When the producers of PBS's Frontline approached me to be interviewed for their new documentary "The Vaccine War," I accepted with a simple condition: doctors and scientists on our side of the vaccine-autism debate needed to have a voice, too.
Prior to agreeing to the interview, Frontline sent us this email:
"Frontline will carry out a detailed and even-handed investigation including voices from all sides of the controversy including parents, activists, physicians, scientists, lawyers, politicians and vaccine manufacturers."
I've learned to be wary of media who try to simplify the vaccine-autism debate into a "Parents vs. the Science" spin, so I went further and agreed to do the interview only if Dr. Jay Gordon, a well-known pediatrician here in Los Angeles, sat beside me. (Dr. Jay also sat for his own two hour interview.)
For those who've watched the show, you know that the Frontline producers broke their promise and presented our entire community's position through my interview and just two other parents -- Barbara Loe Fisher and J.B. Handley.
Where are the doctors and scientists who support our community and support the idea that vaccines may be a trigger for autism? In Frontline's world, they don't exist.
Imagine how much more credible the countless stories of children regressing into autism after vaccine appointments would be if a doctor were saying the same thing.
Luckily for all of us parents, Dr. Gordon has not stayed silent since the show aired. In a piece for HuffPost earlier this week, he wrote:
"Vaccines are neither all good -- as this biased, miserable PBS treacle would have you believe...You had a point to prove and removed material from your show which made the narrative balanced. 'Distraught, confused moms against important, well-spoken, calm doctors' was your narrative with a deep sure voice to, literally, narrate the entire artifice."
Also missing from Frontline were interviews from any of the dozens of scientists who have published studies in medical journals supporting the position of all the parents.
And, where was Autism Speaks, the largest autism organization in the world, and a group that hasn't been a huge supporter of our community?
Maybe Frontline had seen a recent letter written by Dr. Geraldine Dawson, the chief science officer of Autism Speaks, where she wrote:
"Recent studies point to a key role of the immune system in the biology of ASD [autism], raising questions about the effects of the significant immune challenges associated with vaccinations, particularly when delivered in combination and early in life...We believe that the question of whether immunization is associated with an increased risk for ASD is of extremely high priority."
Frontline's trip to Denmark to interview a scientist was meant to convince parents that vaccines have been studied all over the world and so they must be safe.
What Frontline didn't mention was that the Danish scientist interviewed works for a vaccine maker, that the paper discussed showed Denmark's rate of autism at 1 in 2,500 (versus the U.S. rate of 1 in 100) or that Denmark's vaccine schedule for kids is 12 shots versus 36 here in the U.S.
And, parents hear nothing about the Danish scientist's colleague and co-author Poul Thorsen, who recently stole $2 million from the CDC and is reportedly on the run from authorities.
When Dr. Wakefield is profiled, there's no recent interview with him to tell his story, just old media clips and one side's take. What about Dr. Wakefield's recent work finally comparing vaccinated monkeys with unvaccinated monkeys?
Frontline's piece also lacked any sense of proportion. Yes, a wave of twelve children with measles in San Diego is a troubling thing. But, there are more than 20,000 children in San Diego with autism! 20,000 vs. 12? When you really look at the numbers, you realize how huge our autism problem really is.
I believe our bloated vaccine schedule has created a scenario where there is now too much of a good thing. All drugs have side-effects, particularly if many are given at one time. Why should vaccines be any different?
The Frontline viewer heard nothing about the more than 1,000 reported deaths from vaccination or the nearly $2 billion paid by the US government to vaccine injury victims.
If the risk of vaccinating is really a 1 in 100 chance of a child getting autism, what will happen to the vaccine program?
Cooler heads need to get involved with this problem, rather than multi-millionaire vaccine inventors. Dr. Bob Sears, another doctor interviewed by Frontline but cut out of the actual show, offered a possible solution:
"In my mind, the only way we'd really put this issue to rest is to do a very large scientific study that looks at hundreds of thousands of children who are vaccinated versus hundreds of thousands of children that are not vaccinated, and we compare the rates of autism in those two groups."
I was encouraged at the end of the show when the health officials complained about the power and existence of the Internet, as if immediate information were somehow a threat to the vaccine program.
Parents, when people are blaming a problem on the availability of information -- like China trying to keep their population in the dark -- you know there's a bigger problem, and another side to the story -- a side that Frontline knowingly chose not to share.
Help children with autism by voting for Generation Rescue!
Dr. Bob Sears: What to Do About All These Non-Vaccinating Families
I just received this information in my email and wonder how far into madness will the drug companies & governments go.
eHealth e-Tips
Dear Reader,
It's been linked to nearly 50 deaths. Girls who take this substance have developed blood clots and sometimes faint after that first shot. There are fears that it could cause infertility.
India cracked down on its use after four girls died and many others experienced epileptic seizures and stomach disorders.
The latest party drug to hit the scene, worrying parents and pushing law enforcement into action?
Nope. I'm, of course, talking about Gardasil. Despite mounting reports of dangerous side effects (over 15,000 girls have reported adverse effects) -- and deaths -- it continues to haunt us. And now drug marketers are trying to figure out how to hook even more girls.
The U.K.'s Daily Mail reports that a national campaign (using tax payers' money) is offering teen girls £45 shopping vouchers to receive the three-jab course of an HPV vaccine. No parental consent is necessary, and I wonder how much information about the potential dangers these girls are being handed along with that shopping money.
In British Columbia, Canada, a team of researchers talked to parents of 6th grade girls and discovered that they're hesitant to subject their daughters to the HPV vaccine. Why? Doesn't matter. The takeaway from this study was that policymakers should be "implementing strategies to ensure optimal HPV vaccine uptake." All in the name of protection.
A summary of a paper that looked at VAERS data can be found here. http://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/Vaccines/HPV/jama.html
Of the 12,424 reports of adverse events, 772 (6% of all reports) described serious adverse events, including 32 reports of deaths.
The 32 death reports were reviewed and there as no common pattern to the deaths that would suggest they were caused by the vaccine. In cases where there was an autopsy, death certificate, or medical records, the cause of death could be explained by factors other than the vaccine. Some causes of death determined to date include diabetes, viral illness, illicit drug use, and heart failure.
There were two reports of unusual neurological illness (per autopsy, probable variants of Amytrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) often referred to as "Lou Gehrig's Disease") that resulted in the death of two young females. There is no current evidence suggesting that the HPV vaccine caused these illnesses, but researchers from several highly regarded academic centers are studying the cases.
There was increased reporting of syncope and pulmonary emboli (blood clots of the lungs) compared with what has been found for other vaccines given to females of the same age. Of the people who had blood clots 90% had a known risk factor for blood clots, such as taking oral contraceptives (birth control pills). VAERS reports cannot prove the vaccine caused the adverse event in women with these risk factors. However, this finding needs further investigation.
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/Vaccines/HPV/jama.html
Meanwhile, the story we're not hearing in the mainstream is that even the lead researcher in the development of Garadsil herself is starting to speak out against the vaccine. Dr. Diane Harper has said that the drug will do little to reduce cervical cancer rates and that the drug has gone basically untested in girls under 15, yet doctors are recommending it for girls as young as nine. That's right -- nobody even bothered to find out if it was safe before shooting up our daughters with the stuff.
Still, Merck pushed to make the vaccine mandatory in all states. Why? Simple. They never followed girls for any longer than three years in safety and efficacy tests. Cancer takes 20 years to develop. We may have only seen the beginnings of the side effects and deaths associated with this drug.
Made mandatory, Gardasil would fall under the wing of federal vaccine protection laws. If the vaccine turns out to be harmful -- well, MORE harmful -- Merck cannot be touched.
Seems like a perfect storm to me. Shopping vouchers and stern talks from doctors will lead more and more girls into the doctor's office for their Gardasil shot. How many more will die? How many will we discover have been left infertile after receiving the vaccine?
We won't find out until it's far too late for those girls. And if Merck has their way, nobody will be able to do a darn thing about it.
Yours in good health,
Until there is definitive, repeatable, and undeniable PROOF that these injections are causing harm it doesn't make sense for parents to abandon them.
We have PROOF that these vaccinations reduce the risk of disease for the people immunized and the populations affected.
That's how science works.
It takes much less proof than you believe necessary for any vaccine to be stopped. Rotashield, the first rotavirus vaccine is a good example. The vaccine passed all the tests and was put into mass use in the US. There was an increase in the condition called Intussusception. It probably caused one death. It was easy to calculate that the vaccine prevented many more deaths in the US. But it was still pulled from the US market. Two newer rotavirus vaccines were made differently and underwent very large trials to see if they caused the same problem. They did not. Mass use of the vaccines did not result in an increase in cases of Intussusception.
Contrary to what vaccination opponents believe, the vaccination process is fragile and has become increasingly more fragile in recent years. That is more true in rich countries where vaccination has already done such a marvelous job. For example, Rotateq and Rotarix aren't as effective in poorer countries. So Rotashield is undergoing trials there, even with the known problem.
So, you're a science advocate, yes? Let me ask you something... do you believe in intelligent design?
I'm presupposing a 'no' here. No creationism, no intelligent design. You're a big banger! (I know the girls all tell me I am, so I don't hold it against you.)
So, where's your definitive, repeatable, undeniable PROOF of a full spectrum of life on another planet?
Oh shi-!
You don't have any, because there isn't any.
So, you- being a science driven fellow- refute autism links to vaccines by decrying the lack of repeatable proof, then turn around and accept as blind faith an entirely unsupported belief.
Good job, Mister Science Guy!
As to intelligent life on other planets, maybe perhaps, who knows.
I hope this helps.
http://www.foodconsumer.org/newsite/Non-food/Drug/tylenol_linked_to_autism_0805100913.html
The parents weren't crazy. They knew that when they took their kids to get vaccinated the problems started. Then their children were given MORE Tylenol at home and after their next shots.
Tylenol does one thing that would affect kids with the gene that affects glutathione formation. It DEPLETES glutathione. Not a smart thing to give a child low in it. The MMR Vaccine ALSO has an ingredient that lowers glutathione. Hydrolyzed gelatin - high in free glutamic acid, interferes with cysteine metabolism and reduces both glutathione AND taurine, which is low after an epileptic seizure.
What does glutathione do? It is the body's natural way to chelate and get rid of mercury - from ANY source. The Tylenol and hydrolyzed gelatin explain:
Why parents associate autism symptoms with vaccines
Why many autistic children are low in glutathione
Why autistic children are prone to seizures
Why SOME children respond to a diet low in free glutamic acid - a GF-CF diet.
AND - why autistic children may present with heavy metal toxicity.
Hydrolyzed-gelatin-containing vaccines followed with a Tylenol chaser completely demystifies the "mystery" of autism.
The mercury wasn't the cause but a symptom, the worst culprit a medicine given WITH a vaccine and other "inert" vaccine and free glutamic acid food ingredients that also deplete glutathione (hydrolyzed gelatin, gluten, casein, soy, corn).
I would like to read the whole paper as some of the authors have decent credentials. The abstract ends" This preliminary study found that acetaminophen use after measles-mumps-rubella vaccination was associated with autistic disorder."
There is a huge problem with the paper. MMR does not cause autism.
You quote the abstract as saying MMR does contribute to autism, then claim it doesn't. You cannot just leave it like that, man.
Let's take a look at this statement. "All drugs have side effects, particularly if many are given at one time." Can you back that up? The lack of references is unsurprising but disappointing.
But for the sake of argument, let's assume that all drugs do, in fact, have side effects (and I think it's entirely possible, even though McCarthy has failed to prove it here). She follows up with "why should vaccines be any different?"
Well, one reason would be because they aren't drugs.
Vaccines are dead or weakened pathogens, injected to stimulate a pre-emptive immune response. Drugs are chemicals, either derived from natural sources or synthesized, which alter physiological or psychological states.
I would certainly expect somebody attempting to speak with authority on a topic to understand the most fundamental aspects of that topic, if they wish to be taken seriously.
And make no mistake, the autism epidemic is very, very serious. We should be marshalling our resources to find the true causes, rather than continuing to beat the dead horse of this, the Creationism of medicine. When I start my family, I want to be damn sure I am giving my kids the best shot at living a disease-free life. That means understanding what causes autism - and it also means protecting them from easily-preventable yet potentially deadly diseases, by way of vaccination.
Tim, I seriously can't believe you asked for a reference since it is a widely accepted truth. The fact that every drug and treatment has side effects (definition: "any unwanted nontherapeutic effect caused by a drug") is why every treatment requires a risk/benefit analysis FIRST. Since many people react quite differently to various drugs, it is generally accepted that all drugs and for that matter all treatments have side effects. Next time you're at your local pharmacy, ask them to show you the drug bible they have behind the counter. It will list in detail, all of the known side effects measured during the clinical trial. I guarantee you every drug will have some.
You said:
"Well, one reason would be because they aren't drugs."
That's just wrong. Here is the definition of a drug:
" A substance used in the diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of a disease or as a component of a medication."
That means a vaccine is a drug since it is a substance used to prevent a disease. However, your erroneous point is a red herring anyways. All vaccines have side effects. Look it up.
There are times when the style and language of lawyers is appropriate and times when it is not.
For some purposes, calling vaccines a drug is useful. For most purposes it isn't. Tim Ellis gives excellent reasons for distinguishing vaccines from drugs.
Do all vaccines have adverse events? Yes. Do all vaccines have serious adverse events? No. Aside from a possible allergic reaction, the flu vaccine has no serious adverse events.
Not all vaccines contain dead or weakened pathogens. Two of the oldest vaccines in the schedule are in fact inactivated toxoids, not pathogens. (the D and T in DTP). Also, you selectively chose a definition of drug, but you missed the definition I provided above.
"And make no mistake, the autism epidemic is very, very serious. We should be marshalling our resources to find the true causes, rather than continuing to beat the dead horse of this, the Creationism of medicine."
Nice Rhetoric. Care to present a logical argument instead?
"When I start my family, I want to be damn sure I am giving my kids the best shot at living a disease-free life."
Good luck with that. You better build a sterile room. Even then, that may not turn out to be the healthiest approach. Exercising the full immune system is very likely required in infancy to properly develop a health immune system in adulthood.
"That means understanding what causes autism - and it also means protecting them from easily-preventable yet potentially deadly diseases, by way of vaccination."
Interesting you assume that risk mitigation means prevention. That is a flawed assumption.
I have been reading extensively about all the "science" that had been assembled by the oil and gas industry to demonstrate to lawmakers and the administration that offshore drilling is "extremely safe", only on "extremely rare" occasions causes issues, and then only in "extremely minor" ways. Also all the info put together by the "best engineering minds" in the industry about how the accident that occurred was "impossible" given all the safeguards that were in place. And I immediately thought of you!! In case your gig with Glaxo or Merck or Every Child By Two or The Clinton Foundation or The Autism Science Foundation or The Mighty Offit or whomever it is that keeps you pumping out all the vaccine-harm denialist comments disappears at some point, you may want to swing over to British Petroleum. I think your skillset would fit their current needs--perfectly. Cheers! p.s. I would start with the argument that correlation doesn't equal causation. just because there are zillions of gallons of oil in the Gulf right next to an exploded oil rig DOES NOT MEAN, DANG IT, that that oil was in any way connected with the rig explosion.
They couldn't even begin to come close. The three judges (special masters) heard two sets of three test cases. The judges heard the general causation evidence together. They wrote their decisions separately. It was amazing how little decent evidence that years of work and millions of dollars was presented by the plaintiffs' lawyers. It didn't matter if it was epidemiology (there is oil leaking where there used to be an oil rig) or causation (we went underwater, saw where the oil is leading and can identify its source) they had next to nothing.
I hope you have a better understanding of correlation and causation when applied to oil spills and the vaccines cause autism movement.
This vaccine injury court has an illegal three year statute of limitations provision that has severely limited children's legal rights in favor of the drug conglomerates. Thousands of small children are now AUTISTIC" as a direct result of these vaccines being laden with this mercury compound. AUTISM and Mercury Poisoning are identical in symptoms and has reached epidemic levels across the U.S. and the U.K.
The current Administration tried to further protect the drug conglomerates by inserting a last minute provision in the Homeland Security Bill that again severely limited parents legal recourse in this tragedy.
The current Administration has further tried to damage these children by way of having the U.S. justice department file a motion that tried to Seal" public documents specifically relating to Mercury exposure in these cases. The CDC report that proved the connection between AUTISM and MERCURY POISONING was intentionally buried and marked do not copy or release".
Thousands of angry and concerned parents are left without legal recourse and Thousands of innocent children have been brain damaged resulting in being permanently handicapped.
http://nutritioncare.net/blog/?p=71
quote: Scaring parents with horrific details of the clinical course of hepatitis B infection in a newborn is coercion and terrorism, not science. Babies in the US were never among the CDC’s notable risk groups for hepatitis B infection. I reviewed the policy and history on this in a book I released in 2002. This vaccine causes more morbidity and mortality in US infants than it prevents. We could tick down the list of recommended vaccines and may find that more than half of them are doing the same. Prevnar is a stellar example: Data show it has a failure rate >90%, and that it causes more virulent ear infections than it prevents. Still, MDs are hypnotized to believe that only vaccines prevent disease, and that using as many as possible is worth any cost.
Bechamp spoke of the environment of the blood and immune system, and I wish his ideas were more well known, they would help real medicine come back.
I also find that a new version of Prevnar (the vaccine) has recently been approved in the US and Canada. The original Prevnar protected against 7 of the most common types of bacteria. The new one protects against 13. There's a discussion of this by a pediatrician with a specialty in critical care at http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=4085
The Prevnar vaccine has one of the worst records on VAERS. :( Now, they are going to be coming up with a vaccine that is likely MORE reactive than the one available now. Sad, really. I wonder how much aluminum will be in this new version... considering the available Prevnar vaccine has a nice hefty dose. Dr. Classen testified before the FDA in 1999(ish...) that the Prevnar vaccine would likely trigger many cases of type 1 diabetes in children. Oh well... no big deal... at least those kids may be spared some ear infections... unfortunately, they'll also have to deal with injecting insulin to live... Our vaccine schedule is absurd...
What about serotype replacement Sheldon? Write about that on your silly little blog!
Here's some interesting reading on the Prevnar...not for "Sheldon, but for those who are concerned about what they inject into their child:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/14/health/14vacc.html?_r=3&em&oref=slogin&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/117/5/1823
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20825107/
http://insidevaccines.com/wordpress/vaccine-efficacy-how-often-do-vaccines-work/other-stuff/the-interspecies-competition-library/
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/103/3/e28?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&author1=levine&fulltext=pneumococcal+disease+north+america&searchid=1129197896105_2645&stored_search=&FIRSTINDEX=0&sortspec=relevance&journalcode=pediatrics
http://www.livemint.com/2008/11/15001216/Wyeth-drug-tests-fall-foul-of.html
How is flu vaccine with thimerosal used?
Answer: US CDC recommends injection into children and pregnant women.
“Therefore, vaccination with either reduced or standard thimerosal-content flu vaccine is recommended for children between the ages of 6 and 59 months by CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices….
See http://www.cdc.gov/FLU/ABOUT/QA/thimerosal.htm .
How is flu vaccine with thimerosal disposed?
Answer: Disposal as mercury D009 hazardous waste.
“A partially administered syringe containing flu vaccine that either has thimerosal added as a preservative or has trace amounts leftover from the manufacturing process is a RCRA hazardous dual waste with a waste code D009.”
See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/hwtr/pharmaceuticals/pages/dualwaste.html
Mercury (Hg) and Lead (Pb) are both neurotoxins.
Mercury (Hg) levels for hazardous waste are 25 times LOWER than the levels for lead (Pb).
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/get-cfr.cgi?TITLE=40&PART=261&SECTION=24&TYPE=TEXT
I don't know why I feel like giggling right now but I do. We have to explain to you why we have a problem with injecting babies with a substance that the government considers hazardous waste? Really? We need to explain that to you? Wow.
Should we worry about thimerosal because it gets into waster waters as, except for a very, very, very small amount all the ethylmercury is excreted?
Assume 25mcg per flu shot dose. A million doses is 25 grams. Assume half the US population (200 million is close enough) is vaccinated that's 5000g or about 11 pounds that is widely dispersed into sewage systems all over the US.
In 2004, US coal plants are estimated to have given off about 105,000 pounds of mercury. These are point sources. http://www.energyrace.com/commentary/more_on_mercury_coal_and_cfls_updated/
Of course, there are many other ways that mercury from man made processes gets into the air, the water and the soil, which makes the contribution from excreted ethylmercury even less of a concern.
See http://www.ndhealth.gov/WM/Publications/HazardousWasteManagementCompanies.pdf
Of course, lots of people probably cannot excrete the mercury all that well (you never did present the science on that), so we needn't worry about unnecessary mercury pollution, we can concentrate on unnecessary mercury toxicity in the human population.
The data on deaths is confusing, though. When using CD wonder, I get over 3000 reported vaccine-associated deaths:
Age
Results are sorted in by-variable order
Events Reported
Click to sort by Events Reported ascending Click to sort by Events Reported descending
Percent (of 3,229)
Click to sort by Percent (of 3,229) ascending Click to sort by Percent (of 3,229) descending
< 6 months 1,603 49.64%
6-11 months 252 7.80%
1-2 years 238 7.37%
3-5 years 57 1.77%
6-17 years 102 3.16%
18-29 years 82 2.54%
30-39 years 47 1.46%
40-49 years 63 1.95%
50-59 years 80 2.48%
60-64 years 67 2.07%
65+ years 446 13.81%
Unknown 192 5.95%
Total 3,229 100.00%
Bear in mind that under-reporting is significant and thought by some to be as low as 1%, even for serious drug reactions, in a passive reporting system such as VAERS. http://www.vaccinationnews.com/Books/Adverse_Reactions/VAERS/credible_estimates.htm
And I couldn't agree with Dr. Sears (and others) more! So far, though, there doesn't seem to be a lot of interest in doing such a study, at least among the "experts". (See "Seeking the Truth About the Never-Vaccinated" - http://www.ageofautism.com/2007/12/seeking-the-tru.html).
So much for the "experts".
All the best,
Sandy Gottstein
http://www.vaccinationnews.com
http://vaers.hhs.gov/data/index It explains the limitations of VAERS. Go take a look.
How do you get over 3,000. I got 1,660 Please post the query.
I found only 1,660 for
Query Criteria:
Title:
Age: All
Date Reported: All
Date Vaccinated: All
Event Category: All
Gender: All
Manufacturers: All
Onset Interval: All
Primary Reports: Primary
Recovered: All
Serious: All
State / Territory: The United States, Territories, and Unknown
Symptoms: ACCIDENTAL DEATH, APPARENT DEATH, BRAIN DEATH, CARDIAC DEATH, CELL DEATH, DEATH, DEATH NEONATAL, DEATH OF COMPANION, DEATH OF RELATIVE, INTRA-UTERINE DEATH, SUDDEN CARDIAC DEATH, SUDDEN DEATH, SUDDEN INFANT DEATH SYNDROME, SUDDEN UNEXPLAINED DEATH IN EPILEPSY
Vaccine Products: All
VAERS ID: All
Group By: Age
Show Totals: True
Show Zero Values: False
Death of a relative 6
Accidental death 4
Fear of Death 3
Brain Death 21
Cardiac Death 0
Cell Death 6
Death 497
Death Neonatal 3
Death of a Companion 1
Intra-uterine 102 (52 18-29 41 30-39)
Sudden Cardiac Death 5
Sudden Death 37
SIDS 1037
Sudden Death in Epilepsy 1
Under VAERS data, here are the choices: "VAERS data are accessible by downloading raw data in comma-separated value (CSV) files for import into a database, spreadsheet, or text editing program, or by using the CDC WONDER online search tool. Information provided to VAERS which identifies a person who received the vaccine or vaccines will not be made available to the public." I chose CDC wonder at http://wonder.cdc.gov/vaers.html.
Here is the query:
Query Criteria:
Title:
Age: All
Date Reported: All
Date Vaccinated: All
Event Category: Death
Gender: All
Manufacturers: All
Onset Interval: All
Primary Reports: Primary
Recovered: All
Serious: All
State / Territory: The United States, Territories, and Unknown
Symptoms: All
Vaccine Products: All
VAERS ID: All
Group By: Age
Show Totals: True
Show Zero Values: False
http://www.beyondconformity.co.nz/_blog/Hilary%27s_Desk/post/FDA_to_be_made_more_pure_and_clean/
quote: FDA has introduced changes designed “to return to science” with policies to “make things more pure and clean.” You mean, FDA wasn't talking science before? Shock horror. Don't the Ministry of Health, IMAC and others say that the opinion of FDA and CDC, is already the paragon of purity and cleanliness? What's that washing powder slogan?, ... "Whiter than white"
There's a big disadvantage in shouting new changes from the roof top. People see that everything they've been told before, wasn't true.
These changes are necessary, so FDA says, because the current FDA committees rubberstamp products for approval almost every time they meet. Supposedly, committee members voice serious doubts about the safety and effectiveness of a products, promptly recommend it, then cover their backsides by saying that voting yes, doesn't mean they don't have grave concerns.
The only thing I ask is civility.
Q1.) Why hasn't there been a retroactive and comprehensive study done on the rates of autism in vaccinated children versus unvaccinated children? It seems to me that a study of this nature would go a long way towards easying the concerns of anyone who's being reasonable about this OR offering uncontrovertable proof of SOMEKIND of link between the two.
Q2.) Why hasn't the vaccine schedule been altered to include NO vaccines whatsoever in the window of time that medical professionals claim autism presents itself. If the diagnosis rates continue unchanged there is likely no link between the two, but if they DO change chronologically to coincide with the new vaccine schedule then- again- there must be some kind of link.
Those two actions would go along way to clear the waters, wouldn't they? If so, why hasn't it been done yet?
Q1: Uptake of vaccines is high. ~95% of children 19-35 mo (2008) are vaccinated for the entire HepB series and 90+% for everything else. We're talking the entire series here. I can't find national numbers, but I imagine many kids in the remaining 5% are at least partially vaccinated (Parents many have chosen a delayed schedule for example, skipped one specific vaccine for some reason, or stopped vaccinating after their child developed autism). Also, of the kids not vaccinated, many of them have some health problem that means they CAN'T be vaccinated according to CDC guidelines, which could be a confounding factor if we include them. In other words, the number of kids who are not vaccinated at all without a medical diagnosis that prevents it is quite small and may not give the study enough power to find a significant difference to start with. Add to that the fact that it's a skewed sample, including communities who don't vaccinate for religious reasons (such communities often have high incidences of certain genetic disorders, which may or may not be a confounding factor, depending on what you're talking about) and including siblings of autistic children whose parents decided not to vaccinate for fear that the vaccines cause autism (the fact that there IS a genetic component means that these children would be more likely than average to get autism, possibly significantly increasing the rate of autism in the UNVACCINATED group because it's a self selected sample).
Which is why country or state rates for MMR vaccination can make the situation look fine, when it isn't. And why small drops in vaccination rates can matter.
1: Decreased autism diagnosis
Medical Reaction: Assuming no obvious confounding factors occurred in the time period studied (ie, change in diagnostic criteria to being more rigid during the time period, decrease in school funding for autism diagnosis) this would be strong evidence of a link and lead to a series of studies of specific vaccines to determine what can and can't be given in that time period, what needs to be changed and how, etc.
Jenny's Reaction: Smile and congratulate the Mommy-warriors? Demand compensation?
2: No decrease
Medical Reaction: return to the previous vaccine schedule, assuming it provided better levels of herd immunity because people we vaccinated sooner.
Jenny's Reaction: Blame the vaccines given earlier.
Do you see the problem?
To have any sort of legitimacy, you would definitely have to move the shots back. Moving them forward has numerous problems including the immature immune system you noted, but also that the result would be indeterminate because vaccine problems could easily be longer term and moving the vaccines forward would not allow you to observe unvaccinated populations during that time.
As for your possible results, I agree with everything except Jenny's reaction. That is purely speculative on your part (and a Strawman to boot), and really doesn't jive with the spirit of honest discussion.
I am the mother of an Autistic child and I TOO believe the overall effect of vaccines needs to be evaluated and our children protected. It IS however irresponsible for Jenny McCarthy to attack the Autism Speaks group. Jenny has attacked a lot of groups for having a one sided view and stance on the vaccine issue, but she also attacks any group or person who in any way disagrees with her stance or view on it. As a parent with a child with ASD she also is taking an irresponsible stance by telling parents her son was, "cured" of his ASD. It is wonderful his symptoms have diminished and he has greatly improved, there is no cure for Autism, it is the hard work and dedication of parents that help our children overcome. Jenny is attacking Dateline for not running a fair airing, then she is attacking Autism Speaks, for not seeing things exactly her way?? We all as parents need to come TOGETHER for our children as a whole to fight for their rights, and for the research and safety of all vaccines, foods, drugs, etc our children encounter. After all, we are the only ones they have to fight for them!
Did she say this? Could you link the article?
Dr. Buttar is not alone in his Frontline experience; fellow vaccine critics Dr. Jay Gordon and Dr. Robert Sears were also interviewed extensively but then edited out of the piece. "The show made a mockery of journalism," says Buttar, "because it showcased the opinions of a group of "experts", some of whom benefit financially from vaccine developments, while at the same time it minimized the real concerns in question as nothing more than unsubstantiated hysteria." Why didn’t they show a single physician who agreed with the parents who were against vaccinations?
Frontline purposely pitted pro-vaccine doctors, painted as tireless advocates for children, against anti-vaccine parents who were portrayed as selfish, irrational and paranoid individuals lacking medical knowledge and common sense. The end result was a biased piece of tabloid journalism that only serves to further confuse, frighten and divide those who question vaccines from those who blindly follow medical rhetoric; creating needless controversy rather than an intelligent forum for discussion."
http://www.i-newswire.com/doctor-accuses-pbs-frontline-of/34333
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As to fairness, there was one group (corrections encouraged) who didn't appear on the program: Those parents who had similar experiences to those who chose to blame vaccines BUT they chose not to blame vaccines.
Their experiences and their opinions are just as worthwhile as the other parents. Where was Autism Speaks?
BTW, I looked at the official blog of Autism Speaks and the discussion on the Frontline program. Truly, truly, truly bizarre. Unlike vaccines are evil websites, comments were posted that disagreed with the views of Autism Speaks. http://blog.autismspeaks.org/2010/04/28/frontline-post/
But parents are smarter than that.
If you believe in that, then certainly the views of parents and organizations that don't blame vaccines for autism deserve an equal hearing with those of parents who do blame vaccines.
So speak up for consistency.