TABLE TOP EXERCISES THAT INFLUENCE INTERNATIONAL POLICY MAKING ‘EVENT 201’ WEF & GATES FOUNDATION

TABLE TOP EXERCISES ARE DESCRIBED AS A NORMAL TOOL OF PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS TRAINING TO IMPROVE INTERNATIONAL COORDINATION & RESPONSE.. Several have already been acted out for International purposes at the  John Hopkins Centre For Health Bloomberg Public Health Center. Partners of the Center include :- Independent research & analysists. Supported by governments worldwide, foundations- funders and partners  etc., To name a few:- Open Society Foundations (George Soros) * World Health Org., (UN) WHO *Bell & Melinda Gates Foundation *Rockefeller Foundation* CEC * FDA and many more. The John Hopkins Centre was founded in 1998 by D A Henderson as a first Global-Govt Organization

JOHN HOPKINS – BLOOMBERG SCHOOLS OF PUBLIC HEALTH- CENTER FOR HEALTH SECURITY FUNDERS AND PARTNERS INCLUDE.. The Center conducts independent research and analysis, and our work is supported by government, foundations, and gifts. We are grateful for the generous support from our funders and partners. To study the vulnerability of US Civilian population to Biological Weapons. 25 plus years on the John Hopkins Health Security Bloomberg School’ s focus in ‘Severe Pandemics that threaten Our World

George Soros- Open Society Foundations *WHO *John Hopkins  * Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation *Rockefeller Foundation *Robert Wood Johnson Foundation U ASPR (Assistat Secretary for Prepared and Response *CDC *Homeland Security *FDA *DTRA *Alfred Sloan Foundation * de Beaument Foundation * Smith Richardson The Center was founded in 1998 by D.A. Henderson as the first nongovernment organization to study the vulnerability of the US civilian population to biological weapons and how to prevent, prepare, and respond to their consequences.

Between 1992- 2002 Published papers in Jama Medical Management of Biological Agents  *1999- 2000 Organized 2 National Symposia on Medical Health Response & Bio-terrorism *2001 was highly influential in government decisions to purchase a UN national Smallpox stockpile *2002 Became involved in the Guidance for Hospital and Communities in the US on Pandemic Preparedness Hospital Programmes *2003 Led & shaped US National efforts to engage the public in epidemic & disaster response policies & programs. Launched their 1st Peer Reviewed Journal in this field. Consequently Bioterrorism & Biosecurity was later renamed Health Security. In 2004 John Hopkins Health Security Centre’s research provoked US Policy of ‘Dual Use Research’. Startups publishing annual Health Security  federal funded articles. Which were used by the Media *Government to understand Bio-defense & Health Security

2006 John Hopkins Centre’s analysis * advocacy helped to form the ‘Pandemic & All-Hazards Preparedness Act and the Bio-medical Advanced Research & Development Authority (BARDA) *2011 John Hopkins Centre published its first ‘Nuclear Preparedness Guidance’ aimed at Public Health, medical and Civic Leader in the Rad Resilient City Initiative

2006 The John Hopkins Center analysis and advocacy helped to inform the framework for the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act, as well as the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA).

2011 Published first nuclear preparedness guidance aimed at public health, medical, and civic leaders in the Rad Resilient City initiative. The initiative providing cities & their neighbors with a checklist of ‘preparedness actions’ following a nuclear detonation. Also provided leaders a Checklist of Preparedness’ as to the risk of terrorism

2012 John Hopkins created their first International Fellowship Program focused on building Bio-security leadership.. And a first effort report on how to allocate resources during a Pandemic. * In 2013 they helped lead-develop the US National Health Security Preparedness Index. (The first State to State Index on Health Preparedness)

2013-2014: John Hopkins Centre participated in debate referring to ‘Gain Of Function’-Potential Pathogen Research. This resulted in US Govt funding and a new US Policy *2014-2016 Established Track 2 – S E Asian-US & India -US Biosecurity dialogues * 2017 Published their first working paper in the field of ‘defining global catastrophic biological risks- catalyzing a new focus on these issues *John Hopkins Health Centre- Bloomberg School of Health Security are also well known worldwide for their famous ‘Table Top- Simulation Exercises. (1) 2001 ‘Dark Winter Exercise- Depicting a smallpox attack on the US- which led the US Govt to stockpile Smallpox Vaccines

The 2005 ‘Atlantic Storm’ Table-top simulation Exercise focusing on the Inter-dependence that is demonstrated among International Communities in the face of Epidemics & Biological Weapons. * Another John Hopkins Centre Exercise namely ‘CLADEX’ in 2018. Was a major table-top exercise on major political and policy decision making that would emerge if a global catastrophic biological event was to occur.

The one I find most interesting is John Hopkins Bloomberg Centre For Health Security – namely EVENT 201’ which took place on October 18th 2019. Only e months before the emergence of the COVID19 Pandemic. Of course Fact Checkers- and the usual participants- NGO’s- Govts etc., have said “Nothing to See Here- Its nothing to do with the emergence of the COVID 19 Pandemic”

The 18th October 2019 ‘201’ Global Pandemic Table-top Exercise was held at the Pierre Hotel in New York. The audience was by invite only (A livestream audience) Which has Video coverage on You Tube which can be viewed. The Tabletop exercise for the Global Pandemic was organized by the John Hopkins Center For Health Security, the World Economic Forum and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Funded by the ‘Open Philanthropy Project’

The Players (Actors) that participated in the Event 201 Table Top Exercise were individuals from Global Businesses, Govt & Public Health and involved Sofia Borges UN Foundation Senior Director at the New York Head Office of the UN * Dr Chris Elias -President of the Global Development Programme of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Dr Chris Elias serves as the President and CEO of PATH, an International non-profit organization and various other Advisory Boards including the Advisory Committee to the Director of the CDC & the Washington Global Health External Advisory Board. Also a Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Other participating actors of the ‘Global Pandemic Table-Top Exercise Event’ include Timothy Evans (McGill University. Associate Dean of the School Of Population and Global Health in the Faculty of Medicine & Associate Vice Principle of the Global Policy and Innovation. Has a important role at the World Bank Group (The Nutrition, Health Population Global Practice)

Timothy Evans joined McGill University in September 2019 as the Inaugural Director and Associate Dean of the School of Population and Global Health (SPGH) in the Faculty of Medicine and Associate Vice-Principal (Global Policy and Innovation). He joined McGill after a 6-year tenure as the Senior Director of the Health, Nutrition and Population Global Practice at the World Bank Group.

A Representative of WHO (World Health Org, UN). Dr Evans who was Assistant Director General of WHO from 2003-2010. He is at the forefront for the last 20 years advancing Global Health Equity & Global Health Systems. Leading the WHO Commission on Social Determinants of Health. Also over-seeing the production of the annual World Health Report (UN) A Co-Founder of many partnerships, including the Global Alliance on Vaccines & Immunization (GAVI). He led the China CDC Team from September to November 2013 in the fights against Ebola

Participants of the Global Pandemic Exercise Event 201 included Representatives of the UN in various Global Initiatives* Representative from Vodafone Foundation *ANZ Bank *Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Representative  *WEF Representation *Global Business Advisory Leader * Lufthansa Group Airlines * UPS Foundation *A major Media Company* A member of the Monetary Authority of Singapore *Global Health Johnson & Johnson

The Global Pandemic Exercise concluded with Recommendation including a Call of Action for Public-Private Partnerships for a Global Pandemic Preparedness Response. The John Hopkins Global Pandemic Table-top Exercise was played out like it was in reality the pending Global Pandemic with all the mandatory Restrictions. Involved Radio and TV Broadcasting. Mis-Disinformation Campaigns.

Economic and societal impacts- social consequences- suffering. Unpresented levels of collaboration between govts, international organizations and the Private Sector. Lockdowns, social distancing. The challenges posed by the populations. A new robust form of public-private cooperation to address the pandemic. Proposals were made by WEF * Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation * John Hopkins Centre for Health Security

This included Govts international organizations, business, have essential corporate capabilities to be utilized on a very large scale during the Pandemic. Stating public sectors will be over-whelmed. Economic losses. Social Media, communications systems, global news media needed to enable govts emergency response. Operational partnerships between govt responses

WHO currently had a influenza vaccine stockpile with contracts to pharmaceutical companies that they agreed to supply during a global Pandemic. WHOs ability to distribute vaccines and therapeutics to countries in the greatest need. WHO R& D Blueprint Pathogens to be deployed in clinical trials during outbreaks in collaborations with CEPT, GAVI and WHO with Bi- or multinational agreements

* Cancelling of travel by Air & by Sea. International Aviation and Shipping *Border measures. Leading to unjustified border measures. Fear & uncertainty. Severely affecting Employment, businesses.. global supplies of products etc., Vaccine deaths are absent.

November 19th 2019 WEF article on managing Risk & Impact of Guture Pandemics. Also a Private Sector Roundtable- A Global Agenda 19th November 2011. 12th May 2019 WEF Peter Sands. Outbreak – Readiness and Business Impact. Protecting Lives and Livelihoods across the Global economy.( WEF)

Also includes references to – The Center’s scholars researched these topics to inform the scenario.CAPS: The Pathogen and Clinical Syndrome (PDF) *Communication in a pandemic (PDF) *Event 201 Model (PDF) *Finance in a pandemic (PDF) *Medical countermeasures (PDF)

All reported as a fictional unplanned Global COVID 19 Pandemic outbreak but it was played out as if in reality 18th October 2019 prior to COVID19 global emergence. Also recommended was the SPARS Pandemic 2015-2028 Table-top exercise at the John Hopkins Centre For Health and Security (October 2017) A Futuristic Scenario for Public Health Risk Communicators

Recommended Citation Schoch-Spana M, Brunson EK, Shearer MP, Ravi S, Sell TK, Chandler H, Gronvall GK. The SPARS Pandemic, 2025-2028: A Futuristic Scenario for Public Health Risk Communicators. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security; October 2017.

This is a hypothetical scenario designed to illustrate the public health risk communication challenges that could potentially emerge during a naturally occurring infectious disease outbreak requiring development and distribution of novel and/or investigational drugs, vaccines, therapeutics, or other medical countermeasures. The infectious pathogen, medical countermeasures, characters, news media excerpts, social media posts, and government agency responses described herein are entirely fictional

LINK TO THE ‘ECHO CHAMBER’ SPARS PANDEMIC 2025- 2028 (https://centerforhealthsecurity.org/sites/default/files/2022-12/spars-pandemic-scenario.pdf)

https://centerforhealthsecurity.org/our-work/tabletop-exercises/event-201-pandemic-tabletop-exercise

OTHER LINKS OF INTEREST: 1 Global Health Security: Epidemics Readiness Accelerator. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/projects/managing-the-risk-and-impact-of-future-epidemics. Accessed 11/19/19

2 Private Sector Roundtable. Global health Security Agenda. https://ghsagenda.org/home/joining-the-ghsa/psrt/. Accessed 11/19/19

3 Peter Sands. Outbreak readiness and business impact: protecting lives and livelihoods across the global economy. World Economic Forum 2019. https://www.weforum.org/whitepapers/outbreak-readiness-and-business-impact-protecting-lives-and-livelihoods-across-the-global-economy. Accessed 12/5/19

https://www.weforum.org/press/2019/10/live-simulation-exercise-to-prepare-public-and-private-leaders-for-pandemic-response/

https://www.cni.org/topics/special-collections/event-201-why-werent-we-paying-attention

https://science.feedback.org/review/simulation-exercises-such-as-catastrophic-contagion-normal-part-pandemic-preparedness-dont-predict-future-pandemics/

WakeUpNZ

RESEARCHER Cassie

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Other Blog Posts

17 QUESTIONS ASKED BY THE COMMUNITY ABOUT RIGHT WING EXTREMISM BEFORE MARCH 15TH 2019

QUESTION: Were public sector agencies aware of the threat posed by white supremacists and other right wing extremist non-state actors and movements? Is so what did they do in response to the threat?

ANSWERS: The primary focus of intelligence was international terrorism, particularly the threat to New Zealanders overseas. Assessment on international terrorism was primarily focused on Islamic Extremist Terrorism.  In the past 5 years leading up to 2018 there were few strategic assessments about terrorism threats in New Zealand and practically none on threats other than Islamic Terrorism

As to Right Wing extremism before the March 2019 by reporting that the NZ SIS reported that there was an awareness of a threat posed by right wing was developing but it was limited.  NZ SIS started its baselining project in May 2018. Following a meeting in December 2018 NZ Police took preliminary steps to undertake their own exercises on the extreme right In response the NZ SIS and NZ Police conducted a tabletop computer counter-terrorism response exercise in October 2018 based on a scenario of an assumed motor vehicle attack on worshipper out Masjid an Nur Mosque.

NOTE: this was around the opposition to free speech and the signing of the UN Global Compact of Migration signed in Dec 2018). I and other noticed the public advancement of political policing by NZ Police. In late 2018 NZ Police Armed defenders shutting off a street, emerging on the home of Lee Williams asking him if he supported Trump.  Another visit to a conservative supporter – NZ police questioning did he know a conservative candidate.  Police camera’s in the faces of those that supported freedom of speech, civil liberties, human rights being targeted. (This is when the mainstream propaganda machine started really targeting what they called those who opposed their human rights being violated)

QUESTION: WHAT INTELLLIGENCE DID AGENCIES RECEIVE FROM FIVE EYES PARTNERS REGARDING WHITE SUPREMACY AND RIGHT WING EXTREMISM BEFORE 15TH MARCH 2019?

ANSWERS:  Very little international partner reporting related to right wing extremism. For example the 2nd quarter of the 2018-2019 financial year, the Govt Communications Security Bureau received 7,526 intelligence reports from International Partners about Terrorism and Violent Extremism none were related to Right Wing Extremism

QUESTION: GIVEN THE UPWARD TREND IN WHITE SUPREMACIST AND OTHER RIGHT WING EXTREMIST ACTS OF VIOLENCE (ACTUAL AND PREVENTED) IN THE DECADE PRIOR  TO MARCH 2019…WHY WAS THERE NO CONCERN OF THIS HAPPENING IN NZ UNTIL MID 2018?

ANSWER: Counter terrorism largely concentrated on the threat of Islamic Terrorism, Islamic extremism being seen as the presenting threat

 QUESTION: WAS THERE ANY ASSESSMENTS DONE REGARDING DANGER TO MUSLIM COMMUNITIES? IF SO- WHAT WAS THE RESULT?

ANSWERS: Strategic and tactical intelligence assessments primarily focus on the threat posed and who poses the threat rather than risk to particular communities. Intelligence assessment can relate specifically to the risk to events or locations. There has been only one NZ Police Intelligence Assessment before 17th March 2019 which refers to the risk to Muslim communities. There was one NZ Police Intelligence Assessment produced prior to March 2019, referring to the risk to Muslim Communities. May 2018 a National Security Situation Update Report

Namely, ‘Ramadan 2018’ which provided the NZ Police Assistant Commissions and District Commanders that Da’ish had issued calls for terrorist attacks against Ramadan for the previous three years, and could again. It advised that Ramadan was also a time of increased risk to the Muslim Community and was noted by the NZ Police Commissioners and District Commanders.

2.Daesh is a name used to refer to ISIS/ISIL. The radical Sunni Muslim Organization, it’s a name said to delegitimise the groups claim to be an Islamic State. ISIL or Daish refers to the fundamentalist organization of the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant. Tarrant had no criminal history in New Zealand or Australia before 15th March 2019. The residents in his hometown in Australia said he seemed relatively normal, had not drawn attention of the Intelligence community. In his hometown the community were shocked at what eventuated on 15th March 2019. The Gym Manager in his home town said that Tarrant may have been radicalized in his visit to Europe and Asia in 2010 but still could not believe that he had done these horrific acts of terrorism.

Tarrant travelled to Turkey multiple times, with extended periods of time spent in Turkey He travelled to Bulgaria, Romania, Hungry, Serbia, Montenegro. Northern Pakistan. With Tarrant’s extended time, and multiple visits to Turkey  I found an article entitled Daish (ISIS0 They know no God, they have none. 1/10/2014. These ISIS groups were found in the Netherlands. Tarrant’s multiple trips and extended stays in Turkey not a lot has been reported about this? Honour killings are still prevalent in Turkey… Turkey is a secular country, Muslim, social democratic and also pro westerns- a real mix. Terrorism is Turkey is a significant issue for Turkish Authorities.

It has historically been advised to exercise extreme caution when travelling Turkey due to terrorism. Obviously Tarrant did not see any measurement of caution or concern otherwise he would not have visited Turkey multiple times, not made extended long visits to Turkey. In every city there is a call to prayer from Mosque speakers. But Tarrant obviously liked Turkey. Refers to Al-Sham. The term Al-Sham commonly used to describe the area between the Mediterranean ann Anatolia (In present day Turkey) and Egypt.

ISIS, ISIL, IS OR DAESH. One Group, many names. A self styled Islamic State. Daesh is an evil death cult, however governments worldwide would rather call the extremist Islamic  terrorist group Daesh instead of Isil.. With no mention of Tarrant’s many trips and extended stays in Turket Islamic Extremism is not mentioned or questioned.  The regular, frequent calling of prayer by loud speaker at Mosques throughout Turkey obviously did not stop him from visiting Turkey time and time again with extended stays. This is me thinking out loud. Something is not Oh So Right here. I have never seen any of Tarrants footage, and do not intend to, have no need to.  But remember God is our maker and the truth will eventually reveal itself. So many questions have gone unanswered. And cannot be answered because of the severe restriction on any person delving any deeper into the 15th March 2019 event.

From late 2018 I noticed how freedom of speech was being violated and political policing and that severely, seriously advanced and 15th March 2019 became Ardern’s govts applied reason to further advance destroying, seriously violating New Zealander’s Civil Liberties and Human Rights. I personally believe these actions by Ardern’s are totally unjustifiable.

The Muslim Community in NZ had experienced sporadic incidents of vandalism and abuse, however this is reported not to be frequent but caught the attention of the mainstream media. (Propaganda Machine). Yes well the rest of us experiences vandalism etc., before 2018 that’s not uncommon. Not a reason to blame NZrs that are simply opposing the Marxist/Socialist Regime.

QUESTION: WAS WHITE SUPREMACY AND RIGHT WING EXTREMISM INCLUDED IN THE CURRENT NATIONAL SECURITY AND INTELLIGENCE PRIORITIES AS AN AREA OF FOCUS FOR COUNTER TERRORISM?

ANSWERS: Not specifically. The Prime Ministers Cabinet in December 2018 included a terrorism priority, it included Domestic as well as International Terrorism threats but did not refer to particular ideologies. The Domestic Terrorism threats were described as those that may arise in and against New Zealand, or be carried out by New Zealanders overseas. And the scope included emerging trends and characteristics associated with overseas terrorist networks linked to NZ.

3.The International Terrorism threats were described as ‘threats against New Zealand’s interests overseas in areas which have the greatest exposure for New Zealanders, these being the trends, characteristics of emerging regional and global terrorism threats, that may impact on NZ. An ‘Unclassified version of the National Security and Intelligence Priorities was initially published in the department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet 2019 Annual Report. In September 202 the Dept of the PM and Cabinet updated its website to include an unclassified version of the National Security & Intelligence Priorities which included:-‘Terrorism. Threats to New Zealand. New Zealanders and New Zealand’s interests from terrorism, ideologically, politically motivated violence at home and abroad’

The strategic assessment that informed the 2018 priorities did not mention white supremacy or right wing extremism. (Reported NZ SIS). The NZ SIS with the NZ Police and Dept of the PM and Cabinet are the owner of the terrorism risk profile in the National Risk Register which informed the development of the NZ SIS Priorities in 2018. Ardern and her Cabinet were involved in this 2018 assessment that did not mention white supremacy or right wing extremism

The Royal Commission Inquiry reported that : An extreme right wing lone actor attack in NZ remained a possibility, albeit a remote one. (From what I have researched of the Royal Commission Enquiry has produced that this is a remote one.) Yet Ardern and Macron are using 15th March 2019  to obsessively promote Hate Speech Laws, a war on free speech globally. Ardern’s Govt produced the first Algorithm Charter in the world to seek out Hate Speech.

Although Govt preaches this is transparent another one of those litany of lies. Algorithm are complex tiny pieces of invisible codes that cannot  be visibly seen by you or me. Nothing transparent about Algorithms.

NOTE: After March 2019 NZ Police compiled a list of individuals who had the potential for right wing extremist characteristics from a review of their intelligence holdings. They had never ever attempted to do this prior to 15th  March 2019. NZ Police reported to the Royal Commission of Inquiry that the accuracy and reliability of the information used to compile the list was variable and required further assessment,

The NZ SIS, NZ Customs Service and NZ Police after 15th March 2019 went about refining and prioritising the agencies leads on right wing extremist individuals and groups in New Zealand. However the NZ Police website reports a number of Designated terrorist entities. Islamic Extremist Groups. Lists associated with Resolution 1373.

New Zealand currently has 22 non-UN listed entities designated in support of UN Security Council Resolution 1373. Non-UN listed entities have been designated by New Zealand since 10 February 2010. Cabinet refined the agreed process for proposed designations of non-UN listed entities in October 2010. This paper sets out the legal framework and process for terrorist designations under the TSA after October 2010 and explains the Prime Minister’s discretion in making terrorist designations. Cases or terrorist designation renewed in NZ right up to 28th August 2022 include Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade,

Al-Shabab of Somalia, The Basque Fatherland, Harakat-ul-Jihag-a;-Islam. Bangladesh A Jihad Group, the Indian Mujahideen. The Military wing of Hezbollah, Islamic Resistance, Islamic State of Iraq and other Islamic Extremist groups. Which includes the New Peoples Army/Communist Party of The Philippines., The shining Path- the Peruvian Communist Party. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad .and many more  And of course 27th August 2020 Tarrants name was entered.

4.NOTE: A designated entity or a third party with an interest in the designation can apply to the Prime Minister (Ardern) for revocation of the designation. The Prime Ministers Executive Wing.

The information I have researched by legal means has found that Right Wing Extremism and White Supremacy was not a reported, nor an issue of NZ SIS or NZ Police prior to 15th March 2019.

Yet Ardern and her political cronies in the toilet bowl of Wellington are obsessively intent to shut down and take extreme control of any speech that opposes a Socialist Marxist narrative which she and her political cronies worship and embrace.

NOTE: MARXISM/SOCIALISM THRIVES ON CRISIS EVENTS. Look at history, history repeating itself

NOTE: THIS RESEARCH HAS BEEN DONE THROUGH LEGAL MEANS HAS NOT VIOLATED GOVT CONFIDENTIALITY     WakeUpNew Zealand.  Carol Sakey

LINKS : https://christchurchattack.royalcommission.nz/the-report/part-8-assessing-the-counter-terrorism-effort/questions-asked-by-the-community-3/

https://www.police.govt.nz/advice/personal-community/counterterrorism/designated-entities/lists-associated-with-resolution-1373

 

RO VIEW THE VIDEO VERSION OF THE INFORMATION I HAVE PROVIDED PLEASE CLICK THE LINK WITHIN THE IMAGE ABOVE

 

 

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A SATANIC CULTISM

FIRST DO NO HARM  has been deliberately annihilated in New Zealand under Ardern’s regime. The Government of NZ has failed to protect New Zealanders and particularly the most vulnerable. Ardern and her mate Daniel Andrews are playmates on the same playing field.  I urge you never to forget the vunerable unborn and born lives of human being that have died in New Zealand because of the Ardern led regime.

PLEASE CLICK ON THE IMAGE ABOVE WHICH WILL LINK YOU TO MY VIDEO ON THIS BLOG

 

 

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THE DEMAND OF NZ’S DICTATORSHIP ’EQUALITY BEFORE FREEDOM’

Time to demand New Zealand Government (Marxist/Socialist) regime to heep their dirty hands of your children as they continue down this road indocrinating their captive minds with a Marxist-Socialist narrative. Sexuality and Gender Diversity indocrination. Promoting an overwhelmelming emotionalism in the classroom, this can only harm your child.

Teaching ‘Equality’. Is teaching equality good or bad? I personally believe it is dam evil.

Please click on the image above this will link you to my rumble video explaining why I believe it is dam evil.

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Carol Sakey
THE CDC

CDC FUNDING , A CONFLICT OF INTEREST ‘ COLLABORATE WITH DRUG MANUFACTURERS’RESEARCHERS

LATEST RESEARCH I HAVE FOUND ON CDC WHICH MAY INTEREST MANY OF YOU- Carol Sakey WakeUpNZ

OUTSIDE GIFTS: CDC has delegated authority from the Assistant Secretary for Health, HHS, to accept outside gifts. Specifically, Section 231 of the Public Health Service Act (42 USC 238) authorizes acceptance of unconditional and conditional gifts “…for the benefit of the Public Health Service or for the carrying out of any of its functions.” https://www.cdc.gov/partners/gift-funding.html   In the spring of 2016, CDC’s ACD made seven recommendationspdf icon pdf icon[PDF – 285 KB] for ethical considerations with CDC’s public-private partnerships. These recommendations focused on how CDC engages the private sector and reaffirm CDC’s commitment to the American people. The workgroup found it necessary to understand the complexity of relationships with private partners. This included both direct relationships between the agency and outside organizations from multiple sectors including private, NGO, philanthropic and business sectors. Additionally, CDC has a unique and somewhat complex relationship with the CDC Foundation, an organization established by Congress for the sole intent of facilitating public private partnerships with CDC. Further background on these relationships and the Legislative framework for CDC public private partnerships can be found in Appendix B. Ethical_Considerations_for_Public_Private_Partnerships_Recommendations_to_ACD.pdf (cdc.gov)    https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/jcm.00134-06?permanently=true 2007

EXPERIMENTAL EVALUATION OF THE FLU CHIP DIAGNOSTIC MICRO-ARRAY FOR INFLUENZA VIRUS SURVEILLANCE: By using a new algorithm (2229) developed in our laboratory for sequence selection and described in the companion paper (22), a low-density microarray (the FluChip-55 microarray) was designed to use a relatively small set of capture and label sequences (n = 55) for analysis of the subtypes of three important influenza A viruses and some influenza B viruses. The results from a thorough blind study involving 72 samples provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are described herein. The samples contained RNA from influenza viruses recently isolated from several species, including human, avian, equine, and swine species. Additionally, nine patient samples that had previously been shown to be positive for influenza virus were tested on the microarray. The total cost per assay, including the chips and all reagents used during printing, amplification, and hybridization, is less than $20. The unique aspects of this work include the microarray design and sequence selection, the use of target RNA rather than DNA, the broad range and large number of viruses used to test the microarray, and the implementation of a novel and highly effective visual identification methodology.

THE FLU CHIP AND CDC: The CDC provided 72 samples for a blind study of the FluChip-55 microarray. The sample set was later revealed to contain three negative controls: two water samples and one sample that contained bovine serum albumin. An independent negative sample (water) was added to the sample set in the University of Colorado laboratory for control purposes. The viral isolates provided represented samples from human, avian, equine, and swine species. The original samples were acquired by a range of techniques, including from throat swabs, nasopharyngeal swabs, or tracheal aspirates or by bronchoalveolar lavage. The viruses were propagated in either embryonated eggs or MDCK cells (15). Genomic RNA was extracted directly from allantoic fluid or cell culture supernatant with an RNeasy kit (QIAGEN, Valencia, CA). The virus type and subtype were predetermined at the CDC by sequencing of the hemagglutinin and neuraminidase genes and by traditional serological techniques.

CAPTURING B Y ALGORITHM: A new algorithm for the mining of large databases to identify regions of genetic conservation for highly mutable viruses such as influenza virus was recently developed in our laboratory; the algorithm is fully described in the companion paper (22). Sets of capture and label sequences that were anticipated to be capable of discriminating between different influenza virus types and subtypes were selected, spotted in an easily visualized microarray format (Fig. 1), and evaluated. Specifically, the 55 capture-label pairs were chosen to enable identification of influenza A virus M, HA1, HA3, HA5, NA1, and NA2 genes and influenza B virus M, NP, and HA genes, thereby covering the two most common influenza A viruses currently circulating in the human population as well as the avian A/H5N1 virus that is of great concern throughout the world. The entire set of capture and label sequences is shown in Table 1.

Future directions. In subsequent efforts the FluChip microarray will be expanded to cover a larger number of important influenza virus strains, such as the avian H7N3 (34), H7N7 (31214), and H9N2 (41926) virus strains. Novel viruses transmissible from species to species, such as the equine influenza virus H3N8 (6), which was recently found in canines, will also be addressed. S

ACKNOWLDGEMENTS: This CDC Collaboration  Article on the FluChip concluded with aknowledging funding from National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIH) Grant Number Uo1 AI056528-03. Thanking InDevR, LLC for use of its Genetix microarrayer and particularly thanking Linda Kuck for spotting the microarrays and her helpful discussions in array design and layout. Thanking Rebessa Garten at the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) for her assistance with the database organization and selection of conserved regions targeting influenza virus. Also thanking Patricia Young of the Colorado Dept of Public Health and Environment for providing patient samples.

A LITENY OF UNTRUTHS: Despite the claim that “CDC does not accept commercial support,” this agency does indeed have financial ties to industry organizations, through their government-charted foundation. Congress has created foundations for many government organizations, including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to supplement the agencies’ funding for specific projects and encourage more public-private partnerships.

FINANCIAL CONFLICTShttps://lowninstitute.org/cdc-disclaimers-hide-financial-conflicts-of-interest/  Since the CDC Foundation was created in 1995, hundreds of corporations have contributed to public health programs, for a total of $161 million in donations. Many of these contributions could be seen as conflicts of interest–for example, a $193,000 donation from Roche, the maker of antiviral drug Tamiflu, to fund a CDC flu prevention campaign. Despite the significant funding the CDC receives from industry via its foundation, few were aware of these conflicts until Jeanne Lenzer called attention to the foundation in The BMJ a few years ago. Recently, the CDC accepted $3.4 million from Pfizer for the prevention of Cryptococcal disease, $1 million from Merck & Co. pharmaceutical company for a program on preventing maternal mortality, and $750,000 from Biogen for a program on screening newborns for spinal muscular atrophy, the petition states

FALSE DISCLAIMERS: The petitioners ask that CDC should stop publishing the false disclaimers, remove the disclaimers from their website and resources, and issue corrections to retroactively disclose financial relationships with industry. “It’s time for the CDC to be truthful with health professionals and all Americans, and to stop denying that it takes corporate money,” said Gary Ruskin, co-director of U.S. Right to Know, in STAT. “The CDC is violating the public trust by misleading us in this way.”

CORPORATIONS AND PUBLIC HEATH: Many in the health community believe corporate ties are undermining the authority of the hugely influential public health agency. Many people in and out of the medical community were shocked to read in an article published earlier this year in the medical journal the BMJ that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) takes funding from industry. As Jeanne Lenzer, an independent reporter and associate editor at the BMJ, pointed out in that article, pharmaceutical and other types of companies can — and do — fund CDC projects by giving money to the CDC Foundation, a nonprofit organization created by Congress in the mid-1990s to “connect CDC to the private sector to advance public health.” And that has raised some serious conflict-of-interest concerns. For example, to help pay for its new “Take 3” flu-prevention campaign, the CDC, via its foundation, accepted a $193,000 donation from Roche, the company that makes the antiviral drug Tamiflu, Lenzer reported last February.

THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY WERE SHOCKED: Many people in and out of the medical community were shocked to read in an article published earlier this year in the medical journal the BMJ that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) takes funding from industry. As Jeanne Lenzer, an independent reporter and associate editor at the BMJ, pointed out in that article, pharmaceutical and other types of companies can — and do — fund CDC projects by giving money to the CDC Foundation, a nonprofit organization created by Congress in the mid-1990s to “connect CDC to the private sector to advance public health.” And that has raised some serious conflict-of-interest concerns.

THE CDC AND ITS DONATIONS: For example, to help pay for its new “Take 3” flu-prevention campaign, the CDC, via its foundation, accepted a $193,000 donation from Roche, the company that makes the antiviral drug Tamiflu, Lenzer reported last February. One of the central tenets of the “Take 3” campaign is the recommendation that people take an antiviral drug like Tamiflu if they develop symptoms of the flu. That advice, however, is highly controversial. Indeed, another government agency, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), says that the clinical trial data it has reviewed does not support the claim that Tamiflu saves lives or reduces hospitalizations, including among the elderly.

ADDITIONAL CONFLICTS: Earlier this month, Lenzer wrote again for the BMJ on CDC’s industry funding. In that article, she offers two additional examples of how controversial decisions recently made by the CDC are associated with that funding. One involves the CDC’s recommendation that everyone born between 1945 and 1965 be screened for the hepatitis C virus. As Lenzer details in her article, the science behind such widespread screening has been challenged. She also describes how industry’s connections with the CDC raise questions about why that screening recommendation was made: 

FINANCIAL TIES TO DRUG MANUFACTURERS: In 2010, the CDC, in conjunction with the CDC Foundation, formed the Viral Hepatitis Action Coalition, which supports research and promotes expanded testing and treatment of hepatitis C in the United States and globally. Industry has donated over $26m to the coalition through the CDC Foundation since 2010. Corporate members of the coalition include Abbott Laboratories, AbbVie, Gilead, Janssen, Merck, OraSure Technologies, Quest Diagnostics, and Siemens — each of which produces products to test for or treat hepatitis C infection. Conflict of interest forms filed by the 34 members of the external working group that wrote and reviewed the new CDC recommendation in 2012 show that nine had financial ties to the manufacturers.

TIES TO THE SUGAR INDUSTRY: The CDC has also accepted $1.7 million from the sugar industry to fund a series of studies involving an epidemic of chronic kidney diseases among agricultural workers in Central America, particularly among young men working in the sugar fields. The epidemic has killed more than 20,000 workers over the past two decades. As Lenzer notes, researchers have cited two interrelated factors as the most likely explanation for the epidemic: dangerous pesticides and difficult working conditions. When the men cut sugar under a hot, tropical sun, they get dehydrated, which may leave them more susceptible to the kidney damage caused by chemical toxins.

INDUSTRY BIAS: “Industry funding undermines trust and introduces a bias in the presentation of results and treatment recommendations that is deplorable for a government agency,” he said. “If the allegations of industry funding and influence are true, we will have to look very carefully at recommendations we are following now and those made in the future by the CDC.”- Dr. Neil Calman, president and chief executive of the Institute of Family Health, a large New York-based community health center network

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