NBC 11 Atlanta Reports: Vaccine Researcher Flees with $2M
Age of Autism has been covering the story of Dr. Poul Thorsen, architect of the "Danish study" that exonerated vaccines as a cause of autism, see: Poul Thorsen's Mutating Resume and First Fraud: Dr. Poul Thorsen and the original “Danish Study” and Danish Scientist Absconds with $2 million, Poul Thorsen "Proved" Vaccines Don't Cause Autism
Jayne Watson of 11alive.com Atlanta had this story last night.
ATLANTA -- A Danish scientist who was a lead researcher in two studies that purport to show that mercury used in vaccines do not cause autism is believed to have used forged documents to steal $2 million from Aarhus University in Denmark.
Dr. Poul Thorsen was also a research professor at Emory University from 2003 until June of 2009. Emory University officials gave no reason for Thorsen's departure.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funded research conducted by Thorsen and his colleagues at Aarhus University.
The CDC asked the researchers to conduct studies to determine whether thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative and adjuvant used in vaccines, played ay role in causing autism.
The results of the studies, that there was no link between vaccines containing mercury and autism, formed the foundation for the conclusions of several Institute of Medicine reports.
In a statement Aarhus University officials said Thorsen forged documents supposedly from the CDC to obtain the release of $2 million from the university.
Autism advocacy groups are demanding his studies be given a closer look. Those same groups have long claimed that the results of the studies were suspect. (We've linked the video below, but it appears to be unavailable. URL is HERE.) More copy from the report is below the jump. Please scroll down.
CDC officials released a statement this afternoon saying, "CDC is aware of the allegations by Aarhus University against Poul Thorsen, a Danish doctor who participated in CDC funded research. For the past 10 years, CDC has had a cooperative agreement with the Danish Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation (DASTI) and Aarhus University in Denmark to conduct research studies on issues such as cerebral palsy, autism, alcohol use in pregnancy and Down syndrome. Dr. Thorsen was one of many co-authors on these research projects. All of these were subject to extensive peer review and we have no reason to suspect that there are any issues related to the integrity of the science. The allegations that are fiscal in nature against Dr. Thorsen are being looked into by appropriate authorities."
Thorsen still owns a home near Emory University.
Danish authorities are looking for him.
Really? To quote the late Afred Zan from the CBS 60 minutes segment, "Is there mercury in your mouth", "we are arguing if a poison is a poison." It is a very strange argument!
It is like the Mad Hatter syndrome full on. We are so poisoned that we have to argue a point that has no point at all! Like the Mad Hatter! To make it crystal clear for you out there, when your child is vaccinated and dies on the Pediatrician's table, you have the direct cause and the effect. or your child stops talking, walking, eating, and has a vacant look after 30 vaccines, again you have the cause and effect, I guess the reason for vaccine court, right? So take the vaccine or it's off with your head mentality only serves to proove my point. Is anyone awake out there!
Posted by: GreenYourLife | November 11, 2010 at 05:54 PM
he's probably dead.
Posted by: hey | March 12, 2010 at 05:28 PM
Cherry, I really like your statement here. I can honestly believe that in the begining there was a mistake. Instead of standing up and facing it, there was simply a huge cover-up put into action. Yes, I see Poul Thorsen as a evil man because he is at the beginning of this cover-up and his hands are dirty. Many should go to prison, but they should fall in line behind Dr. Thorsen.
Being placed under the jail is not good enough for any of these complicit monsters.
Posted by: kathleen | March 12, 2010 at 09:39 AM
The news is spreading. http://www.philly.com/philly/news/homepage/87437502.html
Posted by: Kristina | March 12, 2010 at 03:17 AM
This is awesome!
Spread the word, far and wide. Tell your friends who work in media. We're gonna get 'em sooner or later and it's starting to look sooner.
Posted by: Mom23boys | March 11, 2010 at 10:31 PM
My fear about this media coverage, following right on the heels of Wakefield, is that people will only hear "vaccines, autism, corruption," and assume this DENIES the credibility of the link. They won't hear that Thorsen was on the OTHER side of the debate.
Posted by: Amy Becker Clark | March 11, 2010 at 09:35 PM
Now its all Poul Thorsen's fault. Its all his fault for the IOM and the CDC and the AAP telling parents that vaccines are safe. All because of HIM! they left the mercury in the flu shots, tetanus toxoids, and other vaccines and pressed them on pregnant women and babies of 6 months of age. All Poul Thorsen's fault that no one at WHO mentioned to drug manufacturers in third world countries that it would be kinder to babies not to poison them with mercury in DPT, Hib, Hepatitis B, tetanus toxoids, rabies vaccines, etc
Posted by: Cherry Sperlin Misra | March 11, 2010 at 09:26 PM
Love the CDC comment. This is simply a fiscal matter, so we don't have anything to worry about where the quality of the research is concerned. Riiiiigggghhht.
A key researcher on the science you funded is missing with millions, possibly forged documents to do it, was apparently working for more than one university which was against his contract, and we're supposed to trust his work? Based on what? His character? Peer review? A study that shows the less amount of neurotoxin a child gets the more likely they are to have Autism?
What kool aide are you drinking, CDC? I'd like some.
Posted by: Julie Obradovic | March 11, 2010 at 06:02 PM
Thank you so much to Dan, Mark and RFK jr for their reporting!
Posted by: Katie Wright | March 11, 2010 at 04:26 PM
What is it with Paul's and this issue?
one could only hope for a change of heart like another Paul
http://tinyurl.com/yglroqx
Posted by: KM | March 11, 2010 at 11:31 AM
Looks like Jayne Watson and 11 Alive aren't obeying Kathleen Sebelius's directive not to report things from "the other side". Since the national media has taken the lead in not reporting this, I assume broadcasting on THE CRIMES OF A LEAD RESEARCHER OF STUDIES UPON WHICH THE CDC BASES ITS DECREE THAT "VACCINES ARE SAFE" constitutes reporting from the dark side.
Posted by: Gatogorra | March 11, 2010 at 11:18 AM
Run, loser, ruuuun! Seriously. Welp, they tried. The rats out of the bag now.
Posted by: December Courtwright | March 11, 2010 at 10:53 AM
Did the CDC get caught with their pants down and are now trying to blame it all on this Thorsen guy..... he's no innocent, but they've been paying him off, eh?
Posted by: maggie | March 11, 2010 at 10:33 AM
Please send a link of this article to Big Noise Films
[email protected]
Posted by: maggie | March 11, 2010 at 10:28 AM
"Poule" means chicken in french. Interestingly,yesterday, I worked with a little guy on the spectrum in a french immersion kindergarten class. I hope that catch that crook.
Posted by: jen | March 11, 2010 at 10:06 AM
Wait until they catch him and offer him a plea deal -- my guess is that this guy is going to sing like a birdie, and all his cronies on both sides of the Atlantic will be speed dialing their lawyers faster that you can say New IOM Report.
Posted by: WarnerC | March 11, 2010 at 09:39 AM
Age of Autism, Generation Rescue, National Vaccine Information Center, Safe Minds,
Who else have I left out?
These growing organization is finally shining a light on the rats and they are scattering. Keep it up and make sure we notice all the holes they scatter to.
Posted by: Benedetta | March 11, 2010 at 09:33 AM
The video worked just fine for me.
It's a very interesting "twist" on the whole autism vaccing debate. I hope this helps to expose the extent of the corruption at the CDC! Every time they release a "public statement" the content usually makes me want to vomit, it's so blatantly untrue.
Posted by: Anne | March 11, 2010 at 09:31 AM
why is the video unavailable? thanks, Maurine
Posted by: Maurine Meleck | March 11, 2010 at 09:03 AM
"Dr. Thorsen was one of many co-authors on these research projects. All of these were subject to extensive peer review and we have no reason to suspect that there are any issues related to the integrity of the science. The allegations that are fiscal in nature against Dr. Thorsen are being looked into by appropriate authorities." CDC statement to NBC 11 Atlanta
I wonder if anyone can pull the same sort of statement by the CDC regarding Wakefield?
I hope this guy is found and brought in alive, there are a few questions Id like answered.
Thanks Lyn! Thanks AoA! Thanks whistleblower!
Posted by: bensmyson | March 11, 2010 at 08:55 AM
What document from the CDC would cause the university to pay the money to Thorsen directly? The agreement was with the CDC and the university of which Thorsen was an employee. Did he have some sort of clause that paid him a premium if the results of the study were satisfactory to the CDC? The CDC probably didn't object at first because $2M is a small price to pay for a crap study that supports its position. Funny how the CDC claims that the payment does not effect the peer reviewed findings in the study but that Dr. Wakefield's taking blood from a few kids at a birthday party is rock solid PROOF that 12 kids did not suffer from significant GI distress. You really couldn't make this crap up.
Posted by: Mike | March 11, 2010 at 08:46 AM
So is it only the CDC officially stating that the documents were forged?? Two million was probably his payment, :) for producing a woefully inadequate study. If Grassly has the CDC under a magnifying glass, they would need to explain a 2 mil payment. So now they are crying forgery.
It is all very stinky.
Posted by: kathleen | March 11, 2010 at 07:51 AM
How exactly does one man steal $2M from anywhere?
Embezzlers usually have access to accounting systems - so it wasn't embezzlement I'm guessing. Did Aarhus write a check? Who'd they make it out to? Paul Thorsen? How else could he cash it or deposit it or get an EFT?
What a twist in the vaccine-autism controversy. As I've heard many times, "Follow the Money." I hope reporters everywhere will do just that.
Show me the money trail...as well as the monkeys.
Posted by: Beth | March 11, 2010 at 07:40 AM