There’s a new “expose” out written by Jennifer Shaw making waves (or so the author would like you to think). In a move that reminded me of Peter Rost, the book’s launch was accompanied by a flurry of spam. The self-penned accolades for the book are overwhelmingly positive and there are no independent book reviews, so I have to wonder. I haven’t read it yet. If she’s following Peter Rost’s playbook, the free version on Kindle should be out within 6 months, so I’ll wait for that.
But I digress. What immediately caught my eye were some of the claims the book’s author has been making on Twitter. Take this recent string on Twitter (all are dated April 9th):
1:43pm – NJ=highest rate of mandatory vaccines and the highest autism rate. Big pharma’s sexy little secret (then self-promoting link to book)
1:45pm – Is it too much to ask to make newer vaccines like Gardisil optional? Big pharma’s sexy little secret (then self-promoting book link)
1:46pm - #autism Why does NJ vaccinate more than other states? Big pharma’s sexy little secret (then self-promoting book link)
1:47pm – How many children need to die before a new vaccines gets pulled? Big pharma’s sexy little secret (then self promoting book link)
So, not only has the causal link between MMR and older vaccines been entirely disproven, but now the anti-vaccination advocates are fabricating claims against newer vaccines. It would seem Ms. Shaw is making the case that newer vaccines (specifically Gardisil) are causing autism and, because of mandatory vaccinations in NJ, Gardisil vaccinations are the reason for the New Jersey’s autism prevalence. In her defense, Jennifer is now claiming that each individual tweet is a specific topic and that none of them relate to the others. You be the judge. Are these 4 tweets in 4 minutes about the same topic or, as Ms. Shaw is now claiming, are each completely separate and totally unrelated thoughts (even though they are all about vaccines)? No doubt, Merck’s lawyers will want to look into Ms. Shaw’s remarkable allegations.
For what it’s worth, I agree with one of Ms. Shaw’s assertions – I don’t think Gardasil needs to be mandatory. However, I don’t need to make unsubstantiated claims of autism to make that point. And all of her postings rely on the now medically disproven basis of vaccines causing autism in the first place. There’s enough wrong with big pharma that we don’t need to concoct lies or fabricate falsehoods to make the point.
Autism is a serious medical issue. And kids suffering from autism need real research into the causes and solutions for their condition. We’ve beat the “vaccines cause autism” drum until it fell apart. Now we need to be looking in new directions – with real research. Making outlandish claims about the causes of autism to sell a few extra copies of a book at the expense of kids with autism is…well…let’s just say it leaves a nasty taste in my mouth.
7 comments:
you completley took my tweets out of context-There were 8 tweets--including concerns of other vaccines--The only thing said of Gardasil--is that it should be a choice.
As far as autism--it is a concern of mine whether valid or not that has NOTHING to do with Gardasil--I told you that's why I choose to spread out vaccinations for my 2 yr old--my cousin was diagnosed with autism shortly after his 2 yr vaccinations--his parnets strongly believe there's a corrleation.
Your tweets were taken entirely within context - you posted them. I just reprinted them.
"His parents believe there's a corrleation[sic]"? That's the basis for your information? So the sample size for your thoughtful clinical trial is 1?
Did you get vaccinated? How come you don't have autism? What about your 2 biological children and your 2 step-children - no autism yet? Why not?
The vaccine autism myth has been disproven again and again. One need only to look at the Andrew Wakefield scam to see what a fraud this really was. Instead, we have parents who listen to listen to folks like you and Jenny McCarthy for their medical information. It's no wonder we've got folks who still buy into this garbage.
You only posted four out of the eight tweets all w/in same time line.I clarified to you before you blogged that I do NOT think Gardasil has anything to do w autism but you posted it anyway. My concern of autism is not based on one incident; I tweeted- I went to a speaking engagement Friday night by Louise Habakus the author of Vaccine Epidemic who shared massive amounts of information on vaccine safety &stats which really raised concerns for me. If you haven't researched her-- please take a look. I’m trying to spread the word of informed choices—that’s all.
Now your implying that EVERY child or patient MUST suffer from a particular side effect or it's not a possible side effect. You know that's not true for any medication--everyone reacts differently and side effects get reported no matter how frequently or infrequently that they occur.
So now your story is that Gardasil is in no way associated with autism and your tweets were all just a one big coincidence?
If you're trying to spread the word about informed choices, wouldn't you post some facts instead of one-person anecdotes and quack sources? How about them? I'll give you a fact: The "evidence" that MMR vaccines cause autism is based on fraudulent studies by a quack physician who faked data, conducted experiments on children without the parents consent and repeatedly lied about the results. Oh, and while we're at it, he was also experimenting on children without actually having a license to practice medicine. So, Jennifer Shaw, I'm all ears. I'd love to hear you defend this one.
If you're relying on Louise Habakus for your medical information, than god help your four kids. She's a modern day Dr. Lorraine Day.
Being a sibling of someone with Autism, and having been involved in Autism support groups all my life, I must chime in. While you say the vaccine theory has been beat and dis-proven, please do yourself a favor and do not believe everything you hear on the news. One day go and poll a handful of Autistic children's parents, and ask them what they think caused their child's disability. You will find that in over 75% of the cases, parents will recall their child receiving the MMR vaccine, followed by several nights of intense crying/screaming, later resulting in a complete social change (occurs less than one month from vaccination) . Later a diagnosis of Autism occurs. No one knows their child better than their parents.
After conducting you personal research, then ask yourself this: Would the government ever admit to causing such a widely spread medical problem? What type of uproar would occur if this was ever proven? And what monetary costs would the government be responsible for? Our government would never admit to being responsible for causing a medical issue that is present in 1 out of every 150 people, or in NJ, 1 in every 94.
So again, I am not saying the vaccine is to blame - I am not a scientist. But I base my beliefs off of personal research and life experiences - which are sometimes more valuable than any news cast or article. Please do not let our media spoon feed you 100% of your knowledge. Always remember what the number one export of this country is - entertainment. If there is anything our country knows how to right, it is to entertain in both the box office and media.
All the best.
-Reader
I hope for your sake, Ms. Shaw, that you have a very good copy editor, because for an "author," your grammar, syntax, punctuation and overall coherence are pretty underwhelming.
Post a Comment