I don't even have the words to describe this

[trystinn]

Without going into too much drama or rhetoric, I want to share this.

This evil man, through his manipulation of data, his lying, his manufacturing of data is likely responsible for making thousands of children vulnerable to preventable diseases. Children have died from this and there are more likely to come in the future. He has misled vulnerable parents, incited fear and panic and should be imprisoned.

For the link phobic, a small sample:

THE doctor who sparked the scare over the safety of the MMR vaccine for children changed and misreported results in his research, creating the appearance of a possible link with autism, a Sunday Times investigation has found.

Confidential medical documents and interviews with witnesses have established that Andrew Wakefield manipulated patients’ data, which triggered fears that the MMR triple vaccine to protect against measles, mumps and rubella was linked to the condition

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article5683671.ece

Comments

[evaelisabeth.livejournal.com]

That man just needs to go to jail, it's because of him that Measels are on the rise in the UK.

[tryst-inn.livejournal.com]

They had to close a school here on the Island due to an outbreak of Mumps. The whole thing makes me sick.

[wild-heart.livejournal.com]

There is no excuse for inaccurate reporting of findings. Period. "Unethical" doesn't even touch it.

I have in my possession a book published in 1987 and a magazine published in 1996 that address the immunization/non-immunization question. When Evan was an infant, I spent a fair amount of time researching the vaccination issue. While I might question the link between autism and vaccinations (I think the rise in population percentage with autism has to do with environmental pollutants), I have no doubt whatsover that there are links between some vaccines and serious health issues.

There's also a cyclical nature to some diseases and how they effect a population. The overuse of antibiotics and the various drugs and pollutants that are in our drinking water provide us with weakened immune systems.

You and I have discussed the problems with DPT shots and there's a clear link between the pertussis portion of it and the incidence of severe brain damage in children under the age of 1 who have received it. Or at least, there was some 50 years ago - I'm still not convinced that immunizing an infant is a good idea.

Family medical history should determine a great many things regarding medical treatment. Before my parents were allowed to bring me into the US, I had to have a smallpox vaccine. Twice. I have no "dimple" from either time. It simply didn't take. I was brought into the country when I was 5 months old. Did those vaccines do me any good? Or measles/rubella vaccines. I received them as a child. I never had either disease. When I began working as a substitute teacher, I had to be checked for a measles/rubella titer. Didn't have it. Over the course of 2 years, I received 3 more measles/rubella vaccines. Guess what? I *still* don't have the titer.

Then there's the question of the vaccinations many of our armed forces received before going into active duty during the first Gulf War, and the wonderful results derived therof.

It's not a simple question. With all these possible variations it becomes even more important that accurate and impartial research is carried out, and reported on. However, medical reporting is anything but impartial, and funding often determines results.

[dana3.livejournal.com]

Guess what? I *still* don't have the titer.

::nod:: Same here. I *had* the mumps, so I titre for those. Am apparently unable to develop a titre for measles, so they have to allow that my documented vaccination history must be sufficient. Including the most recent which was ... last year? Something like that. Before I left the hospital I made sure I'd had everything any other employer would check for.

I was bar-none ticked to discover that the smallpox vaccine -- which actually ~did~ scar me, so I have a reminder -- is now only good for what, 5 years? 10? Especially since smallpox is one of the few diseases that actually scares me -- and there IS no vaccine available for love nor money. Attempts to get the child vaccinated for that particular disease failed -- attempts to get me protection 20 years later failed as well. We still don't have a viable vaccine stock. It could be a serious problem, but don't get me started ... :D

[keastree.livejournal.com]

Yes, it is a real problem when they cook the results. He needs jail time.

However, as adult who suffered vaccine related injury from this particular vaccine, I'm not going to give it a clean bill of health.

[sanacrow.livejournal.com]

I don't know what I think about the autism (supposed) links.

I do know that my oldest son ended up in ICU hours after a MMR vaccination. I wouldn't let them near his brother with that thing. Neither one had the Polio one, either, because they only had the live version available and their uncle (who lived next door) had post-polio syndrome. We were told that if he (the uncle) was exposed to the live virus again it could do Very Bad things.

[dana3.livejournal.com]

A sample size of 12 is unacceptably small; I'm shocked that _The Lancet_ ever published it. Cooking your data is unacceptable, period.

wild_heart and I have had these discussions before, so nothing I say here about our discussions will surprise her. (Which is a good thing ... :) It is my opinion that her unvaccinated child is safe from measles, mumps and rubella because he's in a sea of predominantly vaccinated children. I *know* that children die from all those diseases, and chose to vaccinate mine. I have ~always~ had a dubious eye on the claims connecting vaccination and autism -- and in fact it's one of the primary points of debate in my home, as my partner has taken the other side and we take great joy in presenting information to debate the issues involved. (So thank you for more ammo for my side, btw.)

However -- wild_heart also raises the issues about the DPT under the age of 1, and there ~is~ something to that caution. Because my child was a suspected seizure risk -- they didn't finish clearing him til he was over 1 -- they would not give him the full DTP. They gave him the DT instead until he was neurologically cleared. So apparently there is some flexibility there in modifying vaccines to accomodate individual health concerns.

ANYway ... thanks for posting on a subject near and dear to my heart! It's good to know. :D

[tryst-inn.livejournal.com]

Happy to be of service.

I'm allergic to the DPT booster, had a really bad reaction as a kid that put me in the hospital for awhile. Sadly, my Mum never kept any kind of notes of which DPT booster I received so I've no idea if there's another I can try.

Ugh.

[dana3.livejournal.com]

I just had something called the TDAP, which bought me 10 more years on the tetanus ... lessee ...
http://www.immunize.org/vis/tdap.pdf
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/combo-vaccines/DTaP-Td-DT/tdap.htm
I suspect that if you (or your mother) flips through on the latter, you might find out which element of the DTP might (or might not) have caused whatever negative reaction you had in childhood, and that might help inform your decision making as an adult. OTOH, if you don'wanna, it's okay by me ... :D

[tryst-inn.livejournal.com]

Since I work with rusted wire all the time out in Bunhalla, I'm fairly paranoid about having to get that tetanus shot!

Thank you.

[paigemom.livejournal.com]

Wild_heart said, I have no doubt whatsover that there are links between some vaccines and serious health issues.

I have a friend who is convinced that one of her kids' vaccines directly impacted his bipolar diagnosis -- at the age of 3.

I was one of those kids who was vaccinated for measles before I was 18 months old, before they figured out that vaccinating kids for measles before they turned 18 months old didn't work. At 15, I had the measles.

[bunnsidhe.livejournal.com]

He caused a lot of panic with his bs.

My ex-sister-in-law is still not fully convinced the MMR didn't cause my nephew's autism.

My daughter goes in for her jab this month.