In the photo above, some of the top health officials in the country are gathered to promote flu vaccine at a conference sponsored by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID).  What is the NFID?  This name is very reminiscent of the NFIP (National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, now known as the March of Dimes).  The March of Dimes successfully fought polio by spending a fortune on medical care, basic science, drug development and clinical trials.  As far as I can tell from its website, that is not what the NFID does.  What it does do is sponsor a lot of vaccine-company-financed conferences to promote vaccination.  And it throws parties where it gives awards to people like Bill Gates.  Coincidentally, its board was originally comprised almost entirely of people with ties to vaccine companies. 

        According to their 2008 IRS form 990 filed with the federal government, out of a total program budget of $7,041,750 they spent $8,239 on fellowships and grants for medical research.  Their single biggest expense, accounting all by itself for most of their budget, was $5,804,273 paid to the public relations firm Cooney/Waters, which is the PR firm for Sanofi Pasteur, the biggest flu vacccine company.

        The agenda for the news conference featuring all our health honchos says it is sponsored by “grants to NFID from CSL Biotherapies, Inc., Flu Vaccine Business Practices Initiative (c/o HIDA), GlaxoSmithKline, MedImmune, Merck and Co., Inc., Novartis Vaccines, Roche, sanofi pasteur and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals.”

        I am not against honest charities supporting medical research to wipe out bad diseases.  But does this look to you like an unbiased scientific conference sponsored by a real medical foundation? 

Disclaimer:  This blog is a commentary on news items about flu.  It is not intended as individual medical advice.  Please consult a well-informed health care professional for your personal medical concerns.