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Deadly Choices: How the Anti-Vaccine Movement Threatens Us All

Page 29

by Paul A. Offit M. D.


  165 Maher and Frist: Real Time with Bill Maher, HBO, October 2, 2009.

  165 Maher in Huffington Post: B. Maher, “Vaccination: A Conversation Worth Having,” Huffington Post, November 15, 2009.

  166 Religulous: Lionsgate Films, 2008.

  167 Maher and Microbe Hunters: B. Maher, “Vaccination: A Conversation Worth Having,” Huffington Post, November 15, 2009.

  167 Polio epidemics: Offit, Cutter.

  167 Swine flu epidemic, 2009: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/update.htm.

  167 Swine flu and pregnancy: S. Jain, L. Kamimoto, A. M. Bramley, et al., “Hospitalized Patients with 2009 H1N1 Influenza in the United States, April-June 2009,” New England Journal of Medicine 361 (2009): 1935- 1944 ; J. K. Louie, M. Acosta, D. J. Jamieson, et al., “Severe 2009 H1N1 Influenza in Pregnant Women in California,” New England Journal of Medicine 362 (2010): 27-35; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “2009 Pandemic Influenza A (H1N1) in Pregnant Women Requiring Intensive Care—New York City, 2009,” Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 59 (2010): 321-326.

  168 Edward R. Murrow and Arthur Godfrey: A. M. Brandt, The Cigarette Century: The Rise, Fall, and Deadly Persistence of the Product That Defined America (New York: Basic Books, 2007).

  168 Bernadine Healy on TV: CBS Evening News, May 12, 2008. Other quotes from Healy are taken from this program.

  169 Genetic defects in autism: K. Wang, H. Zhang, D. Ma, et al., “Common Genetic Variants on 5p14.1 Associate with Autism Spectrum Disorders,” Nature 459 (2009): 528-533; R. Moessner, C. R. Marshall, J. S. Sutcliffe, et al., “Contribution of SHANK-3 Mutations to Autism Spectrum Disorder,” American Journal of Human Genetics 81 (2007): 1289-1297; K. Garber, “Autism’s Cause May Reside in Abnormalities of the Synapse,” Science 317 (2007): 190-191; L. A. Weiss, Y. Shen, J. M. Korn, et al., “Association Between Microdeletion and Microduplication at 16p11.2 and Autism,” New England Journal of Medicine 358 (2008): 667-675.

  169 Structural differences: “A Dose of Controversy,” Dateline NBC, August 30, 2009.

  169 Studies evaluating mercury toxicity in vaccines: Institute of Medicine, Immunization Safety Review: Vaccines and Autism (Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press, 2004).

  10. Dr. Bob

  171 Sears’s book: R. W. Sears, The Vaccine Book: Making the Right Decision for Your Child (New York: Little, Brown, 2007). All quotes from Robert Sears were obtained from this source.

  172 Parents want alternative schedule: Author interview with several pediatricians.

  173 Number of immunological components in vaccines: P. A. Offit, J. Quarles, M. A. Gerber, et al., “Addressing Parents’ Concerns: Do Multiple Vaccines Overwhelm or Weaken the Infant’s Immune System?” Pediatrics 109 (2002): 124-129.

  174 Number of viral infections in first few years of life: J. H. Dingle, G. F. Badger, W. S. Jordan, Illness in the Home: A Study of 25,000 Illnesses in a Group of Cleveland Families (Cleveland: The Press of Western Reserve University, 1964).

  174 Cohn and Langman paper: M. Cohn and R. E. Langman, “The Protecton: The Unit of Humoral Immunity Selected by Evolution,” Immunological Reviews 115 (1990): 9-147.

  175 Vaccine spacing and neurological outcomes: M. J. Smith and C. R. Woods, “On-Time Vaccine Receipt in the First Year Does Not Adversely Affect Neuropsychological Outcomes,” Pediatrics 125 (2010): 1-8.

  175 Hepatitis B vaccine studies on newborns: S. M. Wheely, P. T. Jackson, E. H. Boxhall, et al., “Prevention of Perinatal Transmission of Hepatitis B Virus (HBV): A Comparison of Two Prophylactic Schedules,” Journal of Medical Virology 35 (1991): 212-215; V. C. Wong, H. M. Ip, H. W. Reesink, et al., “Prevention of the HBsAg Carrier State in Newborns of Mothers Who Are Chronic Carriers of HBsAg and HBeAg by Administration of Hepatitis-B Vaccine and Hepatitis-B Immunoglobulin: Double-Blind Randomized Placebo-Controlled Study,” The Lancet 28 (1984): 921-926; O. W. Prozesky, C. E. Stevens, W. Szmuness, et al., “Immune Response to Hepatitis B Vaccine in Newborns,” Journal of Infection 7 (suppl. I) (1983): 53-55.

  177 Studies on aluminum elimination and toxicity: N. W. Baylor, W. Egan, and P. Richman, “Aluminum Salts in Vaccines—US Perspective,” Vaccine 20 (2002): S18-S23; N. J. Bishop, R. Morley, J. P. Day, and A. Lucas, “Aluminum Neurotoxicity in Preterm Infants Receiving Intravenous-Feeding Solutions,” New England Journal of Medicine 336 (1997): 1557-1561; Committee on Nutrition, “Aluminum Toxicity in Infants and Children,” Pediatrics 97 (1996): 413-416; P. O. Ganrot, “Metabolism and Possible Health Effects of Aluminum,” Environmental Health Perspectives 65 (1986): 363-441; L. S. Keith, D. E. Jones, and C. Chou, “Aluminum Toxicokinetics Regarding Infant Diet and Vaccinations,” Vaccine 20 (2002): S13-S17; J. A. Pennington, “Aluminum Content of Food and Diets,” Food Additives and Contaminants 5 (1987): 164-232; K. Simmer, A. Fudge, J. Teubner, and S. L. James, “Aluminum Concentrations in Infant Formula,” Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health 26 (1990): 9-11.

  179 Formaldehyde: “Epidemiology of Chronic Occupational Exposure to Formaldehyde: Report of the Ad Hoc Panel on Health Aspects of Formaldehyde,” Toxicology and Industrial Health 4 (1988): 77-90; A. T. Natarajan, F. Darroudi, C.J.M. Bussman, et al., “Evaluation of the Mutagenicity of Formaldehyde in Mammalian Cytogenetic Assays In Vivo and In Vitro,” Mutation Research 122 (1983): 355-360; H. P. Til, R. A. Woutersen, V. J. Feron, et al., “Two-Year Drinking-Water Study of Formaldehyde in Rats,” Food Chemical Toxicology 27 (1989): 77-87; F. M. Huennekens and M. J. Osborne, “Folic Acid Coenzymes and One-Carbon Metabolism,” Advances in Enzymology 21 (1959): 369-446; H. Heck, M. Casanova-Schmitz, P. B. Dodd, et al., “Formaldehyde (CH2O) Concentrations in the Blood of Humans and Fischer-344 Rats Exposed to CH2O Under Controlled Conditions,” American Industrial Hygiene Association Journal 46 (1985): 1-3.

  180 VAERS reports by personal-injury lawyers: M. J. Goodman and J. Nordin, “Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System Reporting Source: A Possible Source of Bias in Longitudinal Studies,” Pediatrics 117 (2006): 387-390.

  181 MMR vaccine causes a low platelet count: R. A. Oski and J. L. Naiman, “Effect of Live Measles Vaccine on the Platelet Count,” New England Journal of Medicine 275 (1966): 352-356.

  181 Thimerosal in vaccines doesn’t cause autism: K. M. Madsen, M. B. Lauritsen, C. B. Pedersen, et al., “Thimerosal and the Occurrence of Autism: Negative Ecological Evidence from Danish Population-Based Data,” Pediatrics 112 (2003): 604-606; A. Hviid, M. Stellfeld, J. Wohlfahrt, and M. Melbye, “Association Between Thimerosal-Containing Vaccine and Autism,” Journal of the American Medical Association 290 (2003): 1763-1766.

  181 HPV vaccine testing: J. T. Schiller, I. H. Frazer, and D. R. Lowy, “Human Papillomavirus Vaccines,” in Vaccines, 5th ed., eds. S. A. Plotkin, W. A. Orenstein, and P. A. Offit (London: Elsevier/Saunders, 2008).

  181 Pneumococcal vaccine testing: S. Black, H. Shinefield, B. Fireman, et al., “Efficacy, Safety and Immunogenicity of Heptavalent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine in Children: Northern California Kaiser Permanente Vaccine Study Center Group,” Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal 19 (2000): 187-195.

  181 Rotavirus vaccine testing: T. Vesikari, D. O. Matson, P. Dennehy, et al., “Safety and Efficacy of a Pentavalent Human-Bovine (WC3) Reassortant Rotavirus Vaccine,” New England Journal of Medicine 354 (2006): 22-33; G. M. Ruiz-Palacios, I. Perez-Schael, F. R. Velázquez, et al., “Safety and Efficacy of an Attenuated Vaccine Against Severe Rotavirus Gastroenteritis,” New England Journal of Medicine 354 (2006): 11-21.

  181 Pneumococcal infections in children: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Preventing Pneumococcal Disease Among Infants and Young Children: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP),” Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 49 (2000): 1-35.

  182 Shannon Peterson: L. Szabo, “Missed Vaccines Weaken ‘Herd Immunity’ in Children,” USA Today, January 6, 2010.

  182 Anti-vaccine activists and adders, bats: Durbach, Bodily Matters, 114.

  182 McCarth
y and vaccine ingredients: http:///www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDe_PAltC1A; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mBqta02d68&feature=related.

  182 Prion biology: P. A. Offit, R. L. Davis, and D. Gust, “Vaccine Safety,” in Vaccines, 5th ed., eds. S. A. Plotkin, W. A. Orenstein, and P. A. Offit (London: Elsevier/Saunders, 2008).

  183 Hepatitis B infections in children: G. L. Armstrong, E. F. Mast, M. Wojczynski, and H. S. Margolis, “Childhood Hepatitis B Virus Infections in the United States Before Hepatitis B Immunization,” Pediatrics 108 (2001 ): 1123-1128.

  186 Diphtheria in the Russian Federation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Diphtheria Outbreak—Russian Federation, 1990-1993,” Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 42 (1993): 840-847.

  186 Hib in the United States: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Invasive Haemophilus Influenzae Type B Disease in Five Young Children—Minnesota, 2008,” Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 58 (2008): 1-3; D. Sapatkin, “A Fatal Link in Vaccine Shortage,” Philadelphia Inquirer, April 1, 2009.

  188 Mehmet Oz on TV: The Joy Behar Show, January 12, 2010.

  188 Oz and Roizen book: M. Oz and M. Roizen, YOU: Having a Baby: The Owner’s Manual to a Happy and Healthy Pregnancy (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2009). All subsequent references to Oz’s and Roizen’s view of vaccines is taken from this source.

  190 FDA warning about rotavirus vaccine: Food and Drug Administration, “FDA Public Health Notification: Information on RotaTeq and Intussusception,” February 13, 2007.

  190 CDC study on rotavirus vaccine and intussusception: P. Haber, M. Patel, H. S. Izurieta, et al., “Post-Licensure Monitoring of Intussusception After RotaTeq Vaccination in the United States, February 1, 2006-September 25, 2007,” Pediatrics 121 (2008): 1206-1212.

  11. Trust

  193 Christian Scientists and public responsibility: Fraser, Perfect Child, 177-178.

  193 Whitney case: Ibid., 271-272.

  193 Sutherland case: Ibid., 276-277.

  194 Cornelius case: Ibid., 277-279.

  194 Sheridan case: Ibid., 279-284.

  194 Swan case: Ibid., 285-298.

  194 Walker case: Ibid., 298-300.

  195 Twitchell case: Ibid., 303-305.

  195 King case: Ibid., 305-309.

  195 McKown case: Ibid., 310-317.

  195 States repealing religious exemptions: Ibid., 337.

  196 Hinman regarding exemptions: Author interview with Alan Hinman, December 7, 2009.

  196 Orenstein regarding exemptions: Author interview with Walter Orenstein, December 18, 2009.

  196 Influenza virus in hospitals: G. A. Poland, P. Tosh, and R. M. Jacobson, “Requiring Influenza Vaccination for Healthcare Workers: Seven Truths We Must Accept,” Vaccine 23 (2005): 2251-2255.

  197 Hospitals mandate influenza vaccine: T. Redlup, “Hospital Workers Fired After Refusing Flu Vaccine,” Vaccine News Daily, January 14, 2010, http://vaccinenewsdaily.com/news/211617-hospital-workers-fired-after-refusing-flu-vaccine.

  197 Influenza vaccine policy at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia: E. Smith, “At CHOP, No Flu, No Job. No Sense?” Philadelphia Daily News, December 5, 2009.

  198 Brad Dyer and manifesto: C. K. Johnson, “1 in 4 Parents Believe Vaccines Cause Autism,” Associated Press, March 1, 2010.

  198 Dyer’s vaccine policy: B. J. Dyer, R. C. Duncheskie, A. Lehovich, et al., “All Star Pediatrics’ Vaccine Policy Statement,” AAP News 29 (2008): 26.

  199 Dyer on parent response: C. K. Johnson, “1 in 4 Parents Believe Vaccines Cause Autism,” Associated Press, March 1, 2010.

  199 Salamone on CDC officials: Author interview with John Salamone, December 4, 2009.

  200 Orenstein on being human: Author interview with Walter Orenstein, December 18, 2009.

  200 Attkisson regarding Every Child by Two: “Follow the Money,” Sharyl Attkisson and Katie Couric, CBS Evening News, July 25, 2008.

  201 Attkisson regarding AAP: Ibid.

  203 Orenstein regarding conspiracy theories: Author interview with Walter Orenstein, December 18, 2009.

  203 David Aaronovitch regarding conspiracy theories: D. Aaronovitch, “A Conspiracy-Theory Theory,” Wall Street Journal, December 19-20, 2009.

  204 Rebecca Estepp on TV: World News Tonight, ABC, March 12, 2010.

  204 Estepp in New York Times: D. G. McNeil, Jr., “3 Rulings Find No Link to Vaccines and Autism,” New York Times, March 12, 2010.

  205 Penny Heaton speech: Author witnessed this presentation in 2005.

  Epilogue

  207 NPR program: “Ruining It for the Rest of Us,” This American Life, National Public Radio, December 19, 2008, www.thisamericanlife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?sched=1275 .

  210 Yarkin: Author interview with Celina Yarkin, February 10, 2010.

  214 Flint: E. Carlyle, “Rare Hib Disease Increases in Minnesota: Is the AntiVaccine Movement to Blame?” City Pages: The News and Arts Weekly of the Twin Cities, June 3, 2009; L. Szabo, “Missed Vaccines Weaken ‘Herd Immunity’ in Children,” USA Today, January 6, 2010.

  SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

  Allen, Arthur. Vaccine: The Controversial Story of Medicine’s Greatest Lifesaver. New York: W. W. Norton, 2007.

  Benson, T. W., and C. Anderson. Reality Fictions: The Films of Frederick Wiseman , 2nd ed. Carbondale and Edwardsville: Southern Illinois University Press, 2002.

  Boyce, Tammy. Health, Risk and News: The MMR Vaccine and the Media. New York: Peter Lang, 2007.

  Brunton, Deborah. The Politics of Vaccination: Practice and Policy in England, Wales, Ireland, and Scotland, 1800-1874. Rochester, NY: University of Rochester Press, 2008.

  Cather, Willa, and Georgine Milmine, The Life of Mary Baker Eddy & the History of Christian Science. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1993.

  Colgrove, James. State of Immunity: The Politics of Vaccination in Twentieth-Century America. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2006.

  Durbach, Nadja. Bodily Matters: The Anti-Vaccination Movement in England, 1853-1907. Durham, N.C.: Duke University Press, 2005.

  Eddy, Mary Baker. Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. Boston: First Church of Christ, Scientist, 1875.

  Fitzpatrick, Michael. MMR and Autism: What Parents Need to Know. London: Routledge, 2004.

  ———. Defeating Autism: A Damaging Delusion. London: Routledge, 2009.

  Fraser, Caroline. God’s Perfect Child : Living and Dying in the Christian Science Church. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1999.

  Goldacre, Ben. Bad Science. London: Fourth Estate, 2008.

  Gostin, Lawrence. Public Health Law: Power, Duty, Restraint. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2008.

  Kabat, Geoffrey. Hyping Health Risks: Environmental Hazards in Daily Life and the Science of Epidemiology. New York: Columbia University Press, 2008.

  Leavitt, Judith. Typhoid Mary: Captive to the Public’s Health. Boston: Beacon Press, 1996.

  Offit, Paul. The Cutter Incident: How America’s First Polio Vaccine Led to the Growing Vaccine Crisis. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 2005.

  ———. Vaccinated: One Man’s Quest to Defeat the World’s Deadliest Diseases. New York: Smithsonian Books, 2007.

  ———. Autism’s False Prophets: Bad Science, Risky Medicine, and the Search for a Cure. New York: Columbia University Press, 2008.

  Oshinsky, David. Polio: An American Story. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 2005.

  Schoepflin, Rennie B. Christian Science on Trial: Religious Healing in America. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2003.

  Sommerville, C. John. How the News Makes Us Dumb: The Death of Wisdom in an Information Society. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1999.

  Tucker, Jonathan. Scourge: The Once and Future Threat of Smallpox. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 2001.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  I wish to thank T. J. Kelleher for his wisdom, humor, scientific knowledge, and deft editorial hand; Andrew Zack for guiding me through the narrow streets of the p
ublishing business; Bojana Ristich and Christine Arden for their lessons on logic, style, and form; Erica Johnson for her research assistance; Patrick Fitzgerald, Susan Martin, Don Mitchell, John O’Brien, Carl Offit, Bonnie Offit, Emily Offit, and Will Offit for their careful reading of the manuscript; and Jennifer Bard-well, Jeff Bergelson, Samuel Berkovic, Matt Carey, James Cherry, Kristen Feemster, Mark Feinberg, David Gorski, Lawrence Gostin, Penny Heaton, Alan Hinman, Phil Johnson, Matthew Kronman, Gary Marshall, Charlotte Moser, Sheila Nolan, Glen Nowak, Walter Orenstein, Georges Peter, Larry Pickering, Amy Pisani, Stanley Plotkin, Lisa Randall, Ken Reibel, Lance Rodewald, Lucy Rorke-Adams, John Salamone, David Salisbury, William Schaffner, Jason Schwartz, Alison Singer, Michael Smith, Mike Stanton, Kirsten Thistle, Dan Thomasch, Tom Vernon, Deborah Wexler, Margaret Williams, and Karie Youngdahl for their recollections of the vaccine controversy as well as their expertise.

  I would also like to acknowledge the bravery of Ira Flatow, John Hamilton, Gardiner Harris, Claudia Kalb, Ron Lin, Anita Manning, Chris Mooney, Anahad O’Connor, Jon Palfreman, Rahul Parikh, Amanda Peet, Ami Schmitz, Nancy Snyderman, Michael Specter, Travis Stork, John Stossel, Liz Szabo, Trine Tsouderos, and Amy Wallace for their willingness to stand up for the science of vaccine safety independent of the cost.

  INDEX

  AAP. See American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)

  Aaronovitch, David

  ACIP. See Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)

  ACVL. See Anti-Compulsory Vaccination League (ACVL)

 

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