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Webwatch
July 2008
Mention of the MMR vaccine in the last issue of The Platelet brings to
mind the MMR/Autism controversy. Andrew Wakefield (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Wakefield
)
published an article in The Lancet in 1988, which alleged a possible connection
with the MMR vaccination and autism. The General Medical Council Fitness
to Practice Panel (www.gmc-uk.org)
are due to meet from 28 July 2008 to 1 August 2008 to consider this matter
along with other people associated with Andrew Wakefield.
He is quoted on news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/panorama/1795534.stm, as saying "When you're taking on something like the establishment... then you are inevitably going to come up against this kind of issue." There are a large number of relevant links on www.circare.org/autism/wakefieldindex.htm.
Many people were frightened by the MMR/Autism link, some of this fear being caused by wildly inaccurate reporting by those more keen to sell newspapers than to portray the facts as known.
Examples of such wildly inaccurate language occurred in the reporting of an incident that happened to a Qantas 747 in July 2008. In flight, something went wrong and the aeroplane lost cabin pressure. Had it continued at its current altitude, the passengers would have eventually passed out owing to hypoxia. To avoid problems, the pilots took the aeroplane down to a safe altitude. The descent is quick, done "to the book" and is something practised regularly by the crew in flight simulators for just such an occurrence. But what did the papers and TV say? "…dropped from 30,000ft to 10,000ft", "aircraft was in free-fall", "Jumbo in plummet after near disaster". Some get it right "The pilot made an emergency descent from 30000 feet to approximately 10000 feet", some don't "Almost nose-dived out of the sky". If they talk such arrant rubbish about something that is easy to check on, how much harder is it for them when the science is harder? At least they should try.
On www.mmrthefacts.nhs.uk (page is available but no longer updated since publication) the NHS says "The overwhelming weight of evidence proves that MMR is safe, and the number of studies demonstrating this is growing."
One paper says "MMR and autism link is dismissed" on www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/health/article3308485.ece, a different paper says ""Former science chief: 'MMR fears coming true' " on www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-376203/Former-science-chief-MMR-fears-coming-true.html.
This misunderstanding of science was highlighted by a fascinating lecture by Dr. Craig Venter. He is an American biologist who founded The Institute for Genomic Research and has been instrumental in mapping the human genome. In December 2007 he gave the BBC Dimblebly Lecture, A DNA-Driven World. The text is available at www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2007/12_december/05/dimbleby.shtml
In his lecture, he says "We are also now bombarded by information on wars, acts of terror, climate change and global warming, devastating storms, fuel shortages, emerging infections, flu pandemics, HIV, stem cells, animal cloning, genetically modified plants, and now the possibility of synthetic life forms, all while trying to cope with complexities of our daily lives. It is no great surprise then that there is a global resurgence of fundamentalism, a desire to get back to what appeared to be a simpler time, and a time when our primary senses and simple rules appeared to determine our life outcomes."
We see a rise in organisations intent on stopping what they see as threatening
developments such as GM crops, cloning, stem cell research and other "sins".
They quote what they see as science, i.e. those results that support their
case but not those that do not. How are those of use not blessed with
a wide and up-to-date knowledge of scientific developments to make rational
choices? As far as the Association and ITP is concerned, it is easy, listen
to our splendid advisors (and Shirley!), as for the rest, see who has
anything to gain from publication. A good start is Sense About Science
at www.senseaboutscience.org.uk.
Happy surfing
Howard