The big news yesterday... "There is no link found between vaccines and autism."
Wow. What a relief that is. We can all get back to our lives.
Don't celebrate too soon.
Here's the link to the article put out all over the place yesterday.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/13/no-link-found-between-vac_n_715090.html
Here's a link where you can download the full-text article for free:
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/reprint/peds.2010-0309v1
Here are my comments about this "study" after looking at it for about an hour:
Two problems right off the bat:
1. Lower functioning children were excluded because their problems were so severe that it made it tough to assess them.
2. The participants were pre-selected by virtue of mandatory physician's consent before they could be recruited into the study. Their doctors were the gate-keepers. So, if the doctor didn't want a particular kid in the study, he or she denied consent and that child was never recruited. With doctors not reporting vaccine reactions in the first place, and with the serious objections many physicians have to the mere suggestion that there is a link between vaccines and autism, this is a major design flaw. This is not a random sample.
Of 802 potential cases (children with autism diagnoses), physician's consent was refused in 31 cases (3.87%). With recent autism rates at 1 in 100 children (1%), this certainly raises more suspicion about WHY these physicians automatically refused consent for these families to even be contacted about potentially participating in the study.
Of 777 cases (autism diagnoses) whose physicians gave consent, 103 (13.26%) were deemed ineligible for participation. In the Opposing Views article (http://www.opposingviews.com/i/q-a-with-cristofer-price-thimerosal-autism-study-author) the following information provides insight about why these children were deemed "ineligible":
Question: "As to the paper, I see that the results are the same for autism with and without regression. Are there any other issues of severity which were checked (e.g. level of intellectual disability, seizures) which were also monitored?"
Response: "We did do a sub-analysis where AD cases with low cognitive functioning were excluded (see technical report on Monday for full details and results) Analysis of the subgroup of AD cases where children with low cognitive functioning were excluded was motivated by the following concern. Because children who are non-responsive during the assessment process are more difficult to assess, it can sometimes be difficult to determine whether children with severe developmental delay actually have autistic disorder."
MPT: SO... they eliminated a sizable portion of the cases of children with autism on the basis that they were too severely impaired to participate in the assessment. This would DEFINITELY present at least a POTENTIAL for skewed results by eliminating the population of children with the most severe symptoms of mercury poisoning.
In the final analysis, after all of the physicians’ refusals and elimination of children who were "too severe to be assessed" there were only 49 cases (children with autism) that carried the Regressive Autism diagnosis. This represents 19% of the "Case Group" and 6.11% of the original group of 802 children who were potential "Cases" for the study. Ultimately, the exposures to thimerosal of this group of children (n=49) were compared statistically with the exposures of the "Control" group (children who did not have autism diagnoses; n=652), and "no significant differences" were found between groups.
No Shit.
As anyone who has looked at my previous analysis of the MMR study should know by now... The closer your groups are in number, the more powerful your analysis is. When comparing groups of 49 and 652, there is just a tad of inequality in the number of subjects.
This study is bunk.
Try again, CDC.
Showing posts with label vaccine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vaccine. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
The Flu Vaccine - Is It Worth It? A Cost-Benefit Analysis
A few weeks ago I posted an article on this blog entitled, "Is There Thimerosal in the Flu Vaccine." At that time, it had just been announced in the media that the CDC was stepping up efforts this year "like never before" to ensure that every man, woman, and child (including babies and the as-yet unborn) receive the flu vaccine. As I wrote then, this is extremely concerning, especially when it comes to vaccinating pregnant women in the second trimester, and vaccinating babies and children with something that contains mercury. I cannot understand why, after the CDC finally agreed to remove thimerosal from the childhood vaccine schedule, they would now recommend vaccinations for babies and children that still contain this extremely toxic heavy metal.
I know this is a topic I already covered, but it is one that is so important it's worth expanding on.
Today was one of those rare days when, having attended the Health Fair at USI, I found myself at home with my feet up when the news came on. One of the stories covered by Ann Komas, anchor for WFIE News, reported on a "Drive-In Flu Clinic" that took place today in Indianapolis. People are lining up in their cars, simultaneously rolling down their windows and rolling up their sleeves to get the flu vaccines they have been so fervently advised to receive.
I wonder how many of them know about the thimerosal.
As my 8 year-old watched the news report she screwed up her face and said, "EEEWWWW! Gross!!!" I was very relieved to be able to tell her that she didn't have to worry about that because she is not getting a flu shot.
The government has GREATLY over-stated both the severity of the threat to healthy individuals from the flu, and the efficacy of the flu vaccine in preventing flu-related deaths. If you would like to read a fascinating article, written by research-physicians that will help you to make an informed decision about whether or not to submit to the government's push, click here.
If you don't care to read the entire article, here are some things to consider:
This information is taken directly from the article, "A Shot of Fear," written by By Steven Woloshin, Lisa M. Schwartz and H. Gilbert Welch, published in 2005 in The Washington Post.
I know this is a topic I already covered, but it is one that is so important it's worth expanding on.
Today was one of those rare days when, having attended the Health Fair at USI, I found myself at home with my feet up when the news came on. One of the stories covered by Ann Komas, anchor for WFIE News, reported on a "Drive-In Flu Clinic" that took place today in Indianapolis. People are lining up in their cars, simultaneously rolling down their windows and rolling up their sleeves to get the flu vaccines they have been so fervently advised to receive.
I wonder how many of them know about the thimerosal.
As my 8 year-old watched the news report she screwed up her face and said, "EEEWWWW! Gross!!!" I was very relieved to be able to tell her that she didn't have to worry about that because she is not getting a flu shot.
The government has GREATLY over-stated both the severity of the threat to healthy individuals from the flu, and the efficacy of the flu vaccine in preventing flu-related deaths. If you would like to read a fascinating article, written by research-physicians that will help you to make an informed decision about whether or not to submit to the government's push, click here.
If you don't care to read the entire article, here are some things to consider:
This information is taken directly from the article, "A Shot of Fear," written by By Steven Woloshin, Lisa M. Schwartz and H. Gilbert Welch, published in 2005 in The Washington Post.
- According to the CDC, 90 percent of flu-related deaths occur among people age 65 years and older. Based on this information and the age distribution of the population, the chance of a flu-related death for people in that age group is about one in 1,000. Another way of saying this is that the chance of not dying from flu for those 65 and older is about 999 out of 1,000. (For context, the chance of a flu-related death is slightly lower than the chance of dying from a fall or other accident.)
- For people younger than 65 (including children), the chance of a flu-related death is much smaller -- about one in 100,000.
The authors of the above-reference article point out that the wording of papers published in some highly-regarded, peer-reviewed, medical journals is misleading and overstates the effectiveness of the flu vaccination.
- For example, a 2003 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine observed that the flu vaccine was associated with a 50 percent reduction in the overall death rate (that is, death from heart disease, stroke, cancer and all other causes combined). To attribute an effect of this magnitude solely to the flu vaccine is ludicrous: Flu-related deaths make up less than 2 percent of all deaths. If the claim were accurate, the vaccine's power would dwarf that of any other medical intervention.
The authors go on to point out that for some, it is not necessarily the concern of death from the flu that drives them (now, literally) to get the vaccination. Many Americans roll up their sleeves and hold their screaming children down to receive the flu shot because they don't want to be sick and don't want to miss work or school.
- The authors write, "Many may get flu shots simply to avoid getting sick. The Cochrane Collaboration identified more than 20 randomized trials addressing this question. The overall chance of developing "clinical" flu was 19 percent in those chosen, again by chance, to receive the recommended flu vaccine vs. 23 percent in the control groups."
If I'm interpreting this correctly, having received the flu vaccine conferred a 4% advantage when it came to actually getting sick, when compared to those who did not receive the flu vaccine.
Read on:
- Studies have also measured another outcome: how vaccination affects days lost from work. On average, there are about 0.16 fewer days lost from work per person vaccinated. Another way of saying this is that about 5 percent of those vaccinated avoid missing about three days of work because of the flu. (That is, 0.16 days divided by the 5 percent who benefited from vaccination equals 3.2 days.) The other 95 percent vaccinated got no benefit.
For anyone who is concerned about injecting mercury into yourself or your child, PLEASE ask yourself, "Is it worth it?" before obediently and blindly rolling up your sleeves. For pregnant women and parents of small children, PLEASE, JUST SAY "NO."
Marcella Piper-Terry, M.S.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Is There Thimerosal In the Flu Vaccine?
Yesterday I spoke at a local private school, where I talked about Executive Dysfunction and the change in what is considered "normal" as our society moves along the continuum in response to changes in our environment.
After my presentation, there were a few educators present who had some questions regarding my work as a Defeat Autism Now! provider. One of those questions was regarding the flu vaccine and if there is thimerosal in it. The woman who asked the question reported to me that her daughter had asked her pediatrician about the safety of the flu vaccine because she was considering whether or not to give it to her child. The woman before me (the grandmother of said child) indicated that the pediatrician in question responded to the concerned mother, "Of course the flu vaccine is safe! There hasn't been thimerosal in vaccines for six years!"
This is an outright lie.
Thimerosal was taken out of the CHILDHOOD vaccine schedule in 2004. The huge numbers of vaccines that were already stockpiled in pediatricians' and family practice docs' offices were NOT discarded - this means that unless a parent SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED their child be given INDIVIDUAL DOSE vaccines without preservatives, YOU DON'T KNOW if the vaccines given during and after 2004 were thimerosal-free or not. (You can research the vaccines yourself if you obtain a copy of your child's shot records and look up the particular vaccinations your child received.)
Of HUGE concern at this time is that the CDC and Pharmaceutical companies who develop the vaccines are pushing for ALL children, including infants and those yet unborn, be vaccinated against the flu. (Recommendations include vaccinating pregnant women during the second trimester of gestation.) A news story yesterday announced that flu vaccines have been produced and are being distributed in record numbers this year in the attempt to vaccinate every man, woman, child, and infant in the U.S.
THE FLU VACCINE DOES CONTAIN THIMEROSAL.
For those nay-sayers who believe this is misinformation reported by some radical wacko with an agenda or crazy conspiracy theory, here is the link to the CDC article declaring that yes, the flu vaccine contains mercury. Please read this very carefully and with the same skepticism I would hope you apply to everything you read online (including this blog):
http://www.cdc.gov/FLU/ABOUT/QA/thimerosal.htm
Note that the CDC uses terminology indicating that even in the vaccines that are labeled "preservative-free" THIMEROSAL IS USED IN THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS. The CDC states that the amount is so small and by the time the process is finished, it is untraceable. This is different from stating that IT IS NOT THERE. This is the same type of semantic trickery that has been played for years. Nothing has changed.
Please take the responsibility upon yourself as a parent to do your own research and find out the truth before you allow anyone to inject ANYTHING into your child. I don't know if the pediatrician mentioned above actually knows he is lying to the concerned parents of his young patients. If he does not realize this, it is his responsibility as a professional to research more closely the products he is declaring as safe. I encourage all parents reading this to ask your pediatrician about thimerosal in flu vaccines before having your child (or yourself) vaccinated. If your physician tells you there is no thimerosal in the vaccine, I suggest you find another physician. If he or she doesn't know about thimerosal, with all the media coverage on this issue, what is the likelihood that he or she researches any of the other drugs before writing out prescriptions?
Who is educating our doctors?
The pharmaceutical reps who peddle the prescriptions. The effectiveness of the sales pitch may be the determining factor as to which drugs a doctor prescribes. That's not about healing. That's about money.
As a Defeat Autism Now! provider, I am not taking the position (at this time) that you should not vaccinate your child at all. I am, however, suggesting that you become more proactive in the well-being of the children you have been blessed with and do not blindly follow advice just because the person dispensing it has the letters M.D. behind his or her name.
Posted below is a suggested schedule, for those who make the decision to vaccinate their children. This schedule includes the vaccinations that are protective against CHILDHOOD illnesses and is less likely to overwhelm their immune systems by greatly decreasing the number of antigens introduced into the body simultaneously. This allows the body to respond more appropriately to the invading antigen, and should decrease the likelihood of immune system confusion (which is related to auto-immune response).
Birth
Hepatitis B if mom is Hep. B Positive, otherwise wait
4 months
Hib, IPV
5 months
DTaP
6 months
Hib, IPV
7 months
DTaP
8 months
Hib
9 months
DTaP
15 months
Measles
17 months
Hib, IPV
18 months
DTaP
21 months
Rubella
24 months
Prevnar 1 dose
30 months
Mumps
4-5 years
Varicella (if not immune already)
4-5 years
Hepatitis B series
4-5 years
DTaP, IPV boosters
4-5 years
test titers for MMR and do not give unless not immune.
Please note that the above recommendations include not vaccinating a newborn against Hepatitis B unless the mother is positive. Hepatitis B is a sexually-transmitted disease. It is NOT typically a disease of childhood and should therefore NOT be given to all children as part of the CHILDHOOD vaccine schedule. Please also note that it is recommended that you NOT give a second round of vaccines for Measles, Mumps, and Rubella unless the child is not already immune. The reason the "Booster" vaccine was recommended in the first place is because 10% of children failed to establish immunity after the first vaccine. (I would argue this is a failure in the vaccine, rather than in the children themselves.) Rather than recommend testing for immunity to determine WHICH 10% of children actually NEEDED another dose of Measles, Mumps, and Rubella into their systems, the CDC recommended re-vaccinating ALL children, to be sure we catch the 10% still at risk. Ask yourself who benefits from that decision: Answer: The pharmaceutical industry and the companies who develop the vaccine.
Okay. Rant over for today.
Educate yourselves. We are humans - not sheep.
Marci
After my presentation, there were a few educators present who had some questions regarding my work as a Defeat Autism Now! provider. One of those questions was regarding the flu vaccine and if there is thimerosal in it. The woman who asked the question reported to me that her daughter had asked her pediatrician about the safety of the flu vaccine because she was considering whether or not to give it to her child. The woman before me (the grandmother of said child) indicated that the pediatrician in question responded to the concerned mother, "Of course the flu vaccine is safe! There hasn't been thimerosal in vaccines for six years!"
This is an outright lie.
Thimerosal was taken out of the CHILDHOOD vaccine schedule in 2004. The huge numbers of vaccines that were already stockpiled in pediatricians' and family practice docs' offices were NOT discarded - this means that unless a parent SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED their child be given INDIVIDUAL DOSE vaccines without preservatives, YOU DON'T KNOW if the vaccines given during and after 2004 were thimerosal-free or not. (You can research the vaccines yourself if you obtain a copy of your child's shot records and look up the particular vaccinations your child received.)
Of HUGE concern at this time is that the CDC and Pharmaceutical companies who develop the vaccines are pushing for ALL children, including infants and those yet unborn, be vaccinated against the flu. (Recommendations include vaccinating pregnant women during the second trimester of gestation.) A news story yesterday announced that flu vaccines have been produced and are being distributed in record numbers this year in the attempt to vaccinate every man, woman, child, and infant in the U.S.
THE FLU VACCINE DOES CONTAIN THIMEROSAL.
For those nay-sayers who believe this is misinformation reported by some radical wacko with an agenda or crazy conspiracy theory, here is the link to the CDC article declaring that yes, the flu vaccine contains mercury. Please read this very carefully and with the same skepticism I would hope you apply to everything you read online (including this blog):
http://www.cdc.gov/FLU/ABOUT/QA/thimerosal.htm
Note that the CDC uses terminology indicating that even in the vaccines that are labeled "preservative-free" THIMEROSAL IS USED IN THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS. The CDC states that the amount is so small and by the time the process is finished, it is untraceable. This is different from stating that IT IS NOT THERE. This is the same type of semantic trickery that has been played for years. Nothing has changed.
Please take the responsibility upon yourself as a parent to do your own research and find out the truth before you allow anyone to inject ANYTHING into your child. I don't know if the pediatrician mentioned above actually knows he is lying to the concerned parents of his young patients. If he does not realize this, it is his responsibility as a professional to research more closely the products he is declaring as safe. I encourage all parents reading this to ask your pediatrician about thimerosal in flu vaccines before having your child (or yourself) vaccinated. If your physician tells you there is no thimerosal in the vaccine, I suggest you find another physician. If he or she doesn't know about thimerosal, with all the media coverage on this issue, what is the likelihood that he or she researches any of the other drugs before writing out prescriptions?
Who is educating our doctors?
The pharmaceutical reps who peddle the prescriptions. The effectiveness of the sales pitch may be the determining factor as to which drugs a doctor prescribes. That's not about healing. That's about money.
As a Defeat Autism Now! provider, I am not taking the position (at this time) that you should not vaccinate your child at all. I am, however, suggesting that you become more proactive in the well-being of the children you have been blessed with and do not blindly follow advice just because the person dispensing it has the letters M.D. behind his or her name.
Posted below is a suggested schedule, for those who make the decision to vaccinate their children. This schedule includes the vaccinations that are protective against CHILDHOOD illnesses and is less likely to overwhelm their immune systems by greatly decreasing the number of antigens introduced into the body simultaneously. This allows the body to respond more appropriately to the invading antigen, and should decrease the likelihood of immune system confusion (which is related to auto-immune response).
Birth
Hepatitis B if mom is Hep. B Positive, otherwise wait
4 months
Hib, IPV
5 months
DTaP
6 months
Hib, IPV
7 months
DTaP
8 months
Hib
9 months
DTaP
15 months
Measles
17 months
Hib, IPV
18 months
DTaP
21 months
Rubella
24 months
Prevnar 1 dose
30 months
Mumps
4-5 years
Varicella (if not immune already)
4-5 years
Hepatitis B series
4-5 years
DTaP, IPV boosters
4-5 years
test titers for MMR and do not give unless not immune.
Please note that the above recommendations include not vaccinating a newborn against Hepatitis B unless the mother is positive. Hepatitis B is a sexually-transmitted disease. It is NOT typically a disease of childhood and should therefore NOT be given to all children as part of the CHILDHOOD vaccine schedule. Please also note that it is recommended that you NOT give a second round of vaccines for Measles, Mumps, and Rubella unless the child is not already immune. The reason the "Booster" vaccine was recommended in the first place is because 10% of children failed to establish immunity after the first vaccine. (I would argue this is a failure in the vaccine, rather than in the children themselves.) Rather than recommend testing for immunity to determine WHICH 10% of children actually NEEDED another dose of Measles, Mumps, and Rubella into their systems, the CDC recommended re-vaccinating ALL children, to be sure we catch the 10% still at risk. Ask yourself who benefits from that decision: Answer: The pharmaceutical industry and the companies who develop the vaccine.
Okay. Rant over for today.
Educate yourselves. We are humans - not sheep.
Marci
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