Earlier this week the stories and images of September 11, 2001 not only reminded me of how fragile life can be, but also how resilient people are in the face of adversity. These impressions reinforced my lifelong desire to always try my best to help others. As I continue to identify admirable causes and spend my time volunteering within my community, I sometimes get a bit overwhelmed with all my commitments. These are the moments when I gain reassurance from the many women who have shown me the way. Those women that I consider to be important mentors and role models.
Betty Bumpers (second from left) campaigned with First Lady Rosalynn Carter (second from right) to change state immunization laws.
While this award recognized her service in the state of Arkansas, Betty has helped improve the quality of lives all across this country. In an interview published in Arkansas Business, Betty details how she became involved with childhood immunization issues. She explains how, as a governor’s wife, she was asked by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to help educate people about vaccines. While she agreed to the challenge, she admits that she was left “figuring out how we could do it”.
World Health Day, 1974, features (top row, from left) Dr. Roz Epps, Benetta Washington (Mrs. Walter Washington), Betty Bumpers, and Washington D.C. Mayor Walter Washington, along with (second row, from left) Rosalynn Carter, a D.C. mother and child, and an unidentified public health nurse.
This summer, as Betty addressed attendees of the National Immunization Coalition Conference, I realized the amazing progress that this nation has made as a result of the efforts of Betty Bumpers, Rosslyn Carter and Every Child By Two. With the current outbreaks we are witnessing today, the coalitions and public health departments continue to play an important role in promoting immunizations to an often forgetful nation. The truth is, if it weren’t for Betty’s lifetime of service, there may not be such a committed network of coalitions to help us today. As Betty spoke to the crowd of eager advocates, I was once again inspired by her wise words, as well as her many accomplishments.
After her speech, I introduced her to two very special women who have recently “volunteered” to start a new immunization coalition in the state of Minnesota. I knew Betty would not only appreciate their commitment to service, but would also have some critical words of advice to impart. As I stood listening to their conversation, I realized how Betty’s service had come full circle. The truth is that one of the women starting this new coalition began advocating for immunizations, in part, because of her involvement on the Every Child By Two “Vaccinate Your Baby” Facebook page. At that moment, I recognized how much influence Betty continues to have in motivating the next generation of immunization advocates to stand up and serve.
Thank you Betty for all you have done, and congratulations on being honored with this well deserved award.
@Steve – more Pharma-shill accusations? Seriously? Don’t you have anything else?
One of the largest sectors that Arent Fox operate is in representing pharmaceutical companies against those pesky and intrusive regulations that get in the way of industry profit.
Can you please tell us what number is to the left of the word “Vaccines” on page 30 (Appendix 1) of this document, and what does it mean?
the United States for the years 1963-72.
What is it about that table of how much health and resources were saved during the first ten years of measles vaccination that puts it into moderation? I actually tried to post it in the “Is There Such Thing as Vaccine Debate” thread twice on September 1, 2012 at 1:00 pm, with and without the link to the paper. But they are both in moderation after almost two weeks.
It would be nice if it could be approved here to show how much an impact Ms. Bumpers actions have had on both the health of children, and the taxpayers’ wallets. Thank you.
Chris, We’re not exactly sure why your comment (which included the table you reference) was put in moderation, but we wanted to let you know that we never received notification of the comment attempting to be posted on the other previous blog post. WordPress is not always consistent and we have been experiencing some irregularities lately. If you should have a problem in the future, please email shotofprevention@gmail.com. Thanks for your understanding.
Thank you. The paper was written in the 1970s, and shows what an impact the measles vaccine had in just ten years. And this was before many states had school entry rules. At that time only kids in households with adequate access to regular health care would get vaccines.
@Chris – the antivaccine groups & individuals focus solely on mortality rates, while ignoring all of the other benefits of the vaccine program in general. For every one person who died of a vaccine-preventable disease, thousands or tens of thousands of individuals got sick, some requiring hospitalization, and all with the potential of being on the receiving end of the various proven side-effects of the illnesses.
If you take an honest look at the numbers – vaccines are several magnitudes safer than the diseases they prevent.
One reason is that when they argue the “pharma money” part, they end up being hypocritical when it turns out that keeping the kids from dying due to measles, Hib, etc is very expensive compared to vaccination. This is why many papers mention the costs.
Like this one about how much the 1990 measles epidemic cost California (the same epidemic that prompted the beginning of “Every Child by Two): Pediatric hospital admissions for measles. Lessons from the 1990 epidemic. The paper mentions that 19% of the reported measles cases required hospitalization Since most of the cases were those from families without adequate healthcare (like vaccination) due to low income it cost Medi-Cal around $12 million.
I never had the pleasure of meeting Betty Bumpers, who along with Rosalind Carter are my heroines. Their care and concern for the health of infants and children, that extends to the present day, is truly extraordinary.
Just as an aside, I did meet Rosalind Carter ~ 30 years ago at an advocacy conference on behalf of developmentally disabled kids and adults and people diagnosed with mental illnesses. She was one of the few high-profile individuals who spoke out about providing additional services to these under-served populations. She is a gracious, intelligent lady and I remain as her most devoted fan.
And Chris, in the best scientific spirit, I do not entertain hypothetical avoidance of illness. Your first chart shows two things. One, vaccines are in the top 20 of healthcare expenses and two, the cost is rising. Your second chart is a pie in the sky rationalization. You cannot PROVE (your favorite demand) a negative. You cannot PROVE that there would have been any more or less cases of anything. That is a basic premise of logic. You cannot prove a negative. Your ‘prevention of a negative’ chart is pure fantasy.
@Steve – trying to get around a block or removed post by spacing out letters is pretty darn stupid….And Steve, we don’t need to deal with hypotheticals – we have the overall decline of cases since the use of the vaccine, plus what percentage of individuals required hospitalizations, what those hospitalizations cost, and the percentage of individuals that either died or suffered from complications.
That’s the type of information you need to be able to draw conclusions – the idiocy of your statement transparent, when we can show a 95% – 99% reduction in cases of vaccine preventable diseases.
@Steve – oh, and your attempted “character assassination” of Dale Bumpers is just another pathetic attempt to play “Six-Degrees” to tar and feather anyone who, in your lowly opinion, disagrees with your stance on vaccines.
I congratulate Mr. & Mrs. Bumpers for putting “their money where their mouth is,” and funding a vaccine research center – a very different type of activity than the anti-vaccination groups out there, who have yet to make one positive contribution to children’s health in this country.
Mr. Michaels, what you gave what not evidence, but speculation and libel.
No…I did not see Steve’s comments before they were removed…but I am thrilled that his inappropriate posts were removed from this blog.
@Steve – accusations without evidence is libel, that’s why your posts were removed (I’m sure).
Steve’s comments were removed from this thread because they did not address the subject of this post, which is Betty Bumpers.
One, vaccines are in the top 20 of healthcare expenses and two, the cost is rising.
So, what is the number to the left of the word “Vaccines” on page 30 (Appendix 1) of this report? How many rows does that table have? And what does it mean in context to your remarks?
I am reminded of when my dad was stationed overseas and there were some English language schools that played sports with each other. My high school was ranked #3! But it was out of three schools. In other words: the worst team. I encourage everyone to click on my link, go to page 30 and then read Mr. Michael’s comment to see why it is actually quite funny.
Chris asked for studies showing that the DPT had caused a lot of permanent injury, and I posted a long list of studies from the 1970s and 1980s proving such harm. Why was the list taken down?
Meg, I specifically asked for those more recent than 2006. Any study which was done in a year starting with “19” does not qualify.
Mr. Michaels, did it ever occur to you that accusations must have evidence? Perhaps Christine simply objected to your tasteless decision to smear the name of the dead.
@Steve – since the article isn’t about her husband, you are even more off topic than usual.
Do you think that the CDC would have come to her if her name was Betty Boop instead of Bumpers?
She was asked, on the coat tails of her HUSBAND, to appear as the unbiased advocate. Her husband is certainly relevant, especially when he is paid by a company which benefits from her activities.
Sorry, typo… Gray….. who died?
@gray – ignore Stevetroll, he’s so off the reservation, it isn’t even worth addressing him anymore.
That translates to ‘we don’t know how to counter his comments’, doesn’t it Lars? I am off the reservation when Gray refers to dead people? I think he is living in the 6th Sense or something! He claimed I was ‘smearing the name of the dead’? Why is it ‘off the reservation’ to ask what in the heck he is talking about?
@Steve – you’re so far down the rabbit hole that rational, normal human beings cannot even begin to converse with someone like yourself – which is probably a good thing, since the vast majority of people never have to put up with someone so intellectually dishonest as you have been.
A woman is honored for her volunteer service & your immediate play is to smear her by way of her husband.
Of course, the very fact that you are allowed to continue to post on this blog negates your whole argument – that there is some enormous cover-up of the truth, and any posts that are removed are done so because they are either so over the top outrageous or so grossly off-topic, while notorious anti-vaccine websites don’t allow even a single dissenting voice to be heard amongst their ranks, if it doesn’t precisely toe the anti-vaccine party line.
The fact that you can’t even realize the irony of supporting someone like Wakefield, who, in his business plan presented to potential investors, projected making tens of millions of dollars off of his vaccine alternative, while at the same time vilifying individuals who have done nothing more than donate their time and effort to a cause (or money to found a non-profit research organization), shows exactly how unhinged you actually are.
I appreciate the fact that the vast majority of people don’t think or act like you – that we live in a world where actual science and facts are appreciated and good decisions are made on a daily basis by parents who are looking after the best interest of their children. I could care less what decision you make for yourself, but spreading the lies, distortions and misinformation that you do has done nothing for the health or welfare of a single child – unlike the activities of Mrs. Bumpers – who’s good works have saved lives.
I have been removed and banned from this site so many times, I can’t count. I just know how to come back. It is not because this site entertains myriad opinions. It is because I am persistent. Is it not fair to determine whether a volunteer actually is receiving direct or indirect compensation for their work? Full disclosure of financial interests is key to understanding the corporate world. If you do not see that, then it is you who is down the rabbit hole my friend.
Yes and you will “be removed and banned from this site so many times” that (you) can’t count” as long as you post vile defamatory off-topic remarks.
Even these bloggers, who have an extremely tolerant moderation/banning policy, will eventually wield the ban hammer.
You didn’t provide evidence, you provided speculation.
Full disclosure of financial interests is key to understanding the corporate world.
Which is why I asked you where of the list of how much money is spent in certain categories I wanted to tell me what the number is on the left of the word “Vaccines.” You responded were in the top twenty, and the list only had twenty rows. So where did vaccines stand compared to anti-depressants? Respiratory agents? Narcotic analgesics?
It makes us wonder if you are a shill for “Big Hospital Supply.” Because you really are not giving us any evidence that letting kids get measles, mumps, pertussis, Hib, etc is cheaper than providing access to vaccines.
I provided INFORMATION, you are speculating.
I didn’t ask for you to draw any conclusions. I JUST provided information from a completely unrelated source to this site. Unlike you, I actually think that people are entitled to full disclosure so that they can make up their own minds. You people are the ones who are afraid to let people think for themselves.
You and your children live in a country with a national health care plan, where all the childhood vaccines that are recommended by the NHS are free of charge to the parents. Although the NHS is, for some reason holding off on providing the varicella vaccine for all children. We don’t have a national health care plan and I paid for vaccines for my children born 1970 and 1976.
We all honor Mrs. Bumpers for the outstanding work she has done, to enable kids to be fully immunized through the VFC, Head Start, and Indian Health Services program…so that NO CHILD is left unprotected and so that NO CHILD is maimed or dies from a vaccine-preventable disease.
You have also accused us individually and as group of being paid for participating on this blog, repeatedly. You are accusing us individually and as a group as lying and committing fraudulent acts, so I take it “personal” when my reputation is impugned and I take it personal that you have accused me personally of being “on the take”. I have a personal reputation to maintain and a professional reputation (I am a licensed registered nurse), to maintain. Yes “I take it personal”.
I take it personal, remembering the death of a childhood chum from polio, just before the Salk vaccine was licensed and available.
I take it personal, recalling my older cousin who was left with lifelong neurological deficits due to measles encephalitis.
I take it personal, remembering all the cases of children who either died or barely survived invasive Hib or S. Pneumonaie diseases, before protective vaccines became available. I still mourn the loss of an infant from pertussis, because a close household member transmitted the bacterium to the baby.
I found my niche, working as a public health nurse. I care about public health and the individual patients who are impacted by the ignorance of self-promoting ignorant anti-vaxxers, who scare young parents away from immunizations.
Do I take it personal? Damn straight, I do.
If you want people to think for themselves, why do you say things like “I didn’t ask for you to draw any conclusions.” Drawing conclusions is a form of thinking for oneself. And I can draw one: That you have no idea how dirty your tactics are.
Meg, I specifically asked for those more recent than 2006. Any study which was done in a year starting with “19″ does not qualify.
Since the DPT was replaced with the TDaP before 2006, I guess you already know that there are no studies on the discontinued vaccine, don’t you? Your shill tactic of asking for the impossible is revealed again Chris! How much do they pay you to shill like that?
How horrible – you’re being asked for evidence to support your claims. What to do?
2) Distract with an accusation? That’s the ticket.
Since the DPT was replaced by the somewhat safer DTaP about fifteen years ago, where do you think the large group of chldren vaxed with DPT would come from to do a 21st century study on the DPT? The long list of studies I provided from the ’70s and ’80s, found in Neil Miller”s Vaccine Safety Manual (there were lots of earlier studies on serious reactions, but I omitted those) should have been sufficient evidence to prove that the DPT was often devastating in the permanent paralysis, brain damage, and death it caused. That’s why it was taken off the market . Do you want to bring it back and damage a lot more children in order to study it now?
Do you understand that more recent studies show there was really no association between DTwP and seizures? This is also why I pointed you to this article. So, again, you are asked to provide recent reviews of the DTP that show a real issue with the vaccine that are published in this century (hint: the year in the dates start with “20” not “19”).
And, Neil Miller is not a reliable source of information. Which was quite evident when on a more recent paper where he failed to disclose a conflict of interest.
There really is no point arguing with you over the fact that the OPV causes more paralysis and death than the disease itself ever did. This is fairly well known in India. There is also no point in arguing over the anecdotal shaping of your world view. There is also no point in pointing out to you that chicken pox is such a mild disease that, at least thus far, it is a waste of public money to pay for mass vaccination. Please note Chris’s comment number 47. Asking about or bringing up conflicts of interest are certainly fair ‘tactics’ when they suit your view. Why is it a ‘personal attack’ when your own motives are questioned? Finally, in virtually every place you said ‘personal’ it really should have been ‘personally’.
I refer you, as well, to Chris’s comment 47. Why is it such a bad thing to point out that certain people have conflicts of interest when they are pro-vax, and such an important pillar of ‘discrediting’ someone if they are not pro-vax?
@Steve – pointing out perceived COI’s on one side, while ignoring proven COI’s on your own side is being both hypocritical and just plain lame.
Was the study you cited independently done or pharma-funded?
And being so defensive when asked about ones you may have is usually a sign of guilt.
@Steve – I was pointing out your ignorance of COIs by the very people in the anti-vaccine movement that you idolize. Call me a fool all you want, you’re the one that keeps being proved wrong.
I read several years ago about Tony Blair’s stonewalling when asked if he and his wife had gotten the MMR for their son Leo, born in 2000, wasn’t he? The same year as my vaccine-damaged daughter. He was embarrassed to be pushing the MMR for everyone else when not even he thought it was safe. I read about a number of British children born to politicians or members of the aristocracy who had autism from vaccine damage. Are there a lot of stories about that there?
The important point would be if the thousands of studies cited by Neil Miller were fraudulent or not. Most of them were done long before this became an issue politicized by Big Pharma, and many of those I cited the other day on damage caused by the DPT were published in the Lancet, and have never been criticized or retracted.
Citation and Link to that statement desperately needed. Or, is it just another of “your opinions”.?
You tell me. The first thing you have to do is actually look for the study and read it. Do you have something against the CDC Vaccine Safety Datalink or the Kaiser Permanente Insurance? Last I checked health insurance companies are really try not to spend much money on pharmaceuticals, or on health claims.
ThinkTwice, Immunization Studies: Scientific & Medical References: This is another catalogue of citations from the actual scientific literature dealing with vaccine problems. Some citations are fair, while others are deceptive.
And we already noted that he and Gary Goldman failed to post their conflicts of interests and sources of funding on a recent paper.
Again, the important thing to me is that every page in Mr. Miller’s books has an average of about fifty citations of studies published in medical journals. Pages 478 to 548 of his Vaccine Safety Manual are packed with very narrow lines in very small type to crowd in all of his studies cite, an average of 45 studies or articles per page. You would have to establish that the medical journals listed are fraudulent to discredit them.
meg, as I noted before at least twice: Mr. Miller does not use those cites properly. What he says they say, and what they actually do say are two different things. So, again, meg/ella/cia/anne: the only citations I want from you are primary sources that I can access at PubMed written by qualified authors.
@ Chris: “meg”, CIA Parker’s morphing troll has now cherry-picked Dr. Gorski’s SBM article on pertussis (see “Pertussis in my town. Now what?”).
CIA, how about this blog by Dr. Gorski…that discusses your source, Neil Miller and other anti-vaccine cranks?
It is just more evidence that cia/meg/anne/ella/etc does has issues with her reading comprehension. Her mind only takes in the parts she likes, and ignores everything else. It works like a filter, which in the end leaves her with a closed mind.