All articles tagged with #polio vaccine
Martha Lillard, the last known U.S. polio patient dependent on an iron lung, died at 78 in Oklahoma; contracted polio at age five and spent most of her life in the device, yet she learned via tutoring and traveled with her family. Her death certificate cites chronic pulmonary failure and post-polio syndrome, highlighting both the disease’s history and the vaccine-era decline of polio in the U.S.
Martha Ann Lillard, who contracted polio in 1953 and spent decades breathing in an iron lung because modern respirators could not meet her needs, died at 78 after the machine began breaking down and could not be repaired, following a long battle with COVID/long COVID; a tornado had previously knocked out power to her device, underscoring access-to-care challenges for aging life-support equipment.
The CDC has issued a level-2 travel advisory for 32 countries across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East due to rising poliovirus cases. Mayo Clinic describes polio’s potential to cause paralysis, breathing problems, and even death, though most infections are asymptomatic. Travelers should be up to date on routine polio vaccines and may receive an inactivated polio vaccine booster before travel to areas with circulating poliovirus.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a polio survivor, criticized efforts to undermine public confidence in the polio vaccine, emphasizing its life-saving impact and warning that anyone seeking Senate confirmation should avoid associating with such efforts.
A lawyer associated with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vaccine skeptic and Trump's pick for the US Department of Health and Human Services, has petitioned the FDA to revoke approval of the polio vaccine, citing the lack of placebo-controlled trials. The FDA is reviewing the petition, which has sparked controversy given the polio vaccine's role in nearly eradicating the disease. Critics argue that such trials are unethical and unnecessary, as the vaccine's benefits far outweigh theoretical risks. The petition has drawn criticism from public health experts and political figures, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
An ally of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., lawyer Aaron Siri, filed a petition in 2022 urging the FDA to revoke its approval of Sanofi's polio vaccine for children. The vaccine is widely recommended by federal health officials to prevent polio, a potentially deadly disease with no cure. Siri has a history of advocating for expanded vaccine exemptions.
An ally of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Aaron Siri, petitioned the FDA in 2022 to revoke the polio vaccine's approval, citing insufficient safety studies. Siri, a lawyer with a history of challenging vaccine approvals, filed the petition on behalf of the Informed Consent Action Network. The FDA has yet to decide on the request, which has drawn criticism from figures like Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, who warns against undermining vaccine safety. The polio vaccine has been deemed safe and effective since its introduction in 1955.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s attorney, Aaron Siri, has lobbied the FDA to revoke approval of the polio vaccine, raising concerns as Kennedy is considered for a health position in the Trump administration. Siri, known for opposing vaccines, filed the petition on behalf of the Informed Consent Action Network. The polio vaccine, crucial in reducing global cases by over 99%, is supported by health officials and leaders like Mitch McConnell, who warn against undermining public confidence in vaccines. Senate leaders urge Kennedy to clarify his stance on the issue.
Robert Kennedy Jr.'s lawyer, Aaron Siri, has been advocating for the removal of certain vaccines, including the polio vaccine, from the market, raising concerns about the future of vaccination in the U.S. Siri has petitioned the FDA to revoke vaccine approvals, arguing for more rigorous testing, despite widespread evidence supporting vaccine safety. As RFK Jr. is considered for a key health position in the Trump administration, there is uncertainty about potential changes to vaccine policies.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s attorney, Aaron Siri, is attempting to challenge the FDA's approval of the polio vaccine, despite Kennedy's claims of not restricting vaccine access if he leads U.S. health policy. Siri, who has a history of anti-vaccine litigation, is also involved in interviewing candidates for health positions, raising concerns about potential anti-vaccine influence in health agencies. This move aligns with Kennedy's controversial stance on vaccines, despite extensive studies disproving links between vaccines and autism.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s lawyer has requested the FDA to revoke its approval of the polio vaccine, raising concerns about its safety and efficacy. This move is part of a broader campaign by Kennedy, known for his controversial stance on vaccines, to challenge established vaccine protocols.
Paul Alexander, a polio survivor who lived in an iron lung for over 70 years, has passed away at the age of 78. Paralyzed from the neck down after contracting polio at the age of 6, Alexander became a lawyer, author, and an inspiration to many. His death was announced by a disability-rights advocate who had interviewed him. Polio, a highly infectious viral disease, mainly affects children under 5 and can lead to paralysis. With the introduction of the polio vaccine in the 1950s, efforts to eradicate the disease have been successful, leading to a drastic reduction in cases. Iron lungs, once used to aid polio patients' breathing, have largely been replaced by modern ventilators.
The claim that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) admitted that 98 million Americans were given a "cancer virus" through the polio vaccine is false. The CDC has made no such statement, and the claim misrepresents a fact sheet put out by the agency more than 10 years ago about some polio vaccines that were administered between 1955 to 1963. The agency has said that 10-30% of the 98 million shots administered in that period were contaminated with simian virus 40, or SV40, but that most studies have found no causal relationship between SV40 and cancer in humans.