Author Archives: Paul Gallagher

Meryl Dorey misreads evidence and misleads on HPV vaccine

Posted in Anti-Vaccination Lobby, Denialism, Health by

How much more evidence are we going to need to see before we say that we registered this dangerous vaccination before we had any idea of the many autoimmune conditions it would cause? It’s time to withdraw Gardasil and Cervarix from the market. Meryl Dorey, President Australian Vaccination Network, wrote on June 20th [or 21st Australian time].

The only problem with the above statement is that the evidence Dorey cites does not implicate HPV vaccination as causal to any reactions. We’ll get to that.

It was predictable. Any straw that blew past suggesting adverse reactions, no matter how tenuous, to vaccination against papillomavirus would be seized by Meryl Wynn Dorey. Particularly given this June 18th Lancet study abstract – two or three days earlier – entitled Early effect of the HPV vaccination programme on cervical abnormalities in Victoria, Australia: an ecological study. And just to knock out the “all vaccine research is funded by Big Pharma” untruths; the funding for this study? None.

We do know that vaccine and screening registers aren’t linked. So we’re unable to conclusively comment just yet on the numbers of vaccinated girls presenting without pre-cancerous cells. HPV vaccine is the only variable however, and database linkage would allow more explicit results. We can read above that data collected twice before and twice since the programme began, show a marked negative deviation away from the linear progression of HPV infection induced adenocarcinoma’s and cytological abnormalities.

It is further encouraging in that no change was noted in age groups already sexually active. On June 17 SMH published Cervical cancer vaccine working: study

AUSTRALIA’S cervical cancer vaccination program appears to be paying off, reducing the number of pre-cancerous cells found in young women, a new study has found.

Melbourne researchers have reported in The Lancet that the number of high-grade cervical abnormalities found in Victorian girls under 17 has halved since the program began in 2007, taking the incidence from about one in 100 to one in 200.

It also reported the beginning of a declining trend of abnormalities in women aged 18 to 20, but said there had been no drop off in older age groups.

The researchers said this was probably because older women had already been infected with the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) through sexual activity. The cervical cancer vaccine protects females against several strains of the Human Papillomavirus because it is known to cause cervical cancer.

On July 6th, SMH published, Huge Success for Gardasil;

Rates of new genital wart infection in Australia have plummeted, research shows, in an early positive sign of the success of mass Gardasil vaccinations.

A study taking in patient data from sexual health clinics across the country has shown up to a 60 per cent drop off in new genital wart cases since 2007, when the anti-cancer vaccine was rolled out.

Gardasil works by preventing the transmission of four strains of the Human papillomavirus (HPV), two of which cause cervical cancer and two which cause genital warts.

Experts say while its effect on cervical cancer rates would take longer to materialise, the vaccine’s ability to prevent a less serious though embarrassing problem was now clear.

[….]

“While we knew from clinical trials that the vaccine was highly effective, Australia is the first country in the world to document a major benefit for the population as a whole.”

Free Gardasil vaccinations were offered to Australian girls and young women, aged 12 to 26 years, and about 80 per cent of those eligible are thought to have taken up the offer.

Researchers pooled data from eight sexual health clinics Australia-wide, covering 110,000 new patients and the period from 2004 to 2009.

So let’s quickly examine how the Australian (anti) Vaccination Network weaves it’s lethal message. Dorey’s Twitter account announces, “Autoimmune hepatitis type 2 following anti-papillomavirus vaccination in a (sic) 11 year old girl << more evidence of vax issues”. I followed the link to Dorey’s own website and Tweeted a reply I copied directly from there. “we do not provide evidence for a causal link… may be related… to vaccine… in a genetically predisposed individual”.

Remember, Australia’s self-titled vaccine expert has claimed at the top of her post that, “It’s time to withdraw Gardasil and Cervarix from the market.” I’m not dismissing the seriousness of the potential relationship here “in an 11 year old girl”. But in context imagine how many lives would be lost and disturbed if Dorey’s claim was implicated. Genital warts would increase by 60% and pre-cancerous lesions would double. Here’s the giveaway paragraph. Bold mine, showing five phrases that refute conclusive causality:

Although we do not provide evidence for a causal link, we suggest that the occurrence of the autoim- mune (sic) hepatitis may be related to the stimulation of immune system by adjuvated-vaccine, that could have triggered the disease in a genetically predisposed individual.

Here’s Meryl Dorey‘s entire post.

The actual abstract is here. More so Ms. Dorey asks, “How much more evidence are we going to need…”.

Well with all respect, a damn sight more evidence than a single case of HV2 that could have been triggered due to genetic predisposition in one child. A case that’s suggested as maybe being related to HPV vaccination, alongside a clear qualification of the absence for a causal link.

Indeed Dorey’s abuse of the word “evidence” and the quite ridiculous call to abandon the programme is neatly opposed by the caution employed by The Lancet article authors. The Guardian reports in part:

Australian study of injection to protect against HPV virus reveals drop in high-grade abnormalities among under-18s

…. That finding, say the authors, “reinforces the appropriateness of the targeting of prophylactic HPV vaccines to pre-adolescent girls”.

The findings were greeted with international interest.

“The not-so-cautious optimist in us wants to hail this early finding as true evidence of vaccine effect,” write Dr Mona Saraiya and Dr Susan Hariri of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, US, in a linked commentary for the journal.

But they said they wanted to know more about the vaccine status of the individuals (each woman is supposed to have three shots) and wanted more work to establish whether the reductions in potential cancers were really a result of vaccination or some other cause.

Michael Quinn, professor of gynaecology and gynaecologic oncology at the University of Melbourne, said: “The study is the first anywhere in the world to show falling rates of high-grade change in very young women.

“Although this is likely to be due to the effects of the vaccination programme, further analysis of information linking women’s smear history to their vaccination history will be needed to prove that the fall is entirely due to vaccination rather than other factors.”

Public health experts say that women should not assume they are not vulnerable to the disease after vaccination and should still go for regular screening checks.

In conclusion it appears once again Meryl Dorey is using her hatred for evidence based medicine and vaccines in particular to scare monger an innocent public.

“Wake Up To The Lies” tells lies about climate change

Posted in climate change by

So, I’m innocently waiting for some towels to wash and glance at Twitter to read this retweet by Miranda Devine.

devine's tweet

I follow our thuggish, far right wing religious conservative, progressive policy hating, character assassinating, climate change cheering, evidence denialist Miranda because she’s, well… shat in the face of some rather esteemed colleagues. And is not beneath using grieving parents to fill her anti-drug barrow with emotional outrage in lieu of evidence. A unique and unpopular topic I realise, but not immune to the benefits of evidence based critical thinking.

Anyway, @wakeup2thelies certainly bellowed his message on Twitter – three times in an hour.

Over to Wake Up To The Lies I go, to be slapped in the face with logical fallacies. Under the heading Death Threat-Gate or The AFP Must Investigate Anna-Maria Arabia claims is a report about Anna-Maria’s interview on ABC News discussing recent death threats. She is CEO of FASTS – the Federation of Australian Science and Technological Societies. And like most Aussies and the vast majority of scientists, accepts the evidence on climate change. Which sadly makes her a target for the petty minded rednecks who have no idea that if this evidence was to the contrary, scientists would shout it from the rooftops.

Wake Up To The Lies is a conspiracy theorists site written by an immature 30 year old master of obfuscation and delusion calling himself Adam. Having risen to the dizzying scientific heights with credentials as a part-time shop assistant he’s taken to ranting about politics on the internet. Helping turn the information super-highway into a roller coaster ride through the Twilight zone, Adam recounts the tale basically as an argument from ignorance, personal incredulity and begging the question. Proving he really is a part-time shop assistant he writes two sentences. The second being:

The AFP MUST now Investigate this claim. Anna-Maria Arabia, also claims she deleted the email this is no problem because the AFP can easily recover deleted files and find the ISP from the sender. It is a crime in Australia to send a death threat see ( here ). The AFP must investigate it to find the person responsible or to verify her claim.

Yes, I know. He means “IP address” not “ISP from the sender”. The kids a part time shop assistant so cut him some slack. I sure as hell didn’t. Now when I see caps lock in action, I take the same gravely serious approach as one does with anti-vaccination conspiracy theorists. I laughed. I could only imagine the urgent AFP memo demanding a halt to all ongoing investigations because Agent Shop Assistant had used caps lock. I checked his credentials as a skeptard listed under the tab “Who Am I?”.

adams CVI left a rather unhelpful comment suggesting that if conspiracy sites like his didn’t carry on, then the loons out there wouldn’t be prompted to send boring death threats. It wasn’t published. Transparency failure one. So I headed over to the “here” in Agent Adams’ post, which was Australian Climate Madness and the post “Death Threats To ANU Scientists”. It too was using Adams’ false continuum that these threats can’t be real because they are a crime. And if they are crimes, why then false analogy informs us we’d all know the very truth. My head hurt. Still, I left this comment which was immediately published.

Paul says:

It it not an “investigation worthy” crime.

A minimum of three sequential emails from the same person is required to justify a waste of resources. Intentions to kill are not traditionally preceded by announcements and digital bread crumbs.

Even then threats may correspond with other crimes such as using a carriage service to harass, intimidate or offend. I’ve had personal experience with this scenario.

No action was pursued – despite grave assurances – and I was never contacted again by authorities.

I’m afraid you’re sincerely mistaken or intentionally biased.

I trust you will rescind the offending post.

So back to the part-time shop assistant’s site to see if he would be so gracious. Submitting actually hides the comment. Hence the screenshot.

comment_wake up to the lies


 I’m awaiting to see if my comment makes the grade. I doubt it since in the tradition of conspiracy theorists, liars, evidence deniers and part-time shop assistants cum science gurus cum ADF consultants, I appear to have been forgotten. No comment equates to transparency fail two and undoubted censorship to convey false impression. That’s simply lying. Or as Adam would say in true Dorey style – “Free Speech” [what is it with lying skeptarded social miscreants and “free speech”?]. A visit back yields a “no true Scotsman” logical fallacy (yeah, count ’em). You know the type. Atheism is a religion. Skeptics aren’t skeptics because they don’t believe woo woo that requires one be skeptical of reality. Real science is what gives us homeopathy and vaccine denial because science is a process of constant questioning (in this case questioning facts they don’t like), or here the cringe worthy ad hominem attacks of “scientician and “climatician”.

comment on site

We’ve already passed seven logical fallacies so I shall desist from the temptation. But this nonsense of expecting scientists do their “civic duty” so “dangerous criminals” are kept “off the streets” is utter bollocks. It’s even bordering on delusion to suggest unconfirmed threats weaken the evidence for climate change. For those of us in controversial areas and public health these trifles are known as “security issues”.

May I ask you all to pull out your violins and strike a mournful tune as I confirm that amidst frequent threats and insults I did enjoy four delightfully colourful threats of rape, torture, murder running to pages from a returned soldier who disliked my linking to Keep God out of our democracy by Carmen Lawrence, which challenged using Christian values in foreign policy. I posted a single hyperlink to the story. No comment – nothing.

The poor chap below assumed my email domain was my workplace and included promises of “meeting” me there for torture. Then must have checked the office hours of this same place to chronologically refine his plans to…

“… stomp your terrorist loving, anti australian, little faggot hole. Ill put some serious pain up you …. whatever you think you are. IF you ever were in the forces someone would have shot you. Kovco style. LOL… I will fuck you up. Even better where R u and I will come and make you my bitch so. keep going if you want to….

…. You need a reality check son! It is your lack of patriotism that truly saddens me…..

…In fact you are really dumber than dog shit cos I know a lot about you already and more than enough! you silly little boy. I dont assume. I know…

…Remember Jesus loves you, but Australia hates your attitude. Dont need a God? yep uh ha, ok whatever.”
This went on for volumes. Ahhh, how I miss the good ole’ days. The poor child knew nothing about me of course and I had far more serious issues to manage than a keyboard warrior. I tried to reason with his stressed mind actually concerned for those he had access to. I’d tracked his emails to a Brisbane hospital, spoke to the IT head who put me in touch with Paul Grainger of QLD health who ensured me the QLD Crime and Misconduct Commission would be a-rollin’ out.
Never heard another word… nor cared to. I was used to any manner of lunacy and violence in a certain role. The point here is when you’re hitting the mark and opponents have nothing to rebuke you with, then threats and death threats emerge. But I can certainly identify with those who would be intimidated.
I can assure the likes of Adam and his climate science denialist pals they too will never hear whatever it is they think they deserve to and more to the point it’s none of their darn business.

“Getting The Point” – the antivaxxer response to 60 Minutes’ story on their danger to Australia

Posted in Anti-Vaccination Lobby, Denialism, Health by

The Sixty Minutes story on the benefits of vaccines was a conspiracy. Because NineMSN is “a joint venture between Microsoft (yes, Bill Gates – and we know what he thinks about vaccines – they are ‘magic’ according to his latest interview) and PBL whose chairman, James Packer, sits on the board of major vaccine and drug maker, Glaxo Smithkline. Do you REALLY think that a station with their hands in that much dirty money would even THINK about doing a fair story on this issue?” says Meryl Dorey, President of The Australian (anti) Vaccination Network.

Nothing sets off a conspiracy minded anti-vaccination lobbyist like facts.

Below this text is a Sixty Minutes Australia segment, Getting The Point, that aired June 12th 2011. The only irrationality comes from micro-palaeontologist, Viera Scheibner. She is marketed as one of the world’s foremost experts on vaccines, is “sought after as a speaker and expert witness” and worshipped by fellow Bent Spoon winner Meryl Dorey. Scheibner’s claim of being an expert witness and other outright lies are dealt with here splendidly.

“…I am not satisfied that her formal qualifications and professional experience properly equip her to provide a valid professional opinion on the complex subject of immunology…” and
“…one must question her capacity to properly evaluate and interpret the results of others’ scientific experience. I am not prepared therefore to accept her evidence in preference to that of…
 – Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission
[….]
“I draw attention [to] misleading information provided by Dr Viera Scheibner … who continuously writes against immunisation. In the 9 March edition of the Medical Observer, she submitted a very unusual letter [which] makes claims that are not supported by the documentation she referred to. It is very important for people to realise that the information provided by Dr Scheibner is not accurate.” – NSW Legislative Council

Whilst exploiting white coat syndrome through use of her PhD title of “Doctor” to mislead those seeking advice, Viera defends her lack of qualifications. Sixty Minutes found that she has “a doctorate in the natural sciences”, and “some nursing qualifications”. And whilst all autism cases are caused by vaccines, the absurdity of this claim is dismissed because Viera knows more than any doctor. There is nothing good to be said about vaccines, and immunity is gained best by contracting the disease.

In March 2004 there was some activity in the BMJ defending the scam of one no-longer-a-doctor, Andrew Wakefield. We now know his work was fraudulent. Quite ironic because defence of Wakefield and attacks on Brian Deer, were often themed on the bias of the dastardly pro-vaccine industry publication, the BMJ. Which incidentally allowed Scheibner [Principle Research Scientist (Retired)] to publish a letter that gives one ample insight;

Orthodox medicine is toxic and harmful. It seems accepted that all medications have side (undesirable) effects. However, this is only relevant to orthodox medications. Correctly administered, homoeopathic remedies and natural remedies have no side effects. One has to elaborate here that there could be uncomfortable feelings after homoeopathics but they are desirable effects. Elevated temperature, rashes and vomiting are signs of detoxification and of a desired change of a chronic condition into an acute illness leading to healing.

Which to the lay person means homeopathy does not work. The disease of, say, measles will run it’s course and fevers (convulsions for 1 in 200), rashes, high temperature are symptoms of the infection you will endure until it passes. If you are unfortunate enough to be one of the one in 5,000 who die, sustain encephalitis or one in 8,000 who contract Subacute Sclerosing Panencepahltiis you will not recover. She continues…

Orthodox medicine with its pharmaceutical industry has become a huge money spinner and as such has become vulnerable to political interference. Vaccination is the best example. To make a lot of money, vaccinators want to vaccinate every child. The more children are vaccinated, the more obvious are the serious side (undesirable) effects including brain damage and death. Politically motivated medicine denies or plays down undesirable effects. The word “obvious” has been banished even though it is considered prudent medical practice that when a medication or a procedure is administered and symptoms appear afterwards, then that medication and/or procedure must be considered as the cause of the observed symptoms…..

This rubbish goes on, ultimately ending with a bald faced lie: “No Competing Interests”. But Scheibner’s hoop jumping can be easily matched by her Bent Spoon Award winning pal, Meryl Dorey. The Australian Vaccination Network Facebook page – aka The Twilight Zone – lit up with outrage at the intrusion of evidence. The first “response” was from Meryl Dorey herself and bulging with lies. Meryl was advised not to appear. She didn’t choose not to. Presently in the Supreme Court fighting the NSW Health Care Complaints Commission it was a no brainer.

Meryl Dorey comment on facebook

But worse is her claim that a.) she offered them the names of reputable doctors and b.) that reporters actually contacted her to make excuses for not interviewing them. Then follows the ranting about Bill Gates and James Packer, who “… don’t care about your children or my children. They don’t care if they live or die. So long as they can make money doing what they are doing and protect their financial interests in the meantime…”.

Conspiracy rant - Meryl DoreyOther comments included, “What a crap biased report, no surprise. Immunization rates must need a boost.” “Pathetic piece of reporting. One can only hope that people see it for what it was.” “Why weren’t the parents of Ashley Epapara and Saba Button interviewed? For the exact reason that MD mentions above. Not good for business.” “Isn’t this a live vaccine … can’t the reporter pass on the virus to the baby if she just had her booster shot???” “When will reporters actually read Dr Andrew Wakefield‘s study and report on it accurately? Are they incompetent reporters who don’t check their facts, or are they outright liars? And if they are incompetent reporters, how to they get to be on a prime time program like 60 minutes? Ugh. So glad you didn’t lower yourself Meryl Dorey. Disgusting and irresponsible reporting by 60 minutes.”

And on it goes with feverish “liking” of each twilight zone observation.

“Diet-aid firm’s law suit halts review of it’s ‘outlandish’ ads”

Posted in Big Placebo, Health, Scam by

© Louise Hall at Fairfax writes:

An academic who complained to health authorities about a company that marketed a herbal spray as ”the most effective slimming solution available in the world today” has failed to have an $800,000 defamation case thrown out.
Ken Harvey, an adjunct senior lecturer at La Trobe University in Melbourne and a regular campaigner against non-scientific products and services, has accused SensaSlim of stymying an investigation by the Therapeutic Goods Administration into its weight-loss product by launching legal action in the NSW Supreme Court.
The TGA’s complaints resolution panel had received a number of complaints about the product, including those from Dr Harvey and Professor Lesley Campbell, from the St Vincent’s Hospital diabetes centre, alleging that SensaSlim has made outlandish claims without scientifically acceptable evidence.
However, the panel is restrained from investigating the product while legal proceedings are under way.
”By having a legal case, they have totally stopped the complaint panel for at least a year but they can continue promoting and selling it and they are laughing all the way to the bank,” Dr Harvey said.
Terry Harrison, SensaSlim’s legal adviser, denied it was designed to ”gag” Dr Harvey, and said it was a response to his complaint on http://www.auspharmacist .net.au. ”He’s trying to suggest this is some sort of gag order. Nothing can be further from the truth,” Mr Harrison said.
But in a newsletter to SensaSlim franchisees obtained by the Herald, a company spokesman, Adam Adams, said its lawyers had ”found a way to defend the company”.
”This defamation action, which could be in the courts for a year or two or even longer, basically gives an iron-clad protection that nobody can raise a complaint against SensaSlim to the [complaints resolution panel] and hurt us,” Mr Adams said.

Continue reading →

Beware The Lure Of New Treatments

Posted in Big Placebo, Health, Scam by

Originally published, June 14th © MJA Insight by John Dixon.

Associate Professor John Dixon is an NHMRC Senior Research Fellow in obesity research at the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, and head of the obesity research unit, Department of General Practice, Monash University, Melbourne.

The excitement of being able to participate or even lead in the development of new treatments in difficult areas such as obesity, cancer prevention and treatment, arthritis and back pain is enticing.
Unfortunately for medical practitioners, there are business entrepreneurs ready to trade on their genuine enthusiasm and – dare I say – naivety. A recent example involves weight loss. It’s not easy to lose weight and even harder to keep it off. Motivation, willpower, energy in and energy out – it sounds so simple but it isn’t.
We now know weight and fat stores are carefully regulated by powerful physiological mechanisms that actually defend against permanent weight loss – all understandable when we consider that our body computes weight loss as a signal of starvation, famine and death.
With the failure of the pharmaceutical companies to develop acceptably safe medications in this difficult area, we are left with an enormous vacuum and a huge untapped market of people who want to lose weight. The field is fertile for the “scam” professionals and complementary medicines are an easy target.
As medical practitioners we can become unwittingly entrapped in these scams. We too want to believe someone has finally developed an effective remedy.
A recent example involved a mouth spray, launched onto the Australian market with great fanfare. There were statements of massive randomised controlled trials (RCTs) with exceptional results – results that those of us in the know would think were “too good to be true”.
How could this large, multicentre RCT involving thousands of people globally have not come to our attention? A prominent European weight loss physician was engaged as a consultant by the manufacturers/promoters with the promise of the trial data being supplied.
In the meantime, this physician’s name was widely used to support the claims, giving the appearance of expert validation, which aided promotion. However, the data to support the claims was never supplied, leaving the physician high and dry with his reputation damaged.
By the time the penny finally dropped he was in an uncomfortable position as the promoters had changed from being soft and appreciative to being aggressive, confrontational and threatening. This particular matter is heading for a legal resolution.
An Australian medical practitioner, concerned about the extraordinary claims being made about this product, openly questioned the results and advised the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration of his concerns. He was also met with aggressive, confrontational behaviour and legal action by the same promoters.
This intimidatory modus operandi is often used by the unscrupulous to suppress the squeaky wheel and delay the appropriate assessment by regulators. Meanwhile, the income rolls in and by the time the dust settles the original product has had its day and the next scam is already up and running.
This practice is not restricted to weight loss. Wherever there are regulatory grey zones, for example complementary and traditional medicines, and cosmetics, unwary consumers and medical practitioners are at risk of being exposed to unscrupulous operators.
Beware the company that delays provision of quality data, or becomes defensive or aggressive, or attempts to turn the table of blame back on practitioners who push for answers and evidence.
It takes a very strong practitioner to weather this storm but protecting the wellbeing of Australian health consumers from expensive and potentially dangerous scams makes it worthwhile.