Tag: Ashley Everly

Is 100% of Injected Aluminum Absorbed?

We know that aluminum is the new focus of folks who try to scare parents away from vaccinating and protecting their kids.

What are they talking about now?

Raw intake vs metallic exposure? Do they just make this stuff up as they go along?

Metabolic exposure, rates of absorption, and injected aluminum.

Even fellow anti-vaccine folks don’t really understand what he is talking about, but they are ready to eat it up, as it reflects their world view that vaccines are dangerous.

Is 100% of Injected Aluminum Absorbed?

So is all injected aluminum absorbed, as James Lyons-Weiler suggests in his promotional flyer?

Well, it’s going to be initially absorbed somewhere after the vaccine is injected, but not in the way anti-vaccine folks make you think.

It is not all absorbed into our blood right away! Part of the reason that adjuvants work might be because they act as a depot, allowing the vaccine antigens to remain at the injection site for a longer time to stimulate a good immune response.

“We were reassured to find no significant postvaccine rise in serum aluminum level after vaccination of preterm infants with vaccines containing a total of 1200 µg of aluminum.”
Movsas et al on Effect of Routine Vaccination on Aluminum and Essential Element Levels in Preterm Infants

Remember, vaccines are not injected into our bloodstreams and the aluminum in vaccines, in the form of aluminum salts, is not soluble. That means that they don’t dissolve in liquids, but instead need to be metabolized first.

But then 100% gets absorbed?

Amazingly, one of James Lyons-Weiler's own sources says that only 17% of aluminum adjuvants get absorbed... — Amazingly, James Lyons-Weiler’s ignores one of his own sources that says only 17% of aluminum adjuvants get absorbed…

Nope.

It is estimated that only about 17% of the injected aluminum, in the form of aluminum hydroxide, gets absorbed into the bloodstream.

The Inter-Related Processes of Absorption, Distribution, Biotransformation, and Elimination — In addition to our bloodstream, aluminum adjuvants get absorbed into the lymph system before getting eliminated.

Finally, after being initially injected, metabolized, and absorbed, most of the aluminum in vaccines is eliminated.

How is it eliminated?

Most of it is excreted in our urine.

Is there anything scary about all of that?

About Those Binders of Anti-Vaccine Misinformation

Anti-vaccine folks don’t have to just turn to Facebook or the Sears Vaccine Book anymore – they are preparing their own binders of anti-vaccine misinformation.

How does that work?

Binders of Anti-Vaccine Misinformation

Apparently, they just collect and print all of the anti-vaccine articles from their typical copypasta arguments and load them all up into binders.

Including copyrighted material in your binders might make you want to stop selling them too... — Including copyrighted material in your binders might make you want to stop selling them too…

Here is one the entries from Ashley Everly‘s binder, from the section on “asymptomatic transmission and shedding:”

The rash started two days after his fever, too short a time for measles, and there wasn't even any documentation of prolonged fever. — The rash started two days after his fever, too short a time for measles, and there wasn’t even any documentation of prolonged fever.

Does it provide evidence for asymptomatic transmission or shedding of measles?

Nope.

The child had a rash after having his measles vaccine and had the flu. He likely didn’t have measles. Not even vaccine-associated measles.

Anyway, as is typical for these binders, they only use one example that might reinforce their argument, but leave out all of the ones that don’t.

“In the end we are left with a powerful sense of knowledge – false knowledge. Confirmation bias leads to a high level of confidence, we feel we are right in our gut. And when confronted with someone saying we are wrong, or promoting an alternate view, some people become hostile.
The Dunning-Kruger effect is not just a curiosity of psychology, it touches on a critical aspect of the default mode of human thought, and a major flaw in our thinking. It also applies to everyone – we are all at various places on that curve with respect to different areas of knowledge. You may be an expert in some things, and competent in others, but will also be toward the bottom of the curve in some areas of knowledge.”
Steven Novella on Lessons from Dunning-Kruger

These binders are just like their Facebook groups – echo chambers of anti-vaccine misinformation.

They won’t help you do research about vaccines and they certainly won’t help you win any debates or arguments with someone who truly knows something about vaccines.

Inappropriate Use of Vaccine Studies

Have you ever wondered how anti-vaccine do their vaccine research?

These types of binders of anti-vaccine information are typically filled with vaccine studies that folks end up misusing to scare parents away from vaccinating and protecting their kids.

While they used to have to rely on Google University for their vaccine research, they now have folks making them ready made binders chock full of misinformation!

Misusing Vaccine Studies

As with their misuse of Google and Pubmed, a lot of the problems with these binders is that anti-vaccine folks cherry pick studies that support what they want to hear.

And in many cases, they read things into studies, thinking they support their views against vaccines, when they really don’t.

You're not gonna catch measles from someone's urine.... — You’re not gonna catch measles from someone’s urine….

Is this 1995 study, Detection of Measles Virus RNA in Urine Specimens from Vaccine Recipients, a warning about shedding?

Anti-vaccine folks would sure like you to think so, but the thing is, measles is a respiratory illness.

“In this systematic review, we have determined that there have been no confirmed cases of human-to-human transmission of the measles vaccine virus.”
Greenwood et al on A systematic review of human-to-human transmission of measles vaccine virus

Detecting vaccine strain measles in urine isn’t something to be concerned about because it can’t lead to an infection.

Anyway, you’re not going to get measles from shedding after someone was vaccinated. If you do, you will be the first!

Misusing MTHFR Tests

Have you wondered why anti-vaccine are so concerned about their MTHFR test results?

“In conclusion, the invalid interpretation that the determination of the MTFHR variant is an acceptable reason for vaccine exemptions is not based on the precepts of replication and rigorous clinical testing. It is unfortunate that the loose application of our exploratory report has been misinterpreted and used to inappropriately justify exemption of children from medically indicated vaccines.”
David M Reif, Ph.D. on the Inappropriate Citation of Vaccine Article

Turns out it is because a few anti-vaccine doctors misinterpretated an old study about the smallpox vaccine.

Now that the author of that study has called them out, will they stop?

Other Vaccine Studies That Are Misused

Of course, there are more…

The article totally misinterpretated the study... — The article totally **misinterpretated** the study…

Remember when anti-vaccine folks thought that the polio vaccine was causing outbreaks of hand, foot and mouth disease?

“Well, that’s actually totally backwards. Our article suggests that FAILURE to get vaccinated with polio vaccine might set you up for Hand Food Mouth disease (EV71).”

It wasn’t…

And then there is the study that had anti-vaccine folks thinking that 38% of the kids in the Disneyland measles outbreak were vaccinated.

This isn't a study about vaccine-associated measles... — This isn’t a study about vaccine-associated measles…

The study was about new ways to detect measles vaccine reactions.

“During measles outbreak investigations, rapid detection of measles vaccine reactions is necessary to avoid unnecessary public health interventions.”
Roy et al on Rapid Identification of Measles VirusVaccine Genotype by Real-Time PCR

These are folks with a fever and a rash after their MMR vaccine.

This is not people with vaccine-associated measles.

Misusing Scientific Research

Remember when they thought that the study, Deaths Reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, United States, 1997–2013, reported that 79% of deaths in VAERS occurred on the day a child received a vaccine?

That’s not what the study said…

The study simply said that “For child death reports, 79.4% received >1 vaccine on the same day.”

It wasn’t the same day they died though.

“No concerning pattern was noted among death reports submitted to VAERS during 1997–2013.”
Moro et al on Deaths Reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System

In fact, the study “did not detect any concerning patterns that would suggest causal relationships between vaccination and deaths.”

What about when anti-vaccine folks say that only 1% of vaccine side effects are reported to VAERS? That has to be true, right?

Not exactly.

That claim is based on an old study about drug reactions and was not specific to vaccines.

“To counter the propaganda by anti-vaccine activists, the research and public health communities have to adjust their communication.”
Stephan Guttinger on The anti-vaccination debate and the microbiome

Does any of this surprise you?

Can we counter this type of anti-vaccine propaganda and keep it from scaring parents away from vaccinating and protecting their kids?

Sure.

But first we all have to recognize that they are doing it!

The Dunning-Kruger Awards

Bob Sears posted his pic wearing Mickey Mouse ears a month before the big Disneyland measles outbreak... — This was posted a month before the big Disneyland measles outbreak…

Most folks understand, or think they understand, the Dunning-Kruger effect.

“Poor performers—and we are all poor performers at some things—fail to see the flaws in their thinking or the answers they lack.”
We Are All Confident Idiots

Not surprisingly, there are plenty of great examples of the Dunning-Kruger effect among vocal vaccine deniers.

The Dunning-Kruger Awards

But who leads the pack?

Smarter than the entire New York Public Health Department?

I don’t think so…

Yes, Forrest Maready, who came up with the Crooked Face Theory of vaccine injury, now considers himself to be an expert on polio.

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. thinks that he is cursed with too much knowledge about vaccines…

Kelly Brogan, a holistic psychiatrist, got her case study published in the Advances in Mind-Body Medicine journal. History making? That’s about as history making as her vaccine paper that was published in the journal, Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine.

Full stop. There is a lot of good information on the Internet, but most folks who say they did their research about vaccines on Google choose “to accept only information that supports his or her position, and ignores or dismisses information in conflict with it.”

Will Jim Meehan ever understand vaccines better?

Will anyone that listens to these folks?

Don't let Goop's mistake become your mistake.

Gwyneth Paltrow and Goop made one mistake – thinking that they could give health advice.

The creator of the PEACH anti-vaccine safety manual that has been distributed in Orthodox Jewish communities spent years gathering anti-vaccine propaganda... — The creator of the PEACH anti-vaccine safety manual that has been distributed in Orthodox Jewish communities spent years gathering anti-vaccine propaganda…

While the average pediatrician doesn’t actively investigate vaccine safety, do you know who does? Real scientists and researchers…

Whether they put all of the anti-vaccine propaganda they gather into a binder or a vaccine guide on the Internet, these folks are simply misinformed about vaccines.

Don’t look to them to help get you educated about vaccines.

VAXOPEDIA