At first I wasn't going to write this post since I believe that a film that appears to be (at least in part) based on thoroughly discredited, fear-mongering nonsense should get as little attention as possible.
Then after browsing several anti-vaccine and conspiracist websites I found as I suspected, that this has already exploded and whatever I write here won't make matters any worse.
The film 'Vaxxed' is directed by Mr Andrew Wakefield, a former physician who lost his medical license after research that he had authored, was found fraudulent (containing as I understand it, both methodological and ethical flaws).
Just watching the trailer for this film elevated my BP into dangerous territory. How is it that this man keeps promoting the same debunked data to this day? Hasn't it caused enough harm already?
It seems that anti-vaccine proponents span the entire spectrum from sadly misinformed to clearly unhinged. However, no matter what their individual motivation happens to be, they are in my opinion dangerous. We have fought a hard battle against diseases that today are vaccine-preventable. Millions of children have died in the past and some still do, to this day. We don't see much of it in first-world countries due to the success of vaccines. Anti-vaccine proponents seem to believe that the "olden days" were better. I think it's deeply worrisome.
In my escapades around the internet, I've found all sorts of scary blogs, clips and opinions relating to childhood vaccines.
This YouTube clip rather amusingly (in a sad way) has 90 likes and zero (!) dislikes (probably because no rational person would even click on it in the first place). (I'm not sure what this says about me)
Anyway this women thinks that nagalese (an enzyme) is added on purpose to vaccines in order to induce autism, cancer and type 2 diabetes in vaccine recipients. And the doctors who discovered this were subsequently murdered to cover this up. This vaccine tampering seems to be a part of some nefarious population control plot.
(It seems that alpha-N-acetylgalactoseaminidase (referred to as nagalese in the YouTube clip) can deglycosylate vitamin D binding protein (DBP) and DBP plays a role in the immune cascade response. So it seems that alpha-N-acetylgalactosaminidase can interfere with the immune response. While some cancer cells can release alpha-N-acetylgalactosaminidase, I've found no proof that injecting them into humans induces cancers, never mind autism and DMII. I will however admit that I didn't spend an inordinate amount of time researching her theory).
I admit that this last video is a bit extreme. But this woman and other "anti-vaxxers" have one thing on common. They are willing to accept something as true, even when there is no supporting evidence available.
Serious questions:
* Why are some people so vulnerable/susceptible to flawed logic and poor research?
* What can we as nurses/healthcare professionals do to ensure that our patients base their decisions on sound evidence-based facts or at least have the opportunity to do so? Or should we just reconcile ourselves with the fact that a portion of the population will base their decisions on questionable or outright false information, misconceptions and fear?
Have you read Jenny McCarthy's book, yet? Her book is entitled: Louder Than Words: A Mother's Journey in Healing Autism.
yes you have written this many many times, I doubt anyone here does not know the title to this book by now and the celebridiot who wrote it. Are you on her staff, or work for the publisher?
I want to read Jenny McCarthy's book, because when I looked at the 2 Medical Doctors' introductions to her book, I was impressed at their professional praises for Jenny's book about healing autism!
one of my kids has a book with a great introduction by Mickey Mouse. I think it's just as impressive as those quacks!
Oye. Jenny McCarthy is an actress, model, and TV personality. Not a medical professional. She has no clinical education or experience. Her experience lies in the fact that she parents a child diagnosed with autism. That's it. She gets paid to look pretty, play pretend, and talk. I think its great that she wants to share her journey with her son as a parent in order to help other parents dealing with similar things their children, but outside of that she has no business talking about something she doesn't have the first clue about. She has no proof that vaccines caused her child's autism.
I think its terrible that these children are used to promote an unsafe agenda. We have two people in our family that have been diagnosed with ASD. Both vaccinated, one with the traditional MMR and the other with the thimerosal-free MMR vaccine. Both are part of the same gene pool, uncle/nephew.... this just cements my belief that autism has a lot to do with genetics and not vaccines.
Have you read Jenny McCarthy's book, yet? Her book is entitled: Louder Than Words: A Mother's Journey in Healing Autism.
I want to read Jenny McCarthy's book, because when I looked at the 2 Medical Doctors' introductions to her book, I was impressed at their professional praises for Jenny's book about healing autism! I saw these introductions, on a large bookseller's website, whose name is similar to strong South American fabled women called Amazons.
Jenny McCarthy is not a medical professional and I don't know what her claims are to "healing autism". I'm sure she is a loving mother and cares deeply about her child, but I'm doubtful she "cured" his autism. She has no credibility with me, and with many in the world. I don't know who she got to praise her book, but I'd have my doubts about their credentials.
You wrote: "Jenny McCarthy is not a medical professional and I don't know what her claims are to "healing autism". I'm sure she is a loving mother and cares deeply about her child, but I'm doubtful she "cured" his autism. She has no credibility with me, and with many in the world. I don't know who she got to praise her book, but I'd have my doubts about their credentials."
When you wrote that you didn't know what her (Jenny McCarthy's) claims are, to healing autism, I would think you don't know what her claims to healing her son's autism are, because you haven't yet read her book: Louder Than Words: A Mother's Journey in Healing Autism.
Let's both see the film "VAXXED", and let's both read Jenny McCarthy's book, Louder Than Words: A Mother's Journey in Healing Autism.
THEN, you'll know what her claims are, and you'll be better able to attack her claims, if you end up not agreeing with her. On the other hand, what if you end up agreeing with Jenny? Would you say so...?
You wrote: "Jenny McCarthy is not a medical professional and I don't know what her claims are to "healing autism". I'm sure she is a loving mother and cares deeply about her child, but I'm doubtful she "cured" his autism. She has no credibility with me, and with many in the world. I don't know who she got to praise her book, but I'd have my doubts about their credentials."
When you wrote that you didn't know what her (Jenny McCarthy's) claims are, to healing autism, I would think you don't know what her claims to healing her son's autism are, because you haven't yet read her book: Louder Than Words: A Mother's Journey in Healing Autism.
Let's both see the film "VAXXED", and let's both read Jenny McCarthy's book, Louder Than Words: A Mother's Journey in Healing Autism.
THEN, you'll know what her claims are, and you'll be better able to attack her claims, if you end up not agreeing with her. On the other hand, what if you end up agreeing with Jenny? Would you say so...?
Nope, not gonna take the bait. I'm still waiting for you to tell me how you felt when reading the posts about people harmed by not getting vaccines. Does that make you reconsider your stance?
Farawyn, can you be a bit more specific about what you mean?
BCgradnurse, I was as brainwashed as the next person (nurse), for many years, about how supposedly safe vaccines are--so it was only after many years, that I began to "question authority", and as you may understand, it's partly because of my faith, that I try to be openminded, and not just accept medical authority as being God-like, without question. I've seen enough mal-practice, that led to death, to be sheep-like any more.
I hope all those who are listening to "heresay", will be brave enough to see the film "VAXXED" for themselves, instead of taking the easy way out--listening to rumor mongering. I also hope the film will be free, to encourage nurses, doctors, parents and parents of vaccine injured children, and others to see FOR THEMSELVES, what the film has to say.
I also want to read Jenny McCarthy's book, entitled : Louder Than Words: A Mother's Journey in Healing Autism.
You just told a bunch of nurses to do their research instead of simply listening to rumors. The irony.
You still didn't answer her question. It's not brainwash when there are actually people dealing with post-polio complications, people who have suffered debilitating brain damage via meningitis, who've had infants died from pertussis, etc. I've personally met many working in the special needs community. But you know... its all brain washing and rumor mongering.
Farawyn, can you be a bit more specific about what you mean?
BCgradnurse, I was as brainwashed as the next person (nurse), for many years, about how supposedly safe vaccines are--so it was only after many years, that I began to "question authority", and as you may understand, it's partly because of my faith, that I try to be openminded, and not just accept medical authority as being God-like, without question. I've seen enough mal-practice, that led to death, to be sheep-like any more.
So your position is:
"Just because I don't have a fancy medical degree, prior research experience, or any formal scientific training doesn't mean I can't have a valid professional opinion."
Disclaimer: the above quotation was gleefully lifted from gomerblog. I didn't ask permission because it's far easier to beg forgiveness.
This has gone beyond the point of ridiculousness. Some posters seem unable -or unwilling - to absorb actual facts. Frightening that some of them were supposedly practicing nurses.
)
to cover this up. This vaccine tampering seems to be a part of some nefarious population control plot.
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yes you have written this many many times, I doubt anyone here does not know the title to this book by now and the celebridiot who wrote it. Are you on her staff, or work for the publisher?
one of my kids has a book with a great introduction by Mickey Mouse. I think it's just as impressive as those quacks!