Vaccination Newspaper Article

[Guest guest]

Here's today's article from the Wyoming Tribune-Eagle Web site

> (http://www.wyomingnews.com)

>

> August 25, 1998

> Get all the facts on immunizations

> By a Glover

> Wyoming Tribune-Eagle

>

> CHEYENNE - Although most medical professionals consider vaccines to be

> safe and effective, a system is in place to report bad reactions to

> vaccines. The National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 established

> the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System and both parents and

> physicians can report suspected adverse reactions. Although it isn't

> easy to prove damage from a vaccine, one Colorado family received

> compensation for an injury to their daughter. Joan Gresh of Monument,

> Colo. has become an advocate in the

> " pro-choice/pro-information/pro-fully informed consent " vaccination

> movement, after learning to question vaccines " the hard way " she said.

>

> Her youngest daughter, , was " profoundly damaged by her third DPT

> (diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus) vaccination in 1987. " A previously

> normal child, she exhibited bizarre neurological signs within hours of

> receiving the shot, " Gresh recalled. " Today she is totally dependent on

> others, she can neither sit nor stand without support, let alone talk or

> feed herself. " But all isn't bad, as the girl's bubbly personality

> remains. " She is a bright, delightful, generally happy child with a

> wicked sense of humor who manages to communicate quit effectively via

> her facial expressions, " Gresh said. " Like too many other parents, we

> started researching immunizations only after something bad happened, "

> she said. " In hindsight, we wonder - why we didn't research this before

> hand? "

>

> She recalled that she did mention possible adverse reactions to her

> physician, who " brushed off my concerns, " she said. " It is extremely

> hard to show causation in a vaccine injury, " she noted. " The government

> will argue every case. " Gresh said a government doctor never examined

> her daughter, but reviewed records. She said the family could prove

> their case because she cooperated fully with the neurologist and " bent

> over backwards to make sure it wasn't another cause. " Physicians are

> required to maintain permanent immunization records and to report

> adverse reactions to the Department of Health and Human Services.

> Through the injury act, parents are eligible for compensation if their

> children are harmed by vaccinations for diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis

> (whooping cough), measles, mumps, rubella or polio. Recently hepatitis

> B, influenza and varcella (chicken pox) have been added.

>

> Injuries that may be compensated for include anaphylactic shock, which

> is a severe or fatal reaction to a second or later administration of the

> vaccine, paralytic polio stemming from the polio vaccine, and brain

> damage. Between the start of the program and February 1997, 5,123

> petitions were filed, with 73 percent over concerns with the

> diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine combo. Barbara Loe Fisher, author

> of A Shot in the Dark, said research by the National Vaccine Information

> Center indicates that " the unfortunate reality is that three out of four

> victims of vaccine adverse reactions

> are turned away by Health and Human Resources and the Department of

> Justice. "

>

> Awards are limited to $250,000 in death, and awards to individuals with

> an injury have averaged almost $800,000 each. The money comes from an

> excise tax on every dose of covered vaccine that is purchased. There

> have been a total of 2,739 people who received awards totaling over $925

> million. As she has become active in the push for vaccine choice, Gresh

> has become concerned about the political implications of the mandatory

> hepatitis B vaccine. " This is a disease communicated by the same actions

> as what communicates AIDS. The underlying implication is that your child

> will be sexually active or use IV drugs, and that the government has the

> right to step in, " she opinioned.

> " I urge people to follow the money. The pharmaceutical companies have a

> vested interest in selling as much vaccine as possible, " she commented.

> " I understand that the public health officials are sincere, " she said,

> " but I believe people should be free to choose. "