Octopus Overlords

Many websites that promote unscientific views about vaccinations use pseudoscience and misinformation to spread the idea that vaccines are dangerous, according to a new study.

For example, of the nearly 500 anti-vaccination websites examined in the study, nearly two-thirds claimed that vaccines cause autism, the researchers found. However, multiple studies have shown that there is no link between vaccines and autism.

About two-thirds of the websites used information that they represented as scientific evidence, but in fact was not, to support their claims that vaccines are dangerous, and about one-third used people's anecdotes to reinforce those claims, the scientists found.

Some websites also cited actual peer-reviewed studies as their sources of information, but they misinterpreted and misrepresented the findings of these studies.

"So the science itself was strong, but the way it was being interpreted was not very accurate," said study author Meghan Moran, an associate professor in Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School's Department of Health, Behavior and Society. "It was being distorted to support an anti-vaccine agenda."
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The new findings were presented today (Nov. 3) at the American Public Health Association's Annual Meeting in Chicago.

Isgrimnur wrote:HuffPo

New York's Tribeca Film Festival will not show Vaxxed, a controversial film about the MMR vaccine, its founder Robert De Niro says. As recently as Friday, Mr De Niro stood by his decision to include the film by anti-vaccination activist Andrew Wakefield in next month's festival. The link the film makes between the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine and autism has been widely discredited. "We have concerns with certain things in this film," said Mr De Niro. Mr De Niro, who has a child with autism, said he had hoped the film would provide the opportunity for discussion of the issue. But after reviewing the film with festival organisers and scientists, he said: "We do not believe it contributes to or furthers the discussion I had hoped for."

Vaxxed was directed and co-written by Mr Wakefield, who described it as a "whistle-blower documentary". In a statement issued following the Tribeca Film Festival's decision, he and the film's producer Del Bigtree said that "we have just witnessed yet another example of the power of corporate interests censoring free speech, art and truth". The British doctor was the lead author of a controversial study published in 1998, which argued there might be a link between MMR and autism and bowel disease. Mr Wakefield suggested that parents should opt for single jabs against mumps, measles and rubella instead of the three-in-one vaccine. His comments and the subsequent media furore led to a sharp drop in the number of children being vaccinated against these diseases. But the study, first published in The Lancet, was later retracted by the medical journal. Mr Wakefield was subsequently found guilty of fraud by the General Medical Council and struck off the medical register.

Max Peck wrote:OTOH, I did enjoy the fact that the article pointedly refers to Wakefield as "Mr" instead of "Dr".

DD* wrote:

DD* wrote:I believe I've mentioned this previously, but I have a cousin that is neck deep into the whole anti-vax thing. She recently posted this on her FB page - make sure you read the comments as they are truly gold, Jerry - pure gold!

It's all a conspiracy!!!!111!!111!!!!!!!11!

The CONSPIRACY!!111!11!1! deepens!!!1!1!11eleventy!1!!1!!!

David and Collet Stephan spent much of this week in court in Lethbridge, Alta., as a judge listened to the arguments that would decide their fate. In April, they were convicted of failing to provide the necessaries of life in the 2012 death of their toddler son Ezekiel from bacterial meningitis. It’s a charge that carries a punishment of up to five years in prison.

Friday, Justice Rodney Jerke sentenced the couple, who still have three young children, to custody. Collet Stephan is expected to serve three months under house arrest. Her husband was deemed to have greater moral culpability and was sentenced to four months in prison.

Even though the parents clearly had no intent to harm their son, and grieved him, the judge noted their lack of remorse for their actions. Indeed, ever since the verdict came down, the Stephans have parlayed a personal family tragedy into a conspiracy-driven PR opportunity, all furthering the cause of parental rights, natural health, and anti-vaccination arguments.

The producers of Vaxxed, the latest film to attempt to revive the debunked theory that vaccines cause autism, recently interviewed the Stephans. In it, they referred to the media and the courts as an “incredible lying machine.”

David Stephan said on film: “Ultimately it comes down to whether we have the right to vaccinate or not vaccinate without being held liable … or whether or not we have to rush our children to the doctor every time they even get just the sniffles in fear that something may just randomly happen and then we’re held liable.”
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After two weeks of off-again, on-again illness, a jury decided that a reasonable parent would have taken little Ezekiel Stephan to a doctor; instead, the Stephans fed him a mix of naturopathic home remedies, hot peppers and horseradish root, kept him hydrated using an eyedropper, and continued a regime of supplements and smoothies until he was too stiff to fit in his car seat.

Even then, instead of taking him to a doctor, they went to pick up another supplement from a naturopath whose receptionist told them to seek medical help. Instead, they bypassed a nearby walk-in clinic to go shopping; it wasn’t until the child stopped breathing that they called for emergency services.

Yet even now, the Stephans are portraying themselves as the victims of some grand cover-up.

In court Thursday, Collet Stephan shut down proceedings when she started to claim the autopsy report that showed her son died of bacterial meningitis was falsified. A website set up to support the family is now openly asking whether “Alberta Justice framed Zeke’s parents” while listing perceived discrepancies in the case.

David Stephan finished his interview with the Vaxxed producers by blaming his son’s death on the fact the ambulance they called did not have proper breathing equipment. This narrative omits the fact that, according to Collet’s own testimony at trial, the child was blue by the time the ambulance even arrived.

I want to punt Marco in the jugular though honest.

Kasey Chang wrote:Anti-vaxers are quite fond of public bullying any one they don't like and/or made them look bad. They don't need ammo. They simply make things up if there's nothing.

When a 12-year old kid from Mexico made a video that made the antivaxxers look stupid, they doxed him. Yes, 12-year old kid. Doxed.

The rest of the doxers posted comments such as

I want to punt Marco in the jugular though honest.

Then they found some chump gullible enough to believe the kid's a hoax after some bogus investigation... whothen had to issue a retraction.

Double the stupid is still stupid.

Kasey Chang wrote:Anti-vaxers are quite fond of public bullying any one they don't like and/or made them look bad. They don't need ammo. They simply make things up if there's nothing.

Health officials in Arizona say the largest current measles outbreak in the United States is in part because some workers at a federal immigration detention center refuse to get vaccinated.

Authorities have confirmed 22 measles cases in Arizona since late May. They all stem from the Eloy Detention Center, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility managed by the private Corrections Corporation of America.

Pinal County health director Thomas Schryer said the outbreak likely began with a migrant but that detainees have since been vaccinated. Convincing employees to get vaccinated or show proof of immunity has proven much tougher, he said.

"And so they're actually the ones that are passing along the measles among each other and then going out into the community," Schryer said.

The contrast between parents’ attitudes about vaccines today and a decade ago is striking. A survey published Monday by the American Academy of Pediatrics shows that more and more moms and dads are refusing the shots for their children.
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The AAP study involves a random sampling of about 630 members in 2006 and again in 2013. They found that in 2006, 75 percent of pediatricians who responded had encountered parents who refused vaccines. By 2013, it was up to 87 percent.

That’s a big change, but the more interesting part of the survey is why.

In 2006, the No. 1 reason parents were refusing vaccines was because of concerns about the ingredient thimerosal causing autism. In 2006, 74 said it was about autism. In 2013, that number had declined to 64 percent.

Now, more parents are refusing the vaccine on the grounds that they are “unnecessary” — 73.1 percent in 2013 vs. 63.4 percent in 2006. Moreover, even parents who believe in vaccines appear to be delaying the shots that are supposed to be given on a strict schedule to maximize their effectiveness. Seventy-five percent of pediatricians said that parents asked for delays because of worries about their child's "discomfort" and 72.5 percent because of a concern "for immune system burden."
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The AAP paper’s publication coincidentally comes during a week when there’s yet another outbreak in the United States of an infectious disease we can prevent through immunizations. In recent months, at least 36 people have contracted mumps — whose symptoms include puffy cheeks and possibly serious respiratory symptoms — in one Long Island town.

Health officials said that some of those infected had been vaccinated, leading them to wonder whether there is a new strain going around, but that they still believe immunization provides the best precaution and urged everyone in the area who has not gotten the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine to get it right away.
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The pediatrician survey also showed that more doctors are pushing back at parents who refuse vaccines for their children. In 2006, only 6.1 percent said they “always” dismiss patients for this. In 2014, 11.7 percent said they always dismiss patients. So if you continue to refuse vaccines, it’s your right — but it may be harder to find a pediatrician willing to support that choice than before.

The pediatrician survey also showed that more doctors are pushing back at parents who refuse vaccines for their children. In 2006, only 6.1 percent said they “always” dismiss patients for this. In 2014, 11.7 percent said they always dismiss patients. So if you continue to refuse vaccines, it’s your right — but it may be harder to find a pediatrician willing to support that choice than before.

Isgrimnur wrote:WaPo

The contrast between parents’ attitudes about vaccines today and a decade ago is striking. A survey published Monday by the American Academy of Pediatrics shows that more and more moms and dads are refusing the shots for their children.
...
The AAP study involves a random sampling of about 630 members in 2006 and again in 2013. They found that in 2006, 75 percent of pediatricians who responded had encountered parents who refused vaccines. By 2013, it was up to 87 percent.

That’s a big change, but the more interesting part of the survey is why.

In 2006, the No. 1 reason parents were refusing vaccines was because of concerns about the ingredient thimerosal causing autism. In 2006, 74 said it was about autism. In 2013, that number had declined to 64 percent.

Now, more parents are refusing the vaccine on the grounds that they are “unnecessary” — 73.1 percent in 2013 vs. 63.4 percent in 2006. Moreover, even parents who believe in vaccines appear to be delaying the shots that are supposed to be given on a strict schedule to maximize their effectiveness. Seventy-five percent of pediatricians said that parents asked for delays because of worries about their child's "discomfort" and 72.5 percent because of a concern "for immune system burden."
...
The AAP paper’s publication coincidentally comes during a week when there’s yet another outbreak in the United States of an infectious disease we can prevent through immunizations. In recent months, at least 36 people have contracted mumps — whose symptoms include puffy cheeks and possibly serious respiratory symptoms — in one Long Island town.

Health officials said that some of those infected had been vaccinated, leading them to wonder whether there is a new strain going around, but that they still believe immunization provides the best precaution and urged everyone in the area who has not gotten the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine to get it right away.
...
The pediatrician survey also showed that more doctors are pushing back at parents who refuse vaccines for their children. In 2006, only 6.1 percent said they “always” dismiss patients for this. In 2014, 11.7 percent said they always dismiss patients. So if you continue to refuse vaccines, it’s your right — but it may be harder to find a pediatrician willing to support that choice than before.

Rip wrote:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pi9PNKW7w3Q

Moliere wrote:aka vaccines are bad because someone had a reaction to them.

Moliere wrote:

Rip wrote:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pi9PNKW7w3Q

Would it kill you to include a description?

clicksave: "District Attorney Nico LaHood and wife Davida tell the story of their son and daughter's vaccine injury to Polly Tommey of the VaxXed Team."

aka vaccines are bad because someone had a reaction to them.

Rip wrote:District Attorney Nico LaHood and wife Davida tell the story of their son and daughter's vaccine injury to Polly Tommey of the VaxXed Team

Smoove_B wrote:He's just asking questions.

No-jab, no play. So says the Australian Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, who has announced that unvaccinated children will be barred from attending preschools and daycare centres.
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Childcare subsidies have been unavailable to the families of unvaccinated children since January 2016, and a version of the new “no jab, no play” policy is already in place in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. Other states and territories only exclude unvaccinated children from preschools during infectious disease outbreaks.

The proposed policy is based on Victoria’s model, which is the strictest. It requires all children attending childcare to be fully immunised, unless they have a medical exemption, such as a vaccine allergy.

Isgrimnur wrote:New Scientist

No-jab, no play. So says the Australian Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, who has announced that unvaccinated children will be barred from attending preschools and daycare centres.
...
Childcare subsidies have been unavailable to the families of unvaccinated children since January 2016, and a version of the new “no jab, no play” policy is already in place in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. Other states and territories only exclude unvaccinated children from preschools during infectious disease outbreaks.

The proposed policy is based on Victoria’s model, which is the strictest. It requires all children attending childcare to be fully immunised, unless they have a medical exemption, such as a vaccine allergy.

Isgrimnur wrote:WaPo

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Now, more parents are refusing the vaccine on the grounds that they are “unnecessary” — 73.1 percent in 2013 vs. 63.4 percent in 2006. Moreover, even parents who believe in vaccines appear to be delaying the shots that are supposed to be given on a strict schedule to maximize their effectiveness. Seventy-five percent of pediatricians said that parents asked for delays because of worries about their child's "discomfort" and 72.5 percent because of a concern "for immune system burden."
...

Daehawk wrote:I didn't even know there was a vaccine for chicken pox. Wasn't when I was a kid. We just got it and moved on.

Talking of shots. 2 or 3 years ago I decided to get a pneumonia vaccine with my flu shot. NEVER again. That thing made my arm swell up like a golf ball and become feverish and red. SUPER painful too for nearly 2 or 3 weeks. F that one. Ill cough.

Daehawk wrote:Thats not a guarantee to get them.

It remains in your nerves forever and later in life you get the lovely shingles.

Daehawk wrote:Sorry I misunderstood. When you said

It remains in your nerves forever and later in life you get the lovely shingles.

I took it to mean you thought that everyone got them later. In fact Ive only known 3 people to have them and Im 47.....My grandpa, my fatherNlaw, and my wife. Theres a product called Domeboro that helps a LOT with it. I hope I dont get it though. Doesn't sound fun from what I remember.