Comments on: LBC, MMR, Jeni Barnett, an Early Day Motion, the Times, and, er, a bit of Stephen Fry…

By: wayscj

wayscj — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 06:22:19 +0000

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By: ivy

ivy — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 13:49:11 +0000

Dr. Wakefield has never advocated against vaccination. Could you clarify what exactly your issue is with?

By: ivy

ivy — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 12:32:53 +0000

Why is compensation being dished out? http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-kirby/the-vaccineautism-court-_b_88558.html

By: ivy

ivy — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 12:19:25 +0000

You have made several allegations against Dr. Wakefield and his studies Mr. Goldacre. Could you kindly tell us why is Dr. Wakefield not struck off the GMC register? Mind you he is only facing the GMC for ethical issues and not for the studies. That tells us something don’t you think?

I have another question. Is it a possibility that parents are not actually following the press, rather they merely want the option of single vaccines for their children? Why underestimate the public and think everyone follows what the press tells us?

When you raise allegations, you need to be armed with answers to questions directed at you.

By: 24alex

24alex — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 19:26:53 +0000

I have written to my MP via theyworkforyou
Not gonna hold my breath.

By: HobbesLondon

HobbesLondon — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 10:27:16 +0000

Well I have just received a mealy mouthed letter from my MP Lynne Featherstone who feels unable to sign the EDM on the basis that it “is poorly worded and does not contribute constructively to the debate about this serious matter”. Probably trying hard to appeal of the woo loving yummy mummies who inhabit a large part of her constituency.

By: mikewhit

mikewhit — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 19:26:37 +0000

WoW – EDM count has gone up to 105, and our MP has got his name down: nice one ! Cosmic !

By: mikewhit

mikewhit — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 17:59:15 +0000

I eagerly await my MP’s reply to see if it’s also a cut-and-paste job.

However, he does seem to have given considered replies to my previous communications, so I live in hope – just a figure of speech, I’m not that sad really !

By: teej

teej — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 21:06:22 +0000

My MP is Robert Wilson (Conservative). The reply I received is exactly the same as plastictastic’s except it has the sentence “As you may be aware, both David Cameron and Andrew Lansley, the Shadow Secretary of State for Health have signalled their faith in the vaccine by underlining that all of their children either have had or will receive the MMR vaccine” inserted after the first sentence.

By: pjc60

pjc60 — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 20:50:43 +0000

My MP – Maria Eagle – can’t sign the EDM as she’s a member of the Government.

However, she did reply to me with a very supportive letter.

By: mikewhit

mikewhit — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 17:13:11 +0000

@Irate_Joe:
If the case is pukka then surely it acts as a ‘black swan’ since as I said above, any unvaccinated cases would disprove the original hypothesis of ‘regressive autism due to vaccine(s)’.

Those individuals may indeed have had a “side-effect” from the vaccine, had they been vaccinated, which would then be erroneously identified as the “cause”.

And it still leaves the question unanswered – which part of the vaccine delivery mechanism is being blamed by the anti-vxers ?

How about being scratched by a sewing needle dipped in a runny cowpox blister ?

A polio sugar-lump ?

Bacteria and viruses off the floor eaten by a child picking up a dropped sweet ?

By: JohnED

JohnED — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 15:11:59 +0000

Wrote to my MP Mohammad Sarwar, but no response at all. Shouldn’t be to surprised as theyworkforyou state:

“Replied within 2 or 3 weeks to a low number of messages sent via WriteToThem.com during 2007, according to constituents.”

By: Irate_Joe

Irate_Joe — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 14:06:17 +0000

Have you ever read Not Mercury drjazz? I can’t say for certain but it sounds to me like her second child has regressive autism, was never vaccinated and didn’t suffer any “alternative immune assaults”.

https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=21463027&postID=113891400861191866

If I remember correctly there are a couple of people who claim to be in the same position as her in the comments. I know this is entirely anecdotal and not something that I would really consider evidence, but you guys like that kind of thing no?

I have read, several times, that “true believers” cannot be persauded by reason or evidence and I am beginning to feel like I am flogging a dead horse. So, unless someone says something so interesting that I can’t resist replying, I am going to leave this here.

By: plastictastic

plastictastic — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 13:55:29 +0000

@mikewhit: yes, I did give the background to the issue – I agree that the response doesn’t say anything except ‘i’m sitting on this fence here’, and doesn’t address the issue. He used it purely as a promotional exercise for his party in my view. Ah well, was worth a try.

By: Gareth S

Gareth S — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 13:43:05 +0000

I have just received a letter from my MP. It is on paper not email so will paraphrase;
“I strongly agree with you…scare stories…puffed up by the press in a disgraceful manner, were a disgrace.
I did not sign the EDM originally because I had not actually heard the radio broadcast it referred to but following your letter I have now added my signature as I do support the general thrust of the EDM.”
Wow. writing to your MP actually does work!
I will now get her to visit badscience

By: Irate_Joe

Irate_Joe — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 12:27:04 +0000

drjazz,

I am not at all sure that you know what you are saying. The weak distinction you draw between children born with ASD as opposed to those who “develop” ASD is somewhat confusing… Autism is largely diagnosed on the basis of child development. However, as I am trying to understand the point you are trying to make, when you say “…develops full, classic Autism” are you refering to Regressive Autism?

Assuming it is, I am not at all surprised that you are not aware of any child that has developed this condition and been entirely unvaccinated. Being entirely unvaccinated (and having no other immune assault as you specify) is extremely rare in most, if not all, populations. Developing Regressive Autism is also an extremely rare occurence. The number of children who fit into both categories will be vanishingly small. But there are some…

Here is a quote from a concise (though somewhat out of date) article produced by the UK department of health.

“If the MMR vaccine and autism were linked, regressive autism would be far more common in vaccinated children than in unvaccinated ones. But this is not the case.”

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/8919.php

I am assuming they wouldn’t make such a statement without evidence. When I have a little more time I will post a few more supporting links.

By: mikewhit

mikewhit — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 12:05:30 +0000

Incidentally, what about those recent studies by Baron-Cohen regarding foetal testosterone and “autistic traits” at age 8:

http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/bpsoc/bjp/2009/00000100/00000001/art00001

By: puck

puck — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 11:19:52 +0000

Hate to be a proverbial spanner but it isn’t about the media but about the issue of vaccination. What Jenni says needs to be looked at seriously!This isn’t about the whims of a few middle class media luvvies- so stop being patronising.There are plenty of ‘luvvies’ on both sides of the fence. Quite what MR S Fry knows about the subject remains to be seen. Many experts have concerns about vaccination and it aint bad science.Lets take a few facts. A lot of money is spent out in cases of vaccine damage so stop pretending it is safe. Safe for who? What is an acceptable risk? Well we would need evidence and since no double blind trail has been done on any vaccine-never mind- MMR how can we decide? Your graphs Ben are misleading.Death rate from measles declined from 1 100 per million in mid C19 to virtually nothing by mid 1960s. Vaccine only introduced in 1968. Think, look at the facts and stop mooing.

By: mikewhit

mikewhit — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 10:32:14 +0000

Just for the record, there must be data for unvaccinated children who have suffered the actual illnesses concerned and then “gone on to develop” neurological problems – any stats there ?

By: mikewhit

mikewhit — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 10:04:36 +0000

plastictastic:
Did you just ask “sign this motion” or did you introduce the issue before asking ?

That response from your MP doesn’t really say anything much and does not give a reason as to why he might not sign up.