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Dutch Farmers Say Bayer Vaccine Caused Sick Cows
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john
Sep 8, 2001, 1:51:05 PM9/8/01
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Dutch Farmers Say Bayer Vaccine Caused Sick Cows
2001 Yahoo news........ Friday September 7 9:19 AM ET
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Dutch farmers said on Friday they had new evidence to
support a claim that the deaths of thousands of cows in 1999 may have been
caused by a bovine flu vaccine made by Germany's Bayer AG.
The farmers filed suit against Bayer in The Hague (news - web sites)
district court last December after Bayer rejected a claim that could run
into several hundred millions of guilders in compensation. Farmers allege
that the vaccine was contaminated with BVD (bovine virus diarrhea).
Dutch animal health institute ID-Lelystad found that even tiny levels of
contamination in vaccines can cause problems, said Jan Cees Vogelaar,
chairman of Dutch farmers foundation IBR/BVD. ``This is a big breakthrough
because until now Bayer has claimed there was no evidence that a small
amount of virus in a vaccine could cause illness in cattle. This research
shows that even a small amount can cause problems in cattle,'' Vogelaar told
Reuters.
The institute estimated that about 17 percent of cows treated with the
vaccine in 1999 could have fallen ill and died. Some 660,000 units of the
vaccine were used in the Netherlands, Vogelaar said. Both sides have been
submitting their written arguments this year and the judge is due to make an
initial pronouncement in December, Vogelaar said. The judge is not expected
to issue a ruling, but to appoint an independent expert panel to advise him,
he added.
A Bayer spokesman reiterated his company's position that the vaccine was not
to blame. ``There are numerous independent studies that say there is no
connection between the illness and the vaccine, and we stick to our opinion
that there is no connection,'' he said, adding that there were no grounds to
seek an out-of-court settlement. The IBR/BVD foundation, set up in 1999 to
represent affected farmers, has not specified an amount in its claim, but
Vogelaar said he expected damages to run into the hundreds of millions of
guilders. Bayer already faces a spate of lawsuits following the recall of
its Baycol anti-cholesterol drug on August 8, giving rise to speculation the
company will have to meet hefty compensation claims, especially in the
United States.
2001 Yahoo news........ Friday September 7 9:19 AM ET
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Dutch farmers said on Friday they had new evidence to
support a claim that the deaths of thousands of cows in 1999 may have been
caused by a bovine flu vaccine made by Germany's Bayer AG.
The farmers filed suit against Bayer in The Hague (news - web sites)
district court last December after Bayer rejected a claim that could run
into several hundred millions of guilders in compensation. Farmers allege
that the vaccine was contaminated with BVD (bovine virus diarrhea).
Dutch animal health institute ID-Lelystad found that even tiny levels of
contamination in vaccines can cause problems, said Jan Cees Vogelaar,
chairman of Dutch farmers foundation IBR/BVD. ``This is a big breakthrough
because until now Bayer has claimed there was no evidence that a small
amount of virus in a vaccine could cause illness in cattle. This research
shows that even a small amount can cause problems in cattle,'' Vogelaar told
Reuters.
The institute estimated that about 17 percent of cows treated with the
vaccine in 1999 could have fallen ill and died. Some 660,000 units of the
vaccine were used in the Netherlands, Vogelaar said. Both sides have been
submitting their written arguments this year and the judge is due to make an
initial pronouncement in December, Vogelaar said. The judge is not expected
to issue a ruling, but to appoint an independent expert panel to advise him,
he added.
A Bayer spokesman reiterated his company's position that the vaccine was not
to blame. ``There are numerous independent studies that say there is no
connection between the illness and the vaccine, and we stick to our opinion
that there is no connection,'' he said, adding that there were no grounds to
seek an out-of-court settlement. The IBR/BVD foundation, set up in 1999 to
represent affected farmers, has not specified an amount in its claim, but
Vogelaar said he expected damages to run into the hundreds of millions of
guilders. Bayer already faces a spate of lawsuits following the recall of
its Baycol anti-cholesterol drug on August 8, giving rise to speculation the
company will have to meet hefty compensation claims, especially in the
United States.
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