Hand me down clothes for the “mercury causes autism” mannequin

Posted in Anti-Vaccination Lobby, Health, Science by Paul Gallagher

Back in early August Swinburne University of Technology published an astonishing media release.

Australian research finds autism risk

Date posted: 9 Aug 2011

A family history of pink disease is a significant risk factor for developing autism spectrum disorder (ASD), new research from Swinburne University of Technology has found.

The results of the study, conducted by Associate Professor David Austin and Ms Kerrie Shandley from the Swinburne Autism Bio-Research Initiative (SABRI), have been published in the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health. Pink disease was a form of mercury poisoning prevalent in the first half of the 20th century. [….] When mercury was identified as the culprit and removed as an ingredient in teething powders in the 1950s, the disease was essentially wiped out. […]

“Staggeringly, we found that one in 25 grandchildren of pink disease survivors aged 6-12 had been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. This compares to the current Australian prevalence rate for that age group of one in 160. […] In the meantime, Austin suggests those with a suspected family history of pink disease to minimise their exposure to mercury. This is particularly important for young children and women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

“This can be done by observing the recommendations of Food Standards Australia regarding seafood consumption, opting for non-amalgam dental fillings and requesting preservative-free vaccines from your doctor,” he said.

“Staggeringly”! I hope you got that. By what mechanism I wondered? That was absolutely crucial. Huge toxic loads of mercury caused Pink disease (acrodynia). Thimerosal is ethylmercury rapidly removed from the body, monitored to the nth degree to ensure safe exposure. Teething powders contained 65,000 micrograms per dose of mercurous chloride which decomposed into elemental mercury and poisonous mercuric chloride on exposure to sunlight.

Thousands of children died – between 10 and 33% of cases. Yet not all exposed children suffered acrodynia – it was a minority of 0.2%. Are they thus suggesting a pre-existing inherited genetic susceptibility or susceptibility brought on by acrodynia, which was known to cause infertility? How did parents of children in the Swinburne study fare, in view of other studies linking high maternal exposure to mercury to autism in offspring? How robust was the data collation?

Kerrie Shandley and David W. Austin return to The Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health to publish Ancestry of Pink Disease (Infantile Acrodynia) Identified as a Risk Factor for Autism Spectrum Disorders. Yes, that Journal of Toxicology…. The one that provides succour to Dr. Mark Geier of chemical castration and misdiagnosis fame in his “ASD Centers” across eight USA states. In 2007 the journal published A Case Series of Children with Apparent Mercury Toxic Encephalopathies Manifesting with Clinical Symptoms of Regressive Autistic Disorders by the infamous father and son team of, to say the least, dubious reputation. Geier senior is presently watching as his medical licence is suspended in consecutive US states.

We can learn quite a bit of these author’s intentions, hence the quality of research, simply by checking their track record. In 2008 Shandley and Austin published An Investigation of Porphyrinuria in Australian Children. They leap straight into citing from known offenders perpetuating the mercury-autism link – Geier and Geier, Nataf et al., Bernard et al., Mutter et al., – in the abstract claiming;

These (atypical urinary porphyrin profiles in children with an autism spectrum disorder) serve as an indirect measure of environmental toxicity generally, and mercury (Hg) toxicity specifically, with the latter being a variable proposed as a causal mechanism of ASD…. To examine whether this phenomenon occurred in a sample of Australian children with ASD, an analysis of urinary porphyrin profiles was conducted. [….] Three independent studies from three continents have now demonstrated that porphyrinuria is concomitant with ASD, and that Hg may be a likely xenobiotic to produce porphyrin profiles of this nature.

The discussion is far more circumspect about this correlation [italics mine], despite the authoritative recommendation [in my bold];

Furthermore, this study provides further evidence suggestive of an environmental toxicant variable, consistent with Hg, contributing to the maintenance, and possibly development, of ASD.

Given the consistency of the emerging research, health authorities worldwide need to move without delay to further elucidate the specific nature of the toxic insult.

The bibliography is rather short but as well as the above includes Edward Yazbak, Mark Blaxill – editor from Age of Autism – and Sally Bernard et al.’s Autism: a novel form of poisoning from Medical Hypotheses 2001. It’s a Who’s Who of vaccines cause autism mythology whose work is featured by Generation Rescue, The Australian Vaccination Network, Age of Autism and their ilk. Shandley and Austin write erroneously, citing Yazbak, that autism [the disease – not the diagnosis frequency] is “increasing at epidemic rates” then cite Blaxill et al, arguing it;

…. cannot be accounted for by changing diagnostic criteria or improved diagnostic systems

In fact changing criteria has been proposed for years by many paediatricians including Gillian Baird and quantified recently by Brugha et al, who used current diagnostic criteria to uncover a population of autistic adults only 2% smaller than the child population. However, whilst porphyrinuria may indicate environmental exposure to heavy metals including lead and mercury other studies have shown correlation to autism and not Aspergers. Yet this heavy metal/autism mechanism, and what it exactly means is even less certain.

Porphyrins are oxidised byproducts that have “escaped” the heme biosynthetic pathway. We expect to see elevated levels in the urine of elderly, nutritionally deficient, regularly medicated and physiologically distressed individuals. The body can generally physiologically manage toxic build up. Hepatic and renal pathways of elimination serve as detoxification routes for the body. Porphyrinuria heralds a drop in efficacy of biosynthesis or environmental toxic exposure.

If the autistic sample is not recently exposed to environmental toxicity – or as the authors may argue, mercury – then we have to accept compromised biosynthesis. Whether this is due to autism, which does accompany a range of physiological challenges, or whether compromised biosynthesis indicated by porphyrinuria is contributing to autism, is unknown. It’s worth noting that enzymatic and physiological abnormality at the molecular level has been hypothesised as contributing to hypo’ and hypersensitivity in autism. The pathophysiology of autism sufferers is extensive and well documented. The angle Shandley and Austin take is the dramatic call to discover the nature of the “toxic insult” potentially causing ASD. Reading between the lines, and all academic company considered, that “toxic insult” is mercury in vaccines.

This is brought home strongly by Austin’s lone foray the same year in The International Journal of Risk and Safety in Medicine. An epidemiological analysis of the ‘autism as mercury poisoning’ hypothesis, is a scruffy 11 point synopsis concluding that mercury does indeed cause autism. In point 9, he addresses “Mercury levels are higher in autistic than non-autistic children”. He argues that the “causal” hypothesis would suggest that mercury levels would be higher in autistic children. Of course, that’s just what we find chopping into this straw man. Nataf et al., Geier and Geier, Bradstreet and Geier et al., make up three references. The fourth is DeSoto and Hitlan who court ample controversy not least for citing Geier and Geier excessively.

He notes that either mercury causes autism or autism causes mercury. The second notion being “patently nonsensical” and unsupported by literature. Which is unusual because with the cause of autism unknown and the many times exposure to mercury has been ruled out the same could be said of the first notion. We do know that biologically, neurologically and physiologically autistic individuals face many hurdles, and as I suggest above biosynthetic dynamics can’t be ruled out or in.

I was treated once again to a fallacy I’ve had shoved at me in other areas in public health in which robust data indicate no causation between variables. A type of “better to be safe than sorry”, usually proffered by those bent on ideology. Austin here hijacks the “Precautionary Principle (‘First, do no harm’)” as point 10;

The science behind the autism as mercury poisoning hypothesis meets all epidemiological criteria across too many independent studies to be dismissed as coincidence. So, the hypothesis that mercury likely causes autism is confirmed epidemiologically.

He also rewrites history on Pink Disease in point 9, by suggesting that “despite limited evidence” mercury containing compounds were recalled. This is nonsense. Fierce resistance to accepting mercury poisoning was the norm with medical focus being on a physiological cause. It’s argued the mercury hypothesis gained stronger ground only when opponents “became old and disappeared from the scene”. Gaining credibility via attrition of opposition is not application of the precautionary principle. Austin here is exposed as deceptive, misleading readers for his own purposes.

He concludes his plunge from the windowsill of academic integrity with;

The existing literature provides grounds for suspicion that mercury plays a causal role in the development of autism. [….] …it would be negligent to continue to expose pregnant and nursing mothers and infant children to any amount of avoidable mercury. Health authorities worldwide should move without hesitation to ban and remove all mercury in all medical products at the earliest possible date.

Again with the dramatic calls. Where is this mercury really coming from? Ethylmercury or methylmercury in the diet, pre-term maternal diet, breast feeding or toxic exposure? We can infer with a good deal of accuracy he alludes to thimerosal in vaccines. It’s a shocking paper without even an acknowledgement of the impact of changing diagnostic criteria. The bibliography continues to fail with Boyd Haley, who pops up twice, Mark Blaxill again along with another showing from Sally Bernard. Indeed the “epidemiological analysis” of “existing literature” is a predetermined collation of biased and discredited publications.

Still, we can now return to the most recent paper with a clear understanding of these authors’ predetermined agenda.

To begin with they wheel out all the veteran offending authors, including their previous work to make the case there’s a relationship between mercury and autism. Well, third time lucky just doesn’t apply here. In the tradition of discerning character from the company one keeps, I think we can indeed confirm intention from citations. From the abstract they propose susceptibility and genetic predisposition to explain the small subset of Pink disease sufferers and of autism diagnoses today;

Pink disease (infantile acrodynia) was especially prevalent in the first half of the 20th century. Primarily attributed to exposure to mercury (Hg) commonly found in teething powders, the condition was developed by approximately 1 in 500 exposed children. The differential risk factor was identified as an idiosyncratic sensitivity to Hg. Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have also been postulated to be produced by Hg. Analogous to the pink disease experience, Hg exposure is widespread yet only a fraction of exposed children develop an ASD, suggesting sensitivity to Hg may also be present in children with an ASD. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that individuals with a known hypersensitivity to Hg (pink disease survivors) may be more likely to have descendants with an ASD.

Fair enough. Yet as we’ll see both the genetic component and the exposure to mercury in subsequent generations is unconvincing. Besides, where might this mercury today be coming from?

Mercury contained in vaccines (as a preservative under the tradename Merthiolate, but more commonly known as thiomersal/thimerosal), dental amalgams (silver fillings), seafood, and the atmosphere is argued to be the primary set of sources of Hg exposure for infants both in utero and in their early years.

Well that’s pretty clear. Small children awaiting first or second teeth won’t be worrying about dental filings. Big Atmosphere is here to stay and dietary sources are by choice. In short the only tantrum one need throw is over vaccines. They continue firming the dual hypothesis of susceptibility and exposure to mercury;

… the Hg-autism hypothesis is, in reality, a two-part hypothesis that states that Hg exposure combined with a genetic/physiological sensitivity to Hg or a predisposition to impaired Hg excretion capacity leads to a chronic elevation of Hg in the brain and body.

The purpose of the present study was to test the Hg-autism hypothesis. If the hypothesis is indeed correct, and a sensitivity to Hg is heritable (genetic), the prevalence of ASD among the descendants of a cohort confirmed as having a hypersensitivity to Hg (pink disease survivors) should be higher than a comparable general population prevalence.

Results were reported in the media release and in Fairfax: Mercury poison linked to autism. We can also check back to the abstract for a more telling summary;

Five hundred and twenty-two participants who had previously been diagnosed with pink disease completed a survey on the health outcomes of their descendants. The prevalence rates of ASD and a variety of other clinical conditions diagnosed in childhood (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, epilepsy, Fragile X syndrome, and Down syndrome) were compared to well-established general population prevalence rates. The results showed the prevalence rate of ASD among the grandchildren of pink disease survivors (1 in 25) to be significantly higher than the comparable general population prevalence rate (1 in 160). The results support the hypothesis that Hg sensitivity may be a heritable/genetic risk factor for ASD.

The most telling flaw is the efforts gone to in constructing the apparent genetic susceptibility to mercury leading to autism in grandchildren of acrodynia sufferers.

As identified earlier, numerous studies demonstrated a relationship between ASD and Hg. Our results suggest that this variable may have a heritable component and therefore, of course, a genetic basis. What our results do not do, however, is enable an understanding of the degree to which the susceptibility is inheritable and the mechanism by which this may occur.

Firstly if there’s a genetic component, why did the grandparents – and indeed the entire cohort of acrodynia children – not show prominent autism diagnoses. Secondly, how did the parents of the children escape autism? They lived in an era of mercury in house paint, mercury compounds in worming treatments, mercurochrome was a standard in First Aid kits – then suddenly vanished, industrial waste spilled into local rivers where kids regularly swam as standards of control were far more lax and mercury was used in the manufacturing of more products.

In short the parents with the same, “…heritable component and therefore, of course, a genetic basis”, were exposed to much more environmental mercury. Yet they emerge unscathed. Surely we should be seeing a reduction in ASD. Each subsequent generation is exposed to less mercury and the genetic component is halved. Unless there’s some incredible generational leap. Yet the authors themselves answer my initial question on mechanism – it’s unknown – and can offer no insight into the degree of genetic susceptibility.

So we must examine data collation. A survey completed by 522 infantile acrondyia sufferers. Self reporting data is perhaps the least reliable source of data in the absence of correction or follow up. In this case to correct for response bias it was crucial to chase up each and every one of the 522 respondents grandchildren to confirm that yes, they meet Australia’s criteria for autistic diagnosis. After all the authors are using the 1 in 160 frequency figure gained this way to claim “a six times higher” prevalence. The problem of perceived but undiagnosed autistic disorders may be impacting on results.

But they didn’t do this. The Age reports;

The authors said although they did not validate the autism diagnoses provided by the survivors in the surveys their study added to mounting evidence of a link between genetics, mercury sensitivity and autism spectrum disorders.

“The authors said”, eh? Right. It’s not as if they’re biased or anything – just look at their body of work. This emerging train wreck gets worse in that they likely promoted response bias. The study was advertised on the Pink Disease Support Group site. Yet the author’s write;

In order to minimize response bias, the true purpose of the study was not included on recruitment materials sent out to potential participants; instead, recruitment materials indicated that the purpose of the study was to investigate the general health outcomes of the descendants of pink disease survivors.

All up 23% of surveys were returned. What of the other 77%? Perhaps they had no descendants with health problems and thus were not motivated. Members of this support group with ill descendants are far more likely to respond, if not initially being prompted to join for the very reason the authors favour. Surely this “mounting evidence” would reach the ears of many Pink disease survivors. It’s even more likely those with autistic descendants would know of the hysteria over mercury in vaccines and thus reply, skewing results.

It is in fact arguable that some members of PDSG with autistic descendants – or who perceive they have autistic descendants, or have been told – gravitated toward membership because of the wide coverage of mercury being linked to autism. This point is just as likely as the supposed “six times higher” frequency rate. In truth we just don’t know. This is bad science that merely postulates a hand-me-down trick to breathe more life into the “mercury causes autism” corpse.

So in conclusion, we have two highly biased authors with a well documented track record of being unable to source reputable and bipartisan material on the issue of mercury and autism. They have a demonstrated propensity to argue against thimerosal in vaccines and immerse themselves in research and writing that we can only describe as being fringe or by known crackpots. David Austin in particular has previously written deceptive rubbish and aligned himself with known culprits in perpetuating known myths.

Shandley and Austin have a demonstrable predetermined agenda. Together they’ve come up with an appalling hypothesis because of this yet continue to cite these same biased sources. Their methodology is fatally flawed. Their conclusions are bordering on the absurd as they fail to justify the degree or mechanism of their observation which is based on unreliable data. To battle through this mess they cite over and again the same disreputable sources, which does not strengthen their argument. No dissenting citations are presented and challenged. They have published in a journal of dubious integrity and made public claims that remain scientifically unsubstantiated.

What.A.Mess. There’s nothing to see here – move along, move along.

18Aug2011

Newtown Community Chiropractic present Weiner… Nimrod Weiner

Posted in Alternative "medicine" scams, Chiropractic, Health by Paul Gallagher

Weiner. Nimrod Weiner. Shaken and stirred. We’ve met Nimrod before, whilst taking a look at chiropractors and their brave observations on vaccination. Including it being “the biggest sham since bloodletting”. 64% of The Australian (anti) Vaccination Network‘s members are chiropractors – a damning statistic indeed.

Nimrod Weiner: Prominent Anti-vaccination lobbyist

Weiner, as I noted before is from Newtown Community Chiropractic and is prone to run anti-vaccination seminars. Exactly why Newtown Community Chiropractic would want to run anti-vaccination seminars and use slides with Newtown Community Chiropractic emblazoned on each one is a mystery perhaps known only to Newtown Community Chiropractic. I can’t find out because visiting their vaccination events page seems to yield a hastily emptied office.

Nimrod thinks vaccines are nasty things because when you look at humans we’re sick. Sick dear reader, very, very sick. The sort of sick only Newtown Community Chiropractic can fix. Because as Nimrod Weiner says, you don’t see animals with diseases and cancers. No Sir!

Those horses with Hendra virus – dying and killing people due to the lack of a vaccine and those Tasmanian Devils with incurable cancer with a 100% fatality rate aren’t as sick as we are. In fact you don’t see cancers in animals Nimrod Weiner from Newtown Community Chiropractic tells us. This must be bemusing news to those at The Australian Animal Cancer Association or the scientists that documented the many variations of the four primary animal cancers.

Australia’s list of 93 notifiable animal diseases is clearly just taking up valuable internet space. Not to mention the many non notifiable diseases that just distract us from our own sickening sickness. What with our living longer than ever before, beating diseases more than ever before, curing disease during gestation, preventing disability from birth, rehabilitating post illness and injury and of course having almost wiped out vaccine preventable diseases that killed our ancestors we’re obviously so very, very sick.

Could vaccines be doing this? You can talk about vaccines without any qualifications for 2 1/2 hours, “But that’s nothing, let me tell you”. Obesity, lack of exercise and predicted consequent cardiovascular disease are just some of the problems that effect children but not animals Nimrod from Newtown Community Chiropractic intones. Todays children could be the first generation to not live longer than their parents he warns ominously dangling the “V word” but giving absolutely no evidence as to why. So, why?

This is certainly due to the fact life expectancy has sky rocketed in recent decades with medical advances, improvements in safe living and the big one – vaccination. Children born over the last couple of decades were born into a world of scientific achievement allowing sedentary lifestyles and buffets of junk food. This explains why they may not live notably longer life spans than their parents. Gradually we’ve been getting more sedentary in recreational pursuits, spending less time doing physical labour, enjoying wonderful advances in labour saving devices and worshipping the silicon chip.

It isn’t that children are “sick” at all – they’re not. It is true that their parents were particularly healthy, active and enjoyed largely unpolluted environments. The younger the parent the more sedentary their lifestyle also. In fact today a child’s potential for longevity at birth and for the first few years remains higher than ever before. It is lifestyle habits and how long one maintains them that dictates. But anti-vaxxers love to use these fake scare tactics to claim children are sicker than ever before. Simply put: sedentary lifestyle, changing familial habits, processed food often due to time constraints, affluence in eating and rising obesity. From here we have predicted a slightly shorter lifespan.

The lie of an autism epidemic continues even though we know it’s down to entirely different diagnostic criteria. Some children on the ASD spectrum are indistinguishable from other children until critiqued via diagnosis. Using todays criteria we find adults present at a rate of 9.8/1000 and children at a rate of 10/1000. In a UK survey, none of the “new cases” discovered knew they had autism. This speaks volumes as to how wide the spectrum now is. Strong arguments suggest the 2% difference is due to learned skills, and may likely be more – increasing the adult rate above children. Which ultimately suggests we have less autistic cases today provided we stick with today’s diagnostic criteria across generations.

The Australian reports that the Australian Medical Association condemned as “outrageous” claims made by Weiner. One has to agree;

In a public talk, the Sydney chiropractor linked vaccines to asbestos, thalidomide and cigarettes, and said they contained bits of aborted fetus. The chiropractor backed the debunked research of deregistered British doctor Andrew Wakefield – which suggested the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine might cause autism – as “scientifically good”.

The parents and pregnant women who attended the talk in March were told “homeopathic vaccines” – which are regarded as scientific nonsense by most experts – were safer than conventional vaccines. [….]

Adelaide chiropractor Phillip Donato, chairman of the Chiropractic Board of Australia – one of the 10 national registration boards that are part of the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency – said chiropractors were expected to offer advice that was “absolutely balanced, non-biased and evidence-based”.

“It appears at the very least that he (Mr Weiner) is misinformed, and at the worst may be providing misleading information,” Mr Donato said.

“We would encourage people to put in a notification (to the board), and we would deal with it.”

Weiner made Radio National today:

Or download audio here.

Newtown Community Chiropractic slides include:

The Australian had more on the bizarre, ignorant anti-vaccination fear mongering standards and Nimroddery from Newtown Community Chiropractic;

In his talk, Mr Weiner said vaccine makers grew germs such as the chicken pox virus “on human fetus, because it’s the best medium to grow it on”.
“What happens is they take a scraping of that aborted fetus with the virus on it, and put that into the vaccine itself,” he said.

In fact, a federal government guide says while fetal cells are used to make some vaccines, these are the lab-grown descendants of cells taken from three fetuses aborted for medical reasons more than 40 years ago, since when no further fetuses have been used.

What these cowboys of new age mumbo jumbo are doing discussing immunology is patently clear. Creating a market based on fear. Weiner’s product is ignorance and fear and we’d all be wise to have nothing to do with his ilk. They are even keen to blame the Australian Skeptics for reasons I can not begin to comprehend.

When it comes to vaccines speak only to a real doctor.

16Aug2011

Chiropractors adjust vaccine truths

Posted in Anti-Vaccination Lobby, Big Placebo, Chiropractic, Health, Scam by Paul Gallagher

The World Chiropractic Alliance (WCA) have a “journal”, available for free subscription. It doesn’t actually have any peer reviewed studies, but is more a collection of industry positive, competitor negative and hokery pokery articles that deny credibility. Such as Energy Medicine: Futuristic Healing with ancient roots, by Dana Ullman. We know Dana from Twitter as @homeopathicdana

Today I had an article brought to my attention by New Zealand skeptic and critic of anti-vaccination nonsense, @SkepticalSkotty. He’d had the article brought to his attention by a friend. Like many in the developed world outside Sth. Korea, where it’s illegal to practice the scam, the friend had given chiropractic credence. Quite understandable. Unless one’s in a clinical setting or prone to keep an eye on non evidence based trends, chiropractors are the other “doctors” who work on backs and necks and are subsidised by insurance companies and governments.

The September 2010 article Several nations banning flu shots for babies, provides unique insight into bias, deceptiveness and unprofessional standards. Supposedly having no position on vaccination I was intrigued at the effort to mislead readers into forming a negative view of both seasonal influenza and H1N1 vaccination. The article opens with an accurate observation of a QLD infant death following influenza vaccination, but almost immediately begins to blur the lines. Let’s do some housekeeping, remembering that fifteen children in QLD had an adverse reaction to the vaccine.

In WA where babies were given Fluvax – a combination H1N1 and seasonal ‘flu vaccine – febrile convulsions effected 60 and another 200 presented with higher than normal temperatures post vaccination. Well tolerated in teens and adults Fluvax was certainly not tolerated in babies and small children. One small child, Saba Button, fell into a coma and is now struggling with brain damage. It is the type of tragedy health authorities dread. Soon after the reactions WA suspended administering the vaccine to children under 5 and this was also taken up nationally. The TGA had made some noises toward CSL who manufactured Fluvax. However it wasn’t until FDA officials from the USA turned up investigate CSL’s standards of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) this year, that one could realistically defend Australian influenza vaccination regimes against quite justified criticism.

These two events were tragic and widespread fevers in vaccinated babies is a huge blow to public confidence. However suggesting that health authorities intend to suppress the truth at the expense of public health is a frequent unsubstantiated claim. Worse is the use of these tragedies by groups like the Australian Vaccination Network – the anti-vax darling of Australian chiropractors – to smear their critics. The day The Australian published Natasha Bita’s article on young Saba Button (May 28th), Meryl Dorey exploited this family to muster anti-vaccination support and to also make false claims about skeptics and Stop the AVN.

Meryl Dorey’s Yahoo! Twitter and Facebook libellous claims

Dorey published an “Action Alert” on Twitter, Facebook and Yahoo! claiming supporters of vaccination were “mobilising” and “organising their forces” to write letters of complaint to The Australian, and thus writing in support was vital. “They do NOT want newspapers or any media outlets to be covering this from a freeedom of choice point of view”, she lied on Yahoo!

Freedom of choice point of view? Since when are facts or a parent’s choice to speak to the media linked to whacky anti-vax lingo’? Dorey was seizing ownership of Saba’s tragedy and using it to engender disgust toward those who criticise her already extensive dossier of lies and deceit. Little wonder many believe she manufactures stories of personal threats.

Not only is this offensive to Saba, her parent’s and those maligned but one must surely question her grasp on reality, not to mention the ethical issues surrounding vaccination, to see a grown woman manipulate her members as pawns in her own delusional neocon’ fantasy. I wrote to Natasha Bita and her colleagues seeking confirmation and on June 21st she confirmed that whilst she had been on holidays no “complaints” had been received, or could be found.

Back to the WCA journal. They failed to stress the vaccine was “suspended” not banned or that other strains would be considered. Onto the second paragraph;

A short time later, Finland also suspended the H1N1 vaccines due to six reports of narcolepsy in children and teens immediately following vaccination. According to The Helsinki Times, “Medical reports suggest that over 750 of those who have been vaccinated have experienced harmful effects.”

Firstly, QLD ADR’s were due to seasonal influenza vaccine. WA’s ADR’s were due to a combination of seasonal and H1N1 vaccines. The vaccine used in Finland was GSK’s H1N1 vaccine Pandemrix. No Australians have been administered Pandemrix and Australia has had no reports of narcolepsy. This distinction wasn’t made by the WCA article. What about those “750 harmful effects” that they quoted. If we read the Helsinki Times piece we see that 2.5 million doses were given. That’s a 0.003% ADR rate. I do rush to add this is not to be dismissed as trivial, but does indicate the risk/benefit ratio. The WCA seems to think that’s an excessively high level for narcolepsy – falling asleep unexpectedly. More so, as we’ll see there are unique Finnish genetic components to this problem that are related to the vaccine.

Yet if we’re talking about removal of insurance coverage for cervical manipulation by chiropractors because of the risk of vertebral/carotid artery tears, stroke and traumatic death – as in the case of Jeremy Youngblood – then an incidence rate of up to 0.005% is a trivial matter. WCA were upset that this brought “…applause from critics who still maintain that chiropractic is linked to strokes”. Chiropractors maintain it’s “a myth”. I hope you got that. Vaccine induced narcolepsy due to genetic predisposition: bad. Higher risk of tearing of the vertebral artery and dying slowly, whilst well documented: is a myth. They write with mind blowing arrogance;

The World Chiropractic Alliance responded by sending the company a copy of its position paper on chiropractic and strokes, and a vast amount of scientifically documented information that dispels the notion that chiropractic is in any way linked to carotid and vertebral artery dissection. “The WCA has been distributing this information ever since the myth about chiropractic and stroke began, and we’ll continue to make sure we counter this campaign of misinformation,” stated WCA founder and CEO Terry A. Rondberg, DC.

Kaiser Permanente, whom I now admire greatly wrote;

Chiropractic manipulation of the cervical spine is associated with vertebral artery dissection and stroke. The incidence is estimated at 1.3-5 events per 100,000 manipulations. Given the paucity of data related to beneficial effects of chiropractic manipulation of the cervical spine and the real potential for catastrophic adverse events, it was decided to exclude chiropractic manipulation of the cervical spine from coverage.

“Paucity of data related to beneficial effects of chiropractic manipulation of the cervical spine and the real potential for catastrophic adverse events”. Damn that reads well. Are chiropractors going to suspend this potentially lethal practice? Hell no – they’ll call it a myth and back that claim with bad science. Are they worried about patient health or patient access to a manipulation that takes seconds? No, they’re upset that they can’t get the big bucks.

Think of how many people around the world would get a cervical manipulation on any one day. At a rate of up to 5 per 100,000 catastrophic injuries and stroke, for no benefit, not to mention all the minor cervical vertebral insults and/or soft tissue injuries you have my permission to feel a little ill dear reader. So, it’s compelling how selective this group of pseudoscientific profiteers can be when it comes to understanding not only risk/benefit ratios but the size of the risk vs the evidence for any benefit.

The WCA article also mentions narcolepsy in Sweden. That also was a rate of 0.003% – a figure they seem intent on not publishing. According to the WHO last April 21st;

The only pandemic influenza vaccine used in Finland and Sweden was Pandemrix, an adjuvanted influenza A (H1N1) 2009 monovalent vaccine manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline.

Narcolepsy is a condition that has a strong genetic linkage, being almost uniquely seen in persons who have the (HLA) DQB1*0602 genotype. Of the cases of narcolepsy tested so far in Finland (n=29), diagnosed during 2009-2010, all have that genotype. The National Institute for Health and Welfare of Finland considers it probable that the Pandemrix vaccine was a contributing factor to this observed increase, and has called for further investigation of other co-factors that may be associated with the increased risk. They consider it most likely that the vaccine increased the risk of narcolepsy in a joint effect in those genetically disposed with some other, still unknown, genetic and/or environmental factors. The final report from the Finnish National Narcolepsy Task Force is expected by 31 August 2011.

Apparently 30% of Finnish have this gene whist 15% of Europeans have it. This wasn’t dismissed as a genetic issue either. There is a nine fold risk in those vaccinated vs unvaccinated. So, GSK aren’t getting any special treatment. Nor does hysteria get to reign. As in Australia it is mainstream medical monitoring and national health responses that ultimately serve to protect the public. But it’ll be late August this year before final European reports are released.

The article goes on to quote a now missing article from the Bharat Chronicle;

The vaccines appear to be causing a pattern of neurological disorders affecting children and teens across the planet

Most facepalmingly, if you pop that sentence into your chosen search facility dear reader, you get over 2,000 hits ranging from Bible prophecy, to natural woo, to wellness, to infant chiropractic to… well you get the idea. Our WCA “journal” is running a junk piece that they probably scavenged from the depths of conspiracy central.

The piece finishes off claiming “Australian authorities” knew of the problem for “several weeks” but withheld the information whilst continuing to encourage vaccination. One assumes they’re referring to WA where ADR’s were reported for two weeks before Saba Button was injured which was around the time the number of ADR’s demanded state wide action. Far better for WCA to publish the insinuation that authorities remained silent about a free vaccine with perhaps the only motivation being to harm the public.

Then it’s back up to QLD for accusatory lies followed by some special pleading;

Health officials at first tried to convince the public that there was no “causal” relationship between the vaccine and the side effects but even the Australian coroner had to admit he couldn’t rule out that the flu shot was responsible for the death of two-year-old Brisbane toddler Ashley Jade Epapara.

Gosh. “Even” the coroner couldn’t rule it out. Appeal to authority also. The truth is no-one can rule it out or rule it in. Period.

Then back to WA with nonsense about attempting to “blame” a bad batch. In fact the possibility of a bad batch must be investigated just as the possibility of the vaccine ingredients and combination was investigated. “This is not a long-term safety issue with vaccines,” University of Western Australia School of Paediatrics and Child Health Associate Professor Peter Richmond told WA today, they add. Quite right. This is most certainly not a problem with vaccines as a long term safety issue. The only long term issue is the capitalisation by anti-vaccination groups.

All in all this is an appalling piece of junk writing that aims only to create the illusion of widespread – or “across the planet” – trends that somehow show vaccines are a health risk. They cant even manage to keep different Australian reports on two very different scenarios straight. Already this year in QLD influenza is back at six times the annual rate. Febrile convulsions and brain damage from vaccine preventable disease are constant realities. It is for this very reason the risk/benefit of vaccination is actually incredibly safe.

No doubt Australia had some serious issues with vaccine manufacture and management of ADR reporting in 2010. This is being dealt with by the proper authorities. The very last thing the present vaccine controversy needs is this band of chiropractic cowboys defending futile and dangerous treatments, whilst attacking sound evidence backed public health measures.

Ultimately there are not any nations “banning” flu shots for babies. Chiropractors have lied again.

12Aug2011

Australian Vaccination Network silent on S.A. measles outbreak

Posted in Anti-Vaccination Lobby, Denialism, Health by Paul Gallagher

Measles is a serious disease that is easily spread through the air. Immunisation is effective in preventing the disease. All children and adults born during or after 1966 should be vaccinated with 2 doses of MMR vaccine if not already immune.

So says a pretty straight forward opening to the NSW Fact Sheet on measles. Yet we know this isn’t good enough for certain people who usually cite a series of grossly inaccurate claims for avoiding immunisation. Claims fed to Australians from a growing number of crackpots, chiropractors, charlatans and opportunistic new age scam artists. Perhaps the most damaging source is the Australian Vaccination Network presently facing court proceedings.

Meryl Dorey must be proud of her handiwork, although yesterday was unusually quiet regarding South Australia Health’s public health alert, down to two people whose parents took Meryl’s advice;

August 11 2011

SA Health has issued a public health alert about the highly infectious measles virus following two confirmed cases in South Australia this week. SA Health’s Chief Medical officer, Professor Paddy Phillips, said both cases are linked with the recent measles case reported in July this year.

“Both of these people were not vaccinated against measles and were in close contact with the original case during his infectious period,” Professor Phillips said.

The original case? Yes, the original case;

15 July 2011

SA Health has issued a public health alert about the highly infectious measles virus following a confirmed case in South Australia this week.

SA Health’s Chief Medical officer, Professor Paddy Phillips, said a man from metropolitan Adelaide acquired the virus while overseas.

“During the infectious period, the man travelled from Dubai through Melbourne to Adelaide,” Professor Phillips said.

What was Meryl Dorey doing yesterday, as Australia’s self proclaimed expert of vaccine preventable disease and the vaccines themselves? Where was her release on this trifling matter? “You didn’t die from it 30 years ago and you’re not going to die from it today”, she lied back in April 2009. Well, we had a schlock article from the far fringe, Why Don’t Children Regress Before They Turn One? by F. Edward Yazbak, MD, FAAP-the evidence mounts-vaccines cause autism! That’s Dorey’s bit on the end. “-the evidence mounts-vaccines cause autism!”. Yes, that Edward Yazbak – antivaccination rogue and autism scare monger.

As I noted a few posts back this headline maker just won’t lie down. Yazbak’s nonsense can be dispensed swiftly if we note that measles deaths increased but autism rates remained the same when MMR was ceased in Japan altogether and autism rates persisted when thimerosal was removed from the MMR vaccine. So both the “vaccine culprit” and the “thimerosal (mercury compound) culprit” are dead. But this won’t prevent pushing belief systems. Like Ken Ham building a creation museum following a court victory to prevent teaching creationism as science, the autism schlock jocks will just get sillier and sillier.

So with no reason to not vaccinate and evidence denialists making us sicker the tired old line about pro choice is revealed as an outrageous smirk to hide the truth of an ideology gone terribly wrong. With that in mind should we worry about yesterday’s health warning? It continued;

SA Health is currently contacting those who may have been spent time with either of these people to provide information and advice about prevention measures.

One visited several public places during their infectious period, including Va Bene at the Burnside Village on Friday 22 July from 11:00am to 5:30pm and on Saturday the 23rd July from 10:00am to 5:00pm. The same person was also in the Hindley Street precinct, including the Red Square Bar and Lounge and the Rosemont Hotel between 11:50pm on Saturday 23 July to 4am on Sunday 24th July.

We are advising anyone who was in these areas during these times to be alert for any symptoms of measles over the next two weeks and if they are ill to see their doctor.

I don’t want to spoil the candid tone of the the health warning but Va Bene at Burnside Village houses beauty salons, shoe shops, clothing stores, more shoes… Given the time/s spent there we seem to have someone working in a very public place. Given we probably go to Va Bene to make ourselves bootifal I’m guessing a female twenty something. Probably having risen to the dizzying corporate heights of a shop assistant. Someone who knows they’re unvaccinated, spent time with an infectious measles patient and is skipping about town by choice. Call me mean but I’m guessing Ms. Va Bene giggles a lot.

Then it’s on to the Red Square Bar and Lounge and Rosemont hotel that night until 4am. Four AM? Neighbourhood Watch perhaps? You just know what Google’s going to tell us about where our giggly and dizzy twenty something unvaccinated groupie’s been, don’t you.

Happy hours and top 40 hits abound at Adelaide’s “number one R&B club”. Housed in the massive Red Square complex (no, not a hangover from the cold war) this bar cum late-night club sees more than its fair share of punters – dressed to the nines and eager for tasty beats – packing the dancefloor each night.

Oh my. It went a-dancing. How’s measles spread again? Could Giggles Va Bene have possibly known to lay low?

Measles is usually spread when a person breathes in the measles virus that has been coughed or sneezed into the air by an infectious person. Measles is one of the most easily spread of all human infections. Just being in the same room as someone with measles can result in infection.

People with measles are usually infectious from just before the symptoms begin until four days after the rash appears. The time from exposure to becoming sick is usually about 10 days. The rash usually appears around 14 days after exposure.

Ah. Just “being in the same room”. Giggles was one of the “fair share of punters… packing the dancefloor each night”, at Red Square Bar.

Then on to The Rosemont Hotel, a cool 24 hour sports bar and pokie venue. The time overlap for infection and incubation is perfect. July 22nd. It’s highly probable Giggles Va Bene was given a heads up on the potential for developing measles herself, as all those close to the male patient would have been contacted. Being in close contact with the initial measles patient during the infectious period and gallivanting around town helps confirm my diagnosis of dizzy and giggly.

In fact the anti-vaxxer cry of “We’ll always quarantine ourselves” in defence of being a public risk is revealed in this case as utterly futile. And indeed rightly so. No public health measure can rely on promises and hearsay from anybody, much less evidence denialists . One may be forgiven for thinking Giggles Va Bene is a tad arrogant. This is a mature young woman who has every right and opportunity to have herself vaccinated yet has chosen not to do so. Who ignored the risk of almost certain infection. Who may well have ignored public health advice. The standard public health response in this regard includes;

…identify other people at risk of infection, implement control measures (such as immunisation and restrictions on attending school or work) and provide other advice.

One hopes her companions fit the high probability of being vaccinated. Even still, subclinical infection is always a possibility and that goes for anyone who was unfortunate enough to come anywhere near this individual. After all she isn’t going to dress like a first century Palestinian leper carrying a tin cup moaning “…unclean… unclean”.

That however, is the real point here. This poor woman is almost certainly a victim of her parents and her own ignorance born of calculated fear mongering and stupidity. We don’t need the sick and infectious to wear signs nor to yell their approach for we have the protection of vaccines as individuals and vaccine induced herd immunity as a community. So, what may the future bring if this continues to unfold? We can look to New Zealand – on the very same day – for an idea;

A measles outbreak in the upper half of the North Island has led to a spike in the number of children being vaccinated against the highly contagious virus.

Ministry of Health vaccine distribution figures showed a “significant increase” in demand for the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine this year, ministry immunisation manager David Wansbrough said today.

More than 120 cases of measles have been reported since the outbreak began in Auckland in May. Waikato District Health Board (DHB) yesterday confirmed 17 cases – all in teenagers – in the region, with eight more suspected cases. Health authorities fear the virus may have spread to Northland after a three-year-old with suspected measles went to day care during the infectious period.

A 17-year-old Taupo girl has also been diagnosed with the virus.

Measles infections and deaths pre and post vaccine

When the reality of “informed choice” hits home as a potentially lethal disease somehow the trendy status of being a parent with unvaccinated kids loses it’s gloss. We see increased vaccination. But not always. This is a belief system and one worn as a badge of imagined independence from social conformity. Ms. Giggles Va Bene may potentially become a very sick young lady and may quite likely carry some problems for life.

Even worse, she may have infected babies or someone who cannot be vaccinated or someone else playing the same game of Russian Roulette. Complications for adults over twenty include;

diarrhoea,

vomiting,

eye infection (conjunctivitis), and

inflammation of the voice box (laryngitis).

Inner ear infection and inflammation (otitis media), which often causes earache, may also be a complication of measles.

Fits that are caused by a fever (febrile convulsions) are also possible complications of measles.

Less common complications include;

meningitis,

pneumonia (lung infection), signs of which are fast, difficult breathing, chest pain and deteriorating condition,

hepatitis (liver infection),

encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), which can be fatal, so watch for drowsiness, headache and vomiting,

low platelet count, known medically as thrombocytopenia, which affects the blood’s ability to clot,

bronchitis and croup (infection of the airways), characterised by a hacking or barking cough, and

squint, if the virus affects the nerves and muscles of the eye.

More serious complications;

serious eye disorders, such as an infection of the optic nerve (the nerve that transmits information from the eye to the brain), known as optic neuritis, which can lead to blindness,

heart and nervous system problems,

a serious brain complication known as subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE), which can sometimes occur several years after measles. Although the condition is fatal, it is very rare, occurring in only 1 in every 100,000 cases of measles.

Don’t listen to the anti-vaccination lobby. Speak to your doctor and be sure to get your children vaccinated.

UPDATE: Fate finally caught up with the mother of Giggles Va Bene on February 8th, 2012. The Measles Case Alert from S.A. Health is as follows:

SA Health has issued a public health alert about the highly infectious measles virus following a confirmed case in South Australia this week.

SA Health’s Chief Medical Officer, Professor Paddy Phillips said the 44-year-old woman from metropolitan Adelaide has been linked to the recent measles case in late January.

“Measles is highly contagious among people who are not fully immunised, and is spread through coughing and sneezing,” Professor Phillips said.

“The illness begins with fever, cough, runny nose, and sore eyes, followed by a rash which begins on the head and then spreads down the body. Complications of measles can be severe.

“We are advising anyone who was in the locations listed below during these times to be alert for symptoms over the two weeks after that potential exposure and if they are ill to see a doctor.

“It is very important that people phone their GP ahead of any visit and mention why they are attending, so that precautions can be taken to avoid spreading disease to others.”

Tuesday 31^st January, West Lakes Shopping Centre, 10.00am to 2.00pm.

Wednesday 1^st February, Cyprus Community Club, 8 Barpowell Rd, Welland, 10:00am to 3:00pm.

Thursday 2^nd February, Uniting Care Wesley Adelaide, Mile End, 9.30am to 12.00pm.

Thursday 2^nd February, Thebarton Neighbourhood House 10 Falcon Ave, Mile End,10.00am to 4.00pm

Thursday 2^nd February, AMF Woodville Bowls 12.00pm to 3.30pm.

Friday 3^rd February, Cheltenham Community Centre, 62 Stroud Street North, Cheltenham 9:30am to 5:00pm.

Friday 3^rd February, on the 10.40am train from Cheltenham to the City.

Friday 3^rd February, Jasper’s Coffee shop, Adelaide 11.00am to 2.00pm.

Friday 3^rd February, on the 12.07pm train from the City to Cheltenham.

An alert has been issued to General Practitioners advising them of this case.

SA Health has contacted the businesses the woman visited during the infectious period.

Immunisation provides the best protection against measles. Two doses of measles containing vaccine are strongly recommended for all persons born after 1965.

People in this age group are encouraged to check their vaccination records, and request the vaccine if there is no record of two doses of measles vaccine.

This is the second case of measles reported in South Australia during 2012. There were four cases reported in 2011.

A fact sheet about measles can be found on SA Health’s website:www.sahealth.sa.gov.au

For more information call the SA Health Media Line.

Telephone: (08) 8226 6488

All one close group with only one thing in common. Being not vaccinated against measles.

8Aug2011

Andrew Wakefield and the MMR fraud: Science Betrayed

Posted in Denialism, Health, Scam by Paul Gallagher

From the BBC’s Science Betrayed, March 16th 2011. Dr Adam Rutherford does a splendid job of investigating the scandal and ethical breaches that led to the greatest medical and public health related disaster in the post penicillin era.

Recently there’s been a push by anti-vaccination lobbyists and those horrid folk from Age of Autism to argue that the BMJ committed fraud. They have a particular angle on Brian Deer and the entire campaign smacks of revenge borne of a total lack of evidence. Mike Adams is another source of woe begotten opportunism peddling this nonsense. Meryl Dorey is piping their tune in Australia despite originally screaming Wakefield’s disclaimer in his defence: “No association proved with MMR” – something Wakefield sticks to when questioned.

“We never said there is a link to autism”, Meryl Dorey of The Australian Vaccination Network lied as Wakefield’s obliteration became complete. “Just to bowel disorders”. Of course, they quickly changed their tune to line up with the rest of the conspiracy cranks worldwide.

I feel like saying they make me sick. But that’s nonsense. In truth, they make sick children even sicker. What I find truly bizarre is that “anti-vaccination hero” Andrew Wakefield, filed patent for monovalent vaccines nine months before publishing his paper. Just as unethical is monovalent vaccine administrator Dr. Richard Halvorsen, author of The truth about vaccines. He is paid hundreds of dollars per shot. If anybody schemed to push vaccines it is these men.

In The Lancet article, Wakefield et al. wrote, “we did not prove an association between measles, mumps and rubella vaccine and the syndrome described”. Yet he wrote a letter with Richard Barr one of the lawyers paying Wakefield, and representing anti-vaccination litigants, before beginning the study. Written on June 6th, 1996 it described a vaccine induced autistic and intestinal disorder. This was over two weeks before selecting the first child to be “studied” as part of The Lancet sample. It included;

Children with enteritis and disintegrative disorder, form part of a new syndrome. The evidence is undeniably in favour of a specific vaccine induced pathology.

Hired by lawyers with a predetermined agenda, inventing a vaccine induced syndrome at the behest of anti-vaccine activists, selecting a sample picked by the lawyers and lobbyists, filing for monovalent vaccine patents well before publishing his work, denying any link in print, suggesting this very same link in a press conference, making plans for a “treatment” centre for his pretend syndrome that he would run…

All to be abandoned by most co-author’s, struck off the medical register as callous and unethical and for his fraudulent “research” to be retracted. There can be no doubt. Andrew Wakefield is a fraud and those seeking to exhume the corpse of this despicable scam have embarked on yet another course of unique child, parent and indeed social abuse.

Although there’s a plethora of articles debunking this awful business, here’s some you may like to read.