Health & Fitness

Struggle to make your healthy cookies the right mix of chewy and crunchy? Adding this one step to your baking routine can help.

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Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is the most common muscle disease in children and is passed on by X-linked recessive inheritance. Characteristic is a progressive muscular atrophy. Researchers have found a connection between dystrophic muscles and the lymphatic system in mice with Duchenne disease.

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Two different interventions both worked to significantly reduce the rate of inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions made by physicians in a telemedicine practice, a new study shows. The finding could offer a new way to stem the growing problem of antibiotic resistance, particularly as telemedicine grows due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

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Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) occurs when a blood clot forms in one of the veins in the brain, preventing blood from draining out of the brain. A new analysis has found that the incidence of CVT in the United States is higher than previously reported and has increased over time.

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New research shows that vitamin C could help over 50s retain muscle mass in later life. The study shows that older people who eat plenty of vitamin C -- commonly found in citrus fruits, berries and vegetables -- have the best skeletal muscle mass.

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Although helminth infections -- including tapeworms and roundworms -- are among the world's top neglected diseases, they are no longer endemic in Europe. However, researchers report that these infections were common in Medieval Europe, according to grave samples analyzed from across the continent.

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Scoliosis is the most common spinal deformity affecting pediatric patients. A posterior spinal fusion (PSF) is the gold standard treatment for patients with curves exceeding 45 degrees, but the procedure's drawbacks include the loss of spinal mobility, persistent pain and adjacent segment disc disease. However, a new retrospective study shows an alternative to PSF called vertebral body tethering (VBT) yields promising results with fewer long-term consequences for a specific group of scoliosis patients.

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Researchers can predict how tightly a cell's protein synthesis machinery will bind to RNA sequences - even when dealing with many billions of different RNA sequences. This binding plays a key role in determining how much of a specific protein is produced. The scientists are developing their prediction model using a combination of synthetic biology experiments and machine learning algorithms.

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A new diagnostic tool that can predict whether a cancer patient would respond to immunotherapy treatment has been developed. This advance in precision medicine will allow clinicians to tailor treatments specifically to patients and avoid treatment paths that are unlikely to be successful.

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Researchers have found that that a mutant strain of sake yeast produces high levels of the amino acid ornithine. Ornithine has been found to reduce fatigue and improve sleep quality, and the non-genetically modified mutant yeast strain discovered in this study could be easily applied to brewing sake, a traditional Japanese alcoholic beverage, as well as wine and beer.

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Vegetarian foods are not equally healthy, according to new research.

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Weight loss is most successful in heart attack survivors when partners join in the effort to diet, according to new research.

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Simple exercises can help to make people more playful and consequently feel more satisfied with their lives. This has been revealed in a new study by psychologists. The researchers had participants in an experiment perform a week of exercises to boost their playfulness. They found that the trait can be stimulated and trained - and that this improves a person's mood.

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Vegetarian foods are not equally healthy, according to new research.

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Bacteria and other microorganisms in the digestive tract are linked with dozens of health conditions including high blood pressure, high blood lipids, and body mass index (BMI) according to new research.

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Weight loss is most successful in heart attack survivors when partners join in the effort to diet, according to new research.

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A clinical trial at four pediatric diabetes centers in the United States has found that a new artificial pancreas system -- which automatically monitors and regulates blood glucose levels -- is safe and effective at managing blood glucose levels in children as young as age six with type 1 diabetes.

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Women live longer than men with Alzheimer's because their sex chromosomes give them genetic protection from the ravages of the disease. Women get two 'doses' of a gene that only exists on the X chromosome. And some people, both male and female, have an especially potent variant of this gene. Long-term studies of older people, many of whom already had mild cognitive impairment, showed women with one or two copies of the variant progressed more slowly toward Alzheimer's.

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New mathematical modeling shows that U.S. political parties are becoming increasingly polarized due to their quest for voters -- not because voters themselves are becoming more extremist.

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A Seattle fishing vessel that departed port in May returned 18 days later with an unusual haul: the first human evidence that neutralizing antibodies provide protection from reinfection by SARS-CoV-2.

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This Mercury-Free Dentistry Week, we celebrate the 20th anniversary of Consumers for Dental Choice, the nonprofit advocates moving mercury-free dentistry from dream to reality.

From protecting dentists' right to practice without mercury-laden dental amalgam fillings to obtaining mandated fact sheets to inform patients about amalgam's mercury content, to bans and restrictions on amalgam use around the world, Consumers for Dental Choice and its leader, former state Attorney General Charlie Brown, are making mercury-free dentistry more widely available than ever before.

And, that progress is starting to sway the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the chief regulator of dental amalgam, at the federal level. Thanks to your donations, Consumers for Dental Choice has reopened the door for FDA action against amalgam.

I ask that you continue your support by donating at ToxicTeeth.org, and I will match all donations during Mercury-Free Dentistry Week (August 23 to 29, 2020) up to $150,000. So, double your impact today. Together, we can win the campaign for mercury-free dentistry at FDA that has come so far.

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Consumers for Dental Choice Sues the FDA — and Wins

The FDA is legally required to classify — that is, issue a rule for — all medical devices, including dental amalgam. But for 30 years, FDA dodged its legal duty to classify amalgam.

Consumers for Dental Choice put an end to FDA's negligence. In 2008, this dynamic nonprofit organization assembled plaintiffs and sued FDA, demanding that amalgam be classified. The judge agreed and told FDA to sit down with Consumers for Dental Choice to determine a deadline. FDA was compelled to commit to classifying amalgam by July 2009.

But when July 2009 came around it was clear the FDA had not considered the science — especially the evidence of harm amalgam can cause vulnerable populations like children, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers. Its abysmal rule reflected it, posing no restrictions on amalgam use to protect the public — or even requiring that patients be told that amalgam is made of mercury.

Nonetheless, FDA's rule acknowledged that amalgam could be harmful and that there was no proof of safety for the populations most susceptible to this toxin:

"The developing neurological systems in fetuses and young children may be more sensitive to the neurotoxic effects of mercury vapor. Very limited to no clinical information is available regarding long-term health outcomes in pregnant women and their developing fetuses, and children under the age of six, including infants who are breastfed."

Fortunately, Consumers for Dental Choice never puts all its eggs in one basket. So, Charlie and his team challenged FDA's rule while pursuing other opportunities to advance mercury-free dentistry, like defeating pro-mercury state dental boards, fighting for amalgam fact sheet laws for patients at the state level and getting amalgam into the Minamata Convention on Mercury.

And as Consumers for Dental Choice racked up win after win — regaining licenses for mercury-free dentists persecuted by state boards, gaining fact sheets to protect dental patients, achieving an amalgam reduction requirement in the Minamata Convention — the FDA's rule became more and more outdated and the U.S. slipped further and further behind.

Consumers for Dental Choice's Game-Changing Return to FDA

Almost a decade after the FDA issued its flawed amalgam rule, Consumers for Dental Choice launched a nonstop campaign focused on getting FDA moving again on amalgam. And that campaign is starting to bear fruit. To succeed, Consumers for Dental Choice brought a whole new ball game to the FDA, giving the agency even more reasons to act.

First, Consumers for Dental Choice assembled an accomplished team of experts to approach the FDA. In 2018, they unveiled the Chicago Declaration to End Mercury Use in the Dental Industry at the University of Illinois School of Public Health.

This declaration, signed by 50-plus heavy-hitter environmental groups, called on the FDA "to bring its policies in line with the Federal Government as a whole and with its responsibilities under the Minamata Convention and to publicly advise a phase down of the use of mercury amalgams with the goal of phasing out entirely."

Furthermore, it recommended immediately ceasing amalgam use in children, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers. Working with some key signatories to the Chicago Declaration, Consumers for Dental Choice sent the declaration to FDA — and their team got meetings with the top of the agency.

Second, Consumers for Dental Choice organized a strong showing of public support from you. Do you remember its online petition that almost 50,000 of you signed? Consumers for Dental Choice presented it to the FDA in person at its first meeting with the agency and has continued to make sure your voice is heard via such means as the public comments on patient preferences it asked you to submit to the FDA last spring.

As one article's headline described the result, "FDA Gets Mouthful on Mercury Dental Fillings After Requesting Public Comment on Device Regulation."¹ Third, Consumers for Dental Choice presented the FDA with new science showing amalgam's harmful effects.

FDA Flips Their Position on Amalgam

Having reached the top of the agency, Consumers for Dental Choice could submit scientific studies that someone at the FDA would read. As a result, FDA's most recent scientific review of amalgam flips FDA's position on a major issue.

FDA now recognizes evidence that shows once dental amalgam is implanted in the human body, its elemental mercury can convert to toxic methylmercury — the same type of mercury that the FDA warns about in fish.

Furthermore, FDA is starting to recognize the bioaccumulative effect of amalgam's mercury. With patients exposed to so many sources of mercury — from high-mercury fish in their diets, occupational exposures in their workplaces and waste incinerators emitting mercury in their neighborhoods — the mercury from amalgam could very well be the straw that breaks the camel's back.

Consumers for Dental Choice laid a track record of victories on the table at the FDA. Working with strong local partners, Consumers for Dental Choice has won amalgam phase-out set dates in the Philippines, Ireland, Slovakia, Finland, Nepal, Moldova, Czech Republic and New Caledonia.

Consumers for Dental Choice has also won — again partnering with a local partner — bans on amalgam use in children in the European Union, Vietnam and Tanzania, and public warnings about amalgam's mercury in Nigeria.

And, it let the FDA know about these victories because if other countries can do it, so can the U.S. Armed with this new support, Consumers for Dental Choice succeeded in persuading the FDA to reopen the amalgam issue, starting with a new FDA review and scientific advisory committee meeting.

Consumers for Dental Choice Convinces the FDA

In November 2019, the promised FDA scientific advisory committee met to discuss metal implants and specifically dental amalgam. First, the committee heard from the public, primarily Consumers for Dental Choice's team of 16 experts.

Consumers for Dental Choice executive director Charlie Brown testified alongside 15 heavy hitters from the Children's Environmental Health Network, Tuskegee University, International Indian Treaty Council, Organic & Natural Health Association and Connecticut Coalition for Environmental Justice, as well as city and county commissioners, a physician expert in environmental justice, a pharmacist specializing in toxicology and several attorneys — all speaking out for mercury-free dentistry.

You can see Consumers for Dental Choice's team and their colleagues in action in the video at the top of this article, which shares highlights of the advisory panel meeting. The FDA advisory committee members discussed amalgam among themselves. They recommended that the agency provide information to patients about the risks of dental amalgam, especially for vulnerable populations.

Committee members expressed particular concern about the disproportionate use of amalgam in disadvantaged populations, including communities of color and low-income communities that are already exposed to higher levels of toxins. And many committee members even called for an end to amalgam use:

• Dr. McDiarmid — "I'll speak for myself and say I think that the evidence is there because we can show an exposure and we know the behavior of these neurotoxicants in the developing brain of children. We really need to think about continuing to just bless this because the evidence isn't quite there."

• Dr. Connor — "But it seems like if a product came on the market today that said it's 50% made with a material we know is highly toxic and we're only going to use it predominantly in disadvantaged populations, we wouldn't be having a meeting, you know? FDA would not approve it without a meeting.

So, I mean, I'll leave that right there in terms of our discussion, but if this were coming on the market today saying it's 50% highly toxic material and we're predominantly going to use it in disadvantaged populations, it wouldn't even be a question."

• Dr. Weisman — "So given all that, my feeling is that mercury-containing amalgam should probably be on its way out."

• Mr. Lison — "I think everybody would agree that mercury in the body isn't a good thing. I see no reason why it shouldn't be phased out as quickly as possible."

Even the FDA advisory committee chair, Dr. Rao, agreed as he summed up the committee's conclusions to the FDA:

"And I think, generally, the Panel feels in response to Question Number 6 that the evidence that was presented and is available currently confirms what was previously known and tends to move the needle a little bit further along in the direction that there is some recognition and understanding of the risks associated with mercury-containing amalgams.

These risks are to the environment and also to the patient, and potentially, to the — and to the dental professionals involved in the insertion of these. I don't think there's been any clear understanding of a quantified increase in risk that is available currently.

But the trend seems to be that when there are alternatives available to the use of mercury, the general direction should be to move away from using mercury-containing amalgams and towards non-mercury-containing products to help with dental restorations."

So, the consensus of its own advisory committee is that FDA's silence on amalgam must end. But as executive director Charlie Brown explains:

"FDA has a history of not acting on advisory committee recommendations, so Consumers for Dental Choice is keeping them on the agency's plate. We've been following up with meetings, letters from experts and multiple memos answering specific questions raised at the committee meeting."

Now It's Your Turn to Act

Consumers for Dental Choice has brought a whole new ball game to FDA, and this time it looks like the FDA is ready to play ball. But you don't have to wait on the government; you can go to a mercury-free dentist now by checking out Consumers for Dental Choice's listing of mercury-free dentists.

With your continuing support, this effective advocacy organization can make the dream of mercury-free dentistry a reality at the FDA. Will you consider a donation to this 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to advocating mercury-free dentistry?

If you donate during Mercury Awareness Week (August 23 to 29, 2020), I will double your money. I'll match you, dollar for dollar (up to $150,000). Donations are tax-deductible and can be made online at ToxicTeeth.org. Checks can be mailed to:

Consumers for Dental Choice
316 F St., N.E., Suite 210
Washington DC 20002

Thank you for helping make the dream of mercury-free dentistry into reality for all patients, everywhere.

>>>>> Click Here <<<<<

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It seems that COVID-19 vaccine mandates are inevitable. According to Reuters,¹ the U.S. government is planning to launch an "overwhelming" COVID-19 vaccine campaign come November, and many — especially Bill Gates — have suggested that vaccination of the entire global population² will likely be necessary to get COVID-19 under control. Some have even suggested that the vaccine be mandatory.³

Billions of dollars have been invested in vaccine development, and one would be foolish to imagine these companies and investors are not going to do everything in their power to turn COVID-19 into a profit maker, and that may well include the use of force. It's still unclear exactly when a vaccine will be available, but it could be as early as October, or as late as January 2021.

Prepare for Massive Brainwashing Campaign

Yale University is also conducting a trial⁴ to determine the type of message that will maximize acceptance and uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine. Messaging slants under investigation include:⁵

Personal freedom message — A message about how COVID-19 is limiting people's personal freedom and how working together to get enough people vaccinated can preserve society's personal freedoms.

Economic freedom message — A message about how COVID-19 is limiting people's economic freedom and how, by working together to get enough people vaccinated, society can preserve its economic freedom.

Self-interest message — A message that COVID-19 presents a real danger to one's health, even if one is young and healthy, with the idea being that getting vaccinated against COVID-19 is the best way to prevent oneself from getting sick.

Community interest message — A message about the dangers of COVID-19 to the health of loved ones. The idea to promote is that the more people who get vaccinated against COVID-19, the lower the risk that one's loved ones will get sick. The idea: Society must work together and all get vaccinated.

Economic benefit message — A message about how COVID-19 is wreaking havoc on the economy and the only way to strengthen the economy is to work together to get enough people vaccinated.

Guilt message — This message is about the danger that COVID-19 presents to the health of one's family and community, with the idea that the best way to protect them is by getting vaccinated, and that society must work together to get enough people vaccinated. Then it asks the participant to imagine the guilt they will feel if they don't get vaccinated and spread the disease.

Embarrassment message — This message is about the danger that COVID-19 presents to the health of one's family and community. The idea to promote is that the best way to protect them is by getting vaccinated and by working together to make sure enough people get vaccinated. Then it asks the participant to imagine the embarrassment they will feel if they don't get vaccinated and subsequently spread the disease.

Anger message — This message is about the danger that COVID-19 presents to the health of one's family and community. The sales idea is that the best way to protect them is by getting vaccinated and by working together to make sure that enough people get vaccinated. It then asks the participant to imagine the anger they will feel if they don't get vaccinated and spread the disease.

Trust in science message — A message about how getting vaccinated against COVID-19 is the most effective way of protecting one's community. It promotes the idea that vaccination is backed by science, and that anyone who doesn't get vaccinated doesn't understand how infections are spread or who ignores science.

Not bravery message — A message which describes how firefighters, doctors and front line medical workers are brave, and infers that those who choose not to get vaccinated against COVID-19 are not brave.

The study will also determine:

• Participant's confidence in the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine after hearing the message in question
• Participant's willingness to persuade others to get vaccinated
• Their fear of those who have not been vaccinated
• The social judgment of those who choose not to vaccinate

Many initially assumed most people would grow increasingly eager to get vaccinated considering the panic being whipped up, but recent polling^6,7 reveals Americans are actually more leery than usual about the vaccine.

Only half of Americans say they actually want the COVID-19 vaccine once it becomes available; 27% say they will "definitely" refuse it and another 12% say they will "probably" refuse it. With resistance that high, it's no wonder researchers are digging into human psychology in an effort to sway public opinion.

Moderna's mRNA Vaccine Caused Systemic Effects

Meanwhile, preliminary findings from Phase 1 trials seem to support initial suspicions that the COVID-19 vaccine might turn out to be unusually reactive. For example, Moderna's mRNA vaccine (mRNA-1273) caused systemic side effects in most participants, with higher dose groups faring the worst.⁸

The 45 volunteers were divided into three dosage groups — 25 mcg, 100 mcg and 250 mcg — with 15 participants in each. Even in the low-dose group, one participant (6%) got so sick he required emergency medical care.

In the 100 mcg-dose group, systemic side effects were found in 80% of participants after the first dose, and 100% after the second dose. This is important to note, seeing how the coronavirus vaccine will be a two-dose regimen and most likely recommended to be repeated annually, just like the flu vaccine.

In the highest dosage group, which received 250 mcg, 100% of participants suffered side effects after both the first and second doses.⁹ Three of the 14 participants (21%) in the 250-mcg group suffered "one or more severe events."

Despite these worrisome results, the trial is being heralded as a success. Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, has been quoted¹⁰ saying we now know "that it's safe in 45 people," and that "it doesn't have a very common side effect problem." If 80% to 100% is considered uncommon, then just what level of harm must be inflicted in order for a vaccine to be viewed as having a questionable safety profile?

It would seem no matter how unsafe the COVID-19 vaccine might end up being, we're going to be assaulted with highly evocative advertising designed to play on our most basic emotions.

NVIC: Powerful Resource for Navigating Upcoming Crisis

Founded in 1982, the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) is the oldest and largest consumer-led nonprofit organization in the U.S. that provides accurate and objective information to help people make informed health choices and prevent vaccine-related injuries and deaths. As explained by the NVIC, the organization:¹¹

"… has an unparalleled four decade public record advocating for better quality vaccine science; identification of individuals genetically, epigenetically and environmentally more susceptible to adverse responses to vaccination …

[Helping to] raise vaccine licensing standards; transparency and accountability in the mass vaccination system, including elimination of financial conflicts of interest between pharmaceutical companies, academia and government health agencies, and inclusion of informed consent protections in public health policies and laws.

NVIC does not make vaccine use recommendations, rather we maintain that the ethical principle of informed consent to medical risk taking serves as the moral foundation for the ethical practice of medicine and should be respected in public health policy and law making."

Register for NVIC's Vaccine Conference Held Online in October

The public education provided by the NVIC is now more important than ever. The rapid movement by governments and the pharmaceutical industry toward mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations and the proposed tracking and tracing of all individuals under the guise of public health is a culmination of everything we have been talking about for decades.

In 2010, the National Vaccine Information Center created the NVIC Advocacy Portal, an online communications tool that monitors vaccine-related state legislation and alerts residents when proposed bills are moving in their state. They also provide fact-based talking points you can share when contacting your legislators.

Now, the NVIC has created a new website for its international public conference on vaccination. Due to fluctuating social distancing rules and COVID-19-related travel bans, this three-day conference will be held entirely online, October 16 through 18, 2020. The theme of this conference will be "Protecting Health and Autonomy in the 21st Century."

I invite you to attend by registering now. Since the conference is virtual, you now have the rare opportunity to attend no matter where you live.

You also can offer your personal support for this historic event by becoming an NVIC conference sponsor with a one-time donation of $250 or more, which gives you two tickets and family or organization name recognition. It also grants you lifetime access to the conference online. The NVIC would not have been able to keep the general admission ticket price affordable had it not been for the generous support of conference sponsors.

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Protecting Health and Autonomy in the 21st Century

The virtual conference, which will be professionally recorded and produced, will feature more than 40 distinguished speakers — including scientists, doctors, nurses, holistic health professionals, informed consent advocates, civil and human rights activists, educators, journalists, attorneys, legislators and faith-based community representatives — from the U.S. and other countries, who will address issues such as:

Vaccine science, policy and law	Chronic disease and disability epidemic
Current public health policies related to COVID-19	State vaccine laws
Informed consent to medical risk-taking	Protecting civil liberties and human rights

A listing of the presentations being offered can be found on the home page.¹² The conference is divided into four primary themes:

1. U.S. and international vaccine choice advocacy
2. "Show us the science"
3. The paradigm shift toward health and liberty
4. Growing grassroots vaccine awareness

As noted on the conference website, the goal of this 2020 conference is to:¹³

"… provide high quality information and perspective about how industry, medical trade, academia and government impact the advancement of vaccine science, policy, law and ethics within the context of emerging medical research and how suppression of independent scientific inquiry, censorship of rational criticism and erosion of informed consent rights threaten health and human rights.

This conference will celebrate freedom of thought, speech, conscience and the human right to autonomy and informed consent to medical risk taking …

The unprecedented circumstances we find ourselves in this year make it even more important to share our thoughts and common experiences as a community of concerned citizens …

Now is the time for us to learn together and empower each other to take action to protect our right to know and freedom to make informed, voluntary decisions about healing and staying well."

Now more than ever, your civil liberties are being threatened. There is a global effort by the World Health Organization, major pharmaceutical corporations in business partnerships with governments, and nongovernmental organizations like the Gates Foundation to vaccinate every man, woman and child on the planet against SARS-CoV-2, or keep you locked up indefinitely.

NVIC's conference, "Protecting Health and Autonomy in the 21st Century," may be the most important conference you can attend at this crucial time, so please sign up now.

I am one of the keynote speakers at the event and was saddened, but not surprised, that the event could not be held in a hotel and would have to be virtual. So, I hope you can join me for what promises to be an incredible learning opportunity.

Remember, any profits generated from the event go to support NVIC's work through public education to prevent vaccine injuries and deaths and to protect vaccine choices and civil liberties, including freedom of thought, speech and conscience.

>>>>> Click Here <<<<<

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