I do not think the mutations all lead to higher incidences of heart disease. 
There are certain ones that are 'worse' and I think homocysteine levels are also
a factor.  Not all with MTHFR mutations/deletions will have elevated
homocysteine.

Pam

--- In EOHarm@yahoogroups.com, "none" <careofindiana@...> wrote:
>
> My son's doc has recommended methyl B-12, B6, and Folinic Acid for treatment. 
My son's homocysteine levels are high.  The mutation does pose a risk for heart
disease later in life.
>
> I'm going to go ahead and get all my kids tested, it's for their info down the
road and to see if my other children are effected as well.  I would love to get
both me and my husband tested, but we have no insurance at this time, soooo....
>
> Lori
>
> --- In EOHarm@yahoogroups.com, "mia b" <mia_brk@> wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> > My son has this mutation, but he is not on the Autism Spectrum.  MTHFR is
what brought me to this site originally as no one else new what it was. 
Although my son is not on the spectrum I do believe he is vaccine damaged so
this site has been very important to us.
> > My son's neurologist tested him and informed us that it was genetic so
either I or my husband also had the mutation.  It is not genetic as both of us
got tested and neither of us has it.
> > I heard about the b12 treatment, but my Doctor said he treated people when
the MTHFR information just came out (like a fad) and he didn't feel it made a
difference.
> > I am curious to here others comments.
> > Thanks
> >
>

My son's doc has recommended methyl B-12, B6, and Folinic Acid for treatment. 
My son's homocysteine levels are high.  The mutation does pose a risk for heart
disease later in life.

I'm going to go ahead and get all my kids tested, it's for their info down the
road and to see if my other children are effected as well.  I would love to get
both me and my husband tested, but we have no insurance at this time, soooo....

Lori

--- In EOHarm@yahoogroups.com, "mia b" <mia_brk@...> wrote:
>
>
>
> My son has this mutation, but he is not on the Autism Spectrum.  MTHFR is what
brought me to this site originally as no one else new what it was.  Although my
son is not on the spectrum I do believe he is vaccine damaged so this site has
been very important to us.
> My son's neurologist tested him and informed us that it was genetic so either
I or my husband also had the mutation.  It is not genetic as both of us got
tested and neither of us has it.
> I heard about the b12 treatment, but my Doctor said he treated people when the
MTHFR information just came out (like a fad) and he didn't feel it made a
difference.
> I am curious to here others comments.
> Thanks
>

Blessingsx10,
Can you tell me where there is proof that the schools are receiving extra federal funds for vaccinating?
Thanks,
Candyce
 
 
 

----- Original Message -----

From: Heal1child

To: EOHarm@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Friday, November 20, 2009 7:37 PM

Subject: [EOHarm] Re: Health care question

 

Its not what's best for the life's of the children.

The schools recieve extra Federal funds for vaccinating, ugh...

--- In EOHarm@yahoogroups.com, Aasa <penas7ar@...> wrote:

>

> I think it's about time some of us started speaking up more loudly about the dangers and ineffectiveness of various vaccines. I have gotten into some trouble for having done so in the past, but I do think it is a good way to reach others who are not yet part of the "choir". In a few minutes, I will have to go and deal with a message from someone in my school board, who wants me to cease and desist about talking/writing about H1N1 vaccines, but at the same time, I know that there are others who do want to keep discussing issues concerning these vaccines.

> The thing that amazes me the most, is the media frenzy over a relatively benign ailment (if it is even the H1N1 flu). I cannot help but wonder how many millions or billions of dollars our governments are feeding to pharmaceutical companies, in an effort to vaccinate all of us against this flu, which is not much worse than a cold for most (if they did indeed have it).

> Â

> Bah, humbug!

> Â

> Aasa Â

>

> --- On Fri, 11/20/09, Fitzenreiter <thefitzenreiterfamily@...> wrote:

>

>

> From: Fitzenreiter <thefitzenreiterfamily@...>

> Subject: [EOHarm] Re: Health care question

> To: EOHarm@yahoogroups.com

> Date: Friday, November 20, 2009, 7:01 PM

>

>

>  

>

>

>

> That is actually not the case in other countries and doesn't make much sense.

> CGF

>

> --- In EOHarm@yahoogroups. com, "Pamela H" <phaselow@ .> wrote:

> >

> > I would say YES. I'm guessing, at some point, if we get to a true public option as being the only option, then vaccines would be madatory for continued health care (falling under preventative care).

> >

> > A very, very real possibility. A big government operates under the notion that they know better than you what is best for you.

> >

> > At the minimum, I would also worry about state by state exemptions being eliminated as we fall under more Federal control. Scary.

> >

> > Pam

> >

> > --- In EOHarm@yahoogroups. com, "penelope_fam" <p.ray@> wrote:

> > >

> > > I have a question -- will ObamaCare require vaccinations, including flu

> > > shots for pregnant women? Spunky has me wondering.

> > >

> > > http://spunkyhomesc hool.blogspot. com/2009/ 11/homeschoolers -and-health- ca\

> > > re.html

> > > <http://spunkyhomesc hool.blogspot. com/2009/ 11/homeschoolers -and-health- c\

> > > are.html>

> > >

> >

>

----- Original Message -----

From: Heal1child

To: EOHarm@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Friday, November 20, 2009 7:37 PM

Subject: [EOHarm] Re: Health care question

 

Its not what's best for the life's of the children.
The schools recieve extra Federal funds for vaccinating, ugh...

--- In EOHarm@yahoogroups.com, Aasa <penas7ar@...> wrote:
>
> I think it's about time some of us started speaking up more loudly about the dangers and ineffectiveness of various vaccines. I have gotten into some trouble for having done so in the past, but I do think it is a good way to reach others who are not yet part of the "choir". In a few minutes, I will have to go and deal with a message from someone in my school board, who wants me to cease and desist about talking/writing about H1N1 vaccines, but at the same time, I know that there are others who do want to keep discussing issues concerning these vaccines.
> The thing that amazes me the most, is the media frenzy over a relatively benign ailment (if it is even the H1N1 flu). I cannot help but wonder how many millions or billions of dollars our governments are feeding to pharmaceutical companies, in an effort to vaccinate all of us against this flu, which is not much worse than a cold for most (if they did indeed have it).
>  
> Bah, humbug!
>  
> Aasa  
>
> --- On Fri, 11/20/09, Fitzenreiter <thefitzenreiterfamily@...> wrote:
>
>
> From: Fitzenreiter <thefitzenreiterfamily@...>
> Subject: [EOHarm] Re: Health care question
> To: EOHarm@yahoogroups.com
> Date: Friday, November 20, 2009, 7:01 PM
>
>
>  
>
>
>
> That is actually not the case in other countries and doesn't make much sense.
> CGF
>
> --- In EOHarm@yahoogroups. com, "Pamela H" <phaselow@ .> wrote:
> >
> > I would say YES. I'm guessing, at some point, if we get to a true public option as being the only option, then vaccines would be madatory for continued health care (falling under preventative care).
> >
> > A very, very real possibility. A big government operates under the notion that they know better than you what is best for you.
> >
> > At the minimum, I would also worry about state by state exemptions being eliminated as we fall under more Federal control. Scary.
> >
> > Pam
> >
> > --- In EOHarm@yahoogroups. com, "penelope_fam" <p.ray@> wrote:
> > >
> > > I have a question -- will ObamaCare require vaccinations, including flu
> > > shots for pregnant women? Spunky has me wondering.
> > >
> > > http://spunkyhomesc hool.blogspot. com/2009/ 11/homeschoolers -and-health- ca\
> > > re.html
> > > <http://spunkyhomesc hool.blogspot. com/2009/ 11/homeschoolers -and-health- c\
> > > are.html>
> > >
> >
>

You pick up the blue health card in the health office at school or the county health department and simply sign the exemption form. You may be able to download the form off of the County Health Department web site. You could also write a letter and have it notarized, you don't need to explain yourself. California has three different exemptions; philosophical, health and religious. If they question it, you could offer to have your attorney give them a call.
Candyce

----- Original Message -----

From: Pamela H

To: EOHarm@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Monday, November 23, 2009 6:42 AM

Subject: [EOHarm] Re: Mandated Vaccines For College

 

Depends on if the private college accepts any Federal funds, I believe. That is how it works here at the K-8 level. If the school receives ANY Fed funds they have to abide by the state's exemption criteria. If not, they make their own rules.

I hope that is your case. I think this mandatory vaccination in college is about the stupidest thing I've seen in a while. Universities bend over backwards to teach you freedom of speech and independent thought (so they say) and then they do this?

Good luck to you.

Pam

--- In EOHarm@yahoogroups.com, Leslie Hanagan <hanagan_8@...> wrote:

>

>

> I am entering a graduate program in January. I just found out that they are requiring vaccinations. I live in California where we have the philosophical exemption, but this is a private college. Does anyone know what my rights might be?

>

>

>

> Thanks

>

>

>

> Leslie

>

> __________________________________________________________

> Windows 7: It works the way you want. Learn more.

> http://www.microsoft.com/Windows/windows-7/default.aspx?ocid=PID24727::T:WLMTAGL:ON:WL:en-US:WWL_WIN_evergreen:112009v2

>

 

I am entering a graduate program in January.  I just found out that they are requiring vaccinations.  I live in California where we have the philosophical exemption, but this is a private college. Does anyone know what my rights might be?

 

Thanks

 

Leslie

----- Original Message -----

From: Pamela H

To: EOHarm@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Monday, November 23, 2009 6:42 AM

Subject: [EOHarm] Re: Mandated Vaccines For College

 

Depends on if the private college accepts any Federal funds, I believe. That is how it works here at the K-8 level. If the school receives ANY Fed funds they have to abide by the state's exemption criteria. If not, they make their own rules.

I hope that is your case. I think this mandatory vaccination in college is about the stupidest thing I've seen in a while. Universities bend over backwards to teach you freedom of speech and independent thought (so they say) and then they do this?

Good luck to you.

Pam

--- In EOHarm@yahoogroups.com, Leslie Hanagan <hanagan_8@...> wrote:
>
>
> I am entering a graduate program in January. I just found out that they are requiring vaccinations. I live in California where we have the philosophical exemption, but this is a private college. Does anyone know what my rights might be?
>
>
>
> Thanks
>
>
>
> Leslie
>
> __________________________________________________________
> Windows 7: It works the way you want. Learn more.
> http://www.microsoft.com/Windows/windows-7/default.aspx?ocid=PID24727::T:WLMTAGL:ON:WL:en-US:WWL_WIN_evergreen:112009v2
>

Depends on if the private college accepts any Federal funds, I believe.  That is
how it works here at the K-8 level.  If the school receives ANY Fed funds they
have to abide by the state's exemption criteria.  If not, they make their own
rules.

I hope that is your case.  I think this mandatory vaccination in college is
about the stupidest thing I've seen in a while.  Universities bend over
backwards to teach you freedom of speech and independent thought (so they say)
and then they do this?

Good luck to you.

Pam

--- In EOHarm@yahoogroups.com, Leslie Hanagan <hanagan_8@...> wrote:
>
>
> I am entering a graduate program in January.  I just found out that they are
requiring vaccinations.  I live in California where we have the philosophical
exemption, but this is a private college. Does anyone know what my rights might
be?
>
>
>
> Thanks
>
>
>
> Leslie
>
> _________________________________________________________________
> Windows 7: It works the way you want. Learn more.
>
http://www.microsoft.com/Windows/windows-7/default.aspx?ocid=PID24727::T:WLMTAGL\
:ON:WL:en-US:WWL_WIN_evergreen:112009v2
>

Here are a variety of tips to reduce your electric bill. Remember, nothing will
happen unless you take action!

First, the energy hogs: COOLING and HEATING your home.

Insulation is key for avoiding a big energy loss out the window. When there is
no one at home the thermostat should be adjusted to take into consideration that
the temperature in the home is less crucial to comfort.

Furnace filters have to be clean for maximum efficiency.

Kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans should be turned off, whenever you are
finished with them.

Close the fireplace damper tightly to avoid the loss of up to 20% of the air out
the chimney every hour.

The water heater is another huge energy waster. Insulating the pipes is a
worthwhile investment. There are tank-less water heaters on the market now. What
they do is to heat the water "on demand," in other words they provide an
unlimited supply of hot water whenever it would be required. There is no holding
tank to waste all that energy.

Taking a shower instead of a bath will save about 4-5 gallons of water.

Using a dishwasher for a full load of dishes actually saves another 4-5 gallons
of water, compared to washing them by hand.

Fix leaking faucets! A one drip a second loss equals 2,300 gallons a year!

Do the laundry using cold water; it will save a huge amount of electricity. Just
use the soap designed for cold-water washing. Do several loads in a row, (for
the dryer) because a warm dryer uses less power.

Around the house there are a lot of little things that you can do to reduce your
electric bill.

Use a microwave oven instead of a conventional one. They draw less than half the
electricity, and cook food in a quarter of the time of regular ovens. If you do
use a conventional oven, turn it off 20 minutes before removing the food so that
the residual heat will not be wasted, and it will keep cooking even with the
oven turned off. Resist the temptation to open the oven door to check on food,
because each time you do that 25 percent of the heat is lost each time.

One should replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent ones whenever
possible. These are huge energy savers.

Learn to read the meter, because you will see the immediate effect of your
saving efforts and it will be a great motivator! Those meters are read from
right to left, it seems backwards but that's the way they do it.

Some structural modifications can be done to save power, such a attic
insulation, and the color of the roof.

The refrigerator and freezer coils should be cleaned once in a while.

Replace old appliances with efficient power saver types.

There are many ways to reduce your electric bill if you look around your home.
In the long run, even small changes and improvements will add up to substantial
savings. The entire community will benefit if there is cooperation with the
neighbors in this matter.

Source:
http://www.thegreeno.com/green-articles/green-energy-articles/reduce-your-electr\
ic-bill-with-these-simple-straightforward-tips.html

My son has this mutation, but he is not on the Autism Spectrum.  MTHFR is what
brought me to this site originally as no one else new what it was.  Although my
son is not on the spectrum I do believe he is vaccine damaged so this site has
been very important to us.
My son's neurologist tested him and informed us that it was genetic so either I
or my husband also had the mutation.  It is not genetic as both of us got tested
and neither of us has it.
I heard about the b12 treatment, but my Doctor said he treated people when the
MTHFR information just came out (like a fad) and he didn't feel it made a
difference.
I am curious to here others comments.
Thanks

The following article link has been sent to you by penas7ar@...

What's in a name? Legislation would end use of the term 'mental retardation'
November 19, 2009 | 11:19 am
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2009/11/whats-in-a-name-legislatio\
n-would-end-use-of-the-term-mental-retardation.html
We health bloggers and reporters think about words a lot and care about using
the right ones. So we were interested when we heard that a legislative proposal
offered in the U.S. Senate recently would outlaw further use of the terms
"mentally retarded" or "mental retardation" from federal statutes and policy
papers in the area of health, education and labor.

The proposed measure would replace those terms with "intellectual disability"
and "individual with an intellectual disability."

The Arc of the United States — the nation's largest and most active advocacy
group for those with intellectual and related developmental disabilities — calls
the terms "mental retardation" and "mentally retarded" "outdated" and
"stigmatizing." The group applauds the measure, which was proposed by Sen.
Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.), and says it's high time that federal language was
updated.

" 'Retard,' 'retarded' and 'retardation,' once accepted medical terms, are now
used only to insult and demean people," said Peter V. Berns, chief executive of
the Arc, in a statement supporting Mikulski's proposal. He added, "Changing how
we talk about people with disabilities is a critical step in promoting and
protecting their basic civil rights."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention already use the updated term, as
does the Office of the President — to which the Committee for People With
Intellectual Disabilities reports. But some landmark laws — including the
Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the Higher Education Act and
the law known as No Child Left Behind — still use the terms.

The measure replicates a law recently passed by the Maryland State Assembly. As
they deliberated, state lawmakers heard from 13-year-old Nick Marcellino, whose
sister, Rosa, has an intellectual disability. "Some say we shouldn't worry about
the words, just the way we treat people. But when you think about it, what you
call people is how we treat them. If we change the words, maybe it'll be the
start of a new attitude toward people with intellectual disabilities."

Mikulski has dubbed her measure Rosa's Law, in honor of Nick's sister.

There are 7 million people living with intellectual and/or developmental
disabilities in the United States, and the origins of their disabilities are
legion, ranging from birth injury, illness, genetic defect (a term that some may
also challenge) and environmental factors. A recent post here at Booster Shots
talked about a raft of medications now under study in the treatment of Down
syndrome and about a survey that found that 60% of parents of offspring with the
disorder would likely take a pass on such a treatment if it became available.

So, is it political correctness run amok, or is it a group's right of
self-determination to stipulate (by law, no less) how they should be referred
to? There are plenty of precedents to point to. But some will resist being
dictated to when it comes to language.

Parent training boosts medication effect for autism
November 20, 2009 | 12:50 pm
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2009/11/parent-training-boosts-med\
ication-effect-for-autism.html
Life with a child who has a pervasive developmental disorder such as autism or
Asperger's syndrome is often a storm of tantrums, irritability, impulsive
behavior and obstinacy — a challenge that has child psychiatrists casting about
for ways to help the stressed-out families of their patients, as well as the
patients themselves.

The antipsychotic medication risperidone is approved for those with autism to
reduce irritability, and many other medications are widely used to rein in the
defiance and explosive behavior that often come with a PDD diagnosis. But a
group of researchers, spurred by the National Institute of Mental Health, set
out to see if parent training could help children already on medication to
further temper their negative behaviors, and bring an added measure of peace to
their families.

Compared with kids on medication alone, the behavior of children whose parents
got a battery of training sessions improved more and by several measures. The
success of the program prompted the authors of the study — researchers from Ohio
State University, Indiana University, Yale University and the University of
Pittsburgh as well as with NIMH — to declare they will make the parent-training
manual, homework assignments and therapist scripts broadly available. Their
study is published in the Journal of the American College of Adolescent and
Child Psychiatry

"Because parents are the agents of change, parent training is less expensive
than many other forms of psychosocial intervention," the researchers concluded.
The growing population of kids with PDD, they added, makes the availability of
"effective behavioral interventions" an urgent need.

Over 24 weeks, the parents of children with pervasive developmental disorder
attended as many as 17 sessions, 60 to 90 minutes long, aimed at teaching them
to help the child acquire and consolidate self-management and communication
skills and to be more flexible and compliant. Parents learned to use visual
schedules to ease transitions, to use positive reinforcement effectively, to
teach their kids how to communicate their needs and be more flexible. A behavior
therapist came to the home twice and made two telephone calls to answer
questions and give support.

Is a wonder pill necessarily wonderful for people with Down syndrome?
November 18, 2009 | 11:01 am
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2009/11/down-syndrome-treatment.ht\
ml
Scientists are hard at work developing a cure for the genetic disorder Down
syndrome. But even if they succeed, nearly 60% of parents whose children have
Down syndrome might take a pass.

In a survey conducted by researchers from the psychiatry department at the
University of British Columbia in Vancouver, 27% of parents said they would not
cure their children, and another 32% said they were unsure. Many parents
expressed concern that a cure would change their child's personality, said
Angela Inglis, a genetic counselor who worked on the survey.

"Yes, it is a challenge, but your life will change in so many ways for the good,
[but] you can't imagine not having him," said one parent who would decline a
cure.

That feeling was not universal. Forty-one percent of parents said they would
definitely treat their children for Down syndrome. Those parents said they were
motivated by a desire to make their kids more independent and to give them more
opportunities in life, Inglis said. She added that parents who had the hardest
time caring for their children were the most inclined to seek a cure.

"It is very difficult, especially for the family dynamics," one parent told
researchers. "It changes our life because there is so much more stress and
issues with a child with special needs. We often feel like giving up on life."

Patients with Down syndrome have three copies of chromosome 21 instead of the
usual two. In addition to the mental and physical symptoms, it can cause
congenital heart disease, hearing problems, celiac disease, dementia and
problems with the intestines, eyes, thyroid and skeleton. People with Down
syndrome often live into their 50s, according to the National Institute of Child
Health and Human Development.

About one in every 800 babies is born with the disorder. Pregnant women over the
age of 35 are routinely offered prenatal screening for Down syndrome. Nearly
two-thirds of parents surveyed said they thought prenatal testing for the
disorder – through amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling – was a "good
thing," and 60% said such testing should be available to pregnant women of any
age.

The survey was conducted in Canada and included responses from 101 parents. No
similar surveys have been taken in the U.S. The results were reported this week
at the National Society of Genetic Counselors' annual education conference in
Atlanta.

The question about a cure might become less theoretical in the not-too-distant
future.

In patients with Down syndrome, the brain loses its ability to make an important
neurotransmitter called norepinephrine. But researchers from Stanford University
and UC San Diego found that in genetically engineered mice that have a rodent
version of the disease, injections of a drug called xamoterol returned the
animals to normal function.

Once inside the mouse brains, xamoterol converted into norepinephrine and
allowed the mice to build nests and complete cognitive tests just like regular
animals, according to a study being published in Thursday's edition of Science
Translational Medicine. The drug kicked in within just a few hours, but its
effects wore off quickly.

The researchers suggested that people with Down syndrome could be treated with
Droxidopa, another drug that converts into norepinephrine in the brain.
Droxidopa is currently taken by people for orthostatic hypotension in Asia, and
it's in Phase 3 clinical trials in the U.S. now. It should be taken with a
second drug called carbidopa that would keep it from converting to
norepinephrine until it entered the brain, the researchers said.

Mouse study points to treatment for Down syndrome
Wed Nov 18, 2009 10:05pm EST
http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE5AI0EJ20091119?feedType=nl&feed\
Name=ushealth1100

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Increasing the levels of a message-carrying chemical in the
brain may help prevent some of the memory deficits in Down syndrome that hinder
learning and make it hard for the brain to develop normally, U.S. researchers
said on Wednesday.

They said mice with a rodent version of Down syndrome that were injected with
drugs to increase levels of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine -- which nerve
cells use to communicate -- showed improvements in their thinking ability.

The finding points to a new way of trying to improve some of the deficits seen
in Down syndrome, which affects 5,000 newborns in the United States each year.

"If you intervene early enough, you will be able to help kids with Down syndrome
to collect and modulate information," said Dr Ahmad Salehi of the Veterans
Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, whose study was published in the journal
Science Translational Medicine.

"Theoretically, that could lead to an improvement in cognitive functions in
these kids," Salehi, who worked on the study while at Stanford University School
of Medicine, said in a statement.

Down syndrome occurs when a person has an extra copy of chromosome 21. At birth,
children with Down syndrome are not developmentally delayed, but memory deficits
linked with the disorder hinder normal brain development.

Salehi and colleagues simulated this in mice that had an extra copy of
chromosome 16 that gave them mental disabilities that resemble problems seen in
people with Down syndrome.

In the study, the researchers found that the mice with Down syndrome-like
dysfunction had lower amounts of norepinephrine in the brain than normal mice.
And this problem appeared to occur in a part of the brain called the locus
coeruleus.

When this part of the brain broke down, the mice failed to exhibit normal
behaviors. When placed in a strange cage, the genetically engineered mice did
not build nests, something normal mice do.

But giving these mice drugs that boost levels of norepinephrine appeared to
help. Within a few hours of getting the drugs, the mice built nests that were on
par with those of normal mice.

Salehi said he was surprised to see the drug work so fast, but the team noted
that the effects did not last long.

Some drugs already on the market for depression and attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder target norepinephrine. Salehi said he hopes the findings
will lead to new research on these drugs in people with Down syndrome.

Shots on horizon for Alzheimer's, AIDS, herpes
New technology, lure of profits behind booming interest in making vaccines
The Associated Press
updated 8:16 a.m. ET, Wed., Nov . 18, 2009
Marietta, Pa. - Malaria. Tuberculosis. Alzheimer's disease. AIDS. Pandemic flu.
Genital herpes. Urinary tract infections. Grass allergies. Traveler's diarrhea.
You name it, the pharmaceutical industry is working on a vaccine to prevent it.

Many could be on the market in five years or less.

Contrast that with five years ago, when so many companies had abandoned the
vaccine business that half the U.S. supply of flu shots was lost because of
factory contamination at one of the two manufacturers left.

Vaccines are no longer a sleepy, low-profit niche in a booming drug industry.
Today, they're starting to give ailing pharmaceutical makers a shot in the arm.

The lure of big profits, advances in technology and growing government support
has been drawing in new companies, from nascent biotechs to Johnson & Johnson.
That means recent remarkable strides in overcoming dreaded diseases and annoying
afflictions likely will continue.

"Even if a small portion of everything that's going on now is successful in the
next 10 years, you put that together with the last 10 years (and) it's going to
be characterized as a golden era," says Emilio Emini, Pfizer Inc.'s head of
vaccine research.

Vaccines now are viewed as a crucial path to growth, as drugmakers look for ways
to bolster slowing prescription medicine sales amid intensifying generic
competition and government pressure to cut down prices under the federal health
overhaul.

Unlike medicines that treat diseases, vaccines help prevent infections by
revving up the body's natural immune defenses against invaders. They are made
from viruses, bacteria or parts of them that have been killed or weakened so
they generally can't cause an infection.

Investment in partnerships and other deals to develop and manufacture vaccines
has been on a tear — and accelerating since the swine flu pandemic began.
Billions in government grants are bringing better, faster ways to develop and
manufacture vaccines. Rising worldwide emphasis on preventive health care, plus
the advent of the first multibillion-dollar vaccines, have further boosted their
appeal.

While prescription drug sales are forecast to rise by a third in five years,
vaccine sales should double, from $19 billion last year to $39 billion in 2013,
according to market research firm Kalorama Information. That's five times the $8
billion in vaccine sales in 2004.

"What was essentially 25 years ago a rounding error now has become real money,"
says Robin Robertson, director of the U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research
Development Authority.

That jump is due to a couple of new blockbuster vaccines and rising use of
existing ones. The government's list of recommended vaccines for children since
has more than doubled since 1985 to 17. It now also calls for a half-dozen
vaccines for everyone over 18 and up to four more for some adults.

Breakthrough vaccines
The last decade brought breakthrough vaccines against pneumococcal disease and
rotavirus — two of the world's top killers — meningitis, cervical cancer and
more.

Better technology to create and mass produce vaccines is bringing progress in
preventing tropical dengue fever and new threats like superbugs MRSA and C.
difficile, even ending addiction to cocaine and nicotine. Success on some
vaccines in development, particularly for Alzheimer's and AIDS, likely would
bring billions a year in sales.

Just this fall and early next year, the swine flu vaccines are expected to bring
their makers at least a couple billion extra dollars.

That's despite the five manufacturers for the U.S. not being able to meet an
optimistic plan to first make seasonal flu shots and then produce 120 million
doses of swine flu vaccine by mid-October — an unprecedented task. But they are
steadily catching up with demand.


Unlike most vaccines now "manufactured" in mammal, yeast or other cells —
quickly, purely and at high yields — flu vaccines are still grown over many
weeks in chicken eggs because it's economical and those newer, faster methods
aren't U.S.-approved yet. Because swine flu vaccine grew slower than expected,
there have been shortages — and lines of anxious consumers.

But a horde of biotech companies, many using multimillion-dollar government
grants, already are testing state-of-the-art technology for the next pandemic.

Scientists — including some at J&J's new vaccine partner, Holland's Crucell NV —
even are working to develop the holy grail: a universal flu vaccine targeting a
part of the virus that doesn't change year to year.


Future vaccines may come in patches, pills
And some future vaccines will come in patches, pills and nasal sprays, rather
than painful shots.

In the last century, vaccines dramatically lengthened lifespans by stopping
diseases that killed or disabled millions, from smallpox to polio.

After all those successes, many pharmaceutical companies instead focused on
lucrative daily pills for chronic diseases. By the middle of this decade, only a
handful were still making vaccines, which are harder to produce than
chemical-based pills, making yields unpredictable.

That led to the 2004 fiasco when half the U.S. flu shot supply was lost
overnight, plus continuing periodic shortages of some kids' vaccines.

Today, five companies supply flu vaccine: GlaxoSmithKline, Switzerland's
Novartis AG, Australia's CSL Biotherapies, MedImmune, part of Britain's
AstraZeneca PLC, and France's Sanofi-Aventis SA.

There's been more research on flu vaccines in the last five years than in the
previous 20, notes Dr. William Schaffner, Vanderbilt University's head of
preventive medicine and a spokesman for the Infectious Diseases Society of
America.

Now many drugmakers are rethinking vaccines.

Britain's GlaxoSmithKline is gunning to become the world's top vaccine
manufacturer by revenue, unseating pioneer Merck & Co. This spring, Glaxo opened
a state-of-the-art vaccine packaging plant in Marietta, Pa., west of
Philadelphia, so it can expand in the U.S. market.

Glaxo, which sold only one vaccine in the U.S. 13 years ago, now sells 12 here —
and 30 worldwide. It has 20 more in human testing, including ones for meningitis
and malaria.

J&J, which previously avoided vaccines, plans to build a full vaccine portfolio,
starting with universal flu and Alzheimer's vaccines, says research head Dr.
Paul Stoffels.

Even Pfizer Inc.'s $68 billion acquisition of Wyeth in October was partly about
getting its vaccine expertise, now being put to work against Alzheimer's. Wyeth
makes the most successful vaccine ever, Prevnar, which protects children from
ear infections and potentially deadly pneumonia and blood infections. Prevnar
brought in $2.7 billion in 2008 sales, and with approval of an improved version
pending, billions more a year are expected.

Experts call Prevnar the "game changer." It was the first vaccine to exceed $1
billion in annual sales, followed by Merck's cervical cancer shot Gardasil, with
$2.3 billion in 2008 sales.

'More attractive than drugs'
"Vaccines are now perhaps seen to be more attractive than drugs," says Dr.
Stanley Plotkin, a former University of Pennsylvania professor and industry
researcher who helped develop the German measles and rotavirus vaccines.


Vaccines command higher prices — roughly $375 for the three-shot Gardasil series
— and so are more profitable than in the past. With only one or two makers of
most vaccine types, price competition is rare in wealthy countries. Plus, they
rarely face generic competition.

For flu shot makers, the risk of having to throw out millions of unused doses
here come spring has plunged as U.S. guidelines have steadily widened to include
83 percent of Americans. Use has jumped from 20 million doses in 1990 to 113
million last year.

And many companies are partnering with promising biotechs, the World Health
Organization and global charities, or setting up deals with local drugmakers
abroad, to inexpensively manufacture vaccines in developing and middle-tier
countries that increasingly want them to prevent much-higher health care costs.

"What you had was, everybody out of the water," says analyst Steve Brozak of WBB
Securities. "Now, everybody's back in the water."

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URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33979090/ns/health-infectious_diseases/