HHS limits anthrax vaccine legal liability

[Robbien]

Source: Global Security Newswire


The Health and Human Services Department early this month moved to shield government, industry and business officials from lawsuits filed by those who have received the anthrax vaccine.

Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt established legal immunity for public and private officials who oversee the production or distribution of the anthrax vaccine by declaring a "public health emergency" due to the risk of a bioterrorism attack. He said the emergency began on Oct. 1 and would run through Dec. 31, 2015.

U.S. law provides protection from lawsuits to individuals responsible for selected countermeasures, including antibiotics, during a declared emergency.

Under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act, which President Bush signed into law in December 2005, a health and human services secretary's emergency declaration can limit financial risk for government program planners and the manufacturers or distributors of pharmaceutical countermeasures. One exception to this immunity would be willful misconduct on the part of covered individuals.

The ramifications, in this instance, could be to prevent individuals who have received one or more anthrax inoculation from taking grievances to court, based on claims that the vaccine caused severe adverse reactions or did not work.

The anthrax vaccine has proven particularly controversial following reports of serious adverse events, including some deaths, among U.S. recipients. In addition, there are some doubts about the vaccine's efficacy in protecting people from developing anthrax after breathing in spores during a biological attack.



Read more: http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=41226&dcn=todaysnews

[Eric J in MN]

1. I doubt that's what Congress intended...

...that because there may be another anthrax attack someday, that there is an anthrax "emergency" until 2015.

[Mojorabbit]

2. I don't get it either

why declare a public health emergency for this. Every other country is working on pandemic readiness and all of a sudden this supplants that and for no reason that I can see. I read that the postman will deliver cipro if an attack occurs. It would be a thousand times easier to manage than a pandemic.

[MetaTrope]

3. Well, that's one way to completely circumvent FDA approval for nearly a decade

[EFerrari]

4. Bingo. Lots of circumventing going on.

[Ian David]

5. What if the Anthrax vaccine is what made John McCain so crazy? n/t

[dixiegrrrrl]

6. Some disturbing facts about this vaccine:

The one and only company making the vaccine, Emergent Bio Solutions, gets a sole source contract from DOD, its director is Jerome M. Hauer.

Jerome M. Hauer is also a managing director with Kroll Associates (the firm in charge of security for the World Trade Center complex), was Emergency Management Director for Giuliani, was the person who selected WTC as the site of Giulani's Emergency Management center
AND
was the guy who gave Cheney and other WH staff Cipro a week before the anthrax attack on the WH.
Hauer is also a member of the Committee on Present Danger, a conservative group lobbying for PNAC ideas, and tied in with the PNAC/CIA/Military Industrial Complex.
See:
http://www.committeeonthepresentdanger.org/Home/tabid/218/Default.aspx

In essence, Hauer is Mr. Anthrax, has had very long ties to current regime people and ideas.



According to Wiki...

FDA was sued several times for illegal procedures in requiring the use of the vaccine.

Over 20,000 military hospitalized after vaccine was given.
Military members are and have been suing to stop mandatory use of vaccine.
http://tinyurl.com/6cez2p

Many reputable sources say vaccine is not safe or effective.

[Supersedeas]

7. thanks for the link

[dixiegrrrrl]

8. Dupe

[Mnemosyne]

9. Already covered under Patriot II, iirc. n/t