Autism's Bad Apple -The MMR vaccine link reversal
This guest post is a commentary from Dr. Sanjeev K. Sriram, MD, MPH a member of the National Physicians Alliance. Dr. Sriram is discussing the decision by medical journal The Lancet to retract a controversial 1998 research paper suggesting a link between the MMR vaccine and autism.
As a pediatrician and public health advocate, when I learned that the Lancet was finally retracting Andrew Wakefield’s bogus article that suggested a link between MMR vaccines and autism, I thought to myself, “Great, so we finally got rid of Wakefield’s bad apple, but what about the rest of the orchard?”
There is no doubt that Wakefield is one bad apple, and he must absolutely face the consequences for his disregard of basic ethics. According to the UK’s General Medical Council, Wakefield paid children 5 pounds at their birthday parties in exchange for their blood samples. By discrediting the old MMR, one of Wakefield’s side projects, a new vaccine he was inventing, would have made huge profits. The funding behind his “research” in the Lancet article was provided by a group of lawyers who just so happened to be suing the makers of MMR. These are more than just conflicts of interests, they are assaults on the trust between the general public and the scientific community. And for that, Wakefield deserves to have his medical license revoked, at the very least.
But I am weary of Wakefield becoming a scapegoat, which is often the result of too many authorities adopting the adage “one bad apple spoils the bunch.” Instead, I think we need to recognize that bad apples like Wakefield are the products of inattentive farming and inadequate sunlight in the medical-industrial research complex.
Though the scientific community may be frustrated every now and then by the mundane procedures of their institutional review boards (IRB’s), we need these ethics committees to be vigilant for the interests of patients and families. The pressure to produce profitable and popular answers to urgent questions is relentless. But in a world where the Supreme Court bestows corporations with the same rights as people, the scientific community must value the public’s trust above any individual researcher’s reputation, and above any industry’s revenue.
So in our justifiable criticism of Wakefield and the Lancet for their individual actions, I hope the medical establishment takes the time to realign its collective integrity.
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Xenzaka
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Also, the idea that autism is perhaps "from" vaccine I feel is entirely possible, but extremely slim, so slim it makes it impossible -- in other words, I do not believe in this too much.
As far as as those on the left of the Autism spectrum, the answer is soul embodiment, many people forget our manufactured environment is not entirely compatible with the people, that is why we have disorder, and those that APPEAR non functional.
That is why have drugs, out manufactured -- pesudoenvironment. It includes indoctrination of things foreign to the person born with a special-focused ability.
My two cents
- 2 years ago
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Xenzaka
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Xenzaka
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In my opinion, Autism is a function of the galactic alignment.
I, myself, am said to have Asperger's. I study unified field theory, artificial intelligence, collective consciousness, sociology, anthropology, mysticism, mathematics, physics and chemistry. I'm at the start of my studies, and have been studying early as I can remember, I've now aged 18.
I truly wish I had a factual way to describe; but as far as I can tell, AS goes hand in hand with sound vibration. In those with AS, many are found to have an enlarged thalamus. Your thalamus is connected to all your sensory portions of your brain (practically your entire brain, from the rear-core, so to speak).
This promotes extra sensory perception, a recent field to emerge is parapsychology, finally it has been slightly accepted (in the past decade) regarding western science.
Those with autism, are indeed, the first people to experience the shift of consciousness that will happen to every individual of 6.6 billion world wide that will experience the new proton influx.
We have a shit load going on here people!
The increased amount of those with disorders and syndromes is nothing else other than a virtual boundary from others called "norm", eventually all people will understand how futile race, money and intelligence is.
Everyone is in for something incredible, and it has already began.
- 2 years ago
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Xenzaka
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LozRiva
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I am glad this has been corrected, i have two brothers with Autism and neither one of them has had the MMR vaccine. I am in no doubt that the false link between Autism and MMR, has damaged what people think of it to the point where the vaccine numbers needed to have 'herd immunity' will most likely forever be under the required number.
You can't really blame them, having worked and attended alot of play-schemes and events for Autism i could never see anyone sitting their telling the parents that believe it was the vaccine, that in-fact it was most likely unavoidable. Some people feel like they need to have a sorce to blame for things, a reason why things are as they are. being unable to control this doesn't really work for us human beings...
- 2 years ago
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LozRiva
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Inventor
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What we know is that the incidence of autism in the Amish is 1 in 15,000, while in the American public it's 1 in 150, or 2 million out of 300 million Americans. A foolproof 99% prevention of the syndrome is probably staring us in the face if we ever manage to put the square block in the square hole. Meanwhile, someone has to go down the hall and tell one more parent that their kid is messed up for life. This is a real life made-for-TV tragedy.
- 2 years ago
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Inventor
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Boom_King
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Inventor:
Interesting figures! I'd be very interested to see the study that produced them. I will point out that there are many many differences between the amish lifestyle and the lifestyle of the "general american public" whatever that means.
Getting past the red herrings is the first step in focusing quality research on what is actually causing autism.
- 2 years ago
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Boom_King
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BrittanyL
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My younger sister has autism and my family has always believed that vaccines were never the cause for her disorder. Instead, we have the theory that she was possiblt born with it. Anyways, I don't care about some doctor making bogus statements, I want a cure!
- 2 years ago
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BrittanyL
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nursediesel
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I whole-heartedly agree the medical establishment needs to be more vigilant before popping out meds and vaccines given especially to children.
Although sometimes other countries have cures for fatal illnesses before the FDA allows them to be used in this country. (causing many needless deaths)
And I still want my VIOXX back, it's the only NSAID that worked for me!In this country we are sooo litigation happy we think every single drug has to work for everyone and without any side effects. One can actually OD on water.
But...Question: Are you saying Wakefield wrote the article to reap benefit for manufacture of the future vaccine, to replace the indicated "tainted" vaccine? So was he paid by the new vaccine maker? Or did the new vaccine maker just profit from the 'fallout' caused by the article?.
- 2 years ago
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nursediesel
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carmalite
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Autism is not only sad, very stressful for the family, and devastating for the victim, but its expensive. And the worse it is the more expensive the care.
I hope they find out the cause and do what they should especially if its a vaccine or medication!!! - 2 years ago
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carmalite
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flyingkick
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Parents all bring their kids in to get vaccinated at age 2, which is exactly the age you start to see signs of autism. The connection is chronological not causal.
- 2 years ago
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flyingkick
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jdimino
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http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/02/03/autism.answers.cause/index.html
My two cents via CNN.com.
- 2 years ago
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jdimino
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unimatrix0
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Is there a point being made here? Is the author trying to hint that there is an "orchard" of evidence for the connection between autism and vaccines? (I hope not).
Or is the point just some vague and nebulous critique of the scientific establishment?
Someone needs an editor.
- 2 years ago
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unimatrix0
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DrSriram
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unimatrix0:
This is great feedback, unimatrix0. There is NO evidence between autism and vaccines. I was aiming for brevity in this post, but you're right, it needs some clarity. So I'll address your questions more specifically in an upcoming follow-up. But thanks so much for reading and sharing your thoughts.
- 2 years ago
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DrSriram
