Hey Jillian, the Amish do vaccinate (Partial reaction)

https://www.facebook.com/JillianEpperly/videos/10159354030157468/

So this is by special request.  Normally I try and approach Jillian's video in order BUT this is filled with a special kind of stupid.  I will not be addressing her information on SIDS or infant mortality rates etc, it is an area I know very little about as a layman.

I will say this, I want you to pay very close attention,,, as she is speaking she is looking up information about SIDS as she goes.  It is blatantly obvious this is not an area she has done a thorough literature review prior to making this video.

For comparison, even if I am familiar with a topic it takes 7-10 days to review the literature – pro and con. It takes another 3 days or so to script out what I would like to say, if audio.  Up to 5 days if writing depending on work schedule.

Caveat to this, like this post, I already have a database of information I can rely on.  It still is going to take at least, bare minimum, a day to write this up.  Consider how many video she puts out in a day!

With that said,,,

I want you to keep in mind that this slobbering word salad is coming from a woman who claims she is not anti-vaxx.

So she states she was visiting various other FB pages and one post concerning the Amish caught her attention  The kicker, Jillian states “the Amish don't get vaccinated.” And autism doesn't afflict the Amish as well.

YES THEY DO JILLIAN!!

So first let's take a look at Jillian's claim that the Amish do not vaccinate.

For not being an anti-vaxxer you sure like to regurgitate their junk information. This statement draws, in part, from claims by Age of Autism writer Dan Olmsted.  One of numerous anti-vaxx cranks out there.  Keep in mind that Olmsted's paper was a non-scientific survey conducted in 2005 in Lancaster county PA. (I have recently learned that the idea of the Amish being a largely unvaccinated population was also put forth by David Kirby in Evidence of Harm.  Describing a 2000 presentation by Lyn Redwood of SafeMinds.)

While the Amish do get vaccinated, it is at a lower rate than the general population.  Amish vaccinations rates are lower but younger Amish are more likely to be vaccinated than older generations. 

In this 2011 survey (downloadable PDF version can be found here) “68% stated that all of their children had received at least 1 immunization, and 17% reported that some of their children had received at least 1 immunization.”

So contrary to what you state Miss Google Scientist, the Amish do vaccinate.  This is readily available information Jillian, it would have been very simple for you to find accurate information about this instead of spouting anti-vaxx lies.

There are many factors that could explain apparent differences between the Amish population and the United States as a whole. These include a potential bias toward increased diagnosis in non-Amish communities, or the fact that the uniquely reduced genetic diversity of the Amish population plays a role.  

May or may not be a correct interpretation of what she is implying, but autism isn't a disease - it's a description of behavior. And yes I am being overly broad, but autism is a spectrum disorder. (see below)

The Amish don't get autism,,, 

Ever hear of the Clinic for Special Children in Strasburg, Pennsylvania?  Look it up Jillian, the Clinic, aside from serving special needs children (including autistics) runs vaccine clinics and has for many years. 

The clinic specializes in genetic problems of the plain sects, such as the Amish and Old Order Mennonites. 

“The idea that the Amish do not vaccinate their children is untrue,” says Dr. Kevin Strauss, MD, a pediatrician at the CSC. “We run a weekly vaccination clinic and it’s very busy.” He says Amish vaccinations rates are lower than the general population’s, but younger Amish are more likely to be vaccinated than older generations.

Strauss also sees plenty of Amish children showing symptoms of autism. “Autism isn’t a diagnosis – it’s a description of behavior. We see autistic behaviors along with seizure disorders or mental retardation or a genetic disorder, where the autism is part of a more complicated clinical spectrum.” Fragile X syndrome and Rett Syndrome is also common among the clinic’s patients.,,,Strauss says a child in the general population is more likely to have autism detected early and to receive a diagnosis than an Amish child. “An Amish child may not be referred to an MD or psychologist because the child is managed in the community, where they have special teachers,” he says. “We know autism when we see it, but we don’t go actively into the Amish community and screen for ASD.” 

A telling 2010 study was presented at IMFAR:  Prevalence Rates of Autism Spectrum Disorders Among the Old Order Amish 

Preliminary data have identified the presence of ASD in the Amish community at a rate of approximately 1 in 271 children using standard ASD screening and diagnostic tools although some modifications may be in order. Further studies are underway to address the cultural norms and customs that may be playing a role in the reporting style of caregivers, as observed by the ADI. Accurate determination of the ASD phenotype in the Amish is a first step in the design of genetic studies of ASD in this population. 

Yes Jillian the Amish do vaccinate, they do get autism and they do die from diseases such as heart and lung diseases etc.  Actually they get some pretty nasty genetic diseases as most of the Amish in the US can trace their roots back to a few hundred Swiss farmers who immigrated to Pennsylvania in the 18th century. 

One example is Maple Syrup Urine Disease—so named for the smell of the sufferer’s urine and ear wax—which causes the body to be unable to metabolize protein. Most people with MSUD experience vomiting, seizures, and brain damage starting in infancy, and they die early. 

While I am hesitant with saying you are outright lying, you are severely misinformed.  You claim Google god status but cant perform a simple search to verify claims oft repeated.  Your not a very good scientist Jillian and you should shut your mouth before you kill someone with your false information.
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My sources are a bit dated (almost 10 years old). While the actual statistics (numbers) may have change slightly the fact remains that the Amish do vaccinate and some of the children are on the autism spectrum.