Kirby: Peet & the Ripple Effect: Actress Intensifies Vaccine Debate

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-kirby/amanda-peet-the-ripple-ef_b_114272.htm\

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Peet & the Ripple Effect: Actress Intensifies Vaccine Debate,

Rather than Quell It

Posted July 22, 2008 | 11:55 AM (EST)

I write my Huffington Post blogs in order to spark debate and

commentary from other quarters about what has become -- like it or not

-- the biggest medical controversy of our time: the potential link

between vaccine ingredients and autism.

In that sense, my last piece, " Peet vs. the Medical

Establishment, " has done its job.

Reaction was predictably swift and furious to this opinion essay --

and that's what blogs are: this is not news reporting.

Many took issue with the title (of all things), not realizing it was a

tongue-in-cheek, somewhat satirical, and deliberately provocative

headline meant to spark the indignant outrage that it obviously did,

(It worked for Swift and that New Yorker cartoonist, too).

These critics balk at considering the US President, or Senate health

committee members, or the Chairman of a House science subcommittee, or

appointed members of the federal Interagency Autism Coordinating

Committee, or many others like them, as part of the " medical

establishment. "

Fair enough. These are the people who, in a democratic society,

control the medical establishment. They are not part of the

establishment, in that sense, they are above it. They put the " over "

in oversight. As a journalist, I value their opinion. As a citizen, I

cannot imagine what this country would be like without them.

One of the critics was Dr. Novella, academic clinical

neurologist at Yale University School of Medicine and president and

co-founder of the New England Skeptical Society.

In his piece, " Celebrity Smackdown: Peet vs McCarthy, "

Dr. Novella refers to me as " that reporter who has made a career out

of spreading misinformation about vaccines and any nonsense he can

think of. " In the same breath, he dismisses vaccine-related statements

made by CDC officials because, " they were given in a political and not

purely scientific context. "

Dr. Novella takes issue with my characterization of the recent Hannah

Poling case, in which a nine year-old girl was compensated by the US

Government for a vaccine injury that lead to a diagnosis of autism.

Now, Hannah's father, Dr. Jon Poling, a respected neurologist and

clinical assistant professor of the Department of Neurology, Medical

College of Georgia, has responded to Dr. Novella, including his,

" criticizing the journalism of Mr. Kirby. "

A copy of Dr. Poling's letter to Dr. Novella is posted at what ABC

News.com called " the popular blog, Age of Autism. "

It makes for some good reading, from deep inside the medical

establishment!

PS: Here is a thought meant to spark more discussion: If parents who

do not vaccinate their children are menaces (or parasites) to society,

then what are adults who do not get all the recommended adult booster

vaccines, especially those who travel abroad? Aren't we (yes, that

includes me) just as guilty of putting small children at risk of

infection here at home?

--------------------------------------------------------

Sheri Nakken, former R.N., MA, Hahnemannian Homeopath

Vaccination Information & Choice Network, Nevada City CA & Wales UK

Vaccines - http://www.wellwithin1.com/vaccine.htm

Vaccine Dangers & Homeopathy Online/email courses