Dr. Stanley Human-in-Form Plotkin, re: experiments on orphans/mentally retarded/prisoners

Please support First Freedoms' work: Dr. Stanley Plotkin, January 2018. ATTY: Have you ever used orphans to study an experimental vaccine? DR. PLOTKIN: Yes. ATTY: Have you ever used the mentally handicapped to study an experimental vaccine? DR. PLOTKIN: I don't recollect ever doing studies in mentally handicapped individuals. At the time in the 1960s, it was not an uncommon practice. ATTY: So you're saying -- I'm not clear on your answer. I'm sorry. Have you ever used mentally handicapped to study an experimental vaccine? DR. PLOTKIN: What I'm saying is I don't recall specifically having done that, but that in the 1960s, it was not unusual to do that. And I wouldn't deny that I may have done so. ATTY: Well, there's an article entitled “Attenuation of RA 27/3 Rubella Virus in WI38 Human Diploid Cells.” Are you familiar with that article? DR. PLOTKIN: Yes. ATTY: In that article, one of the things it says is 13 seronegative mentally retarded children were given RA 27/3 vaccine? DR. PLOTKIN: Okay. Well, then that's, in that case that's what I did. ATTY: Have you ever expressed that it's better to perform experiments on those less likely to be able to contribute to society, such as children with handicap, than with children without or adults without handicaps? DR. PLOTKIN: I don't remember specifically, but it's possible. ATTY: Do you remember ever writing to the editor of “Ethics on Human Experimentation“? DR. PLOTKIN: I don't remember specifically, but I may well have. ATTY: I'm going to hand you what's been marked as Exhibit 43. Do you recognize this letter you wrote to the editor? DR. PLOTKIN: Yes. ATTY: Did you write this letter? DR. PLOTKIN: Yes. ATTY: Is one of the things you wrote: “The question is whether we are to have experiments performed on fully functioning adults and on children who are potentially contributors to society or to perform initial studies in children and adults who are human in form but not in social potential?” DR. PLOTKIN: Yes. ATTY: Have you ever used babies of mothers in prison to study an experimental vaccine? DR. PLOTKIN: Yes. ATTY: Have you ever used individuals under colonial rule to study an experimental vaccine? DR. PLOTKIN: Yes.