The creator of the site Jock Doubleday wants to pay someone to take a super-dose of the standard vaccines that we give children. He advocates not giving vaccinations as he believes strongly that vaccines are dangerous. He also believes that doctors are embroiled in a conspiracy to give children these "dangerous vaccines" so they can rake in the profits on the vaccinations. I guess he isn't aware that most doctors barely break even on vaccines and that many actually loose money on vaccines. This means that many doctors actually pay for the vaccines with their own money. Why would they do this unless they felt it was important? Yeah, sounds like a conspiracy to me, what with the evil doctors unscrupulously losing money on saving children's lives.
So, why the blog? I guess I'm tired of seeing website after website of misinformation written by quacks who would call themselves "experts" advising people to make very bad decisions regarding their health. These websites seem to operate with impunity and without repercussions for this undeniably unethical and criminal behavior. In his statement above, Jock states that no doctor in their right mind would consume the weight-adjusted dose of these vaccines. He then goes on to say that he will give any MD or CEO of a pharmaceutical company willing to consume by mouth "a mixture of standard vaccine additives ingredients in the same amount as a six-year-old child is recommended to receive under the year-2005 guidelines of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention" a cash award. The award is a continually increasing amount of money, now approximately $185,000.
My attack strategy will be to take his challenge and relieve him of his $185,000 dollars. I will chronicle my attempt and any subsequent adventures that ensue here on my blog.
Please feel free to leave your comments, the whole purpose of this is to stimulate real discussion on the issue of vaccination. I am a physician and believe strongly in doing no harm and providing information that is unbiased and based on sound experimental or observational evidence.
So, who is Jock Doubleday? According to his online bio, he is a writer, director, actor and independent researcher, whatever that means. If you are intrigued, you can see him in action at (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qm1yPgxT87E) where he makes the following claims:
1. He is an expert on vaccines because he has read 27 books on vaccines in the last 7 years, he does not describe the books, could be Dr. Seuss for all we know.
2. "There has never been any science that shows that vaccines prevent disease." Strange that a self proclaimed "researcher" would be unaware of the hundreds of well done trials and studies that clearly show that vaccines do prevent disease. Maybe he is reading Dr. Seuss.
3. Family doctors recommend vaccines because by his estimate 60% of their profits come from vaccines. As a family doctor I find this laughable. Most of us loose money on vaccines. He probably makes more money off his anti-vaccination followers in a year than most MDs would make in an entire lifetime on vaccinations.
4. He can't legally give medical advice because he is not a doctor, but he advises you not to get your children vaccinated (I must be confused, isn't that medical advice?)
till next time
Dr. Skeptico
