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Chief virologist under fire over drugs firm linkWednesday 30 September 2009 The man who advises the government on how to tackle the forecast swine flu epidemic has shares in a company researching a flu vaccine, the Telegraaf reports on Wednesday. The government has agreed to buy 34 million doses of flu vaccine - or two per head of the population - partly on the advice of chief virologist Ab Osterhaus. MPs are furious at Osterhaus' double role and have called on the government to take action. 'This is unacceptable. An entire population takes his advice. I no longer trust him,' Fleur Agema of the anti-immigration PVV, told the paper. Osterhaus is a professor at Erasmus MC university teaching hospital in Rotterdam and devotes one day a week to a university-owned company called ViroClinics, in which he has an almost 10% stake. Shareholders Anton Westerlaken, chairman of Erasmus MC, told the Telegraaf professors have to become a shareholder in any company set up under university auspices to exploit a patent. Any profits are divided 80% to the university and 20% to the professors involved, he said. Osterhaus told the paper he had done nothing wrong. 'I have always said I am involved in that company and shares are all in the game,' he said. The paper points out that earlier this year Osterhaus denied having any shares in companies which may be involved in developing flu vaccines. 'I do not have any shares. I am trying to prepare the country for what lies ahead. That is my job,' he told the paper at the time. © DutchNews.nl Get the DutchNews.nl newsletter in your mailbox: Click here to subscribe
He is cleaver man. I should hire him as my investment advisor. By Al | September 30, 2009 1:49 PM If he is as cleaver as you say you should hire him as your butcher. By Pete | September 30, 2009 3:28 PM Erm, as we quite rightly condemn this rather greedy fellow for his avarice, we shouldn't forget the complete stupidity of this government in - once again - succumbing to panic mongering. It is, after all, one of the few things it does well. The sensible among us never considered taking a vaccine against what was just another strain of flu, and no worse than most other strains. God knows how many additional millions of our tax euros this government has spent on stupid advertising campaigns and celebrity-endorsed leaflets pushed through our letter boxes. By Garry | September 30, 2009 4:03 PM According to the World Health Organization, swine flu has killed less than 3205 people globally, and the regular flu kills between 250,000 to 500,000 people per year. So. There has to be someone sending out the terrifying and consistent newsfeed about the flu and I am guessing that it is the pharmaceutical companies that stand to benefit from it. I love that we bought twice as many as we could possibly need -- for EXTRA panic-driven money wasting. By Marie C. | September 30, 2009 4:30 PM I am not at all surprised by this report. I knew all along those people were scamps and I will not be buying their vaccine for certain. I hope the world would wake up and realize that the pharmacies all about making money at the expense of our health. By Klara | September 30, 2009 8:19 PM I am not sure which is wackier, the politics of the H1N1 vaccine or ethics standards at Erasmus MC. Today, that powerful institution covered its ass - its reputation being on the line - and said that Osterhaus's work showed no conflict of interest. But it owes the public a thorough explanation of how and why Professor Osterhaus' initially lying about his connection to profit-making companies (was Erasmus aware?) did not violate medical center ethical guidelines. By Jay Vos | October 1, 2009 12:37 AM Duh! There is no cure for flu, only rest, water & isolation! 34M doses of expensive crap, and our medical insurance rising steeply next January, 'can't believe this to be surprising news, this fish was caught too late! I keep saying this but, we could do with a new decent intelligent government...All they talk about is profit, loss & control! By stevie | October 1, 2009 9:24 PM Place your comments: |
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The fact that this is news is boggling. I thought it was common knoweledge that all these bastards are in it for money, not helping their fellow people! NONE of my family will be taking this vaccine!
By Laura | September 30, 2009 11:07 AM