is such an accomplished baby killer???
Posted by: Andrea | August 18, 2008 at 08:59 AM
Dr Offit how many more children will you kill this year to make a buck?
Posted by: sammy | August 18, 2008 at 08:33 AM