MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'andrew wakefield'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:09:03 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5174621&cid=t_105159_87_f&fid=39261&url=http%3A%2F%2Fvactruth.com%2F2011%2F08%2F27%2Fdr-andrew-wakefield-to-speak-at-national-autistic-association-conference-on-autism-and-false-accusations-of-msbp%2F Dr. Andrew Wakefield The National Autism Association is having Dr Andrew Wakefield speak at their forthcoming conference about his new book which is to be released in the spring. While it is not unusual for the NAA to support Dr Wakefield’s work, I was surprised to learn that his proposed talk will be on the subject of the Autism and Munchausen by Proxy (MSBP). Dr Wakefield writes:   “Hoping for Perpetual Sunshine This presentation is the subject of a new book coming out the spring of 2012.  It deals with the hazards of pursuing a diagnosis of Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy (MSBP) in children with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), particularly those with gastrointestinal (GI) disease and/or dysfunction. Specifically, it reviews the symptomatic presentation of GI disorders ... vactruth.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5174621 Sat, 27 Aug 2011 06:11:30 +0100 5174621 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159835&cid=t_105159_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FQexqt8C-1RI%2F A new analysis of more than 1,000 medical journal articles found that relatively few health problems are caused by or clearly associated with vaccines, according to a report released today by the Institute of Medicine. An expert committee reviewed scientific literature on possible side effects and found what it calls convincing evidence that vaccines can cause 14 specific adverse events - such as seizures, brain inflammation and fainting - but concluded that these occur rarely. “What we found is that there is very little evidence that vaccines cause adverse events, and most of the adverse events that there is evidence for tend to be time-limited,” Ellen Wright Clayton, director of the Center for Biomedical Ethics and Society at Vanderbilt University and the IOM committe chair, ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159835 Thu, 25 Aug 2011 17:20:13 +0100 5159835 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5139740&cid=t_105159_87_f&fid=39261&url=http%3A%2F%2Fvactruth.com%2F2011%2F08%2F19%2Ffamilies-sue-their-lawyers-for-negligence-over-their-mmr-cases%2F The tables have turned on lawyers. The Times reported that three families are taking legal action against their former lawyers, claiming that the Measles Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccination withdrawn in 1992, caused their children to develop encephalitis and not autism. They are saying that they are suing because they believe that their former lawyers were negligent when they lumped their cases in with more than 1000 other discredited autism and bowel disease claims. The three cases were dropped as part of the class action in 2003 along with all the other cases.   Hannah Devlin Science Correspondent for The Times wrote: Ann Coote, from Bolton, believes that the learning difficulties and epilepsy suffered by her daughter Rachael, 23, are a result of the encephalitis, a swelling of t... vactruth.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5139740 Fri, 19 Aug 2011 06:22:48 +0100 5139740 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5057728&cid=t_105159_87_f&fid=39261&url=http%3A%2F%2Fvactruth.com%2F2011%2F07%2F22%2Fmurdochs-vaccine-world%2F This article explains, in my opinion, how the pharmaceutical industry and money interests ‘play the game’. I hope Mr. Newton doesn’t mind my quoting his article, but I could not have said it any better and I certainly don’t want to take his thunder. He’s done a fantastic job, which I applaud, and want to spotlight. First, Newtown sets up the piece with some histrionics: A 2010 exposure of Murdoch’s Times of London revealed that it had published forged documents purporting to show that Iran planned to do nuclear experiments for an atomic weapon, and as Michael Collins at Oped News points out, it was Murdoch’s “drumbeat of misinformation” that helped mislead people into believing that Saddam Hussein was involved in the 9/11 attack, supporting Bush’s in... vactruth.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5057728 Fri, 22 Jul 2011 15:30:36 +0100 5057728 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4719901&cid=t_105159_87_f&fid=39261&url=http%3A%2F%2Fvactruth.com%2F2011%2F04%2F16%2Fuk-nurse-gave-vaccine-to-child-without-consent-to-meet-government-goals%2F A UK nurse has been accused of vaccinating a child with the MMR without his mothers consent to hit vaccine targets. The Daily Mail has reported that a Birmingham mother has made an official complaint stating that a nurse at the ‘Pak Medical Centre’ gave her son the MMR without her permission. Robina Siddique told the newspaper that she firmly believes that nurse Rashiela Parekh vaccinated her three year old son purely to meet vaccination targets. Siddique claims that she took her son to the clinic for the DPT vaccination making it very clear at the time that she did not want her son to have the MMR. This was because she felt that it was unsafe. She told the Mail: “I had refused the MMR for my child because I don’t think there is enough research into the long-term implic... vactruth.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4719901 Sat, 16 Apr 2011 10:38:04 +0100 4719901 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4554610&cid=t_105159_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Flifeinthefastlane%2FWZHV%2F%7E3%2FX62M5exw-jM%2F We echo the ZDOggMD crew's call to IMMUNIZE! (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4554610 Sun, 06 Mar 2011 12:19:58 +0100 4554610 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4399527&cid=t_105159_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdiscussing-immunization-the-injustice-of-interviewing-dr-wakefield%2F2011.01.25 When Dr. Andrew Wakefield was interviewed on ABC’s “Good Morning America” [recently], an injustice occurred. For children, I mean. And it occurred inadvertently, I suspect. But I believe this injustice happens all the time when it comes to children’s health and wellness. What the media covers really changes how we think and feel about protecting and parenting our children. The media’s effort to inform and educate — just like that of physicians and nurses, social workers and ancillary staff, researchers, and students — can get lost and misconstrued. ABC worked hard to inform us of the accusations against Dr. Wakefield with a two-minute introduction by Dr. Richard Besser, a pediatrician and medical editor/correspondent. Yet when the interview was over, ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4399527 Tue, 25 Jan 2011 18:00:46 +0100 4399527 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4399529&cid=t_105159_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Feffect-of-autism-vaccine-fraud-not-easily-undone%2F2011.01.24 Eighteen percent of American believe that vaccines can cause autism, 30 percent remain unsure, and 52 percent of Americans don’t think vaccines can cause autism, according to public opinion polling done after research linking vaccines to the condition was reported as fraudulent. While 69 percent of respondents said they had heard about an association between vaccination and autism, 47 percent knew that the original Lancet study had been retracted, and that recently the research is reported as being fraudulent. The poll also found that 86 percent of parents who have doubts about the vaccine said that their children were fully vaccinated, compared to 98 percent of parents who believe vaccines are safe, and that 92 percent of children are fully vaccinated. The poll was conducted... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4399529 Mon, 24 Jan 2011 22:00:00 +0100 4399529 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4394443&cid=t_105159_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Famericans-are-quickly-rethinking-the-autism-vaccine-link%2F2011.01.24 Eighteen percent of American believe that vaccines can cause autism, 30 percent remain unsure, and 52 percent of Americans don’t think vaccines can cause autism, according to public opinion polling done after research linking vaccines to the condition was reported as fraudulent. While 69 percent of respondents said they had heard about an association between vaccination and autism, 47 percent knew that the original Lancet study had been retracted, and that recently the research is reported as being fraudulent. The poll also found that 86 percent of parents who have doubts about the vaccine said that their children were fully vaccinated, compared to 98 percent of parents who believe vaccines are safe, and that 92 percent of children are fully vaccinated. The poll was conducted... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4394443 Mon, 24 Jan 2011 22:00:00 +0100 4394443 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4389185&cid=t_105159_87_f&fid=39261&url=http%3A%2F%2Fvactruth.com%2F2011%2F01%2F23%2Fthe-saga-of-andy-wakefield-continues%2F The recent attacks against Dr. Andrew Wakefield for undisclosed business dealings are the latest battles in an apparent collusion by some segments of Big Pharma, orthodox or allopathic medicine, and governments to take down Andy Wakefield in what will become a failed attempt to preserve the current international vaccine agenda. As the January 13, 2011, New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM)Perspective article entitled “The Age-old Struggle against the Antivaccinationists” by authors Dr. Gregory Poland and Dr. Robert Jacobson points out, opposition to vaccination is a long-standing battle. Nothing shows this more clearly and effectively than the book, Horrors Of Vaccination Exposed And Illustrated: Petition To The President To Abolish Compulsory Vaccination In Army And Navy, written in ... vactruth.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4389185 Sun, 23 Jan 2011 13:21:02 +0100 4389185 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4352714&cid=t_105159_87_f&fid=39261&url=http%3A%2F%2Fvactruth.com%2F2011%2F01%2F15%2Fvaccine-damaged-kids-and-the-media-attack-on-dr-andy-wakefield%2F The apparently orchestrated attack on Doctor Andy Wakefield is most interesting.  It’s rather amazing that the British Medical Journal (BMJ), having been around since the mid-eighteen hundreds, would risk tarnishing its reputation with such ghastly stories.  It is fascinating to observe what appears to be an attack that is nothing short of sinister. Perhaps it would be revealing to trace the REAL source(s) behind this witch-hunt––within, or reporting to, BMJ. Parents of vaccine-damaged children are convinced that journalist Brian Deer may not be a ‘lone wolf’ but rather a ‘lackey’ possibly supported by pharmaceutical sources. What is suddenly driving this vendetta against a medical doctor who follows in the professional footsteps of so many martyred heroes like Ignaz Phili... vactruth.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4352714 Sat, 15 Jan 2011 12:51:38 +0100 4352714 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4349517&cid=t_105159_87_f&fid=39261&url=http%3A%2F%2Fvactruth.com%2F2011%2F01%2F14%2Fvaccine-induced-child-abuse-exposed%2F As the Wakefield saga unfolds, we have seen the lengths pharmaceutical industries and governments will go to in a bid to cover up the truth. However, destroying a professionals reputation is not the only tactic employed to cover up vaccine injuries. Blaming parents of child abuse is another tactic being regularly used. Many parents, who believe that they have been falsely accused of child abuse, are convinced that their child has been injured by a routine childhood vaccination. Yet, many in the medical establishment, however, are less convinced. Instead, they push ahead for police and child protection intervention. Sadly this means that many sick and disabled children enter the care system receiving inadequate medical or educational intervention and carry on to deteriorate. // Profession... vactruth.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4349517 Fri, 14 Jan 2011 08:59:37 +0100 4349517 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4331017&cid=t_105159_87_f&fid=39261&url=http%3A%2F%2Fvactruth.com%2F2011%2F01%2F10%2Fandrew-wakefield-attack-spells-death-for-these-3-pharma-lies%2F Conclusion Parents realize that their autistic child is sick, needs proper medical help, and there are services and treatments available, which conventional medicine seems to be ignoring if it does not include psychotropic drugs. Treating autism’s other health problems, including bowel syndrome anomalies that Dr. Wakefield identified, apparently is not in the best interest of helping an autistic child. One has to wonder what will happen if it’s determined that the viruses causing autism are the same strains that are in vaccines. vactruth.com (Source: vactruth.com) vactruth.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4331017 Mon, 10 Jan 2011 11:06:13 +0100 4331017 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4322511&cid=t_105159_87_f&fid=39261&url=http%3A%2F%2Fvactruth.com%2F2011%2F01%2F07%2Fmedia-vultures-have-another-go-at-andrew-wakefields-research%2F We describe the clinical findings, and gastrointestinal features of these children.” // Wakefield says ‘apparent normality‘. He is not saying of ‘normality’ because he is taking this from the mouths of the parents and other physicians and not his own observation. This is shown later in the study. It is important to remember that Wakefield was not studying the Autism link but bowel disorder link. Wakefield was not and never has been an expert in Autism he was and is a Gastrointerologist. In the section ‘findings’ he states: Findings Onset of behavioural symptoms was associated, by the parents, with measles, mumps, and rubella vaccination in eight of the 12 children, with measles infection in one child, and otitis media in another. All 12 children ha... vactruth.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4322511 Fri, 07 Jan 2011 15:42:50 +0100 4322511 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4318334&cid=t_105159_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-autism-vaccine-fraud-the-difference-one-journalist-can-make%2F2011.01.06 The BMJ’s statement this week that the 1998 article by Andrew Wakefield and 12 others “linking MMR vaccine and autism was fraudulent” demonstrates what a difference one journalist can make. Journalist Brian Deer played a key role in uncovering and dismantling the Wakefield story. (Of course, others recently have said something similar about The Daily Show comedian Jon Stewart’s role in focusing on the health problems of 9/11 first responders.) CNN’s Anderson Cooper had a segment worth watching, including a new interview Cooper conducted with Wakefield via Skype: Unfortunately, journalism played a key role in promoting Wakefield’s claims. The “Respectful Insolence” blog referred to one journalist as “CBS’ resident anti-vaccine pro... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4318334 Thu, 06 Jan 2011 16:00:16 +0100 4318334 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4318546&cid=t_105159_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F3Hn0dIo4xnA%2F More than a decade after he published a paper in The Lancet suggesting a strong link between autism and MMR vaccination, the story of how Andrew Wakefield strung together his conclusions and opinions has been published in BMJ. And the behind-the-scenes story is eye-opening. In an accompanying editorial, the medical journal calls his work a fraud that has greatly damaged public health. “A great deal of thought and effort must have gone into drafting the paper to achieve the results he wanted: the discrepancies all led in one direction; misreporting was gross,” writes BMJ in its editorial, adding that “…Hundreds of thousands of children in the UK are currently unprotected as a result of the scare, and the battle to restore parents’ trust in the vaccine is ongoing.&... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4318546 Thu, 06 Jan 2011 14:38:47 +0100 4318546 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4314048&cid=t_105159_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F01%2F05%2Fandrew-wakefield-the-autism-vaccine-link-and-deliberate-fraud%2F As though Dr. Andrew Wakefield didn’t have enough problems. After his study of 12 (count ‘em — a whole 12!) children was thrown out of The Lancet when its original claim of a link between autism and MMR vaccines didn’t really hold water, now he’s got the BMJ on his case. The problem with the original study came when nobody — and I mean, nobody — could replicate the research. Not Wakefield. Not other researchers. Science demonstrates a strong finding when data is replicable. When nobody can replicate your research, it’s considered an unreliable or extremely weak finding. And in this case, it’s not even that. The BMJ today claimed that Dr. Andrew Wakefield allegedly engaged in deliberate fraud in his original study. “The MMR [measl... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4314048 Thu, 06 Jan 2011 01:13:52 +0100 4314048 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3780358&cid=t_105159_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-case-of-the-winkler-county-whistleblowing-nurses%2F2010.07.22 I can’t speak for anyone else who blogs here at Science-Based Medicine, but there’s one thing I like to emphasize to people who complain that we exist only to “bash ‘alternative’ medicine.” We don’t. We exist to champion medicine based on science against all manner of dubious practices. Part of that mandate involves understanding and accepting that science-based medicine (SBM) is not perfect. It is not some sort of panacea. Rather, it has many shortcomings and all too often does not live up to its promise. Our argument is merely that, similar to Winston Churchill’s invocation of the famous saying that “democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried,” science-based medicine is the worst form of medicine except for all the others tha... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3780358 Thu, 22 Jul 2010 12:00:59 +0100 3780358 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3595669&cid=t_105159_111_f&fid=34834&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FMentalNurse%2F%7E3%2FlG_RqF0EZLY%2F Yesterday Andrew Wakefield, the paediatrician who sparked off the autism-MMR panic, was struck off by the General Medical Council. I work with quite a few autistic kids. Even now, several of their parents insist that the MMR vaccine “must have caused” their child’s autism. I can’t really blame them for it. They’ve had to go through enormous stress and heartache, with no real explanation as to why other than, “the evidence base is mixed, but we think it’s probably a genetic condition”. By comparison, “it’s all down to vaccines” provides a clear explanation and somebody to blame, even if that explanation is completely and demonstrably wrong. What I find less forgivable is the depressingly large number of my nursing colleagues... Mental Nurse blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3595669 Tue, 25 May 2010 15:18:40 +0100 3595669 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3592405&cid=t_105159_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FabVrdjLxr9g%2F The doctor who first suggested a link between MMR vaccinations and autism has lost his license to practice medicine in the UK. Andrew Wakefield - whose 1998 study in The Lancet caused vaccination rates to plunge and a subsequent rise in measles - was removed from the UK medical register after being found guilty of serious professional misconduct. For those who may not recall, his findings were eventually discredited and The Lancet, which published the 1998 paper that sparked an international controversy, recently issued a retraction. The UK’s General Medical Council ruled that Walkefield acted dishonestly, and was misleading and irresponsible while carrying out his research. He “abused his position of trust…brought the medical profession into disrepute” in studies h... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3592405 Mon, 24 May 2010 15:25:25 +0100 3592405 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3585604&cid=t_105159_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FTidx4d_6HuY%2F Earlier this week Dr. Margaret Chan, Director General of the World Health Organization, addressed the World Health Assembly in Geneva and brought up the topic of vaccines. She noted some of the successes in addressing the world’s health and development issues and stated that “vaccines are among the best life-saving buys on offer, preventing an estimated 2-3 million deaths per year.” In the next minutes, however, she also addressed the setbacks – occurring when people decide that vaccines are too risky. She counted the problems with measles, pandemic vaccines and polio. In fact, I just finished reading a unique recount of the measles vaccine controversy. Something that wasn’t a paper at all, but a comic strip type account that said it all. I highly you encourage to rea... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3585604 Fri, 21 May 2010 14:00:59 +0100 3585604 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3220737&cid=t_105159_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F7kL7mwNusrE%2F The doctor who first suggested a link between MMR vaccinations and autism acted unethically, the official medical regulator has found. Andrew Wakefield’s 1998 study in The Lancet caused vaccination rates to plunge, resulting in a rise in measles, although the findings were later discredited, the BBC reports. The General Medical Council ruled he had acted “dishonestly and irresponsibly” in doing his research (back story). Afterwards, Wakefield said the claims were “unfounded and unjust…and that the science will continue in earnest.” The GMC case did not investigate whether Wakefield’s findings were right or wrong, instead it was focused on the methods of research. The panel said Wakefield, who was working at London’s Royal Free Hospital as a g... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3220737 Fri, 29 Jan 2010 12:38:17 +0100 3220737 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2477586&cid=t_105159_87_f&fid=34595&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnhsblogdoc.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F06%2Ftommy-devil-amish-mmr-and-single.html I always liked, and still like, the rock opera, Tommy. When I was at university, I saw the definitive (and only acceptable) staged production of it, put on, oddly, at the Oxford Union. It was awesome. (Is there anyone else out there who saw it?) Charles Sturridge, father of another Tom, played Tommy. A few years later I managed to get a ticket for the star-studded but inferior stage version. It was appalling. The touts were out. I was offered £150 for my ticket on the door. I wish I had taken it. And the film? Don’t bother.Tommy did not have congenital german measles (rubella). He was traumatised in childhood. We do not see many deaf-blind children now, thank God. But take a trip to Pennsylvania and visit the Amish people. You have heard of their furniture. You remember that "Amish" fil... NHS Blog Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2477586 Mon, 15 Jun 2009 14:09:00 +0100 2477586 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2424081&cid=t_105159_87_f&fid=34595&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnhsblogdoc.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F05%2Fmeasles-and-swine-flu.html American Academy of Pediatrics : Vaccine preventable diseases collectionThe champagne corks will be popping to night at JABs before they dance round the mumbo-jumbo pole to sing "Soomer is a-comin' in." Their MMR scaremongering has been successful. There is now a major outbreak of measles.Health chiefs in Wales are dealing with a "massive" measles outbreak, with numbers already four times the highest figure recorded over the past 13 years.Four nursery school children were treated in hospital as part of 127 cases across mid and west Wales, while there are another 35 cases in Conwy. The National Public Health Service (NPHS) in Wales saw 39 cases last year. Its highest figure in 2003 was 44. Officials appealed for parents to take up the MMR vaccine.BBC Heaven forbid that we should start using... NHS Blog Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2424081 Tue, 19 May 2009 18:15:00 +0100 2424081 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2167518&cid=t_105159_87_f&fid=34595&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnhsblogdoc.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F02%2Fim-believer-mmr-measles-autism.html click to enlargeWelcome to Thoughtful House"Thoughtful House is fighting to recover children with developmental disorders (autism, PDD, Asperger’s syndrome, ADD, ADHD and NLD) through the unique combination of medical care, education, and research."+++++++++++It sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? All those well-dressed, smiling professionals at the top.  Do you recognise the “professional” on the right of the photograph? It’s Dr Andrew Wakefield. “Thoughtful House” is his refuge in Texas. The place he has now found from which to flog his dubious wares.What, precisely, is Andrew Wakefield’s status? He has no professional training in the management of autism, or ADHD and Asperger's Syndrome. He is not a psychiatrist. He is not a paediatrician. Already, therefore, we wonder whethe... NHS Blog Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2167518 Sun, 08 Feb 2009 10:50:00 +0100 2167518 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2167519&cid=t_105159_87_f&fid=34595&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnhsblogdoc.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F02%2Fjeni-barnett-mmr-measles-and-bad.html Jeni Barnett, Professor Wibble, Ben GoldacreFor those who do not already know, Ben Goldacre is a highy qualifed doctor who writes a regular column in the Guardian, entitled Bad Science. He is also responsible for the blog of the same name. His Bad Science blog has become the most respected and widely read scientific blog in the UK, and one of the most respected sources of sensible no-nonsense science in the world. Ben writes with a light touch, and uses gentle humour rather than vitriol to unmask the quacks and the pedlars of pseudo-science. Who can forget his wonderful one line dismissal of the “awful poo doctor” herself as “Dr Gillian Mckeith PhD or, to give her full medically recognised qualifications, Gillian McKeith."  Who but Ben Goldacre would go to the extreme of buying one ... NHS Blog Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2167519 Sat, 07 Feb 2009 10:46:00 +0100 2167519 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2074314&cid=t_105159_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Fvm6BiQLpVdU%2F A constant theme in 2008 was the rebranding of autism, as Orac at Respectful Insolence referred to how the likes of David Kirby have been constantly saying that “autism isn’t autism”—-it’s “mercury poisoning,” “vaccine-aggravated mitochondrial disorder,” “mercury-induced neurological disorder,” etc., etc. (April being Autism Awareness Month—-does your child know about this—let’s not get into what such “rebranding” would do to the month…….) The notorious Judge Rotenburg Center in Canton, Massachusetts uses electroshock “treatment” on some its residents, some of whom are autistic. In April, one of its staff was charged with rape, assault, and battery of another staff member... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2074314 Tue, 30 Dec 2008 07:07:52 +0100 2074314 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1868572&cid=t_105159_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FkutojrHLPQk%2F Jim noted to me last night that the stock market is now pretty much back to where it was around the time Charlie was born. Having spent the past ten days writing about vaccines and autism for the Science Blogs Book Club, it’s occurred to me that the whole vaccine-autism issue has been part of, and even dominated, public discussion about autism for most of Charlie’s life. It was in 1998 that Dr. Andrew Wakefield announced that he had found the cause of autism—-the MMR vaccine—and launched far more than a thousand discussions, diatribes, and disputed claims. 10 years, 11 years and counting of a good life with our boy. Tags: andrew wakefield, asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, disabilities blog, disability, economic crisis, Education, Health, immunizations, mercury, m... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1868572 Sat, 11 Oct 2008 00:25:17 +0100 1868572 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1834750&cid=t_105159_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2Fet1M5kZ6e2o%2F No, not referring to what gets written about at the likes of this blog or this one, but to the popstars and celebrities who’ve (per the September 28th Times) helped “scandal-hit medic” Andrew Wakefield relaunch himself in the US and specifically in Austin, Texas. Juicy, or maybe just more commentary on America as the home of the self-(re)-made man? Tags: andrew wakefield, asd, asperger, austin, autism, autism blog, celebrities, celebrities blog, disabilities blog, disability, healing, Health, immunization, jenny mccarthy, measles, mercury, mmr, Myth, Parenting, pdd-nos, scandal, Science, self-made man, VaccinesShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1834750 Sat, 27 Sep 2008 19:44:04 +0100 1834750 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1833269&cid=t_105159_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FaNPs5AQs-7I%2F A September 25th press release announces that parents make donations for cutting-edge research. Specifically, some parents have made contributions totaling $30,000 to the National Autism Association (NAA), whose website proclaims “think autism think cure. Some of the research to be funded will be conducted by gastroenterologist Andrew Wakefield, the British doctor whose article in the journal Lancet set off a scare about an autism-MMR link, and who currently faces misconduct charges in the UK and may not be allowed to practice medicine there again. Parents funding research, however “cutting edge,” is less than new news. While not many parents can give $10,000, many of us have at one time or another written a cheque to an autism organization whose agenda includes funding &... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1833269 Fri, 26 Sep 2008 17:35:34 +0100 1833269 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1770623&cid=t_105159_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F_yPKt4LO14w%2F It’s late late Friday night (/early early Monday morning) as I’m writing this and feeling. I think we made it through another summer. Monday will be Charlie’s first day back to school, after an extra-long summer vacation: Due to school construction in our school district, summer vacation started extra early and is ending extra late. “That’s his world,” someone at work said to me when I noted how chaotically Wednesday started in our house. Looking back, I’ve realized that Charlie may have woken up early because he sensed that, Labor Day having passed, it was time for him to be back in the classroom—-and then he realized that he wasn’t going and panicked. Now there’s only a weekend to get through. Charlie is starting middle school. ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1770623 Sat, 06 Sep 2008 12:53:46 +0100 1770623 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1759945&cid=t_105159_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F9iJJ6lHZHxY%2F This study has often been cited by advocates of a vaccine-autism link (such as Safe Minds) as evidence for the theory that vaccines or something in vaccines causes autism. Go here to read the new study. Share This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1759945 Wed, 03 Sep 2008 22:45:25 +0100 1759945 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1746381&cid=t_105159_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FgIjonmZDlo0%2F Sometimes I think this blog is in danger of becoming a vaccine blog, as vaccines are so frequently a topic here. There’s what some refer to as their right to vaccinate or not. There’ve been recent outbreaks of measles and mumps, with many cases among unvaccinated persons. There’s the fear that vaccines or something in vaccines might be connected to autism. Indeed, it’s “fear of autism” that is the reason for the continued talk about vaccines and autism. Anti-vaccine/pro-vaccine-safety advocates say that they want to “change the schedule” and to “make vaccines safer” to ensure that future generations of children do not get autism. But, while it seems hard to mention autism these days without vaccines being brought up, the number of... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1746381 Sat, 30 Aug 2008 13:32:25 +0100 1746381 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1711779&cid=t_105159_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F7zfGPOhZCHQ%2F Dr. Andrew Wakefield, the figure at the center of the controversy over the MMR vaccine and autism, was a “man in a hurry,” according to Professor John Walker-Smith in a hearing before the General Medical Council (GMC). The hearing is about “alleged irregularities in research methods.” Dr. Wakefield was the primary author of the 1998 Lancet paper that linked the MMR vaccine to an increased risk of autism. The Lancet has since disowned the paper, but not before fears of the MMR vaccine became widespread and led to many parents choosing not to vaccinate their children, and a serious increase in measles in the UK. According to the August 14th Hampstead and Highgate Express, Dr. Wakefield, Prof. Walker-Smith and another colleague, Professor Simon Murch, are accused of &#8230... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1711779 Mon, 18 Aug 2008 06:38:27 +0100 1711779 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1535817&cid=t_105159_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F316443776%2F A 17-year-old from West Yorkshire is the first person to die of measles in the UK in two years. He was admitted to a hospital in April with pneumonia, which he got after getting measles. More in today’s Telegraph, which notes that MMR vaccination coverage has been “sub-optimal” in the UK for the past ten years: Because of the MMR scare in the late 1990s when the measles, mumps and rubella jab was linked to bowel disorders and autism, vaccinations levels have dropped below the threshold required to control the diseases. In London less than half of children have had the recommended two doses of MMR. Tags: andrew wakefield, asd, asperger, autism, autism blog, disabilities blog, disability, Family, family blog, mmr, Parenting, pdd-nos, vaccineShare This (Source: Autism Vox) Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1535817 Fri, 20 Jun 2008 20:15:54 +0100 1535817 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1331525&cid=t_105159_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F259236702%2F The doctor who triggered an international health scare over the safety of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine will take the stand at the General Medical Council in the UK an attempt to save his professional reputation, The Independent reports. Ten years after Andrew Wakefield’s paper linking the MMR vaccine with bowel disease and autism appeared in The Lancet, he will defend the research, which is said to have done more damage than anything published in a scientific journal in living memory, the paper writes. Scores of parents who are convinced that the vaccine caused autism in their children will demonstrate in his support outside GMC’s headquarters in London, where the case is being heard, as they did when the hearing opened last July. They claim he is the victim of ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1331525 Thu, 27 Mar 2008 21:21:12 +0100 1331525 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1331349&cid=t_105159_87_f&fid=34595&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnhsblogdoc.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F03%2Fmore-mischief-from-bbc.html It beggars believe.Only yesterday the BBC had to change a misleading headline, and today they are at it again. This time it is more serious. This time they are using a provacative headline and innacurate leading paragraph to associate Andrew Wakefield with MMR immunistion.MMR doctor to begin his defenceThe doctor who first linked the MMR vaccine to increased risk of autism is due to defend his reputation at a General Medical Council hearing.  Dr Andrew Wakefield, along with two colleagues, is charged with serious professional misconduct.No, no, no. Andrew Wakefield is not "the MMR doctor" and he did not "link" MMR to an increased risk of autism. A more accurate headline would have been "measles death doctor". The BBC just does not get it. Every time they produce a misleading headline like... NHS Blog Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1331349 Thu, 27 Mar 2008 15:37:00 +0100 1331349 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1316618&cid=t_105159_87_f&fid=34595&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnhsblogdoc.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F03%2Fautism-leaky-bowels-and-exclusion-diets.html This study shows that children with autism do not produce higher levels of peptides in urine, and throws doubt on earlier studies which claimed that they did, but which used more rudimentary biochemical techniques. A number of other studies have also failed to find peptides in children with autism, but this is the largest study and the first which properly compared children with autism with a control group.There is a problem with respectable scientists. By nature they are cautious. They do not make claims that they cannot substantiate.Dr Hilary Cass, Great Ormond Street Hospital, and Dr Paul Gringas, Guy’s and St Thomas’s Hospital said "It is very distressing to have a diagnosis of autism, a lifelong condition. Many families are driven to try out interventions which currently have no s... NHS Blog Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1316618 Thu, 20 Mar 2008 17:08:00 +0100 1316618 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1307747&cid=t_105159_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F253103150%2F A new study in the Archives of Disease in Childhood suggests that autistic children do not appear to have proteins leaking into their intestinal systems and causing damage, today’s BBC News reports. Researchers at Great Ormond Street Hospital, Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital and the University of Edinburgh found that autistic children did not have more peptides in their urine than did non-autistic children in a control group. The “leaky gut” theory of autism is based on the belief that vaccines such as the MMR damage the lining of the intestine and create digestive problems in children. It is thought that some children are not able to fully digest proteins called peptides that are found in some foods; the peptides “leak” into the gut and affect the b... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1307747 Mon, 17 Mar 2008 16:45:32 +0100 1307747 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1252655&cid=t_105159_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F240115719%2F 12 cases of measles have been reported in the San Diego area, all in children who were not vaccinated due to their being too young, or due to their parents choosing not to vaccinate them. A story last week in the San Diego Union-Tribune noted that more and more parents have been exercising their right under California law not to vaccinate their children, in part because “they fear that vaccines may be linked to autism.” The San Diego Union-Tribune narrates how the measles infection may have spread from one child to another—from an infected child sneezing or coughing at a charter school, a health clinic, at a Whole Foods or a Trader Joe’s store—-and underscores how readily the disease can be spread, and can be caught. In England and Wales, there were 971 cases ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1252655 Sat, 23 Feb 2008 23:00:50 +0100 1252655 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1081783&cid=t_105159_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F197489864%2F 14-year-old Jack Piper endured multiple organ failure, including kidney and liver problems, a a swollen brain and neurological problems, after a colonoscopy procedure at the Royal Free Hospital in 1998. He also developed epilepsy and suffered stomach ulcers. The December 9th Daily Mail reports that the procedure was not “”not clinically indicated or justified’”; his parents claim that the procedure was carried out to “establish links between his condition and bowel problems” rather than for Jack’s clinical needs. Jack’s family has won a £500,000 payout from the hospital, which “admitted the operation itself was negligent and gave Jack and his family a public apology.” The documents also claimed that Jack’s parents were n... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1081783 Sun, 09 Dec 2007 09:31:27 +0100 1081783 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1049035&cid=t_105159_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F190382591%2F Further proof that public fear about children becoming autistic from a vaccine has reached a fever pitch: An Upper West Side pediatrician has admitted to faking the immunization records of four children. The two families did not want to have their young children, who needed the shots to attend school, vaccinated, due to fears of a vaccine-autism link. The doctor, Dr. Mark Nesselson, has been fined $10,000 by a disciplinary panel and told that he can only practice under supervision. From today’s New York Post:   Nesselson said he got into trouble after he moved to Hawaii two years ago and gave medical records to his patients’ parents to take to their new doctors. The new pediatrician seen by two families turned in Nesselson to authorities, he said. He signed a consent for... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1049035 Sun, 25 Nov 2007 22:22:32 +0100 1049035 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1040104&cid=t_105159_133_f&fid=35081&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmikestanton.wordpress.com%2F2007%2F11%2F21%2Fvaccines-autism-and-actresses%2F Jenny versus Jennifer How would you describe an actress and a mother who makes public statements about the nation’s vaccination programme? Brainwashed simpleton? That is a bit strong, even when applied to Jenny McCarthy. But this is the EOHarm email list passing judgement on a different actress, Jennifer Garner whose crime was to speak up in favour of vaccines, namely the [...] (Source: Action For Autism) Action For Autism blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1040104 Wed, 21 Nov 2007 00:03:36 +0100 1040104 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=909385&cid=t_105159_87_f&fid=34882&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbreathspakids.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F09%2Fpossibly-watershed-in-responsible.html For some of us, the day that The Observer published some egregiously poor reporting about the incidence of autism in the UK and a series of errors about the MMR vaccine, was a landmark in shoddy medical journalism. I dubbed it St. Maximilian Kolbe and Blessed Titus Brandsma Day: once The Observer had published those notorious pieces, it guaranteed abysmal coverage of the issue for the next 100 days.There was outrage throughout the UK blogosphere. Many people wrote to The Observer to correct these stories, not least Dr Fiona Scott whose views had been misrepresented and one apiece from Prof. Baron-Cohen and Prof. Bustin. Baron-Cohen:[Your] article linked MMR and autism.The research does not...The best estimate of the prevalence of autism is the 1 per cent figure published in the Lancet in 2... Breath Spa for Kids blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=909385 Fri, 28 Sep 2007 08:37:00 +0100 909385 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=874636&cid=t_105159_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F156993757%2F A Different Look at the MMR IssueScience writer David Bradley posts about measles and giving the MMR as three separate vaccines; readers find flaws. Special Ed, For ProfitShould a for-profit company run private special education schools? A Suggestion for Dr. WakefieldDAN! seeks “messages of support” for the doctor; Autism Vox asks him to write some messages, too. Eye Contact May Be OverratedWhy, or why not, or why maybe, autistic kids need to be taught to “look at me.” The Cure QuestionIs the notion of “curing autism” beside the point? Quirky, NOSTo diagnose or not to diagnose? Back to School with b5mediaCharlie goes back to school and I reflect on his learning struggles and strengths What Are We Treating With WhatOn the “off label” use of me... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=874636 Sat, 15 Sep 2007 23:17:12 +0100 874636 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=853571&cid=t_105159_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F154360813%2F The Autism Research Institute (ARI) and Defeat Autism Now! (DAN) are asking for “notes of support” to be left on their website for Dr. Andrew Wakefield, the British doctor who first reported a link between the MMR vaccine and autism and who seems, in the face of evidence disputing such a link, unable to admit that he was wrong. Dr. Wakefield has been charged with misconduct that he undertook “research between 1996-8 without proper ethical approval” and that he allowed “investigations such as colonoscopies and lumbar punctures to be carried out on children, against the patients’ interests.” In July, he was called before the General Medical Council for a disciplinary hearing. The ARI’s appeal for messages of support for Dr. Wakefield is not the fi... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=853571 Mon, 10 Sep 2007 00:04:12 +0100 853571 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=779975&cid=t_105159_87_f&fid=34882&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbreathspakids.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F08%2Fobserver-still-doesnt-understand.html To recap: on July 8, The Observer sullied its reputation as a quality newspaper by publishing two articles that were breathtakingly inaccurate. They added to their ignominy by subsequently issuing clarifications that were nothing of the sort (neither apologising nor clarifying).Along with many other people, I wrote to The Observer to correct some inaccuracies. My email is as follows; I have yet to receive an acknowledgement and these matters are still outstanding. From: Shinga Date: 08-Jul-2007 12:32Subject: Corrections to Campbell's ArticlesTo: Readers' EditorDear Sir/Madam,I'm sure that you will receive many well-founded objections to the two companion pieces by Denis Campbell. I wish to comment on some of the many factual errors in these pieces but shall concentrate on the Wakefield int... Breath Spa for Kids blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=779975 Sat, 04 Aug 2007 16:47:00 +0100 779975 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=761486&cid=t_105159_87_f&fid=34882&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbreathspakids.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F07%2Fprof-mawson-on-andrew-wakefield-why-do.html Dr Crippen has posted a Letter from America. However, it is not a gentle insightful reprint of a favourite Alistair Cooke but a letter from a US epidemiologist, Prof. Anthony R. Mawson. Mawson writes to offer his opinion on Prof. Trisha Greenhalgh's critical analysis of the Wakefield et al. study that was published in The Lancet in 1998. [I shall address these criticisms in another post although I suspect that the comments will deal with these matter is some detail.]Mawson is a staunch supporter of Dr Andrew Wakefield. Although we may disagree on the quality of Wakefield's research and its significance, I do think it is admirable that Mawson has not only written this supportive letter to the most widely-read medical blog in the UK, but he may also have signed the Nigel Thomas petition that... Breath Spa for Kids blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=761486 Fri, 27 Jul 2007 10:38:00 +0100 761486 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=755627&cid=t_105159_87_f&fid=34882&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbreathspakids.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F07%2Ffood-for-brain-promotes-autism-gut.html Understandably enough, Food for the Brain updated its homepage to coincide with the broadcast of an update of its project with Chineham Park Primary School on Tonight with Trevor Macdonald, July 13.Fair enough. It was a little odd, however, that they chose to use that update to promote a seminar, AUTISM AND DEPRESSION - A GUT PROBLEM? with these troubling words:Dr Andrew Wakefield suggested a link between gut immunity and autism. Was he right? This September we offer a seminar 'The Gut Brain Link in Autism, Depression and Mental Health' for health professionals. For more details and booking a place click here.Well, that is not quite all that Andrew Wakefield suggested in the aftermath of that discredited Lancet paper and it is a little disingenuous to cherry-pick out one aspect of that wor... Breath Spa for Kids blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=755627 Tue, 24 Jul 2007 22:08:00 +0100 755627 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=752811&cid=t_105159_87_f&fid=34882&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbreathspakids.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F07%2Fautism-diva-gives-pomo-sting-to.html Go and see what Autism Diva has done to some of the banners of Wakefield's bank of supporters outside the GMC Hearings. It is definitely what some of those banners should have said in a disarmingly charming comment on some of the charges.I don't know whether my favourite is:1st photo - poster in back says "No time 4 ethics"2nd photo - "We support Andy Wakefield and his lifestyle ££££"Photo 3 - "Give us bad science"The sad thing is that these banner-bites resemble so many of the comments made by his supporters that they lack the PoMo sting that should have made their irony more apparent. (Source: Breath Spa for Kids) Breath Spa for Kids blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=752811 Tue, 24 Jul 2007 13:01:00 +0100 752811 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=751690&cid=t_105159_87_f&fid=34882&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbreathspakids.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F07%2Fmedia-comment-on-media-coverage-of.html It's hats off to Matthew Norman of The Independent's Media Diary who has some astute and wry comments about the schadenfreude enjoyed at the BBC's recent discomforts and ties it in to the ongoing debacle that is the general coverage of autism, MMR and Dr Andrew Wakefield.Will this wretched appeasement of a tabloid press, whose malevolence is surpassed only by its hypocrisy, never cease?ALSO CONSIDERING the BBC was Melanie Phillips, who fretted in the Daily Mail about declining standards of objectivity. "With an attitude that regards all challenges to its warped world view as beyond the moral pale," declares the woman who knows Jewish critics of Israeli policy towards the Palestinians as Jews For Genocide, "it follows axiomatically that the truth goes out of the window altogether." Indeed, ... Breath Spa for Kids blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=751690 Mon, 23 Jul 2007 18:04:00 +0100 751690 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=749687&cid=t_105159_133_f&fid=35081&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmikestanton.wordpress.com%2F2007%2F07%2F22%2Fmedia-response-to-the-observer-and-autism%2F The Observer’s recent scare story on autism has at least two good points. They have taken such a beating that it is unlikely that they will publish another PR story for Wakefield for a long time to come. I have discovered a lot of interesting blogs which support rational discourse and look forward to reading them on [...] (Source: Action For Autism) Action For Autism blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=749687 Sun, 22 Jul 2007 19:53:35 +0100 749687 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=749446&cid=t_105159_133_f&fid=35081&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmikestanton.wordpress.com%2F2007%2F07%2F22%2Fthe-observer-replies-over-wakefield-autism-and-mmr%2F This Sunday The Observer nearly apologizes for its disgraceful front page report on Autism a fortnight ago. But they still don’t get it. Today’s Observer says that, The report from the ARC was entitled the Final Report of a three-year research project for the Shirley Foundation, a private charitable trust that has an interest in the issue of autism. The [...] (Source: Action For Autism) Action For Autism blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=749446 Sun, 22 Jul 2007 01:57:32 +0100 749446 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=737542&cid=t_105159_87_f&fid=34882&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbreathspakids.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F07%2Fbritish-medical-journal-embarrasses.html The deluge of bad reporting flowing from St. Maximilian Kolbe and Blessed Titus Brandsma Day continues. The mojo of this day is so powerful that it has even influenced the British Medical Journal for the worse: GMC hearing against Wakefield and colleagues opens. After listing some of the charges against Dr Andrew Wakefield, Profs Walker-Smith and Murch but then reporting that the full list of charges won't be announced until today, when the hearing opens, the BMJ concludes this item with a blaze of shame.Researchers from Cambridge University's autism research centre will conclude in an as yet unpublished study that autistic spectrum disorders are almost twice as common among British schoolchildren as current estimates indicate. The lead researcher, Simon Baron-Cohen, said that this study, ... Breath Spa for Kids blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=737542 Mon, 16 Jul 2007 09:45:00 +0100 737542 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=735092&cid=t_105159_87_f&fid=34882&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbreathspakids.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F07%2Fanother-day-of-shame-for-uk-media-on.html It's St. Swithin's Day. According to folklore in the UK, if it rains today then it will rain for the next 40 days. It is a little known fact (in fact, known nowhere outside the confines of my imagination) that last Sunday was St. Maximilian Kolbe and Blessed Titus Brandsma Day: once The Observer had published those notorious pieces, it guaranteed abysmal coverage of the issue for the next 100 days.The Observer publishes some of the many letters that they received, including one apiece from Prof. Baron-Cohen and Prof. Bustin. Baron-Cohen:[Your] article linked MMR and autism.The research does not...The best estimate of the prevalence of autism is the 1 per cent figure published in the Lancet in 2006.My view is that any apparent rise is likely to be driven by better recognition, greater aware... Breath Spa for Kids blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=735092 Sun, 15 Jul 2007 07:52:00 +0100 735092 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=727244&cid=t_105159_87_f&fid=34595&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnhsblogdoc.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F07%2Fprostitution-and-medical-profession.html Three eminent research doctors take a break for lunchGeorge Bernard Shaw was at a party and told a woman that everyone would agree to do anything for money, if the price was high enough.“Surely not,” she said.“Oh yes,” he said, “For instance, would you sleep with me for... for a million pounds?”“Well, maybe for a million I would”“Would you do it for ten shillings?” asked Shaw.“Certainly not!” said the woman “What do you think I am?”“Madam, we have already established what you are. We are merely quibbling about the price.”+++++++++++++++++We stopped seeing drug reps in my practice twenty years ago.We accept no sponsorship of any sort from drug companies, we do not go out to drug dinners, and we do not accept gifts or trinket for our desktops.I do go to post-g... NHS Blog Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=727244 Wed, 11 Jul 2007 10:14:00 +0100 727244 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=726255&cid=t_105159_87_f&fid=34882&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbreathspakids.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F07%2Fdr-crippen-on-human-drama-of-wakefield.html In conclusion, I'm happy to concentrate on the science; however, I know from past experience that you can disagree with somebody on one topic (No - MMR has never contained thiomersal) and then they move straight on to "Well, I'm convinced that MMR is linked to Crohn's Disease, asthma and allergies" and that immunisation is linked to the development of type 1 diabetes. I've had previous comments from people who argue that Shaken Baby Syndrome is a misdiagnosis for vaccine-induced scurvy, and they have the science to prove it. Where does arguing with the 'science' stop?Thanks to Wellcome for use of this image. (Source: Breath Spa for Kids) Breath Spa for Kids blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=726255 Tue, 10 Jul 2007 15:43:00 +0100 726255 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=723166&cid=t_105159_87_f&fid=34595&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnhsblogdoc.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F07%2Fandrew-wakefield-mmr-autism-and-gmc.html In conclusion, the Wakefield study was scientifically flawed on numerous counts. I am surprised that neither the editor nor the reviewers spotted these flaws when the paper was submitted. Had they done so, the public would have been saved the confusion and anxiety caused by false credibility conveyed by publication of the study in this prestigious journal.Professor Trisha Greenhalgh OBE MD FRCP FRCGPIt gets worse.There is a background suggestive of moral and financial corruption which has been extensively described by Brain Deer, the investigative journalist. Full details here.It is this background, more than the incorrect conclusions, that has finally brought Andrew Wakefiled in front of the GMC. The GMC does not regard its remit as extending to arbitrating between competing scientific th... NHS Blog Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=723166 Mon, 09 Jul 2007 16:57:00 +0100 723166 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=720410&cid=t_105159_87_f&fid=34882&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbreathspakids.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F07%2Fwakefield-and-why-edith-piaf-routine-is_09.html Over on Scienceblogs, the brothers Hoofnagle write an extraordinary and thought-provoking blog: Denialism. They caution that we should never mistake denialism for debate:Denialism is the employment of rhetorical tactics to give the appearance of argument or legitimate debate, when in actuality there is none. These false arguments are used when one has few or no facts to support one's viewpoint against a scientific consensus or against overwhelming evidence to the contrary. They are effective in distracting from actual useful debate using emotionally appealing, but ultimately empty and illogical assertions...5 general tactics are used by denialists to sow confusion. They are conspiracy, selectivity (cherry-picking), fake experts, impossible expectations (also known as moving goalposts), and... Breath Spa for Kids blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=720410 Mon, 09 Jul 2007 03:15:00 +0100 720410 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=720047&cid=t_105159_133_f&fid=35081&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmikestanton.wordpress.com%2F2007%2F07%2F08%2Fcry-shame-on-wakefield-and-mmr%2F There is a new website up called Cry Shame. It is supported by JABS, Autism Treatment Trust and Treating Autism. One of its aims is To reveal the political and financial interests surrounding the role of vaccines – specifically MMR and thimerosol [sic] containing vaccines - in the onset of autistic-like regression and to make transparent the ruthless [...] (Source: Action For Autism) Action For Autism blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=720047 Sun, 08 Jul 2007 17:16:06 +0100 720047 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=720036&cid=t_105159_87_f&fid=34882&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbreathspakids.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F07%2Fwakefield-another-triumph-for.html Mr Matanoski, a lawyer for the US Govt. Health and Human Services Dept., recently made this remarkable comment in his concluding statements for the first part of the Autism Omnibus hearings (pdf) in the US. The MMR-autism case has no plausible or verifiable science to support it.It's at best speculation, idle speculation. Now, at worst--at worst--it's a contrivance. It's a contrivance that's been developed and articulated and promoted by its chief proponent, and that's Andrew Wakefield. He promoted it for financial gain. Either way it's not science. pgs 28-9: Day 12 Transcript of Cedillo v. Secretary of Health and Human Services (pdf)Denizens of mainstream media frequently criticise bloggers; either we are ill-educated, close-minded and so unskilled at writing that we are a carbuncle on th... Breath Spa for Kids blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=720036 Sun, 08 Jul 2007 11:39:00 +0100 720036 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=705688&cid=t_105159_87_f&fid=34882&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbreathspakids.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F06%2Fandrew-wakefield-chronology-and-bad.html Mr Matanoski, a lawyer for the US Govt. Health and Human Services Dept., recently made this remarkable comment in his concluding statements for the first part of the Autism Omnibus hearings (pdf) in the US. The MMR-autism case has no plausible or verifiable science to support it.It's at best speculation, idle speculation. Now, at worst--at worst--it's a contrivance. It's a contrivance that's been developed and articulated and promoted by its chief proponent, and that's Andrew Wakefield. He promoted it for financial gain. Either way it's not science. pgs 28-9: Day 12 Transcript of Cedillo v. Secretary of Health and Human Services (pdf)As part of his closing, he presented this unsettling chronology of events. (For a more detailed summary of events, see Brian Deer and the MMR-autism scare.)I'... Breath Spa for Kids blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=705688 Fri, 29 Jun 2007 17:49:00 +0100 705688 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=688631&cid=t_105159_133_f&fid=35081&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmikestanton.wordpress.com%2F2007%2F06%2F21%2Fvaccines-autism-and-perception-of-risk%2F This week’s New Scientist contains the first major discussion of the Autism Omnibus Proceedings that I have seen in the UK media. There are a few minor inaccuracies. For example the Omnibus is not just about thimerosal. There are three theories of general causation proposed by the Petitioners Steering Committee: thimerosal; MMR; thimerosal and MMR [...] (Source: Action For Autism) Action For Autism blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=688631 Thu, 21 Jun 2007 23:45:40 +0100 688631 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=486980&cid=t_105159_133_f&fid=35081&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmikestanton.wordpress.com%2F2007%2F01%2F13%2Fthe-mmr-gravy-train%2F Dr Michael Fitzpatrick has just published an excellent commentary on the recent revelations about the anti-MMR gravy train. This refers to the multi-million pound bonanza paid out by the Legal Services Commission(LSC) to fund a legal case on behalf of 1200 children whose autism was alleged to result from exposure to the MMR vaccine. Funding began in 1992 and was stopped by the LSC in 2003, “as we were not satisfied the evidence demonstrated a sufficiently strong case.” (scroll down to read the whole letter.) Now, if I was one of those parents I would want to know why, after 11 years of collecting evidence and running up massive legal bills in the process, my legal team was not yet ready to take the case to court? The answer was simple. The evidence did not exist. At the ti... Action For Autism blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=486980 Sat, 13 Jan 2007 21:59:55 +0100 486980