As a mathematical epidemiologist, I am proud that a member of the profession has turned some epidemiological tools on the root cause of the swine flu pandemic. An investigation was initiated both by the former German Bundestag Wolfgang Wodarg (SPD) and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Wodarg is a physician and epidemiologist who is head of the subcommittee on health and he considers the handling of the swine flu to be “one of the biggest medical scandals of the century”.
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT TO INVESTIGATE WHO IN JANUARY 2010
The Council of Europe member states are to launch an inquiry in January 2010 on the influence of the pharmaceutical companies on the global swine flu campaign, focussing especially on extent of the pharma‘s industry’s influence on WHO, according to reports in the German media.
www.zeit.de/politik/2009-12/schweinegrippe-europa
www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/international/Schweinegrippe-Europarat;art123,2976433
Wolfgang Wodarg , former SPD member of parliament, and chairman of the European parliament’s health committee, initiated the inquiry. The motion was passed unanimously by his colleagues in the European parliament‘s health committee.
Wodarg has criticised the measures taken against the swine flu as one of the biggest medical scandals of the century.“
He said the influence of the the pharamaceutical industry on scientists and government officials has resulted in millions of healthy people being exposed unnecessarily to the risks of an inadequately tested vaccine.“
That even though, the swine flu virus is much less harmful“ than last year’s seasonal flu causing not even a tenth of the usual deaths associated with flu.“
Wodarg has also criticised the way pharemceutical companies have made gigantic profits at the expense of tax payers.
He accused vaccine manufacturers of being willing even to inflict bodily harm“ in their pursuit of profits, noting that the adjuvants in the swine flu jab have hardly been tested.
In addtion,the vaccine‘s side effects including dangerous paralysis have not been adequately recorded.
Wodarg has said that the role of the WHO and its the pandemic emergency declaration in June needs to be the especial focus of a European parliamtary inquiry. For the first time the criteria for a pandemic was made not the actual risk of a diseases but the number of cases of the disease.
By classifying the swine flu as pandemic, nations were compelled to implement pandemic plans and also the purchase swine flu vaccines.
Because WHO is not subject to any parliamentary control, Wodarg argued it is necessary for governments to insist on accountability.