What the News Isn’t Saying About Vaccine-Autism Studies ( Sharyl Attkisson )

Sharyl Attkisson ^ | April 25, 2015 | Sharyl Attkisson

[george76]

A new study this week found no link between vaccines and autism. It instantly made headlines on TV news and popular media everywhere. Many billed it as the final word, “once again,” disproving the notion that vaccines could have anything to do with autism.

What you didn’t learn on the news was that the study was from a consulting firm that lists major vaccine makers among its clients: The Lewin Group.

That potential conflict of interest was not disclosed in the paper published in The New England Journal of Medicine; the study authors simply declare “The Lewin Group operates with editorial independence.”

(As an aside, according to OpenSecrets.org, The Lewin Group’s parent company, UnitedHealth Group, is a key government partner in Obamacare. Its subsidiary QSSI was given the contract to build the federal government’s HealthCare.gov website. One of its top executives and his family are top Obama donors.)

Conflicts of interest alone do not invalidate a study. But they serve as important context in the relentless effort by pharmaceutical interests and their government partners to discredit the many scientists and studies that have found possible vaccine-autism links.

...

The supposedly best medical experts in the world who deny vaccines have anything to do with autism remain at an utter loss to explain this generation’s epidemic. To declare the science “settled” and the debate “over” is to defy the plain fact that many scientists worldwide are still sorting through it, and millions of people are still debating it.

The body of evidence on both sides is open to interpretation. People have every right to disbelieve the studies on one side. But it is disingenuous to pretend they do not exist.

[generally]

I’m not an anti-vaxxer, but I would definitely proceed with caution. As with many technologies, there are benefits, but also dangers. I think it would be prudent to spread vaccinations out a little more rather than give babies large doses and multiple vaccinations at once.

I get vaccinations, I had my kids vaccinated, and I encourage others to get them,

*BUT* I take a skeptical view of any study where the party who funds it stands to gain from the reported results.

I think it is also short-sighted to think that one size fits all. Strawberries are healthy and I encourage people to eat them, but a few people are deathly allergic. It’s likely similar with vaccines. We should put some effort into honestly looking at what the risks are and finding ways of identifying those at risk.

[usurper]

Far too many people are far too removed from the immediate reality of easily-preventable childhood diseases that kill and maim thousands of children a year.

Far too many people are far too removed from the immediate reality of razing a child with Autism. I know because I have a 23 year old step son living at home who will never be able to care for himself.

That being said do I think that vaccines cause Autism? I have no idea and neither does anyone else. Until they come up with a cause its is anyone's guess.

Should we discontinue the the use of vaccines because of the risks? Hell no the benefits far out way the risks.

Until someone stumbles on a definitive cause we need to focus on a cure or some treatment to mitigate the damage. I really don't care about the cause I care about a solution.

[dsc]

“Dirty little secret in the psychology / counseling world is that the overwhelming majority of male homosexuals were molested at a young age by an older male and /or were introduced to the behavior by peers.”

Same-sex attraction disorder is induced by the trauma of a homosexual molestation or seduction in the pre-adult years.

[HollyB]

Good article.

And on the HPV vaccine. Definitely a big NO for our kids.