Andy Wakefield speaks at the European Parliament
Posted on 16. Nov, 2010 by Polly Tommey in The Frontier
On this episode of The Frontier:
Andy Wakefield speaks at the European Parliament in Brussels on the histoy and causation of autism.
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31 Responses to “Andy Wakefield speaks at the European Parliament”
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From Age of Autism
@justinsrecovery
17. Nov, 2010
Of all the back and forth with Autism & it’s causes, lack of proof, etc., a small detail bewilders me (a mom of a 6 y/o boy with Autism); my son was born an absolutely healthy boy, apgars 9/9; the ones who argue with Dr. Wakefield are so busy wanting to discredit him that they aren’t paying attention to what the parents are saying. Nor can they sign something for us in writing that says, “every vaccine is 100% safe and we are 100% certain is doesn’t cause Autism”…..they are too busy saying, “there is no proof vaccines cause autism”, well can’t I argue “there is no proof they don’t cause autism”
Basil Jones
17. Nov, 2010
Andy Wakefield’s talk makes a cogent, enlightening case in spite of its brevity and speed of delivery. I am so glad that he has not retreated before the mighty GMC and that he remains as committed as ever to what he believes in. My admiration for him, and Prof. Walker, is boundless.
I am concerned, though, at the title given to his talk. It is misleading to give the heading “Andrew Wakefield speaks to European Parliament on Autism”, thus giving reason to suppose that he was addressing an Assembly of MEPs. Watching the recording, it seems that he was actually speaking more to parents of autistic children.
This kind of misleading exaggeration cannot be morally justified, in my view, and enemies of Dr Wakefield will no doubt seize on it as another example of what they would probably regard as his (and his supporters’) unscrupulous lack of integrity. It will do little but offer distraction from the thrust of the case, and serve to widen further the gulf between the opposing sides in the vaccine controversy. It is that gulf that prevents reasoned dialogue, without which there can be no resolution of the dispute.
Andrea
18. Nov, 2010
When was this speech given? What about the Lancet retracting his 1998 article? It would be nice to have true clarity in this debate.. too much is at stake here.
Elaine Dow
18. Nov, 2010
I have a vaccine injured child who is now 23 years old and 85% recovered with bio-medical interventions from DAN (Defeat Autism Now!) protocals. This is a brilliant presentation of what happened to a generation of children coinciding with the increase of the vaccine schedule and other toxic insults. The role of pain relievers, age of the children when the vaccines were given, and the misinformation the public has received about vaccine safety all had a hand in the tidalwave of braiin injured children now becoming adults. I had measles encephalitis as a child. I just received a tetenus shot with 25mg. of mercury, I also had tonsilitis, so sliding into encephalitis was caused by a mercury burdon, bacterial infection and a virus viral infection. I wonder how many cases of encephalitis from measles had just received a vaccine or were ill with a co-infection? Probably most cases. Thank you to Dr. Wakefield for his dedication to the children suffering with this man-made disease of autism. Elaine Dow
Lorene Amet
18. Nov, 2010
Excellent talk- summarizing well the main essential arguments:
1- In 1943, Kanner, the leading child psychiatrist in the word at the time, described what appeared to be a novel disorder that had not been previously described.
2- Autism is very prevalent today and the rise started in the late 80s, irrespectively of the genetic diversity of the countries where the rise occurs.
3- There is no genetic epidemic – therefore the increase is related to an environmental culprit.
4- Many chemical and toxins have the potential to impact on development.
5- Regression is now a feature that is part of the DSM, whereas before regression was vanishingly rare.
6- Remedial interventions (such as GF/CF) show evidence of benefit.
7- Treatment of medical co-morbid issues such as GI dysfunction can led to autistic improvements, because peripheral physiological systems relate to brain function.
8- The National Institute of Child Health has initiated a study on “recovered” children.
9- Vaccines are primary candidates because the timing of alteration of vaccine schedules coincides with the rise in autism rates, because parents report deterioration following vaccination, because children given the vaccine younger are at greater risk of having autism, because animal models exposed to vaccines show developmental defects that are consistent with the impairments seen in autism. Importantly, vaccines in combination have not be proven to be saved and some cases of autism have been found to be attributed to vaccine exposure.
………
Impediments to progress: Commercial influences, fear of accountability, fear that we might have caused harm, and Ideological denial, the investment in the belief that our choice was the greatest thing we have ever done.
This former issue is to me the greatest blockage to seeing critically the situation we have got our children into, but most likely the situation is even more cynical than this still.
Angie
18. Nov, 2010
‘I am concerned, though, at the title given to his talk. It is misleading to give the heading “Andrew Wakefield speaks to European Parliament on Autism”, thus giving reason to suppose that he was addressing an Assembly of MEPs. Watching the recording, it seems that he was actually speaking more to parents of autistic children. ‘
I agree with Basil. I think the anti-vaccine campaigner’s really have to be careful about using misleading information, as it render’s their arguments questionable.
I totally support the views of Andrew Wakefield - my opinion regarding the GMC case is that the opposition had better legal representation. The sad fact is that during a trial, that is what counts most. Not the facts. This compounded with the power behind Pharmaceutical companies these days, he couldn’t have expected to come away with anything other than the result which he did.
He is a hero to be fighting this cause for what he believes is the truth
GreenYourLife
18. Nov, 2010
Absence of proof isn’t proof of absence. No Liability, too many in the schedule, and no warnings about the risks spells cover-up! We need transparency and an informed choice! It will be the people who say no in the end!
Rebecca Estepp
18. Nov, 2010
Thank you Dr. Wakefield for your unending courage for a generation of children harmed by their vaccines. I know some day you will be recognized by your brilliant research and will go down in history as a great scientist, researcher and doctor.
Stan Stanfield
18. Nov, 2010
Well done MEP Andreasen for organising this talk. It is imperative that this sort of information continues to get out to the public. The PTB must not be allowed to win the day in suppressing these sorts of inconvenient facts - inconvenient to the establishment medical authorities, who failed at the first hurdle of their profession’s vow, to: First, Do No Harm.
kate Birch
19. Nov, 2010
thank you so much for the work you are doing. For me there is too much information saying that vaccines cause autism and I am waiting for the states to change their vaccine laws and for those in denial to start paying for the disaster they have caused. The tides are turning, however it is unfortunate that so many children and parents has lost their lives (well being) because of this gross human error.
Nancy
19. Nov, 2010
Only 4 comments? Is no one watching this? Hard to believe people have more important things to do than protect their children. And yes, thank you Dr. Wakefield for fighting this fight. You are a brave man, and you will be rewarded for this one day, I hope in your lifetime.
Joan Campbell
19. Nov, 2010
For your information Basil and Andrea, I was there and travelled from Glasgow in Scotland to attend this conference.,
2 hour conference beginning at 14:00 on Tuesday 12th October to be entitled: “Autism in Europe 2010 - an update.”
Tentative speakers list
Marta Andreasen, MEP Introduction
Polly Tommey, Social impact of autism
Andrew Wakefield, Medical aspects of autism
Epidemiologist (TBA), The alarming growth of autism in recent decades
Kathy Sinnott, The situation across Europe
Commission and Council invited
To hear Polly Tommey speak as well clink on
http://autismfile.com/category/media/videos/
Joan
Admin to Autism Mothers and Dr Wakefield.s work must continue.
H
19. Nov, 2010
We need a truth and reconcilliation commission on health, like was done in South Africa, we need to know who did what , forgive understand how such a crazy situation can occur and move on by putting all these issues on the table, no one prosecuted no one compensated so that the truth comes out. The only way we will stop the cycle of vaccine abuse is to stop it, it is no longer acceptable for corporate profits to trump the public health disaster that the childhood vaccine programme is doing.
The whole peer review medical paper process is in total disrepute with ex editor of the BMJ and New Englnad Journal of Medicine saying ‘no one can believe what most medical papers say anymore due to the corruption of funding’.
The public are behind Andrew because the system is no longer believable, blame it on spin marketing, like fertilizer on crops it works wonders for a while but the true state of play in the end rears its ugly head.
Dan E. Burns
19. Nov, 2010
Great job, Andy. Polly, thanks for posting this.
Anne McElroy Dachel
19. Nov, 2010
Dr. Wakefield at the end of the talk:
“It’s coming. The tsunami is coming. For many the tsunami has already come. The tragedy of this picture is that for those people in this picture, it’s already over. Some people recognize it and are trying to run away.
Someone in the foreground doesn’t realize that there is a problem or they’re running to save their own child who’s in the water. None-the-less, they’re running into danger. And that’s the situation we face. We have an utter catastrophe on our hands and something needs to be done. But there are impediments to progress and the greatest of these are commercial influence, fear of accountability-fear that we as a profession may have done something to cause harm to children which is unthinkable and certainly not the intension. Perhaps most difficult of all is ideological denial, an investment in the belief that vaccines are the greatest thing we’ve every done. Or that there is no problem with a coal burning power plant or with environmental pollutants such as pesticides. …we can go one doing this because there is no evidence. We’ve been dealing with the ‘tobacco is good for you’ science for a long time now. And we know where that went. … All of these have been compounded by an elaborate, a deceitful and indeed a failing public relations campaign and that has to change. ”
Let’s hope people will listen and act.
Anne Dachel
Media editor: Age of Autism
Robin P Clarke
19. Nov, 2010
“my opinion regarding the GMC case is that the opposition had better legal representation.” Not really. His trial was decided by a jury consisting entirely of his enemies!
“We need a truth and reconcilliation commission on health”
Some chance. The leading people involved could not give a damn however much tragedy they cause. They will only be put in order if/when they are dragged kicking and screaming before the court of informed public opinion. Which could be in the next year or two I beg to suggest (as maybe my update review paper will blow their castle down from an unexpected angle).
Robin P Clarke
19. Nov, 2010
I significantly disagree with Dr Wakefield on some important points but I don’t see much grounds to doubt his integrity and courage and I am pleased to see him undaunted by the personal persecutions he has encountered. In pre-internet days such heroes would have just been “disappeared” into invisibility.
Meanwhile here are some of my points of disagreement with his presentation. (I basically think the increase was mainly due to the introdution of non-gamma-2 dental amalgams in the 1970s, as I argue in the forthcoming update review of my theory).
Firstly I have to dismiss the study he cites that finds a “changepoint” about 1988-9. My reasoning is here: http://www.autismcauses.info/2010/10/fallacy-of-changepoint-in-autism.html. The US data clearly shows that the increase began to lift off before 1980 and not abruptly when the vaccinations changed.
Secondly I have to dismiss the notion that autism did not exist prior to Kanner’s cases. As explained here:
http://www.autismcauses.info/2010/09/autism-did-not-begin-only-in-1930s.html
Thirdly I dismiss the Japanese data which supposedly bobs up and down in step with the MMR introduction and removal. The reason for the ups and downs of that data is that the sample size was relatively small. The MMR does correlate but not stupendously so. It certainly didn’t in the US, or UK, which is why the MMR-blamers have to look in odd corners, restricted year-bands of a small sample, to find their crumbs of evidence to hang on to.
I don’t want to rule out all involvement of MMR, just at this point say that I see no real sign of it as a conspicuous influence on any prevalence charts. Some years back Andrew also erred in a short Lancet thing in 1999 in which he quoted the ARI increasegraph.gif without adjusting it for birthrate (at which it loses its apparent indictment of MMR).
But these errors of his are trivial compared with the outrageous, near-genocidal, falsehoods being churned out by the inexcusably-well-qualified and resourced forces of darkness.
Robin P Clarke
19. Nov, 2010
Correction…In my second-last paragraph above, the ARI graph was not “increasegraph.gif” but another ARI one you can see on this page http://legacy.autism.com/ARI/editorials/ed_explosion.htm . That’s essentially the same graph as was included in: Wakefield AJ. MMR vaccination and autism. Lancet 1999; 354: 350.
VMV
20. Nov, 2010
I was excited to see this brilliant presentation by Dr. Wakefield. Basil, I did have the impression that he was speaking to the European Parliament. If I am wrong, I hope that at least some of them were there.
This presentation was like an answer to my prayers. I’ve been convinced for as long as I can remember that vaccines cause autism (although there may be other contributing factors), and I have been praying that the truth will come out. It really disturbs me when I read that there is “no causal relationship” between vaccines and autism and that “vaccines are safe.” It’s heartbreaking to think of the suffering of vaccine-injured children and their parents.
In accordance with “H,” I suggest that perhaps IF the CDC, the vaccine makers, the medical establishment,and public health officials are promised freedom from prosecution, they will be willing to admit the truth about vaccines and autism (and other disorders) and stop their denial and covering up.
There MUST be an end to the unconscionable harming of children.
Mickies Mom
20. Nov, 2010
Thank you Dr. Wakefiedl!
Erin L Grubbs
20. Nov, 2010
As a graduate student who is thirsty for information on ASD and related child development and family issues, I am extremely grateful that the discussion is still open regarding causes of ASD and risks of potentially hastey pharmaceutical practices, globally. Many perceive that the absolute certainty of no relationship between environmental toxins and vaccination practices has been decided. “Case closed.” I almost (briefly) believed it was definitevely decided, myself. I think careful skepticism risks going the way of the DoDo, in favor of trusting those professed to be “most knowledgeable”. Lets nurture an even more questioning generation of researchers! Definitive truths beware!
With Healthy Skeptical and Curious Regards,
Erin Grubbs, M.S.
Psychology Trainee
Nova Southeastern University
John Fryer Chemist
20. Nov, 2010
Somebody mentions that this talk addresses parents and not politicians.
It reminds me of an international gathering in 1999 at the Houses of Parliament.
International cancer scientists from all over the world.
Interested parents, and people wanting to know of the origins of cancer from chemicals.
And how many MP’s who were in the same building wanted to know and listen? ZERO, NONE, no MP wanted to know what causes cancer and how to stop one person in two dying from it. Why? Because Big Pharma would be UPSET.
John Fryer Chemist
20. Nov, 2010
20 years ago my thoughts were on organophosphate harm to brains and the harm from vaccines was therefore totally abhorrent to me. 15 years ago the notion that an equivalent brain poison was in vaccines and could as suggested here cause at the very least addition toxicity places vaccines with mercury firmly in the group of lethal injections where those injected must demand redress even from the police. The police investigations on SIDS MUST involve criminal investigations on the medical treatments meted out to the dead child.
Virginia Lee
20. Nov, 2010
Thank You, Dr Wakefield! You are an honorable man. We have a 7 year old recovered son, who lost his autism dx, and no longer qualifies for special Ed and speech therapy, etc. We are forever grateful to you, Dr Rimland, Dr Cave (my son’s md), and the rest of the biomedical autism community. The lives of our family members are forever changed because people like you made the choice to speak out, and to help. And, Polley, we have never met, but love you like family all the same.
Michael Polidori
20. Nov, 2010
Andrew Wakefield is one of the guardians in the world who I would like to meet and thank. Others are Jimmy Carter, Brooksley Born, Mark Blaxill, Paul Newman, Dan Olmstead, Bernadine Healy, Jon Stewart, Eric Topol, Hilary Coon, Steven Nissen, Carol Stott, Stephen Colbert, David Graham, GS Goldman, Edward Yazbak, John Stone, Frances Kelsey, John Fink… millions of others
Just takes proper accumulation and allocation of resources, preparation and communication and we can fix this, along with a lot of other stuff in the world
Nancy
20. Nov, 2010
Vaccines not only cause autism but also SIDS, which is an even bigger crime! The US ranks 46th in infant mortality, and Dr. Vierra Scheibner has connected infant death to vaccines. My own daughter nearly died in 1980, at age 5 months, of encephalopathy (soft spot swelling) immediately following a DPT[polio “booster.” That was a week of terror for us, but she recovered with no other treatment than breastfeeding, which I continued until she was 30 months old. She is now a beautiful attorney, licensed in two states, and the mother of two intact, unvaccinated sons We followed the knowledge about vaccines to knowledge about the medical profession and drug companies, fluoride, GMO food, the Federal Reserve, chemtrails and the “black nobility” of European bankers with their New World Order agenda.
David's Dad
22. Nov, 2010
Without a doubt the most significant part of the presentation is the Japanese population. To say the population is too small is a joke. There is absolutely no way to explain away the de-challenge and then the re-challenge when the MMR began to be replicated via MR + M.
If this study DIDN”T have the drop and then increase Wakefield’s detractors would cite that as the reason why the MMR is blameless.
Te fact that the whole schedule is untested is just fuel to the fire..
That’s what happens when you remove liability from vaccine related damages, add a highly influential role ($$$) at the CDC and AAP and you have the perfect storm of vaccine induced damages.
And the autism cases settled in the vaccine court are the final nail in the pharma PR campaign coffin.
Autism included.
Petra Antalova
22. Nov, 2010
Well done dr. Wakefield.
I follow the controversy and dispute around vaccine safety for a good while now and I’m thankful to people like dr. Wakefield who are doing their best to uncover the hidden truth behind vaccines.
The real dangers have to be explained and the public has to hear about the risks associated with vaccination. Too many people are still convinced about absolute safety of the vaccines and don’t even want to hear about anything related to any risk or potential damage it can cause.
I have 10 mnths old son who we decided not to vaccinate and every time I go for any check-up I’m getting strange looks from medical personell because of it. It is most important that information like this are spread and we will start thinking and making our choices based on facts.
Thank you again.
Lexie | Lexie's Kitchen
23. Nov, 2010
Standing ovation!!! Keep it up Dr. Wakefield. Thanks Polly.
Christopher R. Smith
26. Nov, 2010
Glad to see Andrew Wakefield countering the misinformation in the vaccine-autism debate. Glad the monkey trials are ongoing and will continue to shed light on neurodevelopment as it relates to vaccines. So many parents of children with regressive autism (myself included) report how our children were normally developing. My son was speaking clearly in both Polish and English before losing all spoken language. I am glad Andrew had the opportunity to speak at the European Parliament and hope the day will not be far off when he can give a similar presentation to the US House of Representatives and the US Senate. Thanks to you both, Andrew and Polly.
Nura Aabe
29. Nov, 2010
Well done, please continue believing in, in what happen to our children.
Our children are in pain and the government is not inetersted. We are all behind you and the truth will come out oneday.