The Polio vaccine is nothing new. Polio was nothing new. Both were present for a
long time. In the old days when we were less hygienic, when the contents of chamber pots
were blithely tossed out of windows, or open sewers fouled the streets or when outhouses
stood in the backyard, there was plenty of opportunity to contract polio since the polio
virus is excreted in the feces for up to six weeks after infection. Polio viruses infected each
new generation of babies, who were protected in part by antibodies passed on to them by
their mothers. These infections early in life were usually mild and non-paralytic, sometimes
appearing with cold-like symptoms, sometimes with no symptoms at all. They were often
indistinguishable for a host of other childhood diseases, and were rarely diagnosed as Polio.
Ironically, cases of paralytic polio began to rise when improved public sanitation
and other health measures, such as purification of the water supply and milk pasteurization,
were put into effect in economically advanced countries. With better hygiene, there was
less chance for babies and young children to contract the mild form of the disease and
acquire immunity. Then, when the disease struck these children later in life, it was more
likely to take the paralytic form.
Following the licensing of the Salk vaccine in 1955 American children were
inoculated with this dead virus. In 1961 the Sabin attenuated live virus vaccine came along
and this time the children were given a sugar cube soaked in the liquid vaccine.
Today the Federal Center for Disease Control in Atlanta recommends vaccination
with the Sabin attenuated live virus vaccine because:
1. The liquid form is easy to administer and is well accepted by children.
2. It also blocks implantation of the virus in the intestines, preventing its
multiplication.
3. The Salk killed virus vaccine requires a series of injections, which promotes
more anxiety among youngsters and is more expensive
. The polio vaccine on average from 1975 to 1990 resulted in fewer than 10 reported cases of polio a year. Some of these cases have been associate with administration of the Sabin attenuated live virus vaccine, according to CDC. Others have been brought into the country by immigrants or visitors from abroad.
Now, the prior is nothing new for it was copied from the FDA Consumer June
1991. So, what is new? Nothing is new!!!!!
Here we are in the Summer of 1995 and this country is still giving polio to
Americans with the full knowledge of Polio Doctors, Lawyers and other Chiefs .
A recently completed workshop sponsored by the Institute of Medicine's Vaccine
Safety Forum June 7-8 in Washington, DC featured the following discussion. Should the
US change its polio vaccine polices to reduce the incidence of vaccine-associated polio
caused by mass use of the Sabin oral live polio vaccine(OPV). They reported that, OPV
is now the only cause of polio in the US today. Every year in the US OPV ‘officially’
causes about 10 cases of vaccine-associated polio(VAP) in children and adults, especially
those who are immune compromised, although many more VAP cases may occur and never
be properly diagnosed and reported. The Public Health Officials maintain there have
been no reported cases of polio due to the natural disease in the US for the past 15
years.
At the public workshop, opinions on each of the following five different polio
vaccine policy options were given. Namely:
1.to continue to use Sabin OPV without a policy change
2.to use Salk IPV for the first two or three doses and Sabin OPV for booster doses
3.to allow informed parental choice
4.to discontinue use of Sabin OPV and substitute it with use of Salk IPV
5.to discontinue of both Salk IPV and Sabin OPV
So went the conference and we are sure the same discussions occurred in 1991 and 15 years ago when there was no naturally acquired polio reported.
The prior is an interesting review until it hits you, and you don’t have to be a
mathematical genius to realize that at least 250 cases of polio over the last 25 year time
frame have been generated by the Sabin live vaccine. We are here now talking about real
people not statistics. I don’t know who those people are but I do know of one namely,
Gordon Pierson.
Gordon Pierson is real. He is now a 3 year old who cannot move most of his body.
He cannot swallow or talk. He is fed through a tube that enters his stomach through a hole
in his side. Gordon can turn his head a little and he can move a finger on his right hand as
though left there as an afterthought, something missed, by the polio virus that infected him
through a vaccine. Behind him at home, medical equipment worth tens of thousands of
dollars blinks its lights as it checks his pulse and his oxygen level, and keeps him breathing.
Gordon will be tied to machinery for the rest of his life.
Gordon needs 24 hour care. When he gurgles, he might be choking because he
cannot swallow. Someone mom, dad or nurse must constantly suction his tracheotomy
tubes and his nose. They do that every 20 minutes without fail.
Gordon received his Sabin oral polio vaccine when he was 14 months. He now has
a younger brother who will have his polio vaccination soon but it will not be the Sabin oral
live polio vaccine.
The Attorney on the case is now requesting $400,000 per year to maintain Gordon.
He stated that there are at least 2-3 cases like Gordan’s every year and that the government
which accepts liability in these cases has in the past agreed to pay over $320,000 in a recent
case. (Read Polio’s Child-Jackson Sun,TN 7-30-95). (Another award was $4.45 million
to a Kevin Berkovitz 10, in the Pittsburgh area.)
Our Government as yet has not settled this case with Gordon yet. We have been in
contact with Gordon’s parents and have sent them a few hundred dollars with everyones
help but they require considerable more. We have received a listing of items Gordan now
requires and which it seems will not be forthcoming from the Government. The Pierson’s
have also given us a copy of a letter from the March of Dimes which states “the March of
Dimes no longer provides any direct financial assistance to patients....”. Therefore, the ball
is in our court.
The present needs for Gordon are Alpha Talker ($2790), Prone/Supine Stander
($2400), Health Effects ($1532), Educational Computer System ($3200). Those who wish
and can help my send in a contribution to the Gordon Pierson Trust Fund
.
The National Vaccine Information Center Director stated at the Conference that it was
their belief that every life is sacred and that if only one child or mother could be saved by
making vaccine policy changes that more accurately reflect the reality of polio today, then
those changes should be made without delay. To do anything less in the US is in our view,
morally unacceptable. (The Vaccine Report a publication of the National Vaccine
Information Center (NVIC) an activist group operated by Dissatisfied Parents Together).
Well, we agree with the NVIC, we must do what is morally acceptable and surely
the first two choices noted prior are not acceptable. The first choice of doing nothing and
continuing the Sabin live vaccine simply because it may be a little better, is cheaper and easy
to administer is ridiculous and should have been done away with years ago. Maintaining
the 250 polio cases from the live vaccine eliminates whatever so called saving there was in
using the less expensive Sabin live vaccine and giving these 250 individuals Polio was
immoral.
In addition, we must remember that Post-Polio syndrome is not identifiable. We
only concluded it existed by what was happening to Polio Survivors. Does anyone know
with certainty that the Sabin live Polio Vaccine will not give Post-Polio syndrome. There
is already some indication that it does. Only time will tell.
Of course, there may be ‘quiet’ opposition by the manufacturer Lederle
Laboratories, Wayne, NJ . (the sole US manufacture of oral polio vaccine according to
JAMA 8/17/91 Vol. 266 no 3 Medical News & Perspectives ) for obvious reasons. The US
market was then estimated to be a $100 million business with the price of the polio vaccine
being $9.45 per dose. A recent report in USA today 6-13-95 indicated that the oral vaccine
include price costs about 9 cents per dose and has the ease of delivery. The injected
vaccine costs about $5.50 a dose.
In addition, it should also be noted that at the conference it was stated that France
does not use the Sabin live vaccine and Canada is now switching over completely to the
Salk dead vaccine. The inactivated polio vaccines are manufactured in Canada and in
France. The Scandinavian countries we have been told use only the Salk dead vaccine.
As to the second option of using the dead vaccine first followed by the live vaccine
that should not even be considered. We don’t even know if it will work.
Dr. John Modlin of Dartmouth Medical School said Salk inactivated vaccine given
at 2 and 4 months followed by Sabin oral vaccine at 6 and 15 months might sidestep
problems associate with either one — but could add $40 million - $60 million to the
$230 million US tab for Polio Immunization (Post Polio News-NC FL PPSG).
It should also be noted that the US Public Health Service's Centers for Disease
Control Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) in January 1995 was
considering if changes in polio vaccination should be made. At a subsequent meeting in
Atlanta on June 28-29 the ACIP reportedly formed a study committee with a tentative
agreement to “enhance” the role of IPV in any polio vaccine Policy change.
However knowing how slow the Federal Government is working and since we like to
consider ourselves a grass-roots organization we would like your opinion on the three
remaining options. Please therefore, write your opinions to the government and let us
also know your opinion.
In addition we will be writing a letter stating our opposition to the noted Sabin live
vaccine to each and every one of our NY elected officials in the House and Senate of
Congress and the CDC:
We hope you will write letters and insist that your Polio leaders do likewise.
In addition we would like to inform you that we have just received a ‘homemade’
copy of a TV video documentary made many years ago which goes into details of the
controversy between Salk / Sabin and many other items on this subject.