They’re some of the most trusted voices in the defense of vaccine safety: the American Academy of Pediatrics, Every Child By Two, and pediatrician Dr. Paul Offit. But CBS News has found these three have something more in common – strong financial ties to the industry whose products they promote and defend. The vaccine industry gives millions to the Academy of Pediatrics for conferences, grants, medical education classes and even helped build their headquarters. The totals are kept secret, but public documents reveal bits and pieces. A $342,000 payment from Wyeth, maker of the pneumococcal vaccine – which makes $2 billion a year in sales. A $433,000 contribution from Merck, the same year the academy endorsed Merck’s HPV vaccine – which made $1.5 billion a year in sales. Every Child By Two, a group that promotes early immunization for all children, admits the group takes money from the vaccine industry, too – but wouldn’t tell us how much. Then there’s Paul Offit, perhaps the most widely-quoted defender of vaccine safety. He’s gone so far as to say babies can tolerate “10,000 vaccines at once.” In fact, he’s a vaccine industry insider. Offit holds in a $1.5 million dollar research chair at Children’s Hospital, funded by Merck. He holds the patent on an anti-diarrhea vaccine he developed with Merck. And future royalties for the vaccine were just sold for $182 million cash.

Note: An excellent report endorsed by dozens of respected doctors and nurses reveals the serious risks of vaccines. Read an excellent list of questions on the usefulness of vaccines that are rarely raised by the media. This US government webpage states, “Since 1988, over 18,897 petitions have been filed with the VICP [Vaccine Injury Compensation Program] … with 5,205 of those determined to be compensable. Total compensation paid over the life of the program is approximately $3.7 billion.” Why isn’t that $3.7 billion price tag for vaccine injuries being talked about?