What The Experts Say About Aluminum in Vaccines

TRUTH IS STRONGER THAN LIES

Aluminum is a positively charged bio-conductive element, 64 times more positive than colloidal blood products (ie. anything suspended in your blood) are negative; with the properties of a coagulant. It literally draws in all other metals & toxins in its path. When injected into deep muscle tissue or subcutaneously, this neurotoxin gets redistributed via the bloodstream (consisting of 90% water) to areas of fatty tissue (highly electrical tissues – negatively charged) throughout the body, builds up over time in these delicate centers; primarily in the Brain, Spinal cord, Myelin sheath, Meninges, cardiac cells, breasts & ovaries (in women), prostate (in men), kidneys, liver, gut & bowels.

‘Approximately 25% of the total amount of the cholesterol present in humans is localized to this organ, most of it present in myelin. Almost all brain cholesterol is a product of local synthesis, with the blood-brain barrier efficiently protecting it from exchange with lipoprotein cholesterol in the circulation.

It has been estimated that up to 70% of the brain cholesterol is associated with myelin. Because up to half of the white matter may be composed of myelin, it is unsurprising that the brain is the most cholesterol-rich organ in the body. The concentration of cholesterol in the brain, and particularly in myelin, is consistent with an essential function related to its membrane properties.‘ Division of Clinical Chemistry, Huddinge University Hospital, Sweden

‘This “sludging” is activated when Aluminum (64 times more positive than colloidal blood products are negative) interacts with Hemoglobin in flow, in the negatively charged environment. This causes the negatively charged blood products to “attract” towards the larger, more massive positively charged Aluminum, causing clumping or “sludging”. This restricts blood flow, and it changes the Zeta Potential to change from -15mv (minus 15 milivolts) towards -10 mv (minus 10 milivolts), or possibly closer to zero. This is an increase in Zeta Potential, from a negatively charge towards neutral. (This is somewhat analogous to a change in state of water as it turns to ice – it’s a change in viscosity, affecting blood flow).‘ Dr. Andrew Moulden

“Your blood has no method of excretion; Heavy metals & live viruses, formaldehyde are redistributed by the blood to areas of fatty tissue (highly conductive/electrical tissues) – found in the gray matter of the brain, the Myelin Sheath, neurons, the meninges/spine, cardiac cells, breasts & ovaries (in women), prostate (in men). Blood is made of water. When you stick aluminum in your blood, anything that’s toxic debris is going to bond to and coagulate and cause a congestive coccidiosis and this stuff gets caught in the tiny highways & byways.’ Dr. Gary Tunsky

Note: “…aluminium-containing adjuvants could trigger the cascade of immunological events which are associated with autoimmune conditions including chronic fatigue syndrome and macrophagic myofasciitis.”

‘It is well known and published in the scientific literature that combinations of two chemicals may be 10 times as toxic as either separately, or 3 chemicals 100 times as toxic…The levels of mercury Thimerosal in vaccines has been shown to be highly neurotoxic, but the effect was found to be much larger due to the synergistic effect with aluminum, which is also in most vaccines…Elements with a valence of 3, such as aluminum (+3), have 6000 times more effect on carrying capacity (sludging toxicity) due to the three extra positive charges.’Excerpt from ‘Medical Veritas: The Journal of Medical Truth’ By Gary S. Goldman, Ph.D P. 133-134

Dr. Boyd Hayley performed a synergy experiment using Aluminum Hydroxide Salt, Mercury (Thimerosal) & Neomycin (antibiotic associated with Kidney failure, hazardous to a fetus). The results indicated a 75% acceleration in cell deaths when all 3 ingredients were combined.

Think about it. Vaccine Resistance Movement
http://vaccineresistancemovement.org/?p=10185

Balas Budi

Suatu sore di sebuah warung sembako, seorang gadis remaja menghampiri dan menyapa saya dg sopan sambil salim cium tangan.
"Halo tante.."
"Mmm... Siapa ya? Maaf tante lupa", saya jawab sapaannya dg senyum. Agak bingung karena beneran lupa dan ngerasa ga familiar ama wajahnya.
"Saya yg dulu tante anter ke sekolah ama kakak saya"
Saya langsung memutar otak berpikir, yg mana yaa...?
Ah, saya ingat sekarang!
"Oalaah mbak, maaf tante lupa. Kakakmu mana?"
"Itu nunggu di motor", jawabnya sambil menunjuk gadis yg tak berbeda usia dengannya.
Tak lama gadis itu berpamitan pulang.

Saya terharu memandang mereka. Gadis2 yang sopan dan tau membalas budi. Padahal saya sendiri sudah lupa kejadian itu. Karena bukan satu hal yg besar sih. Tapi rupanya gadis2 itu tetap mengingatnya.

Ini reminder buat saya. Memang harusnya demikian adabnya. Bila kita berbuat baik pada orang lain, jangan diingat-ingat. Bantu mereka, lalu lupakan.
Tapi sebaliknya, bila kita yg menerima bantuan, jangan sampai lupa akan budi itu. Minimal berterima kasih dan doakan kebaikan pada yg telah menolong kita dengan sebaik-baik doa: jazaakumullaahu khayr.

Teruntuk saudara2ku yg pernah menolongku dari segala kesulitan, jazakumullahu khayr. Semoga Allah memberi balasan kebaikan untuk kalian semua. Maafkan bila daku belum mampu membalas kebaikan kalian. 🙏

#selfreminder

Do Not Litter, Please..

Selain adab, masalah generasi jaman sekarang adalah menyepelekan JUMLAH.

"Ah, cuma satu batang."
"Ah, cuma satu orang."
"Ah, cuma satu buah."

Efeknya?

Sampah yg berserakan. Di jalan, di lapangan, di sekolah. Saya lihat sendiri semalam di teras sebuah minimarket dekat rumah. Minimarket tersebut menyediakan kursi bagi pelanggannya. Tak lupa disediakan pula tempat sampah di sana. PUN, disertai tulisan di dinding: BUANGLAH SAMPAH PADA TEMPATNYA.

Entah orang sekarang kemampuan membacanya berkurang atau ketidakpeduliannya yg menambah. Sepertinya alasan kedua yg benar. Rasa cuek, ignorant, egp, itu yg menang menguasai diri.

"Ah, nanti juga ada yg bersihin."

Tentu saja nanti ada yg bersihin. Karyawan minimarket pastinya akan membersihkan sisa sampah yg berserakan di sana. Jorok sekali liat sampah2 itu. Ga mungkin dibiarin kan? Tapi apakah berat tangan kalian utk membawa botol minuman, bungkus snack yg abis kalian makan ke tempat sampah yg jaraknya paling jauh 1 meter? apakah berat mengangkat pantat dan kaki utk melangkah ke tempat sampah yg jaraknya ga lebih dari sepuluh langkah?

Beberapa waktu yg lalu saat bermotor, di depan saya ada sepasang pria berboncengan. Lalu sekelebat benda saya lihat melayang ke arah kiri jalan. Satu buah gelas plastik sukses mendarat di pinggir jalan. Saya melongo menyaksikannya. Ga pikir panjang saya percepat laju motor dan mendekat ke sisi kanan kedua pria itu.

Saya buka masker saya dan berkata agak berteriak yg ditujukan ke pria yg di belakang.

"Pak, jangan buang sampah sembarangan ya !"

Si pria tidak menoleh malah membuang muka ke arah kiri tidak mau lihat ke saya. Lalu pria yg mengemudikan motor mendengar dan bertanya ke saya.

"Ada apa bu?"

Saya ulangi kata-kata saya.

"Jangan buang sampah sembarangan !" sambil mata saya memberi isyarat menunjuk pria di boncengannya.

"Oh, iya bu."

Dijawab pendek saja. Si pria di belakang tetap memandang ke kiri. Ya sudah, yg penting pesan saya sudah tersampaikan lalu saya tinggalkan mereka.

Tingkat ketidakpedulian masyarakat makin memprihatinkan. Mereka tidak peduli bahwa angka satu itu sangatlah berpengaruh. Satu orang berpikiran utk membuang sampah, kumpulan dg 99 orang yg berpikiran sama maka akan ada 100 sampah menumpuk di situ. Bayangkan kalo jumlah itu jadi 1000, 10.000, sejuta. Kita punya masalah besar !

Tolong, sekali lagi saya minta tolong, ajarkan anak kita membuang sampah pada tempatnya. Biasakan utk mengingatkan mereka berulang-ulang. Saya pun harus berulang-ulang menegur anak saya yg sudah siap2 membuang sampah sembarangan. Alhamdulillah kalo biasa begitu mereka akan cari tempat sampah tanpa disuruh. Bahkan bertanya tempat sampah di mana. Satu kebiasaan baik yg terduplikasi akan menciptakan lingkungan yg bersih dari sampah.

Bisa kah kita ambil bagian menjadikan lingkungan kita bersih?

What Happens to the Brain With Vaccination?

From Jeff Prager:

What Happens to the Brain With Vaccination?

It seems the brain is always neglected when pharmacologists consider side effects of various drugs. The same is true for vaccinations. For a long time no one considered the effect of repeated vaccinations on the brain. This was based on a mistaken conclusion that the brain was protected from immune activation by its special protective gateway called the blood-brain barrier. More recent studies have shown that immune cells can enter the brain directly, and more importantly, the brain’s own special immune system can be activated by vaccination.

You see, the brain has a special immune system that operates through a unique type of cell called a microglia.

These tiny cells are scattered throughout the brain, lying dormant waiting to be activated. In fact, they are activated by many stimuli and are quite easy to activate. For our discussion, activation of the body’s immune system by vaccination is a most important stimuli for activation of brain microglia.

Numerous studies have shown that when the body’s immune system is activated, the brain’s immune cells are likewise activated. This occurs by several pathways, not important to this discussion. The more powerfully the body’s immune system is stimulated the more intense is the brain’s reaction. Prolonged activation of the body’s immune system likewise produces prolonged activation of the brain’s immune system.

Therein lies the danger of our present vaccine policy.

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Practice have both endorsed a growing list of vaccines for children, even newborns, as well as yearly flu shots for both children and adults. Children are receiving as many as 22 inoculations before attending school.

What Happens When the Brain’s Immune System is Activated?

The brain’s immune system cells, once activated, begin to move about the nervous system, secreting numerous immune chemicals (called cytokines and chemokines) and pouring out an enormous amount of free radicals in an effort to kill invading organisms. The problem is–there are no invading organisms. It has been tricked by the vaccine into believing there are.

Unlike the body’s immune system, the microglia also secrete two other chemicals that are very destructive of brain cells and their connecting processes. These chemicals, glutamate and quinolinic acid, are called excitotoxins. They also dramatically increase free radical generation in the brain. Studies of patients have shown that levels of these two excitotoxins can rise to very dangerous levels in the brain following viral and bacterial infections of the brain. High quinolinic acid levels in the brain are thought to be the cause of the dementia seen with HIV infection.

The problem with our present vaccine policy is that so many vaccines are being given so close together and over such a long period that the brain’s immune system is constantly activated. This has been shown experimentally in numerous studies. This means that the brain will be exposed to large amounts of the excitotoxins as well as the immune cytokines over the same period.

Studies on all of these disorders, even in autism, have shown high levels of immune cytokines and excitotoxins in the nervous system. These destructive chemicals, as well as the free radicals they generate, are diffused throughout the nervous system doing damage, a process called bystander injury. It’s sort of like throwing a bomb in a crowd. Not only will some be killed directly by the blast, but those far out into the radius of the explosion will be killed by shrapnel.

Normally, the brain’s immune system, like the body’s, activates quickly and then promptly shuts off to minimize the bystander damage. Vaccination won’t let the microglia shut down. In the developing brain, this can lead to language problems, behavioral dysfunction, and even dementia. In the adult, it can lead to the Gulf War Syndrome or one of the more common neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s dementia, or Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS).

What Do The Doctors Say?

Dr. Buchwald, M.D.
The decline in infectious diseases in developed countries had nothing to do with vaccinations, but with the decline in poverty and hunger.

Dr. Glen Dettman
It is pathetic and ludicrous to say we ever vanquished smallpox with vaccines, when only 10% of the population was ever vaccinated.

Dr. Archie Kalokerinos, M.D.
Up to 90% of the total decline in the death rate of children between 1860-1965 because of whooping cough, scarlet fever, diphtheria, and measles occurred before the introduction of immunizations and antibiotics.

Dr. Mendelsohn, M.D.
My suspicion, which is shared by others in my profession, is that the nearly 10,000 SIDS deaths that occur in the United States each year are related to one or more of the vaccines that are routinely given children. The pertussis vaccine is the most likely villain, but it could also be one or more of the others.

Peter Baratosy, M.D. PhD, Australia
I see many children in my practice. I see the difference between the immunized and the non-immunized. The non-vaccinated are much healthier and have less infections, colds, otis media, and tonsillitis.

John B.Classen, M.D., M.B.A.
My data proves that the studies used to support immunization are so flawed that it is impossible to say if immunization provides a net benefit to anyone or to society in general. This question can only be determined by proper studies, which have never been performed. The flaw of previous studies is that there was no long-term follow-up and chronic toxicity was not looked at. The American Society of Microbiology has promoted my research…and thus acknowledges the need for proper studies.

Raymond Obomsawin, M.D.
Delay of DPT immunization until 2 years of age in Japan has resulted in a dramatic decline in adverse side effects. In the period of 1970-1974, when DPT vaccination was begun at 3 to 5 months of age, the Japanese national compensation system paid out claims for 57 permanent severe damage vaccine cases, and 37 deaths. During the ensuing six-year period 1975-1980, when DPT injections were delayed to 24 months of age, severe reactions from the vaccine were reduced to a total of eight with three deaths. This represents an 85 to 90 percent reduction in severe cases of damage and death.

Dr. Howard Weiner, Immunologist, Harvard Medical School
If a person has a tendency towards a disease, at a certain age, a vaccine might make him/her more susceptible later when other challenges come along.

Philip Incao, M.D. Testimony on the Hepatitis Vaccine, Ohio 3/1/99
A critical point, which is never mentioned by those advocating mass vaccination is that children’s health has declined significantly since 1960 when vaccines began to be widely used. According to the National Health Interview Survey conducted annually…a shocking 31% of US children today have chronic health problems… In my medical career, I’ve treated vaccinated and unvaccinated children, and the unvaccinated were far healthier and more robust. Allergies, asthma, and behavioral and attention disturbances were clearly more common in my young patients who were vaccinated.

Mary N. Megson, M.D.
Autism may be a disorder linked to the disruption of the G-alpha protein, affecting retinoid receptors in the brain. A study of sixty autistic children suggests that autism may be caused by inserting a G-alpha protein defect, the pertussis toxin found in the D.P.T. vaccine, into genetically at-risk children.

Guylaine Lanctot M.D.
The medical authorities keep lying. Vaccination has been a disaster on the immune system. It actually causes a lot of illnesses. We are changing our genetic code through vaccination.

Dr. Kalokerinos, M.D.
It was similar with the measles vaccination. They went through Africa, South America and elsewhere, and vaccinated sick and starving children…They thought they were wiping out measles, but most of those susceptible to measles died from some other disease that they developed as a result of being vaccinated. The vaccination reduced their immune levels and acted like an infection. Many got septicaemia, gastro-enteritis, etcetera, or made their nutritional status worse and they died from malnutrition. So there were very few susceptible infants left alive to get measles. It’s one way to get good statistics, kill all those that are susceptible, which is what they literally did.

Conclusion
The AMA has always been corrupt. Just look back at their old recommendations for smoking tobacco. The AMA has also been sued for maintaining an illegal boycott of chiropractors. Their expert advice has always been for sale to the highest bidder. The CDC is no different. Recently they’ve been outed for covering up the link between the MMR vaccine and autism in African American children. Their advisory board is filled with industry insiders promoting their own self-interest. The AAP seems to be working primarily for vaccine manufacturers.

There are two kinds of pro-vaccine experts; those who regurgitate pro-vaccine rhetoric and those who are getting paid by pharmaceutical industries. Most regulators are the second kind of expert. (We all know money talks, and big money yells). You cannot do all of the research and come to the conclusion that vaccines are safe. Those that do the research invariably reject all vaccines, or refuse many of them.

https://www.facebook.com/RageAgainstVaccines/posts/613074898830418

Vaccines & Fetal Tissue Q&A

Copied and pasted from http://www.lifecanada.org/vaccines/...

1. Is it true that tissue taken from aborted fetuses was used to develop and manufacture several routine childhood vaccines?

Yes, cells taken from fetuses aborted in the 1960's, 70's and 80's were used to develop what are known as Human Diploid Cell Strains (HDCS). Several HDCS were then used to develop and are still used to manufacture a number of childhood and adult viral vaccines. In fact, HDCS are quickly becoming the 'growth system' of choice for viral vaccines, over and against cell strains derived from monkeys, chick embryos, and others. (See questions 5 & 8 for further information)

2. What are Human Diploid Cell Strains (HDCS)?

HDCS refer to groups of human cells that maintain the normal human chromosomal number (diploid human number is 46, or 23 pairs) and characteristics, while dividing throughout their limited lifetime in a labratory setting. In contrast to cell lines, cell strains maintain the normal number of chromosomes throughout consecutive cell divisions, do not produce tumours when inoculated into humans or animals, and die after an innate number of population doublings. (1) Though research has been done with adult human cell strains, (2),(3),(4) HDCS used in viral vaccines were derived from aborted fetuses. (5),(6),(7),(8)

Note: In this document, HDCS will refer to those derived from aborted fetal tissue.

3. How are HDCS made?

While all the fetal cell strains used in viral vaccine manufacture were made using similar basic procedures, the following briefly explains how in the 1960s at the Wistar Institute in Pennsylvania, researcher Leonard Hayflick developed cell strains WI-1 through WI-25, and later, the widely-used WI-38 cell strain.

Since abortion was illegal in the United States in the early 1960s, fetuses were obtained from Sweden. Erling Norrby reported, “one of my duties as a young student in the laboratory in Stockholm was to dissect human fetuses from legal abortions and send organs to the Wistar Institute. Such material was the source of many important studies of cell lines at the Institute, such as Leonard Hayflick’s study of WI-38 cells. (9)

Tissue was taken from the lungs, kidneys, skin, muscles, heart, liver, thymus, and thyroid of 19 electively-aborted fetuses. Batches of cells taken from these tissues were incubated in a labratory setting. After a cell batch had multiplied sufficiently to form a mass big enough to harvest, the mass was divided up into smaller batches, and incubated again. After about 50 'cell population doublings,' the cells divided more slowly and deteriorated. Although cell strains have a finite life-span, by freezing excess cells at each sub-cultivation, one could have cells available at any given time in almost limitless numbers. The frozen cells can be thawed, sub-cultivated repeatly, and the excess from each of these sub-cultivations can, in turn, be frozen and later thawed for use. This pattern can be repeated until the total potential yield of about 20 million metric tons of cells (wet weight) is reached. (11),(12)

Therefore, although cell strains are not, as some claim, ‘immortal’, they are stable sources of huge volumes of cells which can be used for mass vaccine manufacture. (10),(11),(12)

4. How are HDCS used to make viral vaccines?

Viral vaccines are readily made using HDCS. To explain how this is done, a brief look at viruses is first in order.

A virus must take over a living cell to reproduce. To do this, the virus attaches itself to the wall of a cell, injects its own genetic material into the cell and uses the host cell’s mechanisms to make copies of itself. Because viral reproduction is achieved by the host cell, efforts to stop the virus from reproducing will usually also kill the host cell. Therefore, viral infection is prevented by vaccination (active immunization) or treated with immune globulin (passive immunization). (13)

Viral vaccination involves introduction of small amounts of killed, or live but weakened (attenuated) virus into the body to produce immunity to a specific disease. If the body is later exposed to the same virus, defenses are already in place, and the virus will not cause illness. Attenuated and killed virus vaccines are able to induce enough of a response to achieve immunity, but do not cause full blown illness. (14)

To make a viral vaccine, viruses are grown in HDCS or animal cells, and incubated until enough virus is available for harvest. The virus is purified, weakened or killed, and then added to solution for injection. (15)

5. Why are HDCS used to make vaccines? How do HDCS compare with animal cell cultures used in vaccine production?

According to researcher Leonard Hayflick, HDSC are a suitable cell system for human vaccine production because they meet several criteria:

1. HDCS grow many viruses efficiently, while some animal cells can only support specific viruses.

2. One fetus can be the source of a cell strain with a potential yield of about 20 million metric tons (wet weight) of cells, which can be stored frozen for many years. Many vaccine lots can be produced in cells from a single, tested HDCS over a length of time. In addition, aborted fetuses and/or their organs, are seemingly easy to obtain, and the cost of tissue procurement is ‘negligible.” (17)

In contrast, obtaining tissue for primary animal cell cultures are complicated. Monkeys had to be trapped, and/or grown in captivity, and a number of workers involved with this died after being infected with diseases carried by the monkeys. Hayflick also mentions the “cost and burden of housing, feeding, maintaining, and breeding dogs, chickens and ducks and, in addition, shipping and quarantining monkeys.” (16)

3. While viruses have not been detected in HDSC to date, animal cell cultures (monkey, dog, duck, chicken, etc) have occasionally been shown to harbour unwanted viruses, some of which can cause disease in humans.

4. Several HDCS were tested for cancer-causing ability directly in human subjects, then used for vaccine production. One HDCS so tested could provide large quantities of several vaccines, minimizing the need for frequent testing. This is impractical and potentially dangerous to do with primary animal cells. (18),(19),(20)

HDCS are well-suited to viral vaccine growth. Because of this, HDCS are quickly becoming the cell system of choice for growing vaccines.

6. Which HDCS are used in viral vaccine manufacture?

The two HDCS currently used are WI-38, MRC-5.

WI-38 (Wistar Institute cell strain 38) was developed by Leonard Hayflick at the Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology in Pennsylvania in 1962. WI-38 was derived from the lung tissue of a three-month-old female aborted fetus: “This fetus was chosen by Dr. Sven Gard, specifically for this purpose. Both parents are known ... the abortion was done because they felt they had too many children. There were no familial diseases in the history of either parent, and no history of cancer specifically in the families ...” (21)

WI-38 was developed as part of a series. WI-1 through WI-25 were developed using various organs from 19 electively-aborted fetuses. WI-26, derived from the lungs of a male aborted fetus, was used to develop the first polio virus in 1962. Another strain, namely WI-44, is also mentioned, which was derived from the lungs of a three month female aborted fetus. (22),(23)

In 1981 Leonard Hayflick aquired the patent for WI-38. (24) “WI-38”, he later stated, “was and still is used as the substrate to produce most human virus vaccines”, which “have been administered to more than a billion people around the world during the last forty years.” (25)

MRC-5 (Medical Research Council cell strain 5) was developed in the United Kingdom, in 1966 by J.P. Jacobs and colleagues. MRC-5 was derived from lung tissue, taken from a 14-week male fetus aborted for psychiatric reasons from a physically healthy 27 year old woman. (26),(27) MRC-5 is currently used by many pharmaceutical companies in the manufacture of many vaccines.

7. What is the origin of the RA 27/3 rubella vaccines?

Rubella is generally a mild disease in children. However, if a pregnant woman contracts the disease, the virus can cross the placenta, infect the fetus and result in congenital rubella syndrome. If the infection occurs during the first three months of pregnancy, when all the major organ systems are developing, multiple abnormalities often result. Not long ago, pregnant mothers who contracted rubella were strongly encouraged to abort. Vaccination against rubella was and still is considered an important public health objective in protecting non-immune pregnant women and their unborn children.

All the rubella vaccines currently used in Canada are made using the RA 27/3 strain of rubella virus. The RA 27/3 (Rubella abortus, 27th fetus, 3rd tissue explant) rubella strain was obtained during the 1964 rubella epidemic in the US. (28) It was then grown on WI-38. (29)

Later the same researchers published an article documenting that forty aborted fetuses (not just 27) were used in the study and development of this virus strain. (30) Following this, the virus strain was tested on HDCS derived from an additional 29 fetuses. The initial vaccine was first tested on orphans in Philadelphia, before being licensed and widely used.

Other effective strains of rubella obtained from a variety of non-abortion-related sources already existed at the time. Yet, RA 27/3 was and still is the rubella strain most commonly used around the world. While it was initially grown in WI-38 cells, manufacturers now grow it in either WI-38 or MRC-5 cells. Japan is one of the only countries where an alternate rubella vaccine is currently used. In Canada, no rubella vaccines using another virus strain and non-fetal cell strains are approved or licensed for use. Dr. Plotkin maintains that his rubella vaccine has prevented many abortions: “I have no doubt that rubella vaccination has prevented thousands and thousands of abortions. From strictly an arithmetical assessment, the good done by the vaccine – if you are opposed to abortion-- is infinitely greater than any possible harm.” (31)

8. What are the other HDCS currently on the market?

Numerous other cell strains have been made as back-ups for the current strains, and for research. The most commonly known stains are:

MRC-9 (Medical Research Council cell strain 9) was derived from the lungs of a female fetus aborted in 1974, and developed by Jacobs and colleagues for research and as a back-up for vaccine manufacture.

IMR-90 (Institute for Medical Research cell strain 90) was derived from the lungs of a sixteen-week old female fetus aborted in July 1975. IMR-90 is designated for “research and related activities.” (32)

HEK 293 (Human Embryonic Kidney 293) was made from human embryonic kidney cells in 1972, and is used for research.

PER.C6 was developed in 1995 from embryonic retinal cells obtained in 1985, following the abortion of an eighteen week fetus aborted because “the woman wanted to get rid of the fetus.”(33) PER.C6 was made ‘just for pharmaceutical manufacturing”, according to the Dutch researcher, Dr. van der Erb of the Leiden University, who added that, “as far as I know, more than fifty different companies have taken license for PER.C6”. It is being used in the development of numerous new vaccines against “influenza A, influenza B, ‘avian flu’, tuberculosis, respiratory syncytial virus, HIV, anthrax and various encephalopathic viruses.” (34)

In 2002, PER.C6 was also “launched into commercial production of fully human monoclonal antibodies” (Mabs), totally unrelated to vaccine production. Mabs are currently used in a broad array of cancer therapies, chronic autoimmune inflammatory diseases such as rheumatiod arthritis and ulcerative colitis, and have potential for use in treating infectious diseases, SARS, rabies and others. While Mabs currently in use were not developed using human cell strains, and animal strains have worked well, various biotech companies are aggressively pursuing Mab development using human strains such as PER.C6. In addition gene therapy is being developed using PER.C6.

Although claims are made that no further abortions are needed to manufacture vaccines, it is clear that technology using HDCS is poised to take over the production of vaccines and many other human health products. (35)

9. Which vaccines use HDCS?

Vaccines Developed with the Use of Aborted Foetal Cells

NOTE: Product monographs which accompany vaccines include this information under headings such as “product description”, “composition” and “ingredients”. Look for WI-38, MRC-5, “human diploid cells”, and in the case of rubella vaccines, “RA 27/3”. However, sometimes a combination vaccine will not list all the ingredients for each separate component. For example, Pentacel is a combination vaccine for tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, polio and Haemophilus Influenzae B. Although the polio component of the vaccine is made using MRC-5, this is not mentioned on the product monograph for Pentacel. If one were to look at the product monograph for the polio vaccine used in this combination vaccine, it is mentioned there. Most product monographs for vaccines are available online on Health Canada's Drug product Datatbase (DPD), or by checking the manufacturer’s website, or by phoning the customer service phone number provided on the product monograph and elsewhere. The chart at the link above can be used to determine which vaccines are implicated.

10. Are there any ethical alternatives available that use non-fetal cells?

a. At the present time, there are no ethical alternatives for the rubella vaccine in Canada. This problem is compounded by the fact that the rubella vaccine is only available in combination with measles and mumps. Alternatives are available in Europe and Japan, but have not been licensed or marketed in Canada. Measles and mumps single dose vaccines are available in the US.

b. All chickenpox vaccines are made with aborted fetal cell strains. There are no ethical alternatives available world-wide.

c. Alternative have been approved for use in Canada to Pentacel (against tetanus diphtheris, pertussis, polio and Haemophilus B), of which the polio component is made with MRC-5. Pediacel (Sanofi Pasteur) and Infanrix (GlaxoSmithKline) are made with monkey cells and protect against the same diseases as Pentacel. All the provinces except Quebec have confirmed they are in the process of replacing Pentacel with Pediacel in the routine immunization schedule. While the start date varies somewhat from province to province, the earliest start date is set for October, 2007. Quebec is also expected to purchase Pediacel instead of Pentacel when it secures its upcoming vaccine contact.

d. Alternatives are available in Canada for rabies vaccine. Rabavert, made on chick embryos is the one to ask for.

e. Alternatives for Hepatitis A are only available in Japan and Europe. Note that Hepatitis A vaccine is also used in combination vaccines with Hepatitis B (Twinrix), and also typhoid fever (Vivaxim). Some of these are required for travel abroad.

11. What can be done to encourage governments to provide ethical alternatives?

Many parents, healthcare professionals and government officials are unaware of the issue of aborted fetal cell use in vaccines. They need to be informed, and they need to know that many people have moral objections to using vaccines produced in such a manner. Although ethical alternatives for some vaccines do exist, some are not licensed for use in Canada, and aquiring those will take time and continued effort. Concerned parents and physicians should contact their provincial health officials to outline their concerns and encourage them to acquire ethical alternatives for the population under their care. Addresses and a sample letter are included on this website.

12. Should parents continue to have their children vaccinated using these products?

While this is ultimately the responsibility of parents to decide, pro-life physicians do encourage continued vaccination with these products until ethical alternatives are made available. However, if governments and pharmaceutical companies are led to believe that the public is content with products provided, no changes will be made. Therefore, parents who continue vaccinating their children with these products, as well as those who don’t are strongly urged to let their Provincial Health Ministers, Chief Medical Officers of Health, doctors, and pharmaceutical companies know that they require alternatives. Addresses and a sample letter are included on this website.

References

(1) L. Hayflick, S. Plotkin and R.E. Stevenson, “History of the Acceptance of Human Diploid Cell Strains as Substrates for Human Virus Vaccine Manufacture,” in Developments in Biological Standardization 68 (1987), 10.

(2) L. Hayflick and P.S. Moorhead, “The Serial Cultivation of Human Diploid Cell Strains,” in Experimental Cell Research 25 (1961), 590.

(3) L. Hayflick, “The Limited In Vitro Lifetime of Human Diploid Cell Strains,” in Experimental Cell Research 37 (1965), 625.

(4) Anthony J. Girardi, “Prevention of SV40 Virus Oncogenesis in Hamsters, I. Tumor Resistance Induced by Human Cells Transformed by SV40,” in Microbiology 54 (1965), 445.

(5) Hayflick, “The Serial Cultivation,” 590-591.

(6) Hayflick, “The Limited In Vitro Lifeline,” 625.

(7) Girardi, “Prevention of SV40 Virus Oncogenesis,” 445.

(8) J. P. Jacobs, A.F. Garrett and Rosemary Merton, “Characteristics of a Serially Propagated Human Diploid Cell Designated MRC-9,” in Journal of Biological Standardization 7 (1979), 113-114.

(9) Roger Vaughan, “Listen to the Music: The life of Hilary Koprowski,” reviewed by Erling Norrby in Perspectives in Biology and Medicine 44 (Spring 2001), 304-306.

(10) Hayflick, “History of Acceptance,” 10.

(11) Ibid, 9.

(12) Hayflick, “The Serial Cultivation ,” 604.

(13) B.F. Miller and C.B. Keane, "Miller-Keane Encyclopedia & Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing & Allied Health, 5th edition,” W.B. Saunders Company (1992), 1607-1609.

(14) Ibid, 1569.

(15) S.A. Plotkin and A.J. Beale, “Production of RA27/3 Rubella Vaccine and Clinical Results with the Vaccine,” in Developments in Biological Standardization 37 (1976), 291-296.

(16) L. Hayflick, “The Choice of the Cell Substrate for Human Virus Vaccine Production,” in Laboratory Practice 19 (1970), 59.

(17) Ibid, 60.

(18) Hayflick, “The Choice of the Cell Substrate,” 58-62.

(19) L. Hayflick, “History of Cell Substrates Used for Human Biologicals,” in Developments in Biological Standardization 70 (1989), 11-26.

(20) Hayflick, “The Serial Cultivation ,” 586-621.

(21) Plotkin, “Gamma Globulin Prophylaxis Inactivated Rubella Virus, Production and Biologics Control of Lice Attenuated Rubella Virus Vaccines,” in American Journal of Diseases of Children 118 (1969), 378.

(22) Hayflick, “The Limited In Vitro Lifeline,” 615.

(23) Hayflick, “The Serial Cultivation ,” 591.

(24) Hayflick, “History of Cell Substrates,” 22-23.

(25) L. Hayflick, “Letters: The Never Ending Story of HeLa” in Scientist 20 (2007), 14.

(26) J.P. Jacobs, C.M. Jones, and J.P. Baille, “Characteristics of a Human Diploid Cell Designated MRC-5,” Nature 227 (1970), 168.

(27) J.P. Jacobs, “The Status of Human Diploid Cell Strain MRC-5 as an Approved Substrate for the Production of Viral Vaccines,” in Journal of Biological Standardization 4 (1976), 97-99.

(28) Stanley A. Plotkin, John D. Farquhar, Michael Katz and Fritz Buser, “Attenuation of RA27/3 Rubella Virus in WI-38 Human Diploid Cells,” American Journal of Diseases of Children 118 (1969), 178.

(29) Stanley A. Plotkin, David Cornfield and Theodore H. Ingalls, “Studies of Immunization With Living Rubella Virus,” American Journal of Diseases of Children 110 (1965), 381-382.

(30) Chang, et al, “Chromosome Studies of Human Cells Infected in Utero and In Vitro with Rubella Virus,” in Proceeding of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine 122 (1966), 237-238.

(31) D. Brown, “Rubella Virus Eliminated in United States” Washington Post (March 21, 2005), A07.

(32) W.W. Nichols, D.G. Murphy, V.J. Cristofalo, L.H. Toji, A.E. Greene and S.A. Dwight, “Characterization of a New Human Diploid Cell Strain, IMR-90,” Science 196 (1977), 60-63.

(33) US FDA Centre for Biologics, Evaluation and Research, Vaccine and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee Meeting Transcript (May 16, 2001), 77-95 <http://www.FDA.gov/ohrms/dockets/ac/01/transcript/3750t1_01.pdf>;

(34) T.P. Collins, “Human Technology Manufacturing Platform,” The National Catholic Bioethics Quarterly 6 (2006), 511.

(35) Ibid, 505-512.

Shopaholic:the Series (resensi novel)

11 Mei 2009 pukul 9:22

Minggu ini aku selesai baca 2 buku dari 5 seri buku Shopaholic karangan Sophie Kinsella. Benernya rada malu juga,bisa baca buku2 ini dapetnya minjem dari temen. Kebiasaan jelekku kalo baca buku seri suka loncat gak dari seri pertama. Contohnya aja Harry Potter. Buku pertama HP yg kubaca justru langsung seri 3 yaitu yg the Prisoners of Azkaban. Baru setelah itu mulai dari seri 1 n 2 trus lanjut ke 4 n dst. Seri Shopaholic ini juga gitu. Buku pertama yg kubaca adalah seri kedua yaitu Shopaholic Abroad. Aku malah gak tau kalo ada seri pertamanya yaitu Confessions of a Shopaholic yg dah dibikin pilemnya.

Waktu baca Shopaholic Abroad,gak nyangka buku ini asik juga.Lucu,seger,and pengetahuan baru ttg penyakit yg namanya Shopaholic(sori yee yg merasa shopaholic,hehehe..).Dan yg bikin tambah lucu adalah nih orang,si Becky Bloomwood,gak rumangsa (apa ya rumangsa itu?)maksudnya gak nyadar kalo dirinya tuh gila belanja gak ketulungan.Tapi ndilalah,endingnya yah begitu deh,happy ending,and everything is under control.Or is it?

Nah tu die..pas aku maen ke temenku yg minjemin buku ini,aku baru tau ternyata ada kelanjutannya nih buku.Dan respon pertamaku waktu dipinjemin lanjutannya adalah,"Loh?si Becky ini belum sembuh toh?" hahaha..!Sumpah aku gak nyangka kalo Becky belum sembuh dan kayanya juga makin parah!!Apalagi di buku yg aku baca berikutnya ini:Shopaholic & sister, and Shopaholic & Baby.Duh,makin parah nih orang!!

Tapi di luar kegilaan belanjanya,aku banyak menemukan nilai2 menarik dari pola kehidupan Becky. Untuk sebagian orang (terutama her new long lost sister),Becky adalah contoh orang manja yg di setiap masalah ada aja yg bisa membantunya keluar dari masalah.Dia punya orang tua yg open mind,sahabat yg sehati,and of course suami yg selain ganteng juga kaya raya.Tapi jangan dikira suaminya mau loh mbayari semua utang2 kartu kreditnya si Becky!!Dan di sinilah menariknya,bahwa aside her spoil and shopaholic habit,Becky jadi orang yg spontan dan kreatif karena terbiasa terdesak oleh masalah mendadak tapi berkat kepolosan dan kreatifitasnya bisa membantunya,malahan bisa menghasilkan uang yg tak disangka2.

Sebenarnya aku nulis ttg Shopaholic ini buat seorang sahabatku yg lagi bingung dan mengharu biru. Terkadang seseorang pernah dalam suatu masa di hidupnya merasakan low self esteem sampai ke lapisan lumpur yg terdalam (duuh,gak segitunya kalee..) tapi kita gak mungkin dong "memanjakan" diri kita untuk sibuk mengasihani diri sendiri yg pada hasilnya gak membuat kita memperoleh apa2 selain membuat waktu dan energi yg berharga.Padahal waktu dan energi itu bisa untuk yg lainnya (mungkin investasi seperti yg dilakukan Becky,tapi jangan kaya Becky investasinya di tempat2 yg gak masuk akal.Masak inves di bank di Bangladesh sih?).

Di seri Shopaholic & Baby,ancaman serius muncul dari mantan pacar si suami,yg dia juluki Cruella de Venetia,hahaha....lucu banget!Tapi cocok ama si cruella.Anyway,di sini kembali Becky ngerasa low self esteem,sampai2 dia terpaksa menyewa detektif swasta utk mbantu dia.Namun pada akhirnya semua kekhawatiran dan ketakutan itu tidak terbukti.Yang ada hanyalah prejudice dan buruk sangka yg tak mendasar.So to my dear friend yg tak kusebut namanya,please..stop torturing yourself!!enough is enough!you are something,not nothing!And my gud free advice to you,please buruan gih beli buku Shopaholic ini and learn that you deserve more than you think you deserve now.

Vaccination: a choice between two unknowns

Vaccination: a choice between two unknowns

BY MASAMI ITO

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/20...

Yoshimi Kawabe’s daughter was 2 years old in 2008 when an unusual rash broke out on her hands and feet. Her family doctor at first thought the rash was caused by hand, foot and mouth disease — a contagious viral infection common in young children — but decided to investigate further after her condition took a turn for the worse.

The doctor ordered a blood test, then informed Kawabe that her daughter had been infected with hepatitis B. As if that wasn’t shocking enough, a subsequent examination of her entire family revealed that her two other children and Kawabe herself also carried the virus.

To this day, the 37-year-old nurse does not know how they became infected, but their doctor suspects one of her children picked it up at a day care center.

“I couldn’t believe it. It was such a shock,” says Kawabe, who asked to remain anonymous in order to protect her children’s privacy. “I thought hepatitis B was a disease that adults got. It didn’t even occur to me to get my children vaccinated for it.”

Hepatitis B is one of the so-called vaccine-preventable diseases (VPD). In Japan, so-called routine vaccinations that help prevent tuberculosis, measles and rubella, inter alia, are encouraged by law, and local municipalities generally cover the cost for each shot. Vaccinations that prevent such things as hepatitis B and mumps, however, are voluntary, and fees range from a few thousand yen to around ¥15,000 per dose.

From Oct. 1, a vaccine against chickenpox was officially added to the list of routine vaccinations.

“It has been more than 20 years since the vaccine was created and we have finally achieved our wish to have it included in the routine (vaccination) schedule,” says Keiko Taya, division chief of the Infectious Disease Surveillance Center at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases.

Chickenpox and the mumps are almost synonymous with childhood, and “chickenpox parties” — where children are deliberately exposed to the varicella virus to promote immunity — were fairly common in the U.S. before a vaccine was introduced in 1995. However, medical experts warn that some cases can become very serious, even deadly. Of the 1 million people infected with chickenpox every year, about 4,000 are hospitalized and 20 die from it, according to data compiled by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.

“People often regard chickenpox as a sickness that is common among children and it’s true that, normally, children recover without too much trouble,” Taya says. “However, that’s not necessary the case for everyone.”

There are about 110 infectious diseases — from Ebola and cholera to measles and influenza — listed in the country’s Law Concerning Prevention of Infectious Diseases and Medical Care for Patients of Infections. Vaccines are available for just 22 of them.

“Like any medicine, there is no vaccination that has zero side effects,” Taya says. “However, there are very few infectious diseases that are preventable, and vaccines exist to prevent people from experiencing grave health issues.”

In July, a group of doctors, patients and family members of those infected with various diseases held a parade in Tokyo, calling on the government to ensure that vaccinations are free and available to everyone in Japan.

Even though chickenpox is now part of the routine vaccination schedule, vaccines for hepatitis B, mumps and the rotavirus are still excluded. Subsidies for these vaccinations vary depending on the municipality, as well as the stance of local medical practitioners on whether or not they recommend such shots.

What’s more, compensation for victims of side effects differ greatly between those who received a vaccination through the routine program or voluntarily.

According to nonprofit organization Know VPD, Protect Our Children, victims’ families receive ¥42.8 million if someone dies from a routine inoculation. By comparison, victims’ families receive just ¥7.14 million for children who die from a voluntary inoculation.

“We are asking that all vaccines become routine so that there is no inconsistency,” says pediatrician Chiharu Hosobe, one of the organizers of the July parade. “Collective immunity is essential if everyone is to be protected from infectious disease. That, however, is limited, so the people need to speak up.”

Hosobe, head of Hosobe Pediatric Clinic in Tokyo’s Bunkyo Ward, says she often hears mothers express concern about possible side effects of vaccines. The pediatrician holds regular study groups to provide information to parents about infectious diseases and inoculation in an effort to ease their fears.

“I provide information on the consequences of contracting a VPD. I also talk about the side effects of vaccination and ask them to weigh the risks,” Hosobe says. “I tell them there are many benefits to vaccination … and, ultimately, have each family decide what to do.”

However, there is also a strong core group of people opposed to this movement.

Hiroko Mori, former head of the infectious disease section at the former Institute of Public Health (now known as the National Institute of Public Health), has been warning people about the dangers of vaccination for decades.

The 80-year-old expert on public health used to be involved in research to improve the Japanese encephalitis vaccine and prevent the maternal transmission of hepatitis B.

Mori says times have changed and children don’t need to be vaccinated as much, noting that deaths of infants less than 1 year old have dropped from 205,000 in 1947 to 2,200 in 2013. Indeed, Japan has one of the lowest mortality rates of newborns and infants on the planet, according to World Health Organization data.

Much of this is due to the country’s first-class sanitation and levels of nutrition, Mori says, agreeing that vaccination is still advisable in developing countries.

“I don’t oppose vaccination across the board,” Mori says. “Medicine is supposed to be about healing, but babies who cannot speak are being given unnecessary shots because parents are scared. Children are losing their ability to heal naturally.”

Mori says that the push to vaccinate children is so strong that mothers who avoid it are being harassed and accused of neglect.

“There are so many people who have suffered side effects (from vaccination),” Mori says. “All we are asking is to establish the right to say ‘no.’ The right to choose should be recognized as a fundamental human right.”

In recent history, Japan has experienced its fair share of incidents related to vaccination.

In the 1970s, about 300 victims and relatives of children who died after receiving vaccinations against smallpox and other diseases in Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka and Fukuoka fought against the government and won compensation in the 1980s and ’90s.

Japan introduced the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine in 1989 but was forced to take it off the shelves four years later after about 2,000 people suffered side effects that included aseptic meningitis.

These incidents led to a major revision of the Preventive Vaccination Law in 1994, with lawmakers deciding to recategorize vaccination from being mandatory to one that is routine and optional.

People, however, continue to suffer from side effects caused by inoculation.

Statistics compiled by the health ministry show that 38 infants have died after being inoculated with the Haemophilus influenzae type B or streptococcus pneumoniae vaccines since 2011. And the health ministry has received more than 2,000 complaints of side effects from the human papillomavirus vaccine that is designed to prevent cervical cancer.

Parents, sadly, are caught between a rock and a hard place.

“The people I’ve met thought they were doing the right thing by getting their children vaccinated and now regret that decision forever,” says Masako Koga, who used to represent the Consumers Union of Japan. “There is no knowing who will suffer side effects as a result of vaccination. … (Proponents of vaccination) say the chance of suffering a side effect is 1 in a million. For parents, however, that one is everything.”

Koga, who has a son in his late 20s, says vaccinations used to start when children were around 2 years old. These days, however, infants get their first shot at around 2 months old and will usually receive at least 10 before their first birthday.

“Vaccination is different from medicine in that it intervenes unnaturally and puts viruses into a person’s body so that they build antibodies against certain diseases on their own,” Koga says. “Infants, however, have an immune system that is not fully developing, and so we should ensure it’s safe to put so many pathogenic germs into their bodies before doing so.”

Mori and Koga are concerned about the rapidly growing vaccination market. According to the Japanese Association of Vaccine Industries, the estimated value of domestic production totaled ¥41.8 billion in 1995 but shot up to ¥273.9 billion in 2012.

“Vaccines should only be given to those who need them but that is not happening. The global industry is being driven by a strategy that promotes VPD. We must put a stop to it,” says Koga, who currently works for Consumer Net Japan, an independent information network. “Vaccines have close ties to money. From development to circulation to research on side effects, there are a lot of vested interests involved.”

Proponents of vaccination have long argued that there is a wide “vaccine gap” between Japan and other Western countries and that Japan needs to catch up to the rest of the world.

According to a 2011 document compiled by the late Hitoshi Kamiya, honorary director of National Mie Hospital and an expert in vaccination, there is a 20-year period from the late 1980s when virtually no vaccine was approved in Japan. In that same period, the U.S. approved numerous vaccines, including inoculations to prevent chickenpox, streptococcus pneumoniae and human papillomavirus.

Now, however, Japan is slowly making up for lost time.

Tetsuo Nakayama, dean of Kitasato University’s Graduate School of Infection Control Sciences, says Japan has caught up in the sense that it has basically approved all of the necessary vaccines that are currently on the market.

Then again, he says there is not enough information provided on how vaccines have helped people over the years. Vaccination experts all agreed that the media coverage tends to focus on the dangerous side effects of inoculation rather than the positive aspects.

“There is an education gap and children are generally healthy because they have been protected by a vaccination,” Nakayama says. “However, many mothers nowadays hear about the dangers surrounding vaccination. They hear about how poisonous they are and are then unsure about whether to get their children inoculated or not. We need to fill the gap in education … because people also need to be educated about the danger of not vaccinating a child.”

Nakayama says 1 in 1,000 people who catch measles develop encephalitis, and around 30 percent of these people die or suffer severe complications afterward.

Meanwhile, 1 in a million people are estimated to develop encephalitis from a severe allergic reaction that may be related to the vaccine, he says.

“There is no guarantee that your child will not be that one out of 1,000. You have to compare the risks between the side effects and what will happen if you are infected with the disease naturally,” Nakayama says. “Under the existing law, the decision to vaccinate your child or not is basically left up to the parents, but there is not enough information out there for them to make an informed decision.”

Kawabe and her two daughters will be carriers of the hepatitis B virus for life, while her son has been diagnosed with chronic hepatitis B. She says she will have to warn her son about getting into fights that might lead to bleeding. She will also advise her children to ensure their partners are vaccinated and tell her daughters to seek proper medical care if they wish to have children so that they will be protected from maternal transmission.

“If I had known hepatitis B was something that children could contract, I would have had them vaccinated,” Kawabe says. “There is nothing we can do now.”

‘Scheduling vaccinations is notoriously difficult’

For new parents, the first year is always the hardest. From changing your baby’s first diaper to round-the-clock feeding, everything is a new and challenging experience.

On top of all the everyday stuff, parents soon discover there is a long list of vaccinations recommended by doctors that start at an extremely early age. It is recommended that infants receive vaccines for streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae type B, rotavirus and hepatitis B at 2 months old. These are followed by vaccines for diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, tuberculosis, measles, rubella, mumps, chickenpox and Japanese encephalitis.

“I didn’t realize that so many vaccines were necessary,” says Noriko Miyamoto, a 43-year-old mother of a 4-month-old girl. “I had to look for information to study why all of these vaccines were necessary. I also talked to my daughter’s pediatrician and came to the conclusion that I would get her vaccinated to protect her.”

Compounding the problem, most vaccines need to be given a number of times, with a certain period of time required between shots. And then there are booster shots that are recommended as the child grows older. To help parents manage their scheduling, developers have created a number of smartphone applications. Know VPD, Protect Our Children, a nonprofit organization established in 2008, created an app called Vaccine Scheduler in December 2011.

About 10,000 people download Vaccine Scheduler onto their smartphones every month, and in total 400,000 people have downloaded the app so far, according to the organization. “We knew that scheduling vaccinations is notoriously difficult and inconvenient, but we didn’t think it would get such a big response,” says Know VPD, Protect Our Children’s Asako Nakai. “It shows that many mothers are trying to manage the schedule properly.”