From: Dawn Richardson <prove@vaccineinfo.net>
>Subject: [AVML] [PROVE] Response to Physician's Request For Autopsy Reports
>Date: Tue, 28 Dec 1999 20:29:30 -0800
>Reply-To: prove@vaccineinfo.net

>
>On some of the vaccine education email lists, there has been a request by a
>physician for copies of autopsy reports on children who are reported to have
>died following immunization.  NVIC has wisely encouraged parents to be
>cautious in sending him this information particularly if they have a pending
>case in the US Court of Claims.  After reviewing his web site, I had some
>additional concerns.  Here was my reply to his circulated request.  Dawn
>
>Dear Dr. Friedlander http://www.pathguy.com/vacdeath.htm
>
>After reviewing your web site about your quest for the truth about vaccine
>induced death, I felt you might be interested in this information because I
>don't think you are going to find the truth where you are looking.  As a
>matter of fact, I am concerned that your research might actually
>unintentionally victimize these families one more time by wrongly dismissing
>the cause of their child's death as a vaccine reaction.  This will most
>likely happen because the place where you are gathering your data, autopsy
>reports, are lacking critical information most of the time.
>
>One problem that I am finding is that in states like Texas, the state pays
>for an autopsy where the cause of death is listed as SIDS.  If the county
>medical examiner lists an actual cause of death like probable vaccine
>induced encephalopathy with a particular vaccine, then the county is stuck
>with the whole bill for the autopsy.  While this legislation for autopsy
>reimbursement is well intentioned, it serves as a financial disincentive to
>uncover the true cause of death.  We are aware of families whose children
>have died within 4 hours or less from what the child's pediatrician has
>called a vaccine reaction.  The pediatrician will even recommend that
>siblings never getting the same vaccine, yet SIDS is still the cause of
>death listed.
>
>It is my belief derived through much reading and study that babies don't
>spontaneously die for no reason. I believe that there are many causes of
>infant death, with vaccine triggered responses responsible some of the time.
>SIDS is a cop out for not enough investigation and testing to isolate a
>cause of death.  Not even are high profile forensic pathologists doing an
>adequate job as proven by the attempted prosecution of some parents for
>shaking their baby to death when the baby had clearly died from a classic
>DTP reaction as later proven in the family's defense.
>
>Additionally, of the 253 infant death cases awarded more than $61 million by
>the U.S. Court of Federal Claims for vaccine induced deaths in the 1990's
>under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, 224, or 86 percent,
>were attributed to vaccination with the DTP vaccine. Of these cases,
>mortality was originally attributed to SIDS in 90 or 40% of them.  The FDA's
>Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System contains 460 reports of children who
>died within three days of receiving shots containing DTP for the same time
>period.  Of those 460 reports, 266 - or 58% - listed SIDS as the reportable
>adverse event.
>
>What I am trying to share with you is that looking at autopsy reports alone
>will not get you to the truth because those who make the reports have no
>clear directives or incentive to implicate a vaccine as a contributing
>factor to the cause of death of an infant because the mechanism for vaccine
>induced death is not even defined by science yet and state autopsy
>reimbursements discourage it.  Maybe you could consider using your expertise
>to conduct a probing inquiry into the lack of adequate testing in a typical
>autopsy in order to identify what tests could be routinely performed to
>conclusively identify vaccine induced deaths.  This information could be
>used to identify dangerous vaccines, prompt changes in formulations,
>dosages, and schedules, and make the system safer for those taking the
>vaccine.
>
>Also, you mention that a portion of your site "focuses SOLELY on the misuse
>of scientific articles by anti-immunization activists."  What might be
>helpful to the parents of vaccine injured and killed children and those
>searching for truth on this issue is if you make an attempt to balance your
>review and dedicate equal attention to the proliferation of pseudo-science
>by pharmaceutical manufacturers and some (not all) government officials and
>physicians who advocate a vaccine at all costs including compromising the
>scientific method, adequate safety testing, and true objectivity.  The
>recent fiasco with the rotavirus vaccine couldn't underscore this more
>clearly as the vaccine was added to the recommended schedule by ACIP six
>months prior to approval by the FDA.  A Phase III trial conducted at 23
>Kaiser Permanente sites in Northern California with the infant pnuemococcal
>vaccine used a meningococcal vaccine as the control group!  No other
>industry would ever be allowed to get away with this.  The list goes on and
>on.  An objective and balanced look at instances like this might help people
>understand why parents in increasing numbers are losing faith in those who
>proclaim to know what health decisions are in the best interest of our
>individual children.
>
>Thank you for your consideration.
>
>Sincerely,
>Dawn Richardson
>
>
>---------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Dawn Richardson
>PROVE(Parents Requesting Open Vaccine Education)
>P.O. Box 1071
>Cedar Park, TX  78630-1071
>(512) 918-8760
>prove@vaccineinfo.net (email)
>http://vaccineinfo.net (web site)
>---------------------------------------------------------------------------
>PROVE provides information on vaccines, and
>immunization policies and practices that affect the
>children and adults of Texas.  Our mission is to prevent
>vaccine injury and death and to promote and protect
>the right of every person to make informed independent
>vaccination decisions for themselves and their families.
>---------------------------------------------------------------------------
>This information is not to be construed as medical
>OR legal advice. The decision to vaccinate and how
>you implement that decision is yours and yours alone.
>