From Dr. Paul Offit's Lips to Amanda Peet's Ears, We're All Parasites

Managing Editor's Note: J.B. has kindly provided contact information for Ms. Peet's management team and the folks at "Cookie" Magazine at the end of this post.  If you can take a moment from your blood sucking, public health endangering, parasitic day, please contact everyone of them.  As soon as I detach myself from my host, I'm going to call the CEO of Coca Cola to ask him if Pepsi really does taste better. I mean I see it in all those ads for the Pepsi challenge.  I'd better call an expert, right? KS

By J.B. Handley

Amanda Peet is an actress I'd never heard of before I saw her on the August 2008 cover of Cookie Magazine, a publication that somehow found its way into our mailbox.

The Cover Story, as its central theme, has a pro-vaccine message from Ms. Peet, who is the mother of an 18 month-old girl.

It turns out Ms. Peet's brother-in-law is a good friend of Paul Offit, as Ms. Peet had the opportunity to speak with the Darth Vadar-In-Chief directly:

"Once we [Ms. Peet and Paul Offit] had spoken, I was shocked at the amount of misinformation floating around, particularly in Hollywood," says Peet, who quickly boned up on the hot-button controversies surrounding the topic, including the unproven link between certain vaccines and autism; the safety of preservatives like mercury-based thimerosal; and the fear that the relatively high number of shots kids receive today can overwhelm young immune systems. Her conclusion? Well, not only is Frankie up-to-date on her vaccines (with no staggering), but her mom will soon appear in public-service announcements for Every Child by Two.

It looks like the vaccine industry is going to try to turn Ms. Peet into the anti-Jenny, and I'm sure they are very pleased that they have convinced someone in Hollywood to speak their party line. Every Child By Two? I hope Ms. Peet knows this organization is nothing more than a poorly-disguised front group for the CDC and vaccine manufacturers. If Ms. Peet isn’t being compensated for her time in helping them, she has the only seat at the table that isn’t well paid.

Unfortunately, it appears that Ms. Peet has gone to Paul Offit charm school, considering this impressive quote:

What does concern her is the growing number of unvaccinated children who are benefiting from the "shield" created by the inoculated—we are protected from viruses only if everyone, or most everyone, is immunized: "Frankly, I feel that parents who don't vaccinate their children are parasites."

Parasites? If I don't vaccinate my daughter because I'm scared she will become autistic I'm a parasite? Nice. Before you get too mad at Ms. Peet, consider that she did not reach these conclusions about our parasitic nature or the fact that thimerosal is “safe” lightly:

"I buy 99 percent organic food for Frankie, and I don't like to give her medicine or put sunscreen on her," says Peet. "But now that I've done my research, vaccines do not concern me."

Ms. Peet, I have a quick message for you: you have no idea who you are messing with. You have never seen the power of our numbers, our anger, our commitment, and our conviction. At present, you really have no dog in this fight. However, if a phone call with a highly compensated spokesperson for the vaccine industry, Paul Offit, convinces you that this is a good use of your time, bring it on.

If, my friends, you'd like to let Ms. Peet know how you feel and welcome her to our world perhaps you can let her publicist & manager know how much she is endearing herself to several hundred thousand parents? I’ve included my email to Ms. Peet and her advisors below.

Publicist:
Stephen Huvane
PMK/HBH Public Relations
Email: Stephen.huvane@pmkhbh.com
Phone: 310-289-6200

Manager:
Eric Kranzler
Management 360
Email: ekranzler@management360.com
Phone: 310-272-7000

Also, you can blog directly at the article on Cookie's website HERE http://www.cookiemag.com/entertainment/2008/07/amandapeet

Or, you can write directly to the Cookie Editor HERE http://www.cookiemag.com/contact/emailEditor

Welcome, Amanda Peet, to our battle. We hope you have the chance to meet many of us and our kids soon.

JB Handley is co-founder of Generation Rescue and Editor At Large for Age of Autism.

From: J.B. Handley
Sent: Tuesday, July 15, 2008 10:34 AM
To: 'Stephen.huvane@pmkhbh.com'; 'ekranzler@management360.com'
Subject: Amanda Peet, Vaccines, and Autism

Dear Stephen and Eric:

Your client, Amanda Peet, recently made a comment for an interview in Cookie Magazine that is likely to piss off several hundred thousand parents of children with autism. From the magazine:

What does concern her is the growing number of unvaccinated children who are benefiting from the "shield" created by the inoculated—we are protected from viruses only if everyone, or most everyone, is immunized: "Frankly, I feel that parents who don't vaccinate their children are parasites."

Like every American, Ms. Peet is certainly entitled to her opinion. Calling an entire community “parasites” is unlikely to be well received. Further, I would make a few important points about this new cause that Ms. Peet appears to have embraced:

-     According to Ms. Peet, the wisdom and inspiration for her position on vaccines is Dr. Paul Offit. Ms. Peet may not know that Mr. Offit is a vaccine patent-holder, a paid spokesperson for Merck, and that he has been reprimanded by Congress for his conflicts of interest in voting for vaccine policy. Mr. Offit is literally enemy #1 for our entire community, and Ms. Peet’s association with him is unlikely to pay dividends.

-     According to the article, Ms. Peet has shot an ad for “Every Child By Two.” This organization is nothing more than a poorly camouflaged front-group for both the CDC (the government agency that mandates the national vaccine schedule) and Vaccine Manufacturers (do your own research). Ms. Peet’s decision to work with them is analogous to the scientists in the 1950s who chose to assert that cigarettes do not cause lung cancer and work closely with Philip Morris to do so. If Ms. Peet is not being compensated for her time with ECBT, she is the only person with a seat at the table who isn’t feasting off of the Vaccine Manufacturers largesse.

-     Ms. Peet’s position is also quickly being overrun by the science and reality. Does she really want to be the poster child for Pharma’s last attempt to maintain the vaccine schedule before the walls cave in? Consider an excerpt from something I recently wrote:
A harebrained theory?

Both Dr. Bernadine Healy, the former President of the NIH, and Dr. Jon Poling, a neurosurgeon whose daughter won the first case from the US Government conceding vaccines caused her autism, acknowledged that when they first heard of the vaccine-autism theory they were dismissive and didn’t take it too seriously. In the case of Dr. Healy, she took the time to read the research for herself. In the case of Dr. Poling, he witnessed his daughter disappear after a single visit to the pediatrician where she received 9 vaccines.

In the mainstream press, the vaccine-autism theory is often explained away as having evolved solely because the emergence of autism and the timing of vaccines happen to be correlated -- nothing more than an unfortunate coincidence.

Consider, however, the straightforward fact pattern that many of us have used in concluding vaccines triggered our child’s autism:

1.There are tens of thousands of separate case reports of parents getting their child vaccinated, the child having a reaction to the vaccines, and soon after developing autism.

2.The vaccine schedule has ballooned from 10 vaccines by the age of 5 in the early 1980s to 36 today. During this time, autism’s prevalence is up 60-fold, from 1 in 10,000 to 1 in 150. This is either an unfortunate coincidence (correlation does not necessarily mean causation) or a cause-and-effect relationship.

3.Perhaps most damning, and rarely reported by the mainstream press, is this vaccine injury table from our own Department of Health & Human Services, the oversight agency for both FDA & CDC. As the website explains, “The Table lists and explains injuries/conditions that are presumed to be caused by vaccines.” The Table was developed based on known side effects from vaccines and is used to compensate victims of vaccine injury. One of the many potential side effects of vaccine injury, as the website spells out, is “chronic encephalopathy” which is defined as when “a change in mental or neurologic status, first manifested during the applicable time period, persists for a period of at least 6 months from the date of vaccination.”

We have tens of thousands of case reports of parents reporting their children descended into autism after vaccines, a tripling in the number of vaccines given to children in the last twenty years during a time when the rate of autism has skyrocketed, and a Table created by our own government that explicitly states that neurological disorders are a side effect of vaccines. Is it that hard to understand why parents believe vaccines may have caused their child’s autism?

This Fall, we plan to mount an aggressive campaign to expose the fraudulent way in which the Vaccine Industry works to falsely reassure parents that the never-tested vaccine schedule is safe. Dr. Paul Offit is the central figure in this underhanded campaign, and your client has chosen to align herself with him. In doing so, Ms. Peet puts herself directly in the line of fire. I wanted you to know and I certainly hope you will forward this to Ms. Peet.

I have taken the liberty of including a blog post I wrote which may partially explain the increase in emails you are receiving on this topic, as well as some additional information on Paul Offit.

Please note: our organization, Generation Rescue, is parent-founded and parent funded. Unlike Dr. Offit and ECBT, we are not a front group for anyone else and our biases and positions are clearly spelled out on our website for the world to see.

J.B. Handley
Co-Founder
Generation Rescue

Comments

[irishup2]

Easy Now and How to Win Friends (gag)

I have no intention in educating Mandy after she has name called parents that are financially ruined, emotionally wrecked and have been lied to by "professionals" that have financial ties to the pharmaceutical companies.

That is what her PR is for.

She is accountable for her actions.

Do you know that her sister is a doctor? Her father is a corporate lawyer.
Does that tell you anything? H E L L O

Educate Ms Peet? NO. My priorities are to my son. I am currently trying to "educate" my son's educators, his primary care physician and my family on the the VARIOUS CHRONIC ailments my son has.

Obviously you have time.....feel free.

[True Believer]

What do I need to do to join Ms. Peets superrace? I want to be a member of the Fatherland! I want to be a member of the "shield"... I do not want to be a parasite! I don't want to be repatriated to another country...! What do I do Ms. Peet...? Do you have the answer...?

[Kassie With Open Eyes]

This is all a sad business. And we are all trying to reach you, Amanda, and teach you from our grievous mistakes: we handed our beautiful children over to a doctor or nurse practitioner, and allowed multiple doses of diseases, toxins, heavy metals, etc. to get shot into our children's bodies. It is quite possible that you are among the lucky, wherein despite all of this garbage innoculated into your child, nothing bad will happen. Congratulations. But remember, none of us knew that we were on the Club Autism roster, and not one of us wanted to become a member. Learning disabilites, and behavioral and emotional problems are also running rampant; these are also suspect under the vaccine umbrella, so even without a diagnosis of ASD, you might still be touched by vaccine damage. I hope you don't learn the hard way, for your daughter's sake.

Finally, I wish you could actually type a response yourself, instead of using one of your "handlers" to do it. We can tell that you didn't write your response, you know. Many children on the spectrum are highly intelligent, and that, my dear, is inherited. Games up.

[Julie]

Maybe Amanda should volunteer her daughter to get 100,000 vaccines at once so she and (for Pr)offit can prove to the parasites how selfish and ignorant we are. They could even throw in a Gardisil for good measure. Maybe some cholesterol lowering drugs too.

I remember when I was this ignorant. Let's hope her daughter is luckier than mine was.

[Kelli Ann Davis]

“Amanda can have her opinion. Will it really matter in the end?”

oh please:

I’m totally tracking with you. I mentioned this exact thing in a conversation yesterday. This whole issue with Amanda will quickly pass (think Eli Stone) but I still wanted to make sure her management team got the “other side” of the story nonetheless.

I spoke to Jessica in Eric’s office and she asked me to send the link to the Subcommittee’s letter from Monday and I did:

Jessica,

Here is the link to my recent article regarding the letter sent to HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt from the Science and Technology Committee's Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight.

I first approached the Subcommittee last August and this letter is the result of multiple meetings with their lead investigator. This is the same committee which has investigated numerous federal agencies including NASA, EPA, DOE and most recently the CDC's testing of formaldehyde levels in Hurricane Katrina/Rita FEMA trailers.

http://www.ageofautism.com/2008/07/congressional-o.html

I would appreciate an opportunity to talk to Amanda so that she can be completely informed on this issue. The fact that this Subcommittee issued this letter after a year-long look at the information we brought to them should speak volumes.

Thanks Jessica.

Kelli Ann Davis
DC Political Liaison for Generation Rescue and more importantly Mom to Miles

[easy now and how to win friends ;-)]

irishup2
however arrogant Amanda came across, she isn't the one injecting babies with poison. i have no doubt that she wants the best for her daughter (and thinks herself noble for wishing the same for every other baby out there). ok, her effort is misguided (and her choice of words is poor). the problem is her naivete as far as research and credibility of sources go- is she the only one with that problem? hadn't most of parents on this site trusted their drs prior to seeing FIRST HAND what happened to kids after vx? she has not seen it first-hand. she still believes the experts and therefore is easy to convince that those who don't are "anti-science". how uncommon is that? ok, she stuck her head out and used offensive language. scream at her for that, insult her, call her names and she is likely to get locked in (and feel justified in her judgement of "anti-vx'ers as a crazy bunch). treat her with respect she failed to show to parents who have a different opinion from hers, give her a chance to backtrack and she just might learn!
now what do we all want for this cause- make Amanda pay for her stupid remark or potentially get her on "our" side?
i don't agree with your example of being "polite" (allowing your baby to be injected with what you believe to be poisons), that's being passive. but being aggressive (yelling at the dr or calling him names for example) wouldn't be the only alternative. how about being assertive? stand your ground, provide her with the facts, allow the possibility that she is educable...how would we learn if for every mistake we were beaten into pulp???

[oh please]

Amanda can have her opinion. Will it really matter in he end?

The main thrust of her point (Offit's point) is how good the existing epidemiological studies are. Oh boy, she has no idea about what Dr. Healy was talking about when she wisely said

"vaccine experts tend to look at the population as a whole, not at individual patients. And population studies are not granular enough to detect individual metabolic, genetic, or immunological variation that might make some children under certain circumstances susceptible to neurological complications after vaccination."

Offit is not going to inform Amanda Peet about how to make a regression curve, or what to do with outlier data, or how to break data into subsets for proper analysis. Don't expect her to figure this out on her own either. Luckily, any reasonable scientists will figure it out like Dr. Healy, and they appear to be doing just that with all of the government meetings reported on this site.

Since autism tends to affect kids from educated familes (ie: scientists) it is only a matter of time that those folks start asking real questions and figuring out the susceptable subsets (them).

[Craig Willoughby]

Oh, and one final thing I forgot to mention. Those 14 studies you mentioned? Even the CDC says they are crap, worthless and misleading. This is why parents like me are so adamant about aditional studies.

[Craig Willoughby]

"Fourteen studies have been conducted (both here in the US and abroad), and these tests are reproducible; no matter where they are administered, or who is funding them, the conclusion is the same: there is no association between autism and vaccines."

Well, first of all, Ms. Peet, these are epidemiological studies; of course they can be repeated. Epidemiological studies are simply manipulation and gathering of data in the form of statistics. For example, 1 in 3 adults will develop some type of cancer. So, fill a room with 100 people, statistically, 33 and 1/3 of them will develop cancer. However, it is completely plausible that not a single one of them could develop cancer. That's the problem with statistical analysis; it is very easy to manipulate and change to your favor. These 14 studies you speak of are all funded by pHARMa et. al, which means that every single one of these studies is tainted in some way by a conflict of interest. Additionally, not ONE SINGLE STUDY has been performed on the efficacy of multiple vaccines given to a small baby in such a short time. NOT ONE!

Lastly, your final comment bares the most scrutiny. There is no association between vaccines and autism? Prove it! Prove to us beyond the shadow of a doubt that this is true. You can't, Amanda, so I'm sorry to say this, but until you can, you may want to tell (Pr)Offit to get his hand out of your butt and quit using you like a puppet. Until you do and learn to think for yourself, not a single one of us will take you seriously.

[samaxtics]

Wow! I didn’t even see Paul Offits’s lips move.

Ms. Peet,

You state:
“I know a lot of parents who secretly use as a justification, "Well, enough other people are vaccinating, so therefore, we don't have to."

I challenge you to publicly name one person who has said this to you.

[amanda/offit responds]

http://www.cookiemag.com/entertainment/2008/07/peet_apology

Amanda Peet's Response
Dear Concerned Parents and Friends,

I wanted to address my comment in Cookie magazine that "parents who don't vaccinate their children are parasites." I believe in my heart that my use of the word "parasites" was mean and divisive; I completely understand why it offended some parents, and in particular, parents of children with autism who feel that vaccines caused their illness. For this I am truly sorry. Since my mom has Parkinson's Disease, I know what it feels like to want a concrete cause, and a concrete cure, as soon as possible.

However, I still believe that the decision not to vaccinate our children bodes for a dangerous future. Vast reductions in immunization will lead to a resurgence of deadly viruses. This is as indisputable as global warming. I know a lot of parents who secretly use as a justification, "Well, enough other people are vaccinating, so therefore, we don't have to."

In this era of cynicism, it's hard to believe that any corporation, medical or otherwise, has our best interests at heart. But it's irresponsible to suggest that virtually the entire medical community, and the CDC, and the American Academy of Pediatrics are behind a massive cover-up about vaccine safety. Fourteen studies have been conducted (both here in the US and abroad), and these tests are reproducible; no matter where they are administered, or who is funding them, the conclusion is the same: there is no association between autism and vaccines. How many more studies do we need to conduct on vaccines, before we start re-channeling our efforts and money towards research on autism?

The real question is why the media and journalists are still presenting vaccine safety as a controversy. There are a few fringe medical groups and parent advocacy groups who claim that vaccines cause autism, or that they have too many "toxins," or "viral challenges" for our tiny babies' bodies to handle. In fact, although there are many more vaccine doses given today, the entire vaccine schedule contains far fewer antigens—components of viruses or bacteria—than vaccines of the past. (In other words, it's more shots, but less vaccine.) Why doesn't anyone talk about this? There are still fringe scientists who claim that HIV is a government conspiracy, but these people do not get a lot of media coverage, as it's accepted that this theory has no medical/biological plausibility.

My concern is for our children and their futures. In the fifties, vaccines were recognized as life-saving. My mom had polio and was quarantined when she was 6 years old. It's so hard to appreciate vaccines now that so few children are dying from preventable diseases today, but that could all change if we're not vigilant. There are currently multiple measles outbreaks in the United States. Hopefully children do not have to die before people start to realize the cost of withholding vaccines.

My best wishes to you and your families,

Amanda (and Frankie)

[jen w]

I will NEVER support you in anything you do, Ms. Peet. You have made a BIG mistake and I highly suggest you go and speak with parenst that have autistic children and get educated!!! I am glad your little girl is typical. I hope she continues to for her sake!! You disgust me and I truly admire Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey all that much more now!!! They are real people that know how to help others!!!

[Aidan's mama]

My, Ms. Peet has really stepped in "it", hasn't she? I doubt her career as an "actress" will ever recover from that mistake. I, for one, will not be supporting her in any way. Her ignorance really makes me ill.

I just hope her child is one of the lucky ones.

I would love for Jenny to get a hold of her.

[Aidan's mama]

My, Ms. Peet has really stepped in "it", hasn't she? I doubt her career as an "actress" will ever recover from that mistake. I, for one, will not be supporting her in any way. Her ignorance really makes me ill.

I just hope her child is one of the lucky ones.

I would love for Jenny to get a hold of her.

[budsmom]

Dear Ms. Peet: I'm sure you thought you were doing the right thing when you decided to be a spokesperson to this vaccinating before two campaign. I highly suggest you do more research before you decide to commit to this.

I, too thought I was doing the right thing for my son when I kept up with the vaccine schedule. My son was your daughters age when we was talking, sharing, loving, then one day after a bad reaction to getting vaccinated, his mind disapeared, he stopped looking at his, stopped talking, stopped smiling, forgot who we were, started spinning in circles with a sideways glance. He got TOO much too soon. Instead of building his immune system, it destroyed what little he had. Children should be screened first to see if their immune system can handle it. Yes, vaccines can do good for a child who can handle it, but they need to be cleaned up and the schedule needs to be spread out more.

You should have done more research by discussing it with someone like a parent that's been through what we've been through or even a dandr. Talking to one person who is a front for big pharma doesn't constitute as doing your research.

Please reconsider your actions.
Peace,
budsmom

[irishup2]

Be polite? NO
Give her the benefit of the doubt? WHAT! Are you kidding me????

Lets not be polite and LETS TAKE ACTION PEOPLE.

Being polite has put our children in this situation, in the first place. (Remember this scenario. You, sitting in the pediatricians office while a nurse injects multiple vaccines into your childs leg while NOT informing you of the risks)

Ms Peete deserves to take responisbility for her actions.

I have a P word for you Amanda....
How about PUPPET?

[Sakura]

In Amanda's defense, I really think she didn't know that maelstrom that she was about to unleash.

She probably genuinely thought that she was being a "cool" and "savvy" new mom, using her family connections to talk to Paul Offit, who is after all is a specialist in infectious diseases. She probably thought she was namedropping, thinking he was the best of the best, being the Chief of ID at CHOP, and that she would be considered "smart" because of this.

She probably didn't know Offit's past, motives and conflicts of interest.

I'd like to give her the benefit of the doubt, because I do believe that people are basically good, and that her statements were made out of pure ignorance.

Amanda, if you're reading this, you really need to get some good pr people working for you that will keep you updated on stuff like this, so that you don't make yourself look the fool again. This article really made you look really stupid and misinformed, as well as lacking in compassion.

[Kassie With Open Eyes]

Oh, and Amanda,
One more thing. Actors can be somewhat parasitic, but I didn't say that. The next time you call me a parasite, I'll have to call you ummmmm "Stooge" or, ummmm "Ditz." You're a mother now, so remember sticks and stones......

[Kassie With Open Eyes]

I remember when I was as ignorant as you, Amanda. The good-old-days when everything was blissful. When we giggled and laughed at our childrens cooing (like you do in your video interview!!). I also remember when it all changed--in the blink of an eye. Sadly, I was too tired and overwhelmed in the years 2000 and 2001 to do any research on vaccines. Well, the doctor said it was safe, so wasn't it? THE DOCTOR SAID SO!!!!! I, too, believed what others told me. Amanda, how I would love to educate the me back then, and how I would love to have the life that I imagined. The sad truth is that some of us with particular genetic mutations cannot handle the vaccines: the heavy metals like aluminum and mercury, the viruses themselves, the other toxic ingredients such as formaldehyde, biological substances, etc. These things should not be introduced to our childrens' immature immune systems in this manner. Oh the damage it can cause in just the right individual--brain inflammation, neurological death, leaky gut and gut inflammation, mitochondrial damage, and the list goes on. And, well let me say it, my son did not have some huge horrible reaction to his shots. He had fevers, yes, and staring episodes, and the ped said it was "normal." Just give Tylenol. I did. Fevers and staring are REACTIONS. KNOW IT!!!!! EMBRACE IT!!! PROTECT YOU AND YOUR FAMILY!!!! My son has never gotten the MMR or Varicella, or completed the DTAP (or now the Tdap) schedule. My son was diagnosed early because I "knew" something was wrong even when the ped said there was not. I had to stand strong and clean up the mess I had allowed to happen. This vaccine game they play with our kids is luck of the draw--like warfare, some survive, some are maimed, and some are gone forever. Do you really want to play this game with Frankie?? Has Paul Offitt given you any guarantees that all will be well? Have you been reading the papers lately??

After hundreds of thousands of dollars in biomedical treatments, my son can finally answer simple questions, follow directions, and complete a task. We are aiming for a cure. BIOMEDICAL WORKS. DO NOT VACCINATE YOUR BABY, OR YOU TOO WILL BE GRIEVING YOUR LOST CHILD, LOST LIFE AND LOST FORTUNE.

[Jennifer]

As a Mommy to an incredible son who was just diagnosed as being on the Autism Spectrum, I pray Amanda never has to know the crushing, heartbreaking reality of Autism. I wish she would have a little sympathy and understanding of other parents. Be careful, it's amazing how Karma comes back to bite you!!