Diplomatic Immunity

Featured image: NZ on the measles merry-go-round. Why?

NZ on the measles merry-go-round. Why?

Helen Petousis Harris • May 27, 2016

It is raining and we are having another measles outbreak because a non-immune someone went overseas, picked up the most contagious virus known to infect man and brought it back home to the Waikato. They then spread it to others who were not immune to measles (generally unvaccinated). Controlling spread of measles takes enormous public health resources, every case must … Read More

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Featured image: Whimsical witchcraft not immunisation

Whimsical witchcraft not immunisation

Helen Petousis Harris • May 23, 2016

There is a measles outbreak in the Waikato and folks are presenting certificates of homeopathic prophylaxis against measles as proof of immunity, to avoid exclusion from school. It is frightening to think that the holder of the certificate below is under the impression they have protection against the listed epidemic diseases.   Certificate of immunity to infectious diseases Homeopathic … Read More

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Featured image: Wilyman’s ‘thesis’ from a relativistic viewpoint?

Wilyman’s ‘thesis’ from a relativistic viewpoint?

Helen Petousis Harris • Jan 15, 2016

“It’s rather like a sociologist who insists that jet aircraft remain aloft only because of a conspiracy between aeronautical engineers and greedy airlines. Perhaps Wollongong already has someone working on such a thesis.” (Editorial, The Australian) The antivax rant accepted as a PhD thesis by University of Wollongong is defended by the student’s supervisor Professor Brian Martin. Read More

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Featured image: A PhD By Stealth (BS) – What are University of Wollongong thinking?

A PhD By Stealth (BS) – What are University of Wollongong thinking?

Helen Petousis Harris • Jan 14, 2016

Wollongong University has accepted a Doctoral thesis so fatally flawed even an arrested Koala could spot the shortcomings. The offending work is entitled “A critical analysis of the Australian government’s rationale for its vaccination policy” and well established antivaxer Judy Wilyman was recently accepted as fulfilling the requirements for the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Read More

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Featured image: HPV “vaccination syndrome” – latest investigation

HPV “vaccination syndrome” – latest investigation

Helen Petousis Harris • Nov 06, 2015

Following on from extensive hysteria and bad press in many countries, including Denmark and Japan, the Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) investigated the issue that’s been dubbed “HPV vaccination syndrome”. They have concluded that scientific evidence DOES NOT support that HPV vaccines cause complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) or Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) … Read More

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Featured image: HPV vaccination syndrome. A questionnaire based ‘study’. Lack of any evidence. Pt 2.

HPV vaccination syndrome. A questionnaire based ‘study’. Lack of any evidence. Pt 2.

Helen Petousis Harris • Sep 24, 2015

Continued from HPV vaccination syndrome: Surely extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. Pt 1. The questionnaire based ‘study’ is even worse than the hypothesis. Following on from yesterday’s blog about “HPV vaccination syndrome” I want to address a few issues about the accompanying report “HPV vaccination syndrome. A questionnaire-based study.” First, the introductory text is identical … Read More

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Featured image: HPV vaccination syndrome: Surely extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. Pt 1.

HPV vaccination syndrome: Surely extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. Pt 1.

Helen Petousis Harris • Sep 23, 2015

I really do think that the latest proposed “HPV vaccination syndrome” is an extraordinary claim that requires some evidence proportionate to its absurdity. Actually some evidence would be a start. However a piece in the journal Clinical Rheumatology appears to have escaped what normally passes as scientific peer review and got received, revised and accepted in less than … Read More

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Featured image: HPV vaccine Gardasil – seriously good data reinforce its safety

HPV vaccine Gardasil – seriously good data reinforce its safety

Helen Petousis Harris • Aug 29, 2015

The quadrivalent human papillomavirus vaccine called Gardasil is putting on a bloody good show and NO, it doesn’t cause THAT! Despite strong evidence demonstrating effectiveness against a range of cancers and genital warts and robust data supporting its safety a bunch of silly rumours threaten to derail efforts to get our young women vaccinated. By the way boys should also … Read More

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Aussie ‘no jab, no pay’ unlikely to make disease go away.

Helen Petousis Harris • Apr 15, 2015

The Australian proposal to remove financial benefits from families who fail to immunise their children seems like a politically motivated point-scoring move based on emotive lobbying by media, namely the Sunday Telegraph.  It would appear to have arisen from the outcry about anti-vaccination parents putting others at risk following the deaths of two infants too young to be vaccinated. Read More

Tenpenny’s vaccine advice is worth ten a penny and is certainly a dime a dozen

Helen Petousis Harris • Jan 08, 2015

Sherri Tenpenny is an American anti-vaccination protagonist causing some disturbance across the ditch, and somehow this issue has crawled into the NZ Herald.  Australian lobby group Stop the Australian Anti Vaccination Network would like to see Sherri’s visa declined so that she may not spread her gospel in their country (The AntiAVN exist to hold the … Read More

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