Thursday, September 27, 2012

A Call to Arms

Orac, over at Respectful Insolence, has called on those of a scientific bent to take action on two important issues. First off, investigative journalist, Brian Deer, will be speaking at the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse on October 4 and 5. Brian Deer, you may recall, is a U.K. journalist who has harshly criticized pharmaceutical companies and who uncovered the research fraud committed by Andrew Wakefield. The anti-vaccine activists at Age of Autism have encouraged their followers to rally against Mr. Deer and to support a press conference that Andrew Wakefield will be giving on October 4, also at the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse. Here are the details about both:

Brian Deer's Talks
  • "An Elaborate Fraud: The MMR Vaccine & Autism"
  • Thursday, October 4 at 5:30pm
  • Centennial Hall, Room 1309 
  • "Stiletto Journalism: Busting the Vaccine Scare"
  • Friday, October 5 at 3:30pm
  • Centennial Hall, Room 1309
Andrew Wakefield's Press Conference
The other item that need your support is AB2109, about which I've written before (here and here). As a quick reminder, this bill would require parents who want a philosophical exemption for their children from school immunization requirements to talk with a medical provider about the risks and benefits of vaccination, and the risks of not vaccinating for both themselves and their community. The bill has passed both the California State Senate and Assembly. It is currently on Governor Jerry Brown's desk, waiting to be signed. A vocal contingent of anti-vaccine activists and Tea Partiers are holding a rally to oppose this legislation tomorrow, September 28 from noon to 2pm on the West Steps of the state capitol. If you live nearby, I urge you to attend in counter-protest to voice your support for this bill. I also encourage you to contact Gov. Brown, asking him to sign AB2109.

If you decide to attend any of these events, please remember to remain civil. Do not be goaded by the anti-vaccine activists you are likely to encounter.

2 comments:

  1. Hi – Will you please post a link to your important Blog at The Autism Community at vorts.com? Our members will really appreciate it.
    Members include: Those living with Autism, parents of children with autism, their families, friends, support groups, etc.
    It's easy to do, just cut and paste the link and it automatically links back to your website. You can also add Articles, News, Photos, and Videos if you like.
    Email me if you need any help or would like me to do it for you. I hope you consider sharing with us.
    Please feel free to share as often and as much as you like.
    The Autism Community: http://www.vorts.com/autism/
    Thanks,
    James Kaufman, Editor

    ReplyDelete
  2. Update on AB2109: Governor Brown has signed it!
    http://gov.ca.gov/docs/AB_2109_Signing_Message.pdf

    Chemmomo

    ReplyDelete

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