[slow instrumental music]
[clicking]
[soft whirring]
[music increasing]
[newsreader 1] As of
December 31st, there were more
than 5300 cases of mumps
in 46 states and the
District of Columbia.
[newsreader 2] Each had over
100 cases as of last month.
Those states include Arkansas,
Iowa, Indiana, Illinois,
- Massachusetts, New
York, Okl... - [change
channel]
[sportscaster] The best
baseball player. Plays baseball
like a pro.
[commentator] Well, Steve,
I disagree, I think...
[audience cheering]
So I got a letter from
the FDA on Friday.
- Anything else...
- Come by Monday. Early.
You might wanna
bring young David.
- [all cheering]
- Go for two! Go for two! Yay!
[Emilio] Gentlemen.
[door closes]
Apparently, we're in the midst
of a mumps outbreak.
- Another?
- Ah, widespread
and increasingly frequent
that many of those affected
have had two, even three doses.
Some people, some very
important people are saying our
vaccine does not work.
That is what they're saying.
And now those limp dicks
in the FDA are telling us
we have to show
96% protection against mumps,
like it says in our
license application.
Like it says in our
product information sheet,
or we lose our license. Alan.
Play that out for me, gentlemen.
- A new vaccine?
- [scoffs]
Alan, how long?
- Uh, testing, licensing
- [Emilio] Production?
[Alan] Years.
[Emilio] Lost sales?
Uh, you're talking
10 to 20 million plus doses.
That is per year, and
that's the US alone.
[Emilio] And with
vaccine mandates,
an annual $100 million
monopoly guaranteed.
Then the international market.
If we don't use
it here, what, you
you think they're gonna use it
on ugga bugga land?
But, but don't we
have an obligation?
To our stockholders? Yes.
Get on point, David.
Can your lab give me 96%?
[slaps table, inhales sharply]
Alan, what's our start point?
Uh, we're talking 50, maybe 60%.
- Against the vaccine virus.
- The weakened vaccine virus.
What is it against the wild
virus, the disease? Alan?
Uh [clears throat]
[Emilio] So
Here we are.
A case of ready, fire, aim.
Fix it, gentlemen.
Ninety-six percent.
Or 95. I'm no stickler.
"Or 95%." [scoffs]
What does he think I am?
A f*cking magician?
[soft tense music]
So much for safe and effective.
[muted]
[dramatic music]
[knock on door]
Adrian Jay? Dr. Adrian
Jay, I mean.
I'm, I'm told you're
someone I can trust.
Can we do this later?
I worked on MMR.
Merck's vaccine lab division
of virus and cell biology.
You're gonna wanna read this.
Those are likely to
put us both in danger.
I guess they could.
And they're worth reading.
[unlocking door]
They fake the data.
Mumps vaccine. It's all there.
You'll understand, right?
You'll know what to do.
Regarding what precisely?
[scoffs]
The vaccine doesn't work.
They cheated on every level.
- Steve Schilling.
- One fix didn't work.
They tried another and another.
You have all the
evidence you need. Boom.
If you have any questions,
that's my number.
- [scoffs]
- An encrypted line.
Does this look like
a confessional?
I mean, do I look like a priest?
You don't get to just tell
me a story, then walk away
with a new patch
on your scout troop jacket.
That's not the way this works.
If you're serious, then
this and you come as a package
or not at all.
No, no, no, man, you
don't understand.
I've done my part. This is it.
I'm just trying to do
the right thing here.
Look what whistle blowing did
for you. You lost everything.
Career, reputation.
- Country.
- [breathes deeply]
[soft suspenseful music]
You don't have an
autistic child?
No.
Not yet.
[Lexi] I'm just
heading down now.
It's all a bit daunting, but
[chuckles]
Okay. Well, give him a kiss
from his mommy.
Yeah.
Well, honey, I'm
almost at the elevator.
Okay. Bye. Yeah, bye.
[pensive music]
[door opens]
[gasps, sighs]
[exhales]
Okay.
I, uh, I have a lecture.
I'll call after.
Go get yourself a
coffee somewhere quiet.
The medical histories of
children that we have seen,
children that make up many of
the current autism epidemic,
are strikingly consistent.
Often the story begins
with a healthy child
on a normal development path.
[children chattering]
[muted]
[calm music]
[chuckles] Hi.
[Jay] From the point of
view of the parents, the change
is a sudden,
severe and with a causal
relationship to the vaccine
administration.
You ready for a big adventure?
Ishal welcome to America.
[laughs]
[somber music]
[Jay] Following a
vaccine, often MMR,
parents notice
significant behavior changes.
Regressions, loss of
previous milestones.
[rhythmically] Ah. Ah. Ah. Ah.
- Ah.
- Ish?
[continues rhythmically] Ah. Ah.
- Hey, Lexi.
- Ah.
Is Ish okay?
[distorted voice]
He's acting kind of spacey.
[Jay] And that's
not the worst of it.
[Ishal screams]
- [grunts]
- What happened?
I've got him, I've got him.
Just call the doctor.
- [grunts]
- [softly] It's okay. It's okay.
[Jay] And with a direct
causal relationship
to the vaccine administration
their observations
are typically dismissed.
And that is not okay.
So, if there's one message
I would leave you with
it is for you mothers to trust
in that innate
knowledge of your child.
A gift that has nurtured
and preserved mankind throughout
evolutionary history.
Our presence here on this Earth
is not down to vaccines or
antibiotics or men in white
coats,
but to the power
of that small voice
the mantra of a timeless wisdom.
Listen to it.
Trust it
no matter who tells
you otherwise.
Thank you.
[applause]
[people chattering]
[siren blaring]
[sizzling]
Hi. Breakfast, ma'am? We offer
both buffet and la carte.
Or we can have something
sent to your room.
- Excuse me.
- Mm-hmm.
Dr. Jay, can I please speak
with you for a moment?
It's about my son.
I have a call in my
room in five minutes.
737.20 minutes' time.
[knocks]
Hello?
Well, he's for real.
The documents are real.
As real as they get.
I'll be in touch on some of
the technical stuff, okay?
- [man] Sounds good. Talk soon.
- [Jay] All right. Bye-bye.
[line disconnects]
[relaxing music playing]
[turns off]
[sighs] Thank you.
[breathes deeply]
Your son.
He was an orphan of
conflict in Africa.
He was
perfect. [Exhales]
Smart and bright and
[inhales, exhales sharply]
My beautiful brown-eyed boy.
Then we got him home, and he
crashed right in front of us.
Our world went with him.
For some reason, Black
children or Black boys seem
very suscep...
No, I know what
you're gonna say, but
- I was told that all that
was... - Debunked.
The CDC found the debunked link
with MMR so compelling,
they had to destroy
the evidence.
In Ishal's case, the expert
medical opinion was coincidence.
[sighs] And, um
what other insights
did this medical
expert have to offer?
[scoffs]
He said, "Get over it."
Move on.
Put him in a home.
"[sighs angrily] Get another."
Get another like if you
weren't completely satisfied.
[sighs]
So
is Ishal your only child?
All I deserve.
[sighs] Sorry.
[sniffles]
Full disclosure, we, uh
My husband, he had mumps
in high school and so
Sterile.
[sniffles]
He found it very difficult.
And we took the view. We
We wanted our misfortune to
be a blessing to someone else.
Ishal filled the
void, the longing.
You're still together?
God, don't get me
wrong. We love Ishal.
We always will. And
this is my life now.
I just
I need to understand.
Why?
Because I'm his mother.
And what is it you
need to understand?
Why?
[sentimental music]
Okay.
Let's talk about what role
exclusion diets have for
children like Ishal.
[Jay inhales] May I?
Okay, so I need you
to call this number.
He's a colleague.
Physician. He's the best.
- Okay.
- Thank you.
[sighs] Okay.
- You said you're a lawyer.
- Family law.
And you want to understand why.
[sighs] You may be interested.
It's relevant to your case,
but I warn you...
Let me see it.
[relaxing music playing]
- [sighs]
- Parivrtta parsvakonasana.
There it is.
Thank you.
I took an instructor's
class in college.
Three months in Maharashtra.
I was a bit obsessed.
I still have a
studio in my house.
Do you teach?
No. [Sighs]
I haven't been in that studio
or any studio since Ishal.
Cheers.
[sighs]
Okay, so this much I get.
Mumps is more
serious in teenagers.
So the vaccine has made mumps
a more dangerous disease?
[sighs]
What led you to practice?
Yoga, I mean.
- It's none of my
business, of course. - Does
there have to be a story?
[breathes deeply]
To find a place of peace.
Shambhala.
To let go of the past.
So the feds, the FDA,
they say to Merck,
"We want 96% protection.
Your license, your product
sheet, make that claim. Prove
it."
Am I right so far?
Go on.
- PRN, plaque reduction...
- Plaque reduction
neutralization.
Here
Viruses grow inside cells.
If you wanna study viruses in
a lab or develop a vaccine,
you grow sheets of cells
in a plastic dish, like this.
And then you infect it,
in this case with the mumps.
Now soon, the infected
cell dies leaving a hole in the
cell layer.
- Each hole is one plaque.
- [Lexi] Okay.
[Jay] Merck was ordered
to prove that its mumps vaccine
protects kids.
So they need to measure
the antibodies in the children's
blood.
The ones that [mimics k*lling]
neutralize the mumps virus.
You vaccinate a kid, and you
put some of his blood in here
along with the mumps virus.
Now to see how good
or bad your vaccine is,
you take blood from
a bunch of babies
who have never been
in contact with the virus,
natural or vaccine
you vaccinate them
take a second blood sample,
say six weeks later,
and compare the before and after
in the PRN assay.
Assay?
[sighs]
- Test.
- Okay.
Plaques before, no plaques
after, vaccine good.
- Plaques before, plaques
after... - Vaccine crap.
[both exhale deeply]
So
What happened?
I mean, I know some of it,
but did you just fly
a little too close to their sun?
[exhales deeply]
You do this.
You have to cut the lifelines.
All of them.
If you leave yourself a way back
at some point
when it comes down
really, really hard
you'll reach out and take it.
And then they own you.
[pensive music]
[sighs]
[sighs]
[Lexi] Hey, hon. [exhales]
No, no, I just I just wanted
to hear a friendly voice.
How is Ishal?
He, he did what?
[sighs] Seriously?
No. Yeah, yeah, yeah,
we need to change the locks.
No, no, no. I'm gonna handle it.
I'll get on it.
Yeah, honey, it's
just one more night.
I miss you too.
Give Ish a kiss from his mama.
Yeah. Bye.
[dramatic music]
[sighs]
[indistinct chatter]
Strictest confidence.
Give me a dollar.
- What?
- A dollar.
You're now my client,
and I'm bound
by client-attorney privilege.
Hit the space bar. I'm
gonna go get a beer.
Oh, um, JL135?
Oh, JL, that's Jeryl Lynn,
Merck's mumps vaccine strain
isolated from the daughter of
its inventor Maurice Hilleman.
And 135 is probably
a batch number.
Got it.
Oh, and, uh these documents
do not leave this room.
Sir, yes, sir.
[sighs]
[soft tense music]
- [groaning]
- Please don't, honey. Come on.
Honey, please, come on. Calm
down. Calm down, sweetheart.
- Come on. Huh? Huh?
- [grunts]
- [clattering]
- Oh!
f*ck me. Oh.
f*ck.
[Steve on video] They
couldn't get the result they
wanted, needed,
with the PRN assay,
so they reengineered it.
They're not shy about it.
Look, "Objective: "
to identify a mumps
neutralization assay
that permits ".
"Permits," damn it.
" measurement of 96% efficacy."
Not objective to
improve the vaccine
but find something that gets
them the result they want.
- How?
- [scoffs]
They pulled a rabbit
out of their hat and put into
the test. A PRN.
Rabbit's blood?
They shot up rabbits
with human antibodies,
turned the rabbit's blood
into glue, then added the glue
to the test.
It artificially increased
neutralization of the virus.
Nothing whatsoever to do
with immunity in the child.
- Or the rabbit, I'd guess.
- It's a cheap trick.
[scoffs]
[tense music]
- [grunts]
- [shatters]
Well, even that failed.
The FDA told them to test
immunity against the wild virus.
You know, the natural mumps
virus the kids actually get.
It didn't work.
It's like treating rabies
with anger management.
So they cheated some more
and tested it against the
weakened vaccine virus.
And?
[line disconnects]
Hello?
[sighs]
[Jay] Still didn't work.
Schilling then confronts
his boss, gets the "I'm just
following orders" line.
So he goes upstairs
and confronts his boss's boss.
Emilio Errani is vice president
of the division.
Errani tells Schilling that
it's just a business decision
and reminds him
of his corporate loyalties.
Loyalties?
Schilling then gets
threatened with some
non-disclosure he signed,
and then they stroke him
with the promise of a big bonus
at the end of
successful testing.
Of course.
Alexis, here's the problem.
- I prefer Lexi.
- Alexis, here's the problem.
Since the rabbit blood's gum
is nonspecific,
when they test the kid's blood
before and after the vaccine,
the effect of the
rabbit is the same.
So the before and the after
give a positive result.
Correct. It's called
a pre-positive.
Now, what are they gonna do now?
They've just about
broken every rule.
They're gonna lose
their license.
Billions in worldwide revenue.
And the credibility of vaccines?
No one will ever
believe them again.
Why don't they just dump
this piece of crap?
Because, Kirk, we
have a US monopoly
and a major share
of the world market for MMR.
And that is because
of our mumps vaccine.
- So? - So mumps is the
key because we own it.
That gives us the monopoly.
The Brits screwed up their
Urabe strain and meningitis.
And we own the only
one that works.
- Except that it does not.
- [scoffs]
[tense music]
Repeat after me.
"The only one that works."
"The only one that..."
Any as*h*le can come up
with a single measles vaccine.
They just go get a license,
and they steal our market.
Now f*ck that.
Then we're off
chasing the Chinese.
And then we'll see
UNICEF placing bulk orders
for some Russian rubella shot
made in a shed out in the woods.
For what? A buck 50 a pop.
No. No way.
Measles, mumps,
rubella, that's ours.
So do like Emilio said, David.
Make it work.
We all signed
contracts, gentlemen.
Company interests
above all others.
[clicks tongue] So.
Kirk rounds up all his group,
tells them to check the data,
and then to change
the pre-positives
to a negative.
Fraud upon fraud upon fraud.
You keep reading.
See yourself out.
So, Schilling
He said no.
Namaste.
[music continues]
[alarm beeps]
- [sighs]
- [turns off alarm]
Oh. Um
- [Jay] I thought I told you...
- Just one extra copy.
[sighing]
Oh, and scanned.
- Hey... - Schilling needs
representation.
Now,
I have someone, I think.
[chuckles] I'll be in touch.
[pensive music]
[birds chirping]
So they are coming
to the office next week.
[Ishal moaning]
- He doesn't like it.
- Just keep trying.
Yeah. Unless it's
chicken nuggets.
Nothing green within ten feet.
"Four tablespoons
of corn flour."
And who's gonna follow
through on all this
while the busy family lawyer
doggy-paddles out of her depth?
That's harsh.
You're not a corporate lawyer.
- I was. - And how'd that
work out for you?
- It wasn't me.
- [scoffs] And this is?
[sighs]
Do you understand
what this is about?
- I mean, really?
- Yeah. It means
that I haven't written anything
since Wind Harp,
and the royalties ran out
on that five months ago.
And what about Ishal?
Seven.
[sighs]
Seven months. No
royalties. Thank you.
This is about Ishal.
This is about children,
children who have been
turned into a commodity.
Every child marked down at birth
as just a revenue stream.
A mandatory little earner on a
dangerous third-rate product.
And I just need to know
that you are on my side.
Yes, I am out of my depth,
and I can barely fight this
battle. I cannot fight you too.
[smoke alarm beeping]
[Josh] Oh, grab a towel.
Gosh.
[screaming]
It's okay. It's okay.
Still good.
- Voil. Gluten, casein
free brownies. - [Ishal
grunting]
You know, the school needs
to get on board with this wacky
diet.
Giving us nothing but grief.
[sentimental music]
[sobbing]
But we'll fix that.
[woman on video]
for mumps protection.
However, doctors warn
it may not fully combat
the current strain,
mirroring issues with
the 2014 flu shot.
[man on video]
Particularly in adults.
These complications can
range from hearing loss, brain
inflammation,
and, in some cases, even death.
[Ishal moaning]
[Steve on video] So I said to
Kirk, "You want me to what?"
"Recount," he says.
"Because?"
He says, "Your results
are unhelpful."
[scoffs] "Unhelpful?" I told
him, "They are what they are."
And he says, "You've got
a lot of pre-positives."
"Okay, I just count them."
Then he orders me back to
my microscope to recount.
[scoffs] So I say.
"For years I can count, and
then all of a sudden, I can't."
Then he shuts me down.
"Recount. That's an order."
[Jay] And when you refused?
[dramatic music]
[cellphone chimes]
[toy truck whirring]
Don't forget to say thank you.
Mr. Schilling?
Miss Koprowski is expecting you.
Please follow me.
He's on his way.
May I ask why Dr. Jay?
In a world of
bullshit and make-believe,
he was someone real.
[inhales]
Your coworkers in the lab
did they share your concerns?
Not at first. Some not ever.
I only really knew Joan well
enough to talk about it. [Sighs]
- Joan?
- Walinski.
It was a risk.
I mean, she was tight with Kirk.
He was supervising her thesis.
First thing she
says to me was...
What the hell is
your problem, Steve?
If it doesn't make the grade,
none of us get a bonus.
If the vaccine fails,
we're all out of a job.
It has failed.
You need to get
what's going on here.
So I went over their
heads, straight to Errani, VP of
our division.
Kirk, Stone, they didn't offer
any scientific explanation,
any justification.
- For the sticky rabbit serum.
- For any of it.
Just "Here's the problem.
We've got orders to find a fix.
Do it."
And?
Errani said, "Get real."
It wasn't my place
to editorialize my concerns.
Apparently, I didn't
have the education
to understand the intellectual
basis for the assay.
"It's not a safety
issue," Errani said.
[scoffs] Like hell it wasn't.
Yeah, I know.
That the disease is more
dangerous when you're older?
[Jay] She knows.
Sorry I'm late.
No introductions necessary.
So now [sighs] big problems.
All completely predictable.
May I?
- Sure.
- Thank you.
- [sighs] God.
- [sighs] Thank you.
I can't help but hate you some.
You should have tried harder.
I'm trying now.
Go on.
[clears throat]
So Errani says we
can just revaccinate
[clears throat] up to
three doses already.
A failed vaccine became a
bestseller precisely because it
didn't work.
[Steve] I said I'd
report them to the FDA.
[scoffs] Errani just laughed.
He said, "You won't do it.
You wouldn't dare."
I'd signed an NDA.
Nondisclosure.
He threatened me
with dismissal, prosecution.
He said I'd go to jail.
But you did report it.
After they started
destroying data.
Give me credit
for that at least.
Thank you.
And?
- Hey, what's up?
- We gotta talk.
- What?
- They're coming Monday.
No, keep walking.
[tense music]
[exhales]
At least our guy at the FDA
was good enough to warn us.
It was the least he could do.
What's our exposure?
No. Take it easy, Kirk.
- We're on the same page here.
- Not that a*s-wipe Schilling.
Well, that's the way
the world works these days.
People get convicted.
They forget their loyalties, and
there's no reasoning with them.
Well if we're gonna have
guests, we should tidy up.
[dramatic music]
David, I can take those.
Incineration. Immediately.
[music turns suspenseful]
[door closes, locking]
David, I need to
print my dissertation.
- Yeah? - I'll get it done
over lunch break.
Oh. Use the staff copy
key, but make sure you lock my
door behind you.
[suspenseful dramatic music]
[music increases]
- [music stops]
- [door creaks]
[dramatic music]
[unlocking]
[soft whirring]
What the hell do we
think we're doing?
- Once a fraud, always...
- What are we?
Lab rats.
- Just do what we're told.
- Yeah?
Just following orders?
[rock music playing on stereo]
What is it? The money?
- Bonus would help.
- I'll give it to you.
- Stop.
- How much?
How much? 500?
- You're worth it. You're
a good scientist. - Screw you,
Schilling.
Just get me another beer.
[dramatic music]
[elevator dings]
[chuckles]
[elevator dings]
[music continues]
[softly] sh*t. Oh, my God.
[gasps] Oh, David. Sorry.
[laughs] No problem.
Did you get it all done?
My dissertation? Yes. Thank you.
Ah. Good work, Joan.
Probably better I get to
look it over, yeah, before it
goes anywhere else.
Yeah, of course.
Just one more read-through.
- I saw a couple typos
printing it out. - [laughs]
Ah, doesn't that always happen?
[tense music]
[Steve sighs]
[Joan] Oh, David.
- Almost forgot.
- [chuckles]
[Steve] We're
expecting number one.
Chrissy, Christina,
my wife, wants four.
Did the FDA ever show up?
They sent a girl [sighs]
straight out of college.
She met with Kirk and Stone.
They sat and talked.
[inhales] She had no interest
in hearing from us. [Exhales]
No interest. Period.
And?
[Lexi] That's it? A four-line
handwritten violation report.
[Jay sighs]
[soft tense music]
[Lexi] What do you think?
[Jay] He's gonna be a father.
Let's hope he continues
to act like one.
Is he in danger?
[Jay] What do you
know about Vioxx?
[Lexi] Not a lot.
- [sighs]
- Grab your coat.
Internal memos were released
on the Vioxx litigation.
Merck's hard men
went back and forth
on how to deal with
physicians that were critical of
their drug.
Quote, "We may have to
seek them out and destroy them
where they live."
Jeez.
[sighs] If you're trying to
put me off, it's working.
At least you're making
an informed choice.
Schilling knows.
And yes, he is in danger.
[crickets chirping]
Welcome, parents,
new and returning.
It's that time again as
another school year approaches.
Overall, some good news
and some not so good.
Let's get the not-so-good
out of the way.
- Coach?
- Thank you.
I'll be brief.
Sadly, due to
financial constraints,
- we will have to cut the
soccer program - [audience
protests]
at least for the
foreseeable future.
I know, I know.
However, other sports programs
are unaffected at least for now.
Hold on. You don't understand.
My son lives for his soccer.
What financial constraints? My
taxes sure ain't got no smaller.
Okay, we understand.
Believe me, we do.
I'm afraid the special
education program
has grown far beyond
what we expected.
It's very expensive.
Legally, morally, we are
committed to prioritizing that
program.
On a much more positive note,
I'm going to ask Rosanna,
our school nurse,
to remind you of our
back-to-school health and
wellness program.
On your seats,
you should all have this form.
Please, by next week,
all vaccines complete,
including the latest
recommendations of the American
Academy of Pediatrics
and the Centers for Disease
Control that are listed here.
All forms filled
and signed, please.
The law is clear.
No vaccines, no forms,
no school, no exceptions.
Could you talk about
exemptions, please?
I'm sorry.
Well, you said it's the law
and that the law is clear.
Can you talk about
exemptions to vaccinations
that are also part of state law?
Uh, well
Well?
Yeah. No exceptions
means no exceptions.
The state of Arkansas
allows for medical, religious or
philosophical exemptions.
That is the law.
You're not providing
fully informed consent
if you don't tell parents
that their children can attend
public school
by law if they have at least
one of these exemptions.
We follow the
recommendations of the Centers
for Disease Control and...
That's actually
another error on your part.
The schedule required and
adopted by the Board of
Education
is different than
that of the CDC,
and nowhere on this form
are exemptions listed, which is
required.
- Uh, Miss ?
- [Lexi] Koprowski.
Miss Koprowski, this
is not the forum
in which to express
your personal anti-vaccine bias.
No, not anti anything, actually.
Pro safety, pro honest science,
pro parents making good choices
for their children
based on fully informed consent.
[mother 1] Well, I don't
want my kids playing
with a bunch of snot-nosed,
germ-ridden little hippies
whose parents can't seem
to make the right choice.
- [parents agreeing]
- [tense music]
No, now, parents, please.
You are such a
damn troublemaker.
You know, if it wasn't for
people like you bringing them
ret*rd kids
[parents agreeing]
Yeah, I've said
it. You heard me.
ret*rd kids into this country,
then maybe my son might still
have his soccer program.
[parents agreeing]
- Okay, that's enough.
- [parents clamoring]
[blows whistle]
[principal] That's enough.
This meeting is adjourned.
And, Mrs. Koprowski,
I hope you're satisfied.
[Lexi] She hopes I'm satisfied.
- Lively meeting.
- [exhales]
[sighs] No.
- [sighs]
- [cell phone ringing]
Hey, Mom. [Sighs]
Yes, I saw it.
No, it wasn't even
like that. I...
Mm-hmm. I...
Okay.
Later. Mm-hmm.
[inhales]
[groans]
[cell phone rings]
[sounding annoyed] Yes.
Dr. Jay. Uh, I am so sorry. Um
No. No, no, no. Nothing.
- [gentle music]
- [crickets chirping]
[refrigerator opens, clatters]
[Lexi] Ishal's finally sleep.
Please be quiet.
[sighs]
[tapping the bottle nervously]
[sighs deeply]
This has to stop.
It can't go on like this, Lexi.
Ishal.
Sleep.
Life.
It's all gone.
- Please don't say that.
- It's a f...
It's a f*cking nightmare.
Yeah, sometimes.
But we're all in it together.
Together?
[scoffs]
You're never here.
You're obsessed.
You're telling me to put him
on some crazy diet,
and you throw everything out
and then you say,
"Go buy a new toaster.
Go buy a new waffle."
[stutters] Whatever.
And then you head off
on some big hush-hush case,
and suddenly I'm
Martha f*cking Stewart.
Just please stick with
the diet, okay? Uh
Nothing else matters.
I will, I will [breathes deeply]
I will give up the case.
I'll find someone,
some, some big-shot DC lawyer.
But for Ish, the diet.
Okay. I, I have talked to
mothers, and the doctors...
Doctors?
Doctors?
[tense music]
Haven't they done enough?
[Ishal screams]
Yup. It's fine.
- [Ishal screaming]
- [footsteps fading]
[melancholic music]
[birds chirping]
[cars speeding by]
[dramatic music]
- [crying] - [woman] You
wanna put it there?
No. [Sighs]
No, the taxpayer assumes
the risk and the liability.
I don't understand.
Congress has indemnified
all vaccine manufacturers.
The people who make the
vaccine aren't responsible for
the side effects.
- Then how...
- I'm sorry.
Nancy, you know
I'm with clients.
- Lexi, it's the police.
- What?
Hello? Uh, jeez. [Stutters] Yes.
Um, he was where, Officer?
[sighs, stuttering] Yes,
I will be right there.
[sighs] I'm so sorry.
[dramatic music]
[sighs]
Oh, Ish. Ish darling, baby.
Oh, I'm so sorry.
Are you okay?
[exhales]
Thank you, Officer. Thank you.
A teacher brought him in.
She was out walking her dog by
the lake.
A homeless man was shouting,
trying to get her attention.
Seems your boy kept saying
"fishes" or something.
No, no. Ish, he
- It wasn't him. He doesn't...
- [door opens]
speak.
[crickets chirping]
- [clicks tongue]
- [footsteps approaching]
[sighs]
[line ringing]
[cell phone rings]
Hello, Alexis?
[Lexi] You think the
gate was an accident?
[sobs] He could have been hit
by a truck or, or drowned.
For crying out loud, I
I can't. I'm sorry.
Fear is their currency.
What did you expect?
I'm done. I'm done.
So your once
neatly-numbered check box life
is coming a little further
apart.
Take it back.
What do you mean, take it back?
What about Ishal?
Alexis, what happens to
Ishal, your son and every other
son and daughter
depends on whether or not you
choose to live by their rules.
[sighs]
And if I die
what happens to him then?
[sighs] The graveyards are full
of indispensable people.
f*ck you, Dr. Jay.
[phone clatters]
[Ishal] two, three, four, five.
One, two, three, four, five,
six, seven, eight, nine, ten.
Very good.
Come with me, little man.
[grunting] He's heavy.
- [Ishal] No, Mommy.
- It's okay, Ish. It's okay.
I have his vaccine papers
from the orphanage.
- Nuh-uh. We never trust those.
- Really?
You come with me. We're
gonna get you all caught up.
[dramatic music]
- [softly] It's okay.
- That's that. For now at least.
[Ishal screaming]
[Lexi] Josh. Josh,
come here, I need you.
[gasps]
[sighing]
[gentle guitar music]
[matchstick strikes]
[relaxing music]
[muted]
[breathes deeply]
We sue. That protects you.
No. Immediately.
After that, any hint of
harassment, they're in big
trouble.
Right now my job
is to protect you.
Court? No, no.
First, we get to depose them.
- [birds chirping]
- [gentle music]
Let me just check the mail.
One second. Stay.
Oh, great. Perfect.
[sighs]
- Appreciate you.
- All right. Thank you.
All right, buddy, let's go.
What?
No cover for
routine dental work?
Because he has autism.
What a joke.
[sighs deeply]
"Arkansas Bar Association?
Misused your
professional position
to adversely influence
parental vaccination choices"?
Oh, sh*t.
Oh, sh*t.
[dog barks]
Swing, Dada, swing.
Dada, swing.
What?
Play. Swing, Dada.
Play. Swing, Dada.
[laughs]
Play. Swing, Dada.
[laughs]
Phone's off?
Phone's off.
Hey, call me as soon as you can.
It's Ishal.
- It's good news. [Laughs]
- [train whistle blows]
Exactly. It's great
news. Okay, bye.
[sighs] Yeah, honey.
Well, she's old
enough to know better.
Yeah.
[phone chimes]
Baby, listen,
I'm gonna have to call you back.
Yeah, okay.
- [sighs]
- [Emilio] Alan.
Yeah, I'm just heading in.
Have you called him?
And?
[sighs]
sh*t. Did you leave a message?
Alan, can we trust him
to keep it together?
[chuckles] In truth,
what have they got?
Right. Right, nothing
is what they got.
I know.
[dramatic music]
[indistinct conversation]
[Lexi] Gentlemen, hello.
- Samuel, you look great.
- [Sam] Thank you.
[Lexi sighing] All right.
Have the videographer
swear the witness in.
My name is Dr. Emilio
Antonio Errani.
I'm vice president of Virus
and Cell Biology at Merck.
I swear the statement I'm about
to give will be the truth,
the whole truth,
and nothing but the truth.
Dr. Errani,
I don't intend to keep you long.
May I present Exhibit One?
Objection.
This exhibit hadn't
even been identified.
The objection was simply
for the record. We will
continue, Dr. Errani.
Would you please identify
this document for me?
It's a product
insert for MMR II.
And this information
goes out with the vaccine
to all those healthcare
providers who administer it?
[Emilio] Yes.
Are you satisfied with the truth
and accuracy of this document?
I am.
Would you please read the
highlighted text for me?
"In these studies, a single
injection of the vaccine
induced mumps neutralizing
antibodies in 96% of susceptible
persons."
So help me out here, please.
What studies?
Are there any footnotes
or citations provided?
- No. - Then how may one
confirm this claim?
All data were made
available to the Food and Drug
Administration, the FDA.
Their experts examined
our findings thoroughly.
The results were good
enough for them, but apparently
not for you.
- Witness's non-responsive.
- [scoffs]
[Lexi] Ninety-six percent.
Then why are we witnessing
mumps epidemics in fully
vaccinated populations?
Recipients of your vaccine.
The populations are
not fully vaccinated.
Vaccine refusers,
growing number of
misinformed anti-vaxxers are
causing pockets of outbreaks.
The great majority
of mumps epidemics
are in those who are fully
vaccinated. Isn't that true?
That's herd immunity.
Our ability to protect
the whole population
by achieving a high level
of vaccine coverage.
It can be difficult for
the public to grasp.
Witness's non-responsive.
Would you mind repeating
Dr. Errani's answer to my
earlier question
about the absence of references,
citations and footnotes?
"All data were made
available to the Food and Drug
Administration, the FDA.
Their experts examined
our findings thoroughly.
The results were good
enough for them, but apparently
not for you."
Thank you.
Dr. Errani, you stated the
results were good enough for
them.
- Ninety-six percent was true?
- Yes.
And Merck's license
was granted on the basis
that your vaccine was 96%
protective against mumps.
That is correct.
Ninety-six percent. Wow.
Is that still true today?
More or less. Yes.
More or less true?
Yes. No. No.
Ninety-six percent protective
more or less.
More protective than 96%?
- No.
- Less protective.
Perhaps a little.
It's hard to measure.
Dr. Errani, when the FDA
threatened removal of your
license
for a failing MMR vaccine,
what did you do to
reassure the FDA of the efficacy
of the mumps component?
I'm sorry. I'm not
sure I understand.
Did you change the makeup
of the vaccine, improve it?
[soft tense music]
- That was never needed. -
Because you altered the
laboratory test.
The plaque reduction
neutralization. Is that correct?
Altered? No.
We improved the laboratory test.
Oh, you improved it. Great.
How so?
A more sensitive test naturally
gives a more accurate result.
More sensitive, more
likely to potentially produce a
false positive result?
It's possible.
All in order to retain
your exclusive license.
No. To respond to
the FDA's concerns.
And leave a dangerous vaccine
on the market.
- Dangerous?
- Objection.
Dangerous because
when your vaccine failed,
it left people at risk for more
serious mumps later in life.
We strongly recommended
booster shots.
Of course, you did.
Thank you.
- [whispers] - Oh, Dr.
Errani, one last question.
Would you agree that the
effectiveness of a vaccine
is best measured
against the natural mumps virus?
The one you're
actually trying to neutralize.
I think we
established that. Yes.
To test immunity against a
weakened vaccine virus, Dr.
Errani,
would that be the best approach?
Hand gestures don't
translate very well to the
written page, Dr. Errani.
Not necessarily.
Could using the weakened
vaccine virus in a lab test
falsely overestimate the
effectiveness of that vaccine?
- It's possible. - Well,
isn't that exactly what you did?
In order to conceal the failure
- I object to the form of
that question. - [Lexi] I
haven't asked the question.
Isn't that exactly what you did
in order to conceal
the failure of your vaccine
- to neutralize the
natural mumps virus -
[Feinstein] Objection.
In a deliberate attempt
to support the claim?
The claim that you continue
to make for over 95% protection.
Stone had it under control.
Stone and Kirk.
I trust them completely.
The FDA was on board.
Non-responsive. Were you aware?
Some tests included
the weakened strain, I believe.
- And did you approve?
- I guess so.
- You guess?
- I did not disapprove. No.
- Was that a yes?
- To the extent that I was aware
of what was going on
- [softly] Yes. - Which,
as we have already established,
you were.
Do you have any
regrets, Dr. Errani?
Objection. His state of mind
is not an issue in this case.
That question has no context.
Strike the question.
I already have my answer.
Tell David to relax.
Keep it together.
Remember, Alan, all they have
is the product information sheet
and Schilling's word.
[elevator dings]
[cell phone chimes]
- [Ishal] Love you, Mommy.
- [chuckles]
Mommy loves you, too, darling.
Good night.
[emotional music]
[laughs]
[sobbing]
[music turns triumphant]
[Lexi laughs softly]
Dr. Stone, to what extent
were you aware of the problems
the lab was having?
A lab that we've established,
as Laboratory Chief,
was under your
direct supervision.
Can you be more specific?
Certainly.
Were you aware of the
lab's failure, your failure, to
demonstrate
efficacy of the mumps vaccine
to the required level,
a level required by the
FDA for the continuance of
Merck's license?
I was aware that Kirk
was having problems.
- [Sam] David Kirk?
- Yes.
And did Mr. Kirk propose a
solution to these problems?
He did. Yes.
What was that solution?
It's a better method of
detecting virus neutralization.
May I introduce Exhibit Two?
I object to your offering
exhibit until it's been
identified.
Mr. Stone, would you please
identify Exhibit Two for me?
- This is a confidential
document. - Objection. It's work
product.
You may continue, Dr. Stone.
It's a protocol.
Testing procedure
for blood samples.
Whose blood, Dr. Stone?
Children's, of course.
Really? Would you please
read the title for me?
[sighs]
"Protocol 7: Anti
IgG enhanced mumps
plaque reduction
neutralization assay."
And where it says
"approved by," right there right
under the title,
is that your
signature, Dr. Stone?
[Feinstein] I
renew my objection.
It's an unverified document.
It speaks for itself.
Did you get his objections?
Yeah, she got it.
[soft tense music]
Dr. Stone?
Yes.
Would you read aloud
the introductory paragraph
that follows your
approval, Dr. Stone,
under the heading
"Purpose of the assay"?
"To provide a sensitive means to
determine mumps antibody titers
pre and post vaccination."
Mumps antibodies
in whom, Doctor?
Children taking the
vaccine, of course.
[Lexi] Really?
If you turn to page three,
Doctor, you will find,
will you not, the
enhancement step.
It's paragraph six.
You can take your time.
What was added to the assay
to enhance it, Dr. Stone?
[scoffs] Serum.
Rabbit serum.
[music increases]
Rabbit's blood.
Do you know any children
that present with rabbit's blood
in their system, Dr. Stone?
Dr. Stone?
It worked, okay?
Kirk's idea.
Kirk's idea worked,
and Emilio signed off on it.
Yes or no?
[elevator dings]
[dramatic music]
[elevator dings]
[sighs] I'm telling
you, they've got stuff.
[sighs] The testing protocol.
Emilio, Schilling must have...
Yeah. Yeah, David.
Now. Okay. I'm on it.
How's my little girl then?
Ah. Philadelphia, honey, yeah.
Oh, just regular company stuff.
Honey, listen, I'm in a hurry.
I'm so sorry, I have
to rush. Okay, yeah.
Love you. Bye.
I'm David Kirk.
I'm here for the deposition.
[dramatic music]
sh*t!
[sighs angrily]
Okay.
Ellis, Feinstein & Delong.
- [Alan] Dr. Alan...
- Please hold.
No. [Groans]
- [elevator closes]
- No, wait, wait, wait. Damn it.
Come on, come on.
- [exhales]
- [elevator opens]
[muted]
- [doorbell buzzes]
- [knocks]
- [muted]
- [knocks]
[knocks]
[unlocks door]
Did you forget
something, Dr. Stone?
[exhales]
[Lexi] Enhanced what, Mr. Kirk?
Immunity to mumps.
- In a child?
- Of course.
Interesting.
From a basic textbook
of immunology,
I can quote you ten ways
that your spiked rabbit
gave you a result
that had nothing,
nothing whatsoever
to do with children's immunity.
Too bad you're not talking
to a basic textbook.
Exhibit Three, please.
Again, I object to any exhibit
that hasn't been identified.
[sighs] This is a scientific
paper published in 2005.
It reports that rabbit serum can
neutralize the virus on its own
- absent any human antibodies.
- Where does it say that?
Page one, paragraph one.
Precisely where you wrote it.
The neutralization had
nothing whatsoever to do with
immunity in the child.
Well, woohoo.
Oh, for the record, "woohoo"?
Would that be
double O, double O?
- [whispers]
- My witness, Mr. Feinstein.
Was the rabbit's blood
your idea, Mr. Kirk?
Senior management.
Dr. Stone seems to
think it was your idea.
[tense music]
- What?
- [Feinstein] Objection.
That's a statement
from another deposition.
It's hearsay. Move
to strike that.
I think a break is in order.
Don't you, Miss Koprowski?
I'm almost done.
[clears throat]
[whispers]
Despite the enhancement,
perhaps because of it,
- you were still having
some problems. - There were some
wrinkles.
[laughs] The Mother
Teresa of wrinkles.
- Object to your sidebar
comment, Sam. - Off the record,
of course.
Please, Mr. Kirk, in future,
allow me to finish the question.
To the trained eye, are plaques
obvious down the microscope?
Oh, with experience, yes.
Would you say that
the lab workers were experienced
at the time this work was done?
- They were all well
trained. Yes. - By you?
- Yes.
- Exhibit Four.
Mr. Kirk.
It's a viral culture,
a viral plaques.
You can't just pull
this out of your a*s.
Easy, boy.
[whispers]
How many plaques, Mr. Kirk?
How many? Three.
[Lexi] Exhibit Five.
Objection.
- [Lexi] How many...
- Lots.
[chuckles] I will complete
the question, Mr. Kirk.
- How many plaques can you
count? - Lots.
Lots. Lots.
Count them, please.
- Thirty-four. -
Thirty-four. Thank you, Mr.
Kirk.
One of your problems or
wrinkles was the pre-positives.
Is that correct?
[music continues]
Pre-positives,
that's samples from
children who had never been
exposed to mumps ever
but were nonetheless
positive for immunity to mumps
in the enhanced assay.
How did you get your
rabbit out of that particular
briar patch, Mr. Kirk?
Now I object to that too.
Your sidebar comments
are gonna get this deposition
shut down, Sam.
How did you iron out
that wrinkle, Mr. Kirk?
Recounting.
Checking the original
counts for errors.
You asked Mr. Schilling
and others to recount their
scoring sheets?
To check their results.
- To change their results?
- If needed.
What was Mr. Schilling's
response when you asked him to
do this?
He refused.
He refused a simple request,
just recount his scoring sheet?
Objection. That's
asked and answered.
Mr. Kirk, isn't it true that
what he actually refused to do
was alter his scoring sheets
to falsely improve your results?
I cannot speak
to Schilling's state of mind.
Exhibit Six, please.
Objection.
[Lexi] Mr. Kirk, would you
please identify this document
for us?
[quietly] How did you get
These were shredded.
[softly] Knock it off.
Non-responsive. I
repeat, Mr. Kirk.
It's a scoring sheet
of plaque counts.
And it has been changed,
altered, has it not?
It's a working document,
there look to be corrections.
By you.
That is your signature
alongside the corrections?
I mean, it looks like it.
- Yes or no?
- Yes.
Bear with me, gentlemen.
Going down the sheet,
there are 46 rows of samples,
and each row is the
same blood sample.
Each row has three
plaque counts.
Three to reduce the chance
of error for a total of nearly
140 counts.
- One hundred and thirty-eight.
- [Lexi] Thank you.
You will see that five rows
have been altered.
Five rows that Mr. Schilling
refused to correct.
Four of those rows, 12 counts,
are for the same blood sample.
Number 966.
Do you see that, Mr. Kirk?
An answer is required.
Yes.
So of nearly 140 counts,
you have corrected nine,
and they are all samples
from the same child.
That error that required
The chances of all Mr.
Schilling's errors occurring in
the same child
and in the same direction
indicate fraud
beyond all reasonable doubt.
Objection. That's the
ultimate question of fact
that a jury will
decide, not a witness.
Let me clarify for the record.
No pre-negatives were changed
to pre-positives.
No post-positives were changed
to post-negatives.
No post-negatives were changed
to post-positives.
All of your changes
were in one direction.
Reducing the unwanted
pre-positives.
The statistical probability
of so many errors
occurring in the
pre-positives only
was more than one
trillion to one.
As I say, beyond all
reasonable doubt.
- But... - Oh, it's a
statement of fact, Mr. Kirk.
It does not require an answer.
Let's go ahead and take a look
at one other corrected
sample, Number 965.
Mr. Schilling has given scores
of 3, 10 and 8,
and these have been corrected
by you to 5, 14 and 11.
Within two to four
plaques, an acceptable margin of
error, Mr. Kirk?
Careless for someone
of Schilling's experience.
[Lexi] Careless?
[chuckles] Well, why
don't we go ahead
and look at how careless
Mr. Schilling was with Sample
966?
One plaque recorded by him,
3 to 16, 1 to 24,
and from 3 to 32.
[dramatic music]
Sample 966, it goes all to hell.
Schilling can't even
see plaques anymore.
He's blind to a total of 79
plaques in just four wells.
And then just as quickly
as the madness comes upon him,
it vanishes.
The next 66 samples
are impeccable.
Mr. Kirk.
Sample 966 went
from immune to non-immune
from positive to negative.
And do you know
who that sample belonged to?
Of course, you do.
An unvaccinated child.
Mr. Schilling's
original numbers,
the very ones
that you asked him to recount
were a fly in your corporate
ointment, Mr. Kirk.
An inevitable and
irrelevant effect I give to you
of rabbit's blood.
Would you like
to make a comment, Mr. Kirk?
- Objection. You're just...
- Okay, look.
I was told by Stone.
- I mean Errani. -
[quietly] Calm yourself. Now
come on.
- What don't you understand?
- [Feinstein] Come on.
They've got the sheets.
They've got the evidence.
- I was told they didn't have.
- Who told you that, Mr. Kirk?
- Just shut up. Be quiet...
- My witness, Mr. Feinstein.
- I'm directing witness
not to answer. - Mr. Kirk.
These exhibits are
meaningless wallpaper.
They are examples of nothing.
- Nothing.
- Yeah, without the plates.
Incineration. Immediately.
[triumphant music]
[pensive music]
It's a sh*t load of money.
They really don't want
this to go to court.
And if we take it before a jury?
We have a strong
case. Very strong.
They could award more,
they could award less,
or we could get nothing.
It's a roll of the dice.
Your choice.
[sighs]
Evidence's sealed.
No discussion of the
settlement by us.
- Anyone ever.
- Easy.
And no real justice.
The guilty parties go free,
and it's business as usual.
Steve, it's not our problem.
[pensive music]
[Lexi on phone]
We were so close.
[sighs]
But I guess you've
been here before.
[rattling]
[music turns suspenseful]
[baby crying]
- Weighed and checked,
Daddy. - He wasn't to leave his
mother's side.
- Mrs. Schilling was resting.
- Tell me you haven't
No. No, no, no.
- What have you done?
- It's only his routine shot.
I told the doctor. I put
it in writing. No vaccines.
Hepatitis B is
standard procedure
I was absolutely clear.
No f*cking vaccines.
I'll deal with this.
You. I told you no
hepatitis B shot.
No shots at all.
- It's policy at this hospital.
- To override parents' wishes?
- Mister ?
- Schilling.
Thomas's father. I'm his father.
Mr. Schilling, whatever your
concerns, they're unfounded.
- The vaccine is safe and
effective. - Based on?
I've given thousands of doses.
And I worked at Merck's
vaccine division.
How long do you think that
vaccine was tested for safety
before the FDA thought it
was fine to put mercury into
newborn babies?
I would imagine several
months at least.
[Chrissy] Steve?
Well, imagine this.
Five days. That's it.
And no unvaccinated placebo
group. No science. None.
So if my son gets a seizure
or dies next Thursday,
it's got nothing to
do with your vaccine.
Any long-term
testing for cancer?
No.
Impact on intelligence? No.
Allergies? No.
Physical coordination,
developmental issues,
higher rates of SIDs, autism?
No, no, no, no.
You can follow up with the
pediatrician for your booster
shot.
Give me back my son.
Here.
[baby coos]
[breathing heavily]
[cell phone ringing]
Hello.
[soft music]
Will do.
And you try to get some rest.
Bye.
We roll the dice.
[indistinct conversation]
[Jay] May I? Excuse
me. Thank you.
- Good to see you.
- Nerves?
Not at all.
[bangs gavel]
[woman] The court will rise.
[exhales] Okay.
[bangs gavel]
[judge] Miss Koprowski.
[suspenseful music building]
[exhales]
Your Honor, ladies and
gentlemen of the jury.
This case is about Merck's
efforts for over a decade
to defraud the government,
physicians and parents.
Merck has placed on the market
a vaccine that is mislabeled,
misbranded, adulterated,
falsely certified,
and presents a serious danger
to our children.
[music increases]
[tense music]
[music continues]
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Protocol-7 (2024)
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