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AAP vs. ABC
Jan
28
Update: The AAP is no longer alone, as the AMA has issued a letter to ABC. And life wouldn't be in balance if the Immunization Action Coalition didn't weigh in as well!
I probably shouldn't frame this issue as a "vs." smackdown, but it makes for an easy title. Plus, if the conversation on PedTalk about this (and from what I've heard from SOAPM) is any indication, perhaps I'm not exaggerating. The AAP has issued a request to ABC that it run a disclaimer during an upcoming episode of the show "Eli Stone" in which "...the title character successfully argues in court that a vaccine caused a child's autism." Here it is in their words:
Anne Sweeney
President, Disney-ABC Television Group
47 W. 66th St.
New York, NY 10023-6290
Dear Ms. Sweeney:
According to The New York Times, ABC plans to run an episode of "Eli Stone" in which the title character successfully argues in court that a vaccine caused a child's autism. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), an organization of 60,000 pediatricians, is alarmed that this program could lead to a tragic decline in immunization rates. The AAP calls on ABC to cancel the episode.Many people trust the health information presented on fictional television shows, which influences their decisions about health care. In the United Kingdom, erroneous reports linking the measles vaccine to autism prompted a decline in vaccination and the worst outbreak of measles in two decades, including the deaths of several children.
ABC will bear responsibility for the needless suffering and potential deaths of children from parents' decisions not to immunize based on the content of the episode. If ABC persists in airing the show, the AAP urges the network to include a disclaimer emphasizing: No mercury is used as a preservative in routinely offered childhood vaccines. No scientific link exists between vaccines and autism.
Vaccines are the single-most powerful, cost-effective public health intervention ever developed. A network as influential as ABC must consider its responsibility not to promulgate messages that undermine the years of efforts by the AAP and public health community to persuade parents to vaccinate and protect their children. The consequences of a decline in immunization rates could be devastating to the health of our nation's children.
Sincerely,
Renee R. Jenkins, MD, FAAP
President
I don't know if the show in question is will be any good, but the description of it doesn't make clear how they actually derive a series from the premise. I've read a couple of the Autism blogs screaming about this - I'm not going to give them links - and it just goes to show again how a small, hyper-vocal number of people can really taint an issue. I've seen two references to the letter above as "hysterical" (as in "crazed" and not "funny").
What I wonder is if it would be better for the show to run, but with a good presentation about the science at the end? Sometimes, and I know I'm not alone, I think the AAP should purchase advertising on TV and speak directly to the public on matters like this.
If you would like to voice your concern about this episode, let ABC know here.
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So basically they're just
So basically they're just saying its the lesser of two evils. Actually, they aren't even brave enough to admit that vaccines are a necessary evil. I just wish parents will look closely at the lab-created drugs they are pumping into innocent babies.
Actually, the AAP has said,
Actually, the AAP has said, many many many many times that vaccines are a necessary evil - they just don't use that word "evil." What a surprise.
Meanwhile, I can't even begin to have a cogent discussion with someone uses "lab-created" in a pejorative manner or can't write the word "babies" without the word "innocent" in front of it. I've been waiting for a long time for someone to provide a reasonable discussion on this issue. I get less hopeful every year.
I practice Pediatric
I practice Pediatric Emergency medicine in Phoenix, Arizona. I am disturbed by the large amount of patients I see where the families have elected not to immunize their children.
This has been widely studied without evidence to suggest there is a direct link between autism and vaccines. The current understanding is perhaps there is genetic predisposition for autism which an environmental trigger.
The vast majority of the population continues to follow the advice of the medical profession; they immunize their children thus limiting a potential vector for disease to spread throughout the un-immunized. Families that choose to not immunize their children see no ramifications for their poor decision.
What happens when that ratio changes in favor of the un-immunized? We WILL see those diseases return. Unfortunately for the child it will be too late once they are paralyzed from an illness like Polio because of the parents ignorant decision.
What I find amazing about
What I find amazing about this entire discussion is that a group of individuals have decided that vaccines cause autism without a single shred of credible evidence. They have then created the current climate of irrational fear that permeates our society and have even convinced legislators that there is some danger. Too numerous to count studies have shown there to be absolutely no connection between vaccines and autism. Yet the "activists" persist in their campaign of disinformation and fear mongering. Thimerisol is removed from vaccines, and the autism rate goes up. Does this convince them? Of course not! They are now on to aluminum and after aluminum, it will be something else. Vaccines causing autism is their faith and faith is resistant to facts. Unfortunately, like any other fanaticism, it spreads to others. This TV show glorifying how a "little guy" fights against the evils of vaccines is an outrage and will do a tremendous amount of harm to our public health. ABC's dissembling about how is it only fiction goes against the experience of every pediatrician in the country. I guess it will take dozens of kids to die from vaccine preventable illness before anyone notices the damage. The only thing that avoids this disaster is the good sense of most people. When that wanes, the consequences to children will be devastating. When we say, "I told you so" to these crusaders, I wonder how they will feel then?
As a board certified
As a board certified pediatrician, I am concerned with the potential (actual) message of the upcoming show "Eli Stone".
There has never been any credible EVIDENCE or reputable studies from anywhere in the world (English and non-English speaking countries) that has ever linked autism to any immunization or compound in the immunizations. This even includes the thimerosal continuing generation of vaccines from a decade ago.
By having the court award a judgment, it leads to the impression that wrong was done. While it is fair to say that the court system is there to assure the laws were not breached—the court system, sad to say, is not about fairness, truth or justice. Too many people will erroneously conclude that the court case in the program was awarded based on truth, data and evidence.
I fully support a parent’s decision to choose what medical care to provide to their child – and I have several families I see who choose not to immunize their children. I still recommend all routine vaccinations per the CDC and AAP guidelines, and yes, even in these families who choose not to vaccinate their children, I still follow those children and families and provide them best care I can.
Personally, I fully enjoy fiction. My quarrel with the content of this “Eli Stone” program is that the content of this program is FICTION and NOT fictionalized drama.
I am afraid this misleading, misguided, non-data driven program which relies on the autism tragedy that many children face and many families must contend with, will lead more parents to believe the “truth” in television and not the truth of science. Ultimately, I foresee too many children’s premature death as a result.