Merck Names Former CDC Director Head of Communications

General Discussion Media & Awareness
#1

“Merck has named Dr Julie Gerberding as executive vice president for strategic communications, global public policy and population health. In the newly created position within the executive committee, Gerberding will be responsible for Merck’s global public policy, corporate responsibility and communications functions, as well as the Merck Foundation and the Merck for Mothers programme.”

The full story here:

pmlive.com/pharma_appointmen … ons_624334

Well, ah, actually… the FULL story is much more complex – as we see here:

“The following is a letter from Dr. William Thompson, epidemiologist with the CDC, to Dr. Julie Gerberding, former CDC Director and current head of Merck’s vaccine division. Dr. Gerberding led the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as director from 2002 to 2009. The letter was written in 2004, one week before the Institute of Medicine (IOM) meeting addressing the link between vaccines and autism. This letter confirms that lead officials at CDC had knowledge of safety issues regarding vaccines at least ten years ago, but did nothing to address these safety concerns. After Dr. Thompson wrote the letter, he was reprimanded and removed from the 2004 IOM speaker schedule. Subsequently, in March, he was put on administrative leave.”

Read Dr. Thompson’s letter here:

focusautisminc.org/letter-from-c … erberdile/

The one think I admire about Merck is that they don’t even PRETEND to give a damn about safety and public health. You gotta admire balls that big.

If the Third Reich ever rises again, they will no doubt be poaching Merck for talent.

Oh, as Steve Jobs used to say, one more thing: Dr. Julie Gerberding is vice president for strategic communications of the world’s second largest pharmaceutical company, but she has no Twitter page.

She has a speaker’s bureau: washingtonspeakers.com/speak … kerID=6564

But no Twitter page.

Hmmmmmm. Wonder why that is? Why would a communications professional not have a Twitter page?

Maybe I’ll go ask Mr. Bill Cosby what he thinks…

#2

The link between autism and the MMR vaccine has been disproved. Andrew Wakefield, one of the main doctors who tried to show there was a connection had his medical license revoked. Please be careful with what you say because people will associate us with the crazies who believes MMR causes autism. MMR probably has other problems (thanks to Merck) but we don’t want to be associate with the autism vaccine guys.

#3

Is it surprising to any of you that there are close ties between the government and one of their multi-billion dollar “partners”?

It isn’t to me. What is surprising is that last I heard a total of four (4) people have died as a result of the Tikata airbag scandal, and the federal government of the USA has launched a criminal probe into them.

Why does a company that is reponsible for thousands of deaths (Vioxx), and maming and killing thousands more with its other drugs (propecia, proscar, gradasil) not held to the same standards as an airbag manufacturer?

Is Merck just that much more well-connected and “in-bed” with the government that they don’t have to be held to the same standards? Is it that some of their drugs help people outweighing the fact that their other products kill? If airbags save thousands of lives a year, and a flaw in some airbags causes 4 deaths how is the airbag company any worse then the pharma company? The ratio of good:harm must be much higher with the pharma industry then airbag manufacturers given their track record.

What is it about the pharma industry that puts them above the law? Both industries make lots of money for the ecnonomy, and certainly their brass donates to the political funds of “key” candidates… just like in every other company in the USA.

#4

Well put, BP. And it made me think that there should be some sort of non-compete law for federal employees at a high level.

For example, if the head of the FDA leaves his/her post, he/she can’t work for a major pharmaceutical company for two years following his/her departure.

Same with any/all industries overseen by federal agencies.

Also vice-versa: the federal government cannot hire senior executives from major companies they oversee until two years after those executives leave their posts.

Such a law would prevent all the “bed hopping” that goes on now.

#5

It will never happen, just the same as they won’t ever outlaw private campaign funding, or allow 3rd party candidates into debates; corporate fascism at its finest.

Like I said the ony thing that surprises me is the double standard shown to the pharma industry in general. Car companies, airbag manufacturers, computer companies and even banks are coming under more scurtiny then these guys. Its the one industry that is openly (and many people know it) harming more living creatures outside of the military/industrial complex. Yet nobody makes a peep about having a criminal investigation into the actions and marketing of big pharma. There is no reason we should even have drug commericials on television, they serve no purpose but to pressure ill informed consumers to go pester their doctors for scripts.

#6

All true, my friend.

The one promising thing here is that – like with the Bill Cosby case – the pharmaceutical industry may be ripe for a skewering in the court of public opinion.

Why no one has yet gathered 100+ Merck victims for multi-day protest outside Merck’s headquarter – shouting “Out of the courtrooms and into the streets! Kenneth C. Frazier must be beat!” – is beyond me.

Yes, I realize that won’t help medical research – at least not immediately – but such a simple event could make news around the world.

More important, it could be Merck’s Hannibal Buress moment – the linchpin to thousands most Merck victims rising up in protest.

Just

go

there

and

do

it.

So simple.

#7

I would but I can’t you know why. Though it does bring me some joy knowing that those dirtbags know there are people out there who hate them as much as I do.

#8

At some point (trust me) there will be 100+ angry victims outside Merck’s headquarters displaying their Constitutional right to protest.

And it will make headlines news.

And there will be nothing Merck can do.

Remember this chant:

“Out of the courtrooms and into the streets,
Kenneth C. Frazier must be beat!”

So it is written.

So it shall be done.