Deconstructing the Vaccine-Autism Scare
September 22, 2008 by Kristina Chew, PhD
Filed under Books, Cause, Environment, Health, Junk Science, Media, Science, Vaccines
As reported today by ABC15-Scripps Howard News Service : More than 135,000 kindergarten students nationwide are attending school without being vaccinated for potentially deadly diseases like measles, mumps and rubella.
In a review of the recently published book, Autism’s False Prophets: Bad Science, Risky Medicine, and the Search for a Cure, Rahul Parikh, a physician who writes the sWell blog for Salon, starts by noting that the hate mail and, indeed, death threats, the book’s author, Dr. Paul Offit, has received are reminiscent of “pro-choice physicians on the front lines of the abortion debate.” Dr. Parikh—-who has also written about junk science and autism and mitochondrial disorders—lauds Autism’s False Prophets for its cogent “examination of science and society,” in a narrative that is “enlightening, highly readable and — given the recent news about the resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases as a result of parents’ refusal to vaccinate their children — timely.”
In particular, Dr. Offit’s deconstruction of the anti-vaccine movement as “one driven by bad science, litigious greed, hype and ego” is remarked upon by Dr. Parikh’s own noting of how the fortunes and, indeed, fame of journalist David Kirby and Dr. Andrew Wakefield first rose than fell as claims of a vaccine-autism link have been refuted by more and more studies. The vaccine issue, as Autism’s False Prophets illustrates, has become a “public, political, legal and medical” issue, yet is also always a personal one, as revealed by Dr. Offit’s portraits of blogger Kathleen Seidel and other parents who’ve taken a stand against the anti-vaccine movement.
The one critique that Dr. Parikh has about Autism’s False Prophets is the book’s focusing solely on autism organizations like Generation Rescue and Defeat Autism Now! “that have been very confrontational and that support slanted science.” Dr. Parikh mentioned Autism Speaks as an autism advocacy organization that should get “greater credit for raising awareness, creating strong support networks for parents of children with the disorder and getting more money for research” (interestingly, three out of the twelve studies focusing on environmental factors and autism that have received some of the $3.6 million in funding from Autism Speaks are about vaccines). Certainly the vaccine-autism scare (as Salon terms it) has distracted much attention, but not only (as Dr. Parikh writes) from research into other causes of autism.
Most of all, perhaps, all the attention given to autism and vaccines has focused attention away from taking care of the day to day needs of autistic children and individuals; from education, educational therapies, and very pressing concerns such as housing and employment for those who (like my own son) will always need support. The search for causes, that is, tends to elbow out other autism issues and what Autism’s False Prophets especially makes clear, is how this state of things has come to pass. But will those who are responsible (named and noted by both Dr. Offit and Dr. Parikh) admit to their roles?
From October 1 through October 10, the ScienceBlogs Book Club will be discussing Autism’s False Prophets. More details here; Dr. Offit will be part of a panel discussing his book.
Jeff Stimpson
Jill Cornfield
I’m pretty much a pro-vaccine person, but frankly I’m starting to think the pro-vaccine hype may be just as worked-up as the anti-vaccine hype. Neither mumps nor rubella is really what I would call a “potentially deadly disease,” as suggested above. Admittedly, there are good reasons to vaccinate for these diseases (mumps can result in infertility; rubella in a pregnant woman can cause serious problems for the fetus), but meeting unrealistic fears with other unrealistic fears doesn’t seem to be the answer.
Also, I noticed a few weeks ago mainstream news stories within a few weeks of each other, one saying that parents’ failure to immunize was causing scary outbreaks of measles in this country, the other saying that childhood vaccination in this country was at an all-time high!
In reference to anti-vaccination arguments: pseudo-science has a long history of propping itself up with theater. Which is frustrating because…from a marketing standpoint…theater sells. It’s effective.
Consistent, solid research…it lacks that willingness to exploit a compelling personal story, something the David Kirbys of the world never hesitate to do. Emotional manipulators: expert at bypassing logic and going straight for the heart. Dangerous stuff.
I told my husband a year ago that the threats from the mercury/MMR camp were reminiscent of the extreme anti-abortion/pro-life movement.
I remember the threats to some of my colleagues about 10 years ago. We all were targeted at one point, told in letters that if we didn’t write and condemn the abortion providers with them and say we didn’t provide them, they would assume we provided abortions and would put us on their “list” here in Maine. We had to notify the FBI, who investigated and made them take down the pictures and photos of the physicians on their internet website who they said were providers or were pro-choice.
It was pretty scary to have that happen. I didn’t even have children at that time, but I could only imagine how Dr. Offit and the others in his book feel with the threats they receive.
I am quite enjoying Dr. Offit’s book, may finish it this weekend. He has put the pieces of this story together very nicely. I have been trying to put it together for the last 1.5 years reading various blogs and articles, but I just couldn’t get the gestalt until I started reading his book.
“Bad Science, Risky Medicine, And The Search For A Cure” could also be a good title for the pseudo-scientific information provided by the CDC concerning the effectiveness, long term health problems, and adverse reactions concerning vaccines.
I have to wonder too at the use of “prophet” by Offit, in regard to the “false profits” that some “false prophets may have generated………
..as well as the false or unearned profits contributed to vaccines.
@ Eleanor: lso, I noticed a few weeks ago mainstream news stories within a few weeks of each other, one saying that parents’ failure to immunize was causing scary outbreaks of measles in this country, the other saying that childhood vaccination in this country was at an all-time high!
The problem is that the rate of vaccination isn’t uniform — in other words, the unvaccinated aren’t spread evenly throughout the population, but tend to congregate in clusters, such as in the San Diego measles outbreak. There the unvaccinated were mostly at a “progressive” charter school, and spread the disease via visits to a clinic.
“The problem is that the rate of vaccination isn’t uniform — in other words, the unvaccinated aren’t spread evenly throughout the population, but tend to congregate in clusters, such as in the San Diego measles outbreak.”
That statement can’t be qualified by scientific, evidence based analysis. Individuals that have decided to forego vaccines, for any reason, may congregate together, but are spread through the population.
Sub populations of unvaccinated include:
The elderly
Immune compromised,
Allergic reactions
Religious objections
Philosophical objections
All of these groups may or may not congregate or even live together due to beliefs or needs of the sub-population in which they belong. Correlation does not prove causation of the illnesses for these sub-populations.
Chuck wrote amusingly
“Sub populations of unvaccinated include:
The elderly
Immune compromised,”
Er, these are vaccinated populations. Put as simply as possible, so you can understand it, these populations have lost their immunity - like me with no lymphocytes in any kind of working order. So, any of these unvaccinated mini typhoid mary’s wandering about -and you don’t know who they are can cause serious damage, to me, to the elderly and especially to young babies who are too young to have had certain shots.
You see! Simple enough - lots of little disease vectors preying on an unsuspecting population.
“Er, these are vaccinated populations”
Ah, no.
The elderly may never have received some vaccines, hence the “unknown” status referenced in many CDC reports because they are too old to have received certain shots as an adolescent. The immune compromised and allergic reactions sub populations are intentionally not given vaccines due to their medical status.
By choice or not, both sub populations are unvaccinated. Believe it or not.
The loss of immunity is another sub population that should be added to my list. That you for the additional information.
But still, these groups are scattered and not uniform—and where’s the studies and citations about rates of vaccination in the elderly. Also, with autism, aren’t we talking about vaccination rates in children—-have yet to hear of anyone who as an adult develops “symptoms of autism” after receiving a vaccine. Well, I haven’t heard of anyone.
“But still, these groups are scattered and not uniform”
No human population is uniformly scattered. Each sub population can be assumed to have a unique distribution, making the total unvaccinated population distributed uniformly.
It is easy to walk through an “assisted living facility” or “nursing home” and find many “symptoms of autism”. Stroke, dementia, Alzheimer’s doesn’t always explain away all of the “symptoms”.
have yet to hear of anyone who as an adult develops “symptoms of autism” after receiving a vaccine.
It is easy to walk through an “assisted living facility” or “nursing home” and find many “symptoms of autism”. Stroke, dementia, Alzheimer’s doesn’t always explain away all of the “symptoms”.
Well, I got the Hep A and the DTaP last week and as far as I can tell–feel fine. Eleanor got her HepA booster and MCV4 a month ago–ditto.
I know, I know–anecdotal data points of 2, but if we’re going to start adding strokes, dementia and Alzheimer’s to the discussion…
“I know, I know–anecdotal data points of 2, but if we’re going to start adding strokes, dementia and Alzheimer’s to the discussion…”
I haven’t had a vaccine in years and I feel fine also. Re-read the post. I was eliminating these from the discussion concerning ASD “symptoms”.
If want to add more to the administrative increase in ASD diagnosis, please add strokes, dementia and Alzheimer’s patients as potential new ASD individuals.
@Eleanor: When I was 8 years old, back in 1964 before the availability of the mumps vaccine, I contracted mumps, and then encephalitis as a complication of the mumps. It killed the auditory and vestibular nerves on my left side. I am stone deaf in my left ear and rely on vision to compensate for the lack of vestibular function. I think it is a very good thing that there is now a mumps vaccine.
For Eleanor:
http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/160/3/302
Also read “Deaf Like Me” by the Spradley brothers (something to do with a rubella epidemic)
My child exhibited signs of autism before he received his vaccinations. More importantly than what causes it is what to do to help the kids once we discover they have it. While I’m all for helping others and would hate to see one more family go through this, it seems that all the advances are for the little ones and now that my son is 10, it’s too late for him. So, arguing about something I know NOT to be true doesn’t help us.
I want to make my point vey clear. Vaccinations did not make my son who he is. He was born with it. He showed signs of hypersensitivity to visual stimuli as early as 4 mos. old. Of course, at that time noone knew what it was and dismissed it, but now I see the same patterns of behavior and know…he’s always been autistic. So, quit wasting everyone’s time and money arguing a moot point and get on with designing better care ideas for autistic individuals throughout their life span. And make them affordable. Insurable. Study what we know it is instead of postulating about what is isn’t.
Even if you are currently pro-vaccine you might want to rethink your stand. Vaccines have secret ingredients that are protected by trade law. Medicine is not food and does NOT have to list things like “may contain milk, peanut, egg, beef, soy, almond, walnut, etc. protein”.
You might see an adjuvant listed or not. Food oils are usually one of the many ingredients in vaccine adjuvants. The oils can be mixed. Trace amounts of the food protein will remain in the vaccine. Not every vaccine will contain the food protein so not every child will get the shot that is contaminated.
But the statistics on food allergies coincides perfectly with the immunization schedules.
Doctors should KNOW what they are injecting into people. How would you like to be the patient with a fatal peanut or soy allergy getting the vaccine with the peanut or soy oil in it?