In a previous post, I published my letter to the Columbus Dispatch editor responding to their publication of an evidence-free, anti-vax screed by Dr. "Medical Licensing is Not Doing Its Job" DeMio. I also indicated that the lovely and talented Jennifer Grey had penned a response on behalf of the Central Ohioans for Rational Inquiry (CORI). That letter, in edited form, appears in The Dispatch print edition today.

Good News: An important counter message to DeMio's demagoguery is out and publicly available in Central Ohio. The headline the CORI letter was given was unambiguous: "Concern about H1N1 vaccine unfounded".

Bad News: The list of supporting references was removed, which takes some of the thunder out of:

DeMio gave no evidence to support his claim that the H1N1 vaccine is dangerous.

And, they left the website address of DeMio's practice in. They also removed the CORI signature (likely due to a policy of not allowing group signatures). Unfortunately, they did not appear to inform the lovely and talented one of this policy at the time, as many CORI members were eager to sign.  I'm not going to say that the Dispatch editorial page is trying to support the anti-vax position by weakening a well written representation of the scientific and medical evidence while trying to appear to provide "balanced" coverage. No, it just looks that way. Best to assume they are just clueless. 

All in all, not perfect, but definitely a worthwhile effort to oppose the spread of misinformation.

Since I was granted permission by the lovely and talented Jennifer Grey (not Ferris Bueller's* Dirty Dancing sister, that one is Gray, see Figure 1) to republish the original letter before modification. Here it is in its accurate glory:

Dr. Phillip DeMio wrote an editorial for the Dispatch on October 27,

2009, entitled “Better Think Before Getting H1N1 Vaccine.”  In his

editorial, Dr. DeMio gave no evidence to support his claim that the

H1N1 vaccine is dangerous.


Judging from the links provided on Dr. DeMio’s website

(www.drdemio.com/links), it appears that his concern is with
thimerosal and squalene.  Thimerosal(ethyl mercury) is used in multi-

dose vials as a preservative but is not used in the single-dose vials

or the FluMist nasal spray.  Numerous scientific studies have shown

there is no link between thimerosal and autism, but if you still have

concerns, you can specify your preference for the FluMist if

appropriate for your child.  Squalene is a naturally occurring

substance found in plants, animals, and humans.  It has been used in

vaccines as an adjuvant for years without adverse side effects;

however, there is no squalene in the 2009 H1N1 vaccine.

The H1N1 vaccine will not cause autism, brain damage, or immune

dysfunction.  All H1N1 vaccines used in the United States are licensed

by the FDA and are made in the same way as seasonal influenza

vaccines.  Vaccines save lives.  It is irresponsible for a medical

doctor to advise the public not to get vaccinated.  This advice puts

the entire community at risk.

If you still have concerns regarding the safety and efficacy of the

H1N1 vaccine, please talk to your family physician and/or

pediatrician.

Central Ohioans for Rational Inquiry

http://www.ohioskeptic.com/


References:

Miller L, Reynolds J., "Autism and vaccination-the current evidence,"

J Spec Pediatr Nurs. 2009 Jul;14(3):166-72.

Scahill L, Bearss K., "The rise in autism and the mercury myth," J

Child Adolesc Psychiatr Nurs. 2009 Feb;22(1):51-3.

DeStefano F., "Vaccines and autism: evidence does not support a causal

association," Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2007 Dec;82(6):756-9. Epub 2007 Oct

10.

*Is this the least phonetic name of a regular person ever to grace a major motion picture title?