What a Difference a Day Makes
By Anne Dachel
What a difference a day makes, or should I say, a news cycle makes. Suddenly, the media world is demonizing Dr. Andrew Wakefield. If it weren't for him, no one would link vaccines to autism. It's all his fault.
The most outstanding example is Dr. Manny Alvarez at Fox News, himself the father of an autistic child. I recently wrote about Alvarez in my Alisyn Camerota tribute. (HERE) In that story, Alvarez agreed that Hannah Poling "was severely autistic" and that we just don't know how many kids have the same predisposition to autism that she has. Suddenly, as the media launches an all out attack on Wakefield, Manny Alvarez has changed his story completely. Here's the latest by him from Fox News.
In a piece called, Stop Lying About the Autism-Vaccine 'Link', Alvarez claims that Hannah Poling is no longer "severely autistic," she merely has "a brain disorder with features similar of autism spectrum disorder." And instead of professing that it's true we just don't know how many kids are just like Hannah Poling, suddenly, her condition is "rare."
Alvarez can't tell us what causes autism but he calls the autism-vaccine link a lie. When experts from Health and Human Services compensated Hannah Poling, was that also a fraud? Why is it that vaccines are linked to autism in one lone federal court case, but whenever anyone else brings the subject up, they're lying?
I'd really like Dr. Alvarez to explain what's going on.
(BTW Dr. Alvarez, the autism is one in 110, not one in 150, as you reported.)
K - Thank you for the numbers feedback. Does anyone here have access to Dept of Education numbers for kids on the AI spectrum receiving services for 2008 or 2009? I am sick and tired of the 1 in 110 number or even the 1 in 100 number. Since the school system is the ONLY governmental agency that has really had to deal with this situation, I feel they would have the best data. Anyone????
Posted by: Jill Fenech | January 08, 2011 at 04:08 PM
I find it almost laughable that the media doesn't keep up on this story enough to realize that this is old news, these allegations form Brian Deer are not new at all. They are literally just passing along press releases as they get them without doing any background checking at all.
Doesn't every single charge or allegation against Dr Wakefield come from Brian Deer? Don't they wonder who this guy is? Doesn't it seem odd to them that he works for a newspaper that is owned by a man who sits on the board of GlaxoSmithKline with the express responsibility to mitigate any PR that could damage the profitability of GSK? No, I guess it doesn't.
Posted by: Sierra | January 08, 2011 at 12:54 AM
To Jill: I don't know the official numbers, but I am a public school teacher and I know the numbers at my own school. We have 5 in 345, which reduces to 1 in 69. Keep in mind, though, that all of those students are mainstreamed with support. The most severe students in our district will attend a self-contained class in another building, and aren't included in my count.
Posted by: K. | January 08, 2011 at 12:01 AM
I'm positive that the most recent
attacks on Dr Wakefield, is a well financed,
well planned, highly strategized. We have seen similar campaigns before. The FDA/CDC is expert at this sort of thing. However, I suspect the British medical establishment
together with Brian Deer are at the root.
They really want to bury Dr Wakefield, a hero of mine.
I just hope the truth will finally break thru.
1A CDC Flu Slide Show
I’m sure that all that subscribe to this group are aware of the planning the CDC does in order to entice all parents to get their children vaccinated for the flu. However, just in case one or two of you are not aware, I have included the link to the CDC’s 2004-2005 slide of the campaign planned. We are bucking one strong well financed force.
Sorry its rotated 90degrees but there is a control for making the image smaller
Here's the link I have in my files, for the CDC's flu vaccine promotion slide show:
http://www.urban-renaissance.org/urbanren/images/2004_flu_nowak.pdf
Posted by: Paul Shapiro | January 07, 2011 at 09:21 PM
You're surprised by the integrity of anyone from Fox NEWS?
An Informed and Educated Electorate
Monday 06 December 2010
by: Thom Hartmann, Berrett-Koehler Publishers | Serialized Book
http://www.truth-out.org/thom-hartmann-chapter-4-an-informed-and-educated-electorate65685
Anderson Cooper shocks me more.
Posted by: KHW | January 07, 2011 at 08:05 PM
"24 little hours"
and yes, I think Deer is a weird bird.
I'd also like Alvarez to explain himself and commit to one side or the other.
Thanks Anne-you are always Anne on the spot.
Maurine
Posted by: Maurine Meleck | January 07, 2011 at 06:17 PM
To Tim Welsh...your quote from Alvarez, "I have no doubt that understanding autism and its roots will be identified in the near future. Hopefully, not by doctors like Wakefield, but by doctors who are really looking out for our children."
That's almost laughable when you consider the sorry record of the medical community when it comes to autism. I say almost laughable because in truth it's a tragedy that countless thousands of doctors have looked on as a generation of children became autistic. They've been content to merely scratch their collective heads as kids stopped talking and making eye contact and started spinning, rocking, seizing, and banging their heads.
For two decades doctors have been clueless. They weren't even able to say if there really are more kids with autism. They took credit for the disaster, calling it "better diagnosing." They're the first to claim that there's no known cure, no known cause, no known anything about autism except their non-stop mantra, THERE IS NO LINK BETWEEN THE ARSENAL OF VACCINES USED ON OUR KIDS AND AUTISM.
I loved Manny Alvarez to tell us where these doctors are---the ones looking out for our kids.
Anne Dachel
Posted by: Anne McElroy Dachel | January 07, 2011 at 12:58 PM
What are the "real" autism numbers? I read a report that cited from Department of Education figures that kids on the autism spectrum receiving services through American schools was 1 IN 67. THAT FIGURE IS FROM 2007! Does anyone have any current data?
Posted by: Jill Fenech | January 07, 2011 at 10:46 AM
Oh, the conflicted mind of Dr. Manny Alvarez. Aand all this unnecessary polarity... Why can't these people understand that a vaccine-injured child is as tragic as a child injured by disease?
Posted by: nhokkanen | January 07, 2011 at 08:38 AM
Posted by: Jim Thompson | January 07, 2011 at 08:26 AM
Anne,
I know of so many reporters, TV and paper, with autistic children. (Some are high level investigative reporters.) My eyes were opened in 2003 to the hardcore dangers of vaccines when I read A Shot in the Dark. It was then that I became obsessed with the work of medical researcher Harris Coulter. http://vaccineawakening.blogspot.com/2010/03/harris-coulter-was-brave-visionary.html
I did not just read his book, I actually looked up the papers he cited, read information for myself, analyzed his vaccine research. I regret never meeting him in person and thanking him for REALLY REALLY opening my eyes on many levels. Harris Coulter died in 2009.
My advice to the reporters of America, especially the investigative ones with autistic children......HARRIS COULTER...start there.
Posted by: Claudine Liss | January 07, 2011 at 08:08 AM
"I have no doubt that understanding autism and its roots will be identified in the near future. Hopefully, not by doctors like Wakefield, but by doctors who are really looking out for our children." Alvarez
This quote has really stirs up angry feelings how would you respond Anne and community? What have mainstream doctors done for us? Even Offit admitted on Zack Gonzalez's Radio show, they do not have the tools to do anything and have nothing to offer.
TannersDad Tim My New Passion is to make sure all buy read share the new book from Skyhorse www.vaccineepidemic.com Time to preach to more than the choir will you help Please have it debut at number One?
Posted by: TannersDad Tim Welsh | January 07, 2011 at 08:03 AM
I saw an interview clip of Brian Deer giving an audience to Anderson Cooper. (Does anyone else think Deer is a weird bird? Would you want to find your kid talking to this guy?)
Anyway, before when Deer has commented on replications of Dr. Wakefield's results he says the researchers are all Wakefield's buddies. Today he said that Wakefield seizes on tangential results and claims corroboration.
Posted by: Carol | January 07, 2011 at 08:01 AM