Thursday, March 6, 2008

Anthrax Vaccine Lawsuit Dismissed: What Does That Mean?

Federal Judge Collyer last week dismissed a lawsuit challenging Biothrax's license on the basis that efficacy has not been demonstrated. The suit contended that anthrax vaccine had never been approved for its current intended use, inhalation anthrax.

The judge ruled that FDA is, in essence, the arbiter of the science and can interpret the data as FDA sees fit.

However, many articles in the medical literature and popular press over the past several years provide ample evidence that FDA makes judgments about products that are unsupported by scientific evidence. Congressman Jim McDermott, MD's Subcommittee will examine the use of psychotropic medicine on children in foster care next week (March 12)--a drug scandal FDA has chosen to ignore. The state of Alaska is suing the manufacturer of Zyprexa, seeking damages to pay for the care of those the drug made diabetic. Another drug scandal to which FDA turned a blind eye.

Time will tell whether "our" federal agencies will ever be brought to account. If federal agencies choose not to perform the tasks legally required of them, the value the federal government has to its citizens wanes. If we cannot "buy" quality public health, cannot obtain the oversight to ensure our drugs, foods and medical devices are reasonably safe and effective, and their review free of bias, why pay taxes to fund the FDA, CDC, and other public health agencies?

The "Hannah" autism case, in which a number of vaccines were judged by a Vaccine Court Special Master to have lead to a child developing autism, is the latest nail in the coffin of a totally politicized and unreliable federal public health enterprise.

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