Celebrities Who Support Vaccination

Jenny McCarthy has been all over the internets for the "Green Our Vaccines" campaign.  Well, not all celebrities are anti-vaccine.  Here's a selection.

• Salma Hayek, who is the North American spokesperson for the Pampers "One Pack-One Vaccine" fundraising campaign. "part of a global initiative with UNICEF to eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus (MNT), a preventable disease that claims the lives of approximately 140,000  infants and 30,000 mothers in developing countries each year - that's one death every three minutes.  The program aims to provide 45 million vaccines for mothers in need in developing countries worldwide this spring and summer"
• Kerri Russell is the spokesperson for "Silence the Sounds of Pertussis" campaign, encouraging parents to get themselves vaccinated against pertussis.
• Marissa Jaret Winokur, who is the spokesperson for the campaign against cervical cancer and for HPV vaccination.
• Jennifer Gardner promotes vaccination against influenza for young children for the Faces of Influenza campaign.
• Amanda Peet,  spokesperson for the Every Child By Two campaign: in an interview: "Frankly, I feel that parents who don't vaccinate their children are parasites."
  

Text of the Amanda Peet Interview:

Peet's analytical urges are comical when she's talking about kids' gear, but not when she's discussing a subject she feels is among today's most pressing public-health issues: infant vaccinations. "As soon as I was pregnant, the neuroses kicked in," says Peet, 36, who is married to screenwriter David Benioff. She began calling her older sister's husband, a Philadelphia pediatrician, "every five minutes" with all kinds of questions, especially about shots. "I asked him, 'Why are all of these necessary? Why are some people staggering them?'?" Eventually her brother-in-law arranged a series of phone calls between Peet and his own mentor, Paul Offit, M.D., who is chief of infectious diseases at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, a co-inventor of the rotavirus vaccine, and a board member of Every Child by Two, a pro-vaccine organization cofounded in 1991 by former first lady Rosalynn Carter.

"Once we had spoken, I was shocked at the amount of misinformation floating around, particularly in Hollywood," says Peet, who quickly boned up on the hot-button controversies surrounding the topic, including the unproven link between certain vaccines and autism; the safety of preservatives like mercury-based thimerosal; and the fear that the relatively high number of shots kids receive today can overwhelm young immune systems. Her conclusion? Well, not only is Frankie up-to-date on her vaccines (with no staggering), but her mom will soon appear in public-service announcements for Every Child by Two. "I buy 99 percent organic food for Frankie, and I don't like to give her medicine or put sunscreen on her," says Peet. "But now that I've done my research, vaccines do not concern me." What does concern her is the growing number of unvaccinated children who are benefiting from the "shield" created by the inoculated—we are protected from viruses only if everyone, or most everyone, is immunized: "Frankly, I feel that parents who don't vaccinate their children are parasites."

Comments

[Kellie Bischof]

Maybe someone should address the fact that Paul Offit holds a patent to a vaccine and therefore profits from the sale of the shots. Yeah, I really want to listen to this guy's opinion.

[Liz Ditz]

Part One:

Kellie Bischof is a leader of the group working to overthrow Mississippi's mandatory vaccination laws. In other words, she is a leader in the movement to reduce public health by making vaccine-preventable disease more prevalent.

Bischof's group denies the existence of "herd immunity". Her group fear-mongers about "toxins in vaccines". Her group spreads the falsehood that "vaccines overtax the immune system". Her group's website alleges that there are studies proving these false assertions, but does not provide any citations.

[Liz Ditz]

Part 2:
On second thought, the massive amount of misinformation & rhetorical manipulation Ms. Bishof packs into a few short sentences deserves a post all by itself. Stand by for tomorrow afternoon.

[Kellie Bischof]

Wow, I'm on my way to being a celebrity myself. At least on this site. Thanks, Liz Ditz!

[Kellie Bischof]

I wanted to provide the website in case anyone wanted to check it out. Our group is not anti-vaccination. We are in support of informed consent, a basic principle of ethical healthcare. Any medical procedure which involves the risk of brain damage or death (which vaccinations do) should be completely voluntary, and not coerced as they are in Mississippi.

[Kellie Bischof]

Here it is: http://parents.meetup.com/465/

[Sarah]

I don't vaccinate. I also do not consider myself a "parasite". I do not rely on herd immunity. I have made an informed decision and am prepared to accept the consequences should my child contract one of the Vaccine preventable diseases. I have studied the information provided by the CDC. I have looked at the chances of naturally contracting most diseases and having an adverse reaction vs. the chance of having an adverse reaction to the vaccines and I feel that, for my family, we are safer without the vaccines.

Autism was not my concern, (although the govt. has now admitted that in certain instances vaccines can trigger autism in individuals.) My concer, rather, was other side effects of vaccination, along with ethical concerns about the ingredients used in the manufacture of vaccines including aborted fetal tissue.

I don't think everyone needs to make my same choice, but I do appreciate my choice of health care being respected as it is my decision to make.

[Jana]

edited to add paragraph breaks for readability
Reminiscent of elementary school playgrounds, someone doesn't agree with the choices of another individual and so resort to calling names. At the very least, on the most basic level, any parent that chooses NOT to vaccinate is someone who is scared. Not because anti-vaccine members flail them with stats on death and damage, but because as a parent, there is no way to really KNOW. Unless you are a scientist, you can't really know.

Something has clicked in that parent's brain, something doesn't feel right. They're scared for their child's health. Then their government starts to take that choice away from them and they are supposed to take that as a comfort-the gov will take care of parenting for you. Most parents don't vaccinate not as choice, but out of postponement. Hoping and waiting and researching. Thinking the right answer will come soon.

As a parent, you are responsible for your child. You answer for him or for her. The government has no business making those choices for you and the more they try and bully these parents (with jail time, making chicken pox look deadly, etc) the scarier this whole issue becomes. Parent to parent, grow up. You don't call someone, fearing for their child, going against the odds..a parasite.

[Kellie Bischof]

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/07/25/cbsnews_investigates/main4296175.shtml

Check out this link. CBS News "follows the money trail" with vaccine policies. A clip:

"But CBS News has found these three have something more in common - strong financial ties to the industry whose products they promote and defend.

The vaccine industry gives millions to the Academy of Pediatrics for conferences, grants, medical education classes and even helped build their headquarters. The totals are kept secret, but public documents reveal bits and pieces."

[Joseph]

I do not rely on herd immunity.

I take it you live on a deserted island, Kellie.

[isles]

Kellie Bischof says:

"Paul Offit holds a patent to a vaccine and therefore profits from the sale of the shots."

Actually, you are mistaken, Kellie. Dr. Offit is not in a position to reap compensation from any shot, since he has never invented one. He was, however, one of the co-inventors of an orally administered rotavirus vaccine which, in its first season of use, slashed rotavirus infections to a fraction of their usual incidence, saving thousands of infants from hospitalization and preventing numerous infant deaths. And that was just in the United States! In the Third World, where Rotateq's manufacturer, Merck, has committed to distribute the vaccine due to the high burden of rotavirus morbidity and mortality in those areas, thorough distribution of Rotateq may save as many as two thousand babies from dying EVERY DAY. Every freaking day, two thousand families will get to keep their precious babies, because of the work of this scientist and his colleagues.

What was that you were saying about not thinking this guy knows anything about vaccines?

[isles]

Kellie Bischof writes:

"We are in support of informed consent, a basic principle of ethical healthcare."

Agreed! Informed consent on vaccination requires that at least this much information be given:

- When you receive a vaccine, you take an infinitesimally small chance of experiencing a serious adverse reaction.
- When you receive a vaccine, you are almost (not totally) guaranteed to become immune to a disease which is capable of maiming or killing people.
- When you protect yourself through vaccination, you also protect the people around you by eliminating their opportunity to catch the disease from you.

Kellie Bischof did not write, but should think about how stupid it sounds:

"Any activity which involves the risk of brain damage or death (which school attendance does, given that it usually involves recess and 147 U.S. children were killed playing on playgrounds between 1990 and 2000) should be completely voluntary, and not coerced as it is in Mississippi."

[isles]

Sarah writes:

"I also do not consider myself a "parasite".

Of course you don't. But you are one, whether you like it or not. Your low chances of experiencing vaccine-preventable disease are entirely attributable to the responsible decision made by others to vaccinate.

"I do not rely on herd immunity."

It's not something you sign up for at the YMCA. You are free riding on the goodwill and good sense of others whether you like the thought of it or not.

"I feel that, for my family, we are safer without the vaccines."

How nice for you. If only lethal viruses and bacteria were concerned about your feelings.

"the govt. has now admitted that in certain instances vaccines can trigger autism in individuals"

Wrong.

"ethical concerns about the ingredients used in the manufacture of vaccines including aborted fetal tissue"

Yeah, they mix in the baby parts right before the antifreeze and right after the eye of newt. You people have a rather distastefully morbid fascination with the flesh of dead babies. Interestingly, even the Vatican has approved the use of vaccines cultured on cell lines that originated from a legally aborted fetus decades ago. It's quite an accomplishment to be holier than the Pope, but Sarah has managed to do it! Let us all bow down!

[Heraldblog]

I'm shocked that somebody who spent 25 years researching the rotovirus, research that results in a vaccine that saves 2,000 lives a day, would be compensated for his work. What kind of world do we live in?

http://autism-news-beat.com/

[HCN]

Kellie Bischof said "Any medical procedure which involves the risk of brain damage or death (which vaccinations do) should be completely voluntary, and not coerced as they are in Mississippi."

Well since pertussis now kills about a dozen babies a year in the USA, and measles is making a comeback... does your website tell us exactly what the risks are to those diseases? You know, things like the 1 in 1000 chance of encephalitis, with a very real chance of death.

What real scientific evidence do you have that the DTaP vaccine is worse than pertussis, diphtheria and tetanus? How about the real scientific evidence that the MMR vaccine (which has been around since 1971 and has never contained thimerosal) is worse than mumps, rubella and measles (which killed over 120 Americans less than 20 years ago)?

Sarah, if you do not vaccinate your children, their lack of disease is presently due to herd immunity. No matter how much you deny it. With the efforts of people like Jenny McCarthy and Ms. Bishof, fewer and fewer folks are vaccinating, and the herd immunity goes away. It happened in my county, and it is presently happening in areas like Whidbey Island, WA. All you really need is to come into contact with one infected person, and the chances of your kids getting sick are fairly high. It happened here:
http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2008/07/09/news/news03.txt ... "The outbreak began when eight children in one family contracted the illness" ... just think you can have YOUR family written about just like that (oh, in other news reports three of the kids were hospitalized).

What is it about trying to deny people compensation for their intellectual efforts? Do you folks also thing that Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and the entire computing industry be denied compensation? Are you guys actually using stolen computers and software?

[TheProbe]

Dear Sarah:

I know that being called a parasite hurts. I will not call you one.

You are a freeloader, taking advantage of your neighbors concerns for the health of their children and the public health.

As for Kellie...no, you are not an anti-vaccinationst. You are one of the merchants of disease, disability and death. You are also a liar.

Do have a nice, disease free day, and thank your neighbos.

[Kellie Bischof]

Liz Ditz, Would you care to provide any evidence to your claims? Such as:

Paul Offit does not profit from vaccine sales

Vaccines do not contain aborted fetal tissue or antifreeze

The gov't has NOT admitted that in certain instances, vaccines can trigger autism in individuals

And in response to:

"What real scientific evidence do you have that the DTaP vaccine is worse than pertussis, diphtheria and tetanus?"

Tell me, Liz Ditz, what real scientific evidence do you have that the DTaP vaccine is better than pertussis, diphtheria and tetanus? (Now be certain to keep in mind the documented side effects reported each year, and the fact that the CDC has admitted that about 90% of side effects go unreported...and that SIDS has been connected to the DTP shot.)

In response to:

"Do you folks also thing that Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and the entire computing industry be denied compensation?"

No, but they're also not trying to mandate the use of their products (in order to maximize profits) under the guise of legitimate medical recommendations.

Let's step back a moment and examine what we are arguing. There isn't a whole lot of conclusive scientific evidence on either side. This is because we've never seen a large-scale, long term independent study comparing the health of vaccinated vs. non-vaccinated individuals.

The Cali-Oregon survey, which begs for that study to be conducted, showed that vaccinated children are much more likely to suffer from neurological disorders than non-vaxed kids.

http://www.rense.com/general78/unvac.htm

No one wants to see children catch diseases, but at the same time no one wants to see babies damaged by vaccines.

Perhaps there can be a balance here.

In the 1980's, the shot schedule included about 10 shots before kindergarden age.

Now in the U.S. we give 36+ doses, most of these before the age of TWO...the neurological system is still doing much developing during this time in life. With the increase in shots combined with the ingredients classified as neuro-toxins, it isn't that much of a stretch to say that the current vaccine schedule may be doing neurological harm to children.

I am not anti-vaccination. I do, however, believe that children today are being given too many shots, too soon. The shot schedule of the 80's worked fine...why was it necessary to increase the amount of shots by more than 260% with no scientific evidence whatsoever that doing so would be safe for children?

Paul Offit has been quoted as saying it would be safe to give a baby as many as 10,000 vaccines at once. Liz Ditz, I challenge you to be the first to test his theory on this, since you are so confident of his extensive vaccine knowlege and expertise.

Or do you even have children?

[isles]

Kellie Bischof is a mutant from Planet Pluto who worships Donald Sutherland as her personal god.

Care to provide any evidence against this?

[Kellie Bischof]

Haha, Sure, Isles. Here you go:

http://parents.meetup.com/465/members/5343867/

That was a very mature response. I'm not a mutant; I'm just a mom whose daughter suffered a neurological reaction to her 4 month set of shots, and who was urged by her doctor to research vaccine ingredients and side effects. And here I am, more informed and open-minded about vaccine issues. If anyone would care to maturely discuss vaccine research and the lack of adequate studies, I would love to.

Here's a link to my blog on the Clarion Ledger, where I describe in one blog how my husband and I came to the decision to stop vaccinating:

http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=PluckPersona&U=21890b7d8b584281bcdb3e09044c6e43&plckPersonaPage=PersonaBlog&plckUserId=21890b7d8b584281bcdb3e09044c6e43

[Emily]

As a parent who has done a lot of research on this issue, I have to speak up. If you are trying to deny the fact that vaccines do not contain toxic ingredients, please visit the CDC's web site, which will tell you otherwise. I'll even help you get there.

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/downloads/appendices/B/excipient-table-2.pdf

Many vaccines contain aluminum, which may be linked to alzheimers. Many also contain formaldehyde. The vaccines that contain MRC-5 cellular protein are made from aborted human fetal tissue. I don't care what the pope thinks. This bothers me.

You will also see that some vaccines still contain trace amounts of mercury (code name: thimerosal) A quick web search will verify that thimerosal is composed nearly 50% of mercury, a known toxin.

There have been many documented cases of adverse side effects from vaccinations. That is why the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System was created. You can visit that Web site to see for yourself.

http://vaers.hhs.gov/

Thankfully, many diseases that we vaccinate against today are not deadly. Most of them are treatable. Why should I vaccinate my child against chicken pox? I had it as a child, and I bet you did too. We're all still here. It's only deadly if you contract it as an adult, which you are much more likely to do if you are vaccinated against it as a child, since the vaccine immunity wears off eventually. However, if you skip the shot and get the actual chicken pox as a kid, you will have natural immunity and are very unlikely to get it again.

I also don't understand why we should have to vaccinate our newborns against hepatitis, a disease mostly prominent in the IV drug using community. if neither parents has hepatitis, a newborn baby is at a very low risk of contracting this disease.

With many of these diseases that we are vaccinating against, you can treat them if you contract them. We have vaccinated her against several diseases. However, as a parent, I have decided to not vaccinate my daughter with any more DTaP shots. If she scrapes her finger on a rusty nail, we can get a tetanus shot then, when I know she needs it. If she gets pertussis, we can treat that too. Diptheria: also treatable.

It may or may not require a trip to the hospital, but that is why we have health insurance. I know too many children who suffered from severe reactions after receiving this vaccine. My daughter has only received one dose of the DTaP, followed by hours of continuous screaming, a high fever for 3 days and a severe rash all over her body.

I think I'd rather not give her any more of that vaccine, and as a resident of MS, I regret that the government doesn't respect my opinion, or my child's health. I will fight for my right to protect my child and to make my own decisions regarding what I inject into her tiny body.

I don't believe Mrs. Bischof's goal is to see all children completely unvaccinated. I stand with her in the idea that parents should have a right to decide what gets injected into their children. As parents, we need to be informed on this issue.

Please take some time to research this issue, talk to your doctor about any concerns, and if you feel that vaccines are ok for your kids, go for it. But please don't spit on those of us who have spent a lot of time studying this topic, discussing it with our doctors and have come up with different opinions.

[isles]

Oh, Kellie, you can't fool me! I know very well you are a mutant pretending to be a self-righteous and very impressed with herself mommy from Mississippi. Anyone can be anyone on the Internet...though why you chose this particular alter ego escapes me.

[Kellie Bischof]

Isles, all I can say is...boring. You can't come up with something better?

[Emily]

Sorry, sir. No alter ego here. I'm a very real person. Kellie isn't the only person in MS who doesn't agree with the mandated vaccine schedule.

If you visit our web site, you will see lots of people who agree with us.

http://parents.meetup.com/465/

[MinorityView]

I'm finding the attacks on a parent of a vaccine damaged child pretty shocking. This is a mother who obediently took her baby in to be vaccinated and then had to deal with a very sick infant. Does the god of herd immunity demand that the parents of children injured by vaccines pretend that these injuries didn't happen? Does this god demand that these parents are required to keep on having their children vaccinated? At what point do the parents have a right to try to protect the health of their own child? Or is herd immunity always more important than the health of the individual?

Here is an article about whooping cough (pertussis), for anyone who would like some facts about this particular disease. All the statistics in the article are from the CDC, by the way. http://insidevaccines.com/wordpress/?p=84

What would you do if your baby had a really bad reaction to a vaccine? Would you continue vaccinating to protect herd immunity?

[HonestlyB]

Wow- when someone has nothing to go on they result to personal jabs at attacks. If you really have the truth behind you there would be no reason to stoop to name calling and bullying. FYI: when you do choose to go there, really people stop listening to anything you have to say. We skip right over your comments and think to ourselves "um....waste of time to read that!" Simply put: you loose any ounce of credibility you may have had.

Debate/Discuss the facts. If you really believe what you claim then back it up- prove to all the parasitic parents that they are wrong. If you can't then simply go away, unless you enjoy looking like a complete fool.