Places Everybody! Miss Frizzle Goes Pharma.
By Anne Dachel
Either they're merely parroting the denials without any real understanding of the issue, or they're trying to debunk the MMR and the thimerosal link to autism in one show.
Regardless, it seems Ms Frizzle is frazzled. This is about the MMR vaccine and somehow the claim that mercury is in it comes out.
No worry, Ms Frizzle assures us: "Decades ago vaccines contained a non-toxic variant of mercury; today they don't contain mercury of any kind."
Later she says, "There's zero evidence that vaccine cause autism or mental disorders of any kind. Do people actually think that?
Jenny McCarthy and Chris Christie are also part of the parody. Chris Christie: "I don't believe in vaccines."
That is a libelous statement. Major networks and print news outlets have covered Governor Christie supporting vaccines while asking for “a measure of choice.”
No one is ever held responsible for honesty when this subject is vaccines. Wild accusations are common. (See the story from Stowe VT Today where Del Bigtree was accused of wanting to shoot people who don’t support him. Robert Kennedy, Jr. has been labeled “anti-vaccine” for years just for questioning the use of toxic mercury in vaccines.)
There's a prescription drug ad for Humira on this site. Big surprise.
Magic School Bus parody takes anti-vaxxers on wild ride
...She explains that the vaccine doesn’t contain mercury and doesn’t cause autism, as the other parents believe. The parody also dings Jenny McCarthy (“nobody important”), who has been critical of vaccines following her son’s autism diagnosis, and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who caused a stir when he said parents should have “measure of choice” when deciding whether or not to vaccinate their kids.
Oh, Thanks Jeannette Bishop. Del Bigtree's video is Great, it really is.
Posted by: Benedetta | May 05, 2017 at 07:57 PM
Aimee Doyle: You're right on all counts. Cutting Medicaid is a stab in the back to all those left behind by the banksters and their enablers in Congress. I agree with the Republicans that the federal government is too vast and powerful, but rather than cutting the astonishing waste in the Pentagon, which vacuums up tax dollars like an Electrolux, they increase it, and go after the voiceless and powerless. What I meant by my comment is that Trump is the first president to even talk about vaccine injury. He has no incentive to deny it now, to not investigate it, since he doesn't need pharma money like the thoroughly corrupt Congress. But, we can't be certain of anything until Price names the CDC director, whether the swamp will be drained or enlarged.
Posted by: Gary Ogden | May 05, 2017 at 04:41 PM
@Gary Ogden
I also want to point out that Trumpcare is slated to cut over $800 billion from Medicaid. Many of the services that children and adults with autism need - such as medical care, speech, OT, special education, adult supports and services (housing, job support, recreational opportunities, respite, life skills training) - are paid for through Medicaid.
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, 42% of Medicaid spending is on the disabled. Some are individuals with autism like my son, who relies on Medicaid for medical care and for support services (his day program, respite staff, etc.) Because of pre-existing conditions, he would not be eligible for any other medical care than Medicaid. He will never be independent or support himself.
Special needs don't stop with vaccine injury. Few kids recover from vaccine injury. The best estimates I've seen are under 10% recovery rate for autism. Approximately 2/3 of the ASD spectrum will need lifelong care and support.
Where is Trump on all that? Seems like it's just cut, cut, cut to any program that helps the disabled population.
Posted by: Aimee Doyle | May 05, 2017 at 03:02 PM
@ Gary Ogden - "I counsel patience with Trump. Unlike most politicians, he has convictions, and he's smarter than he is given credit for. I think he will come to our aid."
With appointments like Tom Price for HHS (who has denied a connection between vaccines and autism) and Scott Gottlieb for FDA (antivaxxers should just "get over it") what makes you think Trump is going to come to our aid? And why is Trump delaying? Why isn't this a priority for the administration? Some estimates state that 1 in every 10 kids is on the spectrum. Every 20 minutes a child is diagnosed with autism! You think all those kids being lined up for shots can wait?
Posted by: Aimee Doyle | May 05, 2017 at 02:21 PM
On this rainy Friday, I come here, - a day behind schedule this week!, - and what I see encourages me.
Looks like one or 2 commenters here jumped the gun in condemning Scholastic, but another, sharper commenter engaged Scholastic, and seems to have gotten a good response, so far. You are all great citizen scientists, so KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!....
Posted by: Bill (NOT Bill Nye! - LOL) | May 05, 2017 at 11:13 AM
A nail in the coffin; for this little series both the book and the TV.
IT was a cute idea, school field trip.
But, it is --- You know we have let the education field part of this mess way off the hook.
Time to find the connection; show them on these U tubes like Pan and Offit. They probably are those bookish types, all quiet, with glasses and unassuming wall flowers like Colleen Boyd comes of as.
She is far worse than Offit and Pan.
Who are these textbook writers, who are those that go to the universities, and teach the professors how to respond and lecture on the matter of vaccines? I suppose there are many that go to the professors - so who taught the minions that go what to say?
Posted by: Benedetta | May 05, 2017 at 09:27 AM
go Trump: WaPo has a web page listing all the presidential appointments and their status, by department. CDC director is not a presidential appointment, apparently. So it will be up to Price; not sure I trust him. The religious freedom executive order makes me cautiously optimistic; it may be a backdoor way to get religious exemptions in all the states. It seems they are going slowly with appointments for a good reason, in that they have an agenda to restore as many of the rights and freedoms (that the last nine presidents have taken away) as they can in four years, and understand very well how to go about it. I counsel patience with Trump. Unlike most politicians, he has convictions, and he's smarter than he is given credit for. I think he will come to our aid.
Posted by: Gary Ogden | May 04, 2017 at 09:12 PM
Thanks Nicole,
Let us know any more developments.
Posted by: Cynthia Cournoyer | May 04, 2017 at 08:17 PM
It might be best not to take medical advice from bus drivers.
A bit off topic,
but is there and progress or process with selecting a new CDC director ?
Posted by: go Trump | May 04, 2017 at 07:07 PM
Wow. The people who created this, truly are mentally ill.
Posted by: Barry | May 04, 2017 at 05:43 PM
A mother is "nobody important".
Says it all.
Posted by: Linda1 | May 04, 2017 at 05:36 PM
Cynthia,
As proof that this video is actually a year old, UNAUTHORIZED use of the Magic School Bus brand, and the VP of Communications at Scholastic acknowledged this fact, thanked me for alerting him to it, and said Scholastic's legal department would follow up on it, I've forwarded my April 19, 2016 email from him (copied in a comment below) to AoA editors Ann and Kim.
I also sent them my follow-up correspondence with him in which I wrote: "I hope you will put out a message to let the public know this was an unauthorized use of your brand, particularly in light of the false information it contained pertaining to children's health. As I'm sure you saw, it received thousands of shares."
He responded: "I will discuss that with our legal Dept. Kyle "
Posted by: Nicole Crosby | May 04, 2017 at 05:06 PM
If this video is actually a year old and UNAUTHORIZED use of the Magic School Bus Brand, that tells a lot. They allow it. You can bet if "we" used the magic school bus to educate about the dangers of vaccines, it would be pulled, and lawsuits would ensue.
Posted by: Cynthia Cournoyer | May 04, 2017 at 03:20 PM
Thanks, Anne
Propaganda of this extreme only confirms the obvious-- awareness among parents is growing!
Posted by: Paul Picha | May 04, 2017 at 12:53 PM
When I used to type "vaccination" in youTube, this video was usually on the top page for me, not now though (Mr. Kimmel scintillating vaccine pushing "doctor's" episode generally stays on top and the top three are suspiciously rather static and I wonder if they're artificially elevated). I once suggested they do a magic school bus episode where the bus goes into the CDC's giant garbage can hoping someone might get some true inspiration.
A surprising high number of vaccination videos daily go into youTube, this one from the past 24 hours I would recommend for sharing:
"Del loses it over Bill Nye segment on Vaccines"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMC9auZGnZk
And I just want to note that Del Bigtree's radio show HighWire is live today (11am PT/2pm ET) on Channel 2:
http://ubnradio.com/shows/highwire-with-del-bigtree/
Posted by: Jeannette Bishop | May 04, 2017 at 12:29 PM
Dear Merck and CDC,
Your use of cartoons to market poisons for use in children is reprehensible. All of America's children will be riding little school buses if good people do not stand up to your bullying and lying. I'm disappointed in Scholastic and will avoid their products as well as anything manufactured by Merck.
For the pediatricians out there, evil prevails when good people do nothing. Please look at what you are doing. Its too late for my child and my dreams, however, it's not too late to do something good with your medical degree besides making money. You know the truth.
Thank you AOA for the opportunity to learn from your articles and reader comments, it definitely helps me get through my day.
Posted by: kws | May 04, 2017 at 09:39 AM
Ms. Frizzle of The Magic School Bus shares her religious belief in the magic of vaccines while mocking vaccine-informed parents. This parody is yet another illustration of government sponsored, culturally sanctioned hate speech against one of the most discriminated minority groups in the USA: the families of vaccine-injured or killed children.
Posted by: Brett Wilcox | May 04, 2017 at 08:49 AM
Watching videos or movies is not researching. Ive seen memes mocking Vaxxed. "Science" lovers hate videos.
Information from kid's TV shows is not a valid way to research. Listening to Bill Nye the science guy who is now just the coolest vaccine pusher out there is not researching. No no videos, movies, tv shows are not acceptable ways to research. Got it?? Wait...
Unless of course the information supports your side. Then it's ok.
Posted by: Andrea | May 04, 2017 at 08:33 AM
The parody Ms. Frizzle displays irrational thinking, narcissistic tendencies, and a lack of empathy. Perfect fit for sociopathic CDC management mired in vaccine injury fraud and denialism.
I can imagine her tragic school bus running over kids and not stopping to render aid. Instead she'd either deny hitting them. Or if confronted with evidence, she'd blame them for standing too close to the street.
Just like CDC vaccine policymakers who have thrown autism families under the bus.
Posted by: nhokkanen | May 04, 2017 at 08:22 AM
One year ago, I sent a letter of complaint to Scholastic which owns the Magic School Bus brand, and I received the reply below. I hope everyone reading this will follow up and ask Scholastic why this unauthorized video about vaccination has not been removed from the internet.
Your message to customer service regarding the YouTube video about vaccinations posted by College Humor was forwarded to me. I am extremely grateful that you sent this to us as it is an UNAUTHORIZED USE of our brand, The Magic School Bus. Our legal department is now following up on this.
Thank you so much for alerting us. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Best regards,
Kyle
Kyle Good
Senior Vice President
Corporate Communications
Scholastic Inc.
557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012
212-343-4563 office
917-696-3178 mobile
kgood@scholastic.com
Posted by: Nicole Crosby | May 04, 2017 at 07:41 AM
" Ms Frizzle assures us: "Decades ago vaccines contained a non-toxic variant of mercury; today they don't contain mercury of any kind."
Ms Fizzle's comment .. that vaccines contained a "non-toxic variant of mercury" .. is typical "sounds like science" poppycock .. that too often goes unchallenged by real scientists .. who fully understand the clear distinction between 'sounds like science" ... and .. real "science".
Gotta give Ms Fizzle credit .. her benign description of Thimerosal as a "non-toxic variant of mercury" .. comes close to Offit's original benign description of Thimerosal because it "looked like lemon juice".
Unfortunately .. that so many .. on so many issues .. continue to spew .. unchallenged .. "sounds like science" instead of "real science" .. is the main reason the public's trust and confidence in real "science" .. continues to erode.
Speaking for myself .. I just can't trust "scientists" anymore than I can trust our "media or politicians".
Posted by: Bob Moffit | May 04, 2017 at 07:06 AM