Comments on: This is what happens with the lying anti-vaccination campaigns

By: Stavros

Stavros — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 13:26:04 +0000

Rohan, that’s probably true, no less because they tend to know better what works. Yet you will hear many anti-vaccinationists claiming otherwise, surely based on their ultimate knowledge of everything…

By: Rohan

Rohan — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 08:08:18 +0000

I know of NO mainstream health professional who hasn’t fully vaccinated their own kids. Mine included.

By: Stavros

Stavros — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 13:58:26 +0000

all the epidemiological studies done after Wakefield's fraud paper in 1998. Dozens of them. Have a look at just a few links to an array of scientific references: here, here, here, here, and here. See it now? No link. Nada. Nothing. Zero. Nicht. Why do people continue with their fantasies, especially when we are talking about public health, is beyond me...

By: Nick

Nick — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 13:54:08 +0000

Er..Which studies?

By: Stavros

Stavros — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 13:27:04 +0000

“epidemiological studies do not prove a thing”

Nick, these epidemiological studies conclusively disprove the vaccine-autism link hypothesis.

Science should focus on understanding autism better instead of succumbing to scaremongering from anti-vax groups and trying to disprove ad-hoc hypotheses!

By: Nick

Nick — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 13:19:55 +0000

Sure, but epidemiological studies do not prove a thing.

It is interesting that the rate of increase in reported autism may be used as an argument against thiomersal cause. ie reports still continue to increase after thiomersal removal showing there was no effect. However, the following paper argues that autism is not increasing, just reported cases and autism remains constant. This supposedly disproves the thiomersal argument because autism never increased with the introduction of MMR.

http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=95

It’s a sort of heads-you lose-tails-you don’t win scenario. Neither argument is valid because they are both epidemiological views. Only knowing the root cause helps.

It’s accademic now because as you say having the vaccine is safer (provided that it was thiomersal that was the problem in the first place).

By: Stavros

Stavros — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 02:35:37 +0000

Nick, autism is not caused by vaccines. This is now very well established through dozens of epidemiological studies.

Further, any traces of mercury potentially found in some vaccines are not toxic to the body -it is the dose that makes a toxin. After thimerosal removal (which was before 2005, I think 2002 but I am not sure) there have been no changes in the rise of autism, further disproving the link. Research also points to autism being a genetic condition with only partial environmental implications -but exact factors remain largely an open scientific question in any case. One thing is for sure though: mercury and vaccines have absolutely no connection to autism.

Finally, contracting measles on purpose is not safe. Measles can have dire consequences including encephalitis which can lead to death. Vaccinating is the safest approach towards protection -again, a well established fact through an array of scientific tools.

Thanks for sharing your opinion

By: Nick

Nick — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 01:52:30 +0000

Hi,

Someone just woke me up on another thread.

Yes it is quite correct. Measles vaccine in Africa has had a massive possitive impact. Measles there though is often fatal (not so in well fed developed nations).

People forget that (when I was a kid) children were deliberately infected with measles so that they could withstand it later in life. So if kids are not being vaccinated against it, they will catch it (and need to). Years ago we called it normal, today we call it an epidemic. But it is inevitable, an obvious consequence and a desirable event, because if the non-vaccinated kids did not contract it, they would be vulnerable for the rest of their lives.

BUT, MMR is not just a measles vaccine. It used to contain 3x the thiomersal. Thiomersal contains mercury in 3x strength of a single measles vaccination. Drug companies have removed thiomersal (2005 I think) due to public pressure (although they do not accept there were any negative health effects). So now there is little to be feared except the formaldehyde needed to prevent the vaccine from becoming active.

The main issue over autism is the thiomersal, because defences against mercury are not well advanced in the young. The issue is that mediation by metallothionein may not be sufficiently developed in some children and mercury just overloads them, developing what we call autism. (But it is no longer a threat because the thiomersal is gone). (But it is not gone from the ‘flu vaccine, so I refuse to have that). The last time my mother (88) had the flu vaccine, she was violently ill with ‘flu symptoms and was unable to get out of bed for 2 weeks.

Bottom line is MMR is safer that it was, but if your child doesn’t have the vaccine, make sure s/he contracts measles for lifelong protection.

Nick

By: Stavros

Stavros — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 23:20:42 +0000

Oh boy, you cannot even read, let alone understand science and logic…

“From 2000 to 2006, an estimated 478 million children received measles vaccine through campaigns in 46 out of the 47 priority countries severely affected by the disease.”

Yes, and that’s why: “Measles deaths in Africa fell by 91% between 2000 and 2006, figures from the World Health Organization show.” as it says in the exact same article you quote! Good job!

Let’s also see the array of logical fallacies you make good use of:

-ad hominem
-argument from personal anecdotes
-conspiracy theory argument
-ad hominem again
-red herring
-conspiracy theory again
-red herring
-yet another conspiracy theory

Congratulations: you have just proven to everyone how stupid those who promote the anti-vaccination propaganda really are! Cheers, I couldn’t have done a better job.

By: VACCINATIONABOMINATION

VACCINATIONABOMINATION — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 23:05:59 +0000

From 2000 to 2006, an estimated 478 million children received measles vaccine through campaigns in 46 out of the 47 priority countries severely affected by the disease.

Here’s your outbreak of measles asshole.
got this from the article YOU posted.

I was vaccinated for measles….and got them!
I was vaccinated for chickenpox…and got those too!
I was vaccinated for the flu…got that a day later.

WAKE UP RETARD! VACCINES ARE A MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR INDUSTRY! GUESS WHO MAKES THE VACCINES. THE SAME PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES WHO HAVE SUCCESSFULLY BEEN MEDICATING OUR CHILDREN FOR YEARS!

YOU IGNORANT FOOL. BIG PHARMA NEEDS US TO STAY SICK, SO THEY CAN MASS PRODUCE THEIR DRUGS AND VACCINES…RESEARCH THE FOOD YOU PUT IN YOUR MOUTH EVERYDAY, THE WATER YOU DRINK, THE SHOTS YOU LET DOCTORS GIVE YOUR CHILDREN. ASK YOUR DOCTOR ABOUT THE BONUS HE/SHE GETS FOR VACCINATING A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF CHILDREN. ASK WHY THE ADVERSE REACTIONS (DEATH) ARE NEVER MENTIONED!!!!