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Vaccines don't cause autism. The science is clear. Vaccines don't cause autism. Vaccines do not cause autism. I do not deny that we need to do more about autism, but it has nothing to do with vaccines. We have thoroughly debunked any association between autism and these vaccines. Robert, it is nearly consensus in the scientific community that there's no link there. To deny a mountain of scientific evidence, which has already taught us that the combination of measles, mumps, rubella, or MMR vaccine doesn't cause autism, Vimerosal, an ethylmercury containing preservative that wasn't a number of vaccines doesn't cause autism, and that too many vaccines given too soon, if you will, doesn't also cause autism. We know that the schedule is safe. Are there peer reviewed scientific reports that indicate a link between No. Between vaccines and autism? No. Not only is there not a peer reviewed work, this is probably the most studied public health issue involving children. Vaccines are really the one thing we have looked at as causing autism. The Institutes of Medicine, the Centers for Disease Control have repeatedly investigated this. Vaccines do not cause autism. We don't need more research. At some point, enough is enough. It's fine to continue to collect data, but at some point, you have to take note for an answer. We're not sure what causes autism, but we know that vaccines do not. Mountains of evidence. No, you know, this has been looked at extensively. Nothing's been more studied in the world than this connection between vaccines and autism. We'd heard it. We've heard it for decades. You know, actually almost a century now, if you want to get into it. This has been the battle cry of the pharmaceutical industry and every shill that works for them. But whether you know it or not all the way back in 2020 for those of you that were watching then we actually disproved this myth right then. Debunked it with a lawsuit where we went at the CDC and said really if the head of your page on the CDC website says vaccines plural meaning all vaccines do not cause us to do we have that original website. This is what it said: vaccines do not cause autism. There it is. All vaccines doesn't say one of them or two of them all vaccines by the plural s at the end of vaccines. If vaccines do not cause autism will you please provide us with all of the evidence and studies that show that vaccines don't cause autism. Send us that evidence. Well they didn't and we sued them and we went to court. Back in 2020, we won the case. Here it looks like in the document. They gave us the list. It's actually 20 studies. 20 total studies make up the entire list of what they look to when they say that these childhood vaccines, the five, and the cumulative effects of them given in the first six months of life, do not cause autism. The first one is an MMR study. The second one an MMR and a DTaP study. The next ones are MMR, these four are MMR and Thimerosal studies. Then the next all the way through to 20 are all just Thimerosal studies. Lastly, we have one antigen study. Of the 20 studies, the first MMR studies are not in the first six months of life; Thimerosal studies show none of the vaccines in the first six months of life had Thimerosal. There was only one study relevant to the first six months of life, the IOM review of the DTaP vaccine, and it said there are no studies that prove or disprove the association with autism. Therefore, that was the only one that was relevant to the first six months of life, and it proved that they had no answers. And so for everyone that's ever sent Mountain of Evidence, that's been a lie. We won in court. It's a lie. You can take that to the bank. And actually just months after winning that lawsuit, that was in May, by August they pulled down the statement vaccines do not cause autism. We celebrated it but five months later it went back up and we've been stuck there with this propaganda statement that have no basis in science up until last night when this happened to the website. Let's see the new page. Here it is. It now says autism and vaccines and right under that it has the key points. So we read those key points. The claim vaccines do not cause autism is not an evidence-based claim because studies have not ruled out the possibility that infant vaccines cause autism, meaning those vaccines in the first six months of life. Meaning the IOM lawsuit that proved that. Studies supporting a link have been ignored by health authorities. HHS has launched a comprehensive assessment of the causes of autism, including investigations on plausible biologic mechanisms and potential causal links. It does have an explanatory statement I want to read right now. It says this about why you will still see it with an asterisk the header vaccines do not cause autism has not been completely removed due to an agreement with the chair of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee that it would remain on the CDC website. Apparently, this was that backroom deal that was made with Senator Cassidy, of course, when Robert Kennedy Jr. was up there. But now you can see on the page it is clear we are making the statement or it's being made by the CDC that this is not a scientific statement and so ultimately this is a massive change. I tweeted out about it today and to every parent of an autistic child that's been out there. For every one of you that did interviews, whether in the film Vaxxed or when we toured the nation and for everyone that's ever been gaslit, the days of gaslighting are over. We are now moving into science-based, evidence-based statements on the CDC website. It's a beautiful day.

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My name is Silvana Casale, a school neuropsychologist with over 25 years of experience working with over 70 autistic kids. I have noticed a connection between the MMR vaccine and immediate changes in behavior in children. The reaction is often immediate, with some children experiencing a transition overnight. I believe that all 80 kids I have worked with may have been affected by vaccines causing autism. The toxicity of multiple shots given together can be intense, leading to drastic changes in behavior.

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Speaker 1 states they would not give their children the measles, mumps vaccine, claiming that while many used to die from these diseases, by 1964, only 300-400 Americans died, mostly malnourished children. They claim the World Health Organization says vitamin A is a cure for measles and that contracting measles as a child leads to greater resistance to cancers, atopic diseases, allergies, and heart disease. Speaker 1 denies causing a measles outbreak in Samoa, stating the prime minister had already banned the vaccine after deaths, and that the deaths were due to a bad vaccine from Australia given to people who already had measles. They maintain that autism is caused by vaccines, citing a CDC study that showed a 1350% elevated risk for autism among children who received the hepatitis B vaccine in their first 30 days. They allege that studies claiming vaccines don't cause autism are fraudulent, citing a fugitive scientist, Paul Thornson, and that the CDC is dishonest and controlled by the pharmaceutical industry. They reference their book, "Let the Science Speak," which they claim contains 1,400 references and over 400 studies linking autism and neurological injuries to vaccines.

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The discussion addresses whether vaccines cause autism and whether relevant agencies will investigate this. Regarding the MMR vaccine, studies have failed to find a causal link to autism, including a large Danish study comparing vaccinated and unvaccinated children over years, which showed no difference in autism rates. For other vaccines like polio, there's less research specifically examining links to autism. While the speaker doesn't know the full literature extent, they haven't seen the same level of evidence for vaccines other than MMR. Biologically, it's considered unlikely that vaccines are the main reason for the documented rise in autism.

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Speaker 0 argues that a critical missing piece in autism research is vaccinated versus unvaccinated studies, and notes there are six good studies to rely on. They claim these studies have been systematically suppressed and ignored by the mainstream media and the medical establishment. The summary of specific study claims is as follows: - Two studies by Gallier and Goodman show that the birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine significantly increases autism risk. - Three studies by Anthony Mawson confirmed that vaccination increases the odds of developing autism by at least 4.2-fold. - Preterm birth coupled with vaccination increases the odds of neurodevelopmental disability by more than 12-fold compared to preterm birth without vaccination. - A study by Hooker and Miller published in 2021 found that vaccination increases autism risk five-fold. - Vaccination in the absence of breastfeeding increases autism risk 12.5-fold. - Vaccination in addition to cesarean birth increases autism risk 18.7-fold. The speaker states that after conducting a systematic review of a thousand studies, their belief is that the autism and chronic disease epidemics are primarily caused by toxicants, mostly from vaccines and about a dozen additional toxicants.

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RFK Jr. continues to falsely claim that vaccines cause autism, and he's made childhood vaccines a major target. This is dangerous and will lead to the death of children. When RFK Jr. says we have more chronic diseases in children than ever before, he's citing the instance of autism spectrum disorder. There are many interesting causes of autism spectrum disorder, like the infant microbiome, genetics, or medicines that pregnant people take during their pregnancy. But by focusing on childhood vaccines, he's focusing on the one thing that doesn't cause autism. Vaccines are really the safest, best-tested things that we give to children, and that's what is making America healthy. To focus on vaccines as a target and claim that they're causing harm when they're not is only a detriment to America's children.

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Vaccines cause autism, according to the speaker. They claim that a graph showing the percentage of vaccinated children versus the age of their first vaccination indicates a link between the MMR vaccine and autism. The speaker also suggests that there is a significant increase in autism incidence among children who receive the vaccine between 12 and 18 months compared to those who receive it after three years. They argue that the CDC refuses to conduct a vaccinated versus unvaccinated study because the results would reveal a high risk. The speaker questions the credibility of a study used to dismiss the vaccine-autism connection and calls for changes in vaccination policies.

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The government's vaccine court conceded that vaccines may have helped trigger Hannah Polling's autism. Dr. John Polling, a neurologist and Hannah's father, stated that the Department of Health and Human Services conceded that his daughter's medical problems, including autism, encephalopathy, and seizures, were brought on by vaccination.

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The CDC released new data showing an increase in autism spectrum disorder cases in the US. The prevalence of autism is growing, and research suggests it may start during pregnancy. A study found that severe infection during pregnancy raises the risk of having a child with autism. Dr. John Poling, a neurologist and father of Hannah Poling, whose autism diagnosis was linked to vaccines, joins the discussion. He emphasizes the government's acknowledgment that his daughter's medical issues were caused by vaccination. The speakers stress the importance of finding the truth about vaccines and ensuring their safety.

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A medical expert claims that vaccines can cause autism, contradicting his previous testimony. He alleges that he privately informed government lawyers about this during vaccine court hearings in 2007, but his opinion was suppressed. The expert's affidavit states that vaccinations can induce fever and immune stimulation, leading to progressive brain disease resembling autism. The government fired him and misrepresented his views to continue debunking autism claims. Vaccine industry money is said to influence Congress, with pressure from pharmaceutical lobbyists preventing investigations into vaccine safety. Some current and former members of Congress confirm facing bullying and threats when raising vaccine safety concerns. The pharmaceutical industry denies these allegations and emphasizes the importance and safety of vaccines.

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Autism is caused by vaccines, according to the speaker. The CDC's VirTrak study from 1989 showed a 1350% elevated risk for autism among children who received the hepatitis B vaccine in their first 30 days. A series of 13 studies were allegedly done by people paid by the CDC to create the illusion that vaccines don't cause autism. The chief scientist, Paul Thornsen, is a fugitive wanted by Interpol for stealing millions from the CDC that he claimed to use for the study. His study is considered fraudulent but has not been retracted. The speaker claims there are hundreds of studies linking autism and neurological injuries to vaccines, citing a book with 1,400 references and over 400 studies. The speaker believes the CDC is a dishonest organization owned by the pharmaceutical industry and promotes propaganda that vaccines don't cause autism.

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World governments have harmed millions without apology. The speaker believes vaccines cause autism, but mainstream media won't discuss it. They gathered data from 10,000 parents showing a link between vaccines and autism, ADHD, and other health issues. More shots lead to poorer health in children.

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The speaker states they would not give their children the measles, mumps vaccine, claiming that deaths from measles primarily occurred in the early 1900s and among malnourished children. They allege vitamin A is a cure for measles and that contracting measles can lead to greater resistance to cancers, allergies, and heart disease. Regarding an outbreak in Samoa, the speaker claims they did not convince people to avoid the measles vaccine, asserting a ban was already in place after deaths caused by a bad vaccine imported from Australia. They state that the neighboring island of Tonga, which did not use the vaccine, had no deaths. The speaker maintains that vaccines cause autism, citing a CDC study that showed an elevated risk of autism among children who received the hepatitis B vaccine. They allege that studies disproving this link were conducted by "biostitutes" paid by the CDC and that the lead scientist, Paul Thorensen, is a fugitive wanted for fraud. The speaker claims there are hundreds of studies linking autism and neurological injuries to vaccines and recommends their book with 1400 references and over 400 studies.

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My son, born in 1991, has Asperger's, and I've heard from many parents of children with similar conditions. Since 1989, the vaccine schedule increased significantly, exposing children to much higher levels of mercury than deemed safe. For instance, newborns receive a hepatitis B shot that would require a child weighing 275 pounds to safely absorb under EPA guidelines. In 1988, 1 in 2,500 American children had autism; now it's 1 in 166, with many also facing learning and neurological disorders. Despite the alarming trends, the federal government claims there's no solid science linking vaccines to these issues. While we can't definitively prove a connection now, I believe future research will reveal a link between vaccines and autism.

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Dr James Dunchwander, a physician with dual board certifications in emergency and integrative medicine, has spent 32 years evaluating thousands of children. He notes that parents, to their dying breath, say a vaccine caused their child to descend into autism, or a vaccine caused their child's neurologic disorder, asthma, eczema, or food allergy. He acknowledges a huge disconnect between what these parents are telling us and what is taught in the field. As an ER physician, he warns that ignoring mom or dad is perilous, but he is not here today to debate the safety and efficacy of vaccines. He will, however, challenge each member of the room to that debate and challenge the CDC, the NIH, and any university to a public forum, but he believes it will never happen because “The science isn't there.” He states that the biggest cause of vaccine hesitancy in this country is the lack of true vaccine science. He asks the committee to please the community council and to do their job. He admits he used to naively think that ASAP based all their recommendations on rigorous study of multiple trials determining safety and efficacy, but has since learned that ASAP is simply participating in an industry-wide phenomenon he terms junk science. He contends that junk science has allowed, with respect to colleagues in the room, the presentation of papers and studies that would never pass the rigors of a peer-reviewed journal if they were on any subject other than vaccines. He cites an example: a GSK paper on their MMR vaccine in which ten percent of these healthy 12-year-old babies ended up in an emergency room in six weeks, and two and a half percent of them developed a new chronic medical condition. He notes this was not compared to a placebo group or a delayed vaccine group, but to the current MMR two vaccine, describing the situation as the moral equivalent of comparing ten shots of whiskey to nine shots of whiskey and a shot of vodka, and saying vodka doesn’t cause intoxication. He also asserts that junk science allows vaccines we know don’t work to be doubled down, increasing the dose and frequency. He recalls seeing the committee in the last meeting look at the pneumococcal vaccine and say it doesn’t work, yet leave it on the schedule and leave it up to clinicians to determine whether to give it to a patient. He finishes by stating, “Please do your job.”

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A film festival featured a documentary about vaccines by Del Bigtree. The speaker mentions an interview where the host tried to shut down a discussion about the documentary. The interviewee has an autistic son and believes there's a link between vaccines and autism. One speaker questions why people can't ask about the potential link between vaccines and autism, noting that an additive was removed from vaccines, though it supposedly had nothing to do with autism. The World Council For Health urges parents to consider a "safer to wait" approach, deferring the childhood vaccine schedule. Five studies allegedly show that unvaccinated children are healthier, with lower rates of food allergies, asthma, dermatitis, need for ear tubes, attention deficit disorder, Asperger's, and autism. The speaker concludes that excessive vaccination is likely harming children.

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Doug Halstead, a pediatrician, shares his experience with autism cases and vaccines. Out of 150 autistic children he treated, 74 were specifically caused by vaccines, with 44 cases showing rapid onset within two weeks of vaccination. Dr. Stephanie Cave, who has seen thousands of autistic children, estimates that 80-90% of cases are vaccine-related. Another expert, Andrew Zimmerman, believes 20-30% of his patients developed autism due to vaccines. However, Zimmerman's statements were misquoted by US attorneys. Dr. Halstead emphasizes the fear within the medical community to speak out against vaccines, citing his own experience of losing his license after writing a vaccine exemption.

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The speaker states they would not give their children the measles, mumps vaccine, claiming that measles was deadly in the early 1900s, but is now easily survivable, especially with Vitamin A. They claim studies show that contracting measles can make children healthier and more resistant to diseases later in life. The speaker denies causing a measles outbreak in Samoa, stating the Prime Minister had already banned the vaccine after deaths, and that people died from a bad vaccine imported from Australia, not measles. The speaker asserts that vaccines cause autism, citing a CDC study that showed an elevated risk of autism in children who received the hepatitis B vaccine within their first 30 days. They claim that studies disproving this link were fraudulent, conducted by "biostitutes" paid by the CDC, and that the lead scientist, Paul Thorensen, is a fugitive wanted for stealing money. The speaker claims there are hundreds of studies linking vaccines to autism and neurological injuries.

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The speaker states they would not give their children the measles, mumps vaccine, claiming that measles was only deadly in the early 1900s due to malnutrition. They allege vitamin A is now a cure and that contracting measles can make children healthier, more resistant to diseases like cancer and heart disease. Addressing an incident in Samoa, the speaker denies convincing people to avoid the measles vaccine, asserting a ban was already in place after deaths caused by a bad vaccine imported from Australia. They claim no one died from measles itself, but from the vaccine. The speaker maintains that vaccines cause autism, citing a CDC study that showed an elevated risk of autism in children who received the hepatitis B vaccine. They allege that studies disproving this link were fraudulent, conducted by "biostitutes" paid by the CDC, and that the lead scientist is now a fugitive wanted for embezzlement. The speaker claims there are hundreds of studies linking vaccines to autism and neurological injuries.

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There was a researcher, a writer named Dan Olmsted, and he was very curious about unvaccinated populations. And the Amish are one of those populations. Oh, he went and he did a study of the Amish in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. And there should have been, I think about if it was following the national trends, there should have been about two thousand autism cases. And they were able to find three, and all of them were children who had been adopted by the Amish after receiving their vaccines. And I I do not believe that autism is just caused by vaccines. I think there's very strong evidence that that it is one of the major causative factors. They all operate along the same biological pathways, and they're caused by stress to our mitochondria. And we're stressing the mitochondria through many many factors.

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The speaker, recently retired from a local hospital, claims widespread disbelief in flu shots among colleagues due to data issues, stating "the efficacy and I won't give you data. You created the data. Ten percent one year, eighteen percent the next, forty percent at best." They describe the flu vaccine given to children aged two to eight for nearly four years as ineffective, with a claimed three percent efficacy at times. The speaker contrasts this with their hospital experience, where doctors, nurses, medical assistants, patient care, and lab staff did not believe in the flu shot, until mandates and recommendations arrived. They express relief at retirement, saying their soul was sick about what they witnessed, and that conflicts of interest prevented them from speaking out while employed. They recount working on high-volume ER days with about 300 flu cases daily and claim they never contracted the flu, attributing this to personal practices: washing hands, taking vitamin D, and using a berry syrup. The speaker criticizes the shift from physicians and nurses to pharmacists administering the vaccine, accuses the system of bribing people with Target gift cards and marketing the vaccine as free, and denounces scare tactics. They observe an increase in vaccination across generations, noting "some of you are my age," with their generation having seven shots, their daughter ten, her son around sixty, and their new grandson expected to receive seventy-two vaccines, expressing shock at this escalation. The speaker references Robert F. Kennedy Jr., saying he fights for them and goes to court for kids who suffered, noting that Kennedy's family started Special Olympics. They claim that in Kennedy’s view, autism linked to vaccines is evident since there were no autistic kids in the past four decades, and allege that vaccines have caused autism. They describe watching a perfectly healthy two-year-old become a "severe autistic child" after vaccination, expressing certainty that autism exists because of vaccines. They forecast their 10-year-old grandson becoming an adult who, at age 40, would be walking in the mall with a diaper and a helmet. The speaker ends by thanking studies they claim are not done and reiterates their stance against vaccines, including autism implications, as presented in the narrative.

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If your kids were young now, would you vaccinate them for measles and mumps? No, I had measles as a child, and it was common. In the early 1900s, about 10,000 Americans died from it, mostly malnourished children. Healthy kids rarely die from measles, and studies show childhood measles can lead to better health later on. Regarding Samoa, I didn't convince anyone not to vaccinate; the prime minister had already banned it after vaccine-related deaths. No one died from measles there; it was due to a bad vaccine. I still believe vaccines cause autism. A CDC study showed a 150% increased risk of autism in children who received the hepatitis B vaccine early. Many studies, which I reference in my book, link vaccines to neurological injuries. The CDC's claims against this are propaganda influenced by the pharmaceutical industry.

The Joe Rogan Experience

Joe Rogan Experience #1261 - Peter Hotez
Guests: Peter Hotez
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Joe Rogan and Peter Hotez discuss various topics, primarily focusing on vaccines, autism, and tropical diseases. Hotez, a vaccine developer for tropical diseases, explains that many tropical diseases are prevalent among the world's poorest populations, which he refers to as diseases of poverty. He became involved in the vaccine debate due to his personal connection as a parent of a daughter with autism. The conversation touches on the rising diagnoses of autism, attributing part of this increase to better awareness and diagnostic practices rather than a true rise in cases. Hotez mentions that autism is linked to genetic factors, with 99 genes identified that are involved in its development, particularly during early fetal brain development. He emphasizes that vaccines do not cause autism, as the condition begins long before vaccinations occur. Rogan raises concerns about the anecdotal stories linking vaccines to autism, particularly the MMR vaccine. Hotez counters these claims with evidence from large epidemiological studies showing no correlation between vaccines and autism. He discusses the misinformation spread by the anti-vaccine movement, which has gained traction online and through social media, often overshadowing scientific facts. Hotez highlights the need for better public health communication and advocacy for vaccines, especially in light of the resurgence of diseases like measles due to declining vaccination rates. He expresses frustration over the lack of attention given to neglected tropical diseases in the U.S., which disproportionately affect impoverished communities, particularly among people of color. He discusses the challenges in developing vaccines for these diseases due to a lack of financial incentives for pharmaceutical companies. Hotez advocates for public sector funding to address these health issues and improve awareness and treatment options for neglected diseases in wealthy countries. The conversation concludes with Hotez stressing the importance of addressing poverty-related health issues and the need for a more robust public health response to combat misinformation and improve health outcomes for vulnerable populations. He encourages readers to explore his books for more information on these topics.

The Peter Attia Drive Podcast

#159-Peter Hotez MD, PhD.: The anti-vaccine movement, causes of autism, & COVID-19 vaccine update
Guests: Peter Hotez, Brian Deer, Andrew Wakefield
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In this episode of The Drive podcast, host Peter Attia engages with guests Peter Hotez, Brian Deer, and Andrew Wakefield to discuss the ongoing issues surrounding vaccines, particularly in light of the anti-vaccine movement that gained traction after Andrew Wakefield's discredited claims linking the MMR vaccine to autism. Hotez highlights the persistent belief among a segment of the population that vaccines cause autism, despite extensive scientific evidence debunking this myth. He notes that the anti-vaccine movement has evolved, shifting its focus from specific vaccines to broader claims about vaccine safety and health freedom, often politicized and intertwined with right-wing extremism. The conversation touches on the role of thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative previously used in vaccines, which has been removed from most childhood vaccines due to public concern, despite no evidence linking it to autism. Hotez explains that the anti-vaccine lobby has continually moved the goalposts, shifting their claims from thimerosal to vaccine schedules and other factors, complicating the public's understanding of vaccine safety. Attia emphasizes the importance of providing clear, evidence-based information to parents who are confused about vaccination schedules and the necessity of vaccines. They discuss the increasing prevalence of autism diagnoses, attributing it to better awareness and diagnostic criteria rather than a true increase in incidence. Hotez shares personal insights about his daughter with autism, emphasizing the need for understanding and support for families affected by autism. The discussion also covers the HPV vaccine, which has faced significant backlash due to its association with sexual health, despite its potential to prevent cervical cancer. Hotez notes that misinformation has led to vaccine hesitancy, particularly among certain demographics, including white Republicans and some minority communities. As the conversation shifts to COVID-19 vaccines, Hotez discusses the challenges of vaccine distribution, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, and the need for equitable access to vaccines globally. He expresses concern over the emergence of new variants and the potential for vaccine resistance, emphasizing the importance of continued research and public health initiatives to combat misinformation and promote vaccination. Overall, the episode underscores the complexities of vaccine discourse, the impact of misinformation, and the critical need for clear communication and public health advocacy to ensure community health and safety.

The Peter Attia Drive Podcast

#158-Brian Deer: A tale of scientific fraud—Andrew Wakefield & the belief that vaccines cause autism
Guests: Brian Deer
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In this episode of The Drive podcast, host Peter Attia speaks with investigative journalist Brian Deer about the controversial claims linking vaccines to autism, particularly focusing on Andrew Wakefield, the former physician at the center of this narrative. Deer notes that a significant portion of the population in the U.S. and the UK still believes vaccines may cause autism, a misconception that gained traction in the late 1990s. Wakefield's journey began in the late 1980s while researching Crohn's disease, where he developed a hypothesis that the measles virus could be linked to the disease. This idea evolved into a claim that the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine caused autism after he was approached by lawyer Richard Barr, who sought to prove vaccine-related developmental issues. Barr struggled to find credible medical experts to support this theory and ultimately enlisted Wakefield, despite his lack of expertise in autism or vaccines. Wakefield's infamous 1998 paper published in The Lancet presented a case series of 12 children, claiming a link between the MMR vaccine and autism. Deer highlights the paper's methodological flaws, including the lack of Institutional Review Board approval and the selective recruitment of patients who had already been identified as having vaccine-related issues. The media coverage following the paper's release was extensive, leading to public panic over vaccine safety. Deer explains that Wakefield's research was marred by a lack of scientific rigor, as he failed to test his hypothesis adequately and dismissed contrary evidence. He relied on immunohistochemistry to find the measles virus in gut tissues, while other studies using PCR could not replicate his findings. Wakefield's insistence on the measles virus's presence, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, exemplified a significant flaw in his scientific approach. The conversation also delves into the role of John O'Leary, a researcher who claimed to find measles virus in the children’s samples but failed to provide definitive sequencing data to support his claims. Deer emphasizes that the lack of transparency and accountability in Wakefield's work contributed to the rise of the anti-vaccine movement, which continues to influence public perception of vaccines today. Ultimately, Deer argues that the consequences of Wakefield's actions have led to widespread misinformation about vaccines, causing harm to countless families and perpetuating a cycle of fear and distrust in medical science. The episode concludes with a reflection on the importance of scientific integrity and the need for rigorous oversight in medical research to prevent similar incidents in the future.
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