NPR: Experimental Malaria Vaccine Slashes Infection Risk By Half

A while back I was listening to NPR and they did a story about an experimental malaria vaccine.  Although I thought the news was impressive, I must admit it had slipped my mind until I came across the print version of the article recently.

Obviously this vaccine is experimental at this point, and it is far too early to determine the impact, but the article states "malaria researchers say the new vaccine could prevent malaria in tens of millions of children and save hundreds of thousands of lives per year". 

Think about that for a second - we have an experimental vaccine which only reduces the infection rate for malaria by about half rather than completely eliminates it, but even with only a 50% to 55% reduction it can still save hundreds of thousands of lives per year.  Yet antivaccinationists continually try to convince us that vaccines do not work and that they cause more harm than good.  Apparently this is yet another example of a study they will need to ignore as they try to claim there is no science proving vaccines are beneficial.

Let us be clear - this vaccine is a prime example of how science is making the world a better place.  Note the results from the study showed a clear benefit to the vaccine and this benefit cannot be attributed to anything else.  There were no environmental factors that differed between the two study groups, the population was stable, sanitation and pest control programs were not modified, and the test groups were co-mingled within all test sites.  Therefore the results appear very promising, although scientists and researchers admit more work needs to be done to improve the vaccine efficacy.

It is also worthy to note that the funding to develop this vaccine came from the vaccine's sponsor GlaxoSmithKline (who contributed around $300M) and from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (who contributed around $200M). Antivaccinationists will be quick to point out that GlaxoSmithKline is a vaccine manufacturer who stands to profit if this vaccine is available for sale, but GSK puts their minds at ease by openly stating they will make no profit from this endeavor. 

It is nice to know there are organizations out there that are trying to save lives and improve living conditions even when they can't personally profit from it, and you will also note that GSK or the Gates Foundation didn't charge these children massive amounts of money to be in their clinical trial... a tactic we have seen employed elsewhere.  When it comes to life saving vaccines that could help eradicate a disease thankfully it is usually about the people - not the profit.

The NPR article (which contains a link to the original audio broadcast) can be found on the NPR website. 

The actual results of the phase 3 clinical trial can be found within The New England Journal of Medicine.

More Legal Problems for Mr. Hubbs

We have discussed some of Mr. Hubbs legal problems in the past to show how Mr. Hubbs seems to have a split personality.  One one hand he proclaims that "big pharma" is evil and that all drugs as well as vaccines are harmful, but on the other hand he seems to have no issue with taking (and abusing) multiple prescription medications nor does he have an issue with "self-medicating" with massive amounts of alcohol.

Does that seem a tad harsh for me to accuse Mr. Hubbs of self-medicating?  It might if but for the fact that Mr. Hubbs used those very words himself.  In fact, Mr. Hubbs was actually quoted as saying his DUIs were a result of him "self medicating [his] anxiety disorder".

So when the law finally caught up with Mr. Hubbs and arrested him for multiple DUIs, did that turn him around and help him pull his life together?  Did Mr. Hubbs admit fault and accept responsibilities for his actions?  Not exactly... he merely blamed his behavior on his need to self-medicate.

Ask any alcoholic or addict and they will give you a laundry list of excuses on why they do what they do, so when Mr. Hubbs says he was self-medicating his anxiety disorder it doesn't really shock me in the slightest, especially when such an excuse comes from a hypocrite.

It appears there is a pattern of behavior emerging with Mr. Hubbs, and it doesn't end with alcohol abuse alone.  In fact, several years ago Mr. Hubbs was arrested for shoplifting nutritional supplements from Shopko, and it appears this wasn't his first incident of shoplifting.  Case in point:

"I was arrested for shoplifting nutritional supplements; which had become a compulsion; I just got more daring and brave, with each time I got away with it." ~ Lowell Hubbs

So based upon Mr. Hubbs own admission he had a "compulsion" for shoplifting which continued right up until the point he was apprehended by a Shopko loss prevention manager and handed over to the police.  So when Mr. Hubbs was caught shoplifting do you think he finally took this as an opportunity to admit fault and to change his lifestyle?  No... instead - he blamed his actions upon his prescribed medications (namely Paxil and Alprazolam).

That might not seem like such a huge stretch since people do often have strange side effects from prescriptions especially when mixed with alcohol, and considering Mr. Hubbs track record with alcohol consumption and his admitted reliance upon alcohol for "self-medication" purposes... who knows what the impact might be.  However, Paxil warning information specifically states to avoid taking it with alcohol, and since I doubt Mr. Hubbs was ever prescribed a 12 oz. can of Budweiser along with his daily dose of Paxil, we can once again clearly state that Mr. Hubbs has no one to blame for his legal troubles other than himself.

Even more shocking is the fact that several weeks prior to his apprehension for shoplifting, Mr. Hubbs was arrested for stealing a bicycle.  The irony is thick with this one since Mr. Hubbs has been known to accuse others of stealing his bikes, so aside from the obviously and oh-so-apparent karma, it would seem that once again Mr. Hubbs is nothing other than a hypocrite.  A self-medicating felon of a hypocrite, but a hypocrite nevertheless.

So what was Mr. Hubbs' excuse when he was arrested for stealing the bike?  You guessed it... he stood right in front of a judge and had his lawyer state that his medication had been prescribed improperly.  He didn't accept responsibility for his actions and obviously didn't learn from the experience considering he was shoplifting a few short weeks later.

In yet another example of how Mr. Hubbs refuses to accept responsibility for his actions, rather than admitting his mistake and learning from it, he actually complained that the punishment far exceeded the crime itself when he made the following statement:

"For a $15 bike, it cost me 10 days in jail, $300 some odd dollars in fines and jail costs, and several hundred for my attorney" ~ Lowell Hubbs

Even through all of that, Mr. Lowell Hubbs never learned a lesson.  He never admitted fault, he never turned his life around, and he continued to abuse prescription drugs combined with alcohol.  How do I know this?  Simple... in the following years after the events described above, Mr. Hubbs was arrested, charged and convicted of two more DUIs.  I guess some people are just really slow learners.

So of course like any good recovering addict would do, Mr. Hubbs finally decided it was time to face his demons.  He was finally determined to find the root cause of all his troubles and address it head on.  He was going to make life changes, accept responsibility for his actions, turn his life around and finally improve his situation.  Oh wait... that is what a normal person would have done, and if you know Lowell Hubbs he is far from a normal person.

So what did Mr. Hubbs really do?  Well, he did what any good addict with an extensive criminal record does - he sued the makers of Paxil!

The case is Bauerle et al v. Smithkline Beecham Corporation and the lead case is 4:04-cv-04187-LLP.  A certain Lowell Hubbs at 400 S. Prairie #9 Sioux Falls, SD 57104 was listed in that case as well and was represented by none other than A. Russell Janklow.

Eventually the case was transferred in 2005 and rolled into a larger case against the makers of Paxil.  The case then became Lesli Hamilton, et al. vs Glaxosmithkline, Inc. with the lead case being 2:03-ml-01574-MRP.  I won't bore you with the details, but here is a brief summary of the result:

JOINT STIPULATION AND ORDER DISMISSING WITH PREJUDICE CLAIMS OF IDENTIFIED PLAINTIFFS by Judge Mariana R. Pfaelzer: Plaintiffs listed below hereby dismiss with prejudice all of their claims against Defendant regarding its drug Paxil: (1) Rose M Bauerle; (2) Lowell Kevin Hubbs; (3) Dean Dorian Price; (4) Chad Jon Singsaas; (5) Lisa Lindner Sweeney-Nicol; (6) Kimberly Winger. Each party to bear their own costs, pursuant to FRCP 41(a). This Document Relates to Bauerle 2:05-cv-02185 MRP (CWx).(bg, ) (Entered: 12/27/2006)

If you wish to read more about the case, you can do so right here.

So long story short, the case was settled in late 2006.  I won't bother to post the entire 26 page legal brief (although I can email it upon request), but basically it appears there was some form of settlement between Mr. Hubbs (including the other plaintiffs) and Glaxosmithkline (GSK).  So what does Mr. Hubbs have to say about all of this?  Read for yourself:

"We walked away six years later with an out of court settlement, and an across the board GSK denial, and about $20,000 each; (minus the law firms cut)." ~ Lowell Hubbs

Now keep in mind that the lawsuit was based upon the claim that Paxil caused addiction, but there was never anything in any of the testimony or court records to suggest that Paxil causes people to steal bikes from behind Casinos or to self-medicate with massive amounts of alcohol or to drive while intoxicated or to mix alcohol with anti-depressants or to go on shoplifting sprees just because they feel like it.

Mr. Hubbs is simply the type of person who will always look elsewhere when it comes time to determine who is to blame for his own issues.  It is always the fault of someone else or a side effect of a drug he took.  His four convictions for driving under the influence weren't his fault, nor was the shoplifting or theft.  This is why Lowell Hubbs has become the anti-mainstream medicine zealot he has become.  This is why he continually blames "big pharma" for anything and everything and why he has a personal vendetta against modern medicine and pharmaceuticals.

The fact is, Mr. Hubbs' continual legal problems were never caused by a drug company or a retail store.  They were never caused by a pill or a vaccine.  They were never the fault of a police officer, loss prevention agent, or warden nor were they the result of omitted warning labels.  Mr. Hubbs legal problems have always been caused by one thing and one thing alone - Mr. Hubbs himself.

So the next time you witness Mr. Hubbs rail against modern medicine or against "big pharma", just remember this whole illusion is based upon the precept that Mr. Hubbs believes he is not responsible for his own actions.  That makes perfect sense if you are the type who believes in government mind control or 9/11 conspiracy theories, so it stands to reason Mr. Hubbs would believe it.

But hey... there is some good news to be taken from all of this.  Due to Mr. Hubbs' financial settlement with GSK he can afford to buy his own bikes for a change instead of stealing them from others.

Lowell Admits He Has Relied Upon Prescriptions!

One may think with all of Lowell's medical "knowledge" and "expertise" that he should be able to solve any medical issue with natural therapies, alternative medicine, supplements, proper diet, or the occasional "spinal adjustment" from his local Chiropractor, but yet it seems Lowell has himself realized that in some cases pharmaceuticals are beneficial.

Case in point, if you read the following blog entries written by Mr. Hubbs, you can clearly see he has admitted to taking prescription Paxil.

http://fiddaman.blogspot.com/2008/05/seroxat-withdrawal-reports-part-iii.html

"Lowell Hubbs - I seen the Paxil commercials, and was on another prescription drug, and I asked to be swithched to Paxil. I never questioned if Paxil was addictive, was told nothing by my doctor. Reading pharmacy and drug book information, did not say anything about it being habit-forming, nor addictive. After a few months on the drug, I tried going off, cold turkey, and the result was electric zaps throughout my body, mostly my arms and legs, and a strange whoosh-like sound in my head, that every time I moved; it felt like some sort of seizure of brief but repeatative nature. Memory is terrible; that and extreme fatigue, now that I have tapered the dosage to 10 mgs; I am scared of going to 5mgs. I will know later how that turns out. Paxil is a terrrible drug-that I never would have taken, had I known the truth. It is beyond human comprehension, how such lies can be perpetrated on such a large number of people across this entire country; and all in the name of wrongful profit. - S. D."

A few points to take from this admission.  First, Lowell admits he was on another prescription before asking his Doctor to prescribe Paxil.  Thus we know two things.  Number one, Lowell depends upon drugs to solve problems because even he has learned from experience that alternative medicine can't cure everything.

Number two, Lowell seeks the medical advice and guidance of a real medical doctor.  We know this because he admitted it, and the fact that Chiropractors and health food store employees are not able to write prescriptions.

It is also interesting to note that Lowell reports a "strange whoosh-like sound in [his] head".  Of course anyone who has ever met Lowell can tell you that is most likely the result of logic and common sense passing directly in to one ear and out the other, but to Lowell this is a symptom.

Makes you wonder if Lowell took another drug to solve that issue doesn't it?

So how about Lowell's next admission:

"Lowell Hubbs - I think the greatest disservice GSK did, was to falsely claim only drug addicts and the like, could get hooked on, or for only such poeple could paxil become habit forming? So, all these people having signed this petion, are drug addicts? For one, I am not! The first 6 months I took Paxil, it seemed to work well for the stress related anxiety I was prescribed for. the TV comercials bragged it up as good for such a condition, and being non habit forming; LIERS!!! My doctor never informed me of severe withdrawal I may experiance, or when I should get off the drug, basically prescribed more sample, by phoning his nurses. After six months, I tried to go off cold turkey; after four days had severe shock waves in my brain, body, and up and down my legs. Zapping was so severe, I could hardly hold my eyes open; to sit still, with your eyes shut was the best. Paxil; non habit forming??? I then went back on 20mg. and proceeded down to 10, 5, and the 0. over 4 months time; each step was hell; with more of the same, no sleep, just nightmares, migraines I never had before. Each step down, after a couple days, I had to return to the previous dosage, and start over back down, because the brainzapping/ body pulsing, and near inability to function and concentrate, were gone; I could not stay at work, without more drug. I was continually late for work; could not wake up; was no exhausted. I nearly lost my job. now after 4 months I am off Paxil for 20 days; and still from time to time I am getting brain zaps and whooshing sounds in my ears and head; at time it feels like someone pumped my head full of air; my balance and coordination are off- to the point it is hard to work, also. When I read the article on the 3 part article on the pineal gland, on www. antidepressants facts .com, it is clear that Paxil causes brain damage, thanks so much, GSK, and being Paxil has such a short half life, about 4 days, it seems; these results of my experiance can be looked at as nothong but possible brain damage, my brain is still trying to find ways to compensate for. Now, after 20 days, I am developing sever panic attackson awaking in the morning, that I had not before. What do I do now; go get myself hooked on more Xanax? I believe all SSRI drugs are dangerous; and Paxil is the worst. What about the violent anger,and frustration this drug produces?This is a treatment that makes people better able to function in life? It is biggest lie ever told; for profit of the already rich, to get richer! GSK, I hope that when all the lawsuits are completed, you no longer exist, to harm anyone else; it can not come soon enough! GSK, feel free to email me at cornfieldmn@yahoo.com, and that with any appoligy you have the balls to make! Again I ask you in top management to please take your own poison, for 6 months, an then go off cold turkey; or even wean off slowly, maybe you would have an attitude adjustment!!! Profits will mean nothing, when you get to the end of your life; and you have to answer for the pain you have caused. I hope you are made to experiance the agony, times 1000, the people that have signed this petion, have felt! - USA"

So here we learn even more about Mr. Hubbs.  We learn he was diagnosed with "stress related anxiety" and that he was more that willing to take pills so solve this issue.  Mr. Hubbs also admits he took Paxil for at least six months with no negative effects.

So when Lowell starts experiencing symptoms, does he question what might be causing them?  No, instead he jumps on the anti-pharmaceutical bandwagon and assumes everything that is wrong with him is due to some miracle pill he is taking.  However what Lowell fails to understand is SSRIs such as Paxil build up in the system to a maximum level within four to six weeks.  So if the drug was really responsible for everything Lowell claims, why did he have no issues for six months?

Thankfully we have Lowell's own admission that Paxil causes brain damage which might actually have some merit to it because based upon my interactions with Lowell it would seem quite obvious even to a casual observer than the man does in fact suffer from brain damage.  Granted the brain damage may have occurred from all of his years being dependent upon the bottle (a trail of DUIs and extended prison time is evidence enough of that), or it might be a result of "self-medicating" with non-legal drugs of his choosing.  With Lowell anything is possible.

It also appears that Lowell has experience with Xanax, which tells us once again that he is a "do as I say, not as I do" kind of guy.  Bear in mind he admits he has experienced "violent anger" as well, but what more can you expect from a man who can't rely upon his brain to fight his battles?