"     Goldman also reports that shortly after communicating on authorship issues with health officials associated with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) concerning the shingles data and analysis, he was threatened with legal action if he published the manuscript in the medical literature. He said, "Whenever research data and information concerning potential adverse effects associated with a vaccine used in a human population are suppressed and/or misrepresented by health authorities, not only is this most disturbing, it goes against all accepted scientific norms and dangerously compromises professional ethics.""

http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2003/10/prweb82645.htm

ATA REVEALS THREAT OF SHINGLES EPIDEMIC FROM VACCINE USE Health Officials Threaten Legal Action Against Researcher 
  Three different analyses of reported cases of shingles and chickenpox
were published today in the October 2003 issue of Vaccine and suggest the
threat of a shingles epidemic in the US due to mass vaccination with
varicella (chickenpox) vaccine.

Contact: Gary S. Goldman, Ph.D.
Phone: 661-944-5661
Fax: 661-944-4483
Email: pearblossominc@aol.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (PRWEB October 1, 2003

DATA REVEALS THREAT OF SHINGLES EPIDEMIC FROM VACCINE USE
Health Officials Threaten Legal Action Against Researcher

Pearblossom, California (PRWEB) October 1 2003-- Three different analyses
of reported cases of shingles and chickenpox were published today in the
October 2003 issue of Vaccine and suggest the threat of a shingles epidemic
in the US due to mass vaccination with varicella (chickenpox) vaccine. Data
collected under the CDC-funded Varicella Active Surveillance Project (VASP)
of the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services Acute Communicable
Disease Control Unit revealed that when chickenpox disease was
significantly reduced in a population, there was an unexpectedly high
number of shingles cases among unvaccinated children with a previous
history of chickenpox. Shingles is usually mild in children and can be
severe in adults. Complications from shingles, which is caused by the
reactivation of the chickenpox virus that lies dormant in the body, result
in about three times the number of hospitalizations and five times the
number of deaths as those from chickenpox disease.

     The analyses were authored by Gary Goldman, Ph.D., a former research
analyst with the VASP, using capture-recapture methods. Goldman worked from
1995 through late 2002 at one of three projects in the nation assigned to
actively study the effects of chickenpox vaccine and received reports from
three hundred different public and private schools, day cares, and
healthcare facilities. He observed that because the vaccine is eliminating
chickenpox disease, children and adults no longer receive the natural boost
to their immune systems that they received from periodic exposures to the
disease. Due to the dramatic decline in chickenpox, children are now
experiencing a higher incidence of shingles and Goldman predicts that a
large scale increase in shingles incidence will soon become manifest among
adults-a group more susceptible to serious complications.

     Vaccine manufacturers plan to license a booster "shingles" vaccine to
substitute for the boosting that naturally occurred when chickenpox disease
was previously circulating in the population. "This will likely lead to
endless disease-and-cure cycles," says Goldman. "Varicella vaccination
would have been less problematic if all children had the opportunity to
gain natural immunity and only those still susceptible at twelve years old
were vaccinated."

     Goldman also reports that shortly after communicating on authorship
issues with health officials associated with the Centers for Disease
Control (CDC) concerning the shingles data and analysis, he was threatened
with legal action if he published the manuscript in the medical literature.
He said, "Whenever research data and information concerning potential
adverse effects associated with a vaccine used in a human population are
suppressed and/or misrepresented by health authorities, not only is this
most disturbing, it goes against all accepted scientific norms and
dangerously compromises professional ethics."

     Between 1995 and 2000, shingles was not being studied, and positive
aspects of vaccination contributed by Goldman were published in the Journal
of the American Medical Association (JAMA) and other medical journals. In
2000, after hearing reports that school nurses were seeing cases of
shingles in children for the first time, Goldman suggested shingles be
added to the active surveillance project. After two years of shingles data
collection, Goldman documented the adverse effects that might well be
associated with the universal varicella vaccination program. Currently,
varicella immunization is mandated in thirty-eight states.

     The European journal, Vaccine (Volume 21, Issue 27/28) has devoted
eighteen pages to Goldman's three reports.                     -end-

*******
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2003/10/prweb83848.php

STUDY REVEALS IMPORTANT SIDE EFFECT OF MASS VARICELLA VACCINATION OF
HEALTHY CHILDREN: Reduction in chickenpox may increase incidence of
shingles. 
  The results of a new study published in the October 1, 2003 issue of the
European journal Vaccine indicate that a higher than expected number of
shingles cases was reported among children with a previous history of
chickenpox-approaching the incidence rate normally seen only in older
adults. Results of the study suggest mass vaccination with varicella
(chickenpox) vaccine may be responsible for this adverse effect.

PEARBLOSSOM, Calif. (PRWEB)October 8, 2003--- The results of a new study
published in the October 1, 2003, issue of the European journal Vaccine
indicate that a higher than expected number of shingles cases was reported
among children with a previous history of chickenpox. The rates observed
approach those normally seen only in older adults. Results of the study
suggest mass vaccination with varicella (chickenpox) vaccine may be
responsible for this adverse effect. Complications from shingles, which is
caused by the reactivation of the chickenpox virus that lies dormant in the
body, result in about three times the number of hospitalizations and five
times the number of deaths as those from chickenpox disease itself.
Shingles, usually mild in children, can be severe in adults.

On March 17, 1995, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the
live varicella vaccine, and shortly thereafter 38 states mandated that
every infant be inoculated at twelve months of age. The CDC-funded
Varicella Active Surveillance Project (VASP) of the Los Angeles County
Department of Health Services was established to study trends in varicella
disease among the 300,000 residents in the Antelope Valley health district.
Because this high desert community, including the primary cities of
Lancaster and Palmdale, is geographically distinct with few individuals
seeking healthcare outside the region, it is nearly ideal for scientists to
detect preliminary disease trends.

"Because the vaccine is eliminating chickenpox disease, children and adults
no longer receive the natural boost to their immune systems that they
received from periodic exposures to the disease," says Gary S. Goldman,
Ph.D., author of the study and former research analyst with VASP. "Due to
the dramatic decline in chickenpox, children are now experiencing a higher
incidence of shingles."

To compensate for this, vaccine manufacturers plan to license a booster
"shingles" vaccine to substitute for the natural boost in immunity that
occurred when chickenpox disease was previously circulating in the
population. Goldman expresses doubts about the effectiveness of this
approach to the impending problem.

"This will likely lead to endless disease-and-cure cycles," says Goldman.
"Varicella vaccination would have been less problematic if all children had
the opportunity to gain natural immunity and only those still susceptible
at twelve years-of-age were vaccinated."

Previous research shows that Japanese pediatricians who were exposed to
patients with chickenpox demonstrated shingles incidence rates one-half to
one-eighth that of the general population. In 2002, researchers in England
and Wales also found a lower incidence of shingles among adults living with
children compared to those living without children.
According to a spokesperson from the FDA, "There is no legal precedent
requiring a vaccine manufacturer to perform studies on individuals who have
not received their product."

However, Goldman insists that, "To assess the safety of chickenpox vaccine,
continued study of the effect of widespread vaccination on increasing
shingles incidence is critical." Goldman hopes this study encourages other
investigators to examine shingles rates not only among vaccine recipients,
but also among those who have not received vaccine.

Dr. Goldman concludes, "If a clear vaccine-associated increase in shingles
is confirmed in further studies in broader populations, this should be
considered by public health authorities in evaluating vaccine use strategies."

For more information on the current study, see the three reports published
on 18 consecutive pages in Vaccine (Volume 21, Issue 27/28) or contact Gary
S. Goldman, Ph.D., at (661) 944-5661 or via e-mail at pearblossominc@aol.com.
###

About Gary S. Goldman, Ph.D.:
From 1995 to 2000, shingles was not studied, and positive aspects of
vaccination contributed by Dr. Goldman were published in the Journal of the
American Medical Association (JAMA) and other medical journals. In 2000,
after hearing reports of school nurses observing cases of shingles in
children for the first time, Goldman suggested shingles be added to the
active surveillance project. After two years of shingles data collection,
Goldman documented the adverse effects that might well be associated with
the universal varicella vaccination program.

 
************
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_ui
ds=14505904&dopt=Abstract

Vaccine. 2003 Oct 1;21(27-30):4238-42.  Related Articles, Links 

 
Varicella susceptibility and incidence of herpes zoster among children and
adolescents in a community under active surveillance.

Goldman GS.

P.O. Box 847, Pearblossom, CA 93553, USA. pearblossominc@aol.com

Licensure of varicella vaccine by the US Food and Drug Administration in
March 1995 has given rise to concerns that include a potential shift in
varicella incidence to susceptible adults and increase in herpes zoster
(HZ) incidence. Baseline values prior to widespread vaccination were
obtained through distribution of an adolescent survey to all 13 public
middle (seventh and eighth grade) schools in the Antelope Valley, CA health
district. Based on 4216 respondents aged 10-14 years, varicella
susceptibility is 7.7% (95% CI, 6.9-8.5%) and true cumulative (1987-2000)
HZ incidence rate is 133 per 100,000 person-years (95% CI, 95-182 per
100,000 person-years).

PMID: 14505904 [PubMed - in process]

********
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_ui
ds=14505905&dopt=Abstract

 Vaccine. 2003 Oct 1;21(27-30):4243-9.  Related Articles, Links 

 
Incidence of herpes zoster among children and adolescents in a community
with moderate varicella vaccination coverage.

Goldman GS.

P.O. Box 847, Pearblossom, CA 93553, USA. pearblossominc@aol.com

Active surveillance for herpes zoster (HZ) was conducted for 2 years
(2000-2001) in the Antelope Valley community of 312,000 residents among 290
public and private schools, daycares, and healthcare providers. The true
ascertainment-adjusted HZ incidence rate is 307 per 100,000 person-years
and 138 per 100,000 person-years among children <10 and individuals aged
10-19, respectively. The unadjusted rate among vaccinated children is 9.5
per 100,000 person-years and an estimated 22 per 100,000 vaccine doses.
Unvaccinated children with a previous history of varicella may have greater
sensitivity to exogenous exposures (boosting) and a poorer cell-mediated
response following primary infection relative to older age groups.

PMID: 14505905 [PubMed - in process]

*******
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_ui
ds=14505906&dopt=Abstract

Vaccine. 2003 Oct 1;21(27-30):4250-5.  Related Articles, Links 

 
Using capture-recapture methods to assess varicella incidence in a
community under active surveillance.

Goldman GS.

P.O. Box 847, Pearblossom, CA 93553, USA. pearblossominc@aol.com

The Varicella (chickenpox) Active Surveillance Project (VASP) has been
conducting active surveillance since 1 January 1995 in the high desert
community known as Antelope Valley, CA (population 300,000) among 300
public and private schools, daycares, and healthcare providers.
Capture-recapture methods were applied to estimate reporting completeness
for 1995 varicella incidence data and these were compared with the national
average incidence rates by age reported by the National Health Interview
Survey (NHIS). Varicella cases reported among individuals aged <20 years
reflect under-reporting in excess of 50%. Despite limitations on accuracy,
capture-recapture estimates are a reasonably accurate, quick, and
inexpensive approach in epidemiologic studies.

PMID: 14505906 [PubMed - in process]