Letter: Researcher concerned about stopping vaccines

(Tulsa-AP) -- A newspaper reports today that a fired University of Oklahoma researcher was concerned that stopping an experimental melanoma vaccine would harm patients. <br><br>The Tulsa World says a

Friday, July 28th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Tulsa-AP) -- A newspaper reports today that a fired University of Oklahoma researcher was concerned that stopping an experimental melanoma vaccine would harm patients.

The Tulsa World says a January letter from principal vaccine researcher J. Michael McGee to a U-S Food and Drug Administration official expresses concern about a stoppage. McGee says in the letter that patients' melanoma might progress if the vaccine was disrupted.

Safety and oversight concerns involving McGee's melanoma vaccine study brought federal suspension last month of government-sponsored research programs done through O-U's College of Medicine at Tulsa.

The melanoma vaccine has since been quarantined and labeled quote "not for human use." Federal health officials lifted research suspensions earlier this month. The university said it would resume all research except for the cancer study.