http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-31727_162-20049118-10391695.html

March 31, 2011 11:32 AM
By Sharyl Attkisson

...The article in the Journal of Immunotoxicology is entitled "Theoretical aspects of autism: Causes--A review." The author is Helen Ratajczak, surprisingly herself a former senior scientist at a pharmaceutical firm. Ratajczak did what nobody else apparently has bothered to do: she reviewed the body of published science since autism was first described in 1943. Not just one theory suggested by research such as the role of MMR shots, or the mercury preservative thimerosal; but all of them.

Ratajczak's article states, in part, that "Documented causes of autism include genetic mutations and/or deletions, viral infections, and encephalitis [brain damage] following vaccination. Therefore, autism is the result of genetic defects and/or inflammation of the brain."

http://tmcnews.org/articles/lance-armstrong-cancer-research-supporters-rally-for-proposition-15/

Lance Armstrong, Cancer Research Supporters Rally for Proposition 15
By JO ANN ZUÑIGA
Texas Medical Center News

November 01, 2007

Champion cyclist and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong and a group of cancer research supporters recently campaigned at the Texas Medical Center urging voters to approve a proposed Texas constitutional amendment on the Nov. 6 ballot.

Proposition 15 would create the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas and authorize the state, starting in 2009, to issue up to $3 billion in bonds over 10 years for cancer research.

The seven-time Tour de France winner said, “I do not like to lose, either as an athlete or a cancer survivor. I do not want us to lose this proposition or the fight against cancer.”

Although Prop 15 has strong support, including from Texas Gov. Rick Perry and The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, some question the state’s plan to borrow funds to give out as research grants.

But Armstrong, himself a cancer survivor after being diagnosed with testicular cancer 11 years ago, and a contingency of bipartisan state legislators, are urging Texans to pass the proposition as an investment in their own lives and those of their loved ones.

In Houston, Armstrong addressed an audience which included many cancer survivors and patients undergoing cancer treatment.

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http://www.bmj.com/content/346/bmj.f3037

FEATURE
Influenza

Influenza: marketing vaccine by marketing disease

BMJ 2013; 346 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.f3037 (Published 16 May 2013)

Cite this as: BMJ 2013;346:f3037
Infectious diseases Immunology (including allergy) Vaccination programs Epidemiologic studies

http://www.everydayhealth.com/cold-and-flu/flu-vaccine-advice-may-be-flawed-experts-say-8759.aspx

Flu Vaccine Advice May Be Flawed, Expert Says

The CDC and other public health groups promote flu vaccination for just about everyone, but the assumptions underlying flu-shot guidelines may be flawed, argues one expert.

By Brett Spiegel, Everyday Health Staff Writer


FRIDAY, May, 17, 2013 — Public health officials at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have amped up their push for people to get vaccinated against the flu, saying that virtually everyone should get an annual flu shot.

But in a new article published in the British Medical Journal, Peter Doshi, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in comparative effectiveness research at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, questions whether flu vaccinations really offer the benefits the CDC claims.

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Either way, it appears that both the CDC and Doshi agree that flu is a potentially life-threatening plague the requires appropriate attention and intervention. Here are some simple steps you can take to stay healthy during flu season:

Keep your distance from those who are already sick. If you are sick, stay home from work or school to prevent others from falling ill.

When sneezing or coughing, cover your nose and mouth to prevent germs from spreading. Also avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth as germs can be transmitted from infected objects you touch.

Wash your hands often with soap and water or use hand sanitizer.

Clean your home or work space, especially if others around you are ill.

Manage your stress and make sure to load up on sleep and physical activity in addition to drinking plenty of fluids and eating nutrient-dense foods.

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2000-09-03/news/0009030374_1_genetically-modified-new-proteins

"Genetically Altered Foods: We Are Being Exposed to One of the Largest Uncontrolled Experiments in History"

Martha Herbert
Chicago Tribune

September 3, 2000

BOSTON - Today the vast majority of foods in supermarkets contain genetically modified substances whose effects on our health are unknown. As a medical doctor, I can assure you that no one in the medical profession would attempt to perform experiments on human subjects without their consent. Such conduct is illegal and unethical. Yet manufacturers of genetically altered foods are exposing us to one of the largest uncontrolled experiments in modern history.

In less than five years these companies have flooded the marketplace with thousands of untested and unlabeled products containing foreign genetic material. These genetically modified foods pose several very real dangers because they have been engineered to create novel proteins that retard spoilage, produce their own pesticides against insects, or allow plants to tolerate larger and larger doses of weed killers. Despite claims that these food products are based on "sound science," in truth, neither manufacturers nor the government has studied the effects of these genetically altered organisms or their new proteins on people-especially babies, the elderly, and the sick. Can these products be toxic? Can they cause immune system problems? Can they damage an infant's developing nervous system? We need answers to these questions, and until then genetically altered ingredients should be removed from the food we eat.

As a pediatric neurologist, I especially worry about the safety of modified foods when it comes to children. We know that the human immune system, for example, is not fully developed in infants. Consequently, pediatricians have long been concerned about early introduction of new proteins into the immature gut and developing body of small children. Infants with colic are often switched to soy formula. Yet we have no information on how they might be affected by drinking genetically engineered soy, even though this product may be their sole or major source of nutrition for months. Because these foods are unlabeled, most parents feed their babies genetically altered formula whether they want to or not. Even proteins that are normally part of the human diet may, when introduced too early, lead to auto-immune and hypersensitivity or "allergic" reactions later.

Some studies suggest that the epidemic increase in asthma (it has doubled since 1980) may have links to early dietary exposures. The behavior problems of many children with autism and attention disorders get worse when they are exposed to certain foods. Yet as more unlabeled and untested genetically engineered foods enter the market, there is no one monitoring how the millions of people with immune system vulnerability are reacting to them and the novel proteins and fragments of viruses they can contain. In fact, without labeling, there is no possible way to track such health effects. This is not sound science, and it is not sound public health.

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More at link.