With Christmas nearly here and the flu season well and truly under way, Sanofi Pasteur is playing Santa Claus this year. Not only is the drug giant offering free flu vaccines to children, but they are paying parents $350 to use them as guinea pigs in flu vaccine trials.
With many health departments already out of flu vaccines this year, parents in Overland Park, Kansas are allowing their children to have the untested vaccines instead. One official said clinical trials may be the way to go for some parents.
Radiant Research is conducting phase three testing of a new quadrivalent influenza vaccine. Dr. Carl Petit, the lead investigator for Radiant Research, reassures parents that the side effects, if any, are only minimal. A parent will rake in $350 per child (between the ages of six months and eight years old) participating in the research program.
Mrs. Myers, with twin boys Joshua and Josiah, are regulars in various vaccine trials. She is confident that no harm will come to the boys. She says:
“I trust Radiant Research, I wouldn’t be afraid to let them decide what was best. They wouldn’t do anything that was too scary for me as a mum.”
Radiant is testing the vaccine as part of a four month blind study in 20 different locations. The vaccine is said to offer children more protection and more immunity than anything currently on the market. Full coverage of the story is on Action News (http://www.youtube.com/watch…).
Is Mrs Myers being a good, caring parent looking out for her children? Many would think not. Especially after watching the news report where her little boy is seen whimpering with two adults holding him down to vaccinate him. As they vaccinate him he squeezes a stress ball in his left hand. A reporter is heard on the voice over saying:
“It is stressful, six years old, knowing your right arm is a bullseye for needles.”
The child squeezes the ball faster saying:
“Are you done now, are you done?”
The twin’s mother may feel comfortable using her children as lab rats while pocketing a nice $700, but just how safe are these “ever so safe” trials?
Last year in similar trials German businessman Axel ended up coughing up blood… He said:
“The vaccination has made me ill! – the test is irresponsible, I felt totally beat. On the third day, my kidneys and head were aching and I got a fever. I then had a coughing fit – and the wash basin was suddenly red – it was blood!”
See A Participant in the H1N1 vaccine trials has an adverse reaction and coughs up blood (http://www.americanchronicle.com…) for the full story.
In 2008, a physically fit UK father of three died after he took part in a drugs trial for RhuDex, a new drug treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. Mr. Munro was allegedly paid £2000 to take part in the trial.
He died at home in Edinburgh after suffering two heart attacks.
The Times (http://www.timesonline.co.uk…) who took up the story at the time said:
“Mr Munro, a keen exerciser with no history of cardiac problems, was reportedly paid £2,000 to take part in the trial of RhuDex, a new drug treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, at the Charles River clinic, in Tranent, outside Edinburgh. His family are pursuing legal action over his death and have demanded that the clinic be closed.
The tragedy is likely to raise fresh concerns over the safety of testing medicines in clinical trials. Six healthy volunteers almost died two years ago after receiving TGN 1412, a rheumatoid arthritis and leukaemia drug.”
Parents of young children should realise that drug and vaccine trials are carried out for a reason. The drugs and vaccines being tested have not been approved. They are untested, therefore no one can guarantee that they are safe. Dr Carl Petit, the lead investigator for Radiant Research has no right misleading parents. He should not be allowed to make false and irresponsible statements such as “side effects are minimum, if any.” The truth is he doesn’t know.
Last year found 7515 adverse events from FLU vaccines on the VAERS Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System. This was reported by National Vaccine Information Centre (http://www.rulabinsky.com/vaersdb…)
I would have thought that parents could find a better Christmas present than this for their child? Stressing a young child purposely while inflicting pain, and possibly illness and disability, is disturbing on many levels. From almost any other perspective, this deliberate act would be seen as child abuse. Is this protecting your child from the flu? No! This is selling your child’s body to science!
