Feedback: praise and abuse
Following Brian Deer’s Channel 4 Dispatches investigative documentary, MMR: What the didn’t tell you, broadcast on November 18 2004, visitors to this website had their say. All extremes are on show below.
MMR: 18 November 2004
Brian,
Congratulations!
What a great programme. I can remember hearing dr Wakefield at the press conference and thinking, “Where does that come from?, What is going on here?” And now I know.
Well Done
You have possibly saved more lives tonight than I will save in a lifetime.
James C.
MMR: 18 November 2004
Congratulations on a brilliant and devastating Dispatches programme.
Prof. John A.
MMR: 18 November 2004
Congratulations – great programme – I had long wondered why a doctor (Wakefield) could be so adamant that the combined MMR vaccine was the cause of autism, on the basis of no real evidence. It didn’t make sense.
I’m just amazed that he went unchallenged for so long. And that Chadwick didn’t say anything.
And, of course, the real victims are the children and their families – both those left with the feeling that they were responsible for their child’s autism, and those that run the risk of measles, mumps and rubella – either
now or in the future – as a consequence.
Vaccination may be an imperfect science, but at least it’s based on science rather than colostrum.
Harriet G.
MMR: 18 November 2004
Mr Deer,
I write as a father of two girls (4yrs and 2.5 yrs) who have both, thankfully, received the MMR jabs on time etc.
I found your Channel 4 Dispatches programme extremely interesting and challenging, spending much time relaying information to my wife regarding some of the more outrageous activities of Dr Wakefield. For those who watched Dispatches the majority will, I believe, recognise this sorry debacle to be made up of a self serving individual and a popular media all too ready to sensationalise the latest health scares.
Do you think the Daily Mail et al will be running front page stories pointing out just how flawed this entire debacle has been? I will be quite disappointed if this does not warrant some attention in tomorrow’s media.
As a final note – a quick trawl through the internet brings up some truly awful sites purporting to give and informed viewpoint re MMR/Autism. Quite a number appear to be American!
Many thanks for your programme which has helped me greatly in laying to rest some minor demons. I am not a person to respond in this way as a general rule. Your programme, however, touched issues very close to me – my childrens health & wellbeing.
David B.
MMR: 18 November 2004
Dear Mr Deer,
I have already forwarded my thoughts regarding tonights programme on the Channel 4 viewer enquiry page.
A website that is all in favour for Dr Wakefield is: www.mmrthequestions.com
Mrs S H.
MMR: 19 November 2004
Dear Mr. Deer,
I just watched your Dispatches programme about MMR. I have never witnessed such one-sided, biased and badly and maliciously edited pile of crap in my life. MMR (and other vaccines) do cause autism. You know it and we all know it. Who’s paying you for this campaign against Dr. Wakefield? I can probably guess. You’re fooling no-one and are a complete disgrace to your profession.
Michael
MMR: 19 November 2004
Dear Mr Deer
From a doctor who has seen children die of measles, and fears that he will again, and who is sometimes brought near to tears of frustration by scared parents;
Thank you!
Richard
MMR: 19 November 2004
Dear Brian
working as an Immunisation Facilitator and Health Visitor for 28 years it was so refreshing and uplifting to hear the real story behind the MMR scare. I have lobbyed parents and professionals alike in the safety and effectiveness of this vaccine and to hear that someones economic greed was essentially behind it, is totally gut wrenching considering the parents of any autistic child who want a reason for their child’s disability.
Why oh Why is this not being shouted from the rooftops on todays television/news bulletins as it would have been if the story had been a negative one???
Jayne W.
MMR: 19 November 2004
Brian
I watched Dispatches last night and just wanted to congratulate you on the work you have done in exposing Andrew Wakefield.
I am fortunate in that my children were immunised long before the scare broke but I have a number of friends who were very apprehensive about possible effects on their children, and really felt there was compelling and conflicting advice on both sides.
I was amazed in February when the details of his being funded by lawyers came out, but watching your programme last night I was absolutely astounded and frankly disgusted that this whole issue had been fabricated to further his own commercial ambitions.
You have done a great service to parents all over the world, and I only hope that your side of the story receives as much publicity as the scare did. However, I suspect that this will not be the case.
Keep up the good work
Terry M.
MMR: 19 November 2004
Hello,
I tuned into Dispatches last night hoping for a balanced and informative program.
Instead, I was appalled to witness a prolonged and vicious attack on Dr Andrew Wakefield, by a clearly bitter, troubled and pathetic little man.
Mr Deer’s research findings were deeply inaccurate, and he made several important omissions.
No vaccination has ever been proposed or developed by Dr Wakefield or his colleagues at the Royal Free Hospital.
There were hopes to develop and trial a compound called transfer factor, as a potential therapy for the children with regressive autism and bowel disease.
Mr Deer was correct in stating that at one stage it was not possible to detect measles virus in the tissue samples taken from the children. This was because the methods initially utilised were not sensitive enough. I am surprised that such an enthusiastic researcher did not reveal that subsequent methodology has positively identified vaccine strain measles virus in the bowel tissue, blood and cerebral spinal fluid of affected children.
This program will have done nothing to clarify the confusion surrounding the MMR issue. It will have caused deep distress to Dr Wakefield and his family, friends and colleagues, not to mention the thousands of families in the UK that have children adversely affected by the MMR vaccine.
I would like to suggest that if Mr Deer has any further personal vendettas to air, that he should do so privately, not publically, on air, at the tax payers expense.
Julie Loch
[Reply: Julie Loch was a litigant in a lawsuit against MMR manufacturers. The Andrew Wakefield vaccine patent application is posted at this site. ]
MMR: 19 November 2004
Fantastic doc on MMR
Thanks for clearing that up and reducing my anxiety of getting my child injected.
Neil C.
MMR: 19 November 2004
Hi Brian,
I am one among those thousands of anxious parents baffled by the facts and counterfacts about MMR and your program really cleared my mind. I felt like i need to appreciate you for taking pain to clear this issue and delink the myths sorrounding MMR. My only worries is that, eventhough such unscruplous scientists put millions of children life at risk by giving false reports, they can walk with their shiny suits on freely and what is the law of land doing..??
Keep the work going and thanks a million.
Regards,
K.T.D.
MMR: 19 November 2004
Dear Brian Deer
I was interested in the programme on Channel 4, and have taped it to study more closely.
I have two grandchildren out of four in the same family who suffer from Autism. Their mother is a GP and has been extremely sceptical of the MMR connection right from the start.
However what is interesting is the possibility of the genetic factor in this condition. My son in law, who, on looking back on the last 15 years that we have know him, has shown definite autistic tendencies that have become much more pronounced over the past 4 years, making him very difficult to live with in a family orientated environment.
Is there a possibility that the MMR might just trigger this genetic factor, or is it better and earlier diagnosis that this highlighting such a dramatic increase in the number of cases?
Margaret C.
MMR: 19 November 2004
Hello Brian
I am also a journalist. I write for the Guardian/Indy/Statesman. I watched Dispatches last night with special interest as I am also a mother of a 13 month old and we are at the stage where we are wondering whether to let her have the MMR jab. I wondered if I could ask you a few questions, as a mother, not as a journalist!
Do you have a child and if so has she/he had the MMR? Do you or anyone you know involved in the making of the programme have a vested/commercial interest in vaccinations?
I ask because this whole thing is just mind boggling. You listen to one bit of research and then find out the person behind it was having their pen pushed.
I hope you will answer this in the spirit of transparency you are admirably keen on.
Thanks for the programme and your investigations. I could never do your job, far too scared!
Annalisa B.
[Reply: The suggestion that Brian Deer, or any of the team who made the documentary, has any vested interest in, or income from, vaccines is both wrong and bizarre.]
MMR: 19 November 2004
Hi,
Just watched your incredibly biased programme promoting mmr.
Yes Wakefield’s interests are wrong, but how many hospital patent procedures in case they provide a cure from which the hospital can financially benefit? Is this the norm, or is the Royal Free an exception? How many doctors supporting mmr have financial interests? You know as well as I do that medicine exists and thrives on vested interest – and very little science. Show me an independent double blind placebo trial on the mmr – not one exists – and such trials are the very minimum that we parents should expect from those that we charge with looking after the health of our children.
How come you did not interview a “knowledgeable” parent of an autistic child – Jackie Fletcher for instance?
You grossly understated the incidence of autism which contradicts the 1:170 quoted in the Sunday Times.
Michael H.
[Reply: The programme-makers invited Jackie Fletcher to participate. She ignored the request and has since declined to engage in debate with Brian Deer. Richard Barr, longterm solicitor for the plaintiffs in the MMR litigation, was also invited to participate. This invitation was apparently ignored by Mr Barr, but was quickly followed by the receipt by the programme-makers of an aggressive warning letter from Alexander Harris, solicitors. Parents who claim their child was injured by MMR were also invited to take part, but declined. One family agreed to take part, and were filmed, but withdrew after the programme-makers explained that defamatory allegations against a GP and a nurse, unsupported by any evidence, could not be lawfully broadcast.]
MMR: 19 November 2004
Hi,
I teach a course at our medical school which addresses, among other things, both medical professionalism and how medical and scientific information is handled in the press. As such, I have been following the MMR controversy in Great Britain with great interest and would be delighted to obtain a DVD/video copy of your recent documentary if such is or eventually will be available for purchase. Could you let me know?
Prof Linda D. S.
[Reply: If there seems to be a level of interest, we will see what we can do]
MMR: 20 November 2004
Watched Dispatches with disgust at your level of bias. Look at the whole picture.
Do you know how many children have Crohn’s disease as result of MMR, or epilepsy or hearing problems. Get the figures! The DOH don’t want to know, the information might be too damaging to them and their vaccination policies.
Take Wakefield out of the picture an start to look at the REAL issue of healthy children suffering permenant ill health after an MMR vaccine.
Take an example of two very healthy children for 12 years, whose health began to deteriorate within weeks of an MR vaccine at the age of 12. Both twins diagnosed with Crohns, shortly after vaccine, and both have suffered dreadfully and had their lifes and futures destroyed, suffering pain and surgery over last 10 years. One has had major abdominal surgery three times in last 10 months and as result has a risk of not being able to have children!
These are my kids! That vaccine destroyed their lives and mine as a result
Wonder what your programme would have said if it had been your child affected by MMR/MR!
Anne M.
MMR: 22 November 2004
Dear Mr Deer,
as a paediatrician, could I just say thank you? There’s a lot I could add, but I’m sure you’ll get the message!
Alan S.
Consultant Community Paediatrician,
MMR: 22 November 2004
Brian,
Sadly I only caught the last 20 mins of your Despatches. The final sequence was very striking, where Wakefield, he of the post publication press conference and video, has not the mettle to face you and your questions. The media biter bit.
What can t be calculated, is how many avoidable congenital rubella babies and measles complications/deaths have occurred or will occur only because public confidence in MMR was so cynically undermined.
Well done and thanks, Brian.
Gary R.
(GP and Consultant in Communicable Disease Control)
MMR: 23 November 2004
Dear Mr Deer,
Congratulations on lifting the lid on Wakefield and giving the public a glimpse of the junk science, opportunism and misrepresentation which has characterised his so-called academic career. Wakefield is a serial offender, a surgeon with no scientific training, and it shows. It needs to be remembered that his previous claims for the involvement of measles virus in Crohn’s disease were thoroughly trashed on technical grounds by the MRC, and that subsequent studies have definitively shown there is no measles virus genetic material in Crohn’s tissues. It has never been resolved how Wakefield could claim to see virus particles in Crohn’s tissues, detect measles virus with antibodies which were not specific for measles virus, and continue to publish papers with images of measles virus in Crohn’s disease when Nick Chadwick was generating data ( subsequently published) that there was no measles virus in Crohn’s. Wakefield however never lets facts get in the way, and his mini-biography at the International Child Resource Development Centre still claims that he made the ” Discovery of measles virus in inflammatory bowel disease”. Yeah right.
In a clear case of trying to get his retaliation in first, Wakefield posted a site on the web last Thursday www. mmrthequestions.com where he made some interesting and unsustainable claims. He stated that Chadwick’s PCR was not sensitive enough to detect measles virus in autistic children, so he hooked up with O’Leary in Dublin who allegedly can detect as low as 2 copies of the virus. Chadwick could only detect down to 10,000 copies of viral genetic material. Unfortunately for Wakefield, even though the Uhlmann paper on measles virus in the gut of autistic children has flaws and omissions which make it completely unreliable, the viral copy number in the autistic children is stated to be as high as 300,000 copies. This of course is well in the range of detection in the PCR Nick Chadwick used. Explanation?
Desperately trying to explain why he blatantly ignored Nick Chadwick’s results, Wakefield also states ” In addition, the negative results obtained by NCs technique were inconsistent with other evidence of measles virus in the inflamed intestinal tissue obtained prior to publication of the Lancet study in 1998.” No details are given but he is almost certainly referring to some more junk immunostaining he did on gut samples from autistic children allegedly detecting measles virus protein. This has never been published as a full paper but appeared at Digestive Diseases Week in 1998 and was published in Gastroenterology, 1998;174:A430. He has also been showing images of this immunostaining all over the world. The deadline for abstract submission for DDW is the end of the calendar year so the abstract would have to be written by Dec 1997. Funnily enough, in this abstract, Wakefield does not mention that Nick Chadwick could not detect measles virus by PCR in gut samples of autistic children. Given that Chadwick’s PCR work and the immunostaining were almost certainly done at about the same time, it is probable that samples from the same autistic children were included in each form of analysis. It is virtually impossible for measles virus to be detected by immunochemistry, a relatively insensitive technique, and not be detected by PCR. So we are left with a situation where Wakefield just ignores good data from Nick Chadwick which undermine his hypothesis and includes junk data which allegedly supports it. Unfortunately this is only the tip of the iceberg.
Anon
MMR: 26 November 2004
Brian
I am a mum of 2 boys who have both had the MMR in the middle of the MMR scare.
Thank you for giving that quack his come uppance.
I have always thought that Wakefield was totally irresponsible in his authorship and subsequent criticisms of the MMR.
I just wanted to say that I am grateful that someone as tenacious as you seem to be decided to go for it and at last someone showed us the simple stats of risk of MMR versus risk of not having it and reminded us that single vaccines are unproven. It makes my blood boil that there are so many intelligent women ( and it seems to me it is the mothers who are ultimately deciding) that have been grossly mislead by this man.
Thanks for your hard work
Susie M.
FEATURED FEEDBACK: THE DISCOURTEOUS COUNTESS
UK House of Lords, written answers, 10 January 2005:
Data Protection Act 1998
“The Countess of Mar asked Her Majesty’s Government: Whether under the Data Protection Act 1998 a hospital may release to a journalist confidential documents relating to patients, including clinical findings and descriptions of medical procedures on children who can be identified; and, if not, whether it is in the public interest for the Department of Health website “MMR the facts” to include a link to the website of the Sunday Times journalist Brian Deer. [HL364]”
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Warner): “While the Data Protection Act 1998 does not prevent clinicians sharing information for necessary medical purposes, the confidential nature of health data prevents it being disclosed more widely unless: identifying information has been removed or anonymised; the individuals concerned have given their consent to disclosure; there is a statutory obligation to disclose or a court order requiring disclosure—it is in response to a court order; there is an overriding public interest (for example to protect public health).
“The “MMR the facts” website has been put together by the Immunisation Information team at the Department of Health. The information team makes available a range of materials designed to provide both parents and health professionals with the latest information on immunisation. As is common practice, it provides links to other sources of information that will help inform the public interest and debate in the topic. As noted on the site, the department is not responsible for the content or reliability of linked websites, and linking should not be taken as endorsement of any kind.”
[Who she anyhow? Apparently, the twice-divorced countess of Mar was once a British Telecom supervisor, but now keeps goats. She inherited her title through the residue of Scottish feudalism, and evidently thinks little of using her soon-to-be-abolished position to squander public money responding to such ignorant claptrap. Brian Deer had no previous dealings with the noble lady, so he phoned to ask if he could help. Mar’s response was pretty much par for the course for the anti-vaccine lobby.]
Countess of Mar: “Lady Mar.”
Brian Deer: “Oh, hello Lady Mar. This is Brian Deer from The Sunday Times.”
Countess of Mar: “I don’t think I wish to speak to you, Mr Deer.” [Hangs up]
[Probably get more sense from the goats.]
MMR: 19 November 2004
Dear Mr Deer,
May I congratulate you and Channel 4 on perhaps the finest piece of science journalism I have read or seen in a half-century of interest in such things.
I became totally convinced that MMR is dafe when I read that six independent statistical studies had found no evidence of a connection between MMR and Autism. I was horrified that not enough had come from the media to persuade people of the safety of MMR, particularly as my own grandson was given three separate jabs.
It was apparent that Dr Wakefield’s nonsense and the lack of an adequate response from government, medical profession and media would cause thousands of illnesses, many serious, and some deaths. By the same logic you will save thousands of children from suffering, and some from death.
Roy A.
MMR: 3 December 2004
Hi,
I meant to send this earlier!
I just to wanted to congratulate you on your excellent MMR Dispatches programme. I always thought Wakefield was extremely suspect. You proved what everyone had been thinking for years. A brilliant piece of journalism.
Best wishes
Rob M.
MMR: 3 December 2004
Just a short note to say how impressed I am with your web site and your journalism
Keep up the good work
Dr Sandy E.
MMR: 26 March 2005
Hi, I came across your website while researching smz/tmp. I found your site very informative. As I did some more searching I was surprised to see a whole section devoted to Dr. Wakefield and the MMR fiasco. I should add that I’m the mother of an 11 year old autistic boy. While I really don’t have the insight as to what the real story is with the MMR/autism connection, I personally know of doctors/lab workers in England and the US who have had their careers and future earning abilities threatened if they did any research that might end up supporting Dr. Wakefields’ finding. Don’t you find this strange and upsetting? If the connection is so false, then why not have others try to duplicate the research and see what the results are?
I also saw a bit of bashing of Dr. Bradstreet’s practice in Florida. While he is not my son’s doctor, my son has done many of the DAN (Defeat Autism Now) biomedical treatments and is making tremendous improvements as are thousands of other children. Many of the younger kids are recovering with the early treatments especially chelation and supplements. My son has gone from barely being able to string together three words to just on the verge of conversational today and keeps improving. I don’t know if you are aware but both Dr. Bradstreet and Dr. Kartzinel have autistic children so they have a vested interest in finding treatments that work.
Since you appear to have geniune concern to ferreting out the truth, perhaps you’ll want to look into the matter of the thimerosal -autism connection and what’s happening to a generation of children.
Thanks for your time
Mary C, Brick, New Jersey.
CAROL STOTT: 22 June 2005
That’s the funniest thing I’ve read for ages… And v brave of you to take her on in the first place: she looks like she might be supported by a team of dildo wielding she-bikers… I would get some security sorted if I were you…. Fancy a lunch soon?
Paul N, London.
HUGH FUDENBERG (REPLY): 31 September 2005
I have just been informed of your article on myself. I have been on the World Health Organization’s Expert Committee on Immunology for 20 years, the Chief Editor of the Journal of Clinical Immunology for 10 years, a member of the Counsel of the National Institute of Allergy Immunology and Infectious Diseases for five years, Chairman of the first Immunology Department in the US, and visiting Professor at almost every eminent medical school in the world, including the Saint Mary’s Medical School, the Royal Free Hospital Medical School, Middlesex Hospital and Hammersmith Medical School (all in London), also at Oxford University and Cambridge University Medical Schools. I have honorary PhD degrees from Universities in France, Italy, Germany, and China. I am also listed in Who’s Who in the World, you may also check that for my credentials.
In terms of TF, I enclose a letter from a dentist in Illinois, who is the father of a patient with severe Autism, whose symptoms appeared within 12 hours of receiving vaccines containing thimersol. He failed to improve for six years to other therapies, and has improved dramatically from our therapy. I would be happy to furnish names, and phone numbers, for other patients who have been significantly helped, or completely cured.
You are correct in stating my charges of some fifty per hour, but these are donations to the Neuro Immuno-Therapeutics Research Foundation, not payments to me.
You are right in saying that a neuro-psychiatrist concluded that I have a disability. However, the tests were performed in a brightly lit room, and I have primary severe photophobia, documented by electrorectinogram at Emory Medical School I begged that the tests be carried out in a dark room, but the neuro-psychiatrist did not believe me, having never heard of this disorder before. In the year 2000, there were 38 known patients with this disorder.
You plainly do not believe that vaccines with mercury therein can cause problems. I enclose a summary of an invited review which was published last month in the International Journal of Clinical Investigation, a list of other material on this or related subjects. I also enclose a summary of the cover-up of a meeting concerning thimersol in vaccines, I also enclose letters sent to science writers of the NY Times, LA Times, etc.
I would be happy to respond to any other charges, but this letter is already too long, so you may call me at my phone number listed below.
Failure to notify me before publishing these charges plus failure to publish a retraction to these charges appears to me to be grounds for legal action. I am sending a copy of this letter to my attorney, and will pursue further action if you do not publish a retraction.
Sincerely
H.H. Fudenberg, M.D., D.D.G., I.O.M.
WHAT’S YOUR PROBLEM? 24 October 2005
As a parent of an autistic child with severe inflammatory bowel disease that was diagnosed at the Royal Free in 1999 I wonder what your problem is. My son was also treated by Dr. Krigsman in 2003 when his entire esophagus was full of lesions. He is now being treated by the head of Pediatric Gastroenterology at Childrens Memorial Hospital part of Northwestern University here in Chicago who AGREES with Drs. Wakefield and Krigsman that my son has an autoimmune disease of his entire GI tract likely caused by a viral agent. I have no idea what your problem is but you are not helping these children who are very sick. Perhaps you need to seek some type of psychiatry therapy Mr. Deer.
Elizabeth Birt, Chicago.
[Sadly, two months after this suggestion, Elizabeth Birt was killed in a road traffic accident]
From JEANNEDUTCHROSE@aol.com
Date Mon, 24 Nov 2008
Subject autism
FUCK YOU. YOU ARE THE SCUM OF THE EARTH. YOU ARE JUST TRASHING PEOPLE THAT ARE
TOTALLY DEDICATED TO FIND CURES FOR A HORRIBLE DISEASE.
PROTECTING YOUR SELFCENTERED ASS, TRASHING OTHERS FOR SELFGAIN, OR PROTECTING
YOUR BUDDIES AT A CORRUPTED PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY.
WELL, NOW I’M TRASHING YOU RIGHT BACK. YOU ARE TRASH.
WE’RE EVEN.
From JONNAJV@aol.com
Date Fri, 27 Mar 2009
you moron. sad, ignorant moron.
From: biggestcon@mail.ru
Date: Tuesday 17 November 2009
I happen to be of the view that MMR did not cause autism.
But what drivel you wrote about Carol Stott.
https://briandeer.com/mmr/carol-stott.htm
The details on your website make crystal clear that you are indeed a most nasty, unhelpful, inhumane and hypocritical excuse for a human. With nothing of any value to contribute to anything. Indeed I think the words she used about you were rather understated. You’ll be pleased to note that Ms Stott is on the board of the AutismFile. And respectfully received at conferences. Unlike yourshit, oops I meant yourself.
good riddance evil timewasting irrelevance.
From: Payman Adibmehr
Payman.Adibmehr@snclavalin.com
Date;1 December 2009
Hi Imbecile, go to hell for your incompetent so called journalism