Vaccine Times: Japan panel finds no link to vaccines, deaths

Vaccine Times found this, which seems to go along with everything that has been said.  Yet another study to add to the pile that already indicates that vaccines are much safer than the alternative.  It IS tragic that there were four (well seven when you add in the Netherlands cases) deaths that were in close proximity to receiving vaccines, and the age would make some sort of statistical anomaly flag go up.  However, as Lisa Simpson is fond of pointing out, correlation is not causation.  I sincerely hope that the anti-vax pro-disease nutters don't start to think this is some sort of conspiracy.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT MSNBC.COM

TOKYO — A panel of experts at Japan’s health ministry found no direct link between vaccines made by Pfizer Inc and Sanofi-Aventis SA and the deaths of children, but said further checks were needed, Kyodo news agency reported on Tuesday.

Japan will keep its suspension on the use of the vaccines that prevent meningitis and pneumonia, a health ministry official said after the safety panel’s meeting, but declined to comment further.

The ministry halted the use of Pfizer’s Prevenar and Sanofi’s ActHIB vaccines in response to the deaths of four children shortly after receiving the vaccines.

U.S. health officials have said they were aware of the deaths in Japan but have not seen any such safety concerns in the United States.

In February last year health authorities in the Netherlands said no relation was found between Prevenar and the deaths of three infants who had received the vaccine.

Three of the children that died in Japan were administered Prevenar together with ActHIB. In addition, three of the children also received a mixed vaccine against diphtheria, whooping cough and tetanus on the same day they received the other vaccines.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT MSNBC.COM

Vaccine Times: Mom: I know for a fact that my son's autism was not caused by vaccines

Vaccine Times has a great bit of "data" (I'm sorry, an anecdote). While rational people know that the plural of anecdote is not data, it is refreshing that there are anecdotes of people who actually do listen to the real data that is available.  I know, it's sort of convoluted, but Jenny McCarthy and her ilk of pro-disease nutters need to have a counter not only in scientific literature, but also as a popular movement.  Please spread the word.

Mom: I know for a fact that my son's autism was not caused by vaccines

ALL POSTS, ANTI-VACCINE WATCH, MEDIA, PARENTS SPEAK OUT

Jenny McCarthy is always talking about all the parents that know vaccines caused their children’s autism. She said on Larry King Live that parent’s anecdotes are scientific evidence. Well, Jenny allow me to present you with some more “scientific evidence”. Yes, there are parents of autistic children who have lifted themselves above the “must blame something/someone” phase, have educated themselves and have accepted the fact that we don’t yet know what causes autism. There are many more parents like the one below who do not think vaccines had anything to do with their children’s autism, but the incentive to speak out is obviously lower for them than the ones who are very angry because they believe their children are victims of vaccines.

We thank this mother for making this video and sharing it with the world: we need such parents to show that, unlike in the scientific arena, in the public arena there are indeed two sides of the story and not all parents of autistic children blame life-saving vaccines.