Today, the Health Protection Agency announced a staggering 36% annual increase in the confirmed cases of measles. Since 1998, when the original, and now entirely discredited, work by Andrew Wakefield and his colleagues linked the triple MMR jab with autism and bowel disease, parents have failed to immunise their kids against these terrible diseases.
However, in reporting the "scare", the media deserves more, even more, odure chucked on them than Wakefield.
Clowns like "Mad" Melanie Phillips wrote
drivel in the Daily Mail- I'm surprised that the article is still on her blog. Its nonsense clearly appeals to a Mr Rob Stavely of Essex who, on the
Today Programme, (Ron's remarks can be heard in the first couple of minutes) trotted out all the rubbish from "Mad" Mel and some of his own for good measure.
I'd thought the media's appetite for MMR nonsense had evaporated. Naaaa.
Ben Goldacre's Bad Science blog posted an MP3 version of Jeni Barnett's recent rant on her LBC programme. He posted a link to an edited version, where it could be heard in all it's dangerous nonsense.
As Ben comments
It is my view that in this extended broadcast Jeni exemplifies every single canard ever uttered by the antivaccination movement. “It’s a conspiracy by the pharmaceutical industry.” “Science always changes so you can believe what you like.” “It’s a debate and a controversy.” “Measles was never that bad anyway.” “Immune systems are damaged by being understimulated.” “Immune systems are damaged by being overstimulated.” And so on.
But worse was to come.
Within hours, LBC's lawyers had written to Ben, inviting him to take down the excerpt from Barnett's programme as "a clear infringement of their copyright.
I wonder when these lawyers will eventually realise that this kind of threat is completely counterproductive. The audio has now appeared on
Wikileaks. And I've no doubt links will appear elsewhere.
Of course, I'm not responsible for the content of any external websites!
