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My daughter has autism spectrum disorder – it was not caused by vaccines

I have three daughters, and my oldest one, we’ll call her Catherine, was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder many years ago. This is our story, one that has little to do with vaccines, except that I never once thought that there was a relationship between her autism and vaccines. Not once. 

I have rarely mentioned Catherine online not because I was ashamed of her autism – she deserved her privacy, and I did not want to be someone who used my personal life story as a “cause” for the science of vaccines.

Then, two things happened. First, while commenting on an article I wrote a few years ago, someone said: “you don’t understand autism because you do not have autistic children.” The former statement is false because it doesn’t take having an autistic child to understand autism. The latter statement is also false because I do have a child with autism. 

Second, I finally read Peter Hotez’s book, Vaccines did not Cause Rachel’s Autism. For those of you who don’t know Dr. Hotez, he is one of the leading researchers in vaccines, and he has written hundreds of peer-reviewed papers on infectious diseases (and vaccines) along with numerous books on infectious diseases. He is a real authority on vaccines, public health, and vaccine-preventable diseases, and as they said on Wayne’s World, “we are not worthy!” 

So, I was inspired to write my own story, because it’s important for me on this Father’s Day 2019. And because of my acceptance of the science that rejects a link between vaccines and autism is not just academic, it is personal.

This is our story.Read More »My daughter has autism spectrum disorder – it was not caused by vaccines

Germany could fine anti-vaccine parents if they refuse MMR vaccine

As a result of the widespread epidemic of measles in Europe and the USA, Germany has proposed a law that could fine anti-vaccine parents up to €2,500 (US$2,800) if they don’t vaccinate their children against measles. The law, if passed by the German parliament before the end of 2019, will take effect on 1 March 2022.

The law would make the MMR vaccine mandatory for all children attending nurseries and schools. It would also make it mandatory for all teachers, educators, and medical staff at hospitals and outpatient clinics.

Furthermore, the law requires that, by July 2020, parents registering their children for kindergartens or schools would need to either provide evidence that their children have received the measles vaccine (and possibly other vaccines, but I was unable to determine whether it would include all recommended vaccines) or have definitive proof of a medical exemption.

And this law is not going to affect only a small number of German anti-vaccine parents. According to the German Ministry of Health, there are approximately 361,000 non-vaccinated children along with about 220,000 adults (who would be covered by the new law).

The proposed law has broad support across political parties in Germany, except the left-wing Green Party which, of course, represents a large group of anti-vaccine parents. The Green Party candidate for the US President in 2016 was notoriously anti-vaccine, despite being a licensed physician. Read More »Germany could fine anti-vaccine parents if they refuse MMR vaccine

New York vaccine mandate – judge rejects anti-vaxxer challenge

On April 18, 2019, a New York Supreme Court Judge (see Note 1) rejected a challenge to the New York vaccine mandate (pdf) brought by three lawyers (attorneys Robert Krakow, Patti Finn, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., all of which have litigated cases on vaccines issues in the past). The litigation involved New York City’s order for an MMR vaccine mandate in certain zip codes.

The decision will likely be appealed but is well-reasoned and at this point, leaves the mandate in place. This article will take a look at the case.Read More »New York vaccine mandate – judge rejects anti-vaxxer challenge

MMR vaccine

MMR vaccine is safe and effective according to powerful FDA statement

As many of you are aware, there is an ongoing measles epidemic in the USA (an Europe), which has struck over 600 Americans in 2019, nearly double the 2018 numbers. The best and only way to prevent measles is with the MMR vaccine against measles, mumps, and rubella. 

Credible, robust, and repeated peer-reviewed published evidence has conclusively established that there is no link between the MMR vaccine and autism, This is settled science.

Despite this overwhelming scientific evidence, the outrageous deceptions and lies of the anti-vaccine religion, starting with that cunning fraud, Andrew Wakefield, continue to scare parents from giving their children the MMR vaccines. The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that vaccine hesitancy is one of the top 10 threats to global health. Read More »MMR vaccine is safe and effective according to powerful FDA statement

vaccines cause autism debate

Vaccines cause autism debate – it only exists in the minds of vaccine deniers

In an op-ed piece in the Washington Post last month, New England pediatrician Daniel Summers effectively wrote that the so-called vaccines cause autism debate was over. He wrote, “not merely one study or two, but study after study after study confirms that vaccines are safe and that there is no connection with autism.”

In fact, there are 100s of studies, many of them with a huge number of data points, that have shown no correlation, let alone causation, between vaccines and autism. None.

Other than stating that I objectively support Dr. Summers’ statements and conclusions, I don’t have much else to say. But you and I know that an op-ed piece by a real doctor will be noticed by someone in the vaccine denier world, and they will pull out every single trope, myth, and conspiracy theory to claim that Dr. Summers is wrong and that there really is a “vaccines cause autism debate.”

I came across an article by Jeremy R Hammond in the right wing alternative news website, Personal Liberty, which attacked Dr. Summers with those aforementioned tropes, myths, and conspiracy theories. The same ones you’d see from any of your standard, run-of-the-mill vaccine denier.

Let’s take a look at Hammond’s article. Generally, I can only get through about half of an anti-vaccine article when I have to stop because I’m banging my head against the desk too much. I need to protect the neurons in my brain from further damage. But I will try to persevere in the name of science.

Read More »Vaccines cause autism debate – it only exists in the minds of vaccine deniers

pro-vaccine commentary

Pro-vaccine commentary from Dorit Rubinstein Reiss – anti-vaxxers whine

Over this past weekend, Professor Dorit Rubinstein Reiss, a frequent contributor to this website, posted an impassioned pro-vaccine commentary regarding the measles outbreaks in Rockland County, NY and New York City. She posted her rant (that’s what she calls it, but it’s more of social commentary) on her Facebook page, and it was shared widely.

Of course, within a few hours of her post, the anti-vaccine terrorists went on full attack mode doing everything from calling her childish names to verifiable threats of violence. The anti-vaxxers are a horrible religion, getting angry and using violent hate speech whenever they aren’t coddled by the pseudoscientific liars like Del Bigtree. 

Let’s look at Professor Reiss’ pro-vaccine commentary. Then let’s show the vile hateful and bigoted comments from the anti-vaxxers. Read More »Pro-vaccine commentary from Dorit Rubinstein Reiss – anti-vaxxers whine

Madam Secretary banner

“Madam Secretary” fights anti-vaccine propaganda with facts

I’m a big fan of the CBS TV show Madam Secretary, which is a drama about a fictional Secretary of State, played by Téa Leoni. The most recent episode, “The Common Defense,” centered on several stories surrounding a measles outbreak in several countries – measles played the show’s villain (instead of Russian oligarchs, terrorists, and incompetent Congressman and Senators).

I was caught by surprise by the episode. At first, I thought they would mess up the science, or, even worse, take an anti-science approach to measles and vaccines. But I was pleasantly surprised, and it stated scientific facts about vaccines, though maybe I could nitpick here and there. I won’t.Read More »“Madam Secretary” fights anti-vaccine propaganda with facts

mmr vaccine and autism

MMR vaccine and autism – once again, there is no association

Despite the lies of the anti-vaccine religion, a huge recent Danish study has, once again, debunked any link between the MMR vaccine and autism. This is like the 140th peer-reviewed study that says the same thing – vaccines do not cause autism.

This study is particularly robust and conclusive, and it adds to the settled science that the MMR vaccine and autism are unrelated. And it is further evidence that the fraud perpetrated by Mr. Andrew Wakefield did nothing more than cause children to be put at risk of measles. 

But will this cause the anti-vaxxers to shut up? Of course not, because they prefer pseudoscience to real science.Read More »MMR vaccine and autism – once again, there is no association

Measles prevents cancer? Another anti-vaccine myth with no evidence

Darla Shine, a former Fox News producer, and wife of the White House deputy chief of staff of communications, of course, posted a dangerous and ignorant tweet that implied that measles prevents cancer.

Shinee is repeating a thoroughly debunked anti-vaccine religious trope, but what do you expect from a Trump sycophant? The truth? Especially since Trump has a history of anti-vaccine rhetoric.

Of course, there is a reason why this myth has legs, but it’s not based on what we call robust evidence – it’s based on pseudoscience, misinformation, and nonsense.Read More »Measles prevents cancer? Another anti-vaccine myth with no evidence