- Jul 2018
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On date unavailable, commented:
None
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On 2016 Mar 01, David Robert Grimes commented:
To clarify a few points:
(1) the paper in question never mentions thimerosal or any specific component of vaccines. Rather, it refers to the conception that vaccines are dangerous and there is an active conspiracy to promote them / suppress. This belief is quite persistent [1-4] in the anti-vaccination fringe, often presented as a rationale for why the medical establishment encourage vaccination when subscribers to the damage narrative strongly believe it is clearly harmful. It is essentially a way of reducing cognitive dissonance, and it is this argument the paper addresses.
With regards to specific vaccine additives, as far as I am aware thimerosal has never been demonstrated to cause harm, and indeed there are alternatives. As the CDC [5] make very clear;
"One vaccine ingredient that has been studied specifically is thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative used to prevent contamination of multidose vials of vaccines. Research shows that thimerosal does not cause ASD. In fact, a 2004 scientific review by the IOM concluded that "the evidence favors rejection of a causal relationship between thimerosal–containing vaccines and autism." Since 2003, there have been nine CDC-funded or conducted studies[PDF - 357 KB] that have found no link between thimerosal-containing vaccines and ASD, as well as no link between the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine and ASD in children.
Between 1999 and 2001, thimerosal was removed or reduced to trace amounts in all childhood vaccines except for some flu vaccines. This was done as part of a broader national effort to reduce all types of mercury exposure in children before studies were conducted that determined that thimerosal was not harmful. It was done as a precaution. Currently, the only childhood vaccines that contain thimerosal are flu vaccines packaged in multidose vials. Thimerosal-free alternatives are also available for flu vaccine. For more information, see the Timeline for Thimerosal in Vaccines."
In any case, this factlet is not relevant to the argument put forward in the paper, which is defined there.
(2) Again, the paper is very specific about terminology - while the over-whelming scientific consensus is that climate change is an anthropogenic phenomena, there are those that deny its very existence and claim it's a hoax perpetuated by scientists [6] rather than anything specific about implications of this. The paper distinguishes this clearly in a few places;
"Climate-change denial has a deep political dimension. Despite the overwhelming strength of evidence supporting the scientific consensus of anthropogenic global warming, there are many who reject this consensus. Of these, many claim that climate-change is a hoax staged by scientists and environmentalists, ostensibly to yield research income. Such beliefs are utterly negated by the sheer wealth of evidence against such a proposition, but remain popular due to an often-skewed false balance present in partisan media, resulting in public confusion and inertia."
...and also
"The climate-change conspiracy narrative requires some clarification too; those sceptical of the scientific consensus on anthropogenic climate change may take either a “hard” position that climate-change is not occurring or a “soft” position that it may be occurring but isn’t anthropogenic. For this investigation, we’ll define climate change conspiracy as those taking a hard position for simplicity. "
Hope this helps.
DRG
References
http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0089177
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264410X11019086
http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0147905
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On 2016 Feb 13, David Keller commented:
Climate trends & harms of vaccination are openly debated by scientists, not "demonstrably false" conspiracy theories
Thimerosal is a mercury-based preservative used to suppress the growth of bacteria and fungi in multi-dose vaccine vials. The Institute of Medicine conducted a comprehensive study which concluded that "exposure to thimerosal-containing vaccines could be associated with neurodevelopmental disorders" in children, and recommended "removing thimerosal from vaccines administered to infants, children, or pregnant women" [1]. Given this recommendation, it is reasonable for non-pregnant adults to also insist on receiving vaccines which do not contain thimerosal.
Why is thimerosal still allowed in influenza vaccines and so many others? The small amount of money saved by packaging multiple doses of vaccine in one vial is negligible. Exposure to possible thimerosal toxicity can be eliminated simply by demanding a vaccine packaged in a single-dose vial or syringe, which does not require a preservative. Avoiding unnecessary mercury exposure is logical risk-minimization, not the irrational behavior of a paranoid "conspiracy theorist".
Regarding man-made climate warming, it should be noted that there is disagreement among high-level climate experts regarding the implications of rising temperatures and sea levels. Global-warming "skeptics" argue against the catastrophic outcomes predicted by "alarmist" weather models which have gained widespread credence among the general public, and many weather scientists [2]. These skeptics argue that the recorded changes in temperatures and sea levels do not signal imminent danger requiring drastic reductions in the use of fossil fuels. Those who disagree with their conclusions should dispute them using scientific discourse, rather than dismissing their theories as "conspiratorial beliefs".
In contrast, there is zero credible evidence that the moon landings were faked, or that doctors are suppressing a "cure for cancer" because it would reduce their incomes. Such conspiratorial beliefs are clearly non-viable, and indeed preposterous, in contrast to the reasonable debate over unresolved questions like the toxicity of vaccine preservatives and the implications of climate changes.
References
1: Institute of Medicine (US) Immunization Safety Review Committee; Stratton K,Gable A, McCormick MC, editors. Immunization Safety Review: Thimerosal-Containing Vaccines and Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2001.PubMed PMID: 25057578.
2: Idso CD, Carter RM, Singer SF. Why Scientists Disagree About Global Warming; 2015 Report by NIPCC (Non-governmental International Panel on Climate Change), published 11/23/2015 http://climatechangereconsidered.org/
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On 2016 Feb 12, David Keller commented:
Effective high-level conspiracies remain operational over decades to centuries
Conspiracies are an effective means for a small group to exercise economic and political power over others for long periods of time, up to eons. For example, the divine right of kings to rule over commoners was supported by the Church for many centuries, thus yielding a highly effective and self-perpetuating means of controlling societies by the dual threats of force in this life (by the king's army) and the afterlife (where political dissenters would suffer hell-fire eternally).
More recently, we have seen a market with 5 or more acid-reducing proton pump inhibitors (PPI's) all on patent and all "competing" on price, yet not one medication was priced below $5 per pill until the first generic hit the market. The same was seen with statins, which did not see any effective price competition until lovastatin went generic. How did 5 or more pharmeceutical companies arrive at the same floor price prior to generic competition? It was either telepathy (get back to me with the details, telepathically), or it was conspiracy among these allegedly competing big pharmaceutical companies.
This comment, imported by Hypothesis from PubMed Commons, is licensed under CC BY.
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- Feb 2018
-
europepmc.org europepmc.org
-
On 2016 Feb 12, David Keller commented:
Effective high-level conspiracies remain operational over decades to centuries
Conspiracies are an effective means for a small group to exercise economic and political power over others for long periods of time, up to eons. For example, the divine right of kings to rule over commoners was supported by the Church for many centuries, thus yielding a highly effective and self-perpetuating means of controlling societies by the dual threats of force in this life (by the king's army) and the afterlife (where political dissenters would suffer hell-fire eternally).
More recently, we have seen a market with 5 or more acid-reducing proton pump inhibitors (PPI's) all on patent and all "competing" on price, yet not one medication was priced below $5 per pill until the first generic hit the market. The same was seen with statins, which did not see any effective price competition until lovastatin went generic. How did 5 or more pharmeceutical companies arrive at the same floor price prior to generic competition? It was either telepathy (get back to me with the details, telepathically), or it was conspiracy among these allegedly competing big pharmaceutical companies.
This comment, imported by Hypothesis from PubMed Commons, is licensed under CC BY. -
On 2016 Feb 13, David Keller commented:
Climate trends & harms of vaccination are openly debated by scientists, not "demonstrably false" conspiracy theories
Thimerosal is a mercury-based preservative used to suppress the growth of bacteria and fungi in multi-dose vaccine vials. The Institute of Medicine conducted a comprehensive study which concluded that "exposure to thimerosal-containing vaccines could be associated with neurodevelopmental disorders" in children, and recommended "removing thimerosal from vaccines administered to infants, children, or pregnant women" [1]. Given this recommendation, it is reasonable for non-pregnant adults to also insist on receiving vaccines which do not contain thimerosal.
Why is thimerosal still allowed in influenza vaccines and so many others? The small amount of money saved by packaging multiple doses of vaccine in one vial is negligible. Exposure to possible thimerosal toxicity can be eliminated simply by demanding a vaccine packaged in a single-dose vial or syringe, which does not require a preservative. Avoiding unnecessary mercury exposure is logical risk-minimization, not the irrational behavior of a paranoid "conspiracy theorist".
Regarding man-made climate warming, it should be noted that there is disagreement among high-level climate experts regarding the implications of rising temperatures and sea levels. Global-warming "skeptics" argue against the catastrophic outcomes predicted by "alarmist" weather models which have gained widespread credence among the general public, and many weather scientists [2]. These skeptics argue that the recorded changes in temperatures and sea levels do not signal imminent danger requiring drastic reductions in the use of fossil fuels. Those who disagree with their conclusions should dispute them using scientific discourse, rather than dismissing their theories as "conspiratorial beliefs".
In contrast, there is zero credible evidence that the moon landings were faked, or that doctors are suppressing a "cure for cancer" because it would reduce their incomes. Such conspiratorial beliefs are clearly non-viable, and indeed preposterous, in contrast to the reasonable debate over unresolved questions like the toxicity of vaccine preservatives and the implications of climate changes.
References
1: Institute of Medicine (US) Immunization Safety Review Committee; Stratton K,Gable A, McCormick MC, editors. Immunization Safety Review: Thimerosal-Containing Vaccines and Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2001.PubMed PMID: 25057578.
2: Idso CD, Carter RM, Singer SF. Why Scientists Disagree About Global Warming; 2015 Report by NIPCC (Non-governmental International Panel on Climate Change), published 11/23/2015 http://climatechangereconsidered.org/
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