I have never seen a case of epiglottitis. I remember the stories I heard as a medical student: a young child comes to the ER with fever, drooling, and muffled voice – not just sick; a ticking time bomb. I was told that if the child was disturbed – even something as small as putting a tongue depressor in their mouth – the airway could suddenly close and the child could die in minutes.
It scared me then.
Now, thanks to the fear-mongers for immunizations, I may get to see it. Today I got the following from the American Academy of Pediatrics:
Hib Alert: 5 Cases, 1 Death
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today announced that five cases of Haemophilus influenzae, type b (Hib), invasive disease (meningitis, pneumonia and epiglottitis) were confirmed in 2008 in Minnesota. This is the highest number of cases of this vaccine-preventable disease in children under 5 years of age that Minnesota has seen since 1991.
Three patients had received no vaccinations due to parent or guardian deferral or refusal of vaccinations. One of the unimmunized patients, a 7-month-old infant, died of Hib disease. Two of the remaining children received age-appropriate immunizations. One child, a 5-month-old, had received two Hib immunizations. The other child was 15 months old and was fully vaccinated for age but, subsequent to Hib infection, was diagnosed with an immune deficiency (hypogammaglobulinemia).
Even in the conservative south I am having more parents falling prey to the immunization fear-mongers. People are questioning them – even ones that don\’t have the feared autism association. To my knowledge, HIB has never been a specific target of the anti-vaccination crowd (if you know otherwise, please tell me).
These parents probably thought \”what\’s the harm? Why can\’t we just wait to do the immunizations until the risk is less?\” A 7-month-old infant died from this logic.
As a pediatrician I work to keep children from unnecessary harm. I am expected to pick out the very sick child – the child with life-threatening disease – from the routine illnesses. It can be extremely difficult sometimes. Catching disease early can save the life of the child. Parents trust me to recognize this. They expect me to have the training and wisdom to know what to do to keep their child from harm.
But there are some who would suggest that I am deluded. I am brainwashed by the vaccine manufacturers, drug reps, or narrow-minded training. Yes, I can be trusted to rescue their child from the brink of death, but can I be counted on when I recommend vaccines? They trust me with the life of their baby when death is stalking, but what about when it is only a threat?
Horrible diseases have been prevented by immunizing children. Is it worth the \”risk?\”
Ask the parents of this 7-month-old baby.
![\"1022619831_954215c6a9\"](\"http://distractible.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/1022619831_954215c6a9-300x199.jpg\" "\\"1022619831_954215c6a9\\"")
Trust me.
I don\’t regret the fact that I have never seen epiglottitis. I don\’t want to. Trust me.
Please, trust me.
BEAUTIFIL baby!!
Those seemingly random things are so scary. Years ago we had a 17 year old come in too late and died of it. I thought they said he strep and wasn’t on antibiotics but now I am not sure. Very sad.
I hope you don’t have to see it.
Ignorance is bliss because I never worried about vaccines or crib death with our boys because I didn’t know.
We have our 2nd grandchild on the way, baby girl..due in May. Thankfully..they get the vaccines.
Glad you had fun in NY. Did TBTAM suggest any particular place to eat or were you all just at the convention? I think it is so cool that you all met. 🙂
BEAUTIFIL baby!!
Those seemingly random things are so scary. Years ago we had a 17 year old come in too late and died of it. I thought they said he strep and wasn’t on antibiotics but now I am not sure. Very sad.
I hope you don’t have to see it.
Ignorance is bliss because I never worried about vaccines or crib death with our boys because I didn’t know.
We have our 2nd grandchild on the way, baby girl..due in May. Thankfully..they get the vaccines.
Glad you had fun in NY. Did TBTAM suggest any particular place to eat or were you all just at the convention? I think it is so cool that you all met. 🙂
I hope all the parents who are relying on herd immunity to keep their children safe are paying attention. This has long been a serious debate on parenting forums all over the place, and I am astounded at the number of otherwise reasonably intelligent people who refuse to vaccinate based on nebulous internet theories that I’ve never seen substantiated. As a parent, you want to do what’s best for your child. When you read that immunizations cause autism and other issues, the gut instinct is to avoid them. Too bad so many parents don’t take it a step further and actually do the research!
We’re lucky to have a great pediatrician, who is awesome and who we trust implicitly. When I brought up the autism link, he very helpfully pointed me to actual medical journals that allayed my fears. I know that I’m my child’s best advocate, but it’s foolishness to believe that I know more than my chosen medical professional. It’s my job to work together with our doctor to ensure my children have the best chance possible for long and healthy lives. And that includes immunizations — which have been doing their job for years, ensuring that kids don’t get things like polio, like my kids’ great-grandmother did when she was young.
I am so sad for the parents in Minnesota who are missing their baby tonight 🙁
I hope all the parents who are relying on herd immunity to keep their children safe are paying attention. This has long been a serious debate on parenting forums all over the place, and I am astounded at the number of otherwise reasonably intelligent people who refuse to vaccinate based on nebulous internet theories that I’ve never seen substantiated. As a parent, you want to do what’s best for your child. When you read that immunizations cause autism and other issues, the gut instinct is to avoid them. Too bad so many parents don’t take it a step further and actually do the research!
We’re lucky to have a great pediatrician, who is awesome and who we trust implicitly. When I brought up the autism link, he very helpfully pointed me to actual medical journals that allayed my fears. I know that I’m my child’s best advocate, but it’s foolishness to believe that I know more than my chosen medical professional. It’s my job to work together with our doctor to ensure my children have the best chance possible for long and healthy lives. And that includes immunizations — which have been doing their job for years, ensuring that kids don’t get things like polio, like my kids’ great-grandmother did when she was young.
I am so sad for the parents in Minnesota who are missing their baby tonight 🙁
Thanks for the clarification on the two kids who had been vaccinated. I live in MN – http://www.startribune.com/local/38225874.html doesn’t give any details about why the vaccines hadn’t worked.
The whole situation is awful, and I can’t think of anything that’ll help. People don’t want to believe the science (which is a problem in and of itself, since science shouldn’t be about belief, it’s about evidence) and I don’t want to see the consequences of non-vaccination. The idea of 10% an elementary school struck with measles is horrible to contemplate.
for myself, at 28 I’m current on my vaccinations and plan to stay that way. if I have kids, they’ll get every recommended vaccine at the recommended time. I just hope they approve the shingles vaccine for my age group soon, because I do not want to go through that again.
Thanks for the clarification on the two kids who had been vaccinated. I live in MN – http://www.startribune.com/local/38225874.html doesn’t give any details about why the vaccines hadn’t worked.
The whole situation is awful, and I can’t think of anything that’ll help. People don’t want to believe the science (which is a problem in and of itself, since science shouldn’t be about belief, it’s about evidence) and I don’t want to see the consequences of non-vaccination. The idea of 10% an elementary school struck with measles is horrible to contemplate.
for myself, at 28 I’m current on my vaccinations and plan to stay that way. if I have kids, they’ll get every recommended vaccine at the recommended time. I just hope they approve the shingles vaccine for my age group soon, because I do not want to go through that again.
I had chicken pox when I was 32. The vaccine wasn’t approved in the US yet. I survived, it was mainly uncomfortable, but I took anti-viral meds and suffered through it. But then my kids got it from me, and my son had life threatening complications. Who would have thought that a 2 year old could die from chicken pox. Didn’t parents back in the old days TRY to expose their kids to chicken pox in order to get it over with? Luckily there are no long term problems with him now, but that little scare was enough to convince me that if there is a way to prevent an illness I’m going to use it.
I had chicken pox when I was 32. The vaccine wasn’t approved in the US yet. I survived, it was mainly uncomfortable, but I took anti-viral meds and suffered through it. But then my kids got it from me, and my son had life threatening complications. Who would have thought that a 2 year old could die from chicken pox. Didn’t parents back in the old days TRY to expose their kids to chicken pox in order to get it over with? Luckily there are no long term problems with him now, but that little scare was enough to convince me that if there is a way to prevent an illness I’m going to use it.
I understand some peditricians are firing patients because their parents refuse vaccines. I completely understand that.
I understand some peditricians are firing patients because their parents refuse vaccines. I completely understand that.
Harriet,
Some parents still are. Google “Chicken pox Parties” and see what you get.
My Grandfather graduated from med school in 1925 and his Pediatric Residency in 1932. He used to tell my brother and I some hair raising stories about polio, diptheria whooping cough, and other childhood diseases that are seldom seen now. I would hate for them to come back!
Harriet,
Some parents still are. Google “Chicken pox Parties” and see what you get.
My Grandfather graduated from med school in 1925 and his Pediatric Residency in 1932. He used to tell my brother and I some hair raising stories about polio, diptheria whooping cough, and other childhood diseases that are seldom seen now. I would hate for them to come back!
Time to go check the immunization records. Thanks Doc. We’ll see if we need updates, they won’t be happy but I will be.
Time to go check the immunization records. Thanks Doc. We’ll see if we need updates, they won’t be happy but I will be.
[…] Musings of a Distractible Mind, Dr. Rob sounds the public health alarm as a new report shows a deadly, vaccine preventable disease has made a comeback in […]
My husband had a bone marrow transplant and lost his immunity to childhood diseases. Fortnately we’re in a life stage where our own children are grown, but not parents themselves so there aren’t so many little kids around.
But the ones that do turn up, and there are a few because people of our generation sometimes had children late in life, are getting the detailed questions before being invited over.
Husband can be re-vaccinated in a year and I’m waiting to see if he’ll be sent up to Pediatrics and get a sticker with each round.
My husband had a bone marrow transplant and lost his immunity to childhood diseases. Fortnately we’re in a life stage where our own children are grown, but not parents themselves so there aren’t so many little kids around.
But the ones that do turn up, and there are a few because people of our generation sometimes had children late in life, are getting the detailed questions before being invited over.
Husband can be re-vaccinated in a year and I’m waiting to see if he’ll be sent up to Pediatrics and get a sticker with each round.
Hey, I’m cool with you using my photo on your blog entry (I’m glad you like it!), but you really should ask first or at least send an email to let someone know when you use their photos. Some photographers aren’t cool with it.
And he is vaccinated. 🙂 I’m the photographer and the father.
Joe
Hey, I’m cool with you using my photo on your blog entry (I’m glad you like it!), but you really should ask first or at least send an email to let someone know when you use their photos. Some photographers aren’t cool with it.
And he is vaccinated. 🙂 I’m the photographer and the father.
Joe
since we’re arguing by anecdote, I was crippled by a HepB vaccination (neuralgica amyotrophy: 15-25% of cases precipitated by vaccination).
If one child being harmed by not being vaccinated is one too many, surely one child whose life has been turned upside down by a vaccination is one too many…
since we’re arguing by anecdote, I was crippled by a HepB vaccination (neuralgica amyotrophy: 15-25% of cases precipitated by vaccination).
If one child being harmed by not being vaccinated is one too many, surely one child whose life has been turned upside down by a vaccination is one too many…
IndianCowboy:
Your logic seems sound, but there is a difference in degrees. You had an adverse effect from a shot that is given universally. The number of adverse events compared to the number of times this shot is given is very low. Adverse events are very rare.
This child was one of a small (but growing) number of children who were not immunized. The Number of cases of serious disease compared to the number of unimmunized children is much higher. The incidence of invasive disease caused by the HIB bacteria outstrips the number of adverse events by far.
As sad as your experience is, it was not due to negligence of ignorance. This child’s death, however, happened because of mis-information and misguided fear. Avoiding vaccination is not avoiding risk – it is increasing it. By not doing things, you take a bigger risk.
But, as is your experience, these immunizations aren’t risk-free. I am sorry for your bad experience.
IndianCowboy:
Your logic seems sound, but there is a difference in degrees. You had an adverse effect from a shot that is given universally. The number of adverse events compared to the number of times this shot is given is very low. Adverse events are very rare.
This child was one of a small (but growing) number of children who were not immunized. The Number of cases of serious disease compared to the number of unimmunized children is much higher. The incidence of invasive disease caused by the HIB bacteria outstrips the number of adverse events by far.
As sad as your experience is, it was not due to negligence of ignorance. This child’s death, however, happened because of mis-information and misguided fear. Avoiding vaccination is not avoiding risk – it is increasing it. By not doing things, you take a bigger risk.
But, as is your experience, these immunizations aren’t risk-free. I am sorry for your bad experience.
The benefits of approved vaccine far outweigh the alleged consequences.
I was one of the first on board to get the new vaccine for young women, even though I am in a healthy marriage. I was also one of the first in my college to get the meningitis vaccine which was offered there. That is a scary, scary disease. By the time someone realizes you have it, you’re already racing the clock to survive-or already dead.
I understand fears of the unknown. But, for one thing, autism is not a death sentence. Of course you do not want your child to struggle, but many children with autism are brilliant, loving people. And no one can prove it is caused by vaccines!!!
Children AND adults should keep up to date with vaccines. When was the last time YOU had a tetanus shot, for example? Or meningitis shot? Check your own records as well as your children’s! You might be missing something.
The benefits of approved vaccine far outweigh the alleged consequences.
I was one of the first on board to get the new vaccine for young women, even though I am in a healthy marriage. I was also one of the first in my college to get the meningitis vaccine which was offered there. That is a scary, scary disease. By the time someone realizes you have it, you’re already racing the clock to survive-or already dead.
I understand fears of the unknown. But, for one thing, autism is not a death sentence. Of course you do not want your child to struggle, but many children with autism are brilliant, loving people. And no one can prove it is caused by vaccines!!!
Children AND adults should keep up to date with vaccines. When was the last time YOU had a tetanus shot, for example? Or meningitis shot? Check your own records as well as your children’s! You might be missing something.
And while you’re checking that your vaccines are up to date, check to see when was the last time you donated blood, marrow or plasma? You can donate blood every 8-9 weeks. And do you intend to be an organ donor? Does your family know? Take care of all these things at once! You’ll rest easier, and so will your family!
And while you’re checking that your vaccines are up to date, check to see when was the last time you donated blood, marrow or plasma? You can donate blood every 8-9 weeks. And do you intend to be an organ donor? Does your family know? Take care of all these things at once! You’ll rest easier, and so will your family!
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WHAT clarification about the kids who’d been immunized and got the disease anyway? Did I miss it?
I’m not neurotic about vaccines. My kids had most of the recommended vaccines, although I drew the line at the chicken pox vaccine (their pediatrician shrugged and said, frankly, I wouldn’t get it for my kids either–which is why I trusted him whenever he recommended something). They had the pox, and guess what, so did most of their schoolmates who’d had the vaccinations, albeit with milder cases. And yes, those of us whose kids hadn’t had the vaccine did have chicken pox parties.
And forget Gardasil. I don’t think the benefits outweigh the risks. I don’t think there’s been sufficient follow-up. And I think Merck has a massive financial/shareholder motive, exacerbated by the Vioxx debacle, that perhaps wasn’t as big of a pressure when older childhood vaccines were developed.
I’m concerned about replacement diseases and I’m concerned about the complete unknown of necessary booster shots. How long will Gardasil be effective? Merck doesn’t know, even though our kids will likely be exposed to HPV throughout their lives. We’ll make do with regular Pap smears, thank you very much.
WHAT clarification about the kids who’d been immunized and got the disease anyway? Did I miss it?
I’m not neurotic about vaccines. My kids had most of the recommended vaccines, although I drew the line at the chicken pox vaccine (their pediatrician shrugged and said, frankly, I wouldn’t get it for my kids either–which is why I trusted him whenever he recommended something). They had the pox, and guess what, so did most of their schoolmates who’d had the vaccinations, albeit with milder cases. And yes, those of us whose kids hadn’t had the vaccine did have chicken pox parties.
And forget Gardasil. I don’t think the benefits outweigh the risks. I don’t think there’s been sufficient follow-up. And I think Merck has a massive financial/shareholder motive, exacerbated by the Vioxx debacle, that perhaps wasn’t as big of a pressure when older childhood vaccines were developed.
I’m concerned about replacement diseases and I’m concerned about the complete unknown of necessary booster shots. How long will Gardasil be effective? Merck doesn’t know, even though our kids will likely be exposed to HPV throughout their lives. We’ll make do with regular Pap smears, thank you very much.
As far as the two who got the immunization, one had not had the full course (was only 5 mos old and so protection is not as complete) and one had an immune problem.
Your objections to Varicella and Gardasil are not totally off-base. There is a lot we still don’t know. The only way to know what will really happen with a vaccine is to study it for the full lifetime of a person. Personally, I don’t think it is wise to wait for 80 years to see what the need for boosters is. With varivax it became clear that there was a need for it. Now we do two vaccines. The same happened with many of the other shots we give. Presently, the pertussis vaccine is being recommended in adults who are around children, and I have a feeling it will be required for all. Pertussis is more common in adults than we realized.
Does that mean the immunizations are bad? No. It is just the normal process with vaccines. There is no way to answer all of the questions.
My girls are getting Gardasil, but more data wouldn’t be bad. The way it was pushed by Merck made me a little nervous.
As far as the two who got the immunization, one had not had the full course (was only 5 mos old and so protection is not as complete) and one had an immune problem.
Your objections to Varicella and Gardasil are not totally off-base. There is a lot we still don’t know. The only way to know what will really happen with a vaccine is to study it for the full lifetime of a person. Personally, I don’t think it is wise to wait for 80 years to see what the need for boosters is. With varivax it became clear that there was a need for it. Now we do two vaccines. The same happened with many of the other shots we give. Presently, the pertussis vaccine is being recommended in adults who are around children, and I have a feeling it will be required for all. Pertussis is more common in adults than we realized.
Does that mean the immunizations are bad? No. It is just the normal process with vaccines. There is no way to answer all of the questions.
My girls are getting Gardasil, but more data wouldn’t be bad. The way it was pushed by Merck made me a little nervous.
Thanks for clarifying on the two kids that had had the shots, and thanks for not telling me I’m automatically a lunatic for not trotting out to get my kids every single vaccine that pops up.
I’m kind of crabby old-school–I had ALL the childhood diseases, including mumps, measles and rubella; and my mom had TB so I got a good dose of that. So even though intellectually I do know that normal childhood diseases can kill etc., it seems far from the norm to me. I DID see more unpleasant side effects of disease when I lived in Africa, which is why I went along with most of the recommended vaccines.
However, I also do what my parents did to bolster my kids’ immune systems (they did it unintentionally because we didn’t have much money; I make an effort to do it): I feed my kids very little meat, tons of fruits and veggies, and make them go outside a lot. And build exercise into their days.
Although I believe that many medications etc. are a wonderful thing, I don’t trust drug manufacturers to tell me, or my doctor, the whole truth. We already know that they bury studies that don’t put theirdrugs in a favorable light, quietly sponsor trial write-ups in medical journals, and sometimes blatantly alter information. So I am forced to think about these things myself.
In the case of Gardasil, I have faced enormous pressure from the school, the pediatrician (we’ve moved, and I sure miss my chicken pox hero); even the flipping soccer coach. I’ve wavered about it endlessly. But at this point, I’ve decided it’s just not on. I’m pretty sure I’m not risking my two daughters getting cervical cancer- I’m a strong believer in check-ups- and I think Merck would better serve us by working on a fast and easy cure for genital warts – of course, that wouldn’t serve the stockholders so well as 3 shots plus, more than likely, booster shots, for every boy and girl in the world.
I see Gardasil as being like anti-bacterial soap–for the general population, an unecessary idea that has the potential to cause problems. I’m just going to keep working on healthy immune systems.
Thanks for clarifying on the two kids that had had the shots, and thanks for not telling me I’m automatically a lunatic for not trotting out to get my kids every single vaccine that pops up.
I’m kind of crabby old-school–I had ALL the childhood diseases, including mumps, measles and rubella; and my mom had TB so I got a good dose of that. So even though intellectually I do know that normal childhood diseases can kill etc., it seems far from the norm to me. I DID see more unpleasant side effects of disease when I lived in Africa, which is why I went along with most of the recommended vaccines.
However, I also do what my parents did to bolster my kids’ immune systems (they did it unintentionally because we didn’t have much money; I make an effort to do it): I feed my kids very little meat, tons of fruits and veggies, and make them go outside a lot. And build exercise into their days.
Although I believe that many medications etc. are a wonderful thing, I don’t trust drug manufacturers to tell me, or my doctor, the whole truth. We already know that they bury studies that don’t put theirdrugs in a favorable light, quietly sponsor trial write-ups in medical journals, and sometimes blatantly alter information. So I am forced to think about these things myself.
In the case of Gardasil, I have faced enormous pressure from the school, the pediatrician (we’ve moved, and I sure miss my chicken pox hero); even the flipping soccer coach. I’ve wavered about it endlessly. But at this point, I’ve decided it’s just not on. I’m pretty sure I’m not risking my two daughters getting cervical cancer- I’m a strong believer in check-ups- and I think Merck would better serve us by working on a fast and easy cure for genital warts – of course, that wouldn’t serve the stockholders so well as 3 shots plus, more than likely, booster shots, for every boy and girl in the world.
I see Gardasil as being like anti-bacterial soap–for the general population, an unecessary idea that has the potential to cause problems. I’m just going to keep working on healthy immune systems.
One minor point about pap smears and cervical cancer — pap smears do not prevent cervical cancer. They merely provide a means of detecting it early enough to stand a good chance of curing the patient. Note that in the case of cervical cancer, the cure is usually a hysterectomy. So if all the advertising about Gardasil is to be trusted, then the vaccine is more effective, since it prevents some of the more common strains of HPV, which are themselves the leading cause of cervical cancer.
I don’t think there’s much risk of new diseases cropping up because of Gardasil, so the analogy to antibacterial soap may not be very apt. I’m not an immunologist, but I don’t think it’s one that’s easy to evolve around, so to speak.
I’m more worried about a subtler risk from Gardasil: that people will get the vaccine and then stop having Pap smears done because they think they are immune to cervical cancer. They’re not, and that’s not all that Pap smears are good for.
BTW, I suspect a fast and easy cure for genital warts would be a very strong seller. Cures always tend to do better than preventative medicine. So I don’t think it’s a lack of financial incentive that keeps Merck from inventing that. I think it’s because it’s actually not an easy problem to solve.
One minor point about pap smears and cervical cancer — pap smears do not prevent cervical cancer. They merely provide a means of detecting it early enough to stand a good chance of curing the patient. Note that in the case of cervical cancer, the cure is usually a hysterectomy. So if all the advertising about Gardasil is to be trusted, then the vaccine is more effective, since it prevents some of the more common strains of HPV, which are themselves the leading cause of cervical cancer.
I don’t think there’s much risk of new diseases cropping up because of Gardasil, so the analogy to antibacterial soap may not be very apt. I’m not an immunologist, but I don’t think it’s one that’s easy to evolve around, so to speak.
I’m more worried about a subtler risk from Gardasil: that people will get the vaccine and then stop having Pap smears done because they think they are immune to cervical cancer. They’re not, and that’s not all that Pap smears are good for.
BTW, I suspect a fast and easy cure for genital warts would be a very strong seller. Cures always tend to do better than preventative medicine. So I don’t think it’s a lack of financial incentive that keeps Merck from inventing that. I think it’s because it’s actually not an easy problem to solve.
I’m not worried about HPV evolving in the same way that bacteria become drug-resistant. I worry that some of the, what, 90-odd strains of HPV not targeted will fill the void to creat replacement diseases. That already happened with Prevnar, and it wasn’t pretty, what with drug resistant strains getting a boost. What would we do–have even more shots to cover the new strains? Wouldn we get an annual shot, like a flu shot, guessing which strain’s gonna be the biggie this year (or decade)? Or just give reformulated shots to new patients and forget the old ones who still have another few decades of HPV exposure ahead?
Yeah, I get the pap smear thing. The only thing I worry about is that at some point my kids would stop getting regular exams, but I don’t think that’s likely with me nagging away. Gardasil seems more relevant to people that don’t have the luxury of health care, but then, they probably can’t afford the shot either.
I’m not big on financial conspiracies, and I do think that many researchers genuinely want to fix diseases, and God bless them, they do some good work. But let me see, Merck does have stockholders and a massive Vioxx settlement to face–where’s the Money? Vaccinations for everyone, or a genital wart cure for a relative few?
I’m not worried about HPV evolving in the same way that bacteria become drug-resistant. I worry that some of the, what, 90-odd strains of HPV not targeted will fill the void to creat replacement diseases. That already happened with Prevnar, and it wasn’t pretty, what with drug resistant strains getting a boost. What would we do–have even more shots to cover the new strains? Wouldn we get an annual shot, like a flu shot, guessing which strain’s gonna be the biggie this year (or decade)? Or just give reformulated shots to new patients and forget the old ones who still have another few decades of HPV exposure ahead?
Yeah, I get the pap smear thing. The only thing I worry about is that at some point my kids would stop getting regular exams, but I don’t think that’s likely with me nagging away. Gardasil seems more relevant to people that don’t have the luxury of health care, but then, they probably can’t afford the shot either.
I’m not big on financial conspiracies, and I do think that many researchers genuinely want to fix diseases, and God bless them, they do some good work. But let me see, Merck does have stockholders and a massive Vioxx settlement to face–where’s the Money? Vaccinations for everyone, or a genital wart cure for a relative few?