NYT TAKES ON DHHS MEETING AND HANNAH POLING CASE

The New York Times addresses the Hannah Poling case and the DHHS vaccine safety meeting that took place on Friday in today's edition. Read the full article HERE.  Note the use of the word, "skeptics" to refer to (and denigrate?) those at the meeting who advocate for safe vaccines.

To be sure, many health experts do not agree with Dr. Poling’s conclusions. The case has “added nothing to the discussions of what causes or doesn’t cause autism,” said Dr. Edwin Trevathan, director of the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

On Friday, many of the main players involved in this debate — including Hannah’s mother and her grandparents, prominent vaccine skeptics and some of the government’s top vaccine researchers — took part in the federal government’s first-ever public meeting to discuss a government-wide research agenda to explore the safety of vaccines.

Comments

[Sinking Times :)]

To "Gee I wonder why?" -

I think people want *real* news. Not sweeping eyewashes pretending to be news.

Hey you guys at the Times, keep doing what you're doing. I want to see you do a Titanic :).

[Gee I wonder why?]

Hum this is interesting...
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/17/business/media/17cnd-times.html?ei=5065&en=27ae5edad023fa83&ex=1209096000&partner=MYWAY&pagewanted=print
New York Times Company Posts Loss
By RICHARD PÉREZ-PEÑA

The New York Times Company, the parent of The New York Times, posted a $335,000 loss in the first quarter — one of the worst periods the company and the newspaper industry have seen — falling far short of both analysts’ expectations and its $23.9 million profit in the quarter a year earlier.

The company did break even on a per-share basis, compared with the average analyst forecast of earnings of 14 cents, down from 17 cents in the first quarter of 2007.
Looks like advertisers and readers are sending a message here.

"To be sure, many health experts do not agree with Dr. Poling’s conclusions."
Perhaps they should support this statement with a poll or fact to back up questioning a Johns Hopkins neurologist... and his nurse wife. When their own daughter regresses into vaccine induced Autism confirmed by the Department of Health and Human Services.
I guess blanket phrases aren't selling newspapers these days.

[Teresa Conrick]

Naah..update--I am changing my vote. If she didn't have the common good sense to thank DK for either breaking the story or posting on her blog then my gut is saying she is a Gardiner wannabe or he is whispering in her ear.

174.April 14th,
2008
11:04 am Tara-

I am puzzled as to why you ignored David Kirby posting? (2x btw) He did break this story and then related his comments from the National Vaccine Advisory Committee meeting this past Friday (thanks DK). He made some very good points and asked some important questions to that Committee. I would think you would have commented in some manner.

FROM TPP — I didn’t ignore the comment, I posted it. I don’t comment every time and tend to only comment if I have a link, question or something to add.

— Posted by Teresa Conrick

[Teresa Conrick]

Here is my exchange with Tara. I like her and sense that she *could* distance herself from Gardiner but has to stick up for him...ie her job.
To Tara-
Thanks for your reponse and kind regards to my situation. I just want to add that the reporting on vaccines and autism that Gardiner has done has not been balanced. Also you said,
"That said, I certainly understand why a parent of a child with autism could be frustrated by all media coverage of this issue.."
I have not been frustrated by all media coverage. Some has been just excellent, interviewing DAN! doctors who have thousands of autistic patients, going to universities like Harvard and interviewing researchers like Dr. Martha Herbert on the connection between brain and gut inflammation in autism, or talking to parents and meeting these children who are so sick. It is mostly with the NYT that I have issues, especially Gardiner since all he seems to do is regurgitate industry lobbying techniques or CDC infomercials. He had damaged trust and unbiased reporting on the autism-vaccine connection. Can that now be repaired?

Date: Sun, 13 Apr 2008 07:59:41 -0700 (PDT)
From: Teresa
Subject: Re: thanks for your comment
To: Tara Parker-Pope

Thanks for this response. I appreciate your honesty and I realize that he is a coworker and not an ideal situation for you to have to defend his actions as they are not yours. Hopefully, you will continue this type of exploration into vaccines, autism and mitochondria.

best

Teresa

Tara Parker-Pope i received your follow up comment on the well blog. i have read it and want to thank you for the feedback, but also let you know i'm not going to publish the second comment. it's just not right for me to publish comments that are critical of a colleague without giving him a chance to respond. the letters to the editor or the public editor are the right forums for those kinds of concerns.

thanks for writing and taking part in the discussion and i wish you and your family good health.

rgds

Tara

Tara Parker-Pope
New York Times
Well columnist

56.
April 12th,
2008
11:36 pm
My daughter also regressed between 18 months and 2 years of age. It was subtle at first then rapid after her MMR vaccination when she developed a rash 10 days later. No doctor ever questioned this or a subsequent bleeding/clotting disorder, spinning, chronic diarrhea, head banging, loss of speech, isolation, constant crying..and much more. The DSM-IV was such a wrong list of symptoms. This was in 1995 and yes, she did have many vaccines with thimerosal, including Hep B, 10 hours after birth. Vaccines can prevent disease but we have seen such an increase in autism with many, many identical stories of vaccine reactions. The Poling case is showing us that it is very possible for vaccines to cause autism. It will be a positive step for these concerns to be heard and testing developed so children can be identified who are at risk.
Also, thanks Tara Parker-Pope for doing such a nice job reporting on this. Past articles from the NYT have appeared negative and dismissing regarding autism and vaccines, especially those from Gardiner Harris. This was quite balanced and good for a change!

From TPP — Thanks for the kind words but I would like to add that I believe Gardiner has done a great job covering a very complex issue, and I have relied on some of his stories in posting this item. That said, I certainly understand why a parent of a child with autism could be frustrated by all media coverage of this issue.. What is so great about a blog post, however, is that readers can share their thoughts and generate a great discussion, and talk about issues that may have been omitted in the original story, as they have done here. Thanks for taking the time to comment, and good luck to you and your family. I have always been amazed by the character and strength shown by parents of children with autism.
— Posted by Teresa Conrick

[nhokkanen]

I, too, noted that weighted word "skeptic." "Safety advocate" adds only one more word to the article's count.

Language reveals so much about us. Most journalists reveal their ignorances, mental filters and biases.

I hope that Gardiner Harris got a knuckle-rapping for his stated bias against investigating vaccine injury in children. I wouldn't say that he has blood on his hands... it's more like myelin and white matter.

Tara Parker Pope is yet another generalist introduced to the vaccine/autism issue, which demands that its scribes put in more hours than their masters usually will pay for.

[Kelli Ann Davis]

Question: Is Gardiner Harris in "time-out?"

This is the second article I've seen from Tara in the last few days which shows much more "balance."

I spoke to her right after the 2004 IOM Report was issued and we spoke for a bit and she told me at that time, "When reporters see an institution like the IOM state 'we need more research and we need to look everywhere BUT here' it sends up red flags and makes reporters think 'why not look there?'"

[Nothing but the truth..]

This chart that TPP keeps quoting, doesn't it look too sparse? Are all the various offered brands on there or have some been excluded?

http://www.fda.gov/CBER/vaccine/thimerosal.htm#t1

I disagree that she is disregarding the flu shot as a childhood vaccine. To my mind, if its recommended vaccine schedule shot, its a childhood vaccine. Also they routinely offer the flu shot WITH mercury, not the one without. EVERY year now. That is a boatload of mercury, cumulatively speaking.

On the Pediarix, the chart says approval for the thimerosal version was given on 1/29/07. Now we know what that means!!

Finally - no conclusion as usual about toxic aluminum and the other C**P in there, not to mention the several vaccines together that did Hannah in.

PS: Has the very biased Harris been removed from active duty?