Weekly Wrap: Yes, Blame Government For the Return of Measles
The British media and medical establishment can't get over Andy Wakefield's gall when he claimed, in a post published here, that an outbreak of measles in Wales is squarely the fault of British health officials. Has the man no decency? At long last, has he no decency?
Well, I certainly agree with Andy that the blame for the measles outbreak rests squarely with the public health establishment. Separate measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines were available when Andy was asked, and gave his honest view, that parents should avail themselves of that choice until more research was done. A few months afterward, the government got rid of those shots, and parents were left with all or nothing -- the MMR, about which quite reasonable concerns persisted, or no shot at all.
Many chose nothing, no shot at all, making the quite reasonable calculation that the risk of those diseeases was better than a 1-in-50 shot at getting autism (actually, of the three, the only good case is for the rubella vaccine, to prevent congenital rubella syndrome in babies). The same dynamic has played itself out in the United States, where separate shots were available, then they weren't, then they were going be, but then they weren't -- and still aren't.
The British establishment would like to paint Andy as a uniquely hubristic satanic fraudster -- who else would engender concerns about the safety of vaccines, and then blame the authorities when parents don't get them in the prescribed way?
Well, Jon Poling, for one. In 2008, Hannah's father wrote a column for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in the wake of his daughter's multi-million-dollar award in vaccine court for, yes, vaccine-induced autism:
"The current vaccine schedule, co-sponsored by the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics, injures a small but significant minority of children, my daughter unfortunately being one of those victims. Every day, more parents and some pediatricians reject the current vaccine schedule. In an abundance of caution, meaningful reform must be performed urgently to prevent the re-emergence of serious diseases like polio or measles.
"As a neurologist, I have cared for those afflicted with SSPE (a rare but dreaded neurological complication of measles), paralytic polio and tetanus. If these serious vaccine-preventable diseases again become commonplace, the fault will rest solely on the shoulders of public health leaders and policymakers who have failed to heed the writing on the wall (scribbled by my 9-year old daughter)."
To repeat, the return of measles would rest solely on the shoulders of public health leaders, according to the father of a child compensated for vaccine-induced autism.
As I wrote at the time, Dr, Poling is the real deal, educated at Johns Hopkins, devoted both to his daughter and his patients, tempered by reality. He's mild-mannered. He's mainstream. He's credible. And he says that if a disease like measles emerges again, "the fault will rest solely on the shoulders of public health leaders and policymakers."
As I wrote then, "I'm starting to think we should rename the CDC the Centers for Disease Contagion. You've all seen the news that there are suddenly more measles cases in the United States and the CDC is blaming it in part on the increasing reluctance of parents to vaccinate their kids.
"But it's the CDC's fault, and no other. ... Right now they're triggering a measles outbreak, and that may just be the start of the havoc they're going to cause unless Congress or the (next) president reminds them who's REALLY in control around here."
Oh, and by the way, vaccines including the MMR are the cause of the autism epidemic. More and more parents, families, and ordinary people know it. Andy Wakefield and Jon Poling are stating the obvious -- parents have lost trust in governments that say otherwise.
--
Dan Olmsted is Editor of Age of Autism.
Rubella vax is useless also, and they have had the cure for infections with Vitamin C for 60 years which would destroy vaccination all by itself
http://whale.to/a/vitamin_c_banners.html
http://whale.to/vaccines/rubella3.html
Posted by: john | April 24, 2013 at 04:49 PM
Does anyone know if Mr. Colfer-Williams received the measles vaccine or the MMR at any time in his life? It seems probable that he did, as he would have been born around the time the MMR was starting to be pushed in Great Britain. Not that it diminishes the tragedy of his death one way or the other, but it would be interesting if his were a case of vaccine failure. Originally they claimed that one shot was enough to give lifetime protection, but, because of frequent vaccine failures, have had to increase the number over time.
Posted by: ciaparker | April 23, 2013 at 12:13 PM
A single weak person may die from the measles, but thousands of healthy children die each year from MMR vaccines (according to VAERS). For me the choice is clear. NO vaccines.
Posted by: no vac | April 22, 2013 at 05:55 PM
Angus
The comment from Republican is the one I enjoyed the most on that Express comments link you gave. His wife is a paediatric nurse of 30 years standing. They took their children to a private clinic for the single vaccine and found a long queue comprised of all her friends and colleagues in the medical field!
People who can afford it, people who know the truth, vote with their feet and their pocket book. 'Twas ever thus, sadly.
Posted by: Patricia | April 22, 2013 at 10:08 AM
Brave of the Express to write some of the truths in this sordid affair unlike Matthew Wright on his morning show last week told a caller the vaccine was 99% effect and why wouldn't parents have the vaccine. Some body in fairy land must given him that figure although he forgot to mention you now need two doses of MMR according to the DOH in stark contrast to Edwina Currie junior health minister at time of MMR introduction told us 1 dose is all we need to give us the necessary immunity.
Perhaps governments should heed the words of that wise man Ghandi " Any action dictated by fear or coercion ceases to be moral"
Posted by: mn | April 22, 2013 at 04:38 AM
Angus, I commented on Express article but twice my AOA link was altered but not other links, perhaps they are blocking links to AOA ?
That aside I was amazed that the article restored at least some balance to the debate....gave me a little hope actually.
Posted by: Letthembegot | April 22, 2013 at 02:51 AM
It is beyond me why this is plastered all across the Australian news.
Perhaps, because we have our own problems with vaccines-
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/fluvax-still-given-to-children-despite-being-banned-from-under-fives-in-2010/story-fncynkc6-1226625009991
http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western-australia/kids-get-banned-fluvax-vaccine/story-fnhocxo3-1226625149176
Elizabeth Gillespie
Posted by: AussieMum | April 21, 2013 at 07:43 PM
Exactly cherry sperlin misra ..
Blown away, why cant the populations see that,,
Angus
Posted by: Angus Files | April 21, 2013 at 05:50 PM
http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/393509/MMR-jab-remains-controversial-despite-recent-measles-death
Well worth a comment if anyone has the time
Angus
Posted by: Angus Files | April 21, 2013 at 05:10 PM
Benedetta,
The complications that cause the most deaths in people with measles are pneumonia and encephalitis. Encephalitis is uncommon, they like to say one in a thousand, but Michaela Glockler in Guide to Child Health says that figure is incorrect, that in children who don't get Tylenol the figure is more like one in ten thousand. I don't know how common measles pneumonia is, it may be one in twenty, but it's usually treatable with antibiotics and isn't usually fatal. Fifty years ago about one in one thousand died of measles, and it would probably be fewer now with better crisis care in hospitals. In Europe in 2011, nine died out of 26,074 diagnosed cases, and about fifteen more suffered possibly permanent damage. Those who take vitamin A, avoid Tylenol, stay in bed the whole time in a dark room, well-hydrated etc., Wendy Lydall says it's very important not to be chilled at any time by any means, if these measures are taken, it is very unlikely that the patient will have complications.
Posted by: ciaparker | April 21, 2013 at 03:19 PM
Cherry
Also vitamins A and C - I think even the WHO recommends A for measles.
John
Posted by: John Stone | April 21, 2013 at 03:08 PM
the same people who care so much about someone dying of measles, are the same people who COULD be telling people how to keep their immune systems strong - but do not. Where is the push to get U.S. or U.K. children out in the sun daily or give them vit D supplements in winter. Adults too, for that matter. And what about the foods that maintain a healthy immune system? Who is telling you about those? Only the health websites- NOT the government. Well, I guess that would be PROBLEMATIC - If you want people to have a strong immune system, you might have to tell them to avoid flu shots with mercury, that damages the immune system, and we cant do that can we? Selling flu shots is far more important . In conclusion- You're on your own.
Posted by: cherry sperlin misra | April 21, 2013 at 02:06 PM
Posted to me ..
Just for information. Gareth Colfer is the real name of the poor guy whose death is being trumpeted as measles by the DH. He has a fb page, not generally active since around 2010 but from his contacts ascertained his sister’s page and she added "The sun aren't happy to report the truth as its bad enough, they gotta lie that Dakota give it to him, js to clarify before she gets thrown out of nursery DAKOTA HASNT OR ISNT GETTING MEASLES she is fully vaccinated!! Poor child xxx
The sun is the Sun Newspaper owned by Rupert Murdoch..still telling whoppers as always..
Angus
Posted by: Angus Files | April 21, 2013 at 07:43 AM
I always thought the "MMR" was the "More Money for Rupert's" son vaccine,
and the "CDC" was the "Center for Disease and Corruption"...
Posted by: cmo | April 20, 2013 at 07:46 PM
Benedetta,
From what I have read from public health type of web sites, the primary complication that people die from who contract measles is a secondary bacterial infection such as pneumonia. Measles virus has the effect of suppressing the part of the immune system that provides protection from bacterial infection.
When I think about my daughter who regressed into autism along with increased intestinal symptoms, her overriding health issues apart from the gut issues since then are her inability to keep bacterial infections under control.
If it turns out to be true that the young man did indeed have measles, do we know if he was on steroids (immunosuppressants) for his asthma? or if he had recently been immunized with the MMR upon hearing about recent measles outbreak? If he did indeed have measles, was it from natural infection of the wild strain or the vaccine strain? Could he have been infected from close contact with someone who had recently been vaccinated with the "live" MMR? We know from past use of other live viral vaccines (polio, smallpox, etc) that vaccine viral strains can be transmitted to close contacts, why not the MMR?
Posted by: Donna K | April 20, 2013 at 07:09 PM
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2311552/Man-25-die-measles-South-Wales-outbreak.html
In this Daily Mail article it contradicts itself. It says at first that he died from measles. Read on however and it goes on to say tests being carried out will take another week to confirm cause of death. Here also is the neighbour saying he suffered from asthma attacks.
I think this is a good example of how crazy all this media spin has become. totally irresponsible.
Posted by: Patricia | April 20, 2013 at 04:11 PM
Tests are currently being carried out on this young man who had died. A neighbour is reported as saying he suffered a lot from asthma attacks. It is not confirmed that he died from contracting measles.
Posted by: Patricia | April 20, 2013 at 04:02 PM
Are any health officials in the UK even recommending the use of high dose vitamin A as a treatment for these measles cases? Or are they all just pretending there is no middle ground here...your kid either dies (not likely) or you subject your child to an incredibly dangerous vaccine (which in my opinion would also include the separate measles vaccine)?
Posted by: Donna L. | April 20, 2013 at 03:21 PM
What do people that gets measles usually die from?
Just curious what complications.
My grandparents had measles in their late 30s. They lived back on a creek, during the depression, with no medical doctor, no running water, no electricty, no cars.
My Mother said they all were sick with the measles.
I know this guy died of the measles and I am so very sorry. But I have to wonder what was the complications.
I think that modern medicine needs to become "modern" they need to know the exact routes a disaese takes and be able to forecast -- Some how I feel that modern medicine has stalled big time.
They have talent when it comes to injuries (from battle fields and accidents) they have antibiotics, they have ways of keeping someone breathing till they can hopefully heal and breath again on thier own, they have ways of keeping a person fed and hydrated till they are able to feed and drink again on their own.
But we are still in the DARK ages of the endocrine system, immune system, and lymp system.
Something has held them back?
What could it be?
Men like Salisbury, James Cherry, Offit, Thorsen, attitudes at the NIH of real "Smart" "HE MEN" "DR. KILDARES"????
Posted by: Benedetta | April 20, 2013 at 02:33 PM
You definitely cannot trust a single word the BBC are saying .
They are total b,liars . This gentleman who died , well I just don't believe the bbc when they say it was from measles .
This is a propaganda war make no mistake . Heidi Larson .
just keep on pressing for criminal prosecutions , there is nothing more that scares the middle men than that .
Posted by: Jilly Ann Beret | April 20, 2013 at 01:01 PM
Thanks Dan, today in the Daily Mail which is one of the few papers that still risks the odd ,Autism is liked to Vaccines story...such as today ..down the comments 4 0r 5 as i write you have the post as below
and quote"many children with measles that have had MMR so how effective is it,"
"Pictured for the first time: The 25-year-old man from South Wales who has died from measles"
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2311552/Man-25-die-measles-South-Wales-outbreak.html#ixzz2R1OYE8Bf
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I have family that live in the middle of the measles outbreak and there are many children with measles that have had MMR so how effective is it, lets hope the outbreak receeds and no children are left with complications or worse.
- Eye in the sky , northampton, United Kingdom, 20/4/2013 15:27
Suprised they havent blamed Dr Wakefield for the Boston shootings,Swine Flu,Mad Cow disease ..(which I think a case still exists at BMJ) etc etc
Posted by: Angus Files | April 20, 2013 at 12:29 PM
Considering the rising prevalence of autoimmune diseases (asthma, Type 1 diabetes, etc.) in children, I'm not sure the minority injured by vaccines is "small."
Posted by: Carol | April 20, 2013 at 12:14 PM
Blame science for the facts
Posted by: Bryn Hind | April 20, 2013 at 12:05 PM
Is Dr. Poling's article still online?
Posted by: Linda | April 20, 2013 at 12:04 PM
I know a few parents who feel that the choices are being taken away. If my choice is between MMRV or nothing, and all I want is a measles or mumps booster, then I'll choose nothing. They have screwed up.
Posted by: Jen | April 20, 2013 at 11:28 AM
To be fair, it has been confirmed that Gareth Williams, 25, died of measles. Since measles is fatal in a small number of cases, it must be accepted as probable that this information is correct. However, if he had gotten measles as a child the way nearly all children did before the measles vaccine, it is unlikely that he would have died of it, as measles is usually more serious in adults. Aviva Jill Romm in her book Vaccinations cites the definition of "endemic" in Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary (15th edition), as meaning a disease that occurs in a particular population, but has low mortality, as measles. (p. 62). Dr. Spock, in his Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care, 1957 edition, says in the section on quarantine (p. 426), that you shouldn't visit other families with your sick children if the disease is one that's dreaded, such as mumps for a man, whooping cough for a baby, scarlet fever. Siblings of children with scarlet fever, diphtheria, meningitis, or polio should probably be kept at home, to avoid contagion of others. "On the other hand, don't hesitate to go if the disease is one of the less feared ones, like measles, chicken pox, and German measles." It was the best thing for the child's future health to go ahead and get these diseases before puberty, and it would still be the best thing to let these diseases come back (letting women of childbearing age take appropriate measures if they do not get natural immunity to rubella before pregnancy). Michaela Glockler says in her Guide to Child Health that the figure of one in a thousand measles cases getting measles encephalitis is way exaggerated, and that, in previously healthy children, the rate is more like one in ten thousand, or less. She thinks that the apparent recent increase, if accurate, is due to the increased use of Tylenol etc. to reduce fever, which is an extremely dangerous practice.
I think Dr. Wakefield is mistaken to recommend the single measles vaccine. While safer than the trivalent MMR, it is still not safe. Dr. Eisenstein in his book Make an Informed Vaccine Decision (p. 81), says that the measles vaccine has a long history of causing serious adverse reactions, such as encephalitis, subacute (fatal) sclerosing panencephalitis (although, to be fair, the disease can cause this as well), Guillain-Barré syndrome, convulsions, seizures, ataxia, ocular palsies, anaphylaxis, angioneurotic edema, bronchial spasms, panniculitis, vasculitis, thrombocytopenia, lymphadenopathy, leukocytosis, pneumonitis, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, erythema multiforme, urticaria, deafness, otitis media, retinitis, optic neuritis, rash, fever, dizziness, headache, and death.
Of course the pharma companies and government were culpable in limiting access to the individual vaccines for those that wanted them, but parents must be aware of the risks of even the individual vaccines. Dr. Eisenstein has lists of the adverse reactions linked to the mumps and rubella vaccines in the appropriate chapters. I think it would be better to let measles (etc.) come back, and educate parents with the information in Aviva Jill Romm and Wendy Lydall's books on caring for children with these formerly common diseases at home, including recognizing symptoms which require immediate medical attention.
Posted by: ciaparker | April 20, 2013 at 10:54 AM
As we all know here it is very rare to die from the measles, and is a scare tactic that they are using to get people to vaccinate, also the headline on their scare articles say, "Man dies as UK measles epidemic spreads" yet towards the end of the article it says "It's not yet clear whether the man died of the virus.", so then why is the article implying that he died as a result of the measles and was the man vaccinated? more than likely he was, if he wasn't this would most likely have been their headline. The Drug industry combined with their government insiders are pushing their "FAKE EPIDEMIC",!
Posted by: Victor Pavlovic | April 20, 2013 at 09:36 AM
CDC could also be for Center for Disaster Cover-up: how to blame the victims for your own screw-ups.
Or Corrupted Disinformation Center.
Posted by: Karin | April 20, 2013 at 08:07 AM