Andrew Wakefield, Autism-Vaccine Scare

Shocking research and reports. Brian Deer has done a great job in uncovering the truth about this autism-vaccine scare scandal. Unfortunately, what we learn here should serve as a serious warning for journalists or general public when we read medical news/research to be a little bit skeptical, even when the researches are published in supposedly “authoritative” medical journals like The Lancet.

* BMJ, “How the case against the MMR vaccine was fixed” by Brian Deer (Part 1 of 2 “Secrets of the MMR scare”) Here is an excerpt,

“The journal [Lancet], meanwhile, took 12 years to retract the paper, by which time its mischief had been exported. As parents’ confidence slowly returned in Britain, the scare took off around the world, unleashing fear, guilt, and infectious diseases—and fuelling suspicion of vaccines in general.“

* BMJ, “How the vaccine crisis was meant to make money” by Brian Deer (Part 2 of 2 “Secrets of the MMR scare”)

* UK Guardian, “The medical establishment shielded Andrew Wakefield from fraud claims – Brian Deer spent years investigating Andrew Wakefield’s MMR and autism research, which he now alleges was fraudulent. Here he argues that doctors closed ranks behind one of their own“

* NPR, “Journal Claims Profit Motive Helped Fuel Autism-Vaccine Scare“

* “Wakefield Debunked, But Vaccine Fear Lives“

* “Autism ‘study’ represents a failure of journalism“

The $10 billion decade of vaccine

Via @BillGates, “Bill and Melinda Gates Pledge $10 Billion in Call for Decade of Vaccines (with livestream video)“,

DAVOS, Switzerland — Bill and Melinda Gates announced today that their foundation will commit $10 billion over the next 10 years to help research, develop and deliver vaccines for the world’s poorest countries.The Gateses said that increased investment in vaccines by governments and the private sector could help developing countries dramatically reduce child mortality by the end of the decade, and they called for others to help fill critical financing gaps in both research funding and childhood immunization programs.

“We must make this the decade of vaccines,” said Bill Gates. “Vaccines already save and improve millions of lives in developing countries. Innovation will make it possible to save more children than ever before.”

Listen to the many insightful examples and stories Melinda Gates told at the press conference. Very inspiring stuff!

Banking service can be provided to the poorest people in the world. Melinda gave an example in Malawi. An organization the foundation supports taking a large truck into a rural area (a mobile banking unit), giving them ways to safely save their money (so money are not stolen or literally being eaten by rats). Scanning people’s finger prints, giving them a smart card so they can access their money. The mobile unit goes out to the village twice a week and people line up to deposit their money (200 Kwacha which is US$1.40). When the time school fees are to be paid, the people then have the money to pay their child’s school fees to send them to school.

Amazing and inspiring stuff!