Dan Olmsted on Canadian TV: "Vaccines Cause Autism."
Editor's Note: While Autism Speaks was flooding U.S. airwaves Thursday with their final craven capitulation -- "Vaccines do not cause autism. We urge that all children be fully vaccinated." -- I was on Canada's Sun News network delivering the opposite message.
You can view the video online HERE if the player does not appear for you.
"I'm sure you've taken a lot of criticism these days," host Jerry Agar said by way of introduction, "but you boldly stay the course?" I responded: "Vaccines are very strongly implicated in the rise of autism since the 1980s, yes."
The crusty conservative wasn't buying it, but I kind of liked him anyway and I think the conversation is worth a listen (why are right-wingers easier to talk to about this stuff than my fellow progressives?). Please note: There was an audio delay, and I misunderstood the question about keeping unvaccinated kids out of school and "hockey leagues," which made me think he was talking about mumps in the NHL. If an infectious disease is raging, then yes, susceptible people should stay away, but no, I don't favor vaccine mandates for school or sports.
By the way, NBC asked us for our view on vaccines (Autism Speaks made it onto the show; we didn't). Here's the statement Mark Blaxill and I provided based on our new book, "Vaccines 2.0 -- The Careful Parent's Guide to Making Safe Vaccination Decisions For Your Family":
1. The CDC. has recommended the most aggressive schedule of any country in the world, yet our infant mortality rate is a national embarrassment, ranking behind such countries as Cuba and Slovenia. We urge parents not to trust the CDC; there is clear evidence of scientific fraud in their research on vaccines, as stated by CDC senior scientist William Thompson. see his statement:
2. We don't recommend any specific schedule. We suggest to parents they should vaccinate, or not, based on diligent research about the risks of the vaccines and the diseases.
3. There have been 1,500 cases of measles in the United States in the last decade, with zero deaths according to the CDC. Meanwhile there have been over 80 reported deaths from measles-containing vaccines.
-- Dan Olmsted
The video link works today.
Thanks Dan for getting a few licks in with the interviewer. It was nice to hear him state that he was against mandatory vaccination himself, but it sure seemed that he was supportive of it.
Posted by: Tim Kasemodel | February 10, 2015 at 01:27 PM
I have been trying for a couple hours now - it says the video is "currently unavailable"......
I hope I am wrong and I get to view it, but I suspect they were getting more support for Dan's opinion than they liked...
Posted by: Tim Kasemodel | February 09, 2015 at 08:45 PM
I am a relatively new viewer of this website, Dan, but I honestly think you did an incredible job driving home the message that there is a link between autism and vaccines. The two facts you brought up (William Thompson's admission and the Hannah Poling case/settlement) speak VOLUMES to viewers of the safety issues involving the US childhood vaccine schedule, as well as the persistent efforts (even to the point of dishonesty/fraud) by the pharmaceutical industry and public health officials to deny any association between vaccines and autism.
Lizzie, I am a pharmacist also, and I am amazed that more pharmacists don't think like we do. I tell everyone I have a chance to that the current vaccination schedule is dangerous, and if they think I am a nut job, so be it. I lost a son to this tragedy; it just doesn't get any worse than that.
Posted by: Karen Woytowitz | February 08, 2015 at 09:16 PM
Dan,
I think you did an excellent job during this interview to contradict the interviewer’s position on there being no relationship between vaccines and autism by referring to the Hannah Poling case and whistleblower’s Dr. William Thompson’s assertion that the 2004 CDC study showing no relationship between autism and vaccines was a fraud. Over and over again, mindless TV people refer to the 1998 study co-authored by Dr. Andrew Wakefield as being a totally discredited and fraudulent study. I’d love someone to get up and say that the fraud that exists here relates to what has been said about the Wakefield study, rather than the study itself. Then, in almost the same breath, I’d like the point to be made that the real fraud has been carried out in the 2004 CDC study and how the mainstream media totally blacked out the study.
All this being said, like some of the comments that have already been made, I was disappointed in your practically endorsing vaccination in general. Dr. Suzanne Humphries, co-author of “Dissolving Illusions: Disease, Vaccines, and the Forgotten History” has used numerous scientific articles and other historical data, as well as common sense to dispel the myths that vaccination is scientifically safe and effective. In addition to her book, readers can access her on Youtube and in your own Age of Autism. Here are a few of the excellent links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vu9YJ4VHow Recent interview with Dr. Mercola
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpC0Tbb3diI#t=141 Are Vaccines Safe?
http://vactruth.com/2013/02/15/disappearance-of-polio/?utm_source=The+Vaccine+Truth+Newsletter&utm_campaign=088f8bdb74-02_15_2013_polio&utm_medium=email (The story of Polio)
Michael B Schachter MD, CNS
Posted by: Michael B Schachter MD, CNS | February 08, 2015 at 01:17 PM
Awesome interview Dan.
Posted by: Victor | February 08, 2015 at 08:15 AM
Hi Dan,
Long-time reader of this excellent site, first-time commenter.
Given the time restrictions and obvious agenda of the interviewer, I think you did a tremendous job, not least because you were calm, reasonable, and friendly throughout, whereas he almost immediately became the typical rabid attack dog we have become used to when we dare question the sacred golden cow of holy St. Vaccine.
I don't know why people would think you'd need to have kids to care about this; I don't have them either (or even a dog!) but I care about the future of the world and of humanity, and that depends 100% on the world's children being kept healthy and undamaged.
Also, the burden of 'herd immunity' and all that nonsense is on small children right now, but that will change. Pharma companies are realising more and more they have a huge untapped market in adult vaccines, plus the pro-vax PR machine sees the holes in their 'logic' where 1) vaccines wear off so kids must get boosters, but 2) it's quite alright for adults to walk around not having been vaccinated for 20, 30, 40+ years.
Whether you're a parent or not will soon become irrelevant - the (forced) vaccines are coming for you too. So we ALL have a dog in this fight and it's important we all speak out whenever and wherever possible.
Thanks for everything you and everyone else does here to those ends.
Posted by: CCF | February 08, 2015 at 05:15 AM
Kristina:
I think Dan and all those who contribute to Age of Autism have already saved thousands of children from harm.
Posted by: michael | February 08, 2015 at 01:05 AM
As they get extreme, more so with every passing day, you maintaining your grace under fire and appearing reasonable is priceless. Clever man. Big picture people. STAY focused on the bigger picture. THINK
Posted by: melissa | February 07, 2015 at 10:16 PM
DAN,
Never mind about he school / hockey admission criticism. I didn't see your commentary about the time delay and mis understanding at the end of the article. My bad!
Posted by: Adam Mortenson | February 07, 2015 at 08:30 PM
Thanks for all you do, Dan. We're so lucky to have someone so articulate on our side. I'm a pharmacist and my colleagues think I'm a nut job for my stance against vaccines. Your site keeps me sane. Keep fighting the good fight!
Posted by: Lizzie | February 07, 2015 at 07:13 PM
Dan
Thank you for doing this interview. Your grace under fire was admirable. You were calm respectful and he came off as a jerk who either didn't know some key facts about the issue or was hiding them and clearly misleading the viewers. Anyone with the slightest skepticism about the government's line on the this issue went away going "Holy crap, what do you mean the government compensated a vaccine injury including autism to the tune of 20 million?! What do you mean the CDC's own scientist is testifying before congress that they covered up information on the risks of vaccines?! What do you mean the drug companies can't be sued if their shots hurt my kids?! What do you mean this is how its been for 20 years?! How come none of the news networks or my doctor told me about any of this?! Then you nailed it. The people that bet the farm / business on this and are wrong don't want to admit it and aren't the best sources for unbiased info on this. People need to look into this.
But I hope you really didn't mean that when you agreed that kids should be kept out of school and hockey league if they don't get vaccinated. Really? That makes no sense. By the time kids are in school and sports they are eligible for all the shots except HPV. OK sooooo, if any one is worried about someone infecting their kid with any of the childhood illnesses then just go with Dr Nancy and "just get the damn shots." My non vaccinated kids are the the only ones with something to worry about according to the conventional thinking on vaccines. But aside from that I thought you did a great job. You really did make him look bad not that he wasn't doing a good job on his own.
Posted by: Adam Mortenson | February 07, 2015 at 07:02 PM
Dan,
I think you did a great job. My husband does, too, and he is not even vested in this issue.
I do think, however, that going forward, the mainstream media are going to be advancing the argument that any parent or doctor who argues against the notion of a "greater good" for any vaccine on the schedule should be criminalized. Thus, I think it is going to be important, in every interview, to get across the fundamental fact that other countries require far fewer vaccines and have much better health and developmental outcomes. So, whose schedule should be mandated? The U.S.'s schedule, with its horrible health and developmental outcomes, or another countries schedule, where they are getting far better outcomes?
Posted by: Lisa | February 07, 2015 at 03:24 PM
SO SO disappointed -
if you had kids would you vaccinate them? REALLY ??
What about your Dog Dan would you vaccinate, perhaps the question needed to be a bit more personal for you ? That is a real question as I have personally convinced other dog owners to side step the vacs.
IMHO That was not a good interview. Its 100% abstinence from Vaccination there is no middle ground with this.
Who exactly were you advocating for there Dan ? Certainly not me or the vast majority of parents of vac injured (unless I am missing something)
Posted by: Letthembegot | February 07, 2015 at 01:57 PM
Good interview. I hope people get the message that they are going to have to "look further" into this as the interviewer said, and that it won't generally be just a moment's work.
Posted by: Jeannette Bishop | February 07, 2015 at 01:15 PM
Outstanding work, Mr. Olmstead. I hope you get to do more. Your amiable verbal jiu-jitsu when slapped with the usual accusations won the match and the respect of your interviewer.
Posted by: David Taylor | February 07, 2015 at 12:52 PM
Hans,
I agree. Dan said he would vaccinate them if he had children. Selectively. When asked, he only said he was against the hep-B vaccine at birth. Really? So the DTaP and the MMR are all right? The hep-B vaccine later? The Hib vaccine even though it causes peanut allergy in one in fifty American children at this time? Important as public health policy? Again, really? What about the thousands of children killed or disabled by the pertussis vaccine in the decades BEFORE the increased vaccine schedule? So what's the point? Pertussis, measles, mumps, and rubella have been mild diseases for the vast vast majority who get them for the past century. So public health policy is benefited by permanently disabling one in 36 children with autism, one in nine with asthma, one in fifty with peanut allergy? How does this work? Vaccines cause encephalitis. Very often. Some believe that at least mild encephalitis is caused by every vaccine, from the reaction of the immune system to the assault of the vaccine on its territory. WHAT is the benefit of the vaccines that might justify this razing of our children?
Posted by: cia parker | February 07, 2015 at 12:23 PM
Dan, your interview is going to make many parents think twice about vaccinating, and it is going to prevent many children from being harmed by vaccines.
Posted by: Kristina | February 07, 2015 at 12:00 PM
I don't know David; Conservative's are suppose to have this distrust of government and all - but the most conservative states - like Mississippi - well????
Posted by: Benedetta | February 07, 2015 at 10:55 AM
Dan , no children ? so why are you in this ?
And you would vaccinate if you did ? really ?
1.5M autistic children in the US , and 100 cases of measles . Screw the vaccines .
Posted by: Hans Litten | February 07, 2015 at 10:31 AM
Dan,
Fabulous interview. I think you even won the respect of the initially adversarial interviewer about 3/4 way through and that was no easy task. Despite him, you made very good points.
Posted by: Linda1 | February 07, 2015 at 10:14 AM
thanks david. you're right, i do know that! journalists also possess, or should possess, an inherent distrust of government. otherwise they ought to go into another line of work. thanks for your support ...
Posted by: Dan Olmsted | February 07, 2015 at 09:44 AM
Dan, About conservative ("right wingers" in your parlance) being easier to talk to: We conservatives have an inherent distrust of Government, thus a much, much greater distrust of the Medical Establishment/Government Empire autocratically poisoning our kids with vaccines.
But, I'm pretty sure you already knew that, and were just throwing out an amusing comment.
Cheers! And, we conservatives are happy to have you as an ally!
Posted by: david m burd | February 07, 2015 at 09:31 AM