The Bubble Bursts: Vaccine Injury Program Hearings Postponed
By Cathy Jameson
My husband and I rearranged Ronan’s school, therapy and medical appointments as well as our own personal schedules in order for me to be available to go to the upcoming Congressional Hearing. This Hearing was to address the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP), its history as well as the waste, fraud and abuse stemming from that program. Having taken part in the VICP on behalf of my son, it was important for me to make plans to be at that Hearing.
Since that announcement of the cancellation, in national news about vaccines I read that a healthy young man, who was battling for his life after getting the flu shot, died this week. I also read that the US is scampering to get a hold of an unapproved vaccine to students at an Ivy League college. Personally, since the Hearing was cancelled, I learned that a friend’s mom landed in the hospital after getting a flu shot and that another friend’s son reacted negatively to a 3-in-1 vaccine.
While the personal stories may not be earthshattering news for many, all of those stories frighten me. They frighten me because another life has been senselessly lost, another life is in jeopardy and another person’s health has been changed forever. Where are they to go when they link their ill health, that vaccine injury, or worse, death? They’ll discover the VICP and how it proposes to help. They’ll think they have answers, assistance and maybe some hope. Too bad that the VICP is so broken.
I know I am not the only one feeling worry, sadness or disappointment. Many of us in the community were depending on some good news to finally come. So, while we wait to get word about when the VICP Hearing will be rescheduled, because you know that people in our community are actively working to make that happen, I’d ask you to do a few things. No need to sit and wallow in this disappointment, right? It’s time for some action.
First, I want to ask you to review the video of the November 29, 2012 Hearing. I think it’s important to do this because those people we heard last year are some of the same ones we’ll expect answers from when the VICP is rescheduled.
You’ll recall that the Hearing last year saw a great many discussions about autism, including the role that childhood vaccines played in that diagnosis. You’ll also remember that we saw Chairman Issa, who is also slated to oversee the VICP Hearing, lead a long-overdue discussion about what else needs to be done about autism. Listen to everything that was revealed. Think about how you felt when those Representatives’ words tumbled out of their mouths. Keep those words in mind as you get ready for the next step.
I, for one, was gobsmacked at what I heard as the committee discussed vaccines, autism, the loss of time, the need for services, and that not enough support is available. By the end of the Hearing I felt it was a victory for us, for our cause and especially for our children. True, more needed to be done, but what that Hearing and what was revealed made it a landmark event.
We need to have that happen again.
So, the next request I am asking of you, if you haven’t already, is to please contact your Representatives. Put pressure on your Congressman. Put pressure on the Oversight and Reform Committee members. Tell them your story. Remind them of the promises they made to us. Let them know that we understand time constraints and busy schedules are part of life, but that you’re expecting action regardless of those delays. (When you get a response, do feel free to share it with us in the comments below or on our Facebook page.)
One last thing. Send your story to the Canary Party. The Canary Party has been integral in coordinating this Hearing and has the ear of the committee. From and earlier AofA post, here’s what you can send: In your own words, describe how vaccines caused damage or death. What was your child like before the vaccine(s)? What were your own beliefs about vaccines? Did your experience with the NVICP help you or your child in any way? Report how your journey with vaccine injury has brought you to where you are today. You can write a paragraph, a page, or more. Email your story to [email protected]. Deadline for submissions is November 27th.
After getting news that the next Hearing was called off, it was difficult to plod through the rest of the week. It felt like we were back at square one. That we had to start all over again. That our hard work is not paying off. While it may take pushing our way through a crowd of people who act like they don’t see us, remember, we know how to do that. We’ve done time and time again. We’ll continue to do that for our own children and for each other’s because together, we’ve become experts at getting the attention that our children need.
Even if it takes more time, a great amount of effort and more struggles than we bargained for, it’s time to rally once again. There are enough of us committed to doing whatever we can. Let’s get our voices heard loud and clear one more time. If not for our children, some who have already been gypped, then for those who will surely come after them.
Cathy Jameson is a Contributing Editor for Age of Autism.
Contact Information for The Committee on Oversight Government Reform and its members
Phone: (202) 225-5074
Fax: (202) 225-3974
Or send a letter to:
2157 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Hi Joy B,
I don't know anything (from a scientific point of view) about LSD hanging around in the brain, and, like you, have always assumed that the whole idea of horrific flashbacks was more or less establishment propaganda. I probably spoke too soon about LSD damaging the BB barrier. Here's my thinking: LSD is derived from the Ergot fungus found in rye. That fungus is the agent behind "St. Anthony's Fire" that was associated with eating contaminated grains. Recent research has found that some metabolites of the fungus damage the blood-brain barrier. On further reading, LSD is not one of the metabolites studied, though it is closely related. So it could well be that LSD doesn't damage the BB barrier at all. Still, it is interesting that some of the other metabolites do. So, if you had a damaged BB barrier from eating contaminated rye then you might be set up to have BB barrier leakage with only a mild hit to the head. Another significance of the leaky blood brain barrier is that injected viruses would be more likely to get to the brain. So the moral for me would be not to get a flu shot when you have a leaky BB barrier (of course, I wouldn't get one anyway). I don't think we have to worry about ergot contaminated grains, but what else in our food supply do we need to worry about (like polysorbate 80)? And what do we need to worry about in our drugs? Some of the ergot metabolites are (or were) used in pharmaceuticals, and I have many suspicions about "inactive ingredients" damaging the BB barrier. I think that a leaky BB barrier is just one piece of why some kids react badly to vaccines and others don't, and I think it has very little to do with genetics. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/mnfr.201100431/pdf (sorry - don't know how to make that link work).
Posted by: Betty | November 26, 2013 at 02:31 PM
Betty, LSD doesn't 'damage' the BB barrier. A very small percentage gets through, and is metabolized in a short time according to more recent research and not the 50s-60s guesswork. The whole 'LSD' stays in yr spinal fluid" etc isn't science based.
This was first lazily hypothesized and long unrefuted partly bc of the phenomena of flashbacks, which are now thought to be more like hyper memories, accessed not due to residual LSD or 'damage' but, in layman's terms, a benign 'rewiring' that the brain may undergo while the LSD is in one's system and certain thoughts are entertained. To be frank I've seen very little evidence of the horrific textbook flashbacks that one hears about from media et al, absent a military-experiment level dosage or a serious pre-existing mental illness. But the unknown scaryness factor was put to much use wrt anti-LSD propaganda at its cultural peak and still is to some extent.
Of course the rest of your comment is very interesting and enlightening, TY.
Posted by: Joy B | November 25, 2013 at 02:01 PM
Bob,
There is very interesting research being done with football players and concussions. Subconcussive events can lead to presence of a protein in the blood that should only be in the brain (S100B). When the protein is in the blood, they assume disruption of the blood/brain barrier. Presence in the blood may also result in an autoimmune reaction to S100B. Here's a quote from Damir Janigro, one of the researchers:
"Think of the blood-brain barrier disruption as opening a door to the brain that shouldn't be open. Proteins like S100B that normally stay inside the brain get out where they aren't supposed to be and get attacked. In addition, the door is open for things that don't belong in the brain to get in."
I think that a subconcussive event is much more likely to lead to significant blood-brain barrier disruption in a person who has been exposed to the blood-brain barrier toxins in vaccines and other pharmaceuticals. Maybe someone who just got the flu shot with mercury and polysorbate 80 would be more likely to spring a blood-brain barrier leak with a subconcussive event. So big pharma might be to blame for what seems to be an ever growing problem of serious brain injuries in football.
I think of mercury and polysorbate 80 as general brain openers and fluoride as a selective brain opener. Fluoride makes the barrier more permeable to specific compounds (like aluminum) while mercury and polysorbate 80 just damage the barrier and let everything in. Interestingly, LSD also damages the barrier.
Posted by: Betty | November 25, 2013 at 11:07 AM
I am strongly for repealing the act, but my congressman is an idiot and he does not care about the children, he only cares about his money. He also wanted to attack Syria and Iran.
Posted by: no vac | November 25, 2013 at 01:29 AM
In our society, all children are made to perform to certain expectations. If they aren't able to keep up with those demands, if they don't jump through the right hoops, or if they jump but just not high enough, if they don't come up with the right answers at the right time, now rather than tomorrow or the next day or the next year, they are publicly disgraced and are refused their place in society. They are not given their high school diploma or their college degree, both now required in order to attempt a livelihood.
And yet, we allow our leaders, our experts, our supposedly most educated, to take our money and give us less than nothing in return. They not only don't give us honest timely answers, but they as leaders refuse to pose the right questions. And they get away with it. And unlike the children in this country who have to do their assignments on time or be shamed with a dunce cap that they are made to wear for the rest of their lives, these people manage to be highly rewarded with our money for not doing their jobs while we're left to deal with the consequences.
I think the silence we see here is not from apathy or acquiescence, but is the result of the shock of what we are witnessing, of the blatant double standard, the corruption, the hypocrisy, from a government that is supposed to be for and by the People.
Posted by: Linda | November 24, 2013 at 07:52 PM
So here I am thinking what to do, what to do. Sue them. Oh, but you can't. There's a law says that they cannot be sued.
But the law doesn't forbid a lawyer-parent of a vac-injured child from preparing a brief, or letter of intent to sue, or whatever it would be called (I'm not a lawyer).
The law doesn't prohibit said lawyer-parent from sharing his thoughts with other parents.
The law doesn't deny parents the ability to write to big pharma, big med, and Congress saying, "we intend to sue"
Oh, but you can't. The law says ...
As Mr. Bumble said, "the law is a ass" the law needs to go. The law is servant, not master.
Come to think of it...big pharma, big med, Congress et al, they're all servants. And dang poor ones at that. They think they've got an iron-tight guarantee against being touched. But do they? Has anyone tested that guarantee?
Just thinking here, because my grandson needs me to think outside the box. For him. For his parents. For his life.
Posted by: Mama Bear | November 24, 2013 at 07:34 PM
Why isn't there a press release to announce this postponement, in the long list of other press releases on the Committee's website?
Posted by: Linda | November 24, 2013 at 06:49 PM
Discouraging as this temporary setback feels, it gives no reason to retreat into grudging acquiescence. Silence equals defeat.
This is a wakeup call for those who have not yet spoken out. Your silence is noticed.
You can help tip the scales back toward justice. All hands on deck.
Posted by: nhokkanen | November 24, 2013 at 06:09 PM
Cynthia
This is an excellent point - this was how people tackled bad political decisions in the past - repeal the act!
John
Posted by: John Stone | November 24, 2013 at 05:59 PM
I am starting every conversation about vaccines with "repeal the injury act." That gets people questioning what that has to do with it and they find out it has everything to do with it.
Posted by: Cynthia Cournoyer | November 24, 2013 at 02:32 PM
My Congressman is the "father of autism," Henry Waxman because he fathered the Vaccine Compensation Act that set up the VICP and let manufacturers of vaccines off the hook in terms of safety. Marianne Williamson, though, is running for his seat in the next election and it would be such a relief to get rid of this menace to society.
People don't know that vaccines have devastating side effects because very few injuries make it into the statistical records. Who, after all, goes in for a well baby visit or to their doctor armed with the legal know how to make their case in the vaccine injury court.
Posted by: Kapoore | November 24, 2013 at 12:19 PM
It has been made so difficult for parents to obtain any justice for their children, so many obstacles put in your way and why. What did we do that was so wrong, was it the blind faith in the vaccine programme we all thought was safe after all we were presenting our precious perfectly healthy babies. Parents whose children were damaged by DPT vaccines in the 60/70's are still being given the run around by successive British Governments despite over whelming evidence that vaccines can seriously harm. My thanks to you all from both sides of the Atlantic for continuing the fight.
Posted by: bk | November 24, 2013 at 11:59 AM
Jim excellent point. There is zero accountability among vaccine manufacturers to ensure safety of their products. the vaccine court was deliberately set up to exclude manufacturers from lawsuit or even participating in the vaccine court process. this is a major problem because vaccine manufacturers have no incentive to make their products safe even though "hot lots" of vaccines have been reported. The most they'll do is monitor. in no other industry in the US would this be tolerated. if a car manufacturer has to do a costly recall cars because of faulty brakes you can be sure they will correct the design flaw. if a person is injured in a car accident due to faulty brakes, they have the right to sue the manufacturer in civil court which again creates accountabilty and incentive for the manufacturer to make a safe product only industry with special exemption is the vaccine industry. they indeed ARE making vaccines that kill (gardisil) and getting away with it.
Posted by: SarahW | November 24, 2013 at 11:10 AM
Its a delay, I agree and perhaps there is something more he can't elaborate on at this time, I don't think he turned his back on the vaccine injured, sure the drug companies are lobbying, they always have been and maybe he will have to order some of the witnesses to the hearings without putting it into public light before he does.
Posted by: Victor Pavlovic | November 24, 2013 at 09:08 AM
Imagine an automaker that gets a law changed that stops all legal product liability for cars made by all automakers, based on the twisted logic that product liability will cause all the car companies to fail with a result of collapse of our modern civilization. This sounds stupid. But congress did this--for every vaccine company on this planet that wants to sell vaccines in this country. They can make vaccines that kill and get away with it.
Flu shot deaths - 2011: "Among the 604 reports of serious health events, there were 28 reports of death." See http://vaers.hhs.gov/resources/SeasonalFluSummary_2011April05.pdf
Posted by: Jim Thompson | November 24, 2013 at 08:30 AM
John .. my friend .. with the greatest of respect .. I don't think anyone wants the US Government and Congress to "go away" .. what we want is for the US Government and Congress to simply "do their job".
Maybe I am wrong .. but .. I understand their job is to protect the resources and health of the citizens of the United States. Indeed, who would be more important to protect than our most precious resource .. the babies born in the US .. each and every day?
I do not mean to trivialize anything about this particular subject .. or .. any of the truly heartfelt comments urging our community to "stay strong" .. after all .. unity in our cause is our greatest strength .. and I do not want to cause any divisiveness among us .. because .. honestly .. we just can't afford that luxury.
However, I do think the following analogy applies.
Today is Sunday .. and .. Sunday during November in the US .. is the day when millions of "citizens" .. including myself .. enjoy watching teams of the National Football League compete in a game played with strict rules .. meant to protect the players from injuries due to the violent nature of the sport.
It seems that each and every year .. the National Football League requires their "rules committee" to conduct a "self-examination" review .. wherein the "rules committee" is than tasked with issuing guidelines and instructions meant to address any "weaknesses or failures" that surfaced during the previous season. Such as .. a growing number of players suffering "concussions" .. that can lead to traumatic neurological problems later in life. The overall purpose of this yearly review .. is to strengthen the rules meant to protect all the league's players .. with special emphasis .. though never publicly admitted .. their most precious players .. the "quarterbacks".
And so .. today .. referees all over the country .. will throw a penalty flag when witnessing an opposing player "unnecessarily roughing the quarterback". That "on the field penalty" is then followed up within days by the NFL Commissioner issuing .. in many cases .. a heavy financial fine .. which gets a little heavier .. every time that same player commits the same "unnecessary roughness on the quarterback" offense.
In my humble opinion .. wouldn't it be great if the US Government had the very same high priority of protecting our "children" that Roger Goodell, .. President of the NFL has demonstrated .. protecting his players .. especially his quarterbacks .. regardless of .. and .. often in direct defiance .. of strong "reluctance" to the new rules .. by many defensive players, owners and fans.
In my humble opinion .. wouldn't it be great if Congress had the individual personal courage, integrity and diligence to perform their jobs .. protecting our children .. as do the NFL referees .. who are willing to make a really difficult call .. on national television .. in front of thousands of"home-town" fans .. knowing their call will be instantly .. often critically analyzed .. by national television broadcasters .. while instantly hearing the loud chorus of "boos" by thousands of fans venting their "anger" at the difficult "judgment" call those referees just made?
It must be me .. but .. I have a very hard time accepting the fact that the NFL recognizes the critical need to voluntarily meet each and every year .. to critically examine what is "right" and what is "wrong" about their sport at that moment in time .. while the US government and Congress remains aloof .. apparently content to avoid at all cost a similar YEARLY "self-examination" .. of the many valid and reasonable questions .. raised by tens of thousands of families for at least a decade .. regarding the strengths and weaknesses of our national vaccines .. and the policies by which they are administered.
It must be me .. but .. why should that be?
Posted by: Bob Moffitt | November 24, 2013 at 08:29 AM
Cathy
This is an extremely important thing to have said. Don't let go now. There have been a lot of "told you so"s going on but unfortunately the US government and Congress will not go away because people shut their eyes. The only way forward is for people to redouble their efforts and lobby even more vigorously than before. Congressman Issa has said that this is merely a delay, so everyone take him at his word and hold him to it.
John
Posted by: John Stone | November 24, 2013 at 05:48 AM