Strollerderby : amanda peet

Special Court Says Vaccines Don't Cause Autism

Brett Singer — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 20:15:00 GMT

In a decision that will infuriate many parents (including readers of this web site), a special court has ruled that the MMR vaccine did not cause autism in three children.

Special Master George Hastings of the Department of Justice wrote that, "The evidence does not support the general proposition that thimerosal-containing vaccines can damage infants' immune systems." The ruling comes from The Vaccine Court Omnibus Autism Proceeding. (Aside: "Special Master"? "Omnibus"? It sounds like a comic book.)

Addressing one of the children whose parents say became autistic after receiving the MMR vaccine, Hastings said, "I further conclude that while Michelle Cedillo has tragically suffered from autism and other severe conditions, the petitioners have also failed to demonstrate that her vaccinations played any role at all in causing those problems."

There have been over 5,000 cases filed by parents seeking compensation from the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, a $2.5 billion fund that was created through a "75-cent-per-dose tax on vaccines," according to Reuters.

Everyone's least favorite vaccine guy Dr. Paul Offit hailed the decision, saying, "it's a great day for America's children when the court rules in favor of science." I think there are a few parents out there who will disagree with him.

Does this put the issue to rest? I doubt it. I myself am highly skeptical of the notion that vaccines "cause" autism, mostly because so far the studies that I have read about can't find a link between the vaccines and autism. Of course, it doesn't help the anti-vaccine movement's case that the doctor who conducted a landmark study on the matter faked his data.

I know that many of you have strong feelings on this issue. Does this court ruling change your opinion at all?

Source: Reuters

Image: USA Today via Babble

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New Pro Vaccine Book Author Getting Death Threats

Brett Singer — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 17:00:00 GMT

A lot of parents feel very strongly that vaccines cause autism. And they are very vocal about their feelings. So Dr. Paul A. Offit, author of "Autism’s False Prophets", probably expected a certain amount of resistance to a book that posits a different theory.

What he might not have anticipated are death threats.

According to the New York Times, Dr. Offit has in fact received death threats. Some members of the antivaccine movement dispute this, however. One of them is J. B. Handley, the founder of Generation Rescue (although a Google search calls it "Jenny McCarthy's Autism Organization"). Handley told the Times: "We have hundreds of fully recovered children. I’m very frustrated that Dr. Offit, who’s never treated an autistic child, is spending his time trying to refute the reality of biomedical recovery."

Offit is called "Dr. Proffit" because he created a vaccine himself and receives "millions in royalties" from it.

I have no idea if the vaccine that Dr. Offit helped create is one that is given to all children, or how much money he makes from it. If Generation Rescue's members believe that Offit's book is just self-promotion, they have a right to question his motives.

It's the fervor that I find disturbing. When you attack anyone who disagrees with you with name-calling and insults, it becomes difficult to convert anyone to your way of thinking. Numerous scientists and doctors feel that autism is a genetic condition, and there is evidence to back this up. It's not possible that there is a similar body of evidence to support the notion that vaccines are a cause of autism simply because the concept hasn't been around long enough to be studied as much as genetic causes. That isn't to say that it's impossible, or that the antivaccine crusaders are wrong. I'm only pointing out that the body of evidence isn't there.

Another reason could be the conspiracy theory version – that vaccine makers work to keep such studies from happening. Personally, I'm more inclined to believe that than I am to believe that vaccines cause autism. I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but our dependence on foreign oil is partly fueled (no pun intended) by an automobile industry that doesn't want to make electric cars. (That's an oversimplification; my point is that sometimes even the weirdest-sounding conspiracy theories can be at least partly true.)

There was a time when doctors told us that smoking was healthy. Or that eating lots and lots of red meat was a great idea. So yes, sometimes doctors and the entire medical industry make mistakes. And Dr. Offit does sound a tad smarmy in the Times article: "I’ll speak at a conference, say, to nurses. But I wouldn’t go into a bookstore and sign books. It can get nasty. There are parents who really believe that vaccines hurt their children, and to them, I’m incredibly evil. They hate me." And, referring to the vaccine he helped create: "When Jonas Salk invented polio vaccine, he was a hero — and I’m a terrorist?" he jokes, referring to a placard denouncing him at a recent demonstration by antivaccine activists outside the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

Well, polio was a bigger disease. Also, you're not funny. But maybe that's doctor humor.

I suppose its possible that Dr. Offit is lying about the death threats, but I doubt it. As Dr. Gregory A. Poland, chief of vaccine research at the Mayo Clinic, says in the Times piece, "a few years ago this ceased to be a civil scientific discourse and became about crucifying individuals." The key word there is "civil". Parents can get very emotional when their children are involved; I know I can get a little crazy when anyone is doing something that I feel is harmful to my kid. But I've learned that I get better results when I calm down and try to figure out the best way to solve whatever the problem is. It's not about expressing my anger or frustration. It's about getting something done. If someone really and truly feels that vaccines, which are given to millions of babies every single day, are a cause of autism, that is a very serious charge. It should be taken seriously by those making the claim. If you want to convince someone that what you believe is true, calling them names and making threats is not a good way to do it.

Source: NY Times

Image: Amazon

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Best of FameCrawler: Week of October 3rd

Whit Honea — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 20:00:00 GMT

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Was Amanda Peet Right? Jump In Measles Cases Linked to Vaccine Refusals

SunnyChanel — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 13:26:00 GMT

Recently starlet Amanda Peet infamously stated in Cookie Magazine that "parents who don't vaccinate their children are parasites.". On Cookie.com she responded (and kinda apologized), in due part from the avalanche of criticism she received from her comments, that “I still believe that the decision not to vaccinate our children bodes for a dangerous future. Vast reductions in immunization will lead to a resurgence of deadly viruses. This is as indisputable as global warming. I know a lot of parents who secretly use as a justification.” "Well, enough other people are vaccinating, so therefore, we don't have to." She continues to write that “It's so hard to appreciate vaccines now that so few children are dying from preventable diseases today, but that could all change if we're not vigilant. There are currently multiple measles outbreaks in the United States. Hopefully children do not have to die before people start to realize the cost of withholding vaccines.”

Well, it looks like Amanda Peet had a point. New studies have found that measles cases have been popping up at their highest level in more than ten years. And half of those cases are from kids who didn’t get vaccinated. There’s been 131 cases so far this year (a 7 month span) whereas there were just 42 cases all of last year. Fortunately, there were no fatalities of those inflicted but there were 15 that had to be hospitalized. In addition to the Measles outbreak, about seventeen kids caught the whooping cough in the San Francisco Bay Area, and thirteen of those had not been vaccinated against it.

For more info check out the CDC report from their MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report) here.

Via: AP Medical Report here.

Best of Famecrawler: Peet is Sweet

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 17:35:00 GMT

Posted by Whit Honea

Amanda Peet and her daughter Frances Pen passed some time in the airport being sweet on each other. Looks like Frances got her mom's eyes.

Yes, I said sweet, and I meant it.

Photo: Us

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Best of Famecrawler: Mommy Celebs Don't All Have Implants

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 16:14:00 GMT

Posted by BadKitty

Amanda Peet is cool because she swears. She's also really pretty, and seems like a fun, normal person to hang out with. And she's crazy about her daughter, Frances Pen, which is always endearing.

There are a few ways you can go with a name like Frances. There's Fanny, which can be kind of ass focused. Or Fran, which is the sexually ambiguous partner to Pat or Chris. Then you have Frankie, the choice of Amanda and her husband, David Benioff. It's a cute name, but Peet admits it's the tomboy name. That means scuffed sneakers, torn jeans and perhaps a special talent for soccer or softball.

The good news for Frankie is that tomboys generally grow up to be beautiful swans who don't have as many weight-watching worries as their girlier counterparts. At least, that's the case when they're lucky enough to have good genes from a mom as beautiful as Amanda Peet.

Source: Celebrity Moms

Also at the FC today:

Whit's touching tribute to our own bloggy blog celeb
Tom Cruise has a thing for big.... coats
David and Victoria have a grrrrrrrrrrrreat sex life. Yah we get it.