Jim Carrey: Repeating Anti-Science, Anti-Public Health Propaganda II: "100s of Vaccines in the Pipeline", "Vaccine Profitability", "Profiteering" and a Big Fat Lie

Part I: "36 Vaccines"

As I began the previous post:

Yesterday, Jim Carrey (actor) published his ignorant, inaccurate, dangerous opinions on autism and the safety and efficacy of vaccines at the Huffington Post.

It was all bilgewater, as documented by

1. LeftBrain/RightBrain,
2. PodBlack, 
3. Opposing Views,
4. Orac at Respectful Ignorance, 
5. PZ Meyers, 
6. William K. Wolfram,
7. Science-Based Parenting, 
8. Ross Durham, 
9. Oliver Willis,  
10. Yellow Limes,
11. The Bureaucrat, added since Part I was posted:
    
12. Bad Astronomy, 
13. Pat's Daily Grind, 
14. Nick Seeber,
15. Talking Points Memo (TPM) 
16. Bleakonomy
17. Gawker
18. Fighting Darwin
19. Plumblines
20. Skepabra
    added 4/24/09
21. Short Sharp Science at New Scientist
22. Confutata
23. Drive-Through Science
24. Liar, Liar at LeftBrain/RightBrain
25. ICBS Everywhere Jim Carrey is a Moron

Now, I want you to note: I'm not listing all these to say, "See!!  Lots of people disagree with Jim Carrey so he must be wrong!!!".  No.  Each of the bloggers has addressed a slightly different piece of Carrey's logical and factual inadequacies.  Go read.  Think.  See if you still think, after reading one or two or all of the posts, if you think Carrey's piece is "well reasoned" or "factual".

I want to make three points now-- to do so I'll quote Carrey

Recently, I was amazed to hear a commentary by CNN's Campbell Brown on the controversial vaccine issue.

The "vaccine issue" is only controversial to a small, well-funded, fringe element -- called by some the Society to Promote Vaccine-Preventable Disease -- represented by J. B. Handley's Generation Rescue and its celebrity mouthpieces Jenny McCarthy and her boyfriend Jim Carrey. The weight of the scientific evidence is that the current vaccine schedule is both effective in preventing disease and safe--as free as possible of side-effects..

On to Carrey's innuendos. He makes it seem a bad thing that:

There are more than 100 vaccines in development,

Note that the way Carrey's essay is structured leads the reader to believe that 100 infant or pediatric vaccines are in development.  Hold that thought.

Second, note that Carrey never mentions a reason other than "profitability" for vaccine development.  Don't let his rhetoric confuse you:  remember the primary reason for vaccine development: there are diseases that cause human suffering, disability, and death. The purpose of vaccines is to eliminate the suffering, disability,and death. Hold that thought, too.

I don't know where Carrey gets the "more than 100 vaccines in development" figure.  Carrey's estimate of vaccines in development may be low. A poster at the 2008 National Immunization Conference indicates that over 400 vaccines are in various stages of development. This does not mean that 400+ diseases are being addressed through vaccine development, but 400+ vaccine formulations.

Are all the vaccines in development for infant or pediatric use?  No: many of the vaccines in development would be for adult use: against diseases such as HIV,  various cancer vaccines, food-borne illnesses such as salmonella, and tropical diseases. The 400+ figure is for vaccines in all stages of development.  Most vaccine formulations is the preliminary phase don't make it even as far as clinical trials.

Let's back up to Carrey's innuendo: the profitability of vaccines.

With vaccines being the fastest growing division of the pharmaceutical industry, isn't it possible that profits may play a part in the decision-making? That the vaccine program is becoming more of a profit engine than a means of prevention?

This claim is quite disingenious. Yes, the formerly stogy vaccine segment is growing -- but it isn't in the pediatric vaccine sector. From the 2007 AEIGis report:

adult vaccines will see a big spike due to increased uptake of influenza and hepatitis vaccines, predicts a report from Kalorama Information.

Cancer vaccines will also become a major player in the vaccine market, rising from its current level of $135 million to more than $8 billion by 2012.

"We anticipate phenomenal growth in cancer vaccines," Bruce Carlson, the Kalorama Information editor who worked on the report, told United Press International.

From the Global Vaccine Market Prediction through 2012:

Owing to lower margins and the mature nature of these markets, the basic and enhanced paediatric markets are expected to show stagnant growth in future. On the other hand, launch of a number of new vaccines will make the addiction, cancer and proprietary paediatrics/adolescent vaccine market highly dynamic. On a whole, the global vaccine market is expected to register revenues in excess of US$ 30 Billion by 2012.

Carrey's next next slimy piece of innuendo and one big, fat lie.

Paul Offit, the vaccine advocate and profiteer, who helped invent a Rotavirus vaccine is said to have paved the way for his own multi-million dollar windfall while serving on the very council that eventually voted his Rotavirus vaccine onto our children's schedule.

I very strongly object to Carrey's slander here.  Step-by-step:

 "Profiteering" implies an unethical act, associated with price fixing and price gouging. "Windfall" means "Money received which was not expected and not a direct result of something the recipient did."  The phrase "while serving on the very council that eventually voted his Rotavirus vaccine onto our children's schedule" is just a malicious lie.

Remember the idea that vaccines are developed to prevent suffering?  Here's the toll for rotavirus

Rotavirus is the leading cause of severe acute gastroenteritis among infants and young children, accounting for an estimated 527,000 deaths among children aged <5 years worldwide in 2004 (1,2). In the United States, rotavirus causes few deaths (20--60) each year, but remains a substantial cause of morbidity among children, resulting in approximately 55,000--70,000 hospitalizations, 205,000--272,000 emergency department (ED) visits, and 410,000 physician office visits (3). In the continental United States, rotavirus activity follows a distinct winter-spring seasonal pattern (4). In winter months, approximately 50% of hospitalizations and ED visits and 30% of outpatient visits for acute gastroenteritis among U.S. children aged <3 years are caused by rotavirus (5).

Worldwide, rotavirus killed approximately 500,000 per year in 2004.  According to an April 2, 2009 report,

Rotavirus is one of the most deadly diseases children in the developing world face," Dr. John Wecker, PATH director of immunization solutions, said in a news release. "Vaccination holds the key to making this disease one of the most preventable.

 How is it that Dr. Offit, who worked for 20 years to develop a vaccine that prevents the needless death of infants world-wide, can be said to be a "profiteer"?  How is his share (whatever the size) of the royalties from Rotateq be said to be "a windfall"?

The lie:

Paul Offit...is said to have paved the way for his own multi-million dollar [compensation] while serving on the very council that eventually voted his Rotavirus vaccine onto our children's schedule.

What really happened: Dr. Offit was a member of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 1998 to 2003. RotaTeq, the vaccine that Dr. Offit helped to create, was granted approval in February 2006, three years after Dr. Offit's service on ACIP. Furthermore, Dr. Offit's "conflict of interest" behavior while serving on the ACIP, as reported by Sullivan at LeftBrain/RightBrain in August 2008:

Dr. Offit was a member of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 1998 to 2003. During this time he had to vote on a competitor’s rotavirus vaccine (RotaShield). (People seem to have a habit of confusing RotaShield with Dr. Offit (and team’s) RotaTeq)

So, when RotaShield, the competitor’s vaccine, came up for vote, what Did Dr. Offit say? He voted to include it in the schedule. It’s hard to spin that as something that would benefit Dr. Offit, as it clearly meant that the marketability of his own vaccine was reduced.

Rotashield was found to potentially cause intussusception. The numbers affected were too small to detect in the trial, so this concern was raised after the vaccine was added to the schedule. the ACIP took a vote on whether to remove RotaShield from the schedule—a move that clearly had potential benefits for Dr. Offit, so he abstained.

If you are as disgusted as I am by Carrey's lies and misrepresentations, send him a letter via Autism.Change.Org: Tell Jim Carrey that hw is wrong about vaccines and autism from Autism.Change.Org:

All the publicity surrounding the claims of a vaccine-autism link has diverted attention and energy away from focusing on issues of pressing importance to individuals on the autism spectrum including education and schools, services, employment, and housing. Ask Jim Carrey to reconsider his statements about vaccines and autism and, if he wishes to advocate for autism, to rather direct his energies to support services and education for individuals on the autism spectrum.

The suggested text of the letter. Feel free to compose your own message and post it at the Change.org link, above:

Dear Mr. Carrey, I have read your recent article in The Huffington Post, "The Judgment on Vaccines Is In???" in which you assert that "We don't know enough to announce that all vaccines are safe" and that further research about a possible vaccine-autism link is necessary. Further research has and is being done, and the scientific evidence refuting this hypothetical link is steadily accruing. Nonetheless, this issue continues to hold the attention of the public and of parents who have become fearful of vaccinating their young children.

It is unfortunate that, due to your celebrity, many people will listen to your statements about vaccines and even decide not to have their children receive the vaccines that are important for their health. Please reconsider your statements about vaccines and autism and please rather direct your energies to supporting services and education for individuals on the autism spectrum.

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

[Dan]

I really appreciate the compendium of criticism you've got here, as well as your own specific take on the issue. I am truly heartened to know that this disgraceful, irresponsible behavior is getting appropriately lambasted. Sadly, I fear the audience that needs to read this isn't the type to read science blogs.

[Kev]

Liz - great post. Thanks for the link and for the tireless work :)

[AutismNewsBeat]

Outstanding job, Liz.

[Rachael Dunlop]

great work. I am currently fighting the anti-vaxers in Australia. We are getting small wins, baby steps. But they all prescribe to Jenny and Jim. Our head anti-vaxer is an American ex-pat. Care to take her back?