Hello Skeptifans. This week’s Fails and Wins in the media were all about vaccines. I only wish that there weren’t any stories related to MMR, but unfortunately we are going to be battling the effects of that B.S. for a long time.
Yellow fever vaccination drive in Togo (Africa) in 2007
Canadian vaccine offers hope for global scourge of E. coli
Lorne sent in this story. Speaking of B.S., a vaccination made for cows could help stop the spread of a common strain of E. coli into our food and water supply. E. coli has been a big problem in the last few decades, and this could make a big impact. However, the commenters don’t all agree. They are seeing the Big Pharma/Big Farm conspiracies, oh and the H1N1 “conspiracy” is back in discussion too.
Drugs: Steep Vaccine Price Reductions Could Help in Reaching More Children
Art sent in this story. Drug makers such as GlaxoSmithKlein have announced some big price cuts for the life-saving vaccines it supplies to the GAVI Alliance, a group that collects donor money to purchase vaccines for children in need. Perhaps this was related to the fact that the United Nations Children’s Fund released a report showing what it was paying for these vaccines? Either way, it’s a win.
The return of measles: Where did we go wrong?
A serious measles outbreak has sprung up in Quebec, and our poor vaccination rates are certainly related. Measles is a serious illness. While it’s not fatal to most, it can still lead to hospitalization, brain damage, infertility, and permanent scars. It is ridiculously contagious, so herd immunity is extra important. Unfortunately parents are still not vaccinating because of fears that the MMR vaccine is related to autism, despite the fact that that theory never had good supporting evidence, and now has overwhelming evidence against it. That, combined with a continuing trend for people to eschew anything “pharmaceutical” or “unnatural” is sending our infectious disease rates back in time. There is a reason that the anti-vaccers have become the number one target for skeptics in the last few years….they are killing people. The Globe and Mail has a poll on it’s website about the measles vaccine, and it’s nice to see the results. Hopefully we will see vaccination rates start to turn around.
That’s the Fails and Wins this week, folks! See you next week, and don’t forget to send me your links to links [at] skepticnorth [dot] com.