Collusion seen after release of flawed vaccine-autism report

May 25 2004

America's leading scientific organization investigating the risks that mercury-containing medical products pose to our children-has posted the results of an investigative analysis of several authors relied upon for the flawed Institute of Medicine (IOM) report issued last week attempting to purport a lack of evidence to the mercury-vaccine-autism link.

"Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is an essential tenet to good science," stated Sallie Bernard, executive director of SafeMinds, "but here we have a situation where authors of 'studies' are probably quite literally writing to preserve their jobs."

Bernard was responding to last week's IOM's report that used prejudiced science to conclude a minimal risk between mercury in vaccines and autism. "The IOM gave unusual weight to several authors from the Statens Serum Institut (SSI), Denmark.

What the American public needs to know is that the SSI is not only the Danish version -- and frequent collaborative partner - of the CDC, but also that country's largest vaccine manufacturer." When asked about "Something is Rotten in Denmark", SafeMinds' investigative analysis of the authors to which the IOM provided preferential treatment, Bernard offered, "We looked not only at the financial ties of this clique of authors to industry, but also the tangled web of relationships, employers and studies spun to protect their commerce, and their jobs. That the IOM would give any weight to these tainted studies calls into question their judgment and their intention. That these studies received the majority of the committee's focus shows an obvious bias for preparing a predisposed report, literally paid for in full by the CDC."

Furthering the conflicts of interest issue was the recent revelation that the U.S. Office of Special Counsel recently forwarded for Congressional investigation information regarding alleged collusion between the CDC, FDA and pharmaceutical industry to hide from the public previous scientific findings illuminating the dangers of Thimerosal (mercury) in vaccines, and a pattern to dismiss independent research that made any such claims. "Given the facts that are coming to light, and their implications, one can understand the IOM, CDC and FDA's anxiety to call an unprecedented halt to further research funding in this area," concluded Bernard. Referenced reports are available for review at http://www.SafeMinds.org