I Speak of Dreams

Roundup on Asking Delta Airlines To Cease Participating in Spreading Anti-Vaccine Falsehoods

Yesterday, it came to my attention that the National Vaccine Information Center was planning to place a short video on Delta Airline's in-flight video programs.

NVIC Educates on Delta Air Lines in November

During the month of November, the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) will have a 3-minute video on flu prevention included as part of in-flight programming call "Lifestyle365" aboard Delta Air Lines. The video features NVIC co-founder and president Barbara Loe Fisher urging viewers to become informed about influenza and how to stay well during the flu season.

It turns out that the company producing "Lifestyle365", In-Flight Media Associates had approached a number of organizations and health-products companies earlier this year, offering a 5-minute slot at a 30% discount for a special edition on the fall flu and allergy season.

Having NVIC's message in front of millions of people seemed like a really bad idea to me, so I emailed a number of my friends who are advocates for public health and vaccination, including Elyse Anders of SkepChick. 

Elyse wrote I Flu Delta Action Alert and created a petition campaign at Change.org, Tell Delta to Stop Putting Their Passengers' Health at Risk.

So there's the action item, but there's more.

Emily Willingham at the Biology Files wrote As Usual, the Flu Seasons Marks The Start of the Ant-Vaccination Season, Too!, surveying previous' years' anti-vaccination efforts and motives.

Orac at Respectful Insolence wrote "Vaccine Injury Awareness Week": Joe Mercola and Barbara Loe Fisher dupe Delta Airlines into running an anti-vaccine PSA, reviewing the 2.5 minute video and pointing out Barbara Loe Fisher's manipulations of the evidence.

ToddW at Harpocrates Speaks wrote A Little Bit of Poison in a Sweet, Inviting Wrapper.  The problem with the video is (a) it includes some questionable information, and (2) more cogently, seems to validate NVIC as a source of information, when in fact the NVIC web site  "is rife with misinformation and distortions of fact."

There was a pro-health, pro-vaccination video from Every Child By Two on the In-Flight Media Associates playlist, but it's gone now. 

Reading comprehension fail on my part. The ECBT plan is to air in December and January.

Here's ECBT's copy

Update: The last time Elyse Anders engaged in pro-science, pro-vaccine activism, the folk at SafeMinds and Age of Autism got ugly.

 

Autistics Speaking Day 2011 -- Wrap Up

You can continue to submit posts for publication at Autistics Speaking Day for the forseeable future using this form.

The posts submitted to date have been published at Autistics Speaking Day.  A list of the posts, in order of publication (more or less) are posted at The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism.

It was a long and sometimes exhausting day, but I learned a lot.  Thanks to everyone who participated.

 

It Is Autistics Speaking Day. I'm Listening.

  Autistics Speaking Day was the brainchild of Corina Lynn Becker, an autistic adult.

Here is the website: Autistics Speaking Day

If you have written a post, submit it using this form (be sure to follow the trigger warning guidelines).

Here is the Facebook page: Autistics Speaking Day

Here is the Facebook page for the event: Autistics Speaking Day 2011

If you use Twitter, follow @AutisticsSpeak and use the hashtag #ASDay

The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism is acting as an amplifier, posting and tweeting posts by people with autism, or those who are allies to autistic people. 

You may also want to read Corina Becker's post at The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism on Continuing Autistics Speaking Day in 2011, in which Corina explained the goals:

• To raise not only autism awareness, but also acceptance,
• To battle negative stereotypes about autism
• To by advocate for the inclusion of Autistic people in the community,
• To  offer a forum to broadcast the messages of Autistic people and non-Autistic allies to as many people as possible.

Who is invited to participate?

• We welcome Autistics of all ages and "functioning" to participate in sharing their stories and messages, in whatever form is the most comfortable to express.
• We also welcome our non-Autistic allies to share in this day of respectful community and communication.