Double Double Making Toil and Trouble! (How Dare We Question Vaccines?)
In a short while, a new book by Dr. Paul Offit will be released. The title alone makes me shake my head in disbelief: Dangerous Choices: How the Anti-Vaccine Movement Threatens Us All. An honored guest, he shared this message with the American Academy of Pediatrics as a speaker at their conference this month. I'm sure we can expect to see him making the media rounds shortly. It’s hard to imagine highly educated, professional adults have allowed this debate to be hijacked to such an extent. Perhaps I’m naïve, but I truly am shocked that the leadership charged with children’s health has failed to stand up against this ridiculous fear monger-er and take back the integrity of their calling. Instead, they have chosen to make him their champion.
When Dr. Bernadine Healy spoke about the lack of studies existing to close the door on the causal relationship between vaccines and Autism, I remember feeling such relief. It wasn’t as much that she was well respected and was reiterating what we have been saying, but rather that she gave me hope there still were honorable professionals working for all of us and our children. If she could so calmly and rationally frame the debate in such a mature context (which is simply whether or not relevant and objective science has answered the question), perhaps there was hope we could move forward in civility. Alas it seems, no.
In addition to the fact Dr. Healy pointed out that the proper science had not yet been conducted, she quietly hit the nail on the head for why that is. There is a very real belief that the American public is too stupid to handle it, to which she countered, “I believe the American public is smarter than that.” We all need to reiterate this loudly and clearly so everyone finally gets it: The mainstream medical community wants to squash the conversation on vaccine safety because not only do they believe there are no safety concerns (they've studied themselves and found themselves not guilty over oversight failure), but more important, because they firmly believe any conversation that challenges that group-think will result in catastrophe; therefore, by deduction, the only way to prevent that from happening is not to allow a conversation at all. In other words, debating vaccine safety equals dead children.
The problem is, everyone is having that conversation anyway. And with the internet, coupled with the explosion in children’s chronic health problems for which they offer few answers and little help, information abounds for the curious parent, grandparent and caregiver to form their own opinion. Admittedly, 1 in 4 parents has real concerns.
The response to these concerns has been swift. Deny there is a problem. Prop up biased science as evidence while simultaneously pretending to be the only ones with "real" science backing their position. Make false claims that safety studies that have not been done actually have been done. Talk to the press ad nausea, and request they don't allow opposing views to be heard so they can control the message. Use fear and the law to scare everyone into compliance. Bury the evidence to suggest resurgence of infectious disease is happening because they are becoming vaccine resistant and blame non-vaccinated children instead. Personally attack and embarrass parents who are treating their children for vaccine injury, accusing them of being dangerous and irresponsible. Play word games with the words “caused” and “resulted”. Hold conference presentations on how to handle non-compliant parents. Seal court documents that could be used to understand how other children have been injured. Persuade the public that questioning vaccines equates to a child dying. Use a vaccine patent holder who has never treated a child for Autism as the spokesperson for what doesn’t cause it: the very product that has made him millions. Allow him to propagate the myth that all parents who have vaccine safety concerns are automatically “anti-vaccine”, a hot-button hate-filled term used to manipulate, discredit, and divide. Take the focus off the real issue and paint those who question vaccine safety as selfish and immoral enemies of the greater good who threaten everyone with their dissent, creating a mob mentality of intolerance and anger based in fear.
I truly wonder who the PR firm is behind this train wreck. I don’t think you could script a more guaranteed way to create the exact opposite of what it is you are trying and exacerbate an already contentious situation. The only real way to truly plug the leak on the breaking damn is to start by getting real. For starters, acknowledge the picture of crazy, dangerous dissenters just doesn't fit. The overwhelming majority of vaccine safety advocates and parents who have doubts and are choosing alternative vaccine schedules are highly educated, professional, responsible citizens who are simply not convinced of what you are telling them. And contrary to what you'd like to believe, that's not because they are getting bad information from the internet, celebrities, Autism groups, or a media who likes to air controversy for ratings. No, it's because they can download and read the science used as evidence of safety, apply critical thinking skills, and come to their own conclusions about its bias, relevance, and quality. And quite simply, more and more of them are coming to the conclusion it's crap and wondering how in the heck you can't. Insulting them and painting them as radicals who will kill babies with their choices is immature, irresponsible and inflammatory, not to mention completely and totally dishonest. Truly, you ought to be ashamed of yourselves. If you keep this up, the fragile trust that remains between parents and pediatricians will no doubt be completely extinguished.
Moreover, realize that while the spokesperson for the medical community may make doctors feel better about what they do, he is perceived as hardly credible to the average parent. (A vaccine patent holder telling them vaccines are safe? Really?) Instead, invite parents with concerns to share their experiences at your conferences. Do the same with scientists and journalists with opposing views. Publicly acknowledge the conflict of interest in the participation of these studies and call for the independent study of vaccine safety issues. Acknowledge the limitations of the studies so far and call for the urgent undertaking of the science still needed. Trust that parents absolutely want the best for their children, and yes, even the greater good. Treat them as responsible human beings who have valid concerns and are not convinced that the appropriate questions have been answered by the appropriate people. Trust that they will be more than happy to comply when you meet their demands, and then meet them. You serve them, not the other way around. It's time you remembered that.
And finally, address the issues that have yet to be addressed, such as, the promulgation of studies that not only demonstrate Thimerosal is not causing Autism, but that it is preventing it; the continued use of Thimerosal in recommended vaccines that 11 years ago you implied was dangerous; the combination of Thimerosal with aluminum in many vaccines, regardless of the fact the Material Safety Data Sheet specifically states never to do so; the dishonest and disrespectful labeling of vaccine safety advocates as "anti-vaccine"; the government award of $20 million dollars for vaccine injuries that "resulted" in Autism and the sealing of those court documents; the lack of science conducted on the safety of adding more recommended childhood vaccines to the schedule without testing the simultaneous administration of them; the refusal to study the vaccinated versus never vaccinated, knowing that it is indeed possible and ethical to do so right now with existing populations that have made personal vaccine choices; the refusal to investigate thoroughly whether or not in the name of eradicating infectious disease we have unintentionally swapped it for chronic disease.
Sadly, I fear this issue is only headed in one direction: a bad one. Legislators are being called upon to force compliance, reduce exemptions, and threaten people’s livelihoods and educations if they refuse to participate. Our media is being asked to restrict free speech. Responsible, but thoughtful citizens are being labeled as enemies of the state for having the audacity to question the status quo and make their own health care decisions. Some doctors are going so far as to publicly accuse safety-advocates of killing children. I don't think the gravity of this situation can be overestimated. Perhaps as more and more thoughtful citizens become personally affected by this serious issue, including those 60% of health care workers who refuse flu shots, we can finally get to the bottom of what this all means: The system is broken. And maybe, just maybe, the day will come when we finally realize that the only way to truly protect the people is to protect them as individuals first. Until then, however, I can only believe this situation will get worse, and incredibly, one man in particular seems more than happy to make it so.
Julie Obradovic is a Contributing Editor to Age of Autism.
Julie O, just had the chance to read this. Handing it out to EVERYONE who attends my talks. So densely packed with truth I have goosebumps. Brilliant work friend! You are changing the course of history.
Posted by: lj goes | October 25, 2010 at 10:17 PM
God Bless You Julie Obradovic!!! My feelings toward Dr.Offit are the same as yours. Your words express what my heart feels. As a mother of an autistic child, I get to witness how those "wonderful" vaccines have helped him everyday. No baseball, no bike rides and no friends. As his childhood is fleeting by my heart breaks not just for him, but for all the parents who trusted the medical community.
Posted by: Kathleen Seravalli | October 20, 2010 at 09:58 PM
Beautifully said!!!
Also, i am about 1/3 of the way through Mark's and Dan's book - Age of Autism -- it is REALLY good.
Seriously, for anyone reading this page who hasn't ordered AOA yet...GET IT!
It is a bona fide page turner, very well reasoned, well resourced, and very well written -- it's a very "comfortable read" -- flows very well and great use of language.
I found it especially interesting about the history of "Hysteria" and mercury poisoning via all of the mercuric-chloride rubs and "liquors" during the "Age of Syphilis." Loved the Mozart analysis too.
My only critique so far -- and it is very minor -- is a small reference in the first few pages to anthropogenic global warming. That could have been omitted.
-Bob
Posted by: Bob | October 20, 2010 at 09:13 PM
Couldn't have said it any better.
Posted by: Birgit Calhoun | October 20, 2010 at 03:56 PM
I have to comment on the witch remark. Most of those I know who practice ritual magick, whether the tradition be Wicca, Neo-Hellenism, Drudism, Enochian, or that which is practiced by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (who far out number Satanists, both Anton LeVey's interpretation or otherwise) do not worship Satan, do not sacrafice children or animals, or practice Black Magick.
In most traditions, to do so is considered a huge no no, and the price paid for praticing it is a extremely heavy one! That being said, I have never met a Satanist, whether of the LeVeyan tradition or otherwise, who sacrafice children or animals in thier rituals.
These are old ideas spread durring the Middle-Ages to explain things others did not understand. It led in a horrible blood bath, were thousands of innocent men, women, and children were burnt at the steak over a period that lasted hundreds of years.
I see the strong hold of Pharma as the Grand Iquistors of our age, burning at the stake those who do not agree with thier view point. The victims left in thier wake before the madness finally ends will be such a staggering number that future generations will weep when they hear of it.
Posted by: Theodora Trudorn | October 20, 2010 at 10:46 AM
yeah, it sucks to be vaccine manufacturers with news like this Mott's poll. They have to be researching safer ways to prevent illness or treat illness.
Posted by: jen | October 20, 2010 at 09:46 AM
I like The Wizard of Oz symbolism as well.
If we only knew what to pour on our leaders to show their agenda and reveal to the soldiers how weak they are.
The pediatric doctors could start protecting children and their families.
Posted by: patrick | October 20, 2010 at 09:08 AM
Anne McElroy Dachel said :
"ONE PERCENT OF U.S. CHILDREN HAVE AUTISM---NOT MEASLES."
Was it Tom Insel???? That stood up in front of an IACC meeting and told the crowd that the best thing about doing away with with vaccine preventable diseases were not that kids are no longer getting sick, but the permanent side effects that caused mental retardation.
Autism; Wonder what that is?
Posted by: Benedetta | October 20, 2010 at 09:05 AM
Pharma considers our bodies to be “toxic waste dumps” with an unlimited capacity. Their genetic “engineering” is mind-numbing! They don’t need our consent. They don’t need to give us notice. We are all Guinea Pigs in their schemes and scams. It is completely unregulated. There are no checks and balances.
One has only to look at today's vaccine schedules and know that there are literally hundreds of "innovative" new inoculations in pharma's BIO pipeline.
Their house of cards should be attacked at its cracked foundation - three never-proven theories: vaccine-induced herd immunity, vaccine-preventable diseases, and Pasteur's Germ Theory. The Social Responsibility argument is the artful fear-mongering aspect of their scheme. The beauty of their scheme is that it doesn't require one iota of proof.
Posted by: patrons99 | October 20, 2010 at 08:12 AM
Julie- Thank you very much. Laughable to see all that monkey poop (Wakefield term) if it wasn't all true. I'm sensing an outright attack. My hope is this might be the last empty assault in a paradigm shift.
Posted by: MAKE AUTISM STOP | October 20, 2010 at 01:51 AM
What a good article. Thanks for saying so much so well.
Nhokkanen's revised book title is excellent.
Dr. Offit is terribly, terribly irresponsible, and not at all scientific, in ignoring the down side of vaccines, the thousands of reports of serious adverse reactions, the very clear link between vaccines and autism, the lack of studies on the combined cumulative schedule, on giving multiple vaccines at once, on various vaccine ingredients.
There are other words that come to mind such as "despicable" and "horrible" but somehow being "irresponsible" is even worse, when the result is children with lifelong disabilities, not acknowledged nor treated nor studied by mainstream medicine including by vaccine "experts" who should be working hard to understand what can go wrong and why and how to prevent and treat these injuries.
Instead of the vaccine establishment gradually waking up to the problems with our overly aggressive vaccine program, we are increasingly hearing suggestions that vaccines should be mandatory, with no exemptions and no choice. That is truly scary. But, they can't win this way. Keep it up, and alas more & more people will be adversely affected, just adding to the movement they are trying to suppress.
Posted by: Twyla | October 20, 2010 at 01:48 AM
By the way, Paul Offit is the official mascot of the American Academy of Pediatrics. In their gift shop they sell plenty chotskies with his likeness.
For those that don't know what chotskies are--"generally useless crap of little or no value".....just like Paul.
Posted by: michael framson | October 19, 2010 at 10:30 PM
There afraid of the mommies, there afraid of the mommies...keep on saying your story, because, there afraid of the mommies! LOL...
Posted by: kathy blanco | October 19, 2010 at 09:24 PM
I have been thinking about this photo of the witches being the perfect analogy to what is really going on. According to the definition of "Witch": "one that is credited with usually malignant supernatural powers; especially : a woman practicing black witchcraft often with the aid of a devil; a sorceress."
This applies to the evil that is behind the systematic damages and deaths to our innocent children. In Satanism, witches practice infant and child sacrifice. Although most people in this country don't realize that Satanic witchcraft is still being practiced, and are more familiar with the nature goddess worshipping wiccas, both kinds of witchcraft recognize Halloween as their foremost holiday of worship.
I am also thinking of
the witch from the Wizard of Oz:
"I'll get you my pretty"....
also the classic witches standing around a boiling cauldron:
"Bubble bubble, toil and trouble,
eye of newt and tail of toad,
something evil will abode."
In this photo the witches are assembled in a group (a group of witches that work together is known as a "coven"). Male witches are known as "warlocks".
With this information in mind, I can think of a pretty large list of both men and women that could be described by the above. The vaccine industry conjures up the toxic concoctions, and the government authorities work in concert within the covens to keep
the evils of vaccines hidden under dark of night when the covens meet to offer up their sacrifices of innocent infants and children.
Posted by: Autism Grandma | October 19, 2010 at 08:46 PM
As our nation sinks slowly into a sea of autism, Offit and the AAP haven't even noticed. ONE PERCENT OF U.S. CHILDREN HAVE AUTISM---NOT MEASLES.
That seems to have escaped notice by the guardians of children's health.
It seems Offit and the AAP are hell bent on making themselves totally irrelevant. They may not realize it but no one is waiting breathlessly for the next life-saving vaccine that the industry throws at us. People are concerned over vaccine safety and they want to know why everyone knows someone with an autistic child.
SO WHAT IS THE AAP DOING TO ADDRESS THESE WORRIES????
Nothing.................they rant about non-vaccinating parents...........they happily leave autism a medical mystery...........they rail about exemptions and whooping cough........
THE BEST EVIDENCE OF JUST HOW WORTHLESS THEY'VE BECOME IS THE TOPIC OF THE MAIN SPEAKER AT THE AAP CONFERENCE JUST HELD IN SAN FRANCISCO. To waste valuable time on a topic like this is impossible to understand.
The impact of 'nature-deficit disorder' on the health of children
http://www.physorg.com/news205236573.html
"In his talk, Louv will speak about the transformation in the relationship between children and nature, and how society is teaching young people to avoid direct experience in nature. That unintended message is delivered by schools, families, even organizations devoted to the outdoors, and codified into the legal and regulatory structures of many local communities.
"A growing body of scientific evidence shows just how important direct contact with the outdoors is to healthy child development," Louv said. "This has implications for a wide range of health issues, including ADHD, child obesity, stress, creativity and cognitive functioning."
The AAP seems to feel that children today need unending vaccines and "direct contact with the outdoors" and everything will be fine.
I can't imagine having my head deeper in the sand than these guys do.
Anne Dachel, Media
Posted by: Anne McElroy Dachel | October 19, 2010 at 08:13 PM
Thank you for such a comprehensive summary of what the medical community wants to hide about vaccines, and what parents are slowly figuring out on their own
Posted by: TS | October 19, 2010 at 07:10 PM
Oops, two title words are out of order.
This is more accurate:
"Dangerous Vaccines: How the Anti-Choice Movement Threatens Us All."
That spotlights growing consumer safety concerns not being addressed by medical trade organizations and public health administrators more interested in product sales than in patient monitoring.
Posted by: nhokkanen | October 19, 2010 at 06:43 PM
I do think word of mouth will finally win this but I love the fact that the autism community has "hit 'em hard" in the book arena. I have more than enough resources to point to when questioned about vaccines. Mom to mom warnings about vaccines will be the thing that prevails. I for one will splatter info all over facebook and share my story with whoever will listen. The nice thing about Offit is he is just some doctor saying one thing but my best girlfriend is saying another. Who are you going to listen to? Offit you are going down!!
Posted by: RN Mommy | October 19, 2010 at 06:02 PM
@Henderson:
"I fear that this is going to get front and center billing at every Barnes & Noble."
Is there any way anyone can rush a little booklet into print, with the title (thank you, Julie!!) "How the Anti-Vaccine Movement Threatens My Income?"
Barnes & Noble can put it right next to Offit's book, and maybe we can get it on Amazon so googling Offit's book brings up the Income one....
Posted by: Taximom | October 19, 2010 at 05:42 PM
@Bob Moffitt:
"For instance .. his audience was greatly impressed when Dr. Offit told a personal ""anecdote" of a pediatrician he knows .. who was just about to give a baby a vaccine when the baby suddenly had a seizure. His audience seemed sympathetic to the pediatrician who said "had that baby suffered the seizure in the moments AFTER the vaccine .. the vaccine surely would have been blamed."
With this single "anecdote" .. whether true or manufactured .. Dr. Offit appeared to have successfully diminished the "inconvenient truth" that THOUSANDS of parents have reported sharing the personal experience of their child suffering adverse reactions following vaccinations."
Has anybody here ever read C. S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia?" What you wrote, above, is chillingly familiar. C. S. Lewis described how the evil Ape, Shift, and Rishda Tarkaan plotted to fool the innocent Narnian animals:
"By mixing a little truth with it, they had made their lie far stronger."
C.S. Lewis wrote those words 54 years ago.
We need to deal with the current lies of the pharmaceutical industry with as much marketing skill as they use.
Posted by: Taximom | October 19, 2010 at 05:37 PM
Wow Julie really covered all the bases with this article which compromises the entire picture.
Re: "Legislators are being called upon to force compliance, reduce exemptions, and threaten people’s livelihoods and educations if they refuse to participate. Our media is being asked to restrict free speech. Responsible, but thoughtful citizens are being labeled as enemies of the state for having the audacity to question the status quo and make their own health care decisions. Some doctors are going so far as to publicly accuse safety-advocates of killing children. I don't think the gravity of this situation can be overestimated."
Here is a video to a song that someone just sent to me, and also the lyrics, which to me really say alot about the dire situation regarding vaccines:
http://www.angelfire.com/ak2/intelligencerreport/iam_america.html
I am America [by Krista Branch]
Pay no attention to the people in the street
Crying out for accountability
Make a joke of what we believe
Say we don’t matter ’cause you disagree
Pretend you’re kings, sit on your throne
Look down your nose at the peasants below
I’ve got some news, we’re taking names
We’re waiting now for the judgment day
I am America, one voice, united we stand
I am America, one hope to heal our land
There is still work that must be done
I will not rest until we’ve won
I am America
You preach your tolerance, but lecture me
Is there no end to your own hypocrisy
Your god is power, you have no shame
Your only interest is political gain
You hide your eyes and refuse to listen
You play your games and abuse the system
You stuff your pockets while Rome is burning
I’ve got a feeling that the tide is turning
I am America, one voice, united we stand
I am America, one hope to heal our land
I will not give up on this fight
I will not fade into the light, I am America
You stuff your pockets while Rome is burning
I’ve got a feeling that the tide is turning
I am America, one voice, united we stand
I am America, one hope to heal our land
I will not give up on this fight
I will not fade into the night, I am America
Posted by: Autism Grandma | October 19, 2010 at 05:22 PM
Frankly, I think Paul Offit loves the attention. I would rather ignore him at this point.
Posted by: Heidi N | October 19, 2010 at 05:12 PM
One would think Dr. Offit would be much, much too busy with his "Search for a Cure" in his last book, to find time to write another book.
I do not suppose he is on the "cutting edge of a cure" yet.
Posted by: cmo | October 19, 2010 at 04:52 PM
@ Julie - Hahahahaha! Loved your comment: "It should be called "How the Anti-Vaccine Movement Threatens My Income". "
How very true.
Posted by: Not an MD | October 19, 2010 at 04:21 PM
Erik - not Eric - as in my previous post - my apologies...
Posted by: Shiny Happy Person | October 19, 2010 at 03:47 PM
Urban Legend;
Didn't some one come on here on a blog one time Blog and tell that tale?
What were they doing, trying it out to see how it was received?
They were sitting in the ped's office and just as a baby and it's Mom (not their Babe by the way but someone elses) got up to go in and get that vaccine when it started seizing right in the waiting room.
It was a UK blogger.
How about this one: my two children had reactions each and every time they had a DPT shot. 8 times while the ped said: "Oh no all was fine in the land of Oz.
The word we are looking for is
RECHALLENGED.
Rechallenged - so how many times did this infant on seeing the vaccine needle coming toward it "rechallenged" had seizures?
What makes me so mad is they are sitting around trying to make this stuff up in answer - in answer to parents like me that says it had a shot and our Babe went coma-tose we thought it was dead - oh and later it had something that looked like a seizure - you know the chin shaking and lots of drool.
DO they check you for rotten tomatoes before you go into one of these synoposis?
So a room full of Peds and docs received it well???? Now who is stupid?
Posted by: Benedetta | October 19, 2010 at 03:45 PM
Paul Offit has 'shot himself in the foot' with this book title:-
'Dangerous Choices: How the Anti-Vaccine Movement Threatens Us All.'
Most parents are NOT stupid and can make the connection between 'dangerous choices' and vaccine damage!! This is similar to Andrew Wakefield giving his book the title 'Callous Disregard'. This completely 'turned the tables' on the medical establishment and GMC, who used this term when attempting to discredit him, but discredited themselves instead!!
Posted by: Jenny Allan | October 19, 2010 at 02:22 PM
I fear that this is going to get front and center billing at every Barnes & Noble.
Can't wait to read the NYTimes book review.
Blech!
Posted by: Henderson | October 19, 2010 at 02:15 PM
I know a guy who was about to vaccinate a baby who started seizing...I mean, what? He really does think the world is full of idiots, excepting himself of course.
Posted by: sarah | October 19, 2010 at 02:12 PM
Dr Offit wants to stuff the genie back in the bottle. Not happening. I think Eric is right. Ask the average person on the street what they think about this ideology - that all citizens should just surrender their right to informed consent to any medical authority for any reason. Ask them if they're afraid, and what / who they're afraid of. Offit wants you to fear disease, and anyone who doesn't pay hommage to the guy in the white coat.
At what point do we ultimately start to trade lives, and maybe even throw a few kids under the bus along the way, as a matter of policy? When the statistical analysis says we can? When enough people are whipped into a panic? This is morally reprehensible. I think people are starting to see the subtle ugliness of this kind of fascist approach to managing public health. We are not data points, we are human beings. Science can never be used to justify harming an innocent individual. IMHO the discussion around mandating any medical procedure is not purely a scientific argument. And it goes way beyond vaccines. Using fear to promote an assault on individual / consitutional / charter rights and freedoms has some iteresting historical parallels. Painting people on the pro-choice side of the debate as self serving dangerous fanatics and a threat to the "greater good" especially in this consumer driven society, is pure hypocrisy. Even people who are pro vaccine should be starting to raise an eyebrow.
Posted by: Shiny Happy Person | October 19, 2010 at 12:27 PM
love it, "The problem is, everyone is having that conversation anyway." Also, you forgot one of their more transparent tricks- the one where the courts allow that a vaccine has caused "autism-like sypmtoms" but not autism. LMAO.... That recent survey done that showed the vast majority of parents feel vaccine safety is the number one medical/child health issue (ahead, even, of an issue like cancer and its potential environmental causes) really says it all. They just don't want to listen.
Posted by: jen | October 19, 2010 at 11:49 AM
Perhaps pediatricians would stop towing the line if parents of vaccine injured children started suing them for malpractice - i.e., not recognizing when a child has a pattern of adverse reactions from prior vaccines indicating that continuing to follow the one-size-fits-all schedule might not be appropriate. Their conveyor belt mentality rather than individual evaluation is sickening.
Posted by: Ann | October 19, 2010 at 11:34 AM
You know if Offit just accepted Dr. Wakefield's offer to debate in any venue of Offit's choosing, Offit wouldn't have to write all those books. If he showed Wakefield to be a fool and a fraud in a debate, that would be more persuasive than any book.
It's curious that Offit doesn't accept if he feels that vaccine refusal is so dangerous.
Posted by: Carol | October 19, 2010 at 11:20 AM
He's an alarmist and manipulative to boot. If the public only knew these dreaded "anti-vaccinationist" Offit warns of are parents of vaccine injured children. We are the ones who blindly trusted the system, unwittingly sacrificed our kids to alter of vaccines and got horribly burned.
Offit is nothing but a modern day Joe McCarthy only worse. He plays on public fear. I hope he crashes in burns the way McCarthy did in his day.
Dr. Offit:
"Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last, have you left no sense of decency?"
Posted by: Sarah | October 19, 2010 at 10:42 AM
Does anyone know when he is due on the Today Show with Dr. Nancy
...to shoot up an entire multi-dose vial of flu vaccine with Thimerosal by himself ??? That would only be 10 doses of the 10,000 an infant can handle...
Looking forward to his Vaccine Pimp and Prostitute book. Did Dr. Nancy write the forward ???
I would suppose no book tour again...
Posted by: cmo | October 19, 2010 at 10:24 AM
True, vets aren't that great either, but some of them are willing to recognize vaccine damage, and they know about enzymes and special diets for digestive problems. That's why I say puppies get better health care than kids.
Carol, that is interesting about MS. I'm becoming convinced that ALS, MS and Alzheimer's are all vaccine induced.
Posted by: julie | October 19, 2010 at 10:15 AM
Yesterday I attended a "symposium" where the featured speaker was Dr. Offit, who spoke for over an hour, on the "Challenges to Communicating the Science Behind the Vaccine-Autism Debate". Many of the 400 who attended were of the medical and educational professions .. and .. his speech seemed to be well received.
Needless to say .. I was probably among a small minority of attendees (parents and grandparents?) who could have easily offered reasoned disagreement with just about everything he said.
For instance .. his audience was greatly impressed when Dr. Offit told a personal ""anecdote" of a pediatrician he knows .. who was just about to give a baby a vaccine when the baby suddenly had a seizure. His audience seemed sympathetic to the pediatrician who said "had that baby suffered the seizure in the moments AFTER the vaccine .. the vaccine surely would have been blamed."
With this single "anecdote" .. whether true or manufactured .. Dr. Offit appeared to have successfully diminished the "inconvenient truth" that THOUSANDS of parents have reported sharing the personal experience of their child suffering adverse reactions following vaccinations.
In any event .. Dr. Offit is no fool .. you can guarantee he will not appear in any venue where he can be immediately challenged by someone who has even a rudimentary interest in questioning "vaccine safety".
Posted by: Bob Moffitt | October 19, 2010 at 10:05 AM
What is wrong with questioning?! Are we not taught to question everything, so that we might have the best information possible before making a decision?
As an aspie, I don't do ANYTHING with out throughly questioning it and making sure that things will turn out alright. That includes when making decisions about my health. It's called being a responsible adult!
How come, if they are so sure that vaccines are absolutely wonderful, they are so dead set against those who ask questions about it? The reaction looks like that of a young child who just stole a doll from his sister.
You just saw him take it, you ask him about it, and immediately he gets angry, stomps his foot, and says "I DID NOT!!!" It seems like the reaction of the guilty. And those who write books like this, like Paul Offit, are not making themselves look less guilty by doing so.
It makes them look MORE guilty. Being so adament in thier position people start to ask, just what are they trying to hide?
Posted by: Theodora Trudorn | October 19, 2010 at 10:05 AM
Paul Offit has become a cartoon character. A vaccine mongers version of Smokey the Bear, but far more menacing.
"Remember, Only YOU can prevent deadly diseases. Get shots or we will shoot you. Up."
Posted by: Harry H. | October 19, 2010 at 10:03 AM
Injury from vaccines was well-known in the late 1940s. No, not brain injury. Polio can be (and still is) provoked by injections. http://insidevaccines.com/wordpress/2010/09/07/polio-causes-and-effects-part-i/
But with the inability to learn from experience which seems to be a hallmark of modern medicine, incidents of provoked polio (some from a combo of oral polio vaccine and injected vaccines) continue to occur.
Dense.
Posted by: MinorityView | October 19, 2010 at 09:53 AM
Yes, Yes, that is exactly right - the American people that have to take vaccines in order to get a public education are really too stupid to discuss anything as complicated as vaccines.
So much for the importance of a public education - the same education that our really smart NIH, FDA and CDC agents and DOCTORS started out with - but then they were the really smart ones and got to go to big universities. Hey, wait! there are lots of others that went to those big Univeristies too - but- but- but they got to be doctors/medical people because they were just really, really the cream of the crop because God loved them best! Other people would have been doctors and in the medical profession if they were only smart enough- nothing to do with they might have talent/interest in other areas and not medicine!
But what they don't get, they did not do their job properly and lots of people have to stop their jobs, careers, interest and focus in on the mess they have made.
Nothing like other professionals having to zero in own your profession because you have blown it! Now whose stupid?
Posted by: Benedetta | October 19, 2010 at 09:42 AM
Big deal. Offit's book will get him a few interviews on TV... but he's NOT going to sell more than 10 or 12 copies, seriously. This book will be a grab bag gift at christmas parties at hospitals, maybe...at BEST. The average mom and dad considering whether to vaccinate won't be rushing out to read this garbage.
They'll be TALKING TO OTHER PARENTS. Fortunately, there's so damned many of US who are aware of the safety issues that we can be there to guide them... convince them to follow a more gradual schedule, while skipping some of the particular shots altogether.
Posted by: Erik Nanstiel | October 19, 2010 at 09:40 AM
I love Julie's comment. We have been pediatrician free in my house since 2002.
Vet's aren't so great. They push vaccines, too. We don't go there either.
Posted by: Mary | October 19, 2010 at 09:04 AM
Oh that makes me mad!!! But what I have learned the last few years is this debate is far from dead, if anything it is picking up momentum. It can't be much longer... sigh
Posted by: casey | October 19, 2010 at 08:32 AM
It's an open secret that mass vaccination with hepatitis B vaccines caused thousands of cases of MS and associated demyelinating diseases in France in the mid 90s. Several hundred were among children.
But the problem wasn't restricted to France. Vaccine researcher Dr. Bonnie Dunbar testified to Congress in 1999 that two of her co-workers, one of them her brother, contracted debilitating autoimmune illnesses after mandatory hepatitis B vaccination. She was aware of thousands of other cases.
Why everybody isn't talking about this all the time, I don't know. Offit is certainly aware of it.
http://www.vaccinationnews.com/rally/dunbartestimony.htm
http://medicalveritas.com/manGirard.pdf
Posted by: Carol | October 19, 2010 at 08:08 AM
It should be called "How the Anti-Vaccine Movement Threatens My Income". I have been reading about the early history of mass vaccination in the 1930's and 40's, and from the start vaccines were touted quite openly as a money-maker for doctors. It wasn't about public health at all.
Pediatricians have embraced Offit because they are terrified the public will realize you are better off taking your child to a veterinarian than a pediatrician.
What do pediatricians do anyway? They don't help sick children. Sick children are farmed out to specialists. All pediatricians do is make well children sick.
Posted by: julie | October 19, 2010 at 07:48 AM
Amen TannersDad Tim
Posted by: TannersDad Tim Wels | October 19, 2010 at 07:43 AM