Whistleblower William Thompson Reveals MMR Vaccine’s Association with Autism
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FAQ: Concerns Regarding the CDC’s MMR Study and Vaccine Safety
1. What were the main concerns Dr. Thompson had with the CDC’s MMR study?
Dr. Thompson was concerned that the CDC did not fully report findings related to a possible association between the MMR vaccine and increased risk of autism-like features, specifically ticks, in African-American boys. He felt that certain statistical analyses were omitted from the final published study that would have shown this association
2. Why did Dr. Thompson believe the CDC did not report all of their findings?
Dr. Thompson suggested that the co-authors on the MMR study did not believe the race variable was reliable, and therefore, they chose to exclude certain analyses. However, Dr. Thompson disagreed with this justification.
3. What did Dr. Thompson suggest should be done with the CDC’s SEED data?
Dr. Thompson strongly believed that an independent organization, completely separate from the CDC, should be brought in to analyze the SEED data. He felt this would provide a more objective and unbiased review of the information.
4. Why did Dr. Thompson believe that focusing on ticks could be a more effective way to address concerns about vaccines?
Dr. Thompson felt that focusing on the potential link between vaccines and ticks, rather than autism, would be a more effective way to raise concerns about vaccine safety. He argued that the medical community often downplays the significance of ticks and that parents would be more likely to be concerned about a vaccine that could cause ticks.
5. What concerns did Dr. Thompson have regarding the way data was analyzed in the Verstraeten study?
Dr. Thompson raised concerns that the Verstraeten study adjusted for the clinic where children were seen, which he believed could have significantly reduced the size of any potential effects. This adjustment, according to Dr. Thompson, essentially compared children with similar levels of developmental concerns, making it difficult to identify any true associations.
6. What did Dr. Thompson believe was significant about the Tozzi (Italy) study?
Dr. Thompson highlighted the Tozzi study, which had a larger sample size than the CDC’s New England Journal of Medicine paper and used true random assignment. Importantly, the Tozzi study found both a tick effect and a language effect, potentially replicating some of the concerns raised by Dr. Thompson.
7. What did Dr. Thompson believe was problematic about the IAN Lipkin study on measles virus and autism?
Dr. Thompson criticized the IAN Lipkin study for having a small sample size of only 25 autism cases, which severely limited its statistical power. He felt the study’s conclusion that there was no correlation between measles virus and autism was misleading and that the study was simply too small to draw any meaningful conclusions.
8. Why was Dr. Thompson hesitant to speak publicly about his concerns?
Dr. Thompson expressed reluctance to speak publicly for fear of retaliation from the CDC and the potential damage to his reputation. He also did not want to involve his family in a potentially stressful and difficult situation.