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source: theflucase
Baxter, the pharmaceutical company, cannot be prosecuted for any damage or death caused by its swine flu vaccines under the terms of the secret contract it sealed with the French government, it has emerged.
Baxter was forced to disclose the full contract after Gerard Bapt, a member of the finance committee of the French National Assembly, intervened.
The French government has kept the "swine flu" vaccine contract a secret for reasons of commercial confidentiality.
The contract reveals that Baxter can avoid all responsibility before the law for its 50,000 swine flu vaccines costing 10 Euros each.
In addition, it shows that Baxter is set to deliver 150,000 vaccines against meningitis, a disease that can result in permanent brain damage and death, as part of the French government's vaccination campaign against the "swine flu" pandemic.
The news that the French government took out an option to order Baxter's NESVAC meningococcal vaccines in such large quantities in December 2008 to tackle a pandemic will come as a surprise to many people. But a French public health body recommended the meningitis vaccines, allegedly because there was a higher risk of meiningococcal infection during a pandemic.
NESVAC contains 0.5 mg of an aluminium adjuvant, adding new toxic ingredients and dangerous viruses to the brew of Celvapan, Pandemrix and Focetria swine flu jabs.
The contract shows that Baxter does not even have to have regulatory authorisation to put its "swine flu" jabs on the French market.
The company has been given blanket immunity from any prosecution or penalties.
The government "will not have any recourse to any action of indemnity" against Baxter in case Baxter delivers vaccines that do not conform to standards, the contract states.
"Undesirable side effects, expected or not expected, or a lack of efficacy" cannot be the basis for any claim, says the contract.
Baxter sealed the contract with a special government health body set up in March 2007 to deal with national health emergencies called L'EPRUS (L'Etablissement de Preparation et de Reponse aux Urgences Sanitaires).
L'EPRUS, headed by Thierry Coudert, gains sweeping powers in the event of a pandemic emergency, including the power to conclude contracts with pharmaceutical companies.
Baxter's Austrian subsidiary was found to have contaminated 72 kilos of seasonal flu material with the live bird flu virus this February, nearly sparking a global bird flu pandemic according to the Times of India.
Because Baxter is required to implement bio-safety level 3 standards when handling the bird flu, an accidental contamination can be ruled out.
The incident is the subject of a criminal investigation by the Austrian police, though so far no action appears to have been taken.
The contract is so loose that Baxter could theoretically contaminate its 50,000 swine flu vaccines destined for France with the live bird flu virus - and still face no prosecution.
The news that Baxter has been given carte blanche to deliver vaccines that do not even require regulatory approval and that the company cannot be prosecuted no matter what it does will fuel concerns that pharmaceutical companies and government bodies are working hand in hand to maximise profits while ignoring all public safety considerations.
The French Health Minister Roseylne Bachelot -- ultimately responsible for the operation of L'EPRUS -- airbrushed her 12 years of employment for pharmaceutical companies from her CV, underlining the close but often hidden links between government officials and the pharma industry.
Original Article
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