Political Health

Open scientific discussions have been the goal of an organization called the UK Association for HPV Vaccine Injured Daughters (HPV VID) as well as 2,019 people from 55 countries who have been injured due to an HPV vaccine. Freda Birrell spoke on the behalf of the organization to the Scottish government recently about the administration of HPV vaccines and their potential corresponding dangers.
HPV VID formed when families from Scotland, England, Wales, and Northern Ireland realized that they needed to unite forces to help bring awareness to HPV vaccine dangers.

The biotech industry has taken a beating lately, and this is evident in Monsanto’s numerous actions of late. The company has closed 3 research and development sites, laid of thousands of workers, and their stock prices have been plummeting.

Opponents of growing genetically modified corn in Mexico, the country known for over 30 varieties of non-GM maize, have prevailed. A federal judge upheld a GM ban that was put in place years ago.
Mexico is known for its biodiversity, which supports numerous varieties of maize. It is in fact considered their birthplace, and if GM corn had not been banned, corn developed over thousands of years would be in jeopardy of cross-pollination.

The Center for Biological Diversity, the Center for Environmental Health, El Quinto Sol de America, Californians for Pesticide Reform, the Center for Food Safety and the Pesticide Action Network released a report earlier this week that claims that more than half of the glyphosate sprayed in California is applied to the state’s 8 most impoverished counties. [1]

Pennsylvania’s health and education departments announced Thursday that they will propose that students must have all of their vaccines within 5 days of starting school or provide a medical certificate saying when they would receive the shots. [1]

A Canadian farmer that provides raw milk to his community was reportedly arrested and jailed for removing government surveillance cameras from his own property. The Canadian government is filing charges against the man for ‘theft.’

Jackson County, Oregon was already successful in banning genetically modified foods (known as GMOs) even though Big Ag tried to fight the democratic vote. Now another Oregon County is following suit.

In a huge legal win, a federal judge in San Francisco has issued a landmark ruling that could serve to halt the DEA’s overly liberal interpretation of laws that have allowed them power to conduct search and destroy missions for medical marijuana.

The U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry held a biotechnology hearing for the first time in 10 years last week to discuss the future of food technology as the industry responds to increased demand, production challenges, and consumers’ calls for a safe and transparent food supply. But the meeting came up short on transparency and carried on more like a Monsanto share-holders meeting than an unbiased inquiry into the pros and cons of biotechnology where it concerns the food supply.

GM and biotech companies responsible for inflated pharmaceutical prices were already taking a beating on the stock market, but after the latest report from Citron Research classifying Valeant Pharmaceuticals Intl Inc as a “pharmaceutical Enron,” the whole sector has come tumbling down like the house of cards it truly is.