[This is a guest post written by my newborn son.]
I am only a baby, but I believe there is such a thing as a social contract. Even at the tender age of nine weeks I know that I am part of a collective: that of Humans on Earth. We have to look out for each other, and that is why, when my parents suggested that I get vaccinated, I decided to go along.
Hey, you're saying, you're a baby, you had no choice. Au contraire. I could have bitten them, or at least gummed them really hard. I could have cried all night before the doctor's appointment so that when they tried to drive there the next day, their addled brains would've gotten them lost. As they made their way out the door, I could have peed on them, causing them to miss the appointment while they hunted for the Purell. I have a few tricks up my onesie sleeve, you see. But I decided to cooperate.
I will tell you straight up that it was not pleasant. No matter how nice a nurse pretends to be, even if she really means it, she is still sticking something in your flesh, or making you drink something foul, which is not nice. I had a mild reaction. Around here they refer to me as the Vice President of Smiling Occasionally. After the vaccinations, I smiled even less occasionally for a couple of days and I was crabby. Other than that, no big deal, and I'm glad I did something important.
There are people who don't get their kids vaccinated because they're afraid of side effects, or believe the vaccinations contain poisonous mercury or believe that vaccinations can induce autism. If you check the first few results on Google you will see an array of truths, half-truths and Jenny McCarthy. The famous actress famously made the case for not vaccinating children, basing her opinion partly on research which has been shown to be faked.
Now, despite my proclivity for waking people up at 4:30 in the morning and demanding mother's milk, I am a reasonable baby. Though there is no mainstream research to prove it that I know of, common sense dictates that you might not want to slam a baby with all the vaccinations recommended by the CDC. I mean, that's a lot of needles and a lot of chemicals coursing through a system that has known only mamma's milk, a little formula and, once, a shot of whiskey that my dad accidentally spilled on me. You can pace things, and you can find pediatricians who believe in that. You can balance your risk of exposure with the (small) risk of vaccination.
I'm asking you to consider the collective, not just your own comfort. The deadly diseases vaccination protects us against haven't disappeared -- they have been suppressed by a national program of vaccination. That's the social contract I believe in. Smallpox killed nearly 1,000 children a year before a vaccination program killed it. Diphtheria once killed hundreds of thousands of people in the U.S.; by 2002, only one U.S case was reported. Polio paralyzed tens of thousands. DTAP, a vaccination against Diptheria, tetanus and pertussis (whooping cough) is recommended by many doctors because whooping cough is making a deadly comeback.
All I'm saying is that it's worth it for babies to have this discussion with their doctor. You might want to take your chances with measles or not get vaccinated against polio right away. You might wait on some vaccines after talking it over. I opted to delay my hepatitis B shot until I am living in the East Village and need a tattoo.
Everybody wants the best for their child, but we are not isolated units, we are families mingling with other families. Find a doctor who can hear you out on your vaccination schedule. If they're inflexible, maybe you need to find another doctor.
The other day my dad said, 'Let's read something. Would you like The Runaway Bunny or Das Kapital?' I said, 'Well, one is a well-researched, passionate screed against the abuses of power and the other is a book by Karl Marx which is really hard to find in print. Let's go with Runaway Bunny.'
There is a difference between being fiercely independent and being disconnected from the needs and values of your community. Vaccination is not a blindly imposed application of power by authority; it's a voluntary part of the social contract. I think that's the theme of Runaway Bunny, but I'm not sure. It was naptime and I fell asleep before it was over.
Follow Lee Schneider on Twitter: www.twitter.com/docuguy
You know that anti-vaccine movement? Doesn't exist-- straw man construct. I rarely meet anyone who's anti-vax but a lot of people who are pro safety who have an issue with the lack of safety testing, the industry manipulation of stats, the creepy ingredients and the mounting number of recommended shots. 70 doses and rising?
Vaccine makers and commercial scientists are not a transcendent caste of human being. Remember Vioxx, Zyprexa, Avandia? Made by vaccine manufacturers. You can't SUE for vaccine injuries. Imagine if auto makers had the same latitude.
Studies say, studies say... Whose studies?
I suppose we might like to think more progressively and have a variety of safety measures, protocols and medical interventions (inclusive of safe and efficacious vaccines) that reduces the 'burden' to all.
I noted recently that researchers were undertaking development of other approaches to reinforce current protocols ...
Innate Immune Induction and Influenza Protection Elicited by a Response-Selective Agonist of Human C5a
http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0040303
Good to see smart and critical thinking minds presenting fresh insights and treatments to potentially devastating diseases.
Science gotta love it ...
What we need for a better world is more children growing up wanting to help their communities, perhaps shouldering more burden for those unable to shoulder it themselves; in this case, those who wouldn't be able to survive, for example, measles on their own.
Onionboy, maybe you should ask the 40-odd people whose severe reactions to the flu shot were just this year conceded and compensated by the US government. Find out if their doctors understood the immune system when they gave them the flu shot. Find out if they think it was worth the risk. http://annedachel.com/2012/09/24/vaccine-programoffice-of-special-masters-us-court-of-federal-claims-flu-vaccine-compensation-paid/.
You could go to the site and understand how the system works:
http://www.uscfc.uscourts.gov/vaccine-programoffice-special-masters
But then you would see how completely misleading Dachel's comments are....and I doubt you will since once you start fact-checking you will see how the anti-vacc's fabricate vaccine injuries and endanger people's lives with falsehoods like the flu vaccine being ineffective.
W&N
http://www.ageofautism.com/2011/09/the-age-of-polio-how-an-old-virus-and-new-toxins-triggered-a-man-made-epidemic-1.html
it shows quite clearly how ignorant we are . and how dangerous to ourselves.
I suppose that ignorant is one good word for Age of Autism...and this entry.
Dishonest seems like a better one.
But seriously, how can a person make it through middle school and honestly believe this nonsense?
It is so very trivial to show that AoA is wrong....here is a simple/clear starting point:
http://press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/901033.html
W&N
No surprise there ...
But hey...what they lack in truth they make up for with snarky comments.
W&N
As he landed his crew with care;
Supporting each man on the top of the tide
By a finger entwined in his hair.
"Just the place for a Snark! I have said it twice:
That alone should encourage the crew.
Just the place for a Snark! I have said it thrice:
What I tell you three times is true."
... They hunted till darkness came on, but they found
Not a button, or feather, or mark,
By which they could tell that they stood on the ground
Where the Baker had met with the Snark.
In the midst of the word he was trying to say,
In the midst of this laughter and glee,
He had softly and suddenly vanished away-
For the Snark was a Boojum, you see.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwkbC6Ozd8I&list=UUc83QoihUyNh7kK6uCg8ltg&index=2&feature=plcp
To view the PowerPoint at your own pace or to print it out please see: http://autismrawdata.net/1/post/2012/09/my-new-project.html
www.autismrawdata.net
I understand the sentiment from slide #6: it is very understandable why folks call the anti-vaccs liars.
The "evidence" starts on slide #7.
Here is the full text version of the reference:
http://www.omsj.org/reports/tomljenovic%202011.pdf
And here is a description of Hill's Criteria:
http://www.drabruzzi.com/hills_criteria_of_causation.htm
The claim that that the data fulfills Hill's Criteria for determining a cause and effect relationship between Al in vaccines and autism is clear, abject BS.
Which I suppose is why the site you referenced doesn't provide any description as to what Hill's Criteria is.
Just like your site didn't provide the full text version of the Tomljenovic paper--which is also abject BS--a fact the is obvious to anyone that checks with qualified scientist or who can count correctly.
Bottom line: sites like this are mostly harmless. One can't have a middle-school education and the integrity to read the reference and be deceived by this nonsense.
110 sides.....and not an honest one amongst the lot....
W&N
1. Here is the full text version of the reference:
http://www.omsj.org/reports/tomljenovic%202011.pdf
But are you able to read and interpret it ?
2. And here is a description of Hill's Criteria:
http://www.drabruzzi.com/hills_criteria_of_causation.htm
If you fully read the paper you would have noted section 2.5 headed Hill's Criteria.
3. The claim that that the data fulfills Hill's Criteria ... abject BS.
I haven't seen that criticism published in the responses by qualified scientists ?
4. Which I suppose is why the site you referenced doesn't provide any description as to what Hill's Criteria is.
It's in the paper. It was peer reviewed and checked by editors.
5. Just like your site didn't provide the full text version of the Tomljenovic paper ...
Do you actually have a robust criticism of the paper ?
6. One can't have a middle-school education ...
What is deceiving in this paper ? Why has it not been bought to the attention of the editorial board and why wasn't found in the peer review process ?
Reekum, Robert et al, "Applying Bradford Hill's Criteria for Causation to Neuropsychiatry: Challenges and Opportunities", The J of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences 2001;13:318-325.
http://neuro.psychiatryonline.org/article.aspx?Volume=13&page=318&journalID=62
Excerpt: "We suggest that some of Bradford Hill's criteria are more relevant, or more feasible, to use in neuropsychiatry than others"
http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0033224
“19.44% of ASD patients had epilepsy as compared to 2.19% in the overall hospital population
2.43% of ASD with schizophrenia vs. 0.24% in the hospital population
inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) 0.83% vs. 0.54% ,
bowel disorders (without IBD) 11.74% vs. 4.5%
CNS/cranial anomalies 12.45% vs. 1.19%
diabetes mellitus type I (DM1) 0.79% vs. 0.34%
muscular dystrophy 0.47% vs 0.05%
sleep disorders 1.12% vs. 0.14%
“Three of the studied comorbidities increased significantly when comparing ages 0-17 vs 18-34
Schizophrenia (1.43% vs. 8.76%),
diabetes mellitus type I (0.67% vs. 2.08%),
IBD (0.68% vs. 1.99%)
whereas sleeping disorders, bowel disorders (without IBD) and epilepsy did not change significantly.”
------------------------------------------
"The comorbidities of ASD encompass disease states that are significantly overrepresented in ASD with respect to even the patient populations of tertiary health centers. This burden of comorbidities goes well beyond those routinely managed in developmental medicine centers ..."
------------------------------------------
Fancy that ... immune dysfunction, inflammation , gut disorders, inflammatory gut disorders and epilepsy.
Did we forget that earlier part about gut and regression in autism ?
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-244X/9/35
"The objective of this paper is to describe the clinical psychiatric presentation and important outcome measures of a large group of normal-intelligence adult patients with ASDs."
"A considerable number of patients (n = 15, 12%) met criteria for a psychotic disorder (most often not otherwise specified). Four patients met criteria for a schizophreniform disorder, three for brief psychotic disorder, and one for a delusional disorder."
"Sixteen per cent of the subjects (n = 19) met criteria for a substance use disorder (SUD)."
"The second most frequent category of DSM-IV disorders was anxiety disorders. Generalized anxiety disorder was common (n = 18, 15%) as was social phobia (n = 16, 13%). Thirteen subjects (11%) met criteria for panic disorder and/or agoraphobia and seven (6%) met criteria for a specific phobia. Two patients suffered from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and one had an anxiety disorder NOS. "
-----------------------------------
Now there's some complexity...
>Fortunately it wasn't I that was "caught out".
If you look at your response you referenced an article(1), then followed with a quote in inverted commas which you are now admitting wasn't in the article. See your response 06:49 AM on 09/13/2012.
Perhaps you just failed to provide a reference for this quote, rather than being deceiptful as another respondent has wondered? Also at 07:53 AM on 09/12/2012 you stated:
>Brugha and colleagues used a telephone survey
As they clearly didn't use a telephone survey(1), why are you claiming to have not being 'caught out' when, in fact, you have.
(1) http://archpsyc.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=211276
You will see that the Brugha study precise methodology is contained within its official release as -
National Health Services UK - Estimating the Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Conditions in Adults: Extending the 2007 Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey
Brugha T, Cooper SA, McManus S, Purdon S, Smith J, Scott FJ, Spiers N, Tyrer F
A survey carried out for The NHS Information Centre for Health and Social care by the University of Leicester, the Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, the National Centre for Social Research, and the University of Glasgow.
Author: The NHS Information Centre, Community and Mental Health Team Responsible Statistician: David Lloyd, Senior Service Manager; Prescribing & Primary Care
Services Version: 1
Date of Publication: 31st January 2012 Acknowledgements
This study was funded by the Department of Health. The report and supporting documents were published by The NHS Information Centre. The authors would like to thank them for their expert steerage during the study. We also thank all participants, carers, managers and other staff for generously giving their time to take part. The data collection was carried out by Jane Smith and colleagues at the Department of Health Sciences, University of Leicester and the commentary was prepared by Freya Tyrer (Research Fellow in Epidemiology, Department of Health Sciences, University of Leicester). Dr Nicola Spiers (Research Fellow in Medical Statistics, Department of Health Sciences, University of Leicester) conducted the statistical analysis.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you for your input ... that wasn't quite the gotcha moment.
The prevalence puzzle: Autism counts
"Shifting diagnoses and heightened awareness explain only part of the apparent rise in autism. Scientists are struggling to explain the rest."
Nature the world's leading scientific journal has a well balanced look at the epidemiology and prevalence of autism.
It is not as simple as 'skeptiks' try to make out using selected research they cherry pick from google or skeptik websites.
We simply do not know the figures either presently or historically. In fact we are struggling to define ASD as a psychological / psychitaric disorder.
Some attempts are being made to use biomarker either physiological or genetic ... it seems that we must take into account that there are differing subtypes of autism and try to untangle this as best we can based on a balanced overview of the science and medical research we have at hand.
Significant in roads have been made particularly in 2011 and 2012. One of the most significant new understandings in physiology and neurology and the "immune crosstalk" between these two.
Also significant is the research surrounding the gastrointestinal system and 'regression'in autism ...
"Regression (loss of language and/or other skills following acquisition) is reported in 20% to 40% of individuals with autism, and some studies suggest higher rates of GI symptoms in ASD subjects with regression than those without regression [27].
Eighty-seven percent of AUT-GI subjects in our study had behavioral regression."
The latest research is beginning to untangle associations between the prenatal environment and the very roots of many diseases / disorders. It now seems that what happens during and after pregnancy may have a profound 'risk' effect.
For instance University of California researchers recently showed that fever in pregnancy 'doubles' the risk for having a baby with ASD and that 'controlling' the immune system through medication can counter that effect.
Other researchers are beginning to show that "prenatal exposure to influenza, increased toxoplasma antibody, genital-reproductive infections, rubella, and other pathogens are associated with schizophrenia." .
Measles, mumps, rubella , influenza , maternal infections have all been found to have strong associations with autism.
Cutting edge research using mouse models where organogenesis has been completed shows ...
"offspring showed significant impairments in non-spatial memory and learning tasks, and motor activity. Brain histology examined at 1 and 100days of age revealed significant decreases in reelin, increased GFAP expression, and increased numbers of activated microglia, specifically in the hippocampus.
This study provides evidence that a prenatal subclinical infection can have profound effects on brain development that are long-lasting.
"I can present dozens..."
There is some confusion amongst parent advocates in regards to a medical condition that has baffled most but I don't think that's any biggy.
I applaud people who are trying to understand rather than be cynically dismissive.
"An example even exists below..."
A full report was published by the NHS - Estimating the Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Conditions in Adults: Extending the 2007 Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey Published 31st January 2012.
Is there are a reason that you both are unaware of this ?
"'WhiteandNerdy' stated "simply have zero understanding of the topic."
I don't think I'll be losing any sleep over that caustic remark.
"the quote you provided ... does not appear anywhere in the text(1)."
That's because it's not.
"This study argues against any surge in ASD in recent decades."
..and there are other studies and evidence that argue for a "surge."
"Surely research dollars can now be put to something useful..."
There are major areas that over the last few years have become increasingly significant in ASD research, they are ...
The Immune System
Inflammation
Epilepsy
Bacteria and Viruses
The Gut
It is interesting that John Walker-Smith and Andy Wakefield the significance of the aforesaid factors in ASD children.
"Aside from reading the full text of articles so you don't get caught out ..."
Fortunately it wasn't I that was "caught out".
>You probably need to present a coherent argument yourself
I can present dozens of examples where the anti vax crowd have misunderstood the evidence to support their conspiracy theories.
An example even exists below... Both 'John Smith' and 'WhiteandNerdy' have referenced a JAMA article(1). Their conclusion was:
"Autism spectrum disorder affects approximately 1% of the adult English household population. There was no evidence of a statistically significant reduction in prevalence of ASDs as a function of age. Prevalence was greatest in men, in those living in social housing, and in those with the lowest educational qualifications. Adults with ASD appear to be largely unrecognized."(1)
'WhiteandNerdy' stated "simply have zero understanding of the topic." - perhaps you should try and prove him wrong? Good luck with that - the quote you provided (06:49 AM on 09/13/2012) does not appear anywhere in the text(1).
This study argues against any surge in ASD in recent decades. Surely research dollars can now be put to something useful, perhaps supporting families who have autism rather than more scare campaigns such as the Wakefield debacle(2). Aside from reading the full text of articles so you don't get caught out again (everyone makes mistakes, I'm sure I've failed to read the fine print at times) perhaps try reading Seth Mnookin's book(3).
(1) http://archpsyc.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=211276
(2) http://briandeer.com/mmr-lancet.htm
(3) http://sethmnookin.com/the-panic-virus/
The basic facts of the Brugha paper have come up here many times before.
Some folks just don't care what the facts are....
W&N
An Immune Disorder at the Root of Autism
By MOISES VELASQUEZ-MANOFF
Published: August 25, 2012
"So here’s the short of it: At least a subset of autism — perhaps one-third, and very likely more — looks like a type of inflammatory disease. And it begins in the womb.
It starts with what scientists call immune dysregulation. Ideally, your immune system should operate like an enlightened action hero, meting out inflammation precisely, accurately and with deadly force when necessary, but then quickly returning to a Zen-like calm. Doing so requires an optimal balance of pro- and anti-inflammatory muscle.
In autistic individuals, the immune system fails at this balancing act. Inflammatory signals dominate. Anti-inflammatory ones are inadequate. A state of chronic activation prevails. And the more skewed toward inflammation, the more acute the autistic symptoms.
Nowhere are the consequences of this dysregulation more evident than in the autistic brain. Spidery cells that help maintain neurons — called astroglia and microglia — are enlarged from chronic activation. Pro-inflammatory signaling molecules abound. Genes involved in inflammation are switched on. "
Please provide a link to any evidence if you can. The above refers to something beginning in the womb - surely that does not sit well with the alt med quacks who are making big $ removing supposed childhood toxins from autistic kids?
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=autism%20immune%20system
Autism and Inflammation
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=autism%20inflammation
Do you ever read your own references?
W&N
We also know that varying environmental 'triggers' particularly viruses and infections increase genetic vulnerability - influenza , measles , mumps, rubella.