The rubella epidemic of 1964-65

So you think it doesn't matter if you vaccinate your child, that it's your choice? And what about my choice, my child? In 1964 we didn't have the vaccine (available by 1969), and I was pregnant in my first trimester and exposed by a neighbor who had rubella. She didn't know I was pregnant and I didn't know she had the measles until she mentioned it. We named him Patrick Howard. Born with multiple defects incompatible with life November 17, 1964. http://www.vashonloop.com/article/rubella-epidemic-1964-65

Dr. Anna writes:  Rubella immunization has cut down the cases of congenital rubella syndrome significantly. Many people who get rubella don't know they have it, even at the height of the disease course. It can be very mild, and the rash can be very faint. I don't remember having rubella, and my mother didn't remember me having it either, but I have a positive rubella titer (immune to rubella).

Retracted autism study an 'elaborate fraud,' BMJ

The man who brought back measles.

Retracted autism study an 'elaborate fraud,' British journal finds - CNN.com

"An investigation published by the British medical journal BMJ concludes the study's author, Dr. Andrew Wakefield, misrepresented or altered the medical histories of all 12 of the patients whose cases formed the basis of the 1998 study -- and that there was "no doubt" Wakefield was responsible."

And like the global warming hoax folks who were found out earlier in the year, he's whining that he's been misrepresented in the press. Restarting measles is pretty serious too, as well as panicking millions of families.

But only 12 patients? That's an awfully small study.

Headline slants exist everywhere, not just politics

“No Connection Between Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) Vaccine And Autism, study suggests.”

ScienceDaily (Sep. 5, 2008) — In a case-control study, the presence of measles virus RNA was no more likely in children with autism and GI disturbances than in children with only GI disturbances. Furthermore, GI symptom and autism onset were unrelated to MMR vaccine timing. Science Daily article

The heading in the original report from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health words it a bit stronger than “suggests.”

Study Firmly Shows No Connection Between Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) Vaccine And Autism
Focus on children with autism and gastrointestinal symptoms; findings show GI symptoms and autism onset both unrelated to MMR timing. Mailman web page

Study findings are reported online in the Public Library of Science on September 4 (http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0003140).