After an inquiry as to how the polio vaccine is made I wrote to GlaxoSmithkline to check that it was still made using monkey kidney cells as it was when I first wrote in 1992. They wrote back saying "we are in the process of switching our production from monkey kidney cells to human diploid cells (MRC5)" .
MRC5 is a cell line developed from the lung tissue of a 14 week fetus aborted in the UK in the 1970s for "psychological reasons". Glaxo's polio vaccine is the only one available in his country. If this vaccine changes to this unethical source we will need to import an alternative from abroad - a situation I would very much like to avoid. Aventis Pasteur make their polio vaccine from Vero cells (a monkey cell line). This is the vaccine used in America.
Please write to GlaxoSmithKline urgently to ask them to reconsider their
decision, pointing out your objections to fetal cell vaccines. If you wish
to boycott GlaxoSmithKlines products, a full list is available on our American
Campaign web site at http://www.cogforlife.org/glaxoproducts.htm
(but please do not stop taking prescription products without taking
medical advice).
Please write to
Jean-Pierre Garnier
Chief Executive officer
GlaxoSmithKline
Stockley Park west
Uxbridge Middlesex
We do not know on what date the batches of fetal-cell vaccine are due to ship, but we have been told that the vaccine currently in use is the old (monkey cell) vaccine.
KITASATO RUBELLA UPDATE - 5 December 2003
The Kitasato Rubella vaccine (to be imported by Desumo, see below) is not yet available. We will keep you posted.
DESUMO TO IMPORT KITASATO RUBELLA VACCINE - 8 October 2002
The private health group Desumo which runs a clinic in Worceser twice a month has decided to switch from using the licenced fetal cell rubella vaccine to the ethical Japanese vaccine. The kitasato Instute has agreed to supply them on a regular basis. Desumo has had problems with the suppy of the licenced vaccine and have also been asked by parents for the ethical one.
We are delighted to have a central location where parents can obtain the vaccine easily. It is also pleasing that the manufactuers of the fetal cell vaccine will lose sales. The Government has been trying to force parents to use the MMR vaccine by restricting the supply of rubella vaccine as many doctors were starting the course with the rubella vaccine. This has now backfired as it resulted in the ethical vaccine being imported in greater amounts.
The Kitasato Institute has stated that it will only deal with orders for its vaccine from Desumo and IDIS. Individual doctors can order the vaccine from IDIS.
To contact Desumo see http://homepage.ntlworld.com/desumo/frameset.htm
SMALLPOX VACCINE UPDATE - Sunday 21 April 2002.
It was reported in todays Daily Telegraph that Powderject are not going
to producce the smallpox
vaccine themselves but have subcontracted the production to a company
Danish company called Bavarian Nordic. Powderject will simply
act as the distributer. This undermines the Government claim that they
were the best company to produce the right vaccine in the time.
The scientist in charge in charge of protecting America against biological
attack. Dr Donald Henderson also rejected government claims that the Lister
strain was better than the New york strain being used by Acambis. He stated
that there was "not a whit of evidence " to support ministers claims that
they had no choice but to give the contract to Powderject. He also
rejected claims that
the Lister strain was chosen because terrorists may have aquired stocks
of smallpox produced in the former Soviet Union . He stated that there
was no evidencce for this and went on to sy that Russia
itself had used the strain of vaccine bought by the US . Dr Henderson
a former head of the World Health Organisation smallpox eradication programme
said "there is no difference in the antigenicity of these strains.
I will aim to contact Bavarian Nordic, to find out which cell line they intend to use . In the mean time it is still important to write to Powderject who are altematly responsible for providing the vaccine on time to the British Government.
Powderject have entered into a binding contract with Bavarian Nordic to buy their vaccine and also own 5.6% of the shares in the company. This does not depend upon regulatory approval of the vaccine.
SMALLPOX VACCINE ALERT - Saturday 20th April 2002.
Action needed! Fetal cell lines could be used .
On Friday the 12th April 2002 the British government awarded a contract to produce 16 million doses of the smallpox vaccine from a company based in Oxford called Powderject. On the sataday this became controversaal when it was reported that the company chairman Paul Drayson had contributed £50,000 to the labour party. It also emerged that other drug companies had not been given the chance to bid for the contract. Acambis based in Cambridge who are producing 20 million doses for the USA complained and doubted that any other company could produce a vaccine quicker than them.
When Acambis was awared the first contract to produce 55 million
doses for the US last october
our American campaign found out that they were intending to use the
MRC5 fetal cell line. Our supporters lobbied the company and government
health officials to use an ethical fetal cell line. An internet
poll showed that 56% of respondants would not use a smallpox vaccine
made from this source. We were delighted when Acambis were awarded the
second contract of 155 million doses they announced in a press conference
on London on November 30 th 2001 that for the that contract 155 million
doses they would be using a vero (monkey) cell line supplied by Baxter
who had invested in Acambis.
"The main difference is that in contract one, we are using the
MRC-5 cell substrate; in contract two we're going to use the Baxter
serum
three Vero culture cell." John Brown Cheif exectutive Acambis
Ltd
Debi Vinnedge from our American campaign wrote to commend both Acambis and Baxter.
On sataday I urgently e mailed Dr Drayson following this up with
a letter to find out what cell line he intended to use and urge him to
use an ethical animal cell line. I have to date recieved no reply.
The Catholic Times also repeatedly rang the company on monday
and tuesday to find out. The company when the paper went to press
on wednesday had failed to repond. The Catholic Times has written
a front page article to this effect urging people to write to the company
to demand an ethical
ccell line is used.
Dr Drayson has been out spoken in this support for MMR although this contains the tainted fetal cell rubella componant. He reportedly proposed that an episode of East enders should have a storyline in Which a character chooses to use MMR! He also wrote that Tony Blair should not have to say Whether baby Leo had had the MMR vaccine.
Please write to Dr Drayson and request that only ethical cell lines are used. It is vital that we act now before we are left with no alternative to a fetal cell vaccine. in the event of a terrrorist release of smallpox. Please send copies of letters or e mail me so I know how many have written.The company address is ....
Dr. Paul R. Drayson
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
PowderJect Pharmaceuticals Plc
Florey House
Robert Robinson Avenue
The Oxford Science Park
Oxford, OX4 4GA, England
Email:CEO@PowderJect.com
Tel: +44 (0)1865 332600
Fax: +44 (0)1865 332601
IMPORTING VACCINES - 25 Febuary 2002
It is still possible to import Takahashi strain rubella vaccine from
Japan . (See process for importing
rubella vaccine.) Also ethical measles and mumps vaccines can
be imported .Anyone who can not get their own Gp to order the vaccines
for them can get a list of doctors who are willing to import single vaccines
from JABS www.jabs.org.uk Most of these doctors will be giving the licenced
fetal cell rubella vaccine to start the course. You will need
to explain to them that you want the Takahashi strain insteed. please e
mail further details how this can be done. There may me a waiting
list. Anyone who has started the course abroad is entitled to get the other
single vaccines from their GPs.
I would be interested to to here from any doctors who are willing
to import the ethical vaccines
so that I put people in touch.
MMR - December 2001
Last october 1999 the government stopped doctors importing any alternatives
to
MMR except for children who had already started the course and those
with specific
allergies. This has meant that parents have had to go to Europe
to get the measles
vaccine in order to start the course. When we wanted to import more
rubella vaccine from
Japan IDIS were originally unwilling to do this without permission
from the MCA. The
medical control agency at first refused permission for an import licence
for the rubella
vaccine but relented and granted one after Doctor Greg Gardner persuaded
them of the safety
of the vaccine. We have since been able to import he vaccine. I have
added notes as to how to go about
ordering the vaccine. It is much cheaper to order in groups of ten
and the child will still need to have
started the course.
Breaking news...It was reported in today's thursday 28th december that
the conservative MP for Bromsgrove
Julie Kilbride will introduce a private members bill to allow parents
the choice to use single
dose measles,mumps and rubella vaccines. Her aim is to prevent the
drop in vaccinations
which like us she believes is due to the Governments insistence on
MMR. Since she apparently
supported cloning it is unlikely that her concern was due to the fact
that the MMR is derived
from fetal cell lines. It would be wonderful if this could be passed
but since she came 11 th
in the members ballot it is unlikely that there will be time for this
bill to be debated and it is
unlikely that the government would allow it to go through unopposed.
I will let you know
when I know more about this
In the US children must be vaccinated to attend school. This can only
be with vaccines licensed
by the FDA and no unlicensed vaccines can be used. There is currently
no ethical alternatives to the
rubella ,hepatitis A and chicken pox vaccines . The American campaign
has recently come to an
agreement with the University of Biormingham Alabama to
develop new ethical vaccines using a new method involving skin patches
rather than needles. They hope to start by developing an ethical rubella
vaccine . This should take five years , one year to develop the vaccine
and four years compulsory testing. To do this develop this vaccine is likely
to cost between $3.5-$5 million. Anyone wishing to contribute to the fund
see below:
Message from Debi Vinnedge, Director Children of God for Life:
"Anyone wishing to make a financial contribution to our campaign
may send
donations to:
Children of God for Life
2130 Catalina Drive
Clearwater, Fl. 33764
All donations will be acknowledged for tax purposes, as Children
of God
awaits final approval of its 501-C tax exemption status from the
IRS. Pray
for the success of our work!"
IMPORT OF MEASLES AND MUMPS VACCINES BANNED - 28 August 1999
On Saturday 28 August 1999 the Government banned the import of measles and mumps vaccines in an attempt to force parents to use the MMR. A campaign has started to overturn this. Please help by writing to your MP and the press.
The Government has removed IDIS's licence to import measles and mumps and told them not to import any unlicensed vaccines if there is a licensed alternative. Chemists have been written to and told not to import alternatives to MMR. However the government claim they have not banned measles and mumps. I am trying to find out if there is any legal way these can be imported.
I have been informed that the Hartfordshire hospital in Paris has stopped giving single doses of measles and mumps for visiting English patients. Claiming it is too political! It is not clear if pressure has been put upon them.
It is possible to get measles and mumps vaccines throughout Europe and
the Republic of Ireland.
I have confirmation from the Irish department of health that
a doctor can import an unlicensed vaccine on a named patient basis.
So it should be possible to import the Rubella vaccine. I am presently
trying to arrange this for my child,so I will update this page if
successful.
Anyone wishing to travel to France should ring the tourist board and ask for a list of English speaking doctors in Calais or your nearest port and ask these personally if they would be willing to provide the vaccine . Please do not pass on any willing doctors details or this avenue may be closed . If travelling abroad for vaccines you should take a note from your GP stating that your child is well and that they agree for the child to have the vaccine. Also take an E11 form to reimburse the cost from the NHS. I am still waiting to receive this after two months.
You should be able to get measles and mumps vaccines in the US. I have
contacts in a number of US cities . E-mail me if you want details.