In 1998 the British medical journal The Lancet printed an article by Andrew Wakefield in which he claimed that Autism Spectrum Disorders could be caused by the vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella — referred to as the MMR Vaccine.
Ben Goldacre later named this article one of the “Three all-time classic bogus science stories” in his book Bad Science.
Andrew Wakefield ignored data, manipulated evidence, presented fraudulent results, and basically lied his arse off for this article — and apparently all for the sake of a paycheck of less than 500,000 pounds by lawyers looking for evidence to use against vaccine manufacturers in civil litigation.
Wakefield’s fraud was discovered — unfortunately not before a drastic drop in childhood immunisations resulted in severe, permanent injuries and death in children throughout the UK from easily-preventable measles and mumps — and Wakefield was pilloried, stripped of his medical licence and had to pay a goodly amount of legal costs for other people.
Not nearly enough in my opinion, but there you go.
Any-the-hoo. Researcher lied, kids died, researcher exposed: Truth and Justice win out in the end …
… except for one dancing monkey on this side of the pond named Jim Carrey — apparently famous for making his butt talk (how apropos), genitalia jokes, and a rubber face.
Mr Carrey seems to have decided that the medical expertise gained by making ones’ butt talk (and medical fraud such as that perpetrated by Andrew Wakefield) should be tied to any fame that he does have for the purpose of scaring parents into not vaccinating their children against easily-preventable, life-altering childhood diseases.
Wrap your mind around that, Gentle Reader.
So, the news that this particular butt-talking dancing monkey has decided to apply the same level and variety of cogitation and rational thought to the Second Amendment of the Constitution of the United States as he has to childhood immunisations means …
… not a whole hell of a lot to me.
If anything the pure chutzpah of a man who is perfectly okay with children getting — or dying from — measles (one of the leading causes of death amongst children globally), but is having a conniption fit over me owning an AR-15 is mildly amusing.
I’ll wager that the sum total of people killed by privately-held AR15s last year is a fraction of the number of children who died from complications of measles in the same time frame. Yet Jim Carrey wants parents to stop immunising — saving — children from this disease.
Yet at the same time he thinks me owning an AR15 is morally repugnant?!
Pfagh.
Shut your piehole and dance, monkey.
LawDog
Actually, in 2011, the latest CDC information, out of 222 measles cases, "Among the 70 (32%) measles patients who were hospitalized, 17 (24%) had diarrhea, 15 (21%) were dehydrated, and 12 (17%) had pneumonia. No cases of encephalitis and no deaths were reported." Additional information, "Of the 222 U.S. measles cases, 200 (90%) were associated with importations…." Ellis Island used to screen for diseases, now we can't even stop people from coming in illegally. But that's beside the point. The point is, you cannot compare his position on vaccinations with his position on guns, especially saying, "I'll wager that the sum total of people killed by privately-held AR15s last year is a fraction of the number of children who died from complications of measles in the same time frame." And according to FBI crime statistics for 2011, under age 18 homicides by firearms was 565. Also, total number of murders by rifle was 323. Now, you could argue gangbanger on gangbanger crimes etc, but in the end, you cannot say "I'll wager that the sum total of people killed by privately-held AR15s last year is a fraction of the number of children who died from complications of measles in the same time frame."
All that being said, he's just a dumbass actor and his opinion means squat, regardless of if it applies towards vaccinations, guns, or whether colon cleansing is the way to go.
World Health Organisation Measles Fact Sheet (linked in the post above): "In 2011, there were 158 000 measles deaths globally – about 430 deaths every day or 18 deaths every hour."
The wager stands.
LawDog
He's an American actor, speaking to mostly Americans, talking about the American Constitution and American gun rights. I thought we were focusing on America. My bad.
Speaking as an individual with an autism spectrum condition…
"With 'friends' and 'advocates' like Jim Carrey and/or the whackjobs at that we on the spectrum call Eradicate Autistics NOW*, who the bloody sodding hell needs enemies?!"
*Our term for "Cure Autism Now"
Really, it's a different brain architecture built to perform different roles than "normal", part of being an "individual".
I'd tell Jimmy the Meatpuppet to go back to talking out his arse only in front of the camera, but he never WAS actually funny to begin with, and I've already given the tiresome Never-Was more of my time and thought than he deserves.
If he wants to be funny, he should try guest starring on NCIS and being on the receiving end of a Gibbs-slap–THEN, for once in his life, he'll make me laugh.
Oh, BTW, he's actually a Canuck… and a not particularly bright one at that.
Ahhh, better yet, he falls into the Piers Morgan class of "I'm on tv/in movies and know everything about your country and what you should do even though I wasn't even born in the US" opinionator. Nice.
As the father of two "Autism Spectrum" sons, now adults, I say Wakefield was on to something, regardless of his motives or character. Giving young children with developing immune systems multiple inoculations is a convenience for the health practitioners and not in the best interest of the children. Using vaccines with mercury preservatives (Thermasol) compounds the problem.
My youngest son never received any multiples, and our fights with the medical community were epic. He was inoculated, one at a time, spaced weeks apart. He never developed any problems. As an aside, he is a health care provider, and none of his children have received multiple inoculations.
Thimerosal cannot have been much of a contributing factor to the development of autism since almost no children have received vaccines with that preservative for years, and yet the odds of those same non-thimerosal-receiving children developing an ASD keep getting higher.
How much of it is genetic, how much environmental, and how much just greater recognition of the condition doesn't seem to be known at this time. I'm certainly not going to rule out an environmental cause as being a significant factor, but it's hard to believe that vaccines are the major reason. If they are the primary cause, why do the vast majority of vaccinated children NOT develop an ASD?
Back to the main topic of the post, and Jim Carrey is an idiot. I never really cared for his "acting", and I'm not surprised at his political and public health opinions, but did he have to open his mouth so I knew for sure? And why does he think that because he's paid big bucks for (theoretically) entertaining us, that that gives him the right to lecture us on life, the universe, and everything?
I'd bet he would never have done that to Charlton Heston's face. Though Mr. Heston was a real man and a gentleman and probably wouldn't have made him regret it. Or at least not too much.
He's a Canadian, not an American.
And even as an actor, the best that one could say is that he's a good…comedian.
So really, since he's been famous for talking out his other end for some number of years, does any of this surprise anyone?
The jokes not ony write themselves, they've already got an agent and a manager.
" And according to FBI crime statistics for 2011, under age 18 homicides by firearms was 565. Also, total number of murders by rifle was 323. "
So how many of those were ar15's, as opposed to something else?
Wakefield's coauthor on at least one of the papers was recently unstruck off from the medical registry due to the General Medical Council's sleazy conduct.
http://www.bailii.org/cgi-bin/markup.cgi?doc=/ew/cases/EWHC/Admin/2012/503.html&query=Walker-Smith+and+GMC&method=boolean
Also, the whole controversy involves some terminological inexactitude: http://www.cbsnews.com/2102-31727_162-20016356.html
And, in yet another example of your tax dollars at work, the Vaccine Adverse Effects Reporting System and the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program seem well designed to not collect relevant data: http://www.nvic.org/reportreaction.aspx
http://www.nvic.org/NVIC-Vaccine-News/January-2013/IOM-Issues-Report-on-Safety-of-the-Child-Vaccine-S.aspx
The veterinary literature, on the other hand, contains numerous reports of vaccine adverse effects, particularly when multiple vaccines are given simultaneously.
It is a fact, however, that since Obama has been in office, he has killed more children with drone attacks than have been killed with AR15 rifles.
Thanks Dawg,
My brains vision of Carrey as a "Butt Talking,Dancing Monkey" left me rolling on the floor laughing. How apropo!
NW Diamondback sez:
"If he wants to be funny, he should try guest starring on NCIS and being on the receiving end of a Gibbs-slap–THEN, for once in his life, he'll make me laugh. "
If he was guest starring on NCIS, the entire show would be Gibbs-slaps.
On second thought…I find your viewpoint intriguing and wish to subscribe to your fine newsletter… ;oP
Dear Mr. Carrey,
Since you seem to think the use of guns implies a small penis size, I dare you to go into the poorest, most crime-ridden section of Los Angeles, and when you are attacked, club to death your assailant with your mighty penis. This will be the only way you can win your arguement. I have a feeling you won't however, since there are no martial arts based on wielding a giant penis.
To be fair, MMR vaccine that's made out of dead baby human cell lines has some fairly serious allergy effects, ones that didn't hit some of us when MMR vaccine was made out of chicken eggs.
And while I suppose it's good to know I'm allergic to human (thus reducing temptation should we all starve), it messed me up pretty bad as a college kid getting re-vaccinated. I shudder to think what the reaction would have been like if I'd been a little kid allergic to human.
The WHO estimated that there were 158,000 deaths caused by measles in 2011. Jim Carey wants the cure banned.
The FBI reports that there were 358 homicides involving rifles in 2010. The specific make and model of the rifles isn't reported in that statistic and the FBI doesn't have stats for defensive firearms use… But, its a fair estimate that all those police cars across the nation with AR-15 variant patrol rifles, SWAT units with M4 clones, Federal law enforcement agencies and armed services with M16 rifles and M4 carbines… and the MILLIONS of them in civilian hands have saved a lot of lives too. Jim Carey wants the these rifles banned.
I suspect Jim Carey just wants a lot of people dead.
Given the estimated total number of guns in the country, the rate at which kids get shot with the aforementioned guns, the number of cars in the country, the number of kids who meet their end due to cars and the ratio overall of 'assault weapon' deaths to firearm deaths as a whole…
We get a rough estimate that kids are 6,000 times more likely to be killed with a car than with an 'assault weapon'.
Hey, if the antis can use questionable math and get away with it, why can't I do the same?
It really drives home how absurd the idea is that we need to ban AR-15s to protect children though…
I'm not sure which makes me dismiss his opinion more quickly…the fact that he is a comedian, or the fact that he is a Canadian, and needs to keep his opinion away from our Constitution….
I hadn't thought it was possible for Carrey to sink any lower in my opinion; he just proved that I thought wrong. I won't sully the term comedian by using it to refer to him. I've never found him funny and, to be honest, he gives me the creeps. I really wish he would shut whatever he talks out of up.
http://www.jennymccarthybodycount.com/Anti-Vaccine_Body_Count/Home.html
Always that anecdotal evidence. My kid had his vaccines spaced apart and his pre-existing condition didn't get worse!
Wake up people, big pharma isn't actually a thing. They spend 100's of millions of dollars developing a drug; if it were a cure for cancer they'd patent it and be rich.
Also, they took thimerosal out of vaccines years and years ago and nothing has changed per MMR. If anything it's autism spectrum diagnosis that has changed. Instead of being slow, now you have a mild case of autism. My uncle would be considered autistic today where he was 'slow' in the 70's.
"America" is a continent. The USA is a country.