| Expert Says Flu Vaccine Marketing Misrepresents Facts by Patrice La Vigne Let's be honest. Today's alarming headlines about infectious diseases are enough to convince anyone to voluntarily live in a bubble. A few scary headline examples: "2 new diseases - H7N9 and coronavirus - could both spark global outbreaks," "Pandemic fears after swine flu virus is found in seals for the first time," and "Officials Prepare For Another Flu Pandemic - Just In Case." It is no wonder people are getting fed up with the scare tactics. One expert recently got so tired of the aggressive promotion of influenza vaccines that he called out U.S. public health agencies for engaging in disease mongering and misleading marketing. Peter Doshi, a postdoctoral fellow in comparative effectiveness research at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, published an article in British Medical Journal on May 16, 2013 about public health officials hyping exaggerated risks of influenza, the disease, to market influenza vaccines. To read more and make a comment, click here. Vaccine Freedom Wall: Have you or your children been threatened or forced to get a vaccination without your voluntary, informed consent? You can share your story with others by posting your experience on NVIC's Vaccine Freedom Wall here. In the News House Approves Surcharge Tax for New Flu Vaccines On June 18, the House of Representatives voted to apply a 75-cent vaccine surcharge tax to new four-strain seasonal influenza vaccines (which will include those using genetically engineered insect cells for production). A surcharge is already applied to three-strain flu vaccines and other federally recommended vaccines to fund the government's Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP), a no-fault system Congress created in 1986 to handle vaccine injury claims in exchange for protecting vaccine manufacturers (and doctors) from vaccine injury lawsuits. Although the compensation fund has paid out $2.7 billion to the vaccine injured in the past 25 years, it has a $3.4 billion surplus. Read the full HR475 bill text here and the full story at The Weekly Standard, Jeryl Bier, June 18, 2013. Book Attacks Leading Doctors of Alternative Medicine A new book authored by pediatric vaccine developer Paul Offit, M.D., attacks alternative and complementary medicine and leading doctors advocating for a more holistic approach to health and healing. In his book he accuses doctors supporting use of vitamins and dietary supplements of "quackery" and promoting "magical thinking" and singles out Dr. Joseph Mercola. Dr. Mehmet Oz, Dr. Andrew Weil and Dr. Deepak Chopra. (Dr. Offit, who created Merck's rotavirus vaccine, has written books attacking parents of vaccine injured children criticizing vaccine safety and lobbies for the elimination of religious and conscientious belief exemptions to vaccination). Read the full story at USA Today, Liz Szabo, June 18, 2013. Measles Outbreak in Pakistan Despite Vaccination In a recent measles outbreak in Pakistan, half of the children with measles reported to two government hospitals, Benazir Bhutto Hospital and Holy Family Hospital, had been vaccinated. Some doctors are blaming the measles cases on improper storage of vaccines at the correct temperature, which could lead to reduced vaccine effectiveness. Others point to the lack of two-doses of vaccine among some of the children. Read the full story at Beta Dawn, June 15, 2013. Experimental Patch-Based Vaccines In Development According to Australian Professor Mark Kendall, using a nanopatch to deliver vaccines rather than a needle not only overcomes disadvantages, like needle phobia and potential contamination from dirty needles, but it is cheaper. The patch delivers the vaccine in dry form into the cells on the skin's surface, which Kendall said seems to provoke a completely different immune response and requires less vaccine to be effective. Kendall plans to conduct field tests in New Guinea. Read the full story at BBC, Jane Wakefield, June 13, 2013. Sales Upside for Sanofi's Fluzone Quadrivalent Vaccine Sanofi-Aventis received FDA approval to market Fluzone Quadrivalent, a four-strain influenza vaccine containing two influenza type A and two influenza type B strains. Sanofi's flu vaccine, which uses eggs for production, is the third quadrivalent flu vaccine to be approved by FDA this year but it is the first one approved for use in babies as young as 6 months. Forecasts predict compound annual growth of 14% and $384 million in 2022 from Fluzone sales. Sanofi's revenues from sale of all vaccines topped $5.5 billion in 2012. Read the full story at Fierce Pharma, Eric Palmer, June 12, 2013. NVIC Calendar Notes Federal Vaccine Advisory Committee Meetings and Other Meetings: Sep. 5-6, and Dec. 5-6, 2013: Meeting dates for the Advisory Commission on Childhood Vaccines. Sep. 10-11, 2013: Meeting dates for the National Vaccine Advisory Committee. Meetings are open to members of the public. Sep. 18-19 and Nov. 13-14, 2013: Tentative meeting dates for the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee. Oct. 12, 2013. Annual Natural Living Conference sponsored by Holistic Moms Network. Sheraton Mahwah, New Jersey. 8:30 - 4:30 p.m. Speakers and panelists include Andrea Donsky, Laura Evans, Barbara Loe Fisher, Dr. Lawrence Rosen, Jeffrey Smith, Dr. Shefali Tsabary. Holistic Living Awards Gala and Fund Raiser 6:30 p.m. Oct. 23-24, 2013: Meeting dates for the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. | 
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