The Pentagon used civilians to test Polyheme in 2001, 2003, 2004, and 2005.
Hospitals (such as Sentara's Norfolk General and Richmond's Medical College of VA) participated in the first Pentagon Polyheme study and they were paid $10,000 per patient. (The trauma team chose the unwilling civilian patient who took all the risk and received no compensation.)
The Pentagon is relying on a rarely used 1996 FDA rule that "allows for waiver of the consent required in clinical trials, if some type of community outreach program is put into practice... to make informed consent irrelevant." This rule demands that community outreach and discussion be conducted....however, this was not done appropriately.
The first civilian tests on Polyheme must have "flunked." The Pentagon wants to test another blood substitute product--Hemapure-- a cow blood substitute on the US people...again without our permission. Federal Health Advisers have declared the Hemapure experiments on US civilians as too risky and report that the benefits do not outweigh the costs.
The Pentagon is continuing to exert pressure so these experiments can move forward.
Hopefully, folks will contact their Senators and Representatives and demand that our right to consent to medical experimentation be protected. The 1996 FDA provision needs to be revised so that an "opt in" program is created. Therefore, "prior consent" must be obtained for trauma medical experiments. It should work this way....Hearings are held to educate the public on the need for the drug, risks, etc...etc... Then anyone who is willing to be included in the experiments can wear a wristband, bracelet, or necklace, that identifies them as a "potential" subject in the trauma study. Prior consent is necessary since most trauma victims are not in a condition to give consent. This way no one (not the Pentagon nor Big Pharma) can use US citizens as guinea pigs unless we give our consent to the arrangement.
Is the Pentagon thinking that "all of us" fall under their hierarchy now? This is dangerous thinking in any democracy.
Buzz...Buzz....Buzz....