CVS calls for Senate and House Health Committees to hold public hearings on vaccine safety

Coalition Anticipates Court Decisions on Mercury-Autism Link Soon

The Coalition for Vaccine Safety (CVS) comprises organizations representing over 75,000 families dedicated to vaccine safety.  It formed in February 2010 to address urgent concerns about insufficient vaccine safety science.  On February 24, it called on Senate and House Health Committees to hold public hearings on vaccine safety (full texts of letters and documentation available at www.coalitionforvaccinesafety.org).

Among the Coalition's members are prominent organizations representing the autism and environmental community, including the National Autism Association, Autism One, Autism Action Network, Generation Rescue, Talk About Curing Autism (TACA), Unlocking Autism and SafeMinds. The coalition formed to speak with a single voice about the urgent need to improve vaccine safety.

The Coalition eagerly awaits decisions from Special Masters of the Federal Court of Claims in three test cases alleging that the mercury-laden preservative thimerosal, a vaccine preservative in multi-dose vials, caused autism.  Based on the Special Masters' decisions in three previous test cases in the Omnibus Autism Proceeding alleging a vaccine-autism link, the Coalition is skeptical that the rulings will favor the petitioners, despite the fact that the Coalition believes that the petitioners met their legal burden.  If the Special Masters dismiss the petitioners' claims, as seems likely, Congressional hearings are even more important to find out what government regulatory agencies do and do not know about the health risks of mercury in vaccines.  

There is a growing public crisis of confidence in the U.S. vaccine program.  The New York Times yesterday cited a study of the American Academy of Pediatrics http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/peds.2009-1962v1 where more than half of parents responding to a national survey expressed concern over serious adverse effects of vaccines, and one in four believe some vaccines cause autism, despite government pronouncements to the contrary.  In its February 27 issue, Time magazine interviewed Dr. Jefferson, an epidemiologist of the Cochrane Collaboration, a prestigious research institute, who discussed the inadequate evidence to prove that flu vaccines are effective. http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1967306,00.html He encouraged U.S. citizens "to write to their Congressman or Senator, asking them to put pressure on the U.S. government to run a proper trial and get an answer to whether these [flu] vaccines actually work."

The Coalition seeks to be a public voice on the Omnibus Autism Proceeding test cases.  It has a list of experts and advocates ready to provide background and comment.  Coalition Steering Committee member Mary Holland said, "With no informed consent, no tort liability for manufacturers, and compulsory vaccination based on inadequate science, our country is heading towards a serious crisis of confidence in vaccine safety."