Fear and the vaccine wars
A conversation between Seth Mnookin, author of "The Panic Virus: A True Story of Medicine, Science and Fear", and Reuters Health executive editor Ivan Oransky
- Join us at noon Eastern for the conversation. To ask questions post them here or from the U.S., call 1-888-339-2688. Outside of the U.S., call 1-617-847-3007. The passcode is 72962858.
- Reminder: I'm speaking with Panic Virus author @sethmnookin at noon Eastern about vaccines and autism reut.rs
- I'm eager to get this book--I was wondering if there is any guidance in it about what works on people who have bought in to the fear and the misrepresentations.
- Note there's a typo in the international number, please call 1-617-847-3007. The passcode is 72962858.
- Join us here in 5 min for a live conversation between exec editor @ivanoransky and Panic VIrus author @sethmnookin bit.lyby Reuters_Health via twitter 1/18/2011 4:56:48 PM
- To ask questions, call 888-339-2688 in the US, +1-617-847-3007 outside the US. The passcode is 72962858by Reuters_Health via twitter 1/18/2011 4:58:32 PM
- Seth Mnookin is the author of The Panic Virus: A True Story of Medicine, Science, and Fear. bit.ly
- Mnookin is the author of two previous books and contributing editor at Vanity Fair bit.ly
- BMJ story about autism and vaccines reut.rs
- Salon retracted piece on vaccines and autism link bit.ly
- Given that the goverment has lied repeatedly about the safety of such things as Asbestos, the safety of drugs from (mail order) such as Canada, how can we trust anything that a (possibly PAID) informant tells us?
- Mnookin: BMJ series started 2 weeks ago, one more installment. Has mixed feeling about report.
- Mnookin: BMJ pieces covered by rest of media gave impression that topic was up for debate.
- Oransky: 1998 Lancet originally published the study. is that what set off frenzy about panic about vaccines and autism?
- Mnookin: inpretaton of study and what study said are two different things.
- Mnookin: Wakefield went further than what paper itself had gone on drawing a link btw vaccine and autism in press conference.
- Join the conversation here bit.ly
- Mnookin: wanted to point to one moment that started the conversation( btw vaccines and autism) today, that would be the moment.
- Mnookin spoke to parents who lost children to preventable diseases.
- Mnookin: Bigger reaction in UK and Europe than in US. Easier in Britian to skip giving kids vaccines.
- Mnookin: Unvaccinated kids can be patient zeros for patient outbreaks.
- The REAL problem seems to be that a drug is in circulation LONG before it's possible deleterious side effects are known. The FDA moves too slowly to gather information. Just like the avaiation industry, they should have a goverment auditor at each point of manufactur for pharmaceuticals.
- Mnookin: Series of whooping cough outbreaks around country, 10 children died in CA last year. Outbreaks not caused by higher rates of unvaccintated kids.
- Mnookin: Choosing not to vaccinate your child is not a risk-free proposition.
- Oransky: Tiny questionable study, what is your sense of why this took off so much? What happened and why did it sustain itself?
- RT @ivanoransky: I'm talking now to Panic Virus author @sethmnookin reut.rs Call: US 1-888-339-2688. Abroad, 1-617-847-300 ...by Reuters_Health via twitter 1/18/2011 5:19:46 PM
- Mnookin: not much is known about autism. But we do know that the rates are rising. It's frightening, because we know so little about it.
- Repercussions about not vaccinating are starting to feel very notional. No one in our generation knows a person that was in an iron lung. Created a perfect storm for this to explode.
- Mnookin: important for health community to know they have to communicate clearly with the public.
- It would be nice if vaccine testing wasn't done by the pharma's. Independent testing...that means by NO ONE receiving pharma or gov money...do the testing
- Mnookin: One big lesson we can learn is there is a concern on part of scientists. Public is unable to understand the nuances of what they do.
- @Leigh Boerner That's because the public is feed so much disinformation
- Anyone with questions please call 18883392688 in US, 16178473007 outside US. The passcode is 72962858
- Mnookin: I'm a new parent, so I understand these fears. It's scary when you go to the doctor's office and they whip out a needle.
- Mnookin: I've found that you have so little time in appt, doctors quickly move onto next patient. There has to be a conversation. The excuse that we don't have time isn't going to cut it anymore.
- What is the role of media and celebrities in perpetrating misinformation about the link between vaccines and autism?
- You should be terrified for your child when they whip out that needle. Ask questions, request to look at the ingredients of the shot. Make the time in the appointment to ask questions and slow your doctor down...you are in control..not your doctor
- Mnookin: As patients, it's our responsibility to voice concerns and fears.
- Mnookin: there's a sense that if a celebrity says something, it's automatically news.
- exactly!
- As parents, it is our job to maintain complete control of what's going on in your child's life.
- You should be terrified that kids your kid associates with may be carriers of deadly diseases because they aren't vaccinated.
- Please join our live conversation on The Panic Virus with @ivanoranksy and @sethmnookin here bit.lyby Reuters_Health via twitter 1/18/2011 5:34:11 PM
- Are journalists qualified to poke holes in a bad study or should they find another scientist to do that analysis?
- thank you
- Mnookin: I'm just reporting what they're saying, not saying if it is or isn't true, is not being straightforward with yourself or audience
- Question: what researcher data was convincing to you?
- Mnookin: poor job at explaining: it's always impossible to improve a negative. Can't prove that human beings can't fly. Can only say it's never been done.
- Mnookin: only studies that can be done are looking at examples of when vaccines did cause autism, but there aren't any
- What about the long term effects of vaccines? The 10 year, 20 year, 30 year studies? Where are these? We have no idea what effects vaccines are actually having on people's health!
- Link to Seth's book The Panic Virus bit.ly
- Oransky: Several court cases in past, are there any in particular that you would say are lessons that people should pay attention to?
- Mnooin: 6 in past several years, decisions were overwhelming that there was no connection between autism and vaccines
- Mnookin: set up as a struggle btw familes who feel that their children were harmed and public health community.
- Mnookin: familes really think that's what happened, need more support than what they're getting. Judge felt overwhelming compassion for family. They had been misled, told to believe something that wasn't true.
- Mnookin: not allowed families and advocates for families to find common ground for things that are needed. Nothing surrounding this issue ends up not being a fight.
- Mnookin: hope that there's some way that all diff communities who care about issue find common ground and work for things that are needed.
- Thanks to all listeners. This concludes interview.
- Wakefield is incompetent and his research methods prove this. How convenient.
- So no long term studies?
- Thanks to everyone who listened and participated in conversation with @sethmnookin. bit.lyby Reuters_Health via twitter 1/18/2011 5:47:36 PM
- you only have to see what happened when the WHO bowed to corporations in promoting the totally unneccesary H1N1 vaccine just to make profits to understand that the public do not trust corporations who control medicine and even bodies like WHO, its all about making money not about telling the public the truth, it is plain to anyone with an ounce of common sense that Autism IS linked to giving too much medicine at one time to small kids bodies thus damaging them for life
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