Fw: Access to CDC Vaccine Database Sought By Attorneys for 5000 Vaccine-Injured Children

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Access to CDC Vaccine Database Sought By Attorneys for 5000 Vaccine-Injured

Children

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A-CHAMP Action Team

Nora Gottlieb

Wednesday, December 13, 2006 6:03 AM

Access to CDC Vaccine Database Sought By Attorneys for 5000

Vaccine-Injured Children

 

 

Access to Vaccine Data Sought by Attorneys for 5000 Vaccine-Injured

Children More Info

 

CDC Has Denied Access to Data by Independent Experts

 

To Read this Message on our Web Site Click Here

 

Petitioners' Steering Committee

Files Motion To Compel Access to

CDC Vaccine Safety Database

 

 

 

Action Affects More Than 5000 Children's

Claims in Vaccine Court

Hearing Currently Scheduled for June

 

The attorneys representing more than 5000 children and families

in the vaccine court filed a motion last week to gain access to the database for

non-government researchers. The action may prove to be the most important step

taken to date to get access to the key vaccine database involved in the

controversy over the link of vaccines to autism. The database is known as the

Vaccine Safety DataLink ( " VSDL " ). You may obtain a copy of the complete motion

and exhibits at http://a-champ.org/vaccinecourt.html

 

This filing is the second time attorneys have attempted to

obtain access to the database, that has been the subject of great controversy.

In 2005 a report of the Institute of Medicine ( " IOM " ) on data sharing was highly

critical of the CDC's handling of the VSDL and the inability of outside

researchers to conduct studies using the database. (The complete 2005 IOM Report

is an exhibit to the motion that can be downloaded at the A-CHAMP web site.)

 

 

The Petitioners Steering Committee ( " PSC " ) is a group of

attorneys who each represent one or more of the vaccine claimants in a U.S.

Court of Federal Claims proceeding called the " Omnibus Autism Proceeding. " In

addition to the 2005 IOM report, the attorneys relied on a more recent report

produced by the National Institutes of Health ( " NIH " ) that was also heavily

critical of the use of the vaccine database. The attorneys argue that justice

requires access to the vaccine data by children alleging that their

neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism, were caused by thimerosal in

vaccines or by the MMR vaccine, or both. Thimerosal is a synthetic organic

mercury compound that was heavily used in vaccines until at least 2002-2003, and

is still used in vaccines as a preservative, including the flu shot.

 

The NIH report that criticized CDC studies using the vaccine

database was the culmination of advocacy efforts by A-CHAMP and other groups. In

response to parent advocacy, Sen. Joseph Lieberman and colleagues enacted

legislation urging the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

( " NIEHS " ), an institute at NIH to conduct a review of the vaccine database. You

may obtain a copy of the October 2006 NIH report on the vaccine database

entitled " Thimerosal Exposure In Pediatric Vaccines " at

http://a-champ.org/congressional_letter_2-22-06.html.

 

 

In their legal papers the attorneys recount the history of

access being denied to the vaccine database. In 2005 their efforts were

frustrated when it was learned that the control of the vaccine database was

presumably given to a private third-party called America's Health Insurance

Plans, or AHIP. The attorneys now argue, however, that subsequent actions by

the CDC in restricting access to the vaccine database show that control is still

vested in the CDC. The attorneys emphasize that because the database is vitally

important in determining whether vaccines cause autism, access to the database

by researchers independent of the CDC should be compelled by the Court in the

interest of justice. The attorneys propose a specific investigational plan for

study of the vaccine database. As stated in the moving papers, " imply put,

granting access to this crucial data will provide nearly 5,000 neurologically

and neurodevelopmentally injured children with their best chance of success in

the [Vaccine] Program and obviate the need for civil lawsuits to secure access

to the data. Denial of the PSC's motion, on the other hand, ... will deny these

autistic children the " fundamental fairness " required by Vaccine Rule 8©... "

A-CHAMP will continue to follow developments in the vaccine

court and other legal forums very closely over the next six months. In June 2007

the vaccine court has scheduled a hearing to answer the question as to whether

vaccines, mercury in vaccines, or the MMR vaccine have caused neurodevelopmental

disorders in children. A-CHAMP will be taking the lead in providing you with

information regarding this historic proceeding and providing information to

allow parents to follow and attend the proceedings.

A-CHAMP is a political action organization founded by parents of

vaccine-injured children and working to improve the welfare of their children.

Look for frequent updates on this and other related matters from A-CHAMP.

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