Hall of Shame: Promoters of Vaccine-Preventable Disease

Updated

Jenny McCarthy is currently promoting her new book that alleges that (a) autism is caused by vaccination (b) autism can be cured by various quack regimens such as diet, injections of vitamins, oxygen therapy, and other unproven and possibly dangerous treatments, and (c) vaccinations are "full of toxins" and "must be greened".

Some people think that Jenny McCarthy Must Be Stopped -- as of today 10/19/08:  Kristina Chew, Orac, Skeptico, Squid,  Matthew Saroff, The Autism Library, AutisticLiving.com, Homologous Trend.  Ms. Clark points out the consequences of Jenny's ideology. Added 10/20/08: Science-Based Parenting; feebeeglee; Bad Astronomy Added 10/21/08: Perky Skeptic

Update: The Age of Autism blog commenters go after Squid: GR.  Marcy outs Squid.  Nice. And of course, Mer adds me and Frances piles on.

Dr. Paul Offit's book, Autism's False Prophets, covers in detail how the idea that autism is related to vaccination came about and has been shamelessly marketed.  (See the Science Blogs Book Club posts for more detail.)  While he names some names,  there are more.

Back in August, Kathleen Seidel wrote:

Sullivan, thanks for pointing out that the erosion of popular confidence in vaccines and in those who develop and administer them has been deliberately cultivated by specific organizations and individuals—most notably those promoting the interests of vaccine-injury plaintiffs. Here’s John Gilmore talking back in 2005: “Thanks to David [Kirby]’s incredibly hard work the book has done phenomenally well. Two years ago this was the province of the loonie fringe. EOH has put us in the mainstream. Our main job is to destroy the credibility of the vaccine industry and that’s just what EOH has done.”

On April 14, 2008, Autism News Beat published comments by Dr. Amy Tuteur, MD, which read in part: 

Vaccine rejectionism is about the parents and how they would like to see themselves, not about vaccines and not about children. In the socially constructed world of vaccine rejectionists, risks can never be quantified and are always “unknown”. Parents are divided into those (inferior) people who are passive and blindly trust authority figures and (superior) rejectionists who are “educated” and “empowered” by taking “personal responsibility”.

Steven Novella, M.D., is pretty blunt about the responsibility bourne by anti-vaccination activists, represented by Jenny McCarthy:

The idiocy of antivaccinationists partly rests upon the modern luxury of never having had to live through the horrible epidemics of the past. I wonder how much the current generation will have to suffer through before they get it.

And I will say it again - if Jenny McCarthy is going to put her own “mommy instinct” before the consensus of scientific opinion, and exploit her dubious celebrity to champion anti-science, then she is going to have to take responsibility for her actions. The way I figure it, so far there are at least 68 measles cases on her tally sheet, and the number is growing.

Jenny McCarthy is just the tip of the iceberg.  There are a host of organizations (often with interlocking boards of directors) who are spreading the false notion that autism = vaccine injury, and that "vaccines are dangerous".  But who are they?  Names and affiliations below the fold.

These people are promoting disease, vaccine-preventable disease.

A work in progress

Anti-vaccination organizations and their board members, autism-based:

• Generation Rescue (GR) Board of directors: Jenny McCarthy, Deirdre Imus, Katie Wright, J.B. Handley, and Lisa Handley; executive director:  Stan Kurtz. A "sponsor" of the "Age of Autism" anti-vaccine propaganda blog.  Source: http://preview.tinyurl.com/5a5dgt
• Talk About Curing Autism (TACA). Board of directors: Lisa Ackerman , Casper Zublin, Jr., Glen Ackerman; celebrity spokesperson: Jenny McCarthy.  A "sponsor" of the "Age of Autism" anti-vaccine propaganda blog.  Source: http://preview.tinyurl.com/647wn6
• Safe Minds. Board of directors: Theresa Wrangham, Lyn Redwood, Mark Blaxill, Heidi Roger, Laura Bono, Vicky Debold, Gayle DeLong, Deirdre Imus, Scott Laster, Jim Moody, Katie Wright. Executive Director: Sallie Bernard. A "sponsor" of the "Age of Autism" anti-vaccine propaganda blog  Source: http://preview.tinyurl.com/ot7uh
• Autism Research Institute (ARI).  Board of directors as of FY 2006:  Rosemary King, Paul Grinvalsky, Gloria B. Rimland, David Humphrey,  Richard Kunin. Source:  Guidestar.   Stephen M. Edelson, Executive Director.  A "sponsor" of the "Age of Autism" anti-vaccine propaganda blog. Source: http://preview.tinyurl.com/4c6tah.
• "Age of Autism" the anti-vaccine propaganda blog masquerading as a "newspaper", featuring  posts by Dan Olmstead, Kim Stagliano, J. B. Handley, Anne Dachel, Source: http://preview.tinyurl.com/2zs2nz
• Advocates for Children's Health Affected by Mercury Poisoning (A-CHAMP), a  national, non-partisan political action organization. Source:
• National Autism Association (NAA).  Board of directors: Rita Cave Shreffler, Wendy Fournier, Ann Brasher, Kelly Vanicek, Lori Brozek, Scott Bono, Laura Bono,  Lori McIlwain, Claire Bothwell, Leslie Davidson, Rosemarie Dubrowsky, Becky Grant-Widen, Deirdre Imus, James A. Moody, Lyn Redwood,  Adrienne Rousseau, Katie Wright. Source:
• Unlocking Autism.  Board of Directors: Shelley Hendrix Reynolds, Nancy Herndon Cale, Stephen Shore, Director, Stephanie Cessna, Rick Rollens, Director   Kelly Longenberg,  Jane El Dahr, Director Source:
• Foundation for Autism Information and Research (F.A.I.R. Autism Media) Source:
                 

Anti-vaccination organizations and their board members, general:

• National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) Board of Directors: Barbara Loe Fisher [Littles] President;   (paid $41,500 compensation in 2006); Kathryn Williams, Vice President (paid $40,000 compensation in 2006); Carol Hall, 2nd vice-president; Judy Braiman, Director (Also founder and president of the Empire State Consumer Association); Paul Mulhauser, Secretary; Cliff Shoemaker, Treasurer (Mr. Shoemaker is a career vaccine-injury attorney who has profited handsomely from the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP).)  Source: Neurodiversity.com ;  Andy Schause, Member-at-large; Gregg Burgess, Member-at-large.   Source: Guidestar
• Vaccination News  Sandy Gottstein, President  source: http://tinyurl.com/6jfbek
• Vaccination Information Awareness (VIA) souce: http://tinyurl.com/6hsf7c
• Parents Requesting Open Vaccine Information (PROVE) source: http://tinyurl.com/66w6pa 

Medical Professionals Who are Anti-Vaccination:

• (10/20/08) Jay Gordon, M.D. source: Respectful Insolence, Science-Based Medicine,

Paul Offit's official website

Update March 8, 2010. Following a vile attack on Shannon, her son, and the rest of her family at a blog I will not name or link to, Shannon has given me permission to post this. It is hardly a secret that Squid is Shannon Rosa.  Shannon Rosa is an autism advocate not only for her son and her family, but for all parents of children with autism and all people with autism.  Read her blog at  BlogHer: Shannon Rosa's Blog

Comments

[Cerus]

Thanks for the post, Liz. These people really do scare me.

[MinorityView]

I love your typo on Dr. Offit's book:

False Profits indeed!

The ignorance of the people with total faith in the safety and efficacy of vaccines scare me. http://insidevaccines.com/wordpress/

[Vaklam]

Thanks for this list! You're doing a great service, here.

Keep up the excellent work.

[Cerus]

Thanks for the update, Liz. I have yet to pick up Jenny's book.

I did pick up Kirby's book though, just reading what little I have, I'm gonna have to have a lot of discipline to wade through that one.

And thank you for the board member list. That may be useful in the future.

[Liz Ditz]

Minority View, thanks for pointing out the typo.

The blog MV points to purports to provide an "effective risk v. benefit assessment regarding routine immunizations".

At a quick scan, it looks like a "sciency" approach to anti-vaccination.

[Sullivan]

Funny how "inside vaccines" doesn't show data on how well vaccines work.

Instead, they gather information from sites some might consider, well, odd. Like sites that think polio is caused by pesticides. One step removed from odd, they are. Not a big step.

[Erica]

I don't really see how this is any different than a lot of the medical profession in the grand scheme of things. Not saying that I am for or against the idea of vaccine-related autism. But... it seems a common habit of our society to not only latch onto and believe something that has yet to be proven accurate by our own personal investigated, and then to become a strong proponent of it as though it is fact.
We are all guilty of the same masquerade, just different costumes.

[Lizze]

I recently had a very indepth conversation with my pediatrician about vaccines, Autism and Jenny McCarthy. He said that he's actually lost count of the number of new mothers coming in and refusing to vaccination their babies solely based on what Jenny McCarthy is telling people. I am all for the freedom of parenting, however, if we are going to make such a serious decision about your child(ren)'s well-being, I should hope that more research would be done. It honestly scares me to think that as a whole we have elivated celebrities to such a point that we are willing to swallow their insanity and make it our own so willingly.

[Emilia Liz]

I would really think twice about promoting Amy Tuteur. She's a sexist and homophobe who denigrates gay parents and single mothers by choice. She may not think vaccines cause autism, but I'm sure the Reverend Fred Phelps doesn't either (which doesn't mean either of them are wrong about vaccines).

[Emilia Liz]

An update on Amy Tuteur. She apparently has a son on the autistic spectrum. Look, I know many parents with children with autism, Down syndrome, etc. and most of them are very compassionate people who advocate not only for their child but for other children with the same (or related) disorders. My aunt, who had a daughter with Down Syndrome, is like this. I believe that Amy Tuteur is the exception here, but I think that when she sees happy families raised by single and/or gay parents, she gets envious and lashes out at them. She's kind of like the unhappy kid who throws rocks at other children when he sees them having fun (though I guess a better analogy in Tuteur's case would be trying to break their arm; see a story about her early days as a resident). She really should be pitied, not condemned.

[Frhdpcuz]

DszLeR

[has anyone died from adipex]

If you have to do it, you might as well do it right.

[NoFollowersHere]

I think blogs like this that are extremist of OPINION in the opposite direction without educating themselves on the statistics, ingredients of vaccines and the importance of how diet, the environment and exercise in combination with guidance from both the medical and natural professionals in regards to effects on body chemistry and the immune system are absolutely frightening. Both sides scare me. Pharmaceutical related deaths are very prevalent, but do we need them at times, yes. Are people affected by allergic reactions from both synthetic and natural causes? Yes. It all comes down to chemistry. Is heart disease related to diet and exercise? Yes. Why do people agree with these statements but choose to believe one side or another instead of taking a cooperative approach? Take a step back, grab a biochemistry text, a pathology book, a nutrition book, a vaccine guide, read some unbiased, peer reviewed studies, trust that not all doctors or naturalists are good (as in any field), but that all are well-educated (and CHECK THEIR CREDENTIALS TO BE SURE) and make YOUR OWN DECISIONS regardless of public opinion and the temptation to follow the crowd and the mighty dollar.

[Marriage Intimacy]

excellent information about Promoters of Vaccine-Preventable Disease

[Infertility Treatment]

But is it true that autism besides being a psychological disease is also genetic?

[Teenagers Parents]

Are there more arguments of Sanity? Should be more

[Astrid]

The fact that people on both sides are arguing their point does not mean they have equally valid evidence. There have been repeated studies showing no link between vaccines and autism. The thimerosol so often blamed is not even present in the MMR (most often cited as the 'cause' of autism).

Personal testimony and anecdotal evidence is NOT "just as good" as a peer-reviewed, scientific study. Luckily for the world, science isn't determined by majority rule or current political and/or religious beliefs.

[Kim Oakley]

Autism Research Institute is a fine organization. They have helped many families with autism. Dr. Rimland (who sadly passed away a few years ago), the founder of ARI was and remains an incredible man. He was one of the few people who understood my son's savage self injurious behaviors and encouraged me to explore all alternatives to protect him. On the flip side, it is sad to see any organization, no matter how fine they are, give Jenny McCarthy the time of day, since her child is obviously misdiagnosed with autism and the woman is using the autism label to further her wild ass new age agenda. This illuminates the false world people like McCarthy live in, because they haven't truly lived with autism. Interestingly, her child is only,what, seven? And he was alledgedly diagnosed at 2? And then two years later, cured? This woman has NO idea what it takes to spend years and years analyzing, managing and synthesizing information regarding treatments and help for a truly autistic child....severe autism is more common than the public has been led to believe and so is the epidemic of misdiagnosis. Sadly, the autism community is so desperate for exposure, they willfully ignore McCarthy's fraudulent performance as a mother of an autistic child, and clap and cheer as she leads thousands away from the truth and realities of true autism.

[Lennoprd]

Amazing to ponder how many women sit and stare at the boob tube and believe everything they are told by other women ...as in Oprah...and yes, Jenny McCarthy. Without an ounce of shame, McCarthy has paraded her child around as an autistic child, when it's more than obvious he's not autistic. I guess she figures the more media she cons in saying he was and she cured him, the more people she can con into thinking vaccines cause autism. If vaccines cause autism, how does that explain people who were never vaccinated having autism? Autism isn't a tradgedy. Yes, it can be severe and in those forms be extremely challenging for all involved, but autism is most likely rooted in many things, and not so simple as being "triggered" by a vacccine shot, and "cured" by a gluten free diet and a bit of ABA. Too bad there's no cure for the narcissitic, histrionic, sociopath, aka: Jenny McCarthy.

[Perpendicular Blog]

Perhaps Jenny McCarthy was at the pinnacle of success several years ago when she acted like a half-witted blonde with big boobs on MTV. Maybe she should have quit while she was ahead...

Hmm...I still remember her PlayBoy issue.
Oh, that's right, we're discussing Jenny's recent, feign eureka towards autism, her new book of knowledge along with her anti-science position in society. Uh-uh, like I said, she should have quit while she was ahead...

[T.L. Duerr]

I have made an Animation that is dripping over with Satire:

"VACCINES"

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=TheGuerrilla23#p/u/0/maTEmrQJ3K0

[jo]

you have been proved wrong above Jenny ...

SHAME

[jo]

Liz you are one dumb sick person for doubting Jenny !