Unhappy with CNN’s Campbell Brown commenting on the flimsy evidence regarding vaccines’ link to autism, actor turned medical expert Jim Carrey has taken to writing commentary on the issue.
Writing on The Huffington Post, Carrey states, “If the CDC, the AAP and Ms. Brown insist that our children take twice as many shots as the rest of the western world, we need more independent vaccine research not done by the drug companies selling the vaccines or by organizations under their influence. Studies that cannot be internally suppressed. Answers parents can trust. Perhaps this is what Campbell Brown should be demanding and how the power of the press could better serve the public in the future.”
I don’t know what to make of this. I suppose one could chalk it up to Jenny McCarthy’s influence over Carrey. But let us assume that Jim Carrey has invested time in gaining knowledge on this issue and is seriously interested in pursuing the discussion.
He writes that we should hear more from those in the medical community not under the influence of vaccine makers.
Will a physician with no financial ties to vaccine manufacturers do?
In a piece in the Los Angeles Times Dr. Rahul Parikh writes, “By now, most people know that many parents are refusing to vaccinate their children because they're scared that vaccines cause autism. They've heard the public rants of people who form a small but vocal and well-financed minority in the autism community and been frightened by them. Actress Jenny McCarthy, for example, who has had her share of appearances on "Larry King Live" and "The Oprah Winfrey Show," has screamed (literally) that she would rather children get measles than autism. At best, that's a false choice; at worst, it's a sick, horrible wish for her or anybody else's child.”
Autism is undoubtedly a terrible affliction – and we all sympathize with the parents of autistic children. But it is simply unforgivable for Jim Carrey and others to continue scaring parents out of their minds with abandon.
That said, Dr. Kevin Pho of KevinMD correctly notes that the medical community’s time would be better spent avoiding getting bogged down in a debate with the anti-vaccine zealots and instead work on improving the message to parents and the public about the benefits of vaccines.
Dr. Pho writes, “no amount of data will convince those who refuse vaccines.” He advises, “Rather than fighting a reactionary battle with them, it's wiser to spend money proactively promoting the benefits of vaccines, or even better, convincing parents what will happen if more begin to refuse them for their kids.”
Hear, hear!
