The expert reports, released after Merck settled hundreds of Gardasil lawsuits, allege the company had sufficient evidence to strengthen the vaccine’s safety warnings years earlier but chose not to do so. ​

Since Merck’s highly profitable Gardasil vaccine first came on the market in 2006, the list of side effects on the label has grown.

The collection of symptoms — along with evidence from animal studies, Merck’s own clinical trials, case reports submitted to the company and published scientific literature — all indicated that Gardasil could cause autoimmune disorders and POTS in some individuals.

Amato provided testimony and argued Merck should have specifically identified POTS, rather than listing individual symptoms associated with it—such as dizziness, fatigue, fainting and rapid heart rate—without connecting them as a syndrome. He stated that by January 2011, there was sufficient “reasonable evidence of a causal association between Gardasil and autoimmune reactions, including development of POTS.”

Amato determined that Merck knew about many factors that could cause autoimmune reactions. For example, the Gardasil vaccine uses a highly potent aluminum adjuvant, and such adjuvants have been linked to autoimmune reactions.

Merck also acknowledged it knew DNA fragments were left in the shot — and never investigated their possible side effects. ​

The expert reports submitted during the case are now public. See the links below. ​

“Merck’s pharmacovigilance plan for Gardasil states its purpose to “pre-empt and guard against erroneous associations that are made by anti-vaccine advocates” without mentioning that the true purpose of pharmacovigilance is to ensure the safety of those vaccinated with Gardasil.”

—Stephen Amato, Ph.D.

The Gardasil HPV vaccine remains on the market. Merck is funding research to make the vaccine available to younger age groups.

SHARE to stop this harm.

Expert Report by Stephen Amato, Ph.D.: https://childrenshealthdefense.org/wp-content/uploads/amato.pdf ​

Expert Report by Jesper Mehlsen, M.D.: https://childrenshealthdefense.org/wp-content/uploads/Mehlsen-expert-report.pdf ​

Read the CHD Defender article by clicking HERE. 

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Children’s Health Defense and/or Children’s Health Defense – Arizona. Information shared, presented, and/or hyperlinked is for educational purposes only; no material is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, treatment or any other professional advice.

The post Merck Settled Hundreds of Gardasil Vaccine Lawsuits. Now the Expert Reports are Public. appeared first on Children's Health Defense Arizona Chapter.

This free toolkit covers five areas where parents most often want more information.

At the end of each section, you’ll find a downloadable guide that gives you direct questions to bring to your school, your pediatrician, or your school board.

Protect their health. Know your rights. Ask the right questions.

Topics include:

– Informed Consent & Vaccines
– Safe Food
– Safe Tech
– Safe Health (School-Based Health Centers)
– Curriculum, Books & Privacy

This toolkit is built to turn concern into ACTION.

Every guide gives you plain-language questions, not just more to worry about, so you can walk into any conversation with your school or pediatrician ready to advocate for your child.

To download the free Back-to-School Toolkit, click HERE. 

You don’t need to be an expert. You just need to feel empowered to ask the right questions.

Every child deserves a healthy, safe start to the school year — and every parent has the right to help make that happen.

Information shared, presented, and/or hyperlinked is for educational purposes only; no material is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, treatment or any other professional advice.

The post CHD’s Back to School Toolkit appeared first on Children's Health Defense Arizona Chapter.

CHD scientists Karl Jablonowski, Ph.D., and Brian Hooker, Ph.D., examined nearly eight years of data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s National Survey of Children’s Health.

Children insured by Tricare whose parents both served and were active duty in the U.S. military were 63% more likely to be on the autism spectrum than children of non-military members. ​

The data showed children of mothers with any military service were 46% more likely to be diagnosed with ASD than children whose mothers did not serve in the military.

Children of fathers with any service history were 43% more likely to have an ASD diagnosis than children of fathers with no military history.

For fathers, the data showed a clear gradient: ​ the likelihood of ASD was lowest among children of non-military fathers and highest among children whose fathers were deployed while on active duty. ​

“The signal for autism in children of U.S. military service personnel has lain undetected in census bureau data for many years. The men and women who serve in our military deserve better,” Jablonowski told The Defender.

“Though there are several explanations for the results of this analysis, child exposure to toxins, either directly or through their parents, cannot be ignored and must be investigated with all due haste,” stated Karl Jablonowski, Ph.D. and Brian Hooker, Ph.D. in their preprint study. ​  

Watch Karl Jablonowski, Ph.D., break down the alarming data at Science Unleashed 2026, hosted by CHDAZ: https://rumble.com/v7c5ux8-autism-prevalence-in-the-u.s.-military-karl-jablownoski-phd.html ​

View Karl Jablonowski’s presentation slides from Science Unleashed 2026 by clicking HERE. 

Read the Defender article: https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/autism-spectrum-disorder-us-military-kids-higher-rates-chd-study

The post Alarming Rates of Autism in Children of U.S. Military Members appeared first on Children's Health Defense Arizona Chapter.

A rough tally of Health Freedom and Control Grid legislative activity:

1. We monitored 39 bills.
2. Of those, 12 bills were sent to Governor Hobbs. 
3. Governor Hobbs vetoed two bills so far and insulted anyone involved in Geoengineering, Stratospheric Aerosol Injection (SAI), Solar Radiation Modification, etc. by calling us conspiracy theorists. We wonder if she’s reviewed Arizona’s engineering curriculum at our major universities?
4. Congratulations to Representative Sarah Liguori on HB2641, which Hobbs signed. It protects firefighters from dangerous PFAS toxins in firefighting foam!

Which Legislators stood up for Health Freedom?

• Representative Lisa Fink saw six Health Freedom bills move through both chambers, followed by:
• Senator Janae Shamp with three bills, and
• Representative Leo Biasiucci, Representative Sarah Liguori, and Representative Khyl Powell who each sponsored one Health Freedom bill that progressed to the Governor.

We are grateful to each of these bold and insightful legislators!

Please note: We are only including Health Freedom and Control Grid bills that progressed to the Governor’s office in this accounting. Our legislators were far busier than this limited perspective suggests.

Next Steps

1. Nine bills are awaiting signature by Governor Hobbs. Review them below.
2. Call Governor Hobbs at 602-542-4331 and tell her which bills you support.

The post The Arizona Legislative Session is Over. Contact Gov. Hobbs to Sign Important Bills. appeared first on Children's Health Defense Arizona Chapter.

It’s go time, Arizona!

Now that the budget has been submitted and the governor’s ‘freeze’ has been lifted, the legislature is once again advancing bills. Unfortunately, an outstanding Health Freedom bill (HCR2056) is stalled at the direction of Senate leadership. They think there’s not enough voter interest in Health Freedom!

Let’s quickly review HCR2056, which defines our right to refuse medical mandates and treatments. The resolution, if passed, will be added to the November ballot, giving voters a direct voice in Health Freedom. When passed by the voters, our right to Health Freedom will be enshrined in the Arizona Constitution.

Let’s be clear about something. We previously issued this Call to Action nearly 60 days ago to get Sen. Warren Petersen’s attention and impress upon him the sweeping support for our individual rights.

It seems he did not receive that message, so we are asking you to repeat the process.

Call and email the following leaders in support of Rep. Kupper’s HCR2056:

When you call, simply say:

“Hello, my name is [NAME] and I live in [CITY]. I am calling to respectfully ask [legislator name] to move HCR2056 forward, so we can End Medical Mandates in Arizona. Arizonans deserve a direct voice and strong protections for health freedom and informed consent. Thank you.”

This is an “all hands on deck” initiative. Please share this Call to Action with your friends, family, and neighbors.

Thank you for taking action today.

The post End Medical Mandates in Arizona appeared first on Children's Health Defense Arizona Chapter.

Take Action Now

The GRACE Act, introduced by Congressman Greg Steube, would restore the alignment between the First Amendment and state public health law by incentivizing states to protect religious accommodations as well as medical.

The ‘End the Vaccine Carveout’ Act, introduced by Senator Rand Paul in the Senate (S.3853) and Congressman Paul Gosar in the House (H.R.4668), would end the 1986 arrangement Congress made with Big Pharma, which gives vaccine makers no motivation to ensure their products are as safe as possible — knowing they can’t be held accountable for injuries and deaths.

Since the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) was established in 1990, over 2.7 million adverse reactions following vaccination have been reported, including 50,531 deaths. Vaccine makers have been completely free of liability concerns for these harms, leaving those injured with no hope of meaningful compensation or recourse.

Contact your Federal Legislators today to encourage their support and co-sponsorship of these two bills. We need to make sure all legislators know that MAHA voters are well-informed of these critical issues and will be watching closely to see which members of the House and Senate will do the right thing and protect the freedom of Americans.

Action Steps

Sign the CHD Action Alert HERE

Call and Email your Federal Legislators.

NOTE: In some districts, 1-click Action Alerts are considered “spam” and are not recorded. We always recommend you call AND email your Federal Legislators directly to voice your opinion.

Click HERE to find contact information for your Federal Legislators.

Sample Message: “I strongly urge you to support the GRACE Act and the ‘End the Vaccine Carveout’ Act. Please support and co-sponsor the GRACE Act to ensure that all 50 states can rely on the religious liberty enshrined in our U.S. Constitution. Please support and co-sponsor the ‘End the Vaccine Carveout’ Act to restore accountability to vaccine makers for harms caused by their products. MAHA voters are well-informed of these critical issues and will be watching closely to see which members of the House and Senate will do the right thing and protect the freedom of Americans.”

The post Support the GRACE Act and the ‘End the Vaccine Carveout’ Act appeared first on Children's Health Defense Arizona Chapter.

Attorney Aaron Siri, best known for suing government agencies over misrepresentations of vaccine science, spoke May 20th before a sold-out room in Phoenix. He did not disappoint.

“We are seeing a change where the average legislator today has a deeper understanding of health freedom issues,” he said. “It used to be, we couldn’t even get in the room to talk. Now legislators around the country call me for help with health freedom bills.”

Siri is a big part of that change. He has pursued nearly 150 lawsuits on behalf of Informed Consent Action Network, Del Bigtree’s organization that probes the scientific realities about vaccines’ safety and effectiveness. He has challenged medical mandates, prevented the discharge of more than 10,000 U.S. military personnel, compelled the FDA to release Pfizer’s Covid-19 documents, and deposed leading vaccinologists.

He is the managing partner of Siri & Glimstad LLP, the author of the book Vaccines, Amen: The Religion of Vaccines, and hosts the podcast Informed with Aaron Siri.

“Vaccine manufacturers should persuade people on the merits of their products,” he said. “These products should be subject to normal market forces, but they are not.”

Siri was referring to the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986. At that time, there were just three vaccines on the market and they were doing so much harm, there was a virtual conveyor belt of lawsuits from parents of injured children. The insurance industry was going to stop covering the manufacturers. So Congress granted a liability shield for those who make vaccines and those who administer them. Safety responsibility transferred at that point to the government.

The law created a one-of-a-kind business model at a time when perhaps just 60 percent of school children were fully vaccinated. Vaccine manufacturers suddenly had nothing to lose; the pediatric schedule expanded.

And the drumbeat got louder – advocating for vaccines became something of a religion among those who profit from them professionally and financially, including lawmaker’s re-election campaigns. “Safe and effective” became an endlessly repeated mantra, but not one validated by in-depth, objective studies. Notably, the 1986 legislation admitted that vaccines are “unavoidably unsafe.” Nonetheless, vaccine uptake today is in excess of 90 percent for most recommended vaccines among American children entering kindergarten.

The 2025 CDC pediatric schedule calls for roughly 74 vaccines from birth to age 18. There is a concentration of shots in the first year, and a number of those use an aluminum adjuvant. Various researchers have postulated that those two factors may underlie the epidemics of autism and chronic disease and should be studied.

Siri walked the audience through each vaccine on the CDC’s childhood schedule. Some block transmission; some don’t. Some, like chickenpox and measles, shed – other people who come in contact with a newly vaccinated person can catch the virus. Some are cultured in aborted fetal cells. None offers lifelong immunity. None has ever been tested against a saline placebo.

Most vaccine studies were small groups of participants who were followed for a matter of days, not years. For example, the Hepatitis B (Hep B) injection was tested on 147 children who were as much as 10 years old – a very different immune system than that of a newborn infant. And those 147 children were followed for just five days. Based on that, public health officials advocate giving the Hep B injection to all of the roughly 3.5 million babies born each year in the U.S.

“This makes mandates illegal and immoral.”

Siri pointed out that the rates of fatalities from childhood illness had declined dramatically since the 1940s compared to the early 1900s. Vaccines mostly entered the picture after WWII at which point childhood fatalities had declined 95 percent. “For some reason, public health officials never take credit for the better sanitation and cleaner water systems that made that happen,” he said. “It’s the oddest thing.”

Siri also pointed out that every study of vaccinated versus unvaccinated children has found that the unvaccinated are measurably healthier. They have less autism, asthma, allergies, ADHD, autoimmune conditions, behavioral and mood disorders.

Adults born before vaccines were so prevalent – those who caught the natural infections – are also healthier. A Japanese study, for example, tracked 100,000 adults for 20 years. Turns out those who had actually experienced measles and mumps had less cardiovascular disease. Men had a 29 percent lower risk of myocardial infarction mortality, and a 17 percent lower risk of stroke.

The evidence suggests that childhood illnesses are nature’s way of training and strengthening the young immune system to make a more robust adult.

“On these products, you have to do your homework,” Siri concluded. “All the people with moneyed interests are pushing in one direction. There are no other moneyed interests pushing back in the opposite direction.” Health versus money, a familiar battleground.

The silver lining for consumers comes in having choices. “In Arizona, you have many naturopaths and functional medicine doctors. You have options to the big pediatric practices that push the entire CDC schedule blindly.”

The event was put together by the Brownstone Supper Club, an initiative of the Brownstone Institute, a nonprofit think tank founded in May 2021 by Jeffrey Tucker and Lucio Saverio Eastman, headquartered in Austin, Texas, and focused on health freedom.

Mary Budinger is an Emmy award-winning journalist and a certified nutritional therapist practitioner (NTP). She lives in Phoenix, AZ, and writes about functional medicine and nutrition.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Children’s Health Defense and/or Children’s Health Defense – Arizona. Information shared, presented, and/or hyperlinked is for educational purposes only; no material is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, treatment or any other professional advice.

The post Aaron Siri in Phoenix Armed with Vaccine Facts appeared first on Children's Health Defense Arizona Chapter.

Catch our powerful replays here:

1.  Voices for Truth! – Thaddeus Owen on Light, Health and Circadian Rhythm

2.  Voices for Truth! – The Wonders of Bentonite Clay – Nature’s Most Powerful (and Cheap!) Medicine: Neal Bosshardt

3.  Voices for Truth! – Holographic Blood: The Amazing Bigelsen Brothers

4.  Voices for Truth! – No One is Going to Save Us: Leslie Manookian

5.  Voices for Truth! – Nourishing Traditions for Children’s Health: Sally Fallon Morell

6.  Voices for Truth! – The Autism Generation: Understanding the Autism Epidemic from Causes to Solutions with Julie Lapidus

7.  Voices for Truth! – Defending the Health of Our Four-Legged Companions with Cami Smalley

Register for our upcoming Voices for Truth! HERE.

Be sure and join us LIVE on the last Thursday of each month to participate in a Q&A with our speakers and chat with fellow Defenders. 

If you’d like to suggest a speaker for a future Voices for Truth!, contact us HERE.

Please consider donating to Children’s Health Defense – Arizona Chapter, so we can offer these events free of charge and continue our work to end the epidemic of childhood chronic disease.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the host(s) and guest(s) are not necessarily the views of Children’s Health Defense and/or Children’s Health Defense – Arizona. Information shared, presented, and/or hyperlinked is for educational purposes only; no material is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, treatment or any other professional advice.

The post Voices for Truth! Recordings appeared first on Children's Health Defense Arizona Chapter.

Arizona is soon to be in the unique position of having moved the Medical Freedom Act (HB2248) all the way to the Governor’s Desk. This hasn’t happened in any state since Idaho! We’re being watched by health freedom activists from across the country who want to learn how we’ve accomplished so much.

But we know the job isn’t finished. We know our governor takes pride in using her Veto power to quash “partisan” bills.

Please help us remind Governor Hobbs that bodily autonomy isn’t partisan. In fact, Hobbs previously stated that health care decisions should be made “by a woman and her physician, not politicians.” She also boldly stated that “politicians do not belong in the doctor’s office.”

Let’s remind Governor Hobbs that foundational principles are just that – foundational. They are the guiding light that drive decisions regardless of political agendas. We are counting on her to stay true to her clearly defined principles:

1. Healthcare decisions should be made by the patient, and
2. Politicians do NOT belong in the doctor’s office.

We are asking you to take just two minutes today to respectfully contact Governor Hobbs and urge her to sign HB2248, known as the Arizona Medical Freedom Act.

HB2248, sponsored by Representative Lisa Fink, is designed to support voluntary, informed medical decision-making. It addresses coercion, discrimination, and exclusion by employers, schools, businesses, and government entities.

Arizonans should be able to make decisions about legally available medical options without coercion or undue influence.

This is an “all hands on deck initiative.” Please share this action alert with your neighbors and friends.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Children’s Health Defense and/or Children’s Health Defense – Arizona. Information shared and presented is for educational purposes only; no material is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, treatment or any other professional advice.

The post Contact Governor Hobbs to Sign the Arizona Medical Freedom Act appeared first on Children's Health Defense Arizona Chapter.

Public activism and pushback worked – the pesticide liability shield included in the 2026 Farm Bill got voted down.

There were three poison pills in the bill – Sections 10205, 10206, and 10207. They would have given Bayer and the pesticide industry immunity from pesticide-harm lawsuits, similar to what the vaccine industry has. These provisions would have taken away people’s right to sue when harmed by toxic pesticides, and also taken away states’ rights to require more protective labeling than what is required by extremely weak federal EPA pesticide regulations.

All three attempts were removed from the bill when the Luna Amendment passed the House, with 207 Democrats and 73 Republicans voting in favor of stripping Big Ag’s pesticide immunity provisions from the Farm Bill. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) championed removal of the three provisions.

How did Arizona lawmakers vote? (A “no” vote meant they did not support the Luna Amendment – they wanted to keep the three provisions. A “yes” vote meant they wanted to kill the three provisions.)

When the votes were counted, there were 280 yes votes and 142 no votes. And it was an unusual showing of bipartisanism:

In an email to Phoenix New Times, Biggs spokesperson Drew Sexton said Biggs missed the vote because he flew home from Washington, D.C. on Thursday morning “to deal with a personal family matter.” Sexton said that Biggs cosponsored a previous, similar amendment pushed by Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie “and would have voted for the Luna amendment on Thursday morning.”

However, New Times continued, “Biggs’ stated support for glyphosate immunity is something of a turnaround. In 2017, he demanded that the WHO’s cancer agency testify in front of Congress over its findings that the chemical is carcinogenic, threatening to pull the agency’s federal funding if it didn’t play ball.”

The next step in the process is that the U.S. Senate writes its version of the 2026 Farm Bill. The Senate Agriculture Committee has not yet released its draft. Senators can:

• leave those sections out,
• restore some or all of them,
• or negotiate modified language

The lobbyists will be out in force because farm groups, pesticide manufacturers, and some agricultural organizations are pushing to revive parts of the language.

Whatever the Senate negotiates has to come back to the House again, then to the Senate again, and then to the President for signature.

The current Farm Bill extension expires September 30, 2026, so Congress is under pressure to finish negotiations before then or pass another temporary extension.

Mary Budinger is an Emmy award-winning journalist and a certified nutritional therapist (NTP). She lives in Phoenix and writes about functional medicine and nutrition.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Children’s Health Defense and/or Children’s Health Defense – Arizona. Information shared and presented is for educational purposes only; no material is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, treatment or any other professional advice.

The post Who Voted for the Pesticide Liability Shield? appeared first on Children's Health Defense Arizona Chapter.