Anti-vaxxers try to recall Calif. lawmaker behind bill eliminating 'personal belief' exemptions

The California lawmker who made it harder for parents to opt out of vaccinating their children, a stance that earned him death threats, is now launching a campaign to save his job, days after the state certified a recall effort against him. 

Democratic State Senator Richard Pan, a Sacramento pediatrician who introduced a measure eliminating California’s personal beliefs exemption to vaccination requirements for schoolchildren in response to a measles outbreak at Disneyland, plans to go public on Wednesday with a website and social media campaign aimed at fighting off the recall drive, a spokeswoman said.

“I won’t be detoured from taking on the tough issues that are important to people in my district simply because there are some that use anti-science rhetoric to ignite division and fear,” Pan said in a text message to Reuters.
The successful bill he introduced, which was signed last month by Democratic Governor Jerry Brown, repealed a portion of the health code that had allowed unvaccinated children to attend school if their parents opted out based on their personal beliefs, whether those beliefs were religious or not.

Anti-vaxxers try to recall Calif. lawmaker behind bill eliminating 'personal belief' exemptions

See also:

From the Sacremento Bee concerning the recall effort:

Their efforts to block the bill failed, with Gov. Jerry Brown signing it into law, but they are making good on the election threat. In addition to seeking to recall Pan, bill opponents are seeking to overturn the law via referendum.

“It is not so much about the vaccinations as it is about the defense of liberty,” said Katherine Duran, an Elk Grove stay-at-home parent who advocated against SB 277 and is helping to lead the Pan recall. “The government, as a creature of the people, doesn’t have the right to tell the people what they can and can’t put into their bodies.”
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 Pan is not the only legislator whose SB 277 stance has fueled a recall effort. Bill detractors are seeking to recall a number of legislators who voted for the measure, backed by a Fresno-based organization called SB 277 Recalls that is directing funds and marshaling volunteers to launch district-level efforts.

Measles kills first patient in 12 years

So Jim, would you like to reconsider your thoughts concerning the importance of vaccinations? 

"People with compromised immune systems often cannot be vaccinated against measles. Even when vaccinated, they may not have a good immune response when exposed to disease; they may be especially vulnerable to disease outbreaks," wrote DOH spokesman Donn Moyer in a statement.

A prime example as to how herd immunity should have worked but for the gaps caused by the inane ravings of anti-vaxxers such as you.

The USA has suffered its first measles death in 12 years, according to Washington state health officials.

The woman's measles was undetected and confirmed only through an autopsy, according to the Washington State Department of Health. The woman's name was not released, but officials said she lived in Clallam County.

The woman was probably exposed to measles at a medical facility during a measles outbreak this spring, according to the health department. She was at the hospital at the same time as a patient who later developed a rash and was diagnosed with measles. Patients with measles can spread the virus even before showing symptoms.

The woman, who died of pneumonia, had other health conditions and was taking medications that suppressed her immune system, the health department said.

Pneumonia is one of several serious common complications of measles and the most common cause of death from the virus, said William Schaffner, a professor at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville. Measles kills one or two children out of every 1,000 infected, according to the CDC.

What is sobering,

Before vaccines were available, the disease struck 3 million to 4 million Americans a year, hospitalizing 48,000 and killing 500.

During the last major measles epidemic, from 1989 to 1991, measles infected 55,000 people and killed 166. The outbreak spurred the CDC to increase the recommended number of measles shots for children from one to two. The measure dramatically cut the number of measles cases, which hovered around 60 a year until recently.

Measles remains a leading killer of children elsewhere in the world, killing nearly 146,000 in 2013, according to the World Health Organization.

Measles kills first patient in 12 years

California Vaccination Bill SB 277 Signed By Governor, Becomes Law - Forbes

A California bill that removes all exemptions to vaccine requirements for school entry except those medically indicated has just become law. After the California Assembly passed SB 277 on Thursday and the state senate passed the same version Monday, Governor Jerry Brown signed the bill into law this morning.

“The science is clear that vaccines dramatically protect children against a number of infectious and dangerous diseases,” Brown wrote in his signing message. “While it’s true that no medical intervention is without risk, the evidence shows that immunization powerfully benefits and protects the community.”

Brown acknowledged the significant and acrimonious opposition – including comparisons to Nazi Germany – and controversy that has surrounded the bill since its inception, inspired by the outbreak of measles that began at Disneyland last winter. But he points out that any child with a medical contraindication to receiving a vaccine can still receive an exemption to attend daycare or school.

“While requiring that school children be vaccinated,” he wrote, SB 277 “explicitly provides an exception when a physician believes that circumstances – in the judgment and sound discretion of the physician – so warrant.”

The law applies to students attending any public or private school in the state, so parents who choose not to vaccinate children for non-medical reasons would need to homeschool their children. The only other states with similar immunization policies that do not allow any non-medical exemptions are Mississippi and West Virginia.

California Vaccination Bill SB 277 Signed By Governor, Becomes Law - Forbes

UPDATE::Six Year Old Boy With Diphtheria In Catalonia Dies | The Spain Report

It is with great sadness that I post the following,,,

The six year old boy in Olot (Catalonia) who became ill with diphtheria died overnight at the Vall d’Hebron hospital in Barcelona, a spokeswoman for the Catalan regional health authorities confirmed to The Spain Report by telephone.

Six Year Old Boy With Diphtheria In Catalonia Dies | The Spain Report

UPDATE::Eight more children infected with diphtheria - The Local

Catalonia’s regional ministry of health confirmed on Monday at lunchtime that a further eight cases have been detected among the school friends of the original child, but that they have not developed the illness.

All of the eight had been vaccinated against diphtheria. The children have been isolated and are being treated with antibiotics to prevent the onset of the illness.

The original six-year-old boy, a resident of Olot near Girona, is still being treated for diphtheria after first showing symptoms on May 25th. His condition is described by authorities as “serious but stable” where he is being treated at the Vall de Hebron hospital in Barcelona.

In other words, the DTP vaccination has done its job!!

Let me explain,,,

Diphtheria is caused by an exotoxin secreted by corynebacterium diphtheria.  If an individual who is vaccinated gets infected, the DTP vaccination gives the immune system the added memory to ward off the effects of the exotoxin.  More aptly stated, it teaches the immune system how to counter the diphtheria toxin.  But, as this incident shows, the infection still needs to be treated but not the effects of the exotoxin.  In essence the 8 children are asymptomatic carriers of sorts.

The regional health councillor, Boi Ruiz, said during a press conference that the eight new cases, all in children: “have not developed the illness thanks to their vaccinations, but they have been kept at home to avoid them spreading [the disease] to the 3% of children in the district of Garrotxa who are not vaccinated”.

“We swabbed 57 children near to the infected [child] and the bacteria is present in eight.”

So I will say again, this is a perfect example of a vaccine doing the "job" it was "designed" for.

Eight more children infected with diphtheria - The Local

Parents of diphtheria-stricken boy feel “tricked” by anti-vaccination groups | In English | EL PAÍS

For those that think not vaccinating your child(ren) has no consequence,,,

The parents of the six-year-old boy who became the first person to contract diphtheria in Spain since 1987 said they feel “tricked” by the anti-vaccination groups they once admired.

“The family is devastated and admit that they feel tricked, because they were not properly informed,” said Catalan public health chief Antoni Mateu. “They have a deep sense of guilt, which we are trying to rid them of.”
 
The child remains in critical condition in the intensive care unit of Vall d’Hebron hospital in Barcelona.

The health department said that the patient was responding well to the treatment – an anti-toxin that had to be urgently imported from Russia and France as it had not been prescribed in Spain for three decades. Madrid issued an international call for help, and the Russian ambassador to Spain managed to get the first dose flown in from Moscow earlier this week.

“The anti-toxin is doing its job, and we see that in the way things are getting resolved, but we cannot predict how it will progress,” warned Mateu.

The health official rejected the possibility of charging the parents for the treatment their son is receiving.

“In no way are we considering that option. There are two victims here: the child and the parents,” said Mateu

Parents of diphtheria-stricken boy feel “tricked” by anti-vaccination groups | In English | EL PAÍS

Tetanus infection in Ontario child prompts calls from worried parents - Toronto - CBC News

News that an unvaccinated Ontario boy is in hospital with a dangerous tetanus infection is prompting calls from worried parents seeking information on how to get their children vaccinated.

The Grey Bruce Health Unit has had numerous inquiries since word of the case hit the news over the weekend, said Dr. Christine Kennedy, the unit's associate medical officer of health. The health authority is headquartered in Owen Sound, about a 2.5-hour drive northwest of Toronto.

The unidentified six-year-old had been transferred to London, Ont., for intensive care. But his condition has improved and he was moved to a pediatric care bed over the weekend, Kennedy said.

The child had not been vaccinated against tetanus, which causes a painful and life-threatening condition better known as lockjaw.

Tetanus is caused by an infection with the bacteria Clostridium tetani. C tetani spores are ubiquitous, found in soil, dust and manure, and infection occurs when spores make their way into a cut or a wound.

The name lockjaw comes from the severe muscle contractions that are triggered by the toxin the bacteria produce. The spasms are so strong, in fact, that people can suffer broken bones. They can also interfere with breathing.


Tetanus infections are fatal in a significant portion of cases, with the proportion varying by the age of the person infected. In young children, between 20 and 30 per cent of infections lead to death, said Dr. Shelley Deeks, Public Health Ontario's medical director for immunization and vaccine preventable disease.

"It is a very awful disease," Deeks said.

There is no specific remedy for tetanus, though people who contract the infection may be given an anti-toxin and are often treated with sedatives to control the spasms.

Once more common, tetanus is now rare because most people are vaccinated against it.

Children are supposed to get four doses of vaccine containing tetanus protection at two, four, six, and 18 months of age, with a booster shot between four and six years old. The vaccine also protects against diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), hemophilus influenzae type B and polio. Adults need tetanus booster shots every 10 years.

Everyone needs to be vaccinated against tetanus because the disease is not one where so-called herd immunity can develop, Kennedy noted.

Tetanus infection in Ontario child prompts calls from worried parents - Toronto - CBC News

Anti-vaxx scientist whines about being ‘discredited’ as he pushes vaccine fears on Orange County moms

How many more lives have to be damaged or lost before people stop taking this man seriously? How many children have to suffer before parents look at the actual science behind vaccines and not the work of a fraud. "It is the greatest happiness of the greatest number that is the measure of right and wrong." In other words, "the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one."  In our case, the health and safety of our nation, outweigh the "rights" of the few.  As a parent you do not have a “right” or a “choice” to put others (or even your children) in danger because you refuse to understand how modern medicine and science work.

During a conference in Orange County held by the group Moms in Charge, Wakefield complained that his career as a scientist had been ruined.

“As someone who has published science for a long, long time I’ve realized that they can simply destroy that,” he said during the April conference. “You can destroy a career of a scientist in five minutes — in five minutes. And it will take a lifetime to restore — if ever. It is so easily done.”

“There is no smoke without fire,” Wakefield continued. “You mentioned the word fraud, and it is all over. One of the things I have noticed about our community is that they play into the pharmaceutical industry’s public relations line. They say ‘discredited, discredited.’ Every article you write, write ‘discredited’ before Wakefield. ‘Discredited, discredited, discredited’ until it sinks into the consciousness of everybody.”

“And even our own people who know this is going on say, look, we can’t appear on a stage or in an article or support whatever that person is doing because they’ve made them discredited. What do we do by doing that? We fulfil the agenda of the public relations company of the pharmaceutical industry.”

Anti-vaxx scientist whines about being ‘discredited’ as he pushes vaccine fears on Orange County moms

In response to all the debate concerning SB 277,,,

The SkepVet has put together a nice blog post in support of this measure with some useful links, additional information about the legislation, and sources of information concerning the relevant vaccines.  As noted, "Opponents of this legislation include extreme anti-vaccine activists who have likened the measure to the Nazi Holocaust and have threatened violence against legislators who support it. Though misguided and misinformed, these views could intimidate politicians into not taking action on this important issue, so it is important that they hear from more moderate citizens with all points of view."   A comment also provides some serious yet comical relief:

What one of the anti-vaccination movement’s least favorite doctors discovered about Jesus - The Washington Post

Historical expressions of care for the sick, Offit said, are aligned with “the religion of Jesus.” He has little patience for Christian practices (“religion about Jesus”) that place children in harm’s way by pitting modern medicine against faith.

Those who insist that medical treatment is unnecessary “because Jesus is my doctor” are promoting ideas antithetical to Jesus’s values, he said. Offit has not converted to Christianity, but he has newfound respect for the religion that motivated people to abolish slavery and establish the Red Cross.

“Stating a religious belief is seen as a kind of immunity from responsibility,” Offit said.

Offit believes that religious exemptions to vaccinations — and the freedom for parents to refuse medical treatment on behalf of their children — should not be allowed. “It’s not much different from child sacrifice,” he said. To others, removing the religious shield currently protecting parents in most states is an example of government overreach and a violation of the free exercise of religion.

What one of the anti-vaccination movement’s least favorite doctors discovered about Jesus - The Washington Post

The Black Death is back, and so are these other diseases you thought were gone

For those of us who live in the sanitized safety of our shiny, seemingly germ-free world of hand sanitizers, wet wipes and anti-bacterial everything, it's sometimes hard to imagine diseases that have been all but eradicated in the last few decades ever making a comeback.

At the beginning of the 20th century, life expectancy in the United States was 47 years, and today's newborns are expected to live 79 years.


However, in recent years, some of the deadly diseases that we thought were the stuff of history books are back with a vengeance in many parts of the world — and not just in developing countries.

Why are preventable diseases making a comeback?

[,,,]
So far, only one human disease has been completely eradicated: small pox. Now, we find ourselves battling outbreaks of diseases we thought we had defeated years ago. Here are some of them,,,

The Black Death is back, and so are these other diseases you thought were gone

Teachers not included in mandatory vaccination efforts - Local: In The Peninsula

Student vaccination rates and immunization records have been in the news for months, but important data is missing from the statistics: that of teachers and administrators who are around children five days a week.

A measles outbreak at Vista Murrieta High School in Riverside County, Calif., required the state to review student immunization records. Although the documentation with students’ vaccine information was easy to find, that of their teachers and the school’s staff was not.

“The staff was required to provide proof that they had either had measles or were immunized,” said Karen Parris, a representative for Vista Murrieta High School.

Because some of the staff is older, their records were not easily available. The California Department of Public Health worked with the school and said those born before 1957 were considered to have immunity from measles because of its prevalence in past decades.

California schools have no laws requiring teachers to provide immunization history.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if there are legislation changes soon for what is required for teachers after these measles outbreaks,” said Renee Lang, the communications director for the National Association of State Boards of Education. “But no legislation has been written or proposed just yet.”

Teachers not included in mandatory vaccination efforts - Local: In The Peninsula

Alex Jones Defends "Listener" Rand Paul On Vaccines By Attacking "Whore," "Trash, Tramp, Filth, Scum" CNBC Anchor | Blog | Media Matters for America

With a friend like this who needs enemies. Rand Paul may not have said these vile words himself, but they were said by his most vocal supporter, and therefore, it’s his responsibility to clean up the mess.

Very painful to watch, be forwarned!!
__
Jones said "Rachel Maddow, Obama, Fox News, Bill O'Reilly, all of them, attacking anybody that tells the truth. They're just like, 'There are no side effects, it's totally safe, and it will protect you, you will not get the measles, if you get this shot.' All pure bull. Doesn't protect you. Can give you the measles -- super dangerous."

He later added that the government is trying to "bully us into medical tyranny. That's what Obamacare is. It's a bunch of forced inoculations, rationing the care. This is the same government that puts troops on secret no treatment lists to die. They don't have the moral authority to tell us anything with their history of secret testing and the rest of it! It's sick! It's a sick joke! Man -- these people make me want to throw up."

Jones then proceeded to attack Closing Bell co-anchor Evans with misogynistic language for challenging Paul about vaccines during her February 2 interview. Jones called her "a media whore. She's there to whore out the American people and sell us lies. She's not a whore, she's a pimp." Jones concluded that people like Evans (a "dumb lady") are "signing on to a system of murder, you little piece of trash, tramp, filth, scum woman! You arrogant piece of garbage! I'm sick of all you people up there lecturing us. She's the type of woman that wants Super Bowl ads to say, 'Sorry you had a boy.' All a bunch of pinhead cult members."

Jones praised Paul for his vaccine stance, saying he and father Ron Paul "have some basic morals, folks. They know how dangerous the vaccines are. They know what's in the inserts. They're not just going to go along with the system and lie ... that's why I like Rand Paul."

The host concluded his rant by saying "Rand Paul knows what's going on. He's a good guy. He's a listener."

Alex Jones Defends "Listener" Rand Paul On Vaccines By Attacking "Whore," "Trash, Tramp, Filth, Scum" CNBC Anchor | Blog | Media Matters for America

Two Infants Too Young For Vaccinations Contract Measles From Unvaccinated People At Disneyland | ThinkProgress

California officials issued a health alert this week over a measles outbreak that appears to have originated at Disneyland theme parks. Nine cases of the highly contagious virus have been confirmed so far in people who recently visited the tourist destination — most of whom haven’t been vaccinated against measles.

Health officials have tracked nine measles cases in California and Utah and are working to confirm an additional three suspected cases. They say that one infected person probably spread the virus throughout the parks. The infected people range from eight months to 21 years old.

Eight of the nine people who have come down with measles have not received the recommended vaccinations against it. Two of the cases involve children who are too young to receive the measles vaccine and are dependent upon herd immunity to protect them from the disease.

Two Infants Too Young For Vaccinations Contract Measles From Unvaccinated People At Disneyland | ThinkProgress

How to convince the world that vaccines are the ultimate evil. Step one: Buy yourself a Congressman | The Poxes Blog

What do you do if you’re in desperate need of some sort of validation about your misguided, uninformed, fraud-driven beliefs about vaccines? Do you fund more research into vaccine technology and how to make it “safer”? Do you use your money to fund autism programs that look to make the lives of autistics better at all levels? Or do you find a Congressman who will believe your drivel and give you some sort of credibility and pour money into his coffer?

If you’re a reasonable person, and you have a lot of money, and you’re worried about autistics, you would be inclined to fund organizations and programs that look to advocate for autistics (and other people with developmental disabilities). You might contact your representatives in Congress, maybe even the President, but you would know better than to give them any money directly. After all, you’re always going to have an elected representative. There is always going to be someone to answer the phone when you call Congress. So why give money to them? Let them get their own money.

Ah, but if you’re not a reasonable person, you believe in all sorts of conspiracies, and people are making fun of you over your delusions about vaccines and autism, well, then you need to buy yourself a Congressman. How do you do that? By paying between $500 and $1,500 just to meet and greet the person who is most likely to give you a sympathetic ear in congress. Lately, that person has been Representative Bill Posey from the Florida 8th Congressional District.

How to convince the world that vaccines are the ultimate evil. Step one: Buy yourself a Congressman | The Poxes Blog

Religious exemptions to vaccines shouldn't exist | Finding Faith, Finding Home

An interesting read as I never quite knew how one could "justify" the anti-vac position biblically. As Stone points out, you can't (definitely something to explore,,,hmm).

One comment that struck me: "By the way, this summer being the centennial of the outbreak of World War I, it may be interesting to note that the U.S. Army lost more men to the 1918 flu than it did to German guns."
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“God Does Not Support Vaccines” is a remarkable example of scaremongering. The Big, Bad Government, Megan alleges, is steadily chipping away at the religious exemption currently allowed by 48 states. When that happens, you’ll have to home school, but even then, you can’t rest, because They Will Be Coming For You.

In some states, religious exemptions are simple to get. In others, it’s more complicated. Iowa, for example, requires that the parent demonstrate that

“immunization conflicts with a genuine and sincere religious belief and that the belief is in fact religious, and not based merely on philosophical, scientific, moral, personal, or medical opposition to immunizations.”

(Twenty other states allow a “personal belief” exemption, meaning that parents can simply decide, for whatever reason, that they don’t want their kids vaccinated and that is that.)

Megan’s post, as the title suggests, seems an attempt to offer vaccine skeptics a “genuine and sincere” belief “that is in fact religious,” this despite the fact that, as Judge William F. Kuntz II of Brooklyn’s Federal District Court noted in January, SCOTUS decisions have 

“strongly suggested that religious objectors are not constitutionally exempt from vaccination.”

[,,,]
,,,Megan’s “religious” objections are founded on very shaky theological ground. She cites Genesis 1:31, the creation account, as ‘proof’ that vaccines contradict God’s will:

 “God saw all that he had made and ‘it was very good.’ God’s perfect. Nothing further needed.”

[,,,]
If you truly believe that vaccine-free is best, get on a plane with your kids and go to one of the countries where measles, mumps, diphtheria, and polio are not even close to eradicated. Then realize anyone from there can come into your community, your school, your church, your grocery store and start an outbreak — if not in you, than in the vulnerable people you come in contact with you. And if that truly doesn’t bother your conscience, you don’t deserve a religious exemption of any kind, since virtually every religion includes something like this: take care of others as you’d take care of yourself.

Religious exemptions to vaccines shouldn't exist | Finding Faith, Finding Home

MN measles outbreak traced to single child in Somali community fearful of vaccine myth

A new study published in the journal Pediatrics identified Patient Zero in the new measles epidemic as a 30-month-old child from Minnesota who had recently traveled to Kenya.

The unvaccinated child of Somali descent lived within an immigrant community in Minneapolis that had a low rate for measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination, and contracted the disease while overseas. The child presented few symptoms of the disease upon reentering the United States, and proceeded to spread the infection to one member of the household and three children in a day-care center.

By the time the infant was diagnosed, over 3,000 people were exposed to the disease — most of them in the Somali subpopulation, where the vaccination rate had dropped from 91 percent in 2004 to 54 percent in 2010. Of the 21 cases in which an exposed individual presented with symptoms, 16 of them were not vaccinated.

Now I know what some may say, what about the other five, those that where vaccinated? Why did they present with symptoms (and notice it said symptoms) ? Doesn't that mean that vaccines don't work?

Here is how I understand it,,,

No vaccine is 100 per cent effective and vaccines are not an impenetrable force field. While it is still POSSIBLE to get the disease you’ve been vaccinated against, the disease severity and duration will be reduced. In other words fewer complications.

And this is where the concept of herd immunity comes into play, a level of vaccination that prevents epidemics or outbreaks from taking hold and spreading. ",,,[M]ost of them in the Somali subpopulation, where the vaccination rate had dropped from 91 percent in 2004 to 54 percent in 2010." That is an example of the breakdown of herd immunity.

Vaccination is not just a personal issue; it’s a community responsibility.

MN measles outbreak traced to single child in Somali community fearful of vaccine myth

VacciShield: Pixie dust for an imaginary threat « Science-Based Medicine

,,,Instead I’d like to focus on another part of the sCAM spectrum. Here lies a form of sCAM that, in some ways, is even more difficult for me to comprehend. These are products invented, marketed, and sold solely for the treatment or prevention of fictitious diseases or problems that exist only in the realm of fantasy.

A mother-naturopath by the name of Catherine Clinton has identified a little known condition that has launched her career as a producer and seller of one of the newest health-maintaining elixirs. At $27.99 USD for 1.36 ounces, she’s probably doing all right. It’s not a condition, exactly, that her elixir is aimed at. It’s more of a, well, I guess you can call it a state of unsupported peri-vaccination health, or something. In her own words, VacciShield was designed to “fill a gap that we saw in the vaccination process”. To be a little more specific, ND Clinton explains on her company’s website:

I became concerned about vaccinating my son and wanted another option to support him during vaccinations. I looked to the research to see if there was something I could do nutritionally to support health during this vulnerable time. So we created VacciShield to fill a gap that we saw in the vaccination process. VacciShield is designed for infants and kids to help support healthy brain, immune, gastrointestinal and detoxification function during vaccination.

The gap in the vaccination process she refers to is clearly something she found missing from her child’s routine pediatric care. A gap she has identified that, if not filled, places children at risk. At risk from what is not made clear anywhere on the company’s website. But since VacciShield is intended to support healthy brain, immune, gastrointestinal, and detoxifying function, I’m assuming she believes these body systems are at some sort of risk from vaccinations. Actually, it’s pretty clear what she’s referring to by her albeit vague terminology. And the name VacciShield is certainly not ambiguous. It is meant to shield children from the potentially damaging effects of vaccines, while still presumably allowing the benefits of the vaccines to slip through.

[,,,]
Based on the ingredients she has chosen to include in this product, and the references she cites in support of them, it seems that ND Clinton’s concerns about vaccinating her son are fueled by just about every vaccine myth out there, including Wakefield’s MMR-induced leaky gut-autism myth, the too-many too-soon gambit, the glutathione-deficiency vaccine-induced autism hypothesis, the thimerosal-induced neurotoxicity myth, the intestinal flora dysregulation and autism hypothesis, and probably others all thrown into the mix.


VacciShield: Pixie dust for an imaginary threat « Science-Based Medicine

How anti-vaxxers fuel the spread of polio – Keren Landsman – Aeon

"We had to convince people with healthy children to vaccinate them again, not for their own safety, but for the public good"
__
Fascinating read., a first person account of battling polio from the front lines and the damage done by anti-vaxxers in destroying "herd immunity.". Shows the importance of global organizations such as WHO,,,

Polio should have been eradicated long ago, at least in the developed world. After all, we’ve had a good, efficient vaccine for 60 years. So why is polio still here? And what is it doing in my country?

Israel is the original start-up nation, powered by high-tech and science, with some of the most sophisticated medical research in the world. We have come a long way from the 1950s, when polio was still with us and the signature experience was living on a Kibbutz. We are a modern, wired nation, but we forgot one thing: we still live in the Middle East. We have great weather, plenty of sunshine, lovely beaches, and two relatively nearby countries – Pakistan and Afghanistan – where the wild polio virus still roams free.

Shortly before polio returned to Israel, it hit the sewers of Egypt, our neighbour to the south, in December 2012. Egypt, like Israel, already vaccinated widely – so someone from Pakistan must have entered Egypt, used a toilet, and excreted polio into the sewer system around Cairo, probably infecting some Egyptians along the way. Egyptian physicians could find no cases of polio paralysis, the most devastating outcome of the disease, and that made sense: 95 per cent of people infected with polio show no symptoms and never become sick. But Egypt knew paralysis would be next if the virus was allowed to spread. So Egypt fought back. A nationwide campaign was initiated, and more than 14 million Egyptian children were vaccinated against polio. Within a month, the Egyptians had vanquished polio from its sewers and its country, yet again.

[,,,]
Analysing the situation, the Israeli government looked at the global data collected by the World Health Organization: it turned out that in nations at risk, a combination of the two vaccines could work best. A single, previous IPV shot made of dead virus could protect against the spread of vaccine-associated polio from the live vaccine. The live vaccine, meanwhile, would prevent the virus from taking root in the gut, where it might spread out to infect the vulnerable and exposed.

How anti-vaxxers fuel the spread of polio – Keren Landsman – Aeon

Whooping cough bounces back | Science News

Very interesting history of Whooping Cough, its vaccine and repercussions,,,

Whooping cough has turned up in North America after decades of near absence, and we have only ourselves to blame.

In the last several years, the highly contagious microbe that causes whooping cough has spawned a string of outbreaks, adeptly piercing the shield of vaccination that once afforded solid protection against it. The last time whooping cough was this pervasive in the United States, Dwight Eisenhower was president and newscasters were smoking cigarettes on TV.

Caused by the Bordetella pertussis bacterium, whooping cough is emerging from the shadows in response to a fateful switch of vaccines embraced in the 1990s, just when it seemed the disease was licked. The vaccine used today has proved less potent than its predecessor. Meanwhile, curious changes are appearing in the pertussis bacterium itself, possibly in response to the weaker vaccine, and they may further undermine its effect. To top it off, a phobia against vaccines has induced some parents to skip or delay their kids’ shots, contributing to the disease’s spread.

“The newer vaccine’s protection wanes over time, the pathogen is morphing and more patients aren’t getting vaccinated on time,” says Jason Glanz, an epidemiologist at the University of Colorado Denver and the Kaiser Permanente Institute for Health Research Colorado. “Put them together and you get greatly increased risk.”

Whooping cough bounces back | Science News

WICS NewsChannel 20 :: News - Top Stories - Measles Outbreak Spreads to Illinois

It's a disease that usually infects 60 people throughout the United States over the course of one year. But this year the number of measles cases has already more than doubled, and spread to people in 13 states, including Illinois.

There are only a handful of cases in the Land of Lincoln, the closest cases reported in Macomb.

But here's the thing: Doctors say measles is highly contagious and if you're not vaccinated there's a good chance you could add to the outbreak.

"So a lot of these old time diseases, we're starting to see a rise of all of them," Dr. Valarie Thompson of the Hospital Sisters Health System said.

The measles is the most recent.

WICS NewsChannel 20 :: News - Top Stories - Measles Outbreak Spreads to Illinois