The Vaccine “War” or Potential Vaccine-gate?

by Rhonda Robinson

The vaccine-autism controversy is, and should be, an issue of concern to all parents. When you consider that most vaccines are compulsory, the current autism rate, and our uncertain future in hands of ObamaCare, how this controversy plays out should be of concern to all of us.

As I sifted through the numerous opinions on the subject, I noticed a familiar pattern begin to emerge. Buried under the actual controversy are claims that the opposing views are being censored, grants being denied, and professional reputations are being smeared if not destroyed.

It seems as though I’ve heard those claims before.

Let me say upfront, this post is not intended to give an opinion on the vaccine-autism connection, or lack thereof. Nor is it intended to sway anyone to either side of the debate. NRB readers are capable of researching this issue fully and making their own choices.

However, in order to make intelligent decisions, information must be accurate, transparent and non-bias. This subject may be suffering under the weight of the governmental-pharmaceutical-medical power base of influence. If that’s true, it puts the government in far too powerful of a position, and impedes freedom and parental rights. That is socialized medicine at its worst.

Consider the following.

Jenny McCarthy writes in The Huffington Post that when she was asked to appear on PBS’s Frontline documentary “The Vaccine War,” she agreed upon the promise of a balanced portrayal of both sides of the debate. Frontline producers assured her there would be an “even handed” investigation. In spite of their promise McCarthy was leery, and requested that her pediatrician Dr. Jay Gordon sit with her. Both McCarthy and Dr. Gordon now accuse Frontline of deliberate bias.

Dr. Gordon wrote his reaction to the interview in a HuffPo piece of his own:

“The Vaccine War.”
“A war. Not a discussion or a disagreement over facts and opinions, but a war. This show was unintelligent, dangerous and completely lacking in the balance that you promised me — and your viewers — when you produced and advertised this piece of biased unscientific journalism. “Tabloid journalism” I believe is the epithet often used. Even a good tabloid journalist could see through the screed you’ve presented.”

The father of an autistic child wrote an articulate letter to the publisher of The Chicago Tribune explaining why he was canceling his subscription.

“Put briefly, the Tribune’s continuing written assault on the autism community and those who serve us has caused us to lose the high degree of respect we once held for your newspaper.

Specifically, articles written (or co-written) by Trine Tsouderos have, in our opinion, strayed from the principles of balance, fairness, and the truth.”

On another front, Dr. Donald W. Miller, Jr. MD writes,

“Two tenets of today’s health care are that a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) causes AIDS and vaccines are effective and safe. Investigators who have the temerity to question this official dogma see their work blocked from publication, grant requests rejected, and in one signal case can even find themselves being subjected to a Soviet-style show trial.

Andrew Wakefield (b. 1957) recently underwent such a trial in the UK held by its General Medical Council (GMC) Fitness to Practice Panel. Along with two other well-respected gastroenterologists, he was subjected to the longest, most expensive trial in that council’s 148-year history. Censorship and Show Trials on Vaccines and AIDS.

There is a fine line between the good of society, as pronounced by its leaders, and health choices made by individual families.

According to Russell Blaylock, MD parental concerns play second to the state in too many instances.

Dr. Blaylock writes,

“My State of Mississippi has one of the most-restrictive vaccine-exemption laws in the United States, where exemptions are allowed only upon medical recommendation. Ironically, this is only on paper, as many have had as many as three physicians, some experts in neurological damage caused by vaccines, provide written calls for exemption, only to be turned down by the State’s public-health officer. Worse are the States, such as Massachusetts, New Jersey and Maryland, where forced vaccinations have either been mandated by the courts, the state legislature, or have such legislation pending. All of such policies strongly resemble those policies found in National Socialist empires, Stalinist countries, or Communist China.” Forced Vaccinations, Government, and the Public Interest-2009

As Conservatives, we have watched “Climategate” disappear under the rug. We know that researchers of opposing views of global warming are often denied grants, and professors who have dared to whisper Intelligent Design be ostracized and denied tenure. Could we be seeing a medical version of the same strand under girding and driving this issue as well?