Comments on: Dr. Jay Gordon’s Response to Vaccine Court Decision

By: moriah

moriah — Sat, 09 May 2009 22:43:58 +0000

Whoever undertakes to set himself up as a judge of Truth and Knowledge is shipwrecked by the laughter of the gods.

By: Theresa

Theresa — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 16:46:03 +0000

re. the “polite truce”: Here too. I just bite my tongue when I see anti-vaccine stuff on my neighborhood parents’ list. Sadly, the pro-vaccine people don’t seem to go on as many lecture tours; if they did I would kindly announce them.

It’s too bad, really, that I avoid the issue as if it was religion or politics… that is, a matter of opinion/feelings. It’s science! But in practice, if you’re not at a scientific conference (and maybe even if you are) — it has become impossibly fraught.

Check out Ben Goldacre at badscience.net and guardian.co.uk for cathartically angry and trenchant critiques of the MMR scaremongers.

By: Julie

Julie — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 19:42:41 +0000

That’s what kills me. The righteous indignation. The personal hurt.

I just try to focus on the free baby items.

By: molly

molly — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 18:40:29 +0000

Julie, ime you can always tell an antivaxxer but you can’t tell ‘em much. ha ha. No seriously though: I had an experience on a popular “advice” blog where things have taken a sharp turn for the anti-science. I still read out of habit, but I once posted what I thought was a jokey lighthearted jab at homeopathy and I got CREAMED. Not only did they revile my statements, they seemed personally wounded over it. It never, ever goes over well. Third rail indeed.

By: catgirl

catgirl — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 14:50:00 +0000

If ‘Big Pharma’ controls what get published, then why did they allow the Wakefield study to get published in the first place? Also, why do they think that pharmaceutical companies promote vaccines just for the money? Vaccines are one of the least profitable products to make.

By: Julie

Julie — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 22:35:44 +0000

Okay, and I’d be interested to get advice about this as well: there seems to be a polite truce about vaccines on these bulletin boards. I mean, there are women now desperately trying to get the separate mumps vaccine, even with all this news that has just come out. And I sort of think to myself, yeah, I want to help them out with information, but in the end, there’s not much I can do to influence a bunch of faceless women that I only know from my online support group. I just post articles and leave it at that. I have to assume that we must treat everyone like an adult who can sort through information and make decisions, and that’s as far as it goes for me. I can’t get into posting, “Hey…what the heck is the matter here? Why are you all in such a panic when right now you should be breathing huge sighs of relief that all the evidence says vaccines are not only safe but hell, truly necessary, considering what’s starting to happen when we don’t vaccinate?”

I really feel like this will not be greeted well, so I just don’t do it. Instead I get on my soap box over here and occasionally post a link. That’s all I can stands. I can’t stands no more!

By: Julie

Julie — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 22:31:17 +0000

“Denying” also really ticked me off.

The language these folks use is just so false and misleading, and yet sooooo emotional and persuasive.

By: Nancy

Nancy — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 22:05:11 +0000

It’s worth reading Offit’s new book Autism’s False Prophets. Interestingly many of the people who accuse Offit of having a conflict of interest (n.b you can not develop a vaccine commercially if no one has patented it), have taken out patents on their own quack treatments for autism. Funny how they get a free pass, isn’t it?

The other thing that bugs me beyond belief is this idea that the court is “denying” that vaccines cause autism – as if it’s some received wisdom beyond question, like the sun rises, vaccines “cause autism”. No hint that the evidence was lacking. Unbelievable.

Arrogance and ignorance are a nauseating combination aren’t they?

By: Ticktock

Ticktock — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 19:48:46 +0000

They were perfectly satisfied when Hannah Poling received her compensation, and they exploited that girl’s victory to the fullest. Young Ms. Poling proves that these people celebrate and propagandize any win but persistently deny their actual loss.