Comments on: This is the first of no doubt many occasions that I will utter my husband’s new perfect curse

By: Sometimes one WTF? is not nearly enough — Hoyden About Town

Sometimes one WTF? is not nearly enough — Hoyden About Town — Mon, 04 May 2009 03:00:26 +0000

[...] P.S. if you’re about to argue that autism is due to vaccines, please don’t. Go and do some reading instead. [...]

By: derrida derider

derrida derider — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 06:48:06 +0000

The PatriarchoGovernmentoMedicoIndustrial complex doesn’t promote immunisation enough, for the simple reason that there’s not much money in it. They’d make a lot more money selling medicines to treat the diseases than they ever would from vaccines. The PGMI complex has a bias towards expensive treatments that manage chronic diseases of the affluent, not cheap ways to prevent acute illnesses in children.

And yes, that researher is scum. But that doesn’t excuse all the alternative medicine believers who bought it all – ignoring the massive weight of counterevidence – because it confirmed their prejudices.

By: Margaret

Margaret — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 11:54:02 +0000

The problem with not getting the MMR vaccines or having enough of the population be vaccinated is running the risk of being sick long enough or being a carrier of them long enough for them to mutate into completely horrible illnesses that mimic degenerate diseases.

It’s not only avoiding the original diseases themselves that is so important; it’s preventing the other and more potentially fatal diseases they may develop into.

By: On peer review and fraud | Mystery Rays from Outer Space

On peer review and fraud | Mystery Rays from Outer Space — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 15:10:58 +0000

[...] Hoyden About Town, I said (in part): There’s been lots of criticism of The Lancet for publishing this study [...]

By: Rebekka

Rebekka — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 03:51:58 +0000

“Rebekka: it’s probably also important to note (and I know you likely know this) that some immunisations are done early because the diseases kill very young children, and immunisation reduces that risk: pertussis and Hib are the obvious examples here. ”

Yes, absolutely and I didn’t mean at all to suggest that wasn’t the case.

By: Ian

Ian — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 03:33:26 +0000

SunlessNick : We’ve had a couple of minor measles outbreaks in the last few years in the UK, which are likely due to reduced vaccination rates, but they didn’t turn into major ones.

Not sure what you call a major outbreak. “2007 saw the highest number of measles cases reported in England and Wales since current surveillance began in 1995, with 971 confirmed cases reported, compared with 740 reported in 2006. … There are increasing signs that the middle classes in the United Kingdom may also now be an at-risk group [7,8], due to parents’ active decisions not to immunise their children with the MMR vaccine. ” –Eurosurveillance, Volume 13, Issue 15, 10 April 2008

Two children in the UK died of measles.

Admittedly, that’s “minor” compared to the global death toll of measles (a mere 200,000 deaths per year — vaccination has reduced that from 750,000 deaths per year over the past decade), but in context the UK outbreaks are pretty major.

Two children died.

By: SunlessNick

SunlessNick — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 03:21:23 +0000

I’m sure people have died because of him.

We’ve had a couple of minor measles outbreaks in the last few years in the UK, which are likely due to reduced vaccination rates, but they didn’t turn into major ones. The UK is pretty prone to vaccination scares; we had one for polio a while back, which also saw a spike in cases. The trouble is, a lot of British people seem to see vaccination as a ritual, without any real significance; we’ve forgotten what these diseases are.

By: S

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 21:45:43 +0000

I’ll add my thanks to the chorus. It is near impossible to see a balanced discussion of immunisation. If you choose to immunise you are often labelled a sheep- uniformed- a pawn of the pharmaceutical companies’ greed. But to be an informed parent who chooses to immunise is hugely underrepresented. It is great to see there are others out there.
So, many thanks.

By: Faith

Faith — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 15:17:39 +0000

I’ve been a lurker here but had to come out of lurkdom to thank you for the new curse — I will make good use of it — and for this article. As a researcher, it saddens and angers me when researchers manipulate data, most especially data that can affect so many people’s health.

Thanks again.

By: Brian Deer Discusses Andrew Wakefield in the Sunday Times: Many Updates « Holford Watch: Patrick Holford, nutritionism and bad science

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 11:55:31 +0000

[...] of Hoyden About Town similarly experiences a visceral reaction and expresses it in strong terms: This is the first of no doubt many occasions that I will utter my husband’s new perfect curse. There is also a measured observation about scepticism and, effectively, whether grabbing onto any [...]