Friday, 30 January 2009
Doctor Alberto Tozzi fails to disclose Pharmaceutical company ties regarding Thimerosal safety study
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On 01/26/2009, The Associated Press released an article by Carla K. Johnson entitled "Study adds to evidence of vaccine safety". The article goes on to describe how a new study from Italy supposedly adds to "a mountain of evidence" that a mercury-based perservative called Thimerosal once used in vaccines doesn't hurt children. You can read the actual abstract for his Thimerosal study at the NIH website.
The study which the AP's author touted as proof of Thimerosal's safety in vaccines clearly states, "The associations found, although statistically significant, were based on small differences in mean test scores, and their clinical relevance remains to be determined." The study also did not compare the students in the study group against students who had never had vaccines containing Thimerosal as Dr. Tozzi himself has said, "comparing children with no exposure to thimerosal could have improved the study."
So this study has no baseline statistics to compare an unadultered sample population against, this is considered shoddy research in most academic circles. It seems “the good doctor” has corporate sponsors he has not heretofore made known in his studies and reports.This investigator in the course of reviewing the work of Dr. Alberto Tozzi, found that in most instances the reports or studies with his name on them failed to mention any "prior" sponsorship with companies who stand to benefit from the release of his studies or reports. In almost every document reviewed the study or report indicated: "Conflict of interest statement. None declared." or Competing interests: "None declared."
Dr. Tozzi further conducts research under grant from Wyeth. A quick google search for Wyeth and Thimerosal turns up no less than 20,000 results (most detailing Wyeth's ongoing legal woes regards Thimerosal in their vaccines).
Dr. Tozzi also conducts research under grant from GlaxoSmithKline Ltd. GlaxoSmithKline Ltd. even goes so far as to have its researchers publish disclaimers about their work with Thimerosal. I wonder if this person would still be employed by GlaxoSmithKline Ltd. if he had said the opposite of what his paper purports to be the truth.
Dr. Tozzi also conducted research with funding or assistance from Novartis.
Interestingly enough, Dr. Tozzi's study on the safety of Thimerosal in vaccines was funded in whole by the CDC. I might further point out that the following study brought together the CDC, Novartis and Glaxo to develop the Case definition and guidelines for collection, analysis, and presentation of immunization safety data.
Since when do the Vaccine makers develop CDC policy regards our vaccination safety? Conflict of Interest regards Thimerosal in Vaccine? You decide.
In summary, we have an study with indeterminate statistics (funded by the CDC who works with the big commercial pharmaceutical companies to develop policy) versus a prior assessment calling for removal of Thimerosal and this article which specifically notes the dangers of mercury in vaccine.
Dr. Tozzi's study also failed to refute a previous admission by CDC Director Dr. Julie Gerberding who delivered a potentially explosive report to the powerful House Appropriations Committee, in which she admits to a startling string of errors in the design and methods used in the CDC's landmark 2003 study that found no link between mercury in vaccines and autism, ADHD, speech delay or tics. (such as Dr. Tozzi's failure to include students with no Thimerosal vaccinations.)
Gerberding was responding to a 2006 report from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), which concluded that the CDC's flagship thimerosal safety study was riddled with "several areas of weaknesses" that combined to "reduce the usefulness" of the study.
"CDC concurs," Dr. Gerberding wrote in an undated mea culpa to Congress, adding that her agency "does not plan to use" the 
database in question, the Vaccine Safety Datalink, (VSD) for any future "ecological studies" of autism.
This document details which vaccines have Thimerosal and who the manufacturer is. I would also like to point out that not disclosing commercial sponsorship of research, studies and reports is against the stated disclosure policy of The Cochrane Collaboration with whom Dr. Tozzi works and presents lectures. So why would Dr. Alberto Tozzi of the Bambino Gesu Hospital in Rome be saying that Thimerosal is safe for our children?
Additional sources of information:
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Additional Information on Dr. Alberto Tozzi:
Dr. Tozzi is also a member of the International surveillance network for the enteric infections - Salmonella and VTEC O157 which is Funded by the European Commission - DG SANCO. On page 7 of the Interim report for the period 1/4/01 - 31/3/02 this author noted that "McDonalds" the multinational fast-food sales corporation is said to have given a grant of 1.2M Pounds Sterling€ in support of this group which in the reports own words says, "This project will continue the collaborative work done by a small working-group of the Enter-net salmonella laboratories (under a McDonalds grant)". Interestingly enough on the Eurosurveillance site no mention is found of any outbreaks of salmonella with regard to food purchased at a McDonalds restaurant.
While I applaud Dr. Tozzi's efforts to help stave off epidemics of salmonella transmission and this effort should certainly include such food giants as McDonalds, all funding and grants from corporate sponsors need be explicitly stated.
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