Dr Cherry
Cherry
, a physician and professor of pediatrics at the University of California at Los Angeles, is a widely recognized pertussiss expert who has been a leader on advisory committees that help frame immunization policy for the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control. Back in 1979, at a symposium, he said, "All physicians are aware that pertussis vaccine occasionally produces severe reactions and that these may be associated with permanent sequellae (complications caused by the vaccine) or even death." But by 1990, Cherry had changed his mind, proclaiming in the Journal of the American Medical Association that severe brain damage caused by pertussis vaccine was nothing but "a myth." From 1980 through 1988, Cherry got about $400,000 in unrestricted grants that he termed "gifts" from Lederle. From 1988 through 1993, he was given $146,000 by Lederle for pertussis research, and from 1986 through 1992, UCLA received $654,418 from Lederle for pertussis research. Additionally, drug manufacturers paid Cherry and UCLA $34,058 for his testimony as an expert witness in 15 DPT lawsuits brought against the companies. THE LETHAL DANGERS OF THE BILLION-DOLLAR VACCINE BUSINESS---Money MagazineCASE No. 82-1232, Cossette Krause, vs F.K. Abbousy, MD et al (State of Ohio), transcipt of videotape deposition of Dr Edward Mortimer September 6, 1984.. On page 11 reads the following:
"Several years ago, because of the increasing amount of litigations over DTP, members of the so-called Red Book Committee of the American Academy of Pediatrics agreed in a sense that we would sort of divide up the cases to try to help the manufacturers in these lawsuits, and therefore I and a number of my colleagues agreed to serve as expert witnesses."
Damage lawsuits settled for millions
Dear Readers:Michael Stroh, the science writer for the Baltimore Sun, wrote a very good article this morning about the Vitamin D and Epidemic Influenza paper. Dr. Scott Dowell, an infectious disease expert at the CDC, is quoted by Mr. Stroh as saying, if the theory is true, "the potential impact (of vitamin D) would be far greater than the current influenza vaccine."On a sour note, a Professor James Cherry of UCLA said we "manipulated the literature" and used "bad" literature to prove our points. I don't know Professor Cherry, but he has insulted me, the co-authors, and the editor of Epidemiology and Infection.A quick internet search shows that there is a Professor James Cherry at UCLA who has had substantial financial ties to the vaccine industry for the last 20 years. If Professor Cherry read the conclusion of the recent Science News article, he may be aware that his financial well-being is at risk here. In the conclusion of the Science News article, Professor Michael Zasloff was quoted as saying the payoff of vitamin D, might "be amazing. Imagine being able to block the spread of epidemic flu with appropriate doses of this vitamin." Perhaps Professor Cherry is imagining exactly that, and what it might mean to his net worth?If Professor Zasloff and Dr. Dowell are right, vitamin D may have a role in preventing more infections than just influenza. As some of you know, a paper will soon be published in Epidemiology and Infection looking at the association of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (the most common cause of pneumonia in infants and young children) with vitamin D producing UVB surface radiation. Invasive pneumococcal, meningococcal, and streptococcal disease (all of which cause horrendous disease) might be next as all three bacteria are susceptible to antimicrobial peptides and all three diseases are highly seasonal.If this is shown to be true, Professor Cherry's income from the vaccine industry is certainly at risk. I fear Professor Cherry or others with ties to the vaccine or antibiotic industry will rapidly orchestrate a paper showing two things: one, vitamin D does not help prevent infections, and two, vitamin D is toxic and very dangerous. Perhaps science is not as corruptible as I fear, I hope so.I do hope Professor Cherry has the nerve to send a letter-to-the-editor of Epidemiology and Infection, showing how we "manipulated bad literature" to prove out points. That would give us the opportunity of producing some of the data we left out for space reasons.John Jacob Cannell, MDThe Vitamin D Council9100 San Gregorio RoadAtascadero, CA 93422