Science Teacher May Be Disciplined for Urging Students Be Informed of Vaccination Risks
In March 2015, science teacher Timothy Sullivan approached public health nurses administering vaccines to high school students at his school in Waterford, Ontario, Canada and asked whether they had appropriately informed the students about the potential risks of the shots they were giving. He noted that the teenagers were required to give informed consent and the nurses…
NIH to Test Mosquito Saliva Protein Vaccine Against Mosquito-Borne Diseases Like Zika
The U.S. National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) is recruiting 60 men and women for a Phase I clinical trial who will volunteer to be injected with an experimental vaccine containing synthetic proteins from mosquito saliva, then bitten by mosquitoes. The trial design is supposed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the new…
Missouri Bills to Ban Mercury and Foreign DNA in Vaccines
In January 2017, State Representative Lynn Morris introduced HB 331 in the Missouri House of Representatives prohibiting vaccines containing mercury or other metals used for preservation or any other purpose from being administered to a child or adult in a public health clinic in Missouri. If passed, the legislation would take effect on Aug. 28, 2018. A second bill, HB 332…
Beating Cancer One Lap at a Time
Susan grew up in competitive swimming. In the late 70s, she was captain of the Syracuse University team. After graduating, Susan was diagnosed with a rare vaginal cancer—a hallmark of DES exposure in the womb. DES was the first synthetic form of estrogen and thought to prevent miscarriages. It was approved by the FDA without […]
One of the Worst Pharmaceutical Disasters in History is Still Relevant Today
DES (diethylstilbestrol) is a synthetic estrogen that was given to pregnant women from 1940 through the early 1970s. DES was touted as a “wonder drug” that would prevent miscarriage and morning sickness. It was only after millions of women and fetuses were exposed to DES that it was recognized that DES was causing deadly cancers in both the women who…
Defining Vaccine Refusal As Child Neglect
Although specific child welfare guidelines vary from state to state, medical neglect of a child is generally accepted as legitimate grounds for family intervention by government officials working for Child Protective Services (CPS) and may lead to parents losing custody of their minor child and/or losing the legal right to make health care decisions on behalf of their child.