Wyeth’s HibTITER® shot linked to gastrointestinal, respiratory, and dermatological adverse outcomes.
Washington, D.C. – Children’s Health Defense (CHD) Chief Scientific Officer Brian Hooker, Ph.D. and Senior Research Scientist Karl Jablonowski, Ph.D. published a paper, “Adverse outcome detection of childhood administered thimerosal-free HibTITER®,” in the International Journal of Risk and Safety in Medicine.
The two scientists analyzed data from a Florida Medicaid dataset with records from January 2003 thru June 2007, looking for statistically significant adverse outcomes related to the HibTITER® vaccine against Haemophilus influenzae type b (HIB), a bacteria that can cause infections unrelated to the flu. The researchers found 19 separate health conditions, ranging from mild to life-threatening, associated with the vaccine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) currently recommends a 3- or 4-dose series of Hib vaccines – depending on manufacturer formulation – starting as young as six weeks of age.
During HibTITER® clinical trials, after 72 hours post-vaccination, investigators made phone calls to participants’ caregivers and concluded that “the vaccine was found to be safe and effective.”
“While we had heard anecdotally of many adverse reactions to the HibTITER® vaccine, we were stunned at what the data revealed,” said Dr. Jablonowski. “This vaccine should have been studied much more intensively before being allowed on the market. In fact, it shouldn’t have ever been allowed to be injected into infants in the absence of rigorous studies to support its safety.”
Dr. Hooker and Dr. Jablonowski found the most prominent adverse outcome was pulmonary tuberculosis. Other outcomes included asthma, acute upper respiratory infections, acute bronchiolitis, acute laryngopharyngitis, acute serous otitis media, reflux esophagitis, colitis, enteritis, and gastroenteritis.
The HibTITER® vaccine was manufactured by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Inc. and in distribution in the U.S. from 1990 until 2007 when it was discontinued.
The paper notes that “HibTITER® was the dominant Hib vaccine between 1991 to 1994, it later shared roughly half of the market share with other FDA approved vaccines. If we assume 3.5 million U.S. children born every year adhere to the U.S. government approved, institutionally endorsed, and pediatrician recommended schedule, we may assume the vaccine has been administered to roughly 35 million infants who are now between the ages of 16 and 33.”
According to Dr. Hooker, “It is conspicuous that this vaccine was quietly pulled off the market in 2007, especially in light of its relationship to many adverse events in children.”
Children’s Health Defense is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Our mission is to end childhood health epidemics by working aggressively to eliminate harmful exposures, hold those responsible accountable and establish safeguards to prevent future harm. For more information or to donate to CHD, visit ChildrensHealthDefense.org.
Join the conversation!