FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Contact: Vaccine Safety Council of Minnesota – Wayne Rohde 651-705-5030 / 405-973-7049
On October 9 California?s Governor Jerry Brown signed into law a bill that allows children as young as twelve to have themselves injected with unproven, risky and costly HPV vaccines – without the knowledge or permission of that child?s parents, and without a product warranty.
Assembly Bill 499 was opposed by parents? rights advocates, religious groups and vaccine safety advocates, but lobbying by pharma-funded groups pushed the bill through regardless. Ironically this week Gov. Brown also signed a bill banning teenagers from using tanning beds; previously teens could get parental permission to tan.
So far more than 18,000 reports of adverse events following injection with HPV vaccines have been reported to the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System, including more than 100 deaths.
“Parents know their children?s health better than anyone,” said Wayne Rohde of the Vaccine Safety Council of Minnesota. “It?s bad enough that government is taking away parents? rights, but now they and pharma are giving that medical authority to pre-teen children. It?s frightening.”
U.S. laws are supposed to protect children from predatory influences, prohibiting alcohol and tobacco marketing due to kids? vulnerability to psychological manipulation and peer pressures. Advertising agencies craft messages targeted to coerce children into believing they cannot live without having the latest thing. In this case it?s a $360 product with no efficacy guarantee for results that won?t be known for decades, and no warranty protection if it causes health problems.
“A twelve-year-old child is not intellectually ready to assess risks versus benefits data, or research vaccine manufacturers? use of an aluminum adjuvant as a placebo instead of saline,” said Jennifer Larson, Board Member of Vaccine Safety Council of Minnesota. Preteens don?t understand terms like disseminated encephalomyelitis, encephalitis, demyelination, or myelitis – injuries reported to VAERS. Nor are they aware that recombinant DNA has been found in HPV vaccines, the adverse effects of which are yet to be determined.
The HPV vaccine Gardasil has a 30-page package insert. “If an impulsive child can?t be depended on to buy a healthful lunch from the school cafeteria, how can that child possibly make their own medical decisions?” said Patti Carroll, mother of a vaccine injured child. “The California bill opens the doors for pharma marketing directly to kids, bypassing parental screening. What?s next, a free pink iPod with every shot?”
The CDC and vaccine manufacturers have shown no accountability to consumers. Vaccine injury reports are ignored or denied, vaccine injury research is minimal and medical treatments are few. If a vaccine causes harm, victims have almost no recourse and are left to struggle with lifelong disabilities and health problems. Next year a documentary on HPV vaccine injury will be released.
“California?s Assembly Bill 499 is a self-serving breach of ethics that amounts to medical tyranny,” said Rohde. “These influence-peddling government/pharmaceutical partners are eager to sell products, but they avoid any post-market follow-up helpful to consumers. Our hit-and-run vaccine delivery system rolls forward faster and faster, never looking back to learn from mistakes.”
“Public health policymakers say that they?re „protecting? teenagers, but good intentions are no guarantee of good outcomes,” said Rohde. “There?s no accountability to damaged kids and their families. Vaccine injuries and denial are pushing American parents to the boiling point.”
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