My Bots Weblog

«Dr. Andrew Wakefield, the British physician who jump-started the scare about a link between the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism, manipulated and changed data to make his case in the 1998 Lancet paper, according to an investigation by the Sunday Times of London. The purported link has subsequently been refuted by a large number of epidemiological studies. That Lancet paper said that the families of eight of 12 autistic children attending a routine clinic at Wakefield's hospital claimed that symptoms of autism developed within days after they were given the shot -- or the "jab," as the British call it. Wakefield and his colleagues also claimed to have found the measles virus in the children's intestines and that the virus caused an inflammatory bowel disease linked to autism. But by studying confidential and public records, investigative reporter Brian Deer, who has been following the MMR controversy since the beginning, found a different story. Hospital and other records indicated that virtually all of the children had begun developing symptoms of autism well before the shot, Deer's report said. Hospital pathologists examining the children for signs of inflammatory bowel disease were unable to find it in most of the cases, Deer discovered, but Wakefield or someone on the team changed the data to make it appear as if the condition was found, Deer reported in the Times. At least one parent of a child in whose intestines the virus was said to have been found took samples to three other labs, which were unable to find the virus, Deer's report said. Moreover, Deer reported, Wakefield was retained as an expert witness two years earlier by a lawyer planning to sue vaccine manufacturers on behalf of parents who thought MMR caused their children's problems. The parents cited in the Lancet article came to Wakefield's clinic in response to an advertising campaign led by the lawyer's group, called Jabs, and not for routine screening, Deer's report said.»...
Source: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com | Source Status Categories: Lobbying/Astroturf,Analyse/Methodologie, S.C.A.M.

«Sense About Science, un organisme britannique qui promeut la science auprès du public, publie un rapport annuel qui relève les déclarations scientifiques douteuses faites par des politiciens et des vedettes. Dans le rapport 2008 de Sense About Science, le test génétique personnel de 23andMe, déclaré invention de l'année 2008 par le magazine Time, est critiqué par le clinicien Mike Hallworth, qui souligne que ce kit pourrait créer des inquiétudes potentiellement infondées chez les clients qui apprennent, par exemple, qu'ils ont davantage de chances de développer des maladies graves telles que certains types de cancer.» [...] «Ellen Raphael, directrice de Sense About Science au Royaume-Uni, indique qu'elle ne s'attend pas à ce que la population connaisse tout de la science, mais elle souligne que les déclarations scientifiques douteuses de personnalités voyagent rapidement grâce à Internet et aux chaînes d'informations en continu. Elle invite les vedettes à vérifier la véracité de leurs déclarations en consultant au préalable un des 3000 scientifiques qui travaillent bénévolement pour le réseau Sense About Science. »...
Source: http://science.branchez-vous.com | Source Status Categories: Lobbying/Astroturf,Analyse/Methodologie, S.C.A.M.

«La polémique concernant les risques accrus de développer une sclérose en plaques à la suite d'une vaccination contre l'hépatite B n'est pas morte. Illustré par des témoignages douloureux et étayé par des explications scientifiques, ce documentaire dérangeant propose de faire la lumière sur ces vaccins qui se transforment en poison dans un nombre croissant de cas. Du mercure et de l'aluminium : ce sont les substances que l'on peut trouver dans certains vaccins administrés aux enfants de manière récurrente dès leur plus jeune âge. Même si ceux-ci ont permis aux sociétés occidentales de maitriser des fléaux comme les hépatites, le tétanos ou la poliomyélite, ce film avance qu'ils ont probablement favorisé le développement de maladies neurologiques, dermatologiques ou rhumatologiques. A Québec, les parents du petit Alexis, 2 ans et atteint d'une encéphalite, en témoignent. Depuis qu'on lui a injecté six vaccins dans la même journée, Alexis « ne sait plus avaler, ne sait plus parler, ne sait plus marcher ». Des études épidémiologiques américaine, française et canadienne laissent penser que le mercure, présent sous forme de conservateur dans certains vaccins courants comme l'antitétanique ou les antigrippaux, entrainerait des troubles du comportement et du développement. D'autres vaccins à base d'aluminium cette fois, à l'instar des antihépatites, pourraient provoquer des maladies neuromusculaires (lire l'encadré). Aurélie, une jeune femme pleine de vie malgré sa maladie, explique qu'elle a manifesté les premiers symptômes de la sclérose en plaques à la suite d'une vaccination contre l'hépatite B.»...
Source: http://www.france5.fr | Source Status Categories: Lobbying/Astroturf,Analyse/Methodologie, S.C.A.M.

«(NaturalNews) Most people have been told over the years that you cannot catch cancer from someone else. Unlike the fear of AIDS conjured up by the cleverly contrived media blitzes of the 1980's, cancer has generally been seen as often incurable, quite frequently ultimately fatal, yet whilst a terrible disease that strikes too many, we have always been thankful that it is not contagious. But, if you have not done so already, it is now time to re-evaluate this belief and all because of the misguided medical machinations of profit-seeking pharmaceutical companies in cahoots with inexcusably ignorant politicians throughout the last half century. It is intriguing to take a look over the statistics of mortality over the last century or so for countries such as the U.S. and U.K. The figures imply that certain major diseases have greatly contributed to the death-toll over the years. In the main, these illnesses have gradually been "conquered" largely due to improved sanitation. Advances in science and medicine may also have played a part, but their role has been substantially over played by the media, politicians and pharmaceutical manufacturers for their own questionable reasons.»...
Source: http://www.naturalnews.com | Source Status Categories: Lobbying/Astroturf,Analyse/Methodologie, S.C.A.M.

«ATLANTA ...” Measles cases in the U.S. are at the highest level in more than a decade, with nearly half of those involving children whose parents rejected vaccination, health officials reported Thursday. Doctors are troubled by the trend fueled by unfounded fears that vaccines might cause autism. The number of cases is still small, just 131, but that is only for the first seven months of the year. There were 42 cases all of last year. "We're seeing a lot more spread. That is concerning to us," said Dr. Jane Seward of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC's review found that many cases involved home-schooled children not required to get the vaccines. Others can avoid vaccination by seeking exemptions, such as for religious reasons. Measles is a potentially deadly virus that spreads through contact with a sneezing, coughing, infected person. In a typical year, only one outbreak occurs in the United States, infecting perhaps 10 to 20 people. So far this year through July 30, the country has seen»...
Source: http://www.currentargus.com | Source Status Categories: Lobbying/Astroturf,Analyse/Methodologie, S.C.A.M.

«Warning Letters have been sent to 23 U.S. companies and two foreign individuals marketing a wide range of products fraudulently claiming to prevent and cure cancer, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration today. The FDA also warns North American consumers against using or purchasing the products, which include tablets, teas, tonics, black salves, and creams, and are sold under various names on the Internet. Those companies and individuals warned, the complete list of fake cancer 'cure' products and their manufacturers along with a consumer article on health scams can be found here,
Source: http://www.fda.gov | Source Status "Although promotions of bogus cancer 'cures' have always been a problem, the Internet has provided a mechanism for them to flourish," said Margaret O'K. Glavin, the FDA's associate commissioner for regulatory affairs. "These warning letters are an important step to ensure that consumers do not become the victim of false 'cures' that may cause greater harm to their health." The FDA urges consumers to consult their health care provider about discontinuing use of these products and to seek appropriate medical attention if they have experienced any adverse effects. The products contain ingredients such as bloodroot, shark cartilage, coral calcium, cesium, ellagic acid, Cat's Claw, an herbal tea called Essiac, and mushroom varieties such as Agaricus Blazeii, Shitake, Maitake, and Reishi. Because these products claim to cure, treat, mitigate or prevent disease, and these products have not been shown to be safe and effective for their labeled conditions of use, they are unapproved new drugs marketed in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.»...
Source: http://www.fda.gov | Source Status Categories: Lobbying/Astroturf,Analyse/Methodologie, S.C.A.M.

«A Triumph of Astroturf? How a consumer protection law may be defeated by a faux consumer watchdog campaign by Daniel Loxton Is it possible for a vested business interest to derail national legislation by posing as a consumer watchdog? We'll soon learn whether a shadowy mail order drug company's fierce, artificial grassroots campaign will rob the Canadian people of an important public safety law. In April 2008, Canada's federal Parliament began considering a proposed law1 ...” Bill C-51 ...” that would revise the body of laws regulating food and drugs in Canada (the Food and Drugs Act). Of particular interest to skeptics, C-51 would finally allow Canadian federal health authorities (Health Canada) to enforce existing laws2 that require substances sold under the multi-billion-dollar "natural health products" umbrella to be safe, unadulterated, honestly labeled, and marketed with supportable claims. Although regulated in Canada since 2004, natural health products nevertheless enjoy a hothouse climate of easy licensing, minimal oversight, and toothless enforcement ...” which C-51 is designed to improve. "For instance," Health Canada noted in a recent press release, "in dealing with cases of counterfeit [drugs], Health Canada has been limited to imposing a maximum fine of $5,000."3 Think about that for a moment. The U.S. Federal Drug Administration estimates that "upwards of 10% of drugs worldwide are counterfeit, and in some countries more than 50% of the drug supply is made up of counterfeit drugs."4 Counterfeits may contain any active ingredients in any amount, poison, or no active ingredient at all. Yet, if a Canadian company earns millions selling dime store candies in medicine bottles, Health Canada is powerless to fine them an amount they'd even notice. Bill C-51 would raise the maximum fine to a heftier deterrent of $5,000,000 (more if the offense is "reckless" or "willful").5 Health Canada's limited enforcement powers have created a wild west landscape in which the good, bad, and ugly parts of the supplement industry have all thrived. Not surprisingly, many ...” especially the shadiest operations ...” would like things to stay just as wild as they've been. Amazingly, one supplement company's sly manipulation of public opinion could accomplish just that. The Anti-C51 Campaign»...
Source: http://www.skeptic.com | Source Status Categories: Lobbying/Astroturf,Analyse/Methodologie, S.C.A.M.

«Government Concludes Vaccines Caused Autism Nixa, MO - It was announced that the US Court of Federal Claims and the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program ruled in favor of a child who regressed into autism as a result of vaccinations, several of which contained the mercury-based preservative thimerosal. Case documents state that the vaccines administered to the claimant significantly aggravated an underlying condition that ultimately led to regressive encephalopathy and symptoms of autism. According to official court documents, the child was developing normally until given the vaccines, and shortly after the shots, regressed into full autism. The child was diagnosed by nationally recognized autism medical specialists. For more than a decade, thousands of parents have come forward with reports of sharp regression in their children following immunizations. The cases of autism have dramatically spiked in the past 15 years to as many as 1 in 150 children, making it the leading childhood developmental disorder today. The National Autism Association (NAA) sees the ruling as confirmation of what so many parents have been saying for years. "This case echoes the stories of thousands of children across the country. With almost 5,000 similar cases pending in vaccine court, we are confident that this is just the first of many that will confirm what we have believed for so long, vaccines can and do cause children to regress into autism," says Wendy Fournier, parent and president of NAA. "We call on the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to acknowledge that the current vaccine schedule is not safe for every child and as with the administration of any medicine, individual risks and susceptibilities must be considered for each patient." While thimerosal has been phased out of many pediatric vaccines, it is still used in flu shots recommended for pregnant women and children. At a meeting of the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices held yesterday at the CDC, the committee voted to recommend annual flu shots for all children up to the age of 18, and to date has refused to state a preference for mercury-free vaccines. To learn more about autism, please visit www.nationalautism.org. - 30 - For additional information and court document details, read David Kirby's recent entry on Huffington Post.
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com | Source Status
Source: http://www.nationalautismassociation.org | Source Status Categories: Lobbying/Astroturf,Analyse/Methodologie, S.C.A.M.

«After years of insisting there is no evidence to link vaccines with the onset of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the US government has quietly conceded a vaccine-autism case in the Court of Federal Claims. The unprecedented concession was filed on November 9, and sealed to protect the plaintiff's identify. It was obtained through individuals unrelated to the case. The claim, one of 4,900 autism cases currently pending in Federal "Vaccine Court," was conceded by US Assistant Attorney General Peter Keisler and other Justice Department officials, on behalf of the Department of Health and Human Services, the "defendant" in all Vaccine Court cases. The child's claim against the government -- that mercury-containing vaccines were the cause of her autism -- was supposed to be one of three "test cases" for the thimerosal-autism theory currently under consideration by a three-member panel of Special Masters, the presiding justices in Federal Claims Court.»...
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com | Source Status Categories: Lobbying/Astroturf,Analyse/Methodologie, S.C.A.M.

«UNI profs probe link between mercury and autism By JENS MANUEL KROGSTAD, Courier Staff Writer CEDAR FALLS ...” A research article published by a pair of University of Northern Iowa professors concludes the link between mercury and autism can't be ruled out and needs further study. The results don't prove mercury exposure causes autism, a developmental disability that can affect language and social skills. Autism's prevalence has burgeoned in the last two decades, and is estimated to affect one in 150 children in the country. The article drew both quick rebukes and enthusiastic praise from those debating the link between mercury in vaccines and autism. But Catherine DeSoto and Robert Hitlan, both psychology professors, said their work doesn't directly address the controversial issue because mercury exposure can occur in more than one way.»...
Source: http://www.wcfcourier.com | Source Status Categories: Lobbying/Astroturf,Analyse/Methodologie, S.C.A.M.

«The notion that the MMR vaccine can trigger autism should have ceased to be news long before this week's widely reported study that shows it to be unfounded. From a scientific point of view, the hypothesis has never had much going for it. The Andrew Wakefield paper that started the scare, published in The Lancet in 1998, reported only the anecdotal suspicions of a few parents who thought their children's autism started when they were given MMR. It had no controls, it presented no evidence, and it has been so thoroughly discredited that the journal's editor admits he should not have run it. Wakefield and two colleagues are now defending allegations of serious professional misconduct from the General Medical Council.» [...] «Several junk medicine columns have discussed MMR over the past few years. It would be nice to think this will be the last one. Every ounce of evidence that has been assembled on the issue, now covering every possible approach, has reached the same conclusion: the vaccine does not cause autism. It is surely time for those who have claimed otherwise to apologise to the thousands of parents whose children have missed out on important health protection as a result.Mark Henderson is Science Editor of The Times »...
Source: http://women.timesonline.co.uk | Source Status Categories: Lobbying/Astroturf,Analyse/Methodologie, S.C.A.M.

«Ten years ago, in 1998, Andrew Wakefield and 12 others published a paper that suggested that a vaccine called the MMR (measles mumps and rubella) had a link with a new condition they described as giving kids bowel problems and autism. The UK media went crazy, falling over themselves to report on the MMR vaccine causing autism. There was a televised news conference with Wakefield and a video news release set up by the hospital Wakefield worked at. What wasn't widely reported was that this wasn't the first vaccine related paper Wakefield had written. In 1995 he co-authored a paper saying that there was a possible link between bowel diseases such as Crohn's and vaccines. In the UK, confidence in the vaccines collapsed. Between the years 97/98 to 2004/05 MMR uptake dropped by 10%. Wakefield's hypothesis was that the MMR was injected into a child. It then went to their gut and gave them gastric problems - a Crohn's like condition he called "autistic enterocolitis" - after that it kept traveling to their brain where it caused or triggered autism.» [...] «In ‘97, a journalist called Brian Deer found out that Andrew Wakefield had filed a patent application.This application was for a rival vaccine that would replace MMR. If MMR could be framed as a bad guy then the NHS (and maybe the world’s health services) would drop MMR and this new vaccine could step in. As the patent holder for this new vaccine, Wakefield would get very, very rich.In Part II we’ll look at how Wakefield further manipulated the science to encourage positive results for himself. »...
Source: http://brainblogger.com | Source Status Categories: Lobbying/Astroturf,Analyse/Methodologie, S.C.A.M.

«Studies involving genetic mutations related to autism, plus the results of removing the compound thimerosal from children's vaccines, will be among topics addressed Sunday by investigative journalist David Kirby. Kirby, author of the 2005 book "Evidence of Harm," will be at the 6 p.m. screening of "Finding the Words" at the Ridgefield Playhouse. "Finding the Words" is a documentary about eight children recovering from autism. Kirby's book, a New York Times bestseller, raises questions about autism's causes. One suspected cause has been thimerosal, which contains mercury. "Evidence of Harm" explores what many have called an "epidemic" of autism-afflicted children. Kirby traced the struggle of several families to understand how and why their once-healthy kids rapidly descended into silence or disturbed behavior, often accompanied by severe physical illness. In a phone interview earlier this week, Kirby said there are flaws in a new California study that suggests mercury in vaccines is unrelated to autism.»...
Source: http://www.newstimes.com | Source Status Categories: Lobbying/Astroturf,Analyse/Methodologie, S.C.A.M.

«Of all the doctors you'll consult, there's only one on call 24/7, who doesn't take time off to play golf; knows every diagnosis, test and drug; and never keeps you waiting leafing through magazines: Dr. Google. According to the Pew Research Center, 8 million people a day go online looking for health information. More than two-thirds start by typing their medical question into a search engine such as Google. In milliseconds, they'll be prescribed millions of Web sites. But user beware. Finding quality is different story. For example, Google "autism," and out of the 6.5 million sites, the top two (excluding advertisers) are Wikipedia and Autism.org. While Wikipedia is rich in content, it's been criticized for lack of expert oversight, and there are many stories of groups who alter its content to promote themselves. Autism.org is an example of a "scraper page." Sites like this are designed by search optimizers, who know that most of us don't look beyond our first few hits. Optimizers take advantage of this by employing tools and tricks to move sites to the top of the list. Click on Autism.org and you'll connect to a scraper page full of links to groups that have all kinds of unproven theories about what causes autism. Where does that leave us when we go looking for health care information online? Like all other things related to your health, somewhere between you and your doctor's office. Unfortunately, studies show that many physicians are weary of the Web, even though patients really want their guidance about it.»...
Source: http://www.sfgate.com | Source Status Categories: Lobbying/Astroturf,Analyse/Methodologie, S.C.A.M.

«Alternative treatments for autism - some of them potentially deadly - are growing more pervasive and run the gamut from dietary supplements to prescribing a potentially dangerous diabetes drug, which now carries the government's most stringent warning. "What this all boils down to is that people are very motivated to help their children. They're desperate and there are people out there who are preying on their desperation," said James Mulick, a professor of pediatrics and psychology at Ohio State University. Autism is an incurable neurodevelopmental disorder usually diagnosed in early childhood and marked by language and communication deficits and withdrawal from social contact. Mulick cited diets, such as those in which the wheat protein gluten is eliminated, to the use of vitamin supplements as some of the harmless but he believes ineffective treatments sought by parents of autistic children.»...
Source: http://www.newsday.com | Source Status Categories: Lobbying/Astroturf,Analyse/Methodologie, S.C.A.M.

«As Autism Diagnoses Grow, So Do Number Of Fad Treatments Ineffective or even dangerous fad treatments for autism, always a problem, seem to be growing more pervasive, according to researchers who studied the problem. "Developmental disabilities like autism are a magnet for all kinds of unsupported or disproved therapies, and it has gotten worse as more children have been diagnosed with autism," said James Mulick, professor of pediatrics and psychology at Ohio State University." "There's no cure for autism, and many parents are willing to believe anything if they come to think it could help their child." Mulick chaired a symposium on "Outrageous Developmental Disabilities Treatments" Aug. 20 in San Francisco at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association. The symposium included presentations by several of Mulick's students at Ohio State who participated in a graduate seminar on fad treatments in autism.»...
Source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com | Source Status Categories: Lobbying/Astroturf,Analyse/Methodologie, S.C.A.M.

«INVASIVE medical procedures carried out by Royal Free doctors on young children were unnecessary and unethical, an inquiry has heard. Dr Andrew Wakefield subjected a four-year-old boy to a colonoscopy, MRI scan and a lumbar puncture - otherwise known as a spinal tap - during his controversial research into the measles mumps and rubella (MMR) jab. It is claimed Dr Wakefield used the results to link the jab with autism in a 1998 study carried out at the Royal Free medical school. The General Medical Council (GMC) claims he had no ethical approval because he only had permission to test children given either the measles or measles/rubella jab but not the MMR jab. Any children used for the study also needed to show symptoms of a degenerative disorder, and signs of intestinal disease or dysfunction. But Sally Smith QC, acting for the GMC, said one four-year-old boy, had no such problems. She told the panel: "This child was entered into a research project without ethics committee approval."»...
Source: http://www.hamhigh.co.uk | Source Status Categories: Lobbying/Astroturf,Analyse/Methodologie, S.C.A.M.

«While his younger sister attended camp this summer, Daniel Safian stayed home in Huntington Station with his mother. His sister can play and socialize with other children. Daniel, 7, lives in a different world. advertisement One day last month, Daniel wore a blue T-shirt with "Beautiful Daniel" printed across the chest, but he cannot read those words. As a child with autism, Daniel needs cues from an audio interactive machine to get dressed. And his mother, Rita Jones-Safian, said if Daniel goes three days without his tutoring, he loses hard-won skills like toilet training. As a baby, Daniel waved and played peek-a-boo. Developing normally, his mother said, he began to speak. Then his health declined, she said, after routine vaccinations when he was 18 months old. Daniel ran a high fever and became lethargic. He stopped responding to his name. When a specialist diagnosed autism a month later, Jones-Safian pointed to what she said was the most likely culprit -- a cocktail of vaccines that included the measles, mumps and rubella vaccination, as well as three injections called IPV, DPT and Prevnar, which protect against diseases including polio. "I still feel guilty," Jones-Safian said. "Maybe if I didn't vaccinate my son, he would have been healthy." The Safian family is among 4,800 others nationwide with autistic children whose disabilities they believe were caused by vaccines, something the scientific community has largely rejected. But these families are seeking an answer to the mystery of their children's autism, and compensation, from a little known "vaccine court" in Washington, D.C.»...
Source: http://www.amny.com | Source Status Categories: Lobbying/Astroturf,Analyse/Methodologie, S.C.A.M.

«On 8 July, The Observer published a news report under the headline 'New health fears over big surge in autism'. The article revealed details of an unpublished report by the Autism Research Centre (ARC) at Cambridge University which showed that a statistical analysis of autism prevalence among primary schoolchildren in Cambridgeshire had produced a figure that as many as 1 in 58 children could be suffering from forms of the disorder. This figure is nearly double the presently accepted prevalence of autism of 1 in 100.»...
Source: http://observer.guardian.co.uk | Source Status Categories: Lobbying/Astroturf,Analyse/Methodologie, S.C.A.M.

«Whatever you think about Andrew Wakefield, the real villains of the MMR scandal are the media. Ben Goldacre Wednesday July 18, 2007 The Guardian Whatever you think about Andrew Wakefield, the real villains of the MMR scandal are the media. Just one week before his GMC hearing, yet another factless "MMR causes autism" news story appeared: and even though it ran on the front page of our very own Observer, I am dismantling it on this page. We're all grown-ups around here. The story made three key points: that new research has found an increase in the prevalence of autism to one in 58; that the lead academic on this study was so concerned he suggested raising the finding with public heath officials; and that two "leading researchers" on the team believe that the rise was due to MMR. Within a week the story had been recycled in several national newspapers, and the news pages of at least one academic journal. But where did the facts come from? I contacted the Autism Research Centre in Cambridge: the study the Observer reported is not finished, and not published. The data has been collected, but it has not been analysed. Unpublished data is the antithesis of what science is about: transparency, where anyone can appraise the methods, and the results, and draw their own conclusions.» [...] « Carol Stott works in Dr Andrew Wakefield's private autism clinic in America, which the Observer failed to mention, and she was also an adviser to the legal team which failed in seeking compensation for parents who believed that MMR caused their child's autism, which the Observer failed to mention. She was paid £100,000 of public money for her services. She says her objectivity was not affected by the sum, but even so this seems an astonishing pair of facts for the Observer to leave out. »...
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk | Source Status Categories: Lobbying/Astroturf,Analyse/Methodologie, S.C.A.M.

«Andrew Wakefield's status as doctor is under review. Daniel Cressey Researchers who have studied MMR are up for review as doctors. TEK IMAGE / SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY Uptake of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine plummeted in Britain after doctor and researcher Andrew Wakefield suggested in 1998 that it could be linked to autism ...” a suggestion that made huge waves in the media and with the public. Subsequent studies have ruled out a link between MMR and autism, and the majority of medical opinion now firmly rejects Wakefield's hypothesis. This week, Wakefield stands before a hearing at the General Medical Council (GMC) ...” the body that regulates doctors in the United Kingdom. Who is being charged with what? The GMC panel is looking into allegations of serious professional misconduct against Wakefield and two colleagues, John Walker-Smith and Simon Murch. Reading of the full charges against them on Monday, at the start of the hearing, took more than an hour.»...
Source: http://www.nature.com | Source Status Categories: Lobbying/Astroturf,Analyse/Methodologie, S.C.A.M.

«LONDON - The doctor behind a controversial study linking a common children's vaccine to autism went before an investigative panel Monday probing misconduct allegations, including whether he took blood samples from children at a birthday party. Britain's General Medical Council is examining claims that Dr. Andrew Wakefield failed to disclose his links to autism litigators and conducted the study without proper ethical approval. Wakefield denies any misconduct. Wakefield's study suggested that the combined measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, which is administered throughout the world, could put children at risk of autism or bowel disease. The finding published in The Lancet medical journal in 1998, and the subsequent media coverage, led many parents to refuse to vaccinate their children. But the study was soon discredited, and 10 of its 13 authors have since renounced its conclusions. The Lancet also said it should not have published the study, saying Wakefield's links to litigation against the manufacturers of the MMR vaccine were a "fatal conflict of interest." In addition to Wakefield, two other authors of the paper - John Walker-Smith and Simon Murch - are being investigated by the medical council.»...
Source: http://www.forbes.com | Source Status Categories: Lobbying/Astroturf,Analyse/Methodologie, S.C.A.M.

«The doctor who first sparked safety fears over the MMR vaccine was accused yesterday of acting dishonestly and unethically in compiling his research. Dr Andrew Wakefield with his wife Carmel: MMR panic doctor 'was dishonest in research' Dr Andrew Wakefield outside the GMC hearing with his wife Carmel and his supporters chanting for him to be cleared Dr Andrew Wakefield and his co-authors face allegations of serious professional misconduct over the way they researched a link between autism and the measles, mumps and rubella jab. The study was later published in The Lancet and public confidence in the triple jab plummeted. At the opening of their hearing at the General Medical Council (GMC) in London yesterday, the panel heard how Dr Wakefield allegedly paid children £5 to take their blood at his son's fifth birthday party. He later joked about taking the samples. He told the Mind Institute in California that he intended to do it again. It was alleged that he showed "callous disregard for the distress and pain" he knew or ought to have known the children might suffer as a result of his actions.»...
Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk | Source Status Categories: Lobbying/Astroturf,Analyse/Methodologie, S.C.A.M.

«The doctor who first suggested a link between the MMR vaccine and autism is facing charges of serious professional misconduct. Here we look at a timeline of how the MMR row developed: February 1998 A study led by Dr Andrew Wakefield, from London's Royal Free Hospital, suggests the MMR vaccine might be linked to an increased risk of autism and bowel disorders in children. March 1998 A panel of experts convened by the Medical Research Council on Government orders says there is "no evidence" of a link between the MMR jab and bowel disease or autism. A total of 37 researchers reviewed the available evidence and said there was no reason to change the current MMR vaccination policy. The panel comprised experts in virology, epidemiology, gastroenterology, immunology, paediatrics, autism, and child psychiatry. April 1998 A long-term study from Finland, published in The Lancet, finds no evidence of autism being associated with MMR. Of three million children given the combined jab, 31 youngsters were found to have developed gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhoea and vomiting within 15 days of the injection. But their symptoms generally lasted no more than a week. None of the 31 children developed any signs of autism or any similar condition, the researchers said. June 1999 Two studies published in The Lancet conclude there is no link between MMR jabs and autism. One of the papers is a study on almost 500 children with autism in the North Thames health region. The research found no difference in the frequency of autism between those who had been immunised and those who had not. April 2000 Dr Wakefield and Professor John O'Leary, a director of pathology at Coombe Women's Hospital in Dublin, tell the US Congress there is "compelling evidence" of a link between autism and MMR.»...
Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk | Source Status Categories: Lobbying/Astroturf,Analyse/Methodologie, S.C.A.M.

«A first word book for babies lies open on a table in Jackie and John Fletcher's living room. Each page is devoted to one single-syllable word. Robert, their 15-year-old son, sits quietly, gazing at the simple, colourful pictures. He cannot read or say the words, but studies the images intently, just as he did when he was 13 months old, before his development was halted. A month after his first birthday, Robert had a devastating epileptic fit. Dismissed initially as a febrile convulsion common in young children, it turned out to be the first of thousands of fits, damaging Robert's brain. His ill health has dominated his parents' lives. Scroll down for more... Fighting for justice: Jackie Fletcher and her son Robert, who developed autism after being given the MMR jab as a toddler The change in their bright, loving toddler was sudden. Ten days before his first fit, Robert had been vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR). Unlike his two older brothers, who had been given the jabs in single doses, Robert had been injected with three viruses at once.» [...] «Dr Wakefield's work itself has been discredited. Next week, he will appear before a disciplinary hearing at the General Medical Council to answer a number of charges, including publishing "inadequately founded" research. The Department of Health says the fact that some children who had the MMR jab subsequently became ill is a coincidence, with experts pointing out that children receive their MMR at an age many illnesses are first manifested. Meanwhile, Jackie and others who questioned the safety of the triple vaccine have been accused of scaremongering and putting children's health at risk. Whatever the criticisms, the campaign clearly struck a chord. The take-up rate of the MMR vaccine dropped from 92per cent in 1995 to 1996, to below 80per cent in the late 1990s - in some parts of London it was as low as 61per cent. »...
Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk | Source Status Categories: Lobbying/Astroturf,Analyse/Methodologie, S.C.A.M.

«At the recent 12-day hearing into theories that vaccines cause autism, the link between the disorder and the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine came across as shaky at best. As for the mercury-containing preservative thimerosal, which was used in other vaccines, witnesses showed that in all known cases of actual mercury poisoning (none of which caused autism), the dose was hundreds or thousands of times higher than what kids got during the 1990s. Powerful population studies showed no link to either MMR or thimerosal-containing shots. None of that moves Mary Wildman, 47, whose son's case is before the court and who drove from her home near Pittsburgh to watch the hearing, which ended this week. "I know what happened to my son after he got his MMR shot," she told me. "I have no doubt. There's no way they'll convince me that all these kids were not damaged by vaccines." It is difficult to challenge a mother's knowledge of her own child. And also to fight off the staying power of the vaccines-cause-autism theory and other such notions that verge on the irrational. People who study irrational beliefs have a variety of ways of explaining why we cling to them. In rational choice theory, what appear to be crazy choices are actually rational, in that they maximize an individual's benefit...”or at least make him or her feel good.»...
Source: http://www.slate.com | Source Status Categories: Lobbying/Astroturf,Analyse/Methodologie, S.C.A.M.

«Symptoms of mental retardation and autism have been reversed for the first time in laboratory mice. US scientists created mice that showed symptoms of Fragile X Syndrome - a leading cause of mental retardation and autism in humans. They then reversed symptoms of the condition by inhibiting the action of an enzyme in the brain. The study, by Massachusetts Institute of Technology, appears in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. This implies that future treatment may still be effective even after symptoms are already pronounced Dr Susumu Tonegawa Fragile X Syndrome is linked to mutation in a gene carried on the X chromosome called FMR1. It can cause symptoms ranging from mild learning disabilities to severe autism. The researchers, based at MIT's Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, targeted an enzyme called PAK which affects the number, size and shape of connection between brain cells. They found that inhibiting the enzyme stopped mice with Fragile X Syndrome behaving in erratic ways.»...
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk | Source Status Categories: Lobbying/Astroturf,Analyse/Methodologie, S.C.A.M.

«Despite experts and health organizations refuting the theory of a connection between vaccines and autism, recent events have brought the debate front and center in the news once again. But are the media actually doing a disservice to the public by continuing to bring up vaccines when discussing autism? "Do I think they've done a disservice? Yes," said Dr. Gregory Poland, director of the Vaccine Research Group at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. "I think any concern should be heard, and anything that's plausible should be investigated. But once we get to that point and scientists think it's no longer a valid hypothesis, we shouldn't continue to propagate it." Representatives from the National Autism Association agree that the media has been misinforming the public, but for different reasons. "A lot of news reports are saying that thimerosal has been completely removed from all vaccines, which is not true, so we've been very disappointed in how the media is covering this story," said Wendy Fournier, president of the group. Fournier said parents should be completely informed before deciding whether or not to vaccinate their children, and should use information from the FDA and other sources to make that choice. Promoting Vaccination Fears?»...
Source: http://www.abcnews.go.com | Source Status Categories: Lobbying/Astroturf,Analyse/Methodologie, S.C.A.M.

«Procès vaccinal retentissant aux Etats-Unis L'autisme touche aujourd'hui un enfant sur 150 aux Etats-Unis et bien que les scientifiques mandatés par les laboratoires aient soutenu qu'il n'y avait aucun lien avec les vaccins pédiatriques, trois juges ont été saisi de 5.000 plaintes de familles. la justice traitera les 5.000 plaintes ensemble dans un gigantesque procès où des dizaines d'experts débattront pendant des mois des liens suceptibles d'être mis en évidence entre intoxication mercurielle et le thimerosal contenu dans les vaccins jusqu'en 1999. Certains vaccins pédiatriques sont obligatoires aux Etats-Unis pour la scolarisation des enfants, sauf dérogation admise pour les objecteurs de conscience, et s'il existe un lien reconnu, même ténu, les juges condamneront l'Etat fédéral à verser une pension d'invalidité à la prise en charge des soins nécessaires à ces enfants. Cependant, si aux Etats-Unis, les association constituées pour la défense d'un intérêt collectif, notamment la protection de la santé, la défense des consommateurs ou de la famille sont recevables à agir pour une action groupée destinée à la défense des droits des victimes, en France il en va tout autrement. Un projet de loi récent, soumis au Parlement, inspiré du modèle américain et adapté au droit français, visant à mieux préserver les intérêts des concitoyens, fut tout bonnement abandonné sous la pression de groupes industriels et commerciaux. Quand à la clause de conscience admise pour les objecteurs de conscience dans des pays occidentaux, la France n'en est qu'aux balbutiements.»...
Source: http://www.agoravox.fr | Source Status Categories: Astroturf,Analyse/Methodologie, S.C.A.M.

«Sujet debattu et controverse s'il en est! D'un cote, des laboratoires pharmaceutiques qui realisent, sur la vente de vaccins, de colossaux chiffres d'affaires et ne veulent donc pas perdre ce marche, marche que les obligations vaccinales decretees par le gouvernement rendent captif. De l'autre cote, des militants qui s'inquietent du nombre d'accidents post-vaccinaux, s'appuyant sur des publications de plus en plus nombreuses recensant le nombre et la gravite de ces accidents. N'y aurait-il pas moyen de trouver un terrain d'entente? Est-ce utopique de rever, d'un cote, a des vaccins moins dangereux et, de l'autre, au respect du droit de chacun a disposer de son propre corps? De nombreux exemples montrent que la vaccination peut entrainer des effets secondaires graves a court, moyen et long terme, voire meme etre letale. D'ou une crainte bien comprehensible repandue dans l'opinion, qui incite bien des parents a se montrer reticents pour faire vacciner leurs enfants. Par exemple, l'incidence des allergies, qui refletent des dysfonctionnements du systeme immunitaire, a augmente massivement depuis quelques decennies et affecte un quart des enfants en bas age, sans qu'il soit prouve que les vaccinations en soient responsables.»...
Source: http://www.agoravox.fr | Source Status Categories: Astroturf,Analyse/Methodologie, S.C.A.M.

«Key Facts: Current research suggests no link between sutism and vaccines containing the preservative thimerosal. Public health experts say skipping necessary shots could expose kids to preventable diseases. Autism rates continue to climb in the U.S., leading some parents and doctors to believe autism and vaccines are linked. A federal court begins hearings today on the more than 4,800 claims by parents of autistic children that the mercury-containing preservative thimerosal, present in certain routine vaccinations, led to their children's disorders. It is the day that many of these families have pushed for since 1999. American Academy of Pediatrics Concerns about thimerosal's possible link to autism have gained publicity in recent years as the occurrence of autism in children has climbed steadily in the United States. Doctors have struggled to find a clinical reason for the increase. Because vaccinations are mandatory for all children at a certain age, some parents and doctors believe the vaccines indicate a common link that cannot be ignored. However, current research weighs heavily against the premise of a thimerosal-autism link, as thus far a number of large scientific studies have shown no association between the two.»...
Source: http://www.abcnews.go.com | Source Status Categories: Astroturf,Analyse/Methodologie, S.C.A.M.

«Fight Over Vaccine-Autism Link Hits Court Families, After Having Claims Rejected by Experts, Face Lower Burden of Proof By Shankar Vedantam Washington Post Staff Writer Sunday, June 10, 2007; Page A06 For more than a decade, families across the country have been warring with the medical establishment over their claims that routine childhood vaccines are responsible for the nation's apparent epidemic of autism. In an extraordinary proceeding that begins tomorrow, the battle will move from the ivory tower to the courts. Nearly 5,000 families will seek to convince a special "vaccine court" in Washington that the vaccines can cause healthy and outgoing children to withdraw into uncommunicative, autistic shells -- even though a large body of evidence and expert opinion has found no link. The court has never heard a case of such magnitude.» [...] « Experts for the government will argue that a range of epidemiological studies found no link between vaccines and autism, as the prestigious Institute of Medicine concluded in a 2004 report. The institute, part of the National Academies that was chartered by Congress to advise the government and the public on matters of science, dismissed the vaccine-autism theory, which is mostly based on biochemistry studies on the toxic effects of mercury. »...
Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com | Source Status Categories: Astroturf,Analyse/Methodologie, S.C.A.M.

«Une équipe de l'Institut Pasteur vient d'identifier un nouveau gène associé à l'autisme. Le rôle clé de ce gène dans la synthèse de la mélatonine apporte de nouvelles informations sur ce trouble du développement, atteignant les jeunes enfants, et dont l'origine demeure encore très mystérieuse. Ces travaux sont publiés en avant-première sur le site de la revue Molecular Psychiatry. L'autisme est un syndrome complexe, classé parmi les troubles envahissants du développement, qui apparait avant l'âge de 3 ans. Il est caractérisé par des déficits dans les interactions sociales et la communication, associés à un répertoire de comportements restreints, répétitifs et stéréotypés. Aujourd'hui, un enfant sur 200 serait atteint d'autisme, avec une fréquence quatre fois plus élevée chez les garçons. Depuis plusieurs années, de nombreuses recherches ont été menées pour identifier les gènes associés à l'autisme. En 2003, puis en 2006, deux études menées par le groupe Génétique humaine et fonctions cognitives dirigé par Thomas Bourgeron à l'Institut Pasteur (1) avaient permis d'identifier, chez certaines personnes atteintes d'autisme ou du syndrome d'Asperger (forme moins sévère de l'autisme), des mutations altérant des gènes (NLGN3, NLGN4 et SHANK3) impliqués dans la formation des synapses, zones de communication entre les neurones. Cette équipe de l'Institut Pasteur s'est depuis intéressée à une région particulière des chromosomes X et Y, appelée région pseudo-autosomique 1 (PAR1). Des altérations de cette région avaient été observées chez des personnes avec autisme, mais le ou les gènes en cause n'avaient pas été identifiés.»...
Source: http://www.pasteur.fr | Source Status Categories: Lobbying/Astroturf,Analyse/Methodologie, S.C.A.M.

«Il faudra chercher ailleurs que dans le mercure pour débusquer les origines de l'autisme. Des chercheurs de l'Hôpital de Montréal pour enfants du Centre universitaire de santé McGill (CUSM) ont publié hier de nouvelles données qui montrent que les taux de mercure sont sensiblement les mêmes pour tous les enfants, qu'ils souffrent d'autisme ou non. Ce faisant, l'équipe montréalaise balaie un des mythes les plus tenaces voulant que le mercure soit à l'origine de certains troubles envahissants du développement (TED) comme l'autisme et le syndrome d'Asperger.»...
Source: http://www.ledevoir.com | Source Status Categories: Analyse/Methodologie, S.C.A.M.

«ANDREW WAKEFIELD, the former surgeon whose campaign linking the MMR vaccine with autism caused a collapse in immunisation rates, was paid more than £400,000 by lawyers trying to prove that the vaccine was unsafe. The payments, unearthed by The Sunday Times, were part of £3.4m distributed from the legal aid fund to doctors and scientists who had been recruited to support a now failed lawsuit against vaccine manufacturers. Critics this weekend voiced amazement at the sums, which they said created a clear conflict of interest and were the "financial engine" behind a worldwide alarm over the triple measles, mumps and rubella shot. "These figures are astonishing," said Dr Evan Harris, Liberal Democrat MP for Oxford West and Abingdon. "This lawsuit was an industry, and an industry peddling what turned out to be a myth." According to the figures, released under the Freedom of Information Act, Wakefield was paid £435,643 in fees, plus £3,910 expenses. Wakefield's work for the lawyers began two years before he published his now notorious report in The Lancet medical journal in February 1998, proposing a link between the vaccine and autism.»...
Source: http://www.timesonline.co.uk | Source Status Categories: Lobbying/Astroturf,Analyse/Methodologie, S.C.A.M.

«Research by Andrew Wakefield, published in 1998, suggested a link between the triple measles, mumps and rubella jab and autism and bowel problems. Public concern over the findings led to a large drop in the vaccination rate. The GMC is understood to have preliminary charged Dr Wakefield with publishing inadequately founded research, failing to obtain ethical approval, obtaining funding improperly and subjecting children to unnecessary and invasive investigations. A spokeswoman for the council said yesterday that Dr Wakefield was under investigation for alleged misconduct but was unable to detail the charges. "During the course of an investigation, charges are formulated . . . These charges change and evolve," she said. Dr Wakefield was discredited after large-scale studies failed to find evidence of a link between autism and the jab.»...
Source: http://www.timesonline.co.uk | Source Status Categories: Lobbying/Astroturf,Analyse/Methodologie, S.C.A.M.

«(How to Tell the Difference Between Real Advocates And Industry Front Organizations!) 1. Acknowledge Problems are Common 2. Willingness to Listen and Believe 3. Provide Full Information re: Standards of Care and Regulations 4. Do Not Allow Industry Agencies or Groups as Members 5. Will Admit There Are Illegal Activities in Health Care Agencies 6. Won't Just Tell You to Work It Out with Agency (You already tried that or you wouldn't need help!) 7. Don't Accept Donations from the Health Care Industry 8. Willingness to Help You File Complaint With Government if Appropriate 9. Encourage You to Seek Expert Legal Counsel When Needed 10. Willing to Publicly Speak Out Against Abuses in Health Care Introduction There are many organizations that represent themselves as "patient advocacy" groups. Spokesmen for these groups say that they promote quality health care and they are there to help you. How do you know the authentic patient advocate from the industry front organization? How w! ould you know if they will actually help you or simply waste your time or worse? If you don't find the following 10 characteristics in that organization, run the other way, because they not only will not help you, but they may also hamper your efforts to get justice or the care the patient needs. Patient advocacy would not be necessary if the message of the health care industry is accurate. Health care industry representatives would have the public believe that there are no serious problems stemming from the highest level of administration in health care agencies. They blame problems on employees and on lack of funding. At the same time, top administrators are paid in the millions of dollars or hundreds of thousands of dollars. At the same time, employees toil in great distress in under staffed facilities, shouldering a burden or case load that is beyond one person's abilities. Administrators of agencies consciously choose to under staff facilities or services so that profi! t is maximized for those at the top or shareholders in the for! -profit health care corporations.»...
Source: http://www.hospicepatients.org | Source Status

«Last updated: Wednesday, March 08, 2006 Sensational, inaccurate, or unbalanced reporting can undermine public faith in science and even endanger peoples' lives, according to a report from the Social Market foundation (SMF), an independent UK research group. Advertisement The report, entitled Science, risk and the media - Do the front pages reflect reality?, highlights how unbalanced reporting on the MMR vaccine (measles, mumps and rubella) skewed public opinion on the vaccine, and may have lead to a decrease in vaccinations, and thereby an increase in disease. Minor study given huge press A widely reported study published in 1998 linked the MMR jab to an increased risk of autism and bowel disease in children.»...
Source: http://www.health24.com | Source Status Categories: Lobbying/Astroturf,Analyse/Methodologie, S.C.A.M.

«Depuis plusieurs jours, on entend parler de grippe aviaire H5N1 et de ses risques, de la prévention par le vaccin, "la grippe espagnole" de 1918/1920 étant souvent prise en exemple. A l'époque, certains s'en sont sorti sans dommage. Voyons comment. Le virus H1N1, qui a causé la grippe espagnole, a disparu de la population humaine vers 1957, étant toujours présent chez le porc. Il est réapparu chez l'homme en 1977. Ce sous-type étant toujours présent dans une population animale, si un animal infecté entre en contact avec un être humain, il pourrait le lui transmettre. Dans d'autres cas, un nouveau sous-type peut très bien infecter quelques personnes mais s'avérer être très peu infectieux d'un homme à un autre. Ce fut le cas de la « grippe du poulet de HongKong » en 1997, de sous-type H5N1 présent dans la volaille, qui a pu infecter des humains. Ce virus s'est par la suite avéré non infectieux d'un homme à un autre. L'épidémie de grippe espagnole : 20 millions de morts.» [...] «C’est donc par l’homéopathie, bien connue de la majorité des Français, qu’il faudra se soigner au cas où une pandémie surviendrait. »...
Source: http://www.agoravox.fr | Source Status Categories: Lobbying/Astroturf,Analyse/Methodologie, S.C.A.M.

«The Promise of Vaccines: The Science and the Controversy By David R. Smith, M.D. Posted: Monday, September 1, 2003 Printer Format icon Printer Format Email Information icon E-mail Information Executive Summary Standing among the greatest achievements in public health, vaccines have had a greater impact on reducing death and disability from infectious diseases than almost any other public health intervention. This paper presents a comprehensive overview of vaccines and the science of immunity, including a discussion of the remarkable advances in disease prevention through the evolution of vaccines. We focus on several recent vaccine safety controversies that may prevent maximization of their potential. Much attention has been devoted to vaccine safety and the potential relationship between various diseases and vaccinations, including influenza vaccine and Guillain-Barré syndrome, MMR (mumps, measles, and rubella) vaccine and autism and idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura, thimerosal in vaccines and autism, hepatitis B vaccine and multiple sclerosis, and childhood vaccines and type 1 diabetes. The vast majority of reports linking vaccines with various diseases comprise case reports that do not meet the scientific criteria established to attribute causality. A review of recent studies published in the medical literature is presented to help clarify the scientific data related to the association between vaccines and these medical diagnoses. Also addressed are concerns about safety related to vaccine additives and preservatives, specifically thimerosal.»...
Source: http://www.acsh.org | Source Status Categories: Lobbying/Astroturf,Analyse/Methodologie, S.C.A.M.

«Fears that the incidence of autism is rising among children and that the MMR vaccine is to blame are unfounded, according to new a study in a British specialist journal. A widespread perception, in Britain and some other countries, is that autism has been on the rise since the early 1990s and that the surge has been triggered by the single-shot MMR vaccine (aimed at measles, mumps and rubella). The study in the journal, Archives of Disease in Childhood, said there was indeed a statistical rise in autism in the 1990s. But it found this was probably because doctors became better at diagnosing the condition, and parents became more willing to accept it than in the past, when the disorder was little known and a social taboo. It also shot down notions that the MMR vaccine was to blame for a new form of 'regressive autism', possibly connected with bowel problems. "The claims that MMR vaccine is involved in the initiation of autism, and/or with regression, and/or with bowel problems associated with autism are not associated with any credible scientific evidence," wrote Professor Brent Taylor of London's Royal Free and University College Medical School and colleagues. Driving the nail home, he added: "There is compelling and increasing evidence showing no association."»...
Source: http://www.abc.net.au | Source Status Categories: Lobbying/Astroturf,Analyse/Methodologie, S.C.A.M.