DNA from Pig Viruses Found in Paul Offit Merck RotaTeq Vaccine
From Reuters: The highlighing is ours. The PCV1 and PCV2 were found in RotaTeq. The PCV2 virus is known to cause wasting disease in pigs. But you can relax, there's no "evidence of harm" to your baby. The FDA just posted Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee Meeting Background Material Porcine Circovirus and Rotavirus Vaccines on their site with more informaion.
WASHINGTON, May 6 (Reuters) - Pieces of DNA from two pig viruses were found in Merck & Co Inc's (MRK.N) rotavirus vaccine, but there was no evidence of a safety risk, U.S. health officials said on Thursday.
The finding follows a March announcement of an apparently harmless pig virus found in a rival rotavirus vaccine from GlaxoSmithKline Plc (GSK.L). (Editing by Maureen Bavdek)
parents are suffering and our babies are dead because of that rota teq vaccine and offit made millions from killing our infants then protecting our infants its a sad case and im glad this vaccine is suspened and i feel very sorry for the parents that going through the same thing im going through to lose our little angels
Posted by: christina rodriguez | May 25, 2010 at 01:59 AM
This all sounds vaguely familiar. Watch this documentary if you have never seen it. It offers very compelling evidence that AIDS was caused by vaccine viruses cultered in the cell tissues of chimpanzees... Makes way too much sense to disregard. But pigs are nothing to worry about. H1N1 NE1?
http://www.documentary-film.net/search/video-listings.php?e=5
Posted by: Scott Shoemaker | May 07, 2010 at 03:56 PM
Disgusted@"How does pig DNA get in vaccines that don't use pig components at all in the manufacturing process?"
Countless other biological products are used during vaccine manufacture, meaning even if the vaccine itself is not grown in a certain (pig) cell culture, contamination could happen via those other biological products that HAVE been grown in animal or human cell culture.
Posted by: Natasa | May 07, 2010 at 05:10 AM
http://kerboblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/ego-rotateq-no-mo.html
There's no proof that Paul Offit extracted Rotavirus germs from his own kazoo, but based on vaccine manufacturing drug company safety track records there's no proof he didn't.
Posted by: kerbob | May 06, 2010 at 11:28 PM
Aren't pigs closely related to humans? Oh wait, only when we need a heart valve. Whew! Our infants should be ok. Thanks Paul Proffit, I mean Offit.
Posted by: bjgosborn | May 06, 2010 at 10:06 PM
thats what they said when they found a monkey CMV strain "that couldnt infect humans" in the oral polio vaccine, then years later, OOPS, it had mixed with polio to make a "steal virus" that caused all sorts of serious illness, including cancer. As they say in jurassic park, "nature finds a way", leave that piggy virus in there, you can bet it will do something.
And for all you who seem to think you are experts on vaccines, the rotavirus vaccine is taken orally, it is a live virus vaccine, so it purposefully infects your kids.
Posted by: Dr. C | May 06, 2010 at 09:40 PM
Kevin Barry (first comment) is right on the money.
I guess Rotarix vs. Rota Teq is one vaccine war they won't be covering on PBS.
Everybody asks where the pig contamination came from. In the case of Rota Teq, it should be obvious. (Think: co-inventor.)
Posted by: pass the popcorn | May 06, 2010 at 09:35 PM
hee hee, I just noticed the pig ears and nose. Didn't see it on the first go. That Offit is the real pig, though.
Posted by: jen | May 06, 2010 at 09:26 PM
Wasting disease has something to do with prions which have something to do with viral particles. Pigs are so similar to people that we can use their livers as temporary transplants. Is it possible people will continue to believe in vaccine safety after this?
Posted by: Amanda Blinn | May 06, 2010 at 09:21 PM
Is someone going to ask him if he intended to put pig virus in our children, or was that just a mistake that shouldn't have happened. Hmmmmm.... Mistakes........ Will he take credit for a mistake? Or will he blame it on someone else like BP is doing.
Posted by: spacekitty | May 06, 2010 at 08:46 PM
This is the best news I've heard in a month. I'm so happy for Paul, we need a rap song to honor all his hard work for our kids. Think "Pants on the Ground by the General."
PrOffits to the ground......
Offit's goin down.......
Your shot turn sour....
Gold out your house.....
Call yourself a cool cat...
Actin like a Fool!!!!!!!!!!!
With your profits going down
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkhtzxvQlJ0&feature=fvst
Posted by: anonymous autism dad | May 06, 2010 at 08:11 PM
There is a bit of a hoist by their own petard with this one.
Powers that be: Swine flu! Get the vaccine or you'll die!
Powers that be: Pig viruses contaminate rotavirus vaccines. No danger, pig viruses are safe, even for pigs.
Cognitive dissonance?
Posted by: MinorityView | May 06, 2010 at 08:05 PM
harmless my foot! where are these vaccines being made anyway? on a pig farm? how on earth did pig virus make into vaccine? I thought these labs are suppose to be sterile. Maybe we should have our kids tested for PCV1 and PCV2. So, what other little nasties are in these things?
Posted by: Sarah | May 06, 2010 at 07:46 PM
I am wondering if one is carrying a pocine virus, then could you test positive for the swine flu when tested? Is the swine flu test sensitive enough to differentiate between types of swine virus? Could this trigger huge positive numbers during flu season and push mandated vaccines?
Okay, yes I am paranoid.
Posted by: kathleen | May 06, 2010 at 07:28 PM
Hhhmmm am I more worried about dying from diarrhea (not likely) or about being injected with pig viruses. Wow tough decision.
Posted by: 4Bobby | May 06, 2010 at 06:18 PM
"Dr., my baby grew a tail and her first word was "oink. Do you think the RotaTeq-"
"Now, now my dear. Don't be silly. The tail is a genetic leftover from prehistoric days - she must have had the recessivex265bazilliongenerations gene. And many, many children say, 'oink.'"
"But Doctor, we're Orthodox Jewish and she's never seen a pig in her life."
Posted by: Stagmom | May 06, 2010 at 05:58 PM
"No evidence of a safety risk" excepting the obvious risk from being unable to detect all such materials prior to injection into "millions" of babies...
From a previous AoA post:
"But vaccines are supposed to be sterile, and because there is a competing vaccine against diarrhea-causing rotavirus that has tested clean — Merck's RotaTeq — the FDA decided to err on the side of caution."
http://www.ageofautism.com/2010/03/fda-suspends-use-of-glaxosmithkline-rotavirus-vaccine-tainted-with-pig-virus.html?cid=6a00d8357f3f2969e20120a965d3c6970b
Posted by: JenB | May 06, 2010 at 05:55 PM
How does pig DNA get in vaccines that don't use pig components at all in the manufacturing process?
Sowing seeds of swine flu perhaps?
Posted by: Disgusted | May 06, 2010 at 05:18 PM
Unfreaking believable.
And we're the crazies?
Posted by: Harry H. | May 06, 2010 at 04:54 PM
This may call for Dr. Julie, Dr. Nancy and Dr. Offit to make a joint appearance and calm vaccine fears...
the "ear problem shown" only affects about one in 68 boys.
Posted by: cmo | May 06, 2010 at 04:16 PM
What I don't understand, if it's no big deal and everything is hunky dory, why bother to tell the public that is already embroiled in heated debate over vaccines, why give us extra ammo.
Posted by: StephM | May 06, 2010 at 03:33 PM
What have you done to that cute baby? Like I've said before-there is no danger from the piggy virus until your baby starts to look like that one or begins to oink.
It's sad-I don't eat pig. I love pigs and like to paint them on canvas Pigs are getting the raw deal lately and it should be the vaccine makers. Disgusting.
Maurine
Posted by: Maurine Meleck | May 06, 2010 at 03:15 PM
Puke! Of course there is no evidence of harm! They haven't done any studies. And if they have, they have probably lasted less than a month.
And they said asbestos was harmless....along with lead paint...and cigarettes.
Hate to see what kind of wasting disease might happen in humans from an immunological response to this virus in the human body.
Posted by: Judith, RN | May 06, 2010 at 02:40 PM
Of course the viral particles are not infectious. But what kind of immune response might they elicit? Porcine proteins are not that unlike human ones. Could this type of contamination cause improper autoimmune responses in children?
Posted by: WarnerC | May 06, 2010 at 02:21 PM
Kevin...not ugly. Predictably...happens all the time when you wallow among pigs at a public trough.
Posted by: Bob Moffitt | May 06, 2010 at 02:10 PM
Pardon my ignorance, but WHY would would they ever include such a thing?
Posted by: aml | May 06, 2010 at 02:08 PM
Maybe Dr.Paulie accidently drooled in a batch before it was shipped out.
Posted by: Mike | May 06, 2010 at 02:02 PM
Ah, the time worn but untrue "no evidence for a safety risk" ruse. The old don't investigate and claim no harm gambit!
They are very clever.
Here's a list of references I once compiled detailing far more than pig virus contamination of vaccine cell cultures. Lack of evidence of harm - a confidence builder or confidence wrecker? You decide.
http://www.vaccinationnews.com/Scandals/2004/Jan_2/contamination_of_cell_cultures.htm
BTW, http://www.vaccinationnews.com is now free again.
Posted by: Sandy Gottstein | May 06, 2010 at 01:58 PM
Interesting. UK-based Reuters reporting that US-based Merck's Rotovirus has similar problems with piggyback viruses as UK-based Glaxo.
I guess it didn't sit well in UK when former CDC director Gerberding cashed out of her job to become head of US-based Merck vaccines ~ and then suddenly UNLY UK-based Glaxo's product is singled out for criticism, giving US-based Merck/Offit's product a competitive advantage in the Rotovirus market.
Ugly.
Posted by: Kevin Barry | May 06, 2010 at 01:52 PM