National Vaccine Information Center

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The National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) is a Vienna, Virginia based non-profit educational and political advocacy organization founded in 1982 by Barbara Loe Fisher who is president of NVIC, and Kathi Williams, vice-president. Fisher's child became ill following administration of a vaccine. NVIC serves as a consumer watchdog on vaccine development and policymaking.


In 1985, Fisher co-authored, along with Harris Coulter, the first scientific paper[citation needed] examining whether there is a connection between vaccination and subsequent autistic spectrum behaviors, in DPT: A Shot in the Dark.

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[edit] Advocating reform of mass vaccination programs

NVIC is the oldest and largest parent-led organization advocating reform of mass vaccination programs. NVIC seeks to prevent vaccine injuries and deaths by providing public education, and assists parents whose children have suffered vaccine reactions. NVIC promotes vaccine safety and evaluation, and monitors vaccine research, development, policy-making and legislation. NVIC supports the civil rights of citizens to exercise informed consent and make educated, independent vaccination decisions for themselves and their children.

NVIC's co-founders have represented consumers on vaccine advisory committees such as the Advisory Commission on Childhood Vaccines, the National Vaccine Advisory Committee and the Institute of Medicine's Vaccine Safety Forum.

NVIC has been vocal in its criticism of lobbying efforts by pharmaceutical companies to have additional legislation enacted, such as BioShield Two, that would further shield the industry from financial liability for vaccine injuries.

NVIC also opposes additions to the number of vaccines mandated by government agencies. With more than 200 new vaccines currently in development, and a dozen or more in pipeline for introduction each year, NVIC has been at the forefront of challenging further additions to the recommended vaccination schedule.[1]

[edit] Public Conference on Vaccination

In 1997, NVIC held the First International Public Conference on Vaccination at the US Capitol, where over 500 doctors, scientists, health officials, lawyers, ethicists, journalists and parents from 34 states and five countries gathered to present scientific data about vaccines and diseases and to discuss vaccine-induced injury, death and chronic illness.

[edit] Show Us the Vaccine Data

NVIC's on-line 'Show Us the Vaccine Data Petition' was announced at on August 23, 2004, meeting of the Institute of Medicine (IOM), in Washington, D.C.[2] There, parents of vaccine-injured children protested that the Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) was being used by federal health officials to cover up vaccine risks associated with mercury preservatives in vaccines. That day, along with Safe Minds, the National Autism Association, Moms Against Mercury and their allies all called for full public disclosure of all government-held vaccine risk data in the VSD, which contains data collected by the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS).

[edit] National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act

NVIC worked with federal legislators to help create and pass the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986. The law included legal requirements for vaccine makers to provide benefit and risk information to parents before children are vaccinated, keep written records of vaccine manufacturer names and lot numbers for each vaccination given, and report adverse events following vaccination to the government. The law also preserved the right for vaccine injured persons to file lawsuits if federal compensation is denied or inadequate. By 2004, the U.S. Court of Claims had awarded over 1,200 vaccine victims $1.5 billion dollars for vaccine injuries.


[edit] See also

[edit] External links

  • NVIC.org - National Vaccine Information Center
  • 909Shot.com - 'Autism & Vaccines: A New Look At An Old Story', Barbara Loe Fisher, Kathi Williams, NVIC
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