Questions for David Kirby
If I could be in London next week for David Kirby’s PR visit these are some of the questions I would like to ask him. You may care to add your own.
Your book, Evidence of Harm, explores the premise that a 150 per cent increase in the mercury burden in US vaccines (from 75 to 187 microgams of ethyl mercury) that began in 1987 caused the dramatic rise in recorded cases of autistic spectrum disorder in the USA. Given that exposure to ethyl mercury in vaccines in the UK remained at 75 micrograms until it was finally removed in 2004, and we experienced a similar growth in autism, what possible relevance could your book or your theories have for the UK?
Thiomersal was completely removed from US vaccines and stocks exhausted by 2002. Yet autism rates have continued to rise. Do you agree that whatever plausibility there was to the thiomersal hypothesis when you were writing your book, it is contradicted by the data and should now be rejected? Are you now prepared to state publicly that there is no evidence of harm? That vaccines do not cause autism?
In your public debate with the journalist Arthur Allen you conceded that autism rates had not declined in line with your predictions after the removal of thiomersal from vaccines but went on to invoke other environmental sources of mercury such as toxic plumes crossing the Pacific from Chinse coal powered power stations, forest fires in California and even the smoke from crematoria. The UK is not being overwhelmed by pollution either from China or the USA and our autism rates are at least as high as yours. How do you explain this?
The organizations that are sponsoring your visit have been scathing in the past about the conflict of interest of scientific researchers who have repudiated any connection between mercury and autism. Does the fact that you are sponsored by anti-vaccine groups like Safe Minds and Generation Rescue and your current journalistic output is published on the Generation Rescue blog, The Age of Autism, create any conflicts of interest for you that might affect you impartiality as a journalist or are you happy with your role as a publicist for these organizations?
In recent months you have returned to the vaccine bandwagon, this time claiming that a significant number of autism cases are down to a reaction to vaccines that triggers a pre-existing mitochondrial disorder. You base your arguments on confidential documents leaked to you by people connected to Hannah Poling whose case is in the process of being settled at the US Court of Federal Claims. It is very difficult for us to judge the situation based solely on your speculations and the public statements of the Polings. When journalist Ken Reibel asked the Polings at the Autism One conference last month if they were prepared to release Hannah’s medical records and allow her treating physicians to comment publicly his press credentials were revoked and hotel securiy were summoned to expel him from the building. Surely this one sided speculation should cease until the case is settled and the science can be freely discussed by those qualified to do so?
Comment by Joseph | May 31st, 2008
Your book, Evidence of Harm, explores the premise that a 150 per cent increase in the mercury burden in US vaccines (from 75 to 187 microgams of ethyl mercury) that began in 1987 caused the dramatic rise in recorded cases of autistic spectrum disorder in the USA.
As a follow-up to that, it would seem David Kirby believes that a total exposure of 75 micrograms of ethyl mercury is fairly safe. After all, when the exposure was that, autism was very rare according to David Kirby himself.
Comment by AutismNewsBeat | May 31st, 2008
You might also ask Mr. Kirby why idiopathic autism is still rare among the Lancaster County Amish, as Dan Olmsted wrote in the Age of Autism, given that their vaccination rate has dramatically increased over the years.
Comment by Craig | May 31st, 2008
Thimerosal has not been removed entirely from the vaccination schedule. According to the FDA’s website, there are still several required childhood vaccines that contain Thimerosal, including the Hepb, DTaP and most of the flu vaccines.
However, I too am curious and would like to see the answer to Ken’s question. I am very confused as to why he was removed from the conference after asking a legitimate question.
Comment by Joseph | May 31st, 2008
Thimerosal has not been removed entirely from the vaccination schedule. According to the FDA’s website, there are still several required childhood vaccines that contain Thimerosal, including the Hepb, DTaP and most of the flu vaccines.
That’s inaccurate, but again, why would that matter at all, unless you’re claiming total exposure is still more than 70 micrograms? It clearly can’t be.
Comment by Mike | May 31st, 2008
Spot on, Joseph.
Even if a child got every thimerosal containing shot there was, they would be hard pressed to even approach the levels that routinely did not cause an epidemic of autism throughout the 1980s.
Comment by HCN | June 1st, 2008
Craig, do you have evidence of these claims?
Because this webpage shows the word “free” for most of those vaccines:
http://www.fda.gov/cber/vaccine/thimerosal.htm
Not that it matters, thimerosal in the quantities used even at its maximum level has never really been proven to cause any issues when subjected to real science.
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Comment by dave ayoub, md | June 1st, 2008
Why would the Poling’s need to release their records when all pertinent details of the case are published as a case report in peer review literature? Just read it for yourself. As far as Mr Reibel, he was appropriately removed from the conference when it was discovered he had falsified his badge and not paid for entry.
Get your facts straight Miko.
Comment by Mary Parsons | June 2nd, 2008
Because it doesn’t seem as if all of the pertinent details have been published in that case report?
Comment by isles | June 2nd, 2008
Agreeing with Mary. There are many facts that aren’t elucidated in the case report; moreover, having been authored by Poling himself, the case report is hardly a neutral account.
Is there good reason to believe that Hannah can still be legitimately described as autistic? Why do the Polings think it was her vaccines and not her many ear infections and other maladies that were the stressor that put her over the edge? I could go on.
Comment by isles | June 2nd, 2008
As for a question for Kirby: Does the vast conspiracy which has prompted American academics, regulators, and nonprofit organizers to collude with the pharmaceutical industry to cover up the harm done by childhood vaccines (even to the point of vaccinating their own children with these horrible vaccines) extend to the UK as well, and if so, which individuals are responsible for maintaining it?
Comment by Mike | June 2nd, 2008
Dr Ayoub,
if you think the excerpts from Hannah’s medical records which her father incoroporated in the paper published as a “brief note” to the Journal of Child Neurology, Vol. 21, No. 2, 170-172 (2006) include all the pertinent details you are mistaken. What do you think of the fact that according to the paper her CARS scores are now below the cut-off point for autism? Surely, that detail requires further elucidation?
Regarding Ken Reibel’s credentials, are you accusing him of dishonesty? Unless you can back up your statement about his conduct I will have to delete your comments. We have strict libel laws in the UK.
Comment by Albert | June 2nd, 2008
I agree. You should take down Ayoub’s comment to protect yourself. Mr. Reibel has stated that he received an email confirming his paid registration so to have this comment on your site is libelous. The fiasco is another obvious example of how people with a certain agenda on the fringes of science wish to protect their closed community and silence dissent.
Comment by Joseph | June 2nd, 2008
“As far as Mr Reibel, he was appropriately removed from the conference when it was discovered he had falsified his badge and not paid for entry.”
Looks like Dr. Ayoub applies his paranoid thinking to all areas of life, big and small. I do look forward to Ken responding to this accusation with some documentation.