Vaccines & Autism/Climategate

Date:	06-09-10
Host:	George Noory
Guests:	Andrew Wakefield, Brian Sussman

In the first half of the show, author of one of the most controversial clinical papers in modern medical history, Dr. Andrew Wakefield told the story of how he linked autism to vaccines, and his subsequent fallout with British medical authorities who took away his license to practice medicine. He first uncovered the connection to vaccines when he was treating autistic children who had severe gastrointestinal problems. Specifically, it was the MMR (measles/mumps/rubella) vaccine which combines three live viruses in one mixture that he found to be associated with some cases of autism and bowel disorders.

This vaccine was connected to cases of meningitis in Canada and was withdrawn there, yet it was brought to Britain afterward, he noted. Cases of autism spiked in the UK, Japan, and around the world in a 2-3 year time window when the MMR vaccine was introduced, said Wakefield. He noted that he's not against the use of all vaccines, but simply an advocate for safer vaccination policies, and has called for a thorough study of vaccinated vs. non-vaccinated children to compare long-term health outcomes.

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In the latter half of the show, meteorologist and talk show host Brian Sussman talked about 'Climategate,' and what he views as a global warming scam. He argued that the current climate change we're experiencing is not man-made, but part of a natural fluctuation. He cited major temperature shifts in the past such as a warming period in the Medieval era where it was 2 degrees hotter. Further, he suggested that carbon dioxide is not a poison-- plants flourish with it-- and "it's no more dangerous than water."

"The science doesn't square up" with what the government is trying to sell and there are people, such as Al Gore, who stand to make millions off the climate change scheme, said Sussman. He also warned the US' plans to implement a "smart grid" which will allow them to control people's home electricity usage without their consent.