One would like to believe that what is printed in the media is accurate and what is printed in scientific journals is well, scientific. Sadly, all too often neither of those is the case.
In recent days, a study published in the prestigious journal of Pediatrics has been reported on by dozens of media outlets. This article attempts to blame parents who don’t vaccinate their children for the recent wave of pertussis (whooping cough) outbreaks that have erupted around the US affecting tens of thousands of folks in recent years. What neither the media nor Pediatrics wants you to know is that 70-8o% of those who contracted pertussis had been fully vaccinated. If they admitted that, it would be game over.
So given that this study is being covered everywhere and folks are discussing it everywhere, we wanted to share a brilliant critique of the study. Before we link to the study, there are some salient points to bear in mind:
#1 For an article or scientific study to be covered by dozens of media outlets across the country, there are big PR bucks behind it – and who has the bucks? The vaccine makers.
#2 The journal of Pediatrics is the flagship publication produced by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). While some folks seem to think the AAP is a government agency, it is not. In actuality, it is a trade group and it receives much funding from the pharmaceutical industry. In fact, pharma donated millions to the construction of the AAP’s headquarters. Kind of hard to be impartial when that kind of money is at stake. Imagine taking the word of Monsanto on the safety of GMO’s or its past menace, Agent Orange.
#3 Both the US CDC and California Dept. of Health have openly stated that the pertussis outbreaks in recent years are NOT due to non-vaccination but rather due to vaccine failure. This is also documented in the scientific literature – see our Catalogue of Science for studies.
#4 Pertussis vaccines are both notoriously dangerous and notoriously ineffective – see our Catalogue of Science for studies.
#5 The practice of cocooning – where close contacts of infants get vaccinated for pertussis – has been acknowledged as a failure and stopped in Australia – yet the practice continues to be promoted in the US. Is this more about selling more vaccines or the truth? How can one nation examine all the data pertaining to this issue and decide to cease the practice because it does not work nor is it cost effective but the US continue the charade? Can you say ka-ching?
Here is the terrific post on Activist Post:
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Vaccine-Refusing Parents Falsely Blamed for Whooping Cough Epidemic
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Heather Callaghan
Activist Post
Reporters are having a field day with headlines, outright blaming parents who sign vaccine exemptions for the spread of pertussis, also known as whooping cough. It’s not even posed as a question anymore:
- Anti-vaccine parents caused California’s lethal whooping cough epidemic
- What caused a whooping cough epidemic? Scientists blame parents
- Whooping Cough Outbreaks Tied to Parents Shunning Vaccines
- Vaccine Refusals Fueled California’s Whooping Cough Epidemic
Read the rest of the brilliant Activist Post article here.
